Re: Short clip of my 68 Strat
Hey wahwah whats so good about the super champ?
obviously the above clip is evidence, but in your words?
The Super Champ was one of a handful of amps designed by Paul Rivera in the few years that he worked for Fender in the early 80's. At the time, Fender amps were in serious decline in popularity, partly because they had fallen behind the times, and also because the later model silver faces were notoriously mediocre. Rivera added some spice to the Fender amp lineup by designing amps which drew their inspiration from the black face era, whilst incorporating a few features of the times, including channel switching. These were the last true point to point hand wired amps that Fender made. (outside the Custom Shop)
With the Super Champ, Rivera seemed intent on producing a Champ sized amp with the tonal qualities and overall energy of a black face Deluxe Reverb, based on 6V6 power tubes, except with a 10" speaker and smaller enclosure. They were mistaken for 'practice amps,' until recording engineers started hearing what they could do in that environment. Notoriously loud for their size, they are also renowned for being quite full range and exceptionally balanced, so that once you have a decent mic in their face and run them into either a mixing console or live PA, they take on the characteristics of much larger rig, but with the focus of the single 10" speaker.
The lead channel of these amps was also a first for Fender in that it resembles a kind of hybrid between Marshall and Mesa Boogie. For the time, it was a very high gain second channel, and to hear these sounds coming from this little rocket of an amp is almost amusing...until you run it up through a big PA...then it becomes jaw dropping!
The end result is an extraordinarily versatile tube amp, (albeit with an ss rectifier, which allows a little more clean headroom) which encapsulates the classic Fender BF tone, plus a few extra tricks, in a package which can be carried easily from bedroom to studio to club gig to concert hall. I've used this amp on a lot of large stages, and have never run the master over 6, just by keeping it close to me. Here's a shot of an outdoor Braithwaite gig @ Melbourne Zoo earlier this year to over 4,000 people. That's me far left, with the old Strat and the Super Champ tucked in behind me.
To then be able to bring the same amp home and set it up in the kitchen to make these clips, gives you an idea of how versatile and useful the Super Champ is!
Cheers...............................wahwah
