Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
TheFender Hot Rod Deluxeis aguitar amplifiermanufactured and sold by theFender Musical Instruments Corporation.It was introduced in 1996 as part of the "Hot Rod" line of guitar amplifiers and has been in continuous production since. The Hot Rod Deluxe is a modified version of theFender Blues Deluxefrom the earlier Blues line of amplifiers, and has a higher level of gain in its preamplification signal. This model, along with theHot Rod Deville,were originally designated as F.A.T. ('Fender American Tube') amplifiers but this moniker was dropped in 2002 when production of this series of amps was moved from Corona, CA to Fender's Baja-Ensenada, Mexico manufacturing facility.
Specifications
[edit]The Hot Rod Deluxe is an alltubecombo amp rated at 40 watts. It utilizes a single 12-inch Celestion A-Type Speaker. The Hot Rod Deluxe is a mono-channel amplifier featuring 3 switchable gain levels: "Clean", "Drive", and "More Drive" selectable on either the control panel or footswitch (if plugged in). Other features include a Bass, Middle, and TrebleEQ,Master Volume, Presence, Normal/Bright, and springreverb(solid state for both the driver and the recovery circuits). Footswitch and External Speaker jacks are also built in.
Electronics and construction
[edit]As an all-tube (pre-amp and power sections) combo guitar amplifier, the Hot Rod Deluxe features a pair of6L6GCbeam tetrodesfor the power section and two12AX7dual triodes for the preamp section. One additional 12AX7 tube is utilized for the phase inverter of the power section. However, therectifier,reverb driver and recovery, and effects loop circuits aresolid state.The power section uses a fixedbiasbiasing scheme with an adjustable biaspotentiometerinstalled from the factory. The factory bias is 60 mA total for both 6L6s.
The physical appearance of the Hot Rod series is based on the mid-to-late 1950s narrow paneltweedamplifiers with accouterments such as a top mounted, chrome plated chassis and black "chicken head" pointer knobs, but with textured blacktolexfound on Fender amps from the 1960s onward rather than the tweed covering.
Unlike vintage Fender tube amplifiers, the Hot Rod Deluxe uses aPrinted Circuit Board(PCB) construction rather thanPoint-to-Point(PTP) construction. Internally, there are two sets of circuit boards. The main circuit board contains the majority of the electronic elements and provides the base onto which thepotentiometersfor the various controls, and the input and output jacks, are mounted. A secondary board provides the base onto which the tube sockets are mounted (although the pair of power tube sockets are mounted directly on the chassis with long leads connecting those to the secondary board).
Stock and other versions
[edit]At various times, Fender has released special versions orLimited Editionsof this amplifier. The stock version of the Hot Rod Deluxe features a 7-Ply 3/4 "Birch/Maple Plywood cabinet upholstered in blacktolexwith silver sparkle speaker grille cloth.
Fender has also updated the Hot Rod Deluxe periodically. From 1996–2010, the stock speaker is an Eminence Legend 1258 75 Watt (special design) speaker. In 2010 the updated version, (dubbed the Hot Rod Deluxe III) was equipped with a Celestion G12P-80 speaker. In 2018 it was updated again with a Celestion A-Type speaker, pine cabinet, smoother-sounding spring reverb and modified preamp circuitry.
Limited editions
[edit]From 2003 to 2004 Fender released two limited edition models in polished maple hardwood (no tolex covering). One of these had a classic three-color sunburst finish; the other was a stained natural finish (both with Jensen speakers).
From late 2006 to March 2007, Fender offered the Hot Rod DeluxeWhite LightningLimited Edition. Notable features include white tolex with white control knobs, dark black/silver grille cloth, white pilot light (instead of the stock red), and a 12 inchCelestionG12 Century Vintage 8-ohm, 60-watt Speaker.
Starting in early 2008, Fender offered the Hot Rod Deluxe in "Texas Red" Limited Edition, main differences being a 12 inchCelestionG12 Century Vintage 8-ohm, 60-watt speaker much like the White Lightning version. It also includes ivory chicken knobs.
Other limited editions have included:
- Emerald Green (V30, ivory knob, British emerald, grey grill)
- Orange Racing Stripe
- Wine Red
- Surf Green
- Red Nova
- Western tooled tolex
- Chocolate Brown
- Bluesman blue tolex
- Western Noir
- Python Snakeskin
- George Benson Signature
Fender has also released Hot Rod Deluxes adorned in blonde tolex (with wheat or ox-blood grill) or tweed cloth (with ox-blood grill). Alternate installed speakers have also included the Celestion A-Type,JensenP12N alnico or Jensen C12N ceramic speaker reissues.
Hot Rod Deluxe III
[edit]In 2010, Fender released an update to the Hot Rod Deluxe with the following changes:
- Cosmetic upgrades
- Easier-reading black control panel
- New badge
- Electronic upgrades
- Graduated volume and treble pot tapers
- "Tighter" overdrive
- Other upgrades
- Celestion G12P-80 speaker
- New low-profile pedalboard friendly footswitch
See also
[edit]References
[edit]| Key figures | |
|---|---|
| Brands | |
| Amplifiers | |
| Series | |
| Hardware | |
| Related topics | |
