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Post subject: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 8:51 am
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I have ordered a HRD lll. Even though a bass player primarily, I love my guitars and decided to get a respectable Fender tube amp. MY SCX2 may still function as my daily practice amp, but having the fully monty, tube-wise, has appealed to me. Reading fender forums are provocative as for as gear acquisition goes. FMIC definitely knows this. :lol:

I got an FSR model that is wine/vanilla two tone and it come loaded with a C Rex speaker. As a bass player my tastes for tone may run a little darker than that of a lead guitar player. After hearing my SCX2 running through my small 820H speaker I knew I had to run my sound through hemp cones. Music sounds different transduced by this material and I find it very pleasing to the ear.

My amp might be here by Monday. Until then, here is a pic I pulled off of the web from my purchase.

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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 10:07 am
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Good luck Modwiz with the HRDIII I am thinking of putting the C Rex in my HRD version II (I think) I have had it since about 2003. Look for How to BIAS videos @ http://www.eurotubes.com/ It is super simple to do, amp can stay in cab only remove the back cover and BIAS away. I set mine pretty near Fender recommendations but I did put in JJ tubes. I have the hi gain gold pin pre amp tubes, and hot power tubes but I set the BIAS at about 72 MV which is near what Fender recommends. I used to set it higher but the tubes wear out sooner, I get the anti rattle tubes and the Eurotubes anti rattle rings. Been playing this set for several years not a rattle in the amp so far.

One thing I do is put a volume box in the effects loop to mitigate the volume as the older HRD has a clean channel pot that give too much volume too soon and it is almost impossible to get the gain set at lower volumes. I think they fixed that in the III.

Although I am primarily a lead player (never having played bass at all) I also like a darker tone. So the C Rex seems like a good choice. Currently I have an Eminence Tonespotter in my HRD with a Weber Beam Blocker in front of the speaker and it does sound awesome at all volume levels, but I think the bass side of the guitar will sound a bit crisper with a hemp cone.

One caution however the hemp cone speakers need some break in to get the best tone out of them my Lil Buddy in the SCX2 needed a session at higher volumes and lots of bass to break in correctly so push the Lil Buddy and the C Rex a bit before you judge.....

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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 10:30 am
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I appreciate the tips DBM. Thank you.

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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 3:20 pm
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desertbluesman wrote:
...the older HRD has a clean channel pot that give too much volume too soon and it is almost impossible to get the gain set at lower volumes. I think they fixed that in the III....


There is no gain setting on the clean channel, and the Volume pot is the same audio taper pot in all HRDlx versions, as it always has been. The Master was a linear taper pot in the versions I and II, and that is the pot that was changed in the version III. The Master is for the drive channel, not the clean channel. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 3:26 pm
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modwiz wrote:
I have ordered a HRD lll....


Congrats modwiz! That is such a nice looking amp, I had to post the picture again. :D I'm sure you will give a review when you receive that bad boy.

Image

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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 3:40 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
desertbluesman wrote:
...the older HRD has a clean channel pot that give too much volume too soon and it is almost impossible to get the gain set at lower volumes. I think they fixed that in the III....


There is no gain setting on the clean channel, and the Volume pot is the same audio taper pot in all HRDlx versions, as it always has been. The Master was a linear taper pot in the versions I and II, and that is the pot that was changed in the version III. The Master is for the drive channel, not the clean channel. :wink:


The master was changed from a linear to an audio taper to satisfy those people who don't know how a master volume amp is supposed to be used. Fender had it correct (linear pot) in the first place.

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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 3:57 pm
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:lol:

Not only don't know how to use it, but don't know on which channel it is used. :?

I have no problem with mine. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 11:33 pm
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Congrats. Very nice. :D


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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 4:29 am
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desertbluesman wrote:
One caution however the hemp cone speakers need some break in to get the best tone out of them my Lil Buddy in the SCX2 needed a session at higher volumes and lots of bass to break in correctly so push the Lil Buddy and the C Rex a bit before you judge.....


In regard to the breaking in I did something that may not meet with approval. Amazon had a used lil buddy in their warehouse with no provisos about not being able to return it. I hope this speaker has had a good thrashing, LOL. As long as the speaker has not been abused, I look forward to saving money on a speaker that is ready to offer the sound I am looking for.

The C Rex in the HRD is another story. I rent a room from friends. We have a studio here and play in it regularly. One of the homeowners is a drummer who plays guitar. I gave him free use of all my guitars and asked him to please use my amp. He tends to like crunchy kind of guitar with a lot of bottom. I have a Emi 820 hemp cone speaker in my Bug V5. So I have heard it change over time. My lighter guitar playing made breaking it in a lengthy process.

I see more people catching onto to the richness and musicality of hemp fibers compared with paper. I am not calling paper unmusical but, the longer fibers of hemp do open up speakers for greater resonance, IMO.

Thanks for sharing. :D

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(Telecaster, Jaguar, Villager 12 String. Mustang l, Bronco, SCX2, Rumble 350, HRDIII, Rumble 2x8 Neo Cab)
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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 4:47 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
desertbluesman wrote:
...the older HRD has a clean channel pot that give too much volume too soon and it is almost impossible to get the gain set at lower volumes. I think they fixed that in the III....


There is no gain setting on the clean channel, and the Volume pot is the same audio taper pot in all HRDlx versions, as it always has been. The Master was a linear taper pot in the versions I and II, and that is the pot that was changed in the version III. The Master is for the drive channel, not the clean channel. :wink:


Yeah, of course I understand the control situation of my HRD, I know that all the clean channel has is a volume control. I never use the overdrive channel on my HRD. I use tube distortion stomps for my overdrive in front of the clean channel both of which have extensive tonal control. I just set the HRD tone controls to suit my clean tone taste, and then set the tube overdrive stomp tone controls to suit my taste. Every once in a while I do try the on board overdrive channel but it does not quite live up to what I want for overdrive sounds, at least at my living room volumes. Long ago I did play out with the amp, and used the on board overdrive channel and it rocked at band levels.

All that said I like the tone I get from mine more than the 4 boogies I have owned the Marshall Plexi I owned back when, and any number of Fenders, Peaveys, Music Man, and other forgettable amps I have owned since 1964.

The one Fender amp I miss big time was a Deluxe sized channel switching amp called a Fender 30. It was all tube had 2 channels, it rocked the house down. I sold it when I got my first Boogie a Mark II C+. I don't miss the Boogie but I sure do miss that Fender 30.

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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 6:43 pm
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Have you tried some lower gain preamp/PI tubes? Using lower gain tubes can improve the sound of the drive channel. I use a 5751 in V1 and a 12AT7 in V3 (PI), while keeping a 12AX7 in V2. The same as you, I didn't use the drive channel much, until I tried some lower gain tubes, now it has very nice drive. Some people even put a 12AY7 in V1, and maybe even a lower gain tube, such as a 5751, in V2.

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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 11:00 pm
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I am getting a lot of useful information from the discussion happening here. Thanks guys. :D

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http://www.reverbnation.com/modwiz


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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 6:06 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
Have you tried some lower gain preamp/PI tubes? Using lower gain tubes can improve the sound of the drive channel. I use a 5751 in V1 and a 12AT7 in V3 (PI), while keeping a 12AX7 in V2. The same as you, I didn't use the drive channel much, until I tried some lower gain tubes, now it has very nice drive. Some people even put a 12AY7 in V1, and maybe even a lower gain tube, such as a 5751, in V2.


I have not tried any low gain preamp tubes in fact, I use JJ hi gain 12AX7's with gold pins, if I was not satisfied with my tube distortion stomps of course I would try anything. The drive channel on my HRD sounds great at high volumes truthfully once you get the power tubes crankin. Since I am older (71 Yrs old) and do not play out anymore, I just sit at home and pluck away at much lower volumes, and for that I am set.

But the low gain preamp tubes is a good suggestion, thanks for the heads up.

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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 7:09 pm
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Hi modwiz and congrats on joining the HRD family!

I did what shimmilou suggested with my HRD and the lower gain tubes make a remarkable difference. It's "almost" like a new amp: tamer, cleaner drive, and more "Bluesy".

Enjoy!

Cheers!
BM

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Post subject: Re: NAD HotRodDeluxe III
Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 11:23 am
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Bluer Monkey wrote:
Hi modwiz and congrats on joining the HRD family!

I did what shimmilou suggested with my HRD and the lower gain tubes make a remarkable difference. It's "almost" like a new amp: tamer, cleaner drive, and more "Bluesy".

Enjoy!

Cheers!
BM


Thanks.I am in the process of putting an order together based on Shimmilou's post. I have no doubt it is a very good suggestion. :D

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http://www.reverbnation.com/modwiz


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