Took the Tone Master Plunge

[Doug Beaumier]

I have a feeling that the Tone Master will become your "grab and go" amp. 33 lbs is pretty irresistible! That's how I feel about my Steelaire. When it's time to load the car I look at my Vibrolux Reverb and my Nashville 112... and then I grab the 34 lb Quilter and go. I'm even starting to use the Steelaire for guitar gigs. It's lighter than my 1977 Deluxe Reverb... by almost 10 lbs. I've reached the age where weight is a consideration and I'm willing to accept a small trade-off.

[Brooks Montgomery]

Black Box test: I found that the Black Box made very little, if any, difference in the tone of the new Fender Twin Tone Master. I can change the treble effect with the Variety-Z knob, but I don’t really notice any change, any extra “tubeness” like I do, for example, with my Quilter 201.

In other words, the Tone Master sounds ‘rich’ without the Blackbox. This test is only at home and not at louder gig volume.

Do you suppose this is because of the modeling aspect of the TM?

Any of you guys that have purchased a new Twin TM, that also own a Black Box— do you see any improvement or difference in the tone by going thru your Black Box?

[Rick Heins]

Dan,

Thanks for taking the time to do these sound clips for everyone. My guess would be that the speaker is creating a lot of difference. Is the JBL 15" aluminum domed. If so, those add a top end brightness (or airiness) to the sound that is hard to do with a standard paper done. My guess is that you could probably add a bit of the treble knob to offset the difference or try adding the bright switch and reducing the treble knob. I do think it's a good idea to try it with the other JBL speaker if you have the means to do so. Also, have you tried the cabinet IRs yet? The second one is my fave since it's modeled after a Royer 121 ribbon mic.

I totally get the weird thing your mind does when playing an amp that doesn't have tubes. I have had the TM Deluxe at my desk for months now and initially I felt weird enjoying playing a non-tube amp since we're told from an early age that tubes are legit and SS or digital is not. I kept second-guessing myself about it until I finally stopped worrying about and just played it. Now I love it and don't think about it and get compliments on my tone from folks thinking it's one of the tube amps at my desk.

The truth is I'm not selling my tube amps. But I will be gigging with this amp and using it for steel overdubs because the amp sits in the mix nicely and is of course ridiculously light. Hope it works out for you with the TM.

[Jack Stoner]

My Franklin, with Lawrence 710 pickups, is brighter than a stock Sho-Bud.

I've finally settled on these settings:
Vibrato channel, Input #2, bright switch off.
Treble 4
Mid 10
Bass 6

My actual signal chain is:
Guitar
Goodrich Matchbro with Matchbox when the effect is bypassed
Hilton Volume Pedal
Line 6 POD X3, for effects only - no amp modeling.
Amp

Using George L's cables.

[Sonny Jenkins]

Well,,,I am probably going to have a SUPER good deal for someone "local",,,I took the plunge for a TM Twin Reverb. I think every positive comment about this amp is true,,,and then some,,,however,,,it is waaaay too much amp for me, and my very limited music room performances,,,LOL. I got a very good deal on this amp (which is why I bought it) and will pass that on to someone else for local pickup,,,San Antonio, Austin, Houston,,,can meet halfway. This is a mint condition,,less than 8 hours playing time,,all original hang tags, box etc. Save 200 buck,,,,$850 picked up.

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

One question I (and others) have had about how the Tone Master compares to a tube twin is to what degree the speakers account for the difference. I have it on high authority that removing the Jensen Neos from the TM Twin cabinet will void the warranty. Since I haven't even gigged the amp yet (will happen tonight) to decide for certain that I am keeping it, I was not about to start removing the speakers. Instead, after waiting for the proper .186 quick-disconnect tabs to arrive, I fashioned a harness that allowed me to try other speakers by jumping the speaker leads in the TM to another set of speakers: specifically the 8 ohm CTS in my Deluxe Reverb and an 8 ohm Weber 12F150 in a separate open back cab, wired in parralel to match the 4 ohm load of the stock Jensen Neos.

Okay. Big difference. These broken-in, standard-magnet speakers bring out the tone much more clearly. This could be as much due to the fact that both speakers are well broken in and the Jensens are pretty new, but I think it is also reflects a real difference in the natural tonal characteristics of all the speakers involved. I would say that these speakers take the TM Twin from sounding 90% of the way towards a tube twin to something more like 99%. It's a big difference. The last test would be to haul my 71 twin head into my study and do another AB comparison. No time today, but I'll try to get that done tomorrow.

There are drawbacks, of course, to swapping out the speakers. First, as I mentioned, actually pulling the speakers will void the warranty. Not that the warranty is all that bulletproof anyway, but I kind of hate to do that right off the bat to a new piece of gear. Secondly, and more importantly, this would add weight to an amp whose appeal is based largely on weighing only 33lbs. From what I gather, the pair of Jensens weigh 9lbs, whereas the Weber and CTS together weigh in somewhere around 16lbs. Seven pounds ain't nothing, but a 40lb Twin would still come in under my 42lb deluxe. Obviously, one could get an even better tone with JBLs, EVs, or Altecs--but then you've completely lost the weight advantage of the TM Twin.

I'll gig the TM tonight with the original Jensen neos, but my decision on whether to keep the amp will be based on the assumption that sometime (soon) I'd be loading it with the CTS and Weber, or some similar combination of (not too heavy) standard magnet speakers.

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

Finally got to play a gig with this amp: it's a keeper. Played a medium sized theater Saturday night, big stage, big professional sound company, so the amp was miked (they chose that rather than taking the direct out). I was scheduled to open a multi-artist show (seven separate acts and a mish-mosh encore) with a singer songwriter friend with whom I play frequently. This was a great chance to hear the pure sound of the amp on a big stage as opposed to my 12x15 study. I had to immediately hit the bright switch, but the tone came out easily from there. I was very pleased with the sound, and as many have commented, I'm pretty certain no one in the theater or among the other dozen or more players had any idea this was not a tube twin.

The last band on the bill asked me to join them, so I also got to hear how well the amp cut through the stage mix in a louder set up (Telecaster, digital piano, bass, and drums). No problem. And in this setting even I really wasn't aware of the difference between the TM Twin and a tube twin.

All of this was with the stock Jensen Neos. As I mentioned in my last post, standard ceramic magnet speakers bring an appreciable bit more of the twin tone out of the amp. I might start by replacing one of the Neos with a Weber 12F150. I had hoped to pair the Weber with a CTS 651806 that I picked up on Ebay, since that model CTS in my Deluxe Reissue sounds fantastic. But the newly acquired one is a dud (sounds like transistor radio dropped in a tin can).

[Doug Beaumier]

Finally got to play a gig with this amp: it's a keeper.

That's great news, Dan!

[Brooks Montgomery]

....This was a great chance to hear the pure sound of the amp on a big stage as opposed to my 12x15 study. I had to immediately hit the bright switch, but the tone came out easily from there. I was very pleased with the sound, and as many have commented, I'm pretty certain no one in the theater or among the other dozen or more players had any idea this was not a tube twin..

Dan, I'm curious, what did the bright switch do for your sound? I thought the bright switch on Fenders was supposed to help at lower volumes. . . but I'm confused on what it does for big or low volume.

[Jack Hanson]

Dan, I'm curious, what did the bright switch do for your sound? I thought the bright switch on Fenders was supposed to help at lower volumes. . . but I'm confused on what it does for big or low volume.

I read somewhere that Mr. Fender developed the bright switch for the blackface amps so Gibson players could get their humbucker-equipped instruments to sound brighter, and more like Teles, Strats, and Jaguars. I believe that info came from the Smith book.

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

Brooks, when I plugged into the amp on stage with the same settings I had been using at home, it sounded like I had turned the treble down 3 or 4 notches. The bright switch brought back the highs. I probably increased the volume by one or two also, but I don't honestly recall.

[Brooks Montgomery]

Thanks! Tone EQ’ing is always a mystery for me.

[Charlie Thompson]

I've played 12 gigs so far with the Twin and I am not disappointed. Several of these have been steel/Tele gigs. I believe this is the best double duty amp I have played since I started in '71

Love the load ins/outs!

[Jack Stoner]

After a couple more gigs, my settings that I posted on a previous post still stand. Bright switch off as I have Lawrence 710 pickups that are bright to start with. Actually, the bright Lawrence 710's are probably a reason I gave up on Quilter amps with a brighter sound - too much highs.

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

And, conversely, my Fessenden is decidedly darker in tone than my Super Pro. That said, I'm still pretty sure I would have hit the bright switch the other night even if it had been the Sho Bud.

FWIW, here's a brief video from that gig. probably hearing the PA rather than the amp directly, but it gives some idea of the tone.

https://www.facebook.com/DeanHarlemMusi ... 041353639/

[Chris Caruso]

Dan, how would it stand up to a loud bass player?

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

What? I couldn't hear you. Some bass player blew out my ears at bike week!

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

But, seriously: I do wonder how it will do in a seriously loud band situation. I have a "loud" gig in Dracut at the end of the month. That'll be the test. I'm pretty sure it would hold up fine with some ceramic-magnet speakers in there, but I'm not sure I'm ready to pull the neos out just yet.

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

Actually, Chris, I think the only way for me to really test it would be for us to play a gig together!

[Chris Caruso]

OK Dan Find me one! I've been looking for something steady

[Donny Hinson]

A local steeler/lead man, Mark Beauchamp, recently ordered one. I'm looking forward to hearing it (and maybe trying it myself) the next time his band is in my area.

I've considered one myself, but then again, I need another amp like Bill Gates needs another computer.

[Jack Stoner]

Donny, I'll be 82 tomorrow (18th) and still going and bought the amp. I probably didn't "need" another amp but I got it and like it and its my gigging amp.

I remember when I lived in Laurel carrying around a Fender twin with JLB's that I bought at Chuck Levin's Washington Music in Wheaton. Used to carry that in one hand and a 71 D-10 Emmons in the other. But those days are over.

[Doug Beaumier]

carrying around a Fender twin... in one hand and a 71 D-10 Emmons in the other. But those days are over.

I remember carrying a Session 500 in one hand and an Emmons D-10 in the other hand... Up a flight of stairs! That would destroy my back now. Nowadays it’s either my Ouilter Steelaire or my Quilter TT12 on one trip in. And my S-10 on another trip in. And even those are starting to feel heavy!

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

When I was gigging in my teens and twenties I wanted groupies. Now, the hell with groupies: I want roadies!

[Ron Shalita]

The one good thing ( I guess) about playing all these years is that the ringing in my ears wont let me hear any difference... they both sounded great! And so did your playing.. hey thank you so much!