After buying an Egnater Renegade ex-demo from Guitar Guitar that has sadly failed within two weeks, I’m considering one of the following:
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III;
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe George Benson;
Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue.
The style I tend to play is in the realm of slightly dirty blues rock, preferably capable of occasionally being pushed with an overdrive into heavily saturated for a wailing lead (you can, if you wish, have a listen to some of the band I play with at www.soundcloud.com/nosoapnoradio). But I’d also like to be able to use it in future for some jazz gigs.
Does anybody have any thoughts on what might fit the bill best? The Benson HRD has a different speaker, a slightly less high-gain valve in position 1 and a pine cabinet and is around £120-£170 more. I don’t know if its circuitry is altered. I don’t know much about the HRD but know less about the Blues Deluxe, although it doesn’t seem dramatically different.
Opinions welcome!
Comments
My band, Red For Dissent
"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
"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
My band, Red For Dissent
My band, Red For Dissent
"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
One thing: the amount of reverb available is demented.
My band, Red For Dissent
My band, Red For Dissent
Vol 2.5 -3.
It loved my Keeley Compressor as well as my Strat and the Kotzen Tele I tried in the shop (GAS for the latter has gone as I've now decided, I don't like the neck proportions).
It doesn't sound boxy and the 100-watt Jensen® C12K speaker sounds good as does the cab. It's fairly light too at 43lbs (similar weight to a DRRI = 42lbs)
It takes pedals really well and I had my board with me and it's the perfect pedal platform. From low gain stuff (Catalinbread Formula 5FS) to an EP Booster feeding an OCD, it loved it.
The gain channel wasn't for me and a little brittle. I couldn't see myself using it but if you're looking for a really good, loud, clean sound for funk, country, jazz, soul and get your dirt from pedals, audition one of these.
Oh, not sure about the styling either. I wish it came in black!