Why do you think Nick Valensi of The Strokes uses a Hot Rod Deville?

[rirakuma]

Love the strokes, they are one of the main reasons why I got my blues deville. Buckland from Coldplay also uses a Deville live. I read somewhere its because they are readily available worldwide and easily replaceable. I agree that its a great workhorse amp.

 

[Stuco]

Because lots of pros practice their instruments rather than chase tone.

 

[greggorypeccary]

My guess is since he's a professional working musician, he's learned by experience what works for him and he's not sitting around wanking in his bedroom worrying about subtle nuances of "tone" that no one can really hear, what pickup to buy or what amp he should buy next to give him bragging rights on an internet forum.

In A similar vein, Little Steven has been using Devilles on tour with The Boss for the past decade. They're amp that work and give good tone. Simple as that.

 

[alexpigment]

Why don't you allow everyone to have an opinion? Or is it just yours that counts?

This is a FORUM, you know?

You're right, I was being a bit harsh, and I should have made it clear I was making a joke with my first comment. I just didn't get the point of someone commenting on a thread specifically about an artist and simply saying he'd never heard of them.

 

[jh45gun]

Do you think I can spot the rock under which you've been living on google maps?

Also, why did you post?

Well since you asked I never did hear of them. But then at the ripe old age of 59 I do not listen to Radio unless it is an oldies station and I prefer classic rock and classic country. I am not real big on a lot of the modern country either. I like a few new country artist that try to be traditional and that's it. To each their own I listened to a few of their clips and I would not walk across the street to see them. I have heard local bands I thought were better. My Opinion yours probably will disagree. So be it.

 

[marshman]

Well, the HRDv 2x12 is probably the modern equivalent of the TR--loud, heavy, and great clean tone. Combine that with the notion that a person can probably walk into any music store in the world and find one, a musician might find it MUCH easier to travel with guitar and pedalboard and rent one as the need arises.

And really, who steals one of those?

 

[musicmatty]

Is this a trick question?? Those amps are found on more stages all over the world then any other amp around. The clean sound is 2nd to none and it takes pedals for any other desired sounds with ease and Tons of power on tap

 

[Tonemaster]

Why don't you allow everyone to have an opinion? Or is it just yours that counts?

This is a FORUM, you know?

T.

 

[Tonemaster]

This guy gets a pretty good tone outta one.

T.

 

[allen st. john]

In A similar vein, Little Steven has been using Devilles on tour with The Boss for the past decade. They're amp that work and give good tone. Simple as that.

Not everyone is quite so obsessed with gear as us.
On the one hand, Bruce Springsteen is a noted perfectionist when it comes to his live sound and production.
On the other hand, when asked about his effect he said "I've got two buttons I can stomp on. Loud. And Louder."

Lots of touring musicians are like that, leaving the technical stuff to their guitar tech and their sound guys.

And remember that the Strokes are playing through a big soundboard and PA which has a huge effect on the tonal end result.

 

[stantheman]

It's a darn good amp, at least on the clean channel.

And they're readily available from any cartage service in just about every city.

Merlin brings up what I consider a MAJOR ISSUE and it's this:
Should the companies GO BACK to 2 that's TWO Clean Channels?

It's a rarity when someone - even a Boogie Guy says "I like my OD Channel."
Kinda funny too when You see someone with a vintage Mark Series running a pedal board. I mean wasn't the WHOLE PORPOISE initially of The Boogie to eliminate the Fuzztone/OD? Anyone? Bones?

Perhaps a Mod will see this and initiate a Poll.

 

[Justinvs]

You know, I've seen the same response for practically every modern Fender amp that gets mentioned, 'great cleans but the drive channel sucks.'

Is there a two channel Fender out there that has a good drive channel? Or is it that the folks designing these amps really don't understand what people want in a dirt tone? I'm asking this with tongue firmly in cheek, but am still curious. The only duel channel Fender's I've personally used was my ex-brother-in-laws SS Frontman, and, you guessed, ok cleans but the drive channel sucked!

Justin

 

[Chiogtr4x]

You know, I've seen the same response for practically every modern Fender amp that gets mentioned, 'great cleans but the drive channel sucks.'

Is there a two channel Fender out there that has a good drive channel? Or is it that the folks designing these amps really don't understand what people want in a dirt tone? I'm asking this with tongue firmly in cheek, but am still curious. The only duel channel Fender's I've personally used was my ex-brother-in-laws SS Frontman, and, you guessed, ok cleans but the drive channel sucked!

Justin

I tried out a Fender Tone Master head (I think it is/was Fender's answer to a Marshall) thru a Fender/Celestion 2-12" cab-playing a Guild Bluesbird (kind of a chambered LP-type) and within seconds this guitar/amp combo was giving me a great "Fillmore East" sound where you are getting singing sustain and the pickup quack but not the too grainy/gritty humbucker sound nor the "too much saturation" tone (just IMO) of the Super Sonic. The Tone Master did not have a typical clean Fender/Reverb channel but I thought it sounded amazing! Not cheap though!

 

[StarliteDeVille]

They are great amps for the right situation. If you can crank 'em up, which I am sure that isn't a problem at the places the Strokes play these days, they are awesome. Even if you can't, you can get one of those little volume boxes, which is what I did, and you can turn up enough to get a good tone and not go deaf in the process. I traded mine a few months ago. Sometimes, I think I miss the DeVille. Loading out at 3:00 a.m. this morning was not one of those times. I think very few people would be able to differentiate the HRD tone from another Fender tube amp that costs way more. Shop time to stage time is also a consideration.

 

[imsilly]

Tone is totally subjective, so I'm guessing Nick Valensi uses a Hot Rod Deville because he likes how they sound and he is familiar with them.

People think I'm weird for liking old Magnatones, Supros and Silvertones, but I think they sound great. We all have our own ideas of what we want to sound like. I think a lot of the ideals of 'tone' are myths, smoothness, upper mids, bloom, etc. Most people learn these from listening to guitar nerds, who lets face it have no idea about music in general and more knowledge of Claptons amp settings with Cream. I was even told once by a sound engineer I'll never sound decent with a Tele and a Fender amp and that I should just get myself a Les Paul and Marshall. As ludicrous as that sounds, that was the general consensus everyone around me held.

Also remember hardly anyone in a crowd or listening to a record actually gives a toss. How many times have you seen a band where the crowd is wetting themselves even though you can't hear the bassist, the drummer sounds like a toddler kicking tin-pans down the stairs and the guitarist has so much distortion going you'd be hard pressed to work out what notes they were playing. Well in my experience virtually every gig I go too. Big bands like the Strokes won't have their success curbed by having average tones because they are just another indie-pop band, where hairstyle and attitude will get them where they want to be.

 

[polymolly]

Tone is totally subjective, so I'm guessing Nick Valensi uses a Hot Rod Deville because he likes how they sound and he is familiar with them.

People think I'm weird for liking old Magnatones, Supros and Silvertones, but I think they sound great. We all have our own ideas of what we want to sound like. I think a lot of the ideals of 'tone' are myths, smoothness, upper mids, bloom, etc. Most people learn these from listening to guitar nerds, who lets face it have no idea about music in general and more knowledge of Claptons amp settings with Cream. I was even told once by a sound engineer I'll never sound decent with a Tele and a Fender amp and that I should just get myself a Les Paul and Marshall. As ludicrous as that sounds, that was the general consensus everyone around me held.

Also remember hardly anyone in a crowd or listening to a record actually gives a toss. How many times have you seen a band where the crowd is wetting themselves even though you can't hear the bassist, the drummer sounds like a toddler kicking tin-pans down the stairs and the guitarist has so much distortion going you'd be hard pressed to work out what notes they were playing. Well in my experience virtually every gig I go too. Big bands like the Strokes won't have their success curbed by having average tones because they are just another indie-pop band, where hairstyle and attitude will get them where they want to be.

ah ah ah: what a nice reality check! As a friend of mine said: "the problem with bands is that they quickly stop making music as a normal guy and loose sense of reality and start making music for other musicians to enjoy.."

 

[e-merlin]

You know, I've seen the same response for practically every modern Fender amp that gets mentioned, 'great cleans but the drive channel sucks.'

Is there a two channel Fender out there that has a good drive channel?
Justin

None that I'm aware of, but I haven't played Eddie's new amp.

That's one reason I'm a huge Peavey fan. But that's a topic for another day.

 

[Dejected_Ridge]

I use a HRD and the old silver Jekyll and Hyde pedal and I think it sounds pretty good to me. I haven't gotten any complaints either. That reminds me, I have to re tube the thing...

-DJ

 

[Guitar Rat]

Tone is totally subjective, so I'm guessing Nick Valensi uses a Hot Rod Deville because he likes how they sound and he is familiar with them.......Big bands like the Strokes won't have their success curbed by having average tones because they are just another indie-pop band, where hairstyle and attitude will get them where they want to be.

I like how you say tone preference falls under the category of "to each is own", then you slam the Strokes as a band that is all image and fashion and doesn't do anything for you....apparently, only tone is subjective to you when it comes to discussing music? :?:

Anyway....as far as tone, I remember being in high school when The Strokes broke, and their entire sound and aesthetic was a total breath of fresh air. "Rock" radio was playing all this angry downtuned stuff from Korn, Disturbed, etc., and here come these guys that play 3 minute songs with melodies and clean, chiming guitars! The solos only lasted 8 bars, and they didn't shred! And they got played on the radio right after the new Limp Bizkit single! What? .....You can probably guess I became a Strokes fanatic.

My point being...getting the "inexpensive, non-boutique" amp you can get at every mom and pop, and sticking to their guns with how they wanted to sound, was a big part of them getting noticed and making a living out of it. So maybe Valensi follows the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach to his tone.

 

[rirakuma]

I agree, there was so much hard stuff on the radio that I got pretty bored off it too. One day I turned on the TV and watched the 1251 vid and knew I was hooked.