# Super Champ XD Fans?



## Zman (Nov 20, 2010)

I did a couple of searches and I can't find much reference here to the Super Champ XD amp from Fender. 
I have 5 other Fender/Marshall tube amps and an Avatar 2/12 cab, and I recently picked up a SCXD for a travel amp. I had planned to leave it at my vacation home. When I plugged it in and started to adjust it and learn about the amp, I was totally blown away, and I KNOW I won't be leaving it behind. 
I recently discovered Joe Bonamassa, and I just love his big reverberated delayed Marshall tone. Of course it took my DSL100, and a bunch of pedals to get close. Now I can dial it in with guitar and amp in about 2 seconds. I know a lot of guys will pooh pooh what I am saying but I am not kidding.
The gear page has a fan club with thousands of replies from happy campers. I picked mine up for 230 used. It was bone stock and had the original speaker and Electro Harmonix 12ax7 and 6v6s. I had to replace the 12ax7, and I used a Tung Solr reissue. Sounds amazing. 
I was wondering if anyone else has had the same experience.
For the price of a decent pedal you can one amazing little amp.
Oh and BTW. GC has a blonde edition for 299 on their site.
Oh and a lot of guys are pulling the stock speaker for a Rajin Cajun but I like the stock speaker just fine. I have also played it through my Avatar cab with the Eminmence Legends and it sound really good. The clean channel is pure 65 deluxe, I know because I have one.


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## Zman (Nov 20, 2010)

Wow no replies I am very surprised. Quite a different story on the Gear page. Oh well there will be a lot of surprised people when they first play one.


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## RAW1 (Oct 15, 2008)

Hey Zman.
I bought one when they first came and love it.Way better than the line6 spider and Traynor dynagain that i'd had before.
Play out with it(basements) and it's pretty good.Sometimes I run thru my Traynor 1x12 cab and it opens right up.Good luck.


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

I picked one up a month ago and I like it alot. 

It's my grab n go amp. I love voice 4 for clean, and voice 7 for dirt. 

The effects are also quite good. I use the slap back alot, and the reverb is really good as well. 

I tweaked the bias on the power tubes to 40mA. There's instructions at the Agile forum on how to do this. 

I listened to some comparisons of the amp with different speakers and decided that the stock spkr is fine for low volumes. 

I've played it through an Orange 1-12 cab and it sounds great. 

I've owned a couple of Pro Jrs and Blues Jrs and I prefer the SCXD.


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## Zman (Nov 20, 2010)

The grab and go thing was one of the reasons I bought it. I travel to the US quite a bit and I have a Summer place there.
I wanted to have an amp that I could just leave there. I have a little Vox Pathfinder 15 R and a couple of pedals. I don't really like the tone from it and because of space I have to set up and take down every time. I like the fact that the amp and guitar can be in a closet and in and out in a minute with one cord. I always thought the modelling amps were toys and never sounded even close, but I ams totally amazed at how close this sounds to the real thing. I have a 65 Deluxe, a Blues Junior special edition, a DSL401 and a DSL100. The SCXD can pull off their tones with ease. It is amazing that you can get such crisp tone from a 10 inch speaker. I have heard that the Eminence Rajin Cajun really opens it up but for 100 bucks I will pass.
I think a better set of 6v6s and a bias adjustment might just put this thing wayyy over the top.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I was going to get one and came real close when I came across a real good deal on my Traynor DG60R, but I still have recommended the Champ to many people since then. I would now look just as hard at the Mustang II, especially seeing it has a 12" speaker while the Champ's speaker is only a 10".


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## Zman (Nov 20, 2010)

I saw those new Mustangs and they are SS. I really am a tube guy even thought he SCXD is a Hybrid, it just like it's tone.
I guess I should actually hear one before I pass judgment. I was skeptical about the SC. I have played mine through my 2/12 Avatar cab and it sounds really full. I like the compressed tones with the 10 inch a lot though.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Thanks to some of the comments here and my own curiosity I just joined this club last night. I've got a number of amps to choose from but my back has staged a revolt lately and I needed something that I could carry in one trip with my guitar and not make it impossible to stand the rest of the night!
I'm really enjoying the honeymoon so far! This little bugger seems to be a pretty good mix of sound quality, ease of use and portability. I'll see this week (hopefully) how it holds up in a basement band situation.


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

Hamstrung said:


> Thanks to some of the comments here and my own curiosity I just joined this club last night. I've got a number of amps to choose from but my back has staged a revolt lately and I needed something that I could carry in one trip with my guitar and not make it impossible to stand the rest of the night!
> I'm really enjoying the honeymoon so far! This little bugger seems to be a pretty good mix of sound quality, ease of use and portability. I'll see this week (hopefully) how it holds up in a basement band situation.


If you have an external speaker cab at your rehearsal location, plug in the SCXD for more volume and low end. It's pretty impressive.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

NB_Terry said:


> If you have an external speaker cab, plug in the SCXD for more volume and low end. It's pretty impressive.


Actually, I forgot to mention that. I have a Peavey Sheffield 1x12 cab that I tried it out in last night and yes, lot's of bottom from the closed back cab! I may plug it into my 4x12 for S&Gs.


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## Zman (Nov 20, 2010)

Funny you mentioned it. I recently raised my 2/12 cab up off the carpet, with a couple of old speaker bases, and it sounds really nice. Last might I tried it with the SCXD, and I was blown away. I have an Avatar cab with Eminence Legends. I hate to say it but in my guitar room it sounded really close to my DSL100 through the same cab. Just amazing


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Kinda bummed... I really like this amp but it has started making noise, kind of a static that's independant of volume or setting. I unplugged the lead completely and tried different speakers (external and it's own) and it still does it so it's not the guitar, lead or speaker. I shut off all lights and computers near it and it still does it. 
Guess I'll have to bring it back to L&M and hope they have another to swap out.


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## NB_Terry (Feb 2, 2006)

Do you have some extra new tubes?

Perhaps try replacing them. I'd replace that 12AX7 first. 

I was told by a tech that Fender doesn't repair these amps under warranty, they just replace them. Perhaps this means they take the amp, test it, and if it's faulty they replace the amplifier section.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

NB_Terry said:


> Do you have some extra new tubes?
> 
> Perhaps try replacing them. I'd replace that 12AX7 first.
> 
> I was told by a tech that Fender doesn't repair these amps under warranty, they just replace them. Perhaps this means they take the amp, test it, and if it's faulty they replace the amplifier section.


I don't have any spare tubes on hand and besides I've only had the amp for a couple weeks. I'll just swap it. Hopefully it's not a common problem 'cause aside from that I love the amp!


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Successful swap out at L&M today! New one is nice and quite... so far. Now to find the foot switch! No one in town has one.


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## Zman (Nov 20, 2010)

Hamstrung said:


> Successful swap out at L&M today! New one is nice and quite... so far. Now to find the foot switch! No one in town has one.


I would head out and pick up a spare 12ax7 tube. They run about 15 to 20 bucks. Mine was a used amp and it had the original tubes. It was making those types of sounds when played so I swapped in a Tung Sol. You don't want to be taking the amp back all the time. The stock EH (Electro Harmonix) are not bad but it always helps to have a spare. 
I know what you are saying but they do get banged around in handling even in the box. I had the same thing happen to my brand new 65 Deluxe reverb reissue. My local Ma and Pa took care of the tube. It hasn't had an issue since. 
The switch is kind of a waste of time. Unless you want the clean channel. I think #3 is the same as the clean so I just switch to 3. Of course I rarely use the clean anyway.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Zman said:


> I would head out and pick up a spare 12ax7 tube. They run about 15 to 20 bucks. Mine was a used amp and it had the original tubes. It was making those types of sounds when played so I swapped in a Tung Sol. You don't want to be taking the amp back all the time. The stock EH (Electro Harmonix) are not bad but it always helps to have a spare.
> I know what you are saying but they do get banged around in handling even in the box. I had the same thing happen to my brand new 65 Deluxe reverb reissue. My local Ma and Pa took care of the tube. It hasn't had an issue since.
> The switch is kind of a waste of time. Unless you want the clean channel. I think #3 is the same as the clean so I just switch to 3. Of course I rarely use the clean anyway.


I agree having some spare tube on hand isn't a bad thing but quite frankly I had the thing only 10 days. I shouldn't have to worry about swaping them out for some time. 
Also, I can make the assumption that it's a bad tube causing the problem but what if it isn't? I'd rather send it back and let L&M and Fender worry about whether it's just cheap tubes, poor shipping containers or a manufacturing defect. It shouldn't be my problem. If I buy something new it better work as advertised. 
L&M has a pretty liberal return policy and I think it does more of a service to future customers and my future purchases to bring it back. The more stuff that comes back the more likely they are to look into the problem and rectify it. 
As it is, the new one seems to be working correctly. I'm happy.


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## Zman (Nov 20, 2010)

I ran into a dilema with my SCXD. I had purchased it to take to my vacation nome and leave it there. It seemed like the perfect fit for what I wanted. Limited space dictated a small amp. I wanted to be able to plug and play with only a cord and guitar. The only problem is that I like the amp so much I didn't want to leave it there for use only one or two months a year.
I found an ad for the little brother of the SCXD the Vibro Champ. It is basically the same amp but only one channel using an 8 inch speaker and only 5 watts. It is a class A amp. I picked it up for 125 and It is absolutley amazing. It sound every bit a nice as the SCXD. It has the same Voicings and effects. It can run a 4 ohm cab and will be perfect for what I wanted.
The tone out of this little amp is fantastic and plenty loud. Not for gigging but I bet with a mike and PA you could get away with it. The amp is in mint mint condtion and will be perfect for my needs.
For home use this is just about as good as it gets. It is quite surprising when you fire this thing up and play a few licks. It just rings beautifully.


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