Hot Rod Deville vs. Hot Rod Deluxe

[SMurphy28]

I'm still searching for a lower powered amp for smaller gigs. My Deville is great for larger gigs - even the drive channels are useable thanks to a few mods from my tech.

For smaller gigs I want something to use in the same vein. I like the fender tone so I'm debating btw a Hot Rod Deluxe or a Blues Jr. I know they're different animals but is there a big difference in headroom/volume with the Deville and Deluxe?

I tried running pedals but it didn't work as well as how I want to use the amp.

 

[T_red7882]

the deluxe is every bit as loud as the deville, and breakup occurs a little earlier, but not signifigantly enough to use it during a small gig and the deville at a larger one. the deluxe will keep up with any half stack. get a classic 30 for smaller gigs.

 

[SMurphy28]

the deluxe is every bit as loud as the deville, and breakup occurs a little earlier, but not signifigantly enough to use it during a small gig and the deville at a larger one. the deluxe will keep up with any half stack. get a classic 30 for smaller gigs.

Thanks for the response. Oddly enough I saw a band tonight at a local bar and one guitarist had a Deville and the other had the Deluxe. I could hear the slight breakup on the Deluxe but it still had to be pretty loud. There wasn't a big difference at all. Just different flavors. Might save up and look into a Deluxe Reverb RI. 22 watts might be good enough to cut through the mix and still hold it's own at a lower volume.

 

[T Prior]

sorry, I say there is a difference , once you start playing fat chords off the front pup the Deluxe gets left behind. I personally think the headroom IS the difference between the two amps. they are both very loud and next to each other on a gig they may appear equal, but the are not.

Sometimes all it takes is a very subtle change in an amp to make a big change on the bandstand.

For a couple of years I tried to do double duty ( Steel and Tele) with the HR Deluxe along with an ext cab, I bought the amp new in 95 or 96.. I changed to a HR Deville in 2004 specifically for the cleaner headroom, it's not light years better but enough to make a working difference, especially when wanting CLEAN with the big chords. For Steel and Tele, it's right at the edge.

I would agree that the Classic 30 has the goods for a bit more clean over the HR Deluxe. I have been using the C30 for a while now on the bandstand, Tele only...

all nice amps though....

t

 

[barkley]

I'm still searching for a lower powered amp for smaller gigs. My Deville is great for larger gigs - even the drive channels are useable thanks to a few mods from my tech.

Do you have any details on what these mods are and how they affect the sound? I agree the drive channels are a bit lacking out of the box. My devilles warranty is almost up and Im keen to get tinkering!

btw Blues jnr amps are great for overdriven tones at low volumes

 

[Jared Purdy]

There is no comparison. If you add the BDRI into the mix, the HRDx is sunk. The HRDx is probably one of the worst sounding stock amps out of the gate. Blues Junior sinks it, the Deville is over and above the HRDx in sound quality. Peavey C30, Delta Blues or the C50 leave it in the dust! I really do not know what Fender is doing with that amp, especially when it is compared to so many other amps in the same ball park.

 

[Colo Springs E]

I really do not know what Fender is doing with that amp, especially when it is compared to so many other amps in the same ball park.

Given that it's probably one of the best selling amps in the world, I'd say they're makin' some money off it.

Won't argue with you about it's tone, I'm not a fan either... but there are a million of them out there in clubs being gigged nightly.

 

[barkley]

Do you have any details on what these mods are and how they affect the sound? I agree the drive channels are a bit lacking out of the box. My devilles warranty is almost up and Im keen to get tinkering!

btw Blues jnr amps are great for overdriven tones at low volumes

bump on this

 

[cooktimj]

Have a 2001 HRDlx and an opportunity to trade for a 1996 410 Deville. Sounds like I should jump!

I like the tone of the Dlx, but it does lack on the front pup. A little farty.

BOOM BOOM BOOM PFFFT!

Big chords, grabbing that growling low note on the front pickup on some of the bluesy, jazzy stuff...Dlx just doesn't seem to be quite "there."

 

[Jared Purdy]

Pass on the HRDx, do yourself a favour and get the Peavey C30. Better sound, made in the USA, all metal jacks, takes cabs REALY well, great reverb, 2 channel, great crunch on 2nd channel at low volume, portable (heavy, but still).

 

[moodus2006]

If you can swing a deluxe reverb - it will bring a nice versatile/ gig amp to your collection.. A blues jr IS a nice amp too, but if you want to switch it up a bit Deluxe reverb.. PS: I have a hot rod deluxe and a blues jr, occassionally play a deluxe reverb that belongs to the other guitarist in the band.. all three are great for what they do.

 

[TheTranslator]

sorry, I say there is a difference , once you start playing fat chords off the front pup the Deluxe gets left behind. I personally think the headroom IS the difference between the two amps. they are both very loud and next to each other on a gig they may appear equal, but the are not.

I have a Deluxe, and contemplating on getting the Deville. As to playing chords with the neck pup, I may have a difference of opinion.

I agree, the fat chord stuff in the neck pup breaks a little on the Deluxe, not to mention a slightly harsh tone for a tube amp. However, I've discovered that plugging the guitar (preferably an archtop with flatwound 12's) into the second (weaker) input yields a much cleaner and warmer sound for doing George Benson style playing. I don't know how George does it, but when I plug my GB10 into the second input, it dosen't get any better in terms of clean woody Jazz tone. As to high-gain distortion, I run a Boss ME-70 mufti-effects unit directly into the clean channel for distortion and digital effects. With the preamp volume maxed out in the ME-70, and the Deluxe plugged into a 2x12 or half-stack extended cab, that little 40 watt Deluxe will match ANY Marshall half-stack in terms of gain and volume. However, the gain/distortion channel in those Fender tube combos are absolutely HORRIBLE

BTW, hello everyone, I'm new here...

 

[sotob]

Pass on the HRDx, do yourself a favour and get the Peavey C30. Better sound, made in the USA, all metal jacks, takes cabs REALY well, great reverb, 2 channel, great crunch on 2nd channel at low volume, portable (heavy, but still).

I've had both and at the moment I prefer the HRDx. I wish I did not return it months ago. It was stock and it sounded really good. So I modded my current C30 and it does not do what the HRDx did. I still have my eye on look out for one. Now they use different tubes, so I think that might have something to do with something?

 

[Bodeen]

Pass on the HRDx, do yourself a favour and get the Peavey C30. Better sound, made in the USA, all metal jacks, takes cabs REALY well, great reverb, 2 channel, great crunch on 2nd channel at low volume, portable (heavy, but still).

This.


Never owned a DeVille. I've had three HRDx's through the years and they all needed quite a bit of tweaking just to get the drive channel to sound decent at lower volume. Giving credit, though, they do start sounding really good when cranked. They do have really good cleans, though, IMO.

The C30 is just a phenomenal little amp. The build quality is good, made in USA, and I can take it straight outta the box and go from fat, round cleans to some raunchy blues through classic rock crunch to hard rock just by turning a couple of knobs. Would love to see them expand on these models.

 

[Justinvs]

The Peavey Delta Blues is another contender. Set up right they're a really nice amp.

Justin

 

[garytelecastor]

I bought an HRDx about 2-3 years ago. I did some mods on it and my tone is gorgeous. I popped in a new speaker and did these mods

Unleash the tone of your Hot Rod Deluxe. The Hot Rod Deluxe is the best selling tube amp of all time, it sounds good and is pretty reliable, other than a couple common problems. After these mods your amp will sound fantastic and be more reliable. The classic Fender tone is released through these changes. The flabby bottom darkness is gone, what you get is full warm classic tone with nice top end sparkle. Complete kit with detailed instruction book with photo's includes all the following mods. This Mod kit is for any version of the Hot Rod Deluxe, both Made in USA and the current Made in Mexico versions.
I also have mod kits for other amps and pedals, see my other items for sale!!!
Tone Stack - Get rid of that farty bottom, honky mids, and lack of clarity. High Quality Sprague Orange Drop Caps with corrected values for the Bass and Mid Cap and corrected value for the slope resistor. What about the Treble cap? replace the cheap ceramic cap with a high quality Silver Mica cap. The result is an amp that sounds huge and warm with nice top end sparkle, not dark and buried in the mix.
Twin Mod - Fix the mids on the amp and get rid of that flabby bottom. This mod enables you to take all the mids out of the tone allowing more flexibility and versatility. This is accomplished with just a short jumper wire but the result is far better control of your tone.
Brightness - Like to play at low volumes but find the amp too dark? The brightness mod adds sparkle to your tone at low volumes. As you turn your amp up the brightness mod loses its effect so the amp never sounds brittle at high volumes.
Power Stiffening - Doubles the capacitance in the first filter stage, this reduces hum and increases reserve power for solid bass and better transience for incisive picking, This mod gives the amp the extra torque it needs to push through strong when you are playing hard. This also takes some stress off the output transformer increasing its life span.
Lead Master Volume - Ever wonder why this amp gets extremely loud after you turn it up past 2. Fender uses a linear taper pot for the Master Volume when it should be an audio taper. This mod gives you usable control of the drive channel so you can get good tone without playing at stadium volume.
Power Resistors- Many problems with the Hot Rod Deluxe, especially the older ones are from the power resistors that control switching. Two new power resistors installed properly will avoid many problems down the road.
Plate Load Resistors - Replace all the plate load resistors with 5% 1/2 Carbon Comp resistors. This amp can develop a loud crackle/static that is caused by the plate load resistors. This mod fixes or prevents this problem and using the same carbon comp resistors found in vintage and boutique amps you add rich harmonic overtones.
Reverb Mod - Why does the reverb in this amp become a complete wash after turning it up past 3 especially at low volumes? This mod makes the reverb more controllable, fuller, and more natural. This is an easy mod that is nothing more than clipping one wire but the result is amazing.
Switchcraft Input Jack - Your input jacks are soldered directly to the circuit board, apply some tension when the amp is plugged in and you could cause major damage to the circuit board in the amp. This mod gets rid of the wimpy plastic input jacks and replaces them with high quality metal switchcraft jacks that are panel mounted and NOT directly soldered to the circuit board. Included is a shoulder washer and isolation washer so the input jacks do not ground directly to the chassis and prevents ground loops. The jacks come pre-wired with high quality, Teflon Coated, Silver Plated Solid Copper Core wire. The solder I use is Silver bearing. This is the same quality you will find in high end boutique amplifiers costing thousands of dollars. Newer Hot Rod Deluxe amps have a better quality Neutrik input jack which are better than the older amps but they are still attached directly to the PCB.
Proper Lead Dress - Take a look inside a boutique tube amp and you will see all the wires carefully twisted and placed for greatest reduction in oscillation and noise. The Hot Rod Deluxe has all the internal wires zip tied together. I give clear instructions on dressing the leads inside the amp for optimal performance, this results in lower noise and less chance for oscillation.
Included in the kit is all the components necessary to to get your amp in top shape and the detailed instructions to make the changes easy. If you have a basic understanding of electronics and soldering skills you can do these mods in less than an hour.
Reviews: Just wanted to let you know that today I installed the Hot Rod Dlx "ultimate mod" kit I purchased from you on 19th Feb in my Hot Rod Dlx. The result has been, in a word, SENSATIONAL. The difference is like night and day. Installing these mods has taken a pretty decent mid price combo and raised it to the level of boutique quality tone.

Your instructions were clear and concise, and the results spectacular. Bravo on a wonderful product
WARNING: Performing these modifications WILL void the warranty on your amplifier. Working on amps can be deadly if you do not take proper precautions. Follow these instructions very carefully. If you are at all unsure of your ability to perform these modifications STOP and take your amp to a professional to be modified. You can also send your amp to me for modification.

No Warranty: This kit and the instructions included do not include any warranty of any kind. The modifications to your amplifier are at your own risk and you agree to completely hold harmless the seller of this kit against any and all claims. Tube amplifiers contain parts that operate at very high temperatures and deadly voltages. If you are not sure of your abilities to perform these modifications then do not perform them.

Available for international shipping, International shipments, especially to EU can take up to 4 weeks because of customs.