Fender Super Champ XD

[JohnnyGuitar]

Anyone tried the (relatively) new Fender Super Champ?
http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=2331100000

How are they? Fender charges only 400$ for them... the reviews I've searched for are great but they are mostly from people who bought them... I guess I'm missing the catch here...

 

[Pierre]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

They're not bad. I'd get one of these over say, a Spider, but not over a vox valvetronix. The clean sound was nice, the amp models are ok...it's a fun little box with a nice sound to it.

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

I've had one for about 5 months now and really like it. It's plenty loud for small jams. The fx are good, not great, but good. It's shortcomings are the lack of parameter control on the fx(mix only) and the fact that it only has treble/bass. The stock speaker is pretty good, but the popular swap is the Rajun Cajun. But plug this into a 1x12 or 2x12 cab and WOW it really comes to life. Channel 1 is beautiful and falls somewhere between a Princeton and Deluxe Reverb in tone and volume depending on what speaker you are using. Channel 2 is fun and my favorites are Tweed Champ(1), Tweed Bassman(2) and Plexi(8). Stock tubes(all EH in mine) sounded fine, especially since both channels are both digital. It takes to pedals fairly well in my experience, but you really don't need them for most situations. The footswitch is a must and is cheap($25).

What it comes down to is that it is a great little grab and go tube/digital amp that sounds good, easy on the wallet, and is very versatile.

**I had both a Vox AD15 and the SCXD at the same time and kept the Champ.**

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

i like these little Fender things... if i didn't already have a bunch of small SS amps i'd most likely buy one...

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

I couldn't understand weather the 1st channel is all tube or also goes through some, or a lot of digital processing. Fender are a little vague about it... I get the impression that the tubes don't do most of the work on either one of the channels... am I right on this one?

 

[gnoj_LL]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

heard some clips and do actually sound good. they do sound organic even if it's digital.

also heard a lot of good reviews from them. a lot even tough they were just fresh from the market!

but i'm not sure if they would sound better than my Vox Valvetronix in modeling class of amps. Hope i can try them soon.

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

I couldn't understand weather the 1st channel is all tube or also goes through some, or a lot of digital processing. Fender are a little vague about it... I get the impression that the tubes don't do most of the work on either one of the channels... am I right on this one?

Both channels are digital...

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

I think the first channel passes the digi stuff and goes only through the tubes, but I could be wrong...wouldn't be the first time, either.
One way or the other, the signal passes through a real tube amp, and not a solidstate amp, and if you turn it up nice and loud, the power tubes will contribute to the overall sound..

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

I think the first channel passes the digi stuff and goes only through the tubes, but I could be wrong...wouldn't be the first time, either.
One way or the other, the signal passes through a real tube amp, and not a solidstate amp, and if you turn it up nice and loud, the power tubes will contribute to the overall sound..

The preamp is fully digital for both channels, but because of the tube power section the tone is warmer and very dynamic.

Here's a link to everything you wanted to know about the SCXD, but were afraid to ask: http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=648268&lastpost=2008-04-2111:40:44

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

The preamp is fully digital for both channels

Well, that's a complete turn off.


Thanks for the info JumpMarine. :fing2::burnout:

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

The preamp is fully digital for both channels, but because of the tube power section the tone is warmer and very dynamic.

Here's a link to everything you wanted to know about the SCXD, but were afraid to ask: http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=648268&lastpost=2008-04-2111:40:44

You're right.

I also looked in the manual pdf and channel one is based on the #4 setting on the model dial...blackface clean. It still goes through a real, crankable tube amp though, and I can hear a definite improvement over the Vox Valvetronix amps.
The Fender just sounds more like a regular tube amp to me.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

at what volume level does the speaker start breaking up baddly on these amps... i few Fender SS amps i have owned the speakers were the weak link in the chain and they buzzed on low notes with the volume up only a 1/3 of the dial...

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

The Fender just sounds more like a regular tube amp to me.

I agree, because it actually is a tube amp. You could look at it like an integrated Atomic tube amp that was meant to be used specifically with digital preamp like a POD. But this is much more refined and they sound great.:fing2:

 

[JumpMarine]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

at what volume level does the speaker start breaking up baddly on these amps... i few Fender SS amps i have owned the speakers were the weak link in the chain and they buzzed on low notes with the volume up only a 1/3 of the dial...

I didn't get any speaker break up with single coils, but when I played my LP they began to break up around 7 or 8 on the volume. A more efficient/tighter speaker like the Rajun Cajun would fix this problem. With that said, the stock speaker isn't bad at all....after it breaks in that is.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Fender Super Champ XD

I didn't get any speaker break up with single coils, but when I played my LP they began to break up around 7 or 8 on the volume. A more efficient/tighter speaker like the Rajun Cajun would fix this problem. With that said, the stock speaker isn't bad at all....after it breaks in that is.

cool... i was looking ta one of these at the store today... i'm sick for loving small Fender amps so much... Tube or SS...