The rampant quest for appropriate amplifiers and audio system to breed all that DSP-generated guitar tone as sound waves has but to supply a transparent winner. Powered cabs by Kemper, Atomic, Line 6 and Friedman have received over some followers, whereas others have conscripted powered monitor wedges.
However the gasp of aid heard around the globe when Fender launched its first full-range, flat-response (FRFR) powered cabs, the Tone Grasp FR-10 and FR-12, means that this sector remains to be very a lot up for grabs. We examined a pair of FR-10s to faucet the total stereoscopic depths of the Fender’s new Tone Grasp Professional modeler.
Designed as a Scorching Rod Deluxe combo cab with a prime rear-facing management panel, this field appears to be like nearly equivalent in its black Tolex with silver grille fabric. The FR-10 cupboard is produced from mild plywood and accommodates a 1,000- watt, Class-D energy amp driving a 10-inch special-design speaker and a one-inch wide-dispersion high-frequency tweeter. (The FR-12 can also be 1,000 watts however carries a 12-inch speaker.)
There’s a mixed ¼-inch/XLR enter and an XLR output for chaining to different locations. Controls embody an appealingly amp-like quantity, treble, center, bass, and minimize (i.e. excessive minimize). Amid all this, the tilt-back legs current as a surprisingly thrilling function, and the porting ahead of this ’60s Fender innovation is extraordinarily sensible, too, enabling the guitar cab to realize monitor-wedge projection.
Along with the Tone Grasp Professional, I examined the FR-10 with a Neural DSP Quad Cortex and an Atomic Ampli-Firebox, since this powered cab may also be of curiosity to guitarists desperate to cross the streams.
By means of all of it, I discovered it was each nice sounding and very simple to make use of, delivering a powerful marriage of full-range response and amp-like really feel, and giving an general efficiency that I felt at residence with way more shortly than some FRFRs at twice the value.
The unit presents some white noise even with no modeler plugged in, however its audible stage doesn’t improve as you roll up the amount and turns into totally unobtrusive whenever you begin enjoying. The quantity management has a really gradual taper from zero to midday, then will increase exponentially from there to 2 o’clock, however that’s simple to work with when you’re conscious of it.
For its spectacular four-way ratio of sound high quality, comfort, portability and worth, the Tone Grasp FR-10 earns an Editors’ Choose Award.
Specs
- CONTROLS Quantity, treble, center, bass, minimize
- POWER 1,000 watts peak, Class-D
- CONNECTIVITY Amphenol ganged ¼”/XLR enter, XLR output, IEC energy cable connector
- CABINET Light-weight plywood
- SPEAKERS 10” particular design speaker and 1” wide-dispersion high-frequency tweeter
- SIZE 19.5” x 17”x 9.5” (WxHxD)
- WEIGHT 26 lbs
- BUILT China
For extra info, go to Fender’s web site
