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Author Topic:  Telonics Amps Review
Mike Scaggs


From:
Nashville, TN
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2017 3:35 pm    
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Ok Steel Pickers, I have to talk about Telonics for a minute here. I have been very curious about these amps for a while now but being an amp builder myself (tube amps) I was of course skeptical. So off to Dallas I go for the show and I drag my Infinity into the private Telonics room and plug in. At first I wasn’t sure. JD was in there along with some other top players like Wayne Dahl and others. Then they brought me in the 12” model and things started to happen in a good way. Very clear tone and lots of bandwidth for each tone control. It was also loaded with lots of nice features like a headphone jack, Aux input, Dobro Sim, and the amp reverb was very nice to my ear. Big deep tones and lots of tone choices, I like that.

I have played Peaveys, Quilters, Walkers, MosValve, you name it LOL…

So, I pulled the trigger and brought one home. Dave Beaty is one great guy and provided me with customer service like I have never had before, quite remarkable to be honest. I even decided I wanted to switch to the TC G-Major 2 from the Lexicon, Dave says “no Problem Mike, just want you to be 100% happy” and I am!

If you are on the fence with one of these great machines do yourself a favor and plug in and play for a while and I think you will see what all the fuss is about.

Next, I ended up picking up a Telonics volume pedal used from someone at the show. Dave provided me with the updates for the pedal, I loaded them and I am blown away. For those who know me know that doesn’t come out of my mouth too often.

Anyway, there you have it, another mans opinion for what’s it worth. I know we all like different things and sounds but you may want to give one of these amps a whirl and see what you think.

Cheers from Nashville
Scaggs
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Greg Cutshaw


From:
Corry, PA, USA
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2017 3:42 pm    
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Still loving mine! Great to have an amp with great sound and features and light weight. I got the 15" speaker with rack effects but hear that the 12" speaker does the job.

http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Telonics%20Amp/Telonics%20Amp.html

http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Telonics%20Pedal/Telonics%20Pedal.html
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Mike Scaggs


From:
Nashville, TN
Post  Posted 17 Mar 2017 3:49 pm     .
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the 12" is just fine. Good enough for Lloyd good enough for me LOL Very Happy
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Greg Derksen

 

From:
Alberta, Canada
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2017 7:01 am    
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Mike , could you post a clip of the Infinity and the Telonics?

Be really nice to hear that Combo together, if ya can,




Greg
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Mike Scaggs


From:
Nashville, TN
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2017 2:41 pm    
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Greg Derksen wrote:
Mike , could you post a clip of the Infinity and the Telonics?

Be really nice to hear that Combo together, if ya can,




Greg


Yeah Greg I need to do that. I hate doing sound clips with my iPhone so I will need to setup and do a real recording so it sounds like it should.
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Roger Crawford


From:
Griffin, GA USA
Post  Posted 18 Mar 2017 8:28 pm    
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Yep, the 12" does the job. Good tight lows without being boomy. Great sounding amp.
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Bill Miller

 

From:
Gaspe, Quebec, Canada
Post  Posted 19 Mar 2017 2:27 pm    
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Quote:
Yeah Greg I need to do that. I hate doing sound clips with my iPhone so I will need to setup and do a real recording so it sounds like it should.

Good idea Mike. As great as iPhones are they still produce simply awful sound recordings. It certainly wouldn't be representative of what the Telonics really sounds like.
I've got the 15" speaker and I played out with it again last night. It really connects! I've had more compliments on my sound since I got the amp than ever before.
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John Macy

 

From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
Post  Posted 19 Mar 2017 8:58 pm    
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Love mine and love the 12"...I really can't imagine any improvement on this, sonically or feature wise.
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David Wright


From:
Pilot Point ,Tx USA.
Post  Posted 20 Mar 2017 3:14 am    
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Welcome aboard the Telonics train. I've been using them for 7 + years now, couldn't be more pleased. Dave and the crew are #1 .....!!!...
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Dale Rottacker


From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
Post  Posted 20 Mar 2017 4:45 am    
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David Wright wrote:
Welcome aboard the Telonics train. I've been using them for 7 + years now, couldn't be more pleased. Dave and the crew are #1 .....!!!...


Not that it matters, but David, I thought both you and Mitchell sounded great when Scott and I were listening to you guys in the MSA room.
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*2021 Rittenberry, "The Concord" D10 9x9
*1977 Blue Sho-Bud Pro 3 Custom 8x6
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https://www.telonics.com/index.php
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Mike Scaggs


From:
Nashville, TN
Post  Posted 20 Mar 2017 12:27 pm    
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I couldn't agree more, great stuff David. I am sorry I missed hangin at the show as I had to get home to my wife who decided that weekend was a good time to have an appendicitis! I also will call you back David, been a crazy week so far and it's only Monday Smile
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Steve Spitz

 

From:
New Orleans, LA, USA
Post  Posted 21 Mar 2017 5:20 pm    
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I picked one up from the show as well. Im really digging it. Dave took the time to go over the amp with me, feature by feature. Great guy. Positive experience with the whole transaction , Sophie and Ron as well. I couldnt be more pleased.

I got the 15" , and it sounds great. Im really enjoying dialing it in. Its dead quiet and has great clarity. Im using the Telonics pickups and volume pedal, and I think the combination is outstanding. The owners manual is by far more thorough than any other amp Ive owned. Very informative and user friendly.

Im looking forward to trying some other steels and such when time permits, but my Infinity sounds unbelievable through this amp.

Thanks again to the whole team , Im loving it.
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Duane Dunard


From:
Troy, MO. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 23 Mar 2017 4:27 am    
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Last month I sold my two year old TCA-500A Combo model Telonics and purchased a new TCA-500C, Mini-15" combo. The 15" speaker, short cabinet was not available two years ago, and the new "C" models have a few upgrades over the earlier product, but the short size cabinet was the important factor to me. Absolutely love the amp, and the Telonics team is first class!
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Bill Miller

 

From:
Gaspe, Quebec, Canada
Post  Posted 23 Mar 2017 5:11 am    
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I've been wondering, what are the differences in the 'C' models exactly? What sort of upgrades are involved?
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Greg Cutshaw


From:
Corry, PA, USA
Post  Posted 23 Mar 2017 7:42 am    
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From my review link above:

"One of the features in this model C (TCA-500C) version is that the internal speaker is 4 ohms. Plugging in an external speaker using the speakON external speaker jack reconfigures the amp so that the two speakers are in series for a total of 8 ohms"

I have actually used this feature and it works quite well. There's a toggle switch on the back of the amp that activates the feature so you can switch the external cabinet on and off without removing the cable. And you can use any 4 ohm external speaker cab with a standard 1/4" jack/cable via a speakON to 1/4" adapter.

(click for larger picture)





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John Blair

 

From:
Arizona, USA
Post  Posted 23 Sep 2019 4:18 pm    
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Just a reminder that the Speakon jack on the TCA-500 is also a 1/4" TRS jack. So no adapter is needed on the TCA-500. You might need one on the speaker end, if it is not a Telonics speaker cabinet. Our speaker cabinets have both jacks available.
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David Wright


From:
Pilot Point ,Tx USA.
Post  Posted 24 Sep 2019 3:23 am    
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Love this setup....
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Dale Rottacker


From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
Post  Posted 24 Sep 2019 4:11 am    
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I had been interested in the Telonics amps for some time... I have a Telonic’s Multi-Taper Volume Pedal, and LOVE IT... So when I found a Telonic’s 500C 212 SuperTwin, I jumped on it and I’m glad I did... Like Mike, I wasn’t sure about it right off the bat, but after reading the BEST Manuel I’ve ever seen written about ANYTHING, and better understood some of the nuance of this amp, well now I’m in heaven... This amp has so much range and has some really cool features. If I want to get crazy with this amp, I can plug in BOTH of my 15” Rick Johnson Cabinets, (Loaded w/TT-15’s) and stick them way off to the side. It doesn’t matter what the ohm’s are, the circuitry within the amp takes care of anything you throw at it. (according to the folks at Telonic’s) This amp also has HUGE power, up to 600 watts peak, which handles both 12’s and both 15’s, like it’s on an early morning walk. And at only 39 pounds, even at my age is very manageable. AND, Dave Beaty’s middle name should be Service, as he’s so focused on it... I didn’t buy my amp from him, yet he has replied to any questions I might have had, with DETAILED emails. Hard to say enough good things about Dave, his team or their world class products.


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Dale Rottacker, Steelinatune™
https://www.youtube.com/@steelinatune
*2021 MSA Legend, "Jolly Rancher" D10 10x9
*2021 Rittenberry, "The Concord" D10 9x9
*1977 Blue Sho-Bud Pro 3 Custom 8x6
https://msapedalsteels.com
http://rittenberrysteelguitars.com
https://www.telonics.com/index.php
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Ken Byng


From:
Southampton, England
Post  Posted 24 Sep 2019 4:28 am    
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I've had a TCA500 for a few years now and I love it. I took the stock speaker out and replaced it with a Travis Toy Double T 15" speaker. Superb combination.

Overall, Telonics is a byword for quality. Their volume pedal is incredible, and can be powered by a single lead. Their pickup range covers all bases for 10 and 12 string pedal steels.

The Beaty family are as good as it gets as far as customer care is concerned.
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Last edited by Ken Byng on 25 Sep 2019 11:42 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Paddy Long


From:
Christchurch, New Zealand
Post  Posted 25 Sep 2019 5:19 pm    
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I have been using the TCA-500 for quite a few years now too - fabulous amp and very versatile. I have yet to encounter a situation where the amp didn't shine through Very Happy . I'm more than happy with the stock Telonics 15" speaker too. I did play my set in Dallas 2018 with a 12" TCA-500 and was blown away with how good that sounded, including the C6th stuff.

I also have a Telonics rack setup as well just in case I need more horsepower and have a bit more stage room. I usually use this in the studio as well.

Between their amps, pickups and volume pedal you won't find better products anywhere - and Dave's customer service has already been mentioned as way above amazing !!!
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Steve Sycamore

 

From:
Sweden
Post  Posted 26 Sep 2019 12:46 am    
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The Telonics amplifiers do great things for vintage guitars I find. Guitars from the 60's and 70's tend to have lower impedence pickups and are significantly brighter than more modern ones which increases the challenges for an amp to generate fantastic, musical tones. They are also harder to get great sustain from. But when those guitars are beautifully represented by the amp, magical things happen. Telonics amps make that happen.

If you want the ultimate reverb setup to accompany the amp it might be worth considering the Demeter RV-1 single rack space spring reverb followed by a gate or expander. Digital reverbs can sound magnificent but the perfect spring reverb setup goes far beyond for PSG.
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Billy Knowles

 

From:
Kenansville, N. C. 28349 usa
Post  Posted 27 Sep 2019 6:39 pm     Telonics
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The Telonics amp is great, sounds wonderful and loaded with everything you will need. Plus Dave builds only top notch products with top shelf service.
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Dale McPherson

 

From:
Morristown, Tennessee, USA
Post  Posted 28 Sep 2019 4:40 am    
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And the customer service is at the top. I had a question this week and Dave responded with a detailed explanation in just a few minutes. Proud to do business with a company like his.
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Murray McDowall


From:
Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia
Post  Posted 28 Sep 2019 7:43 pm    
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I’ve had my Telonics TCA 500-C Mini 12 and Telonics Vol Pedal for a couple of years now. Absolutely blown away by it’s performance and the very handy features it has.
Everyone who hears it comments on its clarity and sound, especially other steel pickers.
As far as TELONICS, Dave & Sophie go, you could not find a better company to deal with. THE VERY BEST. !!!
And, to quote Mike Scaggs, “Good enough for Lloyd, good enough for me.” Very Happy
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