SOLID STATE vs VACUUM TUBE vs DIGITAL - Tone Challenge! 

Is There a ‘best’ Fender amplifier type? Let’s check out the tones from three types of amps: Solid State, Tube, and Digital. Fender Amplifiers 🛒Sweetwater imp.i114863.net/5RKjn 🛒Thomann bit.ly/39B5OKI Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb 🛒Sweetwater imp.i114863.net/rnXRqR 🛒Thomann bit.ly/2VSZk6E 🛒Amazon geni.us/FendTMDB =========== Timestamps: =========== 0:00 - What sounds better? 0:20 - Today's Amplifier Lineup 1:05 - How it works 1:20 - Who is Bill? 1:35 - All the gear and the setup 2:12 - Clean Tones 3:32 - Dirty Tones 4:35 - The Part You Want to Skip to 5:02 - The Part Most People will skip 5:15 - The Best Amplifier 5:20 - The Rambling

I nailed it. The Tonemaster reaction to pedals was a dead giveaway. I actually thought the solid state red knob sounded the best of the three.

X Princeton Y Deluxe 85 Z ToneMaster --- Wow ... post results ... I guess I really dig the 85. Tone Master didn't come off very well here eh ? With Landon's Rob Macdonald delivery ... own the silent virtual cringe at the jokes ... :) PS Love how you have become a video mood guru with effects, camera in-out, etc ... keep it up!

That was a Fender Fest for tones. I did not hear too much difference among the three, but they all had that distinctive clean and bright sound. Even dirty, that chime shines through. Yup, another fun video except for Bill, who doesn't know me either!

I thought X was the tone master, Y was the Princeton, and Z was the Red Knob. Great video, Landon.

Whoa! I had X solid state, Y tube, Z digital. That Tonemaster DR is worth a look!

They all sounded good. They each sounded slightly different, but none of them seemed better. So that's good. Solid-state and digital are fine. And lighter and cheaper. And no tubes to die. Thanks, Landon! Another winner video from my neighbor to the north!

Apparently I don’t have the ear to tell the difference between a digital, solid state and tube amp as I was SOOOOO off. But….who cares. They all sounded awesome for what they were. 👍🏻

X was my favorite, then Z, then Y. Which is a little disappointing. Tubes rule, as expected. But I am surprised that I placed the Tone Master last. I’ll just blame RU-vid compression. Oh yeah, I listened with great headphones on the pc.

Tone master sounded the best of all 3. But then, they were all set to 12 o clock and amps are supposed to be EQ’d. I’m sure all 3 can be made to sound great. Landon, could you make a video where all 3 amps are set to their best possible clean and dirty sound?

Picked the princeton correct. Not the other 2! I thought the red knob sounded really good. My bet is that the tube felt better to play, as in more responsive to pick attack and touch sensitivity. The tonemaster sounded the worst to me, though they all sounded good. Having tried a tonemaster deluxe it definitely sounded and responded well in the shop. They've emulated the response of a tube rectifier really well which is why it felt better to play to me than the tonemaster twin.

The "digital" tonemaster is really just an evolution of solid state. Many solid state amps have used different methods over the years to approximate the sound of a tube amp. But these definitely do a better job than most.

Fun comparison! Got the tube right there's nothing like Fender tube amps. Mixed up the SS and digital, so have to say now I'm disappointed in the Tonemaster, it sounds sterile comparatively. I've owned tubes, solid state and modellers. I believe modellers are getting really good, but SS can sound close to tubes, as proved to me here again.

Once again, I preferred your old transistor amp! To me it sounded really rich harmonically. Princeton sounded great too, i thought it was the transistor amp as it was the most trebly. Sadly, I didn't enjoy the tones of the digital amp.

My blind ranking was z, x, y. With only a slight preference to the z over the x. I’ve been considering getting a Princeton, but this is making me rethink it.

I liked X the most. It reminds me a bit of my Vox AC15. The Deluxe 85 didn't sound too bad either. I mostly play tube amps, but that Deluxe 85 would make a solid back up.

X sounded great, Y sounded compressed. Z brighter for clean. For dirty, X my favorite clear winner, Y sounded muddy to me. Z again brighter and a bit more harsh. Listened on an iPad Gen 5 12.9, which has excellent speakers-dialed up to full volume. I would not mind any of these, but the way. I’d like to play around with the tone pots.

They all sounded fine to me on the clean test. I thought the Tone Master sounded muted compared to the other two in the dirty test.

TUBE AMPS ALLLLL DAYYYYYY! I’ve tried to convince myself the past two years that digital amps like the Roland Blues Cube or the Tone Master Deluxe & Twin sound as good as they’re tube counter parts. Yes they provide some great tones, I’ve owned them all, comparing them on a clean setting makes them very hard to tell apart but once you add some volume or overdrive there’s no debate

All sounded good, to me. But seriously you’re the one who really notices the difference, otherwise you wouldn’t own each of them, for that reason. So, please tell us what you feel the differences are, in your next video.

The Princeton has a classic Fender tone, not my thing, but clearly identifiable. The Tonemaster is the brand’s excuse for a new thing and bro…do it sound bad. Nice surprise was the SS, for the right guitarist can be something to find a signature sound. Cool test!

Yeah, I figured the darkest sounding one was the big one, and the lighter sounding one the little one. Nothing to do with the type of amplification inside. Also, the Neo Creamback speaker has a lot to do with the sound. I prefer the Jensen speakers in the new Super Deluxe...

They all sounded really great. I couldn't tell you which was which. Just great sounding all around

Those red knob Fenders are great amps, especially for gigging. Great clean sounds. Those and the solid-state Champion series are killer.

Well I never! I liked Y most and got it right, X second and got it right and Z third and got it right. (Well obviously)! The blonde had some lovely sweet overtones in my opinion. All sounded decent though. Go blonde! :)

I got the Princeton right but mixed up the other 2. Really like the Princeton tone and to me the 85 sounded better than the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb which surprised me.

I thought the TMDR was the all-tube amp. I thought the Princeton sounded solid state. My knowledge of amps doesn't jive with my ears. Bottom line - Happy because I receive delivery of the TMDR Blonde tomorrow.

X and Z were awesome but i did not like Y at all so i now see that i do not need to spend a small fortune on a Tone Master when i can get a much better tone out of a Cheap Fender 85 solid state amp, thanks Lando you helped me save a ton of money

Called it! Not knocking solid state or "digital", but there's something about the compression going on that doesn't have the same quality of tone as a tube amp. I still could pick one blindfolded, play a gig, and not really notice a huge difference.

They all sounded pretty similar to me through my home theater system. Not identical, but close enough...from the listener's perspective, anyway. 😊

I was not trying to guess which was which.....But I have to admit I liked Zed!

I honestly guessed 'Y' was the digital amp, because I heard a slight warbling that I've heard other Fender digital amps do. But as far as the sound, they could be interchangeable. So we've finally reached a point where the type of amp doesn't necessarily determine the quality of the amp. 🙏

I don't think 95% of people can tell the difference, well I mean not with this style of play and not if you are setting them up properly. SS has the problem of Clipping but there are ways around that like with the new Orange Supercrush 100 to get around the clipping issues you just need to set the volume and gain properly. That Amp really blurs the lines between Tube and SS I would say only in certain kinds of music genre and playstyles will you really see the difference and even then Digital Amps or SS have gotten so good its hard to tell the difference until you push it to where they may be weak. That is a case where people make a really big deal out of the type of amp when the reality is these days Amps even budget amps are simply beyond good, You have amps in the $150-350 range that are simply fantastic, Vox micro Superbeetle, Orange Micro Terror + Terror Stamp/Pedal Baby, Marshall DSL1HR + Origin 20, Positive Grid Spark, Yamaha THR10, Fender Mustang + Champion series I mean its a great time to be a musician with all the tools at your fingertips.

The more of these you do, the less I seem to know lol. I can barely hear any differences between any of the amps. I have the GTX 100 amp and I seriously can’t tell the difference between my Blues Jr setting, and my dad’s actual blues junior. Modeling is REALLY good and that Red Knob you have sounds awesome too!

I thought Z sounded best. But they all sound great. Y is a bit muddy though.

I guessed the digital right, but to me that 85 sounded the best!

X and Z sounded similar, Y (digital) was much warmer. I was listening with headphones on my PC. Excellent video editing!

I have a Princeton Reverb tube amp (x) but couldnt even recognize it. 😂👍

Me with a fender frontman15W 🥺🥺

The „X“ sounded most open and dynamic for me. I thought it will be the tube amp, and I was right…. Maybe with the TM in black the result would have been different, but I don’t like the Blond DR…. 😉

As usual, I got every single one right. Yawn. I guess being locked 🔒 up in the cellar for 6 weeks, with Dad's '65 Twin Reverb DID have a positive outcome, after all. My therapist is happy 😄 about my progress! He claims that I'll be able to put on my shoes, by Myself, by the end of November Thanks, Landon!!!!!

Which is the heaviest to lug around, because that’s clearly the superior one. I mean is it even a real amp if it isn’t a pain in the a$$ to carry to band practice and gigs, usually up steep, uneven stairs and through surprisingly tight hallways like some sort of carnival funhouse? 😆 Honestly though, they all sounded great. I was surprised, I guessed that X was digital because I heard it as having less low end than the other 2.

Nice playing by the way brandon, I was completely wrong and surprised to discover that the solid state sounded best to my Irish ears!!!!!???+?

Oof, no ignoring that in this comparison the ToneMaster sounded overly compressed and boxy. The red knob was my favorite for both tests, has a nicer clarity to it. I wonder if the blackface ToneMaster Deluxe sounds any better?

All good. Y was my best. I have most Fender tubes since my start around '56. Love 'em but gigging was a real chore and maintenance/failures just kicked my ass. Give me a Fender Tonemaster, please.... Thanks!

Picked the tube amp correctly but could not identify the difference in the other two. I did not like the tube amp sound.

Vacuum Tube: more highs and less low end. Good sound. Solid State: more low end and less highs. Good sound. Digital: great sound and bandwidth.

I got the cleans right but then was confused by the dirt clips.

Tube was my favorite, solid state second and digital at last, it sounded dull and muddy, deluxe solid state sounded pretty alright 👍🏽

I listened through my Spark and guessed the tone master, because at all dials at 12 then from owning 3 modeling amps I know they have to be adjusted more then the others. Very hard to tell the tube from solid state. Both sounded great.

I’m late to the party. The video’s been up for a while. It’s all been commented on up the wazoo any choice would be guessing. Keep up the good work and have a stellar weekend.

I got all three of them wrong. Who knew I was that talented. Ha! I thought X was solid state, Y was tube, and Z was digital…. Hmmm I guess you can’t win ‘em all….or even one of them, apparently…..

I liked Z the best so I thought it was a Princeton 🥺 My guess was: x - cream; y - red-knobs; z - princeton 😅

Holy Sxxt! My favourite was the red knob solid state. But all very very close..

I’ve played the Deluxe Tone Master and it’s awesome. Half the weight of the original valve model and a few hundred le$$ . 😎🎸🇨🇦

Yep 0 for 3. Nothing new there. Good vid, Landon. I do think Fender has done great with cleans on their SS type of amps. Now it appears they are nailing the OD tones too.

I must be learning something, or I got lucky. On the clean settings I had a hard time differentiating, but when things got dirty I chose(or guessed) them correctly. My ear prefers the tube, then the digital, and then solid state. But they all sound pretty darn good.

I didn’t really care which one was tube, solid state, or digital. But Z was my least favorite both clean & dirty. X may have been my favorite, but I didn’t have a strong opinion between X & Y. Now to see the results…

I loved the clean on the X the most, though, I thought initially that it was the digital one and that Z was the tube amp. X and Z were both very close in terms of clarity and creamy-ness. Y sounded way too muddy. On the dirty tones, same ranking when it comes to preference, but this time it's impossible not to tell the tube amp. I still thought that out of the SS ones, the better sounding one is the digital one and boy I was wrong. Just shows how good the old transistor is and how close it can get to the real deal.

I guessed the solid state but had the tube and tone master swapped. Surprised by the tone master.

I got X and Z mixed up. I'll blame on the speaker size difference... Y was really muffled sounding on the dirty section, that was the most stand out difference.

No idea. But you cant go wrong with any of them. There all great amps.

Nice! Z was my fave overall.

Yep, sounds over the internet, out of an iPad speaker then hearing aids to partially scrambled audio nerves. Everything sounds the same. Makes life simple for the different comparisons.

I guessed x - red knob y- tonemaster z- princeton I own a tonemaster and I think maybe I was just more familiar with the sound. It also sounded best to me.

Can you do a blind taste taste as well? I mean that blonde Tolex looks yummy but who knows what flavours await.

This confirms my experience (disappointment) with the Blonde TMDR. It's way too muffled/unresponsive and lacks snap and presence even with the bright cap restored by firmware. I'm past the return window (and tube amp prices just shot up), so my fingers are crossed that Fender improves things via firmware updates. I guess I might try a speaker swap at some point as well, though that mid of blows for a new (and rather expensive) amp. The Quilter Aviator Cub might be an in-production alternative to the red knob. Isn't the red knob a staple of Jonny Greenwood's setup?? (Pretty cool, that.)

I got it wrong and I own that Tone Master blonde! I guess it’s hard when I don’t have the other two for reference. But I sure do love the blonde amp. Did you buy that one Landon? I think it is awesome.

That Deluxe Tone Master was awesome!

Nice playing. Keep it up

Dang mate,that 85 sounds nice! \m/

I guessed wrong. I Picked Y as my favorite sound and was surprised by the results. Great editing on the video 👍

I didn’t try to guess which was which, but just picked which I liked or not. The only one I did not like at all was the digital, which was way too muddy. I actually liked the tone of the solid state best in both examples.

They all sound good! But I prefer the tube-amp the most among the three... and yet, I failed the test, thought the Y was the tube! Nice one Landon! ⭐🍺🤘

Great googga-moogga!!! i liked zed better Bill!!!!

I like 'Z' on both clean and dirty and I was sure it was the Tone Master. This is why I don't gamble!

Easy to get the tube amp correct. Tube you can just really hear the person playing because it picks up everything you do to the strings and the characteristics of everything just shines through

I listened to this on some studio speakers. You Tube compression aside, In order, I preferred X, Z then Y for both clean and dirty. X and Z were close for me and both sounded good, but Y sounded a little muffled. That's to my ears of course.

what a nice, almost symmetrical chapter layout

Perfect score! Perfect at getting them all wrong!

Couldn’t tell. So price would be my determining factor.

You are testing different speakers here too

X for dirty, Y for clean. X clean sounded too crisp.

Got all three!

A peavey Mace was a damn good sounding solid state amp that a lot of people used over tube

I got it! The tube amp was easy, and the digital sounded better than the solid state.

De Bait - De Sea - De Fish - De Land - De Amp - De Do Ra Fa So De De De, who is Bill? Mikey likes Y!

On the clean, I had Z right, but I had reversed X and Y. When the dirty came up I changed my mind and got them all right. I think that's good news for Tone-Master owners!

I just came here for more of that glorious telecaster - I can't get enough of it. Wow. I'm checking stratosphere regularly hoping that they'll put that body up for sale.

There was a VERY clear difference between the solid state and the tube amp. The tube amp just sounds alive. The solid state amps sound flat.

Didn't care which is which, just which I liked most. The tonemaster by a mile, by far the most balanced tone. The SS was terrible to my ears.... Oh well, it's all subjective I guess. But I own a nextone, so I'm probably biased towards the digital tones.

All 3 have there place love all three

Well, Y was the best for clean and Z for tone IMO... interesting results, thank god I'm not a cork sniffer when it comes to gear

I got the red knob right and had the other two flip flopped.

I don't hate solid state amps but I do love tube amps.

Yep, digital sounds off, like you have to tweak it. Valves sound warn and full of sound, the tone covers the air (I'm using a hifi stereo sound system) of my bedroom, and you can feel how the ambiance vibrates with the bass of the fender. Definitely I'm buying a pre amp and a solid state, the sound is clear and pure, digital lacks something

X, Z and Y !

Hmm… the Tonemaster sounded like crap compare to the other two. I liked X and Z equally, though Z was a bit too sterile for my taste, but it wasn’t horrible. Wonder why the Tonemaster sounded so bad. It didn’t sound anything like the Tube amp it was supposed to emulate. At least not to my ears.

Clean 1o=Z; 2o=X; 3o=Y. Dirty 1o=Z; 2o=X; 3o=Y. Conclusion: the best in this video = Z (transistor)

I got "x" right and hated it, rightfully. I had the other two switched. "y" was my favorite, I thought it was the tube - so warm sounding. "z" was my 2nd choice. Nice test. Thanks. [ed: oh, and listened with headphones. :) ]