From Stage to Studio: The Fender Hot Rod IV Series

If you've experienced popular music being played over the past 20 years, there is a very good chance that you've seen and heard a Fender Hot Rod amplifier.

Hot Rod amps are used in more studios and stages than any other amp series in the world. Frequently featured as backline at festivals and on television shows, Hot Rod amps are simply the workhorses that countless artists have depended on to create their signature tones.

But just because Hot Rod amps have made such a lasting global impact doesn't mean they can't evolve.

Now, Fender has taken the Hot Rod Series to the next level, with four updated models that feature upgrades like lighter cabinets and new speaker choices, as well as reverb, gain and volume control enhancements.

"For over 20 years, Hot Rod amplifiers have been the versatile, dependable and affordable choice for guitar players of all styles around the globe," said Fender Director of Product Development (Amplifiers) Shane Nicholas. "In developing the Hot Rod Series IV amplifiers, we were careful to preserve what players love about these models, while adding subtle, thoughtful upgrades."

From a player's perspective, the early returns are positive.

Without deviating too far from the amplifier design players love, each model includes select elevated features, such as Celestion A-Type and Jensen speakers for well-balanced output with plenty of high-end sparkle.

Both the Hot Rod DeVille 212 IV and Hot Rod Deluxe IV include a modified overdrive tonality with better note definition. Improved bass response and a reverb warmth modification were adjusted in the Blues Junior IV, while the Pro Junior IV now has a lacquered tweed cosmetic package and volume knob/gain range improvements.

"It’s a no-nonsense amp. They are consistently reliable," said New Politics guitarist Søren Hansen. "They can act as a blank canvas that you can endlessly color with different pedal and guitar pick-up combinations while at the same time have an identity of its own when you plug straight in. The amp basically can be whatever you need it to be at any given moment. It’s a chameleon."

The history of Hot Rod amps dates back to the mid-1990s, as the hair metal of the '80s was falling out of favor and artists began abandoning their racks of digital processors and returning to analog tube amps.

Fender and other companies began reissuing classic amplifier designs of the '50s and '60s, such as the Twin Reverb and '59 Bassman. In 1996, the Hot Rod Series added some grit to the classic Fender clean sound with their drive and more drive circuits, giving them a powerful, versatile tone that made them reliable workhorses for any guitarist, regardless of sound or style.

And by the early 2000s, the Hot Rod Series became the No. 1-requested backline amp around the globe.

Since then, reverence for the Hot Rod has only grown and continually improved with subtle changes based on feedback from players, culminating in the Hot Rod IV Series in 2018.

“I’ve had a Blues Junior for so many years now I can’t even remember when I got it," said Noel Gallagher. "It’s literally done hundreds of shows and thousands of hours in the studio – an all-time stone cold modern classic.”

For more information on the Hot Rod Series, click here.