Fender Hot Rod Deluxe

The Hot Rod is an extremely versatile for a two channel amp. It has a footswitch for the clean and drive channels, with a more drive boost. It also has a bright boost for the clean channel. The amp has an f/x loop, power amp in, and a preamp out jack. The Hot Rod has your basic three band eq, volume for the clean, master gain for the drive channel. The drive channel also has a presence control. And of course it is all tube with Fenders famous reverb. At 40 watts this amp has plenty of loudness. Great for gigs.

This amp doesn't have the heavy type of distortion I'm looking for, so I use an Overlord to beef it up. But, for the price, this amp is hard to beat. The clean channel is unmatched at this price range in my opinion. The sound is very responsive and warm. I use a Stat with a Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge. The other pickups are stock. I play Rock, Hard Rock type of music.

Haven't had a breakdown yet.

Never had to use them. But the amp came with a 5 year warranty.

I'd buy one just for the clean. If I wasn't on a budget, I would use this one on clean and another amp for the distortion.

Features generally well known so no need to repeat. 40Watt miked up through a PA is more than enough power. Twin channel with "more drive" footswitchable boost very useful. Effects loop could do with a level control.

Playing Country, New Country & '60s/'70s Rock and Roll, this amp is versatile aplenty, coping with '62 reissue Strat and Tele and Ibanez DiMarzio equipped 540P. Clean channel is a delight with rich spring reverb typically Fender. Even at relatively low volumes Drive channel with careful EQing covers virtually all requirements with useful boost for that extra soloing power. I think I'm in love..........

Amp is only a couple of months old but regular gigging has so far proved trouble free, but that's only as expected. Previous Fender experience leads me to expect reasonable reliability.

I tried many amps, solid state, hybrid and tube and as soon as my Strat bridge/middle mix rang through I was in love. I ran it side by side with a Sansamp Tech21 Trademark combo but to my ears there was no comparison. It replaces a Marshall JCM800 which gave many years of reliable service but was basically dull unless wound right up. I also own a British made Laney LC15 15w tube practice combo and have gigged this (miked up through the PA) with great success and is also highly recommended.

Already been discussed a hundred times. You should know by now.

Sound is great! Clean sound just kicks major ass. Lots of volume and sound for 40 watts. Distortion is not metal, but is decent for a slight overdrive. More Drive setting is a little cheesy. Oh well, I don't really need it. Reverb is weak, but good for a slight touch to give you a fuller sound. Footswitch is easy to use but useless because distortion is junk.

Seems dependable. I've gigged with it, brought extra tubes just in case.

I wouldn't buy it again because then I'd have two. If it broke I'd buy an old super reverb or twin something or other. I play through humbuckers which someone said really suck, but for the full, rich and beatiful jazz tones, this combo kicks. Great amp for the price.

I won't bemoan the features. Ease of use is pretty good.

Clean - The amp truthfully has one of the nicest clean sounds available in the sub-$1000 price range. Wonderfully crisp and clear. It does seem to be voiced for single coils - my Strat sounds godlike, while the lower register on my PRS and Les Paul cause it to choke on the bass output, sounding a bit boomy.
Distorion - The other reviews seem to be quite divided in this regard, and I'm not entirely sure why. In my opinion, the overdrive channels are bordering on useless. Through the Strat, the bass is dramatically cut, far too thin sounding to be useful. While the humbuckers manage to eat the bass drain and still sound "okay", it still doesn't compensate for the buzzy, hollow sound that's just inherent. It's not crunch, it's not blues, it's crap. A Tube Screamer or the like is a requirement.
Reverb - It's not spring reverb. Solid state reverb cannot, will not sound like spring reverb. If you use reverb for general sound thickening like some, I guess it's passable, but true reverb freaks will be disappointed.
Clean sound gets a 10, but loses points for the distortion and reverb.

It seems to have withstood the rigors of my bedroom well.

Although it sounds like I've trashed the amp, I'm actually quite fond of it. The clean sound is fantastic and it distorts wonderfully with my Fulldrive in front of it. For the price, it really can't be beat.

It's great! Three footswitchable channels (well, really two plus a boost, but who's counting) with the footswtich included, effective EQ section, reverb, FX loop. What more d'ya need? A tremelo, maybe.

Perfect for what I do. The clean channel is perfect, all that great Fender clean tone, for jazzy stuff with a Gibson hollow body. The drive channel goes from slightly overdriven, great for chords and blues, to crunchy, and kick in the More Drive for some great sustain for lead. I back off the gain with the bridge pu of my Strat and get a great blues tone with lots of body, just enough cut, and anyways the EQ is quite responsive. With the neck pu, crank the mids and gain, it rocks. I love it...gives me great sound no matter what I play.
The reverb is WAY too over the top...that's my only complaint. I never turn it past 3, but it sounds fine as long as you leave it low.

Haven't had it long, but it's solid

N/A

I love it and would recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat. It's just the perfect size, sound, and features for me. I only wish the neighbors would let me crank it more! I think it gives fantastic sound, real tube tone, classic Fender clean, and all for a very good price.

Price paid: $489 plus tax
Features: 9. I used to have a Mesa Boogie .22 Caliber without graphic equalizer: bought it for a nearly identical price in October 1992. In '92, I originally considered the then-available Fender Concert (now out of production). I always regretted my decision about getting the Boogie instead, since I learned that I really liked the "Fender Clean" sound, and this was not available on the Boogie, whose clean sound (although perfectly OK) always seemed bottom-heavy. Also, the interactivity of the clean and dirty channels on the Boogie was near-maddening: making the clean channel "full" (and not too squeaky-country clean) made the overdrive channel incredibly overdriven. I found it as musical as listening to a 707 at take-off. Dialling in a listenable, not- over-the-top overdrive channel required too low a preamp gain level for a full-sounding clean channel. So what about the Hot Rod Deluxe ? Superior on two accounts to the .22 Caliber: first, wonderful rich clean sound, and second, much less interactivity between the tone settings for the clean and the overdrive channel(s). As Fender's advertisements make clear, you get not one but two levels of overdrive with the Hot Rod Deluxe, and they are footswitch-selectable. See comments about the reverb below. And you get both a cover and a footswitch at no extra charge: the cover was extra with my Boogie.

Sound quality: 10. I like blues: someday I'd like someone to say I sounded like Barney Kessel imitating Jimi Hendrix's Red House on HENDRIX IN THE WEST, but nobody seems to be saying that about me yet. Really rich clean sounds: my comments above suggest the likelihood that I'm a "treble junkie", yet I like how full and rich the lows are on my Deluxe. I suspect what I'm hearing is the 6L6 family of power tubes, which are not as high-frequency-oriented as the EL84s on a Peavey Classic 30 (my other amp). I think the clean channel is slightly superior to my friend Mike's 60W Blues Deville (the older series with tan tweed covering), and his amp always had to get too loud before it sounded good. When you pick harder on a Tele on my Deluxe, it sounds richly twangy, and full of harmonics, not "doinky" and simple-sounding. It is true that the reverb seems to get too splattery too fast with this amp: reverb settings in excess of 3 seem antimusical. I wonder if the problem is as simple as the wrong taper on the reverb potentiometer. Other Harmony Central reviewers have also had critical comments about the Hot Rod Deluxe reverb. The overdrive channels sound fine to me: I find "Black Magic Woman" or "Oye Como Va" are in there even if the amp doesn't come from Petaluma. I play a rosewood and a maple-neck Strat, a Fender Tele Deluxe (with neck humbucker) and a home-made StewMac Tele with a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom in a rout between the standard-placed neck and bridge pickups. I guess I'm not a Les Paul dude: I find it entirely appropriate that a Harmony Central chiropractor recently recommended that we stay away from sitting down playing heavy LPs, and stand while playing lightweight Strats---and I'm (so far) the designated Harmony Central rheumatologist.

Reliability: 10. Bought this amp after trading in the .22 Caliber in April 1997 and have not had any regrets.

Customer Support: n/a: haven't had any problems or questions. The warranty is for five years, which is better than I think you have a right to expect.

Overall Review: 9. My friend Mike also has a Reissue Deluxe Reverb, whose tremolo feature is awesomely rich. ( The reverb is also cosmic). I do lament the absence of tremolo on the Hot Rod, but I had already bought a Peavey Valverb in 1993 to complement my Boogie, and I find I use its reverb alone (as well as its tremolo) to enhance the Hot Rod's spectrum of sounds. I also use a home-made extension speaker cabinet with a Celestion in it: it seems to add to the fullness of sound without much coloration. I'm sure that the addition of tube reverb and tube vibrato to the Hot Rod series of amps would add a minimum of $150 to their street prices: if you're not in need of these features, you can't go wrong with the Hot Rod Deluxe. You can now choose from more tremolo pedals (and also more types of more- expensive tube reverb/tremolo units) than in 1993, when I bought the Valverb, so you have the option of adding on the tremolo feature if you want.

I just bought this amp a few days ago, and I'm totally blown away! It has 2 channels; Clean, and Drive. The drive channel has a 'more drive' option that increases certain frequencies to allow for sounds more fitted for cutting through a band mix for great sustain during solos and such. The effects-loop is great, as it does not inhibit the overall tonality of the amp. The amp uses 3 12AX7's and 2 6L6's (I believe), so there is more than enough power and tone-shaping to allow for a wide range of sounds. I use this amp in jamming situation s at the moment, and this amp rocks. I play with another guitarist (using a JCM 800 and a 4x12), a bassist (Ampeg head with an 8x10) a drummer and a full P.A., and this amp delivers! I have more than enough headroom with the clean at 4 and the drive and 2!

I play a generally wide range of sounds, but most within the rock genre, so I utilize many clean as well distorted tones, although I generally shy away from metal etc. So far, the amp has allowed for every sound I want. I play through a effects processor in the loop, and the classic tone is not hurt at all by the unit. I play through a Fender Strat, with a Seymor-Duncan 'screamin demon' humbucker, and a Fender neck-lace pickup, and I sound great!

I've had it for about a week and I'm totally pleased so far.

Never dealt with the company as of yet, I hear it sucks, but hey, if amps are so reliable, why wouldn't it. (the Maytag repair-man syndrome)

I would definantly by it again! No other amp has as much power, tonality price, weight etc.. for the money you pay. If your like me, a student who lives away from home with no car, and needs an amp with power, but has a budget, who needs a great amp, but doesn't have the space for a head and cabinet, or who can't carry around a heavy 2x12 etc. Or, if you're just looking for a great amp, check it out!

Great features, especially the 3 switchable channels. It would've really been nice if they had put a vibrato channel on it though. The footswitch and the cover are nice little bonus's too! But, this amp has plenty of power for what I need.

I play blues and this sounds O.K., but I've really never been able to crank it up because it gets to loud in my room. The drive channels are a little noisy and there is alot of hiss on those channels. You can get pretty good distortion out of it with high gain settings, but it seems to lack depth and warmth. Because of this I use an Ibanez TS-9 Reissue for a better sound. I'm currently using a Fender Lone Star Strat and a Gibson Les Paul Studio to play through. Overall, this amp has a really great sound.

I've only had this amp since December of '96 so I haven't had any problems with it so far and plan not to.

Haven't had to deal with them yet, and hope I never will.

I would probably buy it again, but I would also heavily consider a Fender Twin Reverb Reissue. I still wish it had a vibrato channel and also maybe another 12" speaker. But, this is probably the best amp for the money that I've seen. I would recommend this amp to anyone, (unless they have $900 to spare for a Twin Reverb.)

a nice touch. Could've used a trem, but for this price who could complain?

Just got back into playin' out again after a long (kid-induced) hiatus. We do the standard rock/r&b/roots/country stuff. The Deluxe is as versatile and loud as I could need. I would like to slap a 12" cab under it, just for grins.
OK, the reverb's not tube. And the amp's way too dependant on PC boards (from what I understand, damn near everything off the front is straight-soldered to one). But I am totally pleased with the sound, feel and smell (and cost, by the way) of this amp.
Let me add that an entry below (from Dave at cyber-something) complaining that the "drive/more drive" section is really bad caused me to pause before buying. I, too, have a strat with gold lace sensors (a Clapton strat w/active mid boost), so I checked the HR Deluxe thoroughly based on that post. I gotta tell you, Dave -- either you got a really bad one, or someone slapped a better set of guts in the one I picked.
Broad range of sounds, lots of guts (top or bottom, depending on them purty little chicken heads), plenty of headroom, and a real nice pallette of distortion tones to choose from - full bodied at that. The active mid boost in the strat and a TS-9 both drive the Deluxe well, too.
The reverb? I've heard/played/owned better (ergo the "9"). But not for a tad under 500 bucks and a 5-year warranty.

Rules of Road:
1) Play tubes? Take back-up. 2) 5-year warranty makes reliability less of an issue.

Fender? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I will say that the dealer I use (Midwest Music, Cincinnati) is top-flight. Thanks, Rusty.

Money an issue? Best sound and features for the buck? I couldn't find anything better.

There's not much more I could ask for in an amp. Two inputs, two channels, bass/mid/treble EQ, presence control, reverb, Gain Master and clean channel volume. The amp also includes a metal two-button footswitch with LED's so you can easily tell and see what channel you are on. It has a single 12" speaker custom made for Fender by Eminence. The nominal wattage rating is 40 watts and is plenty looooud for clubs or jam sessions! The FX loop is the only poor thing - good to have one, but why must it be a serial one ? Put a bad effect-box in the serial loop and the sound gets worse - so take good ones (better nor digitals) or let it be.

I'm absolutely satisfied with the sound ! Before I played the Hot Rod first, I could not believe that a Fender Amp also can make good distortion sounds, but the Hot Rod do so ! Id played a Mesa Boogie Caliber 50+ for years and also a Mesa - Subway Rocket - I've sold them now, cause I don't need them anymore ! The Hod Rod gives me the fantastic clean Fender sound (best I've ever heard) like the early Dire Straits-Sounds, and also Clapton's crunch and ultra crunch at it's best ! The overdrive is very nice, warm and easily controllable. You can get lots of different sounds out of this amp. The Reverb is very full and sounds fantastic, it really sits in the band mix really well. The 'More Drive'-Setting don't make the Fender to a Ulta-High-Gain Amp. You'll ever hear the character of the guitar 'behind' the amp - that's the sound I'd looking for ! O.K. - the distortion of the amp sounds best at higher volumes (unfortunately!), so don't play the amp only at home and say 'poor sound' ! If you are a Ultra-High-Gain Fan, buy a Soldano or Mesa. But I want to hear, what I'm playing - not only a screaming amp !

This amp hasn't given me any problems yet. It seems to be built very solid. I've found the amp to be very reliable so with 5 years warranty I'll rate this a 10.

Haven't had to deal with 'em yet, hope it still remains so.

I really love this amp and I'd buy it again. It is really powerful and can easily be used for a live gig as well as practice. Footswitch and cover were included and not optional. The amps I compared it to were all Mesa/ Boogies I'd played for years, but I'm sorry - he Fender won hands down. The search is over, I'd found my amp: the Hod Rod Deluxe! The clean sound is heaven (Fender at its best!), but also the crunch and ultra-crunch Sound is fantastic, much better than a Boogie or anything else in this price-range. Cause he sounds best at higher volumes try the THD-Yellow Jackets with two EL 84 instead of the 6L6! This gives you best sound at moderate volume! I think this is one of the best amps you can buy for your money. I would pay more for it.

This amp replaces a Blues Deluxe, and I'm not even looking back. Many improvements from my perspective. Three Channels: Clean, Drive, and More Drive. 40watts is plenty for small to medium clubs, and I mike it for outdoor and large rooms. Very versatile EQ that really changes the tone nicely.

For Blues and Classic Rock this amp is awesome. The Drive channel is much improved from the Blues Deluxe, and I don't need a TS9 anymore The clean channel is crisp and through a strat you have lots of tone options. I've been using the drive channel on 5 for starting off with a clean lead, and then kicking the Drive in on bends, and it just increases the Horsepower and sustain of your tone. Perfect for Clapton, SRV stuff. The more drive also sounds great, especially if not completely maxed out to 12. This amp has lots of tone options with EQ, and drive channels.

I hope it's dependable. I sure has problems with my Blues Deluxe. It cut out at gigs more than once. First it needed to get some field change from a Fender repair guy. Then the relays for channel switching died. I noted on the HR Deluxe schematics, that it is layed out differently, and hope that this beautiful sounding amp has been reengineered for improved MTBF.

I have dealt with Fender with the Blues Deluxe problems, and in obtaining Trem Stabilizer adjustment procedures. No problems with my dealer or Repair, I just hope I don't need them.

The amp sounds awesome. It's perfect for my band's music style. It is tons more versatile than the Blues Deluxe, and my r. guitar player says it sounds warmer. I think dollar for dollar this is the best amp for the price. Hope it's reliable nothing is worse than an amp dying on you in the middle of a solo. Would buy again. I even considered the Blues Deville this time, but the 4-10s sound a bit washed, and the damn thing is sooo heavy....I ain't 20 anymore

This is a 40 watt, 3 channel, 1x12" tube amp. Basically a more modern version of the Blues Deluxe. It's covered in black Tolex and silver grill cloth just like mid-60's Fenders. There are three 12ax7s and 2 6L6's. Controls for Volume ,Drive,Bass,Treble,Middle,Master,Presence,and Reverb as well as switches for Normal channel bright, channel select and more gain on the drive channel. I like this amp so much more than the Blues Deluxe I owned previously. It's as if Fender took everything I didn't like about that amp and fixed it. For one, the reverb doesn't hiss past halfway anymore. Also, the drive channel has some real drive and more drive, the master volume knob has a better taper making it easier to set the volume low, there's an extension speaker jack, and a bias adjustment pot. I wish it had a tube rectifier and tremolo. A little quirk I noticed about the channel switching, when you push the channel switch the is a small lag before the drive channel switched to the normal channel, this doesn't happen when the footswitch is used and is not really that annoying. Some nice included items such as a two button three function footswitch and a vinyl cover come with the amp, as well as a schematic. Oddly enough mine included a Marlboro light 100 cigarette at the bottom of the box, I don't think this is standard though. I figure either, someone tossed it in as a joke, they want me to think that the amp smokes (which it does, figurative speaking), or they're giving me a sign that the amp will eventually smoke literally. I hope the first is the case.

The clean channel is bright and very clean, the drive channel has way more gain than the Blues Deluxe, enough for fairly heavy rhythm playing, amost Marrshall-like, and with more gain switched, there's enough for lead playing, even with a Jazzmaster. I don't even need an overdrive pedal anymore. The drive seetings are quite noisy with a Jazzmaster, but that's the guitar's fault. With humbuckers, it's fairly quiet. The reverb sounds pretty good and there's loads of it, plus as I mentioned before, it doesn't hiss like on the Blues Deluxe. One thing I don't like is how the sound starts too get hard when it's loud, I plan on playing around with new tubes and the bias setting to try to soften it up some, hopefully it will help. I also use a Telecaster which sounds excellent and a 12 string Strat copy that sounds very good and jangly through the clean channel. I play classic pop type music like the Beatles, Jellyfish and Teenage Fanclub and it does well for this style.

I would depend on it for the most part, I've heard some bad stuff about Fender's quality control, but I owned the Blues Deluxe for about a year with no problems at all. I would always have spare tubes and fuses just in case.

I don't Fender likes customer support much, I wanted to email them and their address was nowhere to be found on their web site. Maybe if you call or write you'll get better service. I've never really needed to contact them for any problems though.

With my current income, I would buy it again. If I could afford better I'd buy better. It's a very nice amp for the price but it's by no means a desert island amp. It sounds pretty good with all of my guitars and even my beloved WurliTzer electric piano.

10. I really like this amp. Blues, rock and country all all handled well. I play at home and the sound is good on all three channels. The numerous guitars I put through this amp all sound great, no matter what the settings are. I use my Korg ax30g through the effects loop, but the amp is so nice that I have gotten away from using any effects other than those on the amp itself. The foot switch is easy to use beacause it has led's on it that let you know if your clean or in overdrive or in more drive. I use all of it's features.

10. I think it's a great blues amp. As above, the styles I play all sound good. I used to have a Peavey stereo chorus 212...no comparison. The amp is quieter than many solid state amps. The amp is a tone monster. It's neat to be able to roll off the controls and adjust the sound with this amp. Move a tone knob, say from 3 to 6, and the sound changes gradually, not "notchy" like some amps. Clean channel breaks up and starts to sing at about 6 (halfway) max on all is 12. Gibson 335 Firebrand, 50's Tele, Carvin tl60, Godin acousticaster, Squire Fat Tele all sound like themselves. Probably no the best amp for metal or shred. Clean channell would be wonderful for jazz.

10 I have no problems with it at all. The construction of this amp is beautiful...I expect it to last long enough to pass down to my so.

6. 5 years. Fender customer support is a joke. Good dealers in Tucson that will back the product.

10. Yes. There is nothing about the amp that I do not like. I played a bunch of them and chose this one. I also run an extension speaker (Peavey Classic 1-12e).

Buying this amp, I was looking for something tube, fairly light, and with enough power for the clubs that I play in. I had played through a regular tweed Deluxe but wanted a bit more overdrive, and this amp has it in spades, however it is not as "tweakable" as I would like. More on that later.

The clean sound is pure Fender, with plenty of headroom for the clean country twangin' that I do. The dirty channel is good for a bluesy sound, not much else. MORE drive is hot, as hot as my Boogie DC-5. HOWEVER, what I don't like about this channel, is that it is so UNBALANCED to the other sound. In other words, you turn it up to 1/2 to 1 and it is screamin' loud. I like to get up to at least 3-4 to leave some room to back off the guitar volume and still have some tone left. I wish that Fender would have adjusted this channel accordingly. Also, Dick Dale must have designed the reverb on this amp, as anything past 3 is reverb city. The overall volume of the amp is more than enough for the situations that I play in. I use a B-bender Tele, and a '57 reissue Strat with this amp.

Fairly new amp, N.A. at this point. The amp is built well though, should last a long time. The cover which is included well help in that regard.

I have dealt with Fender in the past with a guitar problem, and they basically passed the buck to the dealer, who passed the buck back to Fender. Fender DOES NOT want to deal with us consumers at all from my experience. I was very unhappy with the treatment I received from them, and solved the problem myself. I think that Leo Fender would do things a little differently if he was still around.

Despite Fender's poor service, I will ALWAYS LOVE Fender equipment. Overall this is a very good amp, and a great value. I traded a Peavey Classic 50 in for this amp, the Fender is a better amp for my needs

There's not much more I could ask for in an amp. Two inputs, FX loop, two channels, bass/mid/treble EQ, presence control, reverb, Gain Master and clean channel volume. The amp also includes a metal two-button footswitch with LED's so you can easily tell what channel you are on. This is nice because my old Peavey didn't have any indication of what channel you were on. This amp has clean/drive/more drive channels. The LED on the footswitch changes colors depending on what channel you are using. The top of the amp has the same LED's and controls as the footswitch, but adds a bright switch as well.

I really like the overall sound of this amp. The clean channel is very clean and clear even at high volumes. The amp doesn't buzz or rattle at high volume like the Peavey Classic 30. The overdrive is nice and easily controllable. You can get lots of different sounds out of this amp, and the owners manual includes suggestions on sound settings. I've been more excited about this amp than any other amp I've bought and I play it every day. I'm always inspired by the warm tube sound. This is my first Fender amp and I'm pretty impressed.

This amp hasn't given me any problems yet. It seems to be built very solid. I've also gone over the included schematics, and it looks like a well thought-out amp. I don't expect any problems.

I really like this amp and I'd buy it again. It is really powerful and can easily be used for a live gig as well as practice. I really like the fact that the footswitch and cover were included and not optional. Nice touch, Fender. The amps I compared it to were the Ampeg ReverbRocket 112r, the Peavey Classic 30, and the Crate VC30 1x12. The Fender won hands down. Best sound and best features. I think this is the best amp you can buy for $450. I would pay more for it.

This is one of the more "usable" amps I've ever owned. It is a two channel amp with footswitchable clean/drive/more drive modes. Essentially, its like having three channels. The amp offers good control over your sound. I like the top-controls because they are very easy to see and get to. The amp's FX loop is a nice touch and I like the fact that an external speaker cabinet can be used in Parallel to the amp. Fender includes the footswitch and the amp cover which is a nice touch. The 40 watts seem really powerful and this amp would make a nice club amp as well as a good practice amp for anyone looking for a nice warm tube-tone amp with lots of drive and bite.

Overall, I really like the sound of this amp. The sound can easily be tailored to suit your individual needs. This amp has tons of overdrive and can easily satisfy several styles of playing from blues to grunge/alternative and everything in between. Play a good Tele thru it and you'll get lots of spank. The special Fender design speaker seems to compliment the amp well. The clean is VERY clean and bright on this amp with lots of bottom end. The drive can be as warm or dirty as you want it to be. My ONLY gripe about the sound of this amp is the Reverb. Fender went waaaaay overboard with this reverb and thus, the player has little control over it. Even at a modest Reverb setting such as 4, the reverb is quite overwhelming. I'm starting to get used to it, though. Try it for yourself.

So far, so good. This amp seems to be built solid. I don't expect problems with it, but I haven't had it long enough to tell.

I don't think you can buy a better amp for $450. The 40 watts of power sound like 80 watts, and this amp offers a clean low noise sound that is VERY versatile. I would buy this amp again in a heartbeat! I love it. I've been playing it seemingly non-stop since I bought it and like it even more, every time. Go check it out.

A 2 channel switching amp with a boost mode for the distortion channel, Reverb, a serial effects loop and 1x12" speacker.

This amp has one of the best clean sounds ever. The Reverb is very full. At first I thought it was too full, but it really sits in the band mix really well. The distortion covers a nice range of sounds and is fully controllable with the tone controls. Since this amp uses the typical Fender tone circuit the settings of the tone controls really makes a difference and makes this a very versatile amp for distortion sounds. Having said that, I'm not sure the ultra high gain crowd will like this amp as much as a Boogie. The distortion has more of a clearness to each note, which is why I like it. The More Gain boost is great for extra sustain and especially for slide playing.
I normally use this amp with a Gibson Nighthawk (lately) and also with a Les Paul and Strat. It really lets the character of the instrument come through. I've played Boogies and Peavey classics and don't really like their thick and cloudy distortion.
I play Christian music, which encompasses a wide range of styles, from Rock to MOR to Jazz and Country flavours. The Rock side can range from Bluesy to Metal or Alternative and everything in between. This amp was a good choice for covering a bunch of styles.

I use it all the time and it has been excellent. I don't bother with a backup amp. This one has never let me down.

I haven't needed to call yet.

I've been very happy with this amp. It is the closest to an all in one combo with great tone that is easy to cart around. The workmanship and sound are excellent and I'd buy another without pause.

The amp is a straightforward combo. Controls include input gain, bass, mid, treble, presence, reverb, and master out. It is a two channel design (clean and drive) with a "more drive" option in the drive channel only, providing an effective third footswitchable sound. The clean channel also includes a brightness boost switch (not footswitchable). There is an effects loop, and the amp has an included two-switch footswitch (channel and drive/more drive). I intended this amp to be the heart of my main gig rig (run with a 2X12 cabinet and a Quadraverb for occasional effects). Unfortunately, it didn't serve this purpose too well, and I have since traded it in for a Mesa/Boogie DC-5. The reasons for my dissatisfaction follow in the "sound" section...

I have never heard a better clean tone. Running my gold lace sensor Srat in clean channel gives what I consider to be the perfect clean tone: clear, bright, dynamic, with plenty of classic Fender character. Just switching toggle positions on my guitar gave me every clean sound I needed. It sounds absolutely fantastic. Unfortunately, I have never heard nor could I even conceive of a worse sounding drive channel. I have a piece of junk $39 Epiphone mini travel amp with a nicer distortion sound. Both the drive and the more drive have a goofy buzzy fuzzy sound with no real power, edge or tonal character. I figured the amp may have been designed for pure blues (explaining the total lack of crunch), but I couldn't even coax a tollerable blues tone from the thing. I know there are people who are happy with this amp, but I can only assume they enjoy sounding really really bad. In drive this amp hasn't a ball, let alone balls (and just so you know, I don't play over-the-top thrash metal. I run a smooth overdriven blues/rock sound somewhere between The Sundays and Stone Temple Pitots). It's too bad this amp sucks soooo bad in drive, because at what seems to me to be a very affordable price, its clean tone is amazing. I have since replaced it with another amp (the aforementioned Boogie DC-5) that is actually too brutal in drive, but at least I can back off on the gain (I run it at about 2) and still get a great sound. If you're looking for an affordable amp for small to medium gigs with super-sweet clean tone, and distortion isn't in your vocabulary, then this is a great buy. I, on the other hand, use distortion, so it was goodbye.

Like the sun rising in the east I could rely on that thing in drive channel to sound like a deranged AM radio. Reliable? It's all too reliable. Maybe if something blew it would sound better.

No experience.

Because the clean tone is so great (it crushes the Boogie in clean) I still might buy it again. But then I'd have to schlep two amps around to every gig, get some sort of A/B switch, and find some way to squeeze the Boogie the Fender the 2X12 cabinet and my big ol' fat ass into the tiny corner of stage left for me. No thanks.

Features are really great. I went in looking for a Marshall Valve State 100 and walked out with this one. Has the requisite features: Bass, Treble, Mid, Presence, and reverb. Has a drive and more drive setting (like my old Acoustic Boogie clone with 2 dirty drive volumes).

Nice, quiet, smooth, glassy, but vibrant, living tone.
Plus: Great tone! Wonderful Tone! LOUD for a 40 watt amp.
Minus: Starts to distort past 4. I was looking for something with a little more head room. Oh well. This is a GREAT practice amp OR if you go through a PA.
I'm using my Boss ME8 though it. Really love the sound.
Looking at the 4X10 Blues DeVille model for gigging for more headroom.

Had it for a month. SOLID. No problems.

Haven't had to deal with 'em yet.

I'd buy it again for smaller practice situations. For Band situations, it appears that the Blues Deville (2X12 or 4X10) would fit the bill.
Don't let the 40 watt rating fool you. This mother moves nearly as much air as my 100 watt Acoustic Boogie clone.

Not repeat here.

Clean is sweet and glassy that is Fender's trade secret and HR Deluxe gives you all. Drive and more drive(12.7db more gain) channels with the EQ I can dial in almost all the sounds(close enough) I want. For the price with footswitch and cover, I compared to Peavey Classic, Crate VC and Marshall JTM, this is it. 40 watts is bit too much for home practice but replace the driver tube(V3), 12AX7A, with a 12AU7 (GrooveTube) and it got tamed for home use. This way I won't void my 5-year transferrable warranty.

I just got it for 1 month.

It is perfect for a Strat.

Due to former reports I think you will allready know all its features, in short the preamp part has, a clean channel, drive channel with more drive option. Volume for clean channel and Drive with Master control for drive channel, and the usual treble , mid and bass controls. The Power amp section has Reverb and Precense control. The channels and more drive are switchable via a footswitch.

It sounds very nice, but the reverb has some overkill in the high frequencies. But adjusting it to 2 it gives a nice sound. I think the amp is great for clean and not to much distorted sounds, is more common usefull than the Blues the Luxe. I only had one problem I wanted to use the amp as a practice amp at home. Allthough possible the volume it not easaly adjustabl for home use. So I changed the amp a bit, V1 and V2 I changed from 7025 to 6072A end the third 7025 I replaced with a ECC81. Following I changed the the 5881WXT from penthode operation to triode operation (wich is very easaly done). Now it sound even better as the 'original' and it is very simple to adjust the volume to home usage. Don't be afraid it sounds to weak because it still can make a lot of noise allthough the output is tempered from 40 to 15 watts. (Due to the triode setting of the 5881WXTs) The overall sound is although still very clean now looks like a mix of Blues the Luxe and Hot Rod the luxe.

N/A I have the amp for 10 days, And due to my changes I think I spilled the 5 year garantee ( but it's worth it)

ChickenShit, I asked the pros at WWW.Fender.com before i made my change what they would think about it. And all they answered 'Do not apply such a change'

At the moment I would certainly buy it again and make the same changes i did. I was very in doubt buying a Blues Junior or the Hot Rod. I loved the sound of the Junior and the features of the de luxe. At the end i have both.

This amp is quite versitle for practice or the working guitarist. It weighs slightly more than the classic Vibrolux amp. It has a single 12" speaker custom made for Fender by Emminace. The nominal wattage rating is 40 watts and is plenty loud for small to medium clubs or jam sessions with several other musicians. The controls include: volume, drive, bass, treble, middle, master, reverb, and presence. There are also switches for bright, channel sellect and more drive. The reverb is a long reverb tank on the bottom on the amp which is solid state driven. You can carry this amp with one hand. The amp comes with a footswitch and a protective covering. Overall, its a pretty nice looking and transportable package.

Let me discuss the sound in three parts 1) clean sound, 2) reverb, and 3) distortion. 1) The clean sound on this amp is supurb. It captures the classic fender sound and stays relatively clean up to at least 5 or 6 on volume. I was actually surprised how good the clean sound was for the price paid and a single 12" speaker. I have owned new and vintage amps that cost twice as much that didn't sound this good. I have to rate this a clear 10. If you want the "Fender sound", look no further. You will not be disappointed. 2) To my ears the reverb sounds horrible. It sounds very artificial, non-dimensional, tinny, much to trebly and nothing like the classic reverb sound of the twin or the vibrolux (which sound GREAT). This may be OK for the beginner, but if you want the classic reverb sound, for surf music, rock-and-roll, etc. then this ain't it. I rate this poor sound a "2" on a scale to 10. Sorry Fender, get back to the drawing boards on this one, fire the engineer who came up with this cheezy circuit. This is a big disappointment for an otherwise great sounding, great valued amp. I currently own a vintage 65 Vibrolux, a Princston chorus, a Marshall acoustic soloist and now the Hot-Rod Deluxe. In the past I've owned a 65 Twin Reverb and a classic Princston Reverb. This reverb may be the worst I've ever heard in my 30 years as a guitar palyer. Fortunately, my stomp box has a good sounding reverb and I can get around this problem. 3) Distortion can be subjective depending on your style. This amp has a very good distortion for my needs which is blues and rock-and-roll. I don't do metal or grunge so I can't comment here. The distortion is not quite as sweet sounding as on the Peavey Classic series but I think it's versitle and adjustable enough to satisfy a wide audience. My rating here is a 9. My overall rating for sound including the crumby reverb is "7".

It's a new amp but it seems to be constructed well. Too early to tell.

Never needed any.

I probably would not buy it again, but not because of the sound or features. There are so many great amps out there, I would try another one first. I would first look for a similar sized, similar sounding amp with a better reverb. Possibly the Prosonic.

This amp is a 40 watt,1-12 combo, with three channels. It is basically a newer version of the Blues Deluxe. The amp has channel switching between the three channels (clean, drive, and more drive) and a great reverb! It is an all tube amp that uses two 6L6's for power tubes. It is easy to get a great soundout of this amp!

The clean channel is just what you'd expect from Fender. Strats have a great beel tone coming through the clean channel. The drive channel adds an over drive to the sound and even when maxed out is more prone to blues flavors. More drive takes drive one setp farther. It makes for great rock tone! If your looking for Metal or Thrash tones this is not your amp. I'm playing new country and the amp is ideal. I can go from clean rhythm to a slight overdrive for leads and then hit "more drive" for my slide work. I love this amp! I use it with an assortment of telecasters, a strat, and an ES-335 and the amp lets the identity of each guitar shine on through.

I've only had the amp for a month and a half but have played 17 gigs with no complaints. In my experience, I have never had a problem with any Fender amp I've owned. I've found them to be very reliable so I'll rate this a 10.

i've never had to use Fender customer service but I'm sure they stand behind their products.

I'd definately buy the amp again. I think that it has alot of "bang for the buck" and sounds as good or better than some amps costing 3 to 4 times more. I checked out many of those amps and even leave my Mesa Blue Angel at home to gig with the HOT ROD Deluxe.

Amazing versatility from jazzy blues to crunch. It has foot switchable dual channels. Dual inputs. Power amp in, preampout, nice reverb, dual stage gain (also foot switchable), presence, brightness. It'd be nice to have separate tone and reverb controls for each channel and a headphone jack but I'm just being picky...I use it for everything from practice on up. 40 watts is enough for me, especially when I can mike it if need be. Also about $200 cheaper than the Hotrod Deville, which at 60 watts is a bit much for me around the house, just ask my wife :) Comes w/ nice cover.

I like to play blues to grunge. Amp seems noticeably quieter than my Crate VC2110R. Great distortion in the "MORE DRIVE" mode. Killer clean/reverb sounds. Using w/ Fender Strat Plus and Gibson Les Paul.

Just got it, no probs...

Can't help ya' here either...

LOVE IT! Very warm, very loud 40 watts, great distortion, good price. You won't be sorry. Has cool little 50th anniversary logo on back worth the ticket price right there :)