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Post subject: Hot Rod Deville-friend or foe?
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:30 pm
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I have been a faithful user of my Hot Rod Deville for the last 6-7 months. I have used it pretty regularly at rehersals and gigs without issue and have been very happy with the tone and response. I run a Les Paul Standard and an American Tele through a Boss vol.-Dunlop 535q wah-Boss comp-Ibanez TS808ri-Fulltone OCDv4-Hardwire valve dist.-FX loop= Hardwire chorus-MXR Carbon Copy delay. I also use the drive channel (drive set at 3ish) for a lead gain/vol. boost With this set-up I can cover anything from Elvis to Tool and I love the sounds I can coax out of this thing. But, (there is always a but) last night in the middle of a gig the thing just quit on me. We were about to start our second set, I adjusted my delay, flipped the standby switch, turned up the volume and........nothing!!!! WHAT!! We just finished a set 20 mins. ago. I go into troubleshoot mode. Check tubes, OK. I bypass the pedalboard and plug straight in. Nothing! I panick. I don't have a back-up (a lesson to you kids, always carry a back-up amp). I start plugging and unplugging cords, flipping switches, examining the back and front. After about 20-25 mins. of the crowd yelling I'm gettin a little stressed. I'm feeling like pulling a Hendrix at this point, wanting to set the thing on fire just to keep the show going, but I give it one last try. BRRRIIINNNGG!!!! As loud and clear as ever. Relief!
Played the rest of the show without a problem. This makes me seriously doubt the reliability of this amp now. I always thought the guys having trouble with them just had "lemons", mine wasn't a "lemon". Anyway, that's strike one. Got a back-up for tonight. Wish me luck.

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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 3:15 pm
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My HRDlx has done almost the same thing to me three different occasions but only came back once. It was various problems. The first time though it was bad solder joints on the tubes sockets. I lost my power tubes when the amp got warm. Shut it down, let it cool off and it would come back for a while. Mine is totally unreliable for gigging. Some people have no problems at all. The quality seems really inconsistant on the Hot Rod Series. I went back to gigging with my Twin. I wanted a lighter weight amp and the HRDlx seemed to fit the bill. I'm dumping it as soon as I get around to it. For now it just sits in my music room.

If you plan on gigging, first bring a spare amp and spare set of tubes. If you have a PA system, you can run a POD and plug it into the boerd or anything else if you can mic it. Second, I would get a more professional amp like a Super Reverb, Bassman or Deluxe Reverb RI. Just my experience YMMV. I may just get an Egnater Rebel 20.

Best of luck


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Post subject: Re: Hot Rod Deville-friend or foe?
Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 8:47 pm
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jeremyjrice wrote:
I have been a faithful user of my Hot Rod Deville for the last 6-7 months. I have used it pretty regularly at rehersals and gigs without issue and have been very happy with the tone and response. I run a Les Paul Standard and an American Tele through a Boss vol.-Dunlop 535q wah-Boss comp-Ibanez TS808ri-Fulltone OCDv4-Hardwire valve dist.-FX loop= Hardwire chorus-MXR Carbon Copy delay. I also use the drive channel (drive set at 3ish) for a lead gain/vol. boost With this set-up I can cover anything from Elvis to Tool and I love the sounds I can coax out of this thing. But, (there is always a but) last night in the middle of a gig the thing just quit on me. We were about to start our second set, I adjusted my delay, flipped the standby switch, turned up the volume and........nothing!!!! WHAT!! We just finished a set 20 mins. ago. I go into troubleshoot mode. Check tubes, OK. I bypass the pedalboard and plug straight in. Nothing! I panick. I don't have a back-up (a lesson to you kids, always carry a back-up amp). I start plugging and unplugging cords, flipping switches, examining the back and front. After about 20-25 mins. of the crowd yelling I'm gettin a little stressed. I'm feeling like pulling a Hendrix at this point, wanting to set the thing on fire just to keep the show going, but I give it one last try. BRRRIIINNNGG!!!! As loud and clear as ever. Relief!
Played the rest of the show without a problem. This makes me seriously doubt the reliability of this amp now. I always thought the guys having trouble with them just had "lemons", mine wasn't a "lemon". Anyway, that's strike one. Got a back-up for tonight. Wish me luck.


The lesson is: pros never gig without a plan "B". There have been reliability problems with some HRD amps, and there are definitely design problems that could crop up. But, any amp can blow up, I've had Marshalls, Ampegs, PTP Fenders do it at gigs. Most of the Hot Rod problems are bad solder joints at the tube sockets, 5 watt cement resistors in the +/- 16v supply, and the older plastic input jacks. If you replace the resistors with more air space between the resistor and the circuit board, and replace the input jacks with the newer metal ones, many problems will be avoided.

One thing I've done which has helped reliablity problems cost me $7: I bought a small fan and place it behind my amp at all gigs. It really helps keep the amp from overheating and most tube amp problems are heat related.

I know '63 Supro hates his amp(everyone else knows it too), but I've gigged with 2 different ones for years and haven't had any major problems.


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Post subject: Re: Hot Rod Deville-friend or foe?
Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 7:37 am
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gtrman100 wrote:
jeremyjrice wrote:
I have been a faithful user of my Hot Rod Deville for the last 6-7 months. I have used it pretty regularly at rehersals and gigs without issue and have been very happy with the tone and response. I run a Les Paul Standard and an American Tele through a Boss vol.-Dunlop 535q wah-Boss comp-Ibanez TS808ri-Fulltone OCDv4-Hardwire valve dist.-FX loop= Hardwire chorus-MXR Carbon Copy delay. I also use the drive channel (drive set at 3ish) for a lead gain/vol. boost With this set-up I can cover anything from Elvis to Tool and I love the sounds I can coax out of this thing. But, (there is always a but) last night in the middle of a gig the thing just quit on me. We were about to start our second set, I adjusted my delay, flipped the standby switch, turned up the volume and........nothing!!!! WHAT!! We just finished a set 20 mins. ago. I go into troubleshoot mode. Check tubes, OK. I bypass the pedalboard and plug straight in. Nothing! I panick. I don't have a back-up (a lesson to you kids, always carry a back-up amp). I start plugging and unplugging cords, flipping switches, examining the back and front. After about 20-25 mins. of the crowd yelling I'm gettin a little stressed. I'm feeling like pulling a Hendrix at this point, wanting to set the thing on fire just to keep the show going, but I give it one last try. BRRRIIINNNGG!!!! As loud and clear as ever. Relief!
Played the rest of the show without a problem. This makes me seriously doubt the reliability of this amp now. I always thought the guys having trouble with them just had "lemons", mine wasn't a "lemon". Anyway, that's strike one. Got a back-up for tonight. Wish me luck.


The lesson is: pros never gig without a plan "B". There have been reliability problems with some HRD amps, and there are definitely design problems that could crop up. But, any amp can blow up, I've had Marshalls, Ampegs, PTP Fenders do it at gigs. Most of the Hot Rod problems are bad solder joints at the tube sockets, 5 watt cement resistors in the +/- 16v supply, and the older plastic input jacks. If you replace the resistors with more air space between the resistor and the circuit board, and replace the input jacks with the newer metal ones, many problems will be avoided.

One thing I've done which has helped reliablity problems cost me $7: I bought a small fan and place it behind my amp at all gigs. It really helps keep the amp from overheating and most tube amp problems are heat related.

I know '63 Supro hates his amp(everyone else knows it too), but I've gigged with 2 different ones for years and haven't had any major problems.


Yep, friends don't let friends buy th Hot Rod Series. :wink:


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Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 7:56 am
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I love mine, but I don't take it on gig's much. It doesn't get jounced around. I would not be afraid to do so as long as I was the one moving it from place to place.

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Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 6:30 pm
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I bought a Hot Rod Deluxe U.S.A. from Musicians Friend about 2000. My first gig it quit 2 hours into it, thank fully on the last song. The Fender certified repair shop replaced some resistors near the Tubes they always found to be a problem and re-soldered the sockets , inputs and "other" and replaced the original power tubes with Sovtek 5881. Is been fine.
My original 1974 Princeton Reverb never quit, after 35 years,I sent it to be gone over. The original speaker always sucked and I always plugged into another old brown open back Fender 12" extention cabinet I bought empty in the 70's and put a speaker out of a Ampeg v4 cab.
Not sure what speaker I will buy for it, Copperhead, Ragin Cajun or Reissue Jensen 10" ceramic.


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