Fender Deluxe Hot Rod Vs. Deville

quicklickpaddy

I have the Hot Rod (with groove tubes) but sometimes I think it just lacks volume because it's only 40 watts and the distortion channel is a bit weak in my opinion.

The Deville would definitely solve my volume issues but is the sound as nice clean (think that real Fender sound if you get me) and is the Deville distortion channel much better than on the Hot Rod? Or to take opinion out of both questions... What are the differences?

Alanstrainor

A hotrod too quiet! :eek:

quicklickpaddy

Yeah... We've a loud drummer!

-Chris-

AFAIK the preamp sections of both are the exact same, so they sound very similar clean and distorted.

If I was going for a Deville I'd go for the 4x10 version as it moves a lot of air and sounds pretty deadly, but I've always preferred the Deluxe.
I'm happier with a 40w rather than 60w amp as it's easier to get the valves cooking. If you need more volume then mic it up and put it through the PA, and if you're mic'd up then it probably doesn't make much of a difference if you're playing through a 4x10 or 1x12...

As for the distortion channel, it's terrible in both. Get yourself a decent OD pedal for some proper tone.

quicklickpaddy

-Chris- wrote: »

AFAIK the preamp sections of both are the exact same, so they sound very similar clean and distorted.

If I was going for a Deville I'd go for the 4x10 version as it moves a lot of air and sounds pretty deadly, but I've always preferred the Deluxe.
I'm happier with a 40w rather than 60w amp as it's easier to get the valves cooking. If you need more volume then mic it up and put it through the PA, and if you're mic'd up then it probably doesn't make much of a difference if you're playing through a 4x10 or 1x12...

As for the distortion channel, it's terrible in both. Get yourself a decent OD pedal for some proper tone.

Yeah I really don't like the distortion in the Hot Rod. I tend to get too much natural overdrive because I have to crank it to keep up with the drummer, so will the 60w 4x10 help my case there?

-Chris-

The natural overdrive from the clean channel is pleasant enough, it's channel 2 that's the dog.

I'm finding it hard to believe (although I'm not questioning your honesty) that your drummer is that loud. Can you tell us about your rehearsal set-up? Is it a concrete square room? Where is your amp pointed? Can you get it up off the floor and pointed towards yourself without getting excessive feedback etc?
What's your PA set-up, can you get your guitar through the PA?

Do you only play clean and need the headroom, or are you using channel 2 for extra volume?

A lot of it will also depend on your EQ set-up, do a bit of reading on it or post your settings here. Something as simple as boosting your mids can make your guitar punch through the mix and therefore make you "louder".

quicklickpaddy

-Chris- wrote: »

The natural overdrive from the clean channel is pleasant enough, it's channel 2 that's the dog.

I'm finding it hard to believe (although I'm not questioning your honesty) that your drummer is that loud. Can you tell us about your rehearsal set-up? Is it a concrete square room? Where is your amp pointed? Can you get it up off the floor and pointed towards yourself without getting excessive feedback etc?
What's your PA set-up, can you get your guitar through the PA?

Do you only play clean and need the headroom, or are you using channel 2 for extra volume?

A lot of it will also depend on your EQ set-up, do a bit of reading on it or post your settings here. Something as simple as boosting your mids can make your guitar punch through the mix and therefore make you "louder".

Yeah he's the loudest I know anyways! Yeah its a square room in a house... At least two of the walls are concrete, I stand in front of my amp and tilt it against the wall so that its facing somewhat upwards. We don't really use a PA for practising.

I don't always play clean but I would about half the time so it's still very annoying that I can't keep a clean sound when I play loud, so yeah it's the headroom I'm looking for! The groove tubes on it don't help apparently... They can reduce volume. I'd generally have my EQ at about 2 o'clock bass, 3 o'clock middle and 2 o'clock treble. With a small amount of reverb and presence down at about 9 o'clock

Alanstrainor

I have to agree with Chris, i can't believe the deluxe wouldn't be loud enough. I have a Blues Deluxe, and when i crank mine to 12, it feels like my ears are going to bleed!
But anyway, i know what you mean about the deluxe when you crank it above ~6, it really starts to break up, but i found that the speaker has a big part to play in that as well as the valves. I upgraded my speaker to a Ted Weber AlNiCo 12" speaker a couple of years back and it really improved the clean headroom the amp had. That and the drive channel on the blues deluxe is quite usable as it's not too harsh which means when it gets loud....boy does it get loud!

-Chris-

Get your amp up off the floor and away from the wall a little, maybe put it up on a chair or amp stand. You might be muddying up your tone by having it against the wall.

Try and do a bit of sound deadening work in the room (hang some curtains or something at the very least), if the room's amplifying your drummer you're on a hiding to nowhere from the outset.

Also, if you think it's the groove tubes stealing your volume, then change your tubes first before you change your amp. It'll cost a lot less to change your tubes than to sell your amp second-hand and then buy a Deville. You'll probably be putting a couple of hundred quid towards the transaction.

As a second step to this, Alan's right - you might get quite a bit more volume from a more sensitive speaker. Again, this will more than likely be cheaper than selling your amp and buying another.

quicklickpaddy

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I have to agree with Chris, i can't believe the deluxe wouldn't be loud enough. I have a Blues Deluxe, and when i crank mine to 12, it feels like my ears are going to bleed!
But anyway, i know what you mean about the deluxe when you crank it above ~6, it really starts to break up, but i found that the speaker has a big part to play in that as well as the valves. I upgraded my speaker to a Ted Weber AlNiCo 12" speaker a couple of years back and it really improved the clean headroom the amp had. That and the drive channel on the blues deluxe is quite usable as it's not too harsh which means when it gets loud....boy does it get loud!

I just had a look at your youtube videos... We'd be after a very different tone. I don't really play blues at all and I love a proper clean sound. You've nailed it there with how it breaks up after around 6. When it's miked up I try keep it around 3.5/4

-Chris- wrote: »

Get your amp up off the floor and away from the wall a little, maybe put it up on a chair or amp stand. You might be muddying up your tone by having it against the wall.

Try and do a bit of sound deadening work in the room (hang some curtains or something at the very least), if the room's amplifying your drummer you're on a hiding to nowhere from the outset.

Also, if you think it's the groove tubes stealing your volume, then change your tubes first before you change your amp. It'll cost a lot less to change your tubes than to sell your amp second-hand and then buy a Deville. You'll probably be putting a couple of hundred quid towards the transaction.

As a second step to this, Alan's right - you might get quite a bit more volume from a more sensitive speaker. Again, this will more than likely be cheaper than selling your amp and buying another.

I bought the amp with the grooves in it... Any recommendations if I was to buy new tubes for it? And would do you think that would be enough to give me the extra headroom or would I have to change the speaker too? And roughly how much would that cost?

BarryCreed

jaysus, I rehearse with a 5 piece using a blues deluxe, and usually have it in channel 2 on clean. they are loud muthaf**kers...
Channel 1 clean is plenty loud on 3 or 4, the drive channel is alright, dirties it up a bit, but a pedal will round it off...

novarock

fender amps are obnoxiously loud, so there might be a problem somewhere else in the chain.. could be the case that the amp needs a rebias and revalve. Also what guitar are you playing...