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Post subject: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 8:51 am
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Hey there

First post. Anyway I'm looking to buy a new tube amp (trying to stay around the 700-800 range) and I was pretty set on the HRD III 40W. However, I've been reading mixed reviews and I was looking around at different models. I'm totally lost as to which fender amp is the best one for me. I play an American Strat and an Epiphone ES 355, both stock. My pedals include an Electroharmonix Double Muff distortion, MXR Phase 90, and a cry baby. I'm thinking about using the Boss Ds-1 distortion pedal purely for a boost, but I haven't looked into that yet.


I've been playing for about 12 years now. Been in bands since forever - some $@!&#* ones, some good ones. My band now plays covers and some originals - Alternative Rock, Classic Rock, some more funky stuff (think Black Keys, Foo Fighters, Gary Clark Jr.,)

I want something that'll sound good if I crank up my pedals or the gain on the amp (or a mix of both), but I don't wanna lose too much tone and signal (that's what solid state's are for). I also want something that'll work well if i pull back and play clean (which I've heard the hot rod deluxe is good for). Finally, I want something that'll work well with humbuckers and single coils. It's a tall order, I know :)

Any help/guidance would be much appreciated.


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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 10:37 am
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If you're gigging, A used Deluxe Reverb Reissue. :wink: I would actually save a little more money and get maybe a SF Deluxe Reverb or possibly a SF Bandmaster or Super Reverb. The new stuff is pretty disposable. Like I've said a million times, I'm disgusted with the quality of the new stuff so I now build my own amps.

You can tinker with the HRDlx, but stock, it really doesn't have that much really clean headroom. At least mine didn't. I went the tube change route but finally dumped it due to severs reliability issues. Some people never have a problem mine was plagued with them. There are better amps out there for the money.

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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 10:54 am
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You'll have to try a bunch of them. In my experience, you can't really say that any amp will sound like _____ because even the same models from the same years tend to sound different.

For that budget, you have some options, so take time and find one that speaks to ya! :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 11:29 am
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Thanks for your opinions

what about his guy? http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifie ... -combo-amp

will it scream sufficiently with my pedals? It's got the 6L6's, which is what I hear helps get closer to the 'Fender' tone.

Better/Worse than the HRDIII? I know I will have to just sit down and try them out, but just in case my shop doesn't carry one or the other, your opinions have been helpful thus far.


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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 11:43 am
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Is there someplace around you where you can try them out.
I'd run the gamut and try them all. Personally, in a lower priced amp the Peavy Classic 30 and Delta Blues are really nice and seriously reliable and I believe they are still built in the USA. Great amps with a proven track record. David Bromberg was sitting in with a local band in my area and used the Classic 30 with a Tele and he sounded amazing.

I guess you can tell my Hrdlx left a bad taste in my mouth. It was the first Fender amp to fail on me since 1965. I don't have much love for any of the Hrd series. Look at a Bassman reissue. Forty watts of really tasty tones. :wink:

Another nice amp is Jet City. Soldano designed and well built.

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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 1:32 pm
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63supro wrote:
There are better amps out there for the money.


+1000

MUCH BETTER!

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 1:38 pm
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wameser@gmail.com wrote:
Thanks for your opinions

what about his guy? http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifie ... -combo-amp

will it scream sufficiently with my pedals? It's got the 6L6's, which is what I hear helps get closer to the 'Fender' tone.

Better/Worse than the HRDIII? I know I will have to just sit down and try them out, but just in case my shop doesn't carry one or the other, your opinions have been helpful thus far.



Lot's of amps use 6L6 power tubes. Nothing in the HRD series will give you that "Classic" Fender sound. It's more of the "New" Fender sound that isn't much different from a lot of other sounds.
If you want what's referred to the "Classic Fender" sound, The 6v6 powered amps deliver the goods too but in the Blackface and Tweed versions of the amp. The Tweed Deluxe has 6v6 as well as the Deluxe Reverb. You won't get much more "Classic" than that. On the higher wattage end you have the Bandmaster (not the VM series though), Super Reverb, and The Twin Reverb.

You can actually pick up a used SF Twin in your price range and have a killer amp. It's real clean and 100 watts. I lugged one around for 30+ years. Tweed and NOS on the newer Blues Deluxe and other HRD series amps mean nothing. It's just marketing hype. When you talk Tweed in the older sense like the 5e3 Tweed Deluxe, Fender Champ 5f1, Basssman and the old 20 some watt Bandmaster, that's the real deal.

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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 4:08 pm
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63supro wrote:
Tweed and NOS on the newer Blues Deluxe and other HRD series amps mean nothing. It's just marketing hype.


......And marketing is job one.

Years ago, car sheisters used to use the phrase "sizzle, not steak" when relating to one another over a beer how they foisted an entry-level POS laden with "dealer pack" on some unsuspecting sap, pocketing hundreds of dollars in sales commissions for meaningless options based on nothing but hype.

:mrgreen:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 4:34 pm
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I would look for a twin reverb they can do it all and have do clean like its supposed to be done with all the power you will ever need. That's my next amp


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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 5:35 am
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tbazzone wrote:
I would look for a twin reverb they can do it all and have do clean like its supposed to be done with all the power you will ever need. That's my next amp


Make sure you get a truss and a back brace. :lol:
I reluctantly sold mine after 30+ years of great service because it was overkill for almost every situation. Too loud, and any distortion needed to come from pedals. But, when I bought it in 1976' PA systems were pretty bad unless you had some major bucks laying around. I no longer gig as much as I used to and the venues are way smaller now. If you play large places and really large stages, it's great, but for a bar it doesn't work that well. I was always bringing told to turn it down and I was only running it on maybe three on the volume dial. For most bars and smaller clubs 20 watts is fine. Outdoor gigs, the Twin is awesome. Ymmv

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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 5:36 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
63supro wrote:
Tweed and NOS on the newer Blues Deluxe and other HRD series amps mean nothing. It's just marketing hype.


......And marketing is job one.

Years ago, car sheisters used to use the phrase "sizzle, not steak" when relating to one another over a beer how they foisted an entry-level POS laden with "dealer pack" on some unsuspecting sap, pocketing hundreds of dollars in sales commissions for meaningless options based on nothing but hype.

:mrgreen:

Arjay


Remember undercoating? :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:34 am
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Indeed. Thirty bucks worth of materials, three-hundred dollar upcharge.

:shock:

Fabric treatment -- twenty bucks worth of Scotch Guard for two hundred dollars.

How about $325 for "dealer prep"? That's where they pay the lot boys $8.50 an hour to hose the car down after they unload it from the truck then put the hubcaps on.

Where they really made some "folding money" was on extended warranties -- about a thousand percent profit margin.

Ah yes, the halcyon days of "dealer pack".

:lol:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 9:55 pm
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wameser@gmail.com wrote:
Thanks for your opinions

what about his guy? http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifie ... -combo-amp

will it scream sufficiently with my pedals? It's got the 6L6's, which is what I hear helps get closer to the 'Fender' tone.

Better/Worse than the HRDIII? I know I will have to just sit down and try them out, but just in case my shop doesn't carry one or the other, your opinions have been helpful thus far.


I have had a BDRI for several years and it has been a great amp. It is a little warmer sounding than the traditional Fender clean, but sounds real good clean. It is a good all round amp, takes pedals well, etc.

For clean Fender you might think of Hodrod Deluxe or Blues Jr.

Listen on utube if you don't have access to them. Have fun. Good luck. :D


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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Sat Jun 29, 2013 4:45 am
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+1 on the HRDlx or BDlx.

The BDlx for good clean and bluesy drive, the HRDlx for good clean and more edgy drive. The drive channel in the HRDlx can sound good with some lower gain preamp/PI tubes installed. In fact, both amps can benefit from lower gain tubes. Both amps take pedals well, and sound good with single-coils and hum-buckers.

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Post subject: Re: Buying a tube combo
Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 6:31 am
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I would consider checking out a VOX AC15C1. I think it might do the Foo Fighter and The Black Keys thing a little better than say a '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue. IMHO the '65 Deluxe Reverb is the wrong amp of choice if you want want the pseudo retro rock sound that is popular. I also don't mean that in a bad way. :wink: If you get something like a '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue I would think you are going after something more along the line of The Smiths or Eric Johnson. Very clean with just enough headroom. The Hot Rod Deluxe III would be much better if you want a channel switching amp but need more watts than the VOX AC15C1. The Hot Rod Deluxe III is a LOUD amp and I mean it.


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