[Ben Harmless]

I think the HRD amps are actually great values from Fender, which these days is getting rarer. I've seen 'em used by blues bands, rock bands, ska bands, country bands, zydeco bands, and punk bands. In every case, the amp worked, and provided a usable tone for the given application.

I was considering getting a Hot Rod Deville for a little while, but when I cranked it up in the store, the 4X10s didn't seem to project as much sound as I would expect from a 60 watt amp. I'm thinking some higher efficiancy speakers would help that amp. Most people who buy from the Hot Rod range end up swapping the speaker(s) eventually.

As far as the OD channel goes, it could be better, it could be worse. I've found that a good clean boost makes it come alive - even at lower gain settings. Try a Blues Driver for that kind of thing. I got a very organic tone that way in the store.

In the long run, I bought myself a Reverend Hellhound, which is somewhere in that general price range, and I'm pretty happy with it. When I was working at a music store though, I sold a lot of new HRDs to players who didn't feel the need to spend a fortune on their amp, and a lot of used HRDs to kids looking for their first tube amp. None seemed to complain.