Tone Masters on big stages...

TimmyO

richardhomer said:

26.2 said:

As a long-standing valve snob, hats off to Fender, these amps are really excellent! 

Just so long as no other maker brings out something similar looking but cheaper…

I don't think another manufacturer would necessarily need to go cheaper - if they achieved something that was just as good an impersonation of their own classic, desirable sound <cough> Marshall </cough> in a similarly light and flexible package, they'd sell. 


Anyway, to add to the praise generally: my TM Bassman continues to knock my socks off. the only downside has been having something that will do SUCH a good range of amp drive sounds means that my drive pedal collection gets far less use than it did. 

TheBigDipper

TimmyO said:

richardhomer said:

26.2 said:

As a long-standing valve snob, hats off to Fender, these amps are really excellent! 

Just so long as no other maker brings out something similar looking but cheaper…

I don't think another manufacturer would necessarily need to go cheaper - if they achieved something that was just as good an impersonation of their own classic, desirable sound <cough> Marshall </cough> in a similarly light and flexible package, they'd sell. 


Anyway, to add to the praise generally: my TM Bassman continues to knock my socks off. the only downside has been having something that will do SUCH a good range of amp drive sounds means that my drive pedal collection gets far less use than it did. 

I think that's the point of drive pedals, though. If we could always run an amp at full chat then we would, wouldn't we? Or maybe that's just me? 

TimmyO

TheBigDipper said:

TimmyO said:

richardhomer said:

26.2 said:

As a long-standing valve snob, hats off to Fender, these amps are really excellent! 

Just so long as no other maker brings out something similar looking but cheaper…

I don't think another manufacturer would necessarily need to go cheaper - if they achieved something that was just as good an impersonation of their own classic, desirable sound <cough> Marshall </cough> in a similarly light and flexible package, they'd sell. 


Anyway, to add to the praise generally: my TM Bassman continues to knock my socks off. the only downside has been having something that will do SUCH a good range of amp drive sounds means that my drive pedal collection gets far less use than it did. 

I think that's the point of drive pedals, though. If we could always run an amp at full chat then we would, wouldn't we? Or maybe that's just me? 

Agreed - I’d just got so used to doing that, because of needing to do that, I’d forgotten that it was, at least in part, a solution to a problem - which I no longer have really 

Nerine

@stickyfiddle are those cables on your board the burgundy Evidence SIS ones??

stickyfiddle

Nerine said:

@stickyfiddle are those cables on your board the burgundy Evidence SIS ones??

Yes indeed. 

The initial pain was chunky but they’re really bloody good cables

jeztone2

dazzajl said:

An unpopular opinion among Leica and Hasselblad owners is that there’s always someone just around the corner using gear you’d look down your nose at taking much better photos than you are……..

I had that recently when i visited the old Berlin Templehoff Airport. This Leica Q owner looked at my 14 year old Fuji X Pro1 with thorough disdain. Ten minutes later she's copying my shots.

Plectrum

TimmyO said:I don't think another manufacturer would necessarily need to go cheaper - if they achieved something that was just as good an impersonation of their own classic, desirable sound <cough> Marshall </cough> in a similarly light and flexible package, they'd sell. 

Marshall seem to be concentrating more on Synergy pre-amps but I agree that something like a modelled Bluesbreaker would sell. 

ElectricXII

Plectrum said:

TimmyO said:I don't think another manufacturer would necessarily need to go cheaper - if they achieved something that was just as good an impersonation of their own classic, desirable sound <cough> Marshall </cough> in a similarly light and flexible package, they'd sell. 

Marshall seem to be concentrating more on Synergy pre-amps but I agree that something like a modelled Bluesbreaker would sell. 

I'd certainly consider buying one of those. My valve Bluesbreaker is a Backbreaker.

stickyfiddle

If Marshall did a Bluesbreaker or Plexi in the TM mould (and they were good…) they’d clean up

fretmeister

stickyfiddle said:

If Marshall did a Bluesbreaker or Plexi in the TM mould (and they were good…) they’d clean up

Just imagine how much Marshall could have benefited from the current anti-Fender feeling if they had a comparable product.

Plectrum

fretmeister said:

stickyfiddle said:

If Marshall did a Bluesbreaker or Plexi in the TM mould (and they were good…) they’d clean up

Just imagine how much Marshall could have benefited from the current anti-Fender feeling if they had a comparable product.

I appreciate that we're deep in hypothetical land here but would someone who has a preference for the sound of a Fender amp really want to switch to something like a digital Bluesbreaker? Or perhaps the question would be better phrased what percentage of potential Tonemaster customers would go Marshall instead? Especially as there are multiple 3rd party modellers which have Fender amp models in them?

fretmeister

Plectrum said:

fretmeister said:

stickyfiddle said:

If Marshall did a Bluesbreaker or Plexi in the TM mould (and they were good…) they’d clean up

Just imagine how much Marshall could have benefited from the current anti-Fender feeling if they had a comparable product.

I appreciate that we're deep in hypothetical land here but would someone who has a preference for the sound of a Fender amp really want to switch to something like a digital Bluesbreaker? Or perhaps the question would be better phrased what percentage of potential Tonemaster customers would go Marshall instead? Especially as there are multiple 3rd party modellers which have Fender amp models in them?

There's loads of players who like both but can only afford / have the space for one. Could just push the decision a little.
Bassman fans would be happy with a JTM as well.

jellybelly

fretmeister said:

Plectrum said:

fretmeister said:

stickyfiddle said:

If Marshall did a Bluesbreaker or Plexi in the TM mould (and they were good…) they’d clean up

Just imagine how much Marshall could have benefited from the current anti-Fender feeling if they had a comparable product.

I appreciate that we're deep in hypothetical land here but would someone who has a preference for the sound of a Fender amp really want to switch to something like a digital Bluesbreaker? Or perhaps the question would be better phrased what percentage of potential Tonemaster customers would go Marshall instead? Especially as there are multiple 3rd party modellers which have Fender amp models in them?

There's loads of players who like both but can only afford / have the space for one. Could just push the decision a little.
Bassman fans would be happy with a JTM as well.

Yeah dress it up like the early Offset ones and it's even look better too

Petepassion

fretmeister said:

Plectrum said:

fretmeister said:

stickyfiddle said:

If Marshall did a Bluesbreaker or Plexi in the TM mould (and they were good…) they’d clean up

Just imagine how much Marshall could have benefited from the current anti-Fender feeling if they had a comparable product.

I appreciate that we're deep in hypothetical land here but would someone who has a preference for the sound of a Fender amp really want to switch to something like a digital Bluesbreaker? Or perhaps the question would be better phrased what percentage of potential Tonemaster customers would go Marshall instead? Especially as there are multiple 3rd party modellers which have Fender amp models in them?

There's loads of players who like both but can only afford / have the space for one. Could just push the decision a little.
Bassman fans would be happy with a JTM as well.

My ST20 stack seems to cover the early Fender and early Marshall sound.
   It’s that sweet crossover period.

gubble

I saw the script last night and their guitarist was using a couple of Fender FR12 Tonemasters

Sounded great !

shaunm

gubble said:

I saw the script last night and their guitarist was using a couple of Fender FR12 Tonemasters

Sounded great !

On the other end of the spectrum I went to see Albert Lee last week and he was using a Fender custom Tonemaster from the 90’s and a 4x12 in a venue that fits 50 people. The last time I had seen one of those live was Bon Jovi at Wembley Stadium in 95. 

It was too loud in that little venue. They should make a Tonemaster Tonemaster 

strtdv

I see Joe Bonamassa is beta testing a Tonemaster tweed Twin for Fender and apparently is impressed. Much as Fender is a pariah at the moment I have to say I think they're among the best of the modellers, certainly when it comes to their own amp models

I love playing my "proper" valve amps at home and try to make sure I get a good blast on all of them at least once a week, but I have to admit that most of my home playing and all of my playing out is now done on my Helix. As others have said, it doesn't really matter if it doesn't sound and feel 100% like the amp it's meant to emulate, if it sounds good and feels good then it is good.

The modelling still has a tiny bit of both sound and feel to go before it becomes "as good as" the real thing to all intents and purposes, and from what I've seen and heard of the Helix Stadium it's not quite the leap over the last generation Helix I was hoping for (improved workflow with the touchscreen aside), but I think the next generation of products in say 5-7 years will be totally there.

26.2

Just done my first gig with my TMDR tonight. Excellent sound, slightly less headroom than I’m used to, but I expected that. All pedals sounded great. 

I’m the only guitar in a 4-piece with vocals, bass, drums, and I use a lot of different sounds and textures, from jangly just-breaking up to full on sustainy lead, faux-string synth with my Cloudburst and lots of different delays. It handled all of this really well.