🎸 Marty Friedman Signature Tone — Now in a Compact Pedal

Modern guitar technology meets legendary tone. Tech 21 has taken on the challenge of capturing the unmistakable sound of Marty Friedman in a compact pedal — and the result is nothing short of impressive.

🔶 A new approach to Marty Friedman’s sound

Can a compact effects pedal truly deliver the full tonal range of Marty Friedman? According to Tech 21, the answer is yes — and engineer Andrew Barta explains why digital modeling made it possible.

The Fly Rig and SansAmp series have already earned a permanent place on pedalboards worldwide. Traditionally, these units relied on analog circuitry to simulate the entire signal chain — preamp, power amp, and speaker cabinet.

However, for the Marty Friedman Signature SansAmp, the company embraced digital technology for the first time to accurately reproduce his complex tonal identity.

And that’s no small feat.

Marty Friedman’s sound spans:

• pristine clean tones
• expressive midrange-rich high-gain leads

As a former Megadeth guitarist and a pioneer of shred guitar, his tonal demands go far beyond simple distortion.

🔶 Construction and control layout

The unit features a compact yet rugged design.

Footswitches:

• 3 switches for Live mode
• up to 128 presets in Studio mode

Main controls:

• Drive
• Low
• Mid
• High
• Reverb

Additional controls:

• Level
• Save
• Gate
• Filter
• display
• Filter/Tuner footswitch

Rear panel includes:

• input/output
• MIDI In/Out
• FX loop
• 9V power

Side panel:

• XLR output

Operation is intuitive, and the manual is so detailed that it’s almost optional.

🔶 Sound performance: clarity, power, precision

Factory presets based on Marty Friedman’s tones immediately showcase:

• clear attack
• tight low-end response

Clean tones remain bright and articulate.

Crunch tones highlight the importance of:

• Mid control
• Filter shaping

High-gain tones deliver:

• rich saturation
• excellent note definition
• preserved dynamics

▶️ The Filter control is the real secret weapon.

🔶 Flexibility and limitations

Time-based effects are limited — external solutions may be needed.

Compared to other SansAmp units:

• higher gain
• more modern voicing
• optimized for metal and hard rock

Usage options:

• traditional amp setup
• direct to PA
• recording via DAW

Software support (PC/Mac):

• real-time editing
• impulse response integration

🔶 Who is it for

Not for everyone.

Best suited for:

• fans of Marty Friedman
• Megadeth tones
• J-rock / J-metal
• shred players

🔶 Conclusion

Tech 21 continues to deliver:

• compact design
• professional tone
• high flexibility

The Marty Friedman Signature SansAmp is built for players who demand precision and control.

🔶 SECOND LOVE — why Tech 21 went digital

Since 1989, Tech 21 has championed analog modeling.

So why digital now?

Andrew Barta explains:

“We’re not replacing analog — we’re expanding.”

Modern processors solved previous issues like latency and sound quality.

🔶 Why this pedal is digital

Key reasons:

• complex filter design limitations
• impractical analog reverb

Digital allowed:

• compact size
• lower cost

🔶 Inside the technology

• 24-bit processing
• ultra-low latency (<1 ms)
• some presets at 0.5 ms

Among the fastest digital pedals available today.

🔶 The future: hybrid philosophy

“Digital is the future, but analog is still my first love,” says Andrew Barta.

Tech 21 will continue developing both technologies.