This is my second FRFR. My first, which I believe was made of ABS plastic, was thin and shrill sounding, so I leveraged Sweetwater's liberal return policy and sent it back.
This one's a keeper. Full rich tone that perfectly compliments my Tone King preamp. Just a bit heavier than my old combo but a huge step up in tone.
Good job Fender!

Having played guitar for 60 years, I have to confess my bias for all things analog. However the digital world has great benefits that I'm learning to embrace and take advantage of. I wanted a speaker system that worked well with amp simulators and the Fender had great eye appeal and reviews. Also, I had two years experience with the Princeton Tone Master to help in my decision making. The FR-12 has all the tone response I was hoping for. I wanted clarity, and also a 12" speaker to give me the fat notes I love from single coils and the FR-12 delivers it all. Everyone will need to be patient in learning how to dial in your sound. There's no issue with hiss if you set your levels properly. I'm extremely pleased, and I am a perfectionist. You can be a happy owner too.

I picked up 2 of these to run in stereo with my Tonex and Line 6 HX Stomp XL pedals. I moved my 8" monitors and have these as my rear speakers now. I see why these are so highly rated. They sound really good and clear ! Very happy with the purchase and we'll worth every penny ! Thank you again Cory Medina for the recommendation and great customer service you always have ! If you are looking for a sales engineer I would highly recommend Cory Medina. He really knows the products at Sweetwater.

Incredible amp in the room sound. My Fractal never sounded better and I've tried quite a few setups. Sweetwater can't be beat in price or customer service. Top notch company!

I play lots of styles and mostly this thing is great. Sounds great, light, tilt back legs are great, the eq is nice to adjust to the room. But in no universe is this 1,000 watts. Think VOX AC-30. Loud, can be too loud if you let it. But one act I play with is a hard rock/metal outfit. Drummer hits hard, bass player plays loud, other guitarist plays loud. I have this up on top of a 4 x 12 cab (glorified amp stand) and I have to dime it, and I can't stray or I won't hear it unless I'm in the monitors.

I have a duo, and quieter bands and it's great for all of them. I use a Quad Cortex (Sweetwater Red/Gold) and I run that at 90 or 93 (of 100) for the hard rock band. I knew not to believe 1000 watts, but I figured it's gotta be louder than a 100w Marshall, so I'll never ever come close to cranking this thing. I used to play 50's and crank 'em, or maybe w/an attenuator -4db and this is not as loud as that. And no extension speaker jack for more spread.

BOTTOM LINE: If you're not playing super loud, this thing is the bee's knees. If you are, get with the sound guy and get in the monitors, or buy something else.

First off, a big thank you to Bob Furlong. Hands down, he provides the best customer experience, ever. This FR12 sounds really great with my Tonex "big box" modeler which is connected to external drive, delay and reverb pedals. I couldn't be happier.

These amps crank and the clarity is amazing. The early models had a slight hiss but not these later versions. I use it for guitar obviously but so also run vocal out of it for a monitor and occasionally play bass and acoustic out of it. The tilt feature is nice too.

I wish the silver face came off like the fender tube amps.

This is a great FRFR solution for whatever type of music you play.

I've used it to amplify my Fractal FM9 at a church dinner playing classic rock with another guitar player who was playing through a tube amp and it performed flawlessly. It was loud enough and blended nicely with the tube amp.

I also play modern rock /metal and it works great in that setting as well.

The EQ section really makes it super easy to dial it in.

My one minor complaint is that it could be a little louder but you can compensate by increasing the modelers output /gain staging.

At $ it's a steal!!!

Sounds fantastic! I have been able to achieve the sound that I want consistently with this cab connected to my Tone Master Pro. Together they are the perfect combination for what I was looking to accomplish. My Sound Engineer, Nick Graham, was a pleasure to work with.

I bought this almost a year ago, I have been using it with Fractal, Tonex and Helix Native. It sounds great, It is better than Headrush FR12 FR108. Thank you Victor Gomez for helping with the purchase, you provided excellent customer service as usual.

I use the Fender FRFR 12" in conjunction with the UA amp pedals. The cab provides the amp in room experience. I have compared them to my wonderful Genelec monitors. The Fender cab is virtually the same sound when replicating guitar sounds. The cab Sound as good as all of my conventional guitar speaker cabs. Only one problem with these cabs……Tweed ….we need Tweed Fender.

I use this with my new Tone Master Pro and with an older Boss GT-1000. I have only used it in my office/studio but am really liking how the amp emulators sound through it. Lightweight, very loud and the hiss mentioned by previous reviewers is non-existent. The only downside is that playing a bass through it, especially a 5-string just doesn't work, although after reading the specs on the speaker, I shouldn't expect it to.

I've got a Dream 65 and a Ruby on a switcher running into this FRFR and it works great. I have the full range of the pedal, unlike when I used it in my other amp's effects loop. Plus, the 'amp' is light as hell. I can swap out my UAFX pedals whenever I want with 3 quick plugs - in/out and power - and have a whole new rig in under 2 minutes. I hardly mess with the EQ on the device itself, but it's nice there if I need to tweak it when I'm playing and don't want to futz with my pedals properly. Great product, I'd recommend it to anyone, and Aric and Sweetwater is always a joy to work through!

i am delighted with this amp, very good quality, sound and aesthetic, i recommend it

Got one of these for my growing line of UAFX amp model pedals (4 and counting). Kept getting tired of the tonal interference from all my amps' preamps. And yes the modeling pedals sound so much better with the FR. But what is so shocking, is half the time I don't even bother with them. Just guitar into a wah into the FR. It's the purist most simple tone I have ever experienced. Add maybe a little drive and Heaven.

This is my first experience with an FRFR and I was a little worried about sound quality since I've mostly played low wattage tube amps. First of all the sound mated with my tone master pro is better than anything I've played through and secondly it also looks like I have a fender amp sitting there. I heard almost endlessly that I would miss the 'amp in room feel' when I decided to go digital but I can honestly say that's nonsense. It not only looks but feels just like an amp to me. I couldn't be happier, well done Fender.

I use it with my Helix in gigs without a PA, this feels really good when you're next to it.

I stopped using pedals in the 1980's and switched to multi effects processors. I have tried countless variations of amp/cab models to get that desired sound and the Tone Master FR delivers. After using Tech 21, Head-Rush (8" and 12"), Line 6 Power cab, Power cab plus. Boss Katana (power amp in) I decided to try the Fender Tone master FR 12". I Unboxed and tried out at home, at rehearsal and a live gig and I feel this is the best amp out there for modelers.The Hiss issue has been resolved, it's lightweight, its loud and it has tilt back metal legs that aim the sound towards my ears as opposed to the ceiling (Line-6). A realistic "amp in the room sound" and it looks cool too. I currently have my other amps for sale so I can purchase another Fender Tone Master FR for stereo use at live gigs.

I've been gigging modelers from Fractal Audio, Avid, and now Fender since 2011 and have used various amplifying options from Atomic, RCF, JBL through those years, one currently costing upwards of $. Some are excellent, and all of the good ones start at 4 figure prices. I decided to try the FR12 after my band mate had great success with the Tonemaster Pro modeler pedal. I was pleasantly surprised at what a box 1/3 the price of my most expensive option could do in a small band setup. Plenty loud enough, great sound, good dispersion to the player. The look and kick-back legs are a definite upgrade. Without a doubt, the Fender FR12 is the best price vs performance deal on the market today. So good, in fact, that I purchased a second one and it is now the "amp" of choice for our band.

This amp works well with my tone master pro . It also works well with my setup as I am a solo artist. I was using a Vox AC 30 and wanted something lighter and this amp fits that role. Can't go wrong with fender products.

I never review anything but I had to for this in case anyone else is on the fence - totally blown away by how good this sounds. I've been playing my HX Stomp XL and Iridium through imperfect speakers for the past few years: a Bose S1 Pro, iLoud Micro Monitors, IEMs, whatever wedges the venue has. I've been so uninspired with my tone recently and was thinking about jumping ship to a tube amp, but this has totally reinvigorated my rig. Every amp on the HX Stomp XL immediately sounds full of life and is super inspiring to play. Everything I hoped it would be. Can't wait for my next gig.

Doesn't weigh nothing, but it's super manageable compared to a tube 1x12 combo.

One minus is my neighbors hate it.

I use digital amp/cab modelers for my live rig, in a 5-piece alternative rock band w/ acoustic drums. The silent stage plan didn't pan out because I had to rely on poor PA equipment or fully dependent on the audio engineer. Plus, sometimes I'd have to drag a heavy tube amp to a gig just to use the effects loop power amp stage, or play through another band's shared backline going into the preamp stage, which muddies the sound of the entire modeler setup.

I figured I wasn't alone in the digital modeler world, and stumbled upon this amp! I wasn't sold on getting a PA speaker on stage because of the aesthetics, but this amp looks like a guitar amp. It's cost effective and rugged, so unlike a nice tube amp, I'm not afraid to put it through the rigors of gigging. It's super light weight and the top mount controls really are pretty convenient to make a quick tweak. It's powerful, I've barely had it at 40%-50% volume for an outdoor festival and typically run it somewhere around 25% for smaller indoor or rehearsal space. Most EQ settings stays centered, but I do tend to roll off the bass a little bit. I don't experience the noise floor of earlier models, they seemed to have fixed that issue. I plan to take it to the studio and crank it up to see where the sound starts to break up. The onboard DI is a convenient. The Fender name also carries quality and backing, so I'm not ashamed to have it on stage. My only suggestion is if a second input could have been provided like other PA speakers, that could give the flexibility to run another guitar or keys through it in a smaller gig setting for example, but that's a nice-to-have. Let's also be honest, any small gripes I've seen from online reviews were tone hounds or purists listening in a quiet room, granted it can do that quite well, but if you plan to gig with it then all those little things are insignificant in a noisy bar or outdoor space...this is exactly what I needed!

I've had the ToneMaster FR-12 for about a week now. and I have to say it really sounds good! All of the tone levels are set at 12:00, except for the cut, which is at zero. I have a JBL Eon 610 powered monitor that I had my Pod Go set up with. The PG translated perfectly to the Fender. I will say that the Fender seems to be a bit more articulate and has a lot better dispersion, more similar to a "real" amp feel. And it seems to be able to get plenty loud! Plus a lot lighter than my Fender Hotrod Deluxe. I plan on running direct to the FR-12, and from the FR to the mixing board for playing live. Practice with the band tonight for the semi-real world test. My guy, Ian Lemberg came through for me again. Thanks to Ian and Sweetwater for their quick response.

I pair this with a Dream '65 pedal and it is just like having a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp. It would be cool if it had two inputs and an auxiliary-in cable.

I've been using a Line6 Helix since 2015 - Fender nailed this product in every way. The price point is reasonable. Looks amazing. It is lightweight, Most importantly - It sounds fantastic...just like a "real amp". It is also freaking loud if you need amplitude! No hiss, just pure amp-sounding glory.

Having the tone controls right on top makes it easy to tweak on the spot and I love the build in tilt-back legs.

I made a bunch of simple, amp-only patches with a touch of room reverb last night and it just sounds fantastic. While our band almost always goes directly into the board, this will allow me to have some manageable stage volume and "amp feel" on stage. At the price they are asking, the Tone Master FR12 is a must-have!

I spend a lot of time working on perfecting my tone like so many others. I tried the Headrush product FRFR. Ug, like a shot blast to the face. This thing behaves and sounds like and actual amp as far as it's projection of sound. You hear it cleanly from the sides as wall as in front. The onboard EQ just ends all other FRFR's in this price range IMO. Great purchase.

Finally an amp that does what I need it to do. Works well with the Fractal set up.

DO NOT BUY THIS!!! TOTALLY UNHAPPY WITH IT. FENDER SHOULD STICK TO TUBE AMPS. ALL THERE SOLID STATE THINGS ARE TERRIBLE> BIG MISTAKE BUYING THIS! GOING BACK TO MY DR Z!!!

By far the best FRFR I've tried. I'm running it with a Friedman IR-X, and had been using a Headrush 12" FRFR and then out to FOH. The fender actually feels and sounds like an amp. The eq is perfect. Even better, when you run out of the Fender to FOH, the speaker volume doesn't impact the volume at the board. So, you can control your stage level without impacting the mix. This is a game changer. Kudos to Domenic my rep for great communication and service. I can't recommend this unit enough.

Well built, looks great. Large knobs are super helpful for quick dial-ins on profiles. Purchased late February 2024, *no discernable hiss*

Big thanks to my rep Dustin Keesbury.

I've had the FR12 a few weeks and compared it against some of my more traditional guitar amps (Fender Twin, Pro Reverb, Boss Katana Artist mkII) as well as against a QSC K12.2. I have been testing through a Kemper Stage, HX Stomp, or Tonex pedal as processors.

For the price, I think the performance of FR12 is really good. The four knob tone stack is convenient for quickly tuning the response to a room and the tilt back legs, light weight, and guitar cabinet shape are welcome features. Presets I have made using my Kemper while monitoring on Genelecs translate very well to FR12 with almost no tweaking. For negatives, the FR12 will struggle with percussive palm muting or other low-end focused sounds at high volume causing ugly cab/speaker rattle and vibration. This can be mitigated by tuning the low cut / low eq in the guitar processor or dropping the Low EQ knob on the FR12, though it won't match a sealed 2x12 or 4x12 guitar cabinet with a 50-100W head for high volume thump.

In comparing FR12 with a QSC K12.2, the QSC sounds noticeably tighter and clearer at higher volume, but weighs and costs significantly more while also having a much less convenient EQ compared with FR12. It's a compliment to the FR12 to say I'd probably choose it most of the time over the QSC for guitar FRFR usage.

As for hiss/noise that some users have reported, my FR12 is very quiet, even with the high frequency cut fully off and the speaker turned up 2/3 of the way. There is of course a slight hiss, but in an otherwise silent, treated room, it is much quiter than most amps I've played. As for "amp feel," I don't think there's anything special about the FR12 compared with a decent PA speaker - a well tuned amp model or profile will sound great through it, but maybe not exactly like a "real" amp in the room.

Based on my experience so far, I plan to buy a second FR12 eventually for stereo + more volume.

This is everything it claims to be, very satisfied. Great value for the money. I haven't had it long enough to use it in a live situation yet, but for practice and home recording it's superb. Looking forward to getting it out and cranking it up!

I've been in the market for an FRFR speaker, but was looking for the amp look and sound. This is what I was looking for! It sounds great with my Helix Floor! Also, the hiss issue that people talk about, is not a thing with my amp. I can hear that it is on, when I put my ear literally against the front of the amp, but other than that it's quiet.

Received mine from Sweetwater a couple of weeks ago. After having used Xitone MB (Micheal Britt), Friedman ASC12, ASC10, Kemper Powered Kones and all kinds of monitor FRFR wedges from QSC K8, K10,K12, various higher end JBLs, RCF 832 ARTs and SMA NX 10, NX12, NX15, I have to say this Fender FR12 is it. So easy, lightweight, powerful and LOUD. With my Kemper is sounds like playing an amp. It not only sounds like it, it also feels like it. Not like an approximation but like the real thing. Great dispersion of sound like an amp/cab combo. I leave my tone controls at noon and just have the cut control at 9 o'clock. Couldn't be happier.

I bought the FR12 along with the Tonemaster Pro, but ended up preferring running my pedal board directly to the FR12. Lots of volume on tap and it really sings with an od pedal. 27 lbs makes it a breeze to move around, something I do a lot.

I have the TM Deluxe blonde as well but in my opinion the FR blows it away, both in tone and $.

I bought this after my headrush 8" and 12" frfr did not do what I wanted with the Tonemaster pro pedalboard. Being able to adjust bass, treble etc on the fly really helps. The visual esthetic is vintage fender and looks good to me. I like the tilt back legs! Plenty if power and the 12" speaker is excellent. I've read complaints about hiss. I've not experienced that. One up grade I'd like to see is a USB I/O for tonal upgrades.

The Fender FR12 really feels like a real amp. Looks great and easy to carry. Being a tube amp user for decades - this speaker sounds like the real deal. Highly recommend.

I have spent a ton on all the options out there - this is the best by far IMHO if you want a monitor wedge sound by the EV pxm 1x12 great product but if you wan to use your modeler with the old school setup this is the way to go- great easy to use EQ -light and inexpensive- awesome

I enjoyed it so much, I bought a second cabinet as a backup. My Quad Cortex has never sounded better and that amp in the room feel that has been missing since I crossed over from an amp to a modeler is alive and well. Also, a shout out to Joel Helton for taking such good care of me over the years.

My FANTASTIC sales engineer, Ray Gonzalez, sent me this fr-12, along with the tone master pro, and I couldn't be more happy or impressed. They both sound amazing!!! I'm considering selling all of my amps and pedals...
Almost instantly, I was able to dial in sounds that would take a great deal of time and effort with all my other gear. I know this review is for the fr, so just wanted to say, it sounds every bit as good with my quad cortex. Fender knocked it out of the park with this fr. If you're using a modeler, just buy it!!!

I have another FR that is highly rated but in no way compares to the Fender FR-12 !!! The active tone controls that cut or boost and the high frequency cut control make the dialing in for the room or personal taste only adds to the ability in achieving your tone. Connect your Tone Master Pro via XLR and you have a Monster system capable of any battle field of tone and true replication of amps and guitars. Plenty of power with the 1000 watt Class D amplifier. The amp style closed back enclosure with a woofer and compression driver output a full range of tube like feels plus its got legs for a tilt back !!!! I am very impressed with this FR and really love it !!!

I have used the 10 and 12 Headrest FRFR, and this, this is what I've been looking for! It doesn't color the tone at all. If you want it to sound like a Marshall 4x12, that's what it sounds like, and at 1000 watts, there is more than enough headroom to use this FRFR at any venue and have absolutely fantastic tone! The kickback feature really makes it great for getting the sound away from your knees and up to your ears, which is essential if you set up next to the drummer and want to be heard!

I've used this for about 4 shows and it has been fantastic every time! Would I hesitate to recommend this Tone Master to others, absolutely not!! If you're looking for something that is plug and play, but don't want to break your back or the bank, then this is it!

I'm using it with a Fractal FM9. Works great. The active tone stack allows you to tune your sound for the room. Very light pine cabinet. Two would be great for stereo. Plenty loud for gigs. The line out is not affected by the tone stack, so you can send it to FOH.

I have purchased (and sold) several amp /cab sims because I could never get them to sound as good as the influencers who shill them on YouTube.

I finally figured out several things:
1. The influencers lie, and use a lot of other processing
2. 8" studio monitors cannot deliver like a 12" speaker

I have played the Strymon Iridium, the UAD Dream65, Engl Cabloader (with various amp sims in front of it), the Boss GT1000 Core, and the Fender Tone Master Pro; all sound much better through this speaker.

This speaker "feels" like I am playing through a cabinet, admittedly the Dream65 and Engl do not measure up to the Strymon of the Fender; but for anyone who plays live and connects to a front of house (FoH), you can simply plug in to the Fender and run an XLR cable from the Fender to front of house and be able to adjust your sound using the FR12 controls while not affecting the signal going to the FoH.

If you don't plug into FoH and gig with what you brought, you want to bring this.

I bought this, it's great, and I'm keeping it. That being said, my son has the Bose S1 Pro +. Obviously it cannot really compete with the FR12, but when I connected both of them at the same time - terrific.

Does the Fender need the Bose, no. Does the Bose need the Fender, yes.

The Fender isn't very heavy, but it's bigger and heavier than the Bose. If portability is your need, Fender takes a bit more effort, maybe a "second trip" to the car, but once you hear it, I think you'll wonder how you've gotten along without it.

I was super excited when I saw fender release this FRFR. I love the classic hotrod look and the 3 band eq chicken head knobs for on-the-fly tone shaping. Overall, it sounds great and does exactly what I need it to do.

However, there is a constant static "hiss" that comes from the speaker no matter what volume level it is set at. If you turn the presence all the way down, the hiss does go away. I am slightly disappointed by this, not a returnable issue for me though. I'm just hoping that it does not hiss through FOH when using the XLR out.

Have some of the same comments as previously posted. Great amp and lightweight. For those looking for a cover, I spoke with Fender sales and they pointed me to the Hot Rod Deluxe cover as the best fit for the FR-12. Buy it from Sweetwater, but here's the link to the Fender site documenting this.

This FRFR cab is the perfect companion for the Tone Master Pro - also an awesome piece of gear. The combination sounds as good as any tube amp/analog pedalboard rig I've ever used. After 50+ years of playing, I've finally become a digital convert! There's definitely enough power to handle gigs in small to medium venues, and I love the light weight! My only complaint is that there's no cover included, hence the 4-1/2 star rating. I haven't seen a cover available for sale yet since the cab is so new, however the cover for a Deluxe Reverb fits the FR-12 really well. All in all, I'm extremely pleased with the whole Tone Master concept. Hopefully long term reliability is as awesome as the tone. Time will tell I guess.

This thing is awesome! I play through a Fractal FM-9 and was running it throug a Friedman ASC-10 500W which sounded great. However, I have been wanting a more powerful cab for when my band plays outside for festivals etc. There are so many on the market I was having trouble figuring out which one to go with. Then Fender released this beast last week and not only is it way more power than what I had, but it also featured knobs for EQ and volume on top. Its also very light and very easy to lug around. I actually played my first gig on it last weekend which was outside and let me tell you this thing is has so much headroom!!! I had the volume set right at 5 and it sounded great. It sounds more like and actual amp compared to my Freidman. Bottom line, for the value, power and sound, I am completely satisfied with the FR-12 and would recommend it to anyone.

Really enjoying the sounds I'm getting out of this FRFR. Sounds less sterile than other FRFR cabinets I've used (Line 6 Power Cab and HeadRush FRFR-108).