Sans Amp

mjbphotos

mjbphotos

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Anyone here with experience with Sans Amp pedals? The first/second geeration was a basic Acoustic DI, gets some praise from acoustic players.
The latest is the Para Driver DI - looks like a neat device, provides parallel ouput for when I want to split a guitar output (no reason not to use it for electric, right?), and some EQ of acoustic tone when using it live.
I saw the acoustic rhythm guitarist for Carbon Leaf use one of the older ones last week, and whether he was playing his old Gibson or a new Takemine in drop-D, the sound was very good through the house PA system (and I have heard the same results for his guitars from other PAs).
 
I have the original SansAmp...


sansamp.jpg


...haven't really used it since the late '90s.

I used it for some recording back in the day, and it was pretty decent sounding, you could get some respectable tones with it, and it served its purpose for some late at night recording or jamming when I couldn't crank a real amp.
Once I moved, and got into my current digs....it's been all amps, so the SansAmp has been sitting idle.

I would use it in combination with an H&K Red Box cabinet emulator, and the two worked well together. I still have that too, but haven't used it in years.

RedBoxMK2.jpg
 
The GT2 can sound pretty decent. I work with a group that uses one on pedal steel (not your typical country music style) and a Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe on bass. It's not the same as a Fender and an SVT but for our rehearsal/tracking/performance studio they work really well.

When we start to record again we'll probably just take the steel as is through the GT2, but I'll put a good DI ahead of the bassist's pedal board and track both with and without his effects. The VT Bass Deluxe sounds pretty good but Ampeg SVX sounds better.

For live the steel will probably still go through the GT2. For smaller places the bass will probably go through the VT Bass Deluxe but for bigger shows he'll drag out the Mesa rig.
 
The behringer BDI21 is probably as good as the sans amp tech21 though much much cheaper.
The reality is that the original sans amp, whilst very expensive, is the best of the set but it was a case of making a great product that lasts forever - no follow up buying so they've gone boutique with the character pdeals totweak the original concept in diff directions at very high prices to make money.
The market for clones is quite big because the new sans amps are just too pricey for what the offer.
The Joyo AC Tone, for example, is the Liverpool character pedal clone for $35 and it does a reasonable job of it - a little noisy but gets then character right. I've mentioned the Behrid BDI - solid, cheap and excellent, the Behri clone of the original Sans Amp isn't much though - seems solid, has lots of variation and the tones seem OK but it is very noisy.
 
The Behr BDI21 is a bass unit. I'm looking at something to smooth out hte acoustic guitar's plugged-in tone just a little more, warm it up a little, not trying to simulate amps.
Ebay's got the ParaDriver at prices half of Sweetwater's sell price and I didn't see any of the 1st generation listed.
 
I have the original Sansamp and the Behringer bass and guitar pedals. I consider all better than digital modelers because they don't have that high end buzz. I would give the Sansamp the edge soundwise, but for the price the Behringer is a extremely good value.
 
I just had a play with the Behri GDI21 after not having touched it for a year - it is noisy - but so are the amps it emulates. It's also a little loud for my liking. It, the BDI and the Joyo AC Tone all sound remarkably good played through a clean amp set up. The BDI's "tube" thing is really just a little "warmth" dialled in. It's a very good tool.
The original sansamp looks very old tech these days with the switches etc. It still is a high water mark.
 
acidrock said:
I have the original Sansamp and the Behringer bass and guitar pedals. I consider all better than digital modelers because they don't have that high end buzz. I would give the Sansamp the edge soundwise, but for the price the Behringer is a extremely good value.
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Which guitar pedals do you have? I have a Sansamp British (Marshall emulator) and it's OK, but I'm really jonesing for the Blonde (Fender) and Liverpool (Vox) pedals.
 
notCardio said:
Which guitar pedals do you have? I have a Sansamp British (Marshall emulator) and it's OK, but I'm really jonesing for the Blonde (Fender) and Liverpool (Vox) pedals.
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Sansamp Classic, I don't think they make it anymore. I got mine used over ten years ago.

I've had my eye on the Paradriver for some time, I have no idea why.
 
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