Could all famous amp models become Tonemasters?

[Securb]

Then again, a lot of guys set up their amps poorly too.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. When I worked in the club in the 90's almost every guitarist had a JCM800, JMP or some flavor of Marshall. The majority of them were running ADA preamps or RATs in front of them. And alas I heard horrible tone night after night.

 

[chadd]

I did and my first thought was if I dialed in fuzz for one amp, it is not guaranteed to sound good in another. I am sure I would be able to dial in that amp and fuzz box to get a good tone. I would also be willing to bet if I dialed in the fuzz for the Tonemaster it would not sound as good going into the Deluxe.

That's the thing with most of the demos. They always seem to compare at the same settings and never try to dial in equivalent tones

 

[Mincer]

I love that I can use the XLR out of my TM Deluxe and not have to set up a mic. And it is only 20 lbs. Would a vintage one sound better? Yeah, maybe to me. I don't think how the audience hears it would make much difference. And it is a great platform for pedals, too, which is how I use it.

 

[Gold star]

I love that I can use the XLR out of my TM Deluxe and not have to set up a mic. And it is only 20 lbs. Would a vintage one sound better? Yeah, maybe to me. I don't think how the audience hears it would make much difference. And it is a great platform for pedals, too, which is how I use it.

One plus point with the Fender TM is the built in attenuator which means you can go from stage to home settings by turning a knob. Attenuators with tube amps are not so straightforward and it's extra equipment you have to buy..

 

[Mincer]

One plus point with the Fender TM is the built in attenuator which means you can go from stage to home settings by turning a knob. Attenuators with tube amps are not so straightforward and it's extra equipment you have to buy..

I use my attenuator quite a bit. We do a wide variety of gigs from big festivals to small clubs, and the attenuator can get to the sweet spot of the amp at any volume without the tone or feel changing.

 

[Gold star]

I use my attenuator quite a bit. We do a wide variety of gigs from big festivals to small clubs, and the attenuator can get to the sweet spot of the amp at any volume without the tone or feel changing.

OK...regarding this. I've thought of using one to tame the volume on my valve combo playing at home. Even low wattage amps can get pretty loud . It has been suggested that attenuators reduce the life of tubes and transformers, but i'm not so sure. Especially if it's for short periods..

 

[beaubrummels]

OK...regarding this. I've thought of using one to tame the volume on my valve combo playing at home. Even low wattage amps can get pretty loud . It has been suggested that attenuators reduce the life of tubes and transformers, but i'm not so sure. Especially if it's for short periods..

The type of attenuator matters. Ones like the Weber MASS use an actual speaker driver as a reactive load that better simulates being plugged into a cabinet. Others that just use powerful resistors aren't reactive and can shorten the life of certain components AFAIK.

 

[Mincer]

OK...regarding this. I've thought of using one to tame the volume on my valve combo playing at home. Even low wattage amps can get pretty loud . It has been suggested that attenuators reduce the life of tubes and transformers, but i'm not so sure. Especially if it's for short periods..

Well, on the Tone Master, that isn't a worry. The tubes are virtual, so what we hear is the ideal attenuator that sounds like it is supposed to, without harming anything.

 

[jeremy]

virtual tubes? how far we have fallen

a good attenuator doesnt hurt anything. running the amp cranked up will burn through tubes faster but shouldnt hurt trannys. adding an attenuator to reduce the volume wont add any undue stress to the amp, but just cause it isnt as loud, doesnt mean the amp isnt working hard

 

[Mincer]

Eh, I am ok with it. You see less and less heavy tube amps at festivals these days and more modeling. The sound is actually better out front.

 

[jeremy]

im not against modeling at all, but i dont know if the sound is consistently better out front. low stage volume absolutely allows for the potential of a better mix though

 

[Mincer]

im not against modeling at all, but i dont know if the sound is consistently better out front. low stage volume absolutely allows for the potential of a better mix though

Well, that's the thing...bands sound better overall. Most guitarists I've seen who insist on 100 watt amps onstage ruin the band mix out front.

 

[jeremy]

yep, i get that. theres a reason i use a 20w deluxe reverb 90% of the time. on a big stage, ill ask the sound guy if i can crank it but even then, i usually put a baffle or aim it at the side of the stage to not color the foh too much

 

[Top-L]

The digital tonemaster is not unlike a reliced guitar.

People want to experience something, doesnt matter if it is fake.

 

[Chistopher]

Tubes will never be done but digital technology is making it easier to mimic tubes. It is naive to think we cannot digitally mimic a vacuum tube at a time when we can use AI to mimic the human brain. We can fly to the moon and back but the vacuum tube is the one technology that has baffled scientists and engineers. Yes, digital/solid-state can sound exactly like a tube amp but tube amps will never go away.

Not to quote the first response for a tangent to a 35 post thread, but as someone who's work is on the cutting edge of AI, there are certain human qualities even the best AI's (language and visual) can't replicate and to some degree probably never will. It's not even that the technology is behind, far from it, it's just if you've got a computer with access to massive data sets, what mathematical model are you going to use to describe the quality of each piece? Likewise, I do not predict they will be able to make intentionally funny AIs in our life time.

 

[Mincer]

The digital tonemaster is not unlike a reliced guitar.

People want to experience something, doesnt matter if it is fake.

It is also a tool that some players use for a specific purpose.

 

[GuitarStv]

Likewise, I do not predict they will be able to make intentionally funny AIs in our life time.

Depends who you talk to. I mean . . . look at the Family Circus comic strip. Human created, and it has never in it's history of publication been funny.

 

[Mincer]

Depends who you talk to. I mean . . . look at the Family Circus comic strip. Human created, and it has never in it's history of publication been funny.

Family Circus is just one example. Nancy? Beetle Bailey? Never, ever funny.

 

[Securb]

I do not predict they will be able to make intentionally funny AIs in our life time.

Are you kidding AI is hilarious

Tell me a joke about guitar players

Sure, here's a guitar player joke for you:

Why did the guitar player break up with his girlfriend?
Because she fretted too much!

Write me a joke about guitar players

Sure, here's a guitar player joke for you:

Why did the guitar player refuse to share his instrument with anyone?
Because he didn't want to fret over someone else's strings!

Write me a joke about guitar effects

Sure, here's a guitar effects joke for you:

Why did the guitarist refuse to use any effects pedals?
Because he wanted to keep his sound pure and distortion-free, just like his bank account!

Write me a joke about guitar amps

Sure, here's a guitar amp joke for you:

Why did the guitarist refuse to lend his amplifier to anyone?
Because he didn't want to give them any feedback!

Tell me a joke about bass players

Sure, here's a bass player joke for you:

Why don't bass players ever catch a cold?
Because they're always playing with their basses at a safe distance!

Tell me a joke about sound engineers

Sure, here's a sound engineer joke for you:

Why did the sound engineer refuse to help the struggling musician with his mix?
Because he didn't want to be accused of adding insult to EQ!

 

[larryguitar]

Once folks stop worrying about HOW the sounds are produced, and whether they accurately replicate something else, and just focus on if the sounds are GOOD, the tube/SS/modeling thing will stop being particularly important.

When, "How did they sound?" is more important than, "What were they using?" we'll make more progress toward great tones, IMHO.

Larry