Joe Bonamassa, one of the most respected blues guitarists working today and a lifelong devotee of vintage tube amplification, has publicly admitted that a fully digital amplifier has earned a permanent place in his touring rig. The amp in question is the Fender Tone Master Twin, a digital modelling unit from a line Fender launched in 2019 with the stated aim of replicating the circuitry and power output of its classic originals to a point the company describes as „virtually indistinguishable.“
Bonamassa’s live setup has long been defined by rare and high-value valve amplifiers — vintage Marshalls, Fenders, and collectible Dumbles among them — alongside boutique units from makers including Suhr, Friedman, Budda, Bogner, Van Weelden, and Fuchs, with whom he launched a signature JB-ODS model last year. The only digital component previously associated with his rig was a Boss DD-3 delay pedal. That changed in April, when Bonamassa posted a photo showing his signature Fender 59′ High Powered Twin — built in black rather than the standard tweed finish, loaded with three 12AX7 preamp valves and a matched quartet of 6L6 output tubes — sitting alongside a Tone Master Twin.
Speaking exclusively to MusicRadar following two sold-out nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Bonamassa was candid about his reversal. „I’ve got to be honest with you and admit when I’m wrong,“ he said. „I still have my other tube amps behind me. It’s just that the high-powered Twin is now a Tone Master.“ He added that the reaction from his own crew sealed it: „My production manager, my sound tech, even my other guitar player Josh Smith — they were all telling me it sounds better and feels right.“
For Bonamassa, the key factor that separates the Tone Master from digital modelling he has previously dismissed is physical speaker displacement. Running the unit through the right speakers, he argues, preserves the dynamic interaction between amplifier and room that he considers non-negotiable. „I think the trick at this point is to be physically pushing out sound,“ he explained. „You have to be moving air. By having the right speakers, the Tone Master works. It’s not like I’m plugging into a direct box, which I could, but I don’t think that would sound good.“
He also identified moving air as the precise point where much digital modelling falls short in his view. „That’s where a lot of this digital modelling stuff can start sounding a little generic,“ he said. „With a lot of the things out there, you’re not moving air and the dynamic range is limited. For me, moving air is essential, just like playing loud.“ The admission marks a notable shift for an artist who has been openly critical of modelling technology throughout his career.
Source: Latest from MusicRadar
