Why couldn't I send a strat to distortion land?

guitargeek6298 · 08-26-2006, 09:36 PM

Quote:

aren't the hotrod deluxe amps supposed to have really sub-par distortion? maybe i have them confused with some other fender amp.

If by "sub-par" you mean "useless", yes. Good clean sound, though.

Strats have a ton more treble than a Gibson will, due partially to the single coils, but also the fact that the Gibson is made of mohogany, which is a darker sounding wood. I would imagine that if you turned the presence and treble down a bit, and maybe upped the mids a touch, you'd have a sound that you'd be pleased with.

From my own personal experience, though, a humbucker equipped guitar will sound better when heavily overdriven, vs. a single coil equipped guitar. (Yes, I know there have been exceptions to this rule).

RubberChipmunk · 08-26-2006, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitargeek6298

If by "sub-par" you mean "useless", yes. Good clean sound, though.

Strats have a ton more treble than a Gibson will, due partially to the single coils, but also the fact that the Gibson is made of mohogany, which is a darker sounding wood. I would imagine that if you turned the presence and treble down a bit, and maybe upped the mids a touch, you'd have a sound that you'd be pleased with.

From my own personal experience, though, a humbucker equipped guitar will sound better when heavily overdriven, vs. a single coil equipped guitar. (Yes, I know there have been exceptions to this rule).

Don't you ever call hotrods "sub-par" or "useless" for distortion again. It may not get mega distortion, but it can get some very nice distorted tones.

What5647 · 08-26-2006, 09:55 PM

sorry, but "sub-par" and "useless" are some pretty common oppinions about that amp's drive. i'm not saying that there isn't some good distortion in there, just that it's lacking when compared to other amps. you're the first guy i've run across that willing to stand up for that amp's distortion.

Mattlock · 08-26-2006, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by What5647

sorry, but "sub-par" and "useless" are some pretty common oppinions about that amp's drive. i'm not saying that there isn't some good distortion in there, just that it's lacking when compared to other amps. you're the first guy i've run across that willing to stand up for that amp's distortion.

I guess I'm the second.

It's pretty sweet.

Hopeful · 08-26-2006, 10:06 PM

Why is it when it's not mega-distortion, that it means the gain is poor? The question should be, does it sound nice? There's way more to music than metal.

Major Tom · 08-26-2006, 10:40 PM

I guess I'm the third.

But then, I'm not a high gain tone player. The character of an amp's distortion can be tweaked with different tubes; I use a lower gain tube in V2 to de-saturate it. I also use a power attenuator to get the power tubes involved - IMO, that's where the real tube mojo is. The level of the signal fed into the amp also has a lot to do with it. I would have to say that feeding a relatively hot signal into it's input in stock form, even fairly mild humbuckers, it is going to be too saturated. All that said, the couple times that I used a humbucker equipped guitar with it, my initial reaction was that I didn't like it as well as I did with the strat, but I'd have to do some further testing... just don't have a venue to fire that big boy up these days.

What5647 · 08-26-2006, 10:45 PM

heck, i know there's more to music than metal. i took classical piano for seven years, and used to dabble in bluegrass, like the rest of my family, so let's not go there.

as for the fender hotrod deluxe, i can't make a personal comment on the amp, as i've never palyed one. but i can repeat what seems to be a common statement about the amp's distortion. i used "sub-par" specifically, it's not that it's "bad," it's more it's not as useable as other amps.
i'm sure it's overdrive is quite nice though.

Hopeful · 08-26-2006, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by What5647

as for the fender hotrod deluxe, i can't make a personal comment on the amp, as i've never palyed one. but i can repeat what seems to be a common statement about the amp's distortion. i used "sub-par" specifically, it's not that it's "bad," it's more it's not as useable as other amps.
i'm sure it's overdrive is quite nice though.

But that's what I'm asking. Why does it seem like the measure of an amp on these boards is if it can do metal? That's a common statement here, but not necessarily elsewhere. Why can't they just say you can't play metal on the amp instead of having it described as anything less than a great amp that breaks up nicely? Anyway, I digress - the subject was why the Strats couldn't cause the amp to distort and I think reasons have been given.

guitargeek6298 · 08-27-2006, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Don't you ever call hotrods "sub-par" or "useless" for distortion again. It may not get mega distortion, but it can get some very nice distorted tones.

I've owned one since roughly 1998, so I think I can say what I want about it. I swapped tubes, different speaker cabs, etc, and it's always the same, thin, whiny overdrive.

Of course, I knew that when I bought it. I bought it because it has a nice clean sound, that I can distort with a couple pedals. But I haven't found a single possible use for the overdrive channels.

BUT! Hopeful is right... this is off topic.

nick2282 · 08-28-2006, 02:52 PM

the problem was that you used a MIM strat. the pickups on fender MIM's are horrible, you might as well just throw them away. when i first got my MIM tele it sounded so horrible through my Mesa f-30. i played it twice and never plugged it in until i bought new pickups for it. i put a duncan alnico pro II in the neck and now its the distortion sounds amazing and thats a pickup mainly used for a clean sound. next time your at the store plug in a strat in the $1000$ price range or try the YJM Strat you will get a good distortion with the same amp. i thought hot rods had a pretty high gain output. i know a few people who actually dont like there hotrod because its got too much drive to it and they play rock / indie