Tech 21 Power Engine 60

1x12 version
60 Watts
12-inch Celestion Seventy80 speakers
XLR In
XLR Out (The signal is taken from the inputs)
1/4"
Ground lift
EQ Controls
Level Control

Like the previous reviewer said what else could you want?

When playing live I use this with my POD X3 Live, the PE is my monitor and provides fill. The PA provides the front of house volume.

For home use I plug the Floor POD in.

This Amp ticks all the right boxes: -
Does not colour my sound ??? it allows the POD to sound as it should do.
Tone is brilliant, warm and big.
Loud ??? Easily gets above our drummer during rehearsals ??? you would never know that it was only 60 watts.
It???s simple to set up and use ??? perhaps the odd bit of EQ is all that???s required.

Light weight (14 kg) and solid as a rock.

The feel and quality is the best I???ve seen for a while. These are expensive but that is reflected in the materials and build quality. The pots are so smooth ??? no nasty sudden spikes in volume.

The high standard of this amp shines through.

I contacted customer support they replied very quickly.

I have wasted so much money on gear in the last three years; I???ve been through a couple of Marshalls and a rack of FX pedals. Same old story I wish I knew then what I know now ??? but I guess this game can be a bit of a voyage of discovery at times.

Buying the POD changed my world and the Tech 21 Power Engine has put the final piece in the jigsaw. My live sound rig has been transformed and I am very pleased to be where I am currently at.

Tell me three years ago that I would be using a POD and Tech 21 60 watt solid state amp in my rig then I would have laughed all night. How wrong was I about both Line 6, who I thought produced toys for kids, and Tech 21 who I had not even heard of. 60 watts ??? you must be joking right?

Would I go out and buy another ??? you bet ??? that is if I can find one in the UK.

I bought this brand-new (May 2009) from the Tech 21 web site. I have the 2x12 version. Sixty watts, two 12-inch Celestion Seventy80 speakers, 1/4" and XLR in, XLR out with ground lift, active EQ controls and level control. Controls are located in the back, inputs on the under side of the power amp. Run your pre-amp to the 1/4" or XLR in, and go from the XLR out straight to the board, or to another PW60. For what this is, they put in every feature you could possibly need, so it gets a 10.

Note: This amp is NOT meant for you to plug your guitar straight in, you need a pre-amp of some sort (POD, ToneLab, V-Amp, etc.). Plugging your guitar straight in will NOT sound good!

I'm using a PODxt Live and a couple different guitars, both solid bodies with DiMarzio humbuckers. The PODxt has a "combo poweramp" setting that turns off the mic emulation; this is the secret to getting the Power Engine 60 to sound great. Using the POD or any other modeling unit in front of a regular amp has you stacking preamps, which ruins the amp models. Some of them have settings to compensate for this, but you can't get around coloring your tone with the amp. The PW60 is truly transparent and doesn't color your tone at all, but that means it doesn't really have any character of its own. Just clean power and volume.

It gets plenty loud, and the EQ lets you tweak to compensate for the room or venue (it's an active EQ that boosts as well as cuts, unlike the passive EQs on most amps). If you need more volume, add another PW60. You can run two straight out of your preamp if it has stereo outs, or daisy chain them via the XLR outs on the back.

Since all your tone comes from whatever preamp you're using, there's really nothing bad to say about the way this sounds. It behaves exactly as it should and will sound as good as your preamp will let it. However, an Atomic Reactor -- the only other viable combo for something like a POD or ToneLab -- will actually warm up a digital signal and make it sound more organic, albeit at almost double the price. Still, this is the sound category, so I'll give it a 9 (even though I don't think a little extra warmth is worth a few hundred more dollars).

It's new to me, but Tech 21 has a solid reputation. You won't find people badmouthing their gear. This thing looks and feels as solid as they come, and all the knobs and switches feel sturdy. It only weighs around 35 pounds -- which is a big plus when you have to lug it around, but might make it a little easier to knock over. But I'm not sure whether I should even deduct points for a quibble as small as that one. I might give it a 9 for being on the light side, but I think that's negated by the huge bonus of being easy to transport. So, 10 here too.

I e-mailed customer service with a few questions just after I ordered. They got back to me within a day and gave very thorough answers to all my questions. But then they took five days to ship it to me, even though it was only going from New Jersey to Connecticut. I should've had it no more than two days later, so I'll take off a point here.

I've been playing 17 years, and I've been through a handful of amps in the past few months. For a long time I only had small practice amps, but recently I decided I wanted a "real" amp, so I tried out a few tube combos, eventually settling on a Hughes & Kettner Switchblade (I found a fantastic deal on one). This is a 100-watt tube amp -- way too powerful for me. I decided to sell it after getting a TonePort and really liking all the Line 6 amp models, which sounded great through my headphones. I decided to get a PODxt Live and wanted the best possible amp to play it through. It was between the PW60 and an Atomic Reactor, both transparent poweramp/cabinet combos. At $800 for the 50-watt Atomic Reactor 2x12, I opted for the sub-$500 PW60 (plus the AR's have all been on backorder ever since I've known about them, and I couldn't find a used 2x12 model).

I don't at all regret purchasing the PW60; I wish I hadn't bought my H&K tube amp, to be honest! Now I've gotta try and sell that beast. If the PW60 were lost or stolen, I'd order another one the very same day. Having gotten used to the versatility of modeling units, I can't think of any other amp I'd ever want to own. Even if I switch to a different modeler or preamp (Axe-Fx, anyone?), I think I'll be using the PW60 for many years to come. I'm so impressed with this thing, I'm curious to try out some other Tech 21 gear. In checking out reviews of the PW60 before buying, I learned about all their supposedly great character pedals and modeling preamps. I might have to pick up a SansAmp Tri-AC as a backup for the POD!

My PE60 is the 1x12" cab model, version 2 (with the celestion 70/80 speaker ... more on this below.) Good features for a power amp/cab. All the flexibility that i needed for my applications - Volume, 3-band EQ, IN's & Out's. Cab is light-weight and attractive. Controls are on the REAR of the chassis ... ? Bad design (IMO) and VERY INconvenient. Fortunately, you don't have to access them very often, since this sort of amp is more or less a "set and forget" thing.

For what i need it for - running digital modellers/processors in a home studio - it works pretty well. The sound is re-produced cleanly and un-colored, which is what you need with a modeller.

Problems:

(1) the PE60 is noisy when engaged, and at various times while in use - alot of hum. At other times, it's okay. (NOT related to the guitar .... hum is present regardless. And i'm NOT close to major power cables or other electrical equipment either.)

(2) My model of the PE60 (version 2) has the Celestion 70/80 speaker. I had no experience with this particular speaker, so i can't comment on it for its use in other setups; but for the PE60, it REALLY farts out at lower frequencies.... VERY badly. Now, with the on-board EQ, and all the variations one has with modellers, you can EQ around it to a degree. But, it really is an annnoyance at times. There have been a number of times when i've designed a perfect tone/effect, only to have the PE60 fart-out on the low-end once i pick up the playing volume. Again, for my specific application in my studio, i can compensate for it (reluctantly) .... but, i can imagine that this could be a show-stopper for players in various live situations. I haven't read much in the way of negative commentary about this from others, so perhaps my situation is an anomaly. Note that i am a blues/rock/jazz player, NOT anything too "heavy", so i'm definitely NOT taxing the PE60 on the low-end. A couple of comments i've read (somewhere...? maybe here) mentioned farting and/or lack of "beef". So, maybe they are having the same trouble.

I'm presently researching replacement speakers .... if you've got any suggestions, e-mail me at: ajbstrat@gmail.com.

I bought this unit second-hand off eBay. So far, it's been fine in terms of reliability, but i don't really put much "stress" on it, since it's in my home studio only, and i generally don't play TOO loudly.... ha :-) It's a bit expensive for what it is (new, that is) ... it was a better deal 2nd hand. It's light-weight, so if you need to carrry it, you'd be less inclined to bang it around, since you wouldn't be dying after a short haul. It's a solid state power amp, so it's pretty much going to "keep on ticking".

No opinion .... per se. I've only delt with Tech 21 via e-mail a couple of times. They were responsive, so it seems that you could dialog with them. I've presently got an e-mail inquiry in to them about the speaker farting issue.....i'll see what they say. (They'll probably just tell me to EQ it .... hmmmmmm :-)

I'm giving the PE60 a pretty high rating, despite the speaker farting, because it functions well for my specific use .... supporting digital modellers. It pretty much sucks for 'regular' guitar amp use, but with a caveat - because i don't have a Tech 21 amp which can daisy-chain with the PE60, i don't know how it performs in that case. Honestly, the PE60 isn't designed to be used as a regular guitar amp anyway, so that's not an issue for me.

Vol,treble mid n bass knobs,does what it states.

I run a digitech rp500 into 2 Powerengines.
To reply to the previous poster 2 reviews down, I find the exact opposite differences between the older powerengine celestion speaker and the newer celestion one!
Weird I think its a personal preference thing, I find the newer speaker more "high fi " and articulate,were the old speaker version is darker!
I spoke to tech21 and they said the specs havent changed ,but I do hear a difference and Im glad someone else on this site did as well!
Regardless both the oldversion and new sound GREAT,but when run in stereo the is the tonal difference but Its not so detrimental that I can live with it.
Overall a great product if your running a multi FX unit.

So far so good

I have another tech21 amp and they have been nothing but kind,informative and quick to respond to my emails.

This power amp does what it should, though maybe a more beefier speaker to handle highvolumes would be cool and I thought the unit was alil pricey for what it is so I give it a solid 8 instead of a 9 (im picky lol )
,but nonetheless the multi fx unit sounds very good through the power engine.

Got it new from ZZounds "more on this later" most of thr features have already been mentioned so i wont go there.

I planned on useing the amp giging
@ +4db input using a gt 10 it would have enough power for small gigs "mic'd up"

Very noisey! When i first hooked it up and turned it on i got a loud errrrrrrrrr sound like a shorted ground noise. I never have any noise problems in the practice room, never! I swap it out with another guitar amp just to see if its in the line. My other amp was a quiet as can be. I hook it back up and its still noisey. I then hooked up a HUM X that i bought for two gigs we play at thinking it might get rid of single coil noise issues. It didn't work there. But it did filter out some of the noise i was getting from the PE so i went on and started playing. After about 45 minutes of playing and still bothered by some noise this amp went off! and loud! What the heck! to put it mildly. i un hook it and stick it back into the box.

Reliability?
I email tech 21 and they tryed to help.
I called zzounds for a return R/A # The guy i spoke to on the phone was very nice and took down the info of what happened and then said the returns dept. will call the following day, what? OK...... They never called. So i went on line and did their R/A request and got a email the next day? Asking what the problem was. I then told them i had already spoken to ----- ! ext # -- but wrote it all down for them and said i wanted to return it for the reasons stated. Get an email back the next day stating "We don't tipcally have problems with Tech 21 and would i like to excange it for another?
AH------ i'm trying to be nice here. I said No but i do need some raw frame speaker @ XXXXX brand and to please pick up you Defective amp picked up at my home.
next day.......i get a RA # for the return and something about a amp exchange.WTF! Do you read english?

On line i use musician's friend most of the time and returns are taken care of rate away no bull****!
I think zzounds needs a few lessons. I think it will all get worked out but its just a hassle at this time.

my experence with this product sucks but yours may differ.

if you understand that this product is intended to be used with an external preamp such as a pod etc then the features are as rich as whatever preamp you are using! in itself this doesn't have tons of features but it isn't supposed to so i won't deduct any points here. for what it is intended to do (give a transparent sound for your preamp) it is excellent.

i am using prs se's through a pod xt live and this is EXACTLY what i was looking for. i can't believe how great it sounds and i am astounded that no other companies (other than atomic) seem to have come up with a product to do what this does. it gives a transparent sound so that your pod etc can shine through how it was designed to. people always whinge about how digital or crappy pods sound. i would suggest that they need to try it though this. when you use a pod, or any other modelling software through an amp, you are layering the pod on top of the amp's preamp. this will ALWAYS colour the sound and not let the modeller shine as it should. please, everyone with a pod who wishes to use it live buy one of these!!!!!!!!!!! i used to use a marshall through the fx return and then i tried a hartke piggy back but this is the only thing to sound how it should. GREAT. i have no idea why line 6 don't recommend this or even design one themselves. plenty loud enough for me too, for small gigs.

just bought it, but no probs and seems well built.

i have heard good things but having not dealt with them myself i can't comment. their website is very helpful with plenty of information.

PERFECT for what i need it for. it offers a transparent sound for your fx or floor units, pods etc. it is just great for this. can't recommend it highly enough after trying many amps and various setups with my pod xt live this is what i always needed.

Not sure but, it's the later model because it has the 70/80 Celestion speaker. This amp is EXACTLY what i was looking for since I use a POD XT Live. I play blues, rock and some metal in a cover band and this setup allows me to duplicate all the styles with ease. The amp is a solid state power amp with 1 x 12" cabinet which has a retro style grill cloth and cabinet design. This amp is perfect for home studio work as well as live stage gigging. Has more than enough power unless you're too deaf to begin with! It'll easily keep up with a drum kit and bass rig if your presets aren't oversaturated. To be honest I have a Marshall 2205 half-stack and a vintage Silvertone 212 and this thing sounds just as good and is a hell'ava lot more versatile for playing out live... also a hell'ava lot lighter too!

I use a variety of Gibson Les Pauls, a Carvin bolt, a 1959 Gibson Melody Maker and Gibson Explorer as well as a custom made Firebird shaped retro 80's metal complete with Floyd Rose and single EMG 81 pickup. They ALL sound killer on this rig! I can do the SRV strat sound to the David Gilmour tone to the best sounding 70's classic Les Paul/Marshall tones to the 80's metal and beyond. If you use a modeling preamp/multi-effect like POD XT Live or equivalent you can't go wrong with this rig. Mine isn't noisy as some have indicated particularly when you're playing clean toned models and with hi-gain models it is no worse than my Marshall which is pretty dang quite too! It's clean sound is fine as well as the distortion which depends entirely on whether you have the patience to work with your modeling preamp/multi-effects patches. I did and it has made making the transition to this rig seamless and in fact sounds better than I had hoped it would. The guys I play with can't believe the volume and tone packed into this rig. And again it's a hell'ava lot lighter and more portable than lugging a head and 4 x 12 cabinet around! And sounds just as good too!

I wouldn't hesitate to gig this rig without a backup!

I didn't get a warranty because I got it off Ebay for a little over $200 but, I can honestly say that I doubt I'll ever need to worry about either! I spoke with and email corresponded with Tech 21's staff before buying and were impressed by their eagerness to answer any of my questions. I certianly think they have a good handle on customer service!

I've been playing for more than 30 years now and began playing in bars when I was 16. I own lots of guitars and many tube amps which I cherish for their tone but, they'll probably never see another "live" gig since I have this now. If were lost or stolen I'd definitely replace it!!! What do I love about it? Everything! What do hate about it? That I didn't buy one sooner! It would've saved me thousands of dollars searching for that tone arsenal I've tried to achieve for over 20 years! Oh and for those who need more volume... it has an XLR out jack which will make your soundman grin from ear to ear and your crowd not run to the back of the bar... nightclub... or auditorium. You simply cannot beat this little rig for using amp modeling/multi-effects processors... it takes your amp models and effects patches and recreates, convincingly, everything you are used to hearing in your studio monitors and headphones without adding additional coloring to your sound which most, if not all, combo or head style tube/solid state preamp equipped rigs will do. I have played everything from vintage tweed amps to boutique $3000 dollar class A rigs to Plexi heads, JCM 800's, JMP lead heads and 4 x 12 cabinets orf all kinds as well as many Mesa's. This does all of them and with a lot less money! Coupled with a POD XT Live or any amp modeling/multi-effects processor and you can go from a one dimensional toned rig to limitless capabilities tone wise.

Has a speaker in a cabinet with volume, high, mid, and low knobs. Not much else to talk about. Less is more in this case!

The main reason I wanted to write this review: I've had a Power Engine for around 4 years now with the older Tech 21 speaker (the 2112-A) that I've used in conjunction with a Trademark 60. WONDERFUL combination. I recently bought a Boss GT8, went direct into my Power Engine, and have found the tone I'm looking for at last. I recently bought a new Power Engine to go stereo with the GT8, and was a bit disappointed with the difference in tone with the new Celestion speaker they're using compared to the old 2112-A speaker. The Celestion is a little more "creamy" sounding whereas the 2112-A speaker (I feel) more accurately represents the tone you're feeding into it. So take that with a grain of salt if you're incorporating a new PE60 with an older one. Thankfully my Trademark 60 had the 2112-A speaker in it, so I swapped the chassies/cabs and presto - I had two Power Engine 60s that sounded exactly the same. Be sure your cabs have the same type of speaker if you're incorporating more than one Tech 21 cab into your rig. Aside from that, the Celestion did sound nice and warm on its own - just wasn't what my ears were used to hearing using the 2112-A speaker for so many years. I can see why they put the Celestions in the Trademark amps, but not sure why they're in the PE60s, as they do seem to alter the tone a bit.

Have been using Tech 21 amps/pedals of all types for a number of years and never had a problem. Unless I win the lottery, I could care less about ever playing through a tube amp again.

The few times I've sent an email I usually hear back from someone within a few hours. And it's actually a real knowledgable person that writes back. I'd give them an 11 for this if it was available.

I love these amps. I don't miss hauling a 1/2 stack around one bit. As mentioned, just make sure if you're using more than one of these that the speaker types match. I would give it a 10 but agree with another user who mentioned the one design flaw of the knobs being on the back of the amp rather than on the top. I've had a few times onstage where I go to make a volume tweak, start playing, and realize that I turned the treble knob by accident. So for that, they lose a point!

All is already written. Plain simple. Mine is with the 70/80 speaker, a later model.
Play in a coverband and use a Tonelab Se in front. Tried numerous combinations but this one does the trick for me. Also have used the Marshall JCM 800, Line6 Vetta, Mesa Boogie, Koch, Laney LC. All tubeamps with exception of the Vetta. Also had the POD XTL, Tobelab LE, POD X3L. The X3L is still in the repairshop for the second time. If that horrible thing is coming back it goes straight away to Ebay

Pro Tech21 PE60:
- sound
- power (it is loud enough for small gigs)
- EQ for slight adjusting of the total signal
- XLR out. This is one big plus. The XLR out is going to the PA and the sound guy is taking care of that. Use the PE60 as monitorbox on stage. If I turn the volumeknob down or up it has no influence on the XLR signal to the PA!

Con:
- why are the knobs placed on that strange place (behind/down)? I really want to know that. I have the PE in front of me on stage and have to adjust something. With my guitar around my neck it's just simply impossible the do that quickly without damage

What goes in comes in a amplified way out. No colourization, no breakup, no waffs, buffs, boops..... And that does it very good!!

Looks well built.

Had several combinations of pre-amps and poweramps in the past. Still have the Mesa 50/50 and two 2x12'' The sound coming from this combi is very good but in my eyes PE60 beats it in:
- portability
- $
- maintenance
- TCO
Ok the sound from the tubes are different but for me in my coverband? Everyone is satisfied, the sound of the PE60 is more than OK. Just try it (with a good pre-amp, no POD) and wonder.

I have two: one in the rehersalroom and one at home. At a gig I take them both with me. To play in stereo and to have a backup in case one goes down.

After lgn years of searching and bying and sellign I think that this one will stay a very long time. I'm very happy with it!

This amp is a basically a powered monitor. There is no preamp. However, there are features, especially when compared to an Atomic. This one has a 3-band eq, XLR, 1/4" in. as well as XLR out which is very handy on stage when you want to monitor with the PA. One improvement would be a headphone jack and front power switch. It is not easy reaching around to turn it on / off.

I play this PE 60 with 2 setups. First, is a PodXT bean. Reading the reviews here, I expected to hear exactly what I heard on headphones with the PodXT. Well, no. The PE 60 is a marked improvement over a traditional amp, but it is not pure transparent. Pretty close, really. But there is a low level hum, that does not go away. I called T21 support on this, and they said it was part of the amp. The hum is low, but it is there. I have no hum in my headphones with the Pod.

My other setup is with my pedalboard and the T21. This sounds better than the Pod, which is no surprise since my pedals are higher quality than the Pod. The hum is there still. The key to running a pedalboard with this amp is to have some kind of modeling. I have a Damage Control Womanizer, and it sounds spectacular with the T21. I would imagine any pedal with "studio out" would sound great.

I give a 9 because of the hum.

This amp is solid. I definately would gig without a backup.

I called about the hum issue, and I wasn't real thrilled with their answer. I expected them to go into some details, but they only said "it's analog - that's how analog works". Okay, how come my Fender amp doesn't do that?

I've been playing for 20 years. I play a Fender Telecaster Plus and an American Strat. With the Podxt, this is a pretty nice setup. With a pedalboard, it's spectacular. My pedalboard is:

Guitar--KeeleyWah--Marshall Guvnor--EH Metal Muff--DOD SuperStereo Chorus--DamageControl Womanizer--T21

The Womanizer really is the preamp in that setup, and is fantastic.

I compared the T21 to the Atomic, and at half the price, it was a nobrainer. I also don't like the idea of tubes coloring my sound, which the atomic does. Some claim it is an improvement, but it is colored.

If it were stolen, I probably wouldn't get another one. I'd get a power amp and monitors for a stereo setup. Maybe a mixer and monitors.

By nature, this powered speaker doesn't have a lot of features. However, the 3 band EQ and master volume are a nice touch, as is the SansAmp XLR out.

The PE provides clean, clear, uncolored reproduction of whatever sound comes into it. I bought mine from a fellow musician who plays keyboards. He loved the sound until you got into the lower keyboard registers. It reached a point that he was not using it. I offered him $100 bucks (which was what he paid on eBay) and there you go.

I use the PE as the companion with my Tech-21 Trademark 60. It is exactly what I need for larger venues and outdoor gigs. The additional speaker moves more air and cuts thru nicely. The fullness of my TM60 + PE60 is amazing. A friend who heard one of my bands recently is general manager of a major music venue in the south. He was knocked out by the sound of this combination.

Who gigs without a backup? Actually, my backup is a preamp box like the Tri-AC or Magicstomp. I'd normally just take it direct into the board if needed.

If the PE60 goes down, I'll just play with the TM60 alone. But the beauty is that if the TM60 was to go down (leaving just the PE60), I'd just plug in one of the preamp boxes and keep going.

I've owned the TM60 for 5 years with no issues at all. I feel the PE60 is of the same quality.

I have sent some emails with operating questions and requests for manuals, etc. All have been answered in a day or two. Considering the competition, this is exceptional.

I've been playing 40+ years. Have owned Fender, Crate, Gibson, Vox, Roland, and Tech-21 amps. Now have the TM60 with the PE60, Fishman Loudbox 100 Acoustic amp, and a Roland Cube 60 for small jazz and rehearsals. Also do some small solo instrumetal gigs with a Fender Passport PD250. Gibson, US Fender, Taylor, Ovation, Epiphone and Line-6 Variax guitars.

If lost or stolen, I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

I did not compare this to other products because it was the companion to the TM60 which I already had and I was happy with Tech-21 gear.

This box is a great companion for the TM60 and for preamps (POD, Magicstomp, etc.) needing live power.

It's a very basic PowerAmp+12" speaker that amplifies the sound of any preamp
I bought a couple from musiciansfriend for my PODxt Live. I've always wanted a stero rig and i wanted to take advantage of the stereo capabilities of the POD but was frustaded that what i heard through my headphones sounded very different on an amp.
I also wanted something that wasnt too delicate, like tubes, and small enought for the gigs I play (100 people).
Its 60 watts which is more than enough for personal monitoring.
Has a built in EQ which i dont use, XLR output and input and a 1/4" input.
Its exaclty what i need.

It outputs exactly what you input, it doesnt color your sound at all.
It doesnt break when you turn it up but then again i dont usually like high volumes.
I play rock in the styles of U2, Stone Temple Pilots, a little Zep, very classic sounds.
I use a fender start 76 with EMG's and a Parker Nitefly SA

I've been giggin with these for a week now, which i know its not a lot of time but these amps are built solid, i dont think i will have any problems with it. I usually take good care of my equipment but still I think these could take a good beating and still sound good.

The bass player in my band www.myspace.com/adannuvo has a Tech21 SansAmp he bought on E-bay without a manual. We sent them an email and they replied with a link to the manual in less than 30 minutes. I know that has nothing to do with the PowerEngines but still they seem like a good company with good custumer support.

Ive been playing for 10 years semi-pro. Ive owned a Line6 Flextone II Plus with the external cab, then i switched to the POD 2.0 with a Crate head and half stack, then i moved to the xt live with a couple of these PowerEngines, i have never been happier...it allows the POD to sound like the POD, no coloring.
I play with a Strat 76 with EMG's and a Parker Nitefly. Event the piezo from the Nitefly sounds awesome through this. I would definitly get another PowerEngine if these were stolen. You cant beat the price on it. Very dependable, very light, punchy.

Very basic amp with vol, bass, mid, treb. This is the 60T which has the tweeter. I wanted a full range monitor for use with my Tonelab/GT-8 modelers.

The sound quality is pretty flat, which is what I wanted. The open back gives it an amp type feel, but still provides a pretty clear un-colored tone.

It's a solid state amp, so it will probably last forever.

Haven't need support yet.

I've playing over 30 years, mostly rock. I currently play in a P&W band and also in a wedding band. I use the PE 60 as a monitor to accurately reproduce the tones coming from the TL/GT-8. It does this very well. I haven't tried to turn it way up, but low volume sounds great. I would buy this again.

Light, compact, sufficent wattage and even looks cool (someone thought I had a Bogner Cabinet at first glance).

Perfect full range solution if using a modeler as your preamp...period. I can also use it to with my SWR amp and run effects in stereo. You can also chain PE60's as well.

Use the XLR out to go directly to board and then use amp stage monitor.

I play clean, blues, jazz, rock (heaviest being Van Halen-eqsque) and this is perfect sounding amp to realize the sounds I have dialed in. The PE60 just makes it all sound as it was intended.

Use it in church and it is silent.

Build extremely well. Very solid. Would most likely get another one.

Company was extremely responsive and friendly in all my email dealings.

Again, for a modeler preamp the PE60 is the power amp for you.

Simple to use.

Fender American Deluxe Strat HSS LT. I play this through either of two setups, depending on venue:
1, Strat -> Marshall Blues Breaker II -> Boss Overdrive 3 -> Boss Noise Suppressor -> Boss Gt-6 -> Tech 21 Power Engine.
2. Strat -> PreSonus Tube Pre -> Tech 21 Power Engine.

Both setups have proven better than my Fender Hotrod Deluxe or my Line 6 Flextone III. Don't get me wrong on the Fender or Flextone. Both are great. But for the GT-6, this thing gives me just what I'd expect after creating a patch using headphones. And the Flextone is a great guitar -> amp setup.

Not much to go wrong. It's solid state.

I would buy another one. I'm considering buying another one to use at church so I don't have to haul it between church and home twice a week.

1/4" or XLR Input. XLR Output with Ground Lift. 12" Celestion Seventy 80 Speakers. 60W rated.

Been looking for a way to amplify my processor since I bought a DG-Stomp a few years back. Then I got a VAMP2 to go with it. Now I replaced both with a PODXTL which I owned for more than a year now. This amp made a lot of difference for me. At first I wasn't happy with the sound that I was getting. So I tried different methods of "breaking-in" and "warming-up" the new speakers. Didn't really helped much. Not until I used the XLR in. It does make a difference, to my ears anyways. Now I'm happy with my rig ...

Giving it an 8 for making me think I made a bad decision for buying this instead of an Atomic!

Looks pretty solid to me. I only transport it twice a week to church so that shouldn't really be a problem for me. We'll see the wear & tear later.

I sent an email regarding the use of a DI box for the XLR in. Next day, I got my answer.

My Question:
i wanted to try to use the XLR in on the pw60 to connect my POD XTL
(unbalanced out). so i went to the local music store to buy a DI box. the guy in there asked me where i'm connecting it and told him about the amp. he is not sure if the XLR is a balanced "line level" or "mic level", neither do I (after he confused me).

Here's the answer from "John Bednar, Technical Supervisor":
You don't need any DI or external level shifting boxes. All you have to do is connect the XLR out of your POD to the XLR in of the PW60 with an XLR cable. The Level control on the PW60 is designed to adjust the input level from mic to line level.

Right now, here's my rig:
Gibson LP -> POD XTL -> PW60 -> PA System

If someone steals it, I will replace it again. If you don't have the money to buy overpriced amps or just want to make your rig simpler by using modellers, get this one.

Thought about getting the Atomic Reactor. From other reviews, it supposedly sounds better. But to think of the extra money, extra weight & the hassle of replacing the tubes ... oh, what's the point of getting a modeller again ;-)

The best feature is the way my Line6 Podxt Live sounds through it.
And at 32 lbs, I'm not going to break my back.

I have the 2112-A speaker and for the music I play, clean violin Fender Dumble tones, I feel this is a better choice over the Celestion found in new ones. To each there own. If I was playing vicious metal I might rethink speakers, but I'm not. So I'm real happy with the 2112-A's.
If it ain't broke, don't break it.

The Podxt Live sounds like the engineers at Line6 wanted it to sound like. Like it sounds on a direct recording with mic and room modeling. The PE60 simply reproduces the Pod so well.

This is true with my MagicStomp that I use for my acoustic. I use two PE60's for stereo. So nice.

Sometimes I'll use both modelers along with some other delays and switch in/out using a PedalRacks True Bypass Strip. I saw John Scofield using the strip. Very, very cool.

The PE60 sounds great with all my gear and I'll get wild with synth
sounds an octave or even two below princible note on both the MagicStomp And the killer synths on the Line6 Live. The PE60 can take it. No wuffing. Just bark and bite.

I like one PE60 for most electric work. Probably a phase thing.
Two for acoustic layered stuff, two for electric layered stuff.

But usually it's one PE60 'cause I'm real lazy.

At a local blues jam we get all tube geeks showing up with there botique amps or hot rodded amps or to be fair, cool old Fenders.
They talk their tube stuff amunst themselves then they ask me about my amp. What, no preamp?, No tubes?. Not much to talk about.

But then I get on stage with them and they are blown right out of the water with my tone. A G&L ASAT, The Line6 Podxt Live, and the PE60.

This is killer tone gear.

I had my jack on one of the PE60's cut out while playing twice. I cleaned the jack with spray cleaner and it seems ok now.
So I'll not ding it for maintainence

Talked to someone recently about the speaker upgrade and They told me for the type of music I play the 2112-A is prefered over the Celestion found in the new PE60's. The Celestions will handle big metal sounds better.
Robben Ford, Steve Kimock, Bill Frisell, John Scofield. Those are the tones I'm after. So I'm told the 2112-A is the better choice for that sound. Save my money. I'll still have to check it out someday.

This is the part of my tone chain that produces the final sound you hear. I would have bought anything. I would buy it today if it showed its face.

It did show its face, The PE60. I bought two.

I think I sound better than I ever have before.

just what it needs to do

Fender strat texas special pick ups and paf pro
Boss Gt-8 preamp/effects
Not noisy at all. The amp adds a lot of punch to modelers.
You have to figure out what output select the gt-8 needs. In my opinion line/p.a. because the power engine has xlr out (and in). You
need speaker sim. on (only with the line/p.a. output select.)
I had to change some speakertypes. Mostly 1x12.
The sound is brilliant. Couldn't be better.

I just have it a week. I think it's built verry well.

Okay

The best

I have two PE60 with the old 2112-a speakers. I'm concidering an upgrade to the new Celestion speakers. Any thoughts?

I have a G&L ASAT going into a Line6 PODxtLive into one or two PE60's
The Live is an awesome modeling pedal and I didn't want to change the sound of it by going into a combo. I saw the ad "finally, an amp with no tone", that got my attention.

One cab is what I prefer for most electric playing, but two cabs for acoustic. I have a Wechter Pathmaker into a Yamaha MagicStomp and again, the MagicStomp sounds soooo good and I want to preserve that tone. The PE60 in stereo is the answer

With my G&L ASAT, my PODxt, and my PE60's my tone is to die for. At least to my ears. I play a Bassman or a VoxAC30 or Silvertone thrugh the POD and that is what you hear. Just the way the Line6 engineers wanted it to sound like. A Great amp.

The PE60 are probably the single most important part of my tone chain.

Just keep it clean

?

As long as I'm into modeling, and that's been since Line6 came on the scene, I'll be using these cabs.

Of course if I ever own a 'Two Rock' amp then these will take a back seat. All I need is $6,000.00 dollars.

This is a totally tranparent power amp that is ideal for modeling pre-amps. It works great and sound great. It has XLR inputs and outputs, and 1/4" inputs and outputs. Doesn't really have any features to speak of except a 3 band EQ and volume control, the rest is dependent upon your modeler or pre-amp that you plug into it.

Perfect for me using my POD XT Live.

I am using a Carvin Bolt, into a POD XT Live, then into the power engine. All I have to do is turn up the mid-boost a little bit and I am ready to go. I don't need to change any input settings on the POD or anything. It's basically like going straight to the house PA, only I'm going through the power engine first and getting to the house through the XLR out, I don't need to use direct boxes anymore.

I get the same sound through the PE 60 as I do through the headphone out on my POD. That's what we all want right? It sounds great. If you know how to make a patch sound good, then the power engine will sound good to you.

I can't really rate the sound quality of the amp, because it is absolutely transparent. My POD patches sound good, so the amp sounds good. But top ratings for reproduction of the sound without any coloration.

It's well built, metal on the corners. It's really solid. No problems.

Never dealt with them, and haven't needed to.

This is really great for us modeling guys, it has a perfectly transparent sound to reproduce your pre-amp for stage monitoring. Excellent!

It can also be used as an extension speaker for another amp, tube or solid state. It's pretty amazing and versatile. I love it, and would definitely get another one if anything happened. Great product for a great price.

I bet they would sound great in stereo! Might have to get another one and find out!

So So EQ, love the DI, could use better speaker though
This was from American Music Supply, for $250 (not factory sealed)

I use a few dist. pedals and a cry baby 535Q. G&L legacy special with all three dual blade pups. Also play my Larrive LV-03RE.

I think this amp is okay for very small venues, but not so much for anything else. I normally just use it to DI to the house, and for a monitor, with all my tone from the pedals. It doesn't add any tone of it's own, but breaks up really bad at higher volumes,especially with an acoustic. Hence, I would only use it for really small gigs.

I am about to buy a Traynor 80Watt 410 tube amp. It has all the features of this amp, all tube, and much more. I say, do what you gotta do for a little while till you can afford a tube amp if that works for you.

I have not had any problems with it not working, just the break-up at high volumes. You defineatly wouldn't want to mic this amp.

Lets just say that I won't be buying ANY thing that says TECH 21 on the label. I also bought a new old stock Killer Wail wah on ebay. 1 week after it started poping really loud when i was using it active. They gave me an RA and told me to send it in,(Had to pay my own shipping, most decent companies will arrange a pickup for you.)
Got it back an not even a week later it was squawking really bad in active. Needless to say, I broke down and spent 120 on the 535Q dunlop.

I would not have bought this amp if I could have played it somewhere first,by the way, don't ever do that<DUH.

I just want my Traynor to get here quick so I can Ebay-sionora this thing and throw in the SH)&(TY wah to boot.

This was already touched on by others. I give this a 10. It has all the features needed for its purpose.

I was about to sell my Pod xt live on ebay. I also own the original line 6 POD. I decided on purchasing this amp from musicians friend , and if i wasn't fully satisfied returning it. Its a keeper. It made a world of a difference with the tones. I was using the xt live with and without the amp simulation with different amps that I own (Crate v15 tube amp, B 52 at212) . I tried it in the guitar input as well as the line in. and I just wasnt happy.

seems sturdy.

have not used

Been playing about 25 years, I have a Gibson Les Paul Limited Ed, Kramer Pacer , Washburn a5, Guild 112 , Gibson q90 bass, and a Takamine EGS430. I would definitely buy again. Processors definitely make a difference with this amp.

Year=current (2005); Very versatile setup with NO coloration of tone; single channel amp (no preamp). 60amps is pleanty of power for my needs, and the 3 band equalization should allow any modification to suit taste or setting. Can't give it a 10, only because it doesn't have many features, can't ding it either as that is by design.

Playing with Fender Strat with HSS config (2 texas specials, and a Pearly Gates Humbucker). Will host pretty much any pre-amp you want to drive it with. I use a Digitech GNX3 system, and I think I have just begun to scratch the surface of tonal possibilities. I use the AMP package from Guitar3456 that can be found on Digitech's SoundCommunity website and his custom patches. It is amazing how nice the amp patches sound going through the PowerEngine60. I cannot say whether they accurately reproduce all the amp types as I have not used them all, but the Fender and Vox ones sound awsome. I play mostly blues and rock and the 12" Celestion is great! Very full and not too bassy or too thin.

This seems to be built of very high quality. Great materials, fantastic looks, and although my gigging will likley consist only of traveling to friends houses to jam it seems to be built for heavy use.

Have not dealt with them, don't expect to either.

I have been playing off and on for 25 years. I have played mostly accoustic and this is a recent venture to electric. If this were lost or stolen I would likley replace it, or perhaps try the Tech21 Trademark60 that has analogue amp modeling built in so I could leave the GNX3 at home when jamming. I did considerable online research on amps, and played many at local music shops before setting on this one. In fact I bought the Hughes and Kettner Blue Edition 60R first, and returned the defective unit (reverb was broken). The H&K unit was WAY too bassy and the thing shook and buzzed like crazy in the cheaply assembled Korean built cabinet. THIS USA built Tech21 cabinet is quality feeling, solid as a rock, and has no buzzing whatsoever. I got a great swap and ZZounds took good care of me through the process.

The Tech 21 Power Engine 60 is a superb little amp with lots of power. The features on the amp are basic with just volume, bass, middle and treble controls, however, because these amps were designed as just an add-on cab to the Tech 21 Trademark amps, thats all you need.

There are no bells or whistles on this amp, but if you use it to run any kind of modelling pedal like the Boss GT series, Line 6 or Vox Tonelab units, this is ideal because the amp does not colour the sound. The tone controls act differently to almost all other amps because they act like a graphic equaliser. You can gain a lot of difference with just a small tweak of the bass, middle or treble controls, making this amp ideal for quick adjustments at different venues.

As mentioned above, this amp is perfect for use with any of the modelling pedals from Boss, Line 6 or Vox because what you hear through your headphones when listening to your modelling pedal is what you'll hear through this great little amp - its transparent.

Ive lost count the number of times Ive read guitarists complaining that they cant seem to emulate the sounds that they are hearing through their headphones when they plug their modelling unit into an amp - the simple answer is that modelling pedals need to use an amp such as the Tech 21 which doesnt colour the sound, because your modelling amp already has speaker cabs and amp models built into the unit, so all your doing by using a normal guitar amplifier is trying to run one amp sound into another - now you know why it all sounds muddy.

I use a Fender US Strat and an Epiphone LP with this amp. The amp can capture that classic Fender twang and when I hook up my LP it sounds just awesome. I can play anything from The Shadows to Whitesnake and it all sounds authentic through this amp.

I tried running my Vox Tonelab SE through a Fender Deluxe 112 Plus and it didnt sound very good. But after reading reviews here on Harmony Central I decided to invest in the Tech 21 and I now believe that I have the best guitar sound Ive ever acheived in my 20 years of playing the guitar!

I play lots of styles of music in my band, including rock, 60's to 90's and current bands like Robbie Williams and Keane. This amp coupled together with the Vox Tonelab SE can emulate any of these styles and is the warmest sounding guitar setup that I have heard. You couldnt tell the difference between my set up and a tube amp and I know because I have an original 1970s Park 75 tube amp in my collection.

I have owned Zoom and Boss GT3 and GT6 pedals but none of them compare to this match made in heaven of the Vox Tonelab and Tech 21 PE 60.

The singer in my band was so impressed with my sound at our last band practice that he compared it as sounding as good as Doug Aldrich who plays in Dio which we saw just a couple of weeks ago - now you cant knock that!

Seems pretty robust and well built to me. Nice brushed stainless steel look on the back and all corners are covered with metal covers. The amp only weighs 24lbs which is really light for a 60 watt amp.

Only had the amp a couple of weeks but it looks like it will last for years.

I wrote to Tech 21 to see if they could help me find a retailer over here in the UK as these amps are made in the USA. I got an Email back the same day with details of their UK distributor. Not only did the guys in the UK send me a list of sellers, they also asked where I lived so that they could tell me where to get the best deal.

Very good service.

I love this little amp. Its small enough to use for practicing at home and the sound is so sweet and warm that it sounds like a valve amp.

Although there are cheaper amps on the market with lots of effects and other things on them, this amp is ideal for my Vox Tonelab SE. It simply amplifies the sound coming out of the Vox, it doesnt colour the sound and is nice and loud if I turn it up.

This is the only amp you need for your Line 6, Boss or Vox modelling pedals. If you want an amp for live use with a modelling pedal then the Tech 21 is probably your only option that will deliver the power and sound. Ive heard that the Atomic amp is as good as the Tech 21, but its only 18 watts which probably isnt going to cut it live if your competing against a loud drummer.

Take my recommendation - buy a Tech 21 Power Engine 60 and a Vox Tonelab SE and you will have your killer tone in 10 minutes flat. I previously owned a Boss GT6 for 18 months and never got the tones that I can easily get with my set up now.

I am happy - after 20 years of searching I have found the sound that I have been trying to get for all those years. I dont need to search any further and would definitely replace this kit if it was lost or stolen.

I am using the Power Engine to amplify my Pod 2.0

I can get the best tones from my POD using the Power Engine. Every other amp I tried colored my pre-programmed sounds so much that I could not get the sounds I wanted from the POD. The Tech 21 Power Engine is great. It does exactly what I want it to do.

It has a 3 band eq for highs, mids, and lows, and a volume control. This really lets me tailor the sound to the room I'm in.

I can use this for practice at home (with a wife and 2 small children) and get some decent sounds even while the kids are in bed.

It's ideal for solo practicing at a variety of higher volumes and for playing with other musicians. I can shake the rafters if I need to.

Finally, you can send an output to a P.A. system. I think this is great because for my application, I can get great modeled sounds amped to me, and sent direct to the P.A.. It's the best of both worlds.

It gets a 10 because it does what it's designed to do.

I play rock (classic to heavy) and am working on jazz.

I've set my POD up to get a variety of good sounds (IMHO), and I can finally amplify them with the Power Engine.

I cosidered buying a Flextone, but think this solution is better. In the future, I can upgrade to whatever preamp/modelnig device I like, and still use the Power Engine to amplify it.

It's a perfectly versatile and flexible solution for those of us who like using various modeling amps.

I have nto had it very long, but don't see how many thigns can break down on it.

I know Tech 21 has a great customer service record.

I e-mailed customer support with two sets of questions about product features and applications and received clear answers the same day.

Thier answers made it clear to me that I could use the Pwer Engine to accomplish what I wanted. And they were right.

I found them to be very helpful.

I've been playing for over 15 years. For the most part, I am self-taught, but am now taking jazz lessons. I play for fun, and enjoy playing with others.

The Tech 21 Power Engine is one of the best things I ever purchased. It's very versatile and powerful. Simply a great product.