Fender Tone Master Bassman

[ragingplatypi]

I hesitated posting because these amps don’t matter much to most of us, but then I saw this one has an effects loop and I’m all

“Pure Bassman tone that’s virtually indistinguishable from the original”: Fender expands the Tone Master range with its first-ever tweed model – and it's a digital repro of the best-sounding Fender amp of all time

The 4x10 Tone Master '59 Bassman revives one of Fender's most iconic guitar amps via digital modeling circuitry

www.guitarworld.com

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/fender-tone-master-59-bassman-amp

 

[KingsXJJ]

Cool offering for sure. I’d like to see Marshall and others follow suit.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Interesting.
Bold claim to say it's 'virtually indistinguishable from the original' though.
But it's cool to see a fresh take on something like that, could be great.

 

[Whizzinby]

FX Loop

 

[DrewJD82]

I'll definitely check these out when I see them!

 

[holoholo]

Is it weird that ever since Cliff shared all his graphs of the TMP and also the stuff like the power amp is just a simple wave shaper…I’m completely uninterested in anything “tone master” related. Especially if, I thought in a baseman type circuit, the first things to distort are the power section.

Another odd thing, I thought the reasoning for not having an effects loop in the Twin version was because it would add latency, and not be true to a normal Twin. But now they add it here?

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I was quite interested in a tone master deluxe reverb for an easy combo to take with me but I don't think they take fuzz very well. Ends up making them pretty useless to me.

 

[Blix]

Another odd thing, I thought the reasoning for not having an effects loop in the Twin version was because it would add latency, and not be true to a normal Twin. But now they add it here?

The could add the fx loop after all processing and after the D/A converter, so there would be no latency, but I of course don't know if they did that.

 

[0XI0]

modeling accuracy aside if they use those super light neodymium magnet speakers this thing will have an obscene volume to weight ratio

 

[SillyOctpuss]

modeling accuracy aside if they use those super light neodymium magnet speakers this thing will have an obscene volume to weight ratio

They're using Jensen P-10Rs like the TM super reverb.

 

[jellodog]

They're using Jensen P-10Rs like the TM super reverb.

Yeah, those have relatively small magnets and aren't very heavy, so there's less advantage to switching to Neos here.

 

[laxu]

Product page here:

Tone Master® Bassman® | Guitar Amplifiers

Tone Master® Bassman®, 120V

www.fender.com

Uses 4x10 Jensen P10R like the all tube version.
At 32 lbs / 14.5 kg it's pretty light. The all tube version is 53 lbs / 24 kg.

This is basically "slap the Tone Master version into the same Bassman chassis".

 

[MirrorProfiles]

£1500 is pretty expensive, thats like, 1959HW money over here (or not far off an ACTUAL bassman https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_59...3DHbwTCz-F5_9Ep9MGptxJW5wwKOu2b7LIFeZpOsQJI-0 )

But count me squarely in the bracket of users that stubbornly believes digital should always cost less than valve amps.

 

[laxu]

I think the Tone Master Super Reverb was the first of the series that also used the same speakers as the all-tube version, and that doesn't sound the same. The all tube version in the few comparisons I've watched seems sweeter and thicker, responds better to overdrive pedals.

That doesn't make the Tone Master bad as long as you like what you are getting, but I think they are stretching that "virtually indistinguishable" statement.

I don't care for these products because they're squandering all the things digital could add to give extra flexibility to these amps. E.g generational differences on a 3-way switch or something. They're also expensive, and only look good against Fender's own tube amps which have become excessive pricy in the past 5-10 years. I can buy a boutique version of a Deluxe Reverb cheaper in Europe than the standard Fender all tube model.

 

[FuzzyAce]

One drawback - there is no insert point before the power amp. The effects loop is post power amp according to their specs?

edit: spec page wasn't clear -- apparently it is post amp model.

 

[jellodog]

One drawback - there is no insert point before the power amp. The effects loop is post power amp according to their specs.

Post power-amp model ?

 

[FuzzyAce]

Post power-amp model ?

That would make more sense, and looks like they worded it both ways on their webpage. It had me scratching my head for sure.

 

[Whizzinby]

£1500 is pretty expensive, thats like, 1959HW money over here (or not far off an ACTUAL bassman https://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_59...3DHbwTCz-F5_9Ep9MGptxJW5wwKOu2b7LIFeZpOsQJI-0 )

But count me squarely in the bracket of users that stubbornly believes digital should always cost less than valve amps.

Yeah I would love to have an excuse to own one of these, but these are tube amp prices, so I’ll just buy a tube amp.

From a Fender perspective the TM series is amazing. They’ve been able to bump their tube amp prices up and slot the TM’s in for prices approaching what they used to sell the tube amps for.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Yeah I would love to have an excuse to own one of these, but these are tube amp prices, so I’ll just buy a tube amp.

From a Fender perspective the TM series is amazing. They’ve been able to bump their tube amp prices up and slot the TM’s in for prices approaching what they used to sell the tube amps for.

regardless of what us forum folk are willing to believe, the main issue the masses have with digital amps is how they look and how you interact with them. Digital to them usually means "menus, weird cables, loading times, complex presets, inconsistent results, too many options". This fixes those issues. They can plonk it in their living room and feel like they own a real classic Fender amp. Its not a Katana or Positive Grid or that Yamaha thing which are all "small dick energy" digital devices by comparison.

We like to think that modelling accuracy is the barrier that needs to be broken, and for a minority of users it really is the most important factor. But the vast majority of guitarists could be playing a broken amp for decades without realising anything is wrong - they're certainly not going to care. I'd personally prefer the hassle and drawbacks of a real valve amplifier, thats kind of the point.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I'd personally prefer the hassle and drawbacks of a real valve amplifier, thats kind of the point.

Especially with an amp like a tweed bassman. The beauty is in the raw goodness, that sag and breakup at high volumes.
But I can see the appeal of something like a TM version, and it might even be a lot of fun to play. But yeah, I'd be more likely to build a clone or similar before paying that much for a modeling amp.