Fender Tone Master Bassman

[Boudoir Guitar]

Yeah….at $1500 I think I’d rather buy an actual Bassman head.

I don't disagree. But at least your $1500 here is getting you 4 good speakers in a solid 4x10 cab.

There's still another $750 to account for, and a power amp that you can use separately via loop in, single amp model, and reverb don't come close to doing that. But it's not completely absurd?

Mesa/Boogie 4 x 10-inch Boogie Open-back Cabinet - Fillmore

180-watt, 8-ohm, 4 x 10", Straight Open-back Cabinet with Celestion G10 Creamback Speakers - Fillmore

www.sweetwater.com

 

[la szum]

I don’t care, I don’t use effects loops and I don’t like distorted Twins. I was just pointing out there was a time when Twins absolutely were known for their breakup sound

Same here. Was in no way defending said FX Loop. Just revisiting loud-ass tones far
more brutal than all the chugs ever created in this world's existence.

 

[itchyfingers]

Man, I would have loved a Bassman TM instead of the Super Reverb TM I picked up like a month ago! D'oh! My honeymoon is over, but still using the amp on a weekly basis. I won't be getting the Bassman, but I think this fits better with the other TMs with tube counterparts that are crushingly loud in their sweet spot - Super and Twin. Also cool that they added a loop when thats what customers have been asking for. Rather than updating the TM's they've issued, it seems like they release a new one every year and each iteration gets a little bit better; real Jensens in the SRTM, FX Loop in the BTM. As metro said, it AIN'T better than the real thing, but I think Fender is always narrowing the gap, and the convenience factor (light weight, power scaling) might outweigh the tonal deficiencies and typical tube amp "issues" for a bunch of players.

Its already been said in this thread, these TMs seem to get real picky when you overload the input with a dirt pedal. However, I've found that my SRTM likes buffered OD pedals, not so much the boutique stuff; been running a BD-2 to great effect. Like any amp, you gotta setup a rig that works with it and doesn't fight it. Mine sounds great in the practice room, and my other guitarist is rocking a TRTM, so they fit well together.

Despite using it for rehearsals the last two months, for this weekend's gig, I pulled out the 64 blonde Band Master and a 2x12 - take that grain of salt...

 

[ragingplatypi]

Can you name one? I’m not saying they don’t exist, but I’ve never heard of anyone regularly pushing a BF twin to the point of distortion that a loop would be useful. Genuinely curious who is doing this.

D

Bill Finnegan. That sound was the basis for the Klon.

 

[Whizzinby]

Man, I would have loved a Bassman TM instead of the Super Reverb TM I picked up like a month ago! D'oh! My honeymoon is over, but still using the amp on a weekly basis. I won't be getting the Bassman, but I think this fits better with the other TMs with tube counterparts that are crushingly loud in their sweet spot - Super and Twin. Also cool that they added a loop when thats what customers have been asking for. Rather than updating the TM's they've issued, it seems like they release a new one every year and each iteration gets a little bit better; real Jensens in the SRTM, FX Loop in the BTM. As metro said, it AIN'T better than the real thing, but I think Fender is always narrowing the gap, and the convenience factor (light weight, power scaling) might outweigh the tonal deficiencies and typical tube amp "issues" for a bunch of players.

Its already been said in this thread, these TMs seem to get real picky when you overload the input with a dirt pedal. However, I've found that my SRTM likes buffered OD pedals, not so much the boutique stuff; been running a BD-2 to great effect. Like any amp, you gotta setup a rig that works with it and doesn't fight it. Mine sounds great in the practice room, and my other guitarist is rocking a TRTM, so they fit well together.

Despite using it for rehearsals the last two months, for this weekend's gig, I pulled out the 64 blonde Band Master and a 2x12 - take that grain of salt...

The SRTM was the first one that got me itchy. Maybe just because ive circled the drain on the tube version for so long.

As much heartburn as there has been about their ability to take drive pedals, I'm surprised they haven’t addressed it. Will be curious to see what the feedback is for the Bassman.

 

[KingsXJJ]

Fender. Leading the way other amp manufacturers need too. Ahem. Marshall.

Learning mistakes along the way.

 

[metropolis_4]

I felt like the TM amps I had did OK with drive pedals. They seemed to do best with brighter pedals that had a bit more grit and character. I remember I liked the Plumes better with the TM than with the tube DR. And the Plumes + Morning Glory combo worked beautifully with the DRTM

 

[Whizzinby]

Fender. Leading the way other amp manufacturers need too. Ahem. Marshall.

Learning mistakes along the way.

I agree. You can’t complain that companies won’t take risks or are stuck in the past, and then bitch about Fender trying to pivot into the digital space. They’ve actually been extremely forward thinking as a company and my guess is whatever growing pains they have now will ultimately land them in a really good place in the future. A lot of other legacy brands are going to have the digital space eat their lunch.

 

[ragingplatypi]

I’m curious how long it will take for there to be rock concerts specifically billed with “period instruments” like in the classical world, and the scientific world can take on the forum debates:

https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1619443114

 

[Blix]

Apparently the loop is before the IR, so if you want to use it as a power amp, there will be an additional step of AD/DA applied....

 

[Antipodes]

Apparently the loop is before the IR, so if you want to use it as a power amp, there will be an additional step of AD/DA applied....

Is the loop parallel or serial? - if it is parallel (they mention time based effects) the direct signal will not be delayed by additional conversion stages and any delay/verb effects you are adding should be wet only.

 

[Blix]

Is the loop parallel or serial? - if it is parallel (they mention time based effects) the direct signal will not be delayed by additional conversion stages and any delay/verb effects you are adding should be wet only.

Serial.

 

[Antipodes]

Thanks Blix for the above clarification. Serial is good for all the mod effects, Compression, EQ etc users may wish to apply and no possibility of phase issues if you have dry signal in both the direct and (delayed) loop pathways in a parallel setup so I guess there are upsides either way.

 

[ChordInversion]

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.

Do you have a link to that? I've read mention of it before, but I cannot seem to be able to find it, and I'm interested.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Do you have a link to that? I've read mention of it before, but I cannot seem to be able to find it, and I'm interested.

https://thegearforum.com/threads/fender-tone-master-pro.3286/post-145814

 

[ChordInversion]

https://thegearforum.com/threads/fender-tone-master-pro.3286/post-145814

Thanks!

 

[Frankencat]

I love my blonded TM Deluxe Reverb. It takes pedals great and does everything I ask it to do. A fun amp that makes me smile and I never even think about it being digital when I am playing it. Like other good amps, it sounds best when turned up a little bit.

 

[Jarick]

I’m still interested in the Princeton TM. New price it is $950 where the tube version is $1500. Most of the TM models seem about $500 cheaper than tube versions.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I’m still interested in the Princeton TM. New price it is $950 where the tube version is $1500. Most of the TM models seem about $500 cheaper than tube versions.

Yeah, but there are like a million used PRRI kicking around for less than $950, most of which just sat in some dudes bedroom with volume on 1 their whole lives.

 

[metropolis_4]

Yeah, but there are like a million used PRRI kicking around for less than $950, most of which just sat in some dudes bedroom with volume on 1 their whole lives.

Yeah, but they can’t run silent direct from an XLR out and they don’t have as low a noise floor. There are still differences that might make you prefer one over the other