Fender releases the guitar amp of the future

The Fender Tone Master Pro takes the classic sounds of Fender amps and pedals and makes them available in a single device that you can use for digital recording or just to output on any other amp. It's generations of sound all in one place. 

While digital amps might not be a new thing, this is the first time a digital unit has sat among a range of amps like this. As part of the Tone Master series, which are amps that include digital processing units, the Tone Master Pro is all of that without the speaker part. 

This new device, which weighs in about 9lbs (4kg) includes over 100 Tone Master amps and effects, as well as over 6,000 impulse responses to simulate the different microphone and cabinet uses. This means you can take a truly authentic Fender sound straight to a digital mixer or Mac without running through a physical amp.

To control the device there's a 7-inch touch screen display and 10 foot switch selectors, with LCD "scribble strips" that show what effect is assigned to that switch. There's also a 60-second stereo looper built in and four effects loops for linking in some of your other pedals, as well as both instrument and XLR inputs. There's even Bluetooth to allow you to wirelessly stream music to the device. 

The device works with the Tone Master Pro Control desktop app for editing, which also allows you to share and download presets on to the device. Firmware updates will be available over USB too, presumably for when Fender adds some more amps and effects to the list. 

While there are similar devices already on the market, like the Nord DSP Quad Cortex and the Line 6 Helix, this is Fender's own device. It means that rather than trying to emulate those sounds, it can take the technology straight from those existing Fender amps and pedals to provide a genuine experience. 

It's also a great-looking device that appears to be much easier to operate than some of its competition. This is something you could comfortably use at home or in the studio to record, as well as on stage for gigging. 

In addition to the Tone Master Pro, there are eight new Tone Master amps in the collection. The Tone Master FR-10 and FR-12 are powered speakers with 1,000 Watt amps and either a 10-inch or 12-inch speaker included. 

The Tone Master Pro is priced £1,649.00 / $1699.99 USD / AU$2,749.00. The Tone Master FR-10 & Tone Master FR-12  are priced £469.00-£519.00 / $499.99-$549.99 / AU$849.00-$1,049.00.