As an owner of a vintage original Princeton Reverb I was looking for a lighter and more reliable alternative. Actually, my old Princeton is reliable and never let me down. But it’s very heavy (18 kg with JBL speaker) and needs careful handling. So I ordered the Tone Master and made a 1:1 comparison with the same type of speaker.
Sound quality is OK. The Princeton TM sounds very similar to the original, but not the same. In clean mode, it’s hardly distinguishable, taking account of the age and brand of the speakers. The TM tends to be more bassy and the breakup is less pronounced at low frequencies. If turned up to the max, the distortion is not as pleasant and quite different from the original. It’s hard to describe what’s exactly missing, but it sounds less organic and lively, more compressed. Also the reverb of my old Princeton sounds better, more lively, and the vibrato is deeper. I think Fender tried to replicate as closely as possible the sound of a new Princeton Reverb. Someone who has no direct comparison will be very happy with the sound of the Tone Master.
Features could be more. Fender made the Tone Master a one trick pony that just emulates one single amp, instead of offering at least some subtle variations. It has an XLR line out which is perfect for the stage, but for studio work I would still prefer a mic. It has a rotary switch on the rear panel to reduce the power, which is also useful as sort of a master volume, but the lowest setting is too soft and the next is already too loud for practicing at night. That‘s why I miss a headphone output, which could have been implemented with very little effort. For my test of the line out I had to use a mixing desk as an headphone amp. It’s a pity, cause otherwise it would be a perfect practice amp.
Built quality is superb even though it was rattling at the beginning because the speaker screws needed tightening… The metal feet should be replaced by rubber feet because the amp is so light and tends to move on stage. Anyway: Let‘s be generous and give 5 stars.
Finally my recommendation: You should buy the TM if you want a close replica of a 1964 Princeton and weight and ruggedness is most important for you. It’s really light (only 9 kg without cable and footswitch) and the construction looks very solid and reliable. It’s ideal for the stage, especially with the line out. However, if you go for best possible sound at home or the studio, spend some more money and buy an old original or one of the reissues.
