Originally printed in the New Products 2011 issue of Guitar Player. Reprinted with the permission of the Publishers of Guitar Player. Copyright 2008 NewBay Media, LLC. All rights Gearreserved. Guitar Player is a Music Player Network publication, 1111 Bayhill Dr., St. 125, San Bruno, CA 94066. T. 650.238.0300. Subscribe at www.musicplayer.com STOMPBOX FEVER

Tech 21 Oxford, Leeds, and U.S. Steel TESTED BY MICHAEL ROSS

TECH 21 WAS THE FIRST ENTRANT that provide a wide range of tonalities. A London in the ’60s, but was overshad- into what is now called amp modeling Character knob morphs between differ- owed at the time by the popularity of technology with its SansAmp, an all- ent model voicings to cover clean, vintage Marshall and Vox. As with Hiwatt, the analog pedal that emulated not only the crunch, traditional, and modern lead Orange clean sound straddles the sound of a tube amp, but also a miked tones. The Character and Mid controls, U.S./British border, and the Oxford ($169 speaker cabinet. Two decades later, and as well as the speaker emulations, have street) represents this tone with aston- still using analog technology, Tech 21 been engineered to reflect the specific ishing accuracy. Drive-wise this pedal continues to make variations on the all- traits and speaker configurations associ- proved very versatile, capable of mild purpose SansAmp, which offers a choice ated with each amplifier type. The three crunch and subtle blues grit, as well as of generalized California, British, and new pedals add a button to disengage the classic Brit-rock solo tones. In an A/B test Tweed tones. More recently, the com- speaker emulation when using the pedal I did between the Oxford and two of the pany has honed in on the sounds of in front of a combo or head. I tested these major amp modeling software programs, specific amplifier brands with the Char- new Character pedals with a 1965 Fender the Oxford was the hands down winner acter Series. The first release of these Stratocaster, running them into my com- when it came to richness of tone and real- pedals included the British (Marshall), puter DAW, as well as Orange Tiny Terror istic dynamic feel. Liverpool (Vox), California (Mesa/Boogie) and Egnater Rebel 30 amps. KUDOS Delivers authentic ’60s Orange and Blonde (tweed Fender). Now we amp tones. take a look at the latest additions to the OXFORD CONCERNS None. line, which are the Oxford, Leeds, and Given the name and the color, there is lit- U.S. Steel. tle doubt about the origin of this Character LEEDS All of the Character pedals feature pedal. Oxford, England, is the home of This pedal’s name refers to Pete Level and Drive controls, along with a Orange amplifiers, a company that was Townsend’s Hiwatt-fired tones on the complement of Low, Mid, and High knobs popular enough to have its own shop in Who’s seminal album Live at Leeds. It is interesting that people (myself included) MORE ONLINE refer to amps as having a “British” sound, as if there were only one sound coming • Watch this video demo of the Oxford. from across the pond. Obviously the • Hear the Leeds in action. tonalities of Marshall, Vox, Orange, and • Check out the U.S. Steel. Hiwatt amps vary—and viva la difference! Hiwatts can sound like a hybrid of Amer- www.guitarplayer.com/newproducts2011 ican and British attributes, and the Tech

122 NEW PRODUCTS 2011 GUITARPLAYER.COM Originally printed in the New Products 2011 issue of Guitar Player. Reprinted with the permission of the Publishers of Guitar Player. Copyright 2008 NewBay Media, LLC. All rights Gearreserved. Guitar Player is a Music Player Network publication, 1111 Bayhill Dr., St. 125, San Bruno, CA 94066. T. 650.238.0300. Subscribe at www.musicplayer.com STOMPBOX FEVER

21 Leeds pedal ($169 street) has nailed that KUDOS Dead-on Hiwatt attitude. Feels like practically feel my pant leg flapping, even combination. It features the soft low end and a real amp. though I was playing through the computer midrange warmth associated with Fender CONCERNS Not for traditional blues tones. with my monitors set at apartment volume. amps, combined with some upper range Speed metal fans will also appreciate the British edge that defines the Hiwatt sound. U.S. STEEL zero latency of using this modeling pedal Like its inspiration, the pedal offers rich clean If the trucker mud flap design doesn’t give it when laying down those 16th- and 32nd- tones when the Character knob is kept away, the first crunched chord will; the U.S. note rhythms. counter-clockwise. Moving it to noon while Steel ($169 street) models the Mesa/Boogie While it’s true that digital software and raising the Drive produced extremely artic- Rectifier, a perennially popular amplifier with hardware modeling rule when it comes to ulate crunch rhythm tones. metal bands. If you drop the Drive and Char- instantly accessing a plethora of amp tones The Leeds excelled at clean and highly acter knobs to their minimum settings you and manipulating them in real time, if driven lead sounds, but was less successful can get a nice warm clean tone, but that is you want to get the sound of a specific at producing slightly overdriven blues tones, not where this pedal excels. As with all the classic amp—such as the Mesa Recto— tending to mush out on the neck pickup of Character pedals, the EQ controls offer a wide recorded quickly, quietly, easily, and accu- my Strat. When I pushed it with the over- range of sounds: go easy on the Drive, boost rately—or want to add that amp’s tonality drive channel of an Electro-Harmonix the Mids, and add a noon setting on the Char- and feel to a different rig for live playing, Germanium 4 Big Muff, however, it reacted acter control, and it will put you in Santana you owe it to yourself to try out the U.S. exactly like a real amp—delivering more territory. But it is with the mids rolled down, Steel or any of Tech 21’s other great Char- drive without changing the character of the and the Character and Drive turned up that acter offerings. sound. In fact, let me say before we go any the pedal shows its true mettle. KUDOS A mélange of metal tones. Excels at further that all three Tech 21 pedals provide At higher settings the Character knob scooped sounds. a feel that is more like playing the real ampli- tightens the bass into a focused thud that CONCERNS None. fiers than any software modeler and most welcomes a rapid-fire picking hand. With CONTACT Tech 21, tech21nyc.com; digital hardware modeling devices I’ve used. the Bass control at about two o’clock I could 973-777-6996 g

124 NEW PRODUCTS 2011 GUITARPLAYER.COM