fender hot rod deluxe

casper leblanc
casper leblanc Posts: 1,246
edited November 2003 in Musicians and Gearheads
As you might have guessed already I am sorta in the market for a new amp, but I don't really know my shit (proven by the fact that I'm still stuck with a beat up Marshall Valvestate 8080, the typical beginnner and I don't know my shit amp).

So I went to my local guitar shop guy and started to chat away. For what I'm doing, messing around by myself at home, maybe messing with some friends in the future, but not really gigging or anything, he suggested that a fender hot rod deluxe would be a good (tube) amp for me, at a decent price (around 800 $/€). What do you guys think about that? I like a deluxe reverb, cause the reverb is tube driven, unlike the hot rod, but the price is a lot nastier as well (around 1250 $/€ I believe). Remember that prices here are about 30% more expensive than in the US (all sorts of taxes :( ).

So the question is: hot rod deluxe, my kind of amp? I like the sound of Ed and Jeff Buckley, Gomez, that sort of stuff... and I have a Fender Tele, which will have black pickguard when I go pick it up from Bruno's in a few :D
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Comments

  • dan_alive
    dan_alive Posts: 123
    Hope this advice adds to what the other more experienced guys say...

    I have a Hot Rod Deluxe 1x12"... and it's a beautiful thing. Great to use at home but if you live with ppl like my family u cant put it above 2-3 on the volume dial. i use it with my band in the studio and it does an awesome job, holds its own and when those tubes get warm it's awesome.
    You've got a Tele which will only make the combination go really well together... for me the best way to find out would be to play it, do u like it's sound? don't go on reputation cos everyone has different tastes... try the Vox and even the Laney tube amps.. i found the Laney AC30 (?? i cant remember if thats the model) to be heaven. but i ended up with the Fender cos i'm gonna be getting a telecaster soon hopefully (it'll fit beautifully methinks). I bought it new here in Oz for a big 1600 bucks (too much).

    auditioning two girls tomorrow for vocals... i need to be knocked off my feet with some good singin!
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  • parchy
    parchy Posts: 205
    I play a Fender Hot Rodded Deluxe P-Bass, and it's money.... but I can't really help you out with the amp question, I don't buy Fender amps...
    Make Movies. Don't make Videos. Videos are evil.
  • itsevolutionbaby
    itsevolutionbaby Posts: 144
    for the money this is definately the way to go. It has a great warm sound and tremendous tone. You will need a distortion pedal to push the sound a bit, but over all a great amp at a great price. If you have the resources the orange is terrific, but expect to pay about 1000 us for a single 12.
    What ain't a country I ever heard of. Do they speak English in what?
  • casper leblanc
    casper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    My main man Bruno also recommended a Fender Princeton 65 DPS as a decent cheap amp...
  • mccreadyisgod
    mccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    You want tubes at that price, the Hot Rod Deluxe is going to be pretty much the only option. And with the sounds you mentioned, it will be a good amp for your sound. Of course, there are better amps, but they will all be double the price or more. A friend of mine just played a show with his band, they used all stage volume, and his Hot Rod Deluxe kept up with a Fender Twin Reverb, a Fender Bassman, a Peavey Classic 50, and one heavy-hitting drummer. But it's also small enough for the bedroom. You might want a stompbox distortion, maybe a Tubescreamer type overdrive for smooth drive. Or, if you want something closer to the Marshall sound, a DS-1. The Peavey Classic-series amps are very similar to the Hot Rod series Fenders, and they tend to be a bit cheaper (not much, but a bit). In fact, you might be able to get a Peavey Classic 50 2x12 for roughly the same price. You might look into that, see if there's a music shop selling Peavey near you. Just try before you buy... that's the key.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • exhausted
    exhausted Posts: 6,638
    Originally posted by pearlwax
    My main man Bruno also recommended a Fender Princeton 65 DPS as a decent cheap amp...

    please don't do that. you'll regret it. it's a piece of shit.
  • mccreadyisgod
    mccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    Originally posted by exhausted
    please don't do that. you'll regret it. it's a piece of shit.

    I concur.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • casper leblanc
    casper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    Originally posted by exhausted
    please don't do that. you'll regret it. it's a piece of shit.

    I won't. I looked into it and saw that it had all kind of effects pre-installed. That doesn't sound good...
  • casper leblanc
    casper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    Originally posted by mccreadyisgod
    You want tubes at that price, the Hot Rod Deluxe is going to be pretty much the only option. And with the sounds you mentioned, it will be a good amp for your sound. Of course, there are better amps, but they will all be double the price or more. A friend of mine just played a show with his band, they used all stage volume, and his Hot Rod Deluxe kept up with a Fender Twin Reverb, a Fender Bassman, a Peavey Classic 50, and one heavy-hitting drummer. But it's also small enough for the bedroom. You might want a stompbox distortion, maybe a Tubescreamer type overdrive for smooth drive. Or, if you want something closer to the Marshall sound, a DS-1. The Peavey Classic-series amps are very similar to the Hot Rod series Fenders, and they tend to be a bit cheaper (not much, but a bit). In fact, you might be able to get a Peavey Classic 50 2x12 for roughly the same price. You might look into that, see if there's a music shop selling Peavey near you. Just try before you buy... that's the key.

    Thanks, good info. I heard about the Peavy classic as well. A classic 30 looked okay. Bruno has hot rod deluxes and peavy classics normally instore... I'm gonna go try some out and, moer importantly, start saving more money....
  • pariah
    pariah Posts: 596
    Does the Hot Rod sound anythig like e.g. a pro reverb or something? I wish I could try these amps myself but that'll cost me a complete day, which I don't have... :(
    "Until you realize the importance of the banana king, you will know absolutely nothing about the human-interest things of the world."
  • Pacomc79
    Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by pearlwax
    My main man Bruno also recommended a Fender Princeton 65 DPS as a decent cheap amp...


    please don't buy Fender Dyna Touch series amps. You will live to regret it. Possibly the worst series ever invented. Half of them don't work when they get to the store.


    Hot Rod Deluxe is a good amp don't bother with the gain channel at all just use the clean and some kind of overdrive pedal. After you recoup from the purchase you might want to swap out the tubes for better ones (EI, Ruby, Electro Harmonix, Phillips etc. http://www.thetubestore.com)

    and perhaps swap the speaker, I personally hate the eminence series that fender uses now. Vintage 30 celestions are a good common swap in those amps and there's always webber of course. With these upgrades this amp is a very good one indeed that should serve you well for years to come.


    In addendum you may decide you want a british amp tone (AC 30/15) at some point. This can be attained in the Hot Rod deluxe using these http://www.thetubestore.com/yjcd.html adapters from THD called yellow jackets. They allow you to use EL-84's in your 6l6 or EL-34 amp. This is helpful for owners of loud amplifiers in need of an amp with less wattage for use at home or recording as well
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • casper leblanc
    casper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    Originally posted by Pacomc79
    After you recoup from the purchase...

    I'm not even half way saving (what do guys earn anyway??), but I'll keep the advice in mind, thanks!
  • exhausted
    exhausted Posts: 6,638
    Originally posted by pearlwax
    I'm not even half way saving (what do guys earn anyway??), but I'll keep the advice in mind, thanks!

    europe gets major screwed on the price of all this stuff. we're paying maybe 5/8th what you guys have to. it sucks.
  • casper leblanc
    casper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    Originally posted by exhausted
    europe gets major screwed on the price of all this stuff. we're paying maybe 5/8th what you guys have to. it sucks.

    For Belgium you have to add 21% VAT (value added tax, that's on every good) and about 7% shipping, customs duty... so yeah, 5/8 is a pretty good estimation...
  • Pacomc79
    Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by pearlwax
    For Belgium you have to add 21% VAT (value added tax, that's on every good) and about 7% shipping, customs duty... so yeah, 5/8 is a pretty good estimation...


    Socialism is really a bastard with your paycheck.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • mccreadyisgod
    mccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    Originally posted by pariah
    Does the Hot Rod sound anythig like e.g. a pro reverb or something? I wish I could try these amps myself but that'll cost me a complete day, which I don't have... :(

    Well, not really. They were built to be a completely new amp, not a revisit to the Blackface era. They do take some cues from the tweed era, and then meld them with modern tube tone, sort of a mix between Bassman and Boogie. For some people, they're the perfect amp, but for most people, they're just a great, reliable, affordable workhorse. If you want a tube amp that works every night, and can be easily fixed or replaced mid-tour, the Hot Rods are excellent amps. However, if you're really looking for blackface Fender tone, you need to get an original or reissue Blackface Fender amp.

    The Pro Reverb is a bit funky in the modern blackface amps, too, being that it has a "lead" channel that is based on a high-gain curcuit. So really, the Pro Reverb is a very unique animal.

    And some people (Paco, I think) mentioned not liking the gain channel on the Hot Rod. Who knows, you might like it. It's a one-trick pony, so if it's not your thing, it's not worth messing with. But it'll work in a pinch, and you might really enjoy it.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • pariah
    pariah Posts: 596
    Thanks.
    "Until you realize the importance of the banana king, you will know absolutely nothing about the human-interest things of the world."
  • exhausted
    exhausted Posts: 6,638
    as i remember it, the drive channel was pretty crap. i kept mine in the clean channel too.
  • mccreadyisgod
    mccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    I'm not saying the drive is great, but it's not horrible. You guys have looked for years to find good distortion/drive FX. For starters, it isn't that bad. Sure, like I said, he will probably find a stompbox that does the sound he wants better than the Hot Rod's drive channel does... but for the time being, it'll work just fine. Hell, he's jamming in his bedroom, not Abbey Road.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • Pacomc79
    Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by mccreadyisgod
    I'm not saying the drive is great, but it's not horrible. You guys have looked for years to find good distortion/drive FX. For starters, it isn't that bad. Sure, like I said, he will probably find a stompbox that does the sound he wants better than the Hot Rod's drive channel does... but for the time being, it'll work just fine. Hell, he's jamming in his bedroom, not Abbey Road.


    yeah but a DS-1 is 25 bucks on Ebay and it's a thousand times clearer and tighter than the onboard overdrive. I see lots of people that use the HRD's and Deville's using DS-1's. We're not talking major bucks here like a Klon or Landgraff.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.

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