Tech 21 Trademark 60

2 CHANNEL SS 112 combo with 4 button footswitch.This amp shares it's eq with both channels.It is a stout 60 watts.

I am play mostly 70's classic to metal in the Metallica(master of puppets era not this wus shit they play now) and Megadeth vein.I do at times play the likes of Lamb of God and such.My main guitars are a Les Paul Classic with Duncan jb at bridge and 59 at neck with sperzel locking tuners and Tone Pros bridge and tailpiece,an Ibanez rg 570 with dimarzio tone zone and air norton a charvel model 6 with stock pickups and a charvel model 5 with emg 81/85 combo.I use a jekyl and hyde overdrive,dunlop 95q wha ,boss delay and chorus and an ibanez lofi pedal.This amp sounds great.Remeber that this is a ss amp and not a digital amp modeler.I have played for 30 years and owned nearly every Boogie ever built to in clude 2c+ and rectos.I bought this amp because I mainly play at home and I can get good sounds at low levels.It produces tube like sounds but doesnt have that tube sag I am used to.But remember the amp sounds they lay out for you are approximations not exact reproductions.If that is what you want quit your bitching and by a tube amp of your choice.Having said that the amp can sound very sterile with certain guitars or pickups.Sounds great with duncans and emgs and cold and sterile with dimarzios.Can be noisy with single coils,but then again what cant.I personally feel that it offers up some great high gain sounds that are reminiscent of boogies and marshalls.If you dime the distortion it just kills and at the same time you can get a creamt thick tone that reminds me of santans nid thick boogie sound.You can set up the clean channel for a great zz top sound that cleans up with the volume knob much like a atube amp.Good headroom on the clean channel.Alot of the time I will set the clean channel up for a great clean sound and use my overdive for a 3 channel amp setup

This guy Lloyd must be st work 24/7.Very knowledgeable and helpful.My only problem is not with reliability.I bought mine as a blem from musicians friend and was told it had tolex issues like discolorations or maybe a small tear.When I got the amp it had a huge chunk out of the right of the cabinet.Called musicians friend and they said it had full manufacturers warranty .Tech 21 said they did not warrant blem products and that they would not have sold that amp to the public with that damage.A new cab costs 95 bucks I only saved 60 bucks on the deal so Tech 21 sold me the cab for 60 bucks.My friends thought bI qwas crazy but I really do like the amp

Company very helpful as stated above.Emailed them and musicians friend at the same time.Tech 21 responded in 2 hours.Musicians Friend never has and it has been 35 days and 35 emails

Great little amp.Been playing 30 years.Currently own Peavey Valve King ,Mesa solo recto 50 combo,fender blues junior and marshall 2105 head and 1960 cab.Will this amp replace those? No.Has this amp found a place in my backline?Most definately.I compared this to Line 6 flextone 3 and spider,marshall mg series and vox.It sounds much more organic than any of the others.I would definately buy another if this one lost or stolen.I wish it had normal low mids and high eq in conjunction with the others and i wish you could get reverb without effects loop and vice versa.Now for a hint I bought a cheap behringer tube mic preamp and put that after my wha and overdrive pedal and this warmed everything up.Also I use use an mxr 10 band eq for extreme tweaks.

This amp is vesatile enough for my needs. I do wish that it had a tube preamp section. I did not buy it for power, but for convenience.

Ibanez RG570 w/humbuckers
Dean Palamino w/triple P-90's
the amp has a hiss when I use single coil guitars, but I expect that and I can live with it.

I have not used the distortion enough to comment

my tube amp is currently in the shop...

I talked to Lloyd when I ordered the vinyl cover for the amp. He was great and gave me some good tips on using external cabs with the amp.

This is a solid state amp. I repeat A SOLID STATE AMP. I bought this amp on purpose. I am 40 years old and have been playing for over 26 years. I now buy what I like and I buy based on usefulness. I wanted an amp that was powerful, small enough, versatile and affordable. let's not compare it to amps that cost three times as much. This amp has its place. It's a nice Solid State amp with desireable features, but you have to use the mannual to get the most out of it. I prefer using it with external closed back cabs. Make sure to cut back on the "lows". Let's stop all this typing, pick up our guitars and make great music - shall we.

There is a reason that I bought the Trademark 60 amp. I wanted what this amp offers: a smaller size (and weight), a good tone, and it's affordable. This amp does not mimick every single tube amp out there and shame on us for thinking that we could get that for under $500. IT'S A SOLID STATE AMPLIFIER! It's built for convenience and it covers a lot of ground. I love my tube amps (Lord knows I do),but I wanted this amp for that "gray-area" of usefulness. I am 40 years old and after 26 years of playing guitar, I now buy what works for me instead of what the ads in magazines tell me to buy. I'd suggest that we all pick up our guitars and PLAY MUSIC, instead of typing out reviews all day. The amp does what it is supposed to do. It has enough power for small venues. I use external cabs and I'm happy.

Ibanez RG560 Double Humbuckers - Contemporary, Rock, R&B, etc.

Dean Palmino - Jazz, Blues, Rock-a-Billy

the amp has a little hiss with my single coil guitars (so do my other amps)

I haven't tried the clean channel at very high volumes yet.

Talked to Lloyd. He is great and helpful. He helped me understand how to get the best out of external cabinet configurations. thanks man

I think the Trademark 60 is very useful once you go through the mannual a leran how to use it. I've learned to listen with my ears and determine what works for me and that's what it all boils down to. And yes, I would recommend it to people.

FEATURES ALL LISTED BY OTHERS. Well made and just right size, but...

I can not get over the great reviews on this amp, honeymoon reviews should be thrown out. This is a good solid state amp but in no way compares to a great tube amp on clean or overdrive. The clean side sounds great at first but after a while has a metallic hollow ring to it and no tube bounce at all. Anyone who says this sounds like a Marshall has no ear or is comparing it to an MG 10. Distortion side is dark and muddy with no harmonic detail and none of the pretty highs you get with tubes. Sorry, good solid state but no banana in the real od department either. I had my new one for 30 days and played it every day, good but no where near a good tuber. Sent it back and play the V30 from Crate now. The V Series is the real deal, look at the many pros who play them.

Solid State is well built and reliable.

Heard good things about them and US made.

Just another Solid state amp with decent tones.

Features covered by many others with tin ears. Very well built, perfect size and quality components. No fault here.

Here is the big letdown. Did any of the other reviews compare this side by side with a decent tube amp? For cryin out loud, this is 10 year old SS technology, call or email Tech 21 as I did and they will tell you only the speaker has changed. The clean sounds decent at first but kind of steril and non organic. The overdrive side is classic stomp box tones, no real tone just mud to thrash. This amp sounds no better than many SS amps on the market today I don't know what some of these reviewers are smoking. After 30 days of everyday use I returned it to MF for a straight across trade for a Peavey Classic 30, real tubes! I now have the Crate V50 and V30 also and will never waste my time with SS junk again. Ask yourself before you buy, in 10 years which will sound better, a ten yr old tube amp or 10 yr old SS...

Overdrive side cut out from time to time when bending strings, otherwise no problems.

Good response to questions and honest answers.

Good SS amp, not even on a par with any real tube tone amp by any maker.

This is simply THE BEST amplifier for the money, and I've tried all of them. It's simple, beautiful and extremely functional. Best direct out box on any amp. The clean channel sounds like tube Fender, the dirty channel sounds like tube Marshall. I really don't understand why you'd buy anything else on the market for under $1000. Plus, it only weighs 36 pounds!

I truly could not believe the way this amp sounded - thought I was dreaming. The dirty channel sounds like a Marshall tube with that tube compression and is very adjustable. The clean channel sounds like a Fender and, again, is highly adjustable. It's like having the 2 best amps you can have in a hassle free, light weight and very good looking box.
Oh, and I've read a few people talk about 'loud reverb.' Ha, try a Fender! This thing is no louder than any other reverb on the market and when it's off, this thing is tight sounding as hell.

Only had this amp for a few days so I can't say. But I can say that it's not tube, which is one of the main reasons I wanted it. I have Fenders and Marshalls and, to be honest, the quality wasn't so great. Things cut in and out, made odd sounds, and just plain didn't work. The foot switches ALWAYS broke and needed to be replaced. I expect this thing to work much better from the way it looks now.

N/A

This thing should cost $1000, but it doesn't, so buy it now. I wouldn't use it for a huge gig without the 60 watt extension cab, but you won't find a better Solid State, let alone a tube, for the money.

Visit www.tech21nyc.com for all of the amp details.

Essentially a two-channel solid-state combo. Has several unique features which allow for a lot more tonal variation. Also has switchable reverb, lead "boost", and direct recording capabilities ala SansAmp. Inclusion of a three-button footswitch is very nice.

Only negative is that the tone controls are in the master section and thus affect both channels. There are effective workarounds, but separate channel tone controls would give it a 10.

Very well featured and versatile.

The overall sound is excellent.

Both channels have character, one being cleaner to overdrive with a lot of headroom, and the other going from compressed overdrive to high-gain. The unique mid-sweep and shaping controls really alter the character of the channels.

The Trademark60 responds very well to the player dynamics and feels amazingly organic. I use a Am. Dlx. Strat, Les Paul Double-Cut, and a Flying V with the TM60 and they all retain their voice and vibe - unlike many SS amps (or even tube amps for that matter).

The cleaner channel - I call it cleaner rather than clean as it is capable of going into crunchy overdrive - is very nice. It has quite a bit of headroom. It saturates differently to a tube piece, but still responds nicely. Goes from Fendery to jazzy to classic rock with minimal tweaking.

The dirty channel has plenty of gain. It is not as liquid as a Mesa Mark IV for example, but it has lots of sustain while retaining good articulation. Simiar to the cleaner channel it responds well to differences in the guitar and playing. Higher output pickups definitely give it good kick.

Overall volume is plenty loud for small gigs/venues. Not as loud as a tube power section, but definitely louder than other SS combos I've used in the past.

The amp has been very reliable. Obviously the SS nature means that there is no maintenance to speak of. The cabinet is well built, corners have nice metal cap reinforcements, amp and Accutronics reverb unit nicely mounted, high quality switches and knobs.

Tech21 customer service has been great. I've called and emailed and have always gotten prompt and courteous replies to my questions. I have had no service issues, rather I have called inquiring about the wiring setups for going DI into mixing boards for recording, etc.

The TM60 is a great value with a great sound. Really a super amp for gigging, practice, and/or recording. Highly recommended!

No gimmicks here, just usable features. With the handbook ready you can dial in all the tones you could ever want easily - with a little tweeking here and there. It could do with a level adjustment on the effects loop.

I love it, the guys in the recording studio loved it - especialy the Clapton/Bluesbreaker setting and numerous live sound engineers have been blown away by the sound of this little amp. DI is great. Enough said. However I never give a 10 because perfection is impossible.

Had a problem with level drops and a whistling reverb when I first bought it around 9 years ago. Got it sorted - been fine since.

Never dealt direct

Been playing 19 years, owned 5 amps (including 1 tube) and played through numerous others. This is the best around - tube amps are far too heavy and sound pants at the low volumes required at pub venues - this amp is light and sounds great at any volume!
If it was stolen I wouldn't look further than another Tech 21 product and would probably end up with the same amp.
I love the sound so much that sometimes I plug my strat in and play a couple of licks just to remind me how great it is. Both channels offer a host of superb sounds.
I trust this company so much that I'm buying the double drive pedal on mail order without hearing it for myself.
Get 1

1996 or 1997? model. Had the volume drop and crackling mentioned below. But, unlike that earlier reviewer, I understand this will happen with electronics. 7-8 years will happen

Look at the website for features--any thing you need is there.

blues and rock strats and teles

no noise

excellent slight over drive to crazy distort if you want on ch 2

7-8 years one repair

I had a lady take my first email on this and she worked with me from beginning to end and emailed me during the process from receipt of the item to be repaired to calling me when it was done.

They replaced all the pots and did a general cleaning of the unit--for how much you ask? 30.00 bucks. And that includes the cost to send it back!!! Try that any where else--it isnt gonna happen.

I will put my Tech 21 trademark 60 up against anything for versatility//reliability//and customer support.

I have a tube amp--a small one I use too. But you cannot go wrong with tech21 for amps sound and reliability and customer support. See how much it will cost you to get factory support on the big boys.

Two Channels
Read other reviews for features. I only wish each channel had it's own tone controls, but you can work around this. The Di box in this is the absolute greatest. I direct record ALL THE TIME and it is top notch.

I play an Epiphone Sheraton II with Seymour Duncan JB and 59, also a G&L Tribute with EMC David Gilmour P/U's. I run through an Ernie Ball Volume, Dunlop Wah, into a Behringer V-Amp PRO, and TC G-Major controlled with a Ground Control Pro. I have owned this amp for 10 years and still smile every time I plug in. I play Rock, Pop-Rock and some blues and the TM60 really covers it all very nicely. I especially like channel 1 for clean or Chorused / Flanged sounds. I bought the V-Amp to expand on some distotions, wich I run through channel 1.

In 10 years I had to replace the speaker. Coincidentally, I did so after lending it to my 18 year old nephew for a few months, while my new house was being built. Coincedance....hmmmmm? It cost $175.00 to replace the speaker. No other problems.

Over the years I have sent a few emails due to connection questions with all my other gear. Tech 21 was always fast, clear and courteous with their reply. They are a class operation.

I'm 40 years old. I've owned this amp for 10 years. Every few years I get an itch to buy a new amp, I do the research, drive to the stores and for that 500.00 to 600.00 range, I never find anything that knocks me out. Also, I travel once or twice a month to jam, it's important to stress that this amp travels great. Not too big, or heavey but still a lot of great sound. The other cool factor is that you just don't see many of these out there (?). I can't tell you how many Fenders, Marshalls, Peavey's, etc. I've jammed with, and at some point, the other guitar player wants to take a closer look at my amp. Not necessarily because they are in awe, just that it's a good sounding amp that they never heard of.

Just bought it - 2005 See other reviews for features. I wish it had seperate reverbs (channels). I ran it through our PA and I use the amp as a monitor.

Sounds are all there. I couldn't believe how good it sounded both through the speaker and the PA (XLR). You can get any sound you want from Fender to Marshall to Boogie. It does require some tweaking but I'm very impressed. Best SS amp I've ever heard and best direct amp I 've ever used including tubes. It cuts through the mix very well. It is missing the touch sensitivity of tubes but it does have some. Overall the sounds are excellent and better than some tube amps I've played.

Don't know yet... past reviews say it is reliable.

I called today to order a cover and the guy was helpful, asked me how I liked the amp and thanked me for purchasing their product. He also gave me his name and said to call with any questions I might have.

I've been playing for 30 years and I'm tired of lugging tube amps to gigs and was searching for the closest sound and I believe I've got it. I play different sized venues and found it difficult to get that sound with different volume levels from tube amps. I did not like the compressed sound of an attenuator. It seemed everyplace I played I had a different sound. I'm very picky and I think so far this is it. I can have "the sound" at any volume level!

Features have been documented many times before. I've submitted this 2nd review having owned this for 1 year.... the 'Honeymoon' period is over.

Been playing over 25 years through Boogie, Twin, Vox etc,, can't deal with heavy amps no more!

My requirements live are for Robben Ford/Larry Carlton/George Benson tones with Gibson. Funky clean with Fender.

I use this amp for Blues/Funk/Jazz using a Gibson 336 and occasionally a Strat' clone. The clean channel (1) is what I use most. The sound is comparable to a Fender, I prefer not too engage the 'Bite' and use the 'Punch' sparingly, around 9 o'clock. A useful tip: I had been using the clean channel without any 'Punch' and get a reasonably good sound but it was lacking in something. In the manual a lot of the clean settings do not use any 'Punch', to get the best out of this channel live use the 'Punch' no more than 9'o'clock this is the key for a great sound.

The DI sound is incredible!!! I've tried and sold my POD 2 and use only the XLR out on this baby.... UNBELIEVABLE!!! Do not let the headphone out fool you, the DI is way better!

Channel 2 sounds better DI'd than thru' speaker. I prefer to use some sort of pedal on CH1 for OD.

Don't get sucked in by the 'simulation' claims of the Marshall and Boogie settings. Use your own ears and you wont be dissapointed.

Without a doubt this is the best Solid-State amp you can buy! If you doubt this go and read through the reviews here, less than 5% of users give this negative vibes, those who do haven't tried this combo in recording and live situation or they are deaf.

Very reliable.

Just email Tech 21 they respond quick.

For value for money this amp gives you access to incredible PROFESSIONAL tones for recording and its light weight makes it a great portable gigging combo. If you already have some pedals this will complement.

If you are in the market for an amp simulator or looking for a live/studio solution on a low budget THIS IS IT!

Everything has pretty much been covered in previous reviews. I use a Les Paul Standard (Duncan pups) to play blues, vintage hard rock, and metal. I use an MXR 10 band eq in the loop and a Wylde OD out front. I just wanted to say that although the amp is good, it sounds a bit weak and nasal. Here's what I want to add: played through my Marshall 4x12 (GT75 "X" Classic Lead 80) it kills. So much so, that I'm going to convert the combo to a head to use with a closed back 2x12. For anyone fighting with this problem, try an external cab (make sure it's 8 ohm.) I've got it set up as follows:
CH1 - pristine clean
CH2 - mid-high gain hard rock
CH2 w/ Wylde boost - metal

No problems yet!

Combo alone - 5
With external closed cab - 9

So I'm number 180...that should tell you something about this amp. Since all of the "facts" have been told many times over I'm just going to be informal. This amp has a perfect balance of features. What I mean, is that it has more features than most amps have, and yet it maintains economy when it comes to knobs and buttons. This is something I appreciate. Every knob and button on this amp does something good, something you will use. Two of the features that I really like are the Boost, and the weep button (I think it's compression), SO sweet.

The amp is Solid State. Solid State is awesome when it's done right. This amp is done right. This is one of the best Solid State amps I've ever played, as a matter of fact I'm going to put it up there with one of my other favorite SS amps, Lab Series L5 or L11...no longer made.

No Problems so far...Have only had it for about 3 weeks.

More high marks...I called Tech Support and talked to a gentleman named Lloyd. He addressed every question and need that I had promptly and professionally. Excellent customer service!

I love the amp and hope to play it for many years. The only improvements I could suggest would be to give Channel 1 (the clean channel) a little more headroom. For totally clean sound w/ humbuckers I would like to be able to set the drive no higher than 12:00 and the punch all the way down. At this setting the maximum volume out of Channel 1 is limited. The one thing I need to say in the TM-60's defense however, is that Channel 1 is not just the "Clean Channel", it gets an awesome classic distorted sound, as a matter of fact it's as good or better than Channel 2, and I wouldn't want to give that up. Maybe it just needs to be 100 Watts.

2 channels (1. clean/distortion, 2. distortion)
Good for many styles of music
Powerfull spring reverb
Powerfull enough for normal gigs (60W solid state)
Includes a silly weep button in channel 2, which should simulate the sound of second harmonics in a tube amp, well, what can I say...

An 8 because of the great channel 1.
From very nice clean sound to a nasty overdrive.
You get a good blues sound out of this channel.
Channel 2 is a normal overdrive channel. Maybe a bit too muddy.
Great sping reverb, can make a buddy guy sound if you like that.

5 years old.
Have had problems with volume drop-outs lately.
I think it has something to do with the effect loop, like some one else also have written on this page.
The connection to the spring reverb has been loose.

Live in Denmark so I don't use Tech 21 support, but local support.
Haven't got support yet and will try to fix it my self.

I've been playing for 10 years and this is the best solid state amp I have ever used. If it were stolen I would get me tube amp intead.
It is a solid state amp and sounds like one.
I love to find the spot where it starts distorting on channel 1 and play the blues on my Les Paul (yeah, you don't need a Strat to play the blues).
Good amp for a good price.
A bit unreliable

Bought in 2004. 60 watts into 8 ohms. Basically, it's 2 channels, each with their own gain, midrange and volume controls. Global reverb, high and low eq controls. I use this amp at jams in clubs mainly. It's plenty powerful and can carry over a pretty loud drummer if need be. Has enough gain on tap to do hard rock but not metal

I use this amp with either a Tele or Les Paul. I play mostly rock and blues. Channel 1's the "Fender" channel, and it puts out really good approximations of tones ranging from blackface to tweed. Channel 2 is the Marshall/Boogie side, and it's OK, but I never use it, mainly because its tones are on the murky side, and because the drive(gain)has to be turned up into the heavy rawk grind zone before the channel's output gets into stage volume territory. Extreme reverb not only gets you into heavy surf, but into another galaxy with the knob cranked. Overall, you need to READ THE MANUAL when dialing in sounds. Unlike mnay classic tube amps, turning the knobs even a little bit on the Trademark 60 affects the tone.

It's a well-built amp. Never had a problem with it in the year I've owned it so far.

Like many other Trademark 60 owners, I've talked to Lloyd. Nice guy, but I think he handles all of Tech21's customer support calls, so he's probably overworked at times. He does the best he can, no doubt. He was able to answer all my Trademark 60 questions, though.

Been playing 19 years. I also own a Roland Cube 60, the new amp-modeling & digital f/x one. The Trademark 60 is analog solid-state, and it's a fine amp in its own right. However, amp-modeling is coming of age. The new Cube 60 is an amazing product and has the Trademark 60 beat when it comes to number of built-in tones and textures,and it can match(or on some settings exceed)it in volume, all in a smaller and lighter package(though at 36 pounds the Trademark 60 is not porky at all). To be fair, the Trademark 60 can put out a greater range of Fender-type tones than the Cube 60. Still, I don't know if I'd seek out another one if it were lost or stolen. I'm proud to own the one I have, though.

60 Watt combo amp - one 12" speaker designed specificilly for this amp - 2-channels - Accutronics reverb - effects loop - global active egualization - footswitch for: effect loop, channel switching, reverb/boost - variable boost fumnction adds 9dB - 34 lbs light - headphone output

Fender Strat / Plus & Gibson '71 Les Paul> Line 6 Tone Core Compressor > Vooodoo Lab Sparkle Drive. I've owned the amp for about 2 months. I bought it on Ebay from the original owner who bought it Jan 2004. I have been playing for 39 years and i've owned a lot of amps. I grew up with bands like Beatles, Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Cream, Who, Queen, Wishbone Ash, Santana, Van Halen, Aersomith, Robin Trower, which gives you an idea of the sounds I like. I have owned a broad range of amps such as Marsall JCM900 stack, Acoustic (brand), Peavey Mace, Fender SuperReverb and Super Champ, Rocktronn(Taboo), Groove Tube Soul-O 45, Marshall JMP Pre-amp and dual 100 W amp rack mount, Digitech GNX2, Line POD. I still own many of these I listed. My reason for listing this equipment is NOT to impress anyone. I did this for the serious minded buyer who gets value from an in-depth review. I listened to the samples of the TM60 on NYC Tech 21 web site and I was blown away with the flexibility apparent by the diverse sounds. My brother who aso plays, said he tried out a TM60 at Sam Ash and was impressed. When read all he reviews multipe times. The feature that most reviewers stated was the amp's flexibility. Channel 1 has Volume - Punch - Drive. With punch set all the way down and the bright switch on, it sounds lie a clean Fender. Turning off the bright switch is a siginifcant lack of brightness. This may be suited more to a jazz guitar. Remember, I prefer rock music and I am more focused on the amp's capability to go from nice bright and articluate clean sound to dirt to staurated distortion. This amp does that extremely well. The equalization controls are active and they dramatically shape the tone. Punch control in channel 1 offers wide midrange boost which kicks this channel into the distorted realm in conjunction with the Drive control. Channel 1 distorted sounds are great. I will refernce other amps in this review to give you an idea of what I am attempting to describe. Channel 1 with Drive maxed and some punch sound like a Fender Bassman set to max volume. It has a bright, crisp cutting distortion with good sustain. Each note in a chord is clear and balanced. The cleans sounds are very pleasing. This is where I lean heavily towards a class A or A/B tube amp. To my ears, a good tube amp is clean nirvana. I will say that the TM60 has a pleasing and satisfying clean tone. In fact, it has similar characteristics to a tube amp in that it has a high quality clean tone that seems to breath through the speakers. Impressive for a solid state amp. Vhannel 2 has a very different voicing. I recall reading mixed reviews about channel 2. The first two times I played the amp, I was not sure I liked this cannel. It sounded dark. By the way, I was mainly playing the Strat during the get acquanited phase. At first I played the amp for two brief 20 - 30 minute sessions. I was trying to coaz the hot sounds immediately. I was not digging channel 2 at that phase. The darkness of the sound threw me off. Also when I was done playing after the first few times, I was left with th impression that I couldn't get creamy sustaining distortion like I the smaples I heard on the web site. This didn't make sense since Tech 21 mostly used a Yamaha Pacifica with single coils for the samples. Then I tried the Les Paul and I was much happier with the distortion on both channels. Lately I have had more time to play and explore the capabilities of this amp and I am very pleased to say I think this is a special amp. As many reviewers will say, you have to get used to the tone shaping controls to understand how much they affect the sound. I'm used to an amp that has limited equalziation ramge. Channel 1's Punch and Channel 2's Growl controls are the key to this amp's flexibility. Not to mention vriable boost up to 9dB and the global active bass and treble. There is a weep button on Channel 2 that they say gives it a Vox AC30 sort of characteristic. I don't recall

I haven't owned it long enough to comment.

Can't comment and hope I never have to.

Like I said, this amp will please many types of players. I beleive if you like to own a variety of gear or even if you are on a budget and want the most for your money, this is amp is a a good value. I already have visions of owning a second to be able to run in stereo. Adding your favorite pedal(s) will enhance the experience. I also bought a Fulltone OCD and CHORAL/fLANGER. I will update my review in a few months once I've had the opportunity to play with the Choral/Flanger and the OCD.

Covered by previous posts.

I play this amp with a couple of assembled axes built from Warmoth and USACG parts. I use Bill Lawrence pickups and cables exclusively.

This amplifier can be disappointing at times because it is so close to perfection but, alas, not perfect! It is so close to a tube amp but, alas, does not sound exactly like a tube amp!

Channel 1 is superb for jazz, rock and country tones. No complaints there.

For me, the tonal drawbacks center primarily around Channel 2. Other reviewers have complained that this channel lacks gain and sustain, and I agree with them to some extent. However, I think the problem is a little more complicated than that. With both of my guitars, I encounter an odd sort of interaction between arpeggiated notes played above the 12th fret. Some intervals sound great, while others have cause unpleasant and unnatural-sounding beats. This behavior can be moderated by tweaking the guitar's tuning, picking the strings at different points, changing string gauges, and applying libral vibrato. Unfortunately, this all starts to feel a bit ridiculous when you just want to pick up the guitar and rock out.

I've encountered the same difficulties with two different Tech 21 amps (a TM 10 and the TM 60), so it is not an isolated problem. It may be isolated to my guitars or my guitars' pickups, but I doubt it. It is my belief that it is the preamp's harmonic structure that causes the beats to occur as some intervals are sustained. Tube amps don't generally do this because they're such dynamic, random beasts that their harmonic structure fluctuates with time. The Trademark amps have a beautiful, warm tonality, and I love the rhythm sounds dearly, but some combinations of treble notes can sound just plain harsh. It doesn't work well for someone wanting to squeeze every note of an overdriven solo for all it's worth.

I will be experimenting with pedals to see to what extent Channel 2's behavior can be modified and improved. I'll report back if it gets better.

My only other complaint about the amp's sound that mine is noisy at idle. There is a lot of of "hiss" with significant combinations of drive and reverb. It doesn't go away by plugging into a better power source or by turning the guitar's volume down. It's simply inherent to the amp. It's livable but annoying.

My amp is 7 years old but has never been gigged. I use it primarily at home. Recently, I started experiencing volume drops on both channels - ostensibly related to corrosion of the contacts in the effects loop. I was able to work this out myself with some spray contact cleaner, but I don't know how long the "fix" will last.

Tech 21's support staff are pleasant enough to talk to. They seem genuinely concerned about their customers, but they also seem to have some "pat" answers for things that may not work in everyone's case. It may take a few calls to get a final answer. The good news is that their turnaround is quick if you ever need to send an amp in for repair.

I've had this amp for only a couple of months. It has a whole bunch of terrific sounds in it. It won't emulate every amp on the planet, but it covers a lot of music very well. I'm troubled by a few of its behaviors, and those behaviors may prevent it from being a "keeper" for me in the long run. Still, its overall tone and versatility probably haven't been matched for the price.

For anyone who cares, it does the classic EVH thing exceptionally well!

Straight forward 2 channel amp. Reverb and EQ are global and cover both channels. There are some EQ abilities in the individual channels but they have names like weep, bite, punch, and growl. Does have a boost feature and can link the boost to Reverb on/off

This is the reason I am taking the time to do this review. I looked at all these "10" reviews and thought maybe its time that solid state can emulate tubes sucessfully. Well this amp does a good job but unlike a lot of these reviews this amp to me is very solid state sounding. Dynamics found in tube amps are not found here. Not a bad thing but unlike most of the reviews this amp does a good job but doesnt cut it as a tube amp alternative. I give it a 7 because it does sound better than most solid state amps.

I tried three amps all here at my studio. Trademark 60, Hughes and Kettner Tube Edition 20, and a Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue. I need a small format amp for recording and some live work where stage volume is an issue. Here's is the outcome.

1. DRRI
2. Tube Edition 20
3. Trademark 60

I did like the H&K amp a lot but in the end the Fender had a better sound both clean and using pedals. The trademark did not work too well with a Fulltone FD2 nor did the H&K. The Fender did. I know a lot of people list how long they have been playing for me its 29 years and know the difference of what is a good amp and what is not. I just want to bring some clarity to the table here as some think this amp is golden. In my opinion its a good amp but at $500 versus $800 I'd rather spend an additional $300 for a keeper and a tube amp. I do like Tech 21 as I use their DI's a lot in the studio and again this isn't a knock against Tech 21 its just to give someone a good idea of what the amp is and how it compares to the other tube amps I listed.

2005 Tech 21 Trademark 60. This amp has an improved footpedal over earlier versions. It has the three buttons in a straight line instead of a diamond pattern. Its a two channel solid state amp. No Tubes. Its lightweight and sounds great. The footpedal switches channels via a 1/4" instrument cable. No midi. I use this amp in a 4-piece cover band. We play rock from the 60's to today. We play clubs from 50 to 200 people. I was worried that this amp might not be loud enough. I was wrong. It has enough power.

I use a jackson dkmgt. It has a lot of cool settings with plenty of sounds to choose from. I do wish it had separate EQ for the clean and dirty channels but even with both channels sharing the EQ it still sounds nice.

I've only had it about a month. No problems yet

NA

Great little amp. I say little because it's probably the smallest 1x12 cabinet I've ever seen. It weighs only 36 pounds and is a dream to carry, yet it sounds great and is plenty loud. I don't know how they did it.

I'm updating my review due to what I have experienced on channel 2. Give this an 7. 3 channels separate EQ would make a 10. The boost on this really saves here on versatility.

Ok...channel 1 still is great to me. Useable with lots of variations to it. I love SRV but I don't like the SRV setting from the book on this with humbuckers. I didn't like it that much with single coils either. There are better SRV sounds on channel 2. Channel 2 needs help with sustain. That is the biggest shortcoming of the amp. I changed my mind about finding a meaty tone here on its own...not true. With 2 different distortion pedals I was able to coax enough useable sustain and meat out of it. I used a Warp Factor(Hughes& Kettner) and a Keeley DS-1 Ultra on it. Both I set up mildley or else they are too much for it. It has been a tricky channel for getting higher gain and more sustain. I can get it though. I won't be using it at gigs yet until I get it worked out a little more due to having to use pedals for the above reasons. I still think both channels are great for blues. I also put a compressor to it and that helps get useable sustain on channel 2. I would give this an honest 7 now due to channel 2's short fall(lack of sustain).

Based on other tech 21 stuff.

Fine.

Giving it a 7 overall using it for blues. In my opinion you have to be able to work the strings on your guitar. The tones on the amp are not forgiving...it won't cover up lack of nuances like pick attack, solid hammer-ons and pull-offs, slides up & down and especially finger bends grabbing it so you can get more sustain from a held note. I'm having to work harder to be musical here. I think this is probably ss dynamics at play here. Warmth and sustain seem to be a weakness on the gain side of ss. I'm still able to have a good time with this amp although "new amp" excitement is gone already. You know what? Iv'e had to work with every amp I've played on to coax certain tones out. That goes for tube as well. I agree with El Marko to a point. Its hard to argue with the truth. This thing is better than an AVT 20 though. I know because I had one. This amp needs to be more like 400.00 I'd feel better about working a 400.00 amp instead of a 500.00 one. This is "My opinion" now as my bubble is busted.

Brand new on a 30 day free trial from ZZounds. Solid State analog with Sans Amp technology. Two channels with the same EQ section, problems there. Celestion speaker, 60 watts.

Channel one, the Fender channel, is very good for an SS amp with good tone and punch. Sounds like a good Fender clean that can be pumped up to a nice grind. Bite switch in gives good overdrive and punch with bite out you get mellow jazz tones. Channel two sucks. Sorry, but I am comparing it to a Marshall AVT 20 sitting beside it and the Marshall crushes this thing on any setting. Feels all compressed and transistery when cranked with no dynamics and sometimes cuts out when you bend a string?! I am sending it back as $500 is too much for an SS amp with one good channel. BTW I tried it for 10 days and every example in the manual on side two and they all lacked that tube feel and vibe of even the cheap little AVT.

Seems built very good with top quality everywhere and I really wanted to like this thing too.

I have heard they are great.

I really wanted to like this thing, just the right size and looks great. One great channel and one muddy stinker, sorry.

2 channel amp brand new. Channel 1 offers a range of Fender styles, from sparkling clean to semi-dirty to saturated Tweed-style. Channel 2 offers a range of Marshall, Mesa/Boogie and Vox AC30 styles. This is what the manual states for a description. Footswitch operates boost/reverb, effects loop and channel switching-3 button. I'm not explaining the EQ process but it is very effective at getting a whole bunch of tone changes....nice! I've only played it in the house so far but it has alot of volume on tap. Love the boost option. Bout frigg'n time and amp can boost all its tones without using a pedal in the effects loop. Never sounds right from the effects loop. I also have it stacked on a PW60. I had bought the PW60 quite awhile ago and have been wanting to put the 2 together at some point in time. Great results.

This is now my Blues amp. I like very aggressive tones to really subtle when playing the blues. This amp is perfect for what I want and I am getting all the tones I need. I have been using a strat with single coils and a Westone with Buckers. The clean channel is superb. Very clean to nice grit and over drive. You can get spanking clean to fat and round. Really lush for a ss amp. Channel 2 I love for more of the aggressive tones I look for. What a variety of them too just by changing the EQ. Nice Marshall tone with grit and punch from lightly driven to full on meat...but not metal territory. The Vox/Marshall tones are excellent. I agree with others here about needing to push it with a pedal to get metal. I use an EQ stomp for that and it works for all my amps. Personally I dont need it to do metal. This is my blues amp. I have the heavey stuff covered with my other rig. Of course it will do rock and even hard rock with buckers. One other note here...the reverb is awesome. Good frigg'n job Tech 21 for putting this type(6 spring full length accutronics) reverb on it. Well done! Gets a 10 for what I want out of it.

I have a tech 21 power engine 60 and a GT2 pedal that have performed consistently with no problems for over a year now. Looks good based on this. We will see eh?

Haven't had to use them for anything so I don't know personally.

Been playing over 20 yrs. I have too much stuff but nothing boutique. I love the tones in this thing. I can't seem to leave it alone for long. I reccomend the power engine60 for a much better sound floor. I already had one so it was not an extra expense at the time. I always wait for income tax at the end of the year to buy gear. Only time I can afford it. I had the PE60 from last year. They are a good match. I stack em' and it really sounds good...better than just the TM60 alone but not necessary. The TM60 sounds great as is. Don't worry about extra stuff to make it sound good. The only thing I would change is the wattage to 100. Just for a little more headroom. I sent back a TM300 head last year. It is not half the tone machine this TM60 is...really. I will gig with this and I am definitely going to record with it. Way to go Tech 21. I appreciate the tones I am finding in this baby. Well done.

I did a review few years ago... You can check their website for the specs.

Being kind of critical ... I had love hate relationship with the sounds. One day it sounds good and one day it just does not cut through the band. Channel 1 is the safest because you know what you are getting. I been using only channel one with a OD pedal, Ibanez TS-9..(until I lost/stolen) Now I am using Digitech, Rock Distortion with the Morph knob.. set it on Tube setting. I use MIJ Fenders Strat Single Coil.

For a while I loved channel 2.All the simulation setting is not actually a simulation but tone of it's own. Has that nasal tubey sound through out the whole channel 2. Messing with Growl only makes it muddy - on a single coil. I once borrowed a PRS and it seemed to respond well with guitar with wider range of tone. I also used to have POD 2.0 hooked up to effects return and it worked good for a while - until it started getting a weird distortion on top of the tone. almost like a digital artifact. My current set up is strat - TS-9 - TM60 - looped to TC-Electonics G-Major - Out.. XLR out to PA. Although I tried a SM-57 few weeks ago and channel 2 seems to be better with SM-57. Clean channel is OK with XLR but I think I get odd harmonics like plugging in distortion pedal direct to mixing board.

There was a retreat few weeks ago with Youth Group and I had a chance to really crank up the volume. And the tonal character really came out. Channel 1 with distortion pedal really came out good. Sounded like a cranked up Marshall on single coil... early Gary Moore before he went Les Paul. SRV and reminece of lot of country rock tone.

This set up has become my main thing.. I can go anywhere and whip out the tone and volume that I need. I am looking into Power Engine So I can stack it because I miss that stack of Plexie behind me. I am sure TM/PE combo will execute good results. Also, G-major has stereo out so I can use FX return and PW60 to drive true stereo effects.

I had some issues with clicking sound during channel change and turning on Effect Loop and slight hissing noise. Called/E-mail and they gave me some suggestion, may be I am too critical? Nothing was resolved and I am still living with it.. It does't bother me as it used to.

After 30+ years of guitar playing, I devoted my self to playing music for the lord. Last year church decided to help us get more instruments. With the limited chruch budget and multiple user we got 2 Line 6 IIIs. It sounds horrible worse than my POD 2.0.. I now haul my TM60 (only 36lb) and G-Major and Furman Power Strip in a 2 space rack.

I could use a different EQ for each channel. But simplicity really makes it easy to shape the tone needed. I would definately recommend this amp to person who is on a budget or person who is not on a budget. You will get money's worth and more. I have had this amp for about 3 years now I have slight problem with the 3 button switch but resetting them usually fixes them. For what I do now I don't think I need anything else.

I HAVE HAD THIS AMP NOW FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS.

NICE AND SMALL, EASY ON THE BODY.

PLAY MOSTLY STRATS WITH HUMBUCKER BRIDGE PICKUPS.

THIS AMP GIVES ME ANY SOUND I WANT.

HAVE HAD MANY AMPS TUBE AND SOLID STATE, AND STILL HAVE A BUNCH OF THESE AMPS....BUT THE ONE I USE IS THE TRADEMARK 60

SO FAR SO GOOD...GIVE ME 2 MORE YEARS AND I WILL GIVE IT A RATING....

NOT NEEDED.............WONT RATE IT YET

LIKE MOST OF THE RATINGS FOR THE TECH 21 TRADEMARK 60......THIS AMP IS OUTSTANDING...COULD NOT ASK FOR MORE. THE CLEAN TONE IN CHANNEL 1 HAS A LOT OF RANGE....I HAVE MESSED WITH CHANNEL ONE FOR A LONG TIME........LOTS OF RANGE....

HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR 25 YEARS. THIS IS A GREAT SMALL PACKAGE THAT HAS HUGE SOUND WHEN YOU NEED IT.....
PLAY MOSTLY ROCK & BLUES....I KEEP LOOKING AT NEW AMPS (GOT TO KEEP THE COLLECTION GOING), BUT I WONDER WHY?, WHEN THE TRADEMARK 60 REALLY CAN DO IT ALL.

STEVE
PARKER, CO

I bought this "used," as in from some guy who placed an ad to sell it, so I don't know which year it was built in; I'd guess 02 or 03. But as far as I can tell he never took it out of his house. Even the manual was crisp. Read the rest of the reviews for the feature list, but suffice to say you can dial up a rock smorgasbord of sounds with this puppy.

I've been playing it with my crappy Schecter C-1 (Korean), and the amp still sounds good. I just ordered a '72 (reissue) Telecaster Deluxe, and my mouth is watering just thinking of the nasty-dirty sounds I'm gonna get. Oh, yeah, I know some people have said this amp isn't big enough for gigs, but maaan, this thing is f***ing LOUD!!!!!!! Wow. I had to move it onto a platform off the floor so I wasn't blowing out our downstairs neighbor. AND, if you do need some additional 'umph' you can buy a PowerEngine 60, which is a powered 1x12 cabinet specifically made for the TM60 - I have not used one myself, but I did see a guitarist use the TM60 with the PowerEngine at a club gig and it sounded identical to the amp by itself (and he was using the PowerEngine as a monitor, b/c the club didn't have monitors...)

I'll say 'no opinion' on this, since I haven't gigged with mine yet. But I will concur with the other reviewers in that this thing just feels sturdy. Even though the amp only weighs about 35 lbs (which was a major plus for me and my creaky back), it feels like you could throw it through a wall and it wouldn't get a scratch. Also, the included footswitch is a steel tank and does NOT have a permanently connected cable (it just uses a standard 1/4" guitar cable), which I think is a major plus since cables are often the first thing to fail.

never used 'em.

I've been playing for 20 years off and on. I've never gone by brand names or anything when buying gear, and I don't like to spend money that I don't need to spend; all I want out of my gear is reliability and good sound, and the Tech 21 TM60 delivers on both counts.

I bought mine 9/2000. I've found the controls easy to use and very versatile. The effects loop doesn't change the sound of the amp like so many others. It has a "weep" button that just never gets used. I do wish they had come out with this unit's big stereo brother before I gotten this, but that's a small regret.

Suffice it to say that this amp is a true chameleon. It handles everything except death metal with aplomb. Thrashers look elsewhere. The clean channel really captures a wide gammut of Fender sounds. I especially have loved getting my favorite Pro-Reverb sounds again after my tube unit died. Sorry Fender, but it's a dead nuts copy. And the glory of Marshall is there too. While it doesn't replicate everything perfectly, it's so close that all is forgiven very quickly.

4+ years, no issues ever. There is just something wonderful about flipping a switch and knowing that the unit will absolutely work:) No tubes, no flaky anything. Heck, it even survived a close lightning strike that fried my Peavey.

Have only ever dealt with them direct once through e-mail and gotten a response in 4 hours. No other company I've ever dealt with did that! Turns out the 1 year warranty never needed to be used:) Probably could have put a 5 year warranty on this puppy with no worries.

While I have a Marshall, the Tech 21 gets the lion's share of the use. Reliability, great selection of sounds, small size and light weight. I know of no other amp that can do all of this and sound like a real amp. I've tried hundreds of amps, even several "boutique" units, owned 20+, and keep coming back to this one. It was litteraly the last amp I've ever bought. Might just stay that way too:)

2 channels, clean/crunch and overdrive. Reverb, sweep switch (OVERBASS overdrive boost), mid,high and low EQ, etc. PLUS A BOOST switch for SOLOS !

This is fairly easy to use, and very versatile...

The sound is great. Its not a TUBE Amp, but in the Solid State world this is the BEST you can have ! I bought it in 1999, so it's been 6 years now and the amp still "got it"... but now I plan to buy a Tube Amp (Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or Carvin Legacy), because I really miss the TUBE sound. But this amp helps me a lot around over the years... I've play Rock,Jazz, Metal, Death, blues. For the metal and death metal you'll need an extra 10band EQ (MXR) and an extra overdrive (MXR ZAKK WYLDE, DS-1, or something else) ... with a noise supressor... to push the distortion a bit over the "edge" to sound heavy.

As you see The TM60 is very versatile.

That's why I really like this amp. ...it's not a marvelous amp for all these, but it sounds great in all these styles of music.
I've played many gigs with it, and I dont want to change this amp for any other Solid State amps out there !!!

I put an 8, because its not a tube amp... but it's very close to it !
And for is versatility it worth a 10 (if you have the extra stomp boxes) !!!

If I were in 1999 again (and if the TM120 was there) I would rather buy the TM120, because it's better for the GIG, but in a room or studio and with no drums its really great ! But if you mic. it it's ok but it'll miss some presence... it's only a 1 12" speaker amp... so that's why I rather buy the TM120... to add more presence.

I also have to say that the distortion is overbassed over 6 or 7... if you want to play at that volume... you must have a MIC.

Except that it's a REALLY GREAT AMP !!!

This my only amp so I Totally depends on it !

I've been playing for 10 years (rock, metal, death, jazz, blues, classical) this is my second amp... and now Im plannig to buy a tube amp like I said... but I still dont have the money... so if youre like me... buy this amp !!! (it's cheaper now than in 1999 !!!)

My Equippement:
with this I play with a Jackson KV-2 USA
and a Fender Deluxe Fat Strat USA (with a Seymour Duncan TB-4 at the bridge like my Jackson). I own several stomp boxes (Mostly Boss & MXR)... I recommend the MXR 10 band EQ and the KW overdrive,and a noise supressor. For blues you can also use that equippement or go with the "classics": Ibanez Tubescreamer or Boss Ds-1.

SO...This amp:
is Versatile
Sounds close to Tube amps
Have a great look
and it's Affordable...

it's an amp that worth the money unless... you really want a Tube amp... but that's more expensive !!!

I don't remember a Celestion 12" in my first TM60, but this new one has it. For the money, I couldn't pass up this purchase. It's construction is solid and perfect enough to satisfy the anal retentives. Tech 21 says that phantom power won't reverse fry the preamp.

This is a follow-up review to my original post on 04/09/2003, when I bought and returned a Trademark 60.

Well, I bought one again. So I guess it's a keeper.

For the last year and a half, I've tried various amps and just have not found anything better. The TM60 does not do any one thing exceptionally well, but it does do an incredibly wide variety of things very well. I can't necessarily get my "signature" sound, and for that, I'm destined to continue using my old RAT pedal and outboard Carl Martin compressor. There is such a wide range of uses for this reasonably priced amp that I had to get another. I love recording with it in the studio. It has enough balls for the garage band pick up stuff I frequent, and it does not cause the wild, uncontrollable feedback that most other small combo amps yield with my semi-hollow electric. For an outstanding variety of sounds that would surpass the TM60's, I think you'd need a wall of high end amps, and that's not practical for me.

Obviously constructed for the professional. If it croaks, it can no doubt be fixed and keep ticking.

Quick e-mail responses.

A lot, but all useable without the bells and whistles of the wanna-bees. Others have stated it's features well.

Clean tone shaping (active eq), runs quiet and has power to compete in most any band situation. The clean channel is the more versatile going from most Fender sounds to insane distortion, and has a loose feel. The lead channel is tighter and does the Boogie/Vox thing amazingly well. However, the preamp is not as hot as some newer amps but is great for power rhythm and classic rock leads. I use a Tubescreamer or Ratt to thicken up the harmonics for leads but then I use single coils in the neck and mid positions (and a Hot Rails at the bridge). As far as the scoop metal sound, this amp really sparkles - great Marshall style boom on the bottom end which is amazing for a small open back cab, and this thing has a wide sweet spot, sounding great at any volume level. I use a Les Paul and Charvel strat and play mostly blues, rock and fusion these days. Best sounding and versatile combo amp I've played through for under a grand. Has a great feel as well which for me puts it in the pro category. Also has a great effects loop, better than average reverb, and is easy on the back - 36lbs. Nice looks too.

Seven years of constant use with only a couple of scratchy knobs. Plug in and play.

Returned my email promptly when I had a suggestion. Otherwise, never needed them.

I've been playing about forty years and have used everything (mostly Marshalls) playing every type of music. This is the only amp I've been using since 98 and it covers it all. I did my homework when shopping for a combo and it came down to the TM60 and a Mesa. The Mesa has a more complex sound but I couldn't justify the price difference, plus the TM60 has it's own sound which suited me better. It's hard to fault anything here for the price. This is an amp that competes sound wise with many high end and vintage amplifiers (had a few of those). But, being I've had this thing for a few years ... I wouldn't mind an extra notch of gain on ch 2, separate eq for both channels (only for more versatility), combining channels would be a nice feature, and how about a different choice of cloth - I'm really tired of black! Maximum bang for buck. A must try in a combo.

I first reviewed this amp 1998, I've had it for 6 years now.

2 Channels, effects loop , sans-amp DI out, headphoes jack, footswitch, 1x12 speaker, 60 watts, boost, reverb. Channel switching, boost, reverd and effects loop can be swithced on/off by the footswitch. A standard guitar cable can be used in the footswitch.
1st channel is intented for very cleadn fender-like sounds to distorted fender like sounds etc. its has a Bite -switch that changes the voicing from mellow to more biting. Other controls are: Drive: power amp distortion Punch: mid range breakup & overdrive Level: volume
2nd channel is intented for distorted sounds like marshall, mesa-boogie etc. Controls: Weep switch: makes sound thicker Drive: Power-amp distortion Growl: Mid-range control, Level: volume
Master controls: Boost: conntected by footswitch, adds up to 9db volume, very good ! Reverb: reverb volume Link switch: connects reverd and boost switching together ( via footswitch) Low: +/- 12db bass control, active, very good High: +/- 12db high control, same as above
Plenty of power & distortion & tonal flexibility

Update 2004: I want more distortion / sustain on channel 2, prefereably with a foot switch. The boost feature is cool even after 6 years :)

I'm using an ibanez with pafpr/hs-3/tone-zone. I play heavy, blackmetal etc, blues , etc. I can get all the sounds i like and enough volume to be heard.

2004 update: with this amp different guitar mic positions actually
sound different. very good !

2004 update:
I had problems with the amp volume fading out when played at low volumes. I fixed it with replacing the volume pot on channel 2.

this is the only roblem with it in 6 years.

I've dealt with tech 21 nyc via email , their response time is quite
fast, and the service is good

I've been playing 26+ years guitar now. I have some odd old effects
and an old beaten up ibanez mongrel guitar. If the amp got stolen
i'd propably consider buying a line 6 modelling amp since
they have more effects etc. stuff onboard

i think this amp is a good platform to start building you own sound
since it's quite transparent sounding amp

Wow. What a great amp. I bought this brand new for $490. It can cover any kind of sounds i want. It has 2 channels. The clean channel is great for real pretty acoustic sounds and gives you a good clean "bite" just by pushing the "bite" button on the amp. The reverb is outstanding and I really like the boost function on the amp for solos. People might give you grief about paying $500 for just a 60 watt amp. Believe me, you get all the power you need from this awesome light weight amp for many gigs. But even if you insist on more power. Tech 21 provides a Power Engine 60 extension cabinet and a 4x12 extension cabinet that you can hook right up to your trademark 60. As long as you have a PA you can get all the power you need right? Why lug around a half of full stack?

I'm playing with a fender strat through this amp and I love it. I'm really into old rock 'n roll and this amp suits my needs. The clean channel is great at any volume along with the distorted channel. The thing I like the most is you can get a nice crisp distortion at any volume; something you can't get on most amps. The amp didn't give me all the distortion I needed so I bought a digitech metal master pedal and played through this amp. Wow. I had no idea such a little amp could punch out so much great sound!

No problems yet. I've had it for about 2 months.

No experience with it.

I've been playing a little over a year and I tested out many other amps before I bought this one. I am sure happy with the choice I made. If it were stolen I'd get a new one right away. They're great and very lightweight which is a huge plus. If you're looking for a new amp buy this one right away.

Well we all know the features don't we.. if not check other reivews or the website. I will just lay down the basics, 2 channesl channel 1 "fender" channel 2 "Brit" Decent reverb . Mine came with out a foot switch(used)

Well here it is.. I have owned this amp for over a year now and I bought it used. Not the best amp I have ever played.. Dumble(i recoreded out of one), Bogner shiva(same deal) and I used to own a Rivera Quianna (what an amp.. my wife sold it when we split). Having said that this amp has taken me through gig after gig week after week for a year and only dissapointed me twice. The brit channel is wonderful full meaty tones, clena is also great i won't try to describe the sounds u can hear the amp in a live recording situation here www.myspace.com/soulriver I play a G&L s-500 with duncan little 59's and a jb in the bridge. I play rock & roll thats a cross between black sabbath and pink floyd so u can imagine the lushness and darkness that i need and 90% of it is there..But sound and tone is so subjective so listen for yourself.

Broke down one in a year and once i couldn't get a good sound out of it other than that solid.

had a problem with settings called the company 1 and a half later Lloyd called me back. godd guy good company..

overal i rate this amp a 8 if u know what u are doing u can make this amp sparkle if not it wil just be another ss amp. Still wish i had the Rivera but not when i have to lug around equipment..

2 channel, no tubes, reverb. Features mentioned a ton in other reviews.

Pretty versatile amp. Channel 1 is "Fender", 2 is "Marshall", but actually you can dial up a lot of different tones. Great feedback at fairly low levels.

Been good so far. I'm usually a tube guy, but actually one of my favorite amps of all time was a Pignose 150 Crossmix solid state amp. Total screamer...until it blew and op amp. It was never the same again.

dk

Been playing over 30 years. Owned a lot of amps. My favorite by far was my Bogner Shiva...best amp I ever played/owned. Smoked my Dr. Z, Marshall Jubilee, old Fenders, etc.

So this amp? Some great tones. Channel 1 cranks hard when you push the drive. Very nice. Channel 2 gets a nice "Plexi" tone. The main problem is that this amp doesn't "bounce" very much. Too easy. It sounds like it sounds, and you can't really "work it" with your playing/fingers.

Now some people talked about how well this amp does bounce, but I doubt they ever played a *really* good tube amp. My Bogner and Dr. Z. were "instruments" in their own right...you had to learn how to play them (not just dial up a sound). The Trademark 60 gets some great knob turning sounds, but you can't work it like the Bogner.

BUT...the Tm60 is 1/5th the price of the Bogner...so there ya go. I sold my Shiva because I wasn't gigging on guitar, instead doing all bass work. I couldn't see having $2K worth of amp sitting idle in the corner. Now I've got a new guitar gig, and wish I had it back. But not enough to plop down another $2K. So the TM60 will do unless it looks like I'm back doing more guitar stuff...if that happens, I'll get another Shiva.

N/A

N/A

Never had a single issue with this amp.

Used them once with another Tech 21 item and was very impressed.

This a follow up to an earlier review that I did about a year ago. I'v had this amp now for more then a year and I still LOVE IT!! I've owned this amp longer then most amps I've had. I usually get tired of them after about 6 or 8 months. In my earlier review I stated that this was one of the best amps I've ever owned. I'd like to correct that, this IS the best amp I've ever owned. It doesn't have the power of my VHT Pittbull, but it's so much more versitile and light weight! I can get the same clean sound (very close) to my Pittbull and much better OD and distortion sounds. Again, I want to stress that after more then a year I still say this is the best amp I've ever owned. You have no idea what a bold statement that is comeing from me. I get tired of amps very quickly for one reason or another. Usually it comes down to versatility and size. This is the most versatile amp I've ever owned and I doubt that I'll ever sell it.

Just got the TM 60 on ebay. This amp is the most pleasant equipment surprise I've had in my ~20 year musician career. Just when you think you've heard it all, something like this comes along and gives you new hope. It's a basic two channel amp, with some hard to explain features. It's basically a sans amp engine coupled with a powerful, transparent 60W amp/speaker. See the web site for details and pictures.

Plenty of power, and a variety of absolutely usable tones. Much louder than you'd expect out of a 1X12" combo. Don't mean to gush, but you owe it to yourself to hear it. The way it interacts with the dynamics of your guitar playing can't be equaled.

Tried it with both my Les Paul Special copy (with humbuckers that sound better than the originals) and my Strat (with Noiseless TM pickups). This amp likes any guitar you put in front of it. Overdrive/distortion sounds keep the guitar/pickup character. The manual contains some sample settings for Clapton, Brian May, Hendrix, etc. You first think "here we go again, another one that claims to do it all." Not so. This amp damn nearly does it all. No Pod or other digital modeler can touch it. It's .... organic. It sounds RIGHT ON.
Very easy to stumble upon sound after sound you like. This brings me to my one gripe: can't save presets - just set both your channels and go. We've been spoiled by digital equipment with hundreds of user memory locations. Still, it's a 10. No, an 11. Yes, this amp does go to the proverbial 11 (if you don't get the joke you're too young - go rent "Spinal Tap")

Bought used. I've pushed the hell out of it, and it seems to be protected (limited/compressed) when close to its limits, so I have a feeling that it's electrically indestructible. Seems physically sturdy as well, it probably could withstand some tumbles off the turnip truck. Try it and let me know. For now, I haven't had it long enough to know.

Yes, their reputation is well earned. I wrote them an email for a copy of the manual (ready to pay) and I was informed that the paper manual would cost me $8, but the enclosed PDF version was free and I was free to print it. Guys, you've earned a customer for life. Other companies take note: this is how you do business - you don't nickel and dime your customers. BRAVO!

Again, it's really an 11. GO BUY ONE, and if you don't agree with me, write me, and I'll buy it from you.

I just got the amp on ebay. It has 2 channels. Eh, look at the other reveiws for other features.

Im using my Yamaha AES800 with it... great guitar with h/h pickup config. You can do pretty much anyhting with this amp. I personally like the distortion on the fender/clean channel better. The distortion channel is more high gain oriented. It sounds very good, but my style just works better with the fender style distortion. It sounds great clean on the fender channel, but it also rocks if u turn up the punch control. Great distortion. I almost always leave the bight button in. The distortion/mesa/marshal channel is very good for high gain. If you roll off the growl, it gets muddy though. It also gets kinda muddy with the weep button pressed in, however, i do have a h/h guitar. Might not get muddy with a strat. The fender channel distortion is crunchy while the mesa channel is more scooped. If I roll off the volume on my guitar and turn down the gain on the mesa channel, it gets a very good clean sound. I normally use the marshall channel for clean and the fender for distortion. The reverb is great. The boost function works really well. It has plenty of power. They only reason id get the next verson (the 212 or whatever) would be because u can choose what preamp u want on each channel. I think id like this guitar more if it had 2 fender channels, but its great the way it is too. I can get the high gain sound if i need it.

it sounds like a tube amp, but no tubes, so very realiable. Hasnt crapped out on me yet and iv played live pleanty with it.

havnt dealt with them

Iv been playing for 4 years now. The fender channel is nearly as good as my friends tube fender amp. The other channel doesnt sound very marshally to me, more mesa. Its good though. If it were lost, i would either get it agian, get the trademark 212, or get a fender tube amp. Its very versatile. Good amp.

This amplifier does the fender thing, the marshall thing and the mesa thing. The footswich controlled effects loop is something that all serious amplifiers should have and the amplifier is very loud when cranked but loses none of its tone. It has a very pleasing accutronics reverb tank as well. All this and it weigs less than 40 lbs. What more do you want?

I use this amplifier with an SG and an ES-335. It suits both instruments very well.

My Trademark 60 has had several years of hard gigging now with no problems whatsoever.

The cusatomer support Tech21NYC gives to its customers is nothing short of spectacular.

Before I got the Trademark 60, my main gigging amp was a '64 fender deluxe. Now I use the tech 21. It sounds THAT good.

Incredible tone control and drive options between the two channels and with the effects loop, just so many possibilities for tailoring this amp to your individual taste.

I have read the other shining reviews of this amp and I can't add much to the reviews. I just want to add that I agree with those who find this a stellar amplifier. I didn't know what my Strat and Tele were supposed to sound like until I plugged them into this amp. It definately nails the Fender tone, but really, it stands on its own. It is not a modeling amp, it is a tonal gem that offers great versatility and bang for the buck. This is the best amplifier I have owned (others are Peavey Classic 30,MusicMan RD65 and a Yamaha DG100) This amp delivers the goods.

I bought this amp in 1998 and it was relatively new on the market on those days(at least in Finland.. One couldn't see these monsters out there).

Few knobs but they're very effective. This is 2 channel amp with shared eq, boost, fx loop etc. etc. I didn't like the shared eq part because one need to tweak a lot in order to find favourite tones. BUT I FOUND MY FAVOURITE SETTINGS AFTER MANY YEARS OF TWEEKING (maybe i haven't been too active in search of perfect tone). Its 60 watts analogue amp and believe me it has enough power..=)

I use Gibson LP Classic-->Wah-->Line6 MM4-->Voodoo 1 by Roger Mayer-->Amp FX Loop: Boss DD3. I play mainly Blues/Rock/Hard Rock/Pop/Groove kinda stuff in few different bands and this amp can cover them all.

This amp isn't noisy unless you shake it while its on(done that few times accidentally during gig).

My settings are:
1CH: Drive 13.30 Punch 7.30 volume:anywhere i want BITE disengaged
2CH: Drive 13.45 Growl 8.45 Volume: between minimum and 12 Weep disengaged

Boost:enough to hear my solos Reverb 10 Low 8.30 High 13

With this setting i handle my style of music very well. I can get nice clean which i color with my Line6 MM4(mainly tremolo and chorus).
When soloing i kick on my voodoo-1(to add a bit more gain/tube like compression in order to fatten my sound) and of course i use the amps boost function.

I couldn't agree more with one review that this is best overall amp. There are of course better amps out there but they're much more expensive. Since i have this monster I will rather save my money on additional guitar stuff e.g effects and fender strat.

I highly recommend this amp for strat owners. One can find many good sounds with strat type guitar( i've tried many of them). For Les Paul owners like me this amp is bit tricky one. It took long time before i found the right combination but i guess its just the search of the perfect tone. Now i'm very glad. People should definitely check out this amp.

Never had any probs. Never had any backup amps in my gigs.

never had to deal with customer support. But i've heard good comments on them.

I've had this amp since '98 and never had any probs. It sounds tube like at least into my ears. One can find many useful sounds from it. Its just versatile and when you find right combination of effects and guitar you're in heaven:)

This is a 2003 Tech21 trademark 60 bought a little over a year ago. I have a Christian Blues Band and play hard electrice blues, T'bone style stuff, RnB, some occasional harder edged Rock. I have been playing 29 years and have been collecting amps for awhile. I have many of the amps that the modeling amps are trying to copy. But at my age, I get tired of carrying a 1/2 stack or a vintage Fender 65 deluxe out to gigs where I have to bring at least two if not three amps cause I also play harp and then would need one back up in case of tube failure.
THIS IS THE BEST ALL AROUND AMP I HAVE EVER PLAYED A GUITAR THROUGH.
I A/B'd it atainst the following:
1. 65 deluxe
2. 72 champ
3. 59 bandmaster clone
4. 90 Jcm 1/2
It hands down beat 1-3. Very close, really just a small matter of taste on 4 on the clean channel. It does not beat the Marshall on dirt. I played a gig outside with about 3000 people last year where I was able to take the Jcm to "11" nothing is like that that I know. But then again the tech weighs only 36 lbs :-)

vintage strat
the clean channel is where I live.

tech 21 is wonderfull,

they have answered ever question quickly

BTW, I had unbelievable trouble ordering this through AMS. Go somewhere else. They sent me the wrong product and then it went one problem after another after that.
It ended up costing me a lot of time for their problems.
Use another company in my HO.

Buy this amp. Really, It is it.

This has already been covered in previous reviews.

The boost footswitch and effects loop switch is a great feature, why is this ignored on other combos.

I'm using this amp with a '61 Stratocaster and Gibson 336. The clean channel is amazing, very much like a good Twin. The Lead channel can be as dirty as you wish. I play Funk, Soul and Blues which is well suited with this amp. I have previously owned the following amps:

Mesa Boogie MKIII - Great sound, too loud but too heavy
Fender Twin (80's Paul Rivera) - Nice but again too heavy
Peavey Classic 30 - Clean channel OK but a bit shrill, lead channel horrible
Fender Blues Deluxe - Nice clean channel but combo is very big for a 1x12
Vox AC30 - Great sound but not versatile enough.

This amp is great for portability, I also own a Poer Engine 60 which I sometimes use with POD2 which is a great sound although I think the T60 is much better.

I prefer sounds a la Larry Carlton, Robben Ford which this amp can mimic.

By all accounts a good valve amp will be better but think of maintenence, price, weight etc..

This comes very close, if you treat this combo as a combo and NOT AN AMP SIMULATOR you will enjoy the sounds immensly. This is the best tranny amp I reckon you can buy! A very Pro' piece of equipment.

Seems to be very sturdy indeed, haven't used it enough.

Didn't receive manual, Tech 21 emailed back within 12 hours.

If it wasn't too expensive in the UK I would give it 8.

The Trademark 60 is solid state and has 2 channels, effects loop, xlr out, headphone out, reverb. Nicely equipped and powerful enough for most gigs.

The amp sounds very good and is quite versatile. I don't think the amp is very noisy. I like all the sounds from clean to distorted. You can get just about any sound you want. I use a fender tele or strat with a cry baby wah.

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I have been playing in a variety of bands for 40 years and tried this amp out based on the many favorable reviews that I read on this site. I agree the amp is very good and would suit my needs. However, I returned the amp because it just wasn't quite as good as my Deluxe Reverb or Twin Reverb amps. The TM 60 gives you more variety, but IMHO, you can't beat the classic Fender tube sound.

They've all been detailed here before so you know what it does. Plenty loud enough for me. The tone variations are astounding!! Just wish it had a separate switch for reverb and boost. Love the di out and the sheer generosity of being able to use a 1/4" jack lead with the footswitch - you know if anyone else had made it they would have had some incredibly estoteric jack that would entail spending ###/$$$s if you broke/lost the switch cable. Thanks Tech21!

WELLL!! You know us guitarists all have that perfect tone ringing in our head? I think that I've almost found it. The is a truly remarkable amp for tonal variation. I haven't noticed any problems with noise so far , apart from with my strat, but that's always been a hummer. My Gretsch is whisper quiet - better pickups I guess. I run a few guitars ( '01 Gretsch , '62 Strat, '64 Watkins Rapier and and Aria TA60 ) and they all sound great through the TM60. Due to moving, downsizing, not playing out anymore I needed a small amp to replace my Simms Watts Valve Head and Marshall 4x12. I didn't think anything would be able to match the sound I've been getting from these for the last 20 years but the TM60 comes pretty close and in some respects is a lot better. The 4x12 is loaded with 1967 pre-Rola Celestion Greenbacks and the Simms is all point-to-point wired and still running some great Mullard EL 84's so you know the kind of sound it can give. However, the TM60 is 99% of the way there with a lot less bulk, far more reliability and more versatility. I don't need heaps of pedals anymore and I can nail pretty much any sound I want at a reasonable volume level. I love Brian Setzer and I can get that clean/dirty/bassy trebly Bassman sound perfectly with a bit of tweaking. Having this amp has made me want to join a band again even though I'm a crusty old fart!!
I love everything about the sound - I haven't had an opportunity to wind it right up yet but a lot of the previous reviews here seem to think that it gets even better at higher volumes - Lloyd at Tech21 (see Customer Service Rating below) has advised me to try the TM60 plugged through the Marshall 4x12 and see what happens....the wife is away this weekend and if I see the neighbours go out I might just be tempted....

No probs so far - I bought it second hand and one of the wood struts on the grille cover was cracked and flexed a bit so I glued and clamped it and it's been fine.

1st Class!! i bought the amp second hand on e-bay and didn't get manual. E-mailed Tech21 asking about the availabilty of a manual expecting the usual standoffish/non-existent response that most companies excel at these days. Within 12 hours (don't forget the time difference between London/NY) I'd got an email from Lloyd Scwartz, the product manager, with a pdf of the manual attached and a recommendation that I try plugging the TM60 through my 4x12 before I sell it! No "maybe you should think about spending blah,blah on the extension speaker" company bulls***- just an honest response. I know you yanks do the whole customer service thing a lot better than us in the UK but you just don't get this kind of support anymore. I'm reall impressed!

Just looking back at my review and I guess i do sound a bit "gushy" about this amp but it is pretty much faultless. Yes I would like a master volume, yes I would like separate eq for the 2 channels, yes I would like a separate switch for reverb and boost but other than these minor inconveniences it's a bloody good amp.
I've been playing for 25 years and bought this amp unheard, unseen (something I've NEVER done) based on the reviews from this site and i'm really glad I did. It knocks spots off lots of amps I've owned ( Marshall,Hi Watt, Laney, Vox ) and comes darn close to the one I've loved and used for the last 20 years but without the inconvenience and fettling. Buy one and rediscover your love of guitars!!

Cool features (DI, Boost, Loop). I do miss a master volume.

I use a PRS, a Strat Plus and a Gibson ES-135. I Play Jazz/Funk/Rock/Blues. It always work great.

I've played a lot of gigs with, it went on tour. No Problem.

I've asked them per mail if I could get a trick to get a master volume and a user manual. They answered very fast (still, no trick).

I guess i would buy another one if it were stolen. I've listened to the tapes of our band last tour and i was delighted about the guitar sound (and a little bit surprised : usually, you don't get to hear that well on stage)

Had it about 3 years, regular gigs & weekly rehearsals, no problems.

Somewhere among the throng of reviews are a couple I wrote some time ago. Anyway, I just wanted sort of give an update. I play an American Strat through this amp, and I've played in rock bands, mostly - now my band does some originals, plus blues/funk/rock/reggae/whatever we feel like. I'm sure others have mentioned this elsewhere, but this amp sounds best when it's cranked a little - it's not bad at bedroom level, but give it a chance to stretch it's legs and it just sings. I'm going through a phase where I'm just plugging straight into it, setting Ch.1 to slightly dirty (roll of the vol. on the guitar for clean, or adjust how hard I pick), and Ch.2 is just a bit crunchy - basically I can nail the tone from Paperback Writer on this channel. I love this amp, and think it sounds better than a lot of tube amps I see guys playing with. It takes a bit of voodoo to get things just right at times, because the tone controls are so sensitive (a good thing), but once you get a general idea of where to go, you can find it. Anyway, I just wanted to say that after playing this thing constantly for a few years, it's still the best amp I've ever owned, and an absolutely quality piece of equipment. I only give it a "9" because I think 10's are very very hard to come by. Compared to other SS amps, it's an 11.

In follow up to a previous review of this amp, I wanted to submit another one based on my real world experience over a couple years. This is such an incredible bargain! A vast palette of tone for any guitar you plug into it. Simple to use, great interface with the PA,effects friendly, sounds great recorded, light weight, great looks, the list goes on. Recently, I was thinking of going back to a tube amp, (Dr.Z Route 66). While the Route 66 sounded fantastic, I went back home and plugged my PRS McCarty into the T-60 and dialed in the same "Beano" tone I had thru the Route66.(That's the same tone that many people especially guitar players,rave about when I play out). Whether it was as good as the Route 66 is irrelevant when you consider all the other magic of the T-60. The price of the boutique stuff and tube replacement alone might be enough to convince some! I realize this amp may not be everyone's cup of tea, I would heartily recommend it to anyone who wants quality and benchmark tones in a modern, affordable, and practical package.

There are so many reviews of this amp at this point, there's little point in running down the features AGAIN. My favorite features are the sophisticated controls for shaping the drive of each channel. Rather than just gain and level, the added adjustable punch and growl levels, plus the bite and weep switches, allow for a huge variety of amp sounds.

I play lots of different styles of music, having played guitar for thirty years (professionally in my twenties). I love classic rock (Zep, Neil Young, Santana), but also play jazz, fusion, pop, blues, Motown, even country on occasion. In the year that I have been using this amp exclusively, I have never once found myself thinking, "I just can't get THAT SOUND that I need." I love being able to switch from a very clean, dry, Polytone MiniBrute sound to full-blown rectifier distortion ("This goes to eleven.") with the touch of a footswitch.

I wish the footswitch had one more button, to do the reverb separately from the boost. This can be accomplished if you have the boost control set flat and the link button depressed, but it would be nice to be able to boost with one switch and engage/disengage reverb with another, or link them (the link IS cool). But this is a tiny matter in the grand scheme of things.

I use this amp with a large and loud praise and worship group, in small club and dance settings (receptions, etc), house jams, and home recording studio. I once had channel 2's drive maxed and the level at about 3/4 for a brief, Billy Gibbons-inspired journey to Texas boogieland, and my ears were literally ringing for hours. Plenty loud for me, and if it's not, the direct out with speaker cab emulation is, as many have noted here, "BRILLIANT!"

I have owned so many guitars in my life I can't even name them all anymore. Sold most off years back, and focused on bass for about six years (Fender Jazz and Pedulla Pentabuzz into Ampeg SVT, I'm hopelessly old school). I miss my 1958 Gibson ES-350T, that was damb foolishness to sell that one. Oh well.

When I decided to get my guitar chops back in shape, I bought a Gibson Custom/Historical shop 1957 Les Paul reissue goldtop. I have never been more in love with a guitar.

The Trademark 60 is a great pairing with the Les Paul. Don't know how it would fare with a Strat, I'm just not a Strat man. But the Gibson Burstbuckers simply drip harmonics through this amp. Even the clean channel set with very little drive and punch sounds moist and juicy. Yes, it sounds like a tube amp. No, it does not sound "exactly" like a Fender or a Marshall or a Boogie or a Soldano or a Vox or a Rivera or whatever. But I have fooled many an experienced guitarist with this amp. They see it, it LOOKS like a boutique tube amp, and they assume it is, then go on and on about how wicked good it sounds. Everyone is stunned to learn it is solid state.

There's a bit of background hiss at idle, but I've never owned an amp that didn't have this. With drive cranked, it will reproduce with stunning clarity every bit of ambient electrical noise and hum picked up by your guitar, cables, and stomp boxes. No, it's not "noisy" as some have suggested. If the amp itself was noisy, putting a noise gate in your signal chain between guitar and amp would not solve the problem. Amplifiers make things LOUDER, eh? If there's noise coming down your cable, this amp will make it louder.

As many other reviewers have stated, the controls on this amp are very sensitive to minor adjustments, and that's a good thing. This allows you to get a huge variety of different sounds. A small adjustment of the master treble EQ, with everything else left the same, will take you from Marshall to Vox sounds. It's pretty amazing.

I love to squeeze Neil Young/Crazy Horse and ZZ Top tones out of this thing. The "weep" switch on the dirty channel is subtle, and you will only year what it's doing when paired with the right drive and eq settings. Basically, it's like pouring hot melted butter on your distortion. For that really smooth, sexy lead tone (think "Europa" rather than "Eruption"), engage the weep and, well, weep.

The clean channel will break up at extreme volumes even with the drive down. You cannot get Joe Pass clean at earsplitting volumes. Would you want to? The clean sound breaking up into Fender bark at high db's is a thing of tremendous beauty. I wouldn't like the amp nearly as well if it didn't do this.

How brutal is the distortion? You can't really get that nu-metal mid-scooped sound without a stomp box. But if you want a buzzy Metallica Marshall grind, you got it. If you want buttery Santana sustain-for-days (I do! I do!!), you got it. If you want "La Grange" punchy crunch, you got it. Gorgeous.

The full-length Accutronics reverb tank sounds just about like you'd expect it to. It's a deep reverb, I don't think it's even usable turned up to max. At 12 o'clock it's already very spacey. I was jamming with a friend who has a Charvel Surfcaster, and we were able to get a ridiculously cool, twangy, gritty surf tone for "Pipeline."

If I were a nu-metal kinda guy, I'd give this a 5 and buy one of those Peavy heads. But I'm not, so 10 out of 10 from this aging headbanger.

Coming up on a year, and no issues at all. Love the fact that the footswitch connects via a regular instrument or speaker cable, which can be easily replaced if I accidentally tromp on it with my razor-clawed chrome Ace Frehley boots.

My backup would be an ancient SansAmp 2 run into the board. That would be an interesting gig. Speaks well of Tech21's stuff that the SansAmp box, which has been subjected to all manner of cruelty and neglect for many years, has never exhibited any problems. Tech21 gear seems to be tank-like.

No clue, never called them. I hope if I ever do, they don't feel they have to be rude to me just because they're from New York City.

I have been playing electric guitar for thirty years. The '57 Les Paul and this amp are my equipment, but in a younger day I had fourteen guitars and a half dozen amps in my collection. I've owned vintage Teles and big Guild jazz boxes, Fender and Marshall tube amps and a Roland JC-120 and a Polytone MiniBrute II and an Ampeg Reverbrocket, horrid little Peavy solid state practice amps, a Pignose, I've pretty much played it all. I have never owned a truly boutique tube amp, like a Mesa or ToneKing or Rivera. Maybe if I thought I ever had the remotest chance of being able to afford one of these hand-wired tube amps, a side-by-side comparison would make sense. But I can't, so why bother. I have had some fine amps in my day, though. But I have never been happier overall with my sound (quality and versatility) than I am right now.

I almost always run direct, but occasionally insert a Snarling Dogs Whine-o Wah, VisionSound H2O chorus/echo, and/or Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere MkII into the chain. The Rotosphere sounds best in the effects loop, the others I put up front. All sound thick and creamy and delicious.

If it were lost or stolen, I would definitely buy the same.

I've already said what I love about it. There's nothing I hate about it.

I compared with everything I could get my hands on that was remotely in my price range. I was prepared to spend up to $1200 on an amp, and I wanted something new with a warranty. Versatility was key, as I like to play lots of different kinds of music. Looked at Line6, and found them sterile... they sound like a plug-in for your computer-based studio. The Vox Valvetronix sounds wonderful, until you start listening very carefully to more extreme overdrive settings, where you definitely hear digital artifacts as notes decay; probably not noticable live, but in the studio this would be a problem. Tried Fender, Marshall, Crate, etc etc. Most were too one-dimensional (this is what ultimately sank the Ashdown Peacemaker, which was overall my second choice, that's an awesome amp). I had just about settled on the Trademark 120, when I played its little brother and fell in love. The 120 is a killer, but I don't need the extra wattage, and if I ever did, I would just link up a 60W Powerstation module. And the tone controls are simply more nuanced and musical on the 60 than the 120. Plus, it was $300 cheaper and quite a bit lighter. Sold American.

I wish it had a Guiness tap in the back that would dispense a perfect pint. Other than that, it's just as it should be. Looks nice too (really, my absolute LAST criteria in evaluating an amp).

Tube purists, I grant to you the superiority of tube tone. Yes, there is a difference, audible to players with a lot of experience, and mostly notable when you're playing by yourself in an acoustically pristine environment. In a big noisy mix, live or in the studio, the differences are so subtle as to be inconsequential. Trying this amp out at Guitar Center or wherever will not make this clear, you have to take it home and live with it and gig with it and record with it and use the XLR direct out before you start to appreciate how brilliant this little baby is.

I'll give it a 9 overall, just because I want Harmony Central to print my review, and hey, nothing's perfect, right?

Great tone!

Gibson SG with Dual Sound and PAF.

Blew a fuse once but made it through the gig by wrapping the blown fuse with the aluminum paper that surrounds cigarettes! NO kidding!

You will NOT experience this kind of customer service anywhere else!!
When I emailed a question about controlling the channel switching,boost and effects via MIDI, Lloyd Schwartz, the production manager, promptly emailed back about the ARMD MIDI controller which was released recently.
When I inquired about the best way to connect a Tech 21 TRI-A.C. to the Trademark 60 this was Lloyd's very informative response.

"So, guitar to splitter box (any pedal with one input and two outputs, like a chorus or delay, in bypass), one side of split signal to TM60 front panel input, other side of split signal to TRI-A.C. TM60 Effect Send to Input A of A/B box, TRI-A.C. Output to Input B of A/B box, and A/B box's (single) Output to TM60 Effect Return. Then, what you're doing is simply switching between which preamp is going to reach the TM60's power section... either the TM60's own preamp, or the TRI-A.C.

Regards,
Lloyd Schwartz, Product Manager"

It's a little confusing reading it for the first time but make a diagram (4 cables between you and the amp!) of his explanation and it makes great sense.

This does give you 5 channels of great tone for under $700 brand new!

Just got a Tech 21 in Sep.2003- used on eBay- I'm a 35+ year player and use a 57 and 59 Les Paul. The amp has an amazing tube tone in the clean channel, but I'm still hunting for a good slightly distored, boosted tone on ch.2 I'm using an old Ibanez SD tube screamer which makes about any amp sound good- Allman Bros tone. Reverb is ok, use it just a tad, has way more than 60 watts in sound- perfect club amp, and the line out features make it a natural for any working player. If only the controls were a bit more normal in function!

My Paul's are stock, and I prefer a nice fat sound- this amp delivers that well! If you stand too close, you can detect some amp noise, but it's livable. The light weight, loud sound, and tube tone make this amp a winner; plus it's priced too low. I've tried "boutique" amps that don't have anything on this little guy; except 3-4 times the price.

It's about 1-2 years old, and I've had it 2 months, but ok so far. From other reviews, I'd expect it to last a long time with 0 service. Seems to be very well built and reliable.I do take a back up amp to gigs- a cool little 50 watt Musicman tube amp, but this amp sounds warmer!

O- never dealt with company, but other reviews make me feel confident in them- seem to be a small outfit that cares about their product- another good reason to buy one.

I'd find another if I lost this one- I looked a quite a few amps and this one really smokes most everything in its range.