The Fly Rig Series From Tech 21
Going to the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show always affords us a great opportunity to see the latest and greatest gear for the upcoming year. Over the last number of years one of my main observations has been the increase in compact and lightweight amplifier and preamps for the gigging musician. This trend has been going on for a while now and includes some of the most interesting innovations for guitar and bass players like the Line6 Helix (all in one amp simulation and effects unit). However, not all players need or want the vast array of options available in these types of units but still crave the convenience and portability.
DP-3X dUg Pinnick bass signature pedal
A number of years ago Tech 21 introduced their Fly Rig solution on the market and they have been turning heads ever since. I have previously covered the standard Fly Rig and Bass Fly Rig but I would like to touch on their two newest offerings, the Acoustic Fly Rig and DP-3X dUg Pinnick bass signature pedal.
First off I must say I have been using the Acoustic Fly Rig for a couple of months now and simply wow! This all analog preamp combines the best of the Tech 21 Sansamp technology and the most useable features an acoustic guitar player would need. You have a built in tuner, compressor, reverb, delay and notch filter. I really love how the compressor, reverb and delay are all on their own separate footswitches so you can turn them on and off as needed. On top of this they give you an adjustable boost switch for solos. Weighing in at 20.7 Oz this great little unit fits right in your gig bag and away you go!
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better from the Fly Rig series they go and make the DP-3X dUg Pinnick signature bass pedal. dUg Pinnick from Kings X fame had created a monstrous bass tone in the 80’s by combining a bass amp and a guitar amp with a rack full of gear. Tech 21 originally distilled this huge rig into a signature head for dUg and now a compact pedal that is a mere 12 oz. Ok, it’s small but how does it sound? The simple answer is awesome! It features a tuner and compression but the real magic comes when you turn on the mix control. The huge low end and top end grind combine for a massive bass tone. You can control the level and amount of drive you mix in with the chunk and drive controls giving you a two channel amp in a tiny pedal. Other great features include XLR out for running straight to the front of house in a live setting and headphone switch so you can practice at home.
The Fly Rig series from Tech 21 just keeps getting better and better!
Mike Gray – The Twelfth Fret
