Tonemaster twin

Greg Duncan · Post by **Greg Duncan** » 27 Apr 2022 1:33 am

Has anyone put different speakers in
Their tonemaster twin ?
Do the stock speakers hold up for steel

Larry Dering · Post by **Larry Dering** » 27 Apr 2022 3:05 am

I remember reading a forum post about this. The speaker change reportedly made little difference. My ToneMaster Twin handles steel well but I use a Peavey Tube preamp in front of it.

Dan Beller-McKenna · Post by **Dan Beller-McKenna** » 27 Apr 2022 3:11 am

The speakers improve with break in, but they are definitely the weakest link in the tonemaster chain. For a while I replaced one with a "real" speaker (Celestion Vintage 30) and it was better. But it added about five pounds to the amp. I finally decided that the amp starts to lose its purpose if you make it heavier, so I put the Jensen Neo back in and determined to use it for a while and see if I liked it as it was meant to be. I did, and I do, and I haven't looked back. I've now used it on dozens of gigs very happily.

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 27 Apr 2022 8:10 am

I've got a Blonde ToneMaster Twin, so it came with the Celestion Creamback neos. I bought the amp for 'double duty', i.e. when I'm playing guitar and steel on the same gig (two channels), and I've always been a Celestion speaker fan anyway. The original G12 greenbacks are one of my favorite guitar speakers, so I thought I'd try the Blonde TM version.

I haven't seen anyone post much about those Creamback Neos, I wonder if any other steel players are using the blonde TM? They are 'acceptable' for steel in my opinion so far, and definitely good for guitar.

mtulbert · Post by **mtulbert** » 27 Apr 2022 11:29 am

Bill,

Just picked up a Blond Tonemaster yesterday. It was used in a guitar center store and it shipped here. Not sure how much it was played prior to getting it but it sounds very good to my year. So far playing solo and with tracks it sounds very good. Have a gig next weekend and will put it to the test then. Love the weight factor.

Mark T.

mtulbert · Post by **mtulbert** » 27 Apr 2022 11:29 am

Duplicate

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 27 Apr 2022 12:11 pm

Mark, thanks for the info!

I'm pretty happy with mine so far, although sometimes the amp feels a little 'stiff' maybe, but it's got very little actual gig time so far, maybe 15 hours or so, and I'm hoping the speaker break-in may help.

I bought some cream cupcake knobs for mine, those later era black skirt knobs just looked wrong on the blonde. LOL.. no numbers on the faceplate, but all I need to see is the pointer anyway.

mtulbert · Post by **mtulbert** » 27 Apr 2022 12:55 pm

Bill

Really like those knobs. Next purchase. Forgot to mention I am using a black box on loan from a friend in front of it.

Really gives it a sweet tone.

M

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 27 Apr 2022 1:31 pm

Looks much better with the barrel knobs. I've seen aftermarket brown numbered faceplates--with cutouts for the bright switches--but I wouldn't know how to source one. something like that would look more period correct, as would current-production blonde Tone-Master Twins if they had the gold-sparkle grillcloth.

Be nice if there was a 15" option and 1/4" speaker outputs too, but since Fender builds Tone-Masters in The Peoples' Republic of China, I'm not certain there'd be much response to requests for any of those choices. $:\$

George Redmon · Post by **George Redmon** » 27 Apr 2022 1:39 pm

Bill I'm with you. I've been a Celestion fan since forever. I love my Greenback's as well. I haven't tried the Creambacks in a Neodymium, i'll have to take one on a test drive. Currently I am using the Celestion Neodymium Copperback 12". These things are incredible. The Copperback is 250 watts RMS, and gives that nice Celestion vibe without breakup & weigh just 5 pounds. I thought for sure I would miss the cast frame basket, but on the contrary, I find I actually like the looser overall feel of these over the tighter cast frame. These stay clean, clear, and no breakup. I have found these in both 8 & 16 ohm versions.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... aker-8-ohm

I actually put the 16 ohm version of the Celestion Copperback Neo in my Egnater speaker cab. Bruce Egnater told me he put in a 16 ohm load for that amplifier because of circuit mods, and to put a 16 ohm speaker back in it so i did.

Below is the heavy 23 pound monster i took out.

I have the Celestion Copperback 8 ohm version in my Custom Signature Johnson Tall 12 "George Kab"

These two cab's i'm running 15" Weber Neodymium D-130 JBL Clones.

The back side of the Weber Neodymium

My other 15" Red & White Johnson cab, i have the Black Widow 1501-4 SB Neodymium out of my Robert Randolph cab.

(All Custom Cabinet Work By Johnson Custom Steel Guitar Speaker Cabinets Exclusively)

Speaker installation by my amp tech Christie Bartoletti

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 27 Apr 2022 1:43 pm

Dave wrote:I've seen aftermarket brown numbered faceplates--with cutouts for the bright switches--but I wouldn't know how to source one.

Yeah, I had a moment of madness and thought about that also.

I've seen them somewhere but it's been years, and Fender may have shut down the source.

I'm fine with knob pointer as the only indicator.. My guess is that Fender didn't want to go much beyond just a different grill and tolex (and speakers) from a production standpoint. That way the chassis for both can come off the same line, i.e. production efficiency.

George wrote:I've been a Celestion fan since forever.

LOL.. Looks like you've got almost as many speakers laying around as I do..