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Author Topic: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier  (Read 24608 times)

Harland

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #30 on: June 10, 2009, 06:58:28 PM »

Nick Sevilla wrote on Thu, 04 June 2009 18:26


I know the speaker is a different model than previous ones, as there was a black Deluxe in the store as well, and I did look inside. I'll have to check what it is when I get home.

Cheers

The Speaker is a Celestion Vintage 30, 12".


Cheers



Bingo. I recently bought a black one (last model year that was made in the States) for $250. I put fresh power tubes in and swapped the Eminence for a Vintage 30. Sounds like a decent Fender amp. Not like a heyday amp and not that I would buy a new one either, but a decent Fender for the price I paid.
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itsapleasure

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #31 on: June 10, 2009, 09:00:43 PM »

Nick Sevilla wrote on Wed, 10 June 2009 05:49

Right now, though I am in the delivery room for our second baby boy. As I type this, mommy is getting an epidural procedure done...

Cheers


holy shit... my wife would have punched me in the head if i even so much as glanced at my laptop while she was getting an epidural.  

congrats man!  


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football

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #32 on: June 12, 2009, 08:28:52 AM »

Not sure about that particular blue model but in general these are some of the worst amps I have ever heard in my life.  Just atrocious.
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Brian Alex

J.J. Blair

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #33 on: June 12, 2009, 09:31:08 PM »

OK, I was playing next to a guy on my Tuesday gig who was using the new Hot Rod Deluxe, and I actually played through it myself for a few songs.  Absolutely awful sounding.  

In order to get the thing to break up, you have to make it so goddamned loud, that natural distortion is just out of the question.  And the built in drive sound is just really terribly.  It's also piercingly bright, even for a Fender amp.  I cannot stress how much I hate this amp.  

And when you hear it side by side with my '65 Ampeg Gemini I, it's even more obvious how terrible it is.
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compasspnt

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #34 on: June 13, 2009, 06:58:48 AM »

Was it blue?
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JGauthier

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #35 on: June 17, 2009, 12:57:11 AM »

Went to GC today to buy a Egnater Rebel 20 1/2 stack. Was going to try out the new blues deluxe- its definitely been re-somethinged!!! It looks smooth with the blue for sure (including blue chicken heads to match) but who cares how it looks- how does it sound...

Well, GC was having a f*ing drum circle- aka people who can't play drums, but want attention, sitting in a circle... Which was slightly better than the last time when they were displaying SRV and Claptons original guitars- freakin place full of old people with harley shirts and mullets. A white trash Geriatric Jet Set... SOOOO I didn't stick around to see IF I could hear the amp over the drum foolishness. I took the Rebel home in boxes to test it out.

BTW- Im keeping it! Fun! A little edgy on top but super fun and I like the thin sound next to my princetons. I wanted a little jangle and tracked one of these for a couple sessions and really liked it for the money.

But I will still try to play the elusive Blue deluxe! And Nick is right- its blue and obviously been rehashed, regardless of what they say on the website- it could be different. They changed a lot cosmetically at least.
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marcel

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #36 on: June 17, 2009, 01:26:55 AM »

I have heard the Hotrod Deluxe (a couple years ago there was one with a varnished wood finish, no tolex?) with a Vintage 30, and there is a noticeable improvement.  Some of the ice pick harshness in these is definitely a result of horrible stock speakers.  

I still wouldn't call these amps good value for money, or a safe bet for a recording amplifier.
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300B

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #37 on: June 20, 2009, 01:02:46 AM »


At first, I had some issues with the character of this amp.  These amps provide a very high gain circuit in the "more-drive" mode.  If you are looking for some dynamics with your distortion, don't use the "more drive" mode.  

The choice for first position pre-amp tube is critical in these amps, it may take a while to find a tube that is good enough to sit in position one. (Don't rely on Fender's quality control for this)

I like to use the second input jack and then turn the amp up more.  The amp is very efficient in the lows so you may find it appropriate to really dial the bass back at high volumes, (I'm less than 4),  this also helps reduce the associated microphonics.

I don't think using the built-in distortion is gonna get you there for death metal.  In this case,  I would use a distortion pedal and drive the power amp HARD ( turn down that damn bass control).  I used a closed back cabinet one time and I was blown away by the change it made.

I too, like using this amp as a bass amp at low volumes.

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jetbase

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #38 on: June 21, 2009, 07:05:17 PM »

On the weekend I heard the same guitarist I mentioned in my earlier post, playing the same tele through the same Hot Rod Deluxe (it wasn't blue btw). He played some lead on this occasion & the tone didn't sound so good. Playing mellow, soft rhythm it sounded better. I don't think this amp likes to be pushed.
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Ian Visible

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #39 on: June 22, 2009, 06:41:44 AM »

Is the Deluxe Reverb reissue any good?

iCombs

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #40 on: June 24, 2009, 01:20:04 AM »

I've not yet been impressed with ANY of Fender's reissues...and the Deluxe Reverb is no exception.

Icepick ear death.  Doesn't have anything near the dimension of the original.
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Eric H.

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #41 on: June 24, 2009, 09:36:33 AM »

I never liked the hot rod deluxe from the 90's, but have gotten nice clean sound with the Blues Deville 212. The overdrive channel is not very usable unless you put the drive in the first half and get the amp loud. It is a 25W amp i think.
What do you think of this amp? Is it worth keeping?
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eric harizanos

MagnetoSound

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #42 on: June 27, 2009, 01:06:52 PM »

Eric H. wrote on Wed, 24 June 2009 14:36

I never liked the hot rod deluxe from the 90's, but have gotten nice clean sound with the Blues Deville 212. The overdrive channel is not very usable unless you put the drive in the first half and get the amp loud. It is a 25W amp i think.
What do you think of this amp? Is it worth keeping?




It's one of the best in the series, IMO.

I held a part-time job as EE (amp tech) in a reputable guitar store in London for many years. In that time I must have heard literally hundreds of these amps - Blues Deluxe, Hot-Rod Deluxe, Blues Deville, Hot-Rod Deville, Blues Junior, Pro Junior ...

As has been said, replacing the stock Eminence speaker with a Celestion Greenback or Vintage 30 can make a big improvement in tone, but the 212 always had a sweeter vibe. Something about the interaction between two or more speakers helps a lot.

Suddenly I'm remembering a 310 - Deville? - that was perhaps the favourite in this regard.


What I remember best about these amps is their design faults which led to, amongst other things, regular failure of the plate resistors in the driver stage, and dry solder joints on the 5w dropper resistors due to them being mounted flush against the board and the copper pads on the board being too small to dissipate the heat.

Finally, let's not forget the horrible, brittle plastic PCB-mounted jack sockets that all these amps use. They regularly fail due to, first, the nut loosening, then the thread stripping off the bush when the nut is tightened, then the plastic cracks and falls apart because of the free movement and the pins fall out completely.

To replace the jacks necessitates complete removal of the main board to access the solder side and of course, because of the pin configuration, you have to replace the broken jack with the exact same type and take bets on how quickly the whole procedure will need to be repeated.


Some of the most expensive amps to maintain ever made by a company that proclaims affordable quality to the masses!


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marcel

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #43 on: June 27, 2009, 03:38:55 PM »

MagnetoSound wrote on Sat, 27 June 2009 10:06

Some of the most expensive amps to maintain ever made by a company that proclaims affordable quality to the masses!

The local 'Fender amp guy' around here won't take the Hotrod or Blues series in for repairs, claiming that the disassembly and assembly required are not worth anyone's time or money.  I guess the reality is that he's busy enough working on vintage amps not to have to bother.
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compasspnt

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Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe guitar amplifier
« Reply #44 on: June 28, 2009, 07:55:35 AM »

Well, look at the bright side.

The new Fenders may not sound as good as vintage, but at least they are harder to work on.
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