new "vintage modified" fender amps

[gnoj_LL]

what you guys think of these 2 amps from fender? vintage enough or too digital still?

1) Fender Vibro Champ XD Vintage Modified Guitar Combo Amplifier (5 Watts, 1x8 In.)

http://www.zzounds.com/item--FEN2331000

$249.95

just add 50 usd, you can jump to 15 watts from 5 watts

2) Fender Super Champ XD Vintage Modified Guitar Combo Amplifier (15 Watts, 1x10 In.)

http://www.zzounds.com/item--FEN2331100

$299.95







unlike most hybrid tube amps that only has a power tube, these has a preamp tube.. thses amps are interesting, even though these amps are digitally modified, the digital features are straight forward.

im thinking that these are just low wattage tube amps with some digital manipulaton in the preamp (modelling) or maybe EQ.

im also thinking that its just an ordinary tube amp with some effects in series.

i like how these amps are made simple. its like an modded epi valve JR.

its also good for the budget considering that they are tube amps. compared to the new hybrids form line 6, these are way cheaper!

question is, are they vintage enough considering that is digitally modified. i hope to hear form the 1st buyers of these amps soon.

for now, what do you guys think of these amps?

 

[Kac]

Re: new "vintage modified" fender amps

for me... it's vintage enough, makes me wanna give 'em a try.

I'm sure there are some people who wouldn't think they're "vintage" enough because they're really not vintage at all, but I think they're kool amps for the price.

Rock On!

 

[gnoj_LL]

Re: new "vintage modified" fender amps

i've just learned that the original Vibro Champ were good amps back in the mid 60's (IIRC). they are now considered collector's amps.

i'm wondering if Fender has designed these amps in such a way that these new vintage amps would still be worthy of the title Vibro Champ as much as their predecessors...

 

[gnoj_LL]

Re: new "vintage modified" fender amps

for me... it's vintage enough, makes me wanna give 'em a try.

I'm sure there are some people who wouldn't think they're "vintage" enough because they're really not vintage at all, but I think they're kool amps for the price.

Rock On!

yah dude.. these are simple amps which makes them amazing. of course you have to try them 1st..

im just not sure wheter this jsut a gimmic by fender. hybrid amps nowadays have become a fad. more companies are making them just because of the trend..

another trend is the unvieling class A low wattage amps.. cheap though which is good =)

im just not sure if it would sound analouge enough despite the 16 rotary modeling switch of the new vintage modified fender amps.. im guessing this would affect the preamp.

waah! im trying to buy my 2nd amp but it is now harder for me to decide. to many choices.....

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: new "vintage modified" fender amps

I've hate on-board DSP effects on amps, but these would make way better 'starter' or 'practice amps' than most other amps out there.

 

[B Bent]

Re: new "vintage modified" fender amps

Man I got all excited until I saw this! How cool would it be if they reissued a real Vibro Champ!!! Instead they have to do some PC board, digital effects load of crap!!

I guess its good in the end though. At least they didn't reissue it as one of the hand wired, inferior parts, over priced hunks of modern Fender poo!

 

[Low_fidelity2100]

Re: new "vintage modified" fender amps

Man I got all excited until I saw this! How cool would it be if they reissued a real Vibro Champ!!! Instead they have to do some PC board, digital effects load of crap!!

I guess its good in the end though. At least they didn't reissue it as one of the hand wired, inferior parts, over priced hunks of modern Fender poo!

+1

When I heard about the new Super champ I was totally stoked! But this thread (and those listings on ZZsound) have totally sucked all the excitement outta this for me.
Take a super champ, and replace the kickass low wattage tube distortion, which is basically the reason to own one, and replace that with a solid state Distortion/modeling engine?! WTF were they thinking? Honestly I don't even care how they sound now, I refuse to buy a tube amp with Built in digital effects.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: new "vintage modified" fender amps

I've hate on-board DSP effects on amps, but these would make way better 'starter' or 'practice amps' than most other amps out there.

ya i don't like the DSP Fender stuff much either.... with my older Stage 100 DSP when i use the effects i get a noticeable drop in volume..... and for whatever reason when Fender started making their amps DSP they had greater amounts of noise as well....

i can't imagine these little amps being much better because they stuck a tube in there.. i would think the tube is more a marketing ploy

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: new "vintage modified" fender amps

It's the power section that is tube, so these two amps are more in line with a great tube tone than any of the amps that use a tube into a crappy solid state amp.
It's as if Fender learned a lesson from Music Man...also Leo's company...by using solid devices in the preamp and going for tube tone in the power section...which, IMO, and the opinions of thousands of Music Man amp owners, is a better sound. When the model chosen is clean and the power amp is cranked, the little one is going to scream with that class a vibe, and the big one is going to be a bit tighter, but still POWER tubes raging is the source of great tone, not the preamp tubes...sorry Randall Smith.:nana:

 

[Rich_S]

Re: new "vintage modified" fender amps

Thet say the Super Champ has one 12AX7 preamp tube, but if there's only one, it has to the phase inverter. That means that all the preamp distorion is either solid state or modeling.

These are more akin to a POD through a tube power amp that they are to a real Champ or Super Champ.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: new "vintage modified" fender amps

When I heard "Vintage Modified" visions of a high gain Vibro Champ danced through my head. Alas, that is not to be.

 

[gnoj_LL]

Re: new "vintage modified" fender amps

i still have hope for these amps.

i believe fender wants to unveil a modified classic amp, hence vintage modified..

this is actually a nice idea. what suck is, they used digital parts with tubes. the good thing is they sell these cheap! if they modified it in such a way that the voicing and the effects are analog, you wouldn't expect these amps to cost less than 300. maybe at least twice the price. 600-800 maybe just for the 5 watts.

im thinking of getting one. i have a Valvetronix 30, chrome version. i just don't know whether getting one of these would be an upgrade or downgrade for my arsenal. an upgrade because these are tube amps (maybe not..). on the other hand, it could be a downgrade because this amps could be targeted for beggining new artists who are still searching for thier tone.

anyway, i hope the DSP are just mild and the modelling part would just boost different frequency and not go over the top. point is, i hope the digital "modification" of these so-called "vintage amp" be transparent to tube characteristics. if this is so, i might really get one instead of the low wattage class A amps such as the fender champion 600 or the Palomino V8. i might just also purchase this instead of a hybrid marshall AVT50 (used).

anyway since its a fender, even though it has an option of voicing it for a cranked tight sound, i would still expect that the new 5 watter would be better and be optimized, if used clean or for vintage crunch with the break up distortion. for these amps, specially for the 5watts, i wouldnt expect high gain sounds... well it's jsut 5 watts class A. i dont know with the 15 watts version..

which brings me to a new point. how could fender have "metal voicing" in the modeling section. it's class A.. digitally manipulated perhaps? scooped EQ on class A...? not a good idea IMHO

i just think that the advertising it to have a "metal" voicing is some what misleading. i hope they just stick on the blues, rock, country, jazz genre instead.. just an opinon.

anyhow... im thrilled how these amps would come out in the market and also to the users