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Fender Super Champ XD Tube-Hybrid?
Joined: Sep 06, 2007 Posts: 6 |
Posted on Jul 23 2008 10:39 AM
Thinking about getting one from Musician's Friend... Anyone have any experience with these? I've heard some demos on youtube but that's not going to sell me. Thanks in advance! |
Joined: Sep 10, 2006 Posts: 250 Lancaster, CA 
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Posted on Jul 23 2008 11:37 AM
No buyers remorse here. I love mine. Small enough to practice with, loud enough for small "record store" jams. Versatile enough to record with (output jack in back!). Dean(aka Moondevil) |
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Joined: Sep 06, 2007 Posts: 6 |
Posted on Jul 24 2008 08:59 AM
Thanks! I'm going to check them today. |
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Joined: Sep 10, 2006 Posts: 250 Lancaster, CA
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Posted on Jul 24 2008 01:06 PM
Pay special attention to voice #4. Pretty sweet. —Dean(aka Moondevil) |
Joined: Apr 15, 2008 Posts: 1281 
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Posted on Jul 31 2008 03:37 PM
These things look pretty cool - I may have to check one out — |
Joined: Aug 27, 2008 Posts: 1570 New York 
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Posted on Sep 02 2008 02:46 PM
Anyone tried this and also the Vibro Champ XD ? Any comparison - pros and cons? I am thinking it is worth an extra $50 for more wattage and a bigger speaker. |
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Joined: Aug 29, 2008 Posts: 694 Surf City |
Posted on Sep 04 2008 07:06 PM
It's a good amp, the only downside is modeling reverb, but it's not too bad. —
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Joined: Jul 23, 2008 Posts: 488 Edge of the East China Sea 
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Posted on Sep 05 2008 08:30 PM
I bought a Vibro-Champ XD just this summer. At the first store, the owner demo'd a Vox and a Blues Junior for me, and I decided the Fender was what I wanted -- tubes + tank, without all the unnecessary features of the Vox (which had one tube). Unfortunately, their only Junior was on hold for someone else. The next store had a mint used Blues Junior and next to it was a new Vibro-Champ XD. I grabbed a MIM Strat, sat down, and for about 40 minutes I went back and forth between the two amps testing every facet and combination I could think of, especially the reverb settings. Although I expected and wanted the more expensive Junior to be the better amp (I was pretty much sold on it before even finding it in the store), eventually I concluded that I actually preferred the sound of the XD. Almost reluctantly, I passed on the Junior and bought the Vibro-Champ. It's really been a great practice amp. About the only drawback is the lack of a headphone jack for late-night practicing (for this, I switch to another amp). I haven't missed the absence of separate lead and rhythm channels or OD button. Hope this helps. |
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Joined: Jul 23, 2008 Posts: 488 Edge of the East China Sea
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Posted on Sep 05 2008 10:28 PM
"...missed the absence...?" Well, you know what I mean. Must've been missing the absence of coffee when I posted that. |
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Joined: Aug 27, 2008 Posts: 1570 New York
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Posted on Sep 06 2008 10:16 AM
Is the reverb bad enough to require a reverb pedal (spring king) or something with actual springs. Or is it useable for practicing and the like? |
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Joined: Jul 23, 2008 Posts: 488 Edge of the East China Sea
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Posted on Sep 06 2008 12:02 PM
Well, is there ever enough reverb? Seriously, the verb is useful for a practice amp. Like I said, to my ears it was slightly 'better' than the Blues Jr. You probably know this already, but the XD has 16 digital voices including three based on early Blackface amps -- I usually leave it on #4, the non-overdriven version. However, the vintage British stack amp settings have a great jangly sound, too. My old practice amp has a built-in tank, but between reverb off and reverb maxed there is almost no discernible difference. Not so with this Fender -- you really can hear it. In the interest of full disclosure, I always leave the F/X level on 10, and I am indeed getting a Spring King. (I don't think I'll ever have the problem of too much reverb in my life.) Is it usable for practice? Yes. "And the like?" Dunno. For me, practice means playing by myself in a living room. I'd say it has enough juice for a 'coffee shop' type of gig. I really suggest playing through both candidates before choosing; if I had not been able to do this, I would have bought the Blues Jr. |
Joined: Mar 30, 2016 Posts: 6 Kansas City Area
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Posted on Mar 30 2016 05:53 PM
I bought a Vibro Champ XD, then bought the Super Champ XD. Then I bought 3 used Super Champ XD's for around $200 each. Gave one to a buddy for changing the broken rear strut on my Mazda Protege (lol). I use the Vibro XD for late-nite living room jammimg, saved 2 combos for a stereo rig, & put the 3rd one in a '63-'64 style head cab I had made for me by 'Buscm' on eBay for $150. Excellent craftsmanship. His XD head cabs are typically 'squarer' but he made it 1.5" less tall (same dimensions as the Super Champ X2 head cab) for no extra charge. See pic. Will look great with my '70's Rhodes 2x12 cab! |
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Joined: Mar 30, 2016 Posts: 6 Kansas City Area
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Posted on Mar 31 2016 05:28 PM
For those who still want a combo- not the head, but would like to run a 12" speaker instead of the stock 10" speaker, Buscm at eBay offers a Blonde Super Champ XD 1x12" combo replacement cab just like my head cab's styling for $30-$40 more than the head box. Tilt-back legs are an added option too. I saw one with it on his auction- co Last edited: Apr 07, 2016 15:54:18 |
Joined: Mar 02, 2006 Posts: 1683 Georgia
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Posted on Apr 01 2016 07:37 AM
Hey Chrisom, Welcome to the board. Search for the 'new members post here' thread (I think it's in the General forum) and introduce yourself. I had a Super Champ XD 1x10 combo for a period of time and liked it, but wound up selling it to put toward a larger amp. Are they still in production? —The Mystery Men? |
Joined: Nov 14, 2011 Posts: 79 San Diego |
Posted on Apr 01 2016 08:36 AM
The SC XD has been replaced by the SC X2, the difference being mostly tweaks to the modelling software I believe. I bought a like-new X2 a year ago for $250 to replace a Pro Jr at a second home. It has a decent Blackface clean tone, far better than the Pro Jr, Blues Jr or Epi Valve Jr I have owned. I don't use the amp models, except one of the Blackface amp models to get "clean". Rated at 15w it is not nearly as loud as the Fender Jrs but is much louder than a 15w solid state amp. The reverb is OK but not surfy. Of the current Fenders, it is the only small/inexpensive one I know of that has a Blackface tone with a speaker larger than 6 or 8". Having a SS front end also means you can plug in a device with a backing track into the aux input. They seem to have a pretty dedicated following. |
Joined: Jul 09, 2010 Posts: 1153 Lillian Alabama
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Posted on Apr 06 2016 10:20 PM
Just picked up one of the amp heads. Running thru a 1-12 Randall enclosure---it was a RG-80 before the amp section fried. Anyway, the little head has decent reverb and a couple of nice settings. One of the Blackface settings is good for surf but you got to crank the 'verb. Setting 11 has a nice grind for swamp music. (The voicings are what I'm calling settings.) Well worth 300 clams at AMS. Will eventually pick up the 1-12 cab designed for it or maybe the Hot Rod Deluxe cab for it. Great little head but I dunno if it will be loud enough for gigging. Enjoying the surf,sun and sand!! |
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