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Fender Hot Rod Deluxe


raj1988

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I'm looking for a clean amp within this budget which is loud for big open air gigs...i suppose 40 watts is more than enough for that.

 

i use a BB preamp which i've heard goes really well with fender amps.

 

how does this amp match up for clean tones? i don't need the OD channel at all...does it do clean at REALLY loud volumes?

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I've heard good and bad on this one. Personally though, I'd say this is a good choice. Might want to check out a Blues Deluxe while you're at it.

 

 

This man speaks the truth. Great amp, especially for the money. Nice and loud with a great clean tone. Also takes pedals very well. I love mine.

 

I can't say anything about the reissues but try to get the USA (A OK!) model.

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This man speaks the truth. Great amp, especially for the money. Nice and loud with a great clean tone. Also takes pedals very well. I love mine.


I can't say anything about the reissues but try to get the USA (A OK!) model.

 

 

When I get something larger than my small apartment ... I want to get a Blues Deluxe or a Deville 4x10. My Blues Jr. is fantastic (modded out the WAZOO!) but I'd like something with a bit more ooooomph to it. Then again... I'd love to get back into a Mesa. We'll see... I'll have to wait a couple years before that happens.

 

I was so pissed though... I missed a $400 Original Blues Deluxe by about 15 minutes locally.

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I have a Hot Rod Deluxe. You can tweak it to maximize clean headroom:

Headroom chapter of Unofficial Hot Rod Deluxe Owner's Guide

I had mine modified by Omega Amps, after I read about it from a guy who used to post here all the time about their HRD mod. Omega has the customer choose between a more focused feel and a spongier feel. I went for the latter, because I got my HRD to give me that tube overdrive sound, not necessarily to be my clean amp. After the mod, the amp stays clean except when I played with another guitarist, bassist, and loud drummer. It would always break up whenever I strummed harder to match the rest of the band's intensity and volume.

I can't turn my HRD's clean volume past 2 or 3 without getting complaints from my apartment neighbors. If you're not in the loud drummer, loud other guitarist band scenario, the HRD just might have enough headroom for you. For outdoor gigs, you may have to mic the amp into the PA anyway.

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all solid advice here.

 

the HRD is a great amp, it gets really loud. try em out and if you think you need a little more headroom, the hot rod deville is 60 watts as opposed to 40.

 

the clean channel is great, and the amp has nice reverb and an effects loop. i think you will be happy with this amp.

 

OH YEAH. i have played the 1x12 hot rod deluxe at an outdoor show before, and it was great. it stayed clean loud enough and it sounded really nice.

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When I get something larger than my small apartment ... I want to get a Blues Deluxe or a Deville 4x10. My Blues Jr. is fantastic (modded out the WAZOO!) but I'd like something with a bit more ooooomph to it. Then again... I'd love to get back into a Mesa. We'll see... I'll have to wait a couple years before that happens.


I was so pissed though... I missed a $400
Original
Blues Deluxe by about 15 minutes locally.

 

 

I got my USA Blues Deluxe from my friend for 300 bucks. Really nice guy who just bought Marshall and Bogner half stacks and was feeling generous (considering he got it at a pawn shop for 175...). He had the amp worked on and it was in mint condition except for the tweed which was worn due to age.

 

I use it in my small ass studio in SF but I am lucky and get out of work at 3 so I have two hours to play before anyone else gets home.

 

Also, the other people have dogs that bark at night so I can get away with 330-530 noise.

 

But the Blues Deluxe is great. It is a better amp than the HR in my opinion as it is cheaper and the clean tone is superior. Yes, you cannot go past 4 without shaking the house but it is great. Takes pedals extremely well. My Muff sounds great through it and I imagine that my DMM that I am getting in about 35 minutes will sound even better!

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i love my HRD.

great cleans, loud as a bastard, and sounds great with almost every pedal ive played through it.

it sounded kinda harsh with my v2 OCD, but i wouldnt say it sounded bad.

i dont care for the gain channel, but ive heard other people get pretty decent tones from the second channel.:idk:

:)

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i was actually thinking about this amp, too. i was wondering if anyone has tried it through an attenuator to make it reasonable at apartment levels. i love the clean tones i get out of them, but every time i play it at the store, it's pretty loud.

 

anyone have any input?

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i was actually thinking about this amp, too. i was wondering if anyone has tried it through an attenuator to make it reasonable at apartment levels. i love the clean tones i get out of them, but every time i play it at the store, it's pretty loud.


anyone have any input?

 

An attenuator is usually used to get natural amp distortion at reasonable levels, so I don't know why you'd need one to get cleans. I think if you need something for apartment use the HRD is way overkill. Hell a Pro Jr. can be overkill for it.

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I bought a HRD about a year ago and wasn't too happy with it at first. But then I found a setting I really like and honestly I don't want to let the thing go.

Plus it's awesome showing up to a gig following bands with halfstacks and always having someone ask "you sure its gonna be loud enough man?" :thu: The thing is a beast and gets pretty loud. Mine usually starts breaking up between 4 and 5, and I've never had to go any louder than that.

Just make sure you set it up off the floor, otherwise it gets really bassy. Other than that I haven't had any problems with mine. The distortion channel is kinda meh but it can get the job done. The cleans more than make up for that though, but I'd try it out first.

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i found the high frequencies far too shrill on that amp. when i was shopping around i was much more drawn to several of the peavey classic's and their delta blues 2x10

I think both of these are better suggestions. :thu:

 

The HRD has a decent clean sound, but toe to toe I even liked my Blues Jrs cleans better, and the dirt on it is just horrendous. There are a few mods you can do for them to get them up to spec and turn them into great workhorse amps, but unless you get a great deal on one (like echodeluxe did) there are better options out of the box in that price range.

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oh and as far as it being really trebbly just roll back on the treble. My treble is at about 4ish and my presence is pretty much at 0. I had the same problem at first too.

Also I think the speakers need to get broken in a bit before they really find their sound, although that's true with any brand new amp I think. But I still think the Classic 30 or Delta Blues suggestions are better for the money. :)

 

Hopefully he'll try out as many amps as he can and settle on the one that he thinks will work best for him. :thu:

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oh and as far as it being really trebbly just roll back on the treble. My treble is at about 4ish and my presence is pretty much at 0. I had the same problem at first too.



you kind of made my point for me. :cop: why have a knob set at zero when you can set it at halfway on another amp for the same sound and be able to add or detract further on that tone control as you please?

the peavey's are capable of shrill prescence and treble settings, but they have more range overall..

these kind of amps have pretty limited tone controls anyway, so i wouldn't want to write off a whole knob to a zero setting! :eek:

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thanks for all the input guys, keep em coming!

 

well, where i live, the only option for a clean amp is the Hot Rod Deluxe...a Blues Deluxe or a Deville is a far cry, it is possible to acquire them but i'll have to buy it if i order it..i did play the HRD at the store but i couldn't really take the volume above 1. It was freakishly loud. I basically need an amp which can be loud and clean.

 

Oh and there will be a PA and i will be micing it, so thats not an issue. Plus for small pub gigs i already have my laney LC15R which has okay clean and lovely OD, so i think that part is sorted :)

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i was actually thinking about this amp, too. i was wondering if anyone has tried it through an attenuator to make it reasonable at apartment levels. i love the clean tones i get out of them, but every time i play it at the store, it's pretty loud.


anyone have any input?

 

 

Yes, with a THD Hotplate - 8 ohm version. We recorded it with the Drive and More Drive channels without complaints from the neighbors.

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