'59 Bassman Tonemaster edition
- Thread starter Gold star
- Start date
Pretty sweet. The original was the first decent amp I ever plugged into. A friend's brother had one.
Love the back panel on these.
$1500 ..some feel that's a lot for a solid state amp. Jensen speakers are now made in Italy unlike in the 50s
a fair bit more money than the others. the other models could have done with a an effects loop
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
The Roland JC120 and some Quilter amps are in the same price range. I don't see the price as crazy in any way. People have to get it out of their heads that tubes are somehow superior and solid-state amps are cheap.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Solid state stuff can be great. I don't personally like non-replaceable proprietary DSP stuff going on under the hood though. When it breaks, you have to throw it out if the manufacturer won't send you a replacement part. (Try getting parts for a Fender Cyber-Twin.)
To be fair, I run my Deluxe very clean, so I don't need it.
..but they are cheaper to make than a good tube amp..
these are not as complex as the Cyber twins. I believe some parts for Tonemasters are available inc. sections of circuit board. With solid state, things rarely 'break' . Unless you do something stupid, they don't go wrong. I have a 14 year old Roland Microcube (with 4 speakers), a busking / home amp. It still sounds the same.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Oh, I know. Solid state stuff lasts for ages. It's also repairable with generic components that you don't need to contact the manufacturer to get. But the tonemasters aren't solid state, they're digital amps - you couldn't update the firmware of a solid state amp. Replacement parts are available for now but they won't be available 20+ years in the future.
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In 20 years time you simply buy another one which could be even better.! I would not think that far forward. digital or analogue they are still solid state in the sense a transistor does the same job as a valve - or tube, it's just constructed differently
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Gotta agree that tonemasters have more in common with my laptop than my JC120.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
I try not to support planned obsolescence in stuff I buy. At least there exists the option with guitar amps still.
Looking at this again , I'm old enough to remember the 60s when TVs had tubes and every so often a repair man with his bag of tools would come round and fix the thing, adjust the picture etc. For years now very few TV's get fixed. You buy another one, if you get 5 years , then that's good value. it could be longer. and they are miles better than in previous decades and you dont have to invite some guy in your house and pay him. My electronic guitar tuner has died after 12 years. nothing will get it to switch on. That's good value for what I paid for it and that's the way of the world ..it keeps people working.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
The bill that we've been running up by throwing out shit rather than repairing it is going to come due some day. All those TVs end up in a landfill somewhere, chemicals involved in creating them leech into the environment, and the energy required to build the replacements (and then their replacements) is contributing to climate change.
For those reasons I'd rather pay a little more and get something that can be repaired if the option is available.
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
I think guitar players have a stronger bond and connection to our amps than the average person has to their TV. I can not think of any amp in my possession that I would be cool with simply throwing out because it was end-of-life after ten or even twenty years.
