Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
Price Paid: US $450
Features: 10
This is one of the more "usable" amps I've ever owned.
It is a two channel amp with
footswitchable clean/drive/more drive modes. Essentially, its
like having three channels. The
amp offers good control over your sound. I like the top-controls
because they are very easy to
see and get to. The amp's FX loop is a nice touch and I like the
fact that an external speaker
cabinet can be used in Parallel to the amp. Fender includes the
footswitch and the amp cover
which is a nice touch. The 40 watts seem really powerful and this
amp would make a nice club
amp as well as a good practice amp for anyone looking for a nice
warm tube-tone amp with lots
of drive and bite.
Sound Quality: 9
Overall, I really like the sound of this amp. The sound can
easily be tailored to suit your
individual needs. This amp has tons of overdrive and can easily
satisfy several styles of playing
from blues to grunge/alternative and everything in between. Play
a good Tele thru it and you'll
get lots of spank. The special Fender design speaker seems to
compliment the amp well. The
clean is VERY clean and bright on this amp with lots of bottom
end. The drive can be as warm or
dirty as you want it to be. My ONLY gripe about the sound of this
amp is the Reverb. Fender
went waaaaay overboard with this reverb and thus, the player has
little control over it. Even at a
modest Reverb setting such as 4, the reverb is quite
overwhelming. I'm starting to get used to it,
though. Try it for yourself.
Reliability: 10
So far, so good. This amp seems to be built solid. I don't expect
problems with it, but I haven't
had it long enough to tell.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
I don't think you can buy a better amp for $450. The 40 watts of
power sound like 80 watts, and
this amp offers a clean low noise sound that is VERY versatile. I
would buy this amp again in a
heartbeat! I love it. I've been playing it seemingly non-stop
since I bought it and like it even
more, every time. Go check it out.