Amp snobbery punctured

Moe_Zambeek

Of late I’ve been listening to some newish bands, my favourite of which at the mo being Slomosa. Kind of stoner / desert rock. Both guitarists are unusual in that they use Fender HR deville 4x10s, and both sound fantastic. 

https://youtu.be/yoij-_s4dFM?feature=shared

Moe_Zambeek

I’ve always hated HR deluxes, don’t think I’ve ever tried a Deville and would never have thought they’d sound this good for heavy stuff.

relic245

I wasn't expecting to like that from the description of stoner/desert rock but enjoyed the first song - adding to my listening list. Thanks  

Enjoyed the guitar tone too.

Gassage

Jonny Buckland uses four HR 2 x 12s live since he retired his vintage Hiwatts. 

Kent747

I’ve got a HR 4X10 Deville. It’s legitimately great. Sleepers of the HR series. 

Greatape

The majority of working guitar players use what they can get in their local guitar shop. Or what their friends are using. Most of them aren't weird like us. 

Moe_Zambeek

It’s just such an outside choice for a heavy band.

monquixote

I think that's what Nile uses IIRC

ESBlonde

It’s a bit like Jimmy Pages Telecaster sold more Les Pauls than anything else! 

Always easy to think what’s on stage is “it” but bands have had empty stacks on stage for decades now while a little combo in an isolation box under the stage feeds into the PA. 

timmypix

monquixote said:

I think that's what Nile uses IIRC

And here was me thinking Karl Sanders used an Engl Invader.

Wrong Nile?

TheBigDipper

Moe_Zambeek said:

It’s just such an outside choice for a heavy band.

It's such a heavy choice for a heavy band, too...  :-) 

A mate has gigged a Deville 4x10 for the past 25 years and the clean channel always sounds great in the room at most volumes. He doesn't use the other channel - clean player, strictly rhythm. I bought a 2x12 and a 1x12 at different points and neither sounded as good as his. 

Blueingreen

One of the best live sounds I've heard was Mark Lettieri using one of the HR series amps with Snarky Puppy.  If I remember correctly it was the Deville but I can't swear to it.  I read an interview with him around the same time.  He said he had more expensive amps but  there was no point in risking them on tour because they wouldn't sound noticeably better in a live band.

chrisj1602

I had a Deville 2 x 12 a few years back, it sounded awesome. I’d love to try the 4 x 10, but not carry it.

Pigknows

I was blown away by the sound the Proclaimers' guitarist was getting several gears ago at a festival. He was playing a Tele through what looked like an old tweed. Turned out to be a Blues Deluxe.

Xan McCurdy from Cake - Blue Deville 2.12. He swears by it.

I think that the Glas Vegas guitarist used to use a 4x10. 

The two guitarists from The Strokes, both Hot Rod Devilles.

Franz Ferdinand.

Coldplay too.

relic245

chrisj1602 said:

I had a Deville 2 x 12 a few years back, it sounded awesome. I’d love to try the 4 x 10, but not carry it.

Back in the 90's I bought  VibroKing second hand even back then it was a £2500 custom shop amp. I thought I did brilliantly by picking it up for £1200.

A couple of weeks later I went into my local music shop and the guy said you've got to try this - It was a Deville 4x10 - can't remember if it was he HR version or not. 

I remember wishing that I'd saved £600 and bought that because  to my ears it sounded almost identical.

Danny1969

The 4x10 Deville is really popular in the US … sold hundreds of Lion Tamers to those owners 
It’s a heavy amp but a lot of people put wheels on theirs and it’s height makes it easier to unload in some circumstances.. you kinda slide it out of the back of the car without having to lift it out 

topdog91

TheBigDipper said:

Moe_Zambeek said:

It’s just such an outside choice for a heavy band.

It's such a heavy choice for a heavy band, too...  :-) 

A mate has gigged a Deville 4x10 for the past 25 years and the clean channel always sounds great in the room at most volumes. He doesn't use the other channel - clean player, strictly rhythm. I bought a 2x12 and a 1x12 at different points and neither sounded as good as his. 

Is your mate Guitar George?

Anyway thanks OP for sharing, good to hear a band with such great riffs and clarity, reminds me of Kyuss if they were still going with worse vocals but that's fine.

Surprised that people are surprised that a band like this would use extremely loud clean "pedal platform" amps given that their distortion is fuzz rather than turning the power tubes up to 11.

More info: 
https://www.reddit.com/r/stonerrock/comments/1fexz4t/comment/m7nq10j/

TimmyO

It helps that the 4x10 is lighter than the 2x12, but yes tall combos are unwieldy which kind of levels the playing field