New Fender meets Almost Old School Fender
Written: Feb 17 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tncredible up-front sound and an all tube warmth with plenty of power and low end.
Cons: Not the best workmanship, but better than almost anything else Fender puts out now.
The Bottom Line: Not a cheap amp, but worth it if you need one amp to do classic Fender sound, while still being to able to do Marshall type sounds as well.
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| mikeyjake's Full Review: Fender Tone Master Head |
This 100W Custom Shop amp has two channels (clean and drive), each with its own FX loop and FAT (midrange boost) switch. Channels can be switched with the included footswitch, and have separate EQ. This amp will drive a 4, 8, or 16-ohm load, and features point-to-point wiring.
Incredible up-front sound and an all tube warmth with plenty of power and low end. This amp has a good (Fenderish) clean tone, with a lot of warmth and headroom. The tone controls are interactive and fairly responsive. What really impressed me about this amp is the drive channel. It is a departure from the old-style Fender distortion, with more of a vintage high gain tone (ala early modified Marshall). The distortion is bright and crisp, and does not get muddy when maxed out. The FAT switch really beefs up the sound. I tried a variety of guitars through the Tone Master (Telecaster, Les Paul, Rickenbacker, Gretsch, etc.) and got good tones with all of them. I play in an original rock/pop/alternative band, and needed an amp that could switch from a good clean tone to a good crunch. I also tried the Pro Sonic, which has a few more features than the Tone Master. I liked the pre and post-EQ gain controls on the Pro Sonic, but the tone was just too dark. The Tone Master is much brighter.
Here is how I break down the channels...
Clean - Very lush and warm clean channel, but can get sparkly like a Twin. Starts to break up around 4-5 on the volume (single vol control, no gain or preamp control). Cranked, it reminds me of a Bassman (I know because I own 2 Blackface heads). Easy to get that Keith Richards/Black Crowes type of grind going. Can get very SRV like with a Strat. Fat switch adds some girth and edge to the tone. One of the best cleans I've heard.
Drive - WOW!!!!!!! This channel is amazing as well. This is not a high gain metal amp!!! It's a rock n roll amp. Very smooth overdrive and gain. Very up front sounding. Kind of a cross between Marshall type crunch with that Fender grind. Thick and fat sounding. Clarity is right there. You can hear every single note sing in chords. Punchy. Gets a Aerosmith/Led Zepplin/AC/DC tone with the gain on about 4. Putit at 7 and you get a thick GnR type crunch. Maxed, it just screams, but retains it's clarity. Not muddy or mushy like a Mesa. Lead tones just cut right through. Very thick sounding. One of the smoothest overdrives I've ever heard. Sounds great at low volumes, and cranked it's just beautiful. Like I said, it's a Rock amp.
I have had absolutely no problems with the Tone Master, and would expect it to outlive most bands. have had good luck with older Fender tube gear (my 30-year old Deluxe is still working perfectly). I should also mention that the amp was shipped with a nonconducting washer between the nut and chassis on both of the effects loop channels. This prevented contact with "ground" and caused some nasty hum whenever I used the effects loops. The factory was totally useless in helping me solve this problem and it took TWO different local Fender repair techs to find it! However, it was a simple fix and was covered completely by the five year warranty. The effects loops have worked perfectly from that point on. As for the quality of workmanship in the finer details, I was a little disappointed. The blond tolex is beautiful but there are too many seams and many of them are not joined neatly. In addition, the internal wiring is a bit sloppy although still electrically sound.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
mikeyjake
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Member: Mike Jacobs
Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Guitarist/Vocalist for rock band Evil Jake. Called a "guitar virtuoso" by Lycos Music.
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