I have blackface TM Deluxe and have been playing it out weekly for almost 5 years. I love it for the same reason most have stated. I am also certain that its resale value will not be as great as a tube amp, unless you add the cost of tubes, caps, and all the other expenses like chiropractor adjustments needed with tube amps. And at 76 year old, I believe the DRTM will outlast me.
Not saying it's not a good thing, but does the blond sound a bit more muffled? Like not as "sparkly" ? I am getting ready to get either the blackface or the blond in the next few days, still struggling on which
Thanks for doing this. I've been on the fence between a Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb, and a Reissue Tube Deluxe Reverb. The biggest difference I noticed was the reverb channel. The Reissue Tube reverb seemed to have a little more "smoothness" or "depth" (trying to find the right term.) For my style of electric guitar, (mostly jamming with friends, I play acoustic instruments or upright bass in a church band) I think the Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb will suit me fine. It's slightly less expensive to buy, no tubes to worry about failing, and it's much lighter. The Tube reissue, will probably hold it's value a little better over the time. Thanks again!
That is my logic exactly! I haven't noticed a big difference in the reverb in terms of what gets recorded but they're a bit different in the room. The biggest difference I heard was the normal channel maxed out. But there is one variable I forgot to mention:speakers. These three amps have very different speakers and the custom deluxe has an upgraded speaker.
No doubt about that, but my goal is to find one to settle down with. I'm not really interested in selling and reselling anymore. My guitar flipping days are over and the tone Master is the perfect amp for getting great undertone at home and for easy recording
I don't know if I could easily decide between these options, even with a side-by-side comparison. They have distinct differences, but I like them all. Still, it's interesting to hear them together like this.
At the end of the day they each give you that "Fender" sound. The Custom Deluxe had the nicest sounding drive, but I use pedals for that anyway since my ears were basically bleeding after shooting this demo. I think the Custom Deluxe also benefited from a nicer speaker. None of them are going to sound like a Marshall, so its really just a matter of whether you can dial your clean tone in on them. The Twin sounds thin compared to the other two, but it beefs up without breaking up when the volume rolls to 5 or 6. I couldn't decide if that was a better comparison since that is where I used the amp when I wanted my sound.
Fender have done a good job with the Tonemasters, but there is something lacking in the mid highs with the TMs compared to the tube versions, maybe you could call it glassiness or transparency, having had the chance to A/B with various friend's amps in the room. You don't quite hear it over You Tube, but it was enough to annoy me to the point of selling off my TMs. I would happily use the TMs, but will always take the tube versions if I was given the choice. Hopefully Fender will refine the software further
I hear what you're talking about especially with my mic'ing job. But the lead work for the intro song was done on a tonemaster with no pedals or editing and I love those mid highs. The difference is for the intro song I used the cab sim direct out and it sounded incredible.
@@DrRussPhd I definitely get a better recording sound with the line out, but I wanted this to be a fair fight. So I use the same mic in the same position on each amp
I have my tm dr for over 4 years now and i am totally happy with it , i have played expensive handbuild tube amps for over 30 years but i sold them all and kept the tm dr , i did put a different speaker in it ( jupiter 12 LC ) and have done the firmware upgrade , for home , band rehearsels and gigs ( with my blues /classicrock coverband ) this for me is the ideal amp , its lightweight and just sounds great and is practical with the direct out ect . , i do not miss the tube amps at all .
I'm glad to hear you say it! I've only been holding onto the '68 resissue because its my last tube amp and I'm sure I'll be judged by other guitarists for going fully digital. Then again, it's my rig and my tone. If I can get the sounds I want without wasting space, doing tube maintenance, and breaking my back then I'm gonna take it!
@@mtjguitars Hello , in the 4 years i have my tm dr amp not one person has ever noticed it's not an tube amp , now to be fair i did take off the tonemaster bagde and i also put a different grillcloth ( gold /brown ) on it ,so it looks more vintage like , i also put a leather handle on it btw , all i hear people say is how great the amp sounds , and yes , why should you worry about what other people say / think about you're rig as long as you are happy with the sound it's ok 😀.
Great video and fianlly, someone real who's man cave is as messy and cluttered as mine is. :). After owning two 65 DRRI's and a 68 like your's for many years, I finally just sold my 68 and kept the DRRI's. I have own a Tonemaster Twin and have gigged it a pile of times with great success. I cannot decide which I like more when it comes to sound/tone. Rock on and keep the great content coming.
In the room (at crazy volumes) I would have said they all sound roughly the same. After hearing them in a recorded setting I can say that I have a very slight preference for the '68 RI tone. However, the jamming I did in the intro music was using the Tonemaster Deluxe with the line out and that sounds better than my mic'ing job. I like the clean headroom of the Twin, but it's also a bit more vanilla than the other two. Twin is the best pedal platform, but the deluxe doesn't need any pedals (not that it will stop me from using pedals.)
As for the clutter... the struggle is real. If I could get down to one amp in this small space then I'd have room to store everything else properly, but three to four amps take up A LOT of space.
I have the blonde Twin and have to say it’s a bit better than the DR…you can always run it on the 22w setting and basically get the DR attributes. The only slight downside is the size of the cabinet, but that’s worth it to me, playing live or with other musicians. It goes as loud or as quiet as I need it. 😎👍
@@DrRussPhd I haven’t found that to be the case. But I think certain OD’s are built to play better with certain (tube) amps. Like the mythos chupa pedal doesn’t sound great with Fender amps imo. All that being said, if a tube Twin amp is the amp you use, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that the TM does it just as well. Actually, it does it better if you play gigs in various places.
I agree with you 100% I used the Twin as my default amp for about six months and kept cranking the master volume to like 7 or 8 just so I could get some dirt on it. In my experience with recording fender amps, they need to have a little bit of hair on them before they come through to a mic. Most guitar mics don't pickup a rumbly low-end so all your left with is the usual guitar frequencies. That said, plenty of country guys play a clean twin and cut through the mix although I suspect they're packing compression on the front end which probably helps quite a bit.
@@Worklikeyoushouldbe If you play at home or record then the deluxe is the dream. If you gig in a place where they would mic your amp and keep your on-stage volume low, then the deluxe is incredible. I turn the amp towards myself and use it as a monitor while having them use the line-out which is much better quality than them dropping an SM57 in front of the speaker. The final talking point for the deluxe is that it is so small and light. It's hard to gig with a Prius, but that amp fits perfectly in the back seat or hatch back haha
@@mtjguitars hahaha great info man. Which one do you think would give me a closer sound to SRV and Gary Moore? The super or the deluxe? I play a strat and a Les Paul and the super demos I've heard sound more fit for SRV and the deluxe for G. Moore. What I gotta do buy both? 🤣
@@Worklikeyoushouldbe That is tough, I think with the right pedals you could get both sounds out of either amp with a TS808 in front. When I want SRV I use the clean/crunchy side of a Marshall like he did in his 4140. But he also played a vibroverb, super, and twin...not to mention his fumble. I get pretty great SRV tones out of the deluxe when I add the Duellist pedal into it.
For clean mid-range, I think the Twin wins although I think it is at the cost of a flubby bass end. Technically a more accurate comparison would have been the Custom Deluxe '65 reissue since I think that is what the Tonemaster is imitating. However, I had to compare what I have. For the driven sounds, I think the mid-range on the '68 steals the show in this video. However, a good portion of that could be the speaker loaded in there.
I have blackface TM Deluxe and have been playing it out weekly for almost 5 years. I love it for the same reason most have stated. I am also certain that its resale value will not be as great as a tube amp, unless you add the cost of tubes, caps, and all the other expenses like chiropractor adjustments needed with tube amps. And at 76 year old, I believe the DRTM will outlast me.
In fact, the blonde version of the ToneMaster Deluxe sounds way better than the black version and it’s a very nice amp…
Not saying it's not a good thing, but does the blond sound a bit more muffled? Like not as "sparkly" ? I am getting ready to get either the blackface or the blond in the next few days, still struggling on which
Thanks for doing this. I've been on the fence between a Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb, and a Reissue Tube Deluxe Reverb. The biggest difference I noticed was the reverb channel. The Reissue Tube reverb seemed to have a little more "smoothness" or "depth" (trying to find the right term.) For my style of electric guitar, (mostly jamming with friends, I play acoustic instruments or upright bass in a church band) I think the Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb will suit me fine. It's slightly less expensive to buy, no tubes to worry about failing, and it's much lighter. The Tube reissue, will probably hold it's value a little better over the time. Thanks again!
That is my logic exactly! I haven't noticed a big difference in the reverb in terms of what gets recorded but they're a bit different in the room.
The biggest difference I heard was the normal channel maxed out. But there is one variable I forgot to mention:speakers. These three amps have very different speakers and the custom deluxe has an upgraded speaker.
Resale prices of tube fenders are better than the tonemaster solid state ones.
No doubt about that, but my goal is to find one to settle down with. I'm not really interested in selling and reselling anymore. My guitar flipping days are over and the tone Master is the perfect amp for getting great undertone at home and for easy recording
I don't know if I could easily decide between these options, even with a side-by-side comparison. They have distinct differences, but I like them all. Still, it's interesting to hear them together like this.
At the end of the day they each give you that "Fender" sound. The Custom Deluxe had the nicest sounding drive, but I use pedals for that anyway since my ears were basically bleeding after shooting this demo. I think the Custom Deluxe also benefited from a nicer speaker.
None of them are going to sound like a Marshall, so its really just a matter of whether you can dial your clean tone in on them.
The Twin sounds thin compared to the other two, but it beefs up without breaking up when the volume rolls to 5 or 6. I couldn't decide if that was a better comparison since that is where I used the amp when I wanted my sound.
Fender have done a good job with the Tonemasters, but there is something lacking in the mid highs with the TMs compared to the tube versions, maybe you could call it glassiness or transparency, having had the chance to A/B with various friend's amps in the room. You don't quite hear it over You Tube, but it was enough to annoy me to the point of selling off my TMs. I would happily use the TMs, but will always take the tube versions if I was given the choice. Hopefully Fender will refine the software further
I hear what you're talking about especially with my mic'ing job. But the lead work for the intro song was done on a tonemaster with no pedals or editing and I love those mid highs. The difference is for the intro song I used the cab sim direct out and it sounded incredible.
@@mtjguitars digital stuff always sounds better line in than going thru a FRFR or another cab.
@@DrRussPhd I definitely get a better recording sound with the line out, but I wanted this to be a fair fight. So I use the same mic in the same position on each amp
it's the same problem i've heard in all digital stuff....The analogue version is more "wide" with more "air" on the low-high ends
I have my tm dr for over 4 years now and i am totally happy with it , i have played expensive handbuild tube amps for over 30 years but i sold them all and kept the tm dr , i did put a different speaker in it ( jupiter 12 LC ) and have done the firmware upgrade , for home , band rehearsels and gigs ( with my blues /classicrock coverband ) this for me is the ideal amp , its lightweight and just sounds great and is practical with the direct out ect . , i do not miss the tube amps at all .
I'm glad to hear you say it! I've only been holding onto the '68 resissue because its my last tube amp and I'm sure I'll be judged by other guitarists for going fully digital. Then again, it's my rig and my tone. If I can get the sounds I want without wasting space, doing tube maintenance, and breaking my back then I'm gonna take it!
@@mtjguitars Hello , in the 4 years i have my tm dr amp not one person has ever noticed it's not an tube amp , now to be fair i did take off the tonemaster bagde and i also put a different grillcloth ( gold /brown ) on it ,so it looks more vintage like , i also put a leather handle on it btw , all i hear people say is how great the amp sounds , and yes , why should you worry about what other people say / think about you're rig as long as you are happy with the sound it's ok 😀.
Great video and fianlly, someone real who's man cave is as messy and cluttered as mine is. :). After owning two 65 DRRI's and a 68 like your's for many years, I finally just sold my 68 and kept the DRRI's. I have own a Tonemaster Twin and have gigged it a pile of times with great success. I cannot decide which I like more when it comes to sound/tone. Rock on and keep the great content coming.
In the room (at crazy volumes) I would have said they all sound roughly the same. After hearing them in a recorded setting I can say that I have a very slight preference for the '68 RI tone. However, the jamming I did in the intro music was using the Tonemaster Deluxe with the line out and that sounds better than my mic'ing job. I like the clean headroom of the Twin, but it's also a bit more vanilla than the other two. Twin is the best pedal platform, but the deluxe doesn't need any pedals (not that it will stop me from using pedals.)
As for the clutter... the struggle is real. If I could get down to one amp in this small space then I'd have room to store everything else properly, but three to four amps take up A LOT of space.
I have the blonde Twin and have to say it’s a bit better than the DR…you can always run it on the 22w setting and basically get the DR attributes.
The only slight downside is the size of the cabinet, but that’s worth it to me, playing live or with other musicians. It goes as loud or as quiet as I need it. 😎👍
How does it take OD pedals at higher volume? I hear that it isn't as good as a tube amp with OD stuff.
@@DrRussPhd I haven’t found that to be the case. But I think certain OD’s are built to play better with certain (tube) amps. Like the mythos chupa pedal doesn’t sound great with Fender amps imo. All that being said, if a tube Twin amp is the amp you use, you’ll be pleasantly surprised that the TM does it just as well. Actually, it does it better if you play gigs in various places.
Is it me or did the Twin Tone Master sound real thin compared to both Delux Reverbs?
I agree with you 100% I used the Twin as my default amp for about six months and kept cranking the master volume to like 7 or 8 just so I could get some dirt on it. In my experience with recording fender amps, they need to have a little bit of hair on them before they come through to a mic. Most guitar mics don't pickup a rumbly low-end so all your left with is the usual guitar frequencies. That said, plenty of country guys play a clean twin and cut through the mix although I suspect they're packing compression on the front end which probably helps quite a bit.
@@mtjguitars learned a ton thank you man. So far the super or deluxe reverb seem to be the best choice for me. My best to ya!
@@Worklikeyoushouldbe If you play at home or record then the deluxe is the dream. If you gig in a place where they would mic your amp and keep your on-stage volume low, then the deluxe is incredible. I turn the amp towards myself and use it as a monitor while having them use the line-out which is much better quality than them dropping an SM57 in front of the speaker. The final talking point for the deluxe is that it is so small and light. It's hard to gig with a Prius, but that amp fits perfectly in the back seat or hatch back haha
@@mtjguitars hahaha great info man. Which one do you think would give me a closer sound to SRV and Gary Moore? The super or the deluxe? I play a strat and a Les Paul and the super demos I've heard sound more fit for SRV and the deluxe for G. Moore. What I gotta do buy both? 🤣
@@Worklikeyoushouldbe That is tough, I think with the right pedals you could get both sounds out of either amp with a TS808 in front. When I want SRV I use the clean/crunchy side of a Marshall like he did in his 4140. But he also played a vibroverb, super, and twin...not to mention his fumble.
I get pretty great SRV tones out of the deluxe when I add the Duellist pedal into it.
I wonder how the blonde tone master deluxe would compare?
I didn't realize they were different circuits.
I think the twin and the 68 have better mid-range I think the 68 may even have better mid-range
For clean mid-range, I think the Twin wins although I think it is at the cost of a flubby bass end. Technically a more accurate comparison would have been the Custom Deluxe '65 reissue since I think that is what the Tonemaster is imitating. However, I had to compare what I have. For the driven sounds, I think the mid-range on the '68 steals the show in this video. However, a good portion of that could be the speaker loaded in there.