Fender Tone Master Super Reverb 4x10" 45-watt Combo Amp Reviews

I don't normally write reviews because I usually forget, but the Fender Tone Master series of Amps that Fender has been putting out are really good. I was going to get the tube version first, and I will someday, but decided to get the Tone Master first. And I'm loving it every time I plug any guitar into it. As far as I'm concerned, I hear no difference between the tube version and the Tone Master (I've played the tube Super Reverb before side by side). Plus it being solid state, it's light weight, so it's really easy to carry around and gig with. The attenuator on the Tone Master series is a big plus if you need to play quite at home or depending on how big or small of a gig you are doing, you can dial in the power level to fit the size of gig you are playing. I'd say if you are on the fence on these Fender Tone Master amps, go for it and get one, you won't be disappointed. Also I'd like to thank Lee Cook my sales engineer! Every guitar and amp I've gotten from Sweetwater, he has always called back to check up on me about the equipment I got and to make sure it got shipped to me and if it's alright. Oorah! :)

It doesn't get any better than this.

I have had mine a week today I love it got it from a local music store Nothern Kingdom Music I love it I have been playing guitar since 1957 and allways bough Fender This amp is everything i the add,s say it is

It's a Super Reverb that doesn't endanger life and limb if you try to maneuver it up or down stairs. Then, if the police show up because you have it cranked, you can turn down the attenuator and get similar tones at more reasonable volumes. It does stay pretty loud even at the 0.5 watt setting, but definitely makes playing at night on a weekday less of an issue. Even my crusty old tube amp buddy had a hard time not swooning over this amp when he heard it and picked it up.
These tonemaster amps are great if you want the look, sound, and simplicity of these classic tube amps, but without the hassle of tubes, regular maintenance, extreme weight, extreme volume, increased cost, etc. I don't doubt the magic of a great tube amp, in fact I keep a tweed champ for that reason. However there is definitely some different kind of magic in the digital realm too.

You get the Fender cleans and it takes pedals really well.

I have followed the Tone Master series since it first came out, through each release and upgrade and really got interested when the Super Reverb got added I was quick to find one to try. After a test run I quickly ordered one from Sweetwater and love it. As long as you are not sitting side by side with the tube version (because why? that would kill someone's ears!) it is 100% pulling it's weight delivering what the tube version does. It sounds as good, responds as well, cleans up, and all with a power attenuation that lets you enjoy the Super's sweet tones without going deaf and getting a knock on the door from local law enforcement about the noise. A no brainer for anyone that loves Fender, Supers, and great tone.

Do your ears and back a favor and nab a TM. I couldn't be happier with my decision to do so.

The only complaint I have with this amp is the XLR Jack location. Because of the cabinet it's in a position that makes it difficult to access the release button to remove the XLR plug when your finished using it.

This is one heck of a good amp. Let it be known, that I've always been just a skeptical as any other Fender amp purist out there of the solid state game, but Fender really got it right here. Are there differences between this, and a true handwired 65 SR? Absolutely, but I don't consider the differences to be "bad". First, of all the Tonemaster amps, this is the only one that has real Alnico Jensens, and they sound fantastic. Sure, I do prefer the sound of a real 65, and I think the reverb/tremolo sounds substantially better on the OG's, however, it still sounds great on this despite being digital. I will say, that while this amp won't get you to 100% of what you'd get from a 1965, it will get you about 95% of the way there, at a fraction of the cost, and a fraction of the weight, and when you're mic'd up on stage, the difference is so minimal you won't hear it. Sure, in a studio setting, I'll take the OG every time, but for a working, gigging musician, I'll take this to any gig over that heavy, unreliable vintage amp. This amp is a god send for any gigging musician. It's a fantastic sounding amp, and the attenuator is wonderful and doesn't ruin the sound as mose attenuators do. It doesn't break up exactly the way a tube amp would, but it still sounds absolutely fantastic. There are trade offs with any amp. The real one sounds perfect, but it's such an inconvenience to take to a gig, this also sounds almost as good, but it's a delightfully easy amp to get around, and it won't require a second mortgage to buy. Overall, this thing is fantastic, and to be honest, I've been plugging my esquire into this thing more than my original lately and setting the attenuation low and I love the sound of it. For the price, there's nothing to be unhappy about here. I love it, Fender quality at its best.

wonderful service

My wife bought this amp from sweetwater for Christmas.I have a great wife.The amp is great with it's classic fender sound with my USA strat but I'm digging the normal channel with my LP.

I know that nothing says incoming hype like a 5-star review but this thing really just ticks all the boxes and then some. I'm well past the honeymoon phase and I simply cannot find anything that needs improving upon. I thought the pricing on these was a bit overly-ambitious until I actually played out of one. It sounds closer to my friend's '66 Super than the tube reissues I've tried. Fender has done something really special with these Tone Master amps and I'm ready to order a TM '59 Bassman the second they announce one (please!)

I'm almost a little bitter about it because now my tube amps aren't getting used. I never dreamed of being able to bring a Super Reverb up and down staircases both ways for three band rehearsals as well as gig with it twice all in one week, and yet here I am. It's almost as easy as hauling around my PRRI being about the same weight except only larger. I can carry it one-handed without breaking a sweat. The tube Super was always reserved for larger gigs and even then I would often just bring my Vibrolux, as it is marginally easier to deal with while also slightly less overpowering for small to moderate-sized gigs. Now it feels like I can have my cake and eat it too. I've been using this amp non-stop for several months now and I've never felt like I've been missing the thick 3D tube tone I crave. Needless to say, the power attenuator makes this amp infinitely more useful. It's so pleasing be able to leave the amp volume/gain knob alone so you don't need to change your pedal settings as you can go from home practice to live gig volumes with a twist of the attenuator knob—no further tweaking needed.

The digital spring reverb is great with a smooth and natural-sounding trail. The only thing I don't really care for is the tremolo, but I have the same issue with several Fender tube amps too. It has a bit too choppy of a waveform for my taste and doesn't have a whole lot of depth, but it certainly doesn't sound bad. I'll finish off with saying this is unquestionably my favorite guitar amp I've ever owned and I find it to be well worth the price tag.

Am extremely pleased. Clean and chimey Fender with more than enough horsepower for my needs. Does it sound exactly like the original Super I played on back in the 60s? Maybe not to some, but certainly close enough for me. Tipping the scales at about half the weight of the original, it is certainly easier on my back. If there has to be a negative, sure, an effects loop would have been nice, but wasn't a deal breaker for me. Whatever euphemism you pick - home run, touchdown, goal - whatever, it's a winner in my book.

Lets get to the point. This amp is great. Honestly one of the best amps I've played, competing with amps like the Tone King Imperial MKII in gig-ability. It makes all my guitars (even the sub $100 ones) sound good, and it makes my more expensive models sound absolutely phenomenal. I think that once I got to know this amp, it just unlocked, most sounds are good, but when you actually dial it in to your playing and get to know the way the controls work, it just sounds great. However, I have had a bit of a problem with the DI out. The models honestly sound nothing close to the real cab to my ear, and is basically my main gripe of this amp. Other than that though, I think that the reverb is really nice, for my normal settings, I'm using the footswitch and have it on 5. I think that the real game changer for me is the attenuator. It makes the astonishingly loud super, go down just enough to where I can play it at home, and I don't have to run it silently, because it's too loud to use the overdriving amp. I think this amp actually shines best as a pedal platform set on 6 with a low output strat. It's overdriven character with a strat is pretty fuzzy, so you can just hit it with a boost, and it works great for anything Stevie or even some cleaner Hendrix. I could go on for a very long time about this amplifier, as it has made my rig, I can nail pretty much any tone I want to the point that I need to for pretty much any gig, but I won't waste anymore of your time other than to say; It is a great amp, but I wouldn't buy it if I were in an apartment.

This is my second review of this amp now that I have had a chance to really put it through all the paces. Don't think this is just another solid state amp that is missing that tube sound. I have both amps and the Tone Master is superior in every way to my Super Reverb reissue tube amp. Fender did it right by making this amp only sound like a Super Reverb and nothing else, I use a tube screamer with this on a lower wattage setting and get that great Stevie Ray Vaughan sound! Never had so much fun!

Personally, I was hoping for Fender to release a product like this, a Tonemaster version of the Fender Super Reverb. They delivered, so I bought one. It did take awhile to get here, (three weeks), but once it did… Holy dude, this is the best pedal platform I've ever heard. It actually realistically models the break up and feel of the super. I feel like the best tone I can get out of it, is a mostortion clone, cranked, the super on 6, the eq relatively flat, at whatever power setting you can muster, and dial back the guitar (Strat) to about 4-5. It is so good. Anyway, the amp is freaking amazing, it punches way above its weight class with the tone and added convenience of it being 36 pounds and it being quiet enough for my bedroom.

I own over 2 dozen guitar amplifiers. I own the tube version of the Super Reverb and this is really close sound wise. This is so quiet and light! I have to own it——reverb is awesome. Sounds like a classic glassy Fender. Thanks Sweetwater!

Nice guitar amp, very convincing emulation of a tube amplifier. This amp ticks a lot of boxes for me, always wanted a Super Reverb (check), overall loudness can be attenuated (check), recording output with speaker simulations (check). I own several tube amplifiers and I personally can't hear much difference other than the type of speakers they are using. My guitar playing feels the same to me either with the tube version or with this tone master. I've played through things like the Roland cube and other solid state amps that have built in emulations and this is much, much better than those. Is it too expensive for what it is? I don't know, in my opinion everything is too expensive for what it is nowadays. For home use this amp is a winner for me since it replaces a heat producing tube amp, an attenuator box and speaker simulator/IRs. I likey.

Unlike the tonemaster twin which I have as well and love, this isn't only peal platform, its an accurate model of a cranked super reverb! I'm sure it takes pedal great, but its main value is getting that Freddie King and Albert Collins tone at reasonable volumes without pedals.

I bought a 1965 Fender Super Reverb in 1965 with my own money when I was just 13 years old. I kept it until we moved to Hawaii in 2013.

I know what these amps are supposed to sound like.

The two things I did not like about my original '65 amp were how much it weighted and how loud it was. But everything else, especially the tone, was perfect.

When I found out about this new Tone Master digital version, I jumped on it. I've owned 3 AXE FX, a Helix, and a host of other plugin amp modelers. If feel like Fender did this one right.

Not only is this amp lightweight, but I can crank it to 10 and bring the power attenuator down to a comfortable listening level allowing me to get the tone I've always loved at a level that doesn't damage ears.

I only have only complaint about this version of the amp. And it should be easily fixable with a firmware update.

It sounds to me like Fender modeled a 3 spring reverb tank instead of the original 2 spring unit.

My original '65 amp had only 2 springs and it sounded much different to my ears than this reverb model. This amp's reverb is a bit too long and dense for my tastes... so I just keep it off.

This is a shame since 2 of the 4 processing cores are dedicated to create that reverb.

Hopefully, they'll come out with a firmware update and allow for a less dense and slightly shorter reverb tail sounding more like the original 2 spring tanks.

Other than that, I think this amp is perfect.

Hey guys, David O'Dean Smith and Dave Aguliar of The Sixty Something Band here!!!! We have been doing this 60s,70, and country thing for some time now!! We are in our 70s now and carrying the Fender tubed Reverb series Amps. to get THAT Sound is a killer to our OLD BACKS...... Answer to the problem... FENDERs Tone Master series of Amps. The Deluxe, Twin and Super Reverb are allowing us OLD ROCKERS to hit the road again, and no one in the audience will know they are not tubed. I dare you to check them out!!!!! There are a lot of things you will like...

Lightweight, Fender tone, great tremolo & digital reverb. There is a lot to like about this amp. Not having to replace tubes is a big plus for this amp.

I haven't used the DI portion of the amp yet....I may revise the score based on how well that works.
It is priced correctly and I have used the power scaling portion for the 5 AM playing (no complaints).
The speakers are amazingly responsive. 10" speakers for the win.

This amp replicates "Fender tone" perfectly. That being said, it really isn't a tone platform for pedals.
Multiple gain type of pedals applied to the amp have had less than stellar results. The pedals used just seem to muck up the tone of the amp.

All in all....a fine amp for anyone seeking Fender tone!

I had a Super Reverb ToneMaster for a couple of months before I sold it. It's just not a very vibey amp, and to my surprise the tone was very rigid and did not accept pedals well. If you like tweaking your sound with pedals and or your choice of tubes to create a more personalized sound this is a dead end. I have a half dozen Fender tube amps and even my 30 year old fender Champ 12 was dramatically fuller, richer, had more depth and had a beautiful high end in comparison. Playing the Tone Master sounded like an recorded Super Reverb not an actual Super Reverb if that makes any sense. I would give it a solid so-so.

I get why Fender is pushing them, they are inexpensive to make and are light. But, their most valuable asset is the Fender sound and I feel ultimately they are losing their way trying to replace it with a simulation instead of the real thing. Instead of only 6v6 and el84 low wattage tube amps they should offer a 15 watt 6L6 tube amp that will give it more of the Vibrolux /Super Reverb/ Twin Reverb sound and would also be lighter and not as loud.