How many of you have had issues with your Tone Masters?

[TwangerWannabe]

So to update...

I did end up picking up the amp tonight and have been playing it for a bit. No effects, just a Tele with OV pickups straight into the amp with the onboard reverb and tremolo. It sounds absolutely glorious.

This is the part you guys are going to love though...I was carrying it into the house from the car. Still in the factory box, carrying it under my left arm only and pulled a muscle in my back! Hahaha!

But seriously, for my uses which are basically just at home these days where it's nice to unwind sometimes and just crank up the reverb and have a bit of spacey tremolo and delay added and just jam out it's perfect. I also play a lot of classic country stuff and record into a Universal Apollo set up I have into my iMac and I'm sure it will prove to be perfect for that as well.

Traditional amps will still have their place, but for me and where I am these days with my playing this thing seems pretty much perfect. I've owned all kinds of amps over the years from a 50 watt JCM800 half stack, to several Twins, Deluxes and a few Princetons, a Vibro Champ and a few Champs (all vintage silverface amps) and I really am digging this TMDR so far.

 

[teletail]

I'll never have an issue with one. The whole 'build an SS amp that looks exactly like a tube amp so old guys with bad backs who are a little freaked out by true modelers can pretend they're playing the real thing' marketing strategy seems incredibly cynical to me. But hey it worked and people are buying multiple TMs when Fender could easily put them all in the one box!

Maybe you have some inside knowledge about motivations behind Fender marketing? Much more likely that they just built a simple to use, light amp that looks like the one they already have because people tend to buy what they are familiar with.

I don’t get attributing nefarious motives to every decision a company makes. Companies are in business to make money. People buy things they are familiar with. It’s really just that simple. No Machiavellian machinations required.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Maybe you have some inside knowledge about motivations behind Fender marketing? Much more likely that they just built a simple to use, light amp that looks like the one they already have because people tend to buy what they are familiar with.

I don’t get attributing nefarious motives to every decision a company makes. Companies are in business to make money. People buy things they are familiar with. It’s really just that simple. No Machiavellian machinations required.

There's nothing "nefarious" about it. They understand their core customer base and one thing they understand is a lot of those dudes put huge importance on something looking exactly like an amp that was designed half a century ago. So voila, they sell modern digital amps with the appearance that their long-time customers insist on.

The only thing that's surprising to me is it seems like a large percentage of those customers have been willing to try a Tonemaster even knowing it has digital guts. I'd have thought almost all of them would rule anything digital right out. Fender thought otherwise and is being proven correct.

 

[teletail]

There's nothing "nefarious" about it. They understand their core customer base and one thing they understand is a lot of those dudes put huge importance on something looking exactly like an amp that was designed half a century ago. So voila, they sell modern digital amps with the appearance that their long-time customers insist on.

The only thing that's surprising to me is it seems like a large percentage of those customers have been willing to try a Tonemaster even knowing it has digital guts. I'd have thought almost all of them would rule anything digital right out. Fender thought otherwise and is being proven correct.

“old guys with bad backs who are a little freaked out by true modelers can pretend they're playing the real thing” Unbelievably disrespectful to fellow forum members.

Insulting to Fender and the people that play them, which incidentally, I don’t.

You’re a great candidate for my ignore list!

 

[Brent Hutto]

“old guys with bad backs who are a little freaked out by true modelers can pretend they're playing the real thing” Unbelievably disrespectful to fellow forum members.

Insulting to Fender and the people that play them, which incidentally, I don’t.

You’re a great candidate for my ignore list!

Except I did not post the quote that you are attributing to me. That was in a post by "goonie", not me.

Honestly, I don't mind if anyone wants to ignore my posts. I'd just rather it not be because of something I didn't say

 

[goonie]

Except I did not post the quote that you are attributing to me. That was in a post by "goonie", not me.

Honestly, I don't mind if anyone wants to ignore my posts. I'd just rather it not be because of something I didn't say

Haha sorry Brent if you were collateral damage. I'm an old guy with a bad back myself, hopefully people don't take internet banter too seriously.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Haha sorry Brent if you were collateral damage. I'm an old guy with a bad back myself, hopefully people don't take internet banter too seriously.

I'm getting older myself. I spent a couple hours late yesterday hunched over my guitar trying to learn a tune from a recording. It's one of those rambling jazzy things that's keeps changing keys. This morning my back is killing me!

 

[Durtdog]

“old guys with bad backs who are a little freaked out by true modelers can pretend they're playing the real thing” Unbelievably disrespectful to fellow forum members.

Insulting to Fender and the people that play them, which incidentally, I don’t.

You’re a great candidate for my ignore list!

I think that’s actually pretty accurate and largely factual...not disrespectful or insulting at all unless you take it personally.

But I know you won’t see this because you put me on your precious “ignore list” some time back.

 

[jvanhorn]

Have a Tone Master Deluxe Reverb [black]. Easily the best amp i have ever owned. My Telecaster loves it and even my Epiphone PR5-e sounds great thru it. It really is a major step forward in amps.

 

[NiceTele]

Many gigs now with my TMDR- can't fault it.

 

[foundjoe]

I'll never have an issue with one. The whole 'build an SS amp that looks exactly like a tube amp so old guys with bad backs who are a little freaked out by true modelers can pretend they're playing the real thing' marketing strategy seems incredibly cynical to me. But hey it worked and people are buying multiple TMs when Fender could easily put them all in the one box!

Instead of being freaked out, a lot of people just don’t have a need for all the options and menus that come with modelers. Modelers can seem like a toy and scrolling through menus and presets is not practical for gigging. Seems pretty shrewd for Fender to address the complaints about tube amps (too heavy) and modelers (too complex) through the TM series. Sure, they can add more amp models into one box, but playing a Twin Reverb model through a 1x10 amp cabinet or a Princeton Reverb model through a 2x12 isn’t really going to sound quite the same, even with the best IRs. What would be the point of doing that?

 

[El Tele Lobo]

I heard they have a Tonemaster Princeton Reverb? Anyone try that one or A/B it against the tube version?

 

[Brent Hutto]

I heard they have a Tonemaster Princeton Reverb? Anyone try that one or A/B it against the tube version?

I do not believe they are shipping yet. Announced and promised "soon", possibly November.

 

[Zenyatta]

I had one for two years. Always reliable. Not particularly inspiring tone so I finally sold it.

 

[Guitarpope]

With the new TMPR you folks with the 85# pencil size bodies are in luck!
The regular PR is one big lead brick. Lol
YOUZZZ guys with your Tone masters are funny

 

[Skydog1010]

None here. TR-TM. Knock on wood!

Went through 4 Champion 100's
2 -Champion 40's
1- Mustang iv2.0

So I know there are problems with Chinese manufacturing of SS Fender amps.

 

[KnopflerStyle]

There's nothing "nefarious" about it. They understand their core customer base and one thing they understand is a lot of those dudes put huge importance on something looking exactly like an amp that was designed half a century ago. So voila, they sell modern digital amps with the appearance that their long-time customers insist on.

The only thing that's surprising to me is it seems like a large percentage of those customers have been willing to try a Tonemaster even knowing it has digital guts. I'd have thought almost all of them would rule anything digital right out. Fender thought otherwise and is being proven correct.

Dude tone masters are the product... Probably the best Fender product in years.

Digital amps were ugly until those come up , plenty of buttons and settings... Until they came, it was impossible to play a Twin Reverb at home or carry it to a gig.

I dont think the tech is a ****... Digital synthesizers uses it and i dont see many guys having problems with them all the time.

Less is more.

 

[loopfinding]

I dont think the tech is a ****... Digital synthesizers uses it and i dont see many guys having problems with them all the time.

you will probably have to find synth repair guys instead of tube amp techs, if anything goes wrong on the digital side. many older guitar equipment techs will shy away even from just regular old SS SMT, they're not going to touch digital unless it's just ordering another board from the manufacturer.

 

[loopfinding]

the tonemasters are in the grey area where it's unknown if they're just a new gadget and will be forgotten, or they'll become some classic. becoming a classic greatly improves ease of fixing, regardless of how they're built.

plenty of digital synths from the 90s thrown in a landfill and forgotten, but plenty with devoted users and DIY communities reverse engineering stuff, making files available, even writing alternate firmware for the hell of it. if kemper or fractal completely went under in the future, i'm willing to bet communities would find a way to keep those units running...but it's a crapshoot with budget equipment.

the tonemasters also haven't been around long enough to see all the common failures. so we don't know what's okay and what is catastrophic. give them like 5 years or so and see what happens if you are apprehensive.

if you're just using it to play at home, and take to a jam once in a while...i mean you can just run any modeling pedal (strymon, amplifire, walrus audio, UA, etc) with the cab sim bypassed into the effects return of any affordable SS amp.

 

[KnopflerStyle]

you will probably have to find synth repair guys instead of tube amp techs, if anything goes wrong on the digital side. many older guitar equipment techs will shy away even from just regular old SS SMT, they're not going to touch digital unless it's just ordering another board from the manufacturer.

Yes. Think in Gauss, and 95% of the people.

Boards are in every modern amp... You dont buy valve PCs neither. Probably you will have to find other type of tech... and thats not a problem.