The Ultimate Guitar Amp

[st.bede]

Tonemasters are great amps.

The only significant problem for me is that they get fizzy/digital artifact-y, when hit with moderately heavy fuzz.

I would speculate that is not much of a problem for Jazz… maybe Holdsworth type stuff.

However, I do a lot of different stuff, and the idea of having a twin and not being able to use it as universally as I would like, especially at that cost, I can not do it.

Maybe Fender has fixed that problem with an update, but I would think it is difficult thing to fix. It could be the hardware related.

(I have always dreamed of a Twin. I have never owned a Twin due to not wanting to move. That is true even when I young. One mistake can really permanently mess up a person’s back. I know myself, I will eventually get sidetracked and move it wrong. In the rainy cold dark, and wanting to get home, I will forget to move slowly.

They day I played/checked out a Tonemaster, was a moment of true happiness and excitement, until I plugged in a fuzz. That was followed by sadness, and the relief that I was able to keep some money).

[jumpnblues]

Yeah, you're right about the fuzz. I'm (trying to be) a traditional jazz player and I should have mentioned that in my post. So everything I said about the Tonemaster was geared toward jazz. The only effects I play live with are an EH Canyon delay, Keeley Katana boost (very conservatively but I like that boost), and Boss TU 3 tuner. I also own a Wampler Euphoria boost and EH Soul Food boost that I use at home exclusively. No fuzz, no fizz! Sorry I couldn't resist, LOL! For a top 40 cover band gig I played last Friday I just went straight into the amp, no effects and it sounded wonderful. I've found the Tonemaster to break up very smoothly with no fizz or harshness. But, that's without a fuzz pedal. You might want to try some other fuzz pedals through a Tonemaster and see if that would get rid of the fizzyness. Also, Fender does occasionally update the Tonemaster firmware. One of the advantages of SS circuits.

[jim777]

I play in a 'dad band' that does a lot of 70's and 80's hits type of stuff, and I use 3 different ODs with my TM Twin. A Fuchs Plush Drive, an MXR Badass Modified OD, and an MXR EVH 5150 OD pedal (from least to MOST). They all have different amounts of OD and sound different, but none of them really sound fizzy. I tend to use the Fuchs with single coil guitars and the other two with humbuckers, but I don't hear the fizzy with the way I've set them up. That said, when I am going for distortion, that's exactly what I want - distortion, not a slight creamy breakup kind of sound. And the Twin does that really well.

I will say one thing about the Twin though, I assumed at its 1 Watt setting I could completely dime it and still be able to play it without disturbing other people in the house. You cannot It is still pretty loud if you turn everything up on its lowest setting. But it also definitely doesn't need to be turned up on everything to sound great. If mine got stolen I'd buy another same day.

[st.bede]

There is a documented example of the fizzy-ness… that German youtube guy, Psych42 ?… I heard it, before I came across the vid. It is subtle, but it was present enough to bother me at the price point. Everyone is different, and applications are based on different needs.