Played a Blues Deluxe/Emerald Hot Rod/Blues Junior - Review

simon · November 11th, 2006, 10:59 AM

This afternoon I went to a local store to try Fender amps. I thought I need a Blues Junior, but ended up really liking two amps. I need a practice amp to play at bedroom levels. In a sound proof room they had a tweed Blues Junior, a tweed Reissue Blues Deluxe, an emerald green Hot Rod Deluxe, a sunburst Hot Rod Deluxe and a tweed Deluxe Clone with 6V6 tubes.

I grabbed a mexican made Vintage Style Telecaster (that really amazed me) and tried them all. I played funky rhythm and some open chords and some blues licks. I tried to put all amps to the exact same settings. I played the same licks and same chord progression on all the amps. I always turned off reverb.

I didn't like the 5E3 tweed clone. Compared to the Hot Rod Fenders it sounded very trebly and harsh. Maybe wasn't a good clone.

I really liked the tweed Blues Junior. It sounded warm and full. I understood why people say they sound boxy, but it did not bother me. I think this could make a great bedroom amp since it sounds good at very low volume.

The sunburst Hot Rod did not sound bad, but couldn't justify it's price tag.

The Reissue Blues Deluxe did not sound as good as the other Hot Rods to me at that moment (still sounded very good). There was something flat about the sound - chords did not sound as full.

The amp that really surprised me was the emerald green Hot Rod Deluxe. I thought Fender had just used some different color tolex and put in a Celestion Vintage. But I went back and forth between all the amps and every time I plugged into the emerald green one I smiled and just felt the need to take it home. It sounded warmer than all the others and it's whole voice was very round and rhich. Also at the lowest volume setting it still sounded great. Now it sounded better at low volume than the Blues Junior.

I ask myself: can this only be the Celestion Vintage? I once owned this speaker and put it in an amp and did not like it. What has Fender done?

The winners were the tweed Blues Junior and the emerald green Hot Rod Deluxe.

Oh by the way I played the bridge pickup only and never used the "drive" Channel or the "bright" switch on any of the amps.

I have to say all the Fender amps really sounded very good with that Telecaster. Maybe I should have bought that Tele?

sax4blues · November 11th, 2006, 12:44 PM

This is the second thread today with a review of the Fender Blues Jr. and both results are good. I've had my BJr for three years, including upgraded speaker, and have always been nagged by the knocks this amp gets. I'm glad to see I'm not the only person that found these a good value for $400.

One question on your trial.

Quote:

I tried to put all amps to the exact same settings.

Do you mean the same numbers on the dials? Or do you mean adjusting each to have the same audible volume/eq/break-up/etc...?

Thanks for sharing your effort. I'm helping a friend shop for an amp in this range, I know he'll appreciate this feedback.

f69tele · November 11th, 2006, 01:09 PM

To each his own, but I think putting totally different amps all on the same settings is not necessarily a good way to audition them side-by-side. For me, I would try to set the amps individually where each one sounds the best, then judge by which one you can get the best sound out of. Remember, all the components (tubes, size, speaker, type of wood, etc.) make a difference in each amps audible characteristics. So putting the knobs all in the same place on completely different amps is not really a fair audition to the amp.

Now I can agree with that if you are comparing say 3 Blues Jr's like a black tolex, a blonde tolex and a tweed; if you are seeing which one sounds the best at the same settings.

But, I say this in the sincerest way. I'm not trying to be ugly or anything.

simon · November 11th, 2006, 04:26 PM

First let me emphasize again: I really liked all the amps I mentioned.

Yes: I put all the controls to the same settings (same numbers on the dials). If I remember right this is what I did:

all the tone controls to 12 o clock
reverb off
bright switch off
drive off
volume to 1 or 2

With the Blues Junior I just tried to dial in a sound that was similar to the Deluxes (reverb off, fat off, volume 12 o clock, master somewhere low).

f69tele, I agree, would I have had more time I would have tried to get the best out of every amp. This was not a professional test, but a personal experience.

I think though since the three Hot Rod Deluxes (Sunburst, Black Tolex and Emerald Green) have the same controls it could be one way to compare them. The RI Blues Deluxe I am sure would have deserved a better setting.

I tweaked around only a little and my solution at the moment was: the emerald green tolex Deluxe always sounded and felt really good. I was just happy playing it.

The RI Blues Deluxe stood on top of another amp and the Hot Rods stood on the floor on a carpet...

I am not saying that any of the amps is better than the rest. I just really loved the emerald green tolex Deluxe and the tweed Blues Junior at that moment with that Tele. I was surprised that they sounded more warm and round to my ears than the handwired tweed 5E3 clone and the RI Blues Deluxe because I expected the opposite. But this is really a matter of personal taste.

Amaryllis · November 11th, 2006, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simon

... The sunburst Hot Rod did not sound bad, but couldn't justify it's price tag...

Hi Simon - I wonder what this pricetag might be - And where you found one? It would perfectly fit my living room, as "sunburst" is surely not for the road ;-) Also I wonder whether it had a Jensen or a Celestion speaker?

I searched all ebay etc for a sunburst amp. The only one I found is a blues junior. The emerald green one however has the nicest vintage white chickenheads I have ever seen - What a beauty!

Rock on, Stephan

simon · November 11th, 2006, 09:47 PM

Hi Stephan,
the sunburst's price was insane - twice as much as a regular one. But the amp that I keep thinking of was the green one... it sounded so good.

:-)
best regards

f69tele · November 12th, 2006, 02:54 AM

Hey Simon,
I understand. I agree with you that those Hot Rod's are nice amps. I personally have a Tweed Blues Jr. and I'm happy with it. Although 99% of my gigging is with a POD. The neat thing about amps is they all have their own personalities and so it's just finding one that suits you. Good luck on your purchase.

PeteMac · November 12th, 2006, 03:53 AM

Hi Simon.

I have a "regular" HotRod, with a few mods, and yes they do sound good at a vol level up to about 2.5 After that you really have to tweak them for gig type volumes.
Mine sounds just like a Fender should, untill I crank it to gig level: That's why I've been modding it; looking for that same sound at higher sound levels.

... I'm also going to get a DRRI ... for exactly those reasons!

simon · November 12th, 2006, 10:49 AM

Hi PeteMac,

are you saying, the Hot Rod Deluxes sound best at bedroom levels? Right now I have to decide: should I get the Blues Junior or the HR Deluxe? I prefer the sound of the Hot Rod Deluxe. But I wonder if it will be too big and loud for bedroom playing? I need the amp to work in my apartment at neighbour friendly levels since I don't gig anymore. In the store it sounded good at lower levels but maybe that would be too loud at home? I think I played the clean channel at 2 or less and it worked great. Is the Hot Rod Deluxe oversized for the bedroom?

Do you use your Hot Rod Deluxe at home?

sax4blues · November 12th, 2006, 06:41 PM

I believe the HRD is not a good choice for primarily home playing. It is very loud. I have the BluesJr and I am very happy both home and gigging. I did replace the speaker with Jensen P12 and this made a big difference at gig volume.

Amaryllis · December 1st, 2006, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simon

...Right now I have to decide: should I get the Blues Junior or the HR Deluxe? I prefer the sound of the Hot Rod Deluxe. But I wonder if it will be too big and loud for bedroom playing? [...] I think I played the clean channel at 2 or less and it worked great. Is the Hot Rod Deluxe oversized for the bedroom?

Same for me - fell in love with the emerald green one, with white chickenhead tuners, but I wonder if it´s too loud, my neighbours won´t like it, especially as I am a beginner, too ;-))

I tried celestion vintage 16 recently - but this one doesn´t give my tone. Would 65 DRRI be a hint?

WhiteAsh · December 2nd, 2006, 07:10 AM

You should have bought the FENDER made in Mexico guitar!

Those Mexican CNC lathe tolerances are pretty tight.

PeteMac · December 2nd, 2006, 07:56 AM

Sorry Simon,

I haven't been back to this thread for a while.

Yes I do use my Hotrod at home, in my bedroom, in my second floor apartment!
I think it sounds very good and "Fendery" at low levels, up to about 2 on the clean channel.
I have just put new power tubes in it; JJ's 6L6GC's, and it sounds MUCH better than it did with the Groove Tubes.
I crank it to about 5 or 6 for gigs and it's like it's a completely different amp. You can't really get that clean Fender sound at those levels, but with the JJ tubes it's a real rock'n'roll amp. I love the sound. The original tubes were quite harsh and gritty sounding, but the JJ's have smoothed out the distortion to a place that I like very much. I'm still getting a DRRI, but now I'll be keeping the Hotrod as well.

Hope this helps

FrankB · December 4th, 2006, 12:53 PM

I bought a hotrod deluxe in 2000. I traded it at another store for a 4X10 Blues deville that was well used and worn it. NIght and day, no comparison for me. But the Deville was obviously a larger amp with 4 speakers instead of 1 speaker. The HotRod deluxe was a good amp just not enough headroom for me, and it had a harshness to it that I couldn;t get used to.
and now I have a peavey classic 50 4X10 along with the 4X10 blues deville. but I could use a small more portable loq volume amp. I'm thinking a pro Jr, they sound good. Or an old Champ would work, or Music master rd 110.

November 11th, 2006, 10:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
simon Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 208	Played a Blues Deluxe/Emerald Hot Rod/Blues Junior - Review This afternoon I went to a local store to try Fender amps. I thought I need a Blues Junior, but ended up really liking two amps. I need a practice amp to play at bedroom levels. In a sound proof room they had a tweed Blues Junior, a tweed Reissue Blues Deluxe, an emerald green Hot Rod Deluxe, a sunburst Hot Rod Deluxe and a tweed Deluxe Clone with 6V6 tubes. I grabbed a mexican made Vintage Style Telecaster (that really amazed me) and tried them all. I played funky rhythm and some open chords and some blues licks. I tried to put all amps to the exact same settings. I played the same licks and same chord progression on all the amps. I always turned off reverb. I didn't like the 5E3 tweed clone. Compared to the Hot Rod Fenders it sounded very trebly and harsh. Maybe wasn't a good clone. I really liked the tweed Blues Junior. It sounded warm and full. I understood why people say they sound boxy, but it did not bother me. I think this could make a great bedroom amp since it sounds good at very low volume. The sunburst Hot Rod did not sound bad, but couldn't justify it's price tag. The Reissue Blues Deluxe did not sound as good as the other Hot Rods to me at that moment (still sounded very good). There was something flat about the sound - chords did not sound as full. The amp that really surprised me was the emerald green Hot Rod Deluxe. I thought Fender had just used some different color tolex and put in a Celestion Vintage. But I went back and forth between all the amps and every time I plugged into the emerald green one I smiled and just felt the need to take it home. It sounded warmer than all the others and it's whole voice was very round and rhich. Also at the lowest volume setting it still sounded great. Now it sounded better at low volume than the Blues Junior. I ask myself: can this only be the Celestion Vintage? I once owned this speaker and put it in an amp and did not like it. What has Fender done? The winners were the tweed Blues Junior and the emerald green Hot Rod Deluxe. Oh by the way I played the bridge pickup only and never used the "drive" Channel or the "bright" switch on any of the amps. I have to say all the Fender amps really sounded very good with that Telecaster. Maybe I should have bought that Tele?

November 11th, 2006, 01:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
f69tele Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New Ulm, TX Age: 40 Posts: 295	To each his own, but I think putting totally different amps all on the same settings is not necessarily a good way to audition them side-by-side. For me, I would try to set the amps individually where each one sounds the best, then judge by which one you can get the best sound out of. Remember, all the components (tubes, size, speaker, type of wood, etc.) make a difference in each amps audible characteristics. So putting the knobs all in the same place on completely different amps is not really a fair audition to the amp. Now I can agree with that if you are comparing say 3 Blues Jr's like a black tolex, a blonde tolex and a tweed; if you are seeing which one sounds the best at the same settings. But, I say this in the sincerest way. I'm not trying to be ugly or anything. __________________ I usually don't do requests, unless somebody asks for them...

November 12th, 2006, 02:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
f69tele Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New Ulm, TX Age: 40 Posts: 295	Hey Simon, I understand. I agree with you that those Hot Rod's are nice amps. I personally have a Tweed Blues Jr. and I'm happy with it. Although 99% of my gigging is with a POD. The neat thing about amps is they all have their own personalities and so it's just finding one that suits you. Good luck on your purchase. __________________ I usually don't do requests, unless somebody asks for them...

November 12th, 2006, 03:53 AM	#8 (permalink)
PeteMac Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 46 Posts: 419 10 Photos	Hi Simon. I have a "regular" HotRod, with a few mods, and yes they do sound good at a vol level up to about 2.5 After that you really have to tweak them for gig type volumes. Mine sounds just like a Fender should, untill I crank it to gig level: That's why I've been modding it; looking for that same sound at higher sound levels. ... I'm also going to get a DRRI ... for exactly those reasons! __________________ Life is short; play loud! www.myspace.com/theskinnersband www.myspace.com/longyardband

December 2nd, 2006, 07:56 AM	#13 (permalink)
PeteMac Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Age: 46 Posts: 419 10 Photos	Sorry Simon, I haven't been back to this thread for a while. Yes I do use my Hotrod at home, in my bedroom, in my second floor apartment! I think it sounds very good and "Fendery" at low levels, up to about 2 on the clean channel. I have just put new power tubes in it; JJ's 6L6GC's, and it sounds MUCH better than it did with the Groove Tubes. I crank it to about 5 or 6 for gigs and it's like it's a completely different amp. You can't really get that clean Fender sound at those levels, but with the JJ tubes it's a real rock'n'roll amp. I love the sound. The original tubes were quite harsh and gritty sounding, but the JJ's have smoothed out the distortion to a place that I like very much. I'm still getting a DRRI, but now I'll be keeping the Hotrod as well. Hope this helps __________________ Life is short; play loud! www.myspace.com/theskinnersband www.myspace.com/longyardband

November 11th, 2006, 04:26 PM	#4 (permalink)
simon Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 208	First let me emphasize again: I really liked all the amps I mentioned. Yes: I put all the controls to the same settings (same numbers on the dials). If I remember right this is what I did: all the tone controls to 12 o clock reverb off bright switch off drive off volume to 1 or 2 With the Blues Junior I just tried to dial in a sound that was similar to the Deluxes (reverb off, fat off, volume 12 o clock, master somewhere low). f69tele, I agree, would I have had more time I would have tried to get the best out of every amp. This was not a professional test, but a personal experience. I think though since the three Hot Rod Deluxes (Sunburst, Black Tolex and Emerald Green) have the same controls it could be one way to compare them. The RI Blues Deluxe I am sure would have deserved a better setting. I tweaked around only a little and my solution at the moment was: the emerald green tolex Deluxe always sounded and felt really good. I was just happy playing it. The RI Blues Deluxe stood on top of another amp and the Hot Rods stood on the floor on a carpet... I am not saying that any of the amps is better than the rest. I just really loved the emerald green tolex Deluxe and the tweed Blues Junior at that moment with that Tele. I was surprised that they sounded more warm and round to my ears than the handwired tweed 5E3 clone and the RI Blues Deluxe because I expected the opposite. But this is really a matter of personal taste.

November 11th, 2006, 09:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
simon Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 208	Hi Stephan, the sunburst's price was insane - twice as much as a regular one. But the amp that I keep thinking of was the green one... it sounded so good. :-) best regards

November 12th, 2006, 10:49 AM	#9 (permalink)
simon Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 208	Hi PeteMac, are you saying, the Hot Rod Deluxes sound best at bedroom levels? Right now I have to decide: should I get the Blues Junior or the HR Deluxe? I prefer the sound of the Hot Rod Deluxe. But I wonder if it will be too big and loud for bedroom playing? I need the amp to work in my apartment at neighbour friendly levels since I don't gig anymore. In the store it sounded good at lower levels but maybe that would be too loud at home? I think I played the clean channel at 2 or less and it worked great. Is the Hot Rod Deluxe oversized for the bedroom? Do you use your Hot Rod Deluxe at home?

November 12th, 2006, 06:41 PM	#10 (permalink)
sax4blues Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: San Jose, CA Age: 51 Posts: 597	I believe the HRD is not a good choice for primarily home playing. It is very loud. I have the BluesJr and I am very happy both home and gigging. I did replace the speaker with Jensen P12 and this made a big difference at gig volume.

December 2nd, 2006, 07:10 AM	#12 (permalink)
WhiteAsh Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: US Posts: 112	You should have bought the FENDER made in Mexico guitar! Those Mexican CNC lathe tolerances are pretty tight.

December 4th, 2006, 12:53 PM	#14 (permalink)
FrankB Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Havertown, PA. U.S.A. Posts: 742	I bought a hotrod deluxe in 2000. I traded it at another store for a 4X10 Blues deville that was well used and worn it. NIght and day, no comparison for me. But the Deville was obviously a larger amp with 4 speakers instead of 1 speaker. The HotRod deluxe was a good amp just not enough headroom for me, and it had a harshness to it that I couldn;t get used to. and now I have a peavey classic 50 4X10 along with the 4X10 blues deville. but I could use a small more portable loq volume amp. I'm thinking a pro Jr, they sound good. Or an old Champ would work, or Music master rd 110.