So I got a HR DeVille 2x12 today

[shark_bite]

It's kind of nice to have an amp that I can sort of go to town on, because it wasn't super expensive or anything and I've got plenty of TGP-approved amps on tap as well. So now I'm thinking of all the stuff I can do, and kind of jazzed about this:

1) I have a spare volume pedal. Putting that in the loop gives me a nice MV for either channel and allows me to play it at home.

2) It's got good cleans. Surprisingly good cleans, actually. Big and thick. A little midrangey in comparison to, say, my SFDR, but with the Mayer Strat I can pretty much nail his Two Rock clean tone to within a reasonable degree of accuracy, at least considering the 10:1 price ratio between the two amps in question. BUT I'm kind of thinking it might be neat to put the Zendrive in front of the power amp. I'm not sure if this would work very well but my common sense tells me it just might, so I think I'll be trying that soon.

3) Actually, after #2 I just realized I've got a Jester getting finished just about any day now. That might also be a nice option to run straight to the power amp. Holy crap, I can't wait to try this.

4) I'd like to get the Omega mods, but I think that can wait a little bit - I want to hear what I've got first. I know the drive channels are cheesy but I'm not a big drive guy, so no biggy. Sooner or later though.

5) It's been re-tubed already but at some point it seems like I'll need to re-speaker it. I just got a neat idea for that... no idea if anyone makes anything like it but I'm sure I could find a way to score a 1x15" baffle that I could throw my spare JBL D130 onto. There should be enough space in the cab for that. I don't know if I'll actually do this but I'm really intrigued by the idea. I might run some leads to that speaker in a different cab just to hear how it sounds.

6) One way or another the pots and switches will be replaced as needed. I know about the linear volume pots and the crappy switches.

Seems like depending on who you ask these are real stinkers or real diamonds in the rough, but for something fun to mess around with that's more or less earmarked to be my most D-flavored amp (not really my thing to shell out for one of the clones but there's always that curiosity), I think I'm going to love it, although it's not likely to see much use unless I find some way to make it really stunning.

Any other ideas? Suggestions?

[robelinda2]

I must say I keep coming back to my 6 yr old 4x10 HRD, its well broken in and sounds great. It really has gotten better over time with the stock speakers. Ive re-tubed 2 or 3 times. I use the drive channel for a slight broken up tone, the clean channel is perfectly fine with pedals. However, I played a 1x12 HRD yesterday and it sounded very average, plugged into the 4x10 at the store and it sounded better, but not as good as mine at home. I guess those speakers need a lot of hours of playing!

[StompBoxBlues]

It's kind of nice to have an amp that I can sort of go to town on, because it wasn't super expensive or anything and I've got plenty of TGP-approved amps on tap as well. So now I'm thinking of all the stuff I can do, and kind of jazzed about this:

1) I have a spare volume pedal. Putting that in the loop gives me a nice MV for either channel and allows me to play it at home.

2) It's got good cleans. Surprisingly good cleans, actually. Big and thick. A little midrangey in comparison to, say, my SFDR, but with the Mayer Strat I can pretty much nail his Two Rock clean tone to within a reasonable degree of accuracy, at least considering the 10:1 price ratio between the two amps in question. BUT I'm kind of thinking it might be neat to put the Zendrive in front of the power amp. I'm not sure if this would work very well but my common sense tells me it just might, so I think I'll be trying that soon.

3) Actually, after #2 I just realized I've got a Jester getting finished just about any day now. That might also be a nice option to run straight to the power amp. Holy crap, I can't wait to try this.

4) I'd like to get the Omega mods, but I think that can wait a little bit - I want to hear what I've got first. I know the drive channels are cheesy but I'm not a big drive guy, so no biggy. Sooner or later though.

5) It's been re-tubed already but at some point it seems like I'll need to re-speaker it. I just got a neat idea for that... no idea if anyone makes anything like it but I'm sure I could find a way to score a 1x15" baffle that I could throw my spare JBL D130 onto. There should be enough space in the cab for that. I don't know if I'll actually do this but I'm really intrigued by the idea. I might run some leads to that speaker in a different cab just to hear how it sounds.

6) One way or another the pots and switches will be replaced as needed. I know about the linear volume pots and the crappy switches.

Seems like depending on who you ask these are real stinkers or real diamonds in the rough, but for something fun to mess around with that's more or less earmarked to be my most D-flavored amp (not really my thing to shell out for one of the clones but there's always that curiosity), I think I'm going to love it, although it's not likely to see much use unless I find some way to make it really stunning.

Any other ideas? Suggestions?

It might not be an issue for you, but for me the reverb design on that amp was useless...as was the "more drive", but I still LOVED the amp and gigged with it, and like you say, great cleans!

My solutions, to what I saw as problems were:

1) Like I say I could either set DRIVE or MORE DRIVE to be useful, but the volume diff and gain diff meant that the other wasn't useable. In the end...I just happily used the clean channel and a couple of OD pedals.
Sounded great.

2) The reverb is a real problem if you use it...not footswitchable, and the knob is super-touchy I think. So if you replace pots, replace that with an audio taper? (I think it is) so you can fine tune it better. There is no reverb switch, so...knob controls it always. In the end I didn't use the amps reverb, I used an EBS Dynaverb pedal in the effects loop. Worked great!

I used it the whole time with my last band, for about 6 years. I think it is a GREAT sounding amp, and while I did get aggravated at first about the issues above, I quickly realized...if they sold a reverbless, one-channel amp at the same price, with effects loop, etc. I would have bought it and been completely satisfied. So why should I care that there IS a reverb but it is mostly unusable for me (I like to turn off reverb for songs with "stops" so it is tighter with the band, and also like to use it as an effect...like in Pink Floyd's "Money" (though that was delay same idea) halfway through where the guitar suddenly aurally seems to get nearer...as they took off delay and verb..suddenly..

The cleans are the thing. I loved too that it had so many watts. I love the clean headroom, and think it sounds pretty great turned down pretty low. But that the horsepower is THERE if I need it...

Enjoy yours!

[shark_bite]

My reverb isn't the best reverb I've ever heard but after reading up on these here I was expecting much worse.

[pir8matt]

Great big cleans, lots of volume on tap. Drive channels are useless, I like the reverb on 'em. Definitely a good inexpensive amp that makes a good platform for pedals.

[StompBoxBlues]

My reverb isn't the best reverb I've ever heard but after reading up on these here I was expecting much worse.

I maybe wasn't clear. I like the reverb well enough, it is just that it is touchy (the pot) and not controllable in that I can't turn it on and off at will....and get it back where I like it.
I almost looked like one of those safecrackers in a 1950's film, with the sandpapering of the fingertips, and blowing on them before turning the dial, leaning in to hear it... :aok

But the EBS Dynaverb, I did an AB, and liked it just as well, thought I got it damned close to the amps verb, but preferred the pedal just because it was footswitch controllable.

That's all.
And many knock the drive channel, I COULD use mine (not MORE DRIVE though if I set DRIVE where I like it) but I kept it lower gain. In the end, like I say the clean channel is REALLY nice, and takes pedals really well, so I just ended up using that.
still very happy with it.

[Tubebender]

Cool man, enjoy the amp!

[Gtowngearhead]

For the reverb/drive issues, if you got any lower gain preamp tubes lying around, now would be a good time to use em! 12AY7/12AT7/5751 will help out the drive channel dramatically, and I'd also put the same preamp tube you choose for V2 into V1. If you think the reverb is too touchy, put a 12AU7/12AY7 into the phase inverter slot. I know, the reverb on this unit is solid state. Maybe my amp is just defective/weird/special. But I've got 12at7/12at7/12au7 for my preamp tubes and I SWEAR that the reverb sounds completely different.. Almost turns into a hall like reverb, but still has spring quack.. Doesn't wash out.. Using a 12at7 keeps it closer to the stock sound, but doesn't wash out as quick.. I don't know if anyone else has had this experience but I'd like to know if they did/didn't so I can tell if my amp just has it's on swag haha.

[Gtrman100]

If you don't like the reverb on any Hot Rod series amp, there is a very easy mod(clip one cap) that makes a BIG difference outlined on Justin's Hot Rod site. Once the cap is clipped, the reverb is much warmer and fuller sounding. The control is still touchy, but it sounds good.
BTW, congrats on the amp, I think they get an undeserved bad rap as far as tone. As far as reliability, change the 470 ohm cement resistors in th +/- 16 volt supply with new 330 ohm ones and solder them with some space from the PC board. Most of the reliability problems will be solved.