I have a black DRTM and have done the free download which brings the amp up to the Blonde specs with bright cap delete, Reverb wider control spread, etc. The missing element is the speaker which I plan to change over to the Celestian Creamback with a bit better bass response. The Jensen Neo gets overwhelmed at volume in the lower frequencies! You hit all the highlights of the Blonde over the Black TM!
Whatever the line out is going to you can adjust at the board to your liking. The fact is that it is very usable, unlike many other line outs. Mic’d sounds better but frankly in a live band setting, it ain’t going to matter.
I'm excited about this amp. But Fender needs to improve the line out. It sounded noticeably more synthetic and sterile. Mics definitely sounded bigger, warmer, more natural.
I understand there are several different firmwares you can use on the Deluxe Reverb Tone Master? Depending on your actual requirements in regards to reverb adjustments, etc...?
Wish they weren’t so dang expensive. You can buy a Bugera tube amp for $300 that’s not going to sound far off. Or a Positive Grid Spark for $230 for a good sounding versatile practice amp. Fender could probably sell these at a $500 price point and still make good money. It does sound good in these demos though.
Respectfully, those amps aren't close. I've been hearing of reliability issues - beyond the norm - with the PGs. They are indeed expensive, but in Fender's defense (and I rag on them a lot), a lot of R&D went into the Tonemasters. Also they're less expensive than the RIs, and mind you, the Tonemasters aren't based on RIs, they're based on actual examples of vintage pieces. I had a Super Reverb RI and thought it fell pretty far short of my drip edge SR. Partly due to the age of the speakers no doubt, but still fell short. So really, it's valid to compare the Tonemasters to the real thing, yet it's got all the advantages discussed here. Given that, I personally think it's a fair price. I've had 2+ (whenever they were released) years of trouble-free service with the Tonemaster DR. The firmware update took it to the next level. I've got several awesome tube amps, but it's the power scaling that's invaluable to me, on an almost daily basis.
@@mikec3454 Throw a premium speaker in a Bugera & you’ve got a premium sounding amp that sounds no different than most amps 3x the cost. There’s a video on RUclips by an experienced guy in the music biz who demonstrates this. Sure, you’re not going to achieve the Fender tone per se, but my point is that Fender charges far too much for many of their products, despite shoddy production, quality control issues, non premium components, & awful customer support. Maybe my opinion on the Tone Masters will change if I hear one in person, but from what I’ve heard in video demos hasn’t impressed me all that much.
@fender should have added the MIDDLE EQ + a headphone connection + a send return FX loop ... This comment is valid for the Tone Master Princeton Reverb + the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb both the black one and the blonde one ... Wake up @fender we all waiting for this in the Tone Master series ... And by the way when will be the '68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb Tone Master be added to the list?
yes, if you enable the power switch but not the "standby" or mute switch, the light on the front will glow orange and the speaker in the amp will not be enabled but the signal will still be going out of the DI out on the back of the amp. Learned this yesterday and it's changed the game for me. Depending on your interface, you could have some latency-free night jamming and not wake anybody up! Same goes for the regular black silver face model of this amp as well.
@@coolcoolbye1 wow thanks! How do you like the DI tones through the interface? Thanks so much for the help. I’m using Amplitube 5 for home recordings and it’s great. But always nice to have another option
@@benjamingilmore825 The tones are pretty solid on any of the settings, so I've been quite satisfied on that that front. I record straight into an outboard mixer and eq and compress from there which makes the biggest difference imo.
Great video. Hey, you three sounded fantastic! Terrific dynamics, great feel! Your bass player is pretty darn good! Loving the dangling tag look as well. :) So that beautiful tone was simply straight into the amp??? That sounded amazing.
with the deluxe tone master on the 22 watt setting at volume 5, you'll still hear the breakup from the tube overdrive emulation, but anything under that at any power level will be relatively quite clean. If you crank the volume to 10, it will be breakup city at any power level. 22 watts at 10 volume is enough to deafen you fr
Sounds amazing and less weight is a huge plus but... it's still a no for me. The problem I have with Digital/Analog amps is that they are always and will continue improving/playing catch-up. You'll buy one today and tomorrow to borrow your words, will "keep evolving" and a better version will be available. And they might get 99.99% there tonewise one day, if they already haven't... but for a lot of people that .01% still counts. Tube amps got it right in the 50's and never had a need to really improve.
@@richjohn2497 Andre has a point there. They try to sound the amp like a tube amp and ' they keep evolving ' : wat's that saying to you? But they sound o.k.
The “tube snob” has entered the chat lol. I’d love to see you do a blindfold test and pick the tube Deluxe Reverb out of the pact. I used to own the Deluxe Reverb reissue and I’m thinking of selling my Blues Junior to to fund the Tone Master version. I can’t be bothered with the maintenance of tubes, weight, and volume of the 22-watts. Fender needs to put attenuators on all of their tube amps to make them versatile.
The fact that the line out sounds dramatically less good than the speaker this has put me off getting the amp. I read on reviews about how good the line out is. I guess not. Surely my Joyo American Sound sounds better than the line out on the tonemaster
the line out sound seems to be of higher fidelity to me. This gives you more wiggle room when it comes to recording/mixing/mastering as you've retained 100% of the signal instead of like 85-90% through micing up the amp. Literally throw a low pass filter on the track you're recording to and put the filter almost all of the way up and it'll sound the same.
That intro bass riff was pure man.
I have a black DRTM and have done the free download which brings the amp up to the Blonde specs with bright cap delete, Reverb wider control spread, etc. The missing element is the speaker which I plan to change over to the Celestian Creamback with a bit better bass response. The Jensen Neo gets overwhelmed at volume in the lower frequencies! You hit all the highlights of the Blonde over the Black TM!
Whatever the line out is going to you can adjust at the board to your liking. The fact is that it is very usable, unlike many other line outs.
Mic’d sounds better but frankly in a live band setting, it ain’t going to matter.
Yep
Would have liked to have heard if there's any difference in crunch/overdrive maxing out the volume with the blonde versus the black face.
I am really considering the blonde twin as next amp. Been using a Fender 212R forever as my go to stage amp.
Lots of update mods on Fender website. Good thing is you can revert back to original firmware anytime via USB
The amps are cool, but can we talk about that sexy bass intro?
Wish people would talk about the twin version, thats the one Im interested in
Perhaps that will come soon ;) :) Out of interest, why do you want that one?
@@GakCoUk no special reason, just preference
zoboomafoob I’ve got the twin blonde and I think it’s amazing.
I'm excited about this amp. But Fender needs to improve the line out.
It sounded noticeably more synthetic and sterile. Mics definitely sounded bigger, warmer, more natural.
I have the tonemaster in black and wish they could release a software update for the reverb and IR changes.
@ghost mall Recently purchased the black version as the blonde version is hard to find. Will a new black have the software update? How can I tell?
@@dale5497they’ve updated the firmware so the black should have fixed the IR and reverb problems
WOW the line out sounds nothing like the microphones, but it always has an acoustic quality to it and I kind a like it.😳😳😳
nice demo !
Fender released firmware updates, also for the black version. With the bright cap removed and the reverb mod.
jips123 💯
I understand there are several different firmwares you can use on the Deluxe Reverb Tone Master? Depending on your actual requirements in regards to reverb adjustments, etc...?
Wish they weren’t so dang expensive. You can buy a Bugera tube amp for $300 that’s not going to sound far off. Or a Positive Grid Spark for $230 for a good sounding versatile practice amp. Fender could probably sell these at a $500 price point and still make good money. It does sound good in these demos though.
It doesn't make sense from a financial standpoint, but it'd be great if they were less expensive
Respectfully, those amps aren't close. I've been hearing of reliability issues - beyond the norm - with the PGs.
They are indeed expensive, but in Fender's defense (and I rag on them a lot), a lot of R&D went into the Tonemasters. Also they're less expensive than the RIs, and mind you, the Tonemasters aren't based on RIs, they're based on actual examples of vintage pieces. I had a Super Reverb RI and thought it fell pretty far short of my drip edge SR. Partly due to the age of the speakers no doubt, but still fell short.
So really, it's valid to compare the Tonemasters to the real thing, yet it's got all the advantages discussed here. Given that, I personally think it's a fair price.
I've had 2+ (whenever they were released) years of trouble-free service with the Tonemaster DR. The firmware update took it to the next level.
I've got several awesome tube amps, but it's the power scaling that's invaluable to me, on an almost daily basis.
Lol… saying a Bugera sounds like a Deluxe Reverb. Keep telling yourself that .. 😂
Think about how expensive the _tube version_ is, when you factor in all the maintenance and repairs you're going to have to pay (and wait) for.
@@mikec3454 Throw a premium speaker in a Bugera & you’ve got a premium sounding amp that sounds no different than most amps 3x the cost. There’s a video on RUclips by an experienced guy in the music biz who demonstrates this.
Sure, you’re not going to achieve the Fender tone per se, but my point is that Fender charges far too much for many of their products, despite shoddy production, quality control issues, non premium components, & awful customer support.
Maybe my opinion on the Tone Masters will change if I hear one in person, but from what I’ve heard in video demos hasn’t impressed me all that much.
"Get your filthy shoes off my couch dammit." --_-- Seriously, great vibe guys
@fender should have added the MIDDLE EQ + a headphone connection + a send return FX loop ... This comment is valid for the Tone Master Princeton Reverb + the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb both the black one and the blonde one ... Wake up @fender we all waiting for this in the Tone Master series ... And by the way when will be the '68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb Tone Master be added to the list?
Great review
Nice tone on that amp.
Microphones = sounds great, like listening to the real amp😀😁👍❤️! Line out = sounds ok, but more like software simulation🥱😐.....
Artamus Sumatra to be fair, the IRs Fender use are an SM57 and a 421, so it’s not an apples for apples comparison.
Can you record silently at home? Ie use the line out and cab sim to your interface but mute the amp’s speaker?
yes, if you enable the power switch but not the "standby" or mute switch, the light on the front will glow orange and the speaker in the amp will not be enabled but the signal will still be going out of the DI out on the back of the amp. Learned this yesterday and it's changed the game for me. Depending on your interface, you could have some latency-free night jamming and not wake anybody up! Same goes for the regular black silver face model of this amp as well.
@@coolcoolbye1 wow thanks! How do you like the DI tones through the interface? Thanks so much for the help. I’m using Amplitube 5 for home recordings and it’s great. But always nice to have another option
@@benjamingilmore825 The tones are pretty solid on any of the settings, so I've been quite satisfied on that that front. I record straight into an outboard mixer and eq and compress from there which makes the biggest difference imo.
7:14 Who plays that last note! haha love it sweet jam!
Because you asked: I enjoyed the video, thanks. No link to the Bass in the description :-)
Correction made
Great video. Hey, you three sounded fantastic! Terrific dynamics, great feel! Your bass player is pretty darn good! Loving the dangling tag look as well. :)
So that beautiful tone was simply straight into the amp??? That sounded amazing.
Does the amp stay clean when the power switch is turned down and the amp volume is cranked?
Nope. They get break up when you crank the volume. Attenuator engaged or not.
The twin stays cleaner when turning up. Still breaks up though.
with the deluxe tone master on the 22 watt setting at volume 5, you'll still hear the breakup from the tube overdrive emulation, but anything under that at any power level will be relatively quite clean. If you crank the volume to 10, it will be breakup city at any power level. 22 watts at 10 volume is enough to deafen you fr
Quality of life feature 😂
So which version is best for distortion, fuzz and overdrive pedals ??
blonde deluxe reverb twim is nice for keeping them cleans
Marshall DSL40, seriously if that is what your after.
So can the amp be used as a monitor when using the line out to the house PA.? Or does the amp mute when using line out?
no, so you can technically use it as a wet/dry rig or stereo using the di out
Almost $1k? That’s a lotta coin for an all solid state amp.
It would have been nice had you cranked it up and really heavied it up. I’m not a jazz guy.
I am interested in string set up on the guitar to evaluate amp. They sound like an 11 of some kind. I do not think they are 10's.
Sounds amazing and less weight is a huge plus but... it's still a no for me. The problem I have with Digital/Analog amps is that they are always and will continue improving/playing catch-up. You'll buy one today and tomorrow to borrow your words, will "keep evolving" and a better version will be available. And they might get 99.99% there tonewise one day, if they already haven't... but for a lot of people that .01% still counts. Tube amps got it right in the 50's and never had a need to really improve.
You're living in the past man! .... ;)
Holy shit talk about living in the paat
@@richjohn2497 Andre has a point there. They try to sound the amp like a tube amp and ' they keep evolving ' : wat's that saying to you?
But they sound o.k.
The “tube snob” has entered the chat lol. I’d love to see you do a blindfold test and pick the tube Deluxe Reverb out of the pact. I used to own the Deluxe Reverb reissue and I’m thinking of selling my Blues Junior to to fund the Tone Master version. I can’t be bothered with the maintenance of tubes, weight, and volume of the 22-watts. Fender needs to put attenuators on all of their tube amps to make them versatile.
Line Out was wayyyyyy worse.
The fact that the line out sounds dramatically less good than the speaker this has put me off getting the amp. I read on reviews about how good the line out is. I guess not. Surely my Joyo American Sound sounds better than the line out on the tonemaster
the line out sound seems to be of higher fidelity to me. This gives you more wiggle room when it comes to recording/mixing/mastering as you've retained 100% of the signal instead of like 85-90% through micing up the amp. Literally throw a low pass filter on the track you're recording to and put the filter almost all of the way up and it'll sound the same.
Well the line out is a waste
Nah not for me...ya im a snob...no other reason
What is the difference between the Normal and Vibrato channels, other than the latter has vibrato and reverb?