Fender Tone Master FR-10 UNBOXING (Plus Demo, First Thoughts and Comparison)

[@bigskyplanet]

I really liked how you compared the fr10 to the Princeton amp … nice job 🎸🎸🎸

[@woodyardmusic]

Thanks! I tried to keep it as fair as possible between the amps

[@nohero178]

Nice, thanks for doing the 10 inch. Saw a lot of reviews of the FR-12 but the 10 inch speaker sounds great, too!

[@woodyardmusic]

You’re welcome! I personally prefer 10” speakers

[@mixedfruitjam]

@@woodyardmusiccould you please elaborate on why you prefer 10 over 12? I’m trying to decide between these 2

[@woodyardmusic]

@@mixedfruitjam, I have a Princeton reverb with 10s and love it. Other than that, 10s are smaller and lighter than 12s. I think the 10s are cheaper too.

[@kevinp_25]

These things are phenomenal (other than the hiss which IS an issue, but is easily solved). The volume and cut are the only two controls I need to use (I have the FR-12). To solve the hiss, turn the cut knob up until the hiss is low enough for you. Then, IF needed, add some EQ above 3k.

[@woodyardmusic]

Nice! Thanks for the info! Loving the speaker so far!

[@aepoc66]

Good advice!

[@garysalgado9709]

the fact that it has more body to the sound is exactly the thing i miss most about having an amp on stage that regular monitors never have

[@woodyardmusic]

Yeah, the “umph” behind you when playing, I get that. Probably the reason it felt so bass heavy to me was simply because I play with in-ears so much.

[@ronaldhenley6606]

9

[@msi1985]

I can confirm the XLR out does not get affected by the EQ on the top of the unit (just tested this sending a signal to my PA and I min/maxxed all of the EQ and Cut knobs with no result to what was being played in the PA (but funny and horrible sounding changes to what was being sent from the looper pedal) cheers !

[@woodyardmusic]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing testing that!

[@michaelinloes776]

Does the volume control affect the output level on the xlr or just the amplified sound?

[@synonyx]

I liked it better than my L6 Powercab 112+ which was surprising to me. I love the simplicity of it. It sounded great with my Helix, HX Stomp, Headrush and ToneMasterPro. Fender did a good job making this cab sound like a real amp in the room. I got the same hiss as you with mine too.

[@woodyardmusic]

Nice! Every amp hisses a little bit, there’s not much to do about that. I agree, it’s super sample and has a great feel to it

[@msi1985]

The hiss comes free of charge with every unit... unboxed 2 of these cabinets one in 10 and one in 12 and they both have it, the good news is that its so darn low and doesnt get louder when you crank the amp so it really doesn't seem to matter.

[@nmv881]

Saw that the Hi Cut can kill the hiss on Jon Cordy’s video.

[@TheFifty50band]

Great tone at any volume Tone stack for room adjustments High cut to remove unwanted top end sounds and feels like a guitar cabinet when paired with a modeling unit! (Tested with Fender tone master, helix, headrush) Con = small amount of hiss that is mainly propagated through the 1 inch driver (it might be possible to come thru the 10 inch speaker but it's doubtful because there is a crossover installed that takes effect at 2.8khz with a fairly steep curve once you pass 6khz) this has been identified as a problem with the op eq in the tone stacks...seems they have 4 per channel and that causes feedback. The fix = raise the high cut to 11 o'clock and the his disappears. Since your cutting around 2.8-3khz just add a small EQ bump back on your modeling unit and the hum stays away since it originally comes from the tone stack. Tldr; I will keep this FR10 it's insanely good at sounding like an amp in the room

[@mikedr1549]

It sounds really really good. Very Fendery!

[@woodyardmusic]

Agreed. I’m sure some of that is my helix patches. I usually lean towards clean tones, typically a vox or matchless style amp but I thought the sounds translated well to the FR-10

[@officialWWM]

Funny that 😂

[@kennyholliday7492]

Awesomeness review / awesome playing ! I’m getting one to go with headrush core //

[@woodyardmusic]

Sweet! Hope you like it, it’s a great unit!

[@tjbitt65]

Great demo. Both sound good. The Princeton sounded warmer not that the FR-10 was too bright.

[@woodyardmusic]

Both great options, just depends on your situation

[@ShredBrosLTD]

Absolutely nailed this review! I’m convinced, buying one (when I can afford haha)

[@woodyardmusic]

Thanks! I was pleasantly surprised by the FR10. Didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did!

[@bradw6704]

The issue I'm having is turning up the volume channels on my helix to make the FR-10 loud enough...but then using the output from the FR-10 into my mixing desk for live use, the signal is just way too hot

[@woodyardmusic]

How loud have you turned up the FR-10? I was only running like 2 or 3 for my video and it was really loud

[@bradw6704]

@@woodyardmusic Medium sized gig with an acoustic drum kit, I had the volume around 3 o’clock. It had my mixer almost clipping

[@andrewdashmusic]

Great explanation! Don't forget to review the Sweetwater candy 😆

[@woodyardmusic]

We all know and love the sweetwater candy

[@McPBrain]

On my last delivery. I got a root beer roll instead of Smarties, and my Tootsie Roll was lemon instead of chocolate!! The horror!! So, I just ordered an FR10, to give them a chance for redemption.

[@21stcenturymetal31]

Looks like you were struggling just moving it around. lol Great product

[@woodyardmusic]

😂 I swear I work out

[@Andrew-wb2zq]

Thanks for the video. Does it have the same "amp in the room" feel as the Princeton?

[@woodyardmusic]

Yeah, it felt good and responsive to play. Sometimes the FR-10 felt a little brittle/bright, but sometimes the Princeton felt thin/midrange heavy. Honestly both good though.

[@daveg5340]

The Princeton sounds warmer, imho

[@woodyardmusic]

Yeah the Princeton felt warmer, the FR-10 felt like it had more bass and treble which makes sense given it’s an FRFR speaker

[@Mourninghorse]

hopefully a Stereo version in the near furure!

[@woodyardmusic]

That would be great!

[@carlosalmodovar3637]

Great video, you think the 10" will hold up with a band in a small live gig without front of house?

[@woodyardmusic]

Yeah you should be fine!

[@officialWWM]

Dude, tune that thing up!

[@woodyardmusic]

No kidding! I kept stopping to tune but the strings were old and kept drifting 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@officialWWM]

@@woodyardmusic I think maybe you should check the intonation. It may be out a little :)

[@woodyardmusic]

@@officialWWMyeah, I got a fresh setup on it recently and it’s much better now!

[@officialWWM]

@@woodyardmusic it makes a big difference :) nice guitar :) Are you still enjoying the speaker? I’m torn between getting the 10 inch or the 12 inch 🤔

[@woodyardmusic]

@@officialWWMI actually got rid of it. To me it ended up being this weird in between. Not as convenient as plugging the helix direct and not as good sounding as my Princeton.

[@ahmadrahimi5372]

How about the haish sound

[@woodyardmusic]

It’s not as harsh as some other ones I’ve tried. Plus you have EQ and cut to roll off some harsh

[@elotro100]

As a bedroom player the HISS would drive me crazy. AND I know there are many positive reviews, but listening to the comparison between FR10 and Princeton I got the impression that the Princeton sounds better because its is a more complete tone. The FR10 sounds thin and has maybe too much Highend, but judging from a KZbin Video is always a thing So I don't know. Maybe your experience is completely different...

[@woodyardmusic]

It’s definitely challenging on a video, either watching the video or creating the video, it’s hard to compare and it’s no substitute for trying it yourself because there’s so many variables, hands, guitars, tones, room. As far as the hiss, it wasn’t worse than the Princeton or any other “real” amp. I do agree that the FR-10 has more highs and lows than the Princeton but I you could dial that down with the EQ - and especially the cut on the FR-10. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the amp and I think it’s one of the better FRFR solutions out there for what it’s worth.

[@msi1985]

The hiss is sooo quiet in real life if you play even at bedroom levels you wouldn't know its there, also the hiss doesn't increase as you raise the volume, even at max volume its the same level of floor noise.

[@christianboddum8783]

Why would you want such a powerful amp for bedroom playing???? Makes no sense to me. FWIW

[@woodyardmusic]

You don't crank 1000 watts out of your bedroom? JK, I got it for gigging small venues where I can't use in ears. @@christianboddum8783

[@woodyardmusic]

Yeah the hiss really isn't bad, I think I noticed it because my room is so quiet @@msi1985

[@myhapylife]

I see you have some basses, have you tried the fr10 with the bass?

[@woodyardmusic]

Yeah I did. It’s fine for at home or monitoring on stage but it’s no substitute for an actual bass rig like a 410 or a sound system with subs. I checked the specs and it has just enough low end response for the low E string but that’s about it.

[@melbindas3819]

Thanks for comparison! What speaker in the PRRI?

[@woodyardmusic]

Great question. Celestion G10 Greenback. One of the best sounding speaker and amp combos for my style of playing!

[@melbindas3819]

Thanks!

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

Can you or me just plug straight into the fr10 and use it like an amp?

[@woodyardmusic]

Technically yes, but it doesn’t have any color or grit to it so it will sound like plugging your guitar direct to a PA.

[@123jfboucher]

How does it sounds with backing track?

[@woodyardmusic]

As in playing a regular song through it?

[@javyclubsoda]

FR12 sound more rounded than Princeton.

[@woodyardmusic]

The FR definitely had more highs and lows

[@EePingLiang]

Does it hiss?

[@woodyardmusic]

Just a tiny bit, it’s really not bad though

[@EePingLiang]

@@woodyardmusic why 10 and not 12?

[@woodyardmusic]

Smaller and lighter. My main amp before going digital was a Fender Princeton and I really like the 10” speaker in that. Plus most places I play have a nice PA and I really don’t need an amp.

[@EePingLiang]

@@woodyardmusic thanks! Make sense!

[@philipmarsh3522]

Glad someone showed the 10” version. Usually I take the “nobody ever regretting a bigger grill” approach and figured I’d try the 12” but seems like the smaller form would work well for what I need it to do.

[@BAND-MAID-USA]

Thankfully Fender says they’ve fixed the insane these used to have. It was a terrible hiss on thousands of them.

[@woodyardmusic]

Oh good to know! Thanks for sharing

[@davybones7111]

I want to make my Princeton stage loud. have you tried to plug your Princeton in to it instead of digital modeling?

[@woodyardmusic]

If you mean plugging my helix into my Princeton? I’ve done that! Just turn off your amp/cab/IR in helix and make sure to set the 1/4 output to instrument level so you don’t push line level into your amp!

[@pb25193]

​@@woodyardmusic he means taking the princetons output into the fr12 input. Long story short: don't do it!

[@woodyardmusic]

@@pb25193ohhhh, yeah that’s a whole can of worms, best to avoid that. Either mic up the Princeton and run it to a PA or stick with the FR12

[@KelsterVonShredster]

As usual the tube amp just sounds better....I know this won't be the popular comment but oh well. Great demo though.

[@woodyardmusic]

It's certainly not the "real" thing. But the FR10 is the best FRFR speaker i've heard.

[@JeffreyApolloBeach]

To my ears…lower notes/strumming sounds better on the FR10. Higher notes/strumming sounds better on the Princeton

[@woodyardmusic]

These were actually my exact thoughts. Definitely preferred one over the other depending on what I was playing. Both pretty good tones though

[@henryb160]

No case protectors! WTF were Fender thinking.....

[@user-mk5bz5qi1b]

sounds bad on my expensive headphones.. i will stick with troublesome valves . but thats not the real issue..its a class d amp.. try getting one of those mfuckers repaired. That amp wont be around forever unlike trusted valve and even transistor amps.

[@woodyardmusic]

Of course it’s still not the real thing, but as far as FRFR goes for digital setups, it’s the best I’ve heard.

[@user-mk5bz5qi1b]

@@woodyardmusic The real issue is that its a class d amp..They are not at all easy to fix and in fact most times are not repairable..

[@TheMcmansilla]

cool playing, awfull sound, hope you dont pay for it

[@woodyardmusic]

Ha! I actually did pay for it and I really like it. The princeton comparison tone was alright. It really depends what you run into it though. That’s why I made the video though, so you can make a more informed decision 😁

[@swardmusic]

Lets hear what youre running? No pressure. Make sure its DAMN good though after that comment. 😂