ready to downsize-pros and cons

[pedalbored]

I'm ready to downsize from my trusty old 70's Fender Twin Reverb to something in a 1X12, maybe like a Fender Rod Rod Deluxe or something like that. Maybe it's a personal thing, but I'm stuck on a tube amp thats USA made. What will I notice first about going from a 2X12 to a 1X12 other than it being beamy? I don't play out that much anymore anyway, and if I do, I'm always told I'm too loud! LOL.I don't want to drop a ton of money; I'm thinkin I'll only get $750 or so out of the Twin (it's pretty clean for its age), unless I find someone who wants to trade. Ideas or suggestions?

 

[Rockerduck]

You are right about the Hot Rod Deluxe, get one. I have a Twin Reverb too. I bought the HR deluxe 3 and its built real good and sounds like a twin.

 

[TylerRex790]

The obvious answer would be a 65' Deluxe Reverb RI. A 1x12 USA made amp that's more similar to a Twin Reverb than anything else you will find. Someone would prolly swap even with you.

 

[SmittySensei]

I played a Hot Rod for about two years, I really enjoyed the amp. It didn't always have the sound I wanted but I could get close, and it was so much easier to move around than my Peavey head.

 

[Miles]

If you're really worried about volume AND actual amp footprint size, I doubt the HRDx is really going to feel like downsizing - especially if you're really shopping for the home-playing scenario. HRDx also has a more tweed voicing with a more prominent midrange, which I actually prefer. A more accurate tone downsize would be a Deluxe Reverb for you, but it doesn't have clean/dirty channel switching.

I gigged a HRDx in some LOUD club settings and barely got the volume over 3-4. If you're after a cranked amp tone at house playing volumes, maybe ditch the twin for an HRDx for band-playing and a small practice amp (Roland cube) for at home playing? That's what I do. I went lower wattage for gigs to be able to get the "loud amp" tone at reasonable levels and I primarily rock my Cube on Tweed mode with a pedal or two at home. No point to burn through tubes at bedroom levels when I'm not really getting any benefit from tubes. I vastly prefer the cube for home use. It allows me the DI option for making demos right into my USB interface too.

Twin Reverbs are for folks who want a LOT of total clean headroom.

 

[stevel]

You know there's a volume knob on these things, right?

I have a TRRI and gigged with a guy with a HRDX and it was every bit as loud as my Twin. But I'm not running my super crazy loud.

Buy yourself a $200 Mustang II and then you'll have all kinds of amp models at your fingertips that sound wonderful and are perfect for home volumes. Keep the Twin for when you do gig.

The whole "I'm going to crank a tube amp in my bedroom (or god forbid, 'man cave')" is a little, let's call it silly. Hopefully you're not cranking a Twin, because you can't.

But if you're going to want to crank it to get teh toanz, and still keep a reasonable volume, you need to go smaller yet - Princeton, or Champ (even a Princeton is really too loud).

BTW, most people do not like the drive channel on the HRDX and use the clean channel only (with pedals). But trying to push that channel to get teh toanz is going to be louder than you probably play the Twin clean.

In that line, you need to be getting down to a Pro Jr to be able to push it to get any manageable volume with some slight edge.

Princeton, Pro Jr, or Mustang II. Run them clean, with pedals for gain (or gain models in the Mustang) and you'll have an amp that's perfect for playing at home volumes. Bonus: Princeton or PJ make good grab and gos for small get-togethers or even are usable at rehearsals with a reasonable volume band. You could also gig them, mic'd at the volume people *should* play.