As well as a guitar addict I have been a professional photographer and the discussions surrounding these tone master amps reminds me of the flying opinions about digital photography. The film purists opined long and hard about organic image purity in the same way tube purists defend the tonal integrity of valve amps. Today, the image quality of digital cameras so far surpasses anything film could ever produce it’s mind boggling what ones and zeros do. I suspect the same will happen with amps over time. There are still people who shoot film but it is rare and harder to get processed. Some films cannot be developed anywhere any more. There may come a day when tube amps are similarly relegated to the musical equivalent of “art” photography an the advances in technology become more widely accepted as the quality grows and surpasses the old mechanisms. That Frank Gambale and John McLaughlin uses a Mac laptop
Continuing… that frank Gambale and McLoughlin are using modeling amps is indicative of something in the water. That said, there will always be room in this man’s heart for a les paul through a Marshall.
YES. I was shooting expired ektachrome for years and sending it through FRI up by Canada. Even double sided 16 and some 8mm as well. I love film but yes, with enough interest and investment this tech will surpass tubes. Sooner than we realize. There will always be those that prefer a dark room and a 55mm lense on an old Srt101 but shooting DSLR and not sweating the roll is very liberating.
As a musician who also used to to a lot of photography back in the analog days, your comment made me think. I think one thing is that when photography was transitioning to digital, you had the big companies immediately diving in to the new tech and that probably helped advance it rather quickly. The big thing though, is that a digital camera was still a hardware SLR unit. The physical aspect was unchanged; it was just a matter of time for the pixel count to increase enough to start outperforming film. With the digital amp technology, it started with what I would call half assed attempts. Those early line 6 amps and such where the selling point was having different amp sounds all in one amp (and none of them sounding particularly *good*), rather than the way Fender is just focusing on making each amp emulate one thing - one specific amp from their history. The Tone Master idea reminds me more of when cameras made the switch and it was just suddenly like, the Canon in your hand just seems like a Canon camera always did, except for the medium it uses. In the guitar world, the big difference is that all the most serious focus on the digital amp modelling tech has occurred in software that requires you now connecting your instrument to a computer. For some people, such as myself, that’s one of the most unappealing aspects of it. If they had just focused from the beginning on making Good Hardware digital amps (like what happened in the camera industry), I think they would have progressed more quickly and gotten more acceptance by us old school guitarists. I think the Tone Masters are a step in the right direction, but I admit I’m still distrustful of the tech. I know that my 50+ year old tube amps will be able to be maintained and kept running indefinitely, and even my old analog solid state amps, which have never needed a lick of maintenance in their 30+ years, may conceivably have many many more years left in them as well before any catastrophic failure. Judging by the lifespan of computers, I just don’t know about the digital amps. I don’t want the norm to become buying a $1000 - $1500 amplifier every decade because you had to scrap the old one like you have to with computers/laptops/phones.
@@darwinsaye You make some excellent points. When I was shooting professionally the rate of obsolescence was 18 months which meant - because I used 3 top of the line Nikons - roughly $15,000 every 2 years to stay on the leading edge of technology as that’s what my work demanded. So, I get the concern with obsolescence. I do think, however, over time as the technology evolves it will become more prominent. Even Mike Stern in a recent interview - a rig rundown I think- was talking about using Roland Blues Cubes in the studio on his next recordings. For myself, I am a long way from giving up my Mesa Mark V, unless to trade up to a Mark vii…
Well done. Best review of any new amp I have seen and listened to. I own a 1972 Silverface Twin, very early master volume. It has formed my tonal fingerprint with guitar. It has also given me a hernia and a permanent back problem, and moderate tinnitus because in the 90s I defeated the preamp volume and simply turned up to get the sound I wanted. It has never failed me onstage since 1989 when I bought it, beat up as hell for a steal. I’ve rehoused it into a Bandmaster style head and cabinet, and had to have the reverb fixed once. Now it lives in a treasured spot under the stairs and never gets used, while I’ve bought five other amps since as alternatives to that sound, or to cover that sound. But it remains my benchmark. So, all in all I’ve spent around between eight or nine times the initial outlay on that amp trying to solve its two serious flaw (for me); its weight and its loudness. If I bought a new Tonemaster every five years on average for the next twenty years I would still be better off than I have been for the last twenty years on balance. I do have the advantage that I know what I want from an amp. That’s the real issue for most buyers…they’re second guessing their ongoing satisfaction and worrying about greener grass tomorrow. Every product claims to have longevity, but even those old Fender tube amps were not designed or built with much more than ten years of service in mind. I might just “defeat” the guitarist software in my head that buys into all the talk and just go back to buying something that helps me sound like me. A really helpful review.😊
Firstly, thank you greatly! And yes! That was exactly my sentiment. I'm arthritic. Likely a gift due to my early start and relatively unlearned method of playing in its beginnings and the weight change will literally extend my playing likely by a decade. In my book, that's a winning pick! Thanks for watching!
Excellent video. I have never owned a tube amplifier. A while ago, I bought the tone master deluxe reverb blonde. I needed the attenuation as my current living situation does not really allow loud volumes. Very quickly I fell in love with it. I suppose somewhere in the back of my mind I knew it had possible future implications, when the motherboard fails or whatever. But I am having so much damn fun playing the amp that I don’t really care. So far I have had exactly zero issues with it, but if and when it ever goes, I might even be tempted to just buy another one. It is that good.
Enjoy your amp! People are too concerned about the possibility of the amp failing. If we worry about that then we would all still be watching black and white tube tv sets.
After over 50 years of playing professionally thru Fender Tube amps, I tried several Tone Master Deluxe Reverbs side by side (we live & perform on the road in our travel trailer), I decided to buy one. I did try a couple of other amps first, a Quilter and a new Supro, but they just couldn't give me the tone I wanted. I watched many video reviews, several of which, like yours, panned them as being unreliable, without any evidence. Fact is, Class D amplification has proven to be EXTREMELY reliable. It's in all out phones, computers, and tons of other devices. Have you ever heard anyone say their phone sound failed? No? Thought so. We can also say that new cars are unreliable because we can't set the points or timing by hand, but these days, it's very rare to find new cars that just quit running. I now have two years (on the road) and fifty or sixty shows on it, and it sounds perfect, with no issues, and I fully expect that it will keep it up for the next twenty years at least, without ever having a tube crap out on stage, or losing my reverb in the middle of a show, or having solder joints break on tube sockets, etc... No, the local electronics guy can't work on it, but the cool part is, it won't need anything!!!
Firstly, good evening... When you mentioned "Have you ever heard anyone say their phone sound failed? No? Thought so." Not to be contrary but yes. It happens. A coworker of mine last week said the audio driver on her device failed. Wouldn't ring or play music. Nothing. My last LGv20 lost its sound after a drop. Things get dropped. That aside, I agree fully. In my review I merely pose a question and with the data I have I think "what would Cronkite feel comfortable with?" I give both sides. It's not for me to decide. Truthfully the Tonemaster will eventually be featured again as a follow up and if things continue the way they are going, they'll need to start expanding the Tonemaster Line. I've been beating this thing for months and it is perfect in all settings. You're right. This is where amps are going.
@@breilly66 Make All of them..Fender Nirvana for me is my 70's silver face vibrolux. my 60's Twin. PERIOD! lol.... I agree the bandmaster pristine clean ...again...All of them!
The failure rate of a processor or memory chip is minuscule compared to the failure rate of tubes. Computers rarely fail due to the CPU or memory chip itself failing, they fail because a moving part wears out or the item is dropped and the circuit board breaks - and that can happen with any modern 'reissue' Fender tube amp.
This is true, but I can replace failed tubes. Fender will eventually discontinue the DSP boards for these and they’ll be unobtainable if they fail. My Super Champ XD is a paper-weight for that very reason.
I bought a mint/used blonde Tone Master. Previously I bought an EVH 5150, a Katana Gen3, a Catalyst, and a Line 6. This is my favorite. You plug in and it delivers a beautiful tone. Period. Will I pass this down to my heirs? Probably not. So let’s enjoy it while we are still here on earth. Nothing last forever. It never did.
I am utterly blown away by this amp. Started with Marshalls, managed a music store for years so I've tried everything, personally I switched to Fender amps years back. This amp blows my mind; it takes pedals like nothing I've had. It's so light, it's loud, its clean - hard to believe how good this thing is. I started with the reverb model and switched to the Twin for the dual speakers and I wanted the mid control as my Nashville tele can get nasally in the bridge pick up at times. But it sounds amazing with my Les Paul too. I'm sold; I'll never go back.
Seriously. I was playing through it on day one and my girlfriend was like "You're smiling. You're keeping that." I was having issues with playing in loud groups. My 40 watt 2x10 couldn't keep up. This checks all the boxes and sounds excellent. Takes nuanced playing too. I love that I can adjust the volume in the most minute amount. Versus is leaping over the desired volume. Funny thing is, now I want the Super.
@@breilly66 the tube version, the '68 reverb model, has nine tubes under the chassis which creates a lot of heat and will need more TLC. importantly, the tube version does not have power scaling..
As I understand it based on techs who have looked at these amps, a competent tech could repair this amp for most issues with the exception of issues with the processor. Many of the components are typical solid state amp components. The problem is we can only hope that Fender continues to support the processors in these amps for years to come. They have a track record of discontinuing tech like this. However it seems like they are committed to the product line since they are continuing to release new models after over 5 years since the first product was released. I have the Blonde ToneMaster Deluxe Reverb and I love it.
@@breilly66 I guess. I feel people's concerns about reliability bu we also have lots of old digital units that are easily hitting 50 years like old Alesis rack reverb units, arcades and whatnot. I know those techs weren't sophisticated as TMs' but I don't think these fender amps are susceptible as regular laptop/computer we heavily stress every day. Given the fact that we still have decades old working digital tech we at least know that the physical components can potentially stand the tests of time, somewhat
We talk about being afraid that the amp could fail in time and not be repairable. If we worry about this don't you think we should be more worried about the fact that any one of us could give out at any time and not be repairable. So don't worry about the amp, it could last longer than some of us.
I am considering getting a Tone MASTER twin. But, I don’t understand why it needs firmware upgrades. Either the amp sounds great or it doesn’t. The last thing I need is another computer that needs upgrades every time I turn around.
I getcha. As far as I'm aware, the firmware is for the Tonemaster Pro modeling platform. These are plug and play. At least I've never needed to update anything.
I gig with the deluxe reverb TM it’s the best amp I’ve ever owned. I used a HR deluxe for 20 years and a boss Katana which is a great little amp but the TM deluxe is amazing.
This was a very great review/discussion, I was most intrigued by your point of the fact that we try to emulate the shortcomings of tube amps. Would love to see more content from you!
Only 2 things to add. First, as far as circuit boards go, many solid state amps from the 70’s and 80’s are still going. Printed circuit boards in them all. Which brings my second point that even the tube versions of these amps have had printed circuit boards for decades now. PCBs are not really repairable, just replaceable.
PCB’s are repairable, as long as they use standard components and you know how to handle a soldering iron. These things are more computer like, using processors, software and propietary components which make them way more complex, more prone to failure and virtually unrepairable as components are simply not available… These beasts you can not compare to a solid state amp from the eighties… Time will tell how long these will last and how for long Fender will support these…
Crap! I knew I missed something! Well..... I'll say this. Fuzz pedals and overdrives are welcome. However it gets a bit tingy at the extreme high frequency with a few different reverbs and delays. Good catch Dan!
Thanks for this review. I like the way you played different tones and pedals. Like you said most reviews are clean tones. I appreciate it as a guitar player who plays stoner rock through a Twin.
I had a 65 reissue black face loved the amp traded it after having put new tubes in to fix the problem for one hour and then the power transformer went so as a disabled veteran who also can’t lift much due to injuries I decided to buy the blonde twin at first when I brought it home I wasn’t very confident at what I heard using pedals compared to hearing it at the store but now those Celestion neocreambacks are the best speakers I’ve ever played through I’m happy with with my decision!
Yup! I've broken my hand a few times and thenweight difference was how I came to know about these. But now that I've had it out, I love it. Cheers for watching Paul and thank you for your service. 🙏
For the room.. I had a JC-120(a gift) for years but it had some different speakers in it that really cut through the high end. I'm a R&B who uses pedals infant when soloing. I now have another JC-120 and this one has the stock Roland speakers in it. Not loving it. I was thinking of making a speaker change..maybe to these cream speakers but I'd love to hear from the room as to what I possibly should be looking at. Thanks everybody.
Good Day. Fender/Sweetwater is out of the pedal presently, so I haven't received mine yet. I'm sure that I'll like it. I did decided to go with the Jensen speakers. Love the amp. I'll give you a shout after they ship the pedal to me. Thanks again for all of your help.
P.S. Fender and Sweetwater are both out of the MTG TUBE DISTORTION PEDAL so I ordered one from Amazon. I think it's great. I'm also considering making my Tone Master twin a "hybrid" like you have done by changeing out one Jensen 12" speaker with a Celestion G12 Neo Creamback speaker to warm up the sound a bit. Thanks again and Best Regards to You.
who knows....Fender might revive those "solid-state" amps that used to be in the back of the '68 catalog ( I think) that really didn't sell nearly as well as the tube versions. They had that big silver face-plate and the big knurled knobs, if you remember. Regarding maintenance, It might take a little time and enough people using them to see what kind of a track record they develop as far as reliability (both on and off-stage) goes.
I'm only about 3 minutes in, but I'm kind of getting the idea that a lot of people aren't using this amplifier right. It seems like at lower volumes the tone master amps are anemic; hence why it has the faux attenuation. I'm assuming that for some reason or another, they couldn't get it *exactly* the same, so this was the "patch." There's currently one of these used for a killer price near me, and I think I'm going to pull the trigger on it. And as I'm writing this, you're kind of backing up my thinking
I’ve been a valve man for 30 years. Lost touch with solid state. Prior to valves I loved my Roland Jazz chorus 120. In retrospect I often think - maybe I should have stuck with it!! It was reliable, light, and had a great tone. So my naive question if someone would like to help me understand is: Is this new digital circuitry the same as my solid state Roland jazz ch 120? Or is it a new kind of beast that is essentially an amp simulator?
It's a different beast definitely. But not a bad one in any respect. I was actually just using one of the JC55s (or is it jc50?) Last month and the two have a similar low end grunt that meets a bass really well. Service is still an issue (when it happens) but in all honesty, after a year of kicking this thing around.... best deal I've had in a while. Reliable and versatile in a way amps have yet to regularly master.
@@breilly66 thanks so much for your speedy reply! My audience sadly often wait weeks for me to reply! I could take a leaf from your book on this one! Thank you! So yea. Back to the amp. There’s one for sale near where I live ($750 USA dollars). It’s the blonde one. And after your review I may just pick it up. I’ve been using my fender blues deluxe. But it does too mushy to soon into a set! So I’m thinking the tone master will be more consistent and clean (like my old jc120 was - which I still have btw!! But I dropped it 20 years ago and smoke started coming from it during a gig. And it has a slight buzz lol. So I retired it.
@SDAQ&A - Official RU-vid Channel Happy to help! And yea I heard you there about keeping up on comments. We're all just hitting different focuses at different times. :) 750!? That's a great deal especially for the blonde! And yes, I had the blues deluxe and I couldn't break through the mix. It was killing me I couldn't hear what was working and not on parts. Went to this? Years of struggle, gone. And at 33 pound! I'd love to tout the nobility of carrying a heavy amp, but I wonder how many of us could play longer, more dynamically, well into 100 years old if we weren't icing our hands and wrists? This thing hits all the points in such a way, that it exists almost as an avatar. A feather light box devoid of transformers and massive magnets. Which in ten years will directly interface wirelessly to a transmit-jack. Cables will go. Fascinating stuff, if not sometimes lacking in the charm of a tired 12ax7. Lightweight is good for hands/wrists/backs. It sounds great, it cuts through and the step wattage is worth every single penny. :)
Great points about the value of analog tech in creativity and innovation. I live in a condo, so no loud playing here. I looked into the Tone Master, but for all of the reasons you mentioned, I went with a 65 Princeton Reverb RI instead and I couldn’t be happier. Besides the repairability and creativity afforded by tube amps, there’s just something about the sound and smell of the tubes that makes me nostalgic for a time when I wasn’t even born yet. Yes, I’m aware of how strange an argument that is! 🤣
Not strange at all! Core memories start in the tactile sense of the complete experience. The snap of the power switch on the 65 says alot. And when it all shakes out those tubes at high volume are unbeatable.
I had one of those TMTRs, but eventually sold it- nice amp but as a Twin user for decades, it just lacked some kind of mid-high information to my ears. The Roland Blues Cube series sound so much more tube like.
Why does everybody seem to have worry so much about amp failures that so far have NEVER HAPPENED! When you worry about stuff, only 2 things can happen: 1.) The things that you worried about don’t ever happen, in which case all of your worrying was for nothing…and 2.) The things that you worried about actually happen, in which case all of your worrying was for nothing. I bought a Tone Master Twin Blonde, and it has the most lush and beautiful tone I have ever heard in over 55 years of playing guitar. If anything ever goes wrong with this amp, I will simply deal with it. Dealing with it will probably involve using a phone or pad that cost way more than this big, powerful, gorgeous amp!
Yes! As was said once by Wei Boyang... "To worry is preposterous. We know not enough to worry." Admittedly, the reliability is a discussion strictly as a devils advocate. The quickest way to convince those who are a little less likely to trust the tech, is to just bring all the possibilities to light. In all honesty, it's a great amp and is where the tech is going.
Saw Steve Winwood awhile back, his guitar player, Jose Neto, was using what Im pretty sure was a Kemper on stage and some wild looking guitar that I’m not familiar with. He sounded great so if this newer technology is good for him I thought why not. Photography, vinyl records all lost out to newer technology and I’m an old timer, 67, that has built a few hand wired amps and i’m loving this technology
I have an old school tube twin and when I went to help a buddy and carry out his tonemaster twin from church I almost hit myself in the chin with it when I picked it up! The weight certainly is impressive…
Lots of good down to earth observations, I like the style of your reviews, as well as the occasional linguistic stylings :) I wanted to love one of these but decided my Katana 100 did everything this does, with more options at 1/3 the price, though YRMV.
I’m seriously thinking about getting one of these. At nearly 60 years old I’m not interested in lugging around a 90lb amp. I’m mostly concerned about the price point vs its longevity. A $1,000 investment isn’t something I want to make if it is likely to crap out on me. On the up side the band I play with doesn’t play out a lot. Thanks for a great review!!
One other question, since you are the only person to answer my previous question successfully. If you pay a premium price for "Hand Wired" amplifiers, then how are all the other amplifiers put together? AND Why aren't there any Videos or Information showing this being done? It would be very informative and interesting to know and see. Thanks Again and Best Regards.
Hand wired or "point to point" refers to the lack of a pcb or printed circuit board. Although these days I wonder if they still go so far. To be honest, most of the pricey amps touting hardwired are so close to the standards, that I couldn't justify the extra payout. The hardwired ac30 and the ac30c2 for instance are so close, I'd rather keep the extra grand. As far as a lack of online media, I'd wager they didn't want to show how similar production is. When they say hand wired, it's sometimes like when Starbucks says "fresh baked" Hope that clears it a bit!
@@breilly66 Once again. Thank You. Fender is so proud to show the "hand wiring" that they do, but sad that they don't show the "standard" practice of doing the wiring.
It's fair to ask, but I don't think a lot of these concerns are really something to worry about. I don't know if these amps will be worth handing down over generations, but I wouldn't expect it to break nearly as often as tube amps. Printed circuit boards aren't a problem, they're in all modern production tube amps and have been in use generally for about 50 years.. If I had to guess, I suspect most of these will run without service for 25 to 30 years. If there are electrolytic caps inside, they will need to be replaced around that time, but there wouldn't be many, and no large power filter caps. So, it might be worth it. If it gets dropped it will probably work, if it gets dropped very badly, and the circuit board breaks, then the board will be replaced, probably not nearly as expensive as a new transformer for a tube amp. If you're gigging a tube amp you may have to replace tubes every 6 months to a year, maybe two. Over 20 years, your total cost of ownership would be much lower with the Tonemaster even if you scrap it after that, - not that I'm in favor of disposability.. If you don't gig your amp, and don't play it much, any given tube might last 10 or 20 or 30 years, or it might fail in 6 months, who knows? In a sense, tube amps last forever because you essentially rebuild them. But that's not free, it's expensive and increasing. Some early cheap modeling amps gave the genre a bad name, but they didn't fall short because they were modeling amps, or digital, or had circuit boards, but because they were cheap and crappy. Most of them probably still run, but people moved on because they weren't very good. If these are built with care, they'll last. If not maybe not. First thing to fail will probably be jacks, but that will also happen to your Blues Junior or DSL 40, etc. Especially if you gig, I'd expect far fewer gig-night sudden failures over a decade or two with a Tonemaster. I love tube amps, and glowing tubes, but they are a PITA, and will become more so. If your gigs are of life and death strategic importance, and you need something absolutely indestructible, get a Quilter. - They're a good value for money. They also sound pretty damn good.
Truth. Honestly? This amp is fantastic. And they need to expand this ideology to the remainder of their line. From a production standpoint, the cabinet exactness would incur minimal cost differentiation as well. In the vid I only mean to address both polarized perspectives. Modernists who will follow function and purists who maintain its sense of lineage and the comfort of its cultural implication. Barring few cases, there is at least some good in all things of an expressive nature. I was totally a purist for years and now I'm using the Tonemaster at home with my Bassman just sitting there. Also.... totally the Jacks. I never could figure why Fender would decide to mount the jack with 6 micro pins with no flex relief. I've retrofitted so many switchcrafts into Blues Deluxes I may as well work in Fullerton.
Great Vid. I really appreciate your opinion on this amp. Interesting take. Also great playing! I own this amp, and I just love it. I live in a suburban street and I play daily. I know my neighbours well, and they are happy for me to make 20-30mins of noise per day as they have their own noisy hobbies, which we all tolerate as long as within reasonable hours. So I generally noodle with this amp on 10 volume in the 2nd lowest power setting, in stereo with a VOX AC 10 at full volume. That is fairly loud for home playing. Certainly the windows shake, but wow! what a sound! I do wonder how long this amp will last, and if it does fail it will have little re sale value. If it were to fail, I would convert it into a speaker cab. I have the same concerns about the Vox AC 10, it has limited serviceability also as it is mostly PCB. Have you had any experience with the Deluxe Reverb versions? I am assuming very similar, just earlier break up.
Firstly thank you for such kind comments! 🙏 You know what? I have been hammering this thing for a few months now and it has been fantastic. Reliable as well. I haven't played the deluxe but I did briefly play the Super Reverb. I fully intend on buying the SR and making it the go to. The 10s have a nice tight mid level attack that counters a dark mix well. I love the twin for jazz, blues with a Gibson or country. But with a more contemporary style the super is happier in the land of Ziggy Stardust and his Spiders.
I had one. They sound like the real deal but the feeling you get playing a valve amp, is not there at all. Ultimately what made me move it on though was the 2 year warranty. After 2 years if it fails you have an expensive cabinet. If they were cheaper to buy it wouldn’t matter as much.
Great review man, I got a lot out of it and it has helped me decide to buy one, but some of the sentiment is a bit meh - the prevailing attitude of snobbish collector-isms that pervade any hobby. Most other creative endeavours and industries embraced new technology as valid and relevant, alongside the traditional and older technology, decades ago. For some reason guitarists struggle with this. I sometimes think the fashionable obsession with tube amp tone is actually robbing players of the satisfaction of just playing the guitar. It's seems like more than anything it's just a philosophical argument about some sense of authenticity. If you don't play a tube amp you're somehow less of a guitarist because you mustn't understand 'tone'. Or you're a wasteful millennial because you can't repair it yourself for the next 50 years. Of all these people who swear by tube amps saying the difference is night and day, and that repairability is so important to them, I bet 99% couldn't tell the difference in a song mix, and at least half of them bought their tube amps 20 years ago when they cost nothing, and then bemoan the cost of these things in comparison while totally ignoring the reality of economics over time. But I thought the video was great, thank you :)
Absolutely Doc. Agree with it on the whole. It's true alot of the "purists" bash on the new. But they forget that even their tube amps were once the new thing. Glad you dug the vid!
Firstly, thanks for watching and glad you dug it! I have had the good fortune to play the SRTM. And to be honest, as good as the twin is, I prefer the SR. It isn't as dark and loves p90s with a bit more mid punch. The difference in wattage is a non issue as I've only had the TR on the 5 watt setting for shows and it absolutely dominates in volume. Those were small grade festivals and venues.
@@breilly66 it seems like everyone prefers the TM Super as being the best of all the Tone Masters. The weight is a non-issue now with the TM's but the Super is still a large box. Was thinking the slightly smaller size of the Twin would be more convenient to throw in the car's boot. As I've always liked the Twin's clean glassy tone, I was thinking to maybe go with the TM Twin as a slightly more convenient alternative to the Super, despite the Super's great voicing. But, I think the Super is the way to go all things considered. Thanks again for the quick reply and thoughtful perspective brother
Best review by a mile!!! I'm not ready to sell my '89 The Twin, and don't think I ever will. The Tonemasters are too expensive and Fender doesn't have a great history of reliability, especially SS amps.
Cheers Pete! Yeah they're great but they'll be around and eventually prices will be more reasonable. And I wouldn't sell an 89 either. Those are tanks. And service is available. And funny enough one of the fb pages has a thread. Alot of the trtm are having issues with a hiss on the direct out. So holding off to be sure you get a model year thats been sorted with real world feedback is a good call. Thanks for tuning in P! 🙏
I spoke too soon perhaps in the comments saying it was at times philosophical. It really was a true inquiry. I am prepared to purchase one, a Twin Blonde. I currently own an Orange CR120 but I want more of the brighter clean tones. The Orange is quite dark/muddy when clean. Though it’s the best solid state amp I’ve ever played through. Any thoughts man?
I think you'll appreciate the twin. The clean tones are excellent and there is alot of variations even in just the cleans. Just a good lightly compressed signal. I like the CR120 but after playing out with the twin the last few months, best purchase in a while. Hands down.
I tried a deluxe at Sweetwater. Liked the amp overall, but even after turning the wattage to the lowest setting, it was still too loud for my apartment. That, and the price was enough to make me not buy it.
Yea.... it's def not perfect. And has a few long term shortcomings. It's a good step. But it's rough right now. No one has the same schedule, noise complaints are all hours now and if an HOA sees an amp they basically own your soul.
You want to turn a 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.
My take and I played one in a shop, is that as a gigging amp, with all the associated other noise going on, there’s probably no appreciable difference in tone. In fact, I used my Strymon Iridium recently, direct into our PA for a gig and was pleasantly surprised with the result compared to micing. That said, listening to just the amp in a quiet room, the tone does lack some of the clarity and harmonic overtones of a good tube amp. If these were about £ 300 cheaper here in the U.K. I would definitely buy one, but there are other cheaper options for gigging now, Helix, Iridium etc and you can get a pretty high end second hand tube amp off Reverb for the price of one of these. Per other comments, there is no doubt this is the way forward, but for me the tone isn’t quite there yet, but it’s getting pretty close.
Honestly, if I were rewriting this review I'd include this. I think people are too suspicious of these. The truth is that every amp will always be different. Atmospheric conditions, the room, the power source. But I'd bet good money says people blindfolded would have real trouble finding the modernist setup.
@@breilly66 I've heard black ones with new firmware and the Jensens seem to let it down but who knows. I know I'm happy with the blonde twin, I started with a hd500x and went to a full pedalboard into a HX Stomp for easy FOH access. This thing scratches my Amp itch in a way I'm familiar with. It's like it was made for me.
Bought one new. Loved playing it at home. In a band setting not so much. Traded for a hotrod deluxe with the Eminence governor. Wont buy solid state again.
One last question, then I'll just listen to your music. Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb witH Jensen or Blonde with Celestion G12 Neo Creamback speakers? Your thoughts. Yes a little more money for the Blonde but that's ok
I am curious though what you would recommend instead of one of these. For someone looking for a clean, loud pedal platform with an attenuator and or master volume it's hard to narrow down the options sometimes.
If I were hunting for the tried and true tube setup but was not concerned with weight? I'd start with either a bassman ten (vintage 4x10), a bandmaster or a twin with an aftermarket attenuator mounted in the cabinet. The bandmaster I used was a 66 with the 2x12 and a used one of the original marshall power brakes. No joke, best pedal platform I've ever played through and capable of exploding heads at 5. But I must admit, I can't say no to bandmasters.
Fender Mustang digital amps older series circa 2010 > 2017 are extremely reliable. I own two they sound great and work everry time. Also what came in mail looks way more fun than the amp! lol.. great video thanks for sharing!
So I've been pulling it around for about a month. Sessions rehearsals and shows. The allure with this is the versatility and it delivers. I've had overdrives through it. Delays and fuzz pedals as well. It takes the pedals very well but I did notice a lack of clarity with short (slap) delay. A bit of a let down as I favor that sound for recording. That said... worth every penny.
I’ve had the blonde TM Twin for a while. It takes pedals very well. This review doesn’t talk enough about the attenuation and IR for direct out to an interface or PA. That was a big selling point for me. Also, the upkeep on a tube amp can get ridiculous. If you’re a hobbyist I think this is a nice amp. If you’re a pro with a tech I would still use a tube amp.
That is an excellent question. It'll handle a slap delay, drives, octaves. However, this amp hates any reverb that is not it's own. Throws weird glitchy distortions over the high frequencies. :/ So not great for anyone in 80s new wave bands.
I'm that purest sitting here now, trying to decide, do i pull the trigger...I mean it's a battle, out in the gig shack...i have a 72, vibrolux, a reissues twin, sitting in the house in front of me a blues deluxe, i have a katana (not tube), i have a super champ xt, I love my tube tone..but like for many folks my twin never moves...it is too heavy..they all are too heavy besides the super champ...the katana well its not a tube amp...and while it's an ok amp..it's not a tube amp... I love my vibrolux but it never leaves the house too valuable to me it's a one owner gem...it for me is pure fender ...nirvana... so I'm hitting the reviews...i just wished my fender twin could have its tubes and weigh 40 pounds less... give tone master a shot? or not?
I'm in the same exact boat. Lots of amps I don't use due to the risk or heft. I say go for it. I've been using this for shows and sessions for months now and it absolutely nails all corners.
@@breilly66 Awesome!, soon after your reply I went ahead and ordered one from sweetwater...Hopefully there will be an atomic fireball in the candy package... Thank you for the reply and thanks for the Tubes... Liked and Sub'd
@@breilly66 Thank You very much! Amp is here now and it is actually too good to be true, I just can't believe how good this amp sounds...and feels... incredible Fender Feat! After years of good money after bad, looking for an option that wasn't a dolly queen. And the years of tube like claims...This is as close to my tubed twin as i could have ever imagined..
Lol from a BA in Philosophy I can say that this was definitely the most analytic and at times philosophical approach to the question posed. Well done brother.
Good review 😊. Subscribed now not sure about this one but i think everyone should have at least one Fender amp in their arsonal. They take pedals well. Take care 👋✌️🎸🎸
I have an assortment of fender tube amps. DR always one of my favorites. I just didn't believe a digital amp could ever emulate a Fender Reverb amp. I was wrong. The 4×10 is my choice but anything over this amp is more than I need. I think it's a difficult sale at this price vs a tube but dang it sounds great.
Absolutely. Funny enough I was just saying to someone that the only thing about the TR that I didn't like was that it wasn't the SR with 4 10s. Both are excellent but the SR just has that mid punch.
I got the tone master super reverb and I’m loving it. I don’t haul it around much but when I do im so conditioned to what the other weighs it surprises me every time i pick it up. My 2 time surgery back thanks me😀
I have the the twin version - I think its about 90% there. Now, im autistic and feel things. It's missing that rich cut through headroom - yes its still loud. I like it, but dont love it. Ill probably keep it!
Bought the Twin last year, have played it at indoor and outdoor shows, and it always delivers, and now tubes are gonna be impossible to find with the Russia crap LOL
I love this amp but I wish it had a headphone jack, and I wish it had a half watt option. The one watt option is fine for clean tones but to get this amp to break up like any fender tube amp, you’ve got a push it up around eight or nine, and even at one watt I’ve got my wife complaining in the next room. lol
There's good weight to both of these comments. Alot of this will depend on the socio-economic landscape of the next 15 years as many industries are under reinvention. There is a huge amount of technological watershed moments taking place right now.
@BReilly66 yes, but you should try the Deluxe Reverb Blonde version. Yes the Super Reverb is awesome, but there are many of us at home that want a smaller amp. Plus I'm up in age and a disabled veteran. So lighter is better. The Blonde is also different from the blackface due to better pedal handling and a Celestion speaker for mid range push. I don't see any problem with getting the Blonde Deluxe Reverb Tone master and the Super Reverb lol
@@christophervincent8420 Absolutely Chris. That was a huge draw for me. Just being able to load it without breaking my hand again. I don't need too many reasons to get a deluxe and you just gave me one more!
@BReilly66 thank you. If they can just vote the opposite they did this time, that would be thanks enough. Because we are in some serious trouble now with this turd.
As a bit of rant here, I am so fed up with the poor reliability of my Fender tube amps over the years - three Deluxe Reverbs, two Princeton Reverb, a Super Reverb, a Hot Rod Deluxe, two Blues Jr.'s, a Twin Reverb, and a Vibrolux Reverb. Every single one of them without exception has had either the reverb fail (not the tube), intermittent volume drops, excessive pop/hiss/crackle, power transformer failures and the obligatory tube failures. Enough already, and no, that's not just the way tube amps are. Newer re-isue Fender's in particular seem to be unreliable. I bought the Tone Master Twin and have never looked back. No failures, light as a feather, rock solid, and genuine Twin Reverb tone. Can't say I'm sad to see the demise of tube amps - good riddance! With the current technology today, getting actual "tube tone" is simply a non-issue. Kudos to Fender for pursuing and perfecting the Tone Master Series of amps. Happy camper now! 🙂
Agree. Year and a half in and my TR tonemaster is now irreplaceable. Fender thankfully is stepping in the right direction. Especially as I found every blues and hot rod deluxe had those frail plastic jacks. 2 of them. Because they knew damn well those were never session grade. I'm actually looking at the Super Reverb now for those 4 10s.
I’d add to the philosophy section of this review that fear of new product or ideas or tech isn’t what got music and art where it is today. Innovation did. It’s definitely ok to not mic up a stack of Marshall amps and go for broke on stage…but you are likely to be faced with an audience that isn’t from the 70’s and wonder why nobody wants your autograph. In the end, nobody is trying to get musicians to “give up” their tune amps. But manufacturers are trying to give musicians better alternatives so that they can make enjoyable music, live or recorded, in a modern setting. Now here’s Tom with the weather…
As to reliability: Every day, thru years we buy electronic products far more expensive than the TM without worrying about how long they last. People buy smartphones more expensive that they normally discard after a few years. So, is it a real concern or is it just to find a reason to worry or to make a “smart” comment? I just wonder....
It is a genuine concern (for me at least). Good point on the smartphone parallel. The only difference being, if a smartphone gives up it isn't a big deal. But if my amp goes at a show or on tour, that's way worse. Interesting point tho. I didn't even think of that. It's pretty shocking how much phones cost given the life expectation.
Circuit based power amps, the ones that power stadiums and arenas have been around for decades and btw amp repair folks have been working with circuit based amps, and repairing them for DECADES, the answer is YES your amp repair guy is quite capable of fixing your Tone Master, your Clock, your Computer, I was personally insulted by that, I’ve never met an amplifier repairist who was also not an electrical engineer , or dabbled in electrical engineering, gimme a break. Circuit boards have been around my entire life 53 years.
And I want to further explain . A Fender Authorized repair shop will have access to the diagnostic software. To diagnose a non functional Tone Master or any digital amp, you will use a computer and software. You run the software and 5 or 10 minutes later it tells you what is wrong. IF these amps fail and that is a BIG if, its going to be the power supply not the circuit board. I opened mine. It is a very simplistic circuit board and not at all as complicated as a tube amp which could take me days, weeks, months with a multimeter checking every connection and still never being quite sure, and there is the other kicker, soldering in diodes and capacitors on somebodies vintage amp…its not fun…or easy and guys like me don’t do it cheap. Swapping out a circuit board? That takes a couple hours tops. Guitar players are way behind the curve on technology because of the incessant cork sniffing. Nobody else in the band is reliant on tube amps and the only people who can hear it, are not in the audience unless your audience is nerdy prog rock bedroom guitarists. Pat Metheny is using Fractal ! That should say it all. Who in the hell can turn up a real Fender Twin anyways? Keith Richards? I don’t get too many guys like that in my shop. I would not fret so much about the technology, its not ‘new’ it lasts along time, enjoy it for what it is.
Anything is repairable with money or time. As I said in the video. The question was, in cases where replication requires consistency. The cost of repair > the cost to replace. Especially as the variations we had in output and voicing have mostly normalized within amp design. It is a question of repairing something that lacks the character of an amp that we've kicked around with for years. A disposable option? Or the inevitable future?
Because honestly, back to the amp... This is a step. Kinda feeling like we are the last generation that will view the amp as a necessity. Last 3 shows I played, they looked at the amp and ran a direct. The amp is becoming less of a source and more of an interface for the player.
Although the older point-to point wired amps were indeed quite heavy, they were way better than most any of the newer digital amps of today, both in reliability and sound.
And that's the catch. The utilitarianism of tube amps has spoiled us. Easy service, parts. If cars were as reliable and easy to work on as amps, you'd get an oil change every 20 years and could easily drive the same vehicle for 80 years. Which I think we will miss greatly sooner than later. But for me and my old injuries, 90 pounds is just too much for a steady session schedule and shows.
I made a reference to our cultural trajectory toward treating almost all things with a lack of permanent reverence. At a 1k dollar price point, I'm reluctant to resign it as disposable. Truth is, time will tell.
I love all the old luddites who are convinced it’s only going to last 2 years. Line 6 spiders and flex tones work fine after 15-20 years. What about TVs, microwaves, cameras, cars.. also Chevy 350 small blocks are crap. 70k and they needed a rebuild. Everyone harkens back to the good ol days where everything was “reliable and built well”.. rose colored glasses man.
I've done that. Romanticized the worn. Used to drive cars from the 60s as well. But those cars needed carb adjustments and would have killed me in an accident. However, the early line 6 spiders did have problems with jumpy adjustments that could change at any time and playability issues. It's not that something is unreliable. It's that people don't know that it isn't yet. For the record, been a year now using this at shows, sessions and recording studios. Daily. Never misses a beat.
Definitely not the best fender amp. Lol 90% of the people who are bragging on the tone master amps have never owned or been on stage and compared the tube vs TM side by side... there's definitely a difference.
There’s one problem that breaks the deal with me. They are unrepairable. If you have a problem, Fender sends out a new board or a new amp. Good news is the chassis, cabinet and speakers are the more expensive parts of a new tube amp build.
These aren't unique in terms of construction. Anyone experienced with any modeling amps can repair it. Also, with no moving parts and very low heat, it's very unlikely to need repair.
Except they kinda are. Mmmmmm.... Listen feller.... if all you're gonna do is sniff corks from a pop bottle, maybe head on over to a channel where they've got money and no inspiration. You'll fit right in. 👍
I owned one and it is alright at best. I liked, but did not love it. After a year, I returned it because the volume was intermittently cutting out and have no regrets. I initially traded it in for a Roland Jazz Chorus 120, which I hated. I currently have a dual amp system, a Heavily modified Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and a Roland Jazz Chorus 40. My tone is incomparable because I have the best of all possible worlds with a tube amp for headroom and solid state amp for clarity,. My rig is about as good as it gets and compares favorably with the best boutiqe amps made, like a Red Plate or Andrews Overdrive and is at least as good and quite possibly better. BTW, I have owned a real tube Fender Twin Reverb which is why I bought the Tonemaster and I can state without reservation, the Tonemaster is not as good.
I have no amp repairers left in my city or anywhere remotely close by. I love the sound of tube amps but without anyone left to service theses amps the tech simply became to unreliable. Theres nothing to suggest if looked after this tone master amps wont last a life time, should it die well its not a huge financial outlay & i can ride the wave of digital evolution. Reliability is key for me.
The repairability issue represents the blessing and curse of the modern digital era. Amazing when it works, but epic when it fails...... everything fails.
Great take! I love the thought about how guitar tone has been shaped by people pushing technology to the limit and then redesigning to push it even further. It’s funny how the quintessential sound most guitarist shoot for today is in a sense the failing point 75 years ago.
Your honestly is refreshing- just get to the point a little quicker and maybe let us hear it more. You like hearing yourself talk and go on these wordy side tracks that are distracting...otherwise, you had great info. to share. That tone at 7:30 sounded bad- not in a good way bad. Must have just been your mic. It can't sound that muddy- like a blown speaker bad.
Thank you for your contribution to the channel! However, I can do nothing to change this video or... who I am! As both have been kinda finalized. The video a year and a half ago, me 42 years ago. So, regrettably, it is what it is. Not a necessarily a guitar channel. More of a hang out with useful tips and fun stories for people who find guitars a preoccupation and want a chill vibe. Thank you again for tuning in and for adding a comment. It all helps with the YT algorithm. Even the condescension and judgement of a person you don't know! If you'd prefer a different delivery method, I suggest some of the more commercially significant and financially motivated channels. Cheers for watching and for appreciating my honesty. :)
@@breilly66 Your reply is oozing with distain. You are one of those smiling passive aggressive types. First of all, it was not you "42 years ago." Do you even read what you write. Real talk- do you do drugs? Me thinks oh yes. Maybe stop doing that. Also, don't indent on your paragraphs in YTbe. It's just weird. I was simply giving you some tips so you can improve your videos in the future. Clearly you would rather insult people who stop by. This video had about 3 minutes of valuable content and and ran a mind numbing 15 minutes. No disrespect to you, but keeping things real, you are not that entertaining, nor are your comments so mesmerizing that anyone would want to sit through 12 minutes of fluff. At least you have a healthy ego my friend. I may not be the brightest guy but the title you wrote clearly states REVIEW. It did not say fireside chat with a wordy chap. It did not say Hang Out, Chill and get a cool Vibe. Also, people who spend over $1,000 on an amp are usually more than a little preoccupied but way to talk down to your audience. Not to worry though mate- you only have 940 subscribers after all these years so you won't be insulting many. Perhaps, if instead of insulting people who watch your channel, you do this thing called LISTEN to us, you might pick up more subscribers. Talking can be fine, but only if you have valuable things to say and not nonsense. If your video is called a REVIEW, then get on with it then son. I will still compliment you for your honesty in the review. Your 3 minutes was a good 3 minutes. I liked your comment about reliability..."Probably NOT!" Again, refreshing. Do more of that. Namaste- sending you chill vibes- lay off that ganga. 😂😂😂
Before the virus of unknown origin made me a cave-dwelling hermit, the TM Twin was my gigging amp. It's got the sound, it's super light, super loud (or not, if you prefer), and the direct out eliminates the microphone on stage. I even like the kick stand to angle it back if you don't have a riser for your amp. It's also great if for two-guitar setups where you have a separate pedalboard for each guitar, which I did - a Gretsch 6120 and Strat. I guess the downside is that it's a digital amp, and you could probably list a bunch of things Fender could have added, such as a choice of reverb, an effects loop, different voicings, etc., but that kind of defeats its whole vibe of simplicity. Also, I think they could have gone with an alnico speaker set instead of neodymium, which is why I'm interested in the new TM Super Reverb - it has alnicos!
All they understood is that they can make a lot of $ on this. It is not as good as a tube variant, the attack isn't there. It is just not as good, you get exactly what you pay for, a less expensive amp that is lees of a "twin"
