Only getting clean tone with Champ

[Zaxxon]

I am a beginner guitar player. I recently bought a Silverface Champ and am wondering if anyone can give me any advice. I am mostly interested in playing blues and some rock. I wasn't expecting to get a huge amount of breakup with the Champ, but have watched Youtube clips in which people would get I guess you'd call classic rock tones with them. I haven't been able to get any moderate blues overdrive with the amp. I've tried turning it all the way up, all pickup positions, volume up and down on the guitar, it's all pretty much the clean. Maybe the tone changes a little when it's dimed but not that much. The clean sounds beautiful to me, but I thought there would be a little more range in tones I could get from it, particularly a bluesy sound.

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

Could be a tube issue?

[PFDarkside]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

What guitar, pickups and pedals? And which input?

[Zaxxon]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

Could be a tube issue?

Cool, so would you be inclined to think it is not just a normal variation in sound from amp to amp--that it should break up at a certain point? That's what I was wondering. I found an amp technician in my area, I guess it would be best to bring it in.

[Zaxxon]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

What guitar, pickups and pedals? And which input?

The guitar is an Ibanez RV470, it's HSH. No pedals. I've tried all of the pickups with both inputs. I've recently had the guitar set up, my thinking is that the technician would have noticed if anything was wrong with the guitar when he tested it. I've tried to use every combination of inputs, pickups, tone knob, volume on amp and guitar. I could be missing something, but it seems like I've been thorough.

[jeremy]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

in general, if you plug your guitar into the 1 input with your bridge pup selected, guitar volume on 10, the amp volume all the way up and both tones all the way up it should be distorting. if it is not then something is odd. could be tubes, could be a modified amp, could be the speaker is the wrong impedance (although im not sure that would cause this) who knows... but if it stays clean set like that then its odd

[Zaxxon]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

Cool, I was wondering what configuration should make it break up. I believe I tried that but I will do it when I get home tonight to make certain. The previous owner did put a new speaker in the amp.

[LLL]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

I was always under the impression that in the late 60's, Fender (CBS-owned after buying Fender from Leo) changed the circuits in their amps to be very clean (then new lineup called Silverfaces) versus the Blackface and previous.

Hence their (Silverface) unpopularity for decades.

Because of this, there is a distinct possibility that your amp is just fine and would need something in front (stompbox etc) to get distortion.

Extra: IIRC, there is a transition year or two between ownership (Leo to CBS) where some Silverfaces had Blackface guts.

[Zaxxon]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

I read that the bigger amps were subject to those changes but not the small amps. This is one of the videos I referenced earlier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoGbywirzy0

[Chickenwings]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

what tubes are in there, and how old are they?
sometimes people swap out the 12ax7 from the first tube slot to increase clean headroom.
A fresh set of tubes might be all it needs.

[Zaxxon]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

That would be nice. I will check when I get home from work. How would I know how old they are?

By the way, thank you everyone for your replies, they are all much appreciated.

[jeremy]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

the age of the preamp tubes doesnt really matter and doesnt necessarily matter for the power tubes as long as they are in good shape. take a look at the amp and tell us what you can

[Zaxxon]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

OK, cool, will do.

[Gamera]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

I have little to offer except an OD pedal wouldn't hurt and I love your screen name. Welcome!

[Zaxxon]

Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ

Thanks, Gamera! I used to love that game. A pedal is definitely in my future but I thought I'd be able to get something from the amp. I kept reading that a small amp would be what to get for natural overdrive.

Would the preamp be the one on the right that has a metal cover? I am seeing, facing the back of the amp, a pair of tubes in the middle, then a metal cased something to the right. I've been looking at the layout here: http://www.12ax7a.com/How%20to%20cus...s%20sound.html

Out of the pair of tubes hanging in the middle of the cabinet, the one on the left has writing facing the inside of the amp, but I can see a Fender logo on it with a mirror held up. It also has the numbers 023614 and 30 13 25 AHB. The tube to the right of it says 6v6 GTA USA, with some writing underneath that is hard to make out, it might say 0235, and there is writing under that has a 6 in it but is very faint.