Did a gig with my Blonde version this week.. big venue with big PA, and miked up with a Sennheiser e906- best sound I've had for years. Great amps for gigging, and easy to carry!
Great 1 year review. I have an original with the reverb and no brite cap update. I also put a celestion creamback in it. I love it and it sounds great. The thing I'm hearing on RUclips is they'll all self destruct at 2 years and a day. Or get rid of it before the warranty runs out. Listen I'm not worried about it. When it quits it quits. If I can't get it fixed oh well. We buy phones for 1k plus that'll need traded-in 2yrs later. Think about it. Thanks again and good job.
Initially I found this amp too fizzy and thin on the top end but after running the 'Blonde' upgrade it became a LOT warmer and the reverb is now more usable as it starts from 'not too much'. You might want to check out the Blonde upgrade (you can always revert back to the original version it you're not happy). This is now my main combo amp even though I have a Fender HDR. Cheers from Finland :-)
I owned the TM Deluxe Reverb when it first came out but could not live with it. Why? Because they modeled the Vibrato channel with the original bright cap! Could not get pedals to play well with it so I sold it. Two years later I decided to try the Blonde edition and it's a keeper! Completely different experience. I've got my Deluxe Reverb clean spank back and dirt pedals sound great. I'm sold.
I've had my Twin Tone Master for just over a year now and it is everything I had hoped it would be. Sounds great live, sounds great DI'd and is very good at taking pedals. And it is as light as you say it is. Almost can't believe how light it is. :)
I own both a ToneMaster Deluxe Reverb and a Twin, love em both and find them very gig worthy about a year later. I never thought about keys and digital piano and found your review on that very interesting. Thanks for posting
hows the twin vs the deluxe. trying to chose between them. was going to buy the Yamaha thr30 amp but think this is a better choice for me to move around and play with
I'm one of those "home studio guys". I love my TM Deluxe and use a combination of the direct out and the speaker when I play. I take the direct out into a UA Apollo, running some cool plugins on my Mac, the L/R audio out fed into a pair of studio monitors. This combination sounds amazing! Plus the fact that I can attenuate the speaker to a comfortable level and still get all the crunch I need is absolutely priceless. BTW, great video. Like I'm standing in the room with you listening to you tell me about it. Nice, relaxed pace without a bunch of editing. Great job.
cool review. I agree- the TM's are great. I have the twin, and im so glad I have it. made my multi effects units stop giving me headaches abd just sound right. its like a miracle worker. i run amp models on top of the twin (running straight into the vibrato front input, with no cab emulation from the multifx) and its works great too. plus it looks like a fender, feels like a fender, acts like a fender, so thank god it just works and works great.
Thanks Gary ! I have one in Blonde that sounds great in my opinion. I also have a 1974 Pro Reverb without master volume so I can compare them. The reverb on Blonde TM Deluxe works like on my 1974 PR. I like it. It's not too much as on the black one. Love the looks and the light weight. I gigged with it this year and have no reason to complain. Greetings from Hamburg Germany !
Thanks, that’s helpful! Around a year ago, I did a two+ month deep dive both online, and in-store about the ToneMasters. I finally drew my own conclusion, that, for MY (no one else’s) winding-down gig career, and old-guy noisy shoulder joints, the TM was/is a fine solution. As a bit of a ‘high- clean headroom’ guy, relying on my tasty pedals to add flavors & grits, I tilted towards & bought The Twin TM. I’m SUPER happy with the tones & sounds it makes, but find the 34 or-so, pound weight, to even still be a bit of a pain. As I do less gigs in this era of covid, my eye has been wandering back to the TM Deluxe for it’s much lighter carry, to and from my music buddies’ garages/back yards. You have fired-up, maybe my final G.A.S. amp trade to the Deluxe? (Oh, but outdoors at a big bar-b-cue, that Twin can FILL the air!!!)
You want to turn your Tone Master into a Super Tone Master...? Put the Fender MTG Tube Distortion Pedal in front of it. It gives it that warm-tube feeling & sound that fills the room just like tube amps do. Very low gain / high volume settings to keep it clean. Up the gain lower the volume to get tube break up / dirty / distortion. HIgh mids if you want that sound. It is basically now your pre-amp, a tube one. Fender should make this pedal mandatory with each amp, it is THAT good of a combination.
I'm a big fan of my Tone Master Super. My favourite thing about the Super is something that often gets ignored when people talk about them: 10" speakers. I find the range of frequencies produced by 10" speakers better suited to band-scenarios than those produced by 12" speakers. It stays out of the way of the bassist and cuts a through the mix a bit better without being tinny like 8"s
I bought a TM Twin three months ago and I love it. I've had tubes before and I will again. This amp is a keeper. Thanks for your review. I really enjoyed the talk for a change rather than just playing the amp.
Aren't you worried the amp will break in like 6 or 7 years or before? After all it is a digital amp. If it breaks can it be repaired like a normal solid state amp? Probably, but it will break the bank. I love to have an amp like this, but I'm worried about it lets me down and will become landfill, and the price is way too high for that.
@@freddysnip6257 Good Day. I also have bought the 65' Reissue Super Reverb Amp, with tubes. So now I have both. Not concerned about the Twin failing at all. Most everything today is digital/solid state in the "Sound Industry". My Dennon AV amp is 14 years old and continues to function as new. The price on the Twin IMO is OK and it's an excellent amp. No tubes on the 2 Voyager Space Craft either. I wouldn't worry. Best Regards.
I love my two TM Deluxe Reverbs! I don’t care that they do not sound exactly like my Deluxe Reverb from the 60’s. Close enough and it’s very important to me that they only weigh 23 pounds! I plug in my Fulltone OCD when I want a high gain sound.
Hi Marc ! It's Richard O'Donnell from Edinburgh, Scotland - the guy who ran 230V through 110V leslie motors !!!! I was looking at buying a new Fender amp recently and couldn't decide "on paper" between a Vibrochamp Reverb (with real valves), or perhaps a real-valves Princeton, or maybe a Tonemaster - Princeton or Deluxe Reverb. My local shop only had a Vibrochamp Reverb to try out. Seems very few Tonemaster amps around, in UK guitar shops I loved the Vibrochamp Reverb so much though that I just went ahead and bought it ! Couldn't go home without it ! I used to have an original Vibrochamp (Silverface model, v similar-looking to the new reissue) - but it got stolen about 37yrs ago. The wee 8" speaker couldn't handle my cheap ES-335 copy's humbuckers anyway. The reissue just stole my heart ! Anyway, I may still go for a Tonemaster - and your video just tipped me over the edge, I think ! Thanks !! All the best, Marc !
I bought a TM Twin for gigging and it really turned out to be perfect for that. The power scaling, tilt back legs, and XLR speaker-emulated out make it really quick to set up at any gig, and it sounds like a Fender with my guitar. Now I keep my tube amps at home for recording, though I've gotten some good results tracking with the TM Twin. I also swapped out one of the speakers for Weber-designed alnico, so now I have two speakers to choose from when recording.
I bought one, a blonde, shortly after they were released. Versatile, great sounding and LIGHT. After a year, I started struggling getting the tone I used to get at the settings I was used to. I did an A/B test at my usual guitar store, my amp against a brand new blonde. My amp was lower, with more bottom and mid. After a year of playing, the speaker had gotten so broken in that it significantly changed the tone profile. I'm a jazzer, mostly, so that's fine. But it was very instructive.
I just gigged with mine for the first time Saturday using the DI/IR. I turned off the speaker as we use IEMs but the FOH sound was killer. Glad I made the purchase.
Never got on with this amp. It definitely has that sound, for the most part. But it doesn't have the feel or 3D warmth of my DRRI. Now, the Tonemaster Twin, on the other hand. Wow. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference much at all with most Twins. I don't know why anyone wouldn't just get the twin version of these amps over the others. Yeah it weighs more, but it's still fairly light and sounds massive, even at 1 freaking watt.
I have had my blonde deluxe reverb for over a year now, and I still love it. I do not gig, it is just for home use, so the attenuator is a perfect solution for me. I do worry about the longevity of the electronics, but so far so good. I love the sound and you make some excellent points.
I'm worried about the longevity of the electronics as well, that is what's keeping me from buying it, but i defo would like to try one. So how is it going one year later? Still working perfectly? The forecast is it will break down after like 6 or 7 years. ( I read in forums)
@@freddysnip6257 I sold it for financial reasons, but I did still worry about the electronics... I never had a problem with it in the time I had it, though, and it sounded great.
I'm definitely interested in one of these Tone Masters. Either this one or the Princeton. Too bad there's no FX loop. I'm hoping they'll make that update by the time I want to buy one.
This the first review I’ve seen that’d make me consider buying this amp. The last thing I’d want is an exact digital copy of this classic fart machine. Seems to be correcting what was wrong with the tube DR.
I had a 60’s dlx. I swear it never sounded the same ever time I turned it on. That said it had to be rebiased often. The tech that kept it running for me said basically the cbs era dlx’s where often like that. I sold it for happy$$ and just went to modelers. I do mostly studio work/and writing and it’s not uncommon for to spend 50 + hours a week with a guitar stuck to my hand. The old tube amps are just too high maintenance for that kind of use, never mind the raw volume.
All solid state amps including digital are linear amplification systems. They have some advantages but there is one thing they cannot do namely the physical properties of the whole valve circuit and its interaction w a speaker. We are talking like a series of interconnected 'springs' in which various harmonics, bias, frequency response and volume leads to a very unlinear system. A solid state amp will react very linear and is therefor very controllable. It can be great and ive played quite a few including Tonemasters. I also very much liked the more straightforward Quilters. But..yes, there is always a but..when i try to get to the 'juicy' part of an SS amp they always seem to fall short of the bouncy, springy (sorry about the adjectives) interaction between amp and speaker. Some will say that is bollocks. Some will say: put an OD in front. But no, that does not make up for it. And it is not just about frequency spectrum. There is something lacking. To me. To you the difference might be small. That's ok but don't try to sell me the idea they are the same. Yes, the TM DR is much lighter. But a normal DR is not that heavy to begin with. If weight is an issue and a TM is more convenient, go for it. I use SS amps from time to time. But mostly Ill stick w valves..
I get what you're saying, but I disagree. I've been down the modeling and SS amps, etc., but after 2-3 yrs now, I have learned of how to best use mine. It's so organic to me that I almost find myself 'warming up' my TM because I'm so convinced that it is what it looks it *is - a great SOUNDING TUBE AMP. I JUST remind myself to not slam the input with a fat setting on a pedal. There's no need to. Just dial back the voltage and drive the amp harder, you'll get the same effect. I've got my actual '67 Super Reverb drip edge that's superb. I would fancy a rig with my Leslie (Vibratone) being powered by a DR TM HEAD, then just my regular Super Reverb for my core amp. And then my fantasy gig would be those amps along with my JTM45 half-stack. Sumptuous! Anyway, the Tonemaster is idling as this very second. It gets worked many hours per day for three years with w/ nary so much as a niccup.
The only valid comparison, IMHO, would be to put the vintage 65 BFDR next to the Tonemaster and have a double-blind listening test. My two cents: I have a 65 BFDRRI and a 1972 SFDR. Love them, but at my age (74) lugging them to a gig is problematic, I have heard the Tonemaster and would be just fine using it at a gig, and saving the toll on my old back. 99.9% of your audience isn't going to notice the difference anyway.
I just wish Fender would have added a mid tone control on their Tone Master series amps when they designed them. And I think offering a 1X15 speaker option would have been great for fans of 15" JBLs (or?).
Super video explaining real-world benefits. I guess from a non-pro POV, being someone who might occasionally transport this type of thing I still like the basic idea. However, I am put off by the two-year warranty on what is, as much as anything, a pricey enough computer that should be taken as uneconomic to repair beyond that warranty. I kind of look at the price and think that's effectively an awfully expensive 24-month rental agreement for my usage case scenario. Time will tell how things really stand up but for now that's the way I feel I have to look at it...JMO!
As the need to repair them comes up, we'll know more. We haven't repaired these yet, but had to repair a Rumble (which works on the same principle of digital modeling and class D, and the repair was due to neglect. We were able to repair the power input jack. The only things that can't be repaired are two chips, the rest of the insides are kind of standard.
Do SS amps really crap the bed often?? I've had a Roland Cube 80 for 12 yrs without a single hiccup, no tube change, bias etc.. Not a penny in maintenance.. I also love a good tube amp, but the future certainly is in SS/digital...
Get a Milkman 100 or a SMS Classic Tube Preamp. I wont touch these amps as theres parts that will indeed become impossible to find for it eventually. The price is too high for these things. The Milkman i have is the size of a pedal and uses a 12ax7 preamp tube. Has reverb and Boost and all the controls youd expect and it has cab sim and DI out on it. $700. Plug it into any speakers you want. Weighs as much as a pedal. Sms Classic Tube Preamp is a Twin reverb preamp in a rack case. I can get a cranked Twin tone at ANY volume. This can be found for about $729 new or $500ish used. This uses 2 x 12ax7 preamps and i run it into a ART SLA-1 Power amp that goes into my 2x12 cab with JBL e120s in it. I toured with two Twins for 20 years, i dont miss them at all. With all the products out there, Fender puts this out ? THeres so much more they could of done with these. Also the quality of parts in the Milkman and SMS is top tier and the Fender.... not so much. I am an amp tech and i keep getting paid in my job because of how shitty Fenders products are reliability wise. That should be enough to look elsewhere than these Tonemasters.
The cabinet must also be built like a tank even if light; as it took your weighty arm and all those expressive enthusiastic slaps without falling apart! 🙂 I'm normally a tube fan but you make a case for this amp! Interesting review!
it was pricey for me too, but totally worth it. im finally done screwing around with "kinda, almost..." after years and years and just have a great amp
I loved mine. One day last year a red flashing light came on near the firmware input connection. It never worked again. The shop returned my money. It was just two years old. Very very disappointing. Questions about long term reliability stop me buying another.
I love my tone master twin, though I have come to realise that the attack and the way that feels under you fingers is kind of compressed and 2 dimensional on the tone master amps compared to an equivalent fender tube amp which has kind of 3 dimensional feeling when plucking with fingers or a pick.. and that dynamic feeling that a tube amp has in the attack (digging in) dynamic is directly connected to that warm fuzzy heart feeling you get when playing soulfully.. It's not quite there in the tone masters but I reckon they (fender) may get it in a few years.. or maybe its impossible in a solid state.. Do you know what I mean?
Ive left a comment earlier on about this. All SS amps try to emulate the sound of a valve amp. But, they are not the same. They are linear amps as opposed to non linear valve amps. The whole system reacts differently.
Thanks guys I found one about a month ago and demoed the blonde against the black. The blonde sounds fucking phenomenal. If you don’t have one definitely should pick one up. It’s an awesome amp
@@GarysGuitarsUSA Term for surfy sounding reverb. It refers to that slappy "drippy" response from a reverb turned way up. Typical of vintage Fender amps with spring reverb.
@@josephhein9497 The current version has the most historically accurate reverb. However the year one amps can be "flashed" with an update to give the revised reverb.
@@xb5883 That’s on you, I stated what I don’t like about it, and I’ll say it again, an actual spring tank would have been nice, whatever other problems you have is on you.
Did a gig with my Blonde version this week.. big venue with big PA, and miked up with a Sennheiser e906- best sound I've had for years. Great amps for gigging, and easy to carry!
I love my Blonde TM ....killer dynamic Fender sound.
Great 1 year review. I have an original with the reverb and no brite cap update. I also put a celestion creamback in it. I love it and it sounds great. The thing I'm hearing on RUclips is they'll all self destruct at 2 years and a day. Or get rid of it before the warranty runs out. Listen I'm not worried about it. When it quits it quits. If I can't get it fixed oh well. We buy phones for 1k plus that'll need traded-in 2yrs later. Think about it. Thanks again and good job.
Initially I found this amp too fizzy and thin on the top end but after running the 'Blonde' upgrade it became a LOT warmer and the reverb is now more usable as it starts from 'not too much'. You might want to check out the Blonde upgrade (you can always revert back to the original version it you're not happy). This is now my main combo amp even though I have a Fender HDR. Cheers from Finland :-)
I owned the TM Deluxe Reverb when it first came out but could not live with it. Why? Because they modeled the Vibrato channel with the original bright cap! Could not get pedals to play well with it so I sold it. Two years later I decided to try the Blonde edition and it's a keeper! Completely different experience. I've got my Deluxe Reverb clean spank back and dirt pedals sound great. I'm sold.
Suuri Kiitos Jarmolle
I've had my Twin Tone Master for just over a year now and it is everything I had hoped it would be. Sounds great live, sounds great DI'd and is very good at taking pedals. And it is as light as you say it is. Almost can't believe how light it is. :)
I own both a ToneMaster Deluxe Reverb and a Twin, love em both and find them very gig worthy about a year later. I never thought about keys and digital piano and found your review on that very interesting. Thanks for posting
hows the twin vs the deluxe. trying to chose between them. was going to buy the Yamaha thr30 amp but think this is a better choice for me to move around and play with
I'm one of those "home studio guys". I love my TM Deluxe and use a combination of the direct out and the speaker when I play. I take the direct out into a UA Apollo, running some cool plugins on my Mac, the L/R audio out fed into a pair of studio monitors. This combination sounds amazing! Plus the fact that I can attenuate the speaker to a comfortable level and still get all the crunch I need is absolutely priceless. BTW, great video. Like I'm standing in the room with you listening to you tell me about it. Nice, relaxed pace without a bunch of editing. Great job.
cool review. I agree- the TM's are great. I have the twin, and im so glad I have it. made my multi effects units stop giving me headaches abd just sound right. its like a miracle worker. i run amp models on top of the twin (running straight into the vibrato front input, with no cab emulation from the multifx) and its works great too. plus it looks like a fender, feels like a fender, acts like a fender, so thank god it just works and works great.
Thanks Gary ! I have one in Blonde that sounds great in my opinion. I also have a 1974 Pro Reverb without master volume so I can compare them. The reverb on Blonde TM Deluxe works like on my 1974 PR. I like it. It's not too much as on the black one. Love the looks and the light weight. I gigged with it this year and have no reason to complain. Greetings from Hamburg Germany !
Thanks, that’s helpful!
Around a year ago, I did a two+ month deep dive both online, and in-store about the ToneMasters. I finally drew my own conclusion, that, for MY (no one else’s) winding-down gig career, and old-guy noisy shoulder joints, the TM was/is a fine solution. As a bit of a ‘high- clean headroom’ guy, relying on my tasty pedals to add flavors & grits, I tilted towards & bought The Twin TM. I’m SUPER happy with the tones & sounds it makes, but find the 34 or-so, pound weight, to even still be a bit of a pain. As I do less gigs in this era of covid, my eye has been wandering back to the TM Deluxe for it’s much lighter carry, to and from my music buddies’ garages/back yards.
You have fired-up, maybe my final G.A.S. amp trade to the Deluxe?
(Oh, but outdoors at a big bar-b-cue, that Twin can FILL the air!!!)
You want to turn your Tone Master into a Super Tone Master...?
Put the Fender MTG Tube Distortion Pedal in front of it.
It gives it that warm-tube feeling & sound that fills the room just like tube amps do.
Very low gain / high volume settings to keep it clean.
Up the gain lower the volume to get tube break up / dirty / distortion.
HIgh mids if you want that sound.
It is basically now your pre-amp, a tube one.
Fender should make this pedal mandatory with each amp, it is THAT good of a combination.
@@TurboMountTV BUT..is this the end of the all tube amp? we have heard this before and tubes are still here..
I'm a big fan of my Tone Master Super. My favourite thing about the Super is something that often gets ignored when people talk about them: 10" speakers. I find the range of frequencies produced by 10" speakers better suited to band-scenarios than those produced by 12" speakers. It stays out of the way of the bassist and cuts a through the mix a bit better without being tinny like 8"s
I bought a TM Twin three months ago and I love it. I've had tubes before and I will again. This amp is a keeper. Thanks for your review. I really enjoyed the talk for a change rather than just playing the amp.
Aren't you worried the amp will break in like 6 or 7 years or before? After all it is a digital amp. If it breaks can it be repaired like a normal solid state amp? Probably, but it will break the bank. I love to have an amp like this, but I'm worried about it lets me down and will become landfill, and the price is way too high for that.
@@freddysnip6257 Good Day. I also have bought the 65' Reissue Super Reverb Amp, with tubes. So now I have both. Not concerned about the Twin failing at all. Most everything today is digital/solid state in the "Sound Industry". My Dennon AV amp is 14 years old and continues to function as new. The price on the Twin IMO is OK and it's an excellent amp. No tubes on the 2 Voyager Space Craft either. I wouldn't worry. Best Regards.
I love my two TM Deluxe Reverbs! I don’t care that they do not sound exactly like my Deluxe Reverb from the 60’s. Close enough and it’s very important to me that they only weigh 23 pounds! I plug in my Fulltone OCD when I want a high gain sound.
One year with my Tonemaster Deluxe. Love it so much, and it gigs like no other. Contemplating buying the other models.
Thank you for doing this video. I appreciate you sharing your seasoned insights on this amp.
Hi Marc ! It's Richard O'Donnell from Edinburgh, Scotland - the guy who ran 230V through 110V leslie motors !!!!
I was looking at buying a new Fender amp recently and couldn't decide "on paper" between a Vibrochamp Reverb (with real valves), or perhaps a real-valves Princeton, or maybe a Tonemaster - Princeton or Deluxe Reverb.
My local shop only had a Vibrochamp Reverb to try out. Seems very few Tonemaster amps around, in UK guitar shops
I loved the Vibrochamp Reverb so much though that I just went ahead and bought it ! Couldn't go home without it !
I used to have an original Vibrochamp (Silverface model, v similar-looking to the new reissue) - but it got stolen about 37yrs ago. The wee 8" speaker couldn't handle my cheap ES-335 copy's humbuckers anyway. The reissue just stole my heart !
Anyway, I may still go for a Tonemaster - and your video just tipped me over the edge, I think ! Thanks !!
All the best, Marc !
I bought a TM Twin for gigging and it really turned out to be perfect for that. The power scaling, tilt back legs, and XLR speaker-emulated out make it really quick to set up at any gig, and it sounds like a Fender with my guitar. Now I keep my tube amps at home for recording, though I've gotten some good results tracking with the TM Twin. I also swapped out one of the speakers for Weber-designed alnico, so now I have two speakers to choose from when recording.
good to hear you still love it after a year of gigs. Thanks.
I bought one, a blonde, shortly after they were released. Versatile, great sounding and LIGHT.
After a year, I started struggling getting the tone I used to get at the settings I was used to. I did an A/B test at my usual guitar store, my amp against a brand new blonde. My amp was lower, with more bottom and mid.
After a year of playing, the speaker had gotten so broken in that it significantly changed the tone profile. I'm a jazzer, mostly, so that's fine. But it was very instructive.
I am glad to hear this because I am getting one of these soon! thank you
I have the Princeton version-outstanding amp and the only non tube amp I have.
Still love my blonde Tone Master Duluxe Reverb!
I just gigged with mine for the first time Saturday using the DI/IR. I turned off the speaker as we use IEMs but the FOH sound was killer. Glad I made the purchase.
Never got on with this amp. It definitely has that sound, for the most part. But it doesn't have the feel or 3D warmth of my DRRI. Now, the Tonemaster Twin, on the other hand. Wow. I wouldn't be able to tell the difference much at all with most Twins. I don't know why anyone wouldn't just get the twin version of these amps over the others. Yeah it weighs more, but it's still fairly light and sounds massive, even at 1 freaking watt.
A good real review
I have had my blonde deluxe reverb for over a year now, and I still love it. I do not gig, it is just for home use, so the attenuator is a perfect solution for me. I do worry about the longevity of the electronics, but so far so good. I love the sound and you make some excellent points.
I'm worried about the longevity of the electronics as well, that is what's keeping me from buying it, but i defo would like to try one. So how is it going one year later? Still working perfectly? The forecast is it will break down after like 6 or 7 years. ( I read in forums)
@@freddysnip6257 I sold it for financial reasons, but I did still worry about the electronics... I never had a problem with it in the time I had it, though, and it sounded great.
I'm definitely interested in one of these Tone Masters. Either this one or the Princeton. Too bad there's no FX loop. I'm hoping they'll make that update by the time I want to buy one.
This the first review I’ve seen that’d make me consider buying this amp. The last thing I’d want is an exact digital copy of this classic fart machine. Seems to be correcting what was wrong with the tube DR.
I have this amp and it’s great.
I had a 60’s dlx. I swear it never sounded the same ever time I turned it on.
That said it had to be rebiased often.
The tech that kept it running for me said basically the cbs era dlx’s where often like that.
I sold it for happy$$ and just went to modelers.
I do mostly studio work/and writing and it’s not uncommon for to spend 50 + hours a week with a guitar stuck to my hand.
The old tube amps are just too high maintenance for that kind of use, never mind the raw volume.
Thanks for the info!! Appreciate your honest take 👍🏽
All solid state amps including digital are linear amplification systems. They have some advantages but there is one thing they cannot do namely the physical properties of the whole valve circuit and its interaction w a speaker. We are talking like a series of interconnected 'springs' in which various harmonics, bias, frequency response and volume leads to a very unlinear system.
A solid state amp will react very linear and is therefor very controllable. It can be great and ive played quite a few including Tonemasters. I also very much liked the more straightforward Quilters.
But..yes, there is always a but..when i try to get to the 'juicy' part of an SS amp they always seem to fall short of the bouncy, springy (sorry about the adjectives) interaction between amp and speaker.
Some will say that is bollocks. Some will say: put an OD in front. But no, that does not make up for it. And it is not just about frequency spectrum. There is something lacking. To me. To you the difference might be small. That's ok but don't try to sell me the idea they are the same.
Yes, the TM DR is much lighter. But a normal DR is not that heavy to begin with. If weight is an issue and a TM is more convenient, go for it. I use SS amps from time to time. But mostly Ill stick w valves..
I get what you're saying, but I disagree. I've been down the modeling and SS amps, etc., but after 2-3 yrs now, I have learned of how to best use mine. It's so organic to me that I almost find myself 'warming up' my TM because I'm so convinced that it is what it looks it *is - a great SOUNDING TUBE AMP. I JUST remind myself to not slam the input with a fat setting on a pedal. There's no need to. Just dial back the voltage and drive the amp harder, you'll get the same effect. I've got my actual '67 Super Reverb drip edge that's superb. I would fancy a rig with my Leslie (Vibratone) being powered by a DR TM HEAD, then just my regular Super Reverb for my core amp. And then my fantasy gig would be those amps along with my JTM45 half-stack. Sumptuous!
Anyway, the Tonemaster is idling as this very second. It gets worked many hours per day for three years with w/ nary so much as a niccup.
Great feedback - Kudos!
The only valid comparison, IMHO, would be to put the vintage 65 BFDR next to the Tonemaster and have a double-blind listening test. My two cents: I have a 65 BFDRRI and a 1972 SFDR. Love them, but at my age (74) lugging them to a gig is problematic, I have heard the Tonemaster and would be just fine using it at a gig, and saving the toll on my old back. 99.9% of your audience isn't going to notice the difference anyway.
Great update!
I just wish Fender would have added a mid tone control on their Tone Master series amps when they designed them. And I think offering a 1X15 speaker option would have been great for fans of 15" JBLs (or?).
Super video explaining real-world benefits. I guess from a non-pro POV, being someone who might occasionally transport this type of thing I still like the basic idea. However, I am put off by the two-year warranty on what is, as much as anything, a pricey enough computer that should be taken as uneconomic to repair beyond that warranty. I kind of look at the price and think that's effectively an awfully expensive 24-month rental agreement for my usage case scenario. Time will tell how things really stand up but for now that's the way I feel I have to look at it...JMO!
As the need to repair them comes up, we'll know more. We haven't repaired these yet, but had to repair a Rumble (which works on the same principle of digital modeling and class D, and the repair was due to neglect. We were able to repair the power input jack. The only things that can't be repaired are two chips, the rest of the insides are kind of standard.
Do SS amps really crap the bed often?? I've had a Roland Cube 80 for 12 yrs without a single hiccup, no tube change, bias etc.. Not a penny in maintenance.. I also love a good tube amp, but the future certainly is in SS/digital...
I wondered the same seeing all the concern on longevity. I've been in and out of several ss amps, but not because they died..
Hi Gary. Thanks for a helpful perspective. I'll bet that half the weight of that amp is the speaker magnet. lol
Food for thought, thanks
Great vid! I love mine too!
Nice video. Did you put pedals through it? If so, any suggestions on how best to use them and what pedals you like?
Great video. Thanks 😊
If the guys who make Deluxe Reverbs name it a Deluxe Reverb, then it's a Deluxe Reverb.
Get a Milkman 100 or a SMS Classic Tube Preamp. I wont touch these amps as theres parts that will indeed become impossible to find for it eventually. The price is too high for these things. The Milkman i have is the size of a pedal and uses a 12ax7 preamp tube. Has reverb and Boost and all the controls youd expect and it has cab sim and DI out on it. $700. Plug it into any speakers you want. Weighs as much as a pedal.
Sms Classic Tube Preamp is a Twin reverb preamp in a rack case. I can get a cranked Twin tone at ANY volume. This can be found for about $729 new or $500ish used. This uses 2 x 12ax7 preamps and i run it into a ART SLA-1 Power amp that goes into my 2x12 cab with JBL e120s in it.
I toured with two Twins for 20 years, i dont miss them at all. With all the products out there, Fender puts this out ? THeres so much more they could of done with these. Also the quality of parts in the Milkman and SMS is top tier and the Fender.... not so much. I am an amp tech and i keep getting paid in my job because of how shitty Fenders products are reliability wise. That should be enough to look elsewhere than these Tonemasters.
Great video , thanks !
Any opinions on how Quilter Aviator Cub compares to TMDR? I’m trying to decide.. thanks !
The cabinet must also be built like a tank even if light; as it took your weighty arm and all those expressive enthusiastic slaps without falling apart! 🙂 I'm normally a tube fan but you make a case for this amp! Interesting review!
Cool! I want the twin but can't really justify it.
they are a lot of money considering what they are... but you can only get a Fender from Fender.
it was pricey for me too, but totally worth it. im finally done screwing around with "kinda, almost..." after years and years and just have a great amp
I loved mine. One day last year a red flashing light came on near the firmware input connection. It never worked again. The shop returned my money. It was just two years old. Very very disappointing. Questions about long term reliability stop me buying another.
Thanks for the info
I like mine!
I love my tone master twin, though I have come to realise that the attack and the way that feels under you fingers is kind of compressed and 2 dimensional on the tone master amps compared to an equivalent fender tube amp which has kind of 3 dimensional feeling when plucking with fingers or a pick.. and that dynamic feeling that a tube amp has in the attack (digging in) dynamic is directly connected to that warm fuzzy heart feeling you get when playing soulfully.. It's not quite there in the tone masters but I reckon they (fender) may get it in a few years.. or maybe its impossible in a solid state.. Do you know what I mean?
Ive left a comment earlier on about this. All SS amps try to emulate the sound of a valve amp. But, they are not the same. They are linear amps as opposed to non linear valve amps. The whole system reacts differently.
My only concern is the longevity..
What is the difference between the blonde and the black amp
I was told by a customer that there was a different speaker in the blond.. but according to the official specs they're the same.
What he said ^ also I believe the blonde comes with an updated firmware from the box, an update which the black can also get
blonde has a Creamback,Black has a Jenson
Thanks guys I found one about a month ago and demoed the blonde against the black. The blonde sounds fucking phenomenal. If you don’t have one definitely should pick one up. It’s an awesome amp
@@wierdlygruesome thanks for your advice
I just need to know which version has the best drip.
Drip?
@@GarysGuitarsUSA Term for surfy sounding reverb. It refers to that slappy "drippy" response from a reverb turned way up. Typical of vintage Fender amps with spring reverb.
@@josephhein9497 The current version has the most historically accurate reverb. However the year one amps can be "flashed" with an update to give the revised reverb.
"How it's not like a Deluxe Reverb".
Price, to begin with. 💰🤔
That amp is 23 pounds . My 60s D.R. with a Jensen is 38 pounds . Buy a hand truck .
no thanks, i'll stick with my tubes.
Yabba-dabba-doo!!!
You explain too much and we take your word how about playing it to see exactly what you are saying
There are A LOT of other videos out there that play through this amp. This video is a review, not a demo. It says it in the title.
Why am I having this "John Goodman reviewing his amp" vibe here... 🤔
So what you're saying is I look like a movie star?
@@GarysGuitarsUSA
Yes, given that John Goodman is one. 🤔
@@GarysGuitarsUSA You’re hired!
Its still a phony amp, no matter how much anybody likes it's sound..You sense it when playing it..get real.
About the only thing I don’t like about tonemasters is the lack of an actual spring tank, I think they missed the mark on that.
What about the tube tremolo or the gain? Why would the reverb be the only thing they missed? Makes no sense
@@xb5883 That’s on you, I stated what I don’t like about it, and I’ll say it again, an actual spring tank would have been nice, whatever other problems you have is on you.