Members RiderOnTime Posted February 16, 2009 Members Share Posted February 16, 2009 Continuing my quest for a possible new amp, I'm interested in people's thoughts on how any of these compare with one another. I've always liked the HRD's clean channel and although I don't think the drive channels are as bad as some do (and they're definitely better than most Fender drives), they're not great. Also, there have been many reports of unreliability, which doesn't help to endear it. That said, I know people who've had them and not suffered any problems. Then there's the newly launched Deluxe VM. From what I've read and the few clips available on the net, the drive channel is significantly different from most previous Fenders. The clean is meant to capture the Deluxe Reverb's sound...there again, the reverb is digital, so how well does it deliver the vintage vibe? I'm not a luddite, so if it does the job I'll accept it with no snobbery! Finally, the LC30, which definitely has good gain and clean tones but are the cleans up there with the Fenders'? Can the Deluxe VM compete with the drive tones of the Laney? Which overall wins the contest?! I must admit, the launch of a new Fender amp is somehow always quite a seductive prospect for me, especially when it has the promise of a not completely crap overdrive. And there aren't many amps that look as good as a blackface Fender... So maybe I'm willing on the Deluxe VM unduly. Which is where your opinions would be welcome... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted February 16, 2009 Members Share Posted February 16, 2009 Throw me in the "anything but a stock HR" category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Irish Wolf Posted February 16, 2009 Members Share Posted February 16, 2009 Get the Laney or an original Vox Valvetronix FTW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted February 16, 2009 Members Share Posted February 16, 2009 Get the Laney or an original Vox Valvetronix FTWnow you're talking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RiderOnTime Posted February 16, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 16, 2009 Throw me in the "anything but a stock HR" category. Consider yourself thrown! Thanks for the replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hector945 Posted February 16, 2009 Members Share Posted February 16, 2009 Been playing two HRDx amps for the last ten years. Just got a VM and sent it back a week later. It was very thin, lacked low end, and had no mid control on the clean channel. The dirty channel was no better than the HRDx. Effects were o.k. but couldn't replace a nice pedal board. Had a bit more noise in it than the HR too (volume up w/o input attached). The clean channel on the HRDx with a good speaker and tube swap is tough to beat. Try an Eminence Swamp Thang or similar, and a 5751 preamp tube in V1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RiderOnTime Posted February 16, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 16, 2009 It's interesting than you mention the Deluxe VM sounding thin, as that was one of my concerns. Having only been able to hear it so far on not particularly well recorded YouTube clips which I've then listened to through computer speakers, it was hard to tell whether it had that depth of tone that the HRD has on its clean channel (and on the reverb). I used to have a Deluxe Reverb reissue which was a great clean sound but too bright for my liking (I know there are mods to take of this), so the Deluxe VM having its clean channel based on the DR made me wonder whether it would go too far in that direction for my liking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tetaJ Posted February 16, 2009 Members Share Posted February 16, 2009 Ok, here is the deal:Get yourself an used HRD.Send it to Kim Price at Omega Amps and have it modded (around 250) Now you have an amp capable of coaxing blackface tones out of the 1st channel, Dumblesque tones out of the 2nd channel and Marshall like tones out of the 3rd channel. The volume pot is also changed so you can really use like you should, no more reliability problems, that is also address and now you have an amp that easily destroys and slays any amp under 2500+ dollars. Check out the Omega mods, they are incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Trés Mellow Posted February 16, 2009 Members Share Posted February 16, 2009 You should check out the US Masters TVA30. It's an EL84 amp, but the oversized output tranny gives you cleans all the way up. The drive channel goes from boutiquey fuzz to a really creamy, full grind. I ditched my distortion/overdrive pedals. I was looking at Deluxes and this absolutely blew them away. http://www.usmasters.com/TVA30Amp.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RiderOnTime Posted February 16, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 16, 2009 Both of these last two suggestions are good but may be scuppered by the fact that I'm in the UK... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hamer95USA Posted February 22, 2009 Members Share Posted February 22, 2009 Both of these last two suggestions are good but may be scuppered by the fact that I'm in the UK... Hey RiderOnTime, If you contact Jim Price of Omega Amps, he would be willing to send you his amp mod kit for you to modify your Hot Rod Deluxe. Guitar George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.