The Fender Hot Rod Deluxe is a guitar amplifier 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. 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 tubecombo 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. Other features include a Bass, Middle, and Treble EQ, Master Volume, Presence, Normal/Bright, and spring reverb. Footswitch and External Speaker jacks are also built in.
Electronics and construction
As an all-tube combo guitar amplifier, the Hot Rod Deluxe features a pair of 6L6GC beam tetrodes 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" biasing scheme with an adjustable biaspotentiometer 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 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 construction rather than Point-to-Point 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 potentiometers 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.
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 speaker. In 2010 the updated version, 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. One of these had a classic three-color sunburst finish; the other was a stained natural finish. 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, and a 12" 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" 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:
Fender has also released Hot Rod Deluxes adorned in blonde tolex or tweed cloth. 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
