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amp question


awel

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Posted

Hi,

yesterday I have bought very nice Fender Hot Rod III deluxe FSR red.

I am very happy with the sound, blues rock as I like but I have read that the fiability of the hot rod sucks.

does anyone on this forum has or had this hot rod?

Posted

I'm not sure what you meant by "fiability" but I have an older one, a Hot Rod Deluxe DeVille 410. I think it's tremendous. They use Hot Rod Deluxes at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

 

I've tried the Hot Rod Deluxe 410 III in a few stores while trying out guitars and it's similar to mine, so I suspect the Hot Rod Deluxe III (1x12) is similar to the older version I used at Berklee, which was very good. I got the 4x10 instead of the 1x12 only because it sounded a little more vintage to me. The 1x12 is a great, versatile amp.

Posted

I have read that as they are mexico made, the quality is very bad but I cannot believe that

Posted

I have read that as they are Mexico made, the quality is very bad but I cannot believe that

 

LOL..."Made in Mexico" with regard to Fender amps, is no big deal!

("Made in America" Fenders, are made by Mexican, or Mexican-American

workers, for the most part!) The factories are both "state of the art,"

and basically identical, except for location. Any "mass produced" product

will have a "lemon" now and then. But, it's not the "norm," by any stretch!

Some folks just love the "bash/hate!" That's all...

 

CB

Posted

Fender`s MIM amps have a very good reliability rating (if that is what you mean) I have had a Blues Jr. for a year and a Half now with no problems plus they have a 5 year warranty if memory serves me correctly.

Posted

The "Hot Rod" series and the "Blues" series don't 'suck' for what they are, but hey definitely are lower quality amps compared to higher quality amps. But the price reflects that.

 

If you are expecting them to sound and perform like a more expensive amp, THEN you MAY say they suck, because they will not do nearly the same job. But for a low priced tube amp which is what they are, both in time to build and construction, they are fantastic.

 

It is like saying an Epiphone LP sucks because it is not a Gibson, ignoring the fact it is an awesome guitar for what little they cost.

Posted

I don't find them so low price 869€. but of course if you compare to a boogie mark V ;-)

my problèm is that I have also a boogie transatlantic 15 and even if it is wonderful head, I prefer the sound of the hot rod, and so I'm wondering if I am normal :-)

so compare to the boogie I am afraid of how the hot rod will be in few years

Posted

I don't find them so low price 869€. but of course if you compare to a boogie mark V ;-)

my problèm is that I have also a boogie transatlantic 15 and even if it is wonderful head, I prefer the sound of the hot rod, and so I'm wondering if I am normal :-)

so compare to the boogie I am afraid of how the hot rod will be in few years

Not really sure of the question: in a few years?

 

Also, it doesn't really tell much or say you have bad ears if you say you prefer the sound of the HOT ROD over the Boogie. Don't know what you are using them for, where you heard the amps, and what the situation was when you thought that.

 

It is hard to determine value based on the Euro dollar, because besides exchange rate, you have availability considerations. But I might compare the HOT ROD series to 70's Fender amps in regards to price and quality: the used Fenders from the 70's being much higher performance/sound for about the same as the cost of a new HR.

Posted

I actually didn't realize mine, which is a good decade old, was made in Mexico until last weekend when I moved it. Had I known this I probably would have gotten a more expensive American one, but having not known for so long I'm glad I didn't. I haven't had any problems with it and have never even replaced the tubes. My expensive Marshall however has some problems: its bypass button (for effects) is stuck and its treble volume control is startlingly noisy. So I can vouch for the Mexican workmanship. Makes me wonder if there are American Fender amps and how they sound though.

Posted

I have read that as they are mexico made, the quality is very bad but I cannot believe that

 

 

They're just as reliable, as any other "tube/valve" amp, with normal=proper maintenance!

I've had a MIM HR Deluxe, for several years, now. No problems, with mine, whatsoever! [thumbup]

 

CB

I think I understand now, after reading again:

 

If you want to get really deep into it, the construction of MOST of the amp is top-notch. The speakers they make now are more reliable on the whole than older ones, and by a long shot. They can handle much more watts.

 

The only real weak point of that amp compared to a top-notch amp would be the circuit board. They don't use the best of materials and components. If and when they fail, it also makes it harder to work on, but not impossible.

 

The design of the amp is sound, in that it does not really have anything about it that would cause it to fail premature, so chances of a failure are small.

 

Just opinion or observation, but I would say they are not quite as reliable as a hand-wired amp in perfect shape, but nearly so. And, they may be MORE reliable if you factor in a lot of amps may be old and have a lot of components that are ready to fail.

Posted

I think I understand now, after reading again:

 

If you want to get really deep into it, the construction of MOST of the amp is top-notch. The speakers they make now are more reliable on the whole than older ones, and by a long shot. They can handle much more watts.

 

The only real weak point of that amp compared to a top-notch amp would be the circuit board. They don't use the best of materials and components. If and when they fail, it also makes it harder to work on, but not impossible.

 

The design of the amp is sound, in that it does not really have anything about it that would cause it to fail premature, so chances of a failure are small.

 

Just opinion or observation, but I would say they are not quite as reliable as a hand-wired amp in perfect shape, but nearly so. And, they may be MORE reliable if you factor in a lot of amps may be old and have a lot of components that are ready to fail.

Thanks for your answer :)

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