Has a valve purest would I be disappointed with a Fender tone master?

markj

Thinking of maybe getting the blonde version of the Tonemaster deluxe reverb.
 I absolutely love my Gartone hardwired 5e3 with its rich and warm tone especially using a dumble style pedal.
 I know digital can’t match the warmth of valves, but for something different do you think I would be disappointed with a tonemaster?
 I’m not a gigging guitarist just a home player.
The problem is I’ve not got a guitar shop in the area to give one a thorough test.
 

Wazmeister

I think it's a very good amp Mark, especially at home. 

If I had to sell everything, Id end up with one of these.

munckee

I have a Princeton and have had a silver face champ and have tried tone masters. My view is they sound good but not as good and unless I needed a really light amp for gigging are not for me. 

CaseOfAce

I've yet to play one that's impressed me. They sound nothing like the real deal. Sorry... 

If they are so incredible why is someone always selling one on here on average once a week?

Winny_Pooh

No. I've owned a few good tube amps and the TMDR sounded flat.  Even alongside a 10" Supro combo on a smaller cab the Supro sounded rich. 

Plus what it's emulating is miles away from a 5e3 circuit too.

jellybelly

It's not quite as alive as a valve amp, however it a) does sound good, b) takes pedals well and c) is incredibly practical. 

That last point is a big one. An amp you can lift with one finger, has a built in attenuators so you never have to compromise your settings, has zero (ZERO) background hiss or noise and a great DI out so it doesn't need to be mic'd up, can act as an interface, and can work brilliantly at conversation volumes at home etc

I gig a bit, go to rehearsals more or less weekly, cart it up stairs when I get home etc. It's perfect for that. A valve amp, by comparison, is a massive pain in the arse, not to mention an expensive and noisy one. 

Worth the trade off, totally. I won't go back. 

Alex2678

I’d never tried a deluxe reverb before, I tried one in a shop and was very disappointed, then realised it was a tonemaster. TPS did a comparison vid, definitely doesn’t sound the same on there. 

Whether you’d like it, however, is another question 

dazzajl

I think the answer depends very much on what type of player you are. If you plug into an amp, dial in a sound you like and then get on with playing, I think the TM range is absolutely brilliant. If you’re going to delve, analyse and compare along the way, you will find the shortcomings you’re looking for.  

They are genuinely good sounding amps and have a raft of features that you’re never going to get on an old school amp. 

Nikc

Don't do it you'd hate it - it will power up quickly without any issue you'll miss all that wondering if the valves need changing and it will be just way to consistent for you to really enjoy - stick with the valves you know it makes sense. 

Littlejonny

Has anyone here actually played the blonde version the OP is asking about?

Zac Childs loves it, and he appears to be an aficionado of sorts.

Littlejonny

I’ve tried the twin, didn’t really like it, but then perhaps I don’t really like the normal twin…I don’t know because the only twins I’ve ever played/owned are silver face and Rivera models.

I know I’m perfectly happy with Amplitube Fender tones, so digital modelling is not a problem for me. In theory I should be the perfect customer for a TMDR or TMPR. 

Rowby1

Had a Tonemaster Twin for 24hrs…..not even close to my ears. Very disappointed. 

Some people love them. 

richardhomer

Not quite the question you asked but the Universal Audio Dream 65 fell a long way short of my expectations. Given these seem to be considered ‘really’ good modelling devices, I don’t think modelling is for me.

Littlejonny

richardhomer said:

Not quite the question you asked but the Universal Audio Dream 65 fell a long way short of my expectations. Given these seem to be considered ‘really’ good modelling devices, I don’t think modelling is for me.

Have you tried the Amplitube models through a computer? 

I

jellybelly

Littlejonny said:

Has anyone here actually played the blonde version the OP is asking about?

Zac Childs loves it, and he appears to be an aficionado of sorts.

Compared it to the blackface one I have. I preferred the blackface, but i'm into a lot of grunge and alt rock recorded in the 90s on original blackface amps so instantly preferred the Jensen to the Celestion. The blonde was a bit warmer with more midrange. Took overdrive more smoothly (I won't say better - depends what the aim is). 

The 'mod' to the bright cap is applicable to both amps - I applied it to my blackface one so that the only real difference between the two is the aesthetics and the speaker. 

Will say - the Jensen took quite a lot of time to properly bed in. Sounds much better now that out of the box. 

And I listened to/watched the TPS episode with the shootout. I can't be the only one who thought the ToneMaster sounded markedly better, particularly when overdriven, can I? CAN I!?!?

Littlejonny

jellybelly said:

Littlejonny said:

Has anyone here actually played the blonde version the OP is asking about?

Zac Childs loves it, and he appears to be an aficionado of sorts.

Compared it to the blackface one I have. I preferred the blackface, but i'm into a lot of grunge and alt rock recorded in the 90s on original blackface amps so instantly preferred the Jensen to the Celestion. The blonde was a bit warmer with more midrange. Took overdrive more smoothly (I won't say better - depends what the aim is). 

The 'mod' to the bright cap is applicable to both amps - I applied it to my blackface one so that the only real difference between the two is the aesthetics and the speaker. 

Will say - the Jensen took quite a lot of time to properly bed in. Sounds much better now that out of the box. 

And I listened to/watched the TPS episode with the shootout. I can't be the only one who thought the ToneMaster sounded markedly better, particularly when overdriven, can I? CAN I!?!?

My impression with the TPS demo is that the TMDR didnt sound much like the DRRI, but then I’ve heard comparison videos where the DRRI didn’t sound much like the original 60s DR

jellybelly

Littlejonny said:

jellybelly said:

Littlejonny said:

Has anyone here actually played the blonde version the OP is asking about?

Zac Childs loves it, and he appears to be an aficionado of sorts.

Compared it to the blackface one I have. I preferred the blackface, but i'm into a lot of grunge and alt rock recorded in the 90s on original blackface amps so instantly preferred the Jensen to the Celestion. The blonde was a bit warmer with more midrange. Took overdrive more smoothly (I won't say better - depends what the aim is). 

The 'mod' to the bright cap is applicable to both amps - I applied it to my blackface one so that the only real difference between the two is the aesthetics and the speaker. 

Will say - the Jensen took quite a lot of time to properly bed in. Sounds much better now that out of the box. 

And I listened to/watched the TPS episode with the shootout. I can't be the only one who thought the ToneMaster sounded markedly better, particularly when overdriven, can I? CAN I!?!?

My impression with the TPS demo is that the TMDR didnt sound much like the DRRI, but then I’ve heard comparison videos where the DRRI didn’t sound much like the original 60s DR

I've just been re-watching a bit of it, and remember one thing jumping out that they address to be fair. I think the ToneMaster is built and voiced for that Jensen neo - I tried it with a few speaker that I know generally work with Fender-voiced amps (Cannabis Rex, WGS ET65) and they didn't sound right with the ToneMaster to varying degrees, but the Jensen neo fitted like a glove and makes it sound - to me at least - like a Fender, especially once it had broken in. 

The TPS comparison tried to split the difference with a common speaker and cab but I think a fairer comparison would have been their respective stock setups. The Jensen neo is dark and has a lovely midrange - I've never enjoyed a neo speaker nor a Jensen before this one. The ToneMaster sounds thin and bright on the TPS demo.

Also agree with them that it's at its best with some hair on its chest - I don't ever run it with the volume below 4. It's a bit stiff when run clean clean. But then that's how most blackface amps get run in the real world. A twin can get to 2.5 at a pub gig if you're willing to cause lasting damage to a few punters' eardrums. 

HandwrittenHero

Littlejonny said:

Has anyone here actually played the blonde version the OP is asking about?

Zac Childs loves it, and he appears to be an aficionado of sorts.

Yep. My TMDR started life as the black version. I’ve swapped the speaker for a neo creamback and installed the blonde firmware. It’s a bottle blonde. Very happy with it as well.

p90fool

markj said:

Thinking of maybe getting the blonde version of the Tonemaster deluxe reverb.
 I absolutely love my Gartone hardwired 5e3 with its rich and warm tone especially using a dumble style pedal.
 I know digital can’t match the warmth of valves, but for something different do you think I would be disappointed with a tonemaster?
 I’m not a gigging guitarist just a home player.
The problem is I’ve not got a guitar shop in the area to give one a thorough test.
 

This is by far the biggest reason you probably shouldn't bother, their light weight is the whole point.

chris78

I played the blonde in guitar guitar Camden when it came out and really liked it.
Bought the black version on here and couldn’t get rid fast enough. 

markj

Thanks for all the advice and comments. Will try and track one down in a shop and give one a play.