Vintage 1965 Fender Jazzmaster through Tone King Imperial MKII

Vintage 1965 Fender Jazzmaster in rare blond finish on ash body through a Tone King Imperial MKII at various settings. No pedals. Mic'd with Audio Technica AT2020 condenser mic placed about 12 inches from speaker, on axis.

[@MegaBrebis]

Great sounds, love it! I wonder if that amp souds really better than a Fender one. Sure it is much better designed and built but the sound...? Did you compare?

[@riffsvanwinkle]

I have a vintage Deluxe Reverb and one of the new Tonemaster Deluxe Reverbs to which to compare the Imperial MKII. The Imperial definitely feels more refined and offers significantly better tones from edge-of-break-up to fully saturated. And it is essentially two amps in one--a blackface (rhythm channel) and a tweed (lead channel). It doesn't offer the same super bright, sparkly cleans that a Deluxe Reverb does, but I think that is by design. The Imperial's reverb knob has much less range, which doesn't allow it to get as wild, but also makes for finer adjustment. The Fender reverbs have much more range and thus can get much more intense. The Imperial's tremolo will knock your socks off and its onboard attenuator is a fantastic feature that makes the amp playable in almost any environment.