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Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
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Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
albou albou

«  Hmm ... »

Published on 03/26/13 at 10:38
Value For Money : Poor
40W all-tube amp Fender.
1 speaker of the same brand, three 12AX7 preamp tubes and two 6L6.
3 channels: Normal, Drive and More Drive plus a bright button to make the sound more brilliant and typed "lamp".
Level knobs and others were left to right:
- 2 input jacks
- Volume (clean), Drive (drive channel gain and more), Treble, Bass, Middle, Master (which is incredibly misnomer since it is the drive channel volume), Reverb and Presence (setting the brightness of the sound).
- Input and output effects loop and finally the footswitch! (Phew ...)

Finally, an output for external speaker well hidden inside the box.
Provided a sign that despite the unorthodox arrangement regarding adjusting the knobs crunch but we made it.

UTILIZATION

It's pretty easy to take in hand, one branch is heated lamps we disable standby and made his settings!
Not really need the manual if you have ever been faced with an amp, especially a tube amp.
The sound generated is quite large and brilliant, as one might expect from a Fender.
However, the knobs go to 12, including two volumes which is totally useless because it gets too dirty and loud even clean above 7-8. Despite this, there was a clear and quite usable without the need to replant with a sound below this threshold.
In short, easy operation and ample power as we do not play at the Parc des Princes.

SOUNDS

Here we talk about the subject that is debatable.
I thought it would correspond to my style and this was the case until I turn the drive channel ... we will return.
The clean channel is really good, it can modulate many ways, with the 3-band EQ, presence of the knob, the knob reverb and bright. However, be careful not to shine too if you use a guitar with single coil pickups (strat or tele) because the sound is too fast and slamming it is truly unbearable.
I had heard great things about the reverb and I was extremely disappointed even bottom, it is an accessory to make the sound a bit further (and I stress the hair!). Reverb frankly overrated and useless even if the sound quality is undeniable came out.
Drive channel is the BIG black point of this amp. Drive by activating it disillusioned. A cold and messy to drive possible, even if you want the sound slightly cruncher you lose quality. Unusable!
I prefer not to talk about the More Drive is at the "famous" Marshall MG.
You'll understand that this is the level amp transistors!
One might think that just put the pedal to compensate for this loss, but no. The distos too hard are literally screaming amp and you soon realize his mistake.

To close the chapter of his HRD, do not bother to change the channel or hope to play a style of music too Hard it will not work. However you can always put a Tube Screamer overdrive kind of effects loop channel always clear: the result should be excellent.

But ... OCCAZ € 600 for something that I did not approximate point would have more seriously and I hope they raised the quality of the new version because € 800 nine "it" ... in short ...

OVERALL OPINION

To conclude, a well designed amp but way overpriced for the alleged qualities it offers. Clear sound to fall but the effect pedals that will sooner or later be added to the Fender Hot Rod will increase the overall price and ultimately fall back on as another model.

A sacred disappointment given the reputation of the brand and when I exchanged against a Vox AC15 better!