The Tech 21 Steve Harris Signature SansAmp, also called the SH1, is a signature bass preamp pedal from Tech 21, developed with the Iron Maiden bassist. It packs the company's all-analog SansAmp technology into a stompbox that can serve as a preamp in front of a bass amp, as a floor unit, or as a direct box into a PA or recording setup12.
What sets it apart for traveling players is its power and portability: it runs on the included 9V DC Universal Power Supply, Model #DC9, an auto-switching unit that self-adjusts from 100V to 240V at 200mA, and it comes with interchangeable international prong assemblies for the EU, UK and Australia/New Zealand for use anywhere in the world1. The unit weighs just 12 oz3. Its sample settings cover a range of classic bass styles, including Phil Lynott, Lemmy, Geezer, Jamerson, Cliff Burton, Genesis and Deep Purple, plus Steve Harris' personal setting1.
A two-channel SansAmp bass preamp and DI
The SH1 is built around Tech 21's SansAmp Tube Amplifier Emulation, an analog circuit that models the behavior of a tube bass amp. MusicRadar described the unit at launch as packing "the Iron Maiden bassist's legendary tone" into a pedal, and noted it can be used with a bass amp as a preamp or as a stompbox2.
The two channel modes are the core of the design. Each has its own Gain and Level controls, so you can set up two different amounts of drive and volume and switch between them, much like moving between an amp's clean and dirty channels14. Bass Musician Magazine's reviewer, Ty Campbell, put it simply: "The Tech 21 Steve Harris SH1 Signature SansAmp has 2 channels to choose from"5.
On the output side, the XLR output with ground lift goes straight to a PA desk or studio board, while the 1/4-inch low impedance output feeds an amp1. That makes it workable both as a gigging DI and as the front end of a rig.
The controls: Gain, Level, Blend, 4-band EQ and Bite
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Gain (per channel) | Sets the drive level for each of the two channel modes1 |
| Level (per channel) | Sets the output volume for each channel mode1 |
| Blend | Controls the ratio of SansAmp Tube Amplifier Emulation to your direct instrument signal1 |
| Low, Mid 1, Mid 2, High | 4-band active EQ, cut or boost of ±18dB1 |
| Bite switch | Activates a "Steve" boost for extra clank and clarity1 |
The Blend control is the same idea Tech 21 uses across the SansAmp bass line: you mix the processed SansAmp signal with your dry bass signal, so you keep the character of your instrument while adding as much amp emulation as you want12. Bass Musician Magazine's reviewer described it as "a combination of your bass and the preamp"5.
The EQ is a 4-band active design with a wide range. Tech 21 specifies a cut or boost of ±18dB, and the review in Bass Musician Magazine noted that the Mid 1, Mid 2, Low and High controls give you that full range from unity gain at the 12 o'clock position, with the High control centered at 3kHz15. Guitar World's launch coverage called the 18dB range "a very healthy cut/boost"42.
The Bite switch is the signature touch. Tech 21 describes it as activating a "Steve" boost for extra clank and clarity1. MusicRadar framed it as being "for when you need a little more of that Steve Harris 'clunk and clarity' in your sound"2.
Built with Steve Harris for British Lion
The pedal came out of a practical problem. Tech 21 says the collaboration began as a solution for touring with British Lion, Harris' side project, because it was not practical to travel with his full rig for smaller venues1. Premier Guitar's launch coverage carried the same explanation from Tech 21's press release3, and Guitar World described the SH1 as "a more portable version of Harris' rig for use with his side project, British Lion"4.
According to MusicRadar, Tech 21 sent a prototype to Harris while he was touring with British Lion, and he gave it the seal of approval2. Delicious Audio wrote that Harris "has lent his metallic expertise to help create a device that faithfully emulates his rig of forty years"6.
Power, size and what is in the box
The SH1 runs on the included 9V DC universal power supply, Tech 21's Model DC9, which is auto-switching across 100V to 240V at 200mA. Interchangeable prong assemblies for Europe, the UK and Australia/New Zealand come in the box, so the same supply works internationally12. Bass Musician Magazine's review confirmed the universal supply with the prong assemblies5, and Guitar World's review noted the supply arrives "with replaceable prong attachments for three continents"7.
The SH1 is powered by its included DC9 supply rather than a 9V battery or a standard pedalboard daisy chain, so plan your power arrangement accordingly.
The enclosure is a rugged all-metal housing146, measuring 7.75 inches long by 2.5 inches wide by 1.25 inches high and weighing 12 oz13.
Sample settings
Tech 21 publishes sample settings for the pedal in a range of styles. Beyond Steve Harris' personal setting, the list includes settings modeled on Phil Lynott, Lemmy, Geezer Butler, James Jamerson, Cliff Burton, Genesis and Deep Purple1. They are starting points: each gives you a set of knob positions aimed at a recognizable bass sound, which you can then adjust to your own bass and rig.
Where it sits in the SansAmp bass line
The SH1 is one of several SansAmp bass preamps from Tech 21. Players comparing options may also want to look at the SansAmp Bass Driver DI V2, the single-channel design that started the line, the VT Bass DI with its amp-character voicing, the three-channel SansAmp Programmable Bass Driver DI, and the Geddy Lee DI-2112 Signature SansAmp, another artist signature model. The SH1's distinguishing features are its two footswitchable channel modes, the Bite switch and the built-in chromatic tuner526.
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Questions
Does the Steve Harris SansAmp have a built-in tuner?
Yes. The pedal includes a chromatic tuner, listed by Tech 21 among its features and confirmed in the launch press coverage. That means you can tune up at a gig without adding a separate tuner pedal to your board, which saves space on a pedalboard built around a preamp this size.
Can the Steve Harris SansAmp go straight to a PA?
Yes. It has an XLR output with a ground lift, which Tech 21 describes as letting you go direct to a PA desk or studio board. There is also a 1/4-inch low impedance output for running into a bass amp, so you can feed both an amp and the front of house at once.
Does the Steve Harris SansAmp come with a power supply?
Yes. It ships with Tech 21's 9V DC universal power supply, Model DC9, which is auto-switching from 100V to 240V at 200mA. Interchangeable prong assemblies for Europe, the UK and Australia/New Zealand are included, so the same supply works in most of the world.
Is the Steve Harris SansAmp analog?
Yes. Tech 21 describes it as all-analog SansAmp technology, and the launch coverage from MusicRadar, Guitar World and other outlets repeated the same point. The SansAmp Tube Amplifier Emulation circuit that the Blend control mixes with your dry signal is analog.
What sample settings come with the Steve Harris SansAmp?
Tech 21 publishes sample settings in a range of player styles, including Phil Lynott, Lemmy, Geezer Butler, James Jamerson, Cliff Burton, Genesis and Deep Purple, plus Steve Harris' personal setting. They give you starting points for dialing in recognizable bass tones before you tweak from there.
Sources (7)
- Steve Harris Signature Sansamp, Tech 21 NYC, 2024-03-13
- Raise a gallop in your basslines with Tech 21's Steve Harris SH1 Signature SansAmp, MusicRadar, 2019-10-10
- Tech 21 Unveils the Steve Harris SH1 Signature SansAmp, Premier Guitar, 2019-10-09
- Want to play with madness? Check out Tech 21's Steve Harris SH1 Signature SansAmp, Guitar World, 2019-10-10
- Tech 21 Steve Harris SH1 Signature SansAmp Review, Bass Musician Magazine, 2020-09-14
- Tech21 Steve Harris SH1 Signature SansAmp, Delicious Audio, 2020-02-21
- Tech 21 Steve Harris SH-1 SansAmp review, Guitar World, 2020-04-17
