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Thread: Tone Master Anyone?

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    Tone Master Anyone?

    I’m new to the forum. Sorry if this has been covered, but my searches came up empty. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the new Fender Tone Master digital amps. The reviews I’ve seen are mostly positive, but it’s always good to hear the perspective of players. The weight and attenuation knob are what appeal to me. I’m thinking about the Deluxe. I hope to get out to try one soon.

    Any thoughts are appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Tom

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    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    there has not been much if any discussion of those here yet. There has been some on TGP. The reviews seem to be favorable among the digitally-inclined crowd, of which I'm not really a member apart from recording stuff on computer. Although I do have some interest in the Strymon modeling pedal whose name eludes me at the moment.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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    Forum Member redisburning's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Quote Originally Posted by DanTheBluesMan View Post
    there has not been much if any discussion of those here yet. There has been some on TGP. The reviews seem to be favorable among the digitally-inclined crowd, of which I'm not really a member apart from recording stuff on computer. Although I do have some interest in the Strymon modeling pedal whose name eludes me at the moment.
    every time a product comes out the shills arise in full strength on TGP like a groundhog.

    it's not a deluxe reverb. if you want that sound in a digital amp, get a Kemper and profile a real one.

    put a neo speaker in a Headstrong or Louis Electric, IMO. buy one used; yeah it's more upfront but it will hold its value. no Fender digital amp has, afaik.

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Quote Originally Posted by tegel View Post
    I’m new to the forum. Sorry if this has been covered, but my searches came up empty. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with the new Fender Tone Master digital amps. The reviews I’ve seen are mostly positive, but it’s always good to hear the perspective of players. The weight and attenuation knob are what appeal to me. I’m thinking about the Deluxe. I hope to get out to try one soon.

    Any thoughts are appreciated.

    Thanks,
    Tom
    Hi Tom. I'm new here too and I came here to get some answers also. But... I DO have a Tone Master Twin Reverb. I will say this. I've been playing Fender tube amps since 1980. When you plug into a Fender tube amp it just sounds "right" I got that immediately when I plugged into the Tone Master. I actually sold a 68 Custom Vibrolux to get the Tone Master and I have ZERO regrets.
    I'm 55 and play music for a living. The weight of the amp was the first thing that drew my attention but it's not the reason I bought it. It's a great amp. The attenuation is just icing on the cake. It's great! I'd challenge anyone to do a blind test and tell the difference between the Tone Master and it's tube counterpart.

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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    There's a Tonemaster Deluxe on FB Marketplace locally. I'm intrigued...

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    There's a Tonemaster Deluxe on FB Marketplace locally. I'm intrigued...
    heres my 2 cents. The amps sound fantastic. You can debate about if it sounds "just like a real Deluxe" but regardless, it's a great amp. Personally I still stand by my statement. If you had a Vintage Deluxe, a Reissue Deluxe and the Tone Master Deluxe side by side in a blind test, I'd bet the farm absolutely No one would be able to pick which was the Tone Master 5 out of 5 times .

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    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Our old friend Fenderboy has tried one out and loves it. He's planning on getting one soon. The other thing that sold him - 23 pounds!!!
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Quote Originally Posted by redisburning View Post
    every time a product comes out the shills arise in full strength on TGP like a groundhog.

    it's not a deluxe reverb. if you want that sound in a digital amp, get a Kemper and profile a real one.

    put a neo speaker in a Headstrong or Louis Electric, IMO. buy one used; yeah it's more upfront but it will hold its value. no Fender digital amp has, afaik.
    So you’ve played through one then?

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Quote Originally Posted by DannyT View Post
    Hi Tom. I'm new here too and I came here to get some answers also. But... I DO have a Tone Master Twin Reverb. I will say this. I've been playing Fender tube amps since 1980. When you plug into a Fender tube amp it just sounds "right" I got that immediately when I plugged into the Tone Master. I actually sold a 68 Custom Vibrolux to get the Tone Master and I have ZERO regrets.
    I'm 55 and play music for a living. The weight of the amp was the first thing that drew my attention but it's not the reason I bought it. It's a great amp. The attenuation is just icing on the cake. It's great! I'd challenge anyone to do a blind test and tell the difference between the Tone Master and it's tube counterpart.
    Thanks for the reply. I’m anxious to hear one. Why did you opt for the Twin over the Deluxe?

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    Forum Member redisburning's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    lol at these brand new, basically zero post accounts.

    this is a perfect example of why you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet folks.

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Quote Originally Posted by tegel View Post
    Thanks for the reply. I’m anxious to hear one. Why did you opt for the Twin over the Deluxe?
    I've always loved Twins, but started using less substantial amps the older I got lol! My thought was with the ability to change the power setting I could cover pretty much any situation be it a small club or a large outdoor setting. I know both amps are modeled to sound like their tube counterpart so they're not identical in design/sound. I've owned both tube versions (a few over the years) and knew I'd be happy with the Twin IF it delivered. And it did/does.

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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Now there's a Tone Master Twin available used locally...

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    Now there's a Tone Master Twin available used locally...
    Decisions, decisions... Lol!

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    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    I was out and about last week and ran across a Deluxe, so I had to check it out.
    It was nice. I didn't play it side-by-side with a "real" DRRI, so I can't say for sure,
    but it had enough of the Fender spank to it, that an average person wouldn't really tell the difference.
    I liked the attenuation knob. I had it on 2 and was able to crank it and still have hearing - and more importantly without annoying the
    people at the store.
    It had a nice breakup to it - the knobs acted like on the real think, increasing in volume a bit past halfway, then levelling off, with the sound being more saturated the higher it went.
    The reverb and tremolo were pretty good as well - I typically don't like trem, but it sounded good for the minute I had it on.
    If I was looking for something that size, i'd be thinking hard about it.
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    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Tried one, it's legit. May buy one. The line out means it will most likely sound better live than the DRRI since it eliminates all the fussing with mic placement. Will make recording a breeze too.

    At under 25 pounds it's a no-brainer for a working musician.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    I've had my Tone Master Twin for a month. I bought it because I wanted to have my "Twin sound" again after having gone too many years without it. I'm 69 and have played out for 55 years. I've gone through just about every amp there is. I prefer a clean amp that I can add pedals to. What better amp than a Fender Twin, of which I've had late-60s and a mid-90s versios. But, as I've gotten older, I've had to limit my amp choices to lighter amps. Always missed the Twin sound, though. So, last summer when I first heard about these Tone Masters, I started keeping up on everything I could find to read, watching videos, and playing through a couple of them. I bought a Tone Master Twin from Sweetwater, who have a good return option if you don't like what was purchased. This amp has given me back my preferred sound, at a much more comfortable carrying weight, plus an attenuator and xlr out. It has the "blackface" look that I've always liked, too.

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    I have heard mostly positive reviews of these.

    Being a tube guy I will be intrigued to hear the year later reviews.

    So far it seems good...

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Technology is moving so fast that it's likely these TM amps will be obsolete in two or three years. Proprietary components developed specifically for them will be discontinued as Fender moves forward with new ideas. Couple that with the fact that all of their gear is built with parts that are only certified for a service life of about 2000 hrs -- IOW, three hours of daily play for roughly two years. Fender recently altered their warranties to reflect that reality. Where the terms used to be five years coverage and transferability to subsequent owners, that has now dwindled to two years and no provision for coverage to subsequent owners. And getting one of these TM amps serviced in the event of failure will be a real trick. Most of Fender's chicom-built amps are never repaired -- they're simply tossed into a dumpster and the customer is given a new one. The age of the truly disposable amp has arrived. The TM concept is bold, innovative, and promising but the reality is, customers will be replacing them as often as they upgrade to a new cellphone.

    Just something to think about......caveat emptor.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Quote Originally Posted by phantomman View Post
    Technology is moving so fast that it's likely these TM amps will be obsolete in two or three years. Proprietary components developed specifically for them will be discontinued as Fender moves forward with new ideas. Couple that with the fact that all of their gear is built with parts that are only certified for a service life of about 2000 hrs -- IOW, three hours of daily play for roughly two years. Fender recently altered their warranties to reflect that reality. Where the terms used to be five years coverage and transferability to subsequent owners, that has now dwindled to two years and no provision for coverage to subsequent owners. And getting one of these TM amps serviced in the event of failure will be a real trick. Most of Fender's chicom-built amps are never repaired -- they're simply tossed into a dumpster and the customer is given a new one. The age of the truly disposable amp has arrived. The TM concept is bold, innovative, and promising but the reality is, customers will be replacing them as often as they upgrade to a new cellphone.

    Just something to think about......caveat emptor.
    just wondering, what sources do you have for the part reliability? 2000 hours seems ridiculously low for SMT.

    I will say that when Fender tried to make cheap tube amps they had issue with heat ruining the multi-layer boards, but the the IC stuff should run cool and only consume milliwatts until the finals which are the only thing I'd worry about.
    People like Line 6 have been making virtually bullet-proof value priced amps for a long time now.

    I'm not as pessimistic. My experience has been that since I quit using tube amps live my gear has become more reliable.

    YMMV.

    Chuck
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  20. #20
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    That 2000-hour service life was relayed to me by a Fender-authorized service tech who handles warranty claims for a four-county area in Arizona. And comparing Line 6 to FMIC is a non sequitur -- Line 6 is a small company more interested in building the best gear they can contingent upon a specific price point while Fender's primary concern is building and maintaining a global conglomerate of profit centers at the expense of reliability and durability. When V12 of the Hot Rod Deluxe is released do you think they will have finally gotten it right? How about the Cyber junk? When's the last time you saw a working stiff using one? Anyone remember Fender's "Machete"? Or their "Vintage Modified" models?

    I wish you (and everyone else) the best, I really do. But hope is not a quantifiable strategy and cold, hard facts cannot be ignored.

    Peace
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    I'm ok with however long mine lasts. It sounds great now, and it's what I wanted. It's most likely my last amp. I don't plan on selling it. I will have it cremated along with my guitar and me.

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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    I didn't realize Fender had shortened their warranty. Back when I bought a Super Champ XD 10 years ago, I figured with the $200 price tag and 5 year warranty it'd be okay if something happened to it, maybe I'd used the chassis and cabinet to build something else (I built a Priceton Reverb clone and sold the Super Champ long before that).

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Hey there. I'm also new the forum. I can tell you my experience. I got a Tone Master Deluxe Reverb. It sounded great. I did return it but it sounded great. Could not tell diff between tube version and Tone master. But I wanted a tube amp so I could feel like I was controlling the distortion/saturation by adjusting drive, gain, etc. You can do that on Tonemaster, but its emulated and not real, so you're limited to the software programming.

    If they actually had software to tweek virtual caps, resistors, circuits, etc. that could be gamechaning for Tonemaster, but I don't think that exists..

    So I just got a new Hot Rod Deluxe IV. It sounds amazing. The clean channel is great. I also really the like the distortion channel and the More Drive is like having a boost pedal. I love that channel.

    Also, I read horror stories about the volume pot and so I ordered a Weber Mass 200 attenuator. They're hand building it as we speak, so I haven't gotten it yet, but I don't actually need it for bedroom levels. I can put the drive full on to 12 and get crunchy and great saturation and put the master pot to between 1 and 2 and carefully adjust the volume pot on the guitar (Fender American Player Strat HSS) and get great bedroom volume with the tone I want. I can also put pedals on the clean channel to drive the amp and keep volume down but still get the tone I want.

    I have some Genalax Gold Lion Reissues. Matched KT66's for the power tubes and matched 12AX7 for the pre amp. I even have a 12AT7 for V1, but there isn't a loudness out of control issue with this amp. Really want to put these in, but the stock tubes really sound great.

    That just my experience. The Hot Rod Deluxe IV sounds amazing. Its so good and I love all the channels.

    Good luck and stay healthy!

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Please help me out with the following ->
    Does Reverb/Echo Pedals + Champion 100 == ToneMaster?
    If not, why not?

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    The Tone Master amps (Twin Reverb and Deluxe Reverb) feature digital reverb and digital tremolo only -- no "echo". These products bear little if any sonic resemblance to the Champion line of amps which are intended and priced for entry-level players and may feature a higher level of quality in terms of design, engineering, and construction. However, both amp lines are assembled in the PRC. Based on video clips I've seen, the Tone Masters seem to produce relatively authentic blackface Fender tones but what remains to be seen is if anyone will be playing one fifty years from now (as I routinely do with my '68 Deluxe Reverb). Time will tell.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    So the TM has a good design in weight, size, construction, sound control. What about the tone quality? Would you be able to tell them apart in a blind test? If I do not travel wit the AMP then will Pedals+Champ == TM in tone quality? Thanks !!

  27. #27
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Re-read my response (aloud if necessary) as I am not wont to waste words.

    As for the Champion line of FMIC amps, I wouldn't wipe my ass with one.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

  28. #28
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: Tone Master Anyone?

    Quote Originally Posted by frankk View Post
    So the TM has a good design in weight, size, construction, sound control. What about the tone quality? Would you be able to tell them apart in a blind test? If I do not travel wit the AMP then will Pedals+Champ == TM in tone quality? Thanks !!
    The short answer is no. It won't.
    Not saying the Champ doesn't sound good, for what it is, but there is a depth of sound that comes from the TMs that you won't get from the Champ. Especially if you turn it up and get amp distortion, which will be different that a distortion channel on the Champ.
    The "real" Deluxe and Twin amps are even deeper, however there are drawbacks like weight, cost etc.
    The TMs also reportedly take pedals well, so if you want other sounds then you can add those in as well.
    If you're happy with the Champ, then fine, If you're looking to upgrade, once things open back up, go into a store and play these side by side with a Champ, as well as other amps and see if it is what you like.
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