Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Limited Edition 112 Combo

Read this review!! Enough about the clean channel sounding great and the extra gain being useless. Here's my take. If you're buying an amp to get a clean sound then buy a reissue super or twin or whatever. This amp is called a hot rod for a reason. Read sound quality!

I build my own guitars but they basically sound like tele's with humbuckers. My style ranges from heavy blues to hard rock. I,ve heard and read a million FEEBLE COMPLAINTS about the gain and extra gain channels sounding useless and fuzzy. The thing is to use your ears NOT YOUR EYES when setting your controls! The secret to great crunch out of these amps is in cranking the master volume way up all the way (if you can) and using your gain control as your master volume. At only 40 watts you can push those power tubes and really get them and the single 12" working for you. The crunch is real crunch from the v30 breaking up and the power tubes cooking rather than "fake" crunch from a 4x12 and head set up turned down with the gain up to "sound loud". Bottom line is the microphone that delivers your tone to the audience is getting huge tone. Don't undersetimate the drive channel without first trying the reverse volume thing!

My job is playing guitarand I,m constantly touring yet still don't have flight cases so my amps get tossed around quite a bit (with care). I always use 2 so if one goes down the second keeps going. They're usually cranked sothey vibrate quite a bit. Thing is I,ve never had a problem with any fender amp I,ve owned. It's a combo so treat it like you would treat a head rather than a cab.

Never needed it so can't comment.

I,ve been playing guitar for 30 years yet I ain't old. I,ve played with everyone from Randy Rampage of DOA to Bif Naked and I,ve always had the same aggressive punky blues tone regardless of what amps I used so to me to have a really arrogant tone in a small package is a godsend. The hot rod deluxe with the v30 sounds really gnarly and arrogant, like a junkyard dog thats' got somthing to prove. I got tired of showing up to gigs and touring with stacks that I could not get up loud enough to sound "loud". If you dig power tube and speaker crunch then give these little guys a try. They're called hot rods for a reason so if you're just gonna play clean like a washed up old man then plug into a pod and put on the headphones!

It's the Emerald Green model with a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker in there. I think made in 2006. I play a wide variety of styles, from instrumental to alt-country and it covers them all very well. I maybe wish it had a tremolo, but I've got an awesome trem pedal so wouldn't really need it. The clean channel is the real winner in this thing, I didn't even bother trying out the other two channels for more than a few minutes, they sound pretty bad. I just always use the clean channel and put pedals in front of it to dirty it up, works a treat. Reverb is OK, pretty heavy going and not very warm, but for what I do it works well. I'd say it's an extremely versatile amp.

I'm using it with a US Standard Telecaster and three or four boutique pedals. Basically, it really really sings and it sounds quite vintage. I tried out the standard HRD in the shop, and getting the Celestion Vintage 30 in this made it worth the extra cash. The tele is a naturally thin sounding guitar, but the Celestion picks up some nice creamy bass tones in addition to the lovely twang you get from a tele, so it's a great match. In my instrumental band I actually play a lot of "bass" parts on my tele! The distortion channels are balls though, don't even bother. Get yourself a tasty distortion pedal and stick to the clean channel. It takes a bit of volume to get it to overdrive, but you can do it if you have a drummer. It's a bloody loud amp, particularly with the Vintage 30, but it does overdrive if you push it with a hot signal at a tolerable volume.
The clean channel alone gets a 9 from me.

Always gig without a backup, never had a problem. Had it for a couple of years now and haven't needed to change the tubes yet.

Never needed the warranty so can't say.

Been playing for 10 years, this is my first "major" amp purchase. I wanted something that would give me a vintage sound without concerns about it breaking down or how it's been treated over 30 years. I'd say it does a pretty damn good job of that. The colour is cool too. It's not vintage, but if you dial in the right tone and use a good guitar with it, I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference, let alone with a full band playing. Just sounds creamy in the bass and glassy in the top, middle a bit weaker in tone, but overall a great amp.

This amp has 3 "channels" but only one is useable. The Drive and MOre Drive channels are harsh and un-musical.
As many reviewers allude to earlier, this is a one trick pony and that trick is the clean channel. That channel is worth the price of the amp, period. Gets a 6 because despite that fact that Fender offers a decent modicumn of features, they are for the most part, unuseable. Reverb is overwhelming past 3.

I am using the amp primarily with a Gibson Flying V and a variety of strat-like guitars.
Clean channel is everything you could ask for, with lots of chime and headroom. With a comnpressor and a good quality overdrive pedal, you can go a long way with this channel.

Fender typically does well in this area. Had a blackface Bassman from the 70s that never needed anything. Still has the same tubes.

Don't know.

My first amp was a Fender Deluxe Reverb, which I got in 1966. I loved that amp and learned how to play the guitar using that amp as my springboard to more serious amps that cost a lot more and never sounded as good. This amp doesn't sound as good either, nut I bought it when I was feeling nostalgic and couldn't resist the lacquered tweed model with a Jensen alnico speaker for $549. at Woodwind and Brasswind. (WWBW.com)
I'm glad I got it because the clean channel comes closer to that great Fender sound than most amps I have used including my Rivera Fandango and once you have a great clean sound, you can do anything. Put a good pedal in front and you can do anything you want. Put a compressor up front and get the most beautiful Sultans of Swing you could ever ask for.

White Lightning model with the Celestian G12 century speaker. Amp was made in 2006 or 2007 - not sure. It has two channels and 40 watts of power. No tremolo. It has reverb which is all I need.

I have been comparing this amp with my 1979 Fender Deluxe reverb amp using a '76 American Strat. I've been tweaking it to try to get both amps to sound identical using an A/B box.
The White Lightning comes pretty close (after 3 days of experimenting and tweaking). It has a bit more of a hollow sounding midrange and not as soft sounding in the mids as my '79 Deluxe. In other words, it's a bit more brittle and bity in the midrange.
In general it's not quite as sparkly in the top end but rather a tad more midrangy. It does have a fatter bottom and and more headroom.
Compared to the stock, black tolex Hot Rod Deluxes with the stock speaker, this thing sounds alot more sweeter. This Celestian G12 gives you more of that compressed sound that enhances a Strat.
The reverb sounds more hollow and colder than my Deluxe.
I haven't got around to using it at a gig yet. I haven't listened to the distortion channel at all. They're usually average.

Don't know. Just bought it.

I've been a pro player for about 30 years. I have a '79 Deluxe and a '72 Vibrolux modified and souped up.
Let me first say that for a 40 watt, one 12 amp; this thing has very little weight.
I bought this amp because it sounds almost as sweet as my 79 Deluxe thanks to the upgraded speaker that comes with the White model.
The only thing I don't like about this amp is that the midrange could be a little more thicker sounding and not as brittle. Only after days of tweaking did I manage to address that problem.
For the price, I ended up with a pretty sweet sounding Fender tube amp that doesn't weigh very much.

Beautiful Texas Red Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Amp - paid $649. Three channels - clean, drive, more drive. Two-button footswitch pedal. I play a lot of 80s metal, classic rock, southern rock. This amp does not stand up to my Marshall 5212 when it comes to playing metal, but for classic rock the tones are sweet and amazing. The clean channel is super clean. 40 watts, but the loudest 40 watts I have ever heard!

Three channels - clean, drive, more drive. Clean channel is very clean. I don't use the drive channel all that much, but the more drive channel is dirty. You can "help" the drive channel by using a BOSS SD-1 Super Overdrive pedal - which is a good investment for just $60 or so. I have been playing a Fender American Telecaster, a Gibson SG Standard, and a Gibson Les Paul Classic Antique through the amp and they all sound great, especially the SG! The amp is not noisy, but with the Overdrive pedal I am thinking of buying a Noise Gate to run at the end of the loop.

I've only had the amp for a few months, and so far I have not had any issues.

Never had a reason to call support.

I've been playing over 19 years, and this is just the second guitar amp I have purchased in the past 15 years. In the past, whenever I had put together a decent amount of cash, I'd go out and buy a guitar or bass. I finally took the plunge on this amp and it was the best purchase I have made in the last decade! It is loud and light, the sound breaks up a little bit sooner than I would like, but that might only be noticeable to an experienced pro or semi-pro player. If you are looking for a good relatively inexpensive amp, I highly reccommend this one!

--KL from OTHRS www.othrs.com

2006
This amp can play everything i need.
3 chanels i have a footswitch options for effect loops.
To bad it don't have a boost channel for solo's.
I have use this amp for rehersals and concerts it got a lot of power.

This amp is beatiful clean great for chords you can also use it for pop/funk kind a things. The distortion is the bomb is great this is what a distortion had to be for me. Very powerfull a lot of finesse it sounds like a wall of amps. I use this amp for pop/funk/rock/metal and black metal. Use dimarzio's as pickup's and you can play any metal you like, for the real heavy shit you can use a boss metalcore. The only problem with this amp you can't use it at home because it's very hard.

Never had any problem with it.

It is a great amp, great tone very versatile great tone you feel alive when you crank it up. I use it with a musicman sport/sub1. If it were stolen i try to buy the same. I love the sound and the simplicity. I hat e it is so very heavy. I work in a guitar store so i tried every amp they had and this one was the best there was under 1000 euro. Too bad it have no booest channel. Buy this one or another Hot Rod so much better than the crappy marshall trash they sound like crap try Mesa Boogie, Vox, Fender, Brunetti, Randell or Engl but no Line-6 of Marshall.

i have just my fender deluxe (limited edition white lightning) it has three channels ,effects loop,extension speaker output and all the the other stuff you would expect from this sort of amp ,

i play a range of styles i find the amp sounds brilliant every time i plug it in. The clean tone is just beautiful, i find my les paul and a my sg sound awesome through it . I do find the volume pots a little touchy, so i have ordered a onisoinc volume control off ebay to try wirh it
The distorion channel sounds great at lower volume but does seem to break down a little the more you push it , but i get round this but just knocking the gain down slightly,
I play all sorts of venues and this amp seems to cope with anything you throw at it brilliantly, i use a 2x12 extension speaker with it to give it that extra bottom end, i did have a brunetti m2 which was not overly impressed with, the fender deluxe just blew it away.

seems well made

never needed to contact them

if you want a light weight amp that stands out from the crowd then buy one of these.


4x12's and heads are all very well all the time if its not you having to lug it about!!!

This amp is the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe White Lightning made in 2006 with white tolex and a Celestion G12 speaker. I saw the amp at a music store around Christmas and was blown away by the tone. I play blues, classic rock and oldies. The amp has three channels with two inputs. The clean channel is shimmering and bell-like. It has a drive and more drive channels. The tone of the distorted channels is okay, but it's not what I bought the amp for. It has a reverb that is just killer. At 40 watts it is the lowest apm I have, and that's why I found it appealing.

The clean channel with the reverb of this amp when cranked is loaded with over-tones. The distorion is just 'so-so', but I am using a MESA Boogie V-Twin pedal for my over-drive. I have a Les Paul and two Strats that I play thru this amp. I play many differnt styles of music and it's nice to plug into this amp because it makes me approach things differently.

Have had no problems with it. Since it is a simple circuit, I'm sure could be repaired easily if there is a problem.

Never had a problem with any Fender piece of equipment, so I don't know.

I've been playing for 26 years. I have owned many amps. I presently have a Mesa/Boogie, MarkIII, Simul Class with the EV12M speaker. I also have a Marshall 30th Anniversary 6101, also with the EV12M. I am completely enamored with tones I'm getting from this amp. I have tried several overdrive pedals in front of it, such as, an Ibanez Tube Screamer, a Full Drive Two and a Full Tone OCD Pedal. It sounded awesome with all of them. The amp sounds like rock and roll to me every time I play it. For the price, it is difficult, if not impossible, to beat the value of this amp. My wife has even commented on how great it sounds.

awsome tone clean, or dirty

superb tone for the price

It takes a licking , and keep's on a ticking!

The local dealer is the best (The country music store. Texarkana, Texas!)Fender just takes forever, and two days to ship anything!

Great amp! For beginner, or pro.Great clean tone ,and if you need that kickin distortion it's got it all!

8 The Emerald green/white chicken head knobs/Celestion speaker model.

Has a 3 position distortion circuit - I use the # 2 spot for a bit of fur, and use my pedalboard for any more drive.

Great reverb. Wish it had a vibrato, but I knew it didn't when I bought it, so I can't bitch, can I?

Lovely bell-like clean tone - but a purring growl in the 2nd input, which can rage when pushed with a hot input signal.

Clean is good, but it breaks up when pushed hard - when the amp warms up, it breaks up sweetly, but easily.

Distortion is not metal-like - but any decent pedal will get you to that place.

The clean works great - the drive position is a bit furry, I don't use the "More Drive", preferring my footpedal.

I use an old Tom Anderson Schecter Strat with 1/4 Pounder PUs, a Tele with Duncan PUs, or a Les Paul. They all push the input pretty hard - a sound I like.

I play in 4 bands - from rock to country, and this amp suits each of them, up to the limit of 40 watts.

Credit the Celestion as a great match for the sound and power of this amp.

You know you have to let tube amps and speakers break in, right? This thing just gets better and better...

Noise has never been an issue.

Never had a problem. I service about every two years, so it's just about due.

Never had to deal with Fender, but I hear little good. Still, for a tube amp, you take it to the local guy when you need tubes biased, right?

Playing for (yikes) 30 years. I have a bunch of great amps - Fender Princeton, Deluxe Rever Reissue, Blues Deville, Pro Reverb, Trace Elliot Velocette, and a Marshall HalfStack, but this one is just the right size for all but Stadiums, so it gets the most work.

Fender Limited Edition Hot Rod Deluxe Brown Tolex with upgraded Jensen speaker.
40 watts, 3 12AX7 preamp tubes, 2 6L6 poweramp tubes, solid state rectifier and reverb.
Local shop got it in mid 2006, made in 2005 or 2006.
2 channels with shared EQ, "more drive" channel is more of a volume boost for the drive channel.
Footswitch for channel switching, bright switch, high and low inputs, full eq with presence knob, standby switch.
Really wish the reverb was footswitchable (something Fender also fails to include on the $1100 Supersonic combo).
Linear volume pots are highly annoying.

Fantastic glassy Fender clean, plenty of headroom.
Drive channel does nice blues/rock overdrive at lower settings, "more drive" is a nice feature at lower settings but gets buzzy and harsh quickly.
Nice deep reverb, play it with Fender Strat and Tele, Schecter with EMG's and Artcore with JB/Jazz combo, unlike a Mesa F-30 I owned briefly sounds great with single coils and humbuckers.
Clean channel takes pedals extremely well, use it with a Digitech Screamin' Blues and Danelectro French Toast, eventually will add an EH Metal Muff or a Visual Sound Jekyll and Hyde.
It's the quietest tube amp I've owned or played, very little excess buzz or hum (which is nice).
I just added an Omnisonic volume box off ebay, acts as a master volume in the fx loop and is extremely useful.
As many have stated, a relatively inexpensive tube swap should help out the drive channel quite a bit, but I decided to review the amp stock, I'll probably order a set of tubes from Eurotubes in the near future.

Haven't had any reliability issues, Fender was easy to deal with on prior occasion regarding a bass amp.

See above, 5 year warranty.

Very good amp for the price, compared to just about everything from $400-$800, initially purchased a Tweed Blues Deluxe and a lightly used Mesa F-30, but both were returned. Strongly considered a Deluxe Reverb Reissue, Peavey Classic 30, and a Vox AC15CC, but went with the HRDx for sound and quality issues.
I have a sick obsession with new gear, can't guarantee I wouldn't try something else if it were lost or stolen, but I'd certainly miss it.
Really needs footswitchable reverb and audio volume pots, and apparently benefits from better tubes (applies to apparently every tube amp), but it gives you "that" Fender tube sound at a great price.
Very popular, can be had new and used for a good bit less than sticker price.

This is a very loud valve combo with 2 channels and spring reverb. Footswitch & cover included.

After buying this amp I was very disappointed with the sound of the drive channel - my guitar (Gibson SG) sounded muddy and undefined with the neck pickup and better with the bridge pickup but the tone I was looking for was just not there. I was Dazed and Confused (sorry) having spent lots of money on what I thought was going to be a really great portable & loud gigging amp. I play rock, rock 'n' roll, and heavy rock and some punk stuff to lucky pub goers in London, UK.

This amp's drive channel does not cut the mustard UNLESS YOU REPLACE THE VALVES with decent quality replacements. The Russian Fender Groove Tubes are rubbish unless you drive a 1970's Russian spaceship. I spoke to the man at WATFORD VALVES in the UK and he supplied me with two TAD 6L6WGC STR power valves and three HARMA ECC83 valves. These cost me about #70 (UK pounds) including delivery.

Watford Valves recommend that you re-bias the amp for the new tubes but, I found that it didn't actually need it. But, if you want to do it, all you need is a multi-meter and a little confidence. The off-the-shelf setting is around 71mv and I reduced it to 68mv (recommended by Justin Holton - The Unofficial Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Owner's Guide - brilliant website!). 71mv is fine though. But be aware, the higher you go, the shorter the life of the valves. They recommend that you go no higher than 80mv or you'll cook the valves. It's a trade-off, the higher you go, the better the sound gets - well, to a point!

WOW - what a difference!! Now, my HRD has a beautiful creamy / bluesy tone for rock songs and a bit of a bite for those punk numbers. It sounds awesome with my JV Tele and my SG.

I'm told that replacing the speaker also improves the tone (Celestion Vintage 30 is a favourite). However, I haven't done mine because the Fender Eminence speaker is just fine.

The clean channel was just great at the beginning and even better now! - loads of headroom, just lovely clean Fender rounded tones! The clean channel starts crunching around 3-4 on the dial but, even loud gigs I hardly ever turn up more than 2.5.

This worried me a bit. When I took the HRD apart to do the valve thing I noticed that the head of one of the loudspeaker retaining screws was missing - it was stuck to the magnet of the speaker. OK, Faulty screw! But, on further investigation I realised that two screws were faulty and my speaker was only being held in place by the two good screws. Fender, please, if you're reading this, please use better quality screws - it would be really embarrassing if, during a gig, the speaker unit just fell out!!

N/A

I've been playing for about 25 years and have had various amps... Session Sessionette 75, Marshall Valvestate 100, Peavey Classic 30 - all great amps but my HRD is the best. I would definitely buy another one but I would also buy a new set of quality valves straight away. TIP OF THE DAY - Keep the old valves as spares for when a valve fails on power-up before a gig. Also, always leave the HRD in standby for 10 mins before switching on or off - it really does make your valves last longer.

I bought the 2003 Hot Rod Deluxe Limited Edition Laquered Tweed Amp.
This amp has the Jensen P-12-N alnico upgrade speaker. 3 Channels clean, drive and overdrive. Also comes with foot switch and cover. 40 watts power which is plenty for me since I no longer play the club circuit.

I have a good buddy who is a tone freak and owns a hot rod deluxe amp. He say's "this amp has the best tone dollar for dollar hands down". So I start looking for one and find the Tweed version which is hard to find these days on Music 123's website. Its advertised as a "B" stock meaning visible signs of dents and scratches for $485 no tax and free shipping. This amp sells for $700 plus tax so it was a steal. I order it and the good lord must have been looking down on me because this amp was brand new. Tags still on it original wrapping. I can't find a nick on it. I have a Fender American Deluxe 2004 Anniversary guitar and the matchup with this amp is unbelieveable. The tone of the Jensen is a bit different than the stock speaker. Its a bit more punchy on the low end and maybe a little harsh on the high end but thats what I like. I also like the stock speaker which is more mellow.Perfect for blues...I've used Music 123 several times ..thanks for a great amp....

Years ago I played in bands as a bass player and switched to guitar 3 years ago. I have owned various bass amps including a bassman and a fender P.S 400 and never had a problem. I'm hoping the same for this amp.

I have never had to use a Fender Warranty

I have to rate this amp a 10. For the price I paid and the features and great tone it can't be beat. My only gripe is I wish it had a line out for the computer and a head phone jack. If it was stolen I might have to kill the guy who stole it and I know who he might be.

bought new in 2006,emerald green with ivory knobs and Celestion speaker.I Wanted an amp that had an effects loop,easy to transport,under 50 watts,versitle for different styles.....this is it I am very happy!I have had it for about 6 months now and am still glad I bought it.I play in a church setting,so it is miked,more than enough power.

I mainly use my american Tele and this is a great combination,the clean is so sweet,I also have an old Hohner 57 strat knock off with a hot rail pickup in the bridge,very pleasing crunch tones.For the first time in a long time I am satisfied with my setup,I have bought and sold alot of gear and wish I would have found this years ago.

Havent had it long enough to give a fair review

I am 43 years old,have only been playing about 7 years,kind of a late bloomer and have alot of catching up to do and alot to learn yet but I know good tone when I hear it.I have alot of friends that are way more expierienced than myself and they think the amp is great also,I have gotten compliments on its tone.I also have a Mesa Nomad 100 watt 2x12 that also sounds great if you can crank it,but the Fender sounds much better at the volumes I normaly play at.I cant imagine anyone being dissapointed with this amp. I would definatly buy another if I needed to.Feel free to email me with any questions.

Maple Cabinet with Jensen Reissue C12N

I bought this amp because I had previously been impressed with the clean HRD sound and loved the maple cab. Also, the Jensen C12N was hawked as an upgrade and several reviewers seemed to like it. With a strat or tele, the clean sounds really nice but no matter how you upgrade the tubes, the drive sounds are at best okay. My real gripe and the reason I'm writing this is that a LesPaul sounds horrible through this amp! I'm fortunate to have a very extensive vintage and contemporary amp collection and this is the only Fender amp that sounds like pure crap with a LesPaul.

With a 'Paul, the bass notes sound harsh, ripping, unmusical, ugly-and thats on the clean channel. Switch to drive and it sounds like the speaker is blown! Not even the old standard TS9 can get a good overdriven sound with a LesPaul. Mind you, Strats and Teles with a TS9 sound darn good.

I was resigned to the conclusion that this is a single coil amp. Then I started playing the amp with other speaker cabs and found that just about anything else made a LesPaul sound fine (Celestion V-30s, G1275s, Greenbacks, Weber C12N, Weber California, Reverend Alltone, etc). Initially I stubbornly resisted the desire to replace the speaker, considering how I hade paid extra for this "premium driver." Fortunately I opted to replace it and after some reading and listening opted for an affordable Eminence Redcoat Wizard (a cross between a Vintage 30 and a Greenback).

I've read all the many reviews on this amp and I'm now convinced that
there is a great amp lurking within but the Eminence and Jensen C12N are just bad speakers. Let me go so far as to say that the Italian reissue Jensen C12N when coupled with a Les Paul, played through any head sounds like garbage, especially with distortion tones. Ironically, Ted Weber's C12N sounds great, as good or better than the original!

I'm certain there are many other good choices, but the Eminence Redcoat Wizard is a fantastic match with this amp. Go to the Eminence site, listen to the sound clip. It will sound like that and better. Now a LesPaul can go from clean and sweet to a creamy TS9 distortion that is a pleasure to play and sounds as good as any of my classic amps. Strats and Teles love this speaker as well, for both clean and distorted tones.

Alas, even with a great speaker and the worlds finest NOS tubes, the HRD drive/overdrive remain, at best, okay.

(The rating below is with the Wizard Redcoat. Without the Recoat, a 4-5 because of the inability to use a LesPaul)

Once, the amp lost almost all volume. While swapping out tubes it returned but I never pinpointed the problem.

With Fender you need a good dealer to stand behind you.

Beautiful limited edition amp paired with the wrong speaker. Stay away from reissue Jensen C2Ns if you play a LesPaul and like distortion. With the right speaker, its a gem.

I believe this is an '05 or '06. It's the emerald green tolex with Celestion speaker and street price was about $650. I purchased it at Cintiollis Music in Philly. It's a basic HR Deluxe with upgrades.

I play a Gretsch Country Classic and a D'Angelico NYL 2 both with stock pups.
I play western swing, finger pick Merle and Chet stuff, Blues, Old rock, Classic country, jazz.
I've only had it for a month and only used it twice on gigs so I'm still experimenting with sound.
At the store I was trying out an Egnator which seemed dry to me and I heard some kid hacking away on a really nice sounding amp so I went to investigate. It was the standard HR Deluxe. They also had the emerald and as an artist I'm a sucker for anything that is aesthetically well designed. Kudos to Fender on this one. They really did it right.
I bought this while my Evans FET 500 was being repaired after crapping out on a gig; at sound check no less. It took almost a month to get it back so I thought maybe it's time to upgrade. This is only my second tube amp; the first was a Budda. I've never looked past the weight of Fender amps as my partner had an old Twin which took three men and a boy to lift. My studio is on the third floor and over the years I've carried pedal steels, drum kits and upright basses up and down for rehersals not to mention my own stuff for gigs so I've gotten to that stage in life where before I even try an amp i first try lifting it.
Then last week the store where I teach got in a used Blues Deville which I took home to try out and will buy. I keep going back and forth between the two and they are both wonderful amps and very different. The Evans goes on the auction block. Also a wonderful amp. It was not an easy choice.

I had some trouble with a microphonic tube and replaced it and another with NOS tubes which tightened up the sound just right.
Never gig without a back up!!!!!!!!

N/A

Over all I'd say it has a beautiful, musical sound just right for my style.
As for buying another I would say these are probably going to be highly collectable so I don't anticipate seeing any. They've already removed the one that was on 8th streets' site. Pity. This was the nicest amp I've ever seen for that kind of money and I've seen a lot of amps.

This is a 2005 Emerald Hot Rod Limited Edition with a Celestion Vintage 30. It has two channels, but I only use the clean channel. The "drive" channel sounds terrible. In all fariness, I wouldn't use it anyway because I use a volume pedal, and unless I have the volume pedal maxed out, the distortion wouldn't be at it's full potential. I like to get the violin type of sound with a volume pedal and overdrive for some of the stuff we do. I can't get that using a volume pedal and dirty channel alone. It has a foot switch, but I only use the clean channel so I don't use it. I wished the amp had a foot switch for the reverb, the reverb does sound pretty good though. It also has an effects loop that I also don't use. I guess if I'm asking for something else, I wished it had 2 Vintage 30's instead of just one. I use this amp at church (500 seat sanctuary) and it has plenty of power. I run the Master Volume at about 8 (possible 12) and the clean Channel Volume at about 2. I mic the amp to keep the stage noise down, this amp is loud! I use a volume pedal, and I rarley have it at 100%. I have the amp in a stand so the amp is blowing me away, no my knee caps.

This is where this baby shines! I use an '81 Les Paul Custom with Seymore Duncan pickups, Jazz and a Custom; and I use an '04 American made Fat Stat with standard pickups. I bought this for the clean channel, and as I said earlier, the Drive channel sounds terrible. I use several pedals with the amp. Guitar>TU-2 Tuner>modded Dyna Comp>Vox 848>Mojo Vibe>modded TS-9>Eternity>COT50>Deluxe60>DD-6>CE-5>Supa Trem>E.B. Vol. pedal>amp. I play in a church worship setting and we play a variety of music styles: contemporary rock, blues, jazz, latin, ballad. The amp works great for me. The vintage 30 really makes this amp rock, it sounds great! I find that for my personal taste, I like the sound of a humbucker through this amp better than a single coil. I also have a Marshall DSL full stack with 1960 cabs. This amp doesn't the bottom like my Marshall, but it sounds great. I haven't had it turned up past 4 so I don't know when the clean channel distorts. It's loud!

Not sure on the reliabilty, I've only had the amp for about three months, but so far I haven't had any problems. I'm not moving the amp around, it stays in the stand at church. So far - so good.

I've never had to deal with the company, so I don't know what kind of support to expect.

I've been playing for 35+ years. If it were stolen or lost I would try to replace it, but since only 800 were made, that might be hard. If I couldn't get it, I'd get a Deville and put two vintage 30s in it. I love the sound I get from this amp when I'm playing my Les Paul through any one of my overdirve pedals, compression, delay and reverb, it sounds sooo creamy. Did I mention it is Emerald Green with a dark grill cloth - it looks great!!! And the cream chicken knobs add the finishing touch of class. I didn't give it a 10 because I would like to have a useable footswitch. Since I don't use the drive channel, it's velcroed inside the amp. I would like to have a footswitch to turn on/off the reverb. If you are fortunate enough to locate one of thses babys - get it, You won't be dissapointed.

The amp.is a 2003 brown tolex diamond dealer{according to fmic}limited edition,that cost more u.s.dollars,than it will ever be functionally worth{gotta love the vintage appeal}I will never agree to the 3 channel claim,when only 1 channel is good.When played clean on it's 1 channel{after letting heat up for an hour before you play through it}it is very nice,warm and clear and very rich.It is only good in that capacity,and after the cost of the amp.I REFUSE to put one more dime in an assy.line wannabeboutique over priced......

I use a roadhouse strat,a jap.335 copy on this amp.I play classic rock,country,motown,50'/60's stylied music.the question of noise is asked,exactly 2 ch.s of noise,1 ch.of sound,the settings,the amp.requires more attention than a supermodel who's favorite color is clear.

I will never count on this amp.based on it's constant need to be tweaked,I did not pay 50% of the price of a boutique amp.almost,just to swap tubes,change what is presented as a jenson vintage speaker for another true vintage speaker,waste my time doing these various chores{when I should be playing and enjoying}and then try to convince myself I got a good deal...face it,to all tweed hot rod deluxe owners,we own a hot rod mim assy.line,mass produced amp.in a cool color.IT IS WHAT IT IS.

I called and asked about the amp.{fmic}twice,the first time i was told only 125 were produced for diamond dealers,after more info.was obtained through other research,i questioned this and called fmic back,the statement then was"Oh yeah,um 125 in the u.s.,another140 in theu.k.,uh,another 160 or so to japan,uh,another 140 to asia....I quit counting after 500 or so{my amp.was not supposed to have a l.e.tag do to it being...a dealer only thing}it does have a 5yr.trans.warranty that will{the trans.part}be used.

I paid 600.00 cash and a mint pre cbs strat/tele.case that i turned down 200.00 for this amp.I cannot blame my dealer for this,because the paperwork,hang tags,his shipper/p.o.sheets all verified what he said{msr.and all}and my trust that I had for fmic that they earned in the 90's,is now gone,after the sale of this amp.I will own nothing by fender dated after 1999 and never will again,Of course they don't need us 50yr.olders anymore we remember leo,and they want newbies not to know.corporate profits?my answer"got product?"

The amp is the Brown tolex limited edition with the Jensen 12 speaker. Features are fine.

I use the amp for jazz, rock, and rockabilly. Usually run a Gibson L-4 for jazz and a Setzer Gretsch for rock and all of them sound great on it. I don't overly like the distortion settings but I usually don't use them anyway. The clean sound is really sweet and I think it is a very good amp for $600 and for that its a solid 9. I mean it has a really nice sound but I know that there are better amps out there but they cost a lot more.

I move my amp around a lot and have had it for a couple years and so far it seems to be built like a brick. Time will tell so give me a few more years and I will let you know if its a 10.

I haven't had to use it

I definitely don't regret buying the amp but if it was stolen I might consider saving up for a vintage bassman combo, the bassman reissue, or maybe a deluxe reverb. The amp has worked out great and I love it but I am a bit of a gear junky so I would to try something new and the hot rod would be sorely missed.

Approx 2001, 2 channel, switchable, with 2 gain stages. Single tone control and single reverb control. Otherwise, the usual stuff.

3 strats, 58, cheapo 02, beautiful Fullerton 57 reissue. 53 LP hardtail, HH 575 heritage, 2 teles, one fender, one G&L. Strange amp. Good for clean, and I use it for jazz. Very loud, the clean channel distorts, but doesn't sound good. Alone, the distortions are sort of "fizzy", and lack character. Strangely, and this is the whole reason for this review, when I couple it with a speaker box, 2 vintage 30 celestions in an open cab. IT SOUNDS GREAT!. I don't understand this, but tried it at band practices, and it still sounds great. Great character with strats, great pinch harmonics, and classic fender overdrive sounds.

not great. I've heard awful things about these. Mine has functioned well so far, but it is mostly a practice amp. Take it to a tech to make it perform properly.

Don't know.

played 35 years. 3 amps. Matchless Chieftain 2x10, Carvin Legacy 100 watt, with 2x12 extension cab. I wouldn't buy this again, but I'm amazed that I found a sound from it that I like so much. I really think that a little work with this inexpensive little amp will get you somewhere. Don't give up on it. I don't use pedals with it, or a processor. I hate that crap, and it's a pain to manage on stage. This amp is plenty loud enough, if you can sort that sound out.

Made in 2003 and purchased in the same year. I had not used the amp much because I considered it too loud and the distortion channels too brittle. Turning the volume up smoothed it out but then was way too loud for most applications. As an experiment I replaced the 12ax7 with 12at7 preamp tubes. I can't believe the difference. Now the volume can be brought up to the sweet spot in the amp and people can still be in the same room. The clean channel now starts to break up nicely at around 3 and the distortion channels are both useable. I found that I liked the distortion even better than with a tube screamer. I am comparing this amp to a '65 Deluxe and '65 Vibrolux. This amp now sounds better that both of these amps and is way more versatile.

Using this amp with a Firebird and a SRV Strat with Fralin Pickups. The Firebird was made for this amp. The amp is very quiet for a tube amp. I play mostly blues and classic rock and now this amp performs these styles perfectly. The tube change has made the amp about 1/2 as loud and has made all of the controls much more useable. Prior to the tube change the volume could not be turned past one without people holding their ears. Now the amp volume can be brought up to 3-5 where the power tubes are just starting to make a very rich overdrive. I would think that mixing tube type might also be an option to vary volume for a larger room. The amp is still quite loud. I would consider it about equal in volue to a 50 watt Marshall combo or a Fender Bassman. With the 12ax7 tubes it seemed about as loud as a Fender Twin Reverb.

so fard after 2 years of moderate use the amp is working great

have not needed support

In the original format the amp could not be used in a small club of 100 people or less. With the tube change I would put it in the same tone category as all of my other great amps which include fenders, marshalls, rivera, and boutique. I would purchase this amp again

Update from previous post...I have gigged out with this amp now for a year, and have recently have returned home from a tour where I ran my Maple cab/ C-12-N HRD LE in mono w/ a Blues Junior.

I had the amp tweaked by Denver Amp master Scooter Barnes. That included some standars tube upgrades, featuring Svetlana 6L6 power tubes and the new JJ's in the other three positions. Bias was so cold from the factory, when it was adjusted hotter the amp really opened up and became a Fender. YOU HAVE TO ADJUST THE BIAS on these if you have not already or you are not getting your amp to be what it is supposed to be. The Svetlana's are awesome too...better than anything else I tried, except Mullards, but it is very close. Run together w/ the BJunior, I am very happy with my "Less Than $1K" tone.

Man, it's still a HRD inside. At least the jacks on the LE are better than the plastic jacks on the standard. I have had to reconnect some points and replace a few parts in this amp, but I gig heavy with it, so it's not too bad. However, I take great care of it and expect it to perform. I have to say though that I would never gig without 2 other amps at arms length.

I would rather have a Victoria, but who wouldn't? I'd also take a Carr Rambler, but who wouldn't? A Two Rock Amethyst Combo wouldn't be bad either. But I do like the clean channel just fine and it sounds great w/ a Fulltone Fulldrive.

Bought new in 99. I play blues, mess around with jazz, some gospel, old rock so I only really use the clean channel. It has a "bright normal" button which is obnoxous. The effects channel sounds worse than most other amps. Maybe that's because I am not very interested in other than clean and I don't use any of those pedals. I'll start with a 10 and then take 1 off for "bad try" on distortion and 1 for a volume control that goes from 0 to 120 Db in <1cm and practically useless after that.

I have been playing for about 45 years and use a Guild Bluesbird solid body and an Epiphone jazzbox. My last amp was a '66 Bandmaster. I did not expect this to be the same experience. This amp is quite average sounding until.... when it warms up (about 20-30 minutes) and the tubes get very hot; it becomes 1966 again. I give this amp a 10 for sound but take off 1 for making me wait.

It starts up every time;10. But it has what I consider to be a design flaw. The input jacks are integrated to the circuit board and the mounting threads are plastic! It took about 3 years of very careful use for threads to strip and the jacks to work loose. Warranteed but in the shop(20 miles away) for 2 weeks. I hope Fender enjoys the 80 cents they saved on the flimsy design. Oh wait, they probably paid the repair shop 40 or 50 dollars to fix it. Anyway the same thing happened again (out of warranty) and I hard wired a standard jack from the circuit board and it works great. Reliability = 10 less 3 for the incompetent engineer whom I will meet someday.

The dealer in Chicago (Chicago Music Exchange) could/would not do the repair so they sent me to a radio repair shop that was Fender authorized. The warranty period was 5 years which is better than most amps. Fender lived up to their promise - 10.

Overall this has been a pretty good amp for me. It sounds fair which turns to great after about 1/2 an hour. If lost or stolen it would be a choice between the 410 Deville with Jensens or just bite the bullet and find a black face Deluxe or Vibrolux. A vintage Vibrolux might run about $1000, the HRDeluxe was $500 new. This amp seems like more than 50% of the fun of a Vibrolux so it is a good value

This is my second review of this amp, after 2+ years of use.

The amp is a 2003, and is versatile for the classic rock, blues and jazz i play.
It's noisy when channel switching when practicing alone but the noise gets hidden in a live playing situation.

It has plenty of power for what is was designed for.

It would be nice to have a seperate reverb level is each channel.

I use this amp with a 335 and a fender strat.

the over drive channel is noisy, but the clean channel is why you buy the amp, i use a ts9 instead of the over drive channel.

It's dependable i've used it for 2 years with out a backup.

the only problem i've had is if you walk away from the amp with a guitar plugged in it puts to much pressure on the input jack, and it's dead, and you need to get it replaced. In a live setting you go to the second guitar input. The best way to fix this is to put a strain relief loop on the amp to prevent this. BTW the guitar tech that replaced this for me said this is common and the jack is part of the circuit board so it's an expensive and time consuming replacement.

I've been playing 35+ years, i also own a MB MKIIB which is great but is to heavy to move around.

I would replace this amp

hello fender -->
remove the noise when channel switching,
add a seperate reverb controls for each channel, and
a cord holder to prevent input jack failure, when to much pressure is on the input cord.

This amp is a Limited Edition lacquered tweed, jensen p12n 50w alnico speaker equiped Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, made in mexico by mexicans rather than made in the USA by mexicans.
It has an additional plate with fender limited edition amplifier on the rear right.
It looks gorgeous.
Amp is capable of some serious volume.
I have found that I can get some good driven sounds out of this amp even at "TV" volume levels!(unlike the other reviews have said-strange), and it gets better as you turn it up.
To call it a 3 channel amp is a bit naughty of Fender.
Reverb is about as good as it gets for solid state, ie peter green-albertros(have I spelt that right?).
I would have liked it to be true 2 channel, ie independant tone controls, but then it would cost more wouldn't it?
Plenty of features for me - it is a better amp than I am a guitar player(Im reasonably good :D ).

I have used my "great" strat and my "very nice" old sg through it, and they sound better than ever, glorious at high volume.
As someone else said here "you could not sound any better for the money, or more money for that matter !",
Clean channel is slightly darker than the typically imagined Fender clean, but sparkles up nicely with the bright switch.
I actually like the drive channel, and the more drive sound.
I do not have unusual taste, when I rave about something, players I demonstrate the item to, tend to agree with my exitement.

I have only have this amp a couple of weeks, I know that there were gremlins to do with heat that affected some components reliability, acording to a gut called justin holton, who's site is a gold mine for deluxe and deuville owners (type in 'fender blues deluxe tweed jensen' into your search engine and you should find him).
also this newer models now have some different types of plastic input jacks to to the old type breaking so often.
Fender have to use plastic jacks for some inputs to conform to some european electrical equipement bullshit.
I cannot rate reliablity yet so I will leave it blank.

I have e mailed the Fender europe guy asking for info on this amp, he has not replied yet, but I have had good experience of Fender USA in the past.I will reserve judgement untill he replies, if he does not I will "let Fender have it" in another review, and choose a rivals product if possible in future, yes I am vindictave(even if I can't spell it).
Shop I bought it from were great.

I have played for 20 odd years and own/have owned some good sounding gear,this really is a fine amp, if you do not think so - you must either have way too much dissposable income and be able to afford hand made gear that is bound to outperform mass produced kit, your amp is faulty or you like 'Busted'.
I can't compare this amp to the standard model as I have not had a go of one, I am sure it is fine though.
I would seek out this jensen equipped model though if you can, as the speaker is 150 british pounds alone, which is almost as much as the price difference and you get tweed too..
Speed music in Swansea. Wales,UK tel- 01792 455456, have one for sale at the moment (22/5/05) if you want one, I am in no way linked to this shop!!! but they are great guys.

Just a complement to my previous entry.
I've now understood that this amp needs a lot of
different stompboxes to do my bidding. So I've bought some od's
and a really funny big muff.

One question though, does anyone know what effect the speaker is?
I've heard 50 watts, but some say 100.
I want an extensioncab for stereo so I want to know what to buy!

mail me if you know!

HRD Special Edition in Brown Tolex with the C12N Jensen Speaker. The brown tolex has white "chicken head" knobs and a cream colored grill cloth. Beautiful looking amp.

I'm tempted to give it a 0. Worst #//??\\*# amp I ever used. Not so much the sound but the controlability. Wrong value pots, bad circuit designs, Gad were they drunk when they designed this? Sure at a loud volume which means anything over 2 in this case it sounds pretty good but you can't control anything. The tone controls aren't normal. Nothing seems normal on this amp. The Reverb is absolutlely AWFUL. Maybe they meant they 'Hot Rodded' the Reverb? The output is outrageous and again the knob is useless past 1 or 2. Overall this amp is loud, rude and a damn shame. It makes a mockery of the Fender label. I have a Blues Deluxe and I absolutely love it. I replaced this one with a Traynor YCV40WR and it's 10 times the amp this one is.

Probably is didn't have it long enough.

Fender dealers traditionally offer great service and support.

Yikes.... maybe this amp is the new trend in tone? I doubt it though. Any Silverfaced Fender is many times the amp this one is. Again I'm tempted for 1 - "What a hunk of junk" but I guess tone and taste is subjective. My major gripe is not the tone but the controls. THis amp is a great big hassle to use. IT's definitely no Bassman.

Built in 1999 I think, although I bought it new..hmm..

Jensen, blood speakercloth..

cover and pedal included.

Everything I need. Would have been nice with a 212 version, but with an extensioncab it's a 10.

I use a Fender Stratocaster 62'reissue, body is made in Japan 93 and neck in US 94. I use Fender Vintage Noiseless pickups and soft picks. I sold all my effects after having bought this amp. it just needed some time to do everything I need it to do. I play in a covers-band and I need the amp to play anything from sixtiestunes to Judas Priest, and although it?s hard to get really nice distortion on the drivechannel, most is easy to do with the "more drive" button.
I love this amp with the singlecoils, but I've tried it with a Gibson SG and it sounded quite crappy. happily I am an singlecoil-man.

It hasn't died on me yet but I haven?t giged it yet so let's see...

I live in Sweden and the local fender website and their support team has helped me with many of my stupid questions..

I've been playing for 13 years and this is the first tube-amp I?ve owned. I love the sound and it's loud enough for my needs. Would it be stolen I'd hunt the motherfucker down and drop the amp on his balls. I choose between this amp and a cybertwin, this was definitely my sound.

only thing that I miss is the fact that it?s 112 not 212. other than that this is probably the amp I'll use forever. maybe a blackface something later on but I think combos sound better than heads.

You all know the features...

This is where this pupy shines...

Tried one out in the store (a blonde one) and, knowing the standard hot rods, I certainly did like that one better - i think, not only the Jensen speaker, also the blue edition groove tubes make the difference - the ltd. edition deluxe sounds warmer, it just doesn't scream at you like the standard hot rod does. AND - one of the shop members owns a '65 deluxe reverb (not a reissue) with an oxford speaker and found this one as good as the dluexe reverb - in fact, it does sound very similar!!! I tried the old DR and must say, he was right!!! Clean on 4 gives you a very punchy clean sound with a very slight breakup - GREAT!! Reverb is fine, although blackface reverb would be finer, but what the fuck, who cares, when the rest is that good!!! Overdrive is good - just do that trick: crank the master to the max and control the amount of overdrive with gain - up until 4 (a good match with clean on 4!!!) it sounds very bluesy and classic rock-ey... FINE!!!

Don't know, didn't have he money - have to wait until the next ltd. edition!!! *cryyyyyyyyy*

Dunno

2004 Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with Jensen Speaker. This amp is fantastic. I use it with my Strat. It's versatile enough for everything I play- Rock, Blues, Jam Band stuff- although I don't think it would work in a metal setting. It has a beautiful, thick, creamy clean tone. It's a perfect sound for blues and rock. The overdrive is good in my opinion, it adds some sustain and grit to that fat clean tone. I almost always have an external overdrive pedal hooked up, but I have no problem with the on-board overdrive. The included footswitch and "more drive" feetures are really nice too. It also has great spring reverb, although it starts to be too much reverb at a setting of about 4 or 5. Overall, this amp has all you could ask for as far as on board features in a tube amp go. An excellent amp!

I play a souped-up 70's japanese strat copy. It's got american Fender pickups and pretty much sounds just like an American Fender Strat. My guitar sounds great through this amp. The amp has got a fat, beautiful tone. I'd highly reccomend it for blues or rock of any kind. This amp is also very quiet. I haven't gigged with it yet but it deffinetly seems loud enough for a small gig. The clean channel is absolutely beautiful. For a thick, sparkling, clear tone, especially for blues, I'd highly reccomend trying out this amp. The overdrive is pretty good too, and its subtle enough that you can get some sustain out of it and still hear that beauitful tone of the clean channel, which is great. I really love the sound of this amp. As far as amps I've ever owned (which isn't too many) or others I've played in stores, its one of the best sounding tube amps I've heard. The Jensen speaker does somethign to this amp too, because I played some standard hot rods and they just did not sound this good.

I've only had this amp for a few days, but I have faith in its durability. Fender makes very sturdy products in my opinion.

I play this amp with my strat, a vox wah, a boss od-3, and sometimes my big muff pi. I absolutely love this amp. If it were lost or stolen I would cry, and then I would go out and work my ass off to find another one of these limited edition Hot Rod Deluxes, whcih are becoming very difficult to find. I compared it with a hot rod deville and a reagular hot rod deluxe in the store, and I've played many other amps in the past, and no other amp of this size that I've heard compares to this one. If you are considering a Fender Hot Rod amp, really work to track down one with the Jensen speaker, it is totally worth it. Overall a great amp, and a great purchase.

Same as listed in the others but this is the limited edition with Jensen Speaker with brown tolex.

I am running it with an a gretsch and occasionally with my Gibson jazz hollowbody. I play a little of everything: jazz, funk, rock, rockabilly, soul. With both guitars the sound is great...I bought the amp about 6 months ago and wanted to wait until I really had time to use it before I wrote about it. I am not a fan of the built in distortion, to me it sounds just fuzzy but I mainly use the clear channel and for that I am surprised how happy I am with it. Very clear, punchy, warm, and responsive. I had debated getting a more high end Fender amp but I found that I just liked this one the best and it just happened to be less than half the price I was willing to spend. I like the sound much better than the Roland Jazz Chorus and I actually like the tone for jazz better than the Polytones I tried out...which I though sounded warm but a bit muddy for my taste. I have only had the amp up to 4-5 once during a gig but I am surprised how loud the guitar is for only being 1-12 and 40 watts. The sound is what drew me to this amp. Its pretty verstile for different setting. I don't think you can get a better amp $500.

No problems with it for reliability and I have dragged it around quite but already. Seems to be made like a brick and it is on the heavy side.

N/A

I have been playing for about 15 years. If it were stolen I would replace it right away but maybe with the stain/laquered maple hot rod deluxe with Jensen Speaker.

Laquer Tweed. Great looking. Other comments here tell you the specs/features of this amp quite nicely. For me features include a great ease of use. The footstwitch, channels, presence, allow you to change from raw cruching sound with sustain to a very clean almost accoustical sound out of my tele. You get three settings. Nice. It is also very loud. Of course, it should be miked in a really large setting. Also, it's easy to haul around, being about 45 lbs.

Country, rock, blues, folk. I generally use a custom VibroKing for my main amp. My experience with it so far tells me that this smaller amp can hold up its own. In many ways I like it better. I got it originally becuase the vibro-king is so heavy that you can wrench your arm out of the socket lifting it using that tiny handle. The hotrod didn't let me down because it's small. I played on the standard version (without the vintage jenson) at the guitar store. This is must better, more rich sounding. I'm very happy.

Fender has been good.

Forget it. Fender has a reputation for me of being difficult. Your dealer is your best resource if problems arrise.

I use a tele on it so far, but I can feel it in my bones that a strat or my Gipson would really sound great on it.

Mine has the maple cab. I was looking for a Fender clean tone amp to use in stereo with my Ashdown Peacemaker 40. Running these two together is tone heaven, I have searched all over and found this odd comination to be the thing for me. The clean channel with the Jensen c12 is beautiful, glassy and pristine. The drive channel sounds like shit to my ears after "3", but provides a warm lead boost in the Kimmock / Ford realm if you use it at about 2 1/2. reverb also gets silly after 3 1/2. The "third channel" is nonsense, just a shameless product of commitee thinking somewhere in the Fender establishment. I gig with it all the time and play Blues, rock, funk.... lots o' slide, improv, articulate leads. The setup I have now sounds better than my old Matchless DC-30, my old Soldano Slo-100, and a bunch of other rigs I have had. the maple cab and jensen do make a big difference.

I use a 1989 fender Custom Shop SRV and a Terry McInturff Glory standard > Dunlop Wah > Boss digi-delay > Voodoo Labs Microvibe > Fulltone Fulldrive. This suits me just fine, don't even want anything else. Ebay addiction held at bay?

Not noisy. Channel switch pops, so what. The Full Drive with this amp, when dialed right, is creamy smoky glass. With my guitars, it is heaven. The clean stays clean for anything I would need it for. If the room is big then a 57 puts it out front. Again, channel 3? C'mon guys. It's a treble party and you are all invited, bring your own case of Tenitis. Not usable, but so what. get a Full Drive and forget about it. But... again, I play a style of music that does not use power chords. If you want the Fender thing with a nice little boost from it's own pedal, this is a very good option. The cabinet and c12 bring that together nicely. I do have to run my EL-84 40 watt next to it to get what I want. I have that amp sounding very Dark...treble and mid OFF..... and lots or reverb, and at about 40% the volume of the HRD. Might sound weird, but have you listened to Doyle Bramhall II's " Welcome" ? With the microvibe and Full Drive, this gets it.

I gig with a backup, a Blues Junior. Never needed it though- seems rock solid. I replace tubes regularly and take good care of it. I expect it do the same for me. I also need my tubes changed lots of TLC but still consider myself and the HRD low maintanance.(Sp?) The Groove Tubes are just find, y'all. I use JJ's in the Ashdown, and have tried everything.

I don't deal w/ fender. no problems = no calls to CS.

I have been a touring pro for over ten years. I'm 33 and have owned tons of gear, am a tone freak, and consider myself as much an amp player as a guitar player in certain situations. I just like this amp, not for it's three channels, but for it's warm glassy clean. The second channel is a legitimate boost if you treat it like that. I already ranted about the third channel, it's just not usable. Anyway, buying a multi-channel amp has never solved anyone's tone issues on any level if they play out a lot and need tone. I created my own little world and this amp fits right in. I don't mind hauling two 1X12's around with my pedal board. The caninet makes this thing. A Webber California might be a little warmer, but I love the Jensen. If this is stolen, I'd look for another one. It's better sounding to me than a few high dollar Super Reverbs from '66 - '67, not a shrill and just as warm. Compared to other modern Fender products, the HRD LE is simply the best thing they have done recently even with the silly extra gain stages in the pre-amp section. Also, it is a beatiful thing to behold. " Holy shit, will you look at that" I often hear. Nobody has heard of these and often think I had someone re-cab it. Not a bad idea...

This is for the dark stained maple version. this amp has enogh features if you take it for what it is(a single channel amp with built in distortion). It has the most beautifull cabinet I have ever seen with a very sensitive hi-gloss finish this is not an amp to play gigs with. It has a Jensen speaker and upgraded tubes.

I use Les Paul type guitars and this amp sounds great with the switch at the mid and neck positions. If you mess with the settings you can dial up some good vintage rock and punk tones but I prefer the Peavey C30 for this so I A/B them(Fender=clean,Peavey=dirty). Anybody expecting to get brutal distortion from this type of amp is a knucklehead.

Seems solid. I plan on only using it for recording and home practice. My amp does a loud pop when switching channels and the local fender authorised tech tells me this is normal of these amps(i own several different amps and none of them do this when switching) if anyone has info on this please post.

I've been playing for 15 years and own or have owned JCM800's,Soldano,etc. and now prefer smaller combos with less gain for more classic rock tones. This amp and the Peavey C30 are perfect for anything from The WHO LIVE AT LEEDS To 1980's punk and hardcore(The Clash,7 Seconds,D.R.I,etc) and most rock tones in between. I was interested in an amp similar to the C30 in size,power and price for clean tones (since I also consider the C30 a single channel amp) and I think this amp has excellent fender clean tube tone although not as good as a twin but close enough. I did spend a couple hundred dollars more than I wanted to but the upgrades and limited edition status of this amp were worth the xtra cost. One last thing I DON'T THINK MANUFACTURERS SHOULD SAY AN AMP HAS MULTIPLE CHANNELS UNLESS THERE IS EQ FOR EACH.

just a few points in view of the amount of info. already on here. the amp i have is mexico made and assume therefore the limited 2003 edition. it has preamp out and power amp in on top panel but no effects loop. would anyone like to put a comment on the site who has a similar set up to discuss this point and best use. ? altogether a great amp partic. on clean channel? i use a fender company 50th anniversary jap made strat. 1996 and gretsch reissue nashville 6120 [59 style]. both sound good.

My amp is the lacquered tweed version (only 700 made). This amp differs from the regular Hot Rod Deluxe in that it has an upgraded Jensen Alnico P12R re-issue speaker, instead of the Eminence speaker in the regular model. Supposedly, the Jensen speaker gives it a more "vintage" sound, as it was the type of speaker that was used in the older vintage Fender amps. This amp has 3 channels: clean, drive, and more drive, as well as a footswitch to switch between them. It also has your basic tone controls, as well as a "bright" switch which increases the intensity of the notes being played, and a Prescence control which adds a lot of versatility to your sound. This amp also has an effects loop, which I don't really use because I'm a sucker for nice, clean, and occasionally overdriven, tone, so I don't like to use a lots of effects. The construction of this amp seems to be top-notch quality, and I really love the "vintage" look. I think this amp will be the next generation "vintage" amp. The controls are also on the top rear of the amp, which makes it easier to adjust settings during live situations (no need to crouch). This amp has plenty of power for small club gigs, and could be mic'ed for any situation that requires more. As an added bonus, it's very portable (weighs no more than 45 pounds).

I've played through the regular Hot Rod Deluxe model and I can tell a big difference in the sound that the Jensen speaker produces and the Eminence speaker. The Jensen speakers kicks! My strat and tele LOVE this guitar. I own a 2001 Fender American Texas Special and a late 70's Fender American Tele. They both sound SPECTACULAR on this amp. I play mainly blues and classic rock, through an Ibanez TS-9/808 (modded by Analogman - great pedal btw!) and occasionally a Vox wah. The clean channel on this amp is absolutely amazing. One strum of an open chord and you're instantly in heaven. The drive and more drive channels, however, are not so great, which is why I am deducting a point. They sound too trebly for my taste and seem to suck the beautiful tone that is produced by the clean channel. I correct the problem by playing through my TS-9/808 stompbox whenever I need overdrive. I don't know if this amp is for everyone (especially you grunge or metal heads), but it suits my style better than any other amp I've played through (and I've played through a lot!). If you're a classic rock and/or blues player, you MUST get this amp. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

This amp is built solidly. I've only had it for about a year, but it's still as reliable as the day I purchased it (and it still sounds as great!). Although I would not recommend ever gigging without a backup amp or guitar, I have done so before and it has never given me any problems.

I've never had to deal with Fender before.

If this amp were lost or stolen, I'd probably have a heart attack. I had to literally beg my local music store owner to sell it to me. This was the last one he had, and he was keeping it behind the counter because he wanted to keep it for himself! I was drawn to the vintage look and asked if I could plug it in. I was sold after playing only a few notes. Since only 700 of these were made, it would probably be pretty hard to come across another one. As I said before, the only thing I don't love about this amp is the drive channel. That's not particularly important to me, however, and it's a problem that can easily be fixed by getting a good stompbox.

Basic tone controls, they work. Reverb is muddy after 3-4. Not hard to get a good tone. I like the bright switch on clean channel. No headphone jack. The master pot is b.s. They shouldnt have put a different type of pot in it.

Clean channel breaks down/compresses at about 4-5 giving a nice natural overdrive. Stays clean plenty loud enough. Overdrive channel is good for me at about 6. This amp sounds great for the money.

The jewel light went twice in 4 months. Ive read about this happening alot. Go down to a local bulb shop and buy a few if you have this problem. Ive had no other problems with the amp

Dealt with them once about my strat. I live in a very dry climate. After having the guitar about 2 months the moisture was pulled out of the neck and the fret wires were starting to pull from the neck.
Called Fender, which their headquarters is here. Told me to go down to whoever i wanted to fix it and they paid for it. The kat was real cool.

Im going to go with about a 9 here. I think some corners were cut building this amp and shouldnt have been. Like someone else was saying this is their US gear man. C'mon, put some soul into it.

This is a 2003 special edition. Made in Mexico. Quality of construction is absolutely first rate. All seams, screws, etc. are perfect. Unfortunately this seems to be the only year this unit was made. They also made a Blues Junior with the same features. If you are interested you can read my review of the Junior, since I tracked down both products. This amp has the same features as the standard Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 1X12 combo, with some important exceptions. There is a lacquered tweed cabinet and a Jensen P12R speaker. This Jensen is a very expensive re-issue with an AlNiCo magnet. The Hot Rod Deluxe may be the best blues and jazz amp I have ever played through. Features are perfect for what is required. Perfect distortion from gradual to very dicey. Great footswitch for channel selection. I use the extension speaker out and connect a cord to the Blues Junior (it has a Jensen C12N speaker) and use the Junior as an extension cabinet. You cannot believe the sound. I do not give high marks lightly, so when I praise something, you can bet there has to be a good reason

I am 60 years old and I have been playing for 45 years. In spite of my age I know heavy metal very well and love the Marshall and Mesa B sound. My own music runs the gamut from very clean jazz and folk, to country and especially blues. I have two million guitars of all types and prefer Strats and Telecasters. The marriage between the Strat and this amp has got to be heard. I SIMPLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY FENDER HAS NOT MADE THIS A PERMENENT PART OF THEIR LINEUP! GET WITH IT! You will sell them as fast as you can make them. The spring reverb is about 16" long and is extremely lush. You can not use the highest setting, simply too much. Around 3 it is perfect, I have never heard better and that includes the separate tube reverb unit that Fender makes. The Jensen speaker stays clean until extremely high volumes (on the clean channel) and distorts at low volumes when the other channels are used. This is neat. You can have fabulous tube distortion at low, living room volumes, without cranking up the decibels. Speaking of loud, Oh Brother! it can scream. The Jensen speaker does not crap out at high volumes, the same chrystaline quality is there. The lows are deep and thumping, and the highs are bell-like. My favorite combination is the Mexican Super Strat (with seven-way switch) and this amp. The amp is also super quiet, even with the Strat single coils. At 5 or 6 volume YOU HEAR NOTHING, unless you play a power chord, then it will blow you out of the room.

Many players replace the tubes to modify their sound. I have also done so, and it is a good idea depending on the amp you have. These Groove Tubes are OK right from the factory. I will have to replace them at the proper intervals, but overall reliability seems fine. I've only had the unit a couple of months so it's early yet. The quality control is very good, nothing loose, no problems. It will probably go the distance.

The five year warranty is Fender's statement that they are backing their products well. I read lots of horror stories about terrible customer service, but let's be realistic here. Service will be as good as your local music store. Even if you buy an amp online, you will probably get it fixed, if it breaks down, at your local store. I doubt if you will send it back to Guitar Trader, or Musician's Friend. So... with that idea in mind my store is first-rate. Each one of us must judge our local dealer individually because they will all have proper backing from the factory. On the occasions when I had questions for the Fender Customer reps, I found them very helpful. The number 10 category says "incredibly kind and helpful." I wouldn't got that far. So let's give them a....

Write, beg, plead, threaten, do anything to get Fender to make some more of these Hot Rod Deluxe Lacquered Tweed amps. The Jensen P12N has the best overall response when matched with a tube amp. 40 watts is more than enough for any venue. The sound is magical and compares with the best units I have played. It's very much like my 59 Bassman with separate reverb unit. It also looks spectacular. I wish all my musical friends good hunting in finding some of the last units available.

I have the HRD Special Edition in Brown Tolex with the C12N Jensen Speaker. This version is apparently quite rare, since fender built it only for a few selected retailers. The amp is a real looker. The brown tolex is coupled with white "chicken head" knobs, and a cream colored grill cloth. I haven't seen a better looking amp. The amp has the same features of the standard HRD.

I also own a HRD standard edition, with the eminence speaker, so I'm able to do a good comparison of the sound of both. Essentially, the Jensen speaker gives the amp a more vintage sound, more bright and sparkled. However, the combination of hot rodded circuitry and the vintage Jensen C12N speaker is not very successful in my opinion. The lead channel sounds like crap if you pass the drive knob from 3. If you hit the "more drive" option, it sounds even crappier. That was a bad surprise for me, since the regular HRD has a tremendously beaultiful tone in the lead channel. The clean channel sounds good (although I still think that the standard HRD sounds better). I play with a 1997 gibson ES-335, and a 1987 57 fender reissue strat. The amp sounds great with both in the clean channel. So, the bottom line is that if you want some tube overdrive sound, either use a good stomp box (a ts-9, ts-808 or OD-1 would do), or buy another amp. But the amp has a good clean tone.

I'm 31 and I play since I was 13 (you do the math). The amp is good for blues, country and every other application in which you need a good ole clean fender tone. But if you need a harsher tube overdrive sound, go for another amp. Regular HR-Deluxes and HR-Devilles are a great option.

Features are identified in other posts, so I'll be brief. It has most basic features such as channel switching, line out, effects loop, etc. Best features are the beautiful maple cabinet, the upgraded Jensen speaker and real spring reverb (solid state, not tube). A little reverb goes a long way, but it is very nice. I have heard that these are loud amps, and I recently played a club gig with this amp and it provided plenty of stage volume set at "3". Of course, I was very careful not to put this beautiful amp in harms way, but I wanted to see what it could do and it did it. Like other Fender amps, the "drive" and "more drive" channels are usable but not great. Only negative is the back wood panel is very thin and mine is bowed in a bit. No, this amp doesn't have all the digital fx, etc, but I don't miss them a bit, cause this amp has the sound I want.

Use with a Les Paul DC Standard and American Deluxe Telecaster. I use a Tech 21 Tri-AC for overdrive, as the clean channel on the amp stays pretty clean at club volume levels. The sound is very rich, very pure. I am not sure how much the maple cabinet and Jensen speaker add to the sound, but I can't imagine a better sounding amp in this price range. I've had to turn the bass EQ way down, but that's the only unusual thing I've found. I imagine the sound could be marginally improved with a tube upgrade, but I'm quite satisfied with the stock Groove Tubes provided (Sovteks, I think). I have not compared this to a stock HRD, so can't say how they compare. If you like a warm clean with options to dirty up the sound if desired, this is a great choice. I've been using Fender solid state amps and a Marshall AVT hybrid, and neither can compare to the HRD-LE. Oh yeah, I had a Deluxe Reverb Reissue and this amp is much quieter at idle.

I expect to use this amp sparingly so I think it will be reliable if maintained properly with new tubes, etc. I have only had the amp for a few weeks, so this rating is not really meaningful at this point. I always take along a Fender Deluxe 90 as a backup amp, should I experience a problem with the HRD during a live situation.

I've had decent luck with Fender and think my area dealer will be able to take care of my repair/maintenance needs.

I've been playing 30+ years, and now have the means to buy decent (but not "boutique") gear. This amp, paired with the two decent guitars I use, provides the tone I want at a reasonable price. It is stunning to look at, great sounding, loud as hell and light weight. I snapped this amp up when MF had them on special. I only regret that I didn't get one of these sooner. I'm sure maintenance will be a bit of a pain, but if that's the tradeoff for the great sound, I'll accept it.

Beautiful, sweet sounding, easy to use tube amp. I am in love with this amp. The overall features are well described in other submissions. As far as features, I like the fact that the effects loop is on the top with the other controls for easy access. Two input jacks come in handy as well as the speaker 2 output jack. I have never found myself wishing it had seperate eq's for the "two channels." Clean and drive channels are well balanced "tonaly" when switching channels.

Plenty-o-power. Fourty loud, creamy watts with Groove tubes and a Jensen. Excellent bass presence. Wood cabinet (not particle board). I sometimes just play the same two chords back and forth just to hear the sound. Silly?

I use a '82 Ibanez Artist and a Rickebacker 610 with a Tube Screamer and a Zoom (for different drive personalities). Some times I put a rackmount reverb through the effects loop. Often times I plug straight in. It suits all of my musical styles from clean blues to chunk metal. Metal? Damn straight. I carefully craft a few Zoom distortion patches to destroy the planet with some compression noise reduction and eq (all through the clean channel) and a 2x12 ext. cab. In my 18 years of playing, I've never kept a "metal amp" for very long. They always piss me off when I want to change the tone to full and clean. With this amp and some craft I can go in any direction.

OK about noise...The clean channel is crystal clear. The drive channel has the "normal amount" of gain hiss (definitly acceptable). The More Drive feature is out of control with hiss. It is not a problem for me. I just don's use the More Drive feature. The other noise issue is the "pop" sound while switching from dirty to clean while in play. Hey, I'm flexible and have adjusted my playing style before to accomodate a pedal; but, I wish that I didn't have to do it with the footswitch that came with the amp.

CLEAN CHANNEL...Absolutely Fabulous. Stays clean just over half way up. The clean is so satisfying with its thick but chimey tone that I rarely use chorus anymore. Breaks up nicely like it should on the high end of the dial. For clean and dirty I usually start off with the Treble, Mid, and Bass all in the middle with the Presence off.
This usually my starting point.

DIRTY CHANNEL...Excellent. Perfectly suits many of my rock/blues moods. The drive is not brutal, but full or blues bliss that you can almost chew. When I got the amp 2 months ago, the best way to describe the gain when past 2 on the dial was loose treble flakes spilling of the notes. Kinda like how the More Gain setting sounds all the time. After playing is every day at room volume and sometime pretty loud, that treble effect gradually chilled out. So now I find that I can set the gain on any setting for beautiful drive and use my Tube Screamer for boost instead of vice versa.

I'm not going to bust the amps balls for the More Drive Channel. I may find a use for it someday. But I will for the footswitch noise. I really wish that it didn't do that. It would be damn near perfect.

Finally, I have owned two X100b half stacks, Gallien Krueger, 5150 halfstack, Marshal Master Lead Combo, Carvin tube-tweed 2-12, and now have a Carvin sx200 for backup. The Limited Edition Fender Hot Rod Deluxe is the best sounding amp that I've ever owned period. Very cool.

I'm sure that I can depend on it. I do baby it. I let it warm up for 20 minutes or more. I leave it on Standby when I'm done for the same amount of time. As long as I have a set of back up tubes with me, sure I'll gig without a backup.

Never had to use support

Before my purchase, I was looking at a used Mesa Nomad 55 that was pretty sweet as well as a use Rivera M60 1x12 and a Marshall JCM 800 2x12. I was really sold on the tone and simple features. I just loved it immediatly. Every week for a month I would go to this music store to play the Rivera then the Mesa then the Rivera. The saleman thought that I was lubed up and ready to go. Finally, I went to a store closer to my home and pluged in the Deluxe for the first time and bought it right there on the spot. Still can't get over how sweet it's sound is. Did I mention that it is also easy on the eyes?

Has anyone fixed the footswitch issue? Lemme know. D

Laquered tweed version with jensen speaker .They say it has 3 channels but really only 2. This is amp is LOUD!Plenty power for any club.I bought this 2 months old from someone who was playing acoustic through it.He changed the 6l6 tubes to philpps so I do not know it sounds with stock tubes although I will try them later on for curiousity sakes.This is not an acoustic amp.

I a roadhouse strat american texas specials.This amp is great I can play rock, blues ,country rythym or lead .You can dial any sound from heavy to clean.If you cannot make this amp sound good then start playing drums.I was getting ready to remove the texas specials before I found this amp and yes I have owned a silver face twin.

Fender products are pretty reliable.maintaining a tube amp is crucial.

5 year warranty

I have been playing around 8 years also play a tacoma acoustic through a pa.I love this amp if it breaks I will have it repaired if it is stolen I would repace it .

Not a whole lot of features. They say 3 channels, but really just 2, the normal channel and the drive channel. A button is included to boost the drive evan more (This is supposedly the third channel). Too bad it doesn't have a separate set of tone controls for the drive channel. It does have two inputs which is nice. I have the limited edition sunburst maple cab with the Jensen speaker. This is why I'm giving it a 9. Without the nice finish and speaker, I would rate it 7-8. I love the finish on it. It definitely gives it a vibe even when its just sitting there looking pretty.

This amp produces the best clean tone. It does break up when you crank it. So if you prefer the cleans to stay absolutely clean at high volumes you will have to change tubes. I have played the standard deluxes at the music stores and none of them sound as good. I don't know if its due more to the speaker or the maple cab, but probably both. Its very dynamic and has lots of depth and is very bright. You can get SRV without even trying, providing your guitar has some good single coils. The drive and more drive options are good as is in small doses. But if you rally want to get a good overdrive sound, put a eq in the effects loop and crank the drive. Now I get very good early ZZ top sounds. This amp can get real loud too. I play a few guitars through it, each have their own strengths. My les paul sounds good when played clean - very mellow, but muddies up on the drive channel. I have a Santana SE with a duncan '59 in the neck and a dimebucker in the bridge. The dimebucker is a heavy metal pickup, but really gives the drive channel some bite. My other guitar I play through it is a Fender Heartfield Talon. The Talon was a product of the eighties and early nineties and doesn't look like it should be anywhere near this amp. I use it to play the clean channel with my selector switch set in the 2nd position. This guitar nails SRV. It still is a Fender. It sounds good on the drive channel as well. Like I said, the best thing I ever did was put a Boss GE-7 in the effects loop. Now the drive channel shines just like the clean channel, and I haven't even changed from the stock tubes yet. This is not a metal amp and not marketed as such. It should be critiqued on its ability to make blues, country, and classic rock tones, which mine does very well. Take the Eq out of the effects loop, and it still gets a 10 for blues and country tones. Classic rock in that case would be a 9.

No problems as of yet, but I've only had it for 8 months, and it is a tube amp. This amp is so pretty, it gets babied.

Never dealt with them.

By far the best 112 combo I have played or heard played. The clean tone alone on this amp makes it worth getting. With the proper setup, the drive channel can really growl as well. I am still very happy with this amp and will never get rid of it. I've taken it from my house once, but just didn't like other people being around it. I've become very protective of it. I'm suprised Fender doesn't start making the limited edition, a standard production version. Or at least start putting the Jensen in the standard module.

This is the lacquered tweed "limited" edition w/ Jensen. Features already well described.

Like pretty much everyone else I bought this amp for its amazingly sweet, clear, sparkly, clean channel. I love the breakup you get when pushing the clean channel up to around 7 or so. Still trying to dial-in a good overdrive sound without blowing the windows out. This amp is LOUD. (Anybody having any luck there?)

I like this amp considerably more with SC than w/ HB's. Somebody posted earlier that they felt the HB's got a little brittle or trebly -- I'm finding the opposite. (Might just be my pickups, or the electronics on my guitar. It's a 20+ yo Gibson Firebrand -- belonged to my brother and to his gtr teacher before that. It's been around.) I'm also using it w/ a 2002 American Series Tele.

I'd rate the clean channel at a 10; overall I'm giving it a 9.

Not sure on this yet. Like another poster, I'm getting some odd noises from the amp, even without a gtr plugged in. (I took it into the shop and they tested the crap out of it. They couldn't find anything wrong -- tested perfectly to factory specs.)

I think the amp may just be sensitive to electrical and/or radio interfence. (I've got wireless phones and an 802.11B network in the house.) I tried pluggin my other amp (1992 Crate GT-50 1x12 w/ 10 year old Sovteks in it) in to the same outlet, same guitar, same cords, etc. No interference.

Never had to deal with Fender, but I had a good experience with the local shop that does Fender Warranty service and repairs, so I'm rating based on that.

I really like this amp. Looks great, sounds great. I really love the clean sound, especially with single coils. Not wild about the O/D sounds. A little too much bass response for my taste.

If it were stolen or lost I think I'd try to find something that wasn't so loud.

Bought new $740
Florida Discount Music, Melbourne FL
Varnished, yellow tweed with brown grill cloth,
brown "Fender Deluxe" nameplate
It looks like a vintage amp
1 12" Jensen, 40 watts
all tube, 12AX7 in preamp, 6L6s poweramp,
solid state rectifier
Three channels, normal/bright, drive, 'more drive'
Dual color channel indicator(none=normal, yellow=drive, red=more drive)
2 inputs, #1 for guitar, #2 for preamp devices
Reverb control
Preamp out (FXout/lineout), Preamp in (FXin), external speaker jack
Channel select foot switch and Brown amp cover included.

I sort of wish it had tremolo, but I don't use it all that much so that is no biggie.

I use only single coil PUs - Strat and Tele straight into the amp #1 input. I play mostly oldies, blues and country, and this amp is perfect for those styles. I use mostly the normal/bright channel with the bright switch on, and the Treble-Mid-Bass mostly flat (mid-position?). Sometimes I use the Drive channel with a hint of overdrive. I have never used the More Drive channel as I don't use a lot of distortion in my sound.

I am not sure, but I believe this amp is biased for A/B class operation. At moderate volume (3-4) you get that classic Fender sound - clear and clean. The Jensen 12" speaker really handles low notes and barre chords without getting ragged-out. The sound is tight and punchy. With the Drive channel you can get some decent overdriven sound probably better than using a stomp-box. I cannot really rate the distortion qualities as I do not use that feature much, but I will say that the amp offers some great harmonic distortion when cranked even in the normal channel. When playing blues setup for some bass response (Amp setting and/or Strat/Tele neck or mid PU) when you jack up the volume even in normal channel, this thing will wail. The bridge PU on my Tele will really gets that funky twang. It is not a wall of Marshalls but for my style in small gigs, it is all you need. I play in several oldie bands and never have the Volume past 4.

I have been using the amp for about 6 months. The 'On' paint for the Off-On switch has worn off the control panel (but I know what it means anyway). I use the amp cover always and take great care when moving the amp to and from gigs. I gig at least 2 and sometimes 4-5 nights a week and so far it has held up well.

I have heard some noise in the amp, but I believe there are AC voltage fluctuations in my local area, and perhaps some noise interference that may be affecting circuitry to some degree. However, this is VERY SUBTLE, and I have had no problems with the amp either at practice on on gigs.

If you have never had a tube amp, you need to know that it will naturally need more maintenance than a Solid State amp. Some folks replace the tubes every year or so and it ain't cheap. Others change tubes to tweek their sound. (Check out 'The Tube Amp Book' by Aspen Pittman for some interesting reading.

Never contacted them.

I have been gigging off and on since the mid-60s. I have played both guitar and bass. I have been playing only guitar for the last 8 years. I currenly use a '95 Am Strat and '03 HW1 Tele. In the past, I have owned an old Silvertone 12" combo,a '60 Fender Concert, and a '72 Traynor YBA3 (bass).

It is really hard to rate amps without taking account the style you play, the size of the rooms played, etc. If you want to sound like a wall of Marshalls, then buy a wall of Marshalls. I think most guys who have played for quite a while are actually looking for smaller, ligher amps. The HotRod Deluxe weighs bout 45 lbs; mostly speaker and transformer. It is a great little guitar amplifier for small groups and clubs. It has plenty of power. This amp has most features needed in the 30-60 watt/single 10-12" combo class. I believe it is a great amp in that price range and I would highly recommend it. I have not tried the 'regular' HotRod Deluxe w/o the Jensen, but I am sure it would provide about the same quality and sound.

This is the new version with the laquered tweed covering and using a Jensen alnico speaker. After those enhancements, everything is the same. Three channels (actually 2) that share the same eq. satellite footswitch, reverb, presence, bass, middle, treble, single volume for clean channel with master and drive controls for the drive channel. Bright button for clean, and an drive boost that Fender calls their third channel. Powered by two 6L6 Groove Tubes and rated at 40 watts.

For a moderately priced amp, I found this amp to be plenty feature rich. However, I still have a problem with companies calling an amp 2 or 3 channel when everything shares the same eq. So for that, I'll give it an 8.

I use an ASAT Classic, Music Man Axis Super Sport, Heritage H-150 with Rio Grande Humbuckers and a Hamer Newport Pro with Seth Lovers. I also have a Music Man Albert Lee on the way, but it's not here yet.

For blues and country, this amp simply cannot be beat. Regardless of price, this has all the balls of a vintage fender. Sure the extra drive and too much of it on the second channel is a bit cheesy and in my opinion unuseable, but the clean and when used with a bit of breakup, this sounds every bit as good as Clapton's "From the Craddle". This amp loves single coils and you can tear off James Burton, Albert Lee and SRV until you are blue in the face. Even humbuckers aren't treated too harshly, however on a mid-biased amp with a lot of natural highs, a hot humbucker might be a bit brittle. The drive is a bit thin, but is often called a "working man's distortion" where you could absolutely get away with it on a gig. A pedal might balance out the highs some, but I've found it kind of funny to be playing really hard rock out of a tweed amp anyway. Jazz will work, but for me, I prefer smoother mids as found on a blackface twin or delux reverb. You can most certainly play jazz, but with my humbuckers, it's a bit bright. Very articulate, but even with cutting back on the mids and treble and presence, you still don't get that jazzy warm you do from a delux.

With a slight bit of distortion, this amp sounds as good as the best modeling amps emulating their '50s tweed amps. This amp, in my opinion, sounds as good as the Bassman reissue in the clean, yet adds versatility with the distortion, has reverb and is a heck of a lot easier to carry around with you. They did a nice thing putting the Jensen Alnico, which will most certainly get better with age, in this amplifier.

I will say it again, for the money, this amp sounds great. But at any price, this amp still sounds great! It's a bit noisy when you use the footswitch, but in a live setting, it's not a huge deal. The reverb is good, but a little bit goes a long way. This amp, even with the presence and treble turned down, is very bright. Your tele will love it, and your muddy humbuckers might sound a little more balance too. For an all around score, this amp deserves a 7 as the drive, once past 2, is not completely useable. Forget the extra drive too.....ehhhhhk! However, used in clean, cranked on clean with power amp distortion, or with a bit of preamp distortion, this amp is a solid 10 for country and blues. I wish I could specify my ratings, but since some of you will get this amp in hopes to copy your favorite Nu Metal band, you should know, this amp won't be what you're hoping it to be, and thus, the amp will be docked a few points for versatility.

Kind of concerend about that noise coming from the amp when using the footswitch to change from drive to clean. I know this isn't Fender's most expensive tube amp, but still, for $700.00, it probably shouldn't be that noisy. Everything else seems solidly built. I'm sure they don't use the best pots or circuit boards, but again, this isn't a +$1,000.00 amp, so it's hard to complain too much. I did have a blues delux (the predecessor to the hot rod) that went everywhere with me and never farted out once, but it also didn't have that clean channel hum, so I'll just have to wait and see.

Never had to use Fender once. Some people have complained about their response time, but I can't comment on that.

20 years of playing (mostly by myself), and like many, I go through a lot of gear and will sell and buy when I get a wild hair of something better being out there. I had a Rivera Quianna that souded good, but was a bit heavy, and a little too mellow for country picking. I got this amp because I originally caught the eye candy of the limited blued jr. with the old tweed cover. After playing through both, I was so impressed with the new delux, that I had to get it. It sounds great and is a heck of a lot more portable than the quianna.

I must say this though. If you play blues or country, get this amp. There currently is none finer for the money. If you play a wide variety of music, are in a cover band who plays a multiple array of styles and can't afford more than one amp, you might want to keep shopping. Don't get me wrong, this is a great amp, but in spite of the drive and more drive, I've found this amp to excell at the previously mentioned types. If you're wanting to get a workhorse for all types, you can use pedals and be okay, but you're probably better off getting something cleaner and then adding pedals to suit. Want Fender and Marshall? Well, the Rivera's are hard to beat, and on ebay the prices aren't too bad. Also, the new Fender Pro Tube series amps are great, but very heavy.

I also must apologize to everyone on harmony central. When I first started making reviews, I would get someting and get a hard on and rate everything a 10. And while I recognize every person has their own taste and style, I can't let my emotions get in the way of what something actually is. So, I will say in closing, this amp is a 10 for blues, country and 50's - 60's rock. For everything else, it will work, and to an audience at a club, I don't think they'll care regardless. And an amp shouldn't be penalized because it doesn't do every kind of music, but Fender advertises the Hot Rod series as being a do all amp, and if that is the category Fender has placed this amp in, then it really only deserves an 8. The laquered tweed and the jensen alnico are a marked improvement over the standard Hot Rod Delux in the looks and the tone. I wish they could have taken away the extra drive switch and the distortion channel and just employed a volume and master like the blues jr. to make this amp more vintage in function as well as looks, but all in all, this is a great amp, and if you're looking for a blues machine, then this amp will work out nicely for you. It also might be worth something down the road since these are a limited run.

This is a new offering for this year. I play jazz and rock and this amp does it for me in a big way. More on that later. The amp is duel channel with two modes of overdrive. I never use overdrive channels on any of may amps as I mainly go for the "Clean" sound. The layout for the controls is very simple and easy to us and I really like the fact that the controls are on top of the amp rather then in the back or in the front. Just a cleaner look and easier to get to. I wanted a smaller amp as I play out sometimes, but I play alot at home. I wanted enough power for small situations, and even for big situations, this amp has more than enough power to be heard.

I mainly play a 1968 Gibson ES-335 and a Yamaha AES-1500 jazz guitar for playing. I will also play Strats as well as a Les Paul and an SG. With all guitars, this amp sounds great. There is something about 12" speakers that have a "Roundness" that you can't get on a 10". For soft single not picking, the amp is very musical. And it stays musical for full chords, finger picking, and hard strumming. I love the sound and I really love the reverb in this thing. I am really into a clean sound as I believe you can get any overdrive from pedals if you want them. But basically the amp has to sound good right out of the box. When the volume goes up, the tube begin to break up alittle. My trick for that one came from Rick Bensen at Groove Tubes, whom I had met last year. He told me to replace my 6L6's with their premium KT-66's for super clean tones at even high volumes. I made the switch, and just like Rick said, this thing is crystal clear. As for quiet, this is REALLY QUIET! The only hum I hear is when I plug in a Strat, but that is any amp with a Strat. For my jazz stuff, this amp has the best tone and I compare it to my '65 Twin Reverb. And finally, as this does have a maple cabinet being the Limited Edition, I think this adds to the overall sound of the amp. In an amp, everything vibrates and you need a frame that will be super solid and put out the sound to the front of the amp. Mesa Boogie knew this from day one, and to this day their wood cabinets and amps are the most sought after by players and collectors. Fender did there cab in a honey gold maple and it looks fantastic and it sounds great. I have toured the Mexico Fender facility, and the people in Mexico making the Mexican Strats and the amps are craftsmen all the way. There is such a pride in every single piece of gear that they put out. You are talking about a nationality that has a history of making guitars and everything else under the sun, by hand. It is no wonder that there are so many people that feel the Mexican Strats are better than the U.S. made production Strats. It is no wonder that the cabinet on the HotRod deluxe is so well made. Every joint is perfectly matched, and I even took off the back wood cover to install my KT-66's. When I did so, there was not a rough mark, or a not stained piece of wood. Even though you will never see the back of your amp, it is nice to know that it is a flawless as the front and the sides. This amp is very well made.

I have never had a Fender amp break down on me. Not ever in twenty-five years of playing electric guitars. Most Fender amps, at least the ones I have owned, are built like tanks!

The warrenty is for five years, but I know that if I ever have a problem with the amp, the guys at Guitar Trader in San Diego will fix me up. Yes, you can go order online, but where is the customer support and the "Take care of it now" guys? My musicians tip for the year is go to Guitar Trader for your gear.

This amp is great. People forget that the amplifier is the other half of your music if you are playing electric guitar. The Hot Rod Deluxe is light enough to take with me if I choose to do so, but big on sound. You could go for the regular Hot Rod Deluxe, but for another $150.00, why not get yourself an amp that has this incredible cabinet that contributes to the sound of your music? I am a collector as well as a player, and having an amp that Fender will only be making 200 units of (and not 300 as stated in an earlier press report) makes this a plus. This amp has great sound abd great looks. What more could a musician ask for?

Fender says this amp has two channels, Normal and Drive, but the Normal channel has a bright switch which gives the clean tone a little "shimmer", and the Drive channel has a "More Drive" switch which seems to kick the gain up another notch. So, it's more like a four channel amp. Has two instrument inputs, one for guitars with passive pickups, the other for those with active electronics. Also has Bass, Mid and Treble knobs, Reverb and Presence. Comes with two-button footswitch and cover. I have the maple finish version (it also comes in sunburst, which to me looks a bit odd for an amp - almost like it had been in a fire and was scorched) and the finish is very nice! It looks great with the oxblood grill cloth.

The Jensen speaker (which replaces the standard Hot Rod Deluxe's Eminence 12") has a much "throatier" sound. If you like the sound of the standard unit, you're going to love this one! The reverb can produce great depth (it is an Accutronics tank), the normal channel produces a bell-like clean tone (in both normal and bright modes), and the drive/more drive channel produces creamy, warm sustain. With the button in the drive position, you get mild crunch (more if you play hard; there is great string sensitivity here). In the "more drive" position, you get a range from slight overdrive (with single coils) to excellent harmonious OD (with a higher output humbucker like a Gretsch Filter'Tron). You're not going to get metal shredding tones, but that's not what this amp is for. Blues, classic rock and maybe even jazz are what this combo is all about

The cabinet seems to be quite solid, the finish a durable gloss polyurethane and the chassis, the standard Fender Made in Mexico unit. I am bothered by one thing, though...the reverb tank has been inserted into a vinyl "sleeve" along with a thin cardboard "base". The tank is not attached to the cardboard in any way, and the whole thing is attached to the floor of the amp cabinet by two wood screws through the vinyl and cardboard, one at each end (which were not even driven all the way in). I am going to "mod" this setup by replacing the cardboard with a piece of particle board, attaching the tank to the board via some double-sided foam tape (to acoustically "isolate" the tank from the board, put that assembly back into the vinyl sleeve and make sure the wood screws at each end hold the particle board tightly down to the amp floor.

After I got the amp home, I realized that the footswitch and cover (which are supposed to be included with the amp) were not present - only the power cord and manual were tucked inside the back. The dealer was very kind and pulled the cover and footswitch from the new sunburst model they had received into stock the day after I bought mine. They were going to contact Fender for replacements for that amp. I hope Fender is as kind to them (Jackson Music) as Jackson was to me!

When I tried out my Gretsch 6120N, I played it through a standard Hot Rod Deluxe and loved the tone - that's why I bought that guitar in the first place. That led me to two more Gretsches. Instead of buying the Deluxe amp, I opted for a Cyber Twin, thinking that the Deluxe amp sound was in there along with a whole bunch of other useful tones. Well, I was right. But when I saw this limited edition with its beautiful cabinet, heard it with the Jensen speaker and tried it with the same 6120N, I was in heaven! Gretsch guitars and this amp were made for one another! If you play blues, classic rock and/or rockabilly, and want an amp that looks as great as it sounds, this just might be the one for you!

New 2003 model made in Mexico but with beautiful Maple Sunburst cab and Jensen C12n speaker.Two channels with more drive boost and all just like standard model.Plenty of tube power and same weight as chipboard model so easy to carry.

I am using two Gibson SG's,one with stock hums and the other with P90's.It was a little noisy so I pulled tubes and replaced withh JJ's and that cleaned things up and made the bottom end tighter.The cab has no rattles even at loud levels and the Jensen is a big improvement over the stock Eminence these amps come with though I had the standard model with a Vintage 30 in it and that was a little sweeter to my ears.This is a great Blues,Jazz or retro Rock amp but not for modern hi gain music unless a stomp box is used in front of it.I love that Fender clean and this does it as well as the DRRI with this Jensen and you get the added bonus of an overdrive channel and better tone shape controls.

AS good as anybody out there today.I had a Blues Jr that didn't last a week but took it back to the store and they gave me another and it ran for years until I sold it.

Not as good as Peavey but good enough!

I have been playing for 25 yrs and this is a great easy to move powerful tube combo that sounds great and looks even better!It better not get stolen 'cause I can't afford another but would replace with same if I could.I have or have owned Marshall DSL's,Mesa Boogie and Peavey Classics and this is a keeper for me.