The Best Guitar Amplifier on the Planet?

The Fender Hot Rod Series is about as versatile as an amp can get

Fender tube amps are legendary for their power and versatility. What this means for you, the player, is the ability to cut through the mix and stand out from the other players on the stage (or in the practice room). I have played these amps for over twenty years, in clubs and on festival stages, and I am a true believer in the quality of Fender tube amps. When you go out into the world armed with a Fender amp like the Hot Rod series I talk about here, you go out ready to be heard loud and clear. I know from personal experience how important it is to know that your gear is dependable and powerful.

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III 40-Watt 1x12-Inch Guitar Combo Amplifier

I played a Telecaster through this amp for many years. I thought at first that the punchy tone of the Hot Rod would make it a questionable choice for the Tele, which already possesses a ridiculous amount of punch on its own. But I use a Rat pedal (you can read about the almighty Rat distortion pedal here), and with the right amount of tweaking I can control the high-mid presence and get a truly heavy tone when I need it. These amps are solid and powerful but they don't weight a ton, and if you want to you can add another speaker enclosure for more sound. This amp has waaaay more power than you would expect. For clubs this is all the amp than you need. A solid, super-versatile amp for serious players.

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 112 Enclosure 80-Watt 1x12-Inch Guitar Amp Cabinet - Black

For a long time I played a Fender Bassman 50 through a 4x10 Marshall cabinet, which I combined with my favorite distortion pedal, the Rat. The relatively mellow vibe of the Rat -- mellow when you turn the tone control 3/4 way to the right -- made the heaviness of the Bassman truly impressive. I used this rig for years, so it was not a huge jump when I got a Fender combo amp and added a speaker enclosure for extra weight and power. 

The Fender Hot Rod with an External Speaker Cabinet

The idea of using an extra enclosure is intriguing and worth looking into if you're a player and you're looking for extra power and projection. So let's say you decide to go with a Fender amplifier with one speaker, like the Fender Deluxe. You'll have a punchy, powerful amp capable of filling small clubs with no problem. But then your band takes off! You pick up a short promo tour, playing larger clubs, a few theaters, and maybe an outdoor festival or two. Now you need a bigger sound, but no-one's given you any advance money yet, and you still need to make rent and keep yourself in boots and long-necks. No problem! This stand-alone speaker cabinet adds weight to your sound, creating a Fender amp stack. It also looks a lot more "official" up there on those bigger stages where your single combo amp doesn't look quite as cool as it did down in the basement.

Fender Hot Rod 0213205700 Blues Junior III 15-W LTD Tube Guitar Combo Amplifier, Tweed

I myself have never owned one of these, but my college roommate did, and I got to play it quite a bit. Don't be fooled by the relatively low 15 watt rating -- this amp is LOUD. It's more than enough for practice rooms and small clubs, which is where most of us would-be rock stars spend their time, anyway. It uses a pair of EL84 Groove Tubes to create a warm, punchy tone that works beautifully with effects pedals. The single 12-inch speaker is two inches bigger than those in many single-speaker amps, which gives it a surprisingly heavy sound for a combo amp.

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 112 Enclosure 80-Watt 1x12-Inch Guitar Amp Cabinet - Tweed

Like the black single speaker enclosure listed above, this will give your sound weight and power to help you fill larger stages. This fits under a Fender combo amp to form an amp stack that will give you all the sound you need for nearly any show. The power of a Fender stack is hard to appreciate until you play through one.

Fender Hot Rod DeVille 410 III 60-Watt 4x10-Inch Guitar Combo Amp

 

This is another set-up that I have not owned, but it's not a lot different from the combo-enclosure combination that served me so well through years of touring. This amp is essentially the same idea, only all in one unit. I can only assume that it rocks just as hard, but to be honest just looking at the thing makes my back hurt -- that many speakers, and that many heavy speaker magnets, will make this amp a pretty heavy item. But it's a rock machine. Four -- count 'em, four -- speakers pump out serious volume. I can't think off-hand of any club or festival stage I've played where this wouldn't be more than enough amplifier. It's heavy, folks, enough so that you may want to consider investing in some roadies to help share the load. It also comes in a hot "Red October" Hot Rod limited edition that's pretty cool, too. Big-time amplification for those of us still on the road, and still looking to over power just about everything else on the stage.

I hope you get a chance to test drive one of these amplifiers at some point. It might make you a true believer like me.