[Harp-L] Tech 21 solid state amps for harmonica?

[Dan Hazen]

Hi all. I'm tired of buying tubes. Has anyone tried the Tech 21 amps
(trademark 30 or 60) for harmonica? They're supposed to have believable
analog tube emulation. I love the sound of my tube amps, but would love to
have the near indestructible and maintenance free option of solid state,
while still getting a tube-like sound.

No dealers near me, so I'll have to buy them blind off the net. Guitar
players like 'em, but haven't heard what harp players thought. For what I
just had to drop to retube my amps (using cheap tubes at that) I can buy
one SS amp and have the money for other stuff. Plus, a power tube blew
mid-gig last night, and I think it damaged my lil marshall class 5 (which I
was using for guitar). I ended up plugging both instruments into my
harpgear 2 to get through the gig. Would love to get away from that sort of
problem.

Thanks
Dan

[Robert Hale]

On Sun, Jun 24, 2012 at 1:10 PM, Dan Hazen <bluesm...@gmail.com> wrote:

> anyone tried the Tech 21 amps (trademark 30 or 60) for harmonica?

Dan,

Richard Hunter loves playing thru a clean amp with his choice of FX patch.
I do too! Find him on the web and read his articles. I don't know the Tech
21 amp.

I chased "my sound" with tube changes for years. Now back to FX processor,
and rarely the amp at all. (Run a line into PA) It is AWESOME.

Robert Hale

See you at SPAH2012

Spiral Advocate

Learn Harmonica by Webcam

Low Rates, High Success

http://www.youtube.com/DUKEofWAIL

http://www.dukeofwail.com

[Mike Fugazzi]

I have tried the Tech 21 Blonde, Para DI, and Bass Driver DI. I like them
so much, I got rid of my large amps and have a HarpGear HG2 and VHT Special
6 collecting dust. I play straight to PA with a QSC K10 powered speaker.
The speaker has a peak around 2-4khz that isn't harp friendly...the Para DI
let's me use parametric EQ to cut feedback though.

For the last year, other than trying a POD HD500 (and then turning off the
amp sims to use the Bass DI), I have gigged this way solo and with full
bands. After A/Bing the HD500, Para DI, Bass DI, RP255, and HG2, my
favorite clean tones come from the Para and my favorite blues tones come
from the Bass DI.

I got a better (and way louder and fuller) Champ tone from the Bass DI than
the HG2 with both my dynamic and bullet mics. They are extremely easy to
use too! The Blonde is great, but you still may need a DI and you can't
use it as a passive DI or real clean machine. The RP255 sounds really
good, but I don't have a Fireball mic as suggested to use with it. I
generally want a clean sound with effects anyways. I need to put more time
in on the RP before taking it as my rig to a gig, but it is amazing for the
price!

If I had to sit in with a blues band tonight, I'd take the K10, Bass DI,
and my bullet mic from Greg Heumann (no effects, though).

If I had to do a rock gig, I'd use the Para with the M13. I could live
without the Bass DI as it is pretty much the same thing as the Para minus a
mid control, but I have both, so why not???

I have, in fact, used the Bass DI sitting in with bands via battery and an
XLR out to the board with lots of compliments. If I had the money and
need, my go to travel rig would be a M9 into the Bass DI. This would cover
75% of anything I'd ever need. Not cheap to set up - $250 for a used M9,
$200 for the Bass DI, and the cost of a pedal board...

My main rig of K10 ($500 used, but you can get something just as good for
less now), M13 ($290 used), and Para DI ($150 used) ran me under $1,000
(all purchased on thegearpage.net) and I think I could compete with a loud
band similar to a 4x10 amp that generally runs more. I could do some of
that with just a RP and powered speaker, but the flexibility of the M13 is
what I need. I think the Tech 21 amps run about as much, but I can't speak
to how harp friendly the are. The pedals they have are VERY harp friendly.

I got the RP255 for $60 used, but had to get a power supply ($25), and the
patches ($25), and now I have to get a new USB cord as I shipped mine when
I sold the HD500, lol. Admittedly, the RP255 ended up being an
unorganized purchase on my behalf. Usually, I am good at scoring a good
deal. Depending on your mic of choice, the Richard Hunter rig might be the
way to go. The amp sims may sound a bit digital compared to the Tech 21,
but that may be of benefit for you.

Mike

[Boris Plotnikov]

I don't like Bass Driver DI, but Blonde is a nice pedal. In general
Tech21 is a respectable producer.

2012/6/25 Mike Fugazzi <mikef...@gmail.com>:

> I have tried the Tech 21 Blonde, Para DI, and Bass Driver DI. �I like them

--
Thanks, Boris Plotnikov
http://borisplotnikov.ru

[Mike Fugazzi]

The Bass Driver DI is solid for cleanish tones, but great for more
tweed-like tones. I can dial in a sound close enough to my HG2 that no one
could tell the difference. However, since I run it through a 100w powered
speaker, I am able to get WAY more volume and eq it to sound larger and
fuller too. I find that even when using the blend knob, it is either to
sterile or too muddy for a really clean harp sound.

Now the Para DI...that's a whole different story for warm cleans. The
blend works better for harp and the sweepable mids make it much easier to
dial in a clean sound. I A/Be'd them both with a RP255, HG2, and PA/mixer
yesterday and the combo of the Para and a AKG D5 was the best for warm, yet
defined, cleans for my solos stuff.

The Bass DI and my SM57 or Bullet mic was blues heaven.

On Tuesday, June 26, 2012 11:48:41 AM UTC-5, Boris Plotnikov wrote:
>
> I don't like Bass Driver DI, but Blonde is a nice pedal. In general
> Tech21 is a respectable producer.
>
> 2012/6/25 Mike Fugazzi <mikef...@gmail.com>:

> > I have tried the Tech 21 Blonde, Para DI, and Bass Driver DI. �I like