amp quest

[posternutbag]

Originally Posted by eyesore

went to Sam Ash today and they have the Tonemaster . someone was playing thru it.. Great sound!! I just can't justify paying that much for something I won't use that much.. wish they made a smaller compact version..?

That is the thing about the attenuation. At 12 watts I could keep up with a blues band consisting of vocal, harp, 2 guitars, bass and loud drums. 22 watts would be very loud, and if it’s not loud enough for the venue I am playing, that is a good problem to have.

But the fact that it steps down all the way down to .2 watts means I can use it as a practice amp. In fact, just yesterday I ran my Keeley Aria on low compression and mid gain and then put a Tubescreamer on full scream behind it. With the TS engaged at .5 watts, I had legit shred metal tone/gain at volume levels that preserved my hearing.

I’m not getting a commission from Fender or anything, I just really think digital modeling is the future of amp technology. A lot of people dismiss them because they played a solid state amp 20 years ago and it sucked, but tech, especially electronics, has come a long way.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by eyesore

went to Sam Ash today and they have the Tonemaster . someone was playing thru it.. Great sound!! I just can't justify paying that much for something I won't use that much.. wish they made a smaller compact version..?

Then check out the new Mustang combos.

they do a lot of different things, but would come close with similar amp models. (Deluxe/Twin/Princeton etc)

[Ray175]

Originally Posted by posternutbag

That is the thing about the attenuation. At 12 watts I could keep up with a blues band consisting of vocal, harp, 2 guitars, bass and loud drums. 22 watts would be very loud, and if it’s not loud enough for the venue I am playing, that is a good problem to have.

But the fact that it steps down all the way down to .2 watts means I can use it as a practice amp. In fact, just yesterday I ran my Keeley Aria on low compression and mid gain and then put a Tubescreamer on full scream behind it. With the TS engaged at .5 watts, I had legit shred metal tone/gain at volume levels that preserved my hearing.

I’m not getting a commission from Fender or anything, I just really think digital modeling is the future of amp technology. A lot of people dismiss them because they played a solid state amp 20 years ago and it sucked, but tech, especially electronics, has come a long way.

I've had a Tone Master Deluxe Reverb for 18 months. Over the last 50 years my amps have been mostly tube - 1964 AC30Top Boost, 1965 Deluxe, 1965 Princeton, 2005 Princeton Recording), but since 1986 I've had a Laney Linebacker 50w combo as my standby amp. I'm not committed to tube or solid state, what matters is the sound I hear, and with the 3 ToneMaster models (Deluxe, Twin and Super) Fender have set a new standard. Half the weight of a tube amp, 5 power scaling settings, XLR out and 3 IR settings - all great extras.
Some people say they don't sound identical to the "originals" but even between two Deluxes or Twins each amp has a different voice...... The sound is fine for MY ears and that's what matters.
They are not cheap, but the quality is there.

[Tom60]

Originally Posted by eyesore

I like a nice clean tone

DR103.. but kinda heavy to lug around
1987 marshall, non MV... or OR120
the old ones were the best :

It is all about a good OT and coupling caps
if you want to know the real sound of your guitar, even at modest volume
they dont need to be cranked up

It is so rewarding.. do not skimp for a cheap crap