The “57 Custom Champ” is a modern version of the original. It’s the original 1950s Tweed Champs that you would hear on all those famous rock songs you’re referring to. Layla is probably the most famous. That entire album is Clapton and Duane Allman playing nothing but a couple of old Tweed Champs.
HEAVILY PROCESSED tweed champs is important to know though - if you’ve recorded champs, you know how much EQ is necessary to dial out the flub and fizz (still love them, but that’s how it’s done)
"when 5 watts sound better than 50"=Clickity, Clickity, Clickity, Click BAIT! Meanwhile, in reality, a Marshall Super lead is FAR MORE recorded than a Champ, even when a desperate 'content creator' repeats tropes older than his parents. Hope you're making bread from this 'review' Mikey. Stay profitable, and let the adsense gods shine more light on your oh so very original takes, corporate influence free! Best wishes to you!
The Champ is such a fun amp. That with a Telecaster or even a one pickup guitar forces you to really learn what your instrument and its controls can do along with how you play.
I stopped by Sweetwater at the end of August, on my way home from Michigan. It was my first time there, and I knew we only had maybe an hour at most before we needed to be back on the road toward home. When i got to the electric guitar room, I saw about a dozen guitars i wanted to play. I realized quickly that, in order to try out as many as I could, realistically I'd need to find either an amp I knew really well and loved, or something with practically no knobs to fiddle. I'd need a good, simple tone that was revealing and complimentary at the same time. I saw the '57 Champ and knew immediately what I'd be plugging into. Sounded great. I bought one of the guitars based on the sound I was getting through that amp. In the end, I wanted the amp more than any of the guitars I'd played through it, but time was not the only thing I was running short of that day. Thanks for the video. Made some good points, and reinforced that a great tone that you can't really tweak is still a great tone.
the massive gaps in mikes musical knowledge combined with his earnestness to learn more is excellent. i am jealous tbh, to be able to dive in on this stuff as an adult must be a blast
I JUST last night used a '72 silverface Vibro-Champ (on loan from its original owner), with an ES-335, at a small vocal+guitar gig. It's a less nasal sound than the old tweed champ but the same idea -- just you and your guitar. And I love it. This little thing is enough for rehearsing in a small room with a drummer who can play at human volumes, and I basically always use it with the volume wide open, and control all the dynamics with touch and the guitar's volume knob. Can't recommend this kind of playing enough. ❤
OK, I bought a 2009 reissue of one of these and swapped the speaker out for a WGS G8C. I then compared it to a stock 57 custom shop reissue (like you have). The difference was immense... the newer custom sounded like it had a blanket over it. The WGS speaker had so much more clarity and top end. I would strongly recommend changing out the stock speaker. You'll be surprised.... there are other great options out there too, but I went with the WGS.
I did the same swap and agree. The old one farted out a lot and wasn't great for higher gain tones I wanted with it. However I do plan on pairing this speaker with another 8" and making a 2x8 cab that is 8 ohms for another amp. Maybe I will get another G8C for an alnico and ceramic pairing but I have to figure out if the loudness levels would match enough.
I had several fender blackfaces and then a tweed deluxe 57 hand wired custom and then just ended up staying with the 57 custom champ. Sounds the best to my ears after years of experience. Great tone and natural over drive is all there when you need it.
Thx Mike , you’ve helped me branch out with my guitar skills. I’ve played for five decades and I’m still learning. You have a wonderful sense of taste and communicate it well.❤. Agree the guest ,
Meh. Sticky Fingers and Beggars Banquet are awesome albums, without Taylor twiddling all over them. And while Taylor's a fine player and didn't get credit for stuff like Time, on a lot of songs his solos add...nothing very much at all. He's actually kinda boring.
@@Splattle101 It's an unpopular opinion, but I pretty much agree. Mick is a great guitarplayer, but he was always more suited to a more 'classical' band set-up where people take turns playing solo's. The 'guitar weaving' as Keith and Ronnie themselves call it.. that's something that just was never in Mick's comfort zone. Nothing wrong with that, and all the more respect to him for realising it himself. He played his part (and did so brilliantly) on some of the greatest records the Stones ever put out, but that's just it. He played his part. To me, he never actually felt like part of the band, interacting with the others. But I want to be clear, he's a great, great guitarplayer.
@@Splattle101 Sticky Fingers is the very first album with Mick Taylor as a full time member. The coda of Can't you hear me knockin for example it's all by him :)
I have this amp. I run the volume on 3.5 and a UA Woodrow into the front end. It sounds like a 5watt deluxe. I use a tumnus in-front of the woodrow and a carbon cooy and a strymon flint after the woodrow. Pretty much every sound I need right there. I live in an apartment with a wife and small child. This fixed my tone vs. volume issues.
Small combo amps like the champ will experience tube rattle, especially when cranked. Tube dampeners really helped this amp work for me. I have removed the tube cage in the back to get the tube dampeners on.
I’ve been using the ‘68 Vibro Champ for the last couple years and absolutely love it. Gorgeous clean tones for low volumes which is great for bedroom playing, and the break up at around 7-10 is truly heavenly and absolutely rock and roll.
I saw the Stones in 2016 and I was 19 at the time. They have been my favorite band since. I dove into all of their music after and found their 1969 tour to be the best, with Mick Taylor on lead guitar. He's the smoothest blues player ever, I'd check him out if you haven't.
I saw the Stones at the LA Fabulous Forum in 1969. Most memorable Stones song was Midnight Rambler. Most memorable song of the night though was opening act Ike and Tina Turner playing Proud Mary. That was really something.
I did the same thing in my mid twenties. To me, Brian Jones was the genius. When he died, they went mediocre, prior to that, genius. Richard’s did also use a Les Paul for a while in the sixties. Great vid as always! I have a mint 66 BF vibro champ. Sounds huge if I run it through a 12” Celestion.
Have a 1966 black vibrochamp, 1971 silver champ, and a 5f1 tweed champ kit clone I put together with a little mod I made in it. All very similar, but with very distinct sounds all in themselves. The more you play one the more you realize how little you need to play and make a great sound.
I have a '59 tweed Princeton. Internally, it is very close to a Champ...as if ANY 3-tube single-ended 6V6 amp could diverge from that very much at all. The speaker is larger than a Champ (8" vs 6"), and the cabinet is larger to accommodate that. It also has a Tone control which the Champ does not. In my case, I hated the Jensen speaker it came with, when I bought the amp in '76 or '77. I quickly replaced it with an 8" JBL 2110 (sadly, not made anymore) and have never regretted it a single day since. The JBL has more bandwidth at both ends, and is more efficient, such that I get more oomph from the amp. The result, I describe to people as being like an old horse that knows the way home. You just point it to where you want to go, gives the reins a shake, and it will take you there. Everything up to 6 on the Volume is loudness. From 7 on up to 12, it's grind. Note that the tone controls on both the tweed Princeton and Deluxe operate the same way, and are partly wired like a Bright switch on later amps, or a compensated Volume pot on a Tele. When set to maximum treble, the treble boost is reduced as you turn the volume up. At full volume, or near full, there is NO treble boost.
That's good to know. I was thinking about getting a clone of the tweed Princeton. So you mean the tone pot interacts the same was as the tone on tweed deluxe? If that's the case I may just stick with the tweed champ. The tweed deluxe is nice but I prefer the champs clean.
@@es330 Yeah, the Deluxe/Princeton type of Tone control introduces less passive less than the Treble/Bass controls on a Champ, which is one of the aspects that makes the Cmap sound "cleaner" (i.e., less push to the power stage).
Funny, the amp I most closely associate with Johnny Marr is the Deluxe Reverb. Glad to hear you've started exploring Marr's playing, though, that's a treasure trove of endless reward.
I've played a Champ, a tweed Deluxe reissue, and a Princeton Reverb. The Princeton is by far my favorite Fender tube amp, but they were all a blast to play. No pedals, just plug in and let 'er rip.
The best Champ is the Swart Atomic Jr., it is all tube point to point hand wired with a tube reverb that is incredible sounding. Spend the extra 400 dollars, you won't regret it.
Always am impressed by your delivery and intelligence as well as your youthful perspective as to trying to time warp back into my musical time frame. My Amp has been acting up more of late , so thanks for the insight into this one. It's sounds perfect for me. I recently purchased the 70s Squier Tele in 3 tone Sunburst. The selling points were ( A. ) it has a wide range Humbucker in the neck and ( B. ) a hotter single coil in the bridge position. And ( C . ) I looked at a picture of Keef Richard s and he had a , S , H pickup configuration too..SOLD!!! I've been absolutely in love with it since it's arrival. I highly recommend this guitar to anyone out there considering a Tele. As for your educated friend, he was looking for another greatest rock riff from Keith Richard s. I'm sure it's Jumping Jack Flash. Imho.
This guy is becoming one of my favorite gear reviewers. He really seems to know his stuff, but he also has a great presentation voice. You can almost hear him doing Shakespeare or Masterpiece Theater.
I have a little Marshall MG15CDR with an 8" speaker that I bought ages ago, and never took that seriously because it was so cheap. Then, after I started getting more serious about my playing, I dusted it off just to see what it could really do. To my surprise, that little box can make a helluva noise. Just guitar and amp - boom! It's got built in reverb and a dirty channel, so lots of bang for the buck. Don't underestimate the little guys. I can easily piss of my neighbors with this thing, and I'm on a half acre lot.
Played through 1970s era Champ once. Volume all the way up, no pedals, and just a guitar cable and a cheap fender style guitar. Wonderful sustain. Better than any distortion pedal in my experience.
I have a Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special that has 5w,15w,30w settings. The 5w changes the tube usage and it breaks up differently from the other settings. So it's not just for playing softer because let's be honest, the thing is loud not matter what. It's a magic trick.
❤. Great video Mike. Recently I found a 52 tweed clone at a price I thought I stole it. 1 volume 1 tone 5 watts with a 1 watt attenuator. It's amazing especially when I plugged in a Emminence 1518 Legend cabinet into it. The tone is a little brighter than I remember but tames down when it starts to break up. These are great amps. It's in the tunes. Leo did it right.
I think there are basically 2 schools. 1.) the folks that want to "feel" the air moving. They want to "dance" with the amp. Drive it hard like big dance moves, or back it down like standing in one place and just grooving. 2.) the folks who want to hear it. It could be a tone into some sort of "shaper" and into their headphones. It's more cerebral .... Of course a lot of players blend the two. But so much of the music we hear is at radio level in the car. Of course some drivers can shake your windows as they drive by, but they're in group one 😁
The story of SRV having a plexiglass enclosure for a dimed, mic'd Twin to mitigate stage volume but have the roar and feel of a circuit just screaming... feel is so important to electric guitar. A low wattage circuit allows the expansion and throatiness without the logistical issues of an extremely high volume amp.
@@joelsmith552on the other hand you have someone like j mascis, who has 3 full stacks, and 1/2 combos, all set reasonably clean. With him it’s all about the air, it’s all stage volume for the guitar basically. Neither idea is worse than the other, it just depends on the taste. For me I couldn’t live with a tiny champ, I love stacks and will always play them, unless I have to carry it to a gig, then it’ll be a vertical 212, normally on a flight case to get it off the floor
@@flyingrat492 Mascis leans on his pedalboard for tone and can enjoy all those speakers pushing air! This is for sure a great approach. I love his sound live or recorded! Vert 2x12 is a smart compromise for players who dig that type of feel. In my stage days, I never did gig with a big rig (unless I was borrowing a backline for an opening slot) used a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 1x12 on a tiltback stand and generally could vibe it out. My overdrive came from a Danelectro Daddy-O rather than the amp OD. If nothing else, sound guys and gals liked me.
@@joelsmith552 always felt kickbacks just sent a laser of high end right in my face whenever I used it, so either to dark for FOH or ear bleeding for me, what did you think of that? I like a good Dan electro, though being a J knockoff I’ve always used a behringer tube driver. Making sound guys was an aim of mine in the beginning, then I realised 90% of them are permanently sour, so I just did whatever sounded good. I won’t say I’m as much of a diva, volume wise I always try my best to not overpower the rest of the band
Man I felt into the temptation of going for a Hotrod deluxe and a bunch of pedals, which is not bad, but at the end, as I just play at home, a 5 watt or even a small solid-state amp with good sounds like the Spark 2 would be more than enough. Anyways, it's not that is bad having my gear, but I believe I would be happier with something small. Splendid video, thanks for sharing.
5w 5f1(tweed champ) head or combo into a 12" Cab will "Take you to the mountain". You could also run two off of your stereo output chorus or trem pedal. I have a point to point gibson with a 5f1 style circuit with an el84(instead of the typical 6v6 but you can't just swap them). I also have a PCB Gretsch(It's a newer 6v6 Fender Champ 600) that has been modded to the 5f1. I stuck an 8" in place of the 6 and the Gibson got a 10 to replace it's 8. Joe Walsh and Clapton famously recorded a BUNCH with champs. I just saw a video last week that said '2' is the magic number for recording. The Single Ended Class A design is what gets you the touch-sensitive goods(and hum). Dime them and just use your fingers(lightly) for a completely different experience. Exercise caution as there is the potential to melt your own face. There are so many boutique Champ clones on reverb for over a grand. There are a lot of under the radar ones over the years that with a soldering iron can get you there for under $200 in the used market. I can piss my wife off with a champ. I wouldn't even play my 40 or 60 watter when she's home. Actually, I NEVER play them and no one wants them. They're just too powerful and get too loud to get to the goods unless you're on stage. If you need more, I bet a 5e3 15W tweed Deluxe would be all you need.
Its not just low watts but the fact the champ is a single ended class a amp that makes it magic. In most cases 15 watts is all you need for a live gig argument is bogus imo if you have any desire for headroom and playing dynamics. I went to an indoor music festival once and most of the players were using small low watt combos and for the most part the tone was somewhat muddy and lacking in dynamics. Then there was the dude that had the audacity to bring a fender twin stuffed into a 2x10 combo. The tone and dynamics were glorious and the volume was not much louder than the little amps.
I really like your logic, Mike! I Use 2 amps and occasionally (and intermittently) mainly two pedals... I have a Boss Katana 50 that I usually plug directly into... a little reverb and echo without any pedals and only on the clean setting... OR I play thru a Bugera 22 watt amp with a prophet Digital delay... Most everything I play is clean and with simplistic amp settings... The other pedal it like to use is a simple loop pedal... the looper makes it so I can at lease jam along with myself... I think you're definitely on to something! Thanks for bringing this relevant content... keep it coming!
The tweed Champ and Deluxe, have a wonderful woody and 3 dimensional sound that other amps just can't get. They are limited in many ways, but their basic tone is incomparable !
I'm a very old fart. I really enjoy hearing and watching serious young musicians discovering past sounds. The dad of one of our soon to be famous 14 year old bandmates, let me play through his original Champ. It had a rock and roll fuzz, but not nearly loud enough to compete with a Princeton or a Silvertone amp. We had a good time and sympathetic parents.
Then step up and you have the deluxe reverb, pro reverb, super reverb… the king… baseman! My first was the champ! Turned up to 10 in a live setting. Barely got over the drums but it sounds great! With my 68 Tele of course. The good ole days!
I am definitely a big fan of Champs. I’m really lucky to have a ‘58 Champ that sounds absolutely amazing. It has a great clean tone, and it sounds great when you push it to breakup, especially when playing guitars with hot pickups. I don’t know if I should be surprised, but it’s fab with pedals, too. All-around super star. I got it in great shape inside and out but did a refurb to replace some leaky caps and repair the red ‘on’ light. If you seen one and splurge (like I did), it’s a good bet you’ll be glad you did 👍🏻
I like the simplistic idea. I play a fender Strat and a PRS hollow body and a Les Paul into a blues junior four Tweed and I absolutely love it. I think the tones that I get out of that combination are just amazing and inspiring they make me wanna play more so I’m right there with you. Simple is better.
You should watch the rig rundown of Tedeschi Trucks Band. Derek goes straight into the amp. Saw them live last week, amazing! In general, though, Derek is a volume control master and it's an incredible thing to hear. Lots of Allman influence, too, considering he's Butch Trucks's nephew!
The real Keith sound: Standard tuning on a 70s Telecaster Custom into an Ampeg SVT bass amp. If you want to go all out Keef, run a Tele into a Mesa Boogie Mark 1 (with the graphic EQ) and slave that out to the Ampeg SVT.
when my big amp crapped out in rehearsal i played my pro jr and we cover alice in chains. band mates myself included were blown away. i had to mic it into PA but it was my amp until i ended up with the marshall
I actually havent touched a pedal in 3 years since i bought this amp. Tweeds definitely have a certain sound to it. The tele and tweed amp is such a classic rock n roll sound. Neil young uses a tweed deluxe (and has one of the heaviest tones ever), and keith uses bigger tweed amps and doubles his parts with the champ on 3 or 4. Its his special sauce lol
The best amp I own is a local amp builder Tex Amps Bernie Mini. It’s a small 10” speaker 18 watt EL84 tube combo based on the B&H film projector circuit. Just tone and volume knobs and ungodly guitar tone for days! Throw a reverb or delay pedal of your choice in front of it, set the volume to your preferred volume/saturation level and use your guitar’s volume to clean up, and it’s the best guitar tone I’ve ever heard in my life.
I want a Champ 5 watt copy so much. It can't happen yet because I live with roommates and the landlord won't even let me listen to my laptop speakers at night. Headphones only. I do love the sound of a small tube amp. They have a tiny box sound that is different from most combo amps and definitely different from modeling amps.
I have heard that in their early days ZZ Top would seal a low powered amp (probably a champ circuit) in a box with a microphone mounted inside. I guess the goal was to get the total amp/transformer/speaker response that could be cranked full blast in a studio without damaging ear drums.
I built one of the StewMac Deluxe Reverb kits...I think this one is the 5E3 kit that Rhett built...I have a '74 Vibro Champ, but I totally want to build one of these. The sound is DOPE, the look is even sweeter. Hellz to the yeah man! Cheers Mike!
i have a 59 tweed bassman, those tweed amps have growling gain when you take it past 7, too loud for practice, too loud for your patio solo gig at your local dive bar 😂
@@dingalarm Well, it's it's own thing. I have had one since the mid 90s. It does not have a lot of clean headroom, but I wasn't looking for that. It's a 10" speaker, all tube, master volume, loud. I used it in cafe gigs with a band. I'm a princeton man now, but I like the little classic 20. A friend has had mine for years, and I'm going to get it back today. Considering trying out my old Princeton's Jensen speaker if the wiring is the same. Apparently there is a brand new one that probably sounds better, but for a cheap, fun little blues amp the Classic 20 is worth a listen. There are videos on YT about it.
Mike - Next I need you to do a deep dive on the Grateful Dead. Specifically Jerry. His amp setup is particularly impressive. Just don’t try to recreate it in your apartment. Your neighbors and town will hate you.
The Dead never skimped on their audio. Man, going to their gigs was like sitting in front of an enormous audiophile stereo that was super LOUD but crystal clear. Which was always Jerry's objective.
Personally, my favorite Fender amp is the Blues Deluxe, I am a Jazz player and I get an exceptional tone out of it. But when I feel like busting out a rock or metal tune, the amp handles distortion like a dream. A typical problem Fender amps have is when they start to break up. My amp starts to break up at 6 on the volume. And at that point, if a venue wants you to be that loud, you’re gonna have distortion like crazy and the breakup doesn’t really matter.
i use a fair amount of pedals (like 8), but almost exclusively use my 54 Princeton. the tweed era Princetons are basically just champs with a tone knob. for recording especially it can't be beat. sounds like your speaker needs to break in a bit. when you play these simple circuit amps you're basically just playing the speaker so its important to find the right speaker and get it broken in just right. tweeds aren't like modern amps at all really. they behave wildly different when you swap guitars and are super sensitive to pick up impedance. an EQ pedal or clean boost with an EQ like an RC booster is your best friend with these little guys.
Yeeeah!! Low watt amps are the most recorded, because in studio, you don’t need the volume - just the tone. So, you can push a low watt amp to its “sweet spot” at lower volumes. I’ve heard tell of some great 1 watt’rs. Also, the less ingredients you put in your soup the more you taste them. A lot of guitar circuits work that way too. For instance, if you never use your tone knob on your bass or guitar, take it out and see what happens. 😘 Check out the fender excelsior. It is simple and unique, affordable enough to mod and from my experience, plays very well with others.
Fun fact: While you're correct that Keith Richards likes to play without effects, he is widely recognized as one of the first players to record using fuzz (Satisfaction).
"A" quintessential rock band. The main lesson? KISS! Keep it simple. The best guitar riffs are really not that hard. But they are perfect for the song. "Figitty" busy-riffs...yeah, they exist. But simple bare riffs and simple amps.
He said on an IG post a few years ago. That the 57 Champ is his dirty sound and he uses a 12" speaker Fender for his clean tone. I can't remember the model. Apparently it's what he's always used.
Mike, you have to watch Keith’s fairly recent and awesome documentary called 'Under the Influence'. (As in his musical influences) So many questions will be answered. And one tidbit about their live sound, they don’t use compression.
I haven’t used a champ. But did own a Bassbreaks 007. Really cool. Decided to sell and get Bassbreaker 45 because I could adjust the wattage from 1w to 45w.. Downside size and weight. Maybe headroom has changed even at 1w May considering the champ. Thanks Also Keith Richards drops the E string.
If you really want to knock your socks off, run the 57’ champ into a 2x12 Marshall greenback cab. I use a Webber impedance matcher and it’s glorious. Crank it to about 8 for a great crunch and nice sag, roll the guitar volume back for cleans. Tone heaven. But it is still pretty loud.
I used to gig with a Fender Vibrolux - 2-10", blackface. Plugged my SG straight into the amp. No pedals. (Remember the curly guitar cords?) Wish I still had both that guitar and amp .
The very first real guitar amp I ever had was a 5W Champ. It was around 1983 and I found it in a pawnshop for $40. If only I'd known then what I had. But, I wanted to sound like Eddie and Angus and this new kid named James Hetfield
@@asw7696 Open D on Beggars Banquet and a few songs on Let It Bleed (although 1969's Honky Tonk Women had Keith playing in Open G). Open G after Let it Bleed. They're both great tunings to play with, and more versatile than one could think at first try.
Keith Richards on the components of his tone: "Five strings, three notes, two hands, and one asshole..."
You would not believe how many famous rock songs were recorded on the 57 Custom Tweed Champ.
Rick? do you mean rock?
@@ramcharger154
Yup, stupid autocorrect.
The “57 Custom Champ” is a modern version of the original. It’s the original 1950s Tweed Champs that you would hear on all those famous rock songs you’re referring to. Layla is probably the most famous. That entire album is Clapton and Duane Allman playing nothing but a couple of old Tweed Champs.
HEAVILY PROCESSED tweed champs is important to know though - if you’ve recorded champs, you know how much EQ is necessary to dial out the flub and fizz (still love them, but that’s how it’s done)
"when 5 watts sound better than 50"=Clickity, Clickity, Clickity, Click BAIT!
Meanwhile, in reality, a Marshall Super lead is FAR MORE recorded than a Champ, even when a desperate 'content creator' repeats tropes older than his parents. Hope you're making bread from this 'review' Mikey. Stay profitable, and let the adsense gods shine more light on your oh so very original takes, corporate influence free! Best wishes to you!
The Champ is such a fun amp. That with a Telecaster or even a one pickup guitar forces you to really learn what your instrument and its controls can do along with how you play.
Mike never fails to explain the lore of him getting his hands on literally anything for half of the video
I'm over twice his age. To be discovering all this for the first time in a digital world would be priceless.
It's used so much I prefer the Supro for the same purpose.
Yes, it only makes the vids better!
I stopped by Sweetwater at the end of August, on my way home from Michigan. It was my first time there, and I knew we only had maybe an hour at most before we needed to be back on the road toward home. When i got to the electric guitar room, I saw about a dozen guitars i wanted to play. I realized quickly that, in order to try out as many as I could, realistically I'd need to find either an amp I knew really well and loved, or something with practically no knobs to fiddle. I'd need a good, simple tone that was revealing and complimentary at the same time. I saw the '57 Champ and knew immediately what I'd be plugging into. Sounded great. I bought one of the guitars based on the sound I was getting through that amp. In the end, I wanted the amp more than any of the guitars I'd played through it, but time was not the only thing I was running short of that day. Thanks for the video. Made some good points, and reinforced that a great tone that you can't really tweak is still a great tone.
the massive gaps in mikes musical knowledge combined with his earnestness to learn more is excellent. i am jealous tbh, to be able to dive in on this stuff as an adult must be a blast
I have a tube Fender Champ 600, and I love the way it breaks up in clean
Man what a story teller, keep it up mate.
Beabadoobee through the boomer set up is insane
Lame band name
@@DalScottGuitarit’s not even a band name
It’s a girl
I JUST last night used a '72 silverface Vibro-Champ (on loan from its original owner), with an ES-335, at a small vocal+guitar gig. It's a less nasal sound than the old tweed champ but the same idea -- just you and your guitar. And I love it. This little thing is enough for rehearsing in a small room with a drummer who can play at human volumes, and I basically always use it with the volume wide open, and control all the dynamics with touch and the guitar's volume knob. Can't recommend this kind of playing enough. ❤
Welcome to 5 watt world....
**INTENSE STARING STRAIGHT INTO THE CAMERA**
Helping you make the least music with the most gear... oh wait thats me
He just "calls a friend" and it's Samurai Guitarist. That's a good friend to have in this situation
OK, I bought a 2009 reissue of one of these and swapped the speaker out for a WGS G8C. I then compared it to a stock 57 custom shop reissue (like you have). The difference was immense... the newer custom sounded like it had a blanket over it. The WGS speaker had so much more clarity and top end. I would strongly recommend changing out the stock speaker. You'll be surprised.... there are other great options out there too, but I went with the WGS.
I did the same swap and agree. The old one farted out a lot and wasn't great for higher gain tones I wanted with it. However I do plan on pairing this speaker with another 8" and making a 2x8 cab that is 8 ohms for another amp. Maybe I will get another G8C for an alnico and ceramic pairing but I have to figure out if the loudness levels would match enough.
I had several fender blackfaces and then a tweed deluxe 57 hand wired custom and then just ended up staying with the 57 custom champ. Sounds the best to my ears after years of experience. Great tone and natural over drive is all there when you need it.
I've got a Fender '57 Custom Champ, and it's my go-to for home practice. But even at 5 watts, it can get LOUD in a small room. Love it!
Thx Mike , you’ve helped me branch out with my guitar skills. I’ve played for five decades and I’m still learning. You have a wonderful sense of taste and communicate it well.❤. Agree the guest ,
The Stones best era was the six years when Mick Taylor was on guitar.
Nailed it
Meh. Sticky Fingers and Beggars Banquet are awesome albums, without Taylor twiddling all over them. And while Taylor's a fine player and didn't get credit for stuff like Time, on a lot of songs his solos add...nothing very much at all. He's actually kinda boring.
@@Splattle101 It's an unpopular opinion, but I pretty much agree. Mick is a great guitarplayer, but he was always more suited to a more 'classical' band set-up where people take turns playing solo's. The 'guitar weaving' as Keith and Ronnie themselves call it.. that's something that just was never in Mick's comfort zone. Nothing wrong with that, and all the more respect to him for realising it himself. He played his part (and did so brilliantly) on some of the greatest records the Stones ever put out, but that's just it. He played his part. To me, he never actually felt like part of the band, interacting with the others.
But I want to be clear, he's a great, great guitarplayer.
@@Splattle101 Sticky Fingers is the very first album with Mick Taylor as a full time member. The coda of Can't you hear me knockin for example it's all by him :)
@@EiElBiAi Doh! You're right, of course. I was having a brain fart after watching this stupid video. I meant Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed.
I have this amp. I run the volume on 3.5 and a UA Woodrow into the front end. It sounds like a 5watt deluxe. I use a tumnus in-front of the woodrow and a carbon cooy and a strymon flint after the woodrow. Pretty much every sound I need right there.
I live in an apartment with a wife and small child. This fixed my tone vs. volume issues.
Small combo amps like the champ will experience tube rattle, especially when cranked. Tube dampeners really helped this amp work for me. I have removed the tube cage in the back to get the tube dampeners on.
Always thoughtfully (even artistically) constructed and highly educational videos. Kudos! Good job!
Dude... I just jumped into your channel this week. Great work. I can tell a whole lotta love has gone into these videos. Subscribed!
I’ve been using the ‘68 Vibro Champ for the last couple years and absolutely love it. Gorgeous clean tones for low volumes which is great for bedroom playing, and the break up at around 7-10 is truly heavenly and absolutely rock and roll.
I saw the Stones in 2016 and I was 19 at the time. They have been my favorite band since. I dove into all of their music after and found their 1969 tour to be the best, with Mick Taylor on lead guitar. He's the smoothest blues player ever, I'd check him out if you haven't.
Nice video Mike. Simple can sometimes be the best.
I like my Tiny Terror for the simplicity.
There’s volume, tone and gain, and it sounds good at pretty much any setting.
I swear one of the best tones I've ever heard was a strat into a Custom Shop Champ with the volume dimed.
I saw the Stones at the LA Fabulous Forum in 1969. Most memorable Stones song was Midnight Rambler. Most memorable song of the night though was opening act Ike and Tina Turner playing Proud Mary. That was really something.
I did the same thing in my mid twenties. To me, Brian Jones was the genius. When he died, they went mediocre, prior to that, genius. Richard’s did also use a Les Paul for a while in the sixties. Great vid as always! I have a mint 66 BF vibro champ. Sounds huge if I run it through a 12” Celestion.
Man, those Tweed amps are so damn special
yes I had one during my tone searching journey and it was amazing with all style guitars. you're making me think I need one again
Have a 1966 black vibrochamp, 1971 silver champ, and a 5f1 tweed champ kit clone I put together with a little mod I made in it. All very similar, but with very distinct sounds all in themselves. The more you play one the more you realize how little you need to play and make a great sound.
I have a '59 tweed Princeton. Internally, it is very close to a Champ...as if ANY 3-tube single-ended 6V6 amp could diverge from that very much at all. The speaker is larger than a Champ (8" vs 6"), and the cabinet is larger to accommodate that. It also has a Tone control which the Champ does not. In my case, I hated the Jensen speaker it came with, when I bought the amp in '76 or '77. I quickly replaced it with an 8" JBL 2110 (sadly, not made anymore) and have never regretted it a single day since. The JBL has more bandwidth at both ends, and is more efficient, such that I get more oomph from the amp.
The result, I describe to people as being like an old horse that knows the way home. You just point it to where you want to go, gives the reins a shake, and it will take you there. Everything up to 6 on the Volume is loudness. From 7 on up to 12, it's grind.
Note that the tone controls on both the tweed Princeton and Deluxe operate the same way, and are partly wired like a Bright switch on later amps, or a compensated Volume pot on a Tele. When set to maximum treble, the treble boost is reduced as you turn the volume up. At full volume, or near full, there is NO treble boost.
That's good to know. I was thinking about getting a clone of the tweed Princeton. So you mean the tone pot interacts the same was as the tone on tweed deluxe? If that's the case I may just stick with the tweed champ. The tweed deluxe is nice but I prefer the champs clean.
@@es330 Yeah, the Deluxe/Princeton type of Tone control introduces less passive less than the Treble/Bass controls on a Champ, which is one of the aspects that makes the Cmap sound "cleaner" (i.e., less push to the power stage).
absolute great video mike !!! bravo buddy
Funny, the amp I most closely associate with Johnny Marr is the Deluxe Reverb. Glad to hear you've started exploring Marr's playing, though, that's a treasure trove of endless reward.
I've played a Champ, a tweed Deluxe reissue, and a Princeton Reverb. The Princeton is by far my favorite Fender tube amp, but they were all a blast to play. No pedals, just plug in and let 'er rip.
The best Champ is the Swart Atomic Jr., it is all tube point to point hand wired with a tube reverb that is incredible sounding. Spend the extra 400 dollars, you won't regret it.
Always am impressed by your delivery and intelligence as well as your youthful perspective as to trying to time warp back into my musical time frame. My Amp has been acting up more of late , so thanks for the insight into this one. It's sounds perfect for me. I recently purchased the 70s Squier Tele in 3 tone Sunburst. The selling points were ( A. ) it has a wide range Humbucker in the neck and ( B. ) a hotter single coil in the bridge position. And ( C . ) I looked at a picture of Keef Richard s and he had a , S , H pickup configuration too..SOLD!!! I've been absolutely in love with it since it's arrival. I highly recommend this guitar to anyone out there considering a Tele. As for your educated friend, he was looking for another greatest rock riff from Keith Richard s. I'm sure it's Jumping Jack Flash. Imho.
This guy is becoming one of my favorite gear reviewers. He really seems to know his stuff, but he also has a great presentation voice. You can almost hear him doing Shakespeare or Masterpiece Theater.
I have a little Marshall MG15CDR with an 8" speaker that I bought ages ago, and never took that seriously because it was so cheap. Then, after I started getting more serious about my playing, I dusted it off just to see what it could really do. To my surprise, that little box can make a helluva noise. Just guitar and amp - boom! It's got built in reverb and a dirty channel, so lots of bang for the buck. Don't underestimate the little guys. I can easily piss of my neighbors with this thing, and I'm on a half acre lot.
Played through 1970s era Champ once. Volume all the way up, no pedals, and just a guitar cable and a cheap fender style guitar. Wonderful sustain. Better than any distortion pedal in my experience.
See how low the floor noise is on those amps even with a gain pedal pretty rocking that's why I've always loved them
I have a Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special that has 5w,15w,30w settings. The 5w changes the tube usage and it breaks up differently from the other settings. So it's not just for playing softer because let's be honest, the thing is loud not matter what. It's a magic trick.
❤. Great video Mike. Recently I found a 52 tweed clone at a price I thought I stole it. 1 volume 1 tone 5 watts with a 1 watt attenuator. It's amazing especially when I plugged in a Emminence 1518 Legend cabinet into it. The tone is a little brighter than I remember but tames down when it starts to break up. These are great amps. It's in the tunes. Leo did it right.
I think there are basically 2 schools. 1.) the folks that want to "feel" the air moving. They want to "dance" with the amp. Drive it hard like big dance moves, or back it down like standing in one place and just grooving. 2.) the folks who want to hear it. It could be a tone into some sort of "shaper" and into their headphones. It's more cerebral .... Of course a lot of players blend the two. But so much of the music we hear is at radio level in the car. Of course some drivers can shake your windows as they drive by, but they're in group one 😁
The story of SRV having a plexiglass enclosure for a dimed, mic'd Twin to mitigate stage volume but have the roar and feel of a circuit just screaming... feel is so important to electric guitar. A low wattage circuit allows the expansion and throatiness without the logistical issues of an extremely high volume amp.
@@joelsmith552on the other hand you have someone like j mascis, who has 3 full stacks, and 1/2 combos, all set reasonably clean. With him it’s all about the air, it’s all stage volume for the guitar basically. Neither idea is worse than the other, it just depends on the taste. For me I couldn’t live with a tiny champ, I love stacks and will always play them, unless I have to carry it to a gig, then it’ll be a vertical 212, normally on a flight case to get it off the floor
@@flyingrat492 Mascis leans on his pedalboard for tone and can enjoy all those speakers pushing air! This is for sure a great approach. I love his sound live or recorded!
Vert 2x12 is a smart compromise for players who dig that type of feel.
In my stage days, I never did gig with a big rig (unless I was borrowing a backline for an opening slot) used a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 1x12 on a tiltback stand and generally could vibe it out.
My overdrive came from a Danelectro Daddy-O rather than the amp OD. If nothing else, sound guys and gals liked me.
@@joelsmith552 always felt kickbacks just sent a laser of high end right in my face whenever I used it, so either to dark for FOH or ear bleeding for me, what did you think of that? I like a good Dan electro, though being a J knockoff I’ve always used a behringer tube driver. Making sound guys was an aim of mine in the beginning, then I realised 90% of them are permanently sour, so I just did whatever sounded good. I won’t say I’m as much of a diva, volume wise I always try my best to not overpower the rest of the band
Johnny Marr is a alternative rock hero. So many cool colab's in his career.
Lage is a total rabbithole , what a player
I’ve been down that rabbithole for the last 8 years and can confirm this. Never ceases to blow me away. 🙂
Man I felt into the temptation of going for a Hotrod deluxe and a bunch of pedals, which is not bad, but at the end, as I just play at home, a 5 watt or even a small solid-state amp with good sounds like the Spark 2 would be more than enough. Anyways, it's not that is bad having my gear, but I believe I would be happier with something small. Splendid video, thanks for sharing.
5w 5f1(tweed champ) head or combo into a 12" Cab will "Take you to the mountain". You could also run two off of your stereo output chorus or trem pedal. I have a point to point gibson with a 5f1 style circuit with an el84(instead of the typical 6v6 but you can't just swap them). I also have a PCB Gretsch(It's a newer 6v6 Fender Champ 600) that has been modded to the 5f1. I stuck an 8" in place of the 6 and the Gibson got a 10 to replace it's 8. Joe Walsh and Clapton famously recorded a BUNCH with champs. I just saw a video last week that said '2' is the magic number for recording. The Single Ended Class A design is what gets you the touch-sensitive goods(and hum). Dime them and just use your fingers(lightly) for a completely different experience. Exercise caution as there is the potential to melt your own face. There are so many boutique Champ clones on reverb for over a grand. There are a lot of under the radar ones over the years that with a soldering iron can get you there for under $200 in the used market. I can piss my wife off with a champ. I wouldn't even play my 40 or 60 watter when she's home. Actually, I NEVER play them and no one wants them. They're just too powerful and get too loud to get to the goods unless you're on stage. If you need more, I bet a 5e3 15W tweed Deluxe would be all you need.
Nice playing man
Great video. I would have liked to see some more pics of the amp such as the controls and back. Perhaps start doing this in the future. Thanks.
Its not just low watts but the fact the champ is a single ended class a amp that makes it magic. In most cases 15 watts is all you need for a live gig argument is bogus imo if you have any desire for headroom and playing dynamics. I went to an indoor music festival once and most of the players were using small low watt combos and for the most part the tone was somewhat muddy and lacking in dynamics. Then there was the dude that had the audacity to bring a fender twin stuffed into a 2x10 combo. The tone and dynamics were glorious and the volume was not much louder than the little amps.
It’s a great way to learn more about tones . I recently bought a les Paul Jr to do exactly this.
I really like your logic, Mike! I Use 2 amps and occasionally (and intermittently) mainly two pedals... I have a Boss Katana 50 that I usually plug directly into... a little reverb and echo without any pedals and only on the clean setting... OR I play thru a Bugera 22 watt amp with a prophet Digital delay... Most everything I play is clean and with simplistic amp settings... The other pedal it like to use is a simple loop pedal... the looper makes it so I can at lease jam along with myself... I think you're definitely on to something! Thanks for bringing this relevant content... keep it coming!
Plug it in,
Turn it on and dime it and
Voila, you're in Champ land (!)
The tweed Champ and Deluxe, have a wonderful woody and 3 dimensional sound that other amps just can't get. They are limited in many ways, but their basic tone is incomparable !
I'm a very old fart. I really enjoy hearing and watching serious young musicians discovering past sounds. The dad of one of our soon to be famous 14 year old bandmates, let me play through his original Champ. It had a rock and roll fuzz, but not nearly loud enough to compete with a Princeton or a Silvertone amp. We had a good time and sympathetic parents.
Joe Walsh played Funk 49 on a Champ! It is a HUGE sound.
Then step up and you have the deluxe reverb, pro reverb, super reverb… the king… baseman! My first was the champ! Turned up to 10 in a live setting. Barely got over the drums but it sounds great! With my 68 Tele of course. The good ole days!
I am definitely a big fan of Champs. I’m really lucky to have a ‘58 Champ that sounds absolutely amazing. It has a great clean tone, and it sounds great when you push it to breakup, especially when playing guitars with hot pickups. I don’t know if I should be surprised, but it’s fab with pedals, too. All-around super star. I got it in great shape inside and out but did a refurb to replace some leaky caps and repair the red ‘on’ light. If you seen one and splurge (like I did), it’s a good bet you’ll be glad you did 👍🏻
I like the simplistic idea. I play a fender Strat and a PRS hollow body and a Les Paul into a blues junior four Tweed and I absolutely love it. I think the tones that I get out of that combination are just amazing and inspiring they make me wanna play more so I’m right there with you. Simple is better.
I mic up a 1959 Fender Tweed Champ and it screams more than my 1966 Vibrolux Reverb. It gets that dirty Fender sound I like.
You should watch the rig rundown of Tedeschi Trucks Band. Derek goes straight into the amp. Saw them live last week, amazing! In general, though, Derek is a volume control master and it's an incredible thing to hear. Lots of Allman influence, too, considering he's Butch Trucks's nephew!
The real Keith sound: Standard tuning on a 70s Telecaster Custom into an Ampeg SVT bass amp. If you want to go all out Keef, run a Tele into a Mesa Boogie Mark 1 (with the graphic EQ) and slave that out to the Ampeg SVT.
when my big amp
crapped out in rehearsal i played my pro jr and we cover alice in chains. band mates myself included were blown away. i had to mic it into PA but it was my amp until i ended up with the marshall
I actually havent touched a pedal in 3 years since i bought this amp. Tweeds definitely have a certain sound to it. The tele and tweed amp is such a classic rock n roll sound. Neil young uses a tweed deluxe (and has one of the heaviest tones ever), and keith uses bigger tweed amps and doubles his parts with the champ on 3 or 4. Its his special sauce lol
The best amp I own is a local amp builder Tex Amps Bernie Mini. It’s a small 10” speaker 18 watt EL84 tube combo based on the B&H film projector circuit. Just tone and volume knobs and ungodly guitar tone for days! Throw a reverb or delay pedal of your choice in front of it, set the volume to your preferred volume/saturation level and use your guitar’s volume to clean up, and it’s the best guitar tone I’ve ever heard in my life.
I've inherited a Champion 800 that needs to be restored. The date on the inside of the cabinet is 12-19-48. Hopefully I can get it restored soon.
I want a Champ 5 watt copy so much. It can't happen yet because I live with roommates and the landlord won't even let me listen to my laptop speakers at night. Headphones only.
I do love the sound of a small tube amp. They have a tiny box sound that is different from most combo amps and definitely different from modeling amps.
A tube amp's size is in direct DIS-proportion with how fun it is to play.
Inverse proportion
I have heard that in their early days ZZ Top would seal a low powered amp (probably a champ circuit) in a box with a microphone mounted inside. I guess the goal was to get the total amp/transformer/speaker response that could be cranked full blast in a studio without damaging ear drums.
I built one of the StewMac Deluxe Reverb kits...I think this one is the 5E3 kit that Rhett built...I have a '74 Vibro Champ, but I totally want to build one of these. The sound is DOPE, the look is even sweeter. Hellz to the yeah man! Cheers Mike!
i have a 59 tweed bassman, those tweed amps have growling gain when you take it past 7, too loud for practice, too loud for your patio solo gig at your local dive bar 😂
Not that it even touches the legend of the '57 hardwired teed champ, but the modern vibro champ also sounds great.
Sticky fingers from beginning to end one of my favorite albums!🎸🤯🔫
1 artist, 1 guitar and 1 amp is all you need 🤠 🎸 🎼
Pretty amazing you're "call a friend" is Samurai Guitarist.
Tweed amps are awesome. The (5F1) Champ and (5E3) Deluxe are perhaps the most used, if not as famous as the Bassman
The tiny Peavy Classic 20 combo is surprisingly great.
The 1990s original one.
Really? Please tell me more (i.e. what makes it great).
@@dingalarm Well, it's it's own thing. I have had one since the mid 90s. It does not have a lot of clean headroom, but I wasn't looking for that. It's a 10" speaker, all tube, master volume, loud. I used it in cafe gigs with a band. I'm a princeton man now, but I like the little classic 20. A friend has had mine for years, and I'm going to get it back today. Considering trying out my old Princeton's Jensen speaker if the wiring is the same. Apparently there is a brand new one that probably sounds better, but for a cheap, fun little blues amp the Classic 20 is worth a listen. There are videos on YT about it.
@@ChadWork1 Thanks very much! After watching some YT videos, it certainly sounds like a nice amp.
Mike - Next I need you to do a deep dive on the Grateful Dead. Specifically Jerry. His amp setup is particularly impressive.
Just don’t try to recreate it in your apartment. Your neighbors and town will hate you.
The Dead never skimped on their audio. Man, going to their gigs was like sitting in front of an enormous audiophile stereo that was super LOUD but crystal clear. Which was always Jerry's objective.
Personally, my favorite Fender amp is the Blues Deluxe, I am a Jazz player and I get an exceptional tone out of it. But when I feel like busting out a rock or metal tune, the amp handles distortion like a dream. A typical problem Fender amps have is when they start to break up. My amp starts to break up at 6 on the volume. And at that point, if a venue wants you to be that loud, you’re gonna have distortion like crazy and the breakup doesn’t really matter.
Getting a bit of an amp collection there 👍 The Stones started off using Vox AC30s like The Beatles in the 60s Then Keith started using Fender Tweeds
I have a 1963 National 1201 by Valco…..it is by far the best amp I’ve ever heard….
Wow, piece of history
i remember playing in a very old fender deluxe .. and it was magical.. you have to try one..
i use a fair amount of pedals (like 8), but almost exclusively use my 54 Princeton. the tweed era Princetons are basically just champs with a tone knob. for recording especially it can't be beat. sounds like your speaker needs to break in a bit. when you play these simple circuit amps you're basically just playing the speaker so its important to find the right speaker and get it broken in just right. tweeds aren't like modern amps at all really. they behave wildly different when you swap guitars and are super sensitive to pick up impedance. an EQ pedal or clean boost with an EQ like an RC booster is your best friend with these little guys.
Yeeeah!! Low watt amps are the most recorded, because in studio, you don’t need the volume - just the tone. So, you can push a low watt amp to its “sweet spot” at lower volumes.
I’ve heard tell of some great 1 watt’rs.
Also, the less ingredients you put in your soup the more you taste them. A lot of guitar circuits work that way too. For instance, if you never use your tone knob on your bass or guitar, take it out and see what happens. 😘
Check out the fender excelsior. It is simple and unique, affordable enough to mod and from my experience, plays very well with others.
Very good.
I’m sure your neighbors will be thrilled with your new revelation.
Fun fact: While you're correct that Keith Richards likes to play without effects, he is widely recognized as one of the first players to record using fuzz (Satisfaction).
"A" quintessential rock band.
The main lesson? KISS! Keep it simple. The best guitar riffs are really not that hard. But they are perfect for the song. "Figitty" busy-riffs...yeah, they exist. But simple bare riffs and simple amps.
Despite being from the UK ''The Stones'' were the apex Americana rock band, beating out ''Credence'', The Doors, and ''Skynyrd''.
He said on an IG post a few years ago. That the 57 Champ is his dirty sound and he uses a 12" speaker Fender for his clean tone. I can't remember the model. Apparently it's what he's always used.
Mike, you have to watch Keith’s fairly recent and awesome documentary called 'Under the Influence'. (As in his musical influences) So many questions will be answered. And one tidbit about their live sound, they don’t use compression.
I haven’t used a champ. But did own a Bassbreaks 007. Really cool. Decided to sell and get Bassbreaker 45 because I could adjust the wattage from 1w to 45w..
Downside size and weight. Maybe headroom has changed even at 1w
May considering the champ.
Thanks
Also Keith Richards drops the E string.
The perfect pair!!
If you really want to knock your socks off, run the 57’ champ into a 2x12 Marshall greenback cab. I use a Webber impedance matcher and it’s glorious. Crank it to about 8 for a great crunch and nice sag, roll the guitar volume back for cleans. Tone heaven. But it is still pretty loud.
I used to gig with a Fender Vibrolux - 2-10", blackface. Plugged my SG straight into the amp. No pedals. (Remember the curly guitar cords?)
Wish I still had both that guitar and amp .
The very first real guitar amp I ever had was a 5W Champ. It was around 1983 and I found it in a pawnshop for $40. If only I'd known then what I had. But, I wanted to sound like Eddie and Angus and this new kid named James Hetfield
Love the small amps. I had a pro junior but sold it. Wish I had another right now.
I really in love with tween deluxe. But i am not a real guitarist, i am a sound engineer, and for me tween deluxe is most comfortable amp to work with
4:41 is beabadoobee perfect pair!
Don’t skip an album. Don’t skip a song. Time to learn open D
Surely open G!
@@asw7696 Open D on Beggars Banquet and a few songs on Let It Bleed (although 1969's Honky Tonk Women had Keith playing in Open G). Open G after Let it Bleed. They're both great tunings to play with, and more versatile than one could think at first try.