Fender Tone Master Twin Reverb Amp | I knew this day would come. Can you tell the difference?!

With the rise of powerful DSP digital processing the guitar amp landscape has continued to change with new digital models that are becoming increasingly better. Products from the likes of Kemper, Helix, Boss and Fractal have sought to use these powerful DSP processors to try and faithfully recreate famous amps and cabinets all in one device. With the new Tone Master amps from Fender it is clear that Fender has gone down a different path. The trouble with many of those powerful systems it that emulation of cabs in a real world environment will never full replace the actual cabinet. The air that is moved by a 1x12 close back cabinet with a Celestion speaker is different from the air moved by a 2x12 open back with Jensen speakers. Virtualization can only accomplish so much. So, Fender has decided to take ALL of that immense processing power that is available and instead of making a do-it-all modeling amp, Fender has digitally recreated the beloved Twin and Deluxe in the appropriate cabinet with the same controls but in a light weight package with powerful new features and NO TUBES! Powerful impulse response direct out is available on the back. Perhaps the best feature? Dime the twin and attentuate it down to "5-watts" to enjoy the glorious sound of a cranked twin without the deafness that usually follows. The digital spring reverb will fool even the most die-hard tube amp aficionado. In fact the tube reverb has alone has more processing power than the whole of a Mustang GT 100. To see how the new Tone Master Twin stacks up in the real world Chris McKee paired it with a Tube Fender Deluxe Reverb, matched the settings and ran through an A/B switch. Can you tell the difference?
Skip to the Demo 6:35
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[@cgreg129]

I have one, used in gigs and it blows any other amp away. The attenuation feature is amazing. You can fine tune a sound depending on the room. Worth every penny

[@AlamoMusic]

Agreed!

[@richjohn2497]

Stop it guys!!! I am too close to getting one of these ..... ;)

[@brandonf5432]

can this get quiet enough to play at tv level volumes in an apartment?

[@judgegroovyman]

@@brandonf5432 yes maybe: at 20:45 in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6CupGCObK5psNU&feature=share they turn the amp down and it sounds good and they are talking over it and their decibel meter registers 70-75db which is less than a loud tv. however the dB meter isn’t perfect and isn’t right at the speaker so in my experience (and my apartment) even that volume is too loud.

[@dehumm9619]

@@judgegroovyman deluxe reverb version would be better fit for apartment

[@IJIIKY9192]

Folks are gonna argue until the end of time about this. For me though this is more then good enough🤷‍♂️

[@siitan83]

yes... I agree with fender! Its the real deal!

[@searching4the]

I sat down and played one today! I'm sold. Its very versatile and sounds like every twin I've ever played through.

[@whatwouldhousedo5136]

I'm now on the side of solid state- I was a tube snob my whole life, but the technology is now so incredible. I also started thinking: "would any regular audience member care or be able to tell if I was using modelling or solid state?" Given that bands like Metallica now tour with profiling instead of Boogie or Marshall stacks, the answer is NO. I sold my $4,000 Kingsley and bought a Katana and it's killer (yes, I know this is a Fender review- my point is regarding tube snobbery). The only people who care if it's tubes are guitar players- and I'm not particularly concerned with impressing other guitar players. My tone is perfectly fine. Will I ever buy a tube amp again? Sure, but mostly just because I like gear; solid state and modelling fit my needs.

[@cheesysped]

Defs in the same boat. The guitar community is the most toxic community of all. Can you imagine where we could be today if every piece of advancement wasn't shut down by with a '"BuT iT iSnT a ReAl TuBe aMp". In the past year I sold my two tube amps (Vox AC15 and Fender Deluxe Reverb) and now use a Mooer Preamp Live into a 2x12 V30 cab. I am soon going to buy a second Jensen cab for fender tones.

[@robertstager6538]

I am just a bedroom rocker, but I also use a Boss Katana. The clean channel is a blank canvas, or to put it less kindly, kind of sterile. However, with a $35 Joyo American Sound pedal giving some grit and personality to the Katana 50 on the clean channel, this blank canvas really comes alive with a broad sweep of Fender-like sounds. The Joyo pedal has low, mid and high eq, plus very useful voice, level and drive settings to hit a multitude of tonal sweet spots. Next up, I'm trying the Joyo ACTone pedal for some Vox-like tones. I am not worried about impressing people on a stage, or wowing them with high end technology. I am just chasing tone on a budget and greatly enjoying it. BTW, I have a Fender Super Champ tube amp and a Marshall 1 watt tube head. So, I have no argument with the tube purists. However, to just turn on and quickly get into jamming, the Katana is my 'go to' amp. And, with the Joyo drive, voice and level knobs tweaked, the Katana at the 0.5 watt setting allows me to get very satisfying tone without blowing the walls out.

[@Mooseboy08]

@WhatWouldHouseDo: Amen.

[@stk7778]

Metallica really doesnt carry much weight

[@tomcaron9113]

I left my tube amps behind for a Katana head two years ago. Gig with it every weekend. But, I miss my tube amps. Bought a Gries 5 Blackface 5 watt and love it but not big enough for gigging. This new Deluxe TM May be the ticket. Always wanted a Deluxe but could not handle the weight. Just ordered one of the TM Deluxe’s. Yeah, the price is nuts but it will make my life easier and satisfy my hunger for the Fender sound.

[@harryharris1619]

On this particular demo I found the Tone Master more fuller sounding on the chordal stuff and almost identical on the single note playing. For $500 less and less the weight and tubes, would not be a difficult decision for me.

[@peopledonotexist]

this is an important part too, each tube amp will sound slightly different and will change with age as well. the tone master will not! you will have the same sound continuously. that’s amazing.

[@scottperry8162]

Wow that's the best modeling amp tone ever!!

[@jetstrat]

This is the future of amps. I am a vintage fender amp guy but this sounds great and is perfect for gigging.

[@petergraham9267]

I'm with you on this one........a tube guy ALL my life.......and now this! WOW! Heading to my local store to try these out just as soon as they arrive......at last, a company who really understands what we old school players actually want from solid state amps :)

[@aidanvinum]

Peter Graham Did you try it out? How did it compare?

[@metallion0738]

I agree with you bro.

[@timwhite5562]

Maybe but its certainly not THIS. Just want to point out again that in THIS form, they're selling a digital modeling amp in the disguise of a '65 Deluxe Reverb/Twin Reverb that is neither, for $900! So when you peel back the marketing, you're left with a $900 digital modeling amp, that only has 1 amp model. What would be the argument for buying one of these over either the actual 65 DRRI/TRRI that can be purchased got a couple hundred $ more, OR; a digital modeling amp that has dozens of amp models? It's digital, so it's not like having only 1 model will somehow make it sound or perform better. Hell, they could have at least given the option to choose Tweed/Brown/Black/Silver face models, right? At $900, you've gone beyond the price that someone may buy one to have a practice or gig amp someone buys for the convenience and you're at the budget where people are looking for performance and tone. At that point, you're better off bitting the bullet for a Kemper- profiling amp. I build, mod and service tube amps, so maybe I'm a bit biased; but I've played through those and I would get one without a second thought and probably use it more than any other amp. As it is one been running through an Ethos Overdrive as my preamp and that's solid state, so I'm not dead set against anything but tube. This thing just send like a loser (business-wise). I don't know how the idea of this went through more than 3 people at Fender, and no one spoke up loudly enough to point out the issues. But, they also sell Strats and Teles for$8000+ that at the the of day are still an alder or Ash slab body with a maple neck bolted to it, and they find enough people to buy them for it to make sense making them; so what do I know?

[@timwhite5562]

@Ganjang gongjangjang I hear what you're saying regarding modeling amps through a mic. However that's not all, and I'm not sure the Fender isn't. There certainly are emulators that can factor in the mic, and remove it. The kemper gets the sound of the amp that's being profiled by hearing it through a mic. But they're not just recording it, they send out a series of tones into the amp they're profiling and based on how it hear those tones, it knows what the other amp is doing to produce them. Granted they're 2X the price of the Fender, not considering what it can do, I'm more surprised that it's ONLY twice they price.

[@glennpace9783]

So I went and tried one for myself....and I was impressed. It had a great tone and the controls felt "natural". In fact, if the Tonemaster plate at the bottom of the amp were hidden, you would be hard pressed to know it was not the tube version. You might be able to find a difference in a side-by-side comparison but in the real world, you won't ever play that way, so comparison's are strictly for the science of it. In reality, you could plug this in and no one will be able to tell...OK....your back will know for sure, and your house-mates (when you dial the attenuater down). Well done.

[@BioStuff415]

playing starts at 6:36

[@PMXplorer]

Thank you 🙏

[@chopperking007]

Cheers bud

[@Oscarrrrrrrrrrr]

I've seen/heard other comparisons where the difference isn't that clear but in this particular comparison (starting at 6:35) it's clear to me the original simply blows the Tone Master away. The original has tons more detail and more nuance (which is what makes a Twin so great to begin with). This is partially due to differing EQ settings (quite a bit brighter on the original), but the sound color/texture is just so much beautiful/dynamic on the original.

[@fluorophoremusic3679]

Exactly...and, I'd be okay with that if this was priced appropriately for an all digital, mass-produced recreation. Yet, here we are with Fender charging $1000 for digital re-issue of a classic tube amplifier, which can easily be had for hundreds less on the used market. You can just buy a real all-tube twin used for less than this...it makes no sense to me. If Fender priced this at say 350-500$ I'd be all in.

[@scottmoreau5630]

@@fluorophoremusic3679 Why would they price it lower than an effects pedal like the Iridium? Literally makes no sense. I think there’s a misconception that digital means cheap, but add up everything that goes into this amp and Fender wouldn’t be making much at $300-500. They would also be going against every market trend right now. They are priced correctly IMO. Yeah, you can totally get a vintage one or a reissue but it’s missing the point on who these are for. Even vintage Twins differ from amp to amp. People need to go plays a Tonemaster first before basing judgment off of a KZbin video.

[@Tstdycgyr]

I agree 100% and to me on the Tone Master the thicker strings sound quite compressed which is not so good and not on the original. Also the reverb decay is overpowering on the TM.

[@shakabrahhhhh]

It’s literally just eq

[@Oscarrrrrrrrrrr]

@@shakabrahhhhh No it's not. The timbre is clearly different.

[@ericecklund676]

I had a Fender Twin back in '83 and after you stuck the foot switch in the back, I was moving like 70 pounds. The same sound in a package that's half the weight, yes this is very nice. I close my eyes and just listen to you play...I really can't tell the difference. I'd bet the audience can't either.

[@rickhawkins218]

The audience members who can see 'Tonemaster' on the front would know. Soundwise- no way. It is sad watching the best gear becoming 'obsolete' though.

[@ericecklund676]

@@rickhawkins218 Getting shed of my Fender Twin 30 years ago because it was too heavy to take to gigs...was not a great reason for getting rid of it. I could have just taken my Fender Princeton and left the Twin Reverb at home.

[@rickhawkins218]

@@ericecklund676 You may not need an amp like that but knowing how one is supposed to sound and feel like is important. I know younger guys who've never owned a nice tube amp and that is a mistake imo.

[@whenvioletsturngrey9597]

I played a Twin Tone Master a few nights ago. I expected to hate it. I hoped I would. Now I have to have one. Treble cranked, Mid up a little, bass down a ways, vol cranked & it broke up really nicely w/o a pedal. So nice. #whenvioletsturngrey

[@roadkingrocks5067]

These amps are the future boys and girls! I see Fender going this route with all their popular amps.

[@jodyg5648]

You are dead on sir , When they come out with the 68 silver face I’m goin in......

[@williamcammer9211]

The ampI've been waiting for!

[@blakevanhouten1672]

I finally got a chance to play one of these in the store and I hate that I’m saying this but they sound better than the tube counterpart... I played them side by side and the tone master is basically everything you love about a twin and nothing you don’t. The key is modeling ONE amp. I’d love to see them do this same thing with the narrow panel tweed amps.

[@jameshart9943]

Sign me up for a tone master high power tweed twin!!!

[@davidcudlip6587]

Got the blonde Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb a few weeks ago and love it. Had a silver face Deluxe Reverb years ago and this is way better. Easier to dial in a good overdrive tone without all the volume.

[@willbyrd5717]

I turn my head and I can’t tell which one is playing!

[@willbyrd5717]

There really isn’t any difference

[@JaffaRoad]

Renting one now to audition with all my guitars and pedals, So far ( 1 week) I am super impressed. I can think of a couple of tube amps that have a slight tonal edge over this amp, but it is so close and the weight and other features make up for that.

[@Ericstlaurent]

What a GREAT review - thank you!

[@brunoornelas7240]

I have an orange cr120h with 2x12v30 and could not be happier, nice tones in the bedroom and rehearsal. A deluxe reverb with 11kg, with attenuator and direct in with cab simulation seems wonderful, a very nice addition to the arsenal. The tube vs new technology discution is pointless in my mind, I love tube amps, but the applications of these new features are mind blowing. You can directly record at 2.am in your bedroom with great tones without getting the cops at your door, with the tone Masters you can even turn off the speaker and go true silent recording. That is incredibly handy and game changing in my mind.

[@wlawnsldj]

I want one. Really want this. Super light and sounds just like the tube ones. But a used Mesa Boogie is available locally for about the same price.

[@geraldfrieberg7921]

The Twin Tone Master is indeed a fine amp. However, do not overlook the Roland Blues Cube series, particularly the Stage and Artist models. They are also superb at emulating the sounds of a tube amp, and are also known to be extremely reliable. Just my 2 bits....I could easily live with either brand. The reliability of digital stuff is so good these days that it is difficult to justify the tube amp cost (Witness: Fender's 64 Custom Deluxe Reverb hand-wired is 2500 bucks !! @ 20 watts !) There is a HUGE amount of emotion and nostalgia attached to tube amps. What I do NOT miss about my previous tube amps: NOISE (i.e. hiss and 60 Hz hum which is always there...). Once you experience the QUIET idle of a digital amp that sounds so good...you'll never go back to tubes. AND, I suspect Fender and others see the writing on the wall, as quality tubes are getting scarcer, and more expensive.

[@jimhudson556]

Thank you, you settled my conundrum, the ToneMaster is sweeter, fatter, fuller, the True Twin sounds thin and brittle, no Tubes in my future, great video, so thank you, well done!

[@gnatiu]

The "That pedal show" guys can tell the difference. Haha. To me the Tone Master is absolutely the choice. If there is a difference, it is not that big being worth breaking your back and fumbling with tubes. Thank you for the review.

[@bradleyt]

I hear a slight difference but it's probably from the difference in speakers in both amps. Very close!!!

[@christianboddum8783]

And little differences in mic placement too ;-)

[@pentachronic]

Agreed. This is the sucky thing about tube amps. You find some tubes that sound good and then one blows and you are screwed. Most tubes have different characteristics (the transconductance curves are very different). SS is consistent.

[@pentachronic]

Fyi, my definition of SS includes digital (maybe that wasn't clear). You have modelling which is DSP based and linear amplifiers using Class-D output stages etc. The linearity of Class-D amps is excellent these days. Class-D transient response is better than any tube amp too. There are some amazing FRFR speakers out there which means it becomes a modelling job.

[@pentachronic]

I have a Helix and there can be digital clipping too in all of the DSP blocks but I'm sure that Fender was very careful when they designed this amp to avoid that. Other modellers such as Helix/Kemper/etc the users have to be very aware of what they are doing.

[@Gratefulman1965]

Here it is 2023 and I have a Tonemaster twin reverb that sits next to my Supersonic 22. I also own a Modeling amp the fender GT-100 with looper footswitch and I own a Peavey Nashville 112 for my lap steel. At 58 the supersonic is about the max weight I am willing to pack and the Tonemaster twin is a very nice addition especially in the weight department. I will say I have researched the crap out of these amps and I finally recently pulled the trigger on the twin in the blonde/oxblood and I’m sold. Thanks for this video!

[@tonedriverss8629]

The new Tonemaster KILLS the old tube dinosaur in SO many ways ... not just in better tone ! Amazing .

[@Hugoknots]

I wouldn't say tone is better. But price and weight are for sure big winners.

[@echoguitarist]

I've played both. The original is still the king but the Tone Master is pretty impressive.

[@sugarlife485]

yes

[@fluorophoremusic3679]

How is $1000 digital copy impressive? When the real thing is superior and costs less on the used market

[@echoguitarist]

@@fluorophoremusic3679 I guess I'm more open-minded.

[@jeffmakor7135]

The main difference that I've noticed is that a touch of presence is missing from the tone master. I heard this in other videos and, to my ears, it's a good thing. If anything, the sound reminds me of an older fender with speakers that have lost their brittleness or harsh top end. I tend to back off the upper frequencies on amps and prefer a sweet more middle toned sound, and when I try one of these in a venue and have this all confirmed, that will probably help me to make up my mind and buy one. A good move from Fender. ps. I think the chap reviewing is doing a great job. Thanks for the upload.

[@bobbyruggs808]

I'll stick with my Boss Katana 100 2x12 amp. Can get pretty close to this clean tone and is great in a live setting too. Around $350 used.

[@MagneticConfinement]

Awesome. Thanks for making the comparison. They both sound great.

[@rivercity3908]

Wow, my gut reaction when I heard "modeling amp" and "digital" was a "here we go again" reaction. But hearing it I'm pretty impressed. I'm hearing that warm full tube tone and it sounds very organic. I think what I'm most impressed by is the reverb. On top of that it's light and I can get tube breakup at bedroom levels. I went from wanting to hate it to wanting to own it haha.

[@MrDavemiley]

I bought a used Black Face Twin from you guys 40 years ago !

[@jameswilson3554]

I'm plugged in to some studio monitors I can tell a difference on the clean channel its brighter and cleaner. Excellent over drive on the new one. Good video..

[@jakemitchell1671]

I own 6 "vintage" Fender tube amps, as well as a Prosonic. So I'm a pretty die-hard TUBE guy. However, as these modeling amps evolve there's just almost NO reason to know own one, esp if you're a working musician. Tube amps are heavy; they need maintenance, they sometimes let you down; they can be targets for thieves. So I'm very happy to see these new products from Fender (and others). The technology is only going to get better and better

[@AlamoMusic]

Very true!

[@72superlead]

I can hear a small difference, but to me, it's the "feel" of an amp when playing. The Twin feels massive and does translate onstage. You can feel it but yes in saying that there's no way you could pick the difference live or on a recording I own a 65' Twin reissue from just a few years ago and between that and the Marshall 50w plexi I don't feel the need to own anything else

[@bmcpsd31]

There’s definitely a difference. Not necessarily a bad thing. Just depends on what you’re looking for.

[@stepvanjoe3469]

Honestly they are close, the original twin definitely sounds more alive then its digital counterpart but the tone master sounds pretty good. i'd be good with it.

[@ClockWerkOrange]

Yeah, the original is a little brighter and cuts through more. However, maybe dial in the bass/tone on the guitar and amp to match

[@joeysgear1419]

@@ClockWerkOrange you can never match, thats the digital dilemma. They only sound good when they are slightly duller and rolled off, because when you try to dial in the right amount of presence or poke, they begin to reveal their true nature. Things just get harsh. So you're also stuck with that slightly dull tone.

[@peopledonotexist]

@@joeysgear1419 not true anymore

[@fluorophoremusic3679]

Yeah, but not for $1000 new--that's more than a real twin used...???

[@NeMaAn]

The original is brighter

[@eddmaster9]

A bit warmer

[@tonyhao9344]

Both sound great, but there is an obvious difference to my ears. The Twin Rev sounds like the Twins that I am used hearing to over the years. The Tone Master sounds great but not the same, it sounds better in some parts and not so much in others, but still good and usable. The light weight, stage volume capabilities and output reduction options blah, blah, makes the Tone Master a good option for my "Old" back that's for sure, and the tone isn't really compromised in a bad way imho.. It sounds like a great option for us ageing guitarists. Thanks for the A/B demo.

[@Oscarrrrrrrrrrr]

Yeah I don't know what people have stuffed in their ears praising the Tone Master, the Twin clearly sounds a lot better (detailed, dynamic, "singing" (overtones)) here in this comparison. But as you point out (while I'm more critical than you on the TM) I would probably still choose the Tone Master in practice due to it being so much more usable in real life.

[@pjfuscoonthenews1693]

All opinions on this amp are subjective, I think we can agree on that. My take on it starts with my brother buying and raving about it. He was so impressed, he bought the little brother version, the Deluxe Reverb Tone Master as well. Nine times out of ten he's right on the money about all things guitars and amps etc., so I bought the Twin version, unboxed it, plugged in a Strat (I think) and was immediately underwhelmed. In my opinion it sounds thin in comparison to my tube amps (Deluxe Reverb with Celestion Blue in it, VOX AC15, also with a Celestion Blue, A Princeton Reverb with a gold something speaker I swapped out for the original and the beast, my VOX AC30 with twin blues). No matter the settings or the wattage, it just didn't make it in my ears. That said, when I added a Tube Screamer, it was better, but on its own, it's a good amp, not great, but good. I think Fender has hyped the thing to a crazy point because it's cheaper by far and more profitable by a very long shot. If you're going to settle, then it's a good deal, but don't expect it to compare with it's tube based sibling.

[@jljonesar]

Played both the twin and super tonemasters today after having used tube amps for years (fender, dr. Z, bad cat, etc) These amps kick serious ass. Sure the feel is different, mainly in the articulation and responsiveness, but the tone is reaaaaally good. The XLR direct out, attenuators, and weight make this a viable alternative for the working musician. Now I’ve gotta get one.

[@fluorophoremusic3679]

Why? It's $1000 for a digital recreation of the real Twin...you can just get a real twin on the used market for hundreds less than this amp and it's the real thing. Makes no sense to me.

[@jljonesar]

@@fluorophoremusic3679 I listed a few of the key benefits in my comment above

[@fluorophoremusic3679]

@@jljonesar I just disagree that any of the things you listed are anywhere near the ballpark of justifying $1000 new for this. That's absolutely, totally insane. It's a digital amp that's mass produced overseas for what I promise to be pennies comparatively. I always find it so, so strange that brands which blatantly rip of and clone designs at a greatly improved price point, such as Behringer or Bugera, get so much crap from the musician community. Yet, brands that release gear and sell it at a hugely inflated premium simply on the back of its own name (e.g., slap Fender Reverb on there) seem to get a pass. The latter is far worse. Again, it's not a viable alternative if it costs literally more than several REAL twin reverbs on the useb market...with real tubes...that certainly sound as good (arguably better as it's the real deal) than this. Even if you didn't want to go the tube route, there are solid state amplifiers and digital recreation amplifiers on the market at more than half the pricepoint of this and offer as much tonality.

[@Hugoknots]

I can hear the difference. The Twin sounds fuller with more articulation detail. But the weight and price of the tone master is definitely appealing for gigging.

[@clgmafnas]

Tube version still warmer, but its the closest I've heard solid state come to the real thing. And if u factor in the price and the features available, its a winner. 🤘🏼 You could get the real thing, but you'll lose helpful features, gain about 50lbs, and spend between $300-800 more.

[@danp.6082]

I bought the Super Reverb Tone Master and play a Wurlitzer 200 electric piano through it. Easy to cart around, it sounds wonderful and looks great on stage.

[@electrikdigital]

Thanks!! Great to hear someone crank up the Tone Master in a KZbin demo! So far I've only found clean demos. I want one if I can get that Sex Pistols crunch!

[@russromito4903]

Yes you can tell the difference. Its a matter of preference. The solid state is easier to maintain and less cost.

[@michaelutley]

I wanted a Twin Reverb for so dang long and The tonemaster +15% off promo made that a reality. That was until I played it back to back with the TR tube. At first, I was impressed but the longer I played it, the more I noticed the difference. Primarily in and out of chord transitions. It felt flat, stiff and unnatural. Id say, they got pretty dang close but it still lacks the beauty and organic sound of tubes, especially in the Twin Reverb. That Amp is just so damn special.

[@kyleabner]

biggest difference in tube vs not tube is the feel. either you know what im talking about or you dont. if you do then you know exactly what i mean, if you dont then you havent been playing long enough. solid states, the proper ones arent that bad, but tube/valve amps have an edge

[@rockyeasterline348]

Finally some rock sound didn't know you had it in you there you go nail that thing

[@jerrytidmore9485]

I like the tone master sound better its a little clearer and out front or something.

[@michaelkuhn8929]

I've used the 1st Peavy VYPYR 30. Never ever go back. These amps are just fantastic.

[@p.s8950]

I got a Fender Deluxe Tone Master and loved it so much I bought a 2nd, blonde model and I'm getting rid of All my tube amps. Gotta move on and change with the times.

[@thebadterrorists5323]

Huge difference, the CloneMaster irons the sound to make the player "sound better", the Original sounds unforgiving. I would buy the Original if the choice had to be made. The reverb sounded cheap too on the CloneMaster, nasty even. Thanks for the review.

[@patrickcarroll1754]

Great review, man. Fair points all around.

[@seankinnane12]

The thing I love about my tonemaster twin is I can record a decent tone straight into my DAW. No more searching for these vsts that just dont sound natural, doesnt matter if its Neural dsp...bias fx 2 or THU....which are all good in their way but your always changing from this one to that one and still not getting the money shot. And anyone who says they dont handle pedals well like the Boss ds1 are talking nonsense

[@tomcaron9113]

Picked up a used TMDR so the price did not hurt as much. I just needed a good clean pedal plate form. This does it. Critics claim that the attenuator is not a real one because it’s digital. All I know is it works. Best amp for recording out from. Amazing sound. Need. Headphone out? Just get an adapter for the xl connector. Really strange watching the amp boot up instead of warming up the tubes. Still love my BlackFace Champ. But for gigging, the TM works so well.

[@--uday]

Man, I really wanted to be blown away and not be able to tell the difference, but it's pretty stark for me. Maybe it's because I play a lot of amp sims, but the dead giveaways on the Tone Master are the slight digital artifacts, the lack of bloom, and an overall compression that's squishing some dynamics. The reverb also feels digital. On the Twin, the first thing that gave it away was the 60Hz hum (😅), but also a lush, wide reverb and a large dynamic range. Frequency response wise I do actually think the two are fairly similar, it's the stuff outside that that's lacking. Thanks for the demo!

[@superbford]

If these sell well we'll be seeing a blackface Princeton version I hope.... though I do think they need to come down a bit in the price... and should probably add an effects loop in the back... just to make them more usable for the modern player..... and of course Vox and Marshall will probably follow along in the next year. Would love to see a Vox with two or three channels of AC15 and 30 plus a top boost channel. Awesome.... and then speaker sim out for blues and greenbacks.

[@superbford]

@Jesús St James I forgot about those.... I think if these do well though you'll see Vox and Marshall look at something similar.... Vox AC15 and 30... although they would need to also make sure they lightened the weight of their heavy cabs, haha.... and maybe try to get celestion to design a neo that sounds more like a blue.... and of course a Marshall JTM45 or Plexi would probably gain a lot of interest if of similar quality.

[@DanEvans-yb6wk]

Another great video, Chris! Very helpful to me at this point where I'm deciding exactly how I should go. Thank you for the informative vid! I can so relate the the weight on an old school Twin...

[@jamesmarcin4787]

Sounds like the same idea that Roland has done with their Blues Cube series. Love mine.😁

[@simonsagal5469]

I had a Roland Artist Was very happy. That I made a mistake and took home (just for a few days) Victoria. Do I need to say more...?

[@noetigenfallz]

Simon Sagal Who is victoria?

[@baronvonchickenpants6564]

Over the years and spending thousands on great chasing the ever elusive tone in my head but always having to compromise on one thing or another, now if it gets the job done in a satisfactory way, that's good enough for me, including setting up packing away and loading and unloading, I'm using katanas now instead of Marshall half stacks And I'm quite happy with it, I've just picked up a mk1 100w combo for the price of a revalve on my JVM

[@zlutz814]

It does sound good! On clean settings it is more compressed and doesn’t respond to attack as well.

[@billtravis523]

Thanks for this review.

[@derekhenderson1730]

The Tonemaster sounded much better, more body and rich sounding, , ,nice one Fender. At last amps with all the goodies of valves and more, ,more than half the weight and practically zero maintenance. FAB.

[@henryfrank4073]

Nice sounds good Fender strikes again.🎶🎶🎸

[@mariozamprogno1654]

The purest be damn those are amazing apps

[@Jack655321]

For 500$ I might think about it, for 1000$? No way

[@endezeichengrimm]

They purposely overpriced it so it doesn't de-value the tube versions.

[@patreidcocolditzcastle632]

@@endezeichengrimm yeah your probably right..im going to pick up a second hand one by a disgruntled tube lover ha ha

[@dep1001]

Totally agree, especially as it's Chinese made. Come on Fender...!

[@gregriddle5163]

I cannot stress enough, from a tube snob myself, these amps are better than tube by all kinds of comparisons ! I said the same thing.......this thing just blew me away 1000 bucks is way worth it. I think the price of tubes now are over priced. Guys hands down win win!

[@dep1001]

@@gregriddle5163 To each their own I guess. But I just don't agree. The Tonemasters sound great don't get me wrong, but the price for these Chinese made solid state digital amps has to come down. You can get a new great sounding Fender Champion 100 2x12 for 300 bucks! Come on Fender!

[@nickspearience]

I like the Tonemaster better. I have no idea how or why. Wow.

[@M5guitar1]

Do you recommend the Twin over the Deluxe Reverb for playing outdoor gigs? I love the sound of my Mesa Lonestar 2x12 Classic, but the weight kills me. My Mesa is going up for sale soon.

[@robertmailloux3720]

Dont sell your Mesa,in two weeks ,you will regret it!.. Save money,do a yard sale.Buy this piece of junk.

[@metallion0738]

Don't listen, sell your tube amp, they are back killers nowadays, both the twin, and the reverb are good and will take you there, can't hardly tell the difference with a tube amp.

[@HeviNova]

I will wait to see what the next version is like before I pick one up. Sounded great, but that guitar being out of tune was difficult to listen to.

[@scubbarookie]

There is a differance. Not a huge one, but the raw tubes seem to come out more in an extreme range that seems uncontrolable at higher volumes. The new Tonemaster Twin is way more controlable; therefore, offering a different dynamic never heard before, or even attained with such a powerhouse amp! Great product! Thumbs way up to Fender for these offerings!

[@dezionlion]

Yeah you sound rookie alright, fender was famous for its controlled clean sound the pinnacle being the 135 watt silver face twin reverb

[@PPoyares]

I presume you would notice the difference playing the amps in high volumes with the tubes driven hot. But at overall volume, especially through the mic, it's quite the same tone. They would add a "bias knob" at the back of the tone masters to emulate the tube bias selector.

[@patreidcocolditzcastle632]

i knew it would come to and thank god.look a uad amp sims ,ive always wanted to use uad sims live,fender well done,youve answered a thing for me ive dreamed of

[@aaronsmithey4044]

The tone master does sound more compressed, but that’s not a bad thing.

[@aaronsmithey4044]

@Luke call what you will.

[@aaronsmithey4044]

Yup. Still more compressed than the true Twin.

[@aaronsmithey4044]

My observation is correct, I can hear it plain as day. I don't need to justify it.

[@bobkrause0103]

Great job as usual Chris!

[@paulsummerside]

Brill, but lets see Tonemaster Bass amps please. The real twin was perhaps a little bit more open and dynamic. But would happily play through either. A distinct first for me. Well done Fender.

[@joemanganese]

The digital is easily recognizable from the sound harshness and the lack of warmness. Good to know thanks I prefer the tubes .

[@larrytusoni401]

Great comparison! thanks for sharing! Now I have to decide for the blond or the black version

[@robertmailloux3720]

Hey nobody ever plays a riff from The Cramps! Why??? Thx for posting.

[@bigblueplanet1968]

OR 45grave. Darn it

[@topoftherock3628]

A worthy replacement for sure....although I could detect a nice fizzy/sparkly tube sound in the one on the left at the beginning. But for the hassle of the weight and dependability, and also having tubes lose mojo over time. I'd take the tonemaster.

[@cloudrun654]

I can hear the difference. The tube amp sounds fuller, oh well.

[@trevor4533]

Wow, this thing sounds great. I'll wait around until I can get a good deal on a used one. No effects loop is kinda a bummer though.

[@CountrySingerWannabe]

I prefer running my pedals through the front anyway.

[@yjmsrv]

Funny, I thought the Tone Master sounded better, fuller and more rich harmonically then the original Twin. It sounded flat and compressed to me, dull.

[@funkyjones]

Dude...it's "than".

[@yjmsrv]

@@funkyjones Thanks for that- important...

[@rohadtanyad8908]

@@yjmsrv what did you listen on?

[@yjmsrv]

@@rohadtanyad8908 Home stereo...

[@rohadtanyad8908]

@@yjmsrv i am listening on studio monitors and i am hearing the opposite.

[@Chilinoploppy]

I'll wait until they're selling for $400 used. The price they should be sold for new.

[@emcg.9655]

They seem to be generating a lot of interest but Im not sure the world is ready for a £800 odd quid solid state single Channel amp. I don't think I'll ever buy an amp new again, the market is on its arse because everyone is going axe/helix/Kemper. I've seen bogner heads going for a quarter of the rrp. Marshalls even less at times.

[@extramile734]

Should go for 200 dollars with a Fender Solid State logo.

[@laurensbronsveld]

I get that 800-900 seems like a lot of money, but I also think a lot of people don't really get these amps. 400 would be a ridiculous price for this amp. I don't understand how that would be a fair price. These are lightweight, made of good materials, have an attenuator, and sound great. Just because they're transistors they should be cheap?

[@streetrockusa]

I feel like the high end is missing on the Tone Master, thats always been the problem with digital modeling, they don't get the frequencys above say 5K right.

[@theexpert8163]

NICE LOOKING TELE CEPT FOR IT'S PUPS !!!!!!!!

[@Mooseboy08]

The instant… the very instant that he started playing, I could tell: The guitar was out of tune. Hah! You thought I was going somewhere else, didn't you? Okay, now for the real comment… as one who used to carry TWO 70's-era Twin Reverbs with TWO Dual Showman Cabinets (all of them sporting those heavy freakin' JBLs) I gotta say that I love this idea. Of course, my Helix does everything I need it to do, and with me mixed along with all of the other musicians in the band and sent out to a crowd that may not be paying incredibly close attention to the exact tone of my instrument… I don't need another Twin. :D If I was 23 years old, I'd probably be saying something completely different.

[@Aphelion_Music]

I'm 23, and I want one of those haha

[@RickFurnival]

Std Twin has birch plywood vs, SS Twin pine. 200W is cumulative. The peak is 85W.

[@ratta2006]

I can hear the difference immediately....I've been around tube amps since I was 15 ...1979!..My first Fender amp 45watt Super Reverb...And if you can't hear the difference...you deserve to play a transistor powered guitar Amplifier...

[@matteopandolfi1948]

The difference is night and day but the tonemaster sounds killer to my ears!!

[@metallion0738]

I did not hear a night and day difference here, in fact the tone master sounded even better in my opinion.

[@mr.banana4893]

And indeed , this day would come. Great amp. If you have some nice , fancy overdrive, and distortion. Ultimate gig rig.

[@brendanmoran7415]

Sounds good. I think the difference I am hearing mostly comes down to the speaker difference. Neodymium mags definitely have a sound to them: not bad, just different, kind of hi-fi and polished. Just curious: why no comparison of the overdriven sounds? Original twin just too loud?

[@mailvilla]

... 03/04/2020: Three questions: (1) What volume does the amp starts to break up? (2) The attenuator is basically a Master Volume switch, so why is there no headphone jack? and (3) Why is there no looper jack?

[@isaacarussi5822]

1) a twin reverb should have some breaking up and around 6 or 7 and is INSANELY loud with out an attenuation 2) well yes and no, at each level they simulated what the amp would sound attinuted at that level. For the headphone jack you could get an XLR to 3.5 mil cable and take a pair of headphones and you are set. 3) the twin reverb doesn’t need an fix loop because it is so clean. The only need for an fix loop is you want to use the distortion in the amp for all the pedals effected by distortion. If you take a pedal layout with proper pedal order into a clean amp you really don’t need an fix loop mate. Hope that was helpful.

[@chopperking007]

If it was half the price it would be unbeatable.

[@abradfordajb]

I don't about anyone else, but actually i can hear, in some passages, a distinct difference between the Twin tube & the Twin TM. The Twin tube sounds a little clearer on the top, and a bit "richer" in the mid's. I would assume that both amps are EQ'ed identically and mic'ed the same. Now, i think the Twin TM sounds good, and i'm sure that it can be set up in any way that would work for a player, so really, I'd opt for the Tube TM because of no tubes to ever go bad, and of course, the weight. The added features are nice too, so i'm going with ToneMaster.

[@ck2music712]

Sure nailed it to me... That's a LOT of tech for just ONE sound, just wish they could've came in less expensive...

[@sammaynard822]

What an amazing, fun job you have! Sign me up! I want to try everything as it's invented as well, - so envious!..also, I could hear a slight difference, even on my crappy TV. But if I wasn't listening really close, I wouldn't have heard the slightly richer, more organic (strange for a machine) sound of the tubes. So, not bad!- personally, I would try and wait till I could come up with the extra $500 or so, or find a deal on a real one but the cranked tone on low volume is intriguing since I live in a duplex and don't really play with people, let alone in live settings with a band.

[@timwhite5562]

I've demoed both of these amps. My take is that the clean tones are right there. When you get it into the overridden tone is where it's going to deviate from the tube twin/DRRI. It's not so different they it would be a deal breaker for most players, including the tone purists. The tremolo is noticably different,I didn't really like it at all, but I don't use the tremolo on the original amps anyway. I'm an amp tech, but like a lot of techs, I work strictly with analog amps, whether tube or solid state, so they're may be a reason I'm not aware of, but I don't really know why you can't just lower the volume without having it effect the sound the way a tube amp does, so the need to use power scaling. I fully believe these would appeal to a larger consumer group if they didn't market them as 65 twin/ deluxe reverb RIs. If they didn't put them in the same cabinets as the traditional tube models, you'd have fewer players turn their nose up at them.

[@timwhite5562]

@Luke it's been experience that most guitarists are traditionalist when it comes to their rigs. They don't want a Fender label on their headstock if it's isn't an actual Fender. This goes doubly so with players who play through classic/ vintage type amps and guitars. As for not wanting to be seen with a modeling amp, that was true for a long time, but hasn't really been the case over the last 9-10 years. I see Kemper profiler amps, Helix, Headrush, etc all the time now. And that's the most damning thing in regards to this bad business decision: When you ignore the retro look and the fact it's a Fender, at the end of the day these are $1000 modelling amps that only does ONE amp model. If you're cool with modeling amps, why in God's name would you want to spend your money on this when you can get a Helix LT or Headrush board? Both of those have scores of amps that do the fender just as well as the Tone Master, loads accurate precise effects (some right down to a particular version of a pedal). I predicted that in no time, they won't really be able to give these things away. I saw online last week that they've discounted them hundreds of dollars. Fender and Gibson never do this, even with that models that have been around forever, but in less than a year they're slashing the prices. This isn't something that they'd do unless they had to. I still don't know how these things made it past the "let's just spitball, so i want to hear everyone no matter how dumb it may sound," phase of product development

[@timwhite5562]

@Luke I understand what you're saying, but here's the problem with this in this situation: the Tone Master doesn't do what you're suggsting. I've played them a few times, and i know the AA763 and AB763, and these do no better at getting you there than any of those others, and the others Reverb and tremolo sounds more like the actual Fender than the TM does. Actually, in regards to doing the classic models, it's really not very good. Again, the fact that they've only been out a year or less and the online retailers are already discounting them $300+ isn't a ringing endorsement for the amp.

[@scrimmerman]

Nice sounding gear. Although I can definitely appreciate these, I'll stick with my '65 Princeton Reverb Reissue with TUBES. Now, if Marshall can just do the same with a vintage Plexi, I'm THERE baby!

[@TurboMountTV]

You want to turn a Tone Master into a Super Tone Master...? Put the Fender MTG Tube Distortion Pedal in front of it. It gives it that warm-tube feeling & sound that fills the room just like tube amps do. Very low gain / high volume settings to keep it clean. Up the gain lower the volume to get tube break up / dirty / distortion. HIgh mids if you want that sound. It is basically now your pre-amp, a tube one. Fender should make this pedal mandatory with each amp, it is THAT good of a combination. I did it to the Twin, and I assume it would have same affect to the Deluxe. On top of that I bought both Black and Twin to compare, and ended up swapping the speakers. So it now has 1 British Celestion and 1 American Jensen speaker because I am a picky dumb ass who couldn't decide which one to keep. By accident I discovered that this is an amazing combination that HAS to be HEARD to be believed. With the pedal it is like a Boutique amp turning this into a Super Super Tone Master that can play any style you want with tube realism, yet with digital control for various volumes you want to play at ---The big TM advantage in first place Problem with swap: Now I have 2. Sweetwater is very open with returns as they agreed to let me return one after testing both, but obviously I cant return a modded amp. For Sale: 1 Amazing Super Super Tone Master Twin Reverb -- Austin Texas.

[@FurAliah]

I just got one and playing it at 1 W w the level at 10 is so bloody cool. Sounds warm and it takes my pedals very well. And don’t get me started at how loud it gets at 200W. I was worried I’d drowned out by the drummer but heck no. So far I’m happy and I have not even tested all the other features. Btw , on my first gig w it I had to climb about 22 stairs; my back was very happy about the weight.

[@shawncarman3003]

Nice I was ordering about that. I would love to hear a sound sample. I'm looking for a Johnny Thunders sound LP Jr into dimed twin reverb.