Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb (And Twin) Review

dean111music

<a href="https://imgur.com/7eJnA9E"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/7eJnA9E.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Can you guess which one i purchased? haha

This thing is amazing! Its ticked all the boxes for me and Fender have really set the bar high with these amps. 

GuyBoden

dean111music said:

<a href="https://imgur.com/7eJnA9E"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/7eJnA9E.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Can you guess which one i purchased? haha

This thing is amazing! Its ticked all the boxes for me and Fender have really set the bar high with these amps. 

But, can you hook up both channels and get a very nice sound with this new DSP model like you can on the old valve models?

ICBM

GuyBoden said:

But, can you hook up both channels and get a very nice sound with this new DSP model like you can on the old valve models?

What makes you think you can't? If you can use both channels at the same time then you can link them with a cable.

Teyeplayer

GuyBoden said:

dean111music said:

<a href="https://imgur.com/7eJnA9E"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/7eJnA9E.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

Can you guess which one i purchased? haha

This thing is amazing! Its ticked all the boxes for me and Fender have really set the bar high with these amps. 

But, can you hook up both channels and get a very nice sound with this new DSP model like you can on the old valve models?

That’ll be tomorrow’s experiment.

Loaded1me

Bought a TMDR a couple of months ago. Absolutely love it. It's the sound I've been looking for forever. Added the update and it's perfect, but even before that I was extremely happy with it. Works great with a timmy & blues driver (even better after update). I also use a Rauch Juice as an always on pedal for an edge of break-up which just works fantastically well with it. All 3 are set to various light gains which stack really well together with plenty of headroom in the amp and not a squishy compressed mess. I've had a Belle Epoc for a few years and never seemed to get what I wanted from it with other amps, on the TMDR it's great. My G&L Bluesboy 90 (both pups) is heaven through it and I've started using my LP more again as it just gives it something more. It's even neighbour friendly (living in an end terrace).  Watched the TPS video and can't understand how they got it to sound so bad (to my ears) compared to how it sounds for me, and I'm totally shit as a player!!
I've just tried jumping the channels - pedal board into normal 1 - normal 2 into vibro 1. I didn't know that was a thing and didn't think it could improve what I had. I have to say wow. Spent all morning playing while smiling, it's a fantastic sound with or without pedals.
I've no idea if it sounds exactly like a vintage or DRRI in any configuration, I just know I like it and it does what I want, and to me sounds how I hear a DR sounding on various recordings. I can't ask more than that!

keir

GuyBoden said:

I loved my old Fender Deluxe Reverb, only problem was that is wasn't loud enough for pub gigs, so I built a 50 watt version, which was great. This AB763 Black Face is my fav Fender circuit, the AB763 circuit was used in the Deluxe, Deluxe Reverb, Twin Reverb, Super Reverb, Band-Master, Showman, Pro, Vibrolux, Vibroverb and Tremolux.

This is my fav AB763 circuit, without reverb:

https://www.thetubestore.com/lib/thetubestore/schematics/Fender/Fender-Deluxe-AB763-Schematic.pdf

If you hook up both channels on an AB763 Black Face in series, by external cable or internally, you get a very nice sound, can this new DSP model do that?

I found this with my old DRRI, did I read somewhere these are louder?

HandwrittenHero

Loaded1me said:

Bought a TMDR a couple of months ago. Absolutely love it. It's the sound I've been looking for forever. Added the update and it's perfect, but even before that I was extremely happy with it. Works great with a timmy & blues driver (even better after update). I also use a Rauch Juice as an always on pedal for an edge of break-up which just works fantastically well with it. All 3 are set to various light gains which stack really well together with plenty of headroom in the amp and not a squishy compressed mess. I've had a Belle Epoc for a few years and never seemed to get what I wanted from it with other amps, on the TMDR it's great. My G&L Bluesboy 90 (both pups) is heaven through it and I've started using my LP more again as it just gives it something more. It's even neighbour friendly (living in an end terrace).  Watched the TPS video and can't understand how they got it to sound so bad (to my ears) compared to how it sounds for me, and I'm totally shit as a player!!
I've just tried jumping the channels - pedal board into normal 1 - normal 2 into vibro 1. I didn't know that was a thing and didn't think it could improve what I had. I have to say wow. Spent all morning playing while smiling, it's a fantastic sound with or without pedals.
I've no idea if it sounds exactly like a vintage or DRRI in any configuration, I just know I like it and it does what I want, and to me sounds how I hear a DR sounding on various recordings. I can't ask more than that!

Now you've got me curious. Still learning my way around Deluxe Reverbs.

So I like my TMDR (with firmware update) with my SG going straight into vibro 1 with - vol 6.5 treble 6 bass 2.5 reverb 2.5 which gives me a nice crunch when guitar is at 8 and roll up for a lead tone. Been really quite happy there, it's nice and chewy but still got enough definition. I'm running it all the way attenuated down because up at that volume it's bloody loud otherwise!!

So I've had a go at jumping, moved to normal 1 and ran a lead from normal 2 to vibro 1 and set the normal settings to vol 6.5 treble 6 bass 2.5 and it's an interesting result. Tightened it up and focused the sound a lot more but not sure if it isn't losing part of the charm for me. Further fiddling required to see if can find something I better prefer but we're also at the point of too many knobs for me!

ICBM

For those of you who are jumpering, it would useful to know if the channels are out of phase - as they are on an original - or not. If it's done in software there's no need for them to follow the original, which is determined by the number of gain stages in each channel (one more in the Vibrato), but if it's a truly accurate repro then they should.

To find out, if you set both channels to the same settings when they're jumpered, then turn the second channel volume up and down, do you get a 'null point' where the sound drops out a long way? If so they're out of phase.  It's not really an issue on the originals because the point of jumpering the channels is usually to set them differently, or use the Vibrato channel as a reverb and tremolo sidechain with the main sound via the Normal channel.

HandwrittenHero

ICBM said:

For those of you who are jumpering, it would useful to know if the channels are out of phase - as they are on an original - or not. If it's done in software there's no need for them to follow the original, which is determined by the number of gain stages in each channel (one more in the Vibrato), but if it's a truly accurate repro then they should.

To find out, if you set both channels to the same settings when they're jumpered, then turn the second channel volume up and down, do you get a 'null point' where the sound drops out a long way? If so they're out of phase.  It's not really an issue on the originals because the point of jumpering the channels is usually to set them differently, or use the Vibrato channel as a reverb and tremolo sidechain with the main sound via the Normal channel.

so really quickly, settings as above and just fiddled with volume on the vibro channel. Seemed to hit null point around 5.5, didn't really feel like much change to tone at all between 1 and 3 and past 7 or so it saturated the amp without loosening too much, which is pretty cool. Not sure if that's what looking for?

ICBM

HandwrittenHero said:

so really quickly, settings as above and just fiddled with volume on the vibro channel. Seemed to hit null point around 5.5, didn't really feel like much change to tone at all between 1 and 3 and past 7 or so it saturated the amp without loosening too much, which is pretty cool. Not sure if that's what looking for?

Yes - they're out of phase if you got a null point with the Vibrato channel volume a little lower than the Normal - the Vibrato channel has a bit more gain so it needs to be set a fraction lower on the control to equalise them and cancel the signal. When they're set fairly differently the higher channel dominates and the lower one doesn't affect the sound much.

That's good, it means they've been pretty thorough about modelling the original amp.

Loaded1me

Yeah just tried it and yes a null point on the vibro channel when slightly lower.
I'm running the normal channel at just under 5 into the vibro channel at 4.5 (goes null at 4) treble at just over 6 on both sides and bass just over 2 both sides. I like a swampy reverb, so running at 4. The attenuator is on 0.5w otherwise the roof shakes!
It does seem they've paid attention to the design of these. If Leo had had this technology I've no doubt he would have used it. For me it's only about longevity/reliability now, any minor sound issues purists have will likely be addressed in no time at all now. Fantastic bit of kit.

dean111music

I’ll have to try this myself. So it terms of what it does... it’s just gives a different tone? Better or worst or Just different? What would You describe the change?

Loaded1me

The overall tone isn't different as such. I'd say it's a bit warmer/slightly thicker sound, but still a lovely clean fender tone for me anyway. I wouldn't say better (certainly not worse) just another string to it's bow. Sounds fantastic with the LP (Gibson trad with BB 1 & 2) and SG with 57's, but really shines with the ASAT P90 which is a very polite P90 (doesn't get overly compressed). Without jumping it, all the above sound great through it anyway, jumping it seems to just give it a bit more. Hope that makes sense!

dean111music

Loaded1me said:

The overall tone isn't different as such. I'd say it's a bit warmer/slightly thicker sound, but still a lovely clean fender tone for me anyway. I wouldn't say better (certainly not worse) just another string to it's bow. Sounds fantastic with the LP (Gibson trad with BB 1 & 2) and SG with 57's, but really shines with the ASAT P90 which is a very polite P90 (doesn't get overly compressed). Without jumping it, all the above sound great through it anyway, jumping it seems to just give it a bit more. Hope that makes sense!

Yes that’s great thank you.

i have just updated the reverb and bright cap removed. Will have a day of testing tomorrow 

dean111music

Sounds amazing! Much better taper to the reverb.

just had the chance to play  at 22w volume 5.5. Sounded amazing! Not tried it with pedals yet but with the attenuater you could easily just use guitar volume to clean up.

who else who owns one loves the break up tone this has? I have never been massive fan of black face break up but this is great! 

Teyeplayer

Love the linked channels, sounds great; this amp keeps getting better.

dazzajl

Had myself some playing time with the blackface deluxe and my tuppence worth is that it’s a damn fine sounding amp. 

GuyBoden

ICBM said:

GuyBoden said:

But, can you hook up both channels and get a very nice sound with this new DSP model like you can on the old valve models?

What makes you think you can't? If you can use both channels at the same time then you can link them with a cable.

Hooking up both channels was my preferred sound, I wasn't sure this new DSP version would have the same magic as the original Deluxe Reverb in terms of sound with simultaneous channels. The bright cap on the vol pot needs to go too, I don't know how easy this is with a DSP model. A bit of Nostalgia.

HandwrittenHero

GuyBoden said:

ICBM said:

GuyBoden said:

But, can you hook up both channels and get a very nice sound with this new DSP model like you can on the old valve models?

What makes you think you can't? If you can use both channels at the same time then you can link them with a cable.

Hooking up both channels was my preferred sound, I wasn't sure this new DSP version would have the same magic as the original Deluxe Reverb in terms of sound with simultaneous channels. The bright cap on the vol pot needs to go too, I don't know how easy this is with a DSP model. A bit of Nostalgia.

The bright cap can be taken out with the firmware update. It's pretty much as easy as hooking up pc/laptop via usb, holding a button on the back to put the amp into update mode and drag/drop the file.

ICBM

HandwrittenHero said:

The bright cap can be taken out with the firmware update. It's pretty much as easy as hooking up pc/laptop via usb, holding a button on the back to put the amp into update mode and drag/drop the file.

Do you have direct control over the function? ie if you want the update but want to keep the bright cap (which I like)?