Tech 21 Power Engine 60

this product does not need features, whats great about it is that it is simple: XLR and 1/4 in" inputs, active EQ (but leave them flat), and stupidly located "on/off" switch, very difficult to reach, can't see if the switch is on or off unless you look under the back panel - who designed that?

Here is where it all lays. I own a POD PRO and my goal was to be able to amplify true uncolored POD sounds both in the bedroom and on stage. If you want clean sound at LOW volumes (bedroom), then two of these units are perfect for you, run them in stereo. If you want to be able to play loud, even with a average "loud" drummer - you are in trouble - DONT BUY this amp. I am 34 years old and I've outgrown the concept of using a 100W tube head for live performance - thats WAY too much for rathole bars (use it for your arena gigs only, I don't seem to have too many of those booked myself, how about you?), quit trying to emulate what you see on MTV and see in guitar magazine adds. However, I can also assure you, this 60Watt amp is NOT enough to be useful for live performance (I actually don't believe its truely 60 Watt, it probably produces 60 Watt peaks at best). Even in my house, when I turn it past midway on the volume knob, the speaker starts to sound like crap (i.e. it farts out). Sounds great at lower volumes (below midway on the knob), but it seems that the amp and speaker are actually not "mathced-up" to allow you to crank it and have clean sound. Try it out a local store and see what I mean. Why the hell they designed it this way, I don't know. If you're reading this (Tech 21 - that means you) why dont you design a 100Watt solid state version of this unit, then it will sound good even at live stage volumes. I would be the first one in line to buy it, however, now I have to return it and buy a separate stereo power amp and PA speakers to get uncolored sound for live sound levels. The concept is great but ADD MORE POWER so that it can actually be useful for live use. I would rank it a 10 for bedroom use, ZERO for live use, so that averages to a five.

Works great at bedroom volume levels.

Answered my questions promptly, very easy to contact by phone, I told them about what I was experiencing, they said that they think this unit should be able to "peel the paint off of walls" and that maybe I have a speaker problem, well they were wrong. First of all it can't "peel the paint off of walls" unless I actually scratch the wall with the amp. I returned it to Musicians Friend and the tech department immediately tested it, they said nothing is wrong with the unit, but, they did say that when they crank the volume up, they also get some speaker farting. Basically, all the units will do this, read all the reviews here, some other people also mention having problems with the speakers "farting out" at loud volumes, you should also ignore the reviews from young kids who only use this in the bedroom, of course they are excited about it, but they have never played anywhere else.

Buy two of these units for your POD PRO or other processor if you want clean stereo reporduction of the POD at BEDROOM volumes. If you want to play at bars, etc, you will be very dissapointed, better off buying a stereo power amp and separate full range PA speakers. This unit is NOT usable at loud stage volumes. If you plan on playing at arenas, then buy a 100watt tube head, however, if you actually have arena gigs, then you probably get your stuff for free anyway, I wish I were you. Overall, great concept but WAY underpowered.

The features were perfect for what I was looking for and what Tech 21 sells it as. XLR and 1/4 inch in and XLR out. !! Low, mid and treb controls. Thats all you need when you have a great pre-amp.

This amp is very quiet. I play contemporary Christian distorted and clean with a Jacson guitar and Semour Duncan Jeff Beck Special in the bridge position. I also run a Godin nylon string /Synth guitar through this and the amp really delivers.

Built to last !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Don't Know if I'll ever need them.

I've played for over 25 years. This amp deliver clean, clear reproduction of my Rocktron Chameleon 2000 with out fail !!!!
I love, love , love it !! I couldn't find anything else like it. I use it as my stage monitor and run the XLR through the house P.A. My sound man loves it too !! The band can hear me on satge. I can hear myself and it sounds GREAT !!

This is a simple power amp: amp, speaker and box. 1X12, 60 watt solid state. Has volume, treble, mid and bass knobs in the back. That's it. Simple. It can be used as an additional speaker with a pre-existing preamp or combo with an additional preamp output or daisy chain a series of power engines. You may also use it for a stereo set-up.

I use it with an array of Fenders and a Gibson Les Paul. I use a TEch21 Tri-AC as preamp, Vox wah, and sometimes I include flanger, reverb, delay, etc. It has enough power and amplifies whatever you put in it without any interference. It just amplifies the signal, although you have to use the tone knobs carefully ( I leave them all at 12 o'clock).

I currently use it without backup. It is much lighter than my tube combo so that is a mega-plus. Since it is solid state it is not as fragile.

Never dealt with them.

I have played for a few years now. I like it because it does what it is supposed to do: amplify the signal. Sometimes the plates vibrate a little at low volumes but it not noticed at high volumes. I was looking for something else apart from combos and this was an answer. I am definitely purchasing a few more for stereo setups and daisy chaining.

I purchased the Power Engine 60 to add a little more coverage to my Trademark 60. It is primarily a power amp with a simple EQ. It has added another dimension of sound dispersion that is unattainable with a one 12 combo amp. It has all the features it should have, including an XLR out and in and more.

Basically, whatever signal you feed this thing is very accuarately reproduced. I use it to expand the sound of my Trademark 60. I can actually turn the overall stage volume down a little bit and get much better (wider) sound dispersion. It can distort a tiny bit at the highest volumes, however, I have never had to dial the EQ volume over 75%. Hooked up to the Trademark 60, it faithfully repoduces the sounds that come out of that amp. I have hooked up a Line 6 POD ver 2.0 to the power engine, and it sounds great. I have run the POD in stereo, into the Power Engine and The Trademark 60 (plugged into the return jack in the effects loop)...very cool stereo sound and effects come alive. Also, have used the Power Engine with several stomp boxes with excellent success. Essentially though, I purchased this to enhance the awesome tones that come out of the Trademark 60. I continue to be amazed at how good this amp sounds, even after several years of listening to it...

I have never had a problem with it, and don't expect to have one, based on my success with the Trademark 60. It is solid state after all.

They answered a question that I had with my Trademark 60's effects loop within a few days...I am happy.

Playing over twenty five years and owned many amps and guitars. If stolen, I would replace my Tech 21 gear. I can duplicate the sounds needed to play almost any style of music...rock, jazz, and some heavier stuff. It is truly incredible the sounds that come out of such a small and lightweight package (around 30 lbs.)

This is a solid state 60 watt power amp intended for use with direct recording pre-amps, such as SansAmp, POD, J-Station, V-amp, etc...
Not sure what year, but the line came out in 1999 and it was a used model, so it can't be any more than three years old. This unit is basically the Tech 21 Trademark 60 without the SansAmp pre-amp. It has active eq (boost/cut) and XLR ins and outs, as well as 1/4" inputs. Using the xlr out, you can daisy chain more of these little monsters and make a wall of amps if you want. I bought this to amplify a Johnson J-Station, and that it does well! I give this an 8 because it doesn't have a lot of features, but what it does it does extremely well!

I have several guitars, including an '89 Ibanez RG550, a '84 MIJ Squier Stratocaster, an '00 Danelectro Doubleneck, all running through a Johnson J-Station. The Power Engine is not intended to add anything new to the mix...except volume and accurate amplification of the preamp that's running through it. If the sound coming out of your headphones is good, then this item will simply make it loud.

Solid state circuitry should be as reliable as the day is long.

The year warantee was used up by the previous owner. I have no idea if Tech 21 would even give my emails a second glace. I hope I never have to find out.

This product is excellent at doing exactly what it is supposed to do. Period. I've been playing for 20 years and I love the J-Station. If I get tired of the J-Station, I can always move to other products such as the V-AMP, PODxt, etc...and this Power Engine 60 will move with me. Very cool. I'm very pleased with my guitar sounds now.

ok, first i want all of u to know i'm a TECH 21 expert !.
i have had many Tech 21 amps. I know them well. wooops
this is the feature section. ok, its a power amp with a EQ.

ok, this is what i think. Tech 21's are a very good product. i have always been happy with them. But, i sell after a while to try other products. Well, here i am again with a tech 21, power amp. One thing i've noticed over the years is that regular combo amps don't work well with effect processors. i guess the pre amps in the amp alter something. anyway, when tech 21 released the power amp, they got my attention. i thot, hmmmm they must agree with me that pre amps on amps alter the effects. so, i bot one. I must say, it sounds very good. The EQ is very very responsive to adjustment. I currently have some boss pedals plugged in, but i also have a RP-1 i hook up. Two things i've noticed with tech 21 amps. They don't sound to impressive at low volume, like a big fender would, which makes sense. But, when you turn them up, they sound very very good. Also, the amps with reverb, they have the best reverb around. Also, something i've noticed thats very important compared to other amps with built in effects. Its very difficult to get the PURE TONE from the guitar from a effects amp. But, with the tech 21, i can get that strat sound every time, no altered sound. I think i'll get another power amp, and run the two lines out of the RP-1 into the amps for stereo, sounds cool huh ?

never had a problem

O !!!! wait....

Tech 21 if yor listening, the metal plate on the amp VIBRATES at certain frequencies. I can hear it rattle............
need to dampen this plate

never used

I like the tech 21 power engine because :
1. keeps original tones, like the strat tone
2. i like the EQ on the amp, but wish it was on top
3. need to fix the plate rattle
4. i like because i can try many effect units with the amp and not have to worry about a preamp altering the tone.
5. i like the quality of the product

This is a very basic power amp. There are 3 active EQ's. XLR and 1/4 inch inputs. Very basic setup.

I run this with a POD Pro. I was running the Pod through a Johnson JM60 and it sounded horrible, even when bypassing all of the JM's tone control. When I hooked the POD up to the power engine it was smoking. The power engine let me use the pod like it was supposed to be used. It sounds awesome!!!! I will be buying another one soon. Unless they end up making a 2x12.

Have not had it very long buit from what I hear they are good.

I hope I don't have to use them.

I absolutely love this thing. I was debating on an entire rackmount system but I travel for work and I did not want to drag a carful of equipment around. If this was stolen I would be out tomorrow to replace it. For what I want this was the exact thing I was looking for. Very basic and not too big and heavy. And best of all it sounds great with my POD PRO.

The baffle board scares me. I replaced the speaker with a Weber California, and was able to push the nuts attaching the speaker out with a small nudge from a screwdriver. I reversed the nuts to mount the CA to the back of the baffle board. The speaker gasket is meant to be used!!! 60 watts is good enough for any gig: mic it up in large areas. Wish there was a gain knob as the input impedance is pretty low and easy to distort if using a high level preamp. I think a 2x10 power engine would be nice.

Hamer 25th with Duncan Humbuckers. Rock, Jazz, Reggae, Punk. To say that PE 60 is transparent is somewhat misleading: any amp with an EQ will color your sound. It does not, however, add any harmonics: that is up to your preamp & effect choice. It is fairly quiet, but this also depends on the preamp you use. I currently use Sans Amp TRIAC, Visual Sound H2O, Boss DD5, Fulltone Fat-Boost, EH Holy Grail reverb in that order. The stock speaker is indeed Hi-Fi. The Weber went a long way to adding character. The cabinet seems a little to open. Bass tones are a bit flabby. The EQ does not help tighten bass response. I will soon replace the back of the cab to close it off for tighter bass. I am not a big fan of cabinet simulators. I like the small combo for its focus.

When I first got the amp, I noticed that a nut had fallen off of the chassis. It held the heat sink in place, and could have really damaged the works. I am not 100% satisfied with the workmanship/materials, but believe if I am careful, it should last. No problems as of yet.

Not yet.

The PE-60 is great for what it does. Replicate the sounds you put into it without additional coloration. It is extremly versatile in this way because of the unlimited effects you can place before it, without having to worry about additional problems with gain, modeling, or redundancy of effects your amp could cause.

currently this is my practice (home) setup. Guitars I have played through it consists of a Fender Squire Stagemaster equipted with a Semour Duncan Custom SH-5 bridge pick up, and a Washburn Idol-64DL+ with the standard washburn 800 series pickups. My loop consists of the Tech 21 SansAmp TRI-A.C. for the modeling of the sounds, directed into the PE-60, give or take the CryBaby Wah-Wah pedal infront of the TRI-A.C. I am able to achieve great warm clean tones through the amp, as well as sustaining bright chorus tones, and even marshal or mesa sounds seem to come alive on this 1 12 inch speaker. The downfall of all of this is of course having to be posistioned in front of the speaker to get the full sounds of a marshall or mesa sound. (this might be less of a problem in a larger room of course) To solve this problem I bought a $30 amp stand and noticed the difference in the sounds I started hearing right away. When compared to the previous practice amp I was using, a Fender Princeton 65, I would rate this amp a 10 with the right models running through it, but I'll give it an 8 for making me have to go out and buy a stand. ;)

The only part of the physical build I would change is the plywood face plate, I have to admit that is a bit scary. But I haven't heard any horror stories yet, neither have I had a problem with it, so I won't judge this amp for problems I have yet to face. For small gigs, 2 of these running in stereo via the XLR input/output would probably be sufficient. I have not had the amp long enough to have any serious circuit issues with it so I cannot say as to how well the amp is actually wired, but I have always been a fan of Tech-21 products and see no reason this amp should not hold up over the years.

I've been playing for about five years. I own a Fender Squire Stagemaster, Washburn Idol series 64DL+, Tech-21 SansAmp TRI-A.C., Zoom 505 multi-effects processor, Jim Dunlop CryBaby, and of course, the Tech 21 TRI-A.C. I am waiting for the Tech-21 SansAmp 200 watt guitar head to arrive in stores, so if this were lost or stolen, I would not replace it, I would continue to save towards that head. I love that this is a warm feeling solid state amp with no additional coloration of sound. I don't like the plywood face plate. I compared this amp with the TRI-A.C. to the Marshall avt50 combo. I like the idea of being able to have more than 2 channles on a practice setup, and additional the PE setup I own has more low-end and warmer clean tones that the avt50! I do wish it were sold in a 2x12 sereies, but maybe one day huh?

Made in USA, 2001. The Power Engine 60 is designed to be used with pedals, rack effects, or amp emulators such as a Sansamp or the Line6 POD series. It features only one channel, with level and active EQ(low, mid, & high). Inputs are 1/4" or XLR in. It does have an XLR out for use with PAs. Using this to power my POD 2.0, it had more than enough for the small gigs I play. Speaker is full range.

Using a Fender American Strat Hardtail(Stock) and the Pod 2.0, I got near to the sound that I programmed thru my headphones. All it took was a little teaking of the active eq to compensate for the room. Clean, with plenty of headroom!

First gig, so it is hard to say. The amp seems fairly "bullet-proof," as is most of the Tech 21 product line!

This is the first Tech 21 product I've owned, so I have no opinion yet. From other opinions, it seems as if they stand behind their product.

I've been playing for 20 years. I have owned various Fenders, Carvins, even Peaveys. Time will tell if this works and is a "keeper." Tech 21 should make this in a 2-12" configuration, as well as power it at 120 watts(stereo!). If you're looking at Line6 amps, which sound weak at high power usage, then consider a Pod or a Johnson modeller through this amp, I think you will be suprised!