The Tech 21 Liverpool Deluxe is the live version of the Liverpool, Tech 21's British-voiced amp-style preamp pedal from the SansAmp Character Series1. Where the standard Liverpool is a compact Character Series stomp box, the Deluxe was built for the stage: dual inputs, four independent footswitch actuators, programmable presets, and both 1/4-inch and XLR outputs with selectable levels12.
Like the rest of the Character Series, the Liverpool Deluxe takes its voicing from a respected amp style, in this case a British top-boost design. Tech 21 describes its range as covering "the jangle of mop-top pop to the top-boosted growl of mod rock"3. It can be used as a preamp or stomp box with any amp or combo, into a power amp and speaker cabinet, or direct into any mixing console1.
A British voicing in a pedal
The Liverpool Deluxe belongs to Tech 21's Character Series, pedals the maker says "take their mojo from the most respected amp tones on both sides of the Atlantic"3. The Liverpool's amp style is the British top-boosted design, and Tech 21 says the Character and Mid controls, and the speaker emulations, are all engineered to personify the specific amplifier traits and speakers associated with that amplifier type3.
The pedal combines an all-analog signal path with digital programmability, so a player can tailor and program six sounds, from the jangle of mop-top pop to the top-boosted growl of mod rock, and recall them from the footswitches1.
For a sense of how the Liverpool voice comes across, Premier Guitar reviewed the related SansAmp Mop Top Liverpool, a Character Plus Series pedal that pairs the same Vox-style amp with a Rangemaster Booster-style boost56. The reviewer found it "missing the lively chime and bloom of a real class-A EL84 amp, but the voice and personality of the Mop Top Liverpool are very much in the spirit of the real thing"6.
"the voice and personality of the Mop Top Liverpool are very much in the spirit of the real thing"
The controls
The Liverpool Deluxe carries the same controls as its sibling: Drive, Character, Low, Mid, High and Level12.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Level | Works with Drive like a traditional, well-equipped amp3 |
| Drive | Sets the amount of overdrive, amp-style2 |
| Character | Continuously-variable control that moves seamlessly between different model voicings, covering vintage, high-gain and face-melting lead tones3 |
| Low | Active EQ3 |
| Mid | Active EQ, voiced with the Character control to personify the amplifier traits3 |
| High | Active EQ3 |
Level and Drive work like the controls on a traditional, well-equipped amp, while Low, Mid and High are active EQ, which Tech 21 says provides a wider array of tonal possibilities than a passive tone stack3.
The Character knob is the heart of the pedal. It is a continuously-variable control that moves seamlessly between different model voicings, covering vintage, high-gain and face-melting lead tones, and Tech 21 says the pedal gets thick with rich, even harmonics as the Character control is pushed harder3. Premier Guitar's reviewer of the Mop Top Liverpool found that "the character controls provide powerful voice-shaping and supplement the traditional EQ controls effectively"6.
Inputs and outputs on the live version
The Deluxe's stage features are what set it apart from the standard Liverpool14:
- Dual inputs, which Tech 21 says allow you to have two instruments on-line and ready to go, so a player can keep a second guitar plugged in rather than swapping cables mid-set1.
- 1/4-inch and XLR outputs with selectable levels, so the pedal can feed a balanced low-Z signal straight to a front-of-house mixer or other line input, or drive a power amp and speaker cabinet1.
- Four independent footswitch actuators for switching sounds and functions on stage2.
With those connections, the Liverpool Deluxe works as a preamp or stomp box with any amp or combo, into a power amp and speaker cabinet, or direct into any mixing console1. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the related Mop Top Liverpool "capable and versatile" used this way, as a plug-and-play fly rig with a Tech 21 Power Engine Deuce Deluxe and an Apollo Twin Duo6.
Where it came from and where it stands
Tech 21 introduced the Liverpool Deluxe in 2012 through its Private Stock Division, with the maker stating that quantities were extremely limited and it was available direct only1. Vintage Guitar reported the arrival the following day, noting the four independent footswitch actuators and the six controls2.
The pedal sold out quicker than anticipated, as Guitar Interactive's Jonathan Graham reported in 2013, and the sell-out "caused a flurry of requests"4. The standard Liverpool remains in Tech 21's SansAmp Character Series line, and the Mop Top Liverpool carries the same British voicing forward in the Character Plus Series, pairing the Vox-style amp with a Rangemaster Booster-style boost and, as Tech 21 puts it, uniquely offering 2 boosts in one knob57.
The Liverpool Deluxe was a limited Private Stock Division release that sold out in 2012. Players looking for the same British voicing new will find it in the standard Liverpool and the Mop Top Liverpool, both current Tech 21 products574.
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Questions
What is the difference between the Tech 21 Liverpool and the Liverpool Deluxe?
The Liverpool is the standard SansAmp Character Series pedal. The Liverpool Deluxe is the live version of that pedal, with dual inputs so two instruments can be connected at once, four independent footswitch actuators, programmable presets, and both 1/4-inch and XLR outputs with selectable levels. It shares the same six controls: Drive, Character, Low, Mid, High and Level.
What does the Character knob do on the Liverpool Deluxe?
Character is a continuously-variable control that moves seamlessly between different model voicings, covering vintage, high-gain and face-melting lead tones. Tech 21 says the pedal also gets thick with rich, even harmonics as the Character control is pushed harder, and that the Character and Mid controls are engineered to personify the specific amplifier traits of the British amp style it recreates.
Does the Liverpool Deluxe have an XLR output?
Yes. The Liverpool Deluxe has 1/4-inch and XLR outputs with selectable levels, so it can feed a balanced low-Z signal straight to a front-of-house mixer or other line input, or run into a power amp and speaker cabinet, or into any amp or combo.
Can two instruments be plugged into the Liverpool Deluxe at once?
Yes. The Liverpool Deluxe has dual inputs, which Tech 21 describes as allowing you to have two instruments on-line and ready to go, useful for a player who switches between guitars during a live set.
Is the Tech 21 Liverpool Deluxe still made?
The Liverpool Deluxe was sold through Tech 21's Private Stock Division in extremely limited quantities, and it sold out quicker than anticipated in 2012, causing a flurry of requests. The standard Liverpool remains part of Tech 21's SansAmp Character Series line.
Sources (7)
- Tech 21 Launches SansAmp Liverpool Deluxe Amp, Premier Guitar, 2012-05-09
- Tech 21 Offers SansAmp Liverpool Deluxe, Vintage Guitar magazine, 2012-05-10
- Liverpool Deluxe Character Series, Tech 21 NYC, 2019-06-24
- Tech 21's Blonde Deluxe SansAmp Character Series Now Shipping, Guitar Interactive Magazine, 2013-08-01
- Character Plus Series, Tech 21 NYC, 2024-03-13
- Tech 21 SansAmp Mop Top Liverpool Pedal Review, Premier Guitar, 2022-10-06
- Liverpool, Tech 21 NYC, 2023-08-03
