Nearly two years with the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb

[Brent Hutto]

Thanks for the review! You didn't mention the reverb, which would be my sticking point. Does it sound and act like an authentic sprind reverb at stage volumes?

The TMDR I played through briefly in a store sounded exactly, to my ears, like the reverb in the normal tube Deluxe Reverb sitting next to it.

They both sounded awful to me, like any real spring reverb I've ever heard

Same for the tremolo. Sounded authentic Deluxe Reverb to me, which is not a complement.

 

[ronzhd]

Thats awesome OP! I never thought I would be able to accept a modeling amp, now I have two..... Be interesting to see if these things last upwards of fifty years, like a lot of old tube amps. How, if any the tone changes with the amp.

 

[jbow]

I agree. I have a number of tube amps and I really have little use for them anymore. The TMDR is a great amp. It’s light and I honestly couldn’t ask for it to sound better. I use a UA Lion pedal for Marshall tone. Through the TM it shines. My favorite pedal through it is an old Jordan J-700. I ordered 14” tilt back legs and 9 cream cupcake knobs for it yesterday .
Antique Electronic Supply had the best prices I could find on the legs and knobs, cheaper than Amazon Prime!
One thing I will ask for. Step up Marshall, make a JTM-45 Tonemaster style or a 1974. I’ll buy one!

 

[TheOtherNeill]

I have been playing mine for over 4 years with no issues, I did put in a

Celestion G12 Neo Creamback 12-inch and update the software.​

I did exactly the same thing. It's been wonderful.

 

[superjam144]

I was just gushing to a buddy of mine about how much I love my Tone Master Deluxe Reverb. And because I know a lot of people worry about the longevity or were skeptical about all the YouTube review hype upon release, I thought I would give a quick report of my time with the amp nearly two years in. TL;DR - it was great then, and I love it even more now.

In the time I've had it, it has been my go-to, daily player. On those occasions I need to play even quieter than the lowest power setting, I will use the Yamaha THR10, but the TMDR is my only real non-desktop amp. In the early days, I was using it with a cover band, both for weekly practices and a few gigs. Later, I used it more at home, both for regular playing/practicing and recording via the XLR out with IRs. In all of those different uses, it has been a workhorse that has never let me down.

Playing live with a band, it always sounded great, and never gave me any trouble. The only issue was it was sometimes difficult to pick an attenuator setting where I would get optimum levels of both drive and volume, but that was more a symptom of me not being great at dialing in overdrive pedals for different situations. The XLR out was very helpful for live applications, removing the need for another mic to trip over on tiny stages. And much was said about the weight when these were released, but it really is nice. I have carried some heavy amps over long distances, and the weight relief really is a big help.

It has been similarly great for recording. To my ears, recording direct through the DI out sounds just as great as it does mic'd, and an in the room. The fact that you can defeat the speaker is of course hugely helpful, as it allows silent recording (this would also be great for silent stages, but I haven't had that particular pleasure yet). And if you buy a little $10 adapter, the XLR out can be used with headphones for silent practice as well. A lot of my recording has been done with the TMDR, and I don't hear anything digital or sterile about it - it sounds just like mic'ing a tube amp. I can just take my sound and capture it right in my DAW without mics, DI boxes, or anything else.

There are some things I haven't done with this amp. I haven't taken it on tour, or gigged heavily with it. I only used it for a couple of months before I quit the band. So the amount of time I have spent really pushing the speaker, or getting knocked around in bars, has been pretty limited. I also haven't played it in a setting like a small gig or a band practice where it was un-mic'd, and thus trying to fill the space all on its own. So I can't speak to those uses. I will also say that I am neither a tube snob nor a tone-chaser. While I have pretty much always used tube amps, that's mostly by accident. I can't say with any confidence how perfectly the TMDR emulates the sound of a traditional tube DR (to the extent there even is one single sound of the DR).

What I can say is that in the nearly two years since I bought the TMDR, I haven't shopped for another amp. I bought a ME-90 which has some amp sims, and a Universal Audio Ruby for Vox tones (which sounds great into the TMDR by the way), but I have spent zero time shopping for, looking at, or GAS'ing for amps. Occasionally, I'll see a product and get excited about some feature, and then realize the TMDR already does it. This amp sounds great, looks great (I have the blonde version), and the various quality-of-life features take care of any problems or use cases I ever come across. At around $900, it's the most expensive piece of gear I own, but I have never once regretted buying it.

Solid state is looking better and better. I’m loving the blues cube line… Dumble predicted that it would get to par with tube tone eventually. Great time to be a guitarist.

 

[Uncle Daddy]

Just seen my first TMDR up for sale that's broken out of warranty. Nobody here seems to be able to fix them.

 

[arlum]

I'm glad to read your review and I'm impressed with your honesty when folks asked you to compare it to tube driven spring reverb or controllable feedback from a tube amp. You sound extremely happy after owning this amplifier for two years and I think that's wonderful. It's obvious you're more than pleased with your purchase of the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb. I'm old and set in my ways but that doesn't mean I can't take joy in another guitarists happiness.

 

[RichCuellarPDX]

Our guitar player has many expensive boutique tube amps, but in the last year, he's played the Tone Master Deluxe exclusively. it sounds great.

 

[black_doug]

I tried out the blonde TMDR at the store. It sounds good.
I might’ve bought one, but I already have a tube amp at 22W.

I’m more into Marshall these days so I bought the SC20 combo.

 

[Spazzmaster]

I bought a used TMDR four trouble free years ago. I'm glad I did.

 

[Dr Improbable]

I bought one in June and I love it!