I have a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. It's really too loud for the size clubs I play. As a result, I don't get to turn up the volume and take advantage of the amp's natural overdrive sounds. Is there anything I can do to reduce output to better drive the speakers?

Thanks!

I used to have that amp ^^ I never had that problem because I have to play that loud because my drummer hits the skins like they owe him money. Anyways, the answer to your question is maybe, I never tried these myself but here are some options:

1. Attentuator
2. Switch to JJ 6V6 tubes for the power section
3. Turn the amp away from the audience
4. Turn down the volume knob on your guitar and effects pedals, then adjust the amp's volume accordingly.
5. New Amp
6. Speaker Swap (get ones that break up sooner)

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Build a volume box, it's easy and cheap.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

I'm thinking you must mean Deville, not Deluxe.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Thanks everyone.

Actually, I am talking about a Deluxe, but meant 1x12. I was sitting here playing through my Matchless that is a 2x12 and fat-fingered my post. Oops.

Mike

works great, plug into fx loop, turn up master volume, use the box to lower volume through fx loop. you will get all that tube soaked tone without the amp being so loud.

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Read this: http://www.tedweber.com/atten.htm

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The quintessential sound of 60/70's R&R:
Fender Tube Amps
Gibson Guitars

Actually, the volume box may give you better control of the volume, but it is a misconception that "you will get all that tube soaked tone without the amp being so loud". The power tubes won't see the power. For the power tubes to "see" the additional power, you need an attenuator which comes after the power amplification and before the speaker.

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The quintessential sound of 60/70's R&R:
Fender Tube Amps
Gibson Guitars

I don't get it. Why wouldn't the tubes be seeing all the power? It would seem to me the tunes would be getting all the power, just the speaker wouldn't be getting all the output from the amp. Unless the fx loop reduces it some? I haven't had a lot of tubes amp.

You could also get a some yellow jacket converters that would drop the wattage some so it would break up a little earlier, but I would go with the volume box, it's also probbaly one of the cheapest to do.

Because the effects loop is located between the preamp tubes and the power tubes. The volume box is basically just another volume knob before the power tubes. The distorion you hear when using a volume box in the loop is fizzy preamp tube distortion, not juicy power tube distortion. There is no place to insert a volume box after the power tubes, hence you need an attenuator (of the correct ohms for the amp) between the output and speakers.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Ok got it thanks. That's good to know, cause I thought about getting like a peavey classic 30 and adding the volume box.

This is THE BEST site for tips and mods on taming the Hot Rod Deluxe volume: http://justinholton.com/hotrod/ It's actually the best site for ALL things Hot Rod Deluxe.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Eminence has developed a speaker with a built in attenuator,you simply rotate a bezel that encases the magnet to get your attenuation.I believe that they come in 10" and 12" sizes.There are also plans for a homemade attenuator in the August Guitar Player Mag on page 132. You can find Eminence info at www.eminence.com .

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

You won't take advantage of the natural tube distortion with a volume box in the loop. You need an attenuator.

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If memory serves me, that Eminence is expensive.
Also, I saw the same article on the BYO attenuator, but it was purely resistive. Weber advertises that their design is reactive and therefor produces a better sound. Anybody made a comparison between resistive and reactive?

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The quintessential sound of 60/70's R&R:
Fender Tube Amps
Gibson Guitars