Fender Hot Rod Deluxe

PulpitNeil

Joined: Jun 27, 2009
Posts: 1

Posted on Aug 04 2009 06:19 AM

I'm thinking of getting one of these. Can anyone tell me if they're worth it? Does the reverb do what it should? Any demonstrations I've seen have just been generic blues/rock riffs. I want to know if this amp can surf.

Is there anything better in the price range?

Thanks,
-Neil

—

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DNAdude

Joined: Aug 01, 2008
Posts: 404
North Carolina
United States

Posted on Aug 04 2009 07:01 AM

It's what I have. I bought it before I got into surf just because I always liked that sort of "Ticket to Ride" guitar sound. Then I discovered surf and felt that, for the money, I had gotten a pretty good amp. The onboard reverb isn't bad (though I still want a tank).

—

Ralph
The Storm Surfers

Be at one with the universe. If you can't do that, at least be at one with your guitar.

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RobbieReverb

Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2384
San Jose, Ca.
3 News Pins

Posted on Aug 04 2009 10:48 PM

I got one cheap for a back-up amp, and sold it within a month. In my opinion, the clean channel is decent; the reverb is weak, the distortion channels totally suck. It is a very loud 40 watts. I could surf with it, but only with a reverb tank. The onboard reverb won't cut it. That being said, It is one of the most popular amps on the planet. If you find one cheap, it's an OK amp. If you're buying new, you'd be better off buying a used silverface Super reverb or Twin Reverb.

Bob

—

Bob

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scotstandard

Joined: Nov 09, 2008
Posts: 1140
Davenport Iowa
3 POTD Pins

Posted on Aug 05 2009 12:32 AM

I played devilles for years, i never liked the deluxe as much as the deville or blues jr.
I now dont like the whole hot rod seires very much. The clean is ok, dirt channel sux and verb is moderate. (not surf worthy)

IMHO I think you can do better for the money.
id buy a 70's silverface something for the price rage.
be it a twin or super reverb or showman
Black face bandmasterds and showman can still be picked up pretty cheap...in the $500 range (give or take)

But having said that they were my main amps for years. I just liked how loud they were. not very great sounding....but F'in loud.

—

Give me reverb or give me death!
facebook.com/onenightstandards
https://www.youtube.com/scotstandard
scotstandard@yahoo.com

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crumble

Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
United Kingdom

Posted on Aug 05 2009 05:10 AM

Check out PulpitNeil's website, great little band. Maybe you need something fairly lightweight with good tone and reverb? The Fender Deluxe Reverb would be ideal if you can a afford it.

As with most amps you'll find a sweet spot as you turn the volume up, if the sweet spot appears too early then turns to distortion there after, you maybe lugging a weighty valve amp for no reason.

If you do go for a hot rod, check the hum/crackle situation because i've read reports some can be noisy, not the best for recording.

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scotstandard

Joined: Nov 09, 2008
Posts: 1140
Davenport Iowa
3 POTD Pins

Posted on Aug 05 2009 10:59 AM

Deluxe id be nice too i think thats the best of the RI amps

OH ps the hot rod seires amps....the screen resistors fail frequently, i have had it hapen to both of my amps, and the imput jacks are junk, i replaced both of my imputs on both of the amps more than a couple of times...
just shitty jacks

—

Give me reverb or give me death!
facebook.com/onenightstandards
https://www.youtube.com/scotstandard
scotstandard@yahoo.com

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WhorehayRFB

Joined: Jun 12, 2008
Posts: 3331
Huntington Beach, CA
United States

Posted on Aug 05 2009 11:21 AM

Agreed on the volume count--it is a LOUD 40 watts.

—

Radio Free Bakersfield--60 Minutes of TWANG, CRUNCH, OOMPH.
http://radiofreebakersfield.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radio-Free-Bakersfield/172410279636
http://www.sandiegojoe.com/rfb.htm

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CrispyGoodness

Joined: Apr 06, 2009
Posts: 565
North Cackalacky
2 News Pins

Posted on Aug 05 2009 11:37 AM

My only beef with those amps and their "Blues" predecessors is that the knobs are attached directly to the circuit boards, which encourages said boards to get bent or warped from all that knob twiddlin'. And that leads to all sorts of trouble down the road that is both enigmatic and hard to fix.

I've known too many people who have gotten one, and it would start freaking out in a the middle of a gig, but couldn't be coaxed to do the same thing in the shop. It can drive you crazy, 'cause in many ways, they are great sounding amps, but I don't think you can trust 'em, IMO.

--Crispy

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scotstandard

Joined: Nov 09, 2008
Posts: 1140
Davenport Iowa
3 POTD Pins

Posted on Aug 06 2009 12:04 AM

To add to my previous statement
I agree with CrispyGoodness, They do freak out sometimes and the next day i go to fix it and it wont do it again....

Not the best amps in the word.

—

Give me reverb or give me death!
facebook.com/onenightstandards
https://www.youtube.com/scotstandard
scotstandard@yahoo.com

Top

Woodsurfer

Joined: Feb 07, 2009
Posts: 310
Bel Air, MD USA

Posted on Aug 06 2009 07:34 AM

you'd be better off buying a used silverface Super reverb or Twin Reverb

-- Bearing in mind that these amps weigh around 85 lbs. and are awkward as hell to carry. Other than that, they're great!

-- Woody

—

It takes a lot of mussel memory to avoid clams.

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Thunderhead

Joined: Apr 11, 2009
Posts: 201
1 News Pin

Posted on Aug 06 2009 08:36 AM

I worked for a Fender Dealer for over 5 years and there is a problem with the input jacks. I have a Pro Junoir modded in a 2/10 Cab and the circuit re-voiced, changed the jack to a real Switchcraft. Easy mod and takes away the chance of failure at the input. If you can get one at a deal Frommel Electronics does some great mods to make them a much more stable and Musical Amp.
www.myspace.com/thethunderheads

—

www.myspace.com/thethunderheads

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crumble

Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
United Kingdom

Posted on Aug 06 2009 09:05 AM

Thunderhead
I worked for a Fender Dealer for over 5 years and there is a problem with the input jacks. I have a Pro Junoir modded in a 2/10 Cab and the circuit re-voiced, changed the jack to a real Switchcraft. Easy mod and takes away the chance of failure at the input. If you can get one at a deal Frommel Electronics does some great mods to make them a much more stable and Musical Amp.
www.myspace.com/thethunderheads

John Fromel, high praise indeed he helped me transform my Fender Pro Junior into something quite remarkable. Still hums and crackles a little bit but nowhere near as bad.

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surferXmatt

Joined: Aug 27, 2008
Posts: 1570
New York
United States

Posted on Aug 06 2009 09:48 AM

Good alternatives to a Hot Rod Deluxe would be the Peavey Classic 30 or other from the series.. or an Ampeg Jet or similar model. I think both are better options for a very similar to type of amp/sound.

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PulpitNeil Joined: Jun 27, 2009 Posts: 1	Posted on Aug 04 2009 06:19 AM I'm thinking of getting one of these. Can anyone tell me if they're worth it? Does the reverb do what it should? Any demonstrations I've seen have just been generic blues/rock riffs. I want to know if this amp can surf. Is there anything better in the price range? Thanks, -Neil — <a><img></a> Top
DNAdude Joined: Aug 01, 2008 Posts: 404 North Carolina	Posted on Aug 04 2009 07:01 AM It's what I have. I bought it before I got into surf just because I always liked that sort of "Ticket to Ride" guitar sound. Then I discovered surf and felt that, for the money, I had gotten a pretty good amp. The onboard reverb isn't bad (though I still want a tank). — Ralph The Storm Surfers Be at one with the universe. If you can't do that, at least be at one with your guitar. Top
RobbieReverb Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 2384 San Jose, Ca.	Posted on Aug 04 2009 10:48 PM I got one cheap for a back-up amp, and sold it within a month. In my opinion, the clean channel is decent; the reverb is weak, the distortion channels totally suck. It is a very loud 40 watts. I could surf with it, but only with a reverb tank. The onboard reverb won't cut it. That being said, It is one of the most popular amps on the planet. If you find one cheap, it's an OK amp. If you're buying new, you'd be better off buying a used silverface Super reverb or Twin Reverb. Bob — Bob Top
scotstandard Joined: Nov 09, 2008 Posts: 1140 Davenport Iowa	Posted on Aug 05 2009 12:32 AM I played devilles for years, i never liked the deluxe as much as the deville or blues jr. I now dont like the whole hot rod seires very much. The clean is ok, dirt channel sux and verb is moderate. (not surf worthy) IMHO I think you can do better for the money. id buy a 70's silverface something for the price rage. be it a twin or super reverb or showman Black face bandmasterds and showman can still be picked up pretty cheap...in the $500 range (give or take) But having said that they were my main amps for years. I just liked how loud they were. not very great sounding....but F'in loud. — Give me reverb or give me death! facebook.com/onenightstandards https://www.youtube.com/scotstandard scotstandard@yahoo.com Top
crumble Joined: Sep 09, 2008 Posts: 3158 Guildford England	Posted on Aug 05 2009 05:10 AM Check out PulpitNeil's website, great little band. Maybe you need something fairly lightweight with good tone and reverb? The Fender Deluxe Reverb would be ideal if you can a afford it. As with most amps you'll find a sweet spot as you turn the volume up, if the sweet spot appears too early then turns to distortion there after, you maybe lugging a weighty valve amp for no reason. If you do go for a hot rod, check the hum/crackle situation because i've read reports some can be noisy, not the best for recording. Top
scotstandard Joined: Nov 09, 2008 Posts: 1140 Davenport Iowa	Posted on Aug 05 2009 10:59 AM Deluxe id be nice too i think thats the best of the RI amps OH ps the hot rod seires amps....the screen resistors fail frequently, i have had it hapen to both of my amps, and the imput jacks are junk, i replaced both of my imputs on both of the amps more than a couple of times... just shitty jacks — Give me reverb or give me death! facebook.com/onenightstandards https://www.youtube.com/scotstandard scotstandard@yahoo.com Top
WhorehayRFB Joined: Jun 12, 2008 Posts: 3331 Huntington Beach, CA	Posted on Aug 05 2009 11:21 AM Agreed on the volume count--it is a LOUD 40 watts. — Radio Free Bakersfield--60 Minutes of TWANG, CRUNCH, OOMPH. http://radiofreebakersfield.com http://www.facebook.com/pages/Radio-Free-Bakersfield/172410279636 http://www.sandiegojoe.com/rfb.htm Top
CrispyGoodness Joined: Apr 06, 2009 Posts: 565 North Cackalacky	Posted on Aug 05 2009 11:37 AM My only beef with those amps and their "Blues" predecessors is that the knobs are attached directly to the circuit boards, which encourages said boards to get bent or warped from all that knob twiddlin'. And that leads to all sorts of trouble down the road that is both enigmatic and hard to fix. I've known too many people who have gotten one, and it would start freaking out in a the middle of a gig, but couldn't be coaxed to do the same thing in the shop. It can drive you crazy, 'cause in many ways, they are great sounding amps, but I don't think you can trust 'em, IMO. --Crispy Top
scotstandard Joined: Nov 09, 2008 Posts: 1140 Davenport Iowa	Posted on Aug 06 2009 12:04 AM To add to my previous statement I agree with CrispyGoodness, They do freak out sometimes and the next day i go to fix it and it wont do it again.... Not the best amps in the word. — Give me reverb or give me death! facebook.com/onenightstandards https://www.youtube.com/scotstandard scotstandard@yahoo.com Top
Woodsurfer Joined: Feb 07, 2009 Posts: 310 Bel Air, MD USA	Posted on Aug 06 2009 07:34 AM you'd be better off buying a used silverface Super reverb or Twin Reverb -- Bearing in mind that these amps weigh around 85 lbs. and are awkward as hell to carry. Other than that, they're great! -- Woody — It takes a lot of mussel memory to avoid clams. Top
Thunderhead Joined: Apr 11, 2009 Posts: 201	Posted on Aug 06 2009 08:36 AM I worked for a Fender Dealer for over 5 years and there is a problem with the input jacks. I have a Pro Junoir modded in a 2/10 Cab and the circuit re-voiced, changed the jack to a real Switchcraft. Easy mod and takes away the chance of failure at the input. If you can get one at a deal Frommel Electronics does some great mods to make them a much more stable and Musical Amp. www.myspace.com/thethunderheads — www.myspace.com/thethunderheads Top
crumble Joined: Sep 09, 2008 Posts: 3158 Guildford England	Posted on Aug 06 2009 09:05 AM Thunderhead I worked for a Fender Dealer for over 5 years and there is a problem with the input jacks. I have a Pro Junoir modded in a 2/10 Cab and the circuit re-voiced, changed the jack to a real Switchcraft. Easy mod and takes away the chance of failure at the input. If you can get one at a deal Frommel Electronics does some great mods to make them a much more stable and Musical Amp. www.myspace.com/thethunderheads John Fromel, high praise indeed he helped me transform my Fender Pro Junior into something quite remarkable. Still hums and crackles a little bit but nowhere near as bad. Top
surferXmatt Joined: Aug 27, 2008 Posts: 1570 New York	Posted on Aug 06 2009 09:48 AM Good alternatives to a Hot Rod Deluxe would be the Peavey Classic 30 or other from the series.. or an Ampeg Jet or similar model. I think both are better options for a very similar to type of amp/sound. Top

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