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So, 3rd update to the TC Combo Deluxe 65 review. This one short and sweet. Been using it on my steady wednesday night gig.
I now prefer this pedal to the fractal's fender amp emulation. The reverb is better and there is less phasing in the output. When I play through the fractal, I hear a slight phasing or chorusing that is not present in the combo deluxe. I spent literally hours trying to dial in the fractal to sound as good as the TC but have not had much luck.
It seems the TC also has better input headroom for heavy strings. Considering selling the fractal, maybe going back to an HX Stomp. At this point, I will miss the effects but they are not so good that i'd sacrifice the basic amp tone and the form factor is not appealing to me.
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10-31-2024 08:38 AM
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You're going to make me buy one... what do you run it through? It would be neat to just bring my QSC powered speaker. streamline the setup.
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Do you run the pedal in front of an amp or do you go directly to PA/mixer with a cab sim?
Originally Posted by jzucker
Last edited by Tal_175; 10-31-2024 at 04:21 PM.
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So, based on the threads here on the forum, I went ahead and purchased one of these. Straight out of the box, plugged into my audio interface (Audient ID24), recording into Amadeus Pro with no additional audio massaging, I get the sound I want – something I have not been able to attain with various software amp modelers on my Mac.
Here is the first recording, straight from the TC Combo Deluxe 65.
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thanks for the info Jack
well it’s all there Ukena !
that’s a really nice neutral jazz sound just like I need
how did you set the treble mid
bass controls ?
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now all i want is one of these with
a power amp built in !
with a Toob cab that would be a
perfect set-up for me
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Bass – 6 Originally Posted by pingu
Mid – 6
Treble – 2.8
I'm hoping to post very soon the sound I get from my TOOB 8" Metro with a DV Mark EG250. It is also the exact sound I was looking for, right out of the box.
Edit: Posted it hereLast edited by Ukena; 11-01-2024 at 03:53 PM.
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mmmm …. nice setup Originally Posted by Ukena
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A most convincing argument in favour of the TC Combo Deluxe 65......actually the best Jazz sounding example of the combo I've heard! I'm sold. Originally Posted by Ukena
Thx Jack for the review and Ukena for the sound sample .
Ukena, what guitar are you using on the Nuages demo?
Sol
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The sample posted seems to indicate that he was using a baritone uke.
But maybe not, hard to say.
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Baritone Uke with roundwounds and electric? from this sound sample then I've been playing the wrong instrument and paid way to much for my guitars....LOL Originally Posted by sgosnell
The sample posted seems to indicate that he was using a baritone uke. But maybe not, hard to say.
Sol
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I'm playing the guitar in my avatar – an Eastman PG2. Built by Eastman, but designed by Claudio and Claudia Pagelli, after their Gringobeat Archtop. It's a very lightweight, very playable, and surprisingly acoustic guitar. Originally Posted by SOLR
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This thread made me curious about this pedal. But Thomann has currently a shortage of those. Depending on Jack's impresive review?
But I was able to catch a B-Stock. As power amp I am using the class D power amp from Harley Benton
Harley Benton GPA-100 – Thomann United States
Its a fine pedal, together with the a.m. power amp and my TOOB it is another light weight option for smaller gigs.
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This sounds great. What is the best equivalent for a Twin Reverb?
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A Tone Master Twin Reverb. Originally Posted by markesquire
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I haven't had great luck with TC pedals in the past:
Polytune Tuner pedal: failed after a few years
BodyRez pedal: failed right outside of warranty
Ditto x2: bought used; failed in a weird way... still allows me to make <1 second loops
I still have a bunch of Boss/Digitech/L6/EHX pedals using the same power supplies (cioks) that have never aside from one Boss AW-2 that I bought used which had a failed potentiometer.
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At the $149 price point, I wouldn't expect it to last 10 years. It's a throwaway priced pedal. I had a fractal FM3 that was $1499 and failed. Had to send it back for repair. A buddy has a $2k line 6 pedal that failed. Stuff can fail. At least at $149, the replacement cost won't kill you. Originally Posted by sm80808
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10 years for a pedal should be expected, more actually. I have lots of problem free pedals for 15-20 years now. These and tube amps are my most reliable pieces of gear. Stuff from established builders tends to fall when they cut corners for cost reasons, stuff from new companies fails because of design reasons.
But digital and multi effects are evolving so fast that you are replacing them even when they work fine, because something much better comes along after only a few years. Although in the last decade they seem to have reached a quality level where even devices many years old (like the hx stomp, Kemper etc) are still popular.
Being reliable is my number one criteria when buying gear, and also when choosing from where to buy. Not my oldest, but i think the piece of gear I've had the longest is a Rockman preamp, have had it since 1990 i think, still works fine!
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I go through 2 sets of Thomastik JS112 strings per year. That's $120 in 2 years. If the tc lasts 2+ years, i'm ok with it. The main point of failure on TC products is due to the jacks being soldered on the main board and players stepping on the cables and stressing that connection. Fortunately, the jacks are on the top of the TC so it's less likely to happen than a typical pedalboard style pedal with jacks on the side. I keep mine up on top of the speaker cab so even less worry. Originally Posted by Alter
10 years for a pedal should be expected, more actually. I have lots of problem free pedals for 15-20 years now. These and tube amps are my most reliable pieces of gear. Stuff from established builders tends to fall when they cut corners for cost reasons, stuff from new companies fails because of design reasons.
But digital and multi effects are evolving so fast that you are replacing them even when they work fine, because something much better comes along after only a few years. Although in the last decade they seem to have reached a quality level where even devices many years old (like the hx stomp, Kemper etc) are still popular.
Being reliable is my number one criteria when buying gear, and also when choosing from where to buy. Not my oldest, but i think the piece of gear I've had the longest is a Rockman preamp, have had it since 1990 i think, still works fine!
It has a 5 year warranty. In 5 years, I will have spent over $300 in strings (likely $400 if I factor in Thomastik price increases over a 5 year period.)
Not worried about the $150
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plus, after the 5 year warranty runs out, there will be modelers which are 100x more powerful and smaller, lighter, more reliable and cheaper than the tc.
And regarding the vacuum tube comment, i don't want to support russian/chinese economies buying unreliable tubes. My tube amps were way more unreliable than digital products, lighter for my 67 year old back, etc.
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LOL! Jack! You seem to go through more guitars lately than string sets. Originally Posted by jzucker
S
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Yeah strings after covid... i got a couple of thomastic sets, strings for my acoustic and classical from Thomann, couple of backups, about 100 euros...
That's ridiculous. A friend got fed up and bought fake strings from alibaba, they cost nothing. Gave me a set of Elixirs and unlike previous fake ones that i've seen, these ones were completely identical at the packaging! Then they got mixed up with my regular ones, now i cant tell which ones are real (without opening them at least).
My problem with unreliability isn't so much the money, cause as you said there are warranties and generally gear earns its money fast, but the possibility of failure at the wrong time. There are always things to worry about on gigs, so gear needs to not be one of them. And even not so much in music but mostly in theater gigs and musicals. That's why no active guitars, no on guitar preamps, complicated electronics, stereo or specialty cables and jacks, extra intricate setups etc. Been through that, and i much prefer things as simple as possible. Jazz gigs are a godsend, guitar cable amp and strings that don't break!
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Lol, i put a lot of mileage on them too, practicing 5-6 hours a day and gigging with them. Originally Posted by SOLR
LOL! Jack! You seem to go through more guitars lately than string sets.
S
But what's that got to do with reliability and prices of strings vs pedals? ????
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I have Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 for 10 years, no problems, and it's been through a lot. I upgraded it to the newer version just beacuse it has speaker sim on/off switch, and xlr. Otherwise I'd be still gigging with the old one. I guess some brands are more reliable?
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The only reason i don't have a Fly Rig is it doesn't have any modulation. I mean, just a chorus with extended range (so it could kind of do leslie/phaser) would be enough.. I have a Blonde though which is nice, i use it often.
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Yea, it's lacking. But it does have a delay with 'drift' function, which make some modulation effect. Anyway, I use it primarily for function gigs, where there will be no amps for sure, and you just need to play bunch of tunes to people who don't give a shit about your effects. It's a reliable gear to go straight to the board, that's all. Originally Posted by Alter
I'm intrigued by the TC Combo pedal, but something tells me it's not a big difference with the Tech 21, when you paly in a band in less than ideal sound situation. I mean they all do pretty much the same thing.
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