All user reviews for the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe

I purchased this amp to replace other gear that got stole. I got it at a music store here in town. I tried out several different amps before deciding on this one. The price and the fact that it was a tube amp put it at the top of the list. It had a list price of 579.95 but I got it for 475.00.

The amp has 3 channels and the 1st channel is clean up above 8 and that is way loud. It is a 40 watt amp but it is more than enough. The drive and more drive channels are extra nice.

This unit has reverb but not tube reverb and over 2 or three it stops sounding good.
Other than that I find it to be great. Unless you want it for metal.

40 watt tube amp with 1 12" speaker. Two 6L6 power tubes. It has chicken head knobs on the top with a sturdy case.

A good looking package and a solid performer. I had this one for 5 years and never had a problem and it stills sounds great.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Guitar Center, Seattle-WA USA $550.00

Really great tube one for not a lot of money.

first of all i want to say i loved this amp. However, I have been banging my head against a wall trying to solve a rattling problem for weeks. I checked the cab, I checked the speaker, I checked every tube. Finally, I took it to a authorized fender repair center and found out something in the chassis is rattling. I have now had the amp in the repair center for a week with no word as to whether or not it is covered by warranty and nothing has been done. I bought this amp less than nine months ago and fender has basically told me they can do nothing until they are told what failed by the tech. The problem is that there are two (yes that's right two) fender authorized service centers in Seattle, WA....not exactly the boonies right? and they are both booked and can't look at the amp for several weeks. The point I am making is that if this amp fails on you (p.s. I bought a telecaster a year ago and the neck warped within a year.) then good luck getting it fixed in a timely manner. Get a backup and make sure it works. I just spent several hundred dollars on a new amp to get me through the next couple of gigs because fender obviously didn't care about me as a person one bit. By the way, I called fender, sat on hold for twenty minutes and was told they can't do anything until the tech looks at it.

Also, there are only 3 (Yep count em 3) customer care reps for fender in the united states. This according to Ray in customer care at Fender who, might I ad, was very unhelpful. I don't mean to sound like a sourpuss...I just expected better...Really I did!!!!



see above

buyer beware

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I don't own this amp, but I would kill a man to get one. We were playing at a jazz competetion when our guitar player plugged in and started showing off. He sucks, but his amp is a really good Line 6 model. Another guitar player came over and started playing his Fender amp.

I had never really been a contact with a tube amp. I knew they were good, but WOW! It almost sounded like the Line 6 was dead and the Fender was dancing. Tubes kick ass! I don't think the amp has good distortion for heavy rock, but for a clean channel solo that cuts through the mix, I've never heard it done so well.

I probably wouldn't buy one of these because I play some modern rock with higher gain than the Fender puts out, but I still have to give this amp credit. I'm planning to pick up a Behringer Vintager AC112. It has a tube and auxillary with some distortion controls. It should give me more of what I need. In a perfect world, I would love to play a high gain Marshall or Mesa Boogie for heavy chords, yet occaisonally switch over to a sweet singing amp like the Fender for solos, but I'll probably just keep dreaming.

Not really sure. Don't own it.

Although the kid playing it wasn't anything to right to Ripley about, the amp was definitely pretty sweet. It sells for like 500 bucks, which is more than I want to spend. But nevertheless, this amp is one of the best sounding things I've ever heard. (I've played and listened to Crates, Marshalls, Line 6's, and other top notch names.)

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Searching for a replacement amp (previous amp - different brand - too much background hiss). I spent time researching what I wanted and then visited a number of stores to see and hear these models.

Right from the start I liked the sound of the Hotrod deluxe but waited until I was sure about buying.

Paid $2000(AUS) at my local store where I buy a lot of gear. Which was a good price by standards here in Perth.



Beautiful sound. Clear and sparkling on 'normal' channel. But can add plenty of overdrive using second channel or 'more drive' selector. And I use Boss effects to create as much embellishment as I like.

Reverb and presence knobs work well.

Some reviewers have complained about sensitivity of the volume controls, but I don't agree.There seems to be fairly smooth increases in volume as the knobs are rotated. The only thing I notice is that the amp can get very loud indeed for its rated power.

Nothing so far.

Solidly built. Best looking amp.

Great having the controls on top.

No problems with reliability so far.

Excellent clear sound. Beautifully quiet unless you strike a note (no background hiss). No hesitation recommending this quality product.

And if the resulting beauty goes some way towards calming ill will in the world then that is a good thing.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this Fender Hot Rod Deluxe from Musicians Friend about 2 months ago for $429 (in the dent & scratch section). I already had a 4x10 Blues Deville in Tweed. Since the Deville weights a ton, and in most of the gigs that I play with my band I don't need the amount of power packed in the Deville, I decided to go for something smaller, but that would keep the same punch and tone of the Deville.

The Hot Rod Deluxe has essentially the same sound characteristics of its bigger brother, the Deville. Exceptional clean tones, and a bluesy fat sound in the drive channels that hooks you in the very first time you plug your guitar. The amp is smaller, lighter and easier to handle that the Deville. Also, because of the lower power (40W against 60W of the Deville), you can extract the most beaultiful tone of the tubes (with the volume around 5) at a decent bandwise volume, without becoming deaf (if you like your eardrums, don't do that with the Deville - I never set the volume higher than 3). And the cream colored blonde tolex is one of the coolest things you'll see in guitar amps.

I had a negative surprise when I saw the "Made in Mexico" label in the back of the amp. Apparently Fender moved all the production of the Hot Rod Amps to Mexico. Putting aside any sort of prejudice, I figured that the crafting quality of the amp hasn't been reduced. I coudn't see any production flaws, as we typically see in "Made in Mexico" Fender guitars. The dust cover would be much nicer if it would be brown (as in the old Blues Devilles and Deluxes from the early nineties) instead of the black that comes with the amp. That is because all the details are brown (the handler, the grill cloth).

Good construcion. It is made of plywood, but the tolex hides completely the low grade of the wood. Anyway, nowadays solid wood amps cost a fortune.

Good purchase. Worth the bucks.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

bought from musicians friend for 499.great deal couldnt pass on this

This tube 40 watt amp is loud.I wasnt sure if 40 watts was enough watts but it is more than enough.Clean channel is very good,bright switch is a useful feature with my rickenbacker,nice vintage tone.I bought the tan color with oxblood cloth.It is a work of art.Excellent controls.Drive channel is good,but the clean channel is what makes this amp.

This is a tough one.Not much that i dont like.I have read reviews about the crapp speaker,but it sound very good.I was considering replacing the speaker but the emminence 12 sounds great.Maybe the older units had a different speaker.

Built like a brick.quality is excellent.this amp is heavier than i thought,which is good.Amp came with cover and footswitch.I tried my digitech effects pedal with the amp and it sure sounds better especially the texas blues and the overdrive settings.I think using this tube amp with the effects is the best of both worlds.

BOTTOM LINE great tube amp,excellent fender quality,best bang for the buck.I had to choose between a carvin nomad and this amp.both are very similar.I dont think you could go wrong on either.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought it in a loca music store, in Norway, where I live, for about 8000 Kroner, which is the same as 900US$.

This amp really has a stunning amount of power! I've played at stages outside using only a third of it's capacity! The reverb is also remarkable, and the clean sound is unbelieveable.

The knobs on this thing is WAY too sensitive...At least at the lowest levels, which make me a bit of problems when I want it to whisper in my bedroom at nights. This is not a big problem though, more a little annoying thing that seem to bother me.

The other thing about this unit is that it doesn't sound good with many distortion units...This has caused problems for me when using e.g. the Big Muff Pi, or the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone. The built in drive-channel of course gives you warm overdrive-sound, but it doesn't give enough if you'll play hard-rock! I think the problem with dist-units is that it colours the sound too much in the preamp-tubes, and you end up with a bit unsatisfying distorted sound.

The Deluxe is made of good quality wood,and is really good put together. The DogBone handle is also nice and sturdy, but this is a heavy piece of equipment for a small guy like me...(25 kg) It has to be mentioned that this is a tube-amp, and therefore it will have to be cared for, and not be roughly treated.

A nice guitar amp of supreme quality,but if you want the metal-distortion, you MAY struggle a bit. (unless you're an effects-expert)

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Bought at Guitar Center, San Jose. I paid $400 out the door on a blow out sale. I wanted to move up to a tube amp and this was one of the models I was considering. I also considered a Blues Jr. But at the price this was a step up for only a few dollars more.

I love this unit. I has brought out some sweet sounds out of my Strat. Before I was using a Peavey solid state unit. That sounds muddled compared to the depth that the Hot ROd Deluxe delivers. The drive channels are great for heavy sounding guitars. But if you are into Blues, or classic rock, well... this is the unit. It is fairly protable, and with the top mounted control knobs, easy to change ont he fly.

Nothing.

Quality is good. construction seems fine.

Buy it. Good value for the money

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Guitar Center. Paid $400 new on a blow out sale.

Eerything. The sound of a tube amp is sweet. Clean sound, Plenty of power for home or small club jamming. Top mounted easy to use controls. Great value. But at $16 more than the price of the Blues Jr. It became no decision. This is a great amp.

Maybe a touch more sensitive controls.

Great build quality. Solid unit. It weighs 45lbs. enough to move around, but not everyday.

I considered the Peavey classic 30 and the Carvin 50 watt amps. The decision was made on price - unbelieveable at $400, but now that I have played this, I would buy it at retail $575 because it is worth it.

One other factor in buying the fender unit was a local dealer vs. buying direct. I did not want to deal with shipping a unit back and forth if something went wrong.

The top mounted controls make adjustments very easy vs. face controls. I hate kneeling down to make changes. This is a much better way, unless you plan on stacking a large cabinet under it.


This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Bought it new, paid $559.00, which to me is a steal for any tube amp.I was looking for a good clean amp, distortion can be bought in a box.

The best clean sound I have ever heard. This amp finally gives my strat the ability to show its real tone.The look of the amp is excellent and the controls with the the drive and more drive give me plenty of growl.I noticed that you have to run the volume at around "3" to get the true tone of the amp.My amp is being mic'd so there is no need for anything else but what this amp has to give.

Whats not to like about it

Top notch workmanship visually appealing, and of course its a Fender so you know your getting the best.

If you are looking for a great clean sound and you don't need heavy distortion but like that vintage crunch this is the amp for you. I just wish I had the cash to get another so i can run stereo.I play mostly classic rock with some blues and this amp is just what I needed. Bottom line is, that if God played guitar he would play through this amp.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I purchased a used Fender Hot Rod Deluxe at the Big Noise in WI for $400. It was highly recommended to me for jazz and blues.

The look of the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe is classic. Tolex covering and a beautiful grey grille cloth gave the amp a classic vintage Fender look. The knobs are mounted on the top of the amp with chrome plating. The amp has your standard fare for controls. Some unique features included the bright setting for the clean channel, and the presence knob to adjust the overall harshness of the amp. The Fender reverb is wonderful, even though it's not tube reverb. The drive channel is good for a bluesy overdrive and has a great 20dB boost in the more drive setting, but wouldn't do well in a modern rock situation. The amp sounds really smooth for blues or jazz in the clean channel, which is the amp's selling point. It produces a decent amount of headroom for gigs at the local coffee shops and bars, but will break up at any volumes higher than that. This is good for blues, but not so good for jazz. The amp produces quality tube tone that you hear on many blues recordings. It is more versatile than other Fender amps because of its great drive channels.

Not enough headroom for jazz players. The weight is not as bad as some, but still heavy at around 40lb.

I always heard that Fender amps are built really well. I had also heard that tube amps are very unreliable. I've been gigging with mine for the past year, 2-3 times a week occasionally, and it hasn't had ANY problems. One night it fell out of the back of our drummer's van. I thought the chasis would be smashed, and tubes broken. I found only a small scuff in the corner. Amazing durability.

This amp is Fender's best value for the money. Perfect for jazz and blues out of the box. Although jazzers may want to look to the larger version Hot Rod Devilles, for most this will do the trick. I'd buy this amp again in a heartbeat.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this amp from Guitar Center with a price quote for $475.00. I need a loud amp with a good clean sound that wasn't expensive.

This amp is awesome. It's definitely loud enough for most clubs and rooms, such as churches, small to medium venues, and especially houses. The clean sound is among the best amps out there, and I have yet to find an amp even twice as expensive with such a nice sound. The distorted channels are excellent for light distortion or semi-hard rock stuff. The reverb on this amp is superb also, you can get ALOT.

The distorted channels do not take the place of, say, a metal zone (which I also use). They are far from good for playing stuff like punk rock or metal. Also, the amp has a tendency to shake if you don't place it well. For example, when my band is playing, it sits on the floor and shakes because the presence is too high during distortion or light distortion.
Finally, the speaker isn't the absolute best, but it's definitely satisfactory.


This amp is built pretty well; I haven't come across any problems with quality or construction yet.

Overall, this amp rules. Just don't rely on it for heaviness, because it's really just about the best clean amp for its price, and when combined with a nice preamp or stomp box can make an awesome distortion.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Three years ago, Musicians Friend, 459.00 plus shipping.
I was looking for a Tube Amp, I like Fender, this amps size and features had the most appeal.

The Clean channel is excellent. I love to crank it right up, especially. The drive channel is also just fine with me, I like the overdrive this amp produces, and it's a range is very good. The More Drive channel is also fun, a little finicky.. but that's what MORE means, sometimes.
I have no complaints about construction, the cover and footswitch came with it, the in and out patches are great, it has both a bright switch and a presense knob, you can switch channels at the amp or at the footswitch, the reverb-though not Fenders best-is useful and does suit the amp in a way.
I play a lot of rock and blues with this amp, and sometimes fingerpick electric as well, and just don't have any complaint. I love it cranked up the best. But I find the drive channel is still damned good without getting into the power tubes, if need be.


I'd be happy if Fender at least offered a custom speaker with this amp. Though I have no real complaint about the stock speaker, it's not exemplary. The amp deserves another choice.
I'd be real happy with real tube reverb, and tremolo.. but I dont' know.. that's another price range, too.


As mentioned above, very good throughout. I suppose you could loosen a screw or two with hard road use and little care. I wouldn't.


If I buy another amp, it will be hard for me to not make it a Hot Rod Deluxe. I'm happy enough with this amp, and accustomed enough, that that's where I get first wood, if not last... stereo hot rod deluxe's.


This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I do not repeat these specificities.

Note: It is far too powerful, making it unusable in an apartment (except with a very soft, as it does not heat), and it easily covers a group spent the 4 / 12.

So I took a power attenuator VHM (200 € with shipping costs). And there's really a great amp, it draws the best anywhere.

So 8 / 10 for the need to reinvest back.

UTILIZATION

See previous.

Manual clear.

Once mounted on the VHM is most excellent, warm, clear, slightly crunchy (depending on how it sets the attenuator) ideal for almost any style, with a good distortion (blackstar distX) you can even get out of the sounds metal type, although this is not that he is more comfortable.

SOUNDS

Played with a stratovolcano majority, nickel for it.

Versatile enough we get all kinds of sounds, with some good pedals.

The sound is pure amazing.

OVERALL OPINION

I have for nearly three years.
I tried a lot of things before you buy.

Most: the sound, versatility, overall quality, power.

Cons: the overflow of power, unusable at low volume, price + reinvested

With the experience I remake that choice unless the Fender came in at € 500 20w, there'd be a perfect compromise.