Valve Vs Solid State - Can a Blindfolded Chappers Tell Which Amp is Which?

[@andertons]

PLEASE NOTE: This video was filmed back in August 2020 where we followed the social distancing guidelines for the time. All newly filmed videos will be following the UK's current set of guidelines. Stay safe. Team Andertons ❤️🤘

[@sundaynightdrunk]

All love to you guys in Guildford. Stay safe yourselves. And give Pete the same test!

[@adrianp.barbieri7514]

Still playing with the Boss Artist a great amp, the Tonemaster twin which I tried at the store before buying the artist , had nowhere near the resonance of my valve twin which I've played for yonks! Would canting it back on its legs improve the sound?

[@Gerardoooooooo]

Stay safe from politicians, please.

[@ryangunwitch-black]

Should have just allowed the people to assume you two were a cohort who lived in sin and thus didn't need to mask because you're already so exposed to one another.

[@squirelova1815]

I wear a full body condom AND a mil spec gas mask just to be sure although it is difficult to walk around with and go to the "Loo" in.

[@VodkaSelekta]

Next you should see if a blindfolded solid state amp can tell the difference between Rob Chapman and Lee Anderton.

[@florianju5638]

Depends on the drive pedal ;)

[@MehYam2112]

Wait, one of them is a robot?

[@Dug6666666]

Or paint the blindfold with nitrocellulose lacquer to see if it makes guitars sound better.

[@shawndouglass2939]

That would be good😜

[@jesuschristpose896]

How about blind test between a Chapman guitar and a turd

[@BeckerFlag]

The Fender Tonemaster engineers..."We did our jobs".

[@Music_is_fun]

I’d like to try that thing someday in a music store

[@joshuatice4947]

Love ur fender mustang GT 200s i own one lol

[@progste]

still costs like a valve amp though...

[@jgab115]

@@progste valve amps are outdated. Solid state tonemaster are where it's at now. Plus they are very very very light as well and I guarantee you you will fail if you blindfold test these against a valve amp

[@progste]

@@jgab115 right... Keep your blindfold, I'll take the good amp.

[@WallyBoots]

This just goes to show how us guitarist listen with our eyes

[@robbirose7032]

I am blind.

[@dimensionalencounter3689]

I run a orange crush 120 most of the time I have a magnetic sticker that says mud slayer over the cr120 part and when other bands are watching us they think it’s tube goes to show if your rig is set up right then it’s difficult to tell

[@fogboundturtle]

they listen with their ego

[@sSkullCollector]

It's clean sounds only and dirt from a pedal, if you drive the amps themselves you'll 100% hear the difference between a clipping valve vs a clipping transistor

[@WallyBoots]

@@sSkullCollector If you’re not looking at the actual amp I think you’d surprise yourself if put to the test. The digital modeling stuff has gotten really good.

[@scottdenmark3577]

It’s hard to believe how bad that Friedman pedal sounded with all of the amps.

[@robbirose7032]

That pedal does sound good in a mix. But it can be a little fizzy.

[@christopher-miles]

@@robbirose7032 yeah... i agree, scooped the mids more than expected

[@brandonlesko3126]

I think the best use of an OD pedal is to use it as a boost. Light gain. Get a good tone from the amp then use the pedal as a boost. A lot of gain is not necessary to get a good guitar tone.

[@ooferrell]

@@brandonlesko3126 I agree.

[@kcussrebutuemos4815]

I wonder if they turned down the internal trimpot? If not it’s extreme gain. Sorry that pedal doesn’t sound like that in person. It’s how they’re setting it ,micing it or using it with those particular amps.

[@neverenoughguitars8276]

That Friedman pedal made the amps sound like that little novelty Marshall stack

[@midnightmix2692]

that is what happens when you put them in front of an amp with a very clean speaker

[@bradleybrown1567]

😂😂😂

[@SynZ777]

Don't talk shit about that amp. Jack Black played it in School of Rock so if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for all of us.

[@ashcosmo3854]

Valve snobs be like "This test was RIGGED"

[@iandecruz2544]

Ha Ha spot on dude! I,ve been looking to buy a new amp, this has put a spanner in the works, big time!

[@sseltrek1a2b]

i've heard the ToneMaster is ridiculous...

[@kikemarino6806]

The "yeah" part KILLED ME HAHAHAHAHAH

[@just_the_job]

Me 2🤣

[@misterknightowlandco]

The guitar industry... the only industry where 1950’s tech and 2021 tech is debated. Cheers.

[@JVMC_ZR1]

Technology just keeps getting better over time... I honestly feel some guitar amp manufacturers don't want their solid state lines to sound as good as their tube amps. Profit over consumers. At least Fender gives us the best solid state lines with their Tonemaster and Rumble series

[@tazmon122]

yea, screw the cars, guns, fine art, animation, film, furniture, and literally every other part of the general music industry (from turntables and mixing consoles to synthesizers and concert hall security) industries....it's ONLY the guitar industry that does that.

[@misterknightowlandco]

@@tazmon122 seriously? Are you dense? No one says old cars, guns, furniture and all that shit is better and your a fraud if you don’t own vintage stuff like the guitar industry does. No car company reissues 50’s cars because “your not a real car driver unless you can work a stick, use leaded gas and your engine still has a carburetor.” No animation or film company still puts out black and white silent movies because that’s REAL artwork and not those terrible “talkies”. Let me guess you still have a commodore64 that you’re logging into to watch this, huh? Your not an authentic computer user if you don’t do black with green letter bruh. Lol. Jackass.

[@zachinabox2951]

@@tazmon122 literally all of those things are without debate better now

[@tazmon122]

@@misterknightowlandco clearly you've never been to a vintage car showcase, or an animation1 class.

[@hibernative]

Andertons should have an in-store blindfold service where people can blind test amps in their price range.!

[@patmurphy7266]

Ive done this with guitars and amps at my guitar store. its me and the sales guy nerding out, and I pick my favorite that month without ever even looking at it❤

[@aidanharris5117]

That Friedman pedal sounded like shite in all of them.

[@wojciech2456]

mr. chapman has weird taste in everything that sounds awful. gear wise.

[@m.balauszko]

Which is super weird considering how amazing this pedal sounds. I have one on my board and it’s my fav distortion in the world.

[@skyviewdroneimagery5408]

Everything uploaded to KZbin sounds like shite. It’s just the depth of shite that varies.

[@ha-jd7wl]

Perhaps it isn't set to sound good, but to help him determine if an amp is valve or not.

[@stanislavmigra]

It does not help, when you cant adjust neither pedal, neither amp. Different person may set it up with best intent, that does not mean, it will work for someone else ;).

[@mr.deafeningguitar1547]

What I've learned from this video: Don't buy that Friedman pedal.

[@JVR10893]

That Friedman pedal is one of the best pedals on the market. I have no idea why it sounded so bad in this video.

[@JorisGriffioen]

Well... don't dial it in once and then play it on 4 different amps without touching the knobs...

[@rickeymitchell8303]

@@JVR10893 one setting on one amp with certain pods transistors pieces it's going to sound one way versus a different amp with certain pieces volume parts valves transistors whatever it may be it all makes a huge difference

[@apuadofrancisco]

idk, but my Friedman BE-OD and BE-OD Deluxe before doesnt sound like that. i think they dimed it all the way. tried using thru Les Paul and Strat

[@CroneRaven1810]

Seriously? Rob Chapman can play on EVH's VH1 gear or Andy Timmons gear and make it sound terrible. You want actual good guitarists that know what they are doing? Listen/ watch Pete Thorn, Michael Nielsen, Robert Baker, Ola englund, Rabbea did an awesome review of the BE100 deluxe & pedal. Sounds great to me

[@mackie4397]

Rob asking the real questions at the end, "Do they do a Bassbreaker one?" I'm waiting for the Princeton version

[@piratewhoisquiet]

Meanwhile I'm waiting for a hand wired twin smh

[@budgetguitarist]

YES! Princeton version is a no-brainer - I'm surprised they haven't done it yet. Bassbreaker? I don't see it, just like I don't see a Blues Junior version. The Bassbreaker 15 and the Blues Junior are both in that $600-ish range. Maybe the Bassbreaker 30.

[@DeltaJazzUK]

Me too. A Princeton would be amazing.

[@davidburke2132]

@@budgetguitarist exactly. It’d probably cost them as much if not more to properly emulate a Bassbreaker as it costs them to make the valve version which would largely defeat the object.

[@RogerThat902]

@@budgetguitarist Yeah, and I'd argue they won't do a Princeton for a while. One of the main selling points is weight factor, and transporting to gigs. Those issues don't exist w/ Princetons or the others. And there are so many Blue Juniors running around for 300 bucks here nobody should ever buy a new one hah. I think they have to come out w/ Bassmans and Super Reverbs next. They would sell a million of those IMO.

[@sordel5866]

Me at the start: “Well, this is going to be stupidly easy for Rob.” Me at the end: “So, Bruce Willis was dead all along ..!?”

[@wraith1977]

To be fair to Rob, he's not a Fender amp guy. He's not really an American amp guy at all.

[@Newnodrogbob]

That’s true. But if deciding if an amp is valve or solid state comes down to identifying which amp it is, specifically, then I guess that pretty much settles the debate about valve vs solid state.

[@steviesteakbakes9643]

@@Newnodrogbob Spot on!

[@clip7995]

@C J B hes not a guitar guy but he has his own guitar company?

[@adamskold6395]

@C J B Because it's entertainment and not science. Relax.

[@fossilmatic]

To be fair... he clearly couldn’t identify a difference. No shame in that, he simply had his main criteria for judging removed (his preconceptions).

[@luizdejesus6240]

Being an tube amp fanboy for 45 years, it is really hard not to like the tone master. Well done Fender...

[@luciantaylor9161]

I played a Tone Master at guitar center while trying out a Tumnus Deluxe the other day, and until this video I had no idea that the Tone Master was solid state. Wild.

[@SFGW]

Golly that Friedman pedal is one of the worst pedals I've ever heard.

[@kcussrebutuemos4815]

Yea it’s sad because it doesn’t sound like that in person.

[@iandecruz2544]

@@kcussrebutuemos4815 Uh ! yes it does I just listened to it through four different amps!

[@jackbubb1306]

@@iandecruz2544 mate learn to set it. It will cover so much ground as a pedal. Mine lives nearly all at 12 o’clock which is the sign of a good pedal as it leaves heaps of room for tweaking, your may have a less then ideal amp or too much gain, try backing the gain off. Honestly it’s one of the best on the market rn

[@spacebarbus]

I tried one out... Sent it back.. Total piece of overpriced crud...

[@Dominoesfall757]

BE-OD sounds awesome. Not really in this video though.

[@thekingston119]

All you need to know about all these "Valve vs. Solid State vs. Digital" disputes Blindfolded, people rarely can say the difference.

[@RAID5_Aesthetic]

At low volume. But if you crank them there is no comparison. Tube all the way.

[@MrDrTheJniac]

@@RAID5_Aesthetic There are loads of confounding variables that make these comparisons largely useless. The biggest one is that even a tiny volume difference can impact perceived sound quality. If one amp is 0.25dB louder than the other, then it will sound better even though you will not be able to tell that it is louder.

[@Robfnord]

I am yet to see “digital” amplification whatsoever tbh I am waiting on digital ears first

[@Kris_T_]

Never mind that, how about recording a full band, and playing it back on monitors or headphones to non-musicians. Then ask them "Is the guitarist using valves or solid state?" How many people 'on the street' would even understand the question?

[@RJ_HTx]

If you listen closely you can. Especially on how sterile it sounds and on the high end.

[@JaredGunstonTV]

Lee!! You gotta do the same thing with heads and cabinets BUT have the head on top of the cabinet not plugged into the cabinet below it. To see if placibo of looking at a Mesa and cab yet its actually an orange head going into the cab, makes us hear valve/solid or a similar.

[@wesmatron]

Having witnessed in previous videos how accurate Rob's ears are, it is surely a demonstration of how good solid state amps have become. It would be nice in videos like this if Rob told us what he was hearing and what he was testing for when listening.

[@williambartholomew5680]

He's done that is past videos and it drags out LONG, this 20 minute video would normally be 45 minutes of boredom and confusion. When the session is this compressed you can compare the amps yourself better, hard to effectively judge them side by side when someone's talking about what they THOUGHT they heard for 5 minutes between playing each.

[@wesmatron]

@@williambartholomew5680 I think there;s room for both. I totally agree that back0to0back examples are better, but I like to know his train of thought.

[@derrickderrick4397]

I disagree. When it comes to Robs voice, less is more

[@brandonlesko3126]

@@derrickderrick4397 +1. I think the videos are just better without him.

[@cocodacoco3065]

There’s probably parity, if not overlap with the top of the line guitars coming out of Fender Mexico and the most affordable Americans.

[@johnschober4008]

Sounds like the Blackstar was in 2 watt mode or something?

[@MikeTaffet]

Yeah, didn’t seem to have any headroom at all

[@johnschober4008]

@@MikeTaffet Did Pete set these tones up? :D

[@adamwinski6444]

I have HT20 and it sounds much better than presented here

[@josephfowler6867]

I have one myself, 40 watt tho. Can confirm, can get every tone in the world but you have to learn to work them

[@olavjorvik94]

@@adamwinski6444 Rob LOVES that amp himself, and he make it sound better than this, usually. ALL the amps here sucks... Poor Rob, not put in an easy situation here... He should have an hour and set up 5 amps, and then get blindfolded, and have to guess which is which

[@Chemist1076]

If he needs to be so attentive to the tone and makes mistakes, it pretty well ends the valve vs not issue.

[@DeadlyFredXXX]

It really does depend. He did catch the nuance of the greater compression with the solid state amp but was most fooled by a digital emulation of a valve amp. So I think the argument between solidstate vs valve will always be there but now you've got digital approximations which can pretty faithfully mimic both.

[@DeltaJazzUK]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@juliantallach8447]

Yeah...if there was genuine difference in qualify it would be immediately obvious.

[@OgamiItto70]

I sort of agree, but with this _caveat:_ He only got to hear them on "clean," and at a certain volume. This has been very interesting and somewhat useful, but we don't know, from this video, whether or not the "illusion" would be sustained at gigging volume levels. Heretofore, I've been a devotee of tube amps, but that was mainly because, until pretty recently, most transistor and digital amps were prone to sounding fake, especially when it came to overdrive/distortion. There have historically been a few exceptions, but transistor amps _had_ earned that reputation. Hopefully that is coming to an end. The solid state stuff is lighter, cheaper, doesn't need to be biased and is less likely to burst into flame.

[@dingalarm]

@@OgamiItto70 ...I would also add that, even though a failed output transistor or power amp IC cannot be unplugged and replaced like a valve, solid-state amps are more reliable, and any competent technician can easily and cheaply repair them. But solid-state guitar amps need to be designed to distort "properly", whereas valve amps naturally distort, partly as a result of the valves, but also due to the output transformers.

[@steveDC51]

It’s amazing what you can hear with your eyes isn’t it?

[@williambeem]

This is probably blasphemy to some, but I'd love to have a Tweed Deluxe Tonemaster. I love my Twin Reverb Tonemaster.

[@gainbear8853]

They put a tweed cover on either of the tonemasters and I’m in the next day. I’m no longer carrying valve amps around. Too old.

[@LostMyMojo100]

Whatever works for you. That's the important thing...

[@williambartholomew5680]

@@gainbear8853 Not just the weight but the fact there's no tubes to deal with, one mild jarring is all it takes to kill a tube. But tubes don't last forever and they're awfully expensive now, with how nice the Tonemaster sounds and for being for being $500ish less than it's tube'd twin, and the fact that you'd CONTINUE to save that $500 every few years from the sets of tubes you DON'T have to replace anymore - becomes a no-brainer at that point!

[@jonr1122]

@@gainbear8853 they do a blonde version but tweed would be sweet. I have had a twin tonemaster for a year or so, not looked at another amp since.

[@andrews2772]

I will never get tired of the blind folded challenge, keep it rolling fellas!

[@MAQJohnston]

The mix between the room mic and the amp mic at 14:14 sounds epic when Rob does the string bend!

[@toms5951]

With the Captain's facial reactions he'd make a great Aardman character

[@teddydavis3504]

Finally. Chapman’s ear is remarkable. It’s good to see they finally were able to get him. A head cold maybe?

[@tomfonner1886]

I agree with a previous comment. Rob knows the manufacturers that he uses very well. I think if one of the tube amps was a Victory, he would have known.

[@jeffcole4783]

I am definitely a tube amp guy. I have tried to bond with some solid state amps but never really could. I did have a old Peavey small combo SS back in the day that I thought sounded pretty good. The new Fender Mastertone series seems to have did a good job of capturing tubeness.

[@wormcultist6637]

I got a challenge "Can chappers tell the difference between donations to charity and no donations to charity" Joke. It was a Joke c'mon

[@sethgardner8209]

@@Elias0112 Just referring to his controversy a year ago he’s moved on guys

[@sethgardner8209]

@@pentatonicpaddy And he shreds 😂

[@wormcultist6637]

@@pentatonicpaddy 😂

[@yuhaosu6899]

I realized that an expensive pedal isn't as good as its price.

[@xxhalomegabloksxx]

this OD sounds great in as a preamp if you're looking for a friedman tone in my experience

[@Homanjer]

Well the most popular (best sounding) sounds have been captured in so many pedals. All those ts clones and shit like that none of these are horribly expensive and they just sound good. Or look at all the boss pedals you can get them anywhere and they just sound good

[@SynZ777]

I bought a Behringer TS808 clone at a flea market for $10 and it sounds somewhat better than the TS808 for a fraction of the price. So I definitely agree with your statement.

[@The_Fat_Turtle]

The pessimist in me is saying this is a Fender Tonemaster commercial in sheeps clothing, but I've heard nothing but good things about those amps from people who have actually played them. So I'm inclined to think the Tonemasters are legit good sounding amps.

[@eastbaystreet1242]

It is surprising, and cool. But in a way it makes sense when you look at what Boss did with the Katanas, then consider Fender's capabilities several years later. It is a very smart amp.

[@mflee6590]

This is an infomercial. Just a great one that’s feels legit. Hard for me to believe this just happen to work out so perfectly. But who knows for sure. But from my ears perspective that tonemaster is awesome, so maybe it’s just done it’s job that well?

[@didamnesia3575]

They sound great in the store, to the point of having an emotional "no I'm not buying that, my ears are lying, tubes forever" for no good reason. But... tube amps do sound better. I want to sound better.

[@madgebishop5409]

the editing on this is on point and a half!

[@JoshuaC923]

Yah. Yah. Yah. Yah.

[@reyngel]

The editing was awesome. I’m 😂

[@piratewhoisquiet]

Welcome to Andertons lmao

[@DaveBroTube]

ShhhhhaniaTwain

[@Hello_there_obi]

Blackstar clean tone was terrible. That or the setup.

[@MirroBlac]

Something went wrong with the settings. HT Series sound fantastic, and this is a Mk II which got even better clean channel.

[@Hello_there_obi]

@@MirroBlac definiely sounds like it. They managed to make a strat not sound like a strat hahaha

[@necro5129]

Yes! More Rob Used to be massively against solid state but they have come so far recently. Boss, Blackstar and Vox are putting out some amazing affordable products

[@MrYatesj1]

I am still a valve guy but I do tip my hat. The real test of the solid state amp would be a volume test to see if the break up like a value. Cheers

[@johnheath970]

I don’t think the amps were loud enough for the valves to show their characteristics

[@WillieD7]

That’s kind of my thinking as well. You can’t tell what their volume settings are but if you watch other videos where they get the 68 DRRI really singing, you can sometimes see they are running the volume around 5 which is LOUD on those amps. Also, the 68 has a Bassman channel as well which is a very distinctive tube distortion when pushed but again, needs to be cranked. This test does show however that at reasonable volumes, solid state can sound great.

[@SticksAandstonesBozo]

Well. I was shopping for a new amp in the 1k range this week. Tone master was about to be my choice. Now it’s 1000% what I’m getting.

[@mikehughes2183]

So you are going to buy 10 Tone Masters?

[@skyviewdroneimagery5408]

Good to see Laurel and Hardy back together again!

[@NathanBreese]

You should do a video where one thing changes each time, and Rob has to figure out what it was. (different guitar, different pedal, different amp).

[@shymi]

Love to see you guys together! Cheers and keep having fun

[@motokev2727]

I have a Marshall Code 25. Once that amp is dialed in, it's purty impressive. Honestly, I don't think I could tell the difference between the code 25 and a equivalent small tube amp.

[@bermibrit]

a blind guitar player, I can confirm...finding a pedal with a foot without seeing it...takes practice!

[@jochen970]

id like to sit down and talk for like 10 mins with chappers or lee

[@JoshuaC923]

It'll feel like 10 minutes but it'll be an hour

[@martinemesguitar]

Are you looking to sell them insurance?

[@valebliz]

@@martinemesguitar LOL

[@jochen970]

@@martinemesguitar hahahaha nice :D

[@TheFeelButton]

I have missed Chappers and The Captain! Cheers Rob and Cap'n!!

[@OEMPlus]

and what have we learned? soiid state amps have gotten REALLY good over the years.

[@pd4165]

With the Fenders - not gigging one of their D class amps is more about ego than sound. (though I'd want to run a valve pedal in front, just for pride)

[@williamolsen20]

@@pd4165 LOL we are hypocrites.

[@thekolt533]

Better but still not there imo!!

[@SynZ777]

@@thekolt533 Confirmation bias. If someone tells you it's a solid state amp, you're going to nitpick it and think it sounds digital. In a blind test, the difference is seriously marginal. Anyone could tell there was sonically a difference 10+ years ago, but the dynamics and basically everything are there now.

[@nightraven5760]

@@SynZ777 You say that, I just picked up a Marshall AVT50 half stack. Its got one 12AX7 in the pre amp but the rest is digital, and to my ears isn't any different to a tube amp. Either way, its really freaking nice, and nearly 2 decades old

[@ennspek]

There is a difference between solid state and digital....

[@blankspace0000]

Hope we can get back to this some day. Miss me some Chappers and The Captain.

[@lavalizard1]

Great video. I have to admit - I own that Tonemaster model (FDR) and it’s just genius. I’ve gigged with it and am constantly blown away by how good it sounds. I also LOVE the attenuation and IR outputs. Now when I record I go through my pedals, through the amp and then DI/XLR right into my Apollo interface. It’s perfect.

[@sallopiccolo7336]

Glad to see Chappers back. He needs you and you need him :)

[@TP-xe2hi]

New blind fold challenge idea: Rob, Pete, Rabear, and Lee play the same riffs on the same equipment and the viewers need to decide who is playing!

[@sygis21]

I love these blindfold videos. Super cool, guys. I enjoy it so much. Ive just bought a Katana Artist MK2 and this thing is better imo than any other valve amp i played...and i played a few.

[@vin9976]

Hey just seeing this. I'm looking at an Artist MK2 used (but new). Are you still digging it? I could get a used Marshall DSL40 for similar price but obviously that's not as versatile. Obviously the Artist in this video was weak...but I think they just come fairly weak unless you dial them in with Tone Studio right? I'm fairly techy but DANG the Boss Tonestudio and Librarian does have a lot going on that is a bit confusing looking to me.

[@sygis21]

@@vin9976 I think I’ve changed my mind about the Artist MKII. I am really into valves again. Just feels and sounds better. So if you asked me: go for the DSL 💪🏻

[@lptomtom]

No Blues Cube ? How could youuu

[@tombutler-weeks6975]

Definitely should have been in there!

[@bakkels]

Great test, fun video. But yeah, that Friedman sounded shrill and cold to me. Through all of the amps.

[@Hanssone]

Feedback: I noticed lately in every video that has multiple amps that you have to mike up, it always sounding kinda inconsistent/bad for some reason and doesnt do the amps justice. maybe its because you are in a hurry and amps setting and microphone placement is 2nd thought, i dont know. just my 2 cents.

[@pd4165]

Yeah - note for Anderton's - run all amps through the same cab. You're measuring amps, not speakers or mics.

[@jktolford8272]

@@pd4165 Only for testing heads. Not if they're testing combos. If I'm in the market for combos, & perhaps have even decided speaker or cabinet size, I don't care what they sound like with cabs I have no interest in purchasing. If a solid state or digital modeling amp is coupled with a speaker/cab that sounds like or as good as a tube amp with its speaker/cab, I don't care that another tube amp circuit could sound better with a separate cab. Same holds even if combo sounds "good enough."

[@truleejammin]

Just ordered a blonde tone master twin reverb. If it stays in my collection I will be surprised. Love the sound of tubes and would love even more to get it without the tube maintenance.

[@josephely58]

Lol rob said "it's the cabinet size" and lee sneaks in "well they're all about the same size so.."

[@JonDeth]

*One look at the guitar and I knew he was doomed to get it all wrong lol.* A maple fingerboard stratocaster loaded with single coil pickups was certain doom for blind accuracy. *If you had used humbuckers, completely scooped mids, mudding bass and modest treble, it would have definitely been more obvious but even then, it would have largely boiled down to price point in what was being scrutinized.* It's really difficult to use a scooped tone with any technology and get elite results. This is why so many guys go with Mesas, Marshalls or a lesser brand geared for shredding metal. I have a background in engineer so from my POV, it's all a scam. Solid-state, digital or valve means absolutely nothing if the right person designed and built it. Digital ultimately just makes it super cheap and easy, but the prices certainly don't reflect that.

[@CentaurusRelax314]

I thought it was just me. I tried a BE-OD Deluxe, twice. Once with a Katana head, and later with an Atomic modeler. It was horrendous with both. And yet so many people get good results with that pedal.

[@jeremydunning9321]

Y’all should do one like this but with tube amps

[@davidf2281]

15th-fret bend timer: 18 minutes and 21 seconds

[@marcusdavey9747]

A lot of players made up their minds a while ago that SS doesn’t sound as good as tubes. So, a lot of folks ready to be surprised how close chips can sound nowadays. You don’t need a pricey Fender either.

[@GibsonOnTheWall]

Wow, a not so good blindfold test for Rob. But to be fair, especially with gain they all sounded pretty horrible which could make you think it's a cheap/non-valve amp.

[@adamskold6395]

Yeah, and the fact that they used a pedal for gain (i.e. solid state clipping) only makes it more difficult. The biggest difference between solid state and valve is the way it clips imo. Solid states usually sounds great clean

[@ponynose4987]

Many many years ago Mr. G. Randy Slone said that there is no audible difference between solid state and valve amps. This test proves him right.

[@OfJaggedRisings]

Yeah, that Friedman pedal sounded terrible with all of them. Weird.

[@2Xboti]

That pedal is my main Distortion, i have a cover of Iron Maiden Hallowed by Thy Name with the same pedal and that doesn't sound as bad as this....I don't know what was it, the mics, the knobs i dont know

[@brandonlesko3126]

Next time you have the Katana as an option in a blindfold comparison video? Download the Sneaky Amps and the Dumble Amps beforehand. This just might throw Chappers or Pete or Ruh Beer a curveball.

[@Sermondt]

It's NOT a fail for Chappers, but it's a compliment for Fenders engeneers!

[@digitalchris6681]

ANY amp + Friedman pedal = shit sound.

[@stephanwilliams9622]

Have you heard Tosin Abasi run a Friedman BE-OD through a morgan amp? It sounds pretty good 👍

[@digitalchris6681]

@@stephanwilliams9622 actually... no... but flicking through all the comments attached to this video I have noticed two things: 1) most people agreed that the pedal sounded sh*t 2) many people have said that the pedal is pretty good and can sound great So.... dunno the details of how it was used, but it seems others have teased more out of it than Andertons managed.

[@stephanwilliams9622]

@@digitalchris6681 oh for sure man!😅

[@JohnDoe-fj4mq]

Trying to get those Tone masters sold good luck

[@deanboca12]

I have been using the DRTM for a year now. I live and play in an active adult community. Every Sunday my amp rides into our village center over a cobble stone road on a golf cart to play oldies. I run an EHX B9 organ pedal and Mel9 Mellotron pedal into it as needed. Its light weight, attenuator, XLR out, and reliability makes the cost worthwhile. If I took the Tonemaster badge off, nobody would know it wasn't a tube amp. Unless they lifted it. I'm keeping the badge on because I am proud to own it.

[@mountainman8775]

Guessing: 1. Orange SS 2. Marshall hybrid 3. ? SS 4. Fender valve Edit: this will probably save me a lot of money on tube amps!

[@D.Miller]

Really love seeing these chaps bouncing off each other. Clearly so much knowledge and love in the room

[@michaelangeloh.5383]

That Blackstar was definitely not clean. Yes, set with low gain, but struggling to stay clean. Something was breaking up, which could've just been the speaker or something.

[@ajaytuk7416]

Its sound- you chose to taste, who cares on the tech- BUT if you are a gigging musician- light and reliable tips the scales massively in favour of one over the other IMO

[@jbf16falcon]

Let me throw a wrench into the mix, if the Tone Master Deluxe goes out what’s it cost to replace the the whole board down the line as it’s all surface mount and multilayer board vs fixing the Deluxe Reverb tube amp? I’m betting at repair time I’ll be wishing I had the tube amp instead…..

[@proteus2103]

I thought the deluxe reverb was a tube amp, and I thought the blackstar was solid state. I wasn't sure about the rest, that tonemaster is amazing

[@DRock1779]

It's a shame Andertons don't carry Randall amps because those are the only solid state amps that have been consistently great for years but clearly Boss caught up and Fender is on the way. Goes to show that tubes are really pointless if the solid state ones are built and set up well.

[@mikanunx]

Yey, blindfold challenge! Neat

[@Anthony-qb2gr]

It's really neato, gee wizz 😁

[@Glensully]

I sold my valves. Solid state is as good and doesn’t break down

[@risher890]

“Action Lee-play” 😂. Promote that man!

[@hddynarider4528]

Can't help but think that Fender dropped a few bucks at Anderton's. Definitely a difference between the 68 Custom DR & the Tonemaster DR. The 808 gave it away, a huge difference in tone. The 68 DR stayed warm, the Tonemaster was a little harsh and thin sounding like a lot of transistor amps that are hit with a pedal. Chapman has enough experience with all kinds of amps, he should have and probably did pick up on that. Surprised the Black Star did not sound that good with a pedal, they usually sound pretty good as they are or with a pedal. Granted you could EQ the pedal and it would sound good, but it was quite bad compared to the other amps with the pedal at the same EQ. Glad to see Chapman doing Anderton videos again, entertaining as always.

[@capwillard9156]

I own a champion 100 and a blues junior and I'm not surprise at all, the clean on the champion is pretty amazing for a cheap solid state amp (I used it for a lot of time in gigs and with pedals too). Kudos to Fender!

[@har234908234]

It would be hard to set up, but a test of one dirty amp sound plugged into a range of speaker cabinets (incl. combos) would likely be illuminating to many. As much as there might be magic in valves and transformers, there's magic in the speaker. A fizzy pedal might like a speaker with a bit more highs missing in the frequency response curve. ;)

[@arroganceofficial2089]

do this, but with plug ins, id love to see how plug ins stack against valve amps

[@richardmathews6236]

Is that a butt plug?

[@ithemba]

I bet the problem would be to get it sound like a speaker in the room. Maybe with flat response speakers or something but still, it's really hard to get plugins feel like a amp in the room.

[@florianju5638]

@@ithemba Indeed, that would be the problem here. They would have to use an IR loader and go with silenced real amps. Otherwise you imediatly hear the difference, no matter, what you do or set them up like.

[@26Manueli]

@@richardmathews6236 yes but for guitar and bass

[@ot4kon]

A blind ABX test. The terror of the tone cork sniffer and the golden ears audiophiles.

[@matthewcasey4795]

I suspect they've got a shit load of tonemasters to get rid of

[@pd4165]

If you see Tonemasters heavily discounted then you might have a point. But they aren't.

[@Newnodrogbob]

Yeah; no one is having a problem offloading tonemasters

[@ES_335]

I’m inclined to agree..Rob’s reaction towards the end did feel a little staged but that said I own a TMDR and absolutely love it.Having also own many tube amps these amps really do stand up and hold there own.

[@Newnodrogbob]

They filmed this in august. They’ve been trickling out the content with Rob because it’s popular but with him in Malta they shoot it all at once over the course of a couple of days. Unless you think Lee is so clever that he shot a vid assuming a future time when he had a high number of tonemasters gathering dust, and waited to release it at that time, it seems a bit of a stretch...

[@siwiaz5494]

0:06 „HELLO“ - Vienna Calling.

[@outzie6182]

How does chappers make every guitar sound out of tune???

[@stanislavmigra]

I feel for people like you. Can you listen to radio? Im gobsmacked, how many top10 songs are out of tune ...

[@stanislavmigra]

@The-Gloamglozer he picks too hard and mostly they are using guitar out of the box, Rob will nor.aly use 2-3 gauges thicker strings.

[@avelord6135]

Get a guitar directly from the shelves of a store, try to make a video about recognizing four amps and play blindfolded.......now tell me you would do better.

[@patrickbrown8540]

What have we learned here? Tube screamer makes everything better!

[@arumyn3070]

Man the video editor for these guys really puts that extra effort, good job man.

[@mborel]

You should do a shoot out between the Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb and a tube Deluxe Reverb. That Pedal Show did one a few months ago and the way they had it set you could really hear a difference between the two. I wonder how much of that difference was the speaker, however, so definitely do a video of the Tonemaster with different speakers test.

[@dancompton1728]

As owner of the Tonemaster now and the tube version previously, this video plays to the Tonemaster's strength of using it as a pedal platform set fairly clean. I think the Tonemaster has more headroom than the tube version. The original reissue starts overdriving at 4-5 compared to the Tonemaster. It's all about the application of it. If you're a plug in your guitar with no pedals kind of guy and have a place to be super loud, then I would go with the tube version.

[@Reffitt2]

I love the Anderton's videos so much! You guys really should think about opening a store somewhere in the U.S. because we miss the friendliness that used to be like you still have every day!

[@tedunguent156]

I would love to see the video where you swap speakers in the Tone Master.

[@Robfnord]

Solid state != digital, digital is converting a signal from its analogue waveform to a digitised one so you can do some DSP and convert it back again, generally, a solid state amplifier used transistors to amplify an analog signal, you can build a basic transistor preamp pedal with very few components, a DAC and an ADC will not be involved !! 😂

[@StephaneBergeronPixelyzed]

Yep, that's why the Katanas sound so good. It's solid state but not digital. Well, the effects are but the preamp and power amp are solid state. It feels right.

[@alanpettibone]

This speaks volumes about the ToneMaster, doesn’t it?

[@naylor2006]

I can’t believe how awful the Blackstar Amp sounded, usually it sounds banging!

[@JLchevz]

almost as if they wanted to highlight how good the digital Fender amp sounds

[@1992thGuitarist]

@@JLchevz Yeah, actually that distortion, sounds like, comes from the power tubes. EL84s can do that to you, but I dont know how they managed that. The Fender sounded great nonetheless, it did trick me as well and now I'm impressed. Digital technology has come a long way.

[@JLchevz]

@@1992thGuitarist yeah it did sound really nice

[@D.Miller]

700k subs, well deserved. Thanks for all of the infotainment over the years.

[@littlewing2357]

Love to see the Fender Tonemaster vs. the Roland Blues Cube Artist

[@cirjames2540]

Marshall made the 100 Super Lead in the 80's (i believe) analog version of JCM 800 and sounds great.

[@pd4165]

No. Super Leads are plexis and absolutely golden, if you can play them loudly enough. They are the reason I now have tinnitus - that and the JMP50 and DR103 in my rock band.

[@dirkhennig2192]

Lesson lerned: Use Overdrive Channel for Gain.

[@guitourney]

Amp gain is always best gain