Wednesday, March 18, 2026
GuitarGuitar Amps

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Combo Amplifier – Is The World’s Number One Tube Amp Really THIS Bad?


Support my channel: https://www.patreon.com/maxrossellmusic

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Combo Amplifier – In this video review we find out why Fender’s mega-selling flagship valve amp leaves a lot to be desired.

Do you agree or disagree? Share your own impressions and experiences in the comments.

If you disagree and you want to prove me wrong by buying a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (MkIV), you can do so here (affiliate link):
https://tinyurl.com/343emzuk

00:00 Introduction
00:32 Is it the most popular?
01:12 Cost and specs
02:14 Pedal platform?
02:40 Demo setup
03:34 Clean sounds (playing)
04:45 Clean sounds verdict
05:29 Reverb sound (playing)
06:42 Tweed sound – passive volume pot
07:15 Tweed sounds (playing)
08:22 Tweed sounds verdict
08:52 Gain sounds (playing & verdict)
11:17 More Gain sounds (playing & verdict)
12:16 Hot Rod Generations
12:44 Why so popular?
14:18 Outro

#Fender #Hotrod #deluxe

#Fender #Hot #Rod #Deluxe #Combo #Amplifier #Worlds #Number #Tube #Amp #Bad

Originally posted by UCg0OKrkNykeppiW9dozQTDA at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pepnQRW6LE

28 thoughts on “Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Combo Amplifier – Is The World’s Number One Tube Amp Really THIS Bad?

  • New electrolytic caps and the hot resisters raised off the board. If you don't it wiil go to shit. It needs more but the minimum must be done. Look at the fromel mod package. About a $150 with fromel mod, new F+T caps and getting those 5 watt resisters off the board and you will have a much better amp.

    Reply
  • I haven't watched the video all the way through yet, but judging from the music in your intro, this is really just not the amp for you

    Reply
  • Maybe it's the best selling amp because it's not expensive and it's got fender's name on it.

    This and the extremely similar blues deluxe are bland unremarkable amps, which isn't bad or useless. Just nothing special

    Reply
  • Is it worth tweaking, new tubes, possibly upgrading the transformer.
    Possibly upgrade the diode section. A lot of these amps are being put together with Chinese crap electronics
    Haters say what you will. There is a reason why that combo does not sound as good as your vintage bassman
    Let the haters hate. But the truth is always welcome!
    Maybe try upgrading the speakers ,,,just a thought.

    Reply
  • I have one. Original made in USA model. Great clean and very good crunch. My gigging workhorse. F the haters. They probably can’t play worth a sh*t!

    Reply
  • Great Amp that does Clean like no other and has a lot of head room and takes pedals well, except for those pedals that have a boost in the mids like tube screamers. (It already boosts the mids) It's the number one backline amp in the world. however it has capacitor problems up the A$$ and will need them replaced before they burn up the traces. The volume pot sucks too. Oh, and the OD is very MEH.

    Reply
  • Well I had a Hotrod plus a bunch of pedals, great set-up, but just to play at home.
    Then I sold everything and bought the Positive Grid Spark2 and it was the best of the best decision ever made.

    Reply
  • Never met a Deluxe i liked. Playing them, I dont get the dynamic response i feel with any other tube amp I've played and the distortion sounds chopped to all hell.

    Love my HR Deville, though.

    Reply
  • Thanks for the video. Old strat, MK1 or II HRD, new tube or 2, re-soldered some loose stuff, treble 7, bass 5, mids 12, gain 3, volume 3-4. presence 6, reverb 2-3, Morley pro II wah with distortion, DOD digital delay dfx91, Boss BF-3 flanger. I can pretty much get any sound I need for ACDC, Beck, Tull, Stones, Zepplin, Steeley Dan, Hendrix, Cream, Petty, The Who, Doors. Folks will come up and check my rig for mods, but there aren't any. For the money, can't really beat this amp. Had a test versus DSL 50/100 x 4 12s. No one could tell the difference. Sometimes I'll go into 4x12s with the HRD and its pretty amazing sounding.

    Reply
  • Honestly, your tone in this vid was GOOD to me! Good tone!
    Anyways, having played through a deville for long, I can tell these amps work much better with single coil guitars than hbs. Strats, tellys, whatever. LPs, SGs, etc. …I'd better get a marshall/orange.

    Reply
  • As you say within the first minute , firm numbers are elusive , the fine print of the parameters matter etc
    It wouldn't surprise me if the dirt cheap 5W Chineese amp known as Stage Right , Monoprice , Harely Benton , and infinite number of House Names is worlds largest sell , if you included all the uncountable number of rebrandings .

    But if we limit to name brands , of quality amps , popular with enthusiasts and pros :

    Fender themselves for a long long time have consistently proclaimed the Blues Junior as their best selling Tube Amplifier . ( And if any competing Tube Amp maker , could somehow set parameters for one of their amps to match or exceed the Blues Jr , we have seen press releases , full page advertisements , viral infomercials , etc .

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *