Fender Tonemaster 15

[Roger Rettig]

Have they released these amps with a 15" speaker yet?

I'm in an 'amp dilemma' at present. Up to 2019 (when I was working regularly), I'd settled for my three Roland XL80s. They did the job, were very reliable and I enjoyed their on-board effects as well as the XLR-out that I could send to the theater's soundboard.

In 2020 I moved to England (I thought it was to be permanent, but it didn't work out) and, in the moving process, sold everything except my Emmons and a few guitars. UK voltage is 240.

Upon my return early in 2021, I acquired another Roland; an 80GX. For some reason that I can't figure out, I don't like it quite as much as my old 80XLs. Mind you, I haven't played outside my music-room since my return (Jan, '21) so there's an element of subjectivity to it all. This 80GX looks very much like my old 80XLs but maybe they've tweaked the circuitry?

How much does this matter? I'm now on kidney-dialysis which severely reduces my gigging-prospects and there's a part of me asking why I'm even contemplating laying out $1000+ on an amp at all! But I just wonder if I haven't, somewhere along the road, lost that tonal objectivity that once drove me. I know that the Rolands were a compromise, but my current Roland is even more of one.

These new Tonemasters are the first amp to tempt me in a long time. I haven't had a 15" speaker in many years (since my Peavey days) but I always liked them; The weight of a NV400 would definitely end my work prospects!

[Dave Hopping]

I DON'T think Fender has yet brought out a to-date-hypothetical "Tone-Master Custom Vibrasonic Reverb", but there's a Rube Goldberg/Emmett Brown protocol that doesn't run on steam....

Get a Tone-Master Twin, then get a slightly taller cab(same size as the '65 Twin Custom 15-that one's just a bit taller to fit the 15) with the baffle cut for a 15,figure out how to mate the speaker leads to the lightweight 15" of your choice, swap in the chassis, mount the speaker, and Bob's your uncle.

Probably wouldn't cost any more than a Milkman Half & Half 15" combo.

[Dave Meis]

Maybe put the TMaster chassis in a head cab? No reverb bag to deal with... then run the speaker of your choice in a separate cab. I'm guessing that you'd have to wire a 'speaker out' plug.

[Rick Heins]

Guys,

I’m hoping to do a limited run of 15” TM Twins in the future but with so much demand and parts constraints, it’ll be a while before that happens. Fingers crossed.

However, I did use a Custom 15 cabinet and a neo 15” and loaded the TM chassis into it. The IRs aren’t correct (still two 12”) but it sounds great to me. However, I have to say that doing something this voids the warranty so keep that in mind.

Hope this helps.

[Marty Holmes]

Rick what 15" speakers have you considered to keep tje weight down just curious?

[Rick Heins]

Rick what 15" speakers have you considered to keep tje weight down just curious?

I have a non factory Celestion in there but the Travis Toy sounds great in there too! Even non-neos are great but a little heavier.

[Willem Langeveld]

Fender now makes a Tonemaster Super Reverb, with four 10-inch speakers. That cab is big enough for a single 15-inch…

Willy.

[David Nugent]

If you run direct to the board on a regular basis, may want to check out the Quilter 'Superblock'. Mounted mine on a 'Pedaltrain' pedal board along with my tuner, delay, and 'Baby Bloomer' and the results so far have been very positive! I run the 'Superblock' straight to the board and utilize the speaker out option to power a small 10" cabinet for use as a personal monitor. Entire rig (including speaker cab) weighs under 25#.

[Dave Campbell]

roger, have you tried the tonemaster with two 12s? i had always favoured a 15 with my tube twin, but i don't miss it in the tonemaster, which seems pretty well matched to its speakers. at one point i swapped in a pair of weber neomags, but i settled on one of the jensens and one neomag. the stock speakers have a nice charm to them. life is too short to play an amp you don't love!

[Peter Harris]

You're not imagining the difference between the XL and the GX....

Quite a lot was said at the time about this back at the Vguitar Forum:

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index ... pic=8931.0

What you treat as 'take home info' is up to you, but I can tell you that the XL is still considered the best of the two.

Just saying...

Cheers,
Peter