I love the sound on my Hot Rod Deluxe, but it's a bloody heavy lump - 20kg / 45lb and lugging it in and out of the car, in and out of venues / practice rooms is becoming a pain - literally. I'm wondering whether I ought to consider getting something far lighter.
I never use anything other than the clean channel, never use the reverb, never drive it to the point it breaks up... I'm left wondering whether I really need a valve amp at all.
I just stick a variety of pedals in front of it and use it to make that sound louder, rather than using it to create a sound of its own. I know it's supposed to have a great clean tone, but is that really worth all the lugging about ?
What alternatives are out there (used) that could replace a HRD used only for clean sounds, but weigh far less ?
Ta !
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Comments
Offset "(Emp) - a little heavy on the hyperbole."
The beauty of the HRD is that lovely bouncy clean tone, which does partly come from the valves. I think you'll find most solid-state amps disappointing, even though you think you're just using the amp to make your sound louder. If anything you probably want something old-school and not designed for an overdriven sound at all, since for some reason most solid-state amp designers seem to think sounding like a valve amp means sounding like a Blues Junior... or the total opposite and like a nu-metal band.
You could probably do worse than try a Fender Mustang though - they do have a lot of stuff you don't need, but they also do have quite a nicer Fendery clean sound.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Your HRD is about 20kg, the trademark 16 , the Cube Artist 16 and the cube Stage 14. A speaker and a cabinet weigh something.
Having said the best speakers I have heard in a HRD were more "American" style speakers. There was a limited edition one with a Jensen P12N that was very good. The Weber 12F150 is very good as well. That's what I had in mine.
I've not heard a solid state amp that sounds as nice clean as a good valve amp. If you are miking it through a PA then some of the better modelling solutions would be just as good if not better through the front of house, but they probably won't sound the same as the amp on it's own.
Depending on your volume needs the Deluxe Reverb, or even Princeton Reverb may be an option. You won't get the same volume before breakup, and they don't have as much low end, but they do have a lovely clean sound that you can put pedals through.
One other thought is that the HRD is probably a plywood or MDF cabinet. An old style Tweed pine cabinet might be a bit lighter, but you are probably getting into boutique territory there. The ideal might be a Lazy J 20. The best clean tone I have heard, and the Celestion Blue is a really efficient speaker so it makes it a lot louder than you would think it would be. If you don't get the reverb option is nice and light as well.
a 1x12 HRD is too heavy ? Pah...get thee to a gym and get back to health (**sorry if you are a frail old girl tho ) Try carting 2 amps to a gig - both 2x12s...AC30 and Marshall 1923C. Then 2 guitars and a heavy pedalboard and a shoulder bag with other odds n sods in it.
What I have to wonder is the world coming to when a 1x12 HRD is too heavy ? Tut.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
[ by which I mean an electric guitar, not some kind of BDSM thing ]
Depends on the head! My Ceriatone OTS head weighs 27kg compared to the HRD's 20kg. Along with a 1x12 cab with EV12L speaker it's a real fun lift >-)
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein