I’ve been doing a bit of recording lately in my home studio and instead of using a mic on a guitar amp I have been using my Tech 21 Trademark 30 going direct. I am sort of old school when it comes to guitar gear and more times than not the “old school” approach sounds and feels better to me….tube amps, wooden guitars, analog pedals, you get the idea.
My little Trademark 30 was another late night impulse ebay deal. I always wanted to try one so I hit the panic button and a few days later it was on my porch……(I love getting new gear!!). I really just thought it would make a good amp for my office and deliver a bunch of good sounds, plus it’s analog and all the Tech 21 gear I have tried sounded good. The Trademark 30 is no exception. It’s a good little amp!
Besides being a great amp for my office, it records really well. No microphone needed with the XLR direct out which is basically a SansAmp. There is also a ground lift switch in case you get a ground loop hum. So far I have used this in my little studio for a few months now and it sounds fantastic every time. All the sounds that I need are there and with a few “board” tweaks you can shape it up even further. I have dialed up some nasty overdrive sounds, raw and heated blues sounds, country sounds with my Teles and even some warm clean jazz tones. And the built in spring reverb sounds great.
A friend of mine owns and operates a studio and he uses the baby brother Trademark 10 (which is discontinued btw). It is the same amp except it has a little less power and an 8” speaker but the same great sounds with the direct SansAmp XLR. He calls it his secret weapon. Whenever he cuts guitar tracks he always takes a direct line from the guitar for some re-amping. He spends some time getting the guitar players sounds and records their personal amps as well as the direct signal. If need be he just uses the direct signal and re-amps it through the Trademark and more often than not the re-amped track through the Trademark sounds better! Clearer, more present and still has depth and character. He had to stop telling players his little secret because they were getting upset but all agreed that the mighty little Trademark sounded…gulp…better.
If you want to lean as much toward “old school” as possible without using a bunch of digital programs or rack units for guitar sounds then why not give the little trademark 30 a go? It’s small, lightweight and very versatile. I may never know how it will fare on a gig but I can tell you that it totally rocks for recording. Take that, tube snobs! Wait a minute, what am I saying…I’m one of them!
Click here to visit Tech 21 for more info on the Trademark 30.
My shop is located at 1 Executive Dr Unit L Toms River, NJ 08755
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or are in need of some tech work.
- Monday: 10am - 5pm
- Tuesday: 10am - 5pm
- Wednesday: Closed
- Thursday: 10am - 5pm
- Friday: 10am - 5pm
- Saturday 10am - 2pm. (I am in every other Saturday).
I am also an Eminence, Mercury Magnetics, Mojo Musical Supply dealer.
I do all the tech work myself so you deal directly with me. I am a one man shop and my hours can vary so please contact me to confirm that I will be open.
Email me: billy@300guitars.com
Call or text me: 848-218-0362
Shipping Info for all repair work:
Please ship all repairs to: 1 Executive Dr Unit L Toms River, NJ 08755
I am currently offering all phases of guitar work which includes:
- Set-ups
- Fret dressing
- Re-fretting
- New hand cut custom bone nuts & saddles
- Electronics work
And amplifier work which includes:
- Basic maintenance
- Bias adjustment
- Repairs and restorations
- Modifications
- And more....
Testimonials:
David Nicholas - The 20watt amp is sounding fantastic! Delivered the goods at the gig and I'm finding cool tones all over the place with it. Love the cab w Emenince Tonkerlites too- perfect for my sounds! Makes the 12 string sound like a grand piano!
Peter Lacis - I had an audition for something recently that was all about Led Zeppelin I -- my custom Pennalizer BLEW THE MINDS of the guys I was playing with. They couldn't believe the sounds coming out of that amp. That album was never in my mind when I came up with the idea....so that's yet another testament to the amazing work that you do.
Scott Goldberg - I am very satisfied with the set-up, and the fast turn around. With the "lower" action it feels easier to play. I will definitely spread the word.