Fender super reverb tonemaster. Is it good enough to convert a valve purest?

chris78

I’ve tried a deluxe reverb. Lacked the top end sparkle and cut of a valve amp.
If I was going to try one, the super really appeals, but I can’t imagine one displacing a valve amp, even if lugging one around drives me nuts.

ICBM

Danny1969 said:

Power transformer can be switchmode like the St James but I hope that doesn't become a thing ... because if it does then repairing valve amps is going to become a lot more time consuming and complex.

Yes, I completely agree. Both those and Class D output sections are at the point where if a modular replacement isn't available, you're stuffed - they're very hard to repair at component level. (Although not impossible as you will know.)

That's the main reason why I'm still in favour of analogue/linear solid-state, rather than digital modelling/Class D/SMPS - as long as individual components are still available, they will be repairable - and are a mature, reliable technology anyway so less likely to fail in the first place.

Danny1969 said:

What you get with any audio transformer when pushed a bit, that I think makes a difference is the non linear in regard to frequency distortion from the transformer. it just sounds more pleasing to my ears on more complex chords than any SS design I have ever played.

One important characteristic is that a transformer can't pass a square wave properly - the waveform becomes modified into something more like a sawtooth, which is where the myth that valves produce even harmonics when overdriven and transistors produce odd ones comes from... a sawtooth wave is the sum of the even harmonics and a square is the sum of the odd ones. It's the transformer which does that, not the amplifying devices - but of course valve amps have them and solid-state ones usually don't.

Tp200023 said:

I've seen comments previously about digital "ss" vs Analogue ss - I think SS purists distinguish themselves from the tone master serious on the grounds that it is very advanced digital processing rather than SS. (which I think was where @ICBM was going in the previous post about well designed analogue SS)

Yes, the Tonemasters are using digital modelling to simulate the dynamic response of a valve output section, rather than getting it 'naturally' using an analogue output section designed to have the same characteristics, if that makes sense. The actual output section of the Tonemaster is a standard off-the-shelf high-damping Class D module. (And as Danny rightly points out, known to be potentially unreliable.)

guitarmanessex89

Played both the twin and deluxe versions regularly at a blues jam. The deluxe sounds Mike’s better. Never played a super.