Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb (And Twin) Review

uncledaddy

I put a shout out-on the Tonemaster fanboi page on FB to ask about reliability. Apart from a couple of early failures, they seem pretty robust. Critical thinking might suggest that anyone who's has had a failure during a gig is unlikely to be on a fanboi page, but by and large they seem ok.

dc77

Has anyone done much speaker swapping/testing on the DRTM? I’m in more humbucker loaded guitars at the minute and notice that the bass can get very boomy and loses it punch. 

Would a swap for the cream back in the blonde version tighten it up? 

TimmyO

dc77 said:

Has anyone done much speaker swapping/testing on the DRTM? I’m in more humbucker loaded guitars at the minute and notice that the bass can get very boomy and loses it punch. 

Would a swap for the cream back in the blonde version tighten it up? 

I’ve not tried them side by side but I own a Blonde one and when I plugged in to a Black one in a shop I was struck by the additional chime in the top and amount of low end - I’d say the Blonde is lighter in the bass and a bit more mid-forward - there are probably YouTube comparisons out there 

Danny1969

uncledaddy said:

I put a shout out-on the Tonemaster fanboi page on FB to ask about reliability. Apart from a couple of early failures, they seem pretty robust. Critical thinking might suggest that anyone who's has had a failure during a gig is unlikely to be on a fanboi page, but by and large they seem ok.

The part of the amp I predict to fail, cos I've seen them fail and repaired them is currently available to buy for £100 ish. It's the Icepower combined  power supply and power amp module. As time goes by this part will get superseded by another module with different connector headers. So If I intended to keep the amp I would go and buy the Icepower module while it's available and stick it in the cupboard. Because this is a part you can change easily, in less than 10 mins if you had to. 
And the laws of redundancy say if you plan for it you won't need it

No normal tech will want to fix this part, it's a nightmare to work on. 

guitargeek62

Danny1969 said:

uncledaddy said:

I put a shout out-on the Tonemaster fanboi page on FB to ask about reliability. Apart from a couple of early failures, they seem pretty robust. Critical thinking might suggest that anyone who's has had a failure during a gig is unlikely to be on a fanboi page, but by and large they seem ok.

The part of the amp I predict to fail, cos I've seen them fail and repaired them is currently available to buy for £100 ish. It's the Icepower combined  power supply and power amp module. 

…

So If I intended to keep the amp I would go and buy the Icepower module while it's available and stick it in the cupboard. 

Sensible idea.

Whereabouts have you seen it that cheap please? It was closer to £200 the last time I looked.

Chris.B

Looks like ICEpower make a wide range amplifier modules, we just need someone to dismantle their Tonemaster and check the model number and see if this UK supplier has correct one, then we can all take Danny's advice and get a spare module. 

https://gb.profusion.uk/uk/manu/icepower

This may the one, 100w single channel amp and PSU for £95.

https://gb.profusion.uk/uk/icepower100as1#relateddoc

Edit: This is not the correct ICE module for the TMDR, please see TimmyO's post below for details of the correct one. 

TimmyO

Chris.B said:

Looks like ICEpower make a wide range amplifier modules, we just need someone to dismantle their Tonemaster and check the model number and see if this UK supplier has correct one, then we can all take Danny's advice and get a spare module. 

https://gb.profusion.uk/uk/manu/icepower

This may the one, 100w single channel amp and PSU for £95.

https://gb.profusion.uk/uk/icepower100as1#relateddoc

There's a Gear Page thread that has gutshots of the TM Deluxe Reverb that says it's the 200AS1 

https://gb.profusion.uk/uk/icepower200as1

TimmyO

TimmyO said:

Chris.B said:

Looks like ICEpower make a wide range amplifier modules, we just need someone to dismantle their Tonemaster and check the model number and see if this UK supplier has correct one, then we can all take Danny's advice and get a spare module. 

https://gb.profusion.uk/uk/manu/icepower

This may the one, 100w single channel amp and PSU for £95.

https://gb.profusion.uk/uk/icepower100as1#relateddoc

There's a Gear Page thread that has gutshots of the TM Deluxe Reverb that says it's the 200AS1 

https://gb.profusion.uk/uk/icepower200as1

       #1,852      

TGP post link ^

Chris.B

@TimmyO that's very useful information.  Profusion have 1000+ of the 200AS1 in stock, so that should keep us going for a while. 

I've not heard of any failures in the TMDR, hopefully this is a good sign. 

Thanks for doing the research. 

ICBM

The module will certainly fail eventually, in the same way as the filter caps in a valve amp will fail eventually. It’s just a matter of how long, which is dependent on hours of use, temperature cycles, and random factors in manufacturing. With filter caps you might get twenty years if you’re unlucky, or fifty if you’re lucky... but more than about thirty becomes a case of diminishing odds.

I have an all-original ‘73 Fender Bassman - I know it *should* be re-capped, but they test fine, and it doesn’t hum or show any other signs of ill health, so... meh. I’ll do it when it needs it! I’m not gigging with it.

Whether I would bother buying a spare module for a Tonemaster when the amp shows no sign of needing it, I’m not sure - but it’s really no more daft, or even expensive, than keeping a full spare set of valves - even if changing a power module seems like a bigger deal somehow.