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.
Only getting clean tone with Champ
- Thread starter Zaxxon
- Start date
DrNewcenstein
He Did the Monster Mash
Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ
Could be a tube issue?
Could be a tube issue?
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ
What guitar, pickups and pedals? And which input?
What guitar, pickups and pedals? And which input?
Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ
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.
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.
Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ
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.
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.
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
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
LLL
New member
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.
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.
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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
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
Alnico 6/8
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.
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.
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 to customize your tube amps sound.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.
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 to customize your tube amps sound.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.
Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ
I believe this is the speaker: http://www.ebay.com/itm/271612234088?item=271612234088
It's for a bass amp. Could that potentially cause a later breakup?
I believe this is the speaker: http://www.ebay.com/itm/271612234088?item=271612234088
It's for a bass amp. Could that potentially cause a later breakup?
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Re: Only getting clean tone with Champ
looking at the back of the amp the tube on the far left is the rectifier and should be a 5Y3, the next to the right is the power tube and should be a 6V6GT which it seems yours is, the preamp tube should be a 12ax7 which it seems it is. it possible that these tubes are very tired but since it looks like they are USA made tubes they are probably decent quality.
is there any orange in the grill cloth?
looking at the back of the amp the tube on the far left is the rectifier and should be a 5Y3, the next to the right is the power tube and should be a 6V6GT which it seems yours is, the preamp tube should be a 12ax7 which it seems it is. it possible that these tubes are very tired but since it looks like they are USA made tubes they are probably decent quality.
is there any orange in the grill cloth?