Tone Master (Gen 2)

Folks, this is the real Fender Tone Master amp, one of the very few to be manifested in a stack format. It used to be available at Swee Lee & I got to play it a few times in contemplation of a purchase. Back then, I was looking at a formidable Fender that could churn out modern, high gain tones this side of Peavey & Marshall. Unfortunately, the amp had some volume-related issues & it was the only one left in the store. At about the same time, Richie Sambora got into a spat with Fender over the Tone Master amp because the manufacturer had associated the aforementioned guitarist name to the amp without prior consent. What a waste. The amp could have otherwise gotten a formidable ambassador & would live in the production lines till this day. Yes, the Tone Master was discontinued.

This Summer, the Tone Master monicker is now hosting a pair of digital amps by Fender. The manufacturer has a digital version of the Twin & Deluxe Reverb in this series. We know how digital & Fender are- not the best of pairing & short-lived (recall the Cyber Twin- I was there when Swee Lee got Gary Hoey down to promote this one). This year though, they had no plans to re-live that digital experience, the current approach to this is Fender doing a digital modelling of their flagship amps with some plus points tucked away at the rear so the front looks deceivingly non-digital in an attempt to not repel the purists. Here are some details:

Tank tone

This dashboard looking thing is an amp head- Mooer D15. Since it's Despite running on being a digital format, no additional power amp is required since it's a full functioning amp. In short, you can lug it in your bag to the next gig- yes, it's that small (as seen in the video). The term 'digital' doesn't sit too well with amp purists in general but if you fancy some good tones (maybe a good dose of metal), this is worth checking out. We have a Mooer dealer here but it's no telling if it's gonna make it to the store at all. If you sell amps, you'd understand how darn difficult it is to just sell a head without an accompanying speaker cab. I've chosen this clip to highlight its tonal capability, OK maybe for you metal dweebs out there, it'd be a pleasant surprise:

Delay-ducation (3)

Our next delay discussion is by far the most contemporary preference- the digital delay (DD).

Unlike the analog sibling the DD is devoid of signal deterioration upon repetition. What you hear deteriorating is the signal volume & this is the very reason why those ol' timers would tell you the DD is devoid of 'warmth' (as understood on Ep. 2). However, the great advantage here is the fact that DD allows the user to enjoy longer delay intervals so the player's delay output is not strictly limited by the device un-tweakable capacity but what he/ she is able to dial in. The other editable parameters include delay depth & number of repeats (among others). This means the modern delay unit is also able to re-create ambience in addition to mere repetitions. The fact that the DD involves a good serving of programming, it costs more than the average analog version & consumes battery more rapidly as well. The learned among us will invest in a good power adapter for our beloved DD pedal which makes more sense here.

Some recommendations

BOSS is arguably the leading name in DD for its simplicity & effective applications. Despite perpetual re-design, the DD-3 remains to be the manufacturer's landmark unit & it's no wonder that the pedal is being preserved in its catalogs till today. Yours truly here keeps coming back to the DD-3 after countless flirtations with other units. The current additions to BOSS' DD models include the DD-7 & the other-worldly DD-500 (the latest addition, 2015).

If you wish for a more updated DD design without losing footing in your guitar focus, check out Strymon's El Capistan pedal. Some of the lushest DD tones can be had here but if you wish for a simpler Strymon philosophy, the DIG model should be it. Please note that the Strymon brand name isn't the most affordable out there but it's good for the money.

There are players out there who wouldn't mind access & some programming/storage capabilities in their DD pedals. Not too long ago, the standard to beat in this category (at least in my books) is Vox's Delaylab. However, the good people of Korg had re-introduced their wonderful SDD-3000. The SDD-3000 is a legend per se that started off as a rack mount unit. Excess here is a little under-statement, you get MIDI feature, panning, note values differentiation, etc... plus the fact that it's a true bypass unit.

To be concluded...

Link to Episode 1: CLICK

Link to Episode 2: CLICK

Roland: Blues Cube Stage

Not to be confused with what Roland did before, the Blues Cube Stage amps are absolutely new for 2014. The BCs is aimed at the, well, blues players out there, the ones who indulge in very little pedals in their set up & would deem digital technology an abhorrence. Yes, that's whom these amps are for so as you can see, there is a great risk of failing. However, Roland assures potential fans that the BC had been fine tuned to give above-average performance dynamics, particularly the ones that supplement blues-type playing & anything in league with this need. 

The way I see it, it's a bold move ahead but one with a 50-50 chance of success. Blues players are digital heretics & winning them over is an uphill task. With digital technology, much tweaking is required before one can settle down one one's tone quirks & that's gonna be a challenge. Those blues cats out there are largely old fashioned & even the next-gen of blues greats embrace analog, vintage technology. Reserving further comments till they debut at the stores here.

MI Audio: Flex Smartamp

Come 2013, MI Audio will have this amp as their flagship release; it's a hybrid digi-tube amp.

The amp face you see there is actually a touch screen which functions like the controls of an ordinary amp (duh!) except there's no turning of knobs, all touch & tap. This is the digital section of the amp, it also allows the user to custom set/ pick their amps of choice, coming up with their own unique concoction along the way. I think we're familiar with this nature of amp voicing if we subscribe to iOS technology. 

However, the manufacturer reminds users that the Flex is an 'all-analog path' tube amp leaving only the controls being triggered by digital responses. The dichotomy all along had been the digital technology interference with the traditional tube amp voicings, tampering it in such a way that the output becomes a very calculated response lacking in dynamics & real-time chemistry. 

OK, let 2013 come & we'd see if this freshie is up to the mark, no use being bought in by the sales pitch.

LINE6 HD

I've just given the LINE6 HD units a workout @ City Music (it's yesterday actually) to hear what the buzz's about. According to the manufacturer, the HD manifestations are the company's refined LINE6 range of multi-effects, voiced to be more organic than their last effort.

The HD units feature a very user-friendly working control panel, it's like accessing your amp with some additional knobs so if you think you are too old for some digital mambo-jumbo (or too lazy for that matter), the HDs would be a different appeal. The tones on offer are more organic as promised but still lack that analogue-dynamic relationship in a non-digital set up. Despite this very minor lackluster, the HDs' on-board voicings are indeed the standard to beat; personally, I find them appealing. There's also an external loop feature in case you wish to rope in your pedals into the mix. The interface panel helps by keeping the display objective- it reflects whatever tweaks you dial in. I could safely say that the HD units are for the LINE6 lovers who could do better with less programming & more live tweaking during play. Of course, this is the best time to consider any of the models on offer since they are clearing at SALE prices, just visit City Music's showroom to hear them in action.

On a personal note, it's more fruitful for you to visit the store on a weekday instead when there is a lesser probability of being in the same room with old geisers who are more inclined to boss around during try-out time instead of making an actual purchase.