The Tech 21 American Woman is an overdrive pedal that, in the maker's words, "celebrates the tone of one of the most recognized guitar solos in the history" of rock. Rather than a conventional single-stage overdrive, Tech 21 designed it to recreate the cascading effect of two different amplifiers feeding each other, including both pre-amp and power amp stages, something the company says is "typically only achieved by running two guitar amplifiers into each other."1
What it does to your sound
Tech 21 describes the pedal's approach this way: "With just the right balance of odd and even harmonics, the American Woman recreates the cascading effect of two different amplifiers, including pre-amp and power amp stages."1 In practice, that means the pedal models what happens when one amp's output pushes a second amp's input, a setup players have long used to get layered, interacting stages of gain. The American Woman packs that interaction into a single overdrive pedal.
Controls and switching
The pedal's documented controls are straightforward:
- Drive: sets the amount of overdrive1
- Footswitch: smooth, silent-switching custom actuator1
The custom actuator is Tech 21's own switching design rather than a conventional mechanical stomp switch, and the company describes its action as smooth and silent.1
Input, output and power
Two specifications set the American Woman apart from many overdrives. Its input is a 1 megOhm high impedance 1/4-inch jack, which Tech 21 notes is the same impedance traditional tube amps use, so the pedal loads a guitar's pickups the way an amp input would. Its output is a 1kOhm low impedance 1/4-inch jack, which the company says drives long cables without loss of signal integrity.1
For power, the pedal takes a standard 9V alkaline battery, not included, or the optional Tech 21 Model #DC4-A power supply.1
The American Woman is documented on Tech 21's archive pages, so it is not part of the company's current lineup. The optional power supply is Tech 21's Model #DC4-A, not a generic 9V adapter.1
Where it sits among Tech 21's overdrives
Tech 21 has built several overdrive and preamp pedals around amp-style gain staging, including the Tech 21 Screaming Blonde, the Tech 21 TRI-O.D., the Tech 21 OMG Richie Kotzen and the SansAmp Para Driver DI. The American Woman's distinguishing idea is the two-amp cascade: where most overdrives add one stage of gain in front of an amp, it models two amplifier stages interacting with each other.1
Videos
Ron McCann
Life World Music
Questions
What power supply does the American Woman use?
The American Woman runs on a standard 9V alkaline battery, which is not included, or on an optional power supply, Tech 21 Model #DC4-A. Tech 21 lists both options on the product page, so a player can run it on battery for simple setups or use the dedicated supply on a pedalboard.
Does the American Woman have an input impedance like a tube amp?
Yes. Tech 21 specifies a 1 megOhm high impedance 1/4-inch input, which the company says is the same impedance traditional tube amps use. The output is a 1kOhm low impedance 1/4-inch output, which Tech 21 says drives long cables without loss of signal integrity.
How many knobs does the American Woman have?
The documented controls include a Drive knob, which Tech 21 describes as setting the amount of overdrive. The archived product page lists Drive among the pedal's controls alongside its smooth, silent-switching custom actuator footswitch.
Is the American Woman housed in metal?
Yes. Tech 21 describes the American Woman's housing as heavy duty, all metal, so the pedal is built to withstand pedalboard use and transport.
Sources (1)
- American Woman, Tech 21 NYC, 2019-06-12
