Tech 21 SansAmp Character Series Oxford Distortion

Today, I wanted to talk about the Tech 21 SansAmp Character Series Oxford Distortion pedal. I heard a few people talking about this, so I wanted to take a closer look. The Tech 21 Sans Amp takes some of the characteristics of the classic Orange amp and dropped that in a pedal. There is a ‘speaker emulation’ button which is meant to take some of the high end off of the tone.

Here is the official description:

Experience T-rextacy with the greasy grit of ’70s London glam, or take it deeper and darker into paranoid vintage metal grind. Dime the gain to experience the sludgelicious roar of contemporary stoner rock pumping through a Vintage 30-style 4×12 cab. From sweet cleans to crushing distortion, the Oxford is one juicy pedal.

The level and drive controls work like a traditional, well-equipped amp. Low, mid, and high are active, providing a wider array of tonal possibilities. The character knob is a continuously-variable control that moves seamlessly between different model voicings, covering vintage, high-gain and face-melting lead tones. The character and mid controls, and the speaker emulations, are all engineered to personify the specific amplifier traits and speakers associated with each amplifier type.

The SansAmp technology captures the warm, rich, natural tones of the most sought-after tube amplifiers. Within the parameters of each model’s particular design, the controls provide you with access to specific tone-shaping characteristics within the tube amplifier sound spectrum.

SansAmp products are designed to work seamlessly in both recording and stage environments. They can be used with almost any instrument, for any music style, and for multiple applications. Record directly to tape and disc or enhance previously recorded tracks. For live performances, they can drive a power amp and speakers, augment your existing amplifier set-up, or run directly into the mixer of a PA system.

I found this great video showing what this pedal does (including what it can do for bass) by bubu245

I also found another video from premeireguitar where they visited the Tech 21 booth at NAMM 2010. They go into more detail on this pedal along with their other pedals.

You can pick up the Tech 21 SansAmp Character Series Oxford Distortion for $189.00 at Musician’s Friend.

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