Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Limited Edition 112 Combo

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