PRS HDRX 20 Review (short take)
Verdict and Review Summary
It's not aggressive at all, more like a Fender tube amp than a Marshall or Mesa. I know that's a bit odd, given that it's modeled after Jimi Hendrix's tone and Hendrix used...Marshalls. But the HDRX's strengths are cleans and blues. It's soulful, endearing, and surprisingly tame. No complaints unless you just don't like that style.
BEST FOR: Cleans, blues, soft tones, BYO distortion pedal, Stratocasters.
TONE
87
CONTROL
87
VERSATILITY
85
PRICE/VALUE
90
- Two gain controls with treble and bass is a unique feature
- Cleans and warm tones sound great
- Price point is solid
- Six total EQ options
- Definitely not a gain or distortion amp
- For an amp that sounds so good clean, no reverb is a bummer
I've always thought of PRS guitars as modern and wanting to punch with lower frequencies. But their amps seem to go in a somewhat different direction, more in line with the Silver Sky.
The PRS HDRX 20 is a low-wattage amp head modeled after Jimi Hendrix's tone, yet it strikes me as a lot more tame. It's very clean and soulful, and almost seems like it's trying not to scare you away. You can get heavy, as you can with most amps, but I wouldn't say that's its wheelhouse. A unique feature worth mentioning is dual gain controls - one treble and one bass.
It's very British, with some modern tweaks. As of this review, Ola Englund has not done a "Will it chug?" episode on this yet. I'd be curious to see/hear that.
Just British, and a lot of cleans. A lot.
Compare to similar amps
Amp | Name | Rate | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| PRS HDRX 20 | 87.3 | |
 | PRS MT15 (Tremonti) | 85.3 | |
 | Fender Bassbreaker 15 | 85.7 | |
 | Blackstar HT Stage | 91.7 |
Overall sound and tone quality
The sound is pristine, especially on the clean and low-gain side. It's just not totally what I expected. To be fair, today's "heavy" isn't what it was in Hendrix's day, when Hendrix was considered someone who used a ton of distortion. It's closely aligned with the Fender tube combos, like the Blues Junior or Blues Deluxe. With a Stratocaster you'll get some really soft and soulful tones, particularly with middle and/or neck pickup selections.
Control, use case, and flexibility
The control scheme is a bit confusing, because gain is controlled in two parts:
- Treble volume
- Bass volume
You then have Master volume, which also seems to have some impact on gain. I honestly don't completely understand it. Enlighten me in the comments section.
This lets you sort of EQ your gain, along with a high-mid-gain and bright switch. I didn't find the high gain settings particularly compelling at least not without putting a distortion pedal in front of the signal. At that point, the ball is in the pedal's court and not the HDRX.
But you have a four-band EQ, including the presence control, so there's a lot of flexibility here.
FAQ About the PRS HDRX
The PRS HDRX was designed in Stevensville Maryland, though manufactured in Indonesia.
The PRS HDRX 20 uses 12AX7 tubes in the preamp, and 5881 in the power amp.
With the right distortion pedal you could get some heavy tones out of it, but on its own, metal is not the HDRX's wheelhouse at all.
A Stratocaster or Telecaster would both be good fits for this amp. Others would include a Les Paul, and certainly most of the PRS lineup.
PRS HDRX 20 Review Conclusion
I like the PRS HDRX 20 for cleans but not for distortion, so it all depends on what you're looking for and what style of music you want to play. Personally, I'll continue to lean towards PRS guitars instead of amps, but that's my preference and doesn't mean that the amp lineup is bad at all.
They've done a good job with the HDRX, giving you a vintage sounding amp with some unique and modern features.
If you have questions about the PRS HDRX 20, or some experience with it, hit us up in the comments section below and we'll chat.
Again, thanks to everyone for continuing to enjoy our content and supporting us.
More PRS Resources
Written by GC Chris Phelan on Amps & FAQ
Written by Bobby Kittleberger on Electrics & Reviews
We link to products on Sweetwater that help support our site and keep the lights on. If you click through our orange buttons, we might earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you all for your generous support over the years! ~ Bobby and Danielle
Our disclosure↬
In the FAQs it erroneously states that the PRS HDRX-20 is made in the USA. They are actually made in Indonesia, which, considering the price point shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Still sounds great, but don’t expect high end build quality inside.
I’m not able to find that documented. Isn’t the Archon and HXDA made in the US? I’ll look around but if you have a resource, go ahead and post the link here. Once I can verify I’ll change the FAQ section.
The short answer is that it’s literally printed on the back of the amp. Likewise the matching cab.
Designed in Stevensville, manufactured in the third world.
Given it’s rate of development, Indonesia is no longer considered to be a third world country. It’s contributions to global economics are not insignificant.