The Fender Hotrod Deluxe is a fine tube amplifier, but is very loud for home use with a volume potentiometer that is either very low or very high, in the 1-3 range, here is a nice and easy way to tame the beast and lower its volume so you can play at home. The fix requires a volume pedal.
I use the *Dunlop GCB-80, but you can use whatever volume pedal you like. I connect the volume pedal to the amplifier as follows:
Connect two short PL cables in the AMP, one goes in the PREAMP OUT and one goes in the POWER AMP IN. Connect the PREAMP OUT cable to the Instrument side of the volume pedal (IN). Connect the Amplifier out of the pedal (out) to the POWER AMP IN. See the photo below
Or in other words, the IN side of the volume pedal (where you would plug your guitar) should be connected to the AMP’s PREAMP OUT, and the OUT side of the pedal, connects to the AMP’s POWER AMP IN.
* The Dunlop pedal is a sturdy product but has one “tiny” problem – it does not allow NO volume at all, but rather the pedal starts from some volume. Here is a DIY fix that I wrote. This issue is only interfering in situations when you need zero volume, “volume swell” electric guita effect (like Mark Knopfler’s playing on Brothers In Arms for ex.).
