Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb

[Ironwolf]

It is my opinion that Fender has these set to explode the day the warranty expires!

I've had my TM Twin since it's release, just over two years now. It still performs like the day I bought it, other than it sounds a bit better with the speakers broken in.

 

[Ironwolf]

Of course you're correct about NEW prices....I usually think in terms of gently USED gear.
BTW, when a buddy bought one of the earliest of the reissues, (mid-nineties, maybe?) it was the blond Tolex with oxblood grill. It carried a "premium" price around $650-700.

Sooo then, 25 or thirty years ago? Yeah.... the prices shouldn't have changed at all.

 

[Boreas]

Let me break this down to you…
The amp section is not the whole amp guys…

Clearly you one , do not work on amps. Nor even know what you are even looking at, nor how fender implemented this module…
Guys I am way ahead of you.

And two while you look down on me,
You better get a few facts to back up the snarky attitude!

the headers used to join other pcb’s in the amp are crap. Yes many other pcbs exist in the amp ! The problem is how this was engineered, and the parts used.

the ribbon cables and headers for the ribbon cable are such crap, fender uses glue. Yes glue to keep them together, same with cables.

Believe me, I know exactly who is confused by facts…you guys are looking at a part fender does not even build…and that is ignorant.
Especially talking down to me.



that new tone master will be in the landfill in 5 years…tops.

I have been in music electronics for about 30 years now, and an engineer. I have built gear that runs every day, in studios. And have had zero failures…not one.

but ya, tell me some more facts?
But best stop with the snarky attitude, with things you clearly do not understand.

good day.

Can you define the term "crap"? I assume it is an engineering term.

 

[teletail]

I've had my TM Twin since it's release, just over two years now. It still performs like the day I bought it, other than it sounds a bit better with the speakers broken in.

I was just being sarcastic. I really get tired of the whining from the people who question the reliability of these amps. Show me some statistics and I'll listen; otherwise it's just whining.

 

[jkingma]

Let me break this down to you…
The amp section is not the whole amp guys…

Clearly....

To @Chipss36 and anyone else participating, please make note of this, which is at the bottom of almost every forum page:

IMPORTANT: Treat everyone here with respect, no matter how difficult!

.

 

[whetherkings]

I’ve been procrastinating for months and I’ve finally come to the decision that what I actually need is a Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb and a Vox AC15C1X to have all bases covered.

 

[srolfeca]

I have an amp that uses the same ICE power amp module. It has a dedicated cooling fan.
Also, the other Fender SS amp (older 90s era Princeton 112) I had burned up (cooling sink, no fan).

..Just sayin'

@PhredE is spot-on about active cooling being used extensively with ICE modules, but he's comparing apples and oranges:

• The Tone Master Deluxe is a 22-watt amp, but it uses a 200 watt-capable Class D module that's running at a little over 10% capacity.

• The module has built-in protection against thermals, shorts, etc.

Of course it's passively cooled!

A much better comparison would have been my G-K MB800 bass head.

There's been a crazy power war going on in bass amplification for the last 10 years, and Class D ICE modules have been in the thick of that. Because of high-power, low-efficiency new drivers in a lot of extended-range cabs, 800 watts has become the new 250 in the bass community.

A bass magazine had their MB800 independently tested at 1025 watts into 4 ohms, despite only having two tiny fans the size of a silver dollar.

We ran mine at roughly 75% of full power for about 3 hours a day over the course of a 3-day outdoor festival, in bright sun with no shade:

• The metal case never got much over ambient temperature.

• It never went into protection.

• It never throttled the power back.

I traded it for an MB500, and the fans run far more often on that one, because they're fighting the heat from three 12AX7's in the preamp.

Also, when @PhredE talks about his Princeton 112 crapping out, he's referring to a sample of one.

Not only is that statistically insignificant, but that was a 30 year-old, low-tech entry-level practice amp, using ancient technology.

It has literally no bearing on the Tone Master series.

 

[IrishBread69]

I wouldn't pay any attention to a poorly written rant without evidence to back up any of the arguments.

I'm very happy with my TMDR. It's well built, sounds fantastic and I don't have any concerns about longevity whatsoever. If there were inherent issues with the product they would likely be known by now, given it's a few years since release.

I think these are good value too, for what you get.

 

[srolfeca]

Picked up my used Tone Master Deluxe on Saturday.

Plays just like it did in the store, with just one caveat: Even on 0.2 watts, it's a little loud for home use once you get the input volume beyond 5. My office/music room is in the basement of our 4-level back split. It wouldn't wake up children sleeping in the back bedrooms, but it's loud enough to annoy my wife if she's trying to watch TV above me in the living room.

With no Master Volume, I wouldn't call this an apartment-friendly amp unless you also have an iso box, an external load box/attenuator of some sort, or a dirt pedal in front.

Of course, I could run the DI out into my Headrush FRFR108, and put the amp on standby for low-volume use, but that negates the value of having such a simple, lightweight grab-and-go amp. Thankfully, I've always got my HX Stomp and a small assortment of dirt pedals to work with...

I pulled the Jensen out of it last night for a minute, while I transferred the Weber Beam Blocker from my 5E3 over to the TMDR.

The Beam Blocker worked it's usual magic, smoothing the top end a little, and improving the dispersion enough that I could stand over it on a tight stage without needing tiltback legs or an amp stand in order to hear myself properly.

 

[jvanhorn]

Can you use an always on plug for the reverb and tremolo instead of a footswitch

 

[Joe M]

jvanhorn, you may get a quicker response by starting a new thread with your question instead of tacking on to a year-old thread.....just sayin'.....

 

[Frenchy_JC]

Can you use an always on plug for the reverb and tremolo instead of a footswitch

Yes and no: if you don't connect the footswitch to the amp, reverb and tremolo remains always on... as simple as that

 

[TwangerWannabe]

I just think it is fitting to post my review of this amp after using it for a few shows
(along with my Telecaster guitar) I'm just a picker, not affiliated with Fender

I'll make this brief:

Been stage performing for nearly 50 years
This is the best sounding amp I have ever used (23 lbs)
The only one that even came close was the Mesa Lone Star 2x12 (79 lbs)
I run wireless and walked WAY back in the venues and it was still present and dripping with tone

My stage settings were (Vibrato Channel input 1)
(V) 6
(T) 6
(B) 9
(R) 3-ish

She took ALL my pedals with ease and clarity (Tube Screamer, Delay, Chorus, etc)
She was able t reach clean volumes far better than my tube DRRI

Played everything from Haggard to Zeppelin, Beatles to Petty and she did it with ease.

I am VERY pleased with this amp. I have used Mesas, Peaveys, Fenders, Rolands and
most of the rest but THIS amp beat them all.

There you go. That's my opinion of this amplifier. Try one. You won't believe your ears.
John - Ohio

When I was at the Opry. They were the front line amps.

Jack Daniels(Connie Smith, HWY 101) and Joe Diffie's lead player sounded very good through them.

Those two were playing pretty clean.

The backline (Kenny Penny and Jimmy Capps) were playing through Kempers. Jimmy played acoustic that night.

Been gigging mine for just about a year now, with absolutely no complaints. At my age, I'm sure my TMDR will outlive my gigging use. However, I'm going to hang on to my 1970 DR as well.

Wow, gigging musicians who are actually using Tone Masters, with one member stating he's seen them in use at the Opry! That's a pretty solid endorsement if you ask me.

But if you ask the most discerning group of players (the bedroom aficionados and couch pickers) they'll elk you that Tone Masters are junk and sound nothing like the originals. Ha!

 

[jakaj]

Hi all, I've been going back and forth about the Tone Master Deluxe Reverbs (or Super reverbs) and am curious about how they take overdrive or even fuzz pedals. Some youtube videos seem to show them as fizzy, but I imagine this could be down to stiff speakers, or even the nature of neodymium speakers. Has anyone noticed a difference in sound after the speakers have broken in?

 

[Mike M]

Hi all, I've been going back and forth about the Tone Master Deluxe Reverbs (or Super reverbs) and am curious about how they take overdrive or even fuzz pedals. Some youtube videos seem to show them as fizzy, but I imagine this could be down to stiff speakers, or even the nature of neodymium speakers. Has anyone noticed a difference in sound after the speakers have broken in?

I have played all the TM's, the Twin would be best for overdrive and fuzz pedals. Just my opinion

 

[chris m.]

My bandmate has a TMDR and it has an issue with the XLR out. It fluctuates in its output level-- louder than softer, kind of cycling semi-randomly. He probably should take it in for warranty service but we just mike it and that works fine.

 

[NatillasdeMuertos]

Hi all, I've been going back and forth about the Tone Master Deluxe Reverbs (or Super reverbs) and am curious about how they take overdrive or even fuzz pedals. Some youtube videos seem to show them as fizzy, but I imagine this could be down to stiff speakers, or even the nature of neodymium speakers. Has anyone noticed a difference in sound after the speakers have broken in?

Gets fizzy with overdrive when you’ve got the attenuator knocked right back, improves significantly and takes pedals a lot better as soon as you click it up. Same is true of a tube amp I’ve got on an attenuator.

 

[jakaj]

Gets fizzy with overdrive when you’ve got the attenuator knocked right back, improves significantly and takes pedals a lot better as soon as you click it up. Same is true of a tube amp I’ve got on an attenuator.

Thank you very much for replying so fast. So not much difference after the speaker breaks in? I ask because I am also looking at the blonde ones, which have the cream 65 neo.

 

[NatillasdeMuertos]

Thank you very much for replying so fast. So not much difference after the speaker breaks in? I ask because I am also looking at the blonde ones, which have the cream 65 neo.

I swapped my speaker recently enough I’ve not broken it in yet. I’ve got a creamback in mine and like it, just pedals do sound a lot better on 0.5w than 0.2w etc

My tube Marshall next to it speaker is broken in and pedals still bit fizzy when I have the amp really attenuated. It does feel more like speaker not moving much at low volume rather than an amp problem.

 

[NatillasdeMuertos]

I’ve also used a pretty fussy Germanium fuzz with the tone master and it behaved like it does with my tube amp as soon as the volume on the amp is past 5 and I’m not attenuated way back.