It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:29 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 102 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Go to page Previous  1 ... 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Author Message
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 6:53 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 10:53 pm
Posts: 1467
Location: deep down in Florida...
Unadan wrote:
I find it interesting that some players "wouldn't take an HRD" if it was given to them vs. other professional musicians, including notably Mark Knopfler, who regularly gig with Hot Rod Deluxe amps. To each his own I guess. I hear the same arguments over at TGP about those that "wouldn't get caught dead" using a Boss pedal on their board when numerous high quality musicians build them into their rigs regularly. There is no right answer. There is only what's right for you. :)

Knopfler plays a few other amps as well, WAY more expensive (Tone King) than a HRD... just cause he plugged into one a few times doesn't mean he gigs regularly with them. Back in the day with Dire Straits, when he had the best tone IMO, HRD wasn't even around :wink:

Anyways, this doesn't really matter, the average musician can only afford an amp or 2, they don't have the luxury of playing a new amp at every gig like Knopfler for example, or have a tech available to work on his amps before or after each gig. Most working musicians I know who made the mistake of owning one complained to me how the amp spent too much time in a repair shop...


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2010 7:55 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2010 12:33 am
Posts: 650
cedarblues wrote:
Unadan wrote:
I find it interesting that some players "wouldn't take an HRD" if it was given to them vs. other professional musicians, including notably Mark Knopfler, who regularly gig with Hot Rod Deluxe amps. To each his own I guess. I hear the same arguments over at TGP about those that "wouldn't get caught dead" using a Boss pedal on their board when numerous high quality musicians build them into their rigs regularly. There is no right answer. There is only what's right for you. :)

Knopfler plays a few other amps as well, WAY more expensive (Tone King) than a HRD... just cause he plugged into one a few times doesn't mean he gigs regularly with them. Back in the day with Dire Straits, when he had the best tone IMO, HRD wasn't even around :wink:

Anyways, this doesn't really matter, the average musician can only afford an amp or 2, they don't have the luxury of playing a new amp at every gig like Knopfler for example, or have a tech available to work on his amps before or after each gig. Most working musicians I know who made the mistake of owning one complained to me how the amp spent too much time in a repair shop...



I wonder how many times a repair shop simply replaced parts.
I also wonder how many HRD amps may have had their back panel removed or modified to allow for improved cooling.
I might add how many HRD's have had their tube sockets relocated.
Not many if any at all, I am guessing.
Sometimes, creatures of habit don't dare to experiment.
Sometimes, a simple solution is all that a problem needs until a real fix
is made.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:52 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
Unadan wrote:
I believe many of the issues you've raised about the HRD have been fixed or at least improved upon with version 3 of this amp - better drive tones for sure, can't comment on the reliability other than I've had no problems (knock on wood) since getting mine. As far as the DRRI goes - I tried one for an extended period a few weeks ago and thought it was nice but that its clean non-trem, non-reverb, tone was about the same as the HRD (classic Fender cleans).

I like to overdrive the amp so I tend to want, especially delay, in the loop - to my ears overdriven delayed tone sounds much better this way. Is it a necessity? - no - but I like it.

I've seen no evidence that the PCB is "better" on the DRRI vs. the HRD. In the end I'm only saying the HRD III is better FOR ME vs. a DRRI (its closest Fender competitor). Plus if I'm going DRRI I'm going for an old school handwired one which will retain its value much better than its PCB counterpart.



None of the heat related issues have been addressed in the HRDlx III. The 5 watt power resistors are still mounted to the board and the tube sockets are still poorly mounted to the board. All the resistor need is to either be lifted off the board or heat sinks be employed. It might add 5 bucks to the amp but be well worth it.

There are many different I guess you can call them "grades" for simplicities sake of PCB's. The original PCB's in the in the HRD series were thin single sided boards with no plating on the through holes. The traces were very thin and lifted very easily off the boards especially where the heat was generated from the 5 watt resistors and tube sockets. The traces would lift causing all kinds problems from as in my case, flat out failure to intermittent channel switching. The tube socket solder joints would heat and cool from normal operation and eventually turn to cold solder joints and fracture causing power related problems. The boards I've seen are from early examples of the III series. Celestion G12P-80 speaker is a great improvement over the Eminence Legend and the audio taper pots are a welcome improvement too. Sometimes I think my HRDlx rants helped prod Fender into some improvements and I'm glad. The amp has a lot of potential. There was hardly a week go by without a few people emailing me directly asking how they could repair the same problems I had with mine. I have always and will still always take the time to help if I can.

I created some decent tones with the HRDlx with some tube changes. The reliability issues did it in for me. Hopefully, the III series will be better. I've heard mixed comments on them. I think it depends on whether or not you owned the original for a reference or not. I tried the HRDlx III for a comparison and I thought the clean was a little better at lower volumes. The drive was about the same to mine after the tube change. Okay but not stellar. The HRDlx suffered from farty speaker syndrome at higher volume levels.

On a side note, many professionals gig with the back line. Sometimes it's just easier to rent amps than bring your own. I've done it myself. HRD amps are plentiful and are cheap to rent a couple in case one fails. Many times the amps are modded by their techs to make them sound better and make them more reliable and other times, the performers are under endorsement deals.

Anyway you look at it, best of luck with the new amp.

ABS, you've always been cool no matter what I rant about and it always a pleasure speaking to you on the forum.

_________________
Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 12:19 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:54 am
Posts: 500
Location: My hut in the mystic ruins swamp
63supro wrote:
An effects loop is also not a necessity to run modulation effects. Many professional people including myself ran them for decades without one.


Yeah, i run my 65'twin with all my effects infront and it works a treat. Also, the vintage reissues work so well is because if you like your distortion pedals they take them all infront and you can put whatever you want after it.

Even if you like to get natural breakup, your probably not going to want phase nor chorus nor many modulation. the only effects you really want to put behind the preamp is the time based stuff like reverb and i thing you'd get away with delay sat infront but still you already have the fender reverb in there anyway.

_________________
"Oh, it's a windy and sunny day
And I can hear the faint sound of distant waves
The past weeks have been going by so fast
It's all the same, the bright sky and shining sun
I have a feeling it's gonna be a fun day"


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 3:41 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 8:02 pm
Posts: 50
They probably don't offer more tube heads because that would take all of the joy out of tracking down that rattle.Replacing tubes,buying tube dampers,going through your cabinet & tightening down all the bolts...THAT'S where all the fun is at. :mrgreen:


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:04 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
emanym wrote:
They probably don't offer more tube heads because that would take all of the joy out of tracking down that rattle.Replacing tubes,buying tube dampers,going through your cabinet & tightening down all the bolts...THAT'S where all the fun is at. :mrgreen:


Weisenheimer!

:mrgreen:

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 10:09 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:34 pm
Posts: 164
Location: Clackamas County, OR
63supro wrote:
I think it depends on whether or not you owned the original for a reference or not. I tried the HRDlx III for a comparison and I thought the clean was a little better at lower volumes. The drive was about the same to mine after the tube change. Okay but not stellar. The HRDlx suffered from farty speaker syndrome at higher volume levels.


I think that was a great post. A very good point as to whether an HRD III owner had an older model for reference. I have never owned an HRD before so I don't have any built in bias (maybe earned) towards this amp. I think the drive tones are pretty darn good although i rarely use the "more drive" function. I stick with regular drive - drive down low and master up and it gives me a nice warm tube screamerish overdrive that sounds good with the neck pickups on my strat and tele. It may be that certain musicians drop them in as backups live - I just read an article about the main guitar player in Los Lobos - he uses a DRRI and a HR Deville in his set up.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 5:23 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
Yeah, but he also says when he travels, he rent them. Like I always said, don't get too excited when you see a headliner playing such and such an amp. Depending on the circumstances they may just be rentals or they are contractually obligated due to endorsement deals. I was at a Metal show for a friend of mine and they had all these empty prop cabinets to make the backline look huge. They didn't even have backs on the cabs, just black cloth so the light couldn't shine through. The guy was actually using some modeler through the PA.

In bigger venues, my HRDlx couldn't cut a mix at higher volumes. It was pretty frustrating at times. I think the change to Celestion speakers may help that now.

_________________
Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 1:33 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:54 am
Posts: 500
Location: My hut in the mystic ruins swamp
63supro wrote:
they had all these empty prop cabinets to make the backline look huge.


Didnt rush start doing that more recently but instead of marshall stacks they used washing machines and chicken rotisseries

Image

_________________
"Oh, it's a windy and sunny day
And I can hear the faint sound of distant waves
The past weeks have been going by so fast
It's all the same, the bright sky and shining sun
I have a feeling it's gonna be a fun day"


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 8:06 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2010 7:30 am
Posts: 14
Alright, so its been a few weeks. I took a look at my HRD and have decided I'm not going to build a head out of the amp because it would only save me 5 inches of space or height. If I relocated the tubes that would be a different story, but I'm going to do all that. So, I'm going to sale the dang amp to a buddy for $400. Once I sale it I'll have a total of $750 for an amp fund. I'm thinking about the egnator I mentioned?


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 11:27 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:54 am
Posts: 500
Location: My hut in the mystic ruins swamp
JodyP wrote:
I'm thinking about the egnator I mentioned?


Capital choice!

Also, blackstar aint bad either, give them a look in

_________________
"Oh, it's a windy and sunny day
And I can hear the faint sound of distant waves
The past weeks have been going by so fast
It's all the same, the bright sky and shining sun
I have a feeling it's gonna be a fun day"


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 12:04 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
Big The Cat wrote:
JodyP wrote:
I'm thinking about the egnator I mentioned?


Capital choice!

Also, blackstar aint bad either, give them a look in


I can't vouch for the Rebel 30, but I did compare the 20 and 30 and preferred the voicing of the 20. That's why I have it. I run it with 2 Egnater 112 cabs. I would highly recommend the head over the combo. You usually won't have to deal with tube rattle with the head. The Egnater cabs are real nice sounding too. If you plan on using a different manufacturers cabinet I'd suggest bringing it with you to demo the amp.

My Rebel 20 has been a rock solid performer for a little over a year now.

_________________
Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 102 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Go to page Previous  1 ... 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: