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Post subject: Hot Rod Deluxe
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:22 am
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I have read numerous posts on the HRD. Some good some bad. They seem to be very popular on Ebay. I have a chance to buy one in excellent condition for about $375.00. I will be using it mainly at home but sometimes playing with other people. Most of the negatives I have heard are about the circuit board and problems with heat. Is this amp worth buying or should I look for something older with point to point wiring. Also there are a lot of Hot Rod Blues Jr's for sale. I assume that this it the same basic circuit board. Is this a better more reliable amp? Thanks.


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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 11:09 am
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All the Hot Rod series amps use the same circuit type, not the exact same circuit board.

The HotRod series includes the Blues Junior, Blues Deluxe and Blues Deville, HorRod Deluxe, HotRod Deville and pro junior.
http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?section=amplifiers&cat=guitaramplifiersenclosures&subcat=hotrod

They are good sounding amps with some weak points in their design.
Most notably the surface mounted tube sockets and the linear volume pots..

If it is in good working condition 300$ for a deluxe is not bad, in Canada they have jumped up to 960$cdn new.
Though you might end up in the repair shop occasionally, or if lucky not at all.

Finding a black face or silver face series amp at a bargain price is not an easy thing to do.

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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:01 pm
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Certainly the HRDX has its weak points,but it is really a great sounding amp. I had one and ending up selling it mostly because i didnt play out often enough and when i did it was smaller venues(i ended up getting a bjr).I missed the 6l6 tubes so i ended up getting a BDRI instead which is slightly different.I would say if you mostly play at home and sometimes with other people you shouldnt have a problem. I noticed that many of the people who have had problems tend to gig alot and maybe they arent as sturdy as some of the other amps.I have had a HRDX ,2 blues jrs and a BDRI and have yet to have a problem with any of them other than tubes,but then again i dont play out alot and when i do i transport my own equipment and i tend to be pretty gentle.


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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 1:42 pm
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It's not an amp made for hard gigging. Mine fails a bit too often. It does sound decent though. Some people have no problems at all. It's a crap shoot.
I can't stand the reverb on it. It sounds way too wet compared to my other Fender amps. Some people like that too.
I like the older point to point hand-wired amps. You probably won't find them for $375 though. If the HRDlx has been modded, I'd steer clear of it. The PCB is pretty fragile and the traces lift easily.


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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 6:25 pm
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I just bought the HR Dlx new from GC $700. Got it yesterday and I love it reverb and all. Put a GE 5751 in the clean channel and I am able to get the volume control up to 7 and play inside my trailer. Also I cut guitar volumes. I may change the speaker to a Hellatone 60 from avatarspeakers.

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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:01 pm
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Like I said, some people love the reverb. I can't stand it past 1 or 2. Just something I can't stand. It's all just personal taste. My 76 SF Twin, I can crank the reverb all the way up it's that good.


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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:06 pm
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63supro wrote:
Like I said, some people love the reverb. I can't stand it past 1 or 2. Just something I can't stand. It's all just personal taste. My 76 SF Twin, I can crank the reverb all the way up it's that good.

I have it at 4 right now and it sounds good to me.

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Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:38 pm
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What's good to one person might not work for another. I have an old outboard unit I like a lot better for my HRDlx when I gig with it. It doesn't mean you don't sound great to you, I'm sure it does. I probably just hear it differently than you. Reverb as well as effects and natural distortion and tone are very subjective and personal. That's what I've been saying all along. I can't stand Malmsteen's tone, but Buddy Guy, Luther Allison etc. I like a lot. Malcolm and Angus Young as well as Holdsworth too. It's a weird thing. It's just different tastes. Whatever works for the individual is all cool. That's why I always suggest to try an amp out to see if it works for you. Reverb has never been a deal breaker for me. I have a lot of amps without it. I use the outboard if I feel like I need it.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:09 pm
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Ah you beat me to saying it.
The reverb in it works, but is weak compared to the standalone 63 Fender Reverb RI unit.

Just can't get anything near this sound out of the little spring tank in the HotRods
63 Fender Reverb RI through a Fender Bassman RI.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtl37IS8vcg

Really nice reverb unit, but costs a bit, 580$ at music123 and 750$ at sweetwater now.
http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0217500000

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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:45 am
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Peter, I'm glad it's just not me. There seems to be no richness to the reverb in the HRDlx. The reverb models in my GDec sound better. The thing is if you never played an old Fender amp or reverb unit, you have no comparison. I have owned and still own quite a collection of old and new amps. The guys at Guitar Player magazine went on and on last year about the HRDlx's reverb in their amp shootout. Funny thing is Fender is one of their biggest advertisers. I'll read a review, go try something out, if it works for me and I can afford it, I'll get it.
I let my own ears be my guide. Good or bad. At least it's one of my personal choices. I only write from my personal experiences from 40 years gigging. Some bands were great some were horrible, but at least I made a living at it and met some seriously cool people.


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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 12:41 pm
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For my style of music the reverb works for me. I play country and don't need the bells and whistles to make my tone. Yes I saw the demonstration of the stand alone reverb unit. I don't need anything like that. I need good clean tone and a little reverb and a little delay on my pedal and my sound is there. I am experimenting now with preamp tubes. A GE 5751 in V1 for clean and a Sovtek 12ax7 in Phase Invertor. I have a Mullard 12at7 and an Amperex 12au7 on order to try also. Trying to get the gain backed down on clean to drive the amp more. Maybe I will find a better sweet spot. This amp is a little more adjustable tonewise between my LP's and my Strat. Haven't tried my Gretsch with it yet.

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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:15 pm
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Yes exactly, it all depends what you need out of it.

I spent a while trying to get the surf sound out of it a la "The Trashmen".
Remembering that back in the 60's a twin reverb could handle it.
Then had to gave up and move to external effects.
Different circuits, different strong and weak points, wish I never sold the twin but you get married and make some foolish moves while you are insane. :( :) .

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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:30 pm
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peterp wrote:
Yes exactly, it all depends what you need out of it.

I spent a while trying to get the surf sound out of it a la "The Trashmen".
Remembering that back in the 60's a twin reverb could handle it.
Then had to gave up and move to external effects.
Different circuits, different strong and weak points, wish I never sold the twin but you get married and make some foolish moves while you are insane. :( :) .

I fixed that problem and got rid of the wife. Great move, kids grown and I can buy what I want as long as I can afford it.

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