The articulation and apparent headroom of the DRRI is just on another level. What a fantastic amp. Can't wait to get one. Thanks for the great demo! Nice playing!
Now this is an excellent video comparison that shows that the Hot Rod Deluxe is the best Fender amp for the money. If you search on forums HRD vs DR, all those guys are going to tell you the pricier one is better, just because they have it. I compared extensivly all Fender amps in a shop next to each other, the Hot Rod Deluxe IV has the best clean channel of them all. Full, bloomy, very musical. The new volume taper can make it usable at low volumes. And the best of all for bedroom playing, it sounds BIG at low volumes. This amp is the one that sounds the closest to a big iron Fender like the Twin Reverb, or Super Reverb.. hence the 6L6 tubes. Wanna sound like SRV or Hendrix, that classic huge Stratocaster thump ? This is it on a budget. Don't compare it to the Blues Jr, which sounds really tiny and boxy next to it. Make the jump for the Hot Rod, it's way better for the 250 bucks more. It's worth it. Moreover, the HRD is usable at home volume, and if you need to gig it's clean headroom for days, with beautiful breakup with any pedal, because this amp is the best pedal platform out there. Just buy this amp (version IV). I had been searching for months to find my new amp, and have owned Mesa Boogies (F30), Tone King Falcon Grande, Fender Twin Reverb, all the 68 line up (honestly they suck sorry).. I passed the HRD at first because guys on forums critisize it badly for whatever reason? I bet you listen to this eyes closed, your choice would be no so obvious. I wish Fender would release a Hot Rod Deluxe without the Drive channel, which is not very good, and not that useful. Maybe they could add a Vibrato effect, and keep the price the same. I suspect that version would eat up all the rest of their amp line up. Excellent playing ! Thanks for the time, this is going to open the eyes of a lot of guys on the fence between the two amps.
Great demo!!! I like how you quickly switched back and forth mid riff or mid song as a comparison. Also, I like the selection, I heard some riffs from Mayer & Knopfler and other artists. They both sound really good but I would give a slight edge to the Deluxe Reverb!
Definately gonna have to give the edge to the Deluxe Reverb on this one. The high end coming off that thing just sounds great. The Hot Rod very good though. A bit darker, the reverb on it sounds nice as well. The HRD is a bit punchier but I really prefer the brighter sounds from the Deluxe Reverb.
Playing a strat through any fender tube amp is a pure win. I was already decided to like the deluxe reverb more when coming into this video, but I am not sure at all. It would be super interesting to also throw a blues deluxe in there - it would be a total mess regarding deciding which i'd like best! Very nice video and playing
Thanks for the comparison video. Great job playing. and switching back and forth. I do agree with the previous comment about having both amps on the floor, but I'm not sure how much of a difference that would make. The HRD is a great amp, very straightforward Fender sound. It works well with pedals, and it's been my go-to amp for years. After listening to this video, I doubt very much if the audience would notice a difference between these two amps in a live setting. I don't think it would be worth trading one amp for the other, but if I were buying a new one I'd opt for the Deluxe because I like the rockabilly sound, but for R&R it's hard to go wrong with the HRD.
Thanks for comparison. I'm looking at getting one of these used and the HRD for $400 (and $600 cheaper) sounds pretty close. I don't think you can replicate the DR especially if you use reverb and tremolo but most of your licks sounded close enough for me!
Thank you for the comparison video. I have owned a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV for the last two years nearly, and it’s been my go to amp as well as my first tubed amp. I love it. Lately I’ve been interested in the Tone Master deluxe & twin for the variety and wanted to hear some sort of comparison. To my ears the TM and tubed variant sound incredibly alike so this video is very helpful for me to tell the difference between the deluxe and the hot rod. It very well may end up being my next amp! Thank you 🙏
I keep seeing this video, mostly because I love the playing. Also, I keep thinking that with boosting the treble and lowering the mids a bit (even though I do like th extra mids of the HRD) on the HRD the sounds would be kind of comparable. Not the same but compareable
I don't own either of these amps but have been playing both side by side at the music store for hours and every time I'm ready to spend my money on a deluxe reverb I end up not liking it that much. I like how it is bright and punchy but it's missing the lower end frequencies... which is good for the band mix but not as great for everything else. I think the hot rod deluxe tone is more balanced and well rounded... and has more frequencies that the deluxe reverb is missing. Price doesn't always equate to a better sounding amp... which I think is true with these two amps. I think if the deluxe reverb had a bigger cabinet it would solve this. Funny I just watched an Anderson's video and The Captain and Danish Pete said the exact same thing about these two amps... they both owned or regularly used the deluxe reverb but then went back to the Hot rod deluxe because of the lack of bass frequencies in the deluxe reverb.
I really wonder how much of that difference can be tweaked with an EQ pedal. The hotrod sounds more like a valve amp to me but I love the scooped mids in the deluxe reverb
fantastic AB test. I have the hot rod deluxe in tweed and fell in love with the deluxe reverb. I'm more concerned w/ cutting thru a band mix and the hot rod deluxe def has more muddiness to it
Great video mate.. I think the DR was a tiny little louder.. but still very close to decibels... in my opinion 2 things are very important.. the hot rod has almost the double wattage, so in the video the DR was closer to its sweet spot... but of course it s a comparison under those decibels for small practise rooms with no drums, bass or etc... even for a bedroom if you are lucky with your partner and the neighbours.. the second thing is that the clean sound of the hot rod IV is not that good that the sound of the older models... I have 2 hot rod deluxe made in USA.. and on stages sound really sparkly, punchy clean... or with a pedal or two cam get really mean too... thanks for your video you choose a nice subject and you gonna get very many likes and views..
I preferred the HR for a thicker tone and maybe that is because I was a professional bass player for 30 yrs. The DR is brighter, clearer and thinner with the latter being the one that leaves me a bit cold. The FX loop is important to me too.
Great vid!!!!!! This will probably rile some, but it's occurred to me that the classic Fender sound coming out of the DR sounds more banjo-y on the high strings. The HRD just sounds like a guitar. Make of it what you will. Both are more than satisfactory. With pedals/settings, you can achieve a more bell-like tone on the HRD without the banjo leanings.
Very good, thorough comparison, thank you! The DR is more articulate and dynamic. The HRD is rounder and fuller, which I prefer. The DR has a tendency to sound more wire'y and metallic, probably bc it has more sparkle and less mids. The perfect amp for me would have a round HRD sound with the articulation and dynamics of a DR. Probably not achievable.
The deluxe is brighter but doesn’t have a harsh brightness. It sound quality and punchy. Very responsive. Also the bring up the mods you dial back the treble and bass and crank up the amp
Just the comparison I was looking for. Lately, I kinda miss my Hot Rod. Looking at the new Tonemaster amps now... Anyway... Great video. Nice playing too
Deff put a wgs et65 on the hot rod deluxe and boom pow your gonna hear it the sound youre looking for, deff you can get a 1st gen HRD and put a wgs et65 and you got a great amp for any type of gigging and even putting a et65 on a blues jr and wow you amazing what that 15 watt amp does
I play a fair bit of jazz. There's a hrd at the music store nearby but there are literally NO dr in Australia :( Would love to hook the nocaster up on both to try
Nice comparison and I enjoyed the playing. One comment, both amps should either be on the floor or off the floor. Sitting on the floor enhances the low end a little.
It's important to understand that to replicate the sound of a Deluxe Reverb with the bass and treble at noon, with a HRD you need to scoop the mids down something like 3 and cut a lot of bass into something like 2. I have a Blues Deluxe and those are my settings. The DR by default is very scooped and the HRD by the fault has a lot of Bass and Mids on tap. Tweaking is key. However the DR's reverb is so much better because it's tube based and not opamp driven.
What does opam driven mean? I am looking for a clean sound only, however used HRD is very cheap with 400 Euros. Is the deluxe reverbs clean sound a lot better?
You are correct, I have a HrD IV. In this clip it’s quite obvious to the ear that the Deluxe Reverb is more mid scooped(way more). The HrD is more mid heavey in comparison( I prefer the DR sound). You can get it closer( like you said turn down the mids), but it only get closer. Still, for the money( and I bought it used) it’s tough to get a better tube amp for gigging than the HRD. While the DR sounds a bit better, it doesn’t have nowhere near the headroom of a HDR. I have played gigs with the HRD unmiced, something that it wouldn’t be possible with the DR( plus the HRD is a lighter combo, which is great when you have to transport it trough stairs).
@@marcusstrymon693 it means it’s not driven by tubes. Still the HRD IV reverb sounds really nice. You won’t be disappointed, it’s a great amp for the money ( specially used).
@@MrTelecosta Hey bro thanks for the reply! Since that post, i thought about amps and loudness a lot. I came to the conclusion that for what i need (recording in stereo mostly) a strymon iridium would fit by far the best. No more micing up, no more phase checking on stereo amping, no mor disgusting earbreaking loudness and no more being anoying to my neighbours. And yhis will especially be important the day I will move to the city into a flat after finishing university. For fun and practice playing i guess i wil just keep my stereo setup which consists of a great clean sounding engl 50w retro tube and a palmer 1w amp with a marshall 4 12. The palmer is obviously not the best choice for clean as it is driven just by a preamp tube in the poweramp section but it will do for playing and messing around. Unfortunately there is a lot of gear which will profit me more than another tube amp (like a good piano or a good bass...)
I think the DRRI sounds more “clear” despite being lower wattage. Both sound good and would probably sound good in a mix together. More mids in the HRD for sure
thank you for this awesome comaprison mate!!!! Really shows how much a difference amp makes with the tone and how sweet one's playing can sound with the right amp. Been looking for one. Makes me wish there was a Deluxe Reverb with 6l6 tubes. Do you know any amp that has that? Is your deluxe reverb all stock, which start are you using? Also, what was the setting in your Deluxe reverb like here? I definitely prefer the Deluxe Reverb here instead of the HRD. HRD sounds a lil muffled, while the Deluxe Reverb has such precise notes, without sounding harsh either like some tweeds do. Would love to hear more JM cover too from that Deluxe reverb!
Excelente comparativo! Y muy bien desarrollado. A mi oido, el Deluxe tiene un sonido más lleno y brillante. El Hot Rod cuenta con más medios. Tú cómo los sentiste??
The hot rod has the bloomy sound of the 6l6 tubes. The Deluxe has a clearer sound due to it's better more expensive circuit. I like both though but once you get a Deluxe you never want to get rid of it.
Disagree. The deluxe has enough headroom for any smaller venue and it’s using its tubes to its fullest potential where as the hotrod either sounds too loud or not punchy enough. Plus you can mic up a deluxe and keep the stage volume down while having a lot more response from the higher output at lower volumes.
@@Raydoesitintime The hot rod has more features for a gigging musician.( Not that you need them) I use one. It has an effects loop 2 different over drives and a clean channel. I use a boost and delay in the effects loop for my solos. I don't use any overdrive pedals with it. We have to cover everything from country, rock, Pop ect... not to mention you can add more mids with the HRD. The mids are scooped with deluxe reverb. I've had to gig with the 65 reissues as a backline. Was never really happy with the stage sound. But I've heard videos and it sounded great out front. I use lespaul's and I think strats and tele's sound better through a deluxe reverb.
@@kenfernsler6507 the mids aren’t scooped people just run the bass too high. If you have the bass at 3 and treble around 5-6 it sounds absolutely amazing and pushes the mids just fine. Bass at 5 is too high and flubs. Those amps have a lot of low end. I know a lot of guitarists who use the hot rods out for covers and originals and not one of them uses anything but the clean which pretty much renders the FX loop useless. I had the hotrod for a week and it just wasn’t fully there for me. Good tone but I wouldn’t consider it great and then the amp started to rattle and I found other areas of the amp that seemed to be rushed and poorly put together in production. Returned it and bought a deluxe reverb. I play guitar 10x as much just because of that amp. I have an AC30, a v22, and an ac15. I bring the deluxe everywhere. It always impresses me how amazing it sounds in any given venue. There’s a reason it’s the most recorded amp in history and is used by famous guitarists on stage even to this day.
@@kenfernsler6507 not to mention you can mix them up. Very little volume control frustrates me with hotrods. Always too loud or too quiet. The deluxe sounds great miced up. Anytime I see a hotrod miced at a small venue, I see a disappointed guitarist playing.
I have a hot rod deluxe but I want the more open tone from the deluxe reverb. Would you recommend a speaker change to get a little bit closer to that tone?
Deluxe sounds good at low volume 👍🏻 A SP Compressor is a must for low vol. Hot Rod is louder but totally usable, fx Loop is a very useful feature for that.
I have played both side by side and it’s indeed a tough call! Especially when using the same speaker because what I can hear here is 90% of speakers caracter differences. I will write here exactly I think and feel about these 2 amps in the hope someone with more experience will hopefully give me a light or a more decisive input! I personally think there are 2 factors in which I should consider: the unbeatable caracter of a valve rectifier against a solid state one! You can immediately fall in love with the dynamics and responsive playing of the DDRI65 and the quality of the reverb..the tube spring on this pure vintage REI blackface amps is appalling!! However, when playing with gain (moderate stuff nothing high gainnish..) the higher lower frequencies and the “openning sound” of the 65 is less pleasing..I found the hotrod to have a more balanced (slightly more compressed) sound and response! I see myself divided of two very different thoughts: 1. The deluxe reverb has a very good reason to still being mentioned on such a thread in 2020 and from a purist point of view will always be a better choice; 2. In the other way arround the hot rod deluxe has a more balanced frequency range which is addictive.. To play pure Cleans I prefer the deluxe, is my absolute favourite amp (I even like it more than the milkman and the two rock I’ve played) To play more modern stuff with a touch of breaking out or crunch and/or overdrive I prefer the hot rod.. I see myself buying the deluxe and willing to have purchased the hotrod or buying the hot rod and realizing the purists have a very good solid ground for a reason.. 🤔 what do you guys think!? Any constructive comment? The price it doesn’t matter..I am really keen to buy one of those 2 Thanks for your video, your playing is exactly my style..I am a big Mayer fan also..
this is the best video comparing these two amps, rest are too old and low quality. I am a huge mayer fan too, and can't get a two rock yet, so want to get either a Deluxe reverb or a Hot rod. Which one do you find brings you the closest to JM's tone? Deluxe reverb or hot rod?
Jason Shrestha you know..like the guys on that pedal show would say: there’s no wrong answers but only better questions.. The John Mayer tone is very complex and as the majority of artist it varies quite a lot..for example if you listen only through the Continuum album you can a diverse flavor of guitar sounds..all fender alike though.. That guy is a millionaire and in my opinion a tone wizard..however I do think it is a very wrong belief to seek a guys tone..even you plug into a vintage dumble or an expensive modded two rock as he does you wouldn’t be able to reproduce “the mayer tone”.. I know this is a cliche but it has a very painful true behind it: your fingers and the way you play together with the guitar you are using will have a massive influence on the sound so any vintage type fender amp will put you there close but you’ll never nail it.. The hotrod deluxe is a very pleasant amp but to play pure cleans the deluxe reverb is obviously nicer..the note separation, it has the tube rectifier smooth response with better dynamic response and a much “magical” reverb..it’s difficult to explain but on the room everytime I played the deluxe I felt the songs were more beautiful... In the other way arround (and contrary to what I though) the hot rod is a more complete pedal platform, while os doesn’t have the same clean quality it does react nicer with gain pedals as it colors least the tone..the annoying true - for me - it is that you need to have a DRRI because is an addiction for life but it is also nice to have another “do it all” amp type.. I personally have decided to buy the deluxe reverb and combined it with a JTM45. As I can’t afford the hot rod I plan to purchase an used blues junior tweed..go figure.. Good luck! And welcome to the craziness of guitar tone! It sucks or time, brain and the worst part all our money..
90% from the speaker ? Really ? You forget : The wood of the cab, the size of the cab, the tubes, the EQ (2 vs 3), the cathode resistor value (cold or hot clipper), the size of the transformer... Other correction : tube rectifier is less dynamic than solid state one, because of the compression, and a tube reverb does not impact really the sound of it (it's really where to place the worst of your tube, because there is pretty much no effect at all).
Hola! Es controlable el volumen del Hot Rod para usarlo en casa a un volumen no tan alto? He leído que las versiones anteriores es casi imposible tener un nivel de volumen intermedio y pasa de inmediato a uno alto. Gracias y buen video!
@@GuitarHouseLima Muchas gracias por tu respuesta. Creo que el input 2 haria al Hot Rod Deluxe acercarse mas al sonido del Deluxe Reverb. Estoy en lo correcto?
@@ALBERTOGARCIA-nk9bo El Input 1 es el Standard para single coils y el input 2 tiene una entrada semiatenuada para guitarras con Pickups de alta impedancia, desde humbuckers hacia arriba. Cosa que tienes mejor rango de cleans El Hot Rod no se parece al Deluxe Reverb y viceversa, son animales distintos. Ambos súper buenos
