The Fender Hot Rod Deluxe is a

guitar amplifier A guitar amplifier (or amp) is an electronic device or system that strengthens the electrical signal from a pickup on an electric guitar, bass guitar, or acoustic guitar so that it can produce sound through one or more loudspeakers, which ar ...

manufactured and sold by the Fender 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 the Fender Blues Deluxe from the earlier Blues line of amplifiers, and has a higher level of gain in its preamplification signal. This model, along with the Hot 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

The Hot Rod Deluxe is an all

tube Tube or tubes may refer to: * ''Tube'' (2003 film), a 2003 Korean film * ''The Tube'' (TV series), a music related TV series by Channel 4 in the United Kingdom * "Tubes" (Peter Dale), performer on the Soccer AM television show * Tube (band), a ...

combo 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 Treble EQ, Master Volume, Presence, Normal/Bright, and spring

reverb Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abs ...

(solid state for both the driver and the recovery circuits). Footswitch and External Speaker jacks are also built in.

Electronics and construction

As an all-tube (pre-amp and power sections) combo guitar amplifier, the Hot Rod Deluxe features a pair of

6L6 6L6 is the designator for a beam power tube introduced by Radio Corporation of America in April 1936 and marketed for application as a power amplifier for audio frequencies.J. F. Dreyer Jr."The Beam Power Output Tube" New York: McGraw-Hill, ''Ele ...

beam tetrode A beam tetrode, sometimes called a beam power tube, is a type of vacuum tube or thermionic valve that has two grids and forms the electron stream from the cathode into multiple partially collimated beams to produce a low potential space cha ...

s for the power section and two 12AX7 dual triodes for the preamp section. One additional 12AX7 tube is utilized for the phase inverter of the power section. However, the rectifier, reverb driver and recovery, and effects loop circuits are solid state. The power section uses a fixed

bias Bias is a disproportionate weight ''in favor of'' or ''against'' an idea or thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair. Biases can be innate or learned. People may develop biases for or against an individual, a group ...

biasing scheme with an adjustable bias

potentiometer A potentiometer is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding or rotating contact that forms an adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used, one end and the wiper, it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat. The measuring instrum ...

installed 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 panel

tweed Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...

amplifiers with accouterments such as a top mounted, chrome plated chassis and black "chicken head" pointer knobs, but with textured black tolex found on Fender amps from the 1960s onward rather than the tweed covering. Unlike vintage Fender tube amplifiers, the Hot Rod Deluxe uses a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) construction rather than Point-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 the

s for 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

At various times, Fender has released special versions or Limited Editions of this amplifier. The stock version of the Hot Rod Deluxe features a 7-Ply 3/4" Birch/Maple Plywood cabinet upholstered in black tolex with 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

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 Deluxe ''White Lightning'' Limited 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 inch Celestion G12 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 inch Celestion G12 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 Fender has also released Hot Rod Deluxes adorned in blonde tolex or tweed cloth (both with ox-blood grill). Alternate installed speakers have also included the Celestion A-Type, Jensen P12N alnico or Jensen C12N ceramic speaker reissues.

Hot Rod Deluxe III

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

References