Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III vs IV - Comparison Demo

[@jakollee]

It’s now 2023. In my area (NYC), I see people selling the III on Craigslist all the time for about $400-$500. I rarely see anyone selling the IV. I think that says something right there.

[@adamwatson6916]

Or just means there are more Hot Rod 3s in circulation

[@jakollee]

@@adamwatson6916 you have a point.

[@golds04]

@@adamwatson6916or people dont like either- selling the 3 , never bought the 4 😂

[@TheCream14]

I've owned both. I prefer the IV. A little cleaner, less muddy and fizzy. Although I find myself increasing the treble to open it up even more. Both are great amps. Warm, wide range of tones if you screw around with the controls. I will say this - I returned the first IV model I had due to vibration inside the frame. Could not locate it. The 2nd one does not have this problem.

[@MOAB-UT]

I built a cab. Just pick up some lengths of 1"x1" solid wood. Glue and screw it into all the areas, especially near the corners. Not on the speaker baffle. Make sure all is secure and tight. Could insulated the electronics area two using some rubber bushings and locking nuts on the bolts with loctite. If you buy a separate head and cab you can also cut down on noise and rattles.

[@eppleheid]

I think the major tonal differences are due to using different speakers

[@dafxtone]

Don't forget the cab wood...

[@pseke7613]

@@dafxtone ahhahaha

[@parrottsquawk975]

no doubt. using a mk. III, you are going to have mature speakers with different tonality.

[@splover23]

For some reason it broke my heart when they pulled that jack without standby engaged

[@dougleydorite]

I had someone freak out when I did that... it doesn't cause any harm. it's the speaker cables that you cannot unplug while the amp is on

[@videopeaberry]

@@dougleydorite I find it is more a matter of courtesy to those within earshot. We don't chew with our mouths open and we don't plug and unplug on hot speakers. But then again we cannot regulate civility, we're on the honor system.

[@jst601]

Thoroughly enjoyed this comparison. Well done.

[@lammyjammer6670]

Sounds like the 4 is killing some of the harsher mids in favor of a low mid heavier sound with a bit more sparkle up top and headroom. There’s a big difference I feel. But the changes make the 4 feel like a more versatile amp.

[@dejongeblondegod]

I agree a 100%

[@tristanscott4118]

You're spot on that's what I was thinking too.

[@eyejacker]

Like many others, I use my III on clean with a big range of pedals... Since both sound very similar on clean, I assume they will do the same job, so I'll be sticking to my III. :-)

[@philchapman1463]

The Hot Rod IV has Celestion type "A" speaker (A for American sound) and this speaker breaks up less and stays cleaner. It also has a different mid range character. Also the IV's pre-amp was re-voiced to be more American (less midrange-ish) rather than British (more midrange-ish). So this causes the 2nd channel on the III to be a more compressed tight focused midrange and the 2nd channel on the IV is more open and less compressed. So they are different amps internally and not just the speaker.

[@NicoCrown]

great comparison. Mark III more bluesy the Mark 4 more for every style. Personally would choose the Mark IV nicer overdrive sound

[@StratBoss]

A bit later than everyone else but my thoughts. In the demo the clean channel was cleaner on the HRD 4 - one of the guys commented that the PRS didn't seem to be driving the clean channel so much. The overdrive channel seemed deeper on the mark4. Fender seem to have got closer to their original aim of a traditional clean boutique channel and an overdrive channel leaning towards Marshall. I have a HRD 3. I've recently bought a 'player' strat and compared to my 79/80 strat its a lot brighter, so too bright with the HRD 3. In the shop the HRD 4 sounded better with the player strat. I think the speakers are Fender in the mark 3 and Celestion in the mark 4 aimed to smooth the highs. The reverb sounded much better in the mark 4 when I tried it in the shop.I'm currently happier at rehearsals with my 5e3 amp sound but if it turns out after a few gigs that I need the 40w headroom I'll either trade in my HRD 3 for the mark 4 or change the speakers. Quandary will be that I think I prefer the clean sound on the newer model but the overdrive on the older - so it may be a case of using the clean channel with pedals. If anyone has thoughts that differ or agree I'd be grateful for any advice :)

[@grassmastersmith4422]

The 4 sounds at least as good as the 3. But you have to keep in mind that they are adjustable. Sounds like more reverb with the 3 on the drive channel. You could adjust the tone controls and get totally different results. Now I know that the new amp is at least as good. Probably a better overdrive in the new model.

[@christopherclarke3022]

What the hell was the point in leaving the reverb on the MKIV while not on the MKIII while in the Distortion mode both on or both of that's crazy, crazy we're not getting an accurate comparison. You defeated the purpose. or were the reverbs on while in distortion in which case there is a massive variation while in Dist mode between models or did it get knockback off the rev on MKIII by accident?

[@noelzhu1986]

That's one of the most beautiful PRS I have ever seen.

[@edwardprete]

HRD3 is still a winner. Buy them while you can.

[@mjb182]

The volume on mk3 goes from nothing to too loud

[@kignacio]

Just got a HRD3 410 for $480 usd at gut air center. Seemed like a decent deal.

[@MOAB-UT]

No. Buy a used IV and have it upgraded. It will be newer- better cabinet materials, lighter and sound better.

[@HarryThomsen]

Just what I was looking for, thank you so much guys!

[@Arcturian1111]

I like 3 overall. I guess the heavier wood is key in the 3 then , then the pine wood in 4.

[@byarca236]

From what I heard... I like the mar III better. Reverb and drive is awesome! Thank you for this video

[@blarghblargh]

I dunno if it is how you had it mic'd but the difference is quite big in headphones. Mostly just sounds EQd differently in the end though, so maybe you're ignoring that

[@TheParanoidAndroid79]

A big part of the difference is the different speakers in the two amps. I've tried the A Type Celestion in the Deluxe iii, and I noticed similar results.

[@Farold_Haltermeyer]

TheParanoidAndroid79 I'm kinda stunned that people are comparing the two with such different speakers too! I really really want to hear how a more 'fendery' speaker works on the V4 as when I played it, for my tastes it was lacking in life and too Marshally...but a simple speaker swap could make it my perfect amp!

[@aaronwong4642]

Will you compare the deville ? Imo the mk4 deville sounds tighter with a bit more headroom like a poor mans two rock interested to hear the difference

[@kimhansen6384]

The MK IV definitly has more bottom end on the overdrive channel, but the MK III has more definition, so in a mix a MK III could maybe be the best one.

[@patscaggs972]

on the first part on the demo , this is not really clean , little crunchy no ?

[@Bellon_am]

I've got a hot rod deluxe II that I like very much. Do you think is worth upgrading to the hot rod III? IV is still too expensive

[@realmcqoy5341]

Also if ya didn’t ‘break in the speaker’ on the model IV, then it is not officially a good comp, becuz we know the speaker is broke in on the model III

[@blizzbee]

All the warmth, like you said, comes from a well broken in speaker indeed.

[@dejongeblondegod]

To me the difference in the drive sounds is not subtle. The 4 sounds fuller to me, less brittle and less fizzy. Clean indeed very much the same. The reverb on the 4 sounded less splashy, so if you're a surf guy, go for the 3. But I prefer the 4.

[@antonioxcecutor2158]

dejongeblondegod what do you prefer for playing punk rock/ grunge?

[@michaeljensen1625]

Those two amps sound so much alike to me. There's no reason for me to go out and get a HRD 4 when the differences are so minor that I can make a tiny eq adjustment, or you know...just angle the microphone very very slightly towards the center of the cone. THAT SAID. I personally found what I think is the golden pre-amp tube combination on the HRD III if you want more headroom. You definitely lose some volume, but it's still a very loud and giggable amp even with the lost volume. Plus it plays way better at bedroom/studio levels. Everyone knows the trick with replacing the V1 position 12ax7 with either a 12at7 or 12au7. However, I tried that and it still wasnt enough for me. A friend of mine is an amp builder and he lent me a box of preamp tubes to mix and match at my heart's content. After tons of experimentation, i settled on something somewhat interesting. I use a 5751 in positions V1 and V2 and a 12au7 on position 3. The result is: 1. Way more usable sound from volume 0-5 in a home and studio setting. It basically opens up the headroom but drops the volume slightly. 2. As you push it, it still breaks up, but in a smoother, less-harsh, more musical way (to my ears) 3. Like I said, you lose volume, but who was maxing their HRD anyway? If you're playing somewhere big/loud enough to need that volume, the soundman is just going to mic your cabinet and have you turn down. THAT SAID, it's still easily loud enough for bar gigs. But you can get quiet enough for coffee shops too. So basically, this tube swap fixes almost all the problems in the amp except for the gain channels, which I never use anyway because I prefer my pedals.

[@jorgepeterbarton]

5751 are great overlooked. In my ac30 they tamed the distortion too. Much more a positive effect on distortion frequencies than 'just turns gain down'. Good alternative and wont affect gain too much 70% rating to 12ax7. Ever try in the phase converter (presumably V3 but dont have a hot rod)

[@mark-dietz]

Thanks for that!

[@indigos290]

I've had my III in storage unused since before the pandemic. Maybe I should give it another try.

[@atomic7731]

guys, the 3 sounds louder than the 4. is that right? did you test them at the same volume?

[@joeabrenica4467]

Got both amps, I prefer the 4!!! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@AllenPinchloaf]

The IV sounds better to me. It sounds bigger with less annoying mids.also the iv has a solid pine cabinet so it will be lighter in weight plus the tonal benifits of pine

[@hockeypunk77]

Love the demo. Will be picking up a Hot Rod in the near future

[@robertpucci5019]

I have 2 HRD 1s built in the USA and a 3. I use the clean channel mostly and my pedalboard for all other sounds, plugged into the clean channel of course. I also change V1 to a 5751, V2 to a 5751 or 6072A and V3 to a 12AT7 or anything with less power than a 12AX7. The HRD 1s have more character and warmth than the 3 but the 3 is still fantastic, I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't have the 1s. All in all a great amp that takes pedals well and really reacts nicely to different tubes! As for the comparison here, I prefer the 3.

[@angbernardo]

The cleans are very similar but the IV seems a bit more tight in the low end. The two drives are definitely different. The IV sounds to be more fat as if its being driven by an Xotic EP Booster... o think the big differences are the pine cabinet and the smoother volume knob on the IV

[@york9x19]

When driven, the single coils sound better with the III, and the humbuckers sound better with the IV. IMHO

[@mikepj1025]

York9x19 speaker upgrade can level that out

[@MOAB-UT]

New cab is nice but inside is nearly identical- said and expert amp repair guy here in YT. He was disappointed and said the same issues like cheap tubes, caps and diodes will go bad on the IV- 100%, for sure. He said those important things have not changed. Sonically, you won't hear much of any difference. If you do some fixes, new tubes, diodes, caps and speaker it can sound different. In the GC store, the stock IV still sounded GREAT to me- just plan on having to have it serviced at some point. The clean was really nice too- very pristine and touch sensitive. I would suggest getting a lightly used, not too old (IV) for around $7XX and then soon after, update the important components using a very qualified tech that guarantees the work. That way, you will have a great amp for around the same $1,000 which is not terrible. Dr. Z, Soldano, Mesa, etc. are better but also more money. They also have a unique sound signature.

[@nsc217]

How can you compare if the speakers are different 😳?

[@paulvarlaro1184]

I put a texas heat speaker in the lv and wow the srv sound I'm looking for! Had the lll not enough bass.i have a blues delux and it has a lot of bass so I need that extra bass.had the lll to much treble.add a tube screamer pedal for over drive ,nice blues tone at a low level.

[@shanemckeon1593]

What's the volume set at? With the prs it sounds fully distorted on the clean channel?

[@AllenPinchloaf]

The 3 seemed to have more mids.

[@TheUser195]

In my opinion, there is a subtle difference on both respective clean channels, the IV has a bit more clarify which is the proportionately translates across the drive and more drive channels, I do agree however that the 3 has a more “fender” sound. Even though I own a III, I would happily upgrade to a 4. Great comparison video guys 👌👌

[@TheloniousBosch]

I’m hearing a weird difference in the reverb once you started using the drives. It’s like the III had almost no reverb anymore but the IV stayed at noon. Is there a difference in the way the reverb circuit works in the drive channel from one to the other, or did one of you turn the reverb down on the III for the drive channels and the other left it turned up on the IV? The three sounds incredibly dry on the drive demo portion, while the IV has plenty of reverb. It makes it hard for me to compare the two as reverb tends to muddy up driven signals. I feel like reverb OFF, the IV would sound way better on both drive settings as the III sounds too fizzy for my taste, but it’s hard to say without similar reverb settings on both. I would have expected the III to have more reverb on ALL channels, not just clean. It’s strange and I rewatched a couple bits to confirm I wasn’t imagining things. Listen for it abd you can’t stop noticing the reversal of “more reverb” from clean to drive channels. Am I crazy? Anyone else hear it?

[@NHfiddle]

I'm rewriting this comment because after listening to these two amps, there are noticeable differences but for me, I STILL prefer the HRD III over the HRD IV.

[@sean550]

hi different speakers in both amps ..so not like for like.

[@Wrguitar941]

good I have the 3

[@BoozyBeggar]

Yeah, the 3 sounds like it knows damn well it's blues and hard rock amp, but the 4 mistakes itself for a metal amp, boosting the low and sucking the mid.

[@davidtrueslayor7474]

Yeah I suck at this, but what you guys said,lol no seriously Beery has a great point also if nothing else these different speakers well separate them tonally right , like Sean was saying. And im buying a III so like mr bobby deere said - Good! lol

[@roba1899]

@@BoozyBeggar I hate scooped mids .. that's where all the guitar's magic is!

[@BooBooJonez]

I like 4 better. It's warmer and more manageable sounding.

[@kevinstuart5694]

This is a great comparison and I think both sound great but I am going for the IV. I recently purchased a 68 CDR which I chose over the guitar center special edition HRD IV only because it's 22 watts. The deluxe is going back due to the massive hum once the volume goes above four and it's not the reverb or tremolo causing it they're just extremely noisy amps by design. I have a 65 prri anyways. Great Vid!

[@Metallion-ol8bc]

Mark 4 has more clarity in sound, but not by much, not worth upgrading IMO.

[@cyrhonej]

Anyone know what song is at 1:41?

[@rickhammond6058]

Good Love Is On The Way - John Mayer Trio - Try! [Live] Really awesome album!

[@zept77]

I like the 3 but with the 4 the reverb response is better imo because it lingers in the back and not so forward.

[@mattbortz10]

I hear a pretty big difference, mark iv sounds better to me, more resonate do to the pine cabinet and not as harsh

[@Steeler1743]

Matt's guitars it sounds better at certain tones. If you crank it to its True Tone, it sounds like shit

[@SirEnVo]

3 had a better clean tones. 4 had better drive tones. Single coils sounded better on 3, buckers sounded better on 4. Both great amps, really got to find what you want out of amp to deside

[@jonathankahanovitch2839]

Iii surprisingly on the high gain. I did try a iv in person and overall is awesome all around

[@realmcqoy5341]

Okay guys, I’m not sold on mark IV. But also I not finished watching ; next vid, be sure to make mention or mention in comments about if the speakers are same type or different

[@PaulMichaelR]

I guess I have the Hot rod 1 , anyone want to buy it ?

[@kostisk8914]

This was asked before, but what volume were you at when on the clean channel?

[@LanceVallis]

The amp was breaking up on the clean channel, probably at 4 or higher.

[@millershane71]

III, I just think the IV is darker and boomier, but not in a good way. Personally I prefer the mid cut and clarity of the III

[@zenncatt]

What was the volume on the clean channel? Thank you.

[@luis2arm]

same question here! just got a HRIII and I can't make it sound good! is too loud

[@nabrute]

Unfortunately Fender has not made any improvements to the components that prematurely wear out on the Hot Rod amps, (the capacitors that leak and resistors which are placed too close to the PCB and cause damage) they sound great but almost every amp has had issues that I’ve encountered.

[@joebloggs1444]

I used a mkIII blues jnr and hot rod deluxe for years. To my ears the mkIV sounds cleaner with less mids and more bass...!! ...🙄🎸👍

[@colaboytje]

Joe Bloggs indeed. That's what I heard as well. Sounds better through that speaker.

[@dejongeblondegod]

The iv has more lower mids to my ears. A bit the effect of increased resonance on a Marshall dsl. And a speaker with a tighter rounded bass. An improvement to me. But if you are only using the clean channel as a pedal platform I would not spend the extra cash for a new version 4 but pick up a used version 3 for a lot cheaper

[@johns1139]

were you even on the clean channel in the beginning?

[@Xanomodu]

Damn you must really be runnnin these hot

[@JacknCocaine]

For me the MKIII. Only the medium drive sounded a little better on the MK IV, I think. But overall the MKII sounded nicer.

[@rubberband9570]

What is up with your mic?

[@birdmanbl]

excellent video gentlemen

[@marcellinden7305]

Prefer the tone of the HRD4 in this clip... Interesting to note that the BJ4 has the exact same speaker as the HRD4, just it's a single channel with less watts and a slightly smaller cabinet...

[@muse0679]

I like both with the strat

[@blizzbee]

Get both and play them through stereo fx chain setup.

[@khudson4901]

Not to difficult. The speaker is the difference here. It just depends on what sound your after. III - Rock slight edge, or IV - alot cleaner, sorta mixed sound. Plus, there's a GB model with Jensen speakers. Pick. It really doesn't matter what you choose. There close enough to modify either way. But as long as Fender continues to put the cheapo resistors literally on the CIRCUIT BOARD - too burn/scorch, you have the same old problem. Just finished replacing two, before my investment became non-repairable. Not the first thing I want to do - when spending that kind of money. No one seems to mention and continues to overlook this old issue. Im not sure why Fender hasn't been sued for product design flaw. Fender V coming soon. New improved resistors off the circuit board. 😅

[@warrenfassbinder358]

Ya the III sounds more musical and that type of creamy rhythm sound fits into the overall mix of the band better. The harsher sound of the 5 would cover up a lot of other instruments and vocals in the band in my experiences with live mixing, IMO of coarse. I'm so glad to hear both amps in side by side comparison. Thank you for the demo.

[@jimrhondaorozco309]

Add a little treble to the 3 and you get the bright with that great mid...3 would be for me

[@joebloggs1444]

MKIII sounds more "fender" to me...

[@MultiScoffer]

Marklll for me!

[@volodia1140]

Wich one is more versatile and better? Vox ac30 c2 made in China or hot rod deville made in México?

[@volodia1140]

Absolute Music. And if We're talkin about production quality? You Know, parts, worksmade, etc?

[@volodia1140]

Absolute Music. OK, thanks for your Words.

[@dannysmuzic1807]

Im looming fir a demo video fir Hotrid Deluxe II, but im conviced it forsnt exist.

[@davidtrueslayor7474]

I think you guys hit it when you said the IV is more open more stereo-esque ? where I think the III is more compressed sound like a gentleman below said the III is true to what a Hot Rod deluxe has always been even with what was at the time "tweaks" in its platform the IV is kind of getting away from its core values im paraphrasing and not well, lol , great demo review guys !!!!

[@LesPaul3399]

i like the 3

[@oudaram1]

3 had better tone on the clean to me, made me smile. 4 seems more gutsy on od

[@rayking2311]

That HRD IV reverb doesn't really sound like a "fender" reverb. HRD III wins for me.

[@tannerrauschenberger8115]

I found a III in great condition used for a great price. The $$$ for the IV was too high, and honestly it's not a drastic difference in person. The other guitarist in my band has the IV and they both sound great in my opinion. I say buy whatever is a better deal for you.

[@浜本由惟-i9o]

Emma Ruth plays the Hot RoD III

[@brownie4032]

Found a HRIII for a good price and honestly it sounds better than the Iv so I’m probably gonna get it

[@cgavin1]

When you consider the Mk 3 can be had used for £350-£450 used and the MK IV is still £800 new. Not much of a contest really.

[@vicpnut1]

Differences ..yes , but from my iPad via Sony mdr v6 headphones they sound as if I’d love either amp 😉

[@kevintrawick8537]

I thought the PRS humbuckers sounded great through the III not so much with the IV, both are still nice little amps.

[@mikepj1025]

kevin Trawick little amps? These things are loud. 40 watts tube is not a little amp

[@gertzpalma]

THANKS!

[@TheJudy79]

4 sound so good I didn't want to sell my three but after getting the 4 I didn't use it any more so I sold it the 4 sounds way better

[@zedzero77]

Type A vs seventy 80 speakers, really, be interesting to put a type A in the iii and hear the difference

[@nzr8227]

I feel the IV is slightly more saturated than the III - Which I like. TBH Id take either one, but the IV is cheaper where I live

[@darrellbrock4788]

I noticed a lot of hum and noise, any way to get rid of that? Can you put a noise pedal in the effects loop, would that stop it?

[@kierenstein]

nice comparison! Mk iv does it for me. more headroom on clean and the drive is nicer

[@RevGerryRM]

The Mark IV sounds a little richer. I would be happy with either of them.

[@aidanvinum]

Is this loud enough for a live band ?

[@AbsoluteMusic]

It is very dependant on the style, and size of the venues you are intending to play. Lee (on the right in the video), had been playing live with a Blues Junior III for about 2-3 years now but always mics it up. At volumes it can be difficult to get a perfectly clean tone but the amp is ideally suited as a pedal platform and being mic'd up to get the volume across to the audience.

[@maxgreen9967]

the 4 in drive sounds like it's headed towards british amp. the 3 still has a bit more of that classic warmer american fender sound.

[@SouthAmBlues]

For me, HRD III. More fat e sweet tones!

[@NHfiddle]

That's because of that Celestion G12-P80 speaker, perfect match I think.

[@BoozyBeggar]

Maybe a fat switch was engaged on one and not the other? idk.

[@kimhansen6384]

There is no fat switch on a HRDLX.

[@patrickkirby7612]

Obvious the III is brighter on the clean. On the drive! The IV sounds more bossy & meaty on chords and III is more my amp cause it's got a bit more grindy 1k drive and sustain on the top end. I want to cut through the mix and I'm thinking if you turn them up loud, you'd be happier with the III with easier harmonics & at the end of the gig,

[@markallen381]

The pickups are too hot for the amp. These need to be adjusted for a clean sound. Turn the guitar volume down some.

[@nsc217]

The 4 is darker sounding. The 3 is a but lighter which I prefer... The lightness is why I like the deluxe. Although the 4 is definitely richer sounding

[@terrysspeedshop]

I love my III

[@TheJudy79]

I thought 3 sounded better until I bought a 4 I had three hot rod 3s and the 4 is way more musical to my ears sweeter sound

[@TheJudy79]

The 4 is more like a hand wired high end amp

[@paranoid5332]

different Speaker in the mk IV