Fender Hot Rod Deluxe

bought the amp new in late 2007.
i have used the amp in a variety of styles, the clean channel is amazing!!! but the distortion is very useable also. i play now grungy rock/pop, but i have used this amp for blues, nu metal and classic rock.
two seperate channels, normal/bright and more drive and a pedal to go with it.
this amp has worked for small venues as well as slightly larger, the 50W power seems to be more than enough for me right now.

i use a fender strat with lace sensor pickups mainly with this amp, and the versatility of one seems to reflect in the other. for more twangy stuff my tele also works incredibly, as well as a campbell with seymour duncans for the heavier styles.
it is very easy to use, and you can't get lost at a gig with this amp, which is essential. i can always find the right sound for what i want to play (and my JCM900 head seem to have the same ammount of class when doing so, i prefer to use this amp).
the clean channel is very clear at high volumes, but with the right guitar and settings, it has no problems getting dirty!

i had one problem with this amp, which according to the guy who fixed it happens often these days. due to the fact that mass-produced tube amps need to make the holes for the valve legs slightly larger than they need to be and soulder them tight(because the machines sometimes could not get the valves in properly and bend the spokes), occasionally the valves will come loose and make a rattling noise- - nasty. the amp repairman souldered them up and now i know what to do if the problem should arise again. other than that everything has been perfect.

please read above. this person wasn't a fender repairman, or someone from the shop i bought it from, but someone i looked up locally. the shop i bought this from were rediculous. i took it in because of this sound and they called me up, failing to see something was wrong with it. they didnt want to look at it again, claiming i had made a fuss over nothing, and as soon as it had been on for 15 minutes, the rattling was there again.

this is not a fault of fender, but from the shop i bought it from.

i have been playing for 10 years and i am in uni, so this is a VERY expensive piece of kit as far as i'm concerned, so if it were stolen or lost, i would have to wait a while to get another. perhaps in a different colour :-p.i would miss it every day untill i had another.

for gigs im doing, i dont need anything more loud, as everything has a mic, and is hooked up to a p.a. i have had a peavey, and a jcm900 marshal, but for quality of sound, they dont match up. this is big enough for gigs and small enough for recording, and the thing i love about it is that it can hold its own next to anything and still sound proffessional.

there was an orange amp i was looking at with similar specs, but this was over ??100 pounds cheaper and the shop urged me to buy it, which i don't regret.

it would have been nice to have had two speakers in this cab for a more stereo sound, but volume wise i wouldnt notice, as i haven't had the need to pt it full volume yet (i have done and it sounded fine, but not in a gig have i needed to).

I've had this amp for about 5 months and the more time I spend with it, the more I like it. I bought this amp to replace a Vox Valvetronix modelling amp, which was my first amp. Reliability issues aside, the Vox was pretty good but this amp is in a whole different class. This amp, with it's vintage-vibe looks but modern sound, is a match made in heaven for my 2006 USA Strat. I'd imagine this amp would also sound great with a Tele or any decent guitar for that matter.

I don't believe any other tube amp on the market offers such good value and flexibility at this price. The clean channel on this amp is the only one you need in my opinion. I keep reading negative comments about the drive channels on this amp. If you bought a Fender amp expecting anything other than a really good clean sound, I say you bought the wrong amp.

I use a BOSS ME-50 in front of this amp for all my effects and I really like the sounds I can coax out of it on the clean channel. I also run a BOSS GE-7 EQ pedal in the FX loop for additional tone-shaping. In fact with this amp I think external EQ is a must, as it does have a strong upper-midrange honk.

This amp is LOUD! And I mean REALLY LOUD! I fell in love with the clean channel but the volume control goes from nothing to very loud extremely quickly.

I knew when I bought this amp that I'd have to do something about the volume as I only play at home so I invested in a Z Air Brake, which helps tame the volume very well without changing the sound of the amp. I wanted this amp for it's clean sound and was not going to let the volume issue deter me. I had compared this amp to a Fender Blues Junior, which in itself is a great little amp.

But for not much extra cash, it seemed silly not to go for the Hot Rod Deluxe. To get that great, big Fender clean sound at this price is a no-brainer. But I'm going to knock a point off for the volume issue. I wish Fender would do something to resolve this, after all decent attenuators are not cheap!

It's a Fender. I've no doubt it will be reliable and go on for years. I've not been playing guitar long myself but many of my guitar-playing friends swear by the brand and I've no reason to doubt them.

I've not had to deal with them but I'd imagine it's pretty good. It's Fender after all.

I think you can't go wrong with this amp if you are looking for that clean Fender sound without spending a fortune. Sure, it's not a Bassman or a Deluxe Reverb but it's nowhere near the cost of those amps. Apparently it's Fender's biggest selling tube amp so they must be doing something right.

As a relative newcomer to guitar playing I think this amp represents excellent value for money and with pedals, or a good multi-FX unit like a BOSS ME-50, you could probably coax just about any sound out of it.

But, like I said, the clean channel is the reason you'd buy this amp. With my ME-50 I can get some really great sounds out of this amp from slightly overdriven blues sounds to roaring heavy rock and just about anything in between. In fact with the right pedals and EQ, you can take this amp into pretty much any territory. It sure beats the artifical and fatiguing sound of amp modelling.

I lucked out finding this amp when I did. Some kid bought it at Guitar Center and his mom made him return it, but he had to sell it back to them because he waited too long. I got a new amp on the cheap. The Deluxe has a great beautiful clean tone, but Fender skimped on the distortion section of the amp. It's weak and solid-state sounding. That's okay, that's what pedals are for! I play blues, funk, rock, and experimental stuff, and the clean channel is the rock I build my tone on. It's 40 watts, but this thing never needs to go above 3!

I play an American Strat into a big pedalboard. I run (here comes the gear list) my Dunlop Hendrix wah, EHX Q-Tron+, Voodoo Lab Proctavia, EHX Big Muff, Pro Co Rat, BBE Soul Vibe, EHX Stereo Electric Mistress, EHX Nano Small Stone, Ibanez AD9 Delay, and Boss tuner. My pedals and the Deluxe usually play nice, but fuzz really doesn't sound good through this amp. Maybe it's my Big Muff. I'm looking for a new fuzz (possibly the MXR Silicon Fuzz) to see where the problem is. The Rat should be packaged with the amp, as it gives the creamiest overdrive to the most glorious distortion. Surprisingly, that combination works well for Tool songs. The wah sounds lovely on the clean channel, like "Superfly." Like I said, I don't use the distortion, so I don't know how it works with pedals. The greatest thing about this amp is the bass response. Someone did a good job at Fender, because this thing is SO bassy! You really stand out in the sonic spectrum using this amp in a band context, as you cover more frequencies. A gripe is that there is no control for the reverb after about 2.5. After that, it's a surf machine. There's a mod to give it a better control out there, though.

It's Fender and they build everything solid. I would take this to hell and back to play a show and it would come out sounding like heaven. It's never broken down.

I've never had to use it.

I've been playing for seven years, using up gear that can't handle my playing and establishing a good tone. This amp definitely helps. The distortion is lacking, but that's why this amp is so cheap. Like all Fender products, this thing can take a mod or two, and that's my next step. The speaker in there sounds satisfactory, but a higher quality one would help a lot. The amp is light, solidly built, and gorgeous sounding. I wish it had a footswitch for reverb.

I will not repeat what 500 people have said in previous reviews, other than add mine is a 1999 US made version.

It has all the features that you expect for an amp of this size and price, for me I would not want any additional features.

I play a PRS McCarty, Levison Blade, and a jackson Performer (first ever guitar, but has had extensive work). My PRS has Bare Knuckle "Mule Pickups" in the neck and bridge, my Levison Blade has Bare knuckle pickups neck and bridge, and my very old Jackson has a Tone Zone in the bridge, and Evolutions in the middle and neck.

I also have a Mesa Boogie Single rec head and 2x12 cab,

I have owned this amp from new, and it has been with me for almost ten years, some of those years has seen some heavy gigging, studio work, and countless jams.

For me I have always been really impressed with the clean channel on this amp, and have found it cutting, really useable, and have found that this little amp has cut through band mixes really well, no matter how loud the drummer gets. I replaced my first preamp tube with a 12AT7 and have found that I have a higher cleaner headroom than using 12AX7's. At higher volumes the bottom end does get flabby and loses definition but that is of course going to happen with being opened backed an only a 40watt amp. However it is rare even at large gigs that it is that loud.

I use a range of fulltone pedals my favourites being a Fulldrive 2 mosfet, and an OCD. I find that the Clean channel responds really well to this.

The Drive channel I never use, as in my view it is too brittle, and is generally muddy.

I sound field of this amp is quite narrow, but again I would expect this from a 1 x 12 combo. All in all I love my little HRD and will never part with it, and for the money it is an excellent little amp, which has served me well for many years. I also have a Mesa Single Rec Head and 2 x 12 Cab; however I still use my Fender for gigs, and to be honest I prefer the clean on my HRD, in addition I find it cuts through better in band mixes as well.

It is an awesome sounding amp, I love it, and always will!

This has never let me down, it has blown about 5 sets of tubes in ten years of service, and I have completely thrashed this out at times. I still have the orginal speaker. Currently I am running it at 71 m'amps Bias, which I know is on tyhe hot side and I currently have so cheapy Sovtek 6L6 power tubes in it which lasted about 6 months of heavy gigging at high volumes. My only critisim is the plastic jacks which are awful, mine are all loose and have been for years, but they have never come out!

Never used them

I love my little Fender HRD, and as I have said would never sell it, It was an amazing first tube amp for me, and for 550 pounds a complete bargin. It sounds excellent, and even when I have played more expensive amps, and big Marshall JCM 800's 900'S and my Mesa Boogie, to me I can hear this better in a live band, Its won't do metal, thrash, but everything else with the right pedals and guitar, it sounds a million dollars!

There are loads of comments on this amp so I won't re-hash the features for you! Apart from to say if you're buying this amp to play hi gain music then don't be fooled by the more gain feature, it sounds like the after thought it is!

I bought this amp to play in an 18 piece band playing all the usual Soul Music stuff. A pupil of mine had one and I noticed straight away that his playing slotted into the big scheme of things so much more musically than me and my JCM 2000 TSL. And I love that amp! So I went and got a deluxe straight away because 1. I don't like being upstaged by my pupils, it's bad enough when they play better than you, but better gear?! 2. It would be better for the sound of the band. I've used custom Les pauls, JJ Jewels with the p90's, Strats and Teles with it, and all you need to do is select the bright switch for the right guitar. It always reflects the pick ups that you're using and the guitar's tonal qualities. The gain channel is great up to about half way, this is not a hi gain amp, the more drive is awful. It has never needed a mic on it even in such a large band, for big halls I just plug it into the Marshall 4 12, and I love doing that!

Has it about 4 years. Sometimes it buzzes a bit, so I repair it the old fashioned way, hitting it on the top. If that doesn't work I try the modern way, turning it off and on again. The Marshalls I have had, both vintage and new, have had much bigger problems.

Never needed it.

I've been lucky enough to play through many vintage and new valve amps, and I still love this. The players I'm emulating seemed to stick by Twins and I've had those and would stick with the deluxe. This is an amp for a band where the guitar is not the feature instrument, if you need to complement singers, fit between keys and horns etc this is a great, honest amp. I love it, please stop slating it folks, it's meant to be an old amp that can kick up a fuss when needed to, that's what it does.

Bought new 08/16/2008
Play rock/pop. Clean channel outstandingly good. Despite majority opinion on here I prefer amp overdrive channel to the o/d via my Boss ME50 but then my style is clean stuff mainly
2 channels + "more drive" effects loop which I use for Boss ME50
Like amps simple. Previously used Line 6 Flextone 3
modeller - not even in the same legue as this Fender
Small/medium gigs ample power
Dipped my toe in the tube amp waters with a Grainger (Epiphone) Blues twin. Could not go back to tranny ammp now

Parker P38 & Fly mojo
Suits style fine
No noise problems so far
Clean & mild o/d . Not much variety but the clean is good enough basis for stomp sounds especially chorus & delay
Never had to crank it that high. In fact the volue is too high too suddenly so I tame it through the volume pedal of the ME50
not the best distortion but if yu want metal grunge stuff you wouldn't buy this amp

Early days so fingers crossed. Spooked by some of the previous reviews though

not applicable

8 years in band
Would buy again
Clean sound is awesome > Not keen on limited range of the volume control - a bit all or nothing
Marshall & Peavey. Clean sound did it for me
Anti gravity device we lug our own stuff to gigs

3 years old,
2 channel switching
Not many features
Vintage rock R&B dance band 14 years, playiny 40 years
7 'cause channel 2 is useless except for maybe blues but can't hang with high end stomps in channel 1

PRS '87 bought new, '53 tele my Dad bought new (yep real deal), PRS HB 2 McCarty, strat, many others..but gig with PRS HB2 and '53 tele
Lets' just be brief. Side by side the CLEAN is almost as good as my Boogie rectoverb, the clean sounds great if you spend time. What tis amp does BEST is high end stomp boxes.
Boogie V-Twin is UNREAL close to Boogie I was shocked. Channel 2 blues maybe, mostly useless.
Keeley BD2, Fulltone OCD makes this very close to Marshall for small gigs. It KILLS with high end stomp boxes ONLY! Keeley SD-1, Barber, Keeley TS-9, I have 15 stomps high end..none stock. For the $ the clean is probably the best buy..not even close to the BUDDA 18 watter but that is a whole 'nother level of sound and & $ (1400) and worth twice that!
As this is a 550 amp the clean is worth that...best buy at this price range new. Of course the '53 tele sounds awesome through anything..isn't that ironic after all these years and gabuddles of guitars available. leo fender got it right in his first 5 years! Spot on "Stones" and a rocker to a point..vintage.

Yea Fenders are reliable..not a Boogie or Budda but very good..65' twin my dad bought new still going strong

Have never called them

40 years guitar..45 drums...10.5 years drumming and guitar in college.
no I'd get another Buddah 18 for stereo! PLEASE go play a BUDDAH
I hate channel 2

why have 3 to 10 guitars worth thousands and a $550 amp? so common though. So many scrimp on amps.

8 for clean channel & price point and "stompability factor" is awesome! truly! great 1st amp with a couple good stomps

brand new in box. not shure of year. basic eq, clean vol. dirty vol and drive knod, fx loop, ext speaker out. only 8 knobs and 5 tubes, perfect!!!! A+

singles and hums. perfect amp for my style. LP standard gibson and strat. classic rock to punk, garage punk,90's alternative. there must be differences between each amp b/c mine sounds great to me. the clean side is awsome imo, warm and bright and clean. crank it and it breaks up. i like it but its very loud that way. the drive channel fits the bill. think black sabbath, zepplin, the strokes, queens of the stone age, social distortion etc...single eq is fine guys, learn how to play guitar and buy a good axe for christ sake. this amp sounds like a Fender.

i bought this amp and gigged it that night and it was good stuff. easy to dial in. I used a les paul standard using only the supplied footswitch and the crowd and manager was happy with the sound of my band.

well, you never know with these. some say they suck some dont with the hot rod line. my new twin in 2005 was in the shop every month. i tried a new vibrolux and it snap crackle popped like the rice crispy guys and the deluxe reverb reissue had problems too. bad luck i guess. save the reciept for warrenty service. this hrdx runs quiet. i use a fan behind all tube amps and it helps trust me. tubes get hot and melt every thing. use a fan man!!! A+

fender makes good on warrenty

20 years playing. ive owned these before and always go back to them. ive owned other fenders and marshalls. try the amp you plan to buy. the hrdx's with the white or blue label 6l6's will sound better than the red ones on the drive channel. earlier break up helps. the clean will still be loud as hell and clean enough for most folks. i also own the hot rod deville 410 and love it! nothing is perfect, nothing. remember that. but i like this amp for size and power and tone.

Fender hot rod deluxe, 2006. 3 channels, clean, drive and more drive, equalization, reverb, bright and fx loop. You can switch channels with the fender footswitch. I wish it had a different eq for the clean channel and the drive channel, but if you loose some time you can make sound good every channel. Is very loud for a 40w amp, very good for gigging and for small clubs.

I play a PRS custom 24 20th anniversary, with HFS and Vintage pickups. I play mostly rock/blues and sometimes a bit of prog metal and instrumental music like Eric Johnson or Joe Satriani. The amp is very good for rock and blues, need some pedals if you wanna play prog. I discovered anyway that is not really necessary to use stompboxes to get a good sound. It really depends on the amount of gain you really need. I've used many pedals, mostly OD, and it makes every pedal sound good, but I was getting tired of all these pedals, so I've loose some time adjusting the knobs, and I've seen that if you play AT ALMOST 3-4 of volume in the drive channel, you can get a really good crunch sound! The clean is wonderful, I've got almost the same tone of John Mayer with the neck pickup splitted, and I use for it, try and you will be surprised! I've not noticed problems with the clean channel, also at 5-6 of volume it remains clean, but I use splitted pickups for clean.

An year ago I've had problems with the amp, I've got to take it to a technician to fix it, he said to me that the electronics was really ugly and he needed to fix everything. After the fixing the amp sounds REALLY better. Take care when you transport it in your car.

Never used.

I've been playing for ten years, and I've played many other amps and guitars, mostly Jackson and Gibson, I like humbuckers, but I will get a Fender Stratocaster Eric Johnson as soon as is possible. If the amp was stolen or lost probably I would get a new one, but maybe I would like to try a Mesa Boogie mark IV first. The amp is good but there are some things that I really would like to change. I love the clean sound, the headroom and the loudness, is very good for small clubs and for gigging, but it really lacks of separate equalization for the channels and the crunch channel could be way better. I've compared it A/B with other amps of the same category before the buying: the Peavey Classic 30 really sucks, it sound like is closed in a box; the laney vc 30 is a good amp, the crunch is very good but Fender cleans are better.

Mexican model - a couple of years old. Same features as every other HRD on the planet.........

Plenty of power. Just not a great sound. Using a 72 reisse tele with Rio Grande pickups. This guitar should sound better....Play country, jazz, ragtime, Clean sounds is ok..early breakup not good. This amp just lacks character. Sure it's loud. I wouldn't buy it for tone though...What is it with other people, are their ears turned off, or haven't they owned many amps?
I just use a true bypass OD pedal and a guitar. What else do you need? Don't use the OD channel, you'll just embarass yourself...Messy reverb sound. Better buying a Fender from the days of your and just look after it.

Not keeping it long enough to find out! They just dont seem to make amps the way they used to unless you're paying thousands and thousands of dollars.

Bought second hand, but did have a problem with a new strat several years ago, and I must say that Fender Australia bent over backwards to help and the problem was rectified. Sure they're a big company, but staffed by real people. I always treat people respectfully and courteously and usually get great service and results in return....

Save your bucks and get something older (sounds weird, but true) or new and a lot more expensive. If you're a bedroom basher and want to hear your pod-korg-boss-I have 19 pedals in my chain and I'm a god sound through a mediocre amp, then go for it your tone is lost anyway.