Fender Hot Rod Vol Mod

57Deluxe

Who has had this done to their Hot Rods?

What to know and watch out for?

Thanks

ICBM

In my opinion it's largely a waste of time. It makes very little difference, it's a faff to do (hence not that cheap unless you do it yourself) and the owner will usually complain that the problem is still a problem.

If it's a real issue - and I have to say that I don't think it really is, if you just learn to turn the controls carefully (OK, very very carefully ) - then it's cheaper and far more effective to run a volume box in the loop.

jpfamps

I have to admit I've used HRDs at several gigs (indeed I will be using one on Thursday) and never really found the volume control issue a problem.

Danny1969

I've modded a couple using kits supplied by the owners. The kit has some different caps in it, a few resistors and log volume pot and new input jacks. The new pot does make the volume less sensitive and easier to adjust at very low volumes ... like bedroom volume.
It's not something anyone should attempt themselves though unless they are used to working on PCB's as the Fender PCB isn't great and you could easily burn a track off. It's a fair bit of work as well, not a quick job as the whole PCB has to come up. There's enough room though to get it up without dismantling  everything else. 

I tend to use this with HRD's ... It plugs into the Pre amp out and power amp in sockets .. it's just a simple attenuator I built in a tuna can with variable volume. The switch bypasses the attenuation meaning the switch acts as a clean boost at gigs ... the volume knob decides the amount of boost



I have another design for these amps that just rests constantly plugged into the pre \ pwr sockets and effectively gives you a master volume over both channels that you can leave permanently plugged in 

TheMarlin

If you're going to mod a HRD, then go balls out, and get the full Omega amps mods.  

Turns an ok amp into a stunner!

The amp also loves a Cannabis Rex speaker upgrade!

57Deluxe

Danny1969 said:

I tend to use this with HRD's ... It plugs into the Pre amp out and power amp in sockets .. it's just a simple attenuator I built in a tuna can with variable volume. The switch bypasses the attenuation meaning the switch acts as a clean boost at gigs ... the volume knob decides the amount of boost

hmmm... something very fishy about this...

Danny1969

Lol
My wife eats a lot of tuna so I have an endless supply of cans to build prototypes in

57Deluxe

Thanks all - is one of my students. Guy has double hearing aids as is deaf and finds his HRD too loud too soon for home. So just 'living with it' is not an option for him. Will get him onto using a pedal to 'brake' the signal and see if that helps, but he doesn't like pedals either!

ICBM

57Deluxe said:

Thanks all - is one of my students. Guy has double hearing aids as is deaf and finds his HRD too loud too soon for home. So just 'living with it' is not an option for him. Will get him onto using a pedal to 'brake' the signal and see if that helps, but he doesn't like pedals either!

In that case the volume box in the loop is by far the best solution. Or by more than far.

Telejester

Is the situation not you just cant use a hrd at home on the clean channel and get good tone without the amp geing unacceptibly loud ? When i had a hrd iii at home it was either off or touch the vol and far too loud. The drive channel was dire so i wouldnt even go there.

57Deluxe

/\ yes to both above.

DJH83004

Not sure if IC, JPF or Danny would agree, but I have stopped doing modifications for customers anymore, either bought in kits (Torres mods etc.) or web/forum based ones, as I just find that more often than not, people are disappointed with the end result, and I don't want them to think it is down to a workmanship issue. All that said I think the 'volume in tuna can' is a cracking idea for the HRD!

clarkefan

ICBM said:

In that case the volume box in the loop is by far the best solution. Or by more than far.

Brian Wampler recently put up a video on YouTube about exactly this problem with this amp, and his solution is the same, a volume box, then shows how to make one.

Can anybody explain why the value of the pot should be 25k (like lots of people say) or 100k (like Brian says, without explaining)? What decides the value?

ICBM

It doesn't actually matter - any value between 10K and 1M will work. It's possible that higher values could cause a bit more noise, but probably not if the box and cabling is properly shielded.

The only really important thing is that it needs to be a Log (audio) taper pot, not linear.

clarkefan

Nice one, thanks @ICBM.

impmann

I have a Mk3 and its nowhere near as tricky to use as low volume as the earlier ones - plus the Celestion speaker sounds great for driven sounds.

Telejester

impmann said:

I have a Mk3 and its nowhere near as tricky to use as low volume as the earlier ones - plus the Celestion speaker sounds great for driven sounds.

The one i took home from the shop:

Off
Vol 1, lifeless sounding
Vol 1.5 wife hollerring about the volume

For home playing.....unusable

impmann

Telejester said:

impmann said:

I have a Mk3 and its nowhere near as tricky to use as low volume as the earlier ones - plus the Celestion speaker sounds great for driven sounds.

The one i took home from the shop:

Off
Vol 1, lifeless sounding
Vol 1.5 wife hollerring about the volume

For home playing.....unusable

I don't use the HRD much at home because, unlike a lot of folks, I don't like the sound of big amps turned down. Perhaps I'm just lucky (or the wife is more tolerant) when I do... I prefer to use a smaller amp for home use.

ICBM

Telejester said:

impmann said:

I have a Mk3 and its nowhere near as tricky to use as low volume as the earlier ones - plus the Celestion speaker sounds great for driven sounds.

The one i took home from the shop:

Off
Vol 1, lifeless sounding
Vol 1.5 wife hollerring about the volume

For home playing.....unusable

That's the problem with the MkIII for me - it just doesn't sound as good as the II until it's up louder (quite a lot louder).

The II is slightly different, it goes

Off
Vol 1, still off
Vol 1.1, works great
Vol 1.2 too loud

Usable for home playing but you have to turn the volume control by a microscopic amount - although being a chickenhead knob, it's possible to do this by putting the tip of your finger on the panel next to it and gently 'rocking' the finger against the pointer to move it.