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Topic: Fender Blues Deluxe vs. Hot Rod Deluxe |
John Poston
From:
Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Posted 8 Mar 2007 11:42 am |
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What are the differences between these two amps? I've been thinking a lower wattage tube amp would be nice to have for some classic 50's swing and hillbilly sounds. You know what I mean, where you can hear those little amps working hard on the solos.
The Blues Junior seems pretty cool, too, but I'm guessing 15W would be far too crunchy at the necessary volume. |
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Drew Howard
From:
48854
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Posted 8 Mar 2007 2:11 pm
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I AB'd a DRRI and a Blues Junior @ Elderly on max volume and both were clean with no break-up.
_________________
http://www.drewhoward.com |
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Jerry Gleason
From:
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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Posted 8 Mar 2007 3:16 pm
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| The Blues Deluxe isn't made anymore. It was the predecessor to the Hod Rod Deluxe, but lacking that extra "overdrive" gain stage. I have one, and I think it sounds better than the Hot Rod. The Blues / Hot Rod Deluxe is 40 watts, 1-12" speaker, and the Blues DeVille is 60 watts, 2-12" or 4-10" speakers. |
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 8 Mar 2007 5:26 pm
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| Actually, the Blues DeLuxe IS still being made. I have one, and I love it. I did change out the speaker, put in an EVM-12L, but it's a great little sound machine. I haven't dimed mine yet, but it'll get plenty loud, with little or no breakup. Good little amp, and WAAAAY better than the '65 DeLuxe Reverb "re-issue," at a lot lower price. |
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Jerry Gleason
From:
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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Posted 8 Mar 2007 6:30 pm
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Ah, I didn't realize that the Blues Deluxe was reissued. I bought mine new in 1995. Can't keep up with all the model changes and reissues.
I found a pair of vintage RCA blackplate 6L6's at work and put them in the Deluxe. Really opened it up. It seems to "breathe" better than with the 5881's.
"Dimed"? Does that mean turned up to ten? Mine goes to 12...  |
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Ron Randall
From:
Dallas, Texas, USA
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Posted 8 Mar 2007 9:59 pm Blues Deluxe
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I like the Blues Deluxe. Mine is a tweed reissue, that I have had for 6 years.
It is wonderful for my Strat.
It is wonderful for my lap steels.
It is limited when using the big strings on C6 or an Extended E9. Not enough cajones.
I do not use it on my SU12 Universal when I play out.
I use a Standel all tube (reissue) or Walker's Stereo Steel.
What's not to like?
Reverb
Overdrive channel
Normal channel
all tube pre and power amp
Efx Loop |
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Randy Phelps
From:
California, USA
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Posted 8 Mar 2007 11:38 pm Re: Fender Blues Deluxe vs. Hot Rod Deluxe
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| John Poston wrote: |
What are the differences between these two amps? I've been thinking a lower wattage tube amp would be nice to have for some classic 50's swing and hillbilly sounds. You know what I mean, where you can hear those little amps working hard on the solos.
The Blues Junior seems pretty cool, too, but I'm guessing 15W would be far too crunchy at the necessary volume. |
The blues deluxe is more like a tweed deluxe and the deville is more like a super reverb. I'd say the bd is more Junior Barnard and the Deville is more eldon shamblin. The drive channel on the BD is pretty useless but it is a good sounding amp althought the pcb construction and the cheap jacks have historically given problems and they are difficult to service. I have a 94 BD and it is a good sounding amp for straight ahead country and has a good edge when push... I have not changed out the speaker, but I must have gotten lucky it is not flabby and sounds very rich for a fairly inexpensive amp.
The devilles are also really nice. I've played out of them many times and they are a lot of amp! They can get pretty loud... too loud for most places I play.. |
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John Poston
From:
Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Posted 9 Mar 2007 12:34 pm
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| Thanks for the info everyone. Sounds like the Blues Deluxe might be right up my alley. I'll have check one out at the store. Might as well try the Junior too - if it's loud enough on full volume it could be fun. Some distortion is good if it's the right kind. I'm thinking of using it for a high C6 tuning on my fender 400. |
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Marc Stone
From:
Louisiana, USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2007 11:43 am BD vs. HRD
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I've owned and gigged most models of the various Blues/Hot Rod deluxes and Devilles. I like the first run of the Blues series, from the 90s the best. What is nice, to me, about these amps is the nice compression on the front end (why they sound so nice w/ single coil p/us). I had a 1995 4x10 Deville that I never should have sold. The best sounding amp for Fender guitars that I have owned. It wasted my orig 65 BFDR (even thought it was all orig., I wouldn't call it one of the "good ones", real thin, even after I put in a Weber and a new output tranny).
Still have a Blues Deluxe, use it often, although my 66 Pro is seeing most of the action these days. Darick Campbell used my BD on the drive channel (which I normally don't like) with his Sierra for the live record they did New Orleans and it sounded UNREAL. But Darick could play rubber bands thourgh a Walkman and get a good tone.
I would look for a 90s Blues Deluxe, since I find the reissues to have gone overboard with the front end squish, too muddy.
Oh, yeah, they do tend to have occassional problems from the printed circuit board and the top mounted jacks, at least half of the ones I have had and the zillions of them that have been house backline I gigs I have done never gave me problems. Point to point amps get sold solder joints too, fact of life. But they are easier to fix. the CB design of the Blues and Hot Rod Devilles and Deluxes has driven every tech I know up the wall. |
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Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2007 1:12 pm
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The original Blues Deluxe has 1/2 of a 12AX7 tube not used. They used that in the Hot Rod for more drive!
Also the Hot Rod had an output transformer that allowed using an external 8 ohm speaker, no so in the Blues Deluxe.
The new schematic at Fender for the reissue is the same as the old schematic I have on file here.
Small improvements were made on channel switching in the Hot Rod Series as well.
I have seen many in my shop. Just did a tone mod on the new Blues Deluxe reissue. Sounded very good after the tone mod. |
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John Poston
From:
Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2007 1:22 pm
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Ken,
Regarding the BDRI mods, did you just bridge the mids pot for the tonestack change, or actually change the bass and treble caps as in the Hot Rod Deluxe mod?
Have you ever taken out the treble bypass resistor in the reverb circuit?
I've heard changing the preamp tubes to 12AT7s helps with the front end muddiness as well. |
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Ken Fox
From:
Nashville GA USA
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Posted 7 Apr 2007 1:28 pm
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I did bridge the mids pot and changed the bass and treble caps as in the Hot Rod Deluxe mod.
Sounded great, that mod tone mod removes the mud out of the tone!
Never tried the reverb mod |
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Jim Ives
From:
Los Angeles, California, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2007 8:20 am
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I got a Hot Rod Deluxe 2 months ago for use with my Lap steel and Tele: it is a great sounding amp with alot of punch and clarity.I sold my Nashville 112 locally after getting it. This is my first tube amp.
I started playing my Mullen through it last week-end and it did crunch a bit, but I need to tweek the sound a bit more to know for sure. I give the Hot Rod Deluxe an enthusiastic thumbs up.
Jim
_________________
Mullen D-10
Fender Stringmaster Deluxe 8 lap steel. |
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Pat Burns
From:
Branchville, N.J. USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2007 6:11 pm
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...I can only speak about the Hot Rod Deluxe....like a jerk, I sold one that I got for a bargain because it sounded like crap with pedal steel, and that's what I wanted it for...it did sound great with Tele, and I didn't have a lap steel at the time, but I do now and I believe it would have sounded great with the lap steel, too...
....nothing I did to it could make it sound good with a pedal steel, though... |
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Brint Hannay
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2007 9:13 pm
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| It's a little peripheral to the topic, but I have a Blues Junior, and it's a very cool, good-sounding little amp, EXCEPT that the reverb is the worst I've ever heard in any amp, bar none! Anyone know of a good reverb mod? |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 12 Apr 2007 7:36 am
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I use my Woody Blues Jr. for guitar and steel. Love it! It breaks up a bit with the steel, but that's fine with me... I play in a band that is so quiet we could gig without monitors.
Bill M has a ton of mods and mod kits on his website, including reverb:
http://home.comcast.net/~machrone/bluesjunior.htm
Sounds like a few of these would sort out a few problems, likely making it a better amp for steel. |
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Simon Stephenson
From:
Hampshire, England
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Posted 25 Apr 2007 12:43 pm
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| I use a blues deluxe for gigs and I like the sound a lot. I've heard the Fender Steel King and Peavey 112 and those sounds are no doubt great too (especially for straight country) but, for me, I prefer the warmth and edginess of valves. |
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Twayn Williams
From:
Portland, OR
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Posted 29 Apr 2007 4:06 pm
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Something to keep in mind when using a tubeamp with PSG (especially a Fender) is to replace your first preamp tube with a 12AY7 to reduce the amount of initial breakup. PSG's tend to have overly hot pickups.
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Primitive Utility Steel |
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