Fender Tone Master FR-10 and FR-12 FRFR cabs

[JiveTurkey]

This space is limited AF. So if you can find something that does what you want; spending another $75 to make it "better" for you vs. settling for some random plastic PA speaker piece of shit or the other thing that doesn't exist is an easy choice if it is enjoyable to play guitar through and your stage sound through said device isn't horrifically different than what you are sending to FOH. Nothing is perfect.

 

[Jarick]

I don’t think the new models are all that noisy. Original ones maybe.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Maybe if they had Mesa aesthetics instead of Fender aesthetics but that’s about it.

To be expected... this is the unofficial Mesa forum after all.

 

[ucnick]

I have had no hiss issues with both my FR10 and FR12 purchased last year, no perceptible hiss except maybe with your ear right up against the speaker cloth, there is a tiny bit but it's essentially nonexistent, especially in a real-world usage context. Like someone else said, I have tube amps that are much noisier.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I have had no hiss issues with both my FR10 and FR12 purchased last year, no perceptible hiss except maybe with your ear right up against the speaker cloth, there is a tiny bit but it's essentially nonexistent, especially in a real-world usage context. Like someone else said, I have tube amps that are much noisier.

Yeah, mine weren't bad either, 1 a little more than the other. But hiss fix aside, I also think the archangel preamp is a major improvement in headroom and eq range. It's less harsh in the upper frequencies too. I was able to compare the original side by side with an updated one. It's one of those moments that you didn't know what you were missing until you felt it and compared.

 

[namathan_zirwir]

I bought an FR10 new about a year. It really sounds great and is quiet. No hissing or buzzing or anything.

 

[deadpool_25]

Anybody tried the FR´s with acoustic guitar? I guess they sound good, don´t they?

I just plugged the acoustic into an FR-12. Sounds good to me but I almost never play the acoustic and even less often than that through a speaker so I don’t have a solid point of reference.

 

[synthpenguin]

@synthpenguin I’d been through a few FRFR type setups and strongly disliked all of them. Then I tried the EV-PXM-12 and really liked it. It was soooo much better with the Fractal gear I had at the time. Later, I got an FR-12 and I felt like that was a significant upgrade from the PXM for playing guitar (I like the PXM slightly better for just playing recorded music through). It just sounds more like a guitar cab to me (and also looks more like one).

Eventually I ended up with a couple FR-12s with the Archangel V3 preamps and couldn’t be much happier I don’t think. Maybe if they had Mesa aesthetics instead of Fender aesthetics but that’s about it.

Thanks!

I’m sort of interested in FRFR again for various reasons (I briefly tried a cheap Headrush before, which I still have, but pretty quickly went back to using power amp + guitar cab or headphones and studio monitors), so I’ve naturally been looking at these Fenders. They seem cool and easy to use, and I personally like the aesthetic, especially with the smaller FR-10.

But yeah people will often suggest going after better options, and I’m sure they exist, but they always seem to have downsides of their own, be extremely expensive, be basically unobtainable, or all of the above. Or I’ll hear such conflicting stuff, like some people swearing by something like, say, the Yamaha DHR12M, and others saying they’re awful lol. And unfortunately there aren’t many options to try these things out near me (Guitar Centers near me are pretty bleak these days)

It is interesting to hear that you liked the FR-12 over the PXM-12 though! Even if just for guitar. Those always seemed amazing to me, but then I’ve never used one or a Fender FR lol

 

[quadgear]

I just plugged the acoustic into an FR-12. Sounds good to me

I tried it in a store and it sounded great with an acoustic. Definitely want to point the guitar away from the speaker.

 

[Chocol8]

Was it ever confirmed if it works on the EVH Hypersonic? I imagine it would, since it's the same thing as the FR12.

Yes, confirmed working with just the minor label issue.

 

[ragingplatypi]

I don’t have a solid point of reference.

Here are a couple of point of reference.

You know, “acoustic sound,” right?

 

[deadpool_25]

Here are a couple of point of reference.
View attachment 54944
View attachment 54945
You know, “acoustic sound,” right?

 

[ragingplatypi]

View attachment 54949

Sorry. Just trying to say it’s all subjective. I need to post when I’m not half asleep.

 

[deadpool_25]

Sorry. Just trying to say it’s all subjective. I need to post when I’m not half asleep.

Ah gotcha. To clarify, I don’t ever play my acoustic through any means of amplification. So while I can say it works through my FR-12, I have no point of reference to compare it to. I can’t, for example, say something like, “it sounds a bit like (X),” which I think would have been more helpful for his question.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Ah gotcha. To clarify, I don’t ever play my acoustic through any means of amplification. So while I can say it works through my FR-12, I have no point of reference to compare it to. I can’t, for example, say something like, “it sounds a bit like (X),” which I think would have been more helpful for his question.

I think the real question people need to ask is if you can play trumpets through an FR12.

 

[bucephalus]

Ass clarinets

 

[JiveTurkey]

I think the real question people need to ask is if you can play trumpets through an FR12.

You sure AF can!

 

[paisleywookiee]

You sure AF can!