Fender Tone Master Twin

Thomas Alexander · From: Ontario, Canada

Very interesting Dave, thanks for sharing! It seems the TM buzz has indeed quieted a bit over the last few years. I am running a Milkman 100 into a TT12 cab--it works but I prefer the combo format for ease of lugging around. Somehow seems like less work to just pick up one amp than have a head and a cab, even with a tiny head like The Amp. I might save toward a Milkman Half and Half combo instead of the TM Twin then.

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Not dissing anyone, honestly... however, did you guys REALLY expect a "digital emulation" of the tone of an original tube/wire/spring loaded reverb tank/transformer Twin Reverb to sound and respond like an original tube/wire/spring loaded reverb tank/transformer Twin Reverb?.... Haven't we been going through this for years now???..It just won't happen.. The ears always win out and even at my advanced age with ears that are shot to hell, I can still hear "digital"... Not that digital is bad, its actually pretty good, but no it doesn't respond like tubes/wire/transformer etc etc...
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Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Not so fast!

I am still fully committed to my tone master twin reverb. I like it so much, I bought a second (although I will be selling that soon because I really don’t have a need for a second as it turns out). Does this sound as good as my '71 twin? Absolutely not. Does it sound as close to a tube twin to pass for one on the bandstand, and weigh in only 33 pounds, and have an XLR out with very good cab emulation, enough to make it a much more realistic and practical amplifier than my 71 twin, which split into a head cab weighs more than any of my other amps including my 40w tube clone? Absolutlafreakin100%lutely!!!!

If I were just playing alone in a music room and wanted to crank it up, a hand wired tube twin sounds noticeably better. On a bandstand of any size: no. The tone master is absolutely close enough to be a practical alternative.

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Two other points:

1)I still keep the mids around 5, as I do on my '71 twin. Again, playing alone at home the deep scoop you get from turning the mids off sounds more like the recordings from the 60s and 70s we all love. But on the band stand the mids blended with the treble work well, and additionally you're not gonna cut through very well to the room with your mids all the way down on a twin.

2) I did find a discernible difference in tone by swapping out one of the stock Jensen neos for a Celestion Copperback 250 neo. That speaker came in a Quilter I had (and otherwise didn't like), and is the only Neo speaker I've found that I would go out of my way to use. The stock Jensen's are nothing special, but they did break in well over time.

Dave Campbell · From: Nova Scotia, Canada

i should add that the problems i have with the tonemaster twin were also problems i experienced with the tube twin. i agree that if you can get the sound you like out of a tube twin, then the tonemaster won't be too far off.

i think if i was playing with a guitarist who gave me a little more room i'd be more into the sound a twin gives me, but most of the time i'm slicing through with the session 400.

Thomas Alexander · From: Ontario, Canada

Indeed Bob--I think most of us will agree that the TM twin is a compromise wherein we trade tone for practicality. Therefore we do not ask "does the TM rival the tube Twin in tone?" because we already know the answer. Instead, as Dan points out, we ask "is the TM twin tone good enough to make the compromise a reasonable trade-off?"

Thanks for that input Dan. What stands out to you about the Copperback?

Interesting point Dave. Slightly off topic I suppose but what is it about the session 400 that helps slice through a band mix? Is there a specific frequency peak or cut, or combination that gives that effect?

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

It's more than "a few pounds", Bob. Less than half the weight of a typical 60s-70s Twin with stock Oxford, Utah, CTS, etc.

Oh, and I never paid close to $1500: $900 for a new floor model, and $700 for a used one in mint condition.

Joe Bill Moad · From: Oklahoma

Anything Fender is my only choice except for the 2 peaveys that get some attention. We are all blessed with vintage or new styles all over the map, I think the sounds we generate are at most better than the 60’s - 70’s choices for amps. It’s all good!

Jbm
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