Fender Hot-Rod-Deluxe Operation Manual

Fender Musical Instruments
7975 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258 U.S.A.

Since 1946, Fender realized the importance of your amplifier. You see, your amplifier
is more than just a combination of dials, wires and speakers. It is a finely tuned
musical instrument. And like any fine musical instrument, it should be treated with
special care and attention to detail.

At Fender, we know what building guitar amplifiers is all about. For over half a century,
we have been designing and producing some of the world's best amplifiers, helping
shape the face of music. In fact, many of the world's most classic and best sounding
amplifiers have proudly worn the Fender name.

Whether you're after that classic Fender tone, a clean crisp sound for your Bass or
Keyboard or the raw driving power of modern distortion, your decision to purchase a
Fender amplifier is one you will appreciate with each passing note for years to come.

Wishing you years of enjoyment and a heartfelt thank you,

Bill Schultz

Bill Schultz
Chairman
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

Fender • Tone

FENDER®AMERICAN TUBE AMPLIFIERS

• ALL TUBE PREAMP AND POWERAMP GENERATE
THAT TONE AS ONLY TUBES CAN

• THREE DISTINCT CHANNELS: NORMAL, DRIVE AND

MORE DRIVE, FOR A BROAD PALETTE OF FENDER
TONES

• MAGNETIC INTERFERENCE REDUCING CHASSIS

ELIMINA TES UNW ANTED NOISE AND RADIO INTERFERENCE

• FENDER SPECIAL DESIGN

HIGH PERFORMANCE

SPEAKERS

• ROAD-WORTHY AND MUSICAL COMPONENTS, CAPABLE
OF HANDLING THE MOST DEMANDING PERFORMANCE
SITUATIONS

• CABINETRY CONSTRUCTED FROM HAND-SELECTED
WOODS, EMPLOYING RUGGED CORNER JOINERY FOR
ENDURING RELIABILITY

• COVERED IN GENUINE TOLEX FOR LONG LIFE AND
LASTING GOOD LOOKS

Fender • Tradition

3

HOT ROD DELUXE INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your purchase of a Fender Hot
Rod Deluxe, the next step in the evolution of Fender
American Tube Amplifiers. The Hot Rod Deluxe is a
versatile musical instrument that features extensive
tone shaping abilities and virtually unlimited gain —
defining the next generation of FAT Fender Tone.

The Hot Rod Deluxe is rated at 40W R.M.S. and
includes among its many features a unique More
Drive function adding yet another sonic option to the
H.R’s potent arsenal of tones.

NOTE: If you’ve read this far… don’t stop now! Check
out the sound settings and experiment with them.
Spin the tone controls and see what happens…
Patch in the footswitch and give the Reverb a
twist… Roll back the drive, crank the master, make
those tubes dance …

So, take the time to get to know each other…
Tune-up, Plug-in and Play-on.

NOTES REGARDING BIAS:
Your new Fender amplifier has an internally mounted
variable bias control. The bias control is used to set the
idle current in your amplifier's output tubes, properly
matching the amp's performance characteristics to the
types of tubes you intend to use. Each different tube
brand and manufacturer may require a slightly different
bias setting. If you replace your tubes with the Fender
types your amp was originally outfitted with, no bias
adjustment is necessary. Having said that, an amp's
bias can drift over time in much the same way the
intonation settings on your guitar can. Both need to be
looked at periodically. The bias setting of a tube-type
amplifier is analogous to the idle setting on a car. If it is
not set properly, every other aspect of the system
suffers. A properly biased amp will sound great and
will run reliably and safely.

Also, beware! Internal voltages of tube-type amplifiers
are lethal and capacitors are capable of storing these
lethal charges. To ensure tone and safety, biasing
this amp (and all other amps) should be carried out by
qualified personnel only.

HOT ROD DELUXE SOUND SETTINGS

Aust-Tone - American Standard Strat®Neck Pickup

IN

Skank 'n' Crank - American Standard Strat (Guitar volume at 6 for skanking rhythm, open to 10 for cranking lead)

Road House Clean - Relic Strat '60's

IN

IN

Fender • Innovation

4