Less love for SCXD than previously...

[FuseG4]

I've had a lot of time to play with Fender's Super Champ XD 15 hybrid amplifier. I got it after reading mixed reviews. Some saying it would break up naturally, some saying it didn't.
Anyways after a lot of experimenting with it I've come to a conclusion. I like the tone of the modeling channels more than the clean channel. Here's why.
On ch. 1 (clean) when you turn the volume up, the tone does warm up a bit. But, you get to 9 (or 8 with humbuckers) and you hit a string a bit harder and fizzzzzzy solid state clipping ensues. It's not tube overdrive, its clean tone with fizz on it. It's terrible.
It's not the speaker, it's the same with the amp straight into the speaker, with the line out into my mac (which I hear is supposed to be before the tubes), or into the attenuator, or through the attenuator's line out.
The modeling voices all have uses and some of them can get a lil crunchier by picking harder but it's way too hard to ride that "edge of breakup" line with this amp. I had a much easier time doing that with my old blackheart. I can't dime this amp, it just doesn't sound as good as half volume. :dot:
I like the reverb and the verb+delay, and sometimes the chorus.

I feel bad because this is a good amp! It's got a slew of nice tones! The clean sound is so nice at about 5 or 6 on the volume, really clean. The reverb is well matched. But it's not doing what I bought it to do. The clean channel on a fender amp is everything!

I'm back to square one as far as amps. I want an amp that's got the direct feel of the 5W blackheart, with a fender-like clean tone. Some (insert british amp maker here)-esque overdrive wouldn't be bad.
I wonder what i should do?

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

I've said it before, and I'm gonna keep saying it until everybody gets one:

Vox VT30.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

If I was still into modeling I'd prolly look into that, but I think I'm done with hybrid amps for the time being.
If someone handed me a cyber-twin right now I bet I'd sell it.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

I'd say maybe don't turn the channel volume up so high. If you crank the channel volume, you're just making a digital ss preamp go into OD, which will sound crappy.

You have to dime the master and then crack open the channel volume right up to the point of OD--say, 5 or 6--that way the tubes get to working. That's the trick to a Fender's OD

If this is what you've been doing and you still don't like it, it's time to move on.


BTW what kind of attenuator are you using?

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

see, I'm talking about the non-master-volume clean channel. There's just the one vol. knob.
Otherwise I totally get what you mean.
It's time to move on I guess?

I use a Weber low power load dump. It takes off some treble if you attenuate the crap out of it, but it's great for if you got things where you like it and just wanna take it down a lil. It was great with the blackheart.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

Now I'm kinda Looking at a Haze 40, a Peavey classic 30, and maybe an AC15 CC, and the 15W blackheart.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

It's been a while since I've tried it...I thought the clean channel was linked to the master volume like the OD models.

The Peavey would be a nice choice. Way under-rated amp.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

yeah used ones are cheap, 600 new is a bit steep, I could just get the haze at that point

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

yeah used ones are cheap, 600 new is a bit steep, I could just get the haze at that point

Look for a Classic 20, too. they run in a class A type mode and the OD is super sweet. They are getting a following about them these days, so the used price is about the same as a C-30 but the tone is good.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

see, I'm talking about the non-master-volume clean channel. There's just the one vol. knob.

Now that I think about it, the very first voice on the OD channel is a copy of the one used on the clean channel. You might get closer to the sound you like using it. Worth a try.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

I have really grown to love my Blackheart 5 now that it's hooked to a Weber Blue Dog in a closed back cab.

It's got JJ's too. I'm a few bucks into it, but it does the Fender thing, the Vox thing (on triode operation, astoundingly well), and the Marshall thing.

Jack of all trades, master of none --- but that's kind of what I wanted.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

Now that I think about it, the very first voice on the OD channel is a copy of the one used on the clean channel. You might get closer to the sound you like using it. Worth a try.

Yeah I was trying that today and it really is the same voicing and circuitry on that channel, through and through. It sounds OK until you hit a certain volume! It kinda works when you back off the gain, but the amount of crunch you get when you go from soft to loud isn't anywhere near as much as you get from a blackheart. BH is just more dynamic.

I really am gravitating toward the 15W blackheart. The only thing I'd miss is reverb. Kinda makes me wanna get the Haze.... It'd be like having a 2-ch 6v6 blackheart with effects! but that thing's loud as crap if you wanna work that first channel out. It sucks that the head is so expensive as compared with the combo, but the combo prolly ain't actually much louder, it's just with the 40 W you gotta push it louder to nail that overdrive

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

I'm prolly going with the 15W blackheart. I've missed that el84 chimeyness.
The video I made long ago to demo my blackheart 5W with the Eminence screamin eagle made me think. The scxd's cleans are better, but the blackheart's cleans with that speaker are nothing to scoff at. The feel, and the distortion are a mile above the SCXD.

I would certainly get the 15W blackheart, as the master volume and presence knobs will come in handy most certainly. I should think that I'd like a british voiced speaker with tight bass, and that would be ideal for now.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

Demo'd 2 amps today while buying strings. Used a stock Epi LP plus top.
Crate V33: At first I thought "Oh this is nice-looking, an effects loop, 2 channels, reverb, master volume..." but... Worst all tube amp I've ever played through! There had to be something wrong with that particular one. It's clean channel just had no useable "clean" tone, everything was kind of rough sounding, like there were some weird clipping or harmonics goin on or something, and this was with the volume on 2 out of 10. Loud as %$@&! ZOMFG. I'm not used to 2x12's.
The OD channel was similar. Anyways, it sounded like a bad solid state amp. In fact it sounded like my old crate 20W's SS drive channel. The OD was so harsh and kind of dark. I couldn't crank the master in the store for fear that my ears would bleed. Anyhow the presence knob and tone controls made little difference at any setting.
I really think something was wrong with that one amp. It was *whack*.

Crate V5-8. On older crate, with a smaller speaker than the current issue V5. This amp sounded WAY better than the bigger V33! Chimey, warm, but kinda boxy... on full blast it was very loud and very overdriven. A tad muddy but not unbearable.
The best part was that el84 sensitivity... crank the volume, and roll the guitar volume back and it's crystal clear cleans. Not very shimmery, but very clear. Touch that volume knob and BAM you're cooking like Emeril.

If the new crate V5's sound anything like the one I tried, I'd almost consider buying one. The value on that lil sucker is pretty great.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

The new version of that amp has a 10 in it, so I think it might not be quite as boxy.

Done much research on the Peavey Windsor Studio? It has a built in attenuator, and can take tons of different tubes.

The V33 wouldn't really sound good until the master is on 4 or 5.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

I've played the Windsor Studio, a few months ago.

I guess there must be some recording guitarists that feel like a bass-heavy amp kind of gets in the way... Thats the impression that the windsor gave me. No bass. It had a warm but also kind of boxy tone. It did have plenty of gain on tap. Maybe both things are related to the speaker. I dunno, it just felt flat. It certainly has a slew of features at a good price, so i may want to take another look at it, but the first impression was "meh..." and after 20 min it was still "meh".

The v33 was so weird... It was so harsh at low volumes, it just wasn't clean. It was getting dirtier as i turned it up, and I did hit 3.5 or so. It had no clean tone to speak of! It couldn't have been operating correctly, when I think about it. No wonder that amp has been sitting there for months. So has the $1,600 JVM half stack that no one in this town seems to want.

 

[greatbob6]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

It may be a bit out of your price range but I checked out the Vox Night Train for the first time last weekend and it was awesome. I really enjoy my Blackstar HT-5 but that Night Train had a real nice vibe.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

I've played the Windsor Studio, a few months ago.

I guess there must be some recording guitarists that feel like a bass-heavy amp kind of gets in the way... Thats the impression that the windsor gave me. No bass. It had a warm but also kind of boxy tone. It did have plenty of gain on tap. Maybe both things are related to the speaker. I dunno, it just felt flat. It certainly has a slew of features at a good price, so i may want to take another look at it, but the first impression was "meh..." and after 20 min it was still "meh".

The v33 was so weird... It was so harsh at low volumes, it just wasn't clean. It was getting dirtier as i turned it up, and I did hit 3.5 or so. It had no clean tone to speak of! It couldn't have been operating correctly, when I think about it. No wonder that amp has been sitting there for months. So has the $1,600 JVM half stack that no one in this town seems to want.

Try to hunt down a V32 Palomino if you can. Those were pretty wicked sounding amps for the price. Very good headroom for an EL-84 amp (very Class A - kinda Matchless sounding on the cleans - very chimey) and more gain on tap than you could ever realistically use.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

The Vox Night Train is probably the best bang-for-buck amp out there right now and way worth the money.

You have an ear for good tone man. This cheap modeling stuff and wannabe brands like Crate are not gonna cut it for you for much longer...if you could even say they are now!

Chill out for a bit, use the Fender however it sounds best for now, and when you've got enough cash spring for something that's worth the money. Otherwise you're gonna keep juggling cheap amps filled with disappointment.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Less love for SCXD than previously...

yeah that's prolly the best idea for now. It's just sooo lame that it's almost impossible for me to demo gear without driving 2 hrs to Las Vegas. I suppose it'd be worth it in the end but it sounds so troublesome... especially right now at 6:30 a.m. when all I want to do is go back to sleep...