Tech 21 Trademark 120 212 Combo

Bought new in August 2003. I had previously owned a Trademark 60. Great little amp, but it just wasn't versatile enough. I needed a loud, clean sound and it was not easy with the 60 watter. The TM 120 is plenty loud for what I do. Versatility is the thing with this amp... I can use it on virtually any type of gig and get all the sounds I need. The low impedance direct out is really useful if you are dealing with an anal retentive soundman. My only gripe is not having the ability to set the reverb individually for each channel.

Right now I'm using a Strat with Dimarzio Virtual Vintage p.u.'s and a Relic Tele. Absolutely quiet with the Strat, somewhat noisier with the Tele, even on the Tweed settings at low gain. I'm playing in a cover band that does classic rock, blues, and some modern country and this box does it all for me. I still have my tube amps, but none of them can cover the variety of styles we play. It is bone simple to operate: set the preamp for each channel (Tweed, English, California- I don't think I have to explain), set the Gain, EQ, and Level and your off! Because the tone controls are active (they cut AND boost), it does take a little more tweaking than I'm used to to get your sounds. I had this amp for a week before I was able to use it at a rehearsal and like most amps you don't know what it's made of until you play with a full band. In a live situation I found myself boosting the lows slightly and cutting back on the treble. The amp still had no trouble cutting through a fairly loud drummer, a bassist with an SVT head, and the other guitar player who uses a Mk III and a 2x12 cab. The response is pretty damn close to a tube amp- it cleans up nicely at lower gain settings and punches through when you dig in. Also, the boost function for solos is nice but I need to get used to it having always been a volume knob guy. As far as distortion goes, I leave the overdrive pedals at home and run my trem/vibe pedal thru the effects loop and my wah thru the front end. The o.d. and distortion sounds are that good.

Having owned the Trademark 60 for 2 tears and never having a problem, I'm pretty confident that this amp will hold up well. I do plan to use it without a backup, but I will bring some extra fuses- the places we play aren't exactly state of the art wiring wise.

It comes with a 1 year warranty. I have not had to contact them for service but I did have a question concerning the effects loop. I emailed and got a response the next morning. Good enough for me.

I've been playing for 15 years and have owned too much stuff! I checked out Line 6, Peavey, and Fender products but even though it is solid state, I still felt it gave me most bang for the buck as far as versatility and tonal control. And with the tan grill cloth and white piping, it has more of a vintage look. I still use my tube amps for blues gigs and I love 'em, but this amp changed my mind about solid state. I think Tech 21 has delivered a great product for thr working musician on a budget.

See Tech 21's web site. Great features and very versatile!!

This has to be one of the greatest versatile amps I've owned. It sounds more tube-like than any other solid state amps I've owned. I have owned tons of them. This is the perfect jam amp or it can definitely crank. The speakers hold a nice tight bottom end with a punchy mid section. If you want to run it clean and get a bluesy type tone, you can definitely achieve that. I play anything from Tool to Metallica, SRV type blues, Audioslave, and much cleaner funk stuff. It's a cool amp that can be dialed in to achieve any tone you like. I'm real happy with this amp. I have an all tube Carvin head that rocks with a Mesa Boogie Traditional cabinet and this Trademark 120 can hold achieve a tone pretty darn close to my big setup. Tech 21 has definitely done it again with a great product. I usually play a 1980 Les Paul Custom through it or an Ibanez RG270. They both sound great running through the Trademark 120

I would definitely gig without a backup. This thing is extremely well built and I take it to jam sessions all the time just because I don't feel like lugging around my whole setup.

Never had to use customer support so I can't rate this section.

If it were lost or stolen I would cry, then go out and buy another one. GREAT VALUE!! Can't go wrong with Tech 21 products.

See other posts. 3 channels, all selectable for fender, marshall or boogie sounds. Footswitch included, very nice. 55lbs is also very nice. Enough power for most gigs, unless your band is really loud, then it may need a 4x12 cab (which tech 21 sells). It has an effects loop that's switchable, and that's very important to getting the best sound from this amp. See below for explanation.

I play blues and classic rock in a cover band. I was willing to give up a little in tone to get the versatility. And I was on a budget. This thing surprised me, even though I had owned and gigged with a Trademark 60 for a while. I like the 120 better. It's more versatile and sounds bigger. I set one channel to British and keep the drive down for very SRV type blues sounds. It's very bright and articulate like a Vox AC-30. Very good sounds there. I set another channel to british and crank the drive for a classic marshall sound. Also very good for classic rock tunes that need more drive, sustain, compression. The most difficult setting to get right is the tweed. I've gotten some terrible sounds from it, like a really flubby bass when the drive goes up past 12:00. But I have found a way to tame it and get very good fender sounds from it. Here's how: first, turn the bass down to 8 or 9:00 tops. Keep the drive between 10-12, 10 if you want clean, inch up for more classic fender power tube distortion. Turn the mid dial up to around 1:00 and the treble around 12:00. Finally, and here was the key for me, put a compressor in the effects loop. It tamed the boomy bass (without the compressor it was boomy even at 9:00 on both my semi-hollow asat and my strat on the neck pu). The compressor should be one with a tone control, like a boss, so you can even the attack and add just a bit of top end sparkle and volume. Crank the level all the way up and adjust the master volume to taste. The sound is very satisfying, perfect for blues with just a hint of breakup when pushed. If I want it to stay really clean, I just hit the boost button and turn the volume knob on my guitar down a bit. This thing rewards carefull tweaking, as others have said. I've got a good clean, bluesy, and distorted sound now that works great for gigs. My first gig with it was a large outdoor venue with no sound man, so we did most of it from the stage. I just cranked it and it held together pretty well. For the money, this is a very good amp, and I've owned many at this price.

So far, so good, though one of the lights on the footswitch is shorting out, a minor inconvenience. I may or may not send it in for repair. I don't like to gig without a backup. Now I have a Traynor ycv40 I bring along and also a sansamp GT-2 that can be rigged to go directly into the PA in a pinch, so I'm covered. In fact, I'm going to sell the Traynor. I like the Trademark better.

They're always great. Answer emails promptly, good advice, etc.

I've owned a few amps, always on the hunt for better tone. I've stayed in the $500 or less category with Peaveys, Fenders, Traynors, Reverend, and Tech 21. The Reverend was a good amp, but I didn't think the 1x12 held up that well when cranked--a bit thin and shrill. I wonder how the head with 4x10s would have sounded? The 120 is a very good amp. So far, it's performing higher than expected. In this price bracket I'm not aware of anything that can match it for its combination of versatility, tone, practicality and value. You can't lose here, if you are patient when dialing it in.

This is a 2002 model. 2x12 stereo combo. It features 3 channels. But this is the BEST part---each channel can be individually set. No more of this "Clean, Lead, Crunch" crap....if you want 3 different cleans, you got it. 3 different dirtys, you got it! 3 different death-metal settings, you got it!!
Comes with a six-button footswitch that controls virtually everything on the amp. Headphone jack. Stereo effects loop.
Controls are on the top...leaving a clean and classic and elegant black tolex and cream-coloured baskweave front to look at. Very retro...reminds me of an old red Supro I had as a kid....
I only wish the fine engineers at Tech 21 added an AUX IN, so I could of added a CD player, for jamming/learning...
Other than that (my opinion) this is the PERFECT AMP!!!!

I use Paul Reed Smith guitars. (1 McCarty and 2 CE24's) They all seem to get along nicely---haven't had to break up any fights yet.
Some have said that the PRS is a "jack-of-all-trades" guitar...well, putting it together with this VERY versatile amp, I can get quite a number of useable and likeable sounds!
I play mostly 70's and 80's rock. The hardest I dabble with hard stuff would be like Metallica and Megadeth. Mostly things like Rush, Zeppelin....
The clean is very nice with a little chorus (think Lifeson and La Villa Strangiato) HOWEVER, there is no power behind the clean setting---weirdest thing, my clean channel is maxed, master vol is around 5, and I hit the 'boost' function...and you can still talk over the sound. Tech 21---fix this!!!!
The distortion is fine by me! I have one channel devoted to a little distortion mixed with whatever effects I have...and channel three is simply Marshall setting with distortion with a touch of onboard Accutronics reverb...nice...like in-yer-face Ted Nugent distortion!

This is now my third Tech 21 amp. I started with a Trademark 10, then added another for stereo....and then the BIG upgrade to the 120!
So far, all my Tech 21 stuff is built SOLID. Absolutely no complaints here. It will go the distance. It's Solid State, so maintainence is no concern.

I really study my purchases before I plunk down my cash.
One of theonly times I didn't was with the Trademark 10....I had read soooo many good reviews on it, i just bought it. And NEVER regretted it.
I did the same with the 120.
I have been in contact with Tech 21 repeatedly via email, just to ask this or that...and Lloyd always answers FAST, even if it's a stupid question....

This is my last amplifier. For me...it does it all!
Should it get stolen, I will order another before I call the cops or insurance company!
LOVES-classic appearance, ability to tweak and tweak away at my settings (be very careful-Tech 21 pots are very sensitive, a little dab wil do ya) Also...Tech 21's flat response speakers--I hear my guitar and effects, not the MARSHALL, or the FENDER or the PEAVEY...
It is truly the "go-everywhere, do-everything" amplifier!!!
HATES-clean sound too low...what gives? No AUX IN (not a big deal)
Don't bother comparing it to other "modellers" like Line 6 or Beringer. Tech 21 is in a class by itself!!!!!! Go out and give em a try!!!!!!!

Well, here we go. I bought this amp in July 2002 as a blem from AMS, I like it at first, but the more I played it the more I found worng with it. Like reverb springs laying stuck to the speakers, chassis not secured by the little ears. Sent it in for the reverb and when it came back, it had lost is's clean sound, found out later that it had made it's rounds before I got it and was sold 9 months prior and been to the shop for repairs, before I got it. It sounds like the sound is floating and the tuning of my guitar goes in and out of tune. I have 4 guitars and it does it with all of them. Wish I could get the clean sound back that it had before it was repaired. I spoke with Tech 21 about my problems and they said it checked out ok, so that means don't waste your time sending it back for repairs, cause it doesn't need it. Loved everything about this amp if it worked right. Is very cheaply built, the shipping carton matches the amp construction (cheap). So far the amp hasn't made it out of my bedroom because of it's problems and my medical problems. I've got a Peavey XXL coming and the Tech 21 Trademark is hitting the road, and I'll probably lose my ass on it cause I'll tell the truth when I sell it to someone else. I think a thing called intermodulation distortion (something like that) is it's problem and you can hit a single string note and it will float around and go in and out of tune. Needless to say when you hit a chord, you have several strings doing the same thing and really heavey distortion is the only thing I can use it for now. For the price, I am not satisfied at all.

I use a Ibanez, ESP, souped up strat copy with Fender noisless single coils, Takimine acoustic, and Ephiphone Les Paul. Amp buzzes at an idle with all guitars, some worse than others. Speakers cant' handle volume worth a shit and this amp has never been over half crank. I just don't like it at all. Especially for the money and it's built like a cardboard box as far as construction. I'm not happy.

I can't get it to sound good in the bedroom so I damn sure wouldn't try to play out with it. Just a piece of crap. You boys giving it 9s and 10s must have a newer model or one that wasn't destroyed before it was passed off as a scratch and dent. There were no scratches or dents, just a shitty sounding amp that I think was abused and repaired as cheaply as possible to get it out of the shop and back on the street, especially since it had already been around for over the 1 year warranty period after the 4th month I owned it. AMS is good at this and I won't buy from them every again. They lie about things and send you merchandise without checking the condition and a scratch or a dent would be very desireable compared to the things that are usually wrong with their blem items.

Customer support started off great until I was told the history of my amp and I got mad and wanted a statement from them on the age of my amp. Then it turned into a matter of me buying one amp verses selling a gillion amps to a retailer. Which one you gona pick, doing what's right or making alot of money

I have been playing over 30 years and own several amps, guitars, keys and drums. I would not buy an amp from Tech 21 or AMS if my life depended on it. I'm going back to good ole Peavey (built like cast iron, road rugged and worthy, good bang for the buck). I'm gona try an XXL 212 Combo. AMS and Tech 21 can keep their junk.

Mine's a 2001 model, I think. 3 channels, each with a 3-way character modeling switch (california=Mesa, british=Marshall, tweed=Fender), 3-band active EQ, Drive, and volume. Shared reverb, master volume, and a boost feature that basically raises the master volume by an adjustable amount when you hit the button on the footswitch. Useful. FX loop, stereo outputs... if it's not here, it doesn't belong on an amp. The footswitch is a beast - it has 6 buttons. And the amp itself sure is purty.

I'm using a custom guitar w/ Seymore Duncan SB-1 humbucker pickups and one custom acoustic pickup under the bridge, monster cables (cause that does affect the sound), occasionally some effects pedals, and the angst of disenfranchisement. Basically a straight-from-the-amp sound. Indie rock, emo, hxc, funk.
It's definitely an amp you tinker with. The presets in the manual are interesting to try out - the Beatles preset is pretty good - but you will want to figure out some of your own. And, there are plenty of good settings, I almost wish there were more than 3 channels, so that I could have, say, my top 5 presets right there for me. But nah.
Clean channel - I have the drive @ 9 o'clock, California setting, heavy bass cut and treble boost, slight mid cut. = the Mesa clean tone you hear on the radio. Switch to the Tweed and it's a classic funk tone. Some natural-sounding overdrive when you push it here. Dropping the drive brings down the overall volume a fair amount, too, so I don't recommend 0 drive if you're trying to keep up with a loud drumset.
Dirty channel - Drive @ 1 o'clock, high eq @ 2 o'clock, all else @ 12. British character = creamy Marshall distortion. That was one strong selling point of the amp, for me: the ability to have the beautiful Marshall distortion channel without its retarded cousin, the Marshall clean channel.
Lead / Kill People channel - for a singing lead tone, and by lead I mean single-note guitar solos, I maxed out the drive, boosted the treble and cut some mid. It's a little too much, but you'll be pleased to find that this amp has the ability to slop on all the gain you want, and then some. British and California settings are good for killing puppies here, reminds you why they're called high-gain amps. Now, Fender is not a high-gain amp, and using that character for lead is a little weird. Using it in puppy-killing mode, though (puppy-killing=drop-D tuning, power chords or any Refused guitar part), yields an interesting fuzz that I use from time to time.
So, in general - the amp has more bass than it knows what to do with, maybe the right amount to do the California channel justice, but really just an ungodly amount of bass on the Tweed character. The tweed character, then, can create most of the weirder amp tones, while the other two make you sound right respectable. I'm suspicous that the full-range speakers in this combo are capable of putting out more of the extreme lows and highs than an amp with normal guitar speakers. But I could be wrong.

No tubes. Solid construction. Everything's pretty secure, it gets wicked hot, but I don't expect it to explode or anything. I don't bring a backup to shows, mostly to save space, but partly because I really don't expect it to poop on me anytime in the forseeable future. If it got eaten by carnies or something, I would try ato borrow someone else's amp to finish the show, and then... get another one. I turn this amp up pretty close to maximum volume, and I'm a little afraid if I max it out it will have problems. For shows, it's best to just plug it into the PA. Your amp's your monitor.

I hear they're pretty helpful.

The most impressive things about this amp are: 1) ridiculous crunch and low end; 2) quite convincing mid-level distortion and overdrive - "natural distortion", something most solid-state amps just can't pull off; 3) I can get the tones I want out of it; 4) great features, everything I need and more; 5) incredibly convenient. It's a combo, fairly lightweight, no tubes to replace, and the stereo XLR outputs make it convenient for the sound guy or engineer.
Less impressive attributes, and there aren't many: 1) I haven't been able to get a tone out the Tweed character preamp that quite matches the Fender tone I'm used too. Not that I need it, really; the other guitarist in my band has a Hot Rod DeVille (good amp, too), so that tone's already there. Getting it from this amp is more like hiking to the North Pole - "just to to see if I can." 2) switching to the FX loop is not perfect. Cuts out for an instant, or something.
This is suited for recording, practice, or for playing venues of just about any size - it sounds good at low volumes, gets loud, and plugs into a PA with no change in tone quality. It creates a hell of a lot of different sounds, reacts naturally, and is therefore suitable for bringing the rock to the masses. The only thing missing from the sound is that "psychic" tone quality, that mental satisfaction that comes from knowing that your amp uses vacuum tubes.

Three channels, direct out, nice footswitch -not much I can add here. I have been using my TM120 for both live gigs and recording for about a year now and so far is has given me everything I want from an amp. I mostly have it hooked to a mixer/PA, which is needed to bring out the stereo effects. This direct out feature is especially useful in recording but is nice to have on stage as well. Volume has never been a problem partly because of the PA hookup but even without it I would not have to go beyond 12 on the master vol except with a totally clean sound (yes, the amp is loud enough to make you deaf).

The original reason I bought this amp was the versatility. Most solid states can handle both the clean end and 'through the roof' kind of overdrive and this was what I was expecting this amp to do as well. However, after a few months of tweaking and adjusting I realised that the TM120 was producing extremely good mid/semi-dirty sounds. Before using this amp I thought a credible sound in that range required tubes.

I play a Gibson LP Custom and use a few pedals (wah, distortion, delay) and some compression. In addition I have an Intellifex in the effect-loop. I like to use the effects to color the sound in a few songs but the basic sound from this amp is great as it is.

The clean settings (Tweed) can make even a Les Paul sound clean but there is a limit to the amount of 'clean volume' available. Thus, having a PA around becomes handy. The 'Marshall' setting is where I have found the best warm semi-crunchy sounds. However, if you want a 100% Marshall or Mesa -sound you should buy one of those instead the TM120.

No problems so far, I gig without a back up. No tubes to worry about :)

N/A

I have been playing for about 20 years and I have tried a few amps along the way. At the moment the TM120 is all I need. It does not sound exactly like a VHT or Marshall but pretty darn close and the versatility is something no tube amp can match.

One feature I wish the amp had is an ability to adjust separately the signal level that goes into the effect loop and direct out. For example the FX-signal is a bit on the weak side for rack-effects. Another little thing that bothers is the reverb. I guess it's a matter of taste but I think it is crap and I prefer using other means of getting reverb.

It took months and months of tweaking before I found what I was looking for. Once I found the settings the TM120 became the only amp I need.

Its got a ton of features. One feature it LACKS is a good loud clean sound! It has three identical channels with a 3 setting voicing switch on each. Unfortunately all 3 channels have 2 gain controls which you have to use, so any setting above minimal on the first gain stage gets you some distortion. If you play loud, you will NOT get loud and clean no matter what... Auurrgghhh!!!!! The power amps are weird: They cannot take the halved impedence that pluggiong in an extension speaker would cause, thus, when you use the extension speaker jacks, the amps speaker(s) are turned off! What's the point of this?? All it does is let you lug around more cabs. to go with a combo-sized head! Dumb, dumb...

I used all sorts of guitars with this turd and it made them all sound like crap! The distortion sounds are all good, but as I said above, there is NO CLEAN SOUND!! If you use the "Tweed" setting you get a muddy sound; cranked=Distorted mud. On the "British" setting you can get a clean sound...sort of... The "California" setting is the Mesa/Boogie thing that many seem to like, but its too over the top for me... This amp cost me a lot of money buying guitars! I thought it was the axes' fault that I sounded so bad, but it was the amp. I traded this turkey for a Traynor 80 watt 2x12 all tube combo and am I ever GLAD I did! Pass this up and check out the Traynors. At 80 tube watts its louder, cleaner and the distortion channel is better than the 120 watt Trademark 120. (Its not REALLY 120 watts, but 60 per side. Just what you need: Stereo from speakers that are an inch apart!!! I fought with this thing for a year and a half, so I know what I'm saying!!! One nice feature is the variable boost control. Many amps have a fixed boost gain, this is much better. I used a Strat, 3 Reverends (Commando, Sligshot and Rocco), Tele and Parker Nitefly through this amp. None of them sounded too great clean. All sounded good on distortion, but any guitar sounds good distorted!

It never broke.

Didn't have to deal with them, although I emailed them about the lack of clean once and got a prompt reply. They were good when I had a problem with the Trademark 60 I had before. (A MUCH better sounding amp.)

Pass on this baby.

Got this amp from Musician's Friend at a ridiculously low price to replace my oversized and less than flexible Portaflex and supplement my home recording endeavors. I think it was made in 2001. Features 3 switchable channels with a boost and reverb. Of course, the benefit is that it has Tech 21's sansamp technology built into it, so you can record/run your sound direct into a mixing board. Also features an effects loop, headphone jack, and external speaker jacks, and a nice footswitch to control it all. I play indie rock/punk stuff, and this amp works great for all the sounds I could ever want in a live situation. Tech 21's solid state analog amp emulation works verry nice to capture fender, marshall, and mesa boogie sounds. At 120 watts with 2 specially designed 12" speakers, it's never been shy on the volume when playing live. i never had to go higher than 4 on the volume. And unlike most solid state amps, it sounds great when it's cranked up. My only request is for the external speaker jacks to not disable the built in speakers. But I guess they intend for you to buy their powered 2X12 cab and run a line out to it.

The sound you get out of this amp is directly proportional to the amount of time you spend teaking it. The treble, mid, low, drive, and level knobs, which all three channels have, are very sensitive and since you can choose whether you want each channel to have the characteristics of a tweed, british, or california amp (fender, marshall, or mesa), you have a wide open canvas to work with. The spring reverb has a nice sound too, but is a little weak, IMHO.

I've played my Telecaster through it, an cheap Ibanex GAX70, and a friend's Epiphone Sheridan. It has nice sound all around and fits pretty much any sound I could want. In the last band I was in, two of us had this amp and we were able to get different enough sounds from one another and play everything from bluesy rock to indie space jams. The clean channel seems to have endless clarity, no matter how high the volume -- a feature I credit to the specially designed speakers. My Telecaster generates some noise and hum on the distorted channels, but it does that on any amp. The only sounds I;m not crazy about are the california/mesa sounds, which sound a little too synthetic to me.

Have never had a problem with it through a few long live shows, and never needed to worry about a backup. There are no tubes to burn out, and it's got more power than I'll ever need.

Never had to use them.

I've been playing in bands for about 16 years now, and I've owned a variety of amps, from a Marshall JCM 900, which was too think sounding to me, to a Marshall Super Bass, to an Ampeg Portalflex B12XTC, to a Marhsall JCM 800. This thing encompasses the sounds of all of the above amps and what's best is that I can fit it in the trunk of a car. I'd totally replace this if it was stolen, I can't live without it now. I didn't even consider the Line 6 or Johnson amps. In terms of price, they seemed to cheesy sounding compared to this one, which I luckily scored new for the price of the Trademark 60. While I think the Pods and V-Amps are great for recording, I wanted something less digital for live situations. I know, it's not a sexy vintage Fender or Marshall, it serves its purpose very well. Function over fashion, I guess.

3 seperate channels that can be set up as either British, California,or Tweed. Seperate eq for each channel is great. Should have made seperate efx loops too. Active tone controls. The slightest adjustment changes the tone and the sound alot. Pedals good but with no standby on the amp, everytime you turn it on it defaults to the reverb on and the efect loop in. That may be adjustable I dont know yet.

Sounds pretty damn good for a solid state amp. I like the distortions but can be a little grainy. The clean Fender sound is pretty sterile to me, I havent used it yet. No sweet spot. I use the Marshall sound with very little gain and when eq'd right, works for me.

Just got it a couple months ago so it hasnt been beaten up to bad yet to tell if it has what it takes.

Pretty dam nice amp. Loud enough for me. I have a Marshall tube amp amd a Boogie tube amp. It sounds close. But no cigar. It is way more flexable cause of the 3 channels and no sharing of the eq. The effect loop works nice. I think I'm gonna keep this one. The only things I dont care for are that it really gets hot and you can catch a wiff of it cause it pushes alot out the vent. You cant stack anything on top cause of the vent, and making changes to the channel are a pain in the ass cause the controls are on top. Once I get a good sound and am happy, it seems that if I move to off to the side the sound seems to change alot. Overall I like it and plan on using it alot. The defult switch setting when turned on are a pain in the ass. I wish it had some kind of standby. Also when you switch in(or out, I cant remember) the effects loop, it cuts out for a brief time. This is a problem changing on the fly.