Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb 1x12" 100-watt Combo Amp Reviews

This amp is incredible. Having owned and played a Fender Pro Reverb tube amp I can tell you that this new amp is actually better than the tube version. What it lacks that the tube version has is tubes that either die, or loose tone due to age, turn the amp into a small room warmer and the weight of the transformers that tubes require. It has the sound and responsive feel and with its ability to run at lower watt levels can be driven into a tube type overdrive without the need for ear plugs. I can't play this new amp enough and love its DI feature which lets me record it without needing a mic. It fits really nicely under our main desk in our control room.

Did I need one? No. Did I want one. Yes. About a year and a half ago I was in the market for a new amp and decided to go digital. I ended up buying a Line6 Catalyst 100 for its features and price. But I really wanted the Deluxe Reverb Tone Master. As I sometimes do, I went for the cheaper option. I enjoyed the Catalyst for quite a while, but found that I really just played it on the Clean setting and did not make use of all of the features. I typically want features and flexibility, but I end up just using one setting. I finally gave in to my TM GAS and I don't regret it. What a great amp. It really nails that Fender Clean. I'm really pleased with how it works with the effects on my HX Stomp XL. Surprisingly, it seems to work better with those effects than did the Line6 Catalyst. It just sounds good.

Thanks to Ben Robinson

I'm really loving this amp! I do a lot of recording and this little amp fits my needs perfectly! Great sounds, from real "fender" clean to real dirty or crunchier sound. Great amplifier, you can't go wrong!!!

First, I just purchased this amplifier from Sweetwater, and I had a call day before yesterday from Janis Spunde (pronounced Yanis if you want to reach him) day before yesterday. He needed some more information because I chose the 6 month interest free option. I gave him the information he needed and I thought I would see the item some time next week because I am 2 to 3 thousand miles away from Sweetwater. I was shocked yesterday afternoon when the amp showed up on my front lawn. It must have been shipped directly from Fender, 150 miles away from me. The only thing that was not included was the bag of candy I usually get when ordering from Sweetwater. Oh well, bad for my teeth anyway.

I bought my original Deluxe Reverb in 1965, and it has been gone for many years. I own a Princeton from 1972 that I had changed to black face specs a few years ago. It's a nice little amp, but it is considerably heavier and much less flexible than this new deluxe. First thing I love is the light weight. I am in my 70's, but I still play regularly, and I have had problems with both of my shoulders. At 23 pounds, this deluxe is a pleasure to carry around.

Next. it sounds as close to the original as I can imagine, plus it has the variable power switch to get that sound at any volume. Most venues where I play are on the small side (wineries etc.) and I will probably use the 12.5 watt setting most often. When I do need something bigger, the mic voiced XLR output is perfect to plug into the board.

Overall no complaints....well there is the candy thing.

Absolutely excellent. Can't say enough good things about it. It's having the dream of a Deluxe, with some extras. It's really light, it's totally reliable, it's got a useful line out, and the attenuator is priceless. Dialing that sweet spot around 45, and you can adjust it to whatever room or situation you're in. Highly recommend it. If you're a tube snob, you'll be humbled. I thought about taking the Little Tonemaster logo off, but now, I'd rather proud to have that on there.

I've played professionally for over 10 years at small bars and events on a biweekly basis. My go-to was a blues junior for years and then a deluxe reverb reissue. I got amazing tones from both of those amps with my 2009 American standard strat and few pedals. I have JJs and a tone tubby 40/40 in my deluxe, and it's THE tone for me. I purchased this tonemaster mostly out of convenience full well knowing it would not sound like my modded deluxe. Overall the tonemaster is an excellent amp that does everything I need it to. It's perfect for gigging and silent recording. I'm only able to get desirable tones going into input 2 for some reason… but it's still great. The A/B comparison to my tube version deluxe is apple to oranges… they're not supposed to sound the same. I do like that I'm able to swap speakers and tubes in the tube version to really dial in a great tone and feel, but on the other hand, there's none of the convenience that comes with the tonemaster. Having both the tonemaster and a tube version is the best of both worlds for me personally.

This is an awesome amp!Played it on a gig this weekend and made me very happy because I play with loud friends this amp just showed out!

Holy hand grenades! Mine came yesterday. I haven't looked at the manual yet. It's been instant gratification the moment I plugged in. Dialing in the perfect amount of grind is simple. From there you can hear it at whatever power level you please. I head some online demos but nothing compares to being in a room with it. The lows push and grunt like they are straining to get out of the cabinet. It's a piece of gear that makes me play better. You can lean into the sound. The way my guitar interacts with it is inspiring.

I bought it to use with a Telecaster in my country band but after hearing my Les Paul through it, I don't know which sound I like better.

I'm looking at my 1983 Fender Concert, Rivera Chubster 40, and Peavy Classic 4/10 and wondering if I'm ever going to play them again.

Though detractors argue, this thing won't be operational in 50 years like a tube amp, I'm not going to be operational in 50 years either. This is definitely going to benefit my load in and out. The sound is amazing. If it breaks down I'd replace it.

It's been a year and a half since I purchased my Tone Master Deluxe Reverb so I thought I would give an update. I have used the amp at gigs, rehearsals and for recording and it has performed flawlessly without any problems the whole time. For gigs and rehearsals, it's great to be able to set what wattage you want. And for recording, it's so much easier to use the line out and go direct to the board than have to mike the amp. So if you're worried about reliability, it seems to be holding up just fine. The other thing is every guitar sounds good through it. Les Pauls, 335's, Gretsch's and Fenders. On the other hand, with my brown Deluxe, only certain guitars and pickups sound good through it. So I can't recommend it enough. If anything happened to the amp, I would definitely get another one.

I purchased this used locally and it was pristine in box and unplayed. I have used it on all sorts of stages from large to club sized. The DI speaker emulation is the best I have ever heard. You can play a silent stage and not feel robbed of tone and expression. It responds well in lower power setting too but is a beast when at the full 22 watt setting. With that and a line to the house, you could do any gig and get a nice feeling performance. It handles my pedalboard well and I have even run other modeling pre's into the front end with good results once levels were properly matched. It does not give me that buttery feeling from a tube. That is not a knock, just an honest evaluation. I have been playing 57 years and have owned hundreds of amps and rigs. This is a great gig and recording amp but does not replace the experience of a tube amp. I use Helix, Atomic and UA models in the studio and I think this is probably better and for sure equal at least. Nothing gives me the same experience playing as a Bogne, Twin and Tube Deluxe. They are just too much heft to deal with at my age and impractical. I find what is lacking in the Tonemaster I can do without. It solves all the problems except the most esoteric tone needs. Once you are playing with it in a live setting, you won't notice what is lacking. I've been playing my whole life and I'm happy with it.

Quite simply, this is the ultimate rock box. However, I got here almost accidentally. I really didn't appreciate the reason this was called a modeling amp. It does not really model other amps, it models the tube amp of its own lineage, by using solid state wizardry to capture the tube sound without the tubes. The reason this worked out so well for me is that I already had the Boss GX 100 multi-effects pedal, which does everything other modeling amps are designed to do. So these two components give me all the flexibility I can ever imagine needing. Then, there is one more huge bonus with this amp, and that is that it has power limiter (works like the variac used by Eddie Van Halen) so you can play a very high gain effect at very low level. I think you could play Eruption in a library full of people and not disturb a single person, which is great for us rock star never weres jamming in a bedroom. Fender and Sweetwater totally ROCK!

I'm using this as a pedal platform through the normal channel 1. Sounds great with drive pedals (MXR 5150, Big Muff, Soul Food.) I swapped the speaker out for a Celestion V-Type, which is also light and affordable. I am very happy how it sounds with direct recording, although I use ownhammer IRs instead of the built in ones. Loving the vintage looks, light weight, and reliability (in comparison to a tube amp).

I got the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb partially because I was going through a string of either noisy or failing tube amps, from a couple of different manufacturers. The Tone Master seemed like a good solution for a non-tube amp, and possibly a backup amp once I got the tube amp issues resolved. I found I really liked the Tone Master, but even with the advanced tone shaping algorithms designed to simulate a tube amp, I found it's not quite the same as a tube. It's really close but the sparkly, chime-like qualities and the live-feeling characteristics of an actual tube amp are not exactly the same. If I never had a good tube amp, I might not even know I was missing anything. Again, It's close but not exactly the same. That said if I were to play out, I would probably take the Tone Master. It's light in weight, sounds good, and is far less fragile than the tube amps seem to be. All and all it's a good amp and I will be keeping it for backup and for use in another room. I will also probably try the XLR out for recording when I get a chance to give the line out a listen. One thing I found, is that the settings I used for bass and treble, reverb, and vibrato were slightly different with the Tone Master than with a tube amp. These changes helped me better get the sound I wanted and greatly improved the nature of the tube vs Tone Master comparison. That said, Initially I was not trying to compare the Tone Master to a tube amp, but when I got my tube amp back from service, I kind of found the differences anyway. It's a great amp, just a tiny, slight bit different than a tube. The tube amp will eventually need service and replacement tubes. I will have the Tone Master for when this takes place, and for any wait, especially if the actual tubes are in short supply.

…it does it all.

This thing is the unicorn I've been looking for…for years. I play mostly reggae, pop rock, and jazz. Bottom line: I crave lots of tubey goodness with plenty of headroom to have a full, clean tone (yes with some crispy if not subtle break up on solos). I've spent longer than I care to admit (at least a decade) almost pulling the trigger on a blues junior. Enter Tone Master. Being able to select different power levels without sacrificing tone would be worth it even if this amp didn't weigh half of the tube amp that it emulates. Fender got it right in the 60's. This brings that package into nearly any environment that you'd need it in.

I practice at home using the "0.5watt" setting. I've dialed in what I like from this amp and don't have to adjust ANYTHING except for the power at the gig. For a medium room I'm usually running "12watts" (which I think is more like 50 actual solid state watts, but the switch is labeled to replicate what one would expect if this baddie was actually all tube).

Now the part that I didn't really consider when pulling the trigger on this was how awesome this is at modeling MICROPHONES. The XLR out on the back has three settings (no modeling, sm57, and ribbon). It honestly feels like this "came with" a free ribbon mic that requires no maintenance and is always consistent. I'm blown away by my "direct" into the computer results. For the first time in 20 years of serious experimentation with home recording, I feel like I have "mastered" a super consistent "tone" in LIVE, PRACTICE, and RECORDING environments.

Well done, fender. Oh yeah, this amp also has me totally digging set and forget vibrato for the first time in my guitar playing life.

I'm all in.

I owned the 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue (DRRI) for years but as I got old it seemed to get heavier. This lightweight solid state version sounds identical to the tube version to my ears. I played the two amps side by side and I couldn't hear a significant difference. I've been playing through my Tone Master for well over a year now and have found its a great amp for gigs because its easy to move around, is tough and durable, and most of all sounds great with or without pedals. The Tone Master's front panel controls are all the same as those on the DRRI. Nothing new to figure out, no annoying screens to scroll through. The attenuator in the back of the amp is a nice addition to help control volume without sacrificing tone.

I bought this product because I wanted something that was going to be quiet while I practiced at home and this does not disappoint. It's dead quiet and the tone is there. Is it the same as my tube Deluxe? No , but it is extremely close. I upgraded it with the Neo Creamback and have used it live enough to say that it sounds excellent in a mix. As someone who is getting older I definitely love the weight as well. Highly recommend this. Thanks to my guy Andrew for hooking me up.

My main gig amp is a 1968 Bandmaster Reverb. Needed a smaller amp for the smaller venues. This is amazing. I'm not a pedal guy so I want my amp to do the work and this one does it for me. Get my sound where I want and change wattage to accommodate. Roll out of the guitar volume to clean it up and wide open for solos. Very happy with the Tonemaster Deluxe.

Do you like Fender amps? Know what they sound like? Holy heck! This does that perfectly! My last one was a Silverface MV twin and it does everything that one did and has amazing attenuation as well as vibrato. Absolutely fantastic amp.

I have an original vintage version of this amp and this one sounds great in comparison. I've seen comments where people say this amp is too expensive because it doesn't have tubes. Well, this one weighs less and has usable volumes with the attenuator. That seems better to me, almost like something one would pay more for.

Love it. Highly recommended.

Decades ago I tried the first Line 6 amps. Bought one and sold it immediately. I was done forever with modeling/solid state. Until I once again tried it in the form of the deluxe reverb tone master. Fender, you absolutely hit a grand slam with this line of amps. Bravo Fender, bravo!

Bought the black (original) Tone Master Deluxe Reverb because I prefer black to the blond. Changed the speaker out to the Celestion G12 Neo Creamback (the same as the blond) and walah … the perfect backup for my '66 Deluxe Reverb, at half the weight! The most updated firmware already came with the amp. I couldn't be happier with this choice … and this from a blackface tube snob! Definitely an option worth considering…

Bought it to use in place of an original Deluxe Reverb I bought in 1972. The original needs some TLC...minor...probably tube work...and is getting heavier as I get older. Very happy with the Tone Master so far. It sounds good...perhaps a little fresher than my old amp, while some settings might not sound as "warm." It's also a lot easier to lift into my car when going to play. Time will tell if it lasts as long as the original. To sum it up, very satisfied with all aspects of this amp.

Let me first start off by saying this amp is everything I need, and nothing I don't. I was tired of lugging my 65+ pound Blackstar HT Club 40 in and out of gigs, so I messaged my Sweetwater rep Jimmy Hart for some recommendations. I told him I was looking for something light, powerful, that also sounds good. Since there really is no such thing as a light tube amp, I decided to look into some solid state options. Since they've come a long way in recent years, and I thought it might be nice to not have to worry about tubes going out on me, so I looked into several options. I was torn between the orange super crush and the tone master deluxe. Jimmy helped steer me in the direction of the tone master, and I'm really glad he did. First off, this thing is super light. It weighs absolutely nothing at all. Once I plugged it in, the sweet chimin cleans that came out of this were awesome. The built in reverb and vibrato are great sounding as well. I turned the volume up to about 7 where the tube version likes to breakup and turned the volume down on my guitar to clean it up, and it sounded incredible. It takes my pedals very well, but with built in reverb, vibrato, and the natural overdrive from the amp itself, I could see myself playing most things without having to use my pedal board. The power attenuation is a great feature also. This thing is LOUD at the full 22 (digital 100) watt mode. I usually play around 1 or 5 when by myself, and 12 is plenty loud enough during rehearsal with my band. And that's with the volume set around 4-5! Overall great amp, I'm so glad I bought it. Really looking forward to gigging with it and using the direct out cab simulator. Thanks again to sweetwater and Jimmy Hart for getting me this awesome amp!

I like most reviewers here, have only played vintage or hand-wired amps my whole career. But I was looking for something lighter in weight that I could take to rehearsals and lug upstairs to my recording studio. This amp has exceeded my expectations. Sounds like a Deluxe Reverb but it had a few shortcomings that I rectified. First the reverb stock was way over the top. I have always kept my tube Deluxe's reverb on about 2.5. On the same setting on the Tone Master it sounded like I was in a cavern. Also, the Vibrato channel was way too bright. So I went online and Fender had a firmware update that removed the bright cap and smoothed out the reverb. Way better. Now the reverb behaves like it should and the brightness has calmed down. The second thing I changed was the speaker. I hooked up the amp to a Celestion Gold I had in my tweed Deluxe and it sounded way better. Now, am I going to put a $ speaker into a $ amp? No. But I did have a Celestion G12H-65 Creamback lying around so I installed that. Sounds fantastic now. The reviewer on the bottom who complained that it won't last 40-50 years like a hand-wired amp and you can't work on it is correct. But how many of us keep anything that long anyway. And I have an old PC that is 15 years old and still works fine. So we'll see.

Got this amp with a little hesitation. I ordered it, instantly fell in love with it. Sounds great! Sat it side by side with a tube version, the tone is spot on. I now have an amp thats easy to move and sounds great

Buy it.

I've been playing and recording for over 30 years, mostly in Nashville and Louisville. We are spoiled here. Almost anything you've ever wanted is available in this part of the world and I've either tried, borrowed, recorded or performed with it. Along the way, I've owned a half dozen vintage fender amps.

What this amp does so well is average a sampling of blackface Deluxe Reverbs across 60 years of history and deliver a best scenario for working musicians. Yes, it "feels" tighter - almost like subbing out the rectifier with a solid state cap but not quite. Those kinds of options may even be available later with firmware updates.

Meanwhile, what we get is an extremely good sounding and good feeling recreation with added functionality where it matters. No two of these amps sounded alike - before now.

Fender have been trying for decades. No country in the world wants to build new tube manufacturing and global supply chains are making news daily. I think the technology has finally caught up.

Buy it. Play it. Enjoy it. Hook up your pedalboard or just turn it up and wind down the attenuator. This amp really is the best new Fender amp in years.

Grew up on Fender amps in the late 80's, other than a Blues DeVille 4x10 I had in mid 90s (great amp) had moved on to boutique land. This rendition is nostalgic, killer tones, and practical! I had forgotten how fun the clean-ish Fender vibe really is. It has brought me back to the day for sure. Fender has nailed it, it sounds and feels like real tubes....impressive. I love the attenuator, allows you to crank up to 5-6 volume sweet spot and play with gtr volume knob, and not tear your (or your neighbor's) head off. Also like the mute/standby switch on the back, again feels like a real tube amp!!

My sales engineer Derek introduced me to this amp when I asked them about the tube Deluxe Reverb. They made the perfect suggestion. After sitting in a room with both amps side by side, I couldn't hear a tonal difference when dialed in to the same volume, but the power attenuation on the Tone Master is the game changer for me. I wouldn't be able to run a 22-watt tube amp in my house. Setting the volume to 3 was already too loud, and that makes it harder to get that edge of breakup sound.

Being able to turn down the output power with the attenuation switch almost acts as a master volume switch. Getting the exact tone you want from the amp and then moving the switch up or down allows you to from practice volume to stage volume, or you can mute the speaker and use the XLR output to play silently with headphones.

Turning up the power to the full 22-watt emulation allows the amp to be incredibly loud and clean, acting as a great platform for pedals. If you're a gigging musician or just want to bring it with you to jam with friends, its 20 pounds lighter than the tube version.

This amp was the right choice for me, and I would advise anyone looking for a Deluxe Reverb to try this one. Its the real deal and I cant wait to see what other amps get this treatment

This isn't a "modeling amp". It's a digital re-creation! I got my Tone Master Deluxe Reverb yesterday (to replace my Blues Jr.) and I'm totally blown away by its performance. I've owned the tube version of the Deluxe Reverb as well as Hot Rods and Twins so I've got some basis for comparison. Kirk Fletcher was spot on about the headroom on this amp, and you get the same "thump" just like the old tube Deluxe pushing air through that 12" Jensen. I'm really impressed with the new Jensen speaker. It's definitely no step down- just lighter. You can crank the volume and get really nice breakup, but you can get clean and loud as well.

The attenuation switch is great also. Nice for noodling in the evening without disturbing everyone else in the house. I haven't tried the XLR out yet, but for me that's a "nice to have" but not critical.

It takes pedals beautifully. My LP, Strat, Tele, and ES335 love it. Oh, and my back loves it, too! It's amazingly light.

It's 1000% "Fender sound" in my book. Cannot wait for the next gig to put it through its paces!

Plenty of headroom and full rich tones. Can't hardly pull myself away from it.

In 2019 I got one of the Tone Master Twin Reverbs when they first started shipping. I absolutely loved the amp. I have extensive experience with old Fender amps because ... well, I'm old. It served me well for rehearsals and gigs before the shutdown. Well, when gigs started popping up again I decided to order the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb as a backup. I hate not having a good emergency option at live events. I was surprised at how much I like the Deluxe. I'd listened to every review and clip I could find but you never know until you have the real deal in your hands.

This amp nails the sound of an excellent vintage Deluxe Reverb. I say "excellent" because the old ones varied a fair amount depending up on tubes, speaker, age and bias. Well, the Tone Master nails a Deluxe that has everything working perfectly. I've played and owned a fair number of vintage tube Deluxe's and they were all close to my ideal but failed in one way or another. The Tone Master really delivers the good, especially with my 1965 Gibson ES-335.

The fact it is even lighter than the Twin is ridiculous. Anyway, instead of the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb being my backup it is now the other way around. I'll be using the Deluxe as my primary amp and the Twin as a backup or main amp at large outdoor gigs. This concepts and these examples are hopefully a sign of the great Tone Master series amps to come. Can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Not one thing I can find wrong with this amp. I am a very long fan of all things tube, and was very hesitant on going solid state. After putting it through every test I can think of, it does not disappoint.
I am a pedal junkie, and it reacts and sound identical of even better then my former Fender amps. I have had a silver face twin, a 4x10 Deville, and many other rigs but this one should be the last one I need.
With the pandemic, I have been sequestered in my little studio, and as I have tinnitus already need to more than not keep the volumes down. Bedroom volumes are no issue with the power switch in the back. Perfect, at least in my humble opinion. I use a telecaster, Les Paul and a ES 175. All are good here

I was a little wary of this amp for several reasons.
I was worried because I was getting this in place of a Blackstar I had fallen out of love with, but the Blackstar had a separate gain channel, and a 3-band EQ. This had neither.
My past experiences with solid state amps have been far less than stellar, and my early experiences with digital amps have been far worse. I'm not a tube snob, but I am picky. I do have a Line 6 Amplifi, and a Yamaha THR that do great though, so I know the tech has come a long way.
My past impressions of Fender amps could almost universally be categorized as either "Affordable but sound terrible" or "Sound great but I'm not about to spend that kind of money" with their digital amps usually fitting more with the former.
I thought the pine cab might now sound as good as a typical birch cab. I had a suspicion it was done to keep cost and weight down, but might have a trade off in the sound quality. I was even fully prepared to re-house this in a birch cab if I didn't like it when it arrived.
And honestly, I tend to be skeptical of new tech that people won't stop talking about. It rarely lives up to the hype.

I was happy to find that I had been worried about NOTHING.

This beat my Blackstar in every way that matters to me, even without the gain channel or 3-band EQ. As a pedal platform it is miles ahead of any amp I've had.
The fact that this is digital, solid state, etc. is something I don't even notice when playing it. If Fender didn't have to make it plainly obvious in ads, specs, I'd probably never guess it wasn't tube driven.
I'm always glad when a brand defies the old impressions they've made on me. And honestly I'm glad to have something from Fender that I love so much, because I've always had an affinity for the brand, but finding a product of theirs that hits the sweet spot is rare.
The cab is wonderful. Sounds great, and I guess if Fender can make something sound this good while cutting cost and weight, more power to them. I might change out the grille cloth for aesthetic purposes, but otherwise I'm leaving this thing alone.
The hype in reviews I've seen was well deserved. The only really inaccurate description I've seen in reviews is that it doesn't handle gain/distortion well. I have 2 distortion, 3 Overdrive, and a Fuzz, and this amp handles them all perfectly.

I love tube amp sound, but I have to say I love this amp. I'm happy to give up the weight, the maintenance, and the cost of a tube amp. This thing is just so amazing.

You can go on the web and look and listen to maybe 100 videos doing test between the original and this one and it won't matter. You have to plug into it and experience it. I did not buy this for one second because it was less money than a standard deluxe. I bought it because it sounded just as good to my ears is as good as the one I have played forever. This is not a great amp for you if you play metal or really heavy hard distortion but man oh man the clean sounds and the break Up are worth every penny

Perfect look, size and weight. Sounds and responds like a Fender tube amp. With the reverb mod I`m five out of five!

It's very hard to tell that this is not a tube Deluxe Reverb. The sound is outstanding. And this is coming from a tube snob. I love the light weight, the XLR out for sending to a PA or recording, and the power level adjustment for practice. I have the black Tolex version and it has that classic deluxe reverb sound, creamy smooth Fender sound with scooped mids. Just what my Teles are looking for. And best of all is the ultra light weight. After spending my youth lugging around Bassmans, Showmans, and Band Masters, this is welcome relief. Do yourself a favor and try these out.

First off let me start by saying I am a longtime tube amp user. I have used Fender, Marshall, Bugera to name a few and fell in love with that sound and warmth that only seemed to be gotten from tube amps. I like many others had seen the reviews for these and watched the YouTube videos as well. I waited to see how the actual "Public user" reviews would rate this product.
Let me say the reviews are very accurate, this amp is amazing! I find the tones incredible when matched side by side with the tube counterpart with maybe the tube version has slightly darker tone. It feels great responds well and boy it is light as a feather! this will be my go to for gigs from now on. try one you will not regret it! Thanks to Dave my sales advisor for awesome service. Thank you Sweetwater!

I'm a tube amp snob. Have been for years. I finally bought a small digital modeler when they got the sounds right, but having to hook the amp up to a computer or phone to edit the deep parameters was not very satisfying, and certainly not doable at a gig. So, I stuck with my tube amps, and had no complaints other than weight, heat, and the inevitable maintenance of a tube amp.

Now Fender has solved all the issues I had with modelers and tube amps in one fell stroke. This sounds and behaves almost exactly like a tube Deluxe Reverb. Except, when cranked up, this version sounds slightly better than the tube version, as the digital one is not as muddy and slightly more transparent when the volume knob is at 10. Add in the power attenuation (which is superb) and the direct out (which records great, but I won't be able to check it out live until post-Covid) simply put it over the top. Reverb and tremolo both sound just like the tube version, though the tremolo might be a touch richer sounding on the digital version. I'm the kind of player who will sometimes use a single distortion pedal for lead boosts, but mostly I just crank up the amp and use my guitar volume knob to go from rhythms to lead. The Deluxe Reverb has always been a great amp for that style, but the weight and the volume of the tube version made me give it up in favor of smaller, lower-wattage amps. With this Tone Master version, I can carry a featherweight amp that can be cranked up to 10 on the 0.2 watt setting, and still play at a reasonable volume that won't disturb the neighbors. At the 5 and 12 watt settings, it'll be perfect for the smaller gigs I anticipate playing again when live music resumes.

Since most of the musicians I play with are also tube amp snobs, I'll pull off the Tone Master badge, and I'm willing to bet that NONE of them will notice the difference, unless they help me load in or out.

Bottom line: this is a featherweight, attenuatable, Deluxe Reverb with a great built-in line out, that doesn't require maintenance and always sounds the same. Total winner. Thanks, Fender.

This is the cleanest sounding amp I ever heard. I like to hear the clear tones that a guitar can produce and this amp delivers in abundance. I know others like an amp for all the effects the amp will provide but I look for pure tone. This amp provides both electric and acoustic clarity. Best amp I ever bought.

I'm 68 years old and have waited a long time to get the musical equipment I've always dreamed about. I bought a Fender Stratacaster Ultra and the Fender Deluxe Reverb Amp. What more could I ask for? I've made it to heaven before I am dead! I'm not a great guitarist, but am amazed at what I can do with this level of equipment!

I defy anyone who knows the original tube Deluxe Reverb to tell me they can hear any difference between that amplifier and this Tone Master "modeling" version.
They are virtually identical. But with the addition of the scalable output wattage control and the balanced line out XLR jack with IR option makes this amplifier an outstanding improvement over the original AND an amazing breakthrough for Fender. Really well done! I love this amp.

45 year player, many many gigs. This is the real deal.

Forget the tube snobs. I still record with my boutique, point-to-point hand wired tube amp.

Live... it's the Tone Master. I looked at the Katana, even the well-received Blues Cube. They don't quite get there, though VERY good. Buy this.

I got this amp, because I have this fear about tubes disappearing as our relationships with the countries that MAKE tubes deteriorate. (LOL). Also, looking for something light-weight...and (let's face it) looked like a real amp. This amp pleasantly shocked me. It sounds as good (or better) than some Deluxe Reverbs I've owned in the past. It has a tube-like "thump" and growl that is amazingly "tube-like". I've used my Gibson SG and several Strats with it and they ALL sounded great. It really has a feel and touch like a tube amp. With my pedalboard, which is pretty sparse, I did find myself using input 2, which I've never done a tube Deluxe Reverb. It seemed too bright on input 1 with the pedals. This doesn't hurt my feelings at all and I was back to thick, rich tone. My wife, who does NOT notice differences when I change from my myriad selection of amps, actually came down the hall and said that was the best tone she'd heard and what was I doing differently. I think that says it right there. If I lost this amp, I'd get another. Oh...and even with the attenuation turned down...it can get LOUD. Love this amp!

This amp truly feels and plays like a tube amp. I bought this amp and received it a week ago, just in time for a work related trip I took. I was driving, so I threw in my Tele Deluxe and this amp and took them with me to entertain myself in my hotel room. Attenuating the amp down to the lowest setting (.2 watts) allowed me to play with and experiment with the amp without disturbing anyone in the neighboring rooms. I also connected it to MacBook Pro via a PreSonus USB audio interface in order to experience the direct out. I was very impressed. Last night I had the first opportunity to get together with some friends and jam. I ran a line out into the PA and used the amp itself as my monitor, attenuated down to a single watt. The amp sounded amazing through the PA, and having it right beside me at a reasonable volume was awesome. The 22lb weight is also amazing. If you're a guitarist who has lugged tube amps around for years, you'll understand.

I hope other amp designers are paying attention. I love my tube amps, but this is truly the first time I have felt like an emulated amp got it right. The reverb is world class like you expect from Fender as is the tremolo. When set on the full 22 watt setting the amp is incredibly loud while maintaining clarity (I love the clean, use pedals for overdrive/distortion). I wouldn't go trying to play metal with this amp, but for me it has handled everything from gentle cleans through hard rock with no problem.

Big shout out to Ben Porter, my sales engineer for his patience as I changed my mind over and over before settling on this amp. As always he provided me with thoughtful insight, and really listened to my needs, preferences and tastes. I couldn't be happier with this purchase!

Just got mine a couple of weeks ago. It's absolutely wonderful. The 2 features omitted by many are the attenuation and spot on IRs on the direct out. I can dial in the happy stage volume and hand a mic cable to production with either a 57 or a 221 ribbon straight to a channel strip. Thank you Fender, very much.

This amp has a great sound to it, and when I tried it next to the tube version the differences were negligible. Classic Fender clean amp, without the tube rattle! What makes the Tone Master so special is its utility. The attenuation options mean I can set it up in my living room for great tone at a low volume, but bring it to rehearsal and keep up with a loud rock band. By the way, bringing it places is super easy because it weighs about half as much as the tube version.

Beyond the sound, power-scaling, and weight, the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb has an XLR-out and IRs loaded into the cabinet. You can play silently on stage if stage volume is a concern, or you can get some fantastic sounding direct recordings at home. I love this feature, no need to mess around with microphones and stands!

The construction of the cabinet looks good to me, it smells like pine wood. The included foot-switch and cover are nice as well. Overall I think this is a fantastic value, I really like that I'm practicing on the same amp I'll be gigging with. My pedals all sound great through it and it is dead quiet. Check it out!

Thanks Sweetwater!

I got this amp a couple weeks back and i love the clean sound. I play with a delay (carbon copy) slap, and not a lot of reverb. I mike the amp up with a Sennheiser 609 and it works great, i have not tried the XLR yet. I am running the amp on the 12 watt setting with plenty of volume in a medium size church.

I have been in the market for a new amp for a while now. I had been leaning more towards a real tube amp. After purchasing this amp I know I made to right decision. The deciding factor for me was the DI out. I play on the praise team at church and this makes setup extra easy. The DI out independent volume control makes sound check a breeze when making adjustments for running through PA systems. With full power this amp rocks the pictures in my music room. Being able to control amp output with the wattage selector on the back is key when playing Small venues or other band members (especially over opinionated backup singers...)

This amp just nails the pristine Fender clean tone that I savor. I play lead guitar in my daughter's band. At 74 years of age, I don't want a heavy amp to lug around; and at just 24 lbs., this amp does the trick! I use the vibrato input for guitar and run a mandolin in the normal channel. At home I run it at the 1 watt setting to get a nice breakup tone at bedroom volume. The reverb and tremolo are beautiful. The amp is very quiet. No tubes to worry about! Finally, this amp has plenty of power.

Only played it a little while, but really enjoying it. It sounds amazing overall and sounds excellent turned up to six and a half with my Stratocaster. I was never able to do that with my past amps as I've only ever played at home and I wanted to keep my house and marriage intact LOL. I love the ability to have a true bedroom volume (office really) with this wide range of tones straight from the amp. I have not spent time using the pedals, but I have no doubt they will sound excellent also. Some say, myself included, that it should be all about the sound, but you have to comment on the weight. It is totally weird the first time you pick this up it is so light. My current comparison is with my little Blues Jr. The Tone Master weighs 8 1/2 lbs less than the Jr. with the Jr weighing (I think) 31 1/2 and the Tone Master weighing 23 lbs in the literature. I'm somebody who frequently has "buyers remorse" no matter how much I research something, but I can say this amp exceeded all my expectations. As always with Sweetwater, it arrived quickly and very well packed. I took a chance and bought the floor model, something I've never done, and I can say there is not the smallest mark or anything that would not identify it as brand new.
Thank you Sweetwater,! Oh, and thank you Fender!

I love this amp . It has the tone that was in my head and was hoping to hear. I play slow blues with an Epi LP and 335. I play just for myself in my studio apartment at 5 watts as well as with friends where I can let it rip. I'm mostly using the vibrato with some reverb. The reverb is smooth and sweet.
Another plus is you can just grab it go with ease, only 24lbs
I'm 100% satisfied.

I have a boutique point-to-point hand wired tube combo that I love. Big recording date, it's what I'm gonna use... but my new Fender Dekuxe Tonemaster is the only amp I gig with. It's really that good, the sweet breakup, plus attenuation and light weight... miles and miles of tone. Do it.

I just purchased this amp from Sweetwater, and got great professional assistance from sales tech Alex Rodriguez.
To sum up, here is what I love about this amp, using a Fender Jaguar and PRS semi-hollow body for testing it:

1) Extremely light weight ! This amp is just little more than half the weight of my previous Deluxe Reverb (the
64 Custom hand-wired version). It is great to be able to move this amp around with little effort !

2) Incredibly quiet, with virtually NO 60 hertz AC hum that was so pervasive in my tube version;

3) Fabulous sounding reverb, and again, noise does NOT ramp up as the intensity of the reverb is increased, as
does the tube version (i.e.the reverb circuit being driven by tubes);

4) The clean sounds are ultra clean, snappy, and with the typical Fender "clean signature" one would expect from
amps like the Deluxe and the Princeton Reverb;

5) HEADPHONE USE: This is a big deal to me, as I use headphones for practice. YOU CAN indeed hook up headphones
to this amp and get great sound ! Here is how: Acquire an XLR to 1/4 inch, or 1/8 inch (whatever your
headphones require) adapter and plug it into the line-out at the rear of the Tone Master. Use the level
control to dial in how much signal you want. In addition, you have an EQ switch (designed to emulate certain
mics) which functions as a very useful EQ for headphone use. Just switch to whichever mode you like best !
Great clean undistorted sounds through my Bose noise-cancelling headphones ! I am delighted ! This setup works
great when you put the amp's "standby" switch on, which mutes the speaker and routes the signal thru the XLR.

6) The attenuation control works great; dial in whatever level of output is appropriate. Do NOT underestimate how
much volume that this 22W (in full power mode) amp can produce ! It will blow you out of even a large room in
short order. The headroom on the amp is very similar to my tube Deluxe, but with just a tad more top end
frequency roll on. I have not tried the amp with pedals so cannot comment on that.

7) Quality is excellent, overall. I do wish Fender could have used the same heavy Tolex covering as on my tube
Deluxe; the Tone Master covering is clearly thinner and less textured on this amp. However, that is not a
deal-breaker for me. So, to end this review: I have NO regrets buying this amp, and am sure it will serve me
well ! If you like the sound of the tuber DR, but don't want the weight, the hum and AC noise, and potential
maintenance issues of tubes, this is the amp for you ! The price: extremely reasonable considering the
features and sounds that this amp produces, and considering the reliability of solid state circuitry.

For a year my "wish list" was populated with a plethora of tube amps, searching for the right fit for my home practice area. After taking a 2nd look at the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb, I decided to pull the trigger. I couldn't be happier. For a non-gigging home guitarist such as myself, it is perfect. The Tone is fantastic, all of the dials are extremely sensitive, my pedals mesh in well, and the attenuated output is the ticket for late night practice. I briefly tested the XLR out with my Scarlett Solo, which is super cool as well. I understand the purist, gigging musician might be a little more skeptical than I am, but if you're like me and want and a classic Fender tone and want the option to have the dial at 5 without rattling the windows, I can't imagine you would be disappointed with the Tone Master. Thanks to Ryan who put up with my endless shopping questions!

I waited too long to get this amazing amp. I am not comfortable gigging with a tube amp because I play in some extreme cold/hot temperatures. The weight of a typical tube amp is more than this mid-50s guitarist can handle. I also love that I can drop the volume down a bit and play at neighbor and family friendly levels. This is a great gigging amp. Lightweight, classic looks and sounds terrific. My Sweetwater Salesmaker Buster was very patient with me as I agonized over this purchase. Just buy it. Your back will thank you!

Just got in my Fender Deluxe Tone Master. WOW. Unbelievable Amp. It lives up to the hype. A fantastic smooth breakup for the sweet spot. Quiet to loud, bright to dark, clean to distort you will be happy. My Fender Mustang 4 is going up for sale now. No need for it. The weight of the Deluxe is unreal compared to the Mustang 4 or the Peavey Classic 30 I have.
The Deluxe works with pedals.
I will say. Buy this Amp. You will be have as happy you did.

And in an instant, the world of guitar amplification has changed.... Can't believe they got it this right.

Last night I played my second gig with it,, on a loud concert club stage w full production,,,, it kept up well on a loud stage and loud drummer! My pedals performed well with it. Tone for days! It felt and sounded every bit like a tube Fender Deluxe,, perhaps even cleaner.

I didn't realize a modeling amp can sound like the real thing. We put it up against a RI.. well, I couldn't tell. My tube buddy said there's a tiny bit more sparkle with his.. when we gig nobody can tell!

I getting older and sure I love my tube amps as well and won't part with them but they're heavy to lug around. This is "now" my grab and go!

I just could Not be more impressed & pleased with this amp.. Fender SOOOO did their homework.. I saw some vids on this amp and thought.. Hey.. This just be what i'm looking for.. And It TOTALLY Is.. I'm getting up there in years.. and my back is Not good .. So.. That was a part of why i did this.. When I bought the amp.. I was very impressed with the tone ( and how lil it weighs ).. Then.. I tried it with a band in a small room.. Even better than I thought .. It really behaved Just like a tube amp.. I have been doing this for a while and NEVER have i been so impressed with a modeling amp.. And Then.. you add in the fact that it has an Attenuate'r POW. That put it over the top.. Even at only 22 watts this it would have been too loud for the small room i was in..Dialed it down to 5 watts. and it was Perfect.. I could run the amp right in it's sweet spot... Bigger Room?? Just Dial it up.. Great Searing Fender Tone.. Perfect for small blues gigs.. ( or even larger ones if you mic it up ).. Buy It BUY IT....

Sounds pretty much like my 65 D.R. reissue. A lot lighter though. At home in my music room, I keep it at 0.2 watts. At a gig, depending on the venue, I will bring it up to 22 watts. Sounds great either way. Only issue, and a minor one at that, is the LED lights on the footswitch is a little too bright.(just personal taste). Other than that, I'm very pleased with it, and with Buster Davis at Sweetwater Music.

I was surprised at how much power it had. Much more than I expected. I've always played through tube amps with a mid-range control. The lack of one on this amp left it a bit too bright for my taste. I thought it was a great little amp though. And the fact that it weighed only 23 lbs. was really cool!

This amp is absolutely awesome! Hands down one of the best amps I’ve ever played. If your a bedroom player like me, want to get awesome tones at bedroom volume levels, love the fender amp sounds then get this amp. Pair it with a fender pugilist or Santa Ana pedal and you’ve got a ton of great tones at your disposal. It has all that chimney goodness you get from the real fender deluxe reverb tube model but it’s super light when you pick it up. I did a comparison between this and the tube version at the local music store and could not really hear or feel any major differences. If you set the amp attenuator to the full 22 watts they sound identical to my ears. What’s more the speaker in this thing sounds amazing. Full or low end if you want it and the reverb sounds so spacious. Takes pedals very well just like the tube model. It can be extremely loud if you crank it. Don’t hesitate to get this amp. If it blew up I’d buy another one ASAP. My rep Luke Bassett suggested I try it and I’m so glad he did. Thanks as always sweet water!!

As I have gotten older, the excitement of hauling around heavy amplifiers has lost its attraction. For example my venerable Lake Oswego Twin Reissue has a tendency to stay where it's put!

All that being said, I prefer tubes for guitar. Over the last few years, though, even my reissue Princeton Reverb has become a drag at pack-up time. Further, when recording in an apartment/condo situation, even a Champ can annoy your neighbors. As a result, I have long relied on a vintage kidney Pod and its DSP simulations of Fender and Vox. Practicality has prevented me from being a total purist.

When Fender announced the 2 Tone Master amps I was intrigued. The Deluxe sounded perfect, so I ordered one. I've been using it for 3 months now and feel I can comment:

I work with some folk who insist in rocking out at incredibly low volume. Just dial the output down, and still get respectable sounding drive and sustain. Dial back the guitar volume and get nice clean. It's good with single coils, double coils, and takes pedals nicely. I also work with some louder people and it's a matter of turning up the output a little to get the same results.

It's very nice. and all this at 23lbs. Much like a vintage Blackface amp. For me, a great purchase.

New Tone Master Deluxe is really Great I can Gig in Sr Centers or Churches At 1 Watt Vol 5 to 6
get nice little breakup Bigger Place 5 Watt Lot's of Power & Vol but 24lbs Really NICE
My Tube Deluxe's Vol 5 most time

I was like most gigging guitar players and have only had tube amps in the past. I went from a jet city 20 years ago to a blues jr. And then to a ac30s1. I sold the ac30 and bought this. I have no regrets. This amp is perfect for playing out. My other guitar player has the 68 deluxe reverb reissue and my tone master ( at least in live situations ) sounds just as good. I haven't done the side by side with the 65 this looks so much like but YouTube it if you are curious. I can't say it sounds exactly like the tube counter part but it sounds like a very good tube amp. I use a ehx soulfood, a thorpy veteran, and a black Russian big muff for my drive pedals and all sound great through this beast. All my modulation pedals sound perfect also. It's great im so happy with it. I can literally pick the amp up with my pinky. Ive played 3 shows with it and have never had the need to have it at full power on the attenuator switch. It's plenty loud for gigs and practice. I have only used the i.r. out once to see if it worked and it sounded as good as they say it does. I don't need to worry about a mic for my cab anymore. I will keep this amp for the rest of my life. It is the PERFECT grab and go amp. Like always Sweetwater was awesome and helped me make the decision and was patient and not pushy. Ryan you are awesome. I honestly believe even the most diehard tube lover would have to admit that this amp is at the very least 90% there. Play one if u can and im sure you will walk away rethinking ur opinions on modeling.

I had always been skeptical of modeling technology; in small ways it seemed as though it could be useful for adding effects to an amp, but the foundation really needed to be tubes. I started to open up my mind a bit when I saw a lot of guitar players I respected using Kempers, Helixes, and the like to great affect. Doing a lot of recordings, I figured it would be awesome to record live takes of tracks with drums and not have to worry about all the bleed from the guitar in the drum tracks, so I decided to get a Kemper profiler... And wow. It is capable of anything, but I found that I spent more time trying to pick one tone out of the infinite options than I did actually recording any ideas. Analysis paralysis took over. I guess I should have seen that coming... I don't even really like amps with master volumes.

That's when I decided to return the Kemper and get the Deluxe Tonemaster. Straight forward, just like a deluxe, but with the added benefit of being able to record direct out with really well designed impulse responses. I have been putting this thing through it's paces, and it is awesome. I have been able to get sessions out with electric guitar, and because the Royer 121 IR is perfect, it makes the mixing and mastering a breeze. I've also been able to do crazy things like run a mono drum overhead out through it to get a bombastic drum sound, and acoustic guitar tracks through the amp in real time with none of the feedback problems.

I will say this, if you like the simplicity of the deluxe but want some modern options for gigging or recording, get this. I know it's just a couple hundred dollars shy of reissue, but with the added options, lower cost of maintenance, and the fact that they are nearly identical in sound, I could see Fender getting away with charging the same price or more for this... I'm glad that they didn't, but I was happy to pay the price so that one day I can have tweed and brownface deluxe tonemasters in my possession.

This thing is a blast. Every modeling amp or plug-in thing I've tried before sounded like fizzy garbage. I was really skeptical of the Tone Master series, but took a flyer based on the weight figuring it would be good just for rehearsals and I could use my bigger amps for gigs but I plan on using this for everything. Great tones, vibrato and reverb are truly useful, tons of bass, speaker sounds great, the cab doesn't have the boxiness a lot of 1x12" amps do, and it gets loud.

Favorite feature: the attenuator. When I first read about the 0.2W setting I thought, "I'll never use that." I use it ALL THE TIME! Anything that gets me playing and writing more is a bonus. Fender really knocked it out of the park with this one, now I want to try the twin

Comparison
I own a 1965 deluxe reverb Re-issue amplifier by fender. Recently I went to Lane music store in Memphis to try out the new Tonemaster Digital version of this amplifier. What I really liked about the Tone master I just tried out. It is just a dream to pick up like it’s almost nothing. It has a great fantastic sound. But I think I’m going to keep my present tube version of the amplifier. Because It is one of the most wonderful amplifiers I have ever owned. It has a bit of a deeper warmer richer wonderful sound Than the tone master has.
However I’m sure there are other people that might disagree because the tonemaster Really does sound great.

It's so nice to have a digital amp that looks, works and sounds like that HEAVY original and reissue.It is taking a while to learn how to set this up in each room while using the power switch in the back to use the amp and guitar together to achieve clean and then break up will be a challenge if you want low gain grind. It will do that "edge of break-up" sound but you have to spend a little time testing it in the room. I'm sure that over time I'll get to these sweet spots faster and faster. The Tremolo works great. For me, the reverb is a bit over done (I've been told that the original sound this way), between 1 and 2 covers the needed reverb for me. As others have stated, it takes pedals very well. If you have clean, well built pedals, the noise level stays very low. It's light weight is a major deal for me. I love it!

I was expecting this amp to be good and was surprised at how good it is. The sound/tone is spot on and the 5 way power attenuator switch adds a lot of flexibility when playing. I can set it to 5W or 12W and get nice clean tones at a low volume or drop it to 1W and crank everything up and get nice breakup and overdrive without going deaf. For me the 0.2W volume is too low and also darker and of no use to me. The 0.5W is where I start. I was very interested in the balanced XLR line output with the cabinet simulations and found it to be perfect to use when playing a venue. I use the amp as my monitor and run the amp through the PA and I don't have to deal with the volume of the amp behind me. I also used it in my studio and connected it straight to my DAW and recorded with the mute switch on for silent recording and it was easier to record that way with headphones on and no sound coming out of the amp. The reverb and vibrato sound authentic to the original. And finally what can I say about the weight.............There is nothing better than after playing a venue and you pack up to leave and pick up the amp and wow, it is so light. So overall I would say I love this amp and would highly recommend it. Finally my sales engineer Adam Chesi has always been amazing at working with me and educating me on the products making sure I get my orders when needed even when I needed them ASAP.

For the longest time I was always a "Tubes are better, digital can never make it". I'll gladly eat those words now. I played this several times at a local store putting it, through it's paces to see if there was something that would give it away and walked away impressed every time. I bought that TMDR and have pedals in front of it and putting it through it's paces there as well.

I'm blown away that this sounds as good as it does. I forget that it's digital and weighs less than my pedal board. It's amazing, I love it and don't know what else to say other than if you're on the fence go play one and let it change your mind.

I am a big fan of the Fender Deluxe Reverb amp. Along with its big brother, the Twin Reverb, this amp has been such a workhorse over the years that it has achieved a certain iconic standing with many musicians, for good reason. As a drummer in a variety of bands for about 40 years (until I aged out about five years ago), nearly every band that I played in had at least one guitar player with either a DR or TR. Several years ago I decided to learn to play guitar. Always had the DR in the back of my mind as the amp to own.
So along comes the Tone Master solid state version. Does it really sound and perform like a tube-driven DR? I checked out every YouTube video that I could find doing controlled blind comparisons of the tube and solid state versions. Given what I heard, I made the purchase of the Tone Master DR. Arrived about a week ago.
My opinion is that Fender simply nailed it. Sure, if you did sound analysis with very sophisticated equipment, you could probably differentiate the two versions. But I am betting that to the ear, there is just as much sonic difference between various tube-driven Deluxe Reverbs (due to differences in tubes and speakers and electronics) as there is between the tube-driven DR and the Tone Master DR. Fender nailed the overall tonality and performance, they nailed the reverb emulation, and they nailed the vibrato emulation.
The amp demonstrates very thoughtful, concerted, conscientious design by Fender in many areas besides in emulation: Solid pine construction. Velcro straps inside the amp to secure the power cord and footswitch (which is included). Pilot light that changes color for standby and play. Balanced out with three different tonal curves. Variable power to keep the peace at home, or to keep the amp pumping in the sweet spot in smaller venues, without getting too loud. And the weight … almost half of the weight of the tube DR. Ya gotta like that at the end of a four-hour gig, played after working all day at your day job.
When pushed, the amp will break up, like its tube-driven brother. It pairs very nicely with the few pedals that I use. It also pairs very nicely with my Tele and Strat, that now sound like a Tele and Strat should sound to me.
Negatives? Fender dropped the five-year warranty down to two years; not sure whether or not this applies to all their amps or just the Tone Master, but I am guessing that it does. Fender has taken some heat for the pricing of the amp, which ain’t all that much lower than the all-tube version, given that solid states amps usually are significantly less expensive than tube amps. Not sure if the higher price is partially a function of tariffs with China, where this amp is made. Most likely it is at least partially a function of the R & D costs to design this amp.
I am extremely satisfied with this amp! And extremely satisfied with the personal care, consideration and attention that I received from Riley, my Sweetwater Rep.

First off, you have to accept that you’re paying for software, not hardware. It is solid state, digital modeling. There are no tubes, no reverb tank.....but, it sound like an analog tube amp! It really does! Tube-like breakup, sag and a built in attenuator that makes it an all-purpose tone monster. Bedroom to gig, whisper quiet to foundation rattling power. And of course 1/2 the weight. We really have entered a new era in guitar amp technology....

I've always loved the sound of the Deluxe Reverb from Fender. I almost bought a couple of vintage versions in the past.

I played the DRRI many times and liked them but never pulled the trigger.

I was able to try the Tone Master version out at a local shop. I couldn't believe it wasn't a tube amp. It was all there.... glassiness, chime, luscious reverb.... it simply sounded like a great Deluxe Reverb.

I didn't buy it that day. They ended up selling their two the same day I tried it out.

Luckily Sweetwater was there for me and had them in stock.

Now that I've had it at home for a few days, I am extremely happy. I can't wait to record with it. The attenuation works great.

The amp is light and well built with a solid pine cabinet.

I have four other amps... all pure tube amps.. hand wired. This amp hangs with them tone wise, while adding a few modern features.

I've always been fine with modelling, but hated how most amps or racks made you constantly tweak and scroll to get them edited to the tone you wanted to hear. I don't love editing and saving on the computer.

I do love turning knobs here and there and getting the tone I want fast. This amp does that. I can't believe no one else has tried to simplify modelling into a one amp style before this.

Now I hope others follow suit. I could really use a Vox AC 15/30 combo amp that is lighter, without tubes and gives up the same great tone. Fingers crossed.

Ok so bought this for two reasons weight and the fact my deluxe is to loud for some small clubs .. I played out with it twice last week and the sound was great !!! Sounds just like my all tube deluxe . You can put this on 6 or 7 then drop down the voltage and bam great sound at small club acceptable level !!!!

Today is October 1, 2019. Sweetwater released these Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb amps for sale on September 24. I was fortunate to purchase one just before they were all sold out in hours. I have not stopped all day playing my Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, Gibson's Les Paul & SG just to listen to the sounds fro the various pickups through this amp.

I would say that Fender nailed it in several ways. I did an A/B against my other Fender. A '65 Deluxe Reissue and I can say that the Tone Master has the same chime, warm bass tone as the tube amp. AND I would venture to say that even a more pristine clean and break up that just satisfies me! Pedals are just made to be used as with all Fenders! I am 100% happy with this Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb. And the weight! So light...unbelievable compared to the Fender's of old! A must to own!

Sweetwater sales engineer Matt Alexander as always the best! Top notch in my book! Thank you!

When this first came out I was sckeptical about the sound and would it be enough to do a live situation gig. I watched every video I could find on it. I just played an outside gig at a mud park this weekend in a 5 piece band and I used the 12 watt setting and its plenty loud. I got many compliments on the tone and everyone is amazed at the sound and lack of weight. Its lighter than my pedalboard with 5 small pedals on a skb ps45 board with the top. The sound is amazing, totaly quiet at idle with guitar (Fender elite hss Strat and or Squire CV Tele) plugged in, guitar vol full, amp set a 4 vol, 6 treble, 5 bass,12 watt setting on back and you get only what you play, great sound and no noise. My pedals even sound better, more colorful sound. I wished I had this amp long ago, its so easy to move around. Didn't use the line out as the sound man prefferd to use a 57 mic. I'm a tube amp guy. Have been using a 50 watt 1x12 combo smaller but heavier tube amp for years, but this amp is a game changer. This amp sounds like it's got tubes inside. I am so glad the my Sweetwater rep David Hess helped me to decide on this Fender Deluxe Reverb Tone Master Amp. You can't go wrong with Sweetwater with the best customer service in the world.

After seeing all the videos and the hubbub at the Nam show about these amps, I rolled the dice, site unseen. I simply can"t believe my ears. Out of all of the different amps I have played through over the years, this one takes the cake and the candles too. You really can"t hear the difference between the tube version and this amp. The weight, (or the lack of) is so much different too. I"m the happiest I"ve been with a new product in a very long time. Thank you Fender for all your hard work. And my Les Paul thanks you too!!!

I picked this amp up soon after they were released. I happened to be checking out Teles at a local Guitar Center and plugged into this amp. I wasn't super impressed with the Teles I played, but when I was about finished playing, I realized that I hadn't felt like the amp was anything except a normal Deluxe Reverb. It hadn't even crossed my mind that this was not a normal Fender tube amp. I bought it and it's served me well for the past couple of years. I play clean 99% of the time so I rarely have the volume above 4. The attenuator is great and I usually leave it on the 11 watt setting for home use. I will say that the vibrato/reverb channel doesn't work great with overdrive or fuzz pedals, but if I'm using pedals I don't mind the lack of reverb/trem on the "normal" channel because, well, I have pedals for that! Also some guitars work better on the normal channel for me, EQ-wise (Strats and Teles, mainly). I will also say it has HUGE bass response at full 22 watts, and I often put the bass at 1 or 2. On 11 watts I feel the amp is much more balanced tonally and that's all the power I need anyway. This is my favorite amp for humbuckers and P90s, but ironically maybe not for Fender guitars (too scooped?). This isn't my favorite amp, but it's a great workhorse, and also 1/2 the price of my other amps.

While I've never played a tube Deluxe, I grew up playing my dad's vintage 60s Princeton so I think my ears know what to listen for when it comes to that Fender clean sound, and the TM has it in spades. The TM Deluxe has a sweet, organic clean sound and a gritty but smooth overdrive as you push the volume to its limits. The reverb and tremolo sound super authentic. Hard not to start playing some 60s surf rock when you crank that reverb up! I have only good things to say on the sound -- they nailed it.

I also enjoy how immediate and accessible the amp is. They wisely didn't try to emulate dozens of amps and effects; it does one thing and does it well. The controls all have useful ranges that allow for flexible tone shaping while never allowing you to make the amp sound bad. The build quality feels absolutely professional, not toy-like like many other modeling amps. Between the tasty sound and solid build quality, it's easy to forget this thing doesn't have tubes inside of it.
The attenuator is awesome and a key reason I got this amp, being mostly a home player. The emulated out with selectable IRs is also hugely helpful for easy recording, and the IRs sound great. I would have liked if they violated tradition a bit and added a bright switch like the Twin so the bright cap of the vibrato channel could be easily toggled on or off without having to swap out the firmware each time. Also, since it has a USB port, it's a shame it doesn't allow for direct digital recording when connected to a computer. Still, these are more suggestions for a future version than gripes, and overall it's a nearly perfect amp that I must imagine would suit players of all stripes, from bedroom jammers to stage performers.

As the title states, in its original configuration the Vibrato channel has the dreaded bright cap that most DRRI owners opt to remove. The August firmware update lets you to remove it and also flattens the arc of the reverb pot--which was virtually unusable after 4.

I bought this amp a few weeks after its release, and used the Normal channel with a TC Electronic HOF to avoid the bright cap. Even passing up on the built-in reverb and tremolo, this amp's tone was EVERYTHING I wanted. Don't be mistaken: IT'S A DELUXE REVERB. Use it at 22W as a high-headroom amp and dirty it up with pedals, or lower the wattage and crank the volume for classic blackface distortion.

Thanks to the firmware update, the Vibrato channel doesn't make your distortion pedals fizz out at volume settings less than 10. It lets you reclaim the built-in reverb (which occupies 2 of the 4 CPU cores) and tremolo. I have the Treble at 6 and Bass at 4 and use a Wampler Ecstasy (pre-Euphoria) just past the edge of breakup. This tone is HEAVENLY to my ears. My Boss SD-1W pushes the amp right into SRV/Philip Sayce territory.

With my American Performer Strat, I can coax some "tube" distortion with the amp's volume at 7. But for my ears (and bedroom) it's too soft at 0.2W and way too loud at 0.5W. This is my only negative comment about the amp. If you play out (or don't have neighbors to complain), then this probably won't be an issue.

If you're in the market for a Blackface Fender, don't write off this digital powerhouse. It's lighter, more versatile, more reliable than it's tube counterpart, and delivers every dollar of its price-tag.

Raf

The Deluxe Reverb Tone Master does recreate the original Deluxe's superb tone including its very smooth ramp-up of overdrive when turning the volume control past 4. The added benefit of making that perfectly dialed-in tone available in 6 different wattage settings is pure joy. I haven't tested the xlr out to a PA yet, but assuming the output signal replicates the tone coming out of the speaker, there is no venue, however small or large, that this combo amp couldn't handle. Minor negatives: There is no extension speaker jack. Only alternative (maybe better) would be using the xlr out to a powered speaker that you could balance with the combo's speaker using the xlr output volume control and/or the powered speaker's volume control. The reverb is overly potent, imo. I doubt anyone will want to turn it up past 3 and I cannot dial it down enough for my taste before the reverb goes completely off. However, by plugging into the Normal channel and running a patch chord from the 2nd input over to the Vibrato channel, the Vibrato channel volume can be used as a wet-dry blend control for the reverb. No issues with the tremolo. As good as the original. Footswitch could be improved by using different color led's for the reverb and tremolo. The basic functional (and sound) virtues of this amp greatly outweigh the noted small improvement opportunities. Highly recommend.

In my opinion, they finally did a solid state amp right. I've never played a Deluxe Reverb tube amp, but I have played other tube amps and this one sounds better than most of them. The attenuator is just icing on the cake. You can drive the amp but still keep the volume manageable.

When I saw that fender was coming out with a 23 lb amplifier that sounds exactly like a DRRI, I was skeptical. I purchased one from Nick LaMendola at Sweetwater on pre order and after some shipping mishaps finally received it a couple of weeks ago. First time out, I had an awful buzzing sound coming from the amp. It turned out to be a shorted patch cable. Once replaced, the amp was quiet as a mouse. Soundwise, this amp is really close in sound to my tube version DRRI. It seems to have a bit more mids than the 65 reissues. An EQ pedal or sonic Stomp pedal pulls the lows and highs up and it will dial right in. Watch the convolution reverb. At between 3 and 4, it's a tad over bearing but is manageable with some tweaking. The best part of this amp, to me is it's weight. At 23 lbs, even in a 3/8" plywood case, it's still lighter than a tube DRRI. This will prove to be a back saver for us older musicians. Is the amp worth its street price? It's hard to say at this time. However, my amp went from Sweetwater to Mataire LA and back to Louisville Ky due to a shipping mishap. I've played this amp locally and did a show on the road with it. It seems to do very well. No mishaps after changing out that one bad cable. I'm going to keep it, use it and will report back after several more gigs as to it's road worthiness. I guess the one thing I noticed about this amp is that it is warranted for only two years instead of the five years on fender's other amp lines. Seems Fender is not too sure of the amp's ability to hold up to the riggers of the road. This is disappointing as normally fender is a very reputable company. I'm hoping for good things with this amp. At 23 lbs and as close as it sounds to a tube DRRI, it's definitely worth looking into. My advice is to try one and see for yourself.

I'm an old-school tube amp guy who normally gigs a Dr Z Z-Lux (killer amp) or a Friedman Mini Dirty Shirley (ditto), depending on the type of show. I've played tube amps exclusively for the last twenty years, and have made fun of solid state amps since the '80s. Then I bought a Boss Katana 50 (brilliant little plug-n-play practice amp for the price of one upmarket pedal--unreal value!) and everything changed. The Katana was the gateway drug: then I bought a Line 6 HX Effects unit, which, after a morning's-worth of tweaking, pretty much exactly duplicates every boutique pedal on my gigging board for about 1/4 of the total price, and then--you guessed it--the Tonemaster Deluxe swam onto my radar. I know the tubes-only holdouts are sneering by now, and the Kemper guys are saying ONE amp and TWO effects for HOW much? But in a way that's the beauty of this thing: instead of trying to do everything pretty well, it does one thing really well. Like, REALLY well. Sounds way better than my old DRRI, which was boxy and kind of thwappy due to its cheesy particle-board cabinet. In contrast, the TM's got nice cleans, great breakup, takes pedals like a champ--and thanks to the power scaling feature the volume's much more manageable--like a tube Deluxe, the TM opens up big time when you get the volume up to 5 or 6--which would be LOUD if unattenuated, but with a couple of clicks on the attenuator it's super easy to match your volume to the room without losing tone (for the first couple of clicks, anyway--once you get down to very low settings on the attenuator there is significant tone loss). Plus there's the weight to think about--this critter weighs in at a measly 24 lbs, vs 40-some for its tube equivalent. Long story short, I dig it, and plan to gig it in the near future. The only slight drawback is that it's not a 1x12" Princeton, which would bring the weight down even more and obviate some of the need for attenuation. Attention, dudes at Fender: your next assignment, should you choose to accept it (and you should, duh!) is to produce a Tonemaster Princeton in a 1x12" format--you'd sell a billion of them.

Overdrive today is way beyond Fender's original spec. When amps were final-tested in Fullerton tones were set at 5 with volume wide open. The amp had to maintain clarity and power. Only Single-coil pickups were used for this test. My new Deluxe ToneMaster breaks up at 6 and is simply unusable at 10. But when used at 5 or less it sings. Lots of sound for 24-lbs.

So far so good. 2 gigs plenty of volume for small sized bar (Approx 100 people). Ben Porter and Sweetwater are great to work with.

Keep in mind that a real tube amp, even though it's heavy and requires tube swap once in a while, can however be maintained for decades. Your grand children may play with today'a tube amp 30/40/50 years down the road. I do believe in the potential of solid state and this amp sounds really great. I would hope Reverb Deluxe had this 1/5/22 watts option.

However I'm always concerned and turned off when there is any digital circuit in such a device, because when it fails, you throw the entire amp in garbage. You will not be able to swap the modeling chip down the road like you do with tubes or spring reverbs. You won't even be able to replace the transistor in a couple of years, because NO ONE manufacture the same transistor for ever.

I own a wonderful 16 years old audiophile grade Bryston PA amp, which has a 20 years warranty, however they went through 3 or 4 complete redesign since I purchase it simply because the transistors, regardless how good they sound, are always produced for short period of time and each time you use a new transistor, you have to completely redesign the amp in order to integrated properly and make id sound good. And it will NEVER sound like the previous version.

Also keep in mind that tubes sound better when pushed. This is not the case with solid state. The more you push it the more worst it sounds and you bring it close to permanent damage or cut off. Tubes just naturally compress when pushed. That's the reason solid state NEVER surpassed tubes and guitar player went back to tubes after trying solid states even though tubes will never go as high or low as solid states.

Also tubes naturally adds some harmonics solid state will never do and that's why this amp requires a digital modeler to simulate this and add beauty to the sound.

Due to the presence of digital circuitry and the high price for an analog device, I will not acquire this amp. I'd rather have a Super Reverb and a Preston for lower wattage.

If the price was way lower I would recommend it due to the quality of the sound, but I DO NOT value any kind of modeling due to the lack of maintainability period.

I once owned a Deluxe reissue tube version; special addition w/ red tolex, cane grill cloth very pretty; but It was noisy, picked up radio stations heard thru the speakers ( I kid you not)traded it and moved on. Saw a review of this one in a guitar mag and thought why not, if it sucks I'll return it.
The review: I looked at the untreated pine cab(inside) and the cuts are not uniform, hmm.... no cnc or sloppy? There is a knob on the back to select watts; it feels cheap. The sound: Ok, so... I am a tube snob ,but own a Roland Blues Cube which impressed me so much I bought the Deluxe.
The Deluxe sounds like bliss to me...I love the 12 watt setting. I play Fogerty swamp rock, some surf, classic rock and no matter if it's a single coil or hum- bucker the sound is really ear pleasing. Looks like the real McCoy, came w/a dust cover, foot switch and a long power chord.
The verdict: If light weight is important to you it's a +++, if you dig that Fender sounds it's a +++, if you're looking for value I'd say it is over priced.
As far as Sweetwater goes, in my humble opinion they set the bar for top notch customer service - end of story.
If you are really considering this amp, try and tag it on sale. Just to add.. the reverb and tremelo works well too.

I had the blonde version of this amp (which I love) and I needed a second one so I thought it would be cool to do the mods a few people I know are doing. i.e. updating the firmware and changing out the speaker for the Celestion. That all is great and the amp sounds awesome however the Tolex on the back panels is super sloppy and coming off. It looks like it came from a completely different and inferior company. I love Fender and this is the first time I've run into this. Since I modded the amp I wouldn't try to exchange it, but beware of this kind of thing. It's cosmetic but it undermines my confidence in Fender. As always Sweetwater is great and my store of choice for most of my gear.

Got my new amp, plugged in- before I played I note I could hear the solid state tone I remember from 2001 and me and my peavey 1x12- there is something in the highs that sounds very very much the same. A/B'd with my hot rod deluxe (I have been using some version or similar amp since 2003) it does not compare. If I didn't have spinal issues I would have returned it on day 1 however it is lightweight and looks the part so it's another handy tool. Very surprised it has such a high rating

I had high hopes for this amp because I thought it was going to solve a few problems I had. To better control the stage volume at our church, I loved the option to go direct out to the house while also being able to use it as a monitor with a "gained up" yet attenuated level. The fact that it is lighter in weight, and looks like the original was cool, and the prospect of no maintenance/no tubes was intriguing. I have never been a fan of digital amp modeling, but after reading many reviews, and also that the algorithm is dedicated the Deluxe Reverb sound only, I thought maybe, just maybe, I will not actually be able to tell the difference from the real thing. Sadly, I was wrong. I A/B'd this amp with my 2000s Reissue Deluxe Reverb and I could absolutely tell the difference. The Tone Master sounded "dry" and lifeless and I felt like I was hearing a sampled reproduction of the real tone. Almost like looking at a pixelated digital photograph instead of at the actual object. My old Deluxe sings with creamy sustain and bell-like clarity while the Tone Master falters and flutters. Maybe I got a lemon, but I had to return the amp. I'll stick with my old reliable. I guess I'm a tube snob after all.

You've probably watched all the Youtube videos comparing the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb to a tube Deluxe Reverb and thought the Tone Master sounded better. But all the videos are apples to oranges comparisons. The Tone Master's speaker is superior to the stock DRRI Jensen C12-K. Slap a JBL D120F or a decent Neodymium speaker in the DRRI (like the Tone Master has) and you will hear that the DRRI has a superior sound. My DRRI has a Weber Neodyne and the Tone Master just can't hold a candle it.

I'm pretty sure amp manufacturers would love to see the day when digital technology could definiteively replace tubes because solid state amps are way cheaper to build and mass produce, are more reliable, and their profit margins are going to be higher. But to get to that loft day, the manufacturers have to build a customer base that has made the switch and won't turn back. I don't think you can do that when (1) the legendary products you are trying to replace just plain sound better than the replacements and (2) you can buy used in-good-shape versions of these legendary tube amps for the same price or less. Oh, and did I mention the tube amps were legendary?

These new Tonemaster doppelgangers have the look of the originals and a little of the vibe. But all I had to do was plug a couple of good guitars into one, a Deluxe Reverb, and A/B it against the real deal next to it and I could tell: it's not nearly as good and the sticker price isn't where it needs to be to make up for the difference in tone. For that price, I'd rather have Fender's Champion 100 outfitted with better speakers; it's a way more versatile amp and can sparkle in the Fender clean category though like the Tonemaster, is missing just that little bit of shine in the tone.

Fender could make these Tonemasters the new gotta have if they priced it down to a point where everybody felt they had to have one. But at the current prices, I'd buy another Deluxe tube amp, thank you.