# Fender Super Champ: Best Small combo amp for me?



## biggreen (Mar 23, 2008)

I recently fried my Pod X3 which I used to run throught a 50watt solid state orvkille Keyboard wedge which sounded great to my ears. Instead of keeping it and risking their lousy 1 year warranty I decided to take it back and swap it out for decent small tube combo of similar or (hopefully) less cost.

I don't really have any pedals anymore as I have been digital for a few years, so the amp needs to have a decent gain channel, preferably with different voicings and reverb, 2 channels and DSP would be a bonus.

considered:
Vox DA20, I think it was which had 2 8" speakers and some great voicings. It sounded good, but only had 1 channel and was just a little too quiet for my needs. I think it was 20 watts solid state with a tube in the preamp.









Fender Super Champ XD: 1 preamp and 2 power amp tubes, 15 watts and a 10" speaker, 16 voicings, 2 footswitchable channels and DSP. It is markedly louder and sounds really good from what I have heard so far.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aGMTrL0pGg









They were all sold out at L&M though, so while I wait for an order to show up for me to try I was wonderiing if anyone else had any other suggestions I may contemplate.


----------



## Mogwaii (Feb 16, 2007)

Epiphone Valve Jr.


----------



## Mogwaii (Feb 16, 2007)

Or Epiphone Valve Special would be better for you


----------



## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

There's an old Gibson LPJnr amp for sale on craiglist in Vancouver last time I looked too. Thee was a valve special up on CL in Victoria recently as well.


----------



## biggreen (Mar 23, 2008)

Electrix said:


> Or Epiphone Valve Special would be better for you


Thanks, Ialso seen this one there, its a looker for sure but why would it be better, it is only 5 watts , 1 channel and has no selectable voices.?


----------



## Mogwaii (Feb 16, 2007)

biggreen said:


> Thanks, Ialso seen this one there, its a looker for sure but why would it be better, it is only 5 watts , 1 channel and has no selectable voices.?


Because it's an awesome amp. It's loud, diverse and looks pretty badass


----------



## biggreen (Mar 23, 2008)

jroberts said:


> I think the guy is looking for something a little more versitile. No matter how awesome it might be, or how awesome an old Gibson GA5 might be, they're not really all that versitile. If you're looking for a high powered amp with onboard DSP, those ain't gonna do it.
> 
> Unfortunately, I have no recommendations for him because I know nothing about high powered amps with onboard DSP. I'd rather have the Valve Jr. or the GA5.


Ya, your right, I am looking for somehting with some onboard voicing, and the super champ is 15 tube watts so it'll push more air than the epi, which looks great and probably sounds awesome, but the champ models a bunch of different amps, plus it has a pure clean tube channel. It doesn't look as cool, but that is pretty low on my priority list.


----------



## Mogwaii (Feb 16, 2007)

jroberts said:


> I think the guy is looking for something a little more versitile. No matter how awesome it might be, or how awesome an old Gibson GA5 might be, they're not really all that versitile. If you're looking for a high powered amp with onboard DSP, those ain't gonna do it.
> 
> Unfortunately, I have no recommendations for him because I know nothing about high powered amps with onboard DSP. I'd rather have the Valve Jr. or the GA5.


I HAVE the Valve JR. Unmodded and I think it's awesome, I love the simplicity, I just went out and got a Danelectro OD pedal for $19 and I'm building my own reverb unit. I'd say forget digital and go with Danelectro pedals.


----------



## biggreen (Mar 23, 2008)

Electrix said:


> I HAVE the Valve JR. Unmodded and I think it's awesome, I love the simplicity, I just went out and got a Danelectro OD pedal for $19 and I'm building my own reverb unit. I'd say forget digital and go with Danelectro pedals.


But it's not about the digital effects for me its about the 16 voicings and the dany pedals won't really do that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aGMTrL0pGg


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I believe the Epiphone Valve Standard is 15 watts.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Of your original choices, I'd certainly take the Fender first. You might try to get a second hand small to middling tube amp (I got a Traynor YCV20) and a second hand digital effects unit like a Zoom, Digitech, or Boss, all of which I've had in the past. L&M often has used pedals on hand.

That said however, I like the Super Champ idea. Some young players herabouts like the G-DECs, but they don't do much for me.

Peace, Mooh.


----------



## Woodster (Dec 7, 2006)

Bought the Super champ just after X-mas and I like it.Sure some of the effects,amp models are cheesey. But overall a good small amp with some GREAT sounds.


----------



## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

jroberts said:


> I think the guy is looking for something a little more versitile. No matter how awesome it might be, or how awesome an old Gibson GA5 might be, they're not really all that versitile. If you're looking for a high powered amp with onboard DSP, those ain't gonna do it.
> 
> Unfortunately, I have no recommendations for him because I know nothing about high powered amps with onboard DSP. I'd rather have the Valve Jr. or the GA5.


You're right - I guess I was living vicariously through someone else's wallet. I'd love that GA5, but can't afford it right now.


----------



## biggreen (Mar 23, 2008)

Well, I picked up the Super champ tonight and am very amazed. My strat full volume through the amps clean channel at full volume didn't cause as much as a rattle or buzz anywhere and its 15 watts, dual 6V6 power is pretty bloody loud. I like mostly all of the voicing, and the 2 acoustic ones are neat. The reverb sounds lush as well and that was the only DSP I was worried about. Also it is built very stury, I was concerned about the cabinet but it is very solid, nice tolex, solid handle and rubber feat and the fender badge is real chrome, not plastic like the frontman 15s. The jewel light is also a nice touch along with the tube cages. It is a very impressive amp for all of $300. There is no mistaking the tube dynamics. A very nice upgrade from my pod running through my solid state monitor.

Here's what it looks like from the back with the tube panel/guard removed. It is nice it has a line out if I want to slave my yorkville wedge with it.


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

If you ever try it with an extension cabinet - let us know.


----------



## biggreen (Mar 23, 2008)

Robert1950 said:


> If you ever try it with an extension cabinet - let us know.


Sure, it has a line out, but it isn't for an umpowered cabinet. It is for a recording console/PA or powered monitor. I have a 50 yorkville keyboard wedge I will try out with it sometime which should give it alot more low end punch lacking from these smaller open backed combos. Realistically for my daily usage, I won;t need to do that for some time though, it will be more than loud enough as is for the open mics and jams I tool around at.


----------



## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

biggreen said:


> Sure, it has a line out, but it isn't for an umpowered cabinet.


Just looking at your picture, it's obvious that you could unplug the internal speaker and use an external one instead.


----------



## biggreen (Mar 23, 2008)

Greg Ellis said:


> Just looking at your picture, it's obvious that you could unplug the internal speaker and use an external one instead.


Well, that is obvious. lol. I don't own a passive slave cabinet these days, so that won't likely happen. The only feature lacking for me is the headphone out, though the line out means I can run it to my headphone amp and unplug the speaker, but it would have been nice to have the simplicity of a headphone out, oh well you can't have everything, especially in this low end price range.


----------

