Are the Tone Master faceplates interchangeable with the blackface reissue faceplates?

[fasteddie455]

I got a Tone Master Twin Reverb on Black Friday. I am toying with the idea of building a cabinet for it and covering it in tweed as I love the looks of tweed.

I would have a new faceplate done up in brown as I think that it looks better than a black faceplate with tweed. Not wanting to take apart my Tone Master in order just to find out if the faceplates are identical. I would like to tell the person just to make a run of the mill Twin Reverb reissue faceplate only in brown instead of black.

Does anybody know or can anybody find out if the two faceplates are identical?
Any help would be appreciated.thanks!
Fasteddie455

 

[Milspec]

That is a great question....I have no idea if the dimensions are the same, but the tonemaster plates do not have the bright switch in the layout so that would not be the same.

 

[fasteddie455]

That is a great question....I have no idea if the dimensions are the same, but the tonemaster plates do not have the bright switch in the layout so that would not be the same.

My blackface Tonemaster does indeed have the bright switches… I heard the blonde tolex version had the bright switch “clipped” but I still see the switches in the pics of them…

 

[randym]

The bright switch 'clipped' is in the software of the ToneMaster Deluxe Reverb, which doesn't have bright switches on the faceplate (to match the tube version).

 

[nojazzhere]

They do indeed have the "Bright" switch.

 

[Milspec]

Interesting....I am not up on all the variations of the Tonemasters I guess, because I have never seen them with bright switches on the faceplate.

 

[Milspec]

Are the bright switches only on the Twin version then?

 

[randym]

Tonemaster Twin and Tonemaster Super

 

[39martind18]

No bright switches on my blackface TMDR.

 

[Milspec]

Tonemaster Twin and Tonemaster Super

Got it, that's for that information.

I actually am on the way to look at a Deluxe Tonemaster for sale locally. I love my SF Twin and have several amps that pull off that same great clean tone, but I can never understand buying a TM Twin for the same price as a SF Twin would cost you.

At least with the Deluxe, there are no versions of the valve variety that you can touch for the cost of the Tone Master.

I don't know if I am going to like it enough to pull the trigger, but I do like the concept of the TM amps for the power scaling and easy recording aspects and it might be nice to have an amp that brings a little varitety from my other amps.

 

[homesick345]

No bright switches on my blackface TMDR.

THe BF/SF DR never had a bright switch

 

[39martind18]

THe BF/SF DR never had a bright switch

Exactly!

 

[Twang Deluxe]

I got a Tone Master Twin Reverb on Black Friday. I am toying with the idea of building a cabinet for it and covering it in tweed as I love the looks of tweed.

I would have a new faceplate done up in brown as I think that it looks better than a black faceplate with tweed. Not wanting to take apart my Tone Master in order just to find out if the faceplates are identical. I would like to tell the person just to make a run of the mill Twin Reverb reissue faceplate only in brown instead of black.

Does anybody know or can anybody find out if the two faceplates are identical?
Any help would be appreciated.thanks!
Fasteddie455

I would not do it. IMHO your amp looks nice as it is. There was never a brownface TR in the 60s

 

[David Barnett]

Are the bright switches only on the Twin version then?

As it's been since 1963...

 

[dconeill]

I think this is not a project that's worth doing - costs too much for no benefit (to me). But that's me.

For the OP, would it be possible just to cover the TMTR with tweed tolex - over the black tolex - and have it be sufficient? You might want to replace the grill cloth as well. I'd bet that the most expensive part would be having a control faceplate fabricated, painted, and installed. If you could do with the stock faceplate it might be a much less expensive cosmetic do-over.

 

[Milspec]

See, us old guys still learn things from forums. I own many BF amps, but not a Deluxe so I thought they all had bright switches. I have them on my Bassman, Bandmaster, and Twin so I just assumed it was the same for the Deluxe.

Speaking of the Tone Master Deluxe, I just picked up one today. I actually feel that the Twin version is the better amp, but not the better value considering the prices for a nice SF Twin today. I really was just going over out of curiousity, but the damn thing actually impressed me enough to make an offer and the seller took it. It wasn't a steal of a price, but it was brand new right out of the box so I saved a couple of hundred anyway.

I don't see it taking the place of my favorite vintage Twin, but it does do some tricks that a tube Twin can't do, so it will find a place.

 

[fasteddie455]

I think this is not a project that's worth doing - costs too much for no benefit (to me). But that's me.

For the OP, would it be possible just to cover the TMTR with tweed tolex - over the black tolex - and have it be sufficient? You might want to replace the grill cloth as well. I'd bet that the most expensive part would be having a control faceplate fabricated, painted, and installed. If you could do with the stock faceplate it might be a much less expensive cosmetic do-over.

I DO think it is a project worth doing! No offense, I like The look of tweed… what can I say? I want to keep the original cabinet intact so if something goes wrong either in planning or execution , I still have a housing for my amp. I have a place or two that will work with me for a custom ( well custom colored , at least) faceplate. While not cheap it is no more expensive than a decent vintage faceplate. Beside, I will have an amp that no one else has…

 

[fasteddie455]

See, us old guys still learn things from forums. I own many BF amps, but not a Deluxe so I thought they all had bright switches. I have them on my Bassman, Bandmaster, and Twin so I just assumed it was the same for the Deluxe.

Speaking of the Tone Master Deluxe, I just picked up one today. I actually feel that the Twin version is the better amp, but not the better value considering the prices for a nice SF Twin today. I really was just going over out of curiousity, but the damn thing actually impressed me enough to make an offer and the seller took it. It wasn't a steal of a price, but it was brand new right out of the box so I saved a couple of hundred anyway.

I don't see it taking the place of my favorite vintage Twin, but it does do some tricks that a tube Twin can't do, so it will find a place.

I could not agree more! I managed to get 15 percent off for Black Friday so I went with the Twin version. Some of us don’t have the luxury of a Vintage one laying around so maybe this is the next best thing.