No experience ... but it doesn't strike me as a fantastic combo ... afraid the top end on the Ret might be too much for the HRDX ... personally, I'd go ET65 or Invader.
The factory circuit design of the Hot Rod Deluxe is the cause of the gross bass response of the amp. Essentially, they designed a loudness contour to boost the bass and treble so that the amp would sound really good at bedroom levels. The result is that the bass is overwhelming at gig levels. I installed some mods (from Curt at www.grangeramplifiers.com in Birmingham, AL) and they TOTALLY cleared up the bass problem. Part of the kit was a WGS ET65! I love this amp now. When I play out I always get comments about the tone of this HRD. The ET65 is a large part of that tone!
Thanks Ron. I installed the Granger mod too. Then i installed another mod, the James Vanden Berg mod, especially the "Tone Control Mod to Better Control Bass Reponse".
This is good stuff! The effect of having a "loudness" circuit ALWAYS engaged is particularly intriguing. I can see how this would be cool at bedroom level ... and really suck at gig level. My (new favorite 1x12 combo) Supersonic 22 has a "loudness" circuit (labeled "fat" ... ) that I really like on when I'm playing quietly ... but it's total flab & yuckiness at giging level.
BTW: If anyone in the Nashville area reads this & would like to get together with me to do a speaker shoot out with a HRDX ... let me know, I'm game.
Nice shootout, Vaughn. Very useful thread, even if it is pretty old. The Reaper HP sounds sweet, fat, organic and balanced in the HRDX. Guess it's the more pushed midrange voicing of the amp that makes it a good match? I also like the G12C/S. The Invader sounds very nice as well. Strange that something about the midrange of ET's didn't seem right for the amp.
No experience ... but it doesn't strike me as a fantastic combo ... afraid the top end on the Ret might be too much for the HRDX ... personally, I'd go ET65 or Invader.
i still have an ET65 and sounds fantastic, but.....the amp is still so boomy, with the bass freq pot at zero....
So ... are we talking pretty much all buckers?
One of these days you'll make me a gift: a speaker shootout with the Fender HRDx. I'm sure!
Hey Vaughn,
After watching your shootout video I purchased a Retro 30 speaker from Warehouse. What did you think about it in your HRDX?
pi.ke,
The factory circuit design of the Hot Rod Deluxe is the cause of the gross bass response of the amp. Essentially, they designed a loudness contour to boost the bass and treble so that the amp would sound really good at bedroom levels. The result is that the bass is overwhelming at gig levels. I installed some mods (from Curt at www.grangeramplifiers.com in Birmingham, AL) and they TOTALLY cleared up the bass problem. Part of the kit was a WGS ET65! I love this amp now. When I play out I always get comments about the tone of this HRD. The ET65 is a large part of that tone!
Ron
Thanks Ron. I installed the Granger mod too. Then i installed another mod, the James Vanden Berg mod, especially the "Tone Control Mod to Better Control Bass Reponse".
http://www.justinholton.com/hotrod/jvmods.html#bass
The amp sounds great but the bass, at room volumes, is still boomy. I should probably try it in a open situation with higher volumes.....
Currently Kurt Granger tell that the Liberator 80 speaker is a better choice than the ET65.
What do you think about?
And a last question, what kind of music you play with the HRDx?
This is good stuff! The effect of having a "loudness" circuit ALWAYS engaged is particularly intriguing. I can see how this would be cool at bedroom level ... and really suck at gig level. My (new favorite 1x12 combo) Supersonic 22 has a "loudness" circuit (labeled "fat" ... ) that I really like on when I'm playing quietly ... but it's total flab & yuckiness at giging level.
BTW: If anyone in the Nashville area reads this & would like to get together with me to do a speaker shoot out with a HRDX ... let me know, I'm game.
Correct web addy: http://www.grangeramp.com/
Great Vaughn!!!!! HRDx speaker shoot-out!!!!!!!
BTW: Looks like I never posted the link to the blog (way back when):
https://wgsusa.com/fender-hot-rod-deluxe-epic-speaker-shootout
Nice shootout, Vaughn. Very useful thread, even if it is pretty old. The Reaper HP sounds sweet, fat, organic and balanced in the HRDX. Guess it's the more pushed midrange voicing of the amp that makes it a good match? I also like the G12C/S. The Invader sounds very nice as well. Strange that something about the midrange of ET's didn't seem right for the amp.