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I have the blonde tonemaster deluxe, it lives in my bands rehearsal room so I just ordered one of these tonemaster Princetons to use at home in my music room… should be in in a week or so… I gave my home built brown Princeton to my grandson as he can carry that sucker better than me… Gave him a nice surf green strat to go along with it… At our band rehearsal, we all wear in ear monitors so my speaker is turned off most times and at home, I’ll use the attenuator on the Princeton to control the volume while my wife watches tv… I had a Boss Katana 50 but found myself involved in endless tweaking… Having been a fender amp user since the mid 60’s, in glad to be back in my comfort zone… Cheers and thanks for the great video!!!👍
As an electronics IC design engineer with over 40 years in the industry and a more recent design experience for the last 5 years in class D audio IC design as well as being a trained guitarist for over 50 years I am amazed how folks are still enamoured with tubes. I own a Mesa Boogie 5:25 from 20 years ago and love it. But hauling it to gigs or weekly practice gets really old. I use a Strymon Irridium and FRFR loudspeakers most of the time. I am almost totally sold on Fender's approach that they have taken with these new amps. Rather than a focus on very slight bordering on insignificant tone differences between a tube version and the ToneMaster version my concern is longevity. How will these new nearly $1000 amps hold up over 3 decades. The promise of solid state reliability has been challenged by constant corner shaving to reduce cost. My hope is that Fender has also emphasized reliability. If so in 20 years since an active guitarist will replace a tube set at least every 2 years spending nearly $100 for a set, the ToneMaster will pay for itself. If Fender on the other hand has cut too many reliability corners and things start failing in 5 years time.... that will not be good. I plan to hold on to my repairable tube amp but give the class D ToneMaster a try. I'm hoping for the best. My shoulder cuff likes the idea. And once the sax player, bassist, keyboardist and drummer are also playing those subtle tone differences requiring an ever so slight EQ tweak, just don't matter as much as a sore arm or back🤣
Learned a lot: not just about old vs. new (amps that is!), but also a bit of "ear training" regarding what to listen for when dialing in amplifiers. Thank you CC and I wish you the best in 2023!
Good video. I have 3 vintage blackface Fenders, and a tonemaster deluxe reverb. I love the old tube amps and they sound better than the tonemaster to my ears, but playing some of the country dive bars I end up playing, it feels better taking a less valuable, modern amp that still sounds around 90% close to what I'm used to. The folks on the dancefloor don't seem to mind.
@@voyxu143 A couple of beers in them and a Fender sounds the same as a Marshall stack or Tone Master. The average listener/dancer is clueless. Only gear geeks stay up at night contemplating this crap. Used to be me. Now I sleep great. Plug in and play and carry on.
They both sounded great to me. Perhaps a guitarists ear could hear slight variations, but no audience will. Your playing brought out great sounds with each amp. Thanks for the comparison.
what is the difference between Volume on 1 and Volume on 2 on the Tonemaster amps? My current amp is almost inaudible on 1 and has no tone.... On 2, it's way too loud but the tone is there. But, being too loud is a bad thing on stage.
What a great review. I'm just an old, bedroom player and I'd love to have both. At this time of my life though, I'm looking at the "one more things" to buy before I retire, and that Tone Master might just be perfect - not better than the vintage, but flexible and priced right for the amateur recorder that doesn't want to wake the wife and dogs; I can always get another pedal on a fixed income. Thanks!
I bought a twin reverb tone master off the used rack at the local music store and absolutely love it. It will do everything my real twin does, but only weighs just a little over 30 pounds. I do own real Marshall’s and Fender amps, but I just like this one and all it offers for live shows.
I've had my Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb for a few years - whenever it was when they came out. Extremely happy with it. Definitely a grab and go amp. That being said, I've got several nice tube amps, including my '68 drip-edge Super Reverb that I use on its own, and to power my Leslie model 16. Definitely not a grab and go rig! Depending on the setting, I'm probably going to take one of my other amps, because, why wouldn't I? That's why I have them! However, I could see using on a gig. My experience with it, and the way I use it, is a little different than yours. I get your point about using it at full, or higher power settings, but what I want is that "tube breakup" tone as a base tone (drop the bass down!), and then add my overdrives at just slightly above unity gain for solos. At the same time, I'm constantly riding my guitar's volume too. Worst case, for a different few songs, or set, it's very simple to rotate the power selector to taste. Also, I never use clean boosts to push the amp to drive it. If you want the same result, just reduce the power, increase the amp's volume and get that grind from the amp,then add OD to taste for solos or more aggressive rhythm tones. It doesn't seem to like a hot boosted signal coming into it. At the end of the day, I can just say that I play it daily. It's EXTREMELY versatile, and more so than any other amp I own.
Great demo, Cory! I was looking at Tube Princeton’s, but they were over $1K. I ended up with a Supro Delta King 12, which I love! It takes pedals extremely well with it’s neutral clean tone - I love that it has a Treble, Middle & Bass EQ! Adding some mid’s really helps with overdrive pedals. The only thing it lacks is that Fender “sparkle” I grew up with while using a Fender Blackface Deluxe, and Super Reverb. I may consider getting the Tone Master Princeton for a backup/alternate. Sounds very good.
I'm a fellow tube amp lover and nerd for vintage amps as well. Have an original 65 Deluxe Reverb, brown 62 Princeton and a 67 Duper Reverb in my humble collection, but I must say I've been surprised by these tone masters. I think in isolation, they sounds pretty good and are certainly serviceable for a gig or home practice. It's only when they're side by side with the real deal or even the modern tube reissues that they show their limitations. To me, to tone masters sound solid on their own, but I think they are too stiff and pristine sounding compared to the originals. The old amps they're modeling have more give and nuanced characteristics that the digital amps haven't been able to nail quite yet. I think you summed it up perfectly, "they sound more like the image of what we think a black panel amp should sound like." Fully agree. Still interesting and cool to see how far digital amps have come nonetheless. That said, I'd still love to add an old Princeton to my collection one day before they're completely out of this world in price lol. Great video mate, cheers!
Logistics wise, Tone Master is the go to amp for me. There is a significant difference to my ears but in a band mix,I think no one can tell the difference. Great review by the way.
I`ve got my Fender Tone Master Princeton for a week ago. I is a incredible good, solid state amp. I think, one of the best on the marked .When I start playing, I won`t stop. More than, good enought for home and small gigs!
An interesting comparison, it would be great to see how you would dial in a blues jr. with single coils and humbuckers and how well that stacks up against the Princeton. Keep up the great work!
Nice video Corey. Excellent test, presentation, and analysis. Thanks for providing the straight scoop. This will be very valuable to someone considering the tonemaster series. Here's to a happy 2023 and continuing good health for you.
Corey, I find your reviews and instructional videos to be among the very best! You (unlike too many reviewers who automatically set « knobs the same » when doing comparos) correctly assessed that knob values mean nothing. It would have been interesting that you also note and investigate the effect of the two vastly different speakers in each amp, and attempt to route them through the same speaker to mitigate. This arguably makes more difference than the amps themselves.
Great demo. I'm in love with my ToneMaster Deluxe Reverb. Easy to lug around and, tonally, it's immediately identifiable as a Fender amp. Takes pedals very well, just like the Princeton.
They both sound great. More proof that the player and instrument can get good sounds out of (most) anything. The new one provides a great tone and some useful features that 60's players would have been happy to have back in the day. I could see a studio application where you plugged into both and hard panned the two so that you get a great stereo image for a rhythm track. Thanks for the video, excellent comparison, with a fair balance of objective and subjective thoughts.
I'm a diehard Blackface guy - '64 Vibrolux, '66 Super Reverb, '66 Deluxe Reverb and a '65 Champ. I love them all and they each do wonderful things. Your demo is great and informative......the digital Fender sounds much better than I imagined. The missing element for me here is how the digital Fender sounds in a live setting. I know the Princeton is on the smaller side and might not stand up to a loud drummer, but I would like to hear the amp in the context of other instruments. I've been in a few situations where I have had to use a digital amp - Line 6, etc. and they just disappeared on stage. I like the idea of a no-maintenance Blackface amp but I need to hear how it sits in a mix and in relation to live instruments.
I think your take on vintage tone vs. our image of that tone is spot on. I'm a Marshall guy and that's the story of Marshall amps up and down. Also, bedroom tone versus pro tone. A lot of misconceptions in there too. Thanks Corey.
Hey Corey, it looks like you’re healthier than from several weeks ago, so I hope that’s the case! Last day of 2022, my friend.. looking forward to what you’ll be sharing for 2023! Keep Up the Great Work! 👍🎸✌️😎
I have the tone master deluxe reverb , it works for me cuz i just play for fun in a bedroom and the direct output is convenient for recording. Not having to turn it up and still get nice sounds without peeling paint off the walls is nice 😂
It's nice if you could find and afford an original 67. Age does affect its tone and varies from amp to amp. You would have to adjust to find your sound that you are looking for. You can't expect with the same settings on the Tone Master to match the 67. With tinkering like you demonstrated you could achieve a similar sound. The modeling amps have come a long. The Tone Master really has so many more things going for it that make it a great choice as a substitute to that 67. Will always will have a soft heart for tube amps, but on the other hand this amp is hard to ignore. Nice demonstration thanks for posting.
Best fender demo I've found and 100% for the TM. Thank you for starting a demo with a Strat Neck. Even more impressive, you went right to the sweet spot at five and showed a bit higher again with the neck with very fine chops covering neck. OD pedal sounding good to me. Bonus pts - You showed the power settings using Strat neck and not just max and min. All your edu pts were relevant. Great Demo! Now would I buy the amp at $900. Tuff call. $699? Contender. Update - Comparison. Yeah the Princeton Tube has a 3D Quality esp crunch tone and low strings. TM a little thinner, brighter SS sounding? The DI sounded good. Really like the duke pedal in beg.
Both sound good. Of course: Corey will always make any amp sound great. The ToneMaster sounded a bit congested in the low mids, the '67 sounded more open. I'll take the '67 anyday.
As much as I like how companies are trying to emulate vintage sounds with digital combo amps and heads, if you really want to get as close as possible to those vintage sounds, you really need a full digital solution. I've been a Fractal user for over a decade, and once you get past the learning curve, you can make that vintage sound happen. Yes, it takes time and patience, but for $1K, the FM3 can do it for you. Especially if you are like me, and don't use a myriad of wonky time based effects. Boost, Amp, Delay, Chorus. Golden. Nice video!!
Good report. A better comparison since most people do not own a 67 that is well broken in would be to compare the TM with a brand new tube Princeton Reverb - new vs new!
Absolutely the best demo video I have watched and I know all the other guys who do this stuff Corey I tip my hat to you because you did it for real life usage not someone time recording deal for a specific song or tone and you showed how you can use it on multiple gigs I got a tip my hat to that
Great review of these amps. I have a blond Deluxe Reverb TM, and honestly, after a lot of gigs of gigs, I no longer think about tube vs digital, and being an older guy, the light weight wins the contest.
Appreciate your honesty and expertise, Corey. I looked at this amp, but decided my Blues Junior covers much of that ground. Happy New Year, my dude! Cheers! 🎸
Can't believe it- but during the shootout I MUCH preferred the Tone Master- much more mid-scooped blackface sound that I expect with a full rich bass and chime on the high end- the vintage amp was far too focused (as you mentioned) for my taste- it sounded like it was missing most of the character I go to blackface amps for- which is weird since it's a real blackface amp! Super good video here Corey- thanks for showcasing it! I have the new Princeton Reverb 1x12 in a tweed- excellent amp- all tubes- but it does a weird thing between 5-7 on the volume and goes from a clean blackface to a really overdriven amp in a very short sweep of the dial- and it has a huge volume jump there too- which makes it difficult to dial in at gigs sometimes. I didn't understand why Fender would build a Tone Master for the Princeton since it's already a low wattage amp- but after watching this- I think I get it! The real one is still heavier then I like too- even though it's a tiny amp. Transformers are like dwarf stars ;-)
I think that the Tonemaster Princeton has his place. Today people don't crank their amps at home, or even at gigs. I had the Princeton Reverb 65, and it was way too loud for home use. Most players today play in their little home studio or living room. The attenuator is a very clever add, even on the Princeton that is considered low wattage I had the 5w Champ reverb, it was just too loud for home use if you wanted to atteign the sweet spot where the power tube is cooking..
Thanks for the comparison. The biggest (and kind of frustrating) difference I heard was that the reverb was turned up louder on the Tonemaster. I would also tend to attribute at least 50% of the tonal differences to the age of the speaker, and a lot of the other differences to age/tolerance drift of the components in the '67. Does it sound better? Yes. Would they sound a LOT closer if the could play through the same speaker. Probably. That all said - something is still definitely not quite right, and you can really see it at the end of the Anderton's video when they first got ahold of the Princeton TM and ran a fuzz through it. I really do wish Fender had worked with UAFX to do these. UAFX is KILLING it on the Fender emulations, and one thing I think most people would agree on is that UAD has done a much better job on the spring reverbs.
I have the Tone Master Super Reverb and love it. I would never own the tube version because of the weight and volume, but with the Tone Master version of that amp the built in attenuator and light weight make it perfect for me. I am looking at getting this Tone Master Princeton tomorrow for a grab and go amp.
Just to concur with the people commenting on the honesty of your review.It-unlike a lot of reviews-was also really easy to follow in terms of tones.Subscribed.
Excellent review, very well done! For my needs and wants I choose the 67. If I HAD to choose a Fender Tone Master amp, I would go for the Deluxe Reverb. The weight and the price of the Tone Master Princeton and the Tone Master Deluxe are so close, for the money I think the Tone Master Deluxe would be a better deal.
I prefer the Tonemaster, which really surprises me. This amp is really affected by the speaker you use, too. With a 12" cone, it's also a whole different animal. One of the best amps out there, regardless.
Great demo Corey! I like the vintage better as well. More mids in that happy zone. I do like the digital for the money as you say and could make that work. One thing that would bring those mids in there is the JHS Double Barrel set to a small amount of break up from the Morning Glory side. Would give it more dynamics too. Amazing pedal! Thanks for the great work!
well.. im a drummer, and a mix engineer.. and its actually simple: the magic is in the midrange. And that's how I choose gear, not matter if its drums, guitars, preamps, whatever. Id choose the vintage one for that one reason. Even though the digital one is cool and Id use that for rehearsels and small gigs for sure. For recording: the vintage one any day.
I have the Tone Master Deluxe and it is different than the amp, they have the same basic DNA. It hits the cleans brilliantly. Adding a reverb and drive makes it happen. I like the Prince Tone Master. from what I hear.
Nice shootout. I thought the vintage Princeton sounded a little warmer than the Tone Master in the side-by-side comparison, but overall they both sounded good. I had a silver-panel Princeton that I paid $300 for back when they were affordable. I regret having to sell it. The Tone Master might be an affordable way of getting back into the Princeton amp. Vintage ones are now way more than $300.
It is so amazing to see the Fender Princeton become such a sought after amp. First: It was meant to be no more than a student amp that had reverb and tremolo. Thats it!!! You could pick one up on sale for $125 in the 60s. Then when the recording industry caught on the amp became a staple simple for its portability and the evolution of then sound engineers to paint sound. That's all !!! It was never considered a stage amp. No one mic'd amps back then. Now look it it. All Marketing!!!
You are so right! They are not the same thing. I tried to get used to the Twin Reverb TM. It just wasn't the same, but it really sounded great at home. For me, on stage it just a different feel to it.
This is a great video and really nice presentation of the Tone Master! That '67 sounds magnificent, and like everything you would want from a Fender amp, but it was awesome to hear these two side-by-side. I think for most players the Tone Master is a good little workhorse amp, and super easy to record with, not to mention budget-friendly.
Wow, it sounds really nice with the Duke of Tone. I recently ordered the TM version and can't wait to try it out with my favorite Marshall Bluesbreaker 2 and Guv'nor 2 pedals.
I totally agree with this. I have an original ‘68 deluxe and have tried out several tonemasters. I’m thinking of picking one up, mainly for the weight. But there is something about the tube amp that isn’t there with the TM … sounds a little more 3D somehow. One thing is that to me all the tonemaster units sound the same - which is a tribute to their quality control. But I like the fact that my ‘68 deluxe sounds different than someone else’s ‘68
I wonder how much the speaker plays into there sound. I bet the tone master would sound better if you would have used the speaker that the 68 had. That would have been a good comparison. Same cab and speaker. Great work!
Very nice and appreciated sir. Never had a Princeton reverb but think about it over and over. Nice they came out with an updated alternative. Thanks for the comparisons. Very good.
We are moving steadily closer to "that sound" in a solid state amp, but it still comes up short. Until that magical moment won't be achieved unless there is a proper hand-wired tube amp in the line, or at the very least, a GREAT overdrive pedal. In my case, the OKKO Diablo GH Signature Overdrive. I prefer this pedal and/or the Barber Electronics 1/2 Gainer. Both are wonderful sounding, transparent, and are crafted to last for eons.
totally agree the direct sound was way closer to the real P it was markedly richer to my ears which is kind of cool I mean it’s kind of like the UA dream pedal in an actual amp form when you use direct into a daw🤷♂️
I've been using a tonemaster deluxe for 2 years. It's definitely not a perfect simulation, but it's ok. The convenience of the direct out and the attenuator make it a good tool for the bars and restaurants I play in. My tube deluxe would have people asking me to turn down after 2 notes, but the attenuator allows the tonemaster to be set at 5 or 6 without complaints.
I have the Deluxe Tonemaster. Princeton was not available. I love it. 22lbs I believe. I love it for the little of the scoop on the mids. Which I noticed on your comparison of the Princetons. Yes driving it is not the way to go. But with pedals, it's better than spending 2500.00 for a vintage amp. Will it last, time will tell? Great video by the way.
Thanks for the honest review. I feel a lot of well meaning people are pushing these new digital amps showing their good points, without pointing out the obvious lack of quality light crunch tones. Yes they do cleans well and heavy overdrive on some models, but that elusive pushed clean to light crunch is just not there for me and it is obvious when you play one live.
I own a 64 princeton reverb, and watching this vid makes me want a tonemaster to take to gigs and have as a kickaround. Sounds AWFULLY CLOSE to the blackface to me. Great vid.
thanks for your honest opinion Corey......as a smal, sign in my old musicshop saif in 1970........"similar things are not the same".......😅 Happy new Year Corey......see you again...🥂
Thanks. The tone master faired better than I expected. I have the 67 but it doesnt leave the house anymore. Band mates with deluxe ans super tomemasters like them. I miss the compression of the tube output when Ive played thru rhem though.
It's like buying a color TV. In the store we know the LG is better than the Samsung - side by side, in the store, you can see it. At home, by itself, the Samsung TV is pretty darn good and you saved $600 in the process. So long as you don't think about the LG, you should be happy. Replace Samsung above with Tonemaster and LG with '67. Life is too short to not be happy
many parts in a guitar amp have a few % variation and it affects the tone,so even if you put the exact same tubes they will sound different(i have a tube tester) ,handwired amps even more but all better than a digital excuse ,if you play 5 strats from 1964 they will sound different but all better than a modern strat, with the good stuff the sound is better but it's not consistent with digital all the units sound exactly the same but it doesn't sound as good.
honestly, the Tone Master here sounds really great. I watched a similar video comparing a 65 Deluxe Reverb to the TM DR and the tonemaster got smoked by the vintage amp . . . here though, I preferred the sound of the TM to the vintage princeton
At the end of the day, most people who care enough to own vintage amps will be bias towards the tube amp 99x/100. They both sounded great in this clip.. How they may feel is a different story, but rest assured that most people will choose with their eyes, and not their ears.
Nice review. I bought the Tonemaster Deluxe a couple of years ago and really liked it. Recently I bought the Tonemaster Princeton because I just wanted something extremely small and light that I thought would be on par or better with the the experience I had with the Deluxe version. I have to admit that I'm not in love with it, but it's still a good amp and maybe as I play it more and get more used to what it can offer I'll warm up to it. As someone else mentioned, I think the speaker here influences the tone. It kinda feels like some frequencies I'd like to hear are just missing.
Got a TM Twin Reverb. Yes the direct out is great, but I bought it to play out of the front. Dive bars and the animal clubs. The speakers need break in and it's an ok amp but I found the need use a boss EQ in front to get my bass and mids, especially for pedal steel guitar. The Reverb is too hot even after the upgrade software. Use a pedal here too. 2 extra things and cables. Otherwise it's not too bad, but can't match my old Fender Twins. YMMV.
Thanks for the video. I've been thinking about the Tone Master as a substitute for my real '68 when gigging. Looks like it will do well and provide some weight relief.
The Royer R 10 microphone being a ribbon style Mic doesn't warm the sound at all. It is a flat frequency response microphone. It doesn't add anything or subtract anything.
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I have the blonde tonemaster deluxe, it lives in my bands rehearsal room so I just ordered one of these tonemaster Princetons to use at home in my music room… should be in in a week or so… I gave my home built brown Princeton to my grandson as he can carry that sucker better than me… Gave him a nice surf green strat to go along with it… At our band rehearsal, we all wear in ear monitors so my speaker is turned off most times and at home, I’ll use the attenuator on the Princeton to control the volume while my wife watches tv… I had a Boss Katana 50 but found myself involved in endless tweaking… Having been a fender amp user since the mid 60’s, in glad to be back in my comfort zone… Cheers and thanks for the great video!!!👍
Looking at the price point..it's clear Fender do not want to run down their tube amp market
Corey, this was the most honest review of this amp I’ve seen. Kudos. Thank you so much for doing this!
As an electronics IC design engineer with over 40 years in the industry and a more recent design experience for the last 5 years in class D audio IC design as well as being a trained guitarist for over 50 years I am amazed how folks are still enamoured with tubes. I own a Mesa Boogie 5:25 from 20 years ago and love it. But hauling it to gigs or weekly practice gets really old. I use a Strymon Irridium and FRFR loudspeakers most of the time. I am almost totally sold on Fender's approach that they have taken with these new amps. Rather than a focus on very slight bordering on insignificant tone differences between a tube version and the ToneMaster version my concern is longevity. How will these new nearly $1000 amps hold up over 3 decades. The promise of solid state reliability has been challenged by constant corner shaving to reduce cost. My hope is that Fender has also emphasized reliability. If so in 20 years since an active guitarist will replace a tube set at least every 2 years spending nearly $100 for a set, the ToneMaster will pay for itself. If Fender on the other hand has cut too many reliability corners and things start failing in 5 years time.... that will not be good. I plan to hold on to my repairable tube amp but give the class D ToneMaster a try. I'm hoping for the best. My shoulder cuff likes the idea. And once the sax player, bassist, keyboardist and drummer are also playing those subtle tone differences requiring an ever so slight EQ tweak, just don't matter as much as a sore arm or back🤣
Same, using a Boogie 5.25, great reliable amp
Learned a lot: not just about old vs. new (amps that is!), but also a bit of "ear training" regarding what to listen for when dialing in amplifiers. Thank you CC and I wish you the best in 2023!
Good video. I have 3 vintage blackface Fenders, and a tonemaster deluxe reverb. I love the old tube amps and they sound better than the tonemaster to my ears, but playing some of the country dive bars I end up playing, it feels better taking a less valuable, modern amp that still sounds around 90% close to what I'm used to. The folks on the dancefloor don't seem to mind.
Right on!
And you can sometimes get the wrong guy behind the mixer who will make you sound bad matter what rig you brought that night.
Yeah, the audience won't be able to tell the difference for sure.
@@voyxu143 A couple of beers in them and a Fender sounds the same as a Marshall stack or Tone Master. The average listener/dancer is clueless. Only gear geeks stay up at night contemplating this crap. Used to be me. Now I sleep great. Plug in and play and carry on.
18:28 I also have vintage Princeton amp. An all original 68. I prefer those amps but would never take them out on the road
They both sounded great to me. Perhaps a guitarists ear could hear slight variations, but no audience will. Your playing brought out great sounds with each amp. Thanks for the comparison.
Yeah also my thought. Pretty good amp
This is the best Tonemaster review on RUclips, bar none. No shtick, no BS, packed with knowledge and great playing - just the facts!
I love my Fender twin tone master. Especially for pedal steel guitar. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
what is the difference between Volume on 1 and Volume on 2 on the Tonemaster amps? My current amp is almost inaudible on 1 and has no tone.... On 2, it's way too loud but the tone is there. But, being too loud is a bad thing on stage.
What a great review. I'm just an old, bedroom player and I'd love to have both. At this time of my life though, I'm looking at the "one more things" to buy before I retire, and that Tone Master might just be perfect - not better than the vintage, but flexible and priced right for the amateur recorder that doesn't want to wake the wife and dogs; I can always get another pedal on a fixed income. Thanks!
I bought a twin reverb tone master off the used rack at the local music store and absolutely love it. It will do everything my real twin does, but only weighs just a little over 30 pounds. I do own real Marshall’s and Fender amps, but I just like this one and all it offers for live shows.
I've had my Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb for a few years - whenever it was when they came out. Extremely happy with it. Definitely a grab and go amp.
That being said, I've got several nice tube amps, including my '68 drip-edge Super Reverb that I use on its own, and to power my Leslie model 16. Definitely not a grab and go rig!
Depending on the setting, I'm probably going to take one of my other amps, because, why wouldn't I? That's why I have them!
However, I could see using on a gig. My experience with it, and the way I use it, is a little different than yours. I get your point about using it at full, or higher power settings, but what I want is that "tube breakup" tone as a base tone (drop the bass down!), and then add my overdrives at just slightly above unity gain for solos. At the same time, I'm constantly riding my guitar's volume too. Worst case, for a different few songs, or set, it's very simple to rotate the power selector to taste.
Also, I never use clean boosts to push the amp to drive it. If you want the same result, just reduce the power, increase the amp's volume and get that grind from the amp,then add OD to taste for solos or more aggressive rhythm tones. It doesn't seem to like a hot boosted signal coming into it.
At the end of the day, I can just say that I play it daily. It's EXTREMELY versatile, and more so than any other amp I own.
Thank you for using a room mic to blend with amp mics! I can't believe how many amp reviewers skip over this important mix.
Thx for noticing!
Great demo, Cory! I was looking at Tube Princeton’s, but they were over $1K. I ended up with a Supro Delta King 12, which I love! It takes pedals extremely well with it’s neutral clean tone - I love that it has a Treble, Middle & Bass EQ!
Adding some mid’s really helps with overdrive pedals. The only thing it lacks is that Fender “sparkle” I grew up with while using a Fender Blackface Deluxe, and Super Reverb. I may consider getting the Tone Master Princeton for a backup/alternate. Sounds very good.
I'm a fellow tube amp lover and nerd for vintage amps as well. Have an original 65 Deluxe Reverb, brown 62 Princeton and a 67 Duper Reverb in my humble collection, but I must say I've been surprised by these tone masters. I think in isolation, they sounds pretty good and are certainly serviceable for a gig or home practice. It's only when they're side by side with the real deal or even the modern tube reissues that they show their limitations. To me, to tone masters sound solid on their own, but I think they are too stiff and pristine sounding compared to the originals. The old amps they're modeling have more give and nuanced characteristics that the digital amps haven't been able to nail quite yet. I think you summed it up perfectly, "they sound more like the image of what we think a black panel amp should sound like." Fully agree. Still interesting and cool to see how far digital amps have come nonetheless. That said, I'd still love to add an old Princeton to my collection one day before they're completely out of this world in price lol. Great video mate, cheers!
Logistics wise, Tone Master is the go to amp for me. There is a significant difference to my ears but in a band mix,I think no one can tell the difference. Great review by the way.
Good point; in a live gig situation, 99% of the audience won’t have any clue.
Just recognize that the solid state amp has a much shorter operating lifespan. But for a working musician this is simply an operating expense.
@@ThomasD66 It's laughable that people think this is something new. It's 60-year-old technology and ideas.
I`ve got my Fender Tone Master Princeton for a week ago. I is a incredible good, solid state amp. I think, one of the best on the marked .When I start playing, I won`t stop. More than, good enought for home and small gigs!
An interesting comparison, it would be great to see how you would dial in a blues jr. with single coils and humbuckers and how well that stacks up against the Princeton. Keep up the great work!
Nice video Corey. Excellent test, presentation, and analysis. Thanks for providing the straight scoop. This will be very valuable to someone considering the tonemaster series. Here's to a happy 2023 and continuing good health for you.
Corey, I find your reviews and instructional videos to be among the very best!
You (unlike too many reviewers who automatically set « knobs the same » when doing comparos) correctly assessed that knob values mean nothing.
It would have been interesting that you also note and investigate the effect of the two vastly different speakers in each amp, and attempt to route them through the same speaker to mitigate. This arguably makes more difference than the amps themselves.
Great demo. I'm in love with my ToneMaster Deluxe Reverb. Easy to lug around and, tonally, it's immediately identifiable as a Fender amp. Takes pedals very well, just like the Princeton.
Thank you for the break down! The head to head comparison really highlighted the Big differences!!
They both sound great. More proof that the player and instrument can get good sounds out of (most) anything. The new one provides a great tone and some useful features that 60's players would have been happy to have back in the day. I could see a studio application where you plugged into both and hard panned the two so that you get a great stereo image for a rhythm track. Thanks for the video, excellent comparison, with a fair balance of objective and subjective thoughts.
I'm a diehard Blackface guy - '64 Vibrolux, '66 Super Reverb, '66 Deluxe Reverb and a '65 Champ. I love them all and they each do wonderful things. Your demo is great and informative......the digital Fender sounds much better than I imagined. The missing element for me here is how the digital Fender sounds in a live setting. I know the Princeton is on the smaller side and might not stand up to a loud drummer, but I would like to hear the amp in the context of other instruments. I've been in a few situations where I have had to use a digital amp - Line 6, etc. and they just disappeared on stage. I like the idea of a no-maintenance Blackface amp but I need to hear how it sits in a mix and in relation to live instruments.
I think your take on vintage tone vs. our image of that tone is spot on. I'm a Marshall guy and that's the story of Marshall amps up and down. Also, bedroom tone versus pro tone. A lot of misconceptions in there too. Thanks Corey.
Hey Corey, it looks like you’re healthier than from several weeks ago, so I hope that’s the case! Last day of 2022, my friend.. looking forward to what you’ll be sharing for 2023! Keep Up the Great Work! 👍🎸✌️😎
Thx so much, David!
I have the tone master deluxe reverb , it works for me cuz i just play for fun in a bedroom and the direct output is convenient for recording. Not having to turn it up and still get nice sounds without peeling paint off the walls is nice 😂
It's nice if you could find and afford an original 67. Age does affect its tone and varies from amp to amp. You would have to adjust to find your sound that you are looking for. You can't expect with the same settings on the Tone Master to match the 67. With tinkering like you demonstrated you could achieve a similar sound. The modeling amps have come a long. The Tone Master really has so many more things going for it that make it a great choice as a substitute to that 67. Will always will have a soft heart for tube amps, but on the other hand this amp is hard to ignore. Nice demonstration thanks for posting.
Great and honest review. The old one really sounds a lot better (and no, I'm not a vintage snob)
The old tube amps just have a playing dynamic that isn't replicated digitally.
@@lordvader6512 perhaps that does not come across on You Tube?
Best Tone Master series review yet. Great work. Thank you.
Corey's the real deal. Expert insights, easy to follow instruction.
Thx so much!
Best fender demo I've found and 100% for the TM.
Thank you for starting a demo with a Strat Neck. Even more impressive, you went right to the sweet spot at five and showed a bit higher again with the neck with very fine chops covering neck. OD pedal sounding good to me. Bonus pts - You showed the power settings using Strat neck and not just max and min. All your edu pts were relevant. Great Demo! Now would I buy the amp at $900. Tuff call. $699? Contender.
Update - Comparison.
Yeah the Princeton Tube has a 3D Quality esp crunch tone and low strings. TM a little thinner, brighter SS sounding? The DI sounded good. Really like the duke pedal in beg.
I’d be curious to hear the regular production Princeton against the ‘67. Great review!
Great demo, really good playing. I'm sold on this Tonemaster. Ordered this day
Both sound good. Of course: Corey will always make any amp sound great. The ToneMaster sounded a bit congested in the low mids, the '67 sounded more open. I'll take the '67 anyday.
As much as I like how companies are trying to emulate vintage sounds with digital combo amps and heads, if you really want to get as close as possible to those vintage sounds, you really need a full digital solution. I've been a Fractal user for over a decade, and once you get past the learning curve, you can make that vintage sound happen. Yes, it takes time and patience, but for $1K, the FM3 can do it for you. Especially if you are like me, and don't use a myriad of wonky time based effects. Boost, Amp, Delay, Chorus. Golden. Nice video!!
Good report. A better comparison since most people do not own a 67 that is well broken in would be to compare the TM with a brand new tube Princeton Reverb - new vs new!
Totally agree!
I love Corey's review but agree new tube vs TM is more relevant to most. Here is one from Andertons: ruclips.net/video/l0SQcrIK_L8/видео.html
Absolutely the best demo video I have watched and I know all the other guys who do this stuff Corey I tip my hat to you because you did it for real life usage not someone time recording deal for a specific song or tone and you showed how you can use it on multiple gigs I got a tip my hat to that
Sounds great to me ears. I've tried the deluxe reverb one and was really impressed with that
Top shelf as always Corey! Sweetwater is _very_ wise to play a part of anything you're doing. A great company. Glad you're doing well!!
Great review of these amps. I have a blond Deluxe Reverb TM, and honestly, after a lot of gigs of gigs, I no longer think about tube vs digital, and being an older guy, the light weight wins the contest.
Appreciate your honesty and expertise, Corey. I looked at this amp, but decided my Blues Junior covers much of that ground. Happy New Year, my dude! Cheers! 🎸
HNY, Stosh! Can't beat a Blues Jr!
Can't believe it- but during the shootout I MUCH preferred the Tone Master- much more mid-scooped blackface sound that I expect with a full rich bass and chime on the high end- the vintage amp was far too focused (as you mentioned) for my taste- it sounded like it was missing most of the character I go to blackface amps for- which is weird since it's a real blackface amp! Super good video here Corey- thanks for showcasing it! I have the new Princeton Reverb 1x12 in a tweed- excellent amp- all tubes- but it does a weird thing between 5-7 on the volume and goes from a clean blackface to a really overdriven amp in a very short sweep of the dial- and it has a huge volume jump there too- which makes it difficult to dial in at gigs sometimes. I didn't understand why Fender would build a Tone Master for the Princeton since it's already a low wattage amp- but after watching this- I think I get it! The real one is still heavier then I like too- even though it's a tiny amp. Transformers are like dwarf stars ;-)
I think that the Tonemaster Princeton has his place.
Today people don't crank their amps at home, or even at gigs.
I had the Princeton Reverb 65, and it was way too loud for home use.
Most players today play in their little home studio or living room. The attenuator is a very clever add, even on the Princeton that is considered low wattage
I had the 5w Champ reverb, it was just too loud for home use if you wanted to atteign the sweet spot where the power tube is cooking..
Playing is great!!! 2:18 - 3:38 - 3:52 - 4:08 - 7:36 - 12:21 - 12:40 - 13:03 - TM 15:14 - 67 15:33 - TM / 67 - 15:51
Had an old Fender tube combo it was a beast.
I love my Deluxe Reverb Tone Master for gigs and at home. Lightweight no tubes replacement , perfect !
Thanks for the comparison. The biggest (and kind of frustrating) difference I heard was that the reverb was turned up louder on the Tonemaster. I would also tend to attribute at least 50% of the tonal differences to the age of the speaker, and a lot of the other differences to age/tolerance drift of the components in the '67. Does it sound better? Yes. Would they sound a LOT closer if the could play through the same speaker. Probably.
That all said - something is still definitely not quite right, and you can really see it at the end of the Anderton's video when they first got ahold of the Princeton TM and ran a fuzz through it. I really do wish Fender had worked with UAFX to do these. UAFX is KILLING it on the Fender emulations, and one thing I think most people would agree on is that UAD has done a much better job on the spring reverbs.
so i like both amps . but the fact remains.....you are one of the best players i ve ever heard!!
Very kind of you
I have the Tone Master Super Reverb and love it. I would never own the tube version because of the weight and volume, but with the Tone Master version of that amp the built in attenuator and light weight make it perfect for me. I am looking at getting this Tone Master Princeton tomorrow for a grab and go amp.
Just to concur with the people commenting on the honesty of your review.It-unlike a lot of reviews-was also really easy to follow in terms of tones.Subscribed.
Much appreciated.
Great vid! Side by side there was difference but I like that highs and lows, scoped sounds of the TM.
67! All day! Liked the comparison very much and good vid.
Excellent review, very well done! For my needs and wants I choose the 67. If I HAD to choose a Fender Tone Master amp, I would go for the Deluxe Reverb. The weight and the price of the Tone Master Princeton and the Tone Master Deluxe are so close, for the money I think the Tone Master Deluxe would be a better deal.
I prefer the Tonemaster, which really surprises me. This amp is really affected by the speaker you use, too. With a 12" cone, it's also a whole different animal. One of the best amps out there, regardless.
So have you put a 12” speaker into the Princeton Tone Master?
If you have tell me more about the advantages
Great demo Corey! I like the vintage better as well. More mids in that happy zone. I do like the digital for the money as you say and could make that work. One thing that would bring those mids in there is the JHS Double Barrel set to a small amount of break up from the Morning Glory side. Would give it more dynamics too. Amazing pedal! Thanks for the great work!
well.. im a drummer, and a mix engineer.. and its actually simple: the magic is in the midrange. And that's how I choose gear, not matter if its drums, guitars, preamps, whatever. Id choose the vintage one for that one reason. Even though the digital one is cool and Id use that for rehearsels and small gigs for sure. For recording: the vintage one any day.
I love that 67 Corey, I'm glad you bought it when they were more affordable! Hang on to it.
grandad and grandchild- such a pleasure to hear them both!
I have the Tone Master Deluxe and it is different than the amp, they have the same basic DNA. It hits the cleans brilliantly. Adding a reverb and drive makes it happen. I like the Prince Tone Master. from what I hear.
Nice shootout. I thought the vintage Princeton sounded a little warmer than the Tone Master in the side-by-side comparison, but overall they both sounded good. I had a silver-panel Princeton that I paid $300 for back when they were affordable. I regret having to sell it. The Tone Master might be an affordable way of getting back into the Princeton amp. Vintage ones are now way more than $300.
It is so amazing to see the Fender Princeton become such a sought after amp. First: It was meant to be no more than a student amp that had reverb and tremolo.
Thats it!!! You could pick one up on sale for $125 in the 60s. Then when the recording industry caught on the amp became a staple simple for its portability and
the evolution of then sound engineers to paint sound. That's all !!! It was never considered a stage amp. No one mic'd amps back then. Now look it it. All Marketing!!!
You are so right! They are not the same thing. I tried to get used to the Twin Reverb TM. It just wasn't the same, but it really sounded great at home. For me, on stage it just a different feel to it.
This is a great video and really nice presentation of the Tone Master! That '67 sounds magnificent, and like everything you would want from a Fender amp, but it was awesome to hear these two side-by-side. I think for most players the Tone Master is a good little workhorse amp, and super easy to record with, not to mention budget-friendly.
Wow, it sounds really nice with the Duke of Tone. I recently ordered the TM version and can't wait to try it out with my favorite Marshall Bluesbreaker 2 and Guv'nor 2 pedals.
Wow!! What an honest review - rarely to be seen these days. Thanks!!!!
Very nice comparison, well presented. I decided to purchase on of these!
I liked the tone master through my headphones. Great review, thanks bud
I totally agree with this. I have an original ‘68 deluxe and have tried out several tonemasters. I’m thinking of picking one up, mainly for the weight. But there is something about the tube amp that isn’t there with the TM … sounds a little more 3D somehow. One thing is that to me all the tonemaster units sound the same - which is a tribute to their quality control. But I like the fact that my ‘68 deluxe sounds different than someone else’s ‘68
Its true.. but also the tube amp are fucking noisy to record compare to zero noise with the solid state.
@@moitoieuxnous1648 have you checked if your guitar heroes used quiet instead of noisy amps?
Great review.. I like you, have a vintage Princeton and play threw it a lot but I also have the Tonemaster ... Love them both.
I wonder how much the speaker plays into there sound. I bet the tone master would sound better if you would have used the speaker that the 68 had. That would have been a good comparison. Same cab and speaker. Great work!
Very nice and appreciated sir. Never had a Princeton reverb but think about it over and over. Nice they came out with an updated alternative. Thanks for the comparisons. Very good.
You bet!
Cool gear booth sounds great, at the end
for me comes down to the player, an awesome guitarist like you will make all sound beautiful.
Cheers 🙌🏻🎸
We are moving steadily closer to "that sound" in a solid state amp, but it still comes up short. Until that magical moment won't be achieved unless there is a proper hand-wired tube amp in the line, or at the very least, a GREAT overdrive pedal. In my case, the OKKO Diablo GH Signature Overdrive. I prefer this pedal and/or the Barber Electronics 1/2 Gainer. Both are wonderful sounding, transparent, and are crafted to last for eons.
Funny how you started playing funk type stuff immediately on the Les Paul as opposed to the Strat. Interesting. Love it.
totally agree the direct sound was way closer to the real P
it was markedly richer to my ears which is kind of cool I mean it’s kind of like the UA dream pedal in an actual amp form when you use direct into a daw🤷♂️
I've been using a tonemaster deluxe for 2 years. It's definitely not a perfect simulation, but it's ok. The convenience of the direct out and the attenuator make it a good tool for the bars and restaurants I play in. My tube deluxe would have people asking me to turn down after 2 notes, but the attenuator allows the tonemaster to be set at 5 or 6 without complaints.
I have the Deluxe Tonemaster. Princeton was not available. I love it. 22lbs I believe. I love it for the little of the scoop on the mids. Which I noticed on your comparison of the Princetons. Yes driving it is not the way to go. But with pedals, it's better than spending 2500.00 for a vintage amp. Will it last, time will tell? Great video by the way.
The vintage amp immediately sounds and feels like coming home.
Thanks for the honest review. I feel a lot of well meaning people are pushing these new digital amps showing their good points, without pointing out the obvious lack of quality light crunch tones. Yes they do cleans well and heavy overdrive on some models, but that elusive pushed clean to light crunch is just not there for me and it is obvious when you play one live.
I think you mean better playing dynamics with a tube amp. I agree.
Happy New Year Corey, all right now, back to 7th Avenue...
I own a 64 princeton reverb, and watching this vid makes me want a tonemaster to take to gigs and have as a kickaround. Sounds AWFULLY CLOSE to the blackface to me. Great vid.
thanks for your honest opinion Corey......as a smal, sign in my old musicshop saif in 1970........"similar things are not the same".......😅
Happy new Year Corey......see you again...🥂
Thanks. The tone master faired better than I expected. I have the 67 but it doesnt leave the house anymore. Band mates with deluxe ans super tomemasters like them. I miss the compression of the tube output when Ive played thru rhem though.
keep doing the hard work and the video! it's paying back! Sub is increasing and you really deserve much more sub!
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
It's like buying a color TV. In the store we know the LG is better than the Samsung - side by side, in the store, you can see it.
At home, by itself, the Samsung TV is pretty darn good and you saved $600 in the process. So long as you don't think about the LG, you should be happy.
Replace Samsung above with Tonemaster and LG with '67.
Life is too short to not be happy
I could be wrong but if you lined up five tube amps they could all sound different depending on which "Grove Tube" is weak or going bad. Great review.
many parts in a guitar amp have a few % variation and it affects the tone,so even if you put the exact same tubes they will sound different(i have a tube tester) ,handwired amps even more but all better than a digital excuse ,if you play 5 strats from 1964 they will sound different but all better than a modern strat, with the good stuff the sound is better but it's not consistent with digital all the units sound exactly the same but it doesn't sound as good.
honestly, the Tone Master here sounds really great. I watched a similar video comparing a 65 Deluxe Reverb to the TM DR and the tonemaster got smoked by the vintage amp . . . here though, I preferred the sound of the TM to the vintage princeton
You're a great player! The Tonemaster sounds pretty good, when you make allowances for the modern comforts- weight, attenuator, etc. Nice job!
hey thanks!
I have Blonde Twin TM and Princeton TM and I love both🙏
At the end of the day, most people who care enough to own vintage amps will be bias towards the tube amp 99x/100. They both sounded great in this clip.. How they may feel is a different story, but rest assured that most people will choose with their eyes, and not their ears.
Nice review. I bought the Tonemaster Deluxe a couple of years ago and really liked it. Recently I bought the Tonemaster Princeton because I just wanted something extremely small and light that I thought would be on par or better with the the experience I had with the Deluxe version. I have to admit that I'm not in love with it, but it's still a good amp and maybe as I play it more and get more used to what it can offer I'll warm up to it. As someone else mentioned, I think the speaker here influences the tone. It kinda feels like some frequencies I'd like to hear are just missing.
So was the difference the amp or the speaker? I would have been interesting to hear them using the same speaker or IR.
Got a TM Twin Reverb. Yes the direct out is great, but I bought it to play out of the front. Dive bars and the animal clubs. The speakers need break in and it's an ok amp but I found the need use a boss EQ in front to get my bass and mids, especially for pedal steel guitar. The Reverb is too hot even after the upgrade software. Use a pedal here too. 2 extra things and cables. Otherwise it's not too bad, but can't match my old Fender Twins. YMMV.
Thanks for the video. I've been thinking about the Tone Master as a substitute for my real '68 when gigging. Looks like it will do well and provide some weight relief.
The Royer R 10 microphone being a ribbon style Mic doesn't warm the sound at all. It is a flat frequency response microphone. It doesn't add anything or subtract anything.
Oooo I genuinely got chills when you kicked in the 67.
I used to have the Fender Pro Reverb and for some reason, it could pick up the Rush Limbaugh show when I turned it on in my garage.
One of the best shootouts ever. Nuff said.
I especially liked the DI cab sim output,use the PA to generate room air and recycle back into the mix
Thank you corey for all your guitar lessons! I’ve learn alot…God bless