[Third_Day_Rocks]

I am looking into purchasing this amp, either the 4x10 or 2x12 version. Does anybody have experience or thoughts concerning this amp. I have read numerous reviews, and it looks like a good tube amp, which I have been needing. I haven't had the opportunity to play through one yet, but I plan to visit a local music store to check one out. Any thoughts?

[thesteve]

Originally Posted by Third_Day_Rocks

I am looking into purchasing this amp, either the 4x10 or 2x12 version. Does anybody have experience or thoughts concerning this amp. I have read numerous reviews, and it looks like a good tube amp, which I have been needing. I haven't had the opportunity to play through one yet, but I plan to visit a local music store to check one out. Any thoughts?

1) play one and decide with your ears.

that being said, I played it's little brother, the HR Deluxe for a long time. AFAIK, the circuits are pretty much identical, except the gain structure is a little difference (hence being able to achieve 60W over the HRDlx's 40W).

First, let's talk cleans:
On the HRDlx, the cleans were bright, shimmery...I actually cut the treble on the EQ to compensate for the inherent brightness, but I loved the tone. I found that with my Telecaster's P90s, it (the clean channel) broke up around 3 or 4, but without an attenuator, that was blistering loud.

The drive channel left a little wanting for me. Part of this was lack of a dedicated EQ for the drive channel. Maybe I just never found the right mix of "drive" and volume, but I found that I really didn't like the drive channel too much until i starting using it in conjunction with the Jekyll side of my VS Jekyll and Hyde. I used the pedal just to get a clean boost which ended up really fattening up the sound of the amp. Now, on the whole, the drive channel isn't bad, it just wasn't "wow" to me...this was probably partially because I tried to keep it running quietly...I never was in a situation to really "let 'er rip" so to speak.

The drive channel isn't a high-gain beast either. I've said this before, and I'll stick to it. The HR series was built to be the working man's tube amp. It's got enough drive to do alot of pop-rock and some pop-rock Relient K-esque sort of stuff, but nothing brutally heavy. The amp (at least for me) handled pedals VERY well and from that standpoint it was quite versatile.

As far as 4x10 vs. 2x12 goes...that is ultimately going to be determined by your sonic needs. I tend to be partial to the 4x10 config by default...I've never played the two side by side.

Since you're interested in the HRDv, you might also check out the Peavey Classic 50 (also available in 410 and 212 configs) and the amps in the Traynor YCV series (the YCV50 and YCV80)

[james_richer]

I own a deville 4 10. Great for blues, country, lighter rock stuff. Yes, the cleans are very bright. I had to roll down the tone pot on my strat. Takes pedals amazing, especially any delay pedal I've put in front of it. I think the 4 10 is a bit snappy or sharper than the 2 12. Its an amp made for lighter stuff, not like nu-metal or something. One thing I found with the drive channel is that it could not really tighten up at all. I added a boss DS-1 cheapo pedal before it to add another channel to the mixture. Anyway, because I play music that sometimes needs more umph distortion I bought a marshall TSL and just use the deville for blues and country stuff. Hope this helps a bit.

[Major Tom]

I have the 4x10 HR DeVille. I would pretty much concur with the above reviews with a couple exceptions. The clean channel to my ears sounds like a Super Reverb - very spanky with bottom end that's big and pwerful but doesn't get flubby or tubby as easily as a 2x12. The 4x10 config does "throw" the sound further - it has a smaller dispersion pattern, so its tone doesn't get filtered by room acoustics to the extent of a 1x12 or 2x12. I did a couple switchable voicing mods on mine to increase its versatility, I also use a power attenuator with it. It is a very loud amp, so I don't get to use it with the P & W team (even with the attenuator); instead I opt for a 20 watt 1z12, also with a power attenuator.

The Drive channel - It doesn't have enough gain for the hi-gain crowd, yet it is IMO opinion too saturated for mild OD stuff at low gain settings. I think Fender kinda missed the boat with its gain structure - just too much of a compromise. It's Master Volume control is also just about maxed out at 4 (it goes to 12), so its also a little bit touchy trying to adjust it, I consider that to be a design flaw. Both of those issues are easily fixed with a lower gain tube in V2, either a 12AT7 or 12AY7 - still plenty of gain, but its cleaner with more headroom at lower gain settings; it "tightens up that channel. I recommend that "mod" to anyone with a HR series amp.

It is kinda a shortcoming that both channels share the same EQ. I found that with the bright switch on (only affects the clean channel), the clean channel is a bit brighter eq-wise, but they are pretty close...good enuf for rock and roll, and it does keep it simple.

The other thing recommend to HR owners to try, is to turn the Presence control all or most of the way up, especially with the lower gain preamp tube mentioned above. The presence control does affect the eq content, but its not a typical "tone" control. It reduces the negative feedback amount, which affects the distortion/OD/compresssion character of the amp.

I really love the sound of that amp with strats and teles. Its a Super Reverb on the clean channel with the added bonus of a higher gain channel at the ready. I've had it apart a few times, and used it extensively in a gigging band situation for a couple years. Its a well made amp, although of course it is PC board construction; as long as you take a couple precautions ( strain relieve cords, set it down easy, no drink spills, etc.) , it should last for years without trouble.

[Third_Day_Rocks]

Thanks guys for your responses. I don't play a whole lot of high gain music, so this may work out just fine. I will play one soon, and while I am at it, I'll check out the other amps Steve suggested.

[Rainer.]

And if you can grab a Carvin BelAir, that might also pique your interests.

One of my bandmates plays the 2x12, IMO, the drive channel gets fuzzy real fast if you turn the dial any past 5. Not good for high gain playing, but sounds good on low gain ranges at decent volume. The volume knobs are also very sensitive as MT said.

[Ryan Freeland]

Originally Posted by Rainer.

And if you can grab a Carvin BelAir, that might also pique your interests.

They also make the Nomad (50w 1x12) and the Vintage 16 (5/16w 1x12). They are basically smaller versions of the BelAir.

[SDA_Bluesman62]

It's a nice amp. The clean channel is nice and bright, but i always found the drive channels to be a bit lacking. If i would've gotten one, i would've eventually needed an overdrive pedal (tubescreamer, anyone?) to use over the clean channel, probably. The thing that stopped me from buying this amp was the fact that i found my Ampeg Reverberocket. Now that's one amazing amp.