Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

[wickenspoet]

Does that 50 watt Fender Hot Rod Deluxe have enough headroom to stay super clean for loud shows? I would use it with a pedalboard.

Also, what would be the main reason someone would choose a Fender Hot Rod DeVille instead of a Hot Rod Deluxe? Is the Deville just a bigger Deluxe?

Thanks.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

A 50 watt amp should have plenty of headroom for most players but there are too many other factors to it then just the amp.

Speakers matter, is the amp being miced, whats the guitar, etc...

Deville, Deluxe...I don't know the difference since I'm not very familar with those amps...

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

The DeVill has a bit more clean headroom at 60 watts vs 40 for the HRD. If you're going for truely super loud, you might consider a Quadraverb (Twin with 4x12s) or a Bandmaster with a 4x12 or 2x15 cab. Maybe a 135 watt ultralinear Twin with JBLs...

EDIT: Meant to say Dual Showman instead of Bandmaster.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

you can pick up twin reverb RI's all day on craigslist for like $600. If you want loud and clean that's your amp

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

The DeVill has a bit more clean headroom at 60 watts vs 40 for the HRD. If you're going for truely super loud, you might consider a Quadraverb (Twin with 4x12s) or a Bandmaster with a 4x12 or 2x15 cab. Maybe a 135 watt ultralinear Twin with JBLs...

If he's going to be super loud he should look at a 135 watt Twin or a 35 watt Bandmaster!?

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

I don't know why people persistently suggest other amps all the time instead of just giving you the information you want on the amp you're interested in. If you like the sound of HRD, which is a great sound, then get it. It's really loud and before you get the volume to where the typical club manager will complain, you still will have enough headroom to do most things. I'll try to give you a good overview of it the best I can.

Once you adjust the volume past about 4, you don't have a lot of headroom. It has more headroom than the prior version of the HRD because it comes with a speaker that doesn't breakup as fast as the old one. By 4, it's going to be very loud and probably as loud as people who gig with Blues Jr's. Between 5-6, it's going to have a really nice light distortion and it will be as loud as you're going to need it.

Even though it becomes distorted, you can pick clean chords and notes and still hear everything in crystalline detail. You still have to roll your guitar vol down to about 6 to make clean again, but after you have the amp for a while it's not going to bother you. Even though there's breakup, you get such a great sound you're going to like it that way.

I used to have the older version of the HRD and to me it was a little less transparent. The HRD III sounds more vintage to me because it's distortion is more like a tubescreamer. Even if you use an overdrive on the dirty channel, you can still hear some of the clean signal coming through. The only way around this is to use the 2nd, or high input which has less headroom than the 1st input. You get a less transparent sound so an overdrive pedal can make it sound almost brutal, but like I said, you can't just click over to the clean channel because it will have a lot more breakup.

If you play around with it enough, you're going to find your sound. The HRD's are awesome amps for the money and if you ever have to decide between getting the prior version and the HRD III, then I suggest going with the HRD III because everything about it sounds better and they've fixed some things like the sketchy volume taper that prevents you from playing it at home.

 

[TwofacePimp]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

If you really want loud and clean at gigging volumes don't buy a HR anything. They are not bad amps, they're just not designed for that. Spend the extra cash and get a twin reverb or twin, or better yet buy used. I had a HR deville for years, and it was an act of frustration trying get more clean headroom out of that thing.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

I don't know why people persistently suggest other amps all the time instead of just giving you the information you want on the amp you're interested in.

Because they're not DESIGNED to stay clean. I've owned a deluxe and a deville, gigged with both, I know what I'm talking about. A deville cranked past the point of being clean is still just barely loud enough to play a loud, vocals-only through the PA type rock show

 

[UberMetalDood]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

Because they're not DESIGNED to stay clean. I've owned a deluxe and a deville, gigged with both, I know what I'm talking about. A deville cranked past the point of being clean is still just barely loud enough to play a loud, vocals-only through the PA type rock show

You do realize we're talking about the Hot Rod Deluxe III which was designed to have more headroom than the previous HRD versions don't you? He's asking about the headroom of the HRD III (see thread title).

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

I'd say "just wait til the OP posts again and tells us how clean and how loud is really necessary".
Used Twins can be $600 But used hot rods can be $300

 

[wickenspoet]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

Hey thanks for all the info. Looking for loud enough to stay clean with a rock band that has a loud drummer.

I just assumed that Fender amps have good cleans.

I'll have to check out that recommended Twin Reverb RI.

Other amp I was looking at was a Traynor YCV.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

the deluxe is 40 watts.

and yes, thats loud as ****. put some 12at7s in and youre good

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

You mentioned a pedalboard. Are you looking for a sweet chimey clean for just playing through, or do you need a clean amp because you want to have your overdrive sounds from pedals and not have the amp get muddy?

If you wanna play dead clean with a "loud" rock drummer then I really would suggest the 60W deville, or the Twin. If you want a warm clean that will take a big boost from a pedal, the HRDx should be fine.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

loud and clean enough for a band with a loud drummer.
yep - a twin fo sho would be first choice.
Sounds great at any volume. No cabinet rattles. Best reverb period. Versatile eq. Reliable.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

I hate to say it, but my Hot Rod DeVille 212 is frustratingly clean and loud.

It's got so much headroom that I will never hear it break up on the clean channel.

It's so loud that I once knocked a Soviet satellite out of orbit by playing Black Betty with the Master on 4.

I was just about to unload it, but now that my son's older, and I'm thinking about joining / starting a new band, I couldn't live with anything else - it's "cleanliness" is so reliable, i.e. you know it's got headroom up to apocalyptic volume, that I have fallen in love with the constance of that.

HRDeluxe has a 40 watt transformer / circuit, and HRDeVille has a 60 watt transformer / circuit. I have played both and went with the DeVille, not just because of the increased headroom afforded by slightly more wattage, but because I like the way a 2x12 plays in a room better than a 1x12.

All of this is nigh irrelevant because I am talking about my '96 USA DeVille, and I hear the Series III amps are much better...at everything.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

Fun fact about these amps: once your volume is up on the clean channel, the MID knob in the EQ is almost like a gain control. First time I discovered it, I thought it was just my amp, but there are videos out there of guys showing this off.


If you can play at a rowdy volume on the clean channel, try diming the MID knob and tell me what you hear.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

I hate to say it, but my Hot Rod DeVille 212 is frustratingly clean and loud.

It's got so much headroom that I will never hear it break up on the clean channel.

It's so loud that I once knocked a Soviet satellite out of orbit by playing Black Betty with the Master on 4.

I was just about to unload it, but now that my son's older, and I'm thinking about joining / starting a new band, I couldn't live with anything else - it's "cleanliness" is so reliable, i.e. you know it's got headroom up to apocalyptic volume, that I have fallen in love with the constance of that.

HRDeluxe has a 40 watt transformer / circuit, and HRDeVille has a 60 watt transformer / circuit. I have played both and went with the DeVille, not just because of the increased headroom afforded by slightly more wattage, but because I like the way a 2x12 plays in a room better than a 1x12.

All of this is nigh irrelevant because I am talking about my '96 USA DeVille, and I hear the Series III amps are much better...at everything.

You and I have different definitions of loud. My dual showman reverb ontop of 2 4x12's loaded with wizards and swamp thangs was loud. Hell, that same rig in halfstack form was loud. A 60 watt amp designed to distort at around "4" on the volume with two not-so efficient speakers is just band practice volume

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

If he's going to be super loud he should look at a 135 watt Twin or a 35 watt Bandmaster!?

D'oh

Meant to say Dual Showman.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

dual showmans are really just twin reverbs in a head.

 

[James Rock]

Re: Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 3 loud and clean?

dual showmans are really just twin reverbs in a head.

I think that was the point,
It depends on what kinda CLEAN he wants I am player who likes clean tones but most of my cleans tones I like are ones that when you hit hard or have a high output hb start to give (VOX AC30s.) If you want crystal clean with 90% of guitars then maybe you need a twin or other 100 watt clean amp if you want warm cleans that can breakup a deville will get loud I also think 2x12 just sound nicer then 1x12s