Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III Guitar Combo Amplifier (40 Watts, 1x12")

The Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III is a modern classic. With 40 watts of tube power and three gain channels, it delivers searing, high gain to crisp clean tones.

Overall User Ratings (based on 20 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(20) (see rating details)
Submitted November 19, 2014 by Donovan t in Kailua, HI

"Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III Guitar Amp"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I have owned Marshall, Laney, Rivera, Mesa Boogie and Vox amps but I have always admired the clean tones one hears in classic rock, country, soul, blues and funk music. It wasn't until i bought a Fender Super Champ X2 that I realized that it was really a Fender sound thing. My SCX2 broke and needed warranty repair and the only authorized service centers were on other islands, so I would have to ship it to get it repaired. Working with the guys at Fender was a joy and they even helped me out with the shipping (since the amp was only 4 months old). The repair went very well and I came away really feeling the love from Fender in the support department. Came time to play a larger gig and I was just swallowed up by the other volume levels on stage...so SHOPPING OPPORTUNITY!! I knew that I wanted to stay with the Fender sound but I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend the extra $$ for a Supersonic, or get a Deluxe or a Bassman or a Twin...nor was I sure if I would eventually be sorry if I didn't get a much more powerful amplifier (60-100 watt Twin or 4x10) , but I drive a mini (not much cargo room) and I hate being told to turn it down. So which to get? I did a lot of reviews via YouTube and it came down to the Hot Rod Deluxe III to me for price, tone and volume.Now that I've been playing it for about 1 month, I believe i can get any tone i want out of this great amplifier ('cept metal) and it has a LOT of headroom in the clean channel, and i plenty LOUD enough. I can accompany acoustic folks and sound crystal-iscious at pretty high volumes and the drive tones are such simply fantastic. I use echo, chorus, OD and wah and with that combination I can be shimmery-sweet-clean, chunky rockin' , fat jazz tone, punchy-driven blues rock and singing lead tones! Looks to be great workmanship. The only thing I wish it had was a foot switchable effects loop in/out so that I could jump the out to the in and get that overdrive, footswichable. I'm still blown away every time i play it and that makes me play more and with more inspiration.

Musical Background:

30+ years playing. Guitar... play out and jam.

Musical Style:

rock, folk, jazz, blues, latin, ballads, standards, funk
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Submitted April 15, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com

"If you're thinking about it, buy it."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This amp will satisfy my needs for a long time. I plan on taking it into the studio with me to record sometime this summer.
Sound
Great sounding amp for the money. Has a super clean channel and the effects loop is awesome. The amp's distortion leaves a lot to be desired, but I don't really mind it too much because I tend to use mine with distortion pedals. This amp gets LOUD, by the way. I've never needed to turn it all the way up, nor do I want to. I played a gig in Chicago (1150 capacity venue) with the older version of this Hot Rod and it held up just fine (amp was mic'd, of course). So far this amp has held up to my expectations.
Features
Came with a cover (which is good because I don't want it to get dusty) and a footswitch for the channels. Effects loop is a plus, the reverb and delays sound fuller and more dynamic through it.
Ease of Use
I was fairly familiar with this amp before I bought it; many of my peers use Hot Rods for local gigs. Still, I'd say it's fairly easy to wrap your head around it. Shouldn't take any more time to tweak the knobs than for other amps.
Quality
This really is a workhorse of an amp. Looks really strong and sturdy, and like I said before many of my friends use Hot Rods...so that's a testament to their reliability. It's great for practice and has more than enough power for most venues. I plan on having my Hot Rod III around for a very long time and maybe I'll upgrade to one of its bigger brothers down the road.
Value
Great buy. If you're looking to get a fantastic tube amp and a whole lot of bang for your buck, look no further. Excellent craftsmanship.
Manufacturer Support
I haven't had to deal with Fender yet.
The Wow Factor
This is a "no frills" amp, so it won't be the most interesting to look at...but I enjoy the simplicity. It's clean cut and professional. Everything I want and nothing I don't.

Musical Background:

Active Musician

Musical Style:

Ambient, Experimental
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Submitted October 7, 2015 by James D in Clarksville, IN

"Great Amp"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I love this amp, I have owned many over the years.. Its has great sound and brings your true guitar tone to life... Me and my buddies have all played on it with different pick ups and wood bodied guitar's.. each has a different sound that is clearly identifiable... I play on a Gibson SG with a Mahogany body and 57 pups, it truly rocks. I can get so many sounds out of it, even a great "Blue" sound.. I would not trade this amp for anything else..
Sound
The first thing I will address is the Volume control- it doesn't work that great until it hits 1 3/4 mark.. when you hit 2 it starts to come alive- I like how it sounds around 5 to 6- shes starts to come alive and drive a little bit , sounds really good to me... I tested it up to 12 and she's a loud screaming eagle with the growl of a lion... The clean channel is awesome- the gain gives you a good solid 70's rock sound and also a awesome Blues sound, a Ibanez 808 driving the preamp is the best sound I have gotten out of it "im a blues nut though" ...
Features
Amp has 2 inputs, that's a nice feature imo.Amp is all Tube- nothing like Tube Tone and Power.. This amp is loud and will blow any other 40-50 watt class D amps off the stage easy , board amps don't stand a chance..The Tubes- everyone likes to tinker with the tubes and that's ok- put in a A7 in the number 3 pre amp to help with the Volume problem at home practice levels, works fine... I like the way it sounds as is so I have not done anything with the tubes.Power Amp- no need for me to mess with it- It has more than plenty..Effects Loop- I run a Chorus and Delay in it and it still sounds great.. Nice feature imo.. I run everything else in front of the pre amp... Bright button- I do not need to brighten up my sound so I do not use it..Reverb- its a fender so its good sounding and straight forward , easy to set..
Ease of Use
Very easy to use and straight forward.I did have to work to get a "Blue" sound out of it.. when you get it jot it down or you will be trying to find it again...
Quality
Built like a tank- solid- good knobs and they are out of the way yet easy to find on back panel- I like that myself, they wont get broken as easy..
Value
If the volume worked a little better around 1 I would say its worth every penny- really not a big deal as the Hot Rod amps are known for that , hence the Hot Rod name..
Manufacturer Support
Amp is working great- I have not dealt with them about this amp..I have dealt with Fender in the past and they made things rite in reasonable time..
The Wow Factor
Only WOW Factor here is the power amp Volume- Hot Rod amps are on a different level than a lot of class A amps with the same wattage..play on one, you will love it...

Musical Background:

23 years off and on- Jam at home with my wife and children..

Musical Style:

Blues-Rock-Christian-compose
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Submitted February 17, 2015 by John M in Clearfield, PA

"Great Amp"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I played a Carvin for the last 20 years but wanted Hot Rod Deluxe after hearing my brothers. So glad I got one. It has everything I was looking for plus some things I didn't expect. The way the drive channel works and the master you actually have 3 different sounds you can tap into with a click, Clean, little distortion and more distortion. And the distortion or crunch sounds are great. In combination with my other pedals I get so much more variety of sounds.

Musical Background:

Play guitar, fiddle, keyboard. Play professionally for 40+ years.

Musical Style:

Rock, country, mild jazz
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Submitted October 27, 2014 by Ernesto O in Paramount, CA

"Great"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Amp is great. Loud enough to play along with loud drummer. I currently use it in a four piece band with another guitar player in it. This amp is much warmer and fuller than the other guitar players amp (Fender Champion 100). When playing I haven't turned it up past 7 on the clean channel. The drive channels aren't all that special but aren't completely unusable. Just throw some dirt pedals in through the clean chanel and is sounds great.

Musical Background:

Playing for 12 years. Play guitar.

Musical Style:

Hard Rock, Blues, Alternative Rock, Punk.
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Submitted May 10, 2018 by Douglas Nelson in Converse, TX

"Packs a punch"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Learning curve is a bit, but worth it. It stands toe to toe with bigger amps, and performs perfectly. My strat sounds so warm, and even the Les Paul sounds better. I dumped my Marshall immediately.

Musical Background:

30 years, working musician

Musical Style:

Rock, country, blues
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Submitted August 3, 2015 by chad T in turlock, CA

"liquid velvet"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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well it sounds great. Clean is so rich and buttery, like red velvet cake...Dirty it thickens up and becomes a warm, molten glow of blues......not a high gain amp, but perfect for scorching blues/rock and accepts pedals very well. I love my Fender Hot Rod 4 stars only because it,s not made in the States.....

Musical Background:

amateur/ luthier

Musical Style:

blues, metal and anything else with great guitar tone
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Submitted October 24, 2016 by Ben H in Rockford, IL

"Great Amp!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This is a great amp! Not huge in size but huge in sound! I swapped the pre-amp for a little more head room because even on 2 this amp is LOUD. Good for medium to large sized gigs, probably not ideal for a bedroom practice amp though!

Musical Background:

20 years - Guitar mainly - Gigging band -

Musical Style:

Rock and roll.
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Submitted October 2, 2015 by Adan Leon in Avondale, AZ

"First tube amp I ever owned"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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It's really a great amp. I have already put a few miles with power PA and standalone. Amp is loud. Really loud.

Musical Background:

30 years old. Guitar playing bass slapping pimp

Musical Style:

Reggae. Ska. Metal.
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Submitted May 13, 2014 by Ricardo Olvera

"best option on fender amps if you dont want to spend a lot"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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The amp its very powerful , and the clean chanel sound so vintage ,the reverb and presence knobs give the amp his attitude , the drive chanel sounds pretty good ,if you like hard rock,blues , country its the right amp for you , i recomend 100% this valve amp.
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Submitted April 29, 2014 by r l in hillsboro, OH

"fender hot rod deluxe"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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It is everything I expected. Good quality and pure fender tone.nothing comes close.if you need effects buy a stomp box.Good service getting it here.

Musical Background:

have played 50 years

Musical Style:

Classic rock
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Submitted June 29, 2014 by James W in Show low, AZ

"Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III Guitar Amp"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I love this amp, I love the hot rods series ,I think it's the rockinest amp series you can buy. The Groove tubes are mandatory and turning up to 12 is pretty awesome , but around here I live in the country and I still barely can even turn it up past one. When you pay a little more for all the good stuff Ardian it show is nice. No mods necessary , and ZZ sounds play what you pay option is the bomb, you can't beat it! Thanks Zz sounds!
Sound
Lindsay can do it this is just plug in some more vintage 30s
Features
I love it
Ease of Use
So playable can't wait to finish this review and get back to playing
Quality
Top quality!

Musical Background:

Veteran 30 years plus

Musical Style:

Psychedelic rock outlook country rock 'n roll
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Submitted March 27, 2011 by a customer from hotmail.com

"THE NEW FENDER HOTROD DELUXE III, WORKS FOR ME !"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I EXPECT TO KEEP AND USE IT FOR A LONG TIME AS IT SOUNDS GOOD,DOESN'T BREAK THE BANK OR YOUR BACK !!!
Sound
I THINK THE SOUND OVERALL IS GOOD AND SOMEWHAT IMPROVED OVER THE EARLIER VERSION OF THIS AMP,HOWEVER I STILL FIND IT NECESSARY TO SWAP OUT THE SPEAKER (I USE A TONE TUBBY CERAMIC 40 WATT)AND THE TUBES(JJ's) TO OBTAIN A TONE THAT I PREFER, I THINK THE STOCK CELESTION IS A BIT BRITTLE AND DOESN'T REALLY LET THE AMP SHINE, JUST MY OPINION, I USE THE CLEAN CHANNEL WITH VARIOUS PEDALS AS I STILL DON'T FEEL THE DRIVE CHANNELS ON THE HOT ROD SERIES WORK FOR ME, I DO FEEL THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TO THE EQ SECTION IS NOTICEABLE(BASS MID TREBLE ) RESPOND BETTER AT EACH INCREMENT, I USE IT LIVE FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM INDOOR VENUES,PLENTY LOUD.
Features
ONLY REAL ACCESORIES I WOULD SAY IS REVERB WHICH IS GOOD,WHICH HAS COME TO BE EXPECTED WITH FENDER AMPS, ONCE AGAIN AS I STATED ABOVE THE FACTORY CELESTION SPEAKER SEEMS THIN/CHEAP/BRITTLE, I FEEL FENDER CHEAPS OUT ON THERE SPEAKER SELECTION AT THIS PRICE LEVEL AMP.
Ease of Use
ALL SIMPLE KNOBS, DIDN'T GET A MANUAL WITH MINE(BOUGHT IT AS FACTORY RESEALED)THAT COULD BE WHY ???, HOWEVER IT IS SIMPLE TO OPERATE AND DIAL IN A USEABLE SOUND QUICKLY.
Quality
I FEEL THE QUALITY OVERALL IS GOOD, NO NOTICABLE BLEMS, I THINK IT WILL HOLD UP FINE "ON THE ROAD", AS MY PREVIOUS HOT ROD DELUXE HELD UP GOOD WITH NORMAL MAINTENANCE(TUBES).
Value
PRICE IS OK FOR AMPS UNDER A GRAND !
Manufacturer Support
NEVER HAD TO USE FENDER SUPPORT AND I CHANGE TUBES AND SPEAKERS ALMOST RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX SO I SUPPOSE MY WARRANTY IS VOID ANY WAY !!!
The Wow Factor
I THINK ITS MUCH SEXIER WITH TONE TUBBY SPEAKER AND JJ TUBES(TWO ITEMS I INSTALLED IMMEDIATELY) AND THE NEW BLACKFACE CONTROL PANEL !

Musical Background:

WEEKEND WARRIOR, 30 YEARS PLUS TAX !

Musical Style:

CLASSIC ROCK,BLUES,COUNTRY !
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Submitted August 28, 2012 by John K in Midlothian, VA

"Hot Rod Delux iii,"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Awesome Product, I Just Love This Amp....Very Glad I Purchased This Type Of Amp... Very Satisfied...

Musical Background:

Fender,Jackson,Ovation,Takemine....Professional Musician

Musical Style:

Country, Classic Rock, Rock...
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Submitted January 3, 2011 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Blues Legend"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Sound
This amp has blues written all over it.Not to mention Classic rock.More power than I will ever need.But if I did need more sound,this amp has you covered.Do your self a favor and try one out.You'll fall in love with it.I know that I'll never need another amp,this one is built like a tank.

Musical Style:

Blues Rock
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Submitted February 9, 2014 by Linda T in Port Angeles, WA

"Fender hot rod deluxeIII"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Ok, so the first amp I purchased developed issues within two days of owning it. So Zzounds sent me another Hot Rod Deluxe III, it arrived within two days. So far this one has held up with no issues. I could have gone with a hot rod devile or a twin reverb but, I don't need 60 or 85 watts. 40 watts from this amp will do nicely for a pretty good size venue. If I need more volume, I can just mic it into the PA. This Amp sounds very nice for the price range. Classic Fender clean tone, the overdrive doesn't sound all that bad. Metallica definitely does not live in this amp however. Great sounding hard working little amp.

Musical Background:

15 years

Musical Style:

Rock
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Submitted December 30, 2010 by a customer from yahoo.com

"Do your self a favor and go try one out,now!No better amp out there for me.More than enough power to play most venues."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
The rest of my days on this earth!
Sound
It's a Blues demon.Made like a tank.If you can't find your your sound just add an effect that you can't find.I don't think you'll have that problem though.I love the Blues and what Says Blues,Fender Tube Amps,espically this one.Do your self a favor and give one a try.You're going to fall in love with it.
Features
Like I said,built like a tank.Spring reverb,all the knobs you need to dial in your sound.
Ease of Use
It may take you a little time,but once you hit your sound,you'll for sure know it.
Quality
It's a Fender!
Value
A little pricey,but compared to a lot of junk out there it's well worth the extra money.
Manufacturer Support
Don't know,never had to use them.
The Wow Factor
She a beautiful amp,so simple to use.

Musical Background:

Been playing for a few years

Musical Style:

Blues,Rock
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