Demeter TGA-2 Head

built in 2004. has everything you need, unless you want reverb and dedicated eq for the two channels, which i definitely wish it had (eq that is,not reverb). i can set the eq for the clean channel and love it, then kick over to the dirty channel and not like it as much as i would, had i set the eq for the dirty channel first.this is not something i consider to be terribly objectionable however. just recently started using the effects loop. i've never really utilized them in other amps i've owned, and i have to admit i don't hear a huge difference between the loop and just running my effects in line. maybe i don't know what i am doing but i have done quite a bit of experimenting. now i run my fender reverb through the loop, and my other effects in line. works for me.

i have had the amp for almost a year now and have intentionally waited until i was well aquainted with it to write a review. i did a
lot of research on line before i decided on the demeter. i think hearing sonny landreth and talking to jim demeter on the phone is what finally pushed me over the edge. sonny landreth's sound( when he is using his demeter ,not the dumble) is freeking ridiculous,and jim demeter is the bomb! anyone who has talked with him at length knows what i am talking about. just to clarify, i have seen sonny landreth playing his dumble, and i personally like "his" demeter "sound" better. that said, i have to admit i wasn't completely blown away with the amp when i first got it. i think i made the fatal mistake we all make at one time or another. that is; expecting to get exactly the same sound we hear on a favorite players recordings. i think after all these years of playing i have finally realized that while yes, equipment plays a big role in getting the sound you want, it's really in the hands. obviously if you want a marshall or dual rectifier boogie type sound,you are not going to get it out of your super or peavey classic 30, but the gist of what you are going to sound like is going to come from you. once i admitted that to myself, i realized what an incredible amp the tga is!!! the clean channel is other worldly and downright inspirational. the dirty channel is just awesome. the boost i haven't warmed up to yet... searing is an apt description. one more thing,and this really goes for any amp; if you are not happy with your sound, change speakers!!!!!!!!!!! i cannot possibly emphasize this enough. this can mean the difference between mild happiness and total bliss. by the way, my favorite pickups with the amp are p-90's...although everything sounds great!

no problems so far. dead quiet too!!

these people are great! jim is the kind of guy you want for a friend.
they don't give much info about the amp. easy enough to figure out though. haven't had to have it repaired, so can't comment on service or turn around time.

been playing thirty years. i would buy this amp again in a heartbeat. the best sounding amp i have played through now that i know how to tweek it to my taste, but by no means do i think there is a perfect amp or a perfect sound.....that is totally subjective. one more thing...with this amp i found "my" voice, not someone elses.
a bit expensive,but worth it.

I traded my TGA3 head for this modded TGA2. My TGA3 was one of the greatest sounding heads I ever played on. What made me want to trade was for a more modern tone. This amp has a Blackface channel one and a Marshall channel 2 with a boost. The EQ is shared for both. There is a 1/2 power switch on the rear and a active presence. 50 watts tatal power with 5881 power tubes. Great looking black cab with gold pin stripeing and the gold plexi control panel, very nice looking and the size of a Marshall so it fits on my vintage Marshall cab nice.

The Marshall side is no Plexi but more of a nice warmed up JMP. There is no Plexi ping on the cleans like on my old TGA3. The boost gets you into thick crunchy punch with a crisp top end. I like doing some old rock covers on this channel as it gets that old Scorpion crunch in spades. I can dial in alot of the old 80's and some modern Marshall stuff very easy. The Lead tones on this channel are very compressed until the boost is engaged, then it gets a wide open ripp'in tone with tons of sustain.
Channel one....Now this is what made my heart stop & skip a beat. The cleans are with out a doubt the best I ever heard. Full of juicy 3D depth with lots of tube ping like a great old Blackface deluxe. But run the pre gain up full and the master 1/2 way..and now its a frigg'in Dumble..Yes Dumble..And I have owned two of them, and not Fuchs or Two Rock Dumble clones, Real full on Dumble Feel & sound & sustain..Think Robben ford leads & sonny Landrith cleans..I use a Barber OD and my guitar and run it into a old Marshall 4-12 cab with GH30 speakers. This channel just kicked my ass..the first song I played with the band we all stopped half way into the lead break and we all were just blown away. Dumble on one channel & crunchy Marshall on the other all I can say is WOWWWWWWWW....

I had the TGA3 for 5 years and played over 200 shows, built like a rock..Never even a burp..the Timex of the amp world..

If You call you will be very impressed with the way they treat you. They seem to know all the fads and whats going on out there. They can custom Mod their amps to do just about anything you want...

Playing forever...Had just about every good amp & guitar out there. I build a line of Boutique guitars..I just fell in love with this amp, I really like the Dumble feel and a Marshall to go to when I feel the need all in one amp. For my style of playing this amp fits like a glove. I will miss some of the cool Plexi tones on my TGA3, but this channel one just kills my old amp. I can't really think of another amp I would even want to play on now...what a tone monster...

all of this as been reviewd above,great features nuff said.

this is a top notch amp,the best clean i have ever heard,the marshall channel is awsome,i run it with a tube screamer (ts 808) in front of it as a booster and i get the most unbeleivable van halen brown sound i have ever heard, think fair warning full of harmonics and overtones if i could rate this channel at 100 i would this amp is worth every penny and more.

you can clearly see the quality in this amp i dont think it will ever break down.

emailed them a few times responded within hours....great...

great tone
great craftmanship
great looks
easy to dial in
my best ever amp so far

2004 Demeter TGA2

I play in a group called Carbon Leaf, an eclectic rock band on Vanguard Records. I took the 50 watt head and a 2/12 cab on our last tour. The amp has 2 channels. The 1st is set up like my Bassman, it is a great clean channel with enough nice lows to keep me happy. I have been using a '64 Bassman for several years and wanted to leave it at home in my studio. This is the only amp that I have found that could replace it. It is warm, with nice tight low end. I have found that many amps have a really mushy low and low mid response. The second channel is a Marshall style amp. I rarely find an amp of this style that I can use, but this sounds great and is starting to find its way into what I do. There is an effects loop. The amp is 50 watts, but I usually run it at half power and it is still loud enough. It is all tube. The cab is closed but has the option to open it up, if that is the sound that you are going for.

I have been using a '65 Tele and a Novax(with single coils) for the last few months. The amp sounds great with these guitars. It breaks up nicely with a Les Paul, as well. It is aslo unusually quite, no hiss or hum. As I am really only looking for one sound, I found just what I wanted. This is one of the only amps that I have ever used that can do more than one thing and do it well. Both channels are true to what they claim to be. The clean channel can break up, but only if that is what you want it too. If you want a really loud amp, you might want the 100 watt. The distortion is really warm and thick.

I have used this amp every night, for 3 1/2 months and it has NEVER even hissed at me. It sounds great in rooms of all sizes. I have been nothing but stoked on it's performance on the road. Our FOH mixer says that it sounds great every night out front as well.

Everyone at the company is a breeze to work with and they will go out of their way to make sure that everything works for you.

I've been playing for over 10 years and had tons of amps, this is the only one that I have ever had that I would have to replace. This is a great amp and will stay with me for years to come.

Just had the amp built and shipped to me, sounds incredible, I'm running it threw a 4x12 Orange cab. I bought the amp without ever hearing one, just heard alot of good things about them, and everyone was right, it's exactly what I was looking for I can run it at any volume and it sounds incredible no matter how liitle or much gain you put on it, and no matter how heavy the distortion gets you still have lots of clarity.

I play a Schecter Classic, the amp is exactly what I needed to fit the style music I play. the clean tone is never distorted at any volume, it gets louder than I'll ever need it to, and soooo much clarity

well I just bought the amp so I can't say much on reliability

Adam is very helpful all the people up there are, I bought the amp threw Austin Bass Traders and they were very helpful as well, there's not many dealers around so not to many service centers but I wouldn't say that's a bad thing, cause not many people have my amp, as a matter of fact I'm the only with one in my area...

I've owned Marshall Amps Mesa amps and by far the Demeter is my favorite you can't beat it, It's a great value definitly worth your time and money

Made in 2004. This is the 50 watt model, loaded with EL34's instead of the standard 6L6's upon my request. 2 footswitchable channels, one clean and one called "Edge." The Edge channel is dirtier than the clean, like most amps' "gain" channels. Each channel has its own gain and master control. Both channels share one EQ section, but this is not a liability at all - more on that below. Footswitchable "Solo" boost on the Edge channel. Bright switch on the clean channel. Wonderful tube buffered effects loop with adjustable "send" and "return" levels on front panel.

Internal (circuit board mounted) trim pot controls the gain of the Edge channel, or rather the relation of the Edge channel's gain to that of the Solo boost. Dial it way up, and the Edge channel is fairly close to the gain of the Solo function. Dialed down, there is a big jump between Edge and Solo. I leave it maxed out, as I don't need a big volume jump between Edge and Solo. For me, this is a set-and-forget control, but I can see how other players might want to be able to adjust the amount of boost on the fly.

Circuit board mounted bias pot allows for fairly easy biasing of power tubes if you don't mind opening up your amp and know how to use a Weber Bias Rite (great little tool, btw). The bias pot has enough range to accommodate 6L6's and EL34's.

The amp has all the features I need, without too much goofy stuff going on. I'll take off one point for not having the Solo boost adjustable on the exterior of the amp (something Demeter now tells me it will include on future amps), and no exterior bias adjustment capability. These are minor things, however. Overall, this is a feature rich amp, but not overly so or to the detriment of its functionality.

Using the amp with a Robin Wrangler Tele copy, a Squier M77 Bluesbird copy, a Washburn HB35S ES335 copy, and a DeArmond M-77T (can you tell I like knock-offs and budget guitars?), all with upgraded pickups (except the DeArmond) and hardware. I'm using a Demeter 2x12 cab, with the stock Eminence speakers yanked in favor of a pair of Weber Blue Dogs - one AlNiCo 30 watter, and one ceramic 50 watter. I run the cab open-backed.

I play primarily rhythm guitar in a rock band in the Chicago, Illinois, USA area. We do pretty straight-forward rock, but the sounds I have to generate run the gamut - sparkling clean, slightly overdriven, heavy overdrive, fuzzed out, atmosphereic, AM radio, etc.

This amp suits my style perfectly. It gets me every sound I need. It is an *extremely* quiet amp (i.e., hissless), if that's an important consideration to you. It is for me.

As for the tones, I've looked long and hard for an amp that will give me this much good tone, at different shades of clean and gain, and the TGA-2 is IT. The amp's I've run across in my quest are as follows: Fender HR DeVille, Laney VC30, Mojotone Tone Machine, Budda SD30 and SD18, Mesa Maverick, Mesa F-50, Zinky MoFo, Fender Tonemaster, Randall RM50HB, and several others I'm probably forgetting.

The tone of the amp is not so simply classifiable as "Fender on one channel and Marshall on the other," IMO. Surely it's reminiscent of these amps, but it also has hints of Hiwatt, Vox, etc. It really sounds like a Demeter, I suppose. I'll try to give a description of the tone.

The clean channel has a rich, deep harmonic sweetness to it. I run it with the master way up and pre-amp low so that I can get the clean atmospheric tones I need with my band. With my humbucker guitars, I get a little break-up if I really dig in. With my Tele and DeArmond, I can stay completely clean. This is perfect for me. Ron at Demeter tells me that he did some special mods to mine to give it more touch responsiveness and sponginess. I believe it. It sounds beautiful. I consider the clean channel the star performer of the amp.

The Edge channel picks up where the clean channel leaves off. It's more mid-heavy and a little darker, which is great for getting subtle shades of gain and sound different than the clean channel. Once again, I run this channel with the gain fairly low and the master way up. I don't really need any kind of "brutal" gain sounds with my band (other than wacky fuzz sounds occasionally), so I don't turn the gain up much. There's plenty on tap though.

The Solo boost seems to add volume, gain, lows, and low-mids, to my ear. Excellent for more aggressive gain tones and, well, solos!!!

I run a few gain pedals in front of the amp, but I find myself using them less and less. The three natural options you get from the amp itself (clean, edge, and solo) usually are enough for me, along with my guitar's volume control or my volume pedal.

That takes me to the effects loop. This is by far the best effects loop I've ever used. No tonal coloration at all when employed. I run a H&K Tube Rotosphere, a Boss DD20, an MXR M-108 10-band EQ, and an Ernie Ball 25K volume pedal in the loop, and they all work flawlessly. You should hear the Rotosphere in this loop - Holy Smokes!!! Spinny as hell, with no additional noise.

Note: As with most good effects loops, this one sounds best (or rather allows the amp to sound its best) if you use line-level effects through the loop - not instrument-level stompboxes. While you can dial down the "send" level, and dial up the "return" level to deal with instrument-level stompers, this hurts the tone of the amp. Keep that pre-amp signal HOT whenever possible! I run the send at about 1:30 on the dial and the return at about 11:00.

The Rotosphere likes the hot signal, as does the DD20 in its +4 setting. Surprisingly (to me at least), the MXR EQ pedal and the EB volume pedal also do not blink an eye at the hot pre-amp s

Beautifully built amp. Tanklike is an accurate description. A lot of care obviously goes into the build of these amps and cabs. I've only had the amp for a couple of months, but I can't imagine anything going wrong with it. If it did, I'm confident that Demeter would bend over backwards to help me suss it out.

Extremely personable and responsive fellas over there at Demeter. When the 100 watter I originally received didn't quite meet my needs (too much power, not enough sweetness in clean channel, a couple other minor gripes), Ron at Demeter actually interviewed me over the phone to find out what sounds I was going for. He dug out all sorts of information and then built my amp accordingly. Excellent. A gent by the name of Adam is the main sales/customer relations guy at Demeter, and he also provides top-notch service. Great sense of humor and a pleasure to deal with. He really went out of his way to make sure I was satisfied with the amp.

Incredibly overlooked and underrated guitar amps. If you're in the market for an amp like the one I've described above, I suggest that you give Demeter a call. They'll work with you to make your tones happen.

Oh yes, and please don't be daunted by the prices you think they may charge. Not only are the listed prices competitive with other boutique makers, but they'll do their best to get you rigged up with one of their amps. Truly remarkable. Just give them a call.

100 Watts switchable to 50watts, 2 channel with lead boost, All tube, EL-34 Output Tubes, Channel switching, efx loop.
Don't know the year, but I think it's only a few years old.
I have been playing guitar for over 30 years. Currently I play in a Classic Rock Band that gigs every weekend.
I haven't tried the 50watt inverter mode yet- I'm just loving the 100watt sound so far.
I believe verstility comes in your playing, as far as this amp complimenting my playing it's awsome. The amp itself is pretty no frills as far as features- it has what I need no more no less. I don't like amps with digital efx and gadgets- that only takes away from good tone. They only thing that was a little weird to get used to is that the on/off and standby switches on the front work opposite of what you would think. down is on and up is off- took a little getting used to, but a minor design issue that can be overlooked when the amp is on the tone is overcoming you with joy.

When I first tried the amp out, my band was reheasing (what better place to try it out huh?)- I traded for it so the guy brings it over and I plugged it in, plugged in my Les Paul and struck a chord- I was weak in the knees and I dont excite easily- I instantly knew that I was getting the better part of this deal- I had to have it! This amp is very versatile- the lead boost is perfect- no too loud, it just lays out over the band with an awsome saturation only found in a tube head. I think the amp was designed after the old marshall Plexi, but it blows it away! I have owned 100' of amps over the years (Fender, Marshall, Peavey, Boogie, etc.) and this is simply the best sounding amp I have every had the pleasure to fire up. I have had it now for about 3 months and waited to do do a review until I played 3 months worth of gigs. I play every weekend and this amp has captued the attention of not only my self, the audience, but fellow musicians. You know an amp is good when your drummer blares out this thing sounds better than any Soldano, Marshall or Rivera I have ever heard. That was only after the first time i plugged it in. Now my band is used to the superior sound. The Clean channel is awsome, the distorted channel is smooth- and the lead boost screams. I play an Old '73 Les Paul Custom that sounds like guitar heaven thru this amp. I also play an Ibanez AR-250 when I need to give my back a rest from the Paul! It has Gibson Classic 57 & 57+ pickups- I get compliments nightly. It sounds great with Strats too- I have about 10 electrics and they all sound awsome. If you are looking for a new amp and have the $$ to shell out for this baby then you owe it to yourself to check this amp out

No problems yet -only had it a few months, but have done at least 15 gigs with it.
I always have a backup amp. I run my effects thru a Marshall mostly because I can actually hear the difference (tone loss) when running effects even in true bypass thru the Demeter. I just dont like to take anything away from the sound- so the Demeter is run without any effects and is used for 95% of the songs over 5 sets a nite. For the few songs that need effects I use the Marshall- but if I could afford another Demeter right now I would buy one just for the effects channel.
Since i use this amp primarily and it has not had any problems i would have to say it's reliable- A year down the road I could give this a more fair rating

Well in this department I would have to say 10 right off the bat. I called up Demeter to ask about a footswitch. I have a custom efx board where all channel switches for both my amps are built into a main box. I didn't want a seperate box for the Demeter so I called up to find out about wiring the footswitch and who picks up the phone but James Demeter himself- I explained to him that I wasn't trying to get out of paying $150 for a footswitch but that I had a custom board that I wanted to incorporate new switches for the TGA-2. He was extremely helpful- after he told me how they wire it, we probably spoke for another 45mins to an hour about the amp and then about my musical background, what i was currently doing and how I liked the amp. I thought that it very cool that the owner of the company took the time not only to help me with the footswitch, but also to find out how I was using the amp, if I liked it, and to offer future assistance.

PLaying over 30 years
If it were lost or stolen I would rush out to get another one.
I love the sound, hate that I can't afford another one right now
Best amp I have heard out there- If your in to digitally processed amps like Line6 or Johnson this is not the amp for you- If you are into real tone then no amp I have heard compares(and I have played thru most everything out there)
I give this a rating of 10 And it is a fantastic value since you really do get what you pay for. If you want a real handwired, all tube, point to point amp then this is a great value because it sounds awsome!

See earlier review.

This is a followup to an earlier review. After 6 months of almost daily use the TGA-2 never ceases to amaze me. I presently use the head with an Avatar 212H open back bottom loaded with Celestion G12H30's.

So far the amp is stone reliable and stable.

I was told by the folks at Demeter that there is indeed a one year warranty although at this point I can't see that one will be necessary.

Still amazing. I look at the number of boutique amps out there and the number of people that use overdrive/distortion pedals with them and the cost of those and I wonder what they're thinking. I bought the Demeter so that I could get rid of the fuzz boxes and be able to work things with the guitar volume. The TGA-2 does it in spades.

I purchased the TGA-2T50 head directly from Demeter in June, 2003. It has two channels (clean and edge). It has a tube buffered effects loop with front panel send and return controls. Separate gain and master controls for each channel. The 2 button footswitch (option) is used for the channel switching with a switch for "solo" on the "edge" channel. The TGA-2 also has a back panel mounted 1/2 power switch and speaker output jacks for 4, 8 or 16 ohm speakers. A Bright switch and Presence control are located on the front panel. There are controls for Bass, Mid, and "Terble" (spelled that way on the front panel). More than adequate controls for my purposes.

My main reason for trying the Demeter was seeing Sonny Landreth using a TGA-3. After trying to attain that sound with Fender amps and various pedals, I gave in to buying the Demeter. In my mind the TGA-2 is astonishingly versatile. It is never buzzy or brittle when used dirty or clean. Cleanwise it is similar to really good blackface Fender but warmer and distortion can be dialed in as needed. The "Edge" channel is very fine Marshall plexi and when you punch the "solo" button you get a warm searing buttery tone that won't stop. In "triode" mode the tone is slightly warmer and darker. Use the volume control on the guitar to do whatever you want. One warning, it doesn't do heavy metal, death metal or the like. That's OK because I hate that stuff anyway. The TGA-2 is the first amplifier that I have ever used that honestly holds its' tone at reasonably low levels. Since I got it I haven't been asked to turn down once. It happened all the time before. (You know guitar players!!!) Even though the tones are warm and silky smooth there always seems to be enough presence to clearly hear the amp out front. I use a wide variety of guitars and pickups and have yet to find a combination that I don't like. It sounds great regardless of guitar, pickup or setting. Even when using very high levels of distortion, the character of the guitar shows through - AMAZING!!! I play a very wide range of styles and haven't yet found a place where the Demeter won't fit. With or without effects the TGA-2 T50 still amazes me. It is without question the best amp I've had the opportunity to play through.

I have had the amp a little over 2 months so no problems. It appears to be very, very well constructed so I expect it to be very reliable. It's really too soon to comment.

Everyone I dealt with at Demeter was helpful, friendly and courteous. There was/is no manual and I have seen no reference to a warranty so I have my neck stuck out a little. The sound alone is worth it.

I think the Demeter TGA-2 is an excellent value when compared to other boutique amps. I own 9 amps, mostly Fender (vintage to new) and since I got the Demeter I have only turned them on to reinforce why I'm using the Demeter. If something (unrepairable) happened to it I would definitely buy another. I really don't understand why more of these amps aren't in use. You won't find one on ebay if that's an indicator of how good they are. I suspect that people don't get rid of them. I know I won't.

A 2000 Demeter TGA-2 Inverter (50 watt version). 2 channels w/ a boost option acting as a 3rd channel of sorts. An all tube FX loop with the send/return jacks on the rear panel. 4,8,16 ohm speaker out also on the rear panel. Also, a pentode/triode switch to knock it down to 25 watts, you will need this b/c this thing is a LOUD 50 watts. I had a Marshall JCM 60, and it has nothing against the Demeter in terms of volume. I bought it used so I don't know the stock tubes, but mine came with Ruby 6L6's. They sound great and are sooo responsive. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and wish this head had reverb, but mostly I am proud to be able to get by without it. A shared EQ for both channels which kind of stinks. A master presence, bright switch for clean, & a manual boost switch are all on the front panel. Another great thing is the ability to overdrive the amp in so many ways. You can use the tube FX channel by pumping the send/return levels. Also, the clean and dirty each have a seperate master/gain knobs. Basically, a revert away from the modeling amps craze of "everyting you'll ever want" back to the splendid sound of yesterdays' "everything you'll ever need".

the predisposed EQ on this head is very Classic rockish (which is just fine by me). Don't get me wrong, it will give you gain for days if you want it, however it will not serve up the supabass/nomids dish (which is offle for my taste). The EQ parameters are responsive but you will definitly catch an overall sound of the amp, no matter the EQ setting. As everyone knows, Dean Deleo (demeter poster boy) uses the older TGA-3 preamp. His sound on songs such as Meatplow/Superman Silvergun will give you a good idea of Demeter style crunch. Basically, it's a stepchild between an older Plexi, and an older Bassman. I used to play a Blackface Bassman so I know the realm James is shooting for, and boy does he nail it. Even though the bright switch could be a little less drastic.

I play a '77 Les paul Pro Deluxe (w/ orgiginal P-90's) thru various effects. It handles the soapbars awesome, really allowing the Demeters clean "sparkle" to strut it's stuff for the ladies. Styles vary, but I mostly play the modern indie/alternative rock and it suits me really well. B/c the amp has such character, it can make any style sound sincere and apporpriate. So as to not be caught playing jazz lines through a 5150 (gotta suck). The clean also breaks up really good, it is very responsive to the touch so you have ample control over the dynamics of both channels.

Without a back up is always risky, yet sometimes even the best find themselves doing it. If put in that situation, this is about the ONLY head I would trust to pull me through it (hell, it already has many times). It hasn't broken down yet, but if/when it does, any good amp technician could figure it out. It has point to point wiring so it can be fixed using older Marshall schematics. Notice I said OLDER. Many of the new Marshalls require circuit boards and a few hail mary's.

James was actually the person I talked to in ordering my footswitch and he was awesome with the service and very courteous to be such a respected person in his field. I bought it used, but a warranty is valid if needed.

I've been playing 7 years now, I have also owned through the years a few Marshall and Fener amps. If lost or stolen, I would definitly replace it. I shopped for this one for about 2 years, quite a procastonater. I finally found a good deal and just went w/ it, good thing. I think the only reason I would find myself amp shopping again would be to replace this one if it was stolen.

100 watt two channel tube (even the effects loop is tube driven) head with a solo boost. Classic and elegant Marshall Plexi amp layout. Easy to dial in great sounds. What you see is what you get. Check out the Demeter web site for details. The only thing I wish it had was a volume control for the Solo channel (not technically a channel, more of a gain boost). So far it hasn't been an issue, though. The channels share the same EQ controls. The footswitch (which is extra) is built like a tank and has very visable LED lights that let you know what's going on. Kinda unique setup, but easy to get used to.

Wow this amp is something else. I play Alternative Rock (whatever that means anymore). Think A Perfect Circle meets PJ Harvey meets STP. I play Gibson Les Paul Classics with Duncan Custom pickups in the bridge. I started becoming rather disenchanted with my Line 6 amp, so I began my search the Holy Grail of tube tone. I had no idea it would be so tough. Many amps focus primarily on the overdrive tones, but I need versatility. I remembered that a friend of mine did an exhaustive amp search about 10 years ago. He bought the now-discontinued three channel amp (which I remember being kinda ugly. Thankfully, Demeter gave their amps a cosmetic overhaul)
Here it is:

The cleans are gorgeous! Very authoritive, with lots of headroom. It truly does have that classic Fender sparkle. I tried out a 63 Fender Bassman head a couple days before auditioning this amp. The Demeter was only slightly darker than that amp. Even the Fender Custom Shop amps I tried couldn't touch it. Very much like Jeff Buckley's tone.

The Crunch channel is spectacular. I was instantly reminded of "Surrender" by Cheap Trick and "God Save The Queen" by the Sex Pistol. It's very lively and responsive. There's a clarity here that is lacking in newer Marshalls. Those amps sound buzzy and distant. The Demeter responds to your pick attack like no other amp I've played. Great multi-dimensional sound.

The Solo channel isn't really a channel per se, but it kicks in a glorious, harmonically-rich gain boost. Reminds me of "Dumb Love" or "Down" from STP, whose guitarist Dean De Leo uses a Demeter pre amp. Unlike a lot of high-gain amps, every note is distinctly heard when chording. This too is very touch-responsive. Sounds great on heavier rhythm work. Much more clear than the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier I recently recorded with. The Boogie sounded very cold and muddy on both the clean and dirty channel.

I haven't had it very long, but everything about this amp feels solid. Demeter has a reputation for being very dependable. It has point-to-point wiring, which is unheard of at this price.

I went to the Demeter shop to test out the amp. There was only one guy there at the time, but he was very helpful and informative. My phone calls and e-mails were quickly responded to. Very cool people who are very excited about their products.

This amp is a dream! I know it sounds like I'm gushing, but I really do try to be informative and objective in my reviews here. This amp is really a work of art. The cleans stay sparkley at high volumes, and the dirty tone are something to behold. Back in the day, I used to use a rack full of effects, but the Demeter sounds beautiful all by itself. I don't even want to use my Line 6 Delay Modeler, which is the only effect I have in my chain, besides my Morley Wah. I tried tons of boutique amps that are double the price of my Demeter, and none could touch it. I'm kinda glad they aren't that well-known, or else I would have had to come up with about the same amount of money as a Soldano.

I think this is a 2000 Tga 2 Inverter head. 3 channels clean, mid crunch and overdrive. Basically a Fender Bassman channel, and Plexi Marshall channel and a switch to Overdrive and boost the marshall channel. Mine is a 50 watt also has a half power switch. These amps are killers, I also have a original TGA 3 combo. I use it through a Marshall 4x12 w/ 30 vintages

I usually use Gibson Les Paul Custom shop guitars. But it also sounds great with a strat i use occasionally. You can go from blues to classic rock to metal iin a flick of a switch. THough it does not really do a rectifier sound, But if you want your own sound this is the amp. Very much a marshall tone but kills any marshall I have used. Just ask Dean of STP, he uses them. We just recorded a cd and I used both the tga 2 and 3 together and it is HUGE sounding rip your head right off.

Just got it... so no problems, I have had my TGA 3 for almost 8 years I think I have had only 1 minor problem with that one.

Jim Demeter and the guys at the shop are the coolest guys, I have been to the shop several times. We I got this amp I called and talked with them for about 20 min. abot any differences between the two amps I have. They offered all kinds of info...very helpful

I have been playing 20 years, I have a few Les pauls, strat, etc.
Tga 3 combo, I would buy another one if stolen, because I like the idea of having two good amps in one unlike other multichannel amps.

This is a year 2000 50 watt head running 2 big Ruby Tubes 6L6s for the power amp section and some electro-harmonix pre-amp little guys.
There are 2 channels that share presence, mid, treble and bass. Bright swith on the clean channel. Each channel has its own master and volume. There is also a third overdrive channel that can be activated. So really a 3 channel amp. There is also a tube buffered effects loop. I would give it a 10 but it doesn't have reverb.

I run it through a re-issue Marshall 1960TV cab with greenbacks. I use a 60 reissue les paul with '57 Classics, a butterscotch tele and an ash bodied '57 reissue strat.

How does it sound?

UNREAL!

I play a lot of slide and would describe my playing style as scofield meets trey meets warren meets lowell meets wes meets steely d.

Finished laughing yet?

The amp cleans up really nice with lots of articulation and it responds extremly well to playing dynamics.

Clean sounds like my tweed deluxe.

Dirty sounds like a really nice old 50 watt plexi (think Billy G and Angus)

Overdrive is comparable to a nice Soldano SLO, if not nicer.

No noise, just pure tone.

So far so good. I have gigged with it about 5 times and have only had it a few months. We will have to see. I looks clean inside and Demeter has a pretty good rep with all his studio stuff.

Dealt directly with James and Stacey. Easy to talk to and answered all my questions. Thumbs up!

I'd get another one. A soundman at a gig I had in Tronto a month back said my tone was "mystical". Nobody ever said that to me before.

Go buy one and tell James that James from Toronto said so.

If you want further info, check my band "LMNOP" out on the world wide web at www.lmnop.ca

This is an early and rare TGA-2. Ser.#31. Two Channel Head - 50 Watts of (2 6L6) Tube Tone. Channel 1 is vintage Fender, with bright switch. Channel 2 is vintage Marshall, with a boost on the second channel that is actually the Channel 3 of the Legendary TGA-3 amps used by Sonny Landreth and Bonnie Raitt. Both channels have separate gain and master controls. Both channels share one set of EQ controls. Treble, Middle, Bass, and Presence. Also a tube buffered effects loop with the send and return controls on the front panel. Channel switching by footswitch or on the front panel.

I use a Clapton Strat, and a Suhr Classis w/3 single coils for Blues, Rock, and Country. Only effects I are a TC Electronic Booster+LineDriver+Distortion. This amp excels in all areas. From clean to distortion on any channel with the turn of the volume or mid-range boost on your guitar. Much easier to dial in a desired sound than a Boogie, believe me I've tried all of them. This is an amp where you can just plug in and get great results.

No need for a back up.

James Demeter and the folks at Demeter are the best, no discussion. I also own a Demeter Tube Direct.

I'm a firm believer in Demeter products. My other amp is a '66 Fender Super Reverb. I went through all of the options: vintage, modern, pedals... The Demeter TGA-2 is the only thing I need to meet my amplification needs.