Sansamp British & VT Character quick review

kringle77 · #1 08-04-2008, 05:41 AM

Hey guys, I gave my thoughts on the Tech 21 VT-Bass pedal that I got awhile back and wanted to let you know that I got the British one as well.

To my surprise and almost dissapointment, the british actually sounds spot on like many of the marshall guitar amps. The only tones I couldn't get exact where the TSL marshalls. It mimics perfectly the old amps and does an amazing JCM800. You can get way more gain out of this than any of those amps will supply which is really great for versatility and not needing an extra od for a boost.

Now, why is it "almost" dissapointing? Well, I have played guitar and bass through a few jcm800 amps and this pedal has all of the same things that I liked and did not about the real amps. The top end is that great clear sound that is great at bedroom levels but not at gig volume and the low end is nice for guitar but not "perfect" for bass. So, the pedal does what it claims. It sounds like a marshall guitar amp.

Next, I used my trusty boss looper pedal to blend an svt tone from the VT BASS with a marshall guitar amp tone from the British pedal. Awsome! The perfect grind with the right punchy svt tone! The British could be used with bass through a pa with no problem at all and I have a feeling that all of the character pedals could be used this way. I have a feeling that I will end up collecting them all. Either the liverpool or California will be next.

ihateusernames · #2 08-04-2008, 06:31 AM

Go for the California - if you think Tech21 does a nice Marshall, wait until you hear what they do with Boogies! (not a rectifier mind you, the real deal Mesa's) - haven't tried the character series but anything else Tech21 I've owned has amazing Mesa modelling.

kringle77 · #3 08-04-2008, 06:50 AM

Ihateusernames,

As I have stated in my previous review of the VT-BASS, I really havn't like the other tech 21 stuff too much but these character series pedals are a whole different animal. There is no tone suck, mid range thinness and the models sound much more realistic. I have heard the other mesa models quite often and have only recently tried an actual single rectifier head. The liverpool sounds samples are really great. I have always loved brian mays lead tone. It probably wouldn't sound too great for bass but who knows. My seymore duncan humbucker equiped strat would love it. The boss looper pedal can make any guitar effect usefull though.

ihateusernames · #4 08-04-2008, 12:25 PM

What I extrapolated from reviews, including yours is the character series takes the awesome recorded/direct tones from the Tech21 line and makes them more palatable in live use with real amps and real cabs. That's a good thing as I often find their stuff a bit too compressed when using real world amps and cabs (not the intended use of most of their products) I'm curious to hear the California up against my buddies V-Twin.

Please don't misunderstand my earlier comment about Single/Dual rectifiers not sounding as good as the older MK II/III/IV - they can do it - it's just not the signature tone most players of rectifiers dial in. This is making me miss my favorite Tech21 pedal - the Tri OD - I'd love to mix it in the loop of my LS-2!

kringle77 · #5 08-04-2008, 02:49 PM

Exactly. The new stuff does work better in a live environment due to it's fuller mid range, true bypass, etc.

robinje · #6 08-04-2008, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kringle77

Exactly. The new stuff does work better in a live environment due to it's fuller mid range, true bypass, etc.

The VT Bass is not true bypass.

kringle77 · #7 08-04-2008, 05:20 PM

I just knew that one of you guys would ding me for that but it's so good with no tone suck, for the sake of less typing, I said it was true bypass. I've been a very bad boy.

gibsualdo · #8 12-23-2009, 08:43 AM

Sorry to bump an old thread, but does anyone know if the Sansamp British can do a good clean sound?

I ask, since with the "British" setting on the GT2, even with the drive completely rolled back and set to "clean", the sound is still overdriven and doesn't get even particularly close to completely clean.

I kind of wanted one to use on clean and throw a dirt pedal infront of. At the moment, I've just been using my GT2 on the "Tweed" setting, since it's the only amp model that will do a clean sound. This is for g****r not bass, I should add.

Saying all that, I still wouldn't mind blending a British with a VT Bass through an LS-2, to see how it sounds. Works rather well with my GT2.

JimmyM · #9 12-23-2009, 10:34 AM

i'll know on friday

gibsualdo · #10 12-24-2009, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

i'll know on friday

Cool, hope you like it. Let us know how it turns out, Jimmy.