New Fender Tone Master Twin Reverbs....only 33lbs!

[Jim Cohen]

Has anyone tried the Tonemaster Twin with JBL speakers? That sort of defeats the purpose of having a lightweight amp, but mine would be stationary so I wouldn't be bothered if it sounded even better...

But then why not just stick with an original or reissue Twin tube amp? Perhaps you don't like them for some reason other than weight?

[Per Berner]

Well Jim, tube amps need frequent servicing, tubes wear out, get really hot and can cause a lot of trouble – and I guess a solid state emulation will produce less intermodulation distortion as the real thing. I used to have a JBL Twin many years ago, wonderful tone but a pain in the lower back for many reasons in addition to the horrenduos weight. And I suppose a TM Twin with JBLs would still be A LOT lighter than the 108 lbs original...

[Dave Campbell]

Dave, please...some questions:

What was lacking with the stock speakers?
What brand were they?
What Webers' did you use, and did they add any weight?
Were they new or old?
How does it sound "better" now?

i liked the amp stock with the jenson neos, but i felt like the lower strings were a bit muffled, and that dialing in too much treble got too harsh on the higher strings before it could really clean up the bass end of things. i did a lot of tweaking, and like i said, i came up with a sound i liked. i felt like those speakers gave a nice warm mellow sound, but a little bit muffled. this is using my emmons pp with telonics x10.
i probably put 20 or so gig volume hours in on those speakers (and lots more practice volume time) in terms of break in.

i found a set of weber neomag 12"s close to me for a decent price. i'm always buying speakers, so i would have bought them whether i had the tonemaster or not. i didn't buy them because i was all that dissatisfied with the original speakers. i was intrigued because a lot of users say they sound very close to jbl d120s. i've never used a d120, so i can't speak to the veracity of that claim.

weber still makes a neomag 15", but doesn't make the 12"s any longer; i read something about manufacturing issues or something, but who knows. i don't know how old the neomags are exactly or how much time was put into them; i do know that weber will pre break in speakers, and i feel like these are broken in.

i think the jensen neos are 5 pounds a piece, the neomag closer maybe to 7 or 8. they add some weight, but it's still pretty darn light.

my settings changed with the speaker change. my settings for the original jensens were >brite switch: on >treble 4 >mid 6 >bass 2.5, but with the webers they are >bright switch off, treble 4.5-5 >mid 6 >bass 4

the settings don't represent any kind of unity between the two sounds, though. with the webers i'm able to get a tighter and more detailed sound for the lower strings, and i can use a little more treble without things getting too harsh.

i do feel like the jensen neos were louder.

my wife is expecting a baby any day (well a couple of days ago really) so i haven't been out to a gig with the neomags yet, but i have cranked them up them.

what i like most about this amp is that it feels like a tube twin (i have a vintage twin with an altec 418b 15"). much like my old twin, i liked it with the stock speakers, but i really liked it when i found a speaker that worked for me. i'm curious how things would sound with 1 neomag and 1 jensen neo. i'll make that swap sometime in the future i'm sure. either way, i stopped gigging with my old twin about a year ago because of the weight, but i missed that sound. i'm really happy to have it back in the tonemaster.

[George Kimery]

Being a compulsive experimenter and a JBL guy, if I was lucky enough to own a Tone Master, I couldn't resist pulling the two 12 inch Jensen speakers and replacing them with one of my 15" JBL D-130's. The JBL's are not all that heavy like a PF 350. I don't think my one JBL would weigh any more than the two Jensens. Maybe 5 lb tops.

[Dave Hopping]

Being a compulsive experimenter and a JBL guy, if I was lucky enough to own a Tone Master, I couldn't resist pulling the two 12 inch Jensen speakers and replacing them with one of my 15" JBL D-130's. The JBL's are not all that heavy like a PF 350. I don't think my one JBL would weigh any more than the two Jensens. Maybe 5 lb tops.

See? Already someone's thinking a 1-15 Twin!

[Jack Stoner]

I'm keeping my TM Twin stock, for the weight and sound.

I bought a Twin new in 1971 (AB768 chassis) with JBL D-120F speakers. It was great with my PX6120 Gretsch and OK with my D-10 Emmons up to the 12th fret. In 74 I replaced the speakers with a 4 ohm JBL K-130. The K-130 was what the Emmons was "looking for". But, it no longer sounded like the Twin Reverb.

FWIW, I did field testing for Eminence of the EPS-15C speaker. The first time I tried the EPS-15C my first thought was "This sounds like the JBL K-130 I had in a Twin Reverb". As I used the speaker and it got broken in it still sounded like the K-130.

[Craig A Davidson]

Like I said earlier this amp is great right out of the box. I can't believe all of you guys trying to re-invent the wheel on these amps. If you are going to add JBL's and swap cabinets for 15's you might as well buy the real thing. Someone even asked about wheels for a 33lb amp even I can carry and I have a bad back and two bad knees. Well at least there is humor in the posts.

[Dave Campbell]

i just like buying gear. it’s part of the nerdiness of this whole thing.

[Dan Beller-McKenna]

Dave hit the nail on the head: buying gear--it's what we do.

But more to the point. For every twin I've owned (six in all, I think), I've gone through some speaker experimentation to get things where my ears want them. Preamp tubes too. I agree that putting something like two EV 12Ls in this amp would be questionable for the increase in weight it would cause. But if one can keep the amp around 40Lbs, which is still remarkable for a Twin Reverb, why not get it where you want it?

Like Dave, I found the stock Jensens to be a bit darker than I like for steel. Replacing one with a Celestion did the trick for me. I could imagine (and might try) other speakers, as I would with any twin reverb--heck, with any amp. Some of us like doing that: it's not a knock on this particular model amp.

[Craig A Davidson]

I guess I am different. I took my steel to the local music store, set it up and played thru the amp. It didn’t take long to find the tone I was looking for. At the same time I wanted an amp I wouldn’t have to change out speakers or modify to get what I wanted like in every Peavey I ever owned. I am getting to that point in my life where I need things to be just as they are. What you other guys are doing is cool just not what I’m into.

[Jack Stoner]

What Craig said.

If the amp doesn't work for you stock, why buy it (or keep it).

I'm an amp repair tech, not an electronics design engineer.
When I worked as an amp tech, in Nashville, if someone brought in an amp for repair and it had been modified I wouldn't accept it and tell them to take it elsewhere.

I went through the Quilters. The Steelaire Combo amp needs a different speaker and a deeper cabinet. The stock speaker was designed to emphasize the highs, and the amp itself has a too much highs. The minimal cabinet width is almost like just mounting the speaker on a board (Travis Toy's assessment). I wasn't going to "redesign" the amp and it was sold.

[Dave Campbell]

ha, i wouldn’t buy an amp if you couldn’t mess with it a bit, and that was one of my worries with the tonemaster. if i was better with computers i’d try and hack it via the usb port!

[Ken Metcalf]

I am test driving a Tonemaster twin and own a 1967 twin.
Typically I play my Telecaster through a 74 Deluxe reverb.
1st gig on 6 string with the tonemaster twin was in a doctor's office at 6am for a cowboy breakfast thing.
Three piece classic country at extremely low volume.
I set the attenuator at the lowest setting and immediately all were impressed with my ability to play a such a low volume.
After a few songs I was told that I needed to turn up, so I turned the volume knob between 5-6. The result was a somewhat beefier tone that sounded and worked well.
2nd gig was in a giant tin barn at a stockyard show.
I set the attenuator mid level and connected the line out.
After a sound check the sound was a little mushy for my taste and I clicked the attenuator up a click or two.
The result was more clarity and sparkle in the tone.
The amp in my opinion has more clarity and depth than a stock tube fender amp. Touch sensitivity is very good.
Pine cabinet and speaker break in, both should improve with age.
I recently refurbished my old Stratocaster and the amp really brings out the percussive and strat quack sound.
The amp has a noticeably improved sound for my playing situation. Clean loud agressive lead style.
Pushing my tubes a little bit harder than some leads to having to replace tubes on a every year or two rotation.
All the controls on the amp are simple and easy to use.
I use a Barber Tonepress parallel compressor & deley.
I will take it out to a steel gig in the next week and report after that. I will be surprised if the amp disappoints. 33 Lbs. !!!

[Dean Holman]

I tried a tone master yesterday through a student model GFI and a Goodrich pedal. I was very impressed with it. Not meaning anything negative about the GFI, but I felt if it made that steel sound as good as it did, my guitar will sound like a dream. Some of you all can nitpick and experiment all you like, but I think it’s a great amp, stock, and I plan to buy one soon and it will serve me quite well. I’ve gone through the experimenting stage when I was younger, but I found no problem getting a sound that I really liked. I can’t imagine different speakers are going to make two cents worth of difference. I used the bright switch and found that I got plenty of warm lows with some snap and I didn’t feel like the highs were too thin or shrill. My suggestion is find an amp that you can be satisfied with and learn how to get tone from your playing. You’ll go crazy trying to find a holy grail that doesn’t exist. You can’t just rely on equipment alone. I can say all of this because I used to be that person as well. Here’s some food for thought, about 99 percent of audiences I play for, don’t give half a squat what I’m playing through anyhow. I’m really excited about getting one of these amps. Trust me when I say I don’t get very excited about music equipment these days. I think Fender has done a very good job with this amp.

[James Quackenbush]

Since this is a hybrid kind of amp, and a lot of folks switch out speakers, I’d like to see Fender make a head version of the Twin...This way folks can roll their own with various speakers and cabinets without the weight....Jim

[James Quackenbush]

Since this is a hybrid kind of amp, and a lot of folks switch out speakers, I’d like to see Fender make a head version of the Twin...This way folks can roll their own with various speakers and cabinets without the weight....Jim

[Danny Naccarato]

I'll bet Rick Johnson or Tommy Huff have already thought of that, James.

[James Quackenbush]

Danny,
I’m sure they have...however, it would be more cost effective to purchase a head, and then have these guys build a speaker cab to match...Jim

[Sonny Jenkins]

I still have one for sale,,,,,

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... tonemaster

[Rick Byrd]

The stock Fender Twin Tone Master has the best tone, feel, volume, and performance of any steel guitar amp that I have played through. If you want classic Buddy Emmons, Lloyd Green, or Weldon Myrick tones, this is the amp. Just set the treble, middle, and bass to taste.

I suggest treble on 7, middle on 5, and bass on 9. Bright switch on. Reverb just above 2.

[Rick Byrd]

33 lbs and no tube maintenance.

[Rick Byrd]

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[Jack Stoner]

My settings. It will vary depending on guitar, pickups, volume pedal and any effects. Plus what sound the individual wants to hear.

[Dean Holman]

Just my opinion, but I think it’s very easy to find a pleasing tone on these amps. I would start out with everything set on 5 and tweak from there. I’m just really impressed with this amp, especially with it being 33 pounds.

[Susan Alcorn]

I also went ahead and bought the Fender Twin Tone Master after reading all the reviews online. I have pretty much exclusively played through tube amps for the last five or so years, and I love the sort of depth they give, that certain oomph, to each note. When I tour, I usually play through a Fender Twin backline (RI, of course), and I like the way they sound, particularly the low notes (I play a variation of the C6th tuning). Buying a Twin is out of the question for me because of the weight factor. When I'm not flying, I play the Fyd amp through a 15" Black Widow.

The Tone Master arrived yesterday. I unpacked it (it is really light!), plugged it in, dialed in the settings I use for traveling, and then had a huge case of buyer's remorse. So I spent some time with the tone controls and found a setting I liked (bass 6.5, midddle 6.5, and treble 3 - volume on 6 for that ever so slight break-up, thanks to the attenuators on the back), and it felt like the most beautiful solid state amp I had ever played through (and I've spent decades playing through and preferring the Peavey steel guitar amps). The more I played through it adjusting the tone every once in a while, the more like the original Twin it sounded to my ears. It's a gorgeous clean sound and the low notes have that certain weight to them that I've always liked in the Twins.

It is not a tube amp (obviously), and it plays like a solid state in that you hear the sound of the note you play immediately; there is no sag that is so comfortable with the tube amps. This means that, for me, I have to play with a lighter touch and be more cognizant of my right foot. In some ways I find this amp more expressive in a way that I can't really express in words.

Ninety percent of my gigs are solo these days, so it's important that the steel guitar, the amp, and hopefully the person sitting behind the guitar, be able to convey a complete experience, like an orchestra where you physically feel as well as hear, and where the whole spectrum of sound is included in the listeners (and players) experience. The tube amps I use do that really well, but the weight and reliability issues with tubes can be an issue. So I'll use this amp when I play with groups, and maybe start using it for solo performances. But having said that, this amp sounds to me like a Twin and weighs less than a Nashville 112 (btw, I'm glad this is in combo form 0 the speakers sound just right, and now I can carry in one hand which used to take both hands (amp head and speakers). If you can stand the sticker shock, this is a really good amp for the pedal steel guitar.