Fender Blues Deluxe vs Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III Amplifier

[@intheblues]

Thanks for the almost 600,000 views! If you find this helpful please consider using these links below: 🧡 Get a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV ► Sweetwater (USA) - imp.i114863.net/MeM9q ► Thomann (Global) - bit.ly/39Nnr7v Get a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue ► Sweetwater (USA) - imp.i114863.net/qda7Y ► Thomann (Global) - bit.ly/2JS9Ljl

[@nicfield6895]

Blues sounds more compressed while clean. I'd just say buy them both when you can't make up your mind and eat ramon for a bit.

[@classicZEPP]

What did Ramón ever do to you?

[@xoxo-pp7ru]

@@classicZEPP Ramon is a 🤬🤬

[@nanobot81]

The human body can go up to 120 days with just water and a fender deluxe amp

[@flewis72]

Dude learn to spell the right way!!!

[@jawsxx8683]

Best comment I've seen on the the interweb yet.

[@waitin4winter]

12 years ago I compared the two amps in a store at gig volume. The BDR had a warmer, softer, richer clean tone compared to the HR which sounded just a tad more brittle to my ears. I didnt compare the dirty tones much since I was looking for a clean pedal platform. Changed the speaker and v1 tube over the years and the BDR is still serving me extremely well.

[@dep1001]

I would love to hear/see an updated video with the Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue vs Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV comparison.

[@joepalope2038]

The Blues Deluxe is the best amp I've ever plugged into...sounds so SRVish to me.

[@Caksy12345]

!! Exactly right

[@pendejotu4]

same here. best amp ever plugged into. And with a squire classic vibe

[@auntjenifer7774]

Are you testing the Tweed version or the black one ? Either way how many amps have you "plugged into" because yes it's a good amp for sure but there is so much BETTER Amps at lower price than these, for example try out a crate vintage club 50 if you ever get the chance because they are cheap and sound like a Tweed Bassman 410 on the clean channel and Marshall super lead in the gain channel ! To this day and after buying and playing many many amps of all kinds of vintage and price that crate vintage club 50 it's the best sounding amp I've ever HEARD ever ! Too bad it NEVER works on stage but works just great at home and at the practice studios and the basement it works but not at the gig 😫

[@precisionbrown6829]

Joseph Castilon got an old Fender Champ tube and just got a Blues deluxe. The Deluxe is pretty awesome just heavy

[@runnningonempty]

@@precisionbrown6829 PUSSY

[@brandoncarter1579]

I bought a Blues Deluxe recently. It sounds phenomenal. I got it from a guy that maybe played it a handful of times. Still had the tags on it and the pedal in packaging and cover in the amp. Best $500 I’ve ever spent.

[@conradrayner6317]

How good is the presence on it? Played one in a shop a few days ago while trying a jazzmaster, and preferred the amp to the jazz, unfortunately the presence was broken and they used the amp as a “use this when you wanna try guitars” and it wasn’t for sale.

[@caiusmadison2996]

I've had both and I'd say I'd use one or the other depending on what drive pedal and other pedals I wanna use, use the better amp to the better pedal board I guess is what I'm saying here, cause both are extremely giggable amps and sounds. Both are very different live together matched on the knobs... they'll show their unique character just like in the vid. Both about same money on Reverb.t

[@msaintpc]

I bought the 40 watt tweed deluxe reissue from zZounds about four months ago. I can't get my Les Paul out the case fast enough to plug it into this amp. It has otherworldly tonal quality, it's simple to use and It's worth the money and then some. Oh btw, did I mention that it's beautiful?

[@sidfernandez7569]

i've played many fender amps over the years and that hot rod deluxe is probably number one on the list. am currently playing one at band practice once a week and i look forward to seeing it every time. sounds great at any level, quiet, lightly driven or cranked. it's solid, has plenty of power and works beautifully with a pedal board in front. there's certain aspects of harmonics, sustain and tone that just can't be described with words.

[@Phoenix_cataclysm_in_2040]

You can literally copy/paste this comment to so many Fender amps. Everyone swears that his Fender is THE Fender.

[@stephenhanlin2388]

@@Phoenix_cataclysm_in_2040 underrated comment

[@IPushHard]

Ideally, I like to get my distortion from the amp rather than using pedals. So even though both are great, for what I do I prefer the Hot Rod. Great video and thanks

[@naviayork__4404]

Hot rodd for me, classic 70's tube fender sound

[@josephfalcone1078]

The Fender Blues Deluxe (more highs) gives you the true Fender vintage sound. The Hot Rod Deluxe (more mids) is obviously more versatile but you sacrifice your foundational-clean sound. I would get the Blues Deluxe and use an overdrive pedal while in the amps' gain drive and you'll have your own customized "more drive" sound. You can't go wrong; however, with either amp. Nice demo!

[@mrhypnobear1481]

Yo vi este video hace casi cinco años y me ayudó a decidir cual comprar. En aquel entonces compré el Blues Deluxe porque me ofrecieron un buen trato para llevármelo. Hoy es 2020 y miro otra vez el video y sigo pensando en lo genial que es el canal... obviamente ya junté y tengo ambos amplificadores pero men... los recuerdos afloran al ver el video.

[@douglaslegnola2266]

I have used a blues deluxe for years. Now I put and Xotic A/C booster and an EP booster in front and an Carbon Copy delay in the loop and it is absolutely killer. Just changed the stock speaker to a C. Rex after about 8 years of the stock speaker. Makes for smoother sound and not as harsh at louder volumes. Even without all this stuff it is a great amp for the money. Nice vids Shane!! I watch'em all. Keep them coming!

[@TheJofrica]

I thought the amps were huge but then I realized it's a picture-in-picture type thing going on, lol

[@boxingkingdomhd5988]

haha

[@MatiasHerranz]

LOL indeed. :P

[@jamesgeiger4795]

+TheJofrica Yea ...those microphones would be pretty huge also.

[@mrtambourineman6107]

TheJofrica haha twat! (no offence)

[@precisionbrown6829]

TheJofrica that's exactly my point. There's microphones

[@abeval8496]

Quick summary: the blues deluxe sounds more bluesy. You're welcome.

[@nsc217]

Abe Val Whats “bluesy”?

[@MetaphysicalMusician]

Yah Think!!??🤔. Brilliant

[@MetaphysicalMusician]

😂😂🤣🤣🤣

[@happyhappy85]

thank

[@nsc217]

Thomas B N4G The hot rod is warmer... To me that’s more bluesy 🤷‍♂️... The blues deluxe is brighter (eh)

[@wade4025]

The louder one is better. The quitter one lacks the volume of the louder one.

[@TheJofrica]

Excellent analysis

[@0mik3mik3]

TheJofrica I totally agree. It was for sure made by an experienced sound engineer.

[@mrtambourineman6107]

Wade Hyde it's good but the other is gooder. slightlyer gooder.

[@badenteare7611]

I agree....I especially liked the technical comparisons expressed

[@mertman1]

Once you go black.......what the hell s the other color? BILE green.....

[@vicpnut1]

Can’t believe this is still the only video comparison still .lucky you did one at least

[@kenmasters007]

Blues wins on looks... hot rod for sound IMO. Wish the hot rod comes in tweed too :)

[@PeterDad60]

+ken masters They do, check out Amazon.

[@blackie75]

+ken masters you can get it in brown covering, i seen one today

[@mattyounis5636]

Guitar center has the hot rod in tweed!!

[@Neverlast2010]

Blues Deluxe at 3.07mins ... that's the tone right there! It's more open, less compressed and less mid-focused than the HRD iii. Would have loved to have heard the BD with a boost/OD in front of it ... that I suspect would be killer!!

[@eternalism8274]

3:06

[@jawsxx8683]

The BDR takes pedals VERY well.

[@fdcentrella0069]

I don't know what people have against the Drive/More Drive sections of this amp - they sound pretty damn good to me. After many guitars & amps & 50 years of playing blues, rock & surf, I know what I like and that's my RT Overdrive, Rosie Fuzz, & Mr Black Deluxe Plus. BUT if the pedals went down I could be very happy with this amp alone.

[@Punkdebutique]

Blues Deluxe wins in looks but the HR Deluxe III kills it on tones.. Very useful video, made my decision easier, HR Deluxe III all the way!!

[@joeybologny6746]

I liked the hot rod on every example, like the speakers are better or something, they aren't even close.

[@BigEdWo]

+Joey Bologny i liked the hot rod too.

[@joeybologny6746]

It's a blow-out.

[@BigEdWo]

Joey Bologny blow-out? blow-out is a good thing i suppose. which amp do you play? i'm in need of a new sound. can't change my hands so i need to change the amp. what a difficult thing. i kind of like fender amps. but they offer a lot.

Both sounded great! Thanks for another great review Shane!

[@mtball02]

Really impressed with the distorted tones he was able to get out of the hot rod deluxe. The hot rod deluxe is a great amp but it's, uhh, not exactly known for its high gain channel.

[@JacknCocaine]

Really good comparison video! It`s hard to tell which one I would prefer. To me the clean sound of the blues deluxe sounds a bit fuller but the bit more drive of the Hot Rod sounds just awsome, too. Tough decission which one to choose.

[@wakaboomnick]

Wow! I really digged the blues deluxe! I think I know which amp I'm going to get now , thank you!

[@Awesomeman3655]

It seems the blues deluxe on the clean has more bass response and maybe a bit more top end. With the drive channel the blues deluxe seems fuller and more dynamic but both amps are awesome. I prefer the blues deluxe.

[@ArielsSmartyPants]

I'll never give up my HrDx clean channel, even more so with the mods I did which bring it inline with the III version as well as a bassman tonestack :)

[@osmos7755]

I listened in expensive headphones Sennheiser, deluxe III sounds much better. Thank you!

[@claymationwaves]

Yes yes with headphones it's. Magic

[@orlandomorales5423]

Great demo! I ended up going with the blues deluxe. It has the better clean sound in my opinion and then for dirty tones I got a wampler plexi drive deluxe. It sounds perfect to me.

[@fdcentrella0069]

Nice playing, some great tones, and a good comparison. I cannot understand the critics of the tone of either amp. This demo shows clearly that both amps deliver beautiful bell like cleans and some good ol' Texas style blues. I personally went for the Blues Deluxe Reissue and am lovin' it! Thanks for the review.

[@patrickdolan.]

blues deluxe with a tube screamer 👌

[@runnningonempty]

And the HRDX sounds better than that with a Keeley red dirt..lol

[@marcmaalouf5901]

Blues deluxe with a blues driver BLUES 100

[@dimitrisaivaliotis5616]

@@runnningonempty Hey there 🙂 For what kind of music is the keeley red dirt? Sorry I'm semi begginer

[@runnningonempty]

@@dimitrisaivaliotis5616 everything,,,Keeley has modified tube screamers for a lot of famous musicians..THen he released the red dirt with those modifications and you can change the sounds by a dip switch in the pedal..BEST tube scremeer!!

[@dimitrisaivaliotis5616]

@@runnningonempty thank you 😊

[@pauloamw]

The Blues Deluxe has a brighter sound, yet the HRD seems incredibly well balanced.

[@zodiacbluesbaby]

Great amps both, I use a Blues Deluxe, the other guy in my band uses a Hotrod. The Blues is more specialized, has warmer sound but is not so versatile. Most people don't use Fender amps for high gain, but if you stick a drive pedal on the front end of the Blues it really sings.

[@gabs_ara]

zodiacbluesbaby Which one do you think it is versatile?

[@zodiacbluesbaby]

They're both pretty versatile, but the Hotrod slightly more so.

[@sambarker6141]

zodiacbluesbaby The Hotrod's always sound too harsh to me.

[@nirvanabeatle1]

which channel do you use for the drive pedal? it seems that the drive channel has the best sound out of both amps, while the clean channel doesn't seem as great sounding

[@dharleyfan1]

The Blues Deluxe has more clean headroom and takes longer to break up. It also sounds like it has more mid-hump. The Hot Rod, has a brighter, tighter, crisper sound, with earlier break up, and less headroom. If you're a tube swapper, you could fine tune either of these amps, in whatever direction you prefer to go with them. Both are really good pedal platforms too.

[@UCS0608]

Nice demo. However, you use the reverb on the HotRod and not on the Deluxe. That's a bit of a pity, because it really makes a difference. I like and own a Blues DeLuxe by the way! ;)

[@texatexa]

I had a Hot Rod once. It sounded terrible (blurry) until I put a Celestion Blueback speaker in it. That really rocked !

[@bobainsworth9571]

I prefer the Hot Rod, I have a version 1. Only trouble is that the extra gain is useless - it hisses like mad. There is sufficient for most uses in the first gain unless you keep it clean and use pedals. It "only" 40 watt valve and it goes from 1 to 12, but comes on at 2 and gets a bit loud at 4! I have never had it louder than 7 and that was just to test it!

[@donarmando916]

The Blues Deluxe here has less reverb and yes i'm using an overdrive pedal to get the Blues Deluxe breaking up without being thrown out of my appartment. Works fine for me.

[@ikrammaududi6205]

is it just me or blues deluxe sounds more treble than hot rod??

[@djovani29]

u have two imput,a darker and a brighter one. mine even has a button,normal/more bright next to the inputs.

[@marmadukewinterbotham2599]

Same here to my ears.

[@losangulos]

Ikram Maududi yeah they both sound great depends on taste. i personally dig the blues for a good chimey tone.

[@shaindaman13]

I had a hotrod III until not long ago and I currently have a Blues Deluxe that I just picked up this week. They are close in tone. But to me every tube amp has it's own individual sound. Even the same models. Just by nature.

[@dekzan]

I heard the Blues Deluxe has 1 Meg treb pot, reason why it is brighter.

[@magnum9987]

I have a Hot Rod and I HATE the gain channel, but I LOVE the sound of the "clean" channel cranked. Its too bad I so rarely get to use it at home

[@larry2388]

You need to try it with some kind of attenuator. You'll love the drive channel once you get a little loud on your output tubes.

[@maksmail]

You can also get an isolation cabinet. I brought one home from the theatre where guitars mostly use them and can crank the Blues Deluxe. In the daytime the neighbours can barely hear some low end when reading a book, in the nighttime I wouldn't use it on full volume. Just mic it up and you can really hear what you really sound like on stage / in studio.

[@conorpapineau2317]

My goodness, that Hot Rod Deluxe grit channel sounds amazing. Even the more drive channel has that hot sticky snarl that sounds amazing... I just picked up an HRD V1 last week but I am waiting for a speaker cable in the mail before I can play it. Was inspired by a friend who plays the BDR, happy I got the goth version.

[@mikegaines7383]

Wow, Blues Deluxe sounds so much better, what a warm and vintage tone. Miles better than the thin and less powerful sound of the hot rod

[@sandygordon2174]

The biggest sound difference to me is when they stopped making the amps with tube rectifiers somewhere around '65. I had a '65 Twin WITH tube rectifier and it sounds SOOOOO much warmer than any of these new amps with solid state rectifier.

[@armandopace8559]

Hi guys. I wanna ask a question to you. I'm going to buy my first valve amp. And I don't really know which amp to get. The choice would be the Fender Blues jr. 3 or the Fender Blues Dlx. I prefer the Dlx sound, but 40w are too much to play in my house. I often play in squares but even in small pubs. What do you suggeste to me?

[@TheMDGMobile]

Armando Pace Both will do the job easily. Junior is lighter to carry in and out!

[@capriom85]

I have a Jr and want a Deluxe for playing out. The Jr is a great little workhorse, but if you plan to gig with it in pubs and squares (I assume they are larger open spaces), I'd consider moving the Jr to the PA or getting the Deluxe. They both sound great, but at 15watts the Jr may not fill the larger places, great for home play or practice, though. I love my Jr.

[@TheVigilantStewards]

Were the settings the same? I preferred the blues deluxe reissue and actually have one, but on the cleans I like the lift and brightness the HRD has without having the wooly low mids. I have heavily modified my BDRI and one of the things it has is an input bass trim. I wonder if the bright switch achieves the clean sound on the HRD that you demonstrated. The cleans here on the BDRI were a bit too thick and weighty without enough top end sparkle. I've got it on a quarter stack, tone tubbies 1x12 alnico and 2x10 ceramic, pine vintage cabs, mercury transformers, went through a lot JJ and TAD tubes, circuit mods, fromel mod, power cord mod, bridge rectifier mod, negative feedback loop switch mod etc etc. I think it sounds great I haven't really wanted to get another amp since I had finished this one out. I just hope I'm getting more sparkly cleans than that, I'm sure running a pedal into it I automatically compensate when setting the EQ by ear. I use a Siegmund Double Drive always on in front and that has an EQ that I set to each room. Definitely the less clean it gets the better the BDRI sounds. I'm sure whichever one a player has they automatically start dialing in the sound with their hands, guitars, EQ, and pedals.

[@lawrencesmith2365]

Hotrod seems to have more tone overall making it my choice. So, I bought the Hotrod Deluxe III. Thanks for this video, helped me decide which amp would serve me best.

[@sacredgeometry]

They both sound beautiful. its hard to choose a favourite.

[@darkopesevski9829]

i think the blues deluxe sounds more bluesier and warmer in tone :)

[@sacredgeometry]

Darko Pesevski I agree I might grab one

[@bobcon95]

I have an original '94 American issue Blues Deluxe. I have never changed anything in it, except for an input jack. I have gigged with it for years and it has never let me down. Still has the original tubes and after having them tested and found to be in fine shape, I decided to not go with new ones. I have never been happier with an amplifier.

[@dbo4506]

Played these against each other today for about 2hrs. Blues deluxe is significantly warmer and rounder on the clean. I really don’t like the gain of the hot rod deluxe. The mild gain is ok as long as gain is only halfway. But anything past that was scratchy and almost unusable. The blues deluxe only did mild gain at best but it was a really nice gain structure. Blues deluxe won that battle by a very long way. Although I would like to hear the hot rod with a better speaker.

[@RBolognese]

I have a hot rod deluxe IV so you know which one I like best

[@countrymember9466]

Having owned and gigged with both models, first thing to do is replace the tone destroying stock speakers. I can say for me anyway, that a greenback british-voiced style speaker seems to open up the tone of these amps. I play cleaner styles like country rock and rockabilly with just a little boost and overdrive from pedals, and the Blues Deluxe sounds much better for these styles. If you are into more modern heavier styles with distortion pedals etc., then the Hot Rod Deluxe might be better for you.

[@waskele.wabbit717]

I too am a fan of American sounding amps matched with British sounding speakers

[@ctcards2636]

Yeah the stock speakers are for the birds. I have mine in a Head Cab and I run it into a 2x12 with 2 JBL e-120's. After a lot of mods and work the HRD sounds killer thru this setup. But after all that work I could of just bought a better amp. Just my 2 cents.

[@magla345]

wow! I now have a respect for the HRD! I owned a BD years ago and didn't like it as much as I thought I would - I probably should have gotten a HRD. thanks for this video.

Nice tone! Please, can you tell me, how do you transport your amps, what are your safety precautions? Thank you!

[@cohenj45]

I know that the circuit on the Blues Deluxe is supposed to be "warmer" than the Hot Rod Deluxe. It could be the limited bandwidth of the mic that you are using and the speakers on which I am listening, but the two amps sound exactly the same on by nice Bose speakers. I have owned both amps and found the Hot Rod to be somewhat "harsher" than the Blues Deluxe...but I doubt that there is really much of a difference. I have to wonder how much the "sound" of the Blues Deluxe is perceived to be warmer or different because of its appearance. Tweed evokes tones of a certain era and people are very much influenced by the look of the thing that's making the sound....

[@bal2130]

Listen on headphones, much easier to hear the difference

[@Millo1868]

The difference in their sound, while not extremely dramatic, is very obvious. Gotta say the Blues Deluxe sounds great. The HDR III sounds a lot better than the previous versions as far as I can remember.

[@vpsaxman]

Well Bose doesn't exactly make studio or even audiophile grade equipment.

[@michaelcary4044]

I can hear a world or difference on my phone speakers! R u sure?

[@donarmando916]

The Blues Deluxe is brighter. I like both but the Blues Deluxe is still my favorite. Well and for the overdrive and distortion i'm just using a pedal.

[@em001868]

I'm a little late to the party, 🤘 but nice comparison. I have a Blues DeVille and also a Hotrod DeVille which is obviously the 4x10 version of these 2 amps and basically have the same results. It depends on your tastes and your mood of what you want to get out of the amps. Hotrod is brighter and clearer and the Blues is creamier and smoother.

[@macaius]

Your videos are awesome pal, already subscribed! Now...I'm trying to watch your videos and thinking about getting a Fender Tube amp in the range of 40-60W but you know, from YT they all sound amazing. Last week I went to a music store and tried a 68 Custom Vibrolux. It sounded super clean, but it has a bright switch which is useless IMHO because you can get enough of it within the normal range. But LOVED the articulation and life of the tubes. But a friend told me about the HRD Deville 212 and my question is if you can get similar cleans out of HRD compared to Vibrolux or, other amp that you consider awesome with cleans and capable of handling great OD pedals. I also love the Vibroverb 90's reissue and the blackface version of the Vibrolux. (I've got a Boss GT-100) thank you in advance!

[@jakajarc]

Thank you so much Shane - this was the one I was waiting for!

[@intheblues]

You're welcome man, no problems :) I have another A/B test on the way soon

[@shepd1]

These are both excellent amps. I have used the Hot Rod Deluxe at gigs where we rented gear, and was impressed by the little amp. My personal ride is the Blues Deluxe and I love the amp - love it. It is a tone monster. You do have to overcome the drive limitations (for full on rock stuff) with any stomp box, but I find that use of the clean/dirty channels with the addition of the stomp box gets me anywhere I want to go.

[@Losmescalitos]

I would be happy with either. I have the HRD II which has great clean but avg drive channel. They seem to have improved the Drive in the III and I understand the excessive bass on the clean channel has been addressed.

[@koella2]

It's very difficult to compare when hotrod has it's reverb on. Makes it sound broader then it is.

[@rvlewis1950]

I like the Blues Deluxe better, but damn the reverb says way better on the Hot Rod.

[@kickpublishing]

If you want more cleans go with the blues deluxe as its poss the best clean fender amp there is - likewise if you need more gain get the hot rod as its a singer. You can add a drive pedal to the blues and it sounds awesome so its technically more bang for your buck all round

[@django1311]

Real nice Demo of these Amps!! The Hot Rod Deluxe III is with the stock Celestion G12P-80 Speaker or did you swap the Speaker for another model?

[@slumdogjay]

Had the HR Deluxe for 16 years now. Brilliant amp.

[@BrutherBriar]

I like Blues Deluxe better for the clean sound, but that drive on the Hot Rod Deluxe is unreal. I'm leaning towards purchasing the Blues Deluxe but am curious if the drive can be enhanced to sound like the Hot Rod Deluxe. What are your thoughts?

[@SirEnVo]

I own the Hot Rod and have played through a friends Blues Deluxe on multiple gigs. If I dial in my exact settings on his and compare the 2, The Hot Rod is more bass heavy and warmer. The blues is more treble heavy and just slightly cooler

[@djlimitededition385]

What genres would you say would be appropriate for both amps? I'm currently sifting between the two.

[@trentgardner8257]

blues deluxe is one of my favorite amps i've ever owned. incredibly clear and solid foundation. just too loud for bedroom and small clubs. you don't really need anything louder than 20watts at the end of the day. but for medium sized gigs the blues deluxe is excellent.

[@edavidson55]

The HDR's overdrive channel out of the box sounds horrible. A cheap fix is to replace V2 with a 12DW7. It won't affect the warranty and makes the drive channel sound great. It won't affect the clean channel which I rarely use now that the drive channel sounds so good.

[@thanehtike]

Shane, does the Fender Super Champ X2 mimic these well? I know you love the Mustang. I like both these amps. Was at Guitar Center the other day and spent a copule of hours trying them both. They are very loud! Only had them at 2 and that was plenty. I only play guitar as a hobby so I don't need all that. What Fender amp would you reccomend? I currently play a Blackstar HT1R head thru thru a Marshall 4x12 and I can't get that bluesy sound I want.

[@intheblues]

TIM HTIKE The X2 sounds good but the cleans on these amps are really huge. The clean on the x2 is more like a fender princeton for example. The tweed sounds are nice but it's two totally different beasts.

[@thanehtike]

I'm watching your Blues Jr video now. I'm gonna take the plunge and get a tweed one and a Tube Screamer and call it a day.

[@intheblues]

Good stuff. Also check out the Mustang III they are loud, light, and sound killer. :)

[@thanehtike]

I found a used Blues Jr in excellent shape so I bought that and I love it. Thank you for your input. I tried the Mustang 3 and 4, they sound good just too much going on. BTW I got to party with some fun Aussie gals in NYC this past weekend. They were not shy...lol...

[@VaryRandomVideos]

Hey Shane. Merry Christmas! :)) I have a quick question. I bought the hot rod deluxe used and I love it to the moon and back. However, I noticed that it is very hissy. It just isn't that quiet sitting even with sound off on my guitar. This is my first tube amp, so obviously i have some learning to do. Thanks in advance.

[@mayo.r.857]

That tone on the blues deluxe, I want it

[@wklorenzino]

Man they just sound so different. I can't say one is better then the other. It depends on what you're looking to achieve.

[@schreds]

i bought my HRD new in 96 added a 410 Marshall cab and increased the Bias to around 75 did wonders for the drive channel but its been a work horse ever since the extra cab made all the difference in tone ,, its cheaper and has way more options then the Blues Deluxe enough said ,,ABY'ing it with my JCM800 absolutely makes the rockin' world go round

[@roycefreeburn9232]

Really like the Blues Deluxe Reissue. How would it be for Southern Rock sort of low to mid gain stuff?

[@pb12661]

+Royce Freeburn it would work perfectly. that and a few pedals, you are set. I actually had Ed King (sweet home alabama, lol) email one time and said he used a blues deville for gigs. that was before the "hot rods" came out. So, basically it was the same amp but different speaker configuration.

[@BenEdwardsMusic]

Picked up a mid-'90s Blues Deluxe for $400, put a Vintage 30 in it and switched the tubes to nos GE and Mullards (costing almost as much as the amp!) Had it set up and biased and BOOM, this thing SINGS. Takes pedals nicely and the old valves are built like tanks too, so should last a long time (touch wood!)

[@cygnux1]

NOS tube was the answer into my 1963 vibrolux and a bran new Jensen p12n!

[@manifestgtr]

these are great amps for the pedal junkie...to be honest, you won't go wrong with either if you fall into that category personally, I'm a fan of the blues deville 410...it's A LOT of amp (I use an mxr 10 band's gain and volume controls to help tame some of the madness when necessary) but it guarantees two things...you'll be heard regardless of the venue and your sound will be world class

[@joywolfe.]

I think the difference is just as the aesthetic and the product titles suggest. The blues deluxe has your more mellow tweed sound, as expected, and the Hot Rod is more pushy and punchy like a blackface

[@mikeaustin4138]

Are the settings on the amps the same? The HRD has more "sound" to it...

[@arbitermatt]

More sound... What does that mean? More volume?

[@timbaldwin9781]

Are you using any pedals? What pedals do you recommend for versatility of use? Country, blues, bluegrass, rock?

[@giuseppegricia]

Hi Shane, the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III has a more manageable volume than the Blues Deluxe?

[@jroemer7079]

Hey there, awesome comparison (helped me choose my hot rod!) Just wondering what EQ settings you generally use to get your drive sound on the hot rod?

[@steffenbrix]

What rail-neck pickup is that? Sounds awesome...

[@TheDunateen77]

Never owner a Fender valve amp yet but going on this demo I'd go for the hot rod as I like the way it breaks up and sounds a lot more versatile

[@FawltyMr]

Nice both of them.... but what pickups did you put on that Telecaster..?

[@kmickp1166]

The extra drive on the Hot Rod makes it my choice as I play mostly rock, and prefer to get drive from the amp rather than a pedal but use a compression sustainer to supplement it and help it “sing” on solos! Both are great however, it just depends on what you want or use them for, but the tweed look is excellent. So a tweed Hot Rod Deluxe for me👍👍

[@robertgodhard3248]

Yep I use old dynacomp(compression low,gain up high).Best amp I've ever Had.

[@vincent1365]

Hi Shane. The blues Deluxe sounds the best. I have one too. But.................please can you tell me what settings you use on the blues deluxe on clean and drive channel????? It would be very helpfull for me. Greetz, Vincent (from Holland)

[@00DirectorsCut00]

hi, that's the way to make a comparison ! great job ! How did you get absoluty no sshh, background noise, hum at the max gain ??? ty

[@intheblues]

00DirectorsCut00 Thanks mate. It's called not using single coils ;-)

[@00DirectorsCut00]

rofl :D

[@capriom85]

But you're plying a tele...which has single coils. I'm confused.

[@00DirectorsCut00]

Michael Caprio if you watch with attention they are humbuckers size like single coil, I think the hot rails model. btw nowaday fender make also telecaster with normal size hb isn't it ? intheblues

[@capriom85]

Thanks. Did not notice they were single coil sized humbuckers. You are right, Fender does make tales with "normal" size humbuckers too.

[@losamigosdthermana]

muy buena demostración, excelentes sonidos, tengo los 2 amplificadores y definitivamente son los mejores sonidos que he escuchado ...saludos desde chile

[@eljison]

Thank you! They both sound great clean and dirty. I tend to prefer the Deluxe but you really can't go wrong with either of these amps. I know it is popular but I am not a huge fan of the basic Tweed look.

[@aidanbach2524]

Great video! This is what all comparison videos should be modeled after.

[@1515hockeyman]

Are these amps quiet enough for home use? As in playing alone and not disturbing the neighbors?

[@jakajarc]

I slightly prefer the cleans on the HRD - but really prefer the drive on the BDR - that said - I fitted my HRD 1990s (USA made) with a C-Rex, did the Van Der Berg mods and the reverb mods and am currently running it with JJ 6V6s - and I prefer that one.

[@wizardz7938]

I own a BDR but love the sound of the HRD

[@omikl]

Makes me feel as old as I am. I had the Bules Deluxe the first time around. Did they fix the achilles heel of these amps? That is the PCB mounted input socket that has a nasty habit of breaking off the board and being awkward to repair without the tracks lifting...

[@LouPanneton]

Thanks for the video , good demo and great playing. I just spent an hour trying these amps. Started off between the Hot Rod Deluxe and the Blues Deluxe, the Blues Delux won. Then I tried a HR Deluxe limited edition. It was a really tough call to make, as I liked both these amps for different reasons. The Blues Deluxe , broke up earlier and sounded more balanced, but the drive channel didn't get me the sound I wanted. frankly I thought it sounded just bad. The HR Deluxe ( Special Edition ) had more meat in the low end , and the drive channel sounded better to me.I found it sounded a bit harsh for my taste at first. but after i brought the presence knob down a notch or two, (used the same settings on both amps at first ) it won the battle. I ended up taking the Hot rod deluxe special edition home. I agree, both these amps sound great. If I had had the money I would have bought the two of them. youtube is a great starting point, but nothing like trying them out yourself.

[@MrAndersonmm]

In the future, playing some power chords on the drive channels would be beneficial. Yeah, sure, doing some pentatonic leads with bends is awesome, but it doesn't really show us how the amp handles the low ends when distorted; do they break up when presented with a chord? I'm left with a lot of questions.

[@coxscorner]

The Blues Deluxe seems to hit more of that Hendrix /SRV type tone but I cant help which sounds better or would just like to hear a test of each of them through clean channel with a couple of high end distortion pedals to achieve more of a metal sound? Just curious.

[@gandoffaxeman7155]

great video. i have always been a gibson man and played through blackstar and marshall amps. But i am new to the world of cleaner sounding amps and fenders, i recently purchased a strat, now i am looking for a new amp, i thought both these amps were great, and i am yet to look into vox amps, (about to check them out) what would be the most versatile for gigging with in pub sized venues? and how does the acoustic sound through it?

[@pb12661]

+gandoff axeman strat, blues deluxe, pedals...done.

[@CountrySingerWannabe]

Question for you when you get a chance: I have the blues deluxe reissue and a comparable marshall. Both run into their own Randall Iso cab and the Fender gives a lot more amp buzz than the marshall. My question is, is it just me but the cleans from the hot rod seems a little less driven and quieter than the blues deluxe?

[@bluesbagdelta399]

The Blues Deluxe will be a keeper, i have both!