Fender Hot Rod Deville, why so cheap used?

[BFcaster]

First generation Hot Rod DeVille, bought new in 1998 if I recall. My first tube amp, and gigged many times with it. In late 2012 and after doing research I replaced the Master volume with an audio taper and re-biased to 68. These two things helped things immensely!
Have done some tube swaps and (for now) have settled on a JJ 5751 in V1 and a JJECC832 for V2. V3 has a JJ ECC83S. I may have to revisit that and try out a 12AU7 in V1 soon.

 

[DADGAD]

I think my 1970 weighs 77 lb with the D120s, in both advertised weight, and on my scale.

Mine had Oxfords. It was 65 pounds.

 

[Don Rich Rules]

Supposedly from what i was told the best selling amp of all time is the Fender H.R.D.
When ever I was doing a national act gig I always requested 2 Fender 4x10 H.R.D.
And I swear IMO no matter where I was gigging the amp sounded exactly like the amp I had used on the previous gig 300 miles away. IMO the amps sound pretty good, not great but pretty damn good. They take effects pedals and overdrive pedals really well. Only once in the last 25 years has one crapped out on me, the output transformer died. So I used the 2nd one on stage. I never used 2 at the same time. It just looked good up on stage.
And $400 Is more than reasonable for a used one in great shape.
Just my opinion.

 

[Antoon]

I like the HRD as well. Great fender tube amp tone.

 

[ReverendRevolver]

Its PERFECT for teenagers just getting good enough to need a tube amp and needing loudness for outside gigs.

It's not perfect for anything else.

Many amps in this price range are nigh impossible to work on without wishing it were something else. The dirt channel is TRASH. Heavy, loud, ultimately usable, but not as useful as other things that aren't as heavy and loud, so they can be had cheapish.
If I found a deal I'd get one just to have for gigs where they plop the band on a flat trailer outside. My big amp is too old for me to partake in risky behaviors with.....

 

[TheDavis]

I see these come up regularly in my area used, usually the 2x12 but plenty of 4x10s have come and gone as well. Probably not a week goes by I don't see one listed and the prices are near $400 or below.

What gives? Are they considered that bad? Twenty years ago I owned a 2x12, it was my first tube amp, and my only complaint was the linear volume control that wen from nothing to too much between 0 and 1.

Oh man that volume control, that’s brutal, why are they so against adding a master volume? 2 is load enough to play over a hard smashing drummer and 2-10 is barely any different.

 

[mikestearns]

I've seen plenty of bands use them and sound good. Desirability a lot of the time depends heavily on who else uses them, and no one of note really uses them, so people view it as a lesser amp. If the right band or YouTuber features it, they'll become desirable. If I needed a loud pedal platform amp for gigs, it would be on my list of things to look out for because they're cheap and sound decent, and at that volume and in the circumstances where I'd need something that loud there's not a whole lot of tone nitpicking to really do.

 

[capgun]

Heck, I’m starting to think I’d like something smaller than the Blues Jr I bought a few months ago. Can’t see ever buying the Deville at any price.

 

[middy]

The dirt channel on the Deville is great if you keep the gain low, don't use the More button and play it LOUD!

 

[Abu Twangy]

Heavy and loud, but without the massive cleans of a SF Twin. The 4 X 10 doesn't compare well to the BF/SF Super Reverb. That volume control taper issue was annoying and the OD brought back unpleasant memories of fooling artound with master volume silverface Fenders.

I agree that they are a glut on the used market but they are a good buy used if you like the sound. Based on my experience with a Hot Rod Deluxe they were repairable by an experienced layman. My HRDx got sold to support a deal for a Deluxe Reverb Reissue. I prefer the homogenized BF sound of a reissue to the brasher sound of a Hot Rod series amp.

 

[Count]

I think that the old bigger is better no longer holds true and people are realising that the HR Devilles are more amp than they need and so are off loading them. Also the new model has solved the volume control problems that plagued the older models. Asd the amps are relativelly cheap to buy in the first place upgrading to a later model is not a major financial hit. We do it with phones etc so why not amps.

 

[Mr. Lumbergh]

I just did some work on my Hot Rod on another thread here with some help from the community. New caps and a few mods such as audio taper pots to replace the linear on the Master and Verb knobs and disabling the treble bypass around the verb knob. 12AT7 in V2 and some minor tonestack mods.
It's a keeper now.

 

[NorthenLights]

Great amp. Never understood the hate. It's likely due to it being really common, and lots of people are turned off by that. Someone above said that's it's for beginners getting in to tube amps. My guess is that person got one as a beginner, and decided to switch amp before he got good enough to handle it.

If I could go back in time, I think I would have chosen the deluxe over the Deville. It's almost as loud, and a bit easier to carry. Now I'm stuck with this big, heavy piece of equipment that I can't sell, simply because I won't get enough for it to buy a new amp of equal quality. But it doesn't bother me too much. I really love it apart from the size. It gives me a killer jazz tone!

 

[CalebAaron666]

I had a 4x10 Deville.
Too big, too heavy, too loud, and I had to have it serviced 3 times.
That sucked because it was my gigging amp and it failed me at showtime more than once.

I like my Deluxe Reverb much more.

I’ll admit the Deville did sound pretty good though.

 

[rze99]

My band’s second guitar player has one. I hate it.

sounds hard and harsh. Not pleasing.
Volume control is like on or off and on is loud as hell
Dirt channel is just nasty
Heavy
Reverb is nice

We solved the sound problems by setting it neutral clean and using an American Sound pedal as like a preamp. Transformed it. He basically sets his sound up on top of the amp with the pedal and the warmth and breakup comes from the cheap but excellent pedal.

 

[SomeGuyNamedRob]

Of all the Hot Rod amps, I find the Deville is the least Fender-like in its sound. The cleans are bland, the gain channel...exists. I've seen some near mint copies come up for shockingly low prices lately, but I haven't played a single one that I liked enough to spend even dirt cheap money on.

The Hot Rod mkIV is probably the first Hot Rod amp I really like, but haven't seen any used ones hit the market yet. I'm guessing by end of the year...

 

[bumnote]

...it was my first tube amp, and my only complaint was the linear volume control that wen from nothing to too much between 0 and 1.

You just described me & my '95 Hot Rod Deluxe.

"How loud could 40 watts be? My stereo is 120..."

Well at "2" when the floor shook I got my answer. Great sounding amp...clean. Takes pedals extremely well. I eventually retubed it with slightly different tubes & a more powerful speaker to tame it...it did. I can now put the volume on 2.5 before the floor shakes.
Throw in 2 back surgeries on a 50lb amp with a volume control that goes from zero to deafening faster than the speed of light...and I have a amp that just sits there unused. I've offered to give it away to some friends...just come pick it up. Still have it...thankfully I bought it used for next to nothing & the money spent was a great educational experience on the value & usefulness of sub 15watt amps. It's the reason I own a Champ.

 

[Count]

The Hot Rod mkIV is probably the first Hot Rod amp I really like, but haven't seen any used ones hit the market yet. I'm guessing by end of the year...

Don't bet on it. My HRD4 is a keeper, nice gradual increase on the volume and a very versitile amp. I had a choice between the Deluxe and Deville and went for the Deluxe, 40 watts is plenty and the deluxe is a third less in weight than the Deville, no contest really.

 

[SomeGuyNamedRob]

Don't bet on it. My HRD4 is a keeper, nice gradual increase on the volume and a very versatile amp. I had a choice between the Deluxe and Deville and went for the Deluxe, 40 watts is plenty and the deluxe is a third less in weight than the Deville, no contest really.

I've been seeing a lot of recent gear hit the used market, so I may be able to score a HRD. The local music stores were basically picked to the bone last year by people thinking they'd learn guitar while under lockdown. In my experience, a LOT of this gear has sat in a corner collecting dust.

 

[marc2211]

I had a 4x10 for about a month, enticed by a very cheap price. I was unable to use it due to the very real chance it would blow me out of the front window of my house if I turned it up past 2.

I *once* tried to get natural overdrive and I swear that tiles were falling off the roof of my house. My cat was never the same.