hal9000
New member
Overall:
I thought it really sounded good and is supremely versatile. For anyone looking to get an amp with British overdrive and American cleans the Tourmaster is a heavy hitter. If I had to choose one amplifier at GC to take home today, it would have been the Tourmaster without question.
Tone & Features
I plugged in with an SG Standard and every channel had something nice to offer. Even with the SG's neck humbucker, the clean channel with treble and presence up, plus the gain at about 3:00 was very nice and glassy. MOP tunes and some selected thrash was decently tight on overdrive 2, but not overly so. It's not as tight as my Soldano Avenger, but tighter than my Tremoverb as a reference. The Master volume coupled with the power grid is excellent. AC/DC and some other Plexi tunes sounded sweet on Overdrive 1 and surprisingly on the clean channel with the gain cranked. My playing volume was based on the power grid set to 20 W, with the master @ 9:00 and the overdrive 2 channel's volume at 12:00. Obviously, I'd have to play with amp at full power in a band setting to gauge the actual tightness of the bass and how it cuts though, but it felt good to play. If I had to place the overdrive tone, it's vaguely British, whereas the clean is Fender-style, especially with the contour engaged for some Blackface twin shenanigans. I should have pulled a Strat off the wall for some clean work, but the SG on the overdrive channels was too much fun. The contour control scoops or bumps mids and really brings the overdrive channel into a modern sound nicely. You have to be careful though, because you can take yourself right out of the mix going too far counter-clockwise. I liked the reverb tone, alas, there wasn't a lot of level available. The upside is that you won't get lost because the reverb is too high.
Build Quality:
I was impressed with the build quality, fit, and finish. I don't really dig the gray piping that separates the black and blonde tolex, but it's very subtle. For my taste, white would have been the choice. The tolex work is nice, and the pots feel smooth and solid. The switches have a positive latch to them. I'd like a shot of the PCBs to see how the tubes are mounted, etc.
Cab:
The cab was nice, and at $600 is a steal. Bruce could sell the cab alone for $1000 and people would happily pay.
Final Thoughts:
I'd like to have a Tourmaster for a few reasons already mentioned, but I don't need another amp right now. I am seriously considering the cab though.
I thought it really sounded good and is supremely versatile. For anyone looking to get an amp with British overdrive and American cleans the Tourmaster is a heavy hitter. If I had to choose one amplifier at GC to take home today, it would have been the Tourmaster without question.
Tone & Features
I plugged in with an SG Standard and every channel had something nice to offer. Even with the SG's neck humbucker, the clean channel with treble and presence up, plus the gain at about 3:00 was very nice and glassy. MOP tunes and some selected thrash was decently tight on overdrive 2, but not overly so. It's not as tight as my Soldano Avenger, but tighter than my Tremoverb as a reference. The Master volume coupled with the power grid is excellent. AC/DC and some other Plexi tunes sounded sweet on Overdrive 1 and surprisingly on the clean channel with the gain cranked. My playing volume was based on the power grid set to 20 W, with the master @ 9:00 and the overdrive 2 channel's volume at 12:00. Obviously, I'd have to play with amp at full power in a band setting to gauge the actual tightness of the bass and how it cuts though, but it felt good to play. If I had to place the overdrive tone, it's vaguely British, whereas the clean is Fender-style, especially with the contour engaged for some Blackface twin shenanigans. I should have pulled a Strat off the wall for some clean work, but the SG on the overdrive channels was too much fun. The contour control scoops or bumps mids and really brings the overdrive channel into a modern sound nicely. You have to be careful though, because you can take yourself right out of the mix going too far counter-clockwise. I liked the reverb tone, alas, there wasn't a lot of level available. The upside is that you won't get lost because the reverb is too high.
Build Quality:
I was impressed with the build quality, fit, and finish. I don't really dig the gray piping that separates the black and blonde tolex, but it's very subtle. For my taste, white would have been the choice. The tolex work is nice, and the pots feel smooth and solid. The switches have a positive latch to them. I'd like a shot of the PCBs to see how the tubes are mounted, etc.
Cab:
The cab was nice, and at $600 is a steal. Bruce could sell the cab alone for $1000 and people would happily pay.
Final Thoughts:
I'd like to have a Tourmaster for a few reasons already mentioned, but I don't need another amp right now. I am seriously considering the cab though.
