The Goal...

Turn my old amp into a work of art. For all the years I've been performing, I've always had my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe as a reliable workhorse (well, mostly reliable). This year, though, I wanted an upgrade.

Instead of spending +$1000 for a new amp, an expense that crushes my ability to save money, I harnessed my local community to create a beautiful piece our of my worn out Hot Rod.

Getting Started

After pulling the insides out and collecting all of the screws in a plastic bag, I bought a heat gun and used it to pull all of the glued tolex off of the chassis. There was a lot of glue leftover, so I borrowed an electric sander from a friend and sanded it down until it was squeaky clean.

The guts of the amp went to a local amp maker. We decided on a schematic: a Bassman style circuit with a voicing switch and a contour knob. Because I was giving him a chassis to work with, he only charged me $400.

The sanded amp went to a local artist and friend. She drew up sketches on the amp and sent me pictures. I gave her the go-ahead, and she started burning.

After the burning, she bought three different colors of wood stain and painted inside the burn marks. This is the result of the completed amp.

Final Thoughts

Total cost = $750. It's completely custom, sounds amazing, and is a one-of-a-kind piece of art. Keep it local, support the creative people in your community!