I went in to help my friend choose a delay pedal and walked out with this amplifier!😂 Check out the Amplifier here: 🛒 Sweetwater - sweetwater.sjv.io/Kj4eMA 🛒 Thomann - bit.ly/457EyhZ 🛒 Fender - bit.ly/3fZiRMF 🛒 Guitar Center - guitar-center.pxf.io/75omvr 🛒 Sky Music - alnk.to/3ck9Hme (affiliate links)
I've had this amp for almost 2 years. There's something that makes me feel like a member of the Wrecking Crew when I rehearse with it. A great Blackface/Silverface in a tiny package!
My first amplifier was a 1964 vibro champ. After years of owning it and constantly having people offering to buy it from me, I gave in and took an offer I couldn't refuse. I've been chasing that sound ever since.
@@intheblues ..aside from all else, even with solid state sounding so much better and more versatile than ever, and you've tested a few, tube amps are still being made and people are still buying them...
You don't need "gig-volume". That's what monitors are for. I remember the first time I showed up with a Silverface Princeton Reverb. The Sound guys had a smile from ear to ear...
Stage noise is not a great thing anyway. I’ve played some medium sized places with my little blues junior. Just hang a 609 in front of it and run it through the house.
Champ's reissues ain't the same as the originals. I played all the silver faces and they could get up too $90 bucks with the spring reverb (very small tank, which sucked), but now everyone's raveing about the reverb, the tube driven tremolo, the overdrive at 10. Number 1 without a pedal to drive it a bit, at any volume there was nothing classic about it. At 10 with the standard fender speaker it sucked. The amp rattled like those early small 80's $225 tweed's, the reverb and tremolos and sound stunk. Now, this good guy buy's one in the box, it comes with a cover and at that $800+ price tag better have come with a foot-switch, but the difference was it came with a good celestion 10" speaker, the old 8" speaker was too stiff and stifling. The only way to get any good sounds out of them was to put the right Jenson in there that was that, but don't forget, this has a good quality , quiet, digital delay. When I bought my Twin Reverb brand new in the box in 74, I paid $390 out the door. Give me the day's when list price wasn't the rule.
I think it's entirely wrong to classify this as a practice amp as some suggest. I have one and get great pleasure playing through it, both at home and in a rehearsal studio through a Marshall 4x12 cab it's huge! That's why I own the Vibro Champ...nothing to do with practice 🙂
I feel the same about my 65 Fender Princeton Reverb reissue. Its perfect in my NYC apartment with volume @ 2.5 = gorgeous "Cleans" - Good Luck with your new amp.
Gotta agree my 65 Princeton is a perfect "home" and even small gig amp. Grab and go! Reverb, Trem, great cleans, great medium breakup, throw on an ODC and stand back!
The Princeton is about 1.200 EUR , while the Vibro Champ is 888 . No need for another loud amp , just wanted something for home playing with great sound and features. Love mine …
This is the best Amplifier Combo you can get. I have about 30 vintage tube amplifiers and now I want to get this Amplifier. The next one is the Lacquered Tweed Princeton reverb with a 1x12 Cannabis Rex Speaker. THANK YOU-Shane
I hope you’ve written a lot of songs and made a lot of people happy with all that gear, damn. I’ve had a tone master twin for years now and used to think it was the only amp I’d ever need since I can play bass through it and run a microphone or my midi keyboard and drum machine through it I basically use it as a PA since it’s so freaking loud and clean. Then I played one of these at my local store and I loved it. I’m still on the fence since I’ve always been a minimalist with two guitars one amp not counting my bass or keys or drums or my trumpet and saxophone and oboe etc. I basically play the whole orchestra, often with some effects and through my twin. It really is the perfect do everything amp. I wouldn’t know where to begin understanding what I would do with 30 amps other than sell 28 or 29 of them. How often do you play them? I am a professional oboist and I play over a dozen instruments pretty well and even it seems like my home is filled with instruments I don’t think I have 30 total and it floors me to know you have just that many guitar amplifiers.
Sounds great but for a tiny 5W amp, it's prohibitively expensive being more than $800 at both Thomann and Sweetwater. I've been using the 1x12 15 Watt valve amplifier from Thomann (Harley Benton TUBE 15) / Monoprice (Stage Right brand). It's got a trio of 12AX7's and a pair of EL84's, a Celestion Seventy 80 speaker, and a built-in attenuator for 15W / 1W mode. It's effectively a Fender Blues Junior clone and I highly recommend it. Mine was purchased in late 2017 and so I've got a ton of practice on it. No rotary speaker effect but for less than half the price, that is not important.
I noticed the same thing. Is there a particular reason this amp is priced nearly the same as Fender's 'full size' 15 watt 1x12" Blues Jr. or Bassbreaker models? Is the Tremolo an especially expensive feature to add? Because the Bassbreaker also has a digital reverb, and I believe the Blues Jr. actually features a real SPRING reverb?
@@StreetPreacherrthe reason is marketing. This amp is as simple as any other small fender amps. And the cost of making i bet is cheaper that say blues jr. But its silverface. Classic. Nostalgia, you know :) At least they would have put a 20bucks more expensive proper speaker in it, it would then justify the price tag a bit more :)
I walked in to buy this amp a when it came out, but left with the Supro delta 10 for hundreds less. Not quite the same animal, but over a year later I still absolutely love it. Picked up a cheap Joyo sweet baby champ clone for next to nothing on the used market, does a surprisingly good fender clean at low volumes, a good option if the champ price is daunting. Paired it with a TC Hall of fame reverb, very happy with it.
I had the same supro amp for about 3 weeks and the fender pro jr IV SE to compare them. the supro has more features and a reverb but I ended up going back to the fender pro. it has only a volume and tone control ( no reverb). but the tone was to die for and it can very loud for such a small amp. the fender was about $150 less but I'll be getting a reverb pedal for it. the fender sounded alive! their on sale %10 off at GC so they're going for around $500
I bought a 77 Vibro Camp brand new for like $125, still have it, still play it. People are amazed as you,said about all the sound that comes out of it.
I’ve always wanted one of the Fender ‘68 Custom series amps and this Vibro Champ has changed my perspective of it. I was really looking into buying the Pro Reverb but in reality, I don’t need another 40 + watt amp. The Vibro Pro has that great ‘68 Custom series sound that I can play in my office!! I think this will be the next purchase!!!! Thanks!!!😎😎🎸🎸🎸🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
I played one of these in a shop whilst looking for a new guitar. I was so close to just walking out with this amp and forgetting about the guitar. It sounded incredible.
My go-to amp for the daily practice. Even better than the ‘57 Custom Champ IMO. The Blues Junior IV is my second best option with the Master Volume set very low.
That entire line of the silver face reissue is great. I bought the deluxe reverb about 10 years ago, have cycled through a number of amps, and still come back to the silver face deluxe.
Great demo. You didn't waste any time hiding the product with a lengthy unboxing. You showed it right up front and then cleverly inserted unboxing snippets to show how easy it was to get out and what came with it. Then, you ran through all the permutations of the amp tones with brief but illustrative licks with two different guitars telling us how many pick ups and what the amp was set at. Superbly done. Puts 30 minute demos, with 5 minutes of talking and 5 minutes of unboxing and 5 minutes of showing the knobs before any tones played, to shame. Wish all demo videos were like yours.
Better off just getting a higher quality head. Omit the reverb and trem and buy a FLINT pedal. It will be far quieter, more reliable and better. Use an extrenal, slightly larger cabinet and load it with 1 or 2 GA SC64 speakers. They are better. For only a little more money and a little more work, you will end up with a far better set up.
That smile says it all really. One happy boy! Sounds wonderful, and I’d be interested to hear how it sounds with various humbuckers with the same mic set up, in your own time of course 😁
Ive bought an engl fireball 25 with a cab for maybe a 200 more and this thing is a beast! Don't look at the metal background of engl - this thing does fantastic cleans, has an attenuator, a very broad eq and a line out with a power soak.
Great review! I've had the same amp for a while now, and I love it. Another online reviewer called it "more like a mini Princeton". I'd say that's fair. Amazing how versatile that amp is. Congrats on the purchase! And thanks for sharing.
Dang if that Kiesel plugged into that amp isn’t the *best* on-the-edge-of-clean tone I’ve ever heard you get Shane! I might have to start saving my money….
I’ve had this amp for 9 months and love it. Sounds just like you describe. I was looking into getting a speaker upgrade but it’s not as easy as I had thought. For a 5W amp it’s very loud. As it’s not too bassy it does soul licks nicely. Enjoy it ‘bra
@@TwylighttI live in an apartment, my neighbours are fine with it provided I play during reasonable hours. It breaks up before volume 5 and is louder than an acoustic at that level, then gets louder. I play it in stereo with another small amp and this gives a big sound without being crazy loud.
As far as 10” amps go, it sounds great. I tried one in my local shop too. Not quite as much bass response as the incredible Magnatone 10” amps, but still very good for far less money. Great value! But I am so used to the wider dynamic range of 12”, I just couldn’t commit to switching away from my current practice amp.
You're right about the bass response. It has the higher low-end which is great for keeping the mud out of the signal. I was quite surprised how well balanced this was overall. :)
I agree. It sounds (almost) phenomenal, but the price for such a small unit is nuts. I can get hand made very good copy of real Fender Black Panel (all tube-7 tubes in total, point to point, high quality parts) for as much as USD 700. I will place an order next month. Fender's pricing policy is, if you ask me. overkill... At least for some of us... And this video convinced me to order genuine circuit.
I ordered hand made copy of Princeton (turret board wired). It is way cheaper than official model, but the quality is as good or should I rather say way better :-)@@kristoferroe1532
Wow - $900 for a practice amp! Wish I had the disposable income to buy this, but I'd guess that this price is a non-starter for most of us who are looking for a "practice" amp. Sounds awesome, though!
It's a great amp, but way overpriced. I had the same amp in the 70s, and paid $100 for it. Inflation rates bring that to $470 today. If volume is an issue, get an attenuator.
@@NickGranville It all depends on your income and expenses. Most “pros” barely make ends meet, it’s a small percentage of working musicians (whose only income is from playing music) that do better than that, in my experience; so this price would likely be WAY too much for a “practice” amp. Now if music is not your main/only source of income, then I’d say you can probably afford paying nearly a grand for an amp that is for “practice.”
I've had this amp since it first came out in the UK. It's a wonderful amp. That said I'm reluctantly thinking of selling mine, I'm itching to try one of the new Marshall JTM Studios and the boss has a very strict 'one in, one out' policy for amps 😔
Sounds good. I was looking at this amp a few years back, seemed a little expensive for what it was and I ended up getting a special edition Princeton that has a 12" speaker for a little more instead.
Whatever you paid for it, it's well worth it. I have one myself, and it's amazing. It's just so versatile, and easy to get your perfect tone. I see you mentioning that it might not be gig-worthy, I would like to challenge that notion, as I have gigged with mine with no issues. Granted if you have a drummer who doesn't understand when to play loud and when to play softer ( e.g. a lousy drummer) then yes it might be difficult, but even then just bring 2 of them, either in stereo or wet-dry, and you are golden, or pair it with a different cab live, like a 4x12, 2x12 or even a large 1x12 cab. Or if you have an alright drummer, just mic it up, have it close to you, angle the amp upwards, and gigging with it is absolutely possible. I would say as a lead-vocalist and lead-guitarist, gigging with this amp ticks so many boxes, from good guitar tone and still being able to hear myself sing, and to not have crappy sound-guy issues, that I don't care if I might need to mic it up at a gig, because I would do that anyway with any other amp. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it is gig-worthy no matter what the circumstances are, but I will claim that in a lot of settings it is well able to hold its own. In any good 3-piece band, it shouldn't be a problem, unless your drummer sucks. And even in bands where you will have drums, bass, guitar, keys and vocals, you should be fine too. But beyond that is the moment you might start to struggle, however as I said, just bring another 5 watt amp with you, and you will have no problem keeping up with a busy band mix. Or get the Princeton instead, which is basically just a bigger and slightly louder version of this amp. Me, I will stick to my champ for now, although knowing my GAS issues I will likely get the Princeton as well at some point. Although the Princeton also suffers from these unwarranted claims of being difficult to gig with. Granted my claim is a generalization, but so is the claim that you would struggle gigging with it. The way I use my Vibro Champ is together with another 5 watt amp (a Laney Lionheart 5) in a wet-dry configuration. The Vibro Champ is the "dry" amp (damp actually, that tremolo is to die for), and the Laney is the wet amp. Both run at roughly the same volume, however the Laney is slightly louder and fuller sounding, with its larger cabinet and slightly higher headroom, which is why it is the wet amp, and the Vibro Champ being the dry amp runs just a little hotter. Running these 2 amps together is a glorious sound, and a sound that is absolutely loud enough both clean and distorted, for any band mix. Should I ever need to be louder than this, I can easily slave to other amps after them for wet effects mostly, but would honestly be overkill to do so. Or maybe just pair it with another cab live, like a 4x12 or even a 1x12 which will make it much louder. So please try to use the amp live before dismissing it altogether for live purposes. I guarantee you will be surprised at how well it can handle being used on stage. Of course be realistic, if you are in a death-metal band, and the other guitarist is using some glorious cranked 100 watt tube amp, any amp might struggle next to this. But if this is the case, this amp is not for you anyway, and what are you doing here?
Do you think the Laney is better sounding than the Fender? You say it sounds fuller. I had the Vibrochamp and found it a bit lacking in bass response and fullness. Maybe the Lionheart 5w is a better bet as a single amp solution? Thanks
@@rodolphep0nthus555 I wouldn't say that the Laney sounds better, it sounds different, it sounds british to be more exact. However the Laney has a bigger speaker and a bigger cabinet, so it will sound a little bigger on it's own. The Laney is a 2 channel amp with an effects loop, so I guess to some extent it's more versatile. I personally prefer the Fender because it's everything the Laney is not. But sure depending on your circumstances, if you want a gigable guarantee, then this is easier to give for the Laney, because it is super loud for 5 watts, and can be pushed a lot before it is completely pointless, and it has an extra extension cab output, so you can run an extra cab with it, making it much louder. But I would say you can also make the Fender almost just as loud by using it as a head for bigger gigs. As a at home or bedroom amp the Fender is much, much better and much more appropriate. It is much easier to get really good lower volume tones from the Fender in contrast to the Laney, that doesn't really come alive until it is cooking a little bit. I have both amps, and if I can only use one amp, I will still pick the Fender, because it is so much lighter and easier to drag along to a gig or rehearsal or jam session. The Laney weighs a lot more, simply because it is bigger, not in wattage, but in physical size. So no, the Laney doesn't sound better. For me it's not a question of better it's more a question of different. And the Vibrochamp doesn't sound like most other Vibrochamps, it sounds more like a 5 watt Princeton than a Champ. But sure, you can argue the Laney might be a better single amp solution, if volume is a big problem, and you really only have the option of one amp. But as I have said, it's not because the Vibrochamp isn't loud, it is still really loud, the Laney is just naturally somewhat louder, because of the bigger speaker and cabinet. But that also means that the Laney is much bulkier and much heavier. And if you think about the option of using the Vibrochamp as a head, for those gigs where volume is an issue, with perhaps a 4x12 cab, then the Vibrochamp will be much louder and sound much bigger. So for me it's really just a question of do you prefer british tones more than fender tones. Both are glorious by the way.
Hi@@rodolphep0nthus555, Yes I think it is safe to say that the Fender is a better pedal platform, although I think both are brilliant as pedal platforms or any other type of use. It is however easier, in my opinon, to sculpt a Fender amp in contrast to a more british sounding amp. The Fender cleans are just best from Fender amps, and well the Marshall or British dirt, is easily achieved through pedals, plus the upside of having the option of true Fender/american dirt as well. For me it's a nobrainer, get both ;)
Hi Shane, sounds fantastic and looks killer. But don’t discount the Bugera V5 until you have tried the bright cap mod. Night and day difference just by adding two caps across volume and gain pots. I always found the Bugera to be too dark and lifeless, until I did that mod. Now it’s amazing, for the cost of a couple of $ in caps. But I know it won’t be for everyone if they aren’t able to work on it safely themselves.
With a smaller space, that's why I'm happy with my Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb. Still gets the same sound and with the attenuator, I disturb no one. Looking at the size of the Vibro Champ, it will definitely fit into small spaces easily.
I’m thinking about getting the Tone Master Princeton for this reason. My tube driven Princeton while phenomenal is just nuts and using an external attenuator is just a semi pain in the neck.
@@mattmanley7118 I was considering getting the Tone Master Princeton but I decided against it because it's not loud enough when playing with the drummer.
That's lovely! I've had so many digital home amps over the years, always move them on. This could be a good tube option! Right now I'm running two Boss Katana 50s (ABY with Radial Big Shot) and it sounds pretty great...
I dont know how people complain about the speaker. Honestly, I've had Princetons with upgraded speakers, and i could only hear a very minimal difference. Even at 5 watts, this thing can get loud. The sparkle cleans are beautiful, and the digital reverb and tube tremolo sound aweome. The bottom line is for 1k , its definitely worth it
I plugged into this amp a while ago while trying a guitar. It sounded amazing, the tremolo and reverb were unreal. But unfortunately i vowed to not buy a tube amp for a long time. I hope they will release a Tone Master of this amp some day 😀
This was my first amp ever. In the mid 60's it was made black faced and had a larger cabinet. It was stolen in the seventies along with a Guild semi-hollow and a vox hollow body.
Great playing as always, Shane, and a good review. It's super clear what the amp sounds like - and it sounds great. As great as it sounds, it all reminds me of how I just don't love the black/silver Fender sounds. Thank you for saving me from my Princeton urges! :) I have a fuzzy tweed heart...
I had an original Vibro Champ in mint condition, sounded like a dream mmm. I let my brother borrow it and he lost it in a storage locker. I’m still passed about it! He should buy me this!
I've had this amp for over a year now and it sounds really great. takes pedals well. Excellent cleans and add a overdrive pedal and it cooks! Also have a Line 6 modeler and both sound great! Get it!! Play it! Love it!!!
@@NS-tc9kk I heard a rattling noise once but it turned out to be a lamp in the corner was rattling. But check the screws holding the speaker to the cabinet. Make sure they're tight. Make sure all the screws are tight.
Ok now i have a mixed bag of the champ is good with pedals to not so good to ignoring the use of pedals or discussing the use. No big deal but yeah the lamp rattling in the corner has got to go!
@intheblues, Hi Shane after watching your review and a few others I went to try out a 68 custom vibro champ too with a strat and sg standard as well as compared it to a blues junior tweed Ltd. The blues junior sounded a bit fizzy and too loud for home or bedroom to be played quietly but man that 68 vibro champ had a nice clean and an even better grind especially with a few overdrive pedals in front. Sounds so good with my Gibson Sg Standard 61 as well as my Strat. I've got an EHX reverb pedal and compared that to the vibro champ and all I can say Fender did a very nice job with their digital reverb which sounds way better than my Ehx. Also love that the cabinet is made from Birch plywood unlike the blues juniors chipboard. I can't belive how good this thing sounds turned up 😊 Ps: Also tried the 68 custom Princton reverb which sounded very bassy and too loud turned up for home, however that little 68 vibro champ had that magic mojo ingredients in my opinion, even the guy in the shop said the same thing
Sounds lovely. I wanted one of these but ended up getting a pro junior instead because I couldn’t stretch to the extra money. They are pricey for a 5 watt amp but do sound fantastic. Im happy with my pro junior anyway.
Bought one of these a few years ago after 1st came out in the USA. Think I paid about $800USD. They are now up to $900USBIDEN$ but cheaper than a new lacquercover CHAMP. Portability - weight is good. Soundwise, slightly spikey.
I sold my tonemaster and bought one of these as the tonemasters sound like a valve amp but don’t feel like a valve amp. They lack the sag and feel you get when playing valve amps.
Oh, that sounds so sweet Shane! No wonder your buddies were urging you to break the bank and just buy it. An amp to keep you company during your long, cold Australian winter nights, eh? LOL from Canada! 😏🎸😎
I like a lot of the 5 watt tube amps. I have a Fender 600 champion that I really like. Only a volume control on it. Got an Epiphone Valve Junior head that sounds great. Just a single volume control on it also. It sounds great with no effects. The Bugera V5 is another one I own that's a good little amp. Guess I'll have to try out one of these Vibro Champs now. It sounds great in this video.
Nice video! I've had mine a few years now and just love it! I play at home so it's the only amp I need. No need to replace speaker or any of that nonsense, it great as is...
Love this review Shane! I am the owner of a 1977 Vibro Champ that was completely restored by a friend of mine. While it lacks reverb I love the way it sounds and I will never part with it even though it has a smaller speaker than these new Vibro Champ amplifiers from Fender. Great demo by you here, and a great amplifier too!
I have a '74 champ myself, I switched out the rca speaker jack for a 1/4" one, it's a very easy and fully reversible mod worth looking into if you want to run it through a bigger cab
Another good review. You have really good insight on how to dial in amplifiers. This amp blew me away the first time I tried it at a local guitar shop. There were many amps there and the Champ was the only one anyone was using to test out their guitar after it was repaired. I’ve got amps for every occasion but I have found this little fella works really well with any big hollow body, ES-175 or similar. And yes I got one! It’s like my Vibro King had a baby.
Love my VC reverb! But i see a lot of ppl in the comments dont really get the point of these. Each to their own i guess. Considering swapping the speaker in mine to a fat jimmy c1025, but there's no real need. The stock speaker sounds great as is.
You sound pleased with your purchase. The amp does sound splendid. What turns me off, many new amp purchases do not include the footswitch. Why build an amp that will take a footswitch and not include with the purchase. Absolutely ridiculous. Fender is not alone.
Sounds great BUT for anyone considering this, you might want to do what I did...grab a quality 5 watt hand-wired HEAD only. I snagged a lightly used one for $450! It's based on the same Champ circuit only it uses far better components. Fender tube amps usually suffer from either noise and/or failure of the Trem and Reverb. They are fantastic when they work but that is often short lived. I demo them in the GC store often and about 50% of the time, the Trem is dead on used amps. Sales guy always acts dumb...really dude? Yeah- really. Spin the Intensity knob and nothing changes. My amp builder said he likes to omit the Trem and Reverb in his heads because that way they can be dead quiet and super reliable. He said those circuits require additional tubes, electrical interferance, etc. Annoying buzz or humm is usually from those and other design flaw issues. With the money I saved, I then bought, in many (not all) ways superior Strymon FLINT pedal- gets you great TREM and also very decent REVERB all in one pedal ($349.) It isolates the circuits and can help keep your amp quiet. It also has bypass. Stereo pedal too and much easier to control than having to do it on the amp- or amp footswitch. Far more tweakable. If you buy a Fender new, plan on dropping about $500 more ASAP to have a good amp tech fix it- upgrade the caps, maybe the transformer and a few well known problematic components, reistors, heaters, etc. I found that proposition rediculous which is why I went the way I did. Then, say you do all of that. Congrats but now you will want to upgrade the speaker. To smoothen out what can be described as ice pick tone, yet keep that great Fender sparkle, I went with a GA SC-64 10". I made a larger, mostly open back cabinet. The speaker sounds larger, fuller and more musical. 12" is fine- many like it but in a 5 watt amp it can get muddy. I have another 12" amp that I can AB/Y and run them in parrallel. This amp sound beautiful but appreciate that it is mostly a one trick pony- and that is OK. Have other amps for hard rock or metal. Appreciate this amp for clean tones- jazz, light blues, etc. It has a paper cone, same with my new speaker. that makes it extremely light and touch sensitive but also more prone to get damaged if you drive it hard- lots of square wave, hard trem and distortion while cranking it. Some is fine- just not too much. If you need louder, mic it to another powered speaker or cab. Bottom line, I spent about the same money and ended up with a FAR better amp., arguably better effects and upgraded speaker. Tube driven trem on amp does sound great- when it works.
Good review. I was a little concerned about the digital reverb, but it seems they have done a good job getting that effect sounding about right. It would be nice to hear it plugged into a full sized cabinet.
What a fantastic amp. I’m intrigued now as I still haven’t traded in my tube Princeton yet . It’s unfortunately just too loud BUT even using an external attenuator is a bit of a pain just more wires n cords to hassle with. Fender Princeton TM still looking likely
Make sure to test the TM first. I sold my Deluxe Reverb TM. It did not sound as good as a tube amp to me. I have tried but yet to find a perfect digital tube emulation.
If you have a decent P.A front of house, then this amp could be gigged with, the majority of pubs/clubs musos play in Australia are pretty small anyway, you could gig with this in most situations, 5 watts from RMS tube is actually pretty loud
11 месяцев назад+1
Hi my brother. Can we get the shimmer from this amp as nice as we can get from Super Reverb? For home use, I can not turn up the volume of Super Reverb so I'm planning to get Vibro Champ 🙏
Great amp and I love the lunch box size. Throw a mic in front of it if you are playing with a band. Crazy that it still sounds so good with that Celestian Ten in it. I bought one of those speakers for a 90's Marshall combo amp and it worked well but never thought it could get that chimey with a Fender amp.
Hi Shane. This video is surprised me. I have too Vibro Champ. The Beatles used in their late time Silverface Twin Reverb. I wish buy a silverface Twin Reverb but I am amateur guitarist, just playing free time. I bought Vibro Champ for this reason. But I can say that has super clean tones. I'm using with Fender Player Strat, Marshall Bluesbreaker Od and Stomp XL. I have many overdrive pedal but unfortunately they are don't with me. I didn't have time for crunch or overdriven tones, but usually I am tried some chorus, univibe, rotary effect by Stomp XL. It gives good reaction. I will try with my other guitars when I back to my home. I am waiting your review video, with your Tokai and jam track. Stay well.
Fender Vibro Champ Reverb is an amazing amp. Perfect for recording and works for small gigs too. The original Vibro Champs always suffered from their lack of reverb.
I have a 77 vibro champ that I bought brand new., no reverb, but a killer Tremelo..Turn it on and wait 15-20 mins to let it warm up. 45 yrs and its still rocking, I have replaced a tube or two, and the speaker.
yup they are classics for good reason. I had a '66 bfvc, it sounded great at every volume: clean low, crunchy turned up, and dependable as a rock. However I always missed having reverb and finally sold it. I eventually replaced it with this model and I'm very glad about it. Enjoy yours, it'll last at least another 46 years! @@guyincascade
I watched this all the way through and you did a great job of demoing it. I have watched a lot of other RUclipsrs demoing this amplifier and for some reason it just doesn't gel with me. I do like the sound of the Black Star 10 6l6 and I think that will be my next purchase.
@@ecowill10 The Champ is awesome with the G10 c/s speaker. It really send out what the amps range is. I think the original speaker in my 74 was getting flubby. I put the same speaker but a 12” in my Princeton with the same results. I have several cabs with at least one WGS speaker in it as well. Solid product.
I went in to help my friend choose a delay pedal and walked out with this amplifier!😂
Check out the Amplifier here:
🛒 Sweetwater - sweetwater.sjv.io/Kj4eMA
🛒 Thomann - bit.ly/457EyhZ
🛒 Fender - bit.ly/3fZiRMF
🛒 Guitar Center - guitar-center.pxf.io/75omvr
🛒 Sky Music - alnk.to/3ck9Hme
(affiliate links)
Saw YOU coming! ;o)
I've had this amp for almost 2 years. There's something that makes me feel like a member of the Wrecking Crew when I rehearse with it. A great Blackface/Silverface in a tiny package!
Louie Shelton
My first amplifier was a 1964 vibro champ. After years of owning it and constantly having people offering to buy it from me, I gave in and took an offer I couldn't refuse. I've been chasing that sound ever since.
Sounds fantastic. If you don't need gig volume, then something like this is the way to go.
Thanks, John! It's a great little amp.
Most venues mic up your amp for easier desk control anyway! It’s more if it’s louder than your drummer 😂
@@intheblues ..aside from all else, even with solid state sounding so much better and more versatile than ever, and you've tested a few, tube amps are still being made and people are still buying them...
You don't need "gig-volume".
That's what monitors are for.
I remember the first time I showed up with a Silverface Princeton Reverb.
The Sound guys had a smile from ear to ear...
Stage noise is not a great thing anyway. I’ve played some medium sized places with my little blues junior. Just hang a 609 in front of it and run it through the house.
Owned this amp for just over a year now, and I agree with everything you said, awesome amp for clean tones but takes pedals like….well a champ 😊
Awesome! Thanks for the long term review.
Champ's reissues ain't the same as the originals. I played all the silver faces and they could get up too $90 bucks with the spring reverb (very small tank, which sucked), but now everyone's raveing about the reverb, the tube driven tremolo, the overdrive at 10. Number 1 without a pedal to drive it a bit, at any volume there was nothing classic about it. At 10 with the standard fender speaker it sucked. The amp rattled like those early small 80's $225 tweed's, the reverb and tremolos and sound stunk. Now, this good guy buy's one in the box, it comes with a cover and at that $800+ price tag better have come with a foot-switch, but the difference was it came with a good celestion 10" speaker, the old 8" speaker was too stiff and stifling. The only way to get any good sounds out of them was to put the right Jenson in there that was that, but don't forget, this has a good quality , quiet, digital delay. When I bought my Twin Reverb brand new in the box in 74, I paid $390 out the door. Give me the day's when list price wasn't the rule.
Hi mate!
Thanks for the beaut video!
What's the green Marshall 2×12 ?
Looks like a SV20H ?
I have one and I love it!!!
Love to hear you playing it.
I guess i translate that as champs do not do pedals impressively. I have not tried or heard them with pedals.
For pink floyd stuff with big muffs, top quality?
I think it's entirely wrong to classify this as a practice amp as some suggest. I have one and get great pleasure playing through it, both at home and in a rehearsal studio through a Marshall 4x12 cab it's huge! That's why I own the Vibro Champ...nothing to do with practice 🙂
I’ve been a Fender tube amp junkie all my life. That definitely doesn’t disappoint!
I feel the same about my 65 Fender Princeton Reverb reissue. Its perfect in my NYC apartment with volume @ 2.5 = gorgeous "Cleans" - Good Luck with your new amp.
Gotta agree my 65 Princeton is a perfect "home" and even small gig amp. Grab and go!
Reverb, Trem, great cleans, great medium breakup, throw on an ODC and stand back!
The Princeton is about 1.200 EUR , while the Vibro Champ is 888 . No need for another loud amp , just wanted something for home playing with great sound and features.
Love mine …
That Princeton is nice..my Cousin bought one last year and it's killer and smooth.
That Princeton is nice..my Cousin bought one last year and it's killer and smooth.
This is the best Amplifier Combo you can get. I have about 30 vintage tube amplifiers and now I want to get this Amplifier. The next one is the Lacquered Tweed Princeton reverb with a 1x12 Cannabis Rex Speaker. THANK YOU-Shane
I hope you’ve written a lot of songs and made a lot of people happy with all that gear, damn. I’ve had a tone master twin for years now and used to think it was the only amp I’d ever need since I can play bass through it and run a microphone or my midi keyboard and drum machine through it I basically use it as a PA since it’s so freaking loud and clean. Then I played one of these at my local store and I loved it. I’m still on the fence since I’ve always been a minimalist with two guitars one amp not counting my bass or keys or drums or my trumpet and saxophone and oboe etc. I basically play the whole orchestra, often with some effects and through my twin. It really is the perfect do everything amp. I wouldn’t know where to begin understanding what I would do with 30 amps other than sell 28 or 29 of them. How often do you play them? I am a professional oboist and I play over a dozen instruments pretty well and even it seems like my home is filled with instruments I don’t think I have 30 total and it floors me to know you have just that many guitar amplifiers.
Sounds great but for a tiny 5W amp, it's prohibitively expensive being more than $800 at both Thomann and Sweetwater. I've been using the 1x12 15 Watt valve amplifier from Thomann (Harley Benton TUBE 15) / Monoprice (Stage Right brand). It's got a trio of 12AX7's and a pair of EL84's, a Celestion Seventy 80 speaker, and a built-in attenuator for 15W / 1W mode. It's effectively a Fender Blues Junior clone and I highly recommend it. Mine was purchased in late 2017 and so I've got a ton of practice on it. No rotary speaker effect but for less than half the price, that is not important.
Did you modify it? I'm not sure what was in there before.
@@mr.d.572 no that’s the configuration that comes with it as stock. Totally unmodified.
I noticed the same thing. Is there a particular reason this amp is priced nearly the same as Fender's 'full size' 15 watt 1x12" Blues Jr. or Bassbreaker models? Is the Tremolo an especially expensive feature to add? Because the Bassbreaker also has a digital reverb, and I believe the Blues Jr. actually features a real SPRING reverb?
@@StreetPreacherrthe reason is marketing. This amp is as simple as any other small fender amps. And the cost of making i bet is cheaper that say blues jr. But its silverface. Classic. Nostalgia, you know :) At least they would have put a 20bucks more expensive proper speaker in it, it would then justify the price tag a bit more :)
I thought it was a Laney Cub12R clone
Don't know what the amp sounds like in person, but the guitar player is amazing amazing amazing!!!! Big thumbs up 👍👍👍
I walked in to buy this amp a when it came out, but left with the Supro delta 10 for hundreds less. Not quite the same animal, but over a year later I still absolutely love it. Picked up a cheap Joyo sweet baby champ clone for next to nothing on the used market, does a surprisingly good fender clean at low volumes, a good option if the champ price is daunting. Paired it with a TC Hall of fame reverb, very happy with it.
Did you choose the Supro for it's clean or dirty tones?
Played one the other day. It sounded nice. Congrats.
I had the same supro amp for about 3 weeks and the fender pro jr IV SE to compare them. the supro has more features and a reverb but I ended up going back to the fender pro. it has only a volume and tone control ( no reverb). but the tone was to die for and it can very loud for such a small amp. the fender was about $150 less but I'll be getting a reverb pedal for it. the fender sounded alive! their on sale %10 off at GC so they're going for around $500
@@57blondstratThe Flint pedal is excellent. Trem and Reverb. If you don't need Trem, there are many options.
Ethereal sounds with both reverb and tremolo. Happy New Amp Day. Cheers and enjoy.
Great sounds. That's the perfect bedroom amp. I always say onboard tremolo sounds better than a tremolo pedal.
I've never been happy with tremolo pedals.
@@mr.d.572 Me either. They get the job done but there's just something more satisfying when the tremolo is built into the amp.
So if you used 2 in stereo would it still be a bedroom amp? To be honest I can't believe people still play in mono
I bought a 77 Vibro Camp brand new for like $125, still have it, still play it. People are amazed as you,said about all the sound that comes out of it.
I’ve always wanted one of the Fender ‘68 Custom series amps and this Vibro Champ has changed my perspective of it. I was really looking into buying the Pro Reverb but in reality, I don’t need another 40 + watt amp. The Vibro Pro has that great ‘68 Custom series sound that I can play in my office!! I think this will be the next purchase!!!! Thanks!!!😎😎🎸🎸🎸🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
The Fender Vibro Champ Reverb amp sounds great without being too loud and should serve you well for doing pedal demos.
I played one of these in a shop whilst looking for a new guitar. I was so close to just walking out with this amp and forgetting about the guitar. It sounded incredible.
For home volume you think is ok?
@@Twylightt For clean sound yes, for overdriven sound use a pedal with it.
My go-to amp for the daily practice. Even better than the ‘57 Custom Champ IMO. The Blues Junior IV is my second best option with the Master Volume set very low.
That entire line of the silver face reissue is great. I bought the deluxe reverb about 10 years ago, have cycled through a number of amps, and still come back to the silver face deluxe.
Great demo. You didn't waste any time hiding the product with a lengthy unboxing. You showed it right up front and then cleverly inserted unboxing snippets to show how easy it was to get out and what came with it. Then, you ran through all the permutations of the amp tones with brief but illustrative licks with two different guitars telling us how many pick ups and what the amp was set at. Superbly done. Puts 30 minute demos, with 5 minutes of talking and 5 minutes of unboxing and 5 minutes of showing the knobs before any tones played, to shame. Wish all demo videos were like yours.
It’s a great little amp. I’ve played it in some local stores and really like it. It’s on my shortlist for my next amp purchase.
Better off just getting a higher quality head. Omit the reverb and trem and buy a FLINT pedal. It will be far quieter, more reliable and better. Use an extrenal, slightly larger cabinet and load it with 1 or 2 GA SC64 speakers. They are better. For only a little more money and a little more work, you will end up with a far better set up.
That smile says it all really. One happy boy! Sounds wonderful, and I’d be interested to hear how it sounds with various humbuckers with the same mic set up, in your own time of course 😁
Ive bought an engl fireball 25 with a cab for maybe a 200 more and this thing is a beast! Don't look at the metal background of engl - this thing does fantastic cleans, has an attenuator, a very broad eq and a line out with a power soak.
Agreed, Engl stuff is incredible for clean/blues sounds.
Great review! I've had the same amp for a while now, and I love it. Another online reviewer called it "more like a mini Princeton". I'd say that's fair. Amazing how versatile that amp is. Congrats on the purchase! And thanks for sharing.
I’d love to see a long term review of this amp.
Dang if that Kiesel plugged into that amp isn’t the *best* on-the-edge-of-clean tone I’ve ever heard you get Shane!
I might have to start saving my money….
Thanks! I agree, it sounds fantastic!
I’ve had this amp for 9 months and love it. Sounds just like you describe. I was looking into getting a speaker upgrade but it’s not as easy as I had thought. For a 5W amp it’s very loud. As it’s not too bassy it does soul licks nicely. Enjoy it ‘bra
For home, apartment with neighbours! Is possible good sounds?
@@TwylighttI live in an apartment, my neighbours are fine with it provided I play during reasonable hours. It breaks up before volume 5 and is louder than an acoustic at that level, then gets louder. I play it in stereo with another small amp and this gives a big sound without being crazy loud.
As far as 10” amps go, it sounds great. I tried one in my local shop too. Not quite as much bass response as the incredible Magnatone 10” amps, but still very good for far less money. Great value! But I am so used to the wider dynamic range of 12”, I just couldn’t commit to switching away from my current practice amp.
You're right about the bass response. It has the higher low-end which is great for keeping the mud out of the signal. I was quite surprised how well balanced this was overall. :)
Yes, but the Magnatone comes with a HEAVY price tag.
Well I guess somebody has to pay for Billy Gibbons' endorsement for Magnatone?
I agree. It sounds (almost) phenomenal, but the price for such a small unit is nuts. I can get hand made very good copy of real Fender Black Panel (all tube-7 tubes in total, point to point, high quality parts) for as much as USD 700. I will place an order next month. Fender's pricing policy is, if you ask me. overkill... At least for some of us... And this video convinced me to order genuine circuit.
sooo whats the amp you ended up buying ?
I ordered hand made copy of Princeton (turret board wired). It is way cheaper than official model, but the quality is as good or should I rather say way better :-)@@kristoferroe1532
Morning Shane, from the United States. Have a supremely superb day!✨💎💎💎✨
Great tones for sure. I like the dynamics and that it really highlight the differences between the different guitars.
The 68 custom series is truly awesome. The only one that I really didn't dig on was the 68 Princeton. The 68 deluxe reverb is truly unbelievable.
Hey Shane Good decision that amp sounds amazing. The clean tone is to die for !
Love mine and made it even better with a Jensen P10R.
I did the same swap
Sounds awesome, Shane! It's like the perfect home practice & recording amp, this is definitely on my short list 👍
Sounds sweet. Beautiful built in effects, and plenty of oomph for a small studio/bedroom. May have to start saving my pennies (again)!
Makes you want to sit around all day playing Hendrix tunes. (That clean tone on the edge of breakup is perfect for the Wind Cries Mary)
I actually gigged with that amp a number of times and it performed great
Wow - $900 for a practice amp! Wish I had the disposable income to buy this, but I'd guess that this price is a non-starter for most of us who are looking for a "practice" amp. Sounds awesome, though!
It's a great amp, but way overpriced. I had the same amp in the 70s, and paid $100 for it. Inflation rates bring that to $470 today. If volume is an issue, get an attenuator.
@@CJRamos-jv3pb Thanks for confirming my suspicion that this price is way high. And for the inflation conversion!
Yeah this is priced too high. Most amps are, and they're not even hand wired. It's a racket for sure 😕
Price seems reasonable to me. And for some it’s not so much about disposable income rather it’s a useful tool for pros, so all good
@@NickGranville It all depends on your income and expenses. Most “pros” barely make ends meet, it’s a small percentage of working musicians (whose only income is from playing music) that do better than that, in my experience; so this price would likely be WAY too much for a “practice” amp. Now if music is not your main/only source of income, then I’d say you can probably afford paying nearly a grand for an amp that is for “practice.”
I've had this amp since it first came out in the UK. It's a wonderful amp. That said I'm reluctantly thinking of selling mine, I'm itching to try one of the new Marshall JTM Studios and the boss has a very strict 'one in, one out' policy for amps 😔
@intheblues_ how?
Sounds good. I was looking at this amp a few years back, seemed a little expensive for what it was and I ended up getting a special edition Princeton that has a 12" speaker for a little more instead.
Just like almost everything else, inflation has driven prices up through the roof! $900 USD (new) for a 5 watt amp is hard to swallow.
Does it hum or buzz? Trem and reverb still working?
A big thumbs up! I like the way you do your videos.
Thanks for the support! 😀
I prefer the sound of the supro delta king 12 , 15 watt all tube amp. The best sounding amp I’ve ever played.
Higher output amps are more for live playing. This is a great-low volume home amp that sounds better than any others I've tried with the same setup.
This is not a high output amp and it blows all other low volume amps away. Tone to the bone.
Whatever you paid for it, it's well worth it. I have one myself, and it's amazing. It's just so versatile, and easy to get your perfect tone. I see you mentioning that it might not be gig-worthy, I would like to challenge that notion, as I have gigged with mine with no issues. Granted if you have a drummer who doesn't understand when to play loud and when to play softer ( e.g. a lousy drummer) then yes it might be difficult, but even then just bring 2 of them, either in stereo or wet-dry, and you are golden, or pair it with a different cab live, like a 4x12, 2x12 or even a large 1x12 cab. Or if you have an alright drummer, just mic it up, have it close to you, angle the amp upwards, and gigging with it is absolutely possible. I would say as a lead-vocalist and lead-guitarist, gigging with this amp ticks so many boxes, from good guitar tone and still being able to hear myself sing, and to not have crappy sound-guy issues, that I don't care if I might need to mic it up at a gig, because I would do that anyway with any other amp.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it is gig-worthy no matter what the circumstances are, but I will claim that in a lot of settings it is well able to hold its own. In any good 3-piece band, it shouldn't be a problem, unless your drummer sucks. And even in bands where you will have drums, bass, guitar, keys and vocals, you should be fine too. But beyond that is the moment you might start to struggle, however as I said, just bring another 5 watt amp with you, and you will have no problem keeping up with a busy band mix. Or get the Princeton instead, which is basically just a bigger and slightly louder version of this amp. Me, I will stick to my champ for now, although knowing my GAS issues I will likely get the Princeton as well at some point. Although the Princeton also suffers from these unwarranted claims of being difficult to gig with.
Granted my claim is a generalization, but so is the claim that you would struggle gigging with it.
The way I use my Vibro Champ is together with another 5 watt amp (a Laney Lionheart 5) in a wet-dry configuration. The Vibro Champ is the "dry" amp (damp actually, that tremolo is to die for), and the Laney is the wet amp. Both run at roughly the same volume, however the Laney is slightly louder and fuller sounding, with its larger cabinet and slightly higher headroom, which is why it is the wet amp, and the Vibro Champ being the dry amp runs just a little hotter. Running these 2 amps together is a glorious sound, and a sound that is absolutely loud enough both clean and distorted, for any band mix. Should I ever need to be louder than this, I can easily slave to other amps after them for wet effects mostly, but would honestly be overkill to do so. Or maybe just pair it with another cab live, like a 4x12 or even a 1x12 which will make it much louder.
So please try to use the amp live before dismissing it altogether for live purposes. I guarantee you will be surprised at how well it can handle being used on stage. Of course be realistic, if you are in a death-metal band, and the other guitarist is using some glorious cranked 100 watt tube amp, any amp might struggle next to this. But if this is the case, this amp is not for you anyway, and what are you doing here?
Do you think the Laney is better sounding than the Fender? You say it sounds fuller. I had the Vibrochamp and found it a bit lacking in bass response and fullness. Maybe the Lionheart 5w is a better bet as a single amp solution? Thanks
@@rodolphep0nthus555 I wouldn't say that the Laney sounds better, it sounds different, it sounds british to be more exact. However the Laney has a bigger speaker and a bigger cabinet, so it will sound a little bigger on it's own. The Laney is a 2 channel amp with an effects loop, so I guess to some extent it's more versatile. I personally prefer the Fender because it's everything the Laney is not. But sure depending on your circumstances, if you want a gigable guarantee, then this is easier to give for the Laney, because it is super loud for 5 watts, and can be pushed a lot before it is completely pointless, and it has an extra extension cab output, so you can run an extra cab with it, making it much louder.
But I would say you can also make the Fender almost just as loud by using it as a head for bigger gigs.
As a at home or bedroom amp the Fender is much, much better and much more appropriate. It is much easier to get really good lower volume tones from the Fender in contrast to the Laney, that doesn't really come alive until it is cooking a little bit.
I have both amps, and if I can only use one amp, I will still pick the Fender, because it is so much lighter and easier to drag along to a gig or rehearsal or jam session. The Laney weighs a lot more, simply because it is bigger, not in wattage, but in physical size.
So no, the Laney doesn't sound better. For me it's not a question of better it's more a question of different.
And the Vibrochamp doesn't sound like most other Vibrochamps, it sounds more like a 5 watt Princeton than a Champ.
But sure, you can argue the Laney might be a better single amp solution, if volume is a big problem, and you really only have the option of one amp. But as I have said, it's not because the Vibrochamp isn't loud, it is still really loud, the Laney is just naturally somewhat louder, because of the bigger speaker and cabinet. But that also means that the Laney is much bulkier and much heavier. And if you think about the option of using the Vibrochamp as a head, for those gigs where volume is an issue, with perhaps a 4x12 cab, then the Vibrochamp will be much louder and sound much bigger.
So for me it's really just a question of do you prefer british tones more than fender tones. Both are glorious by the way.
@@TheRealTush wow, that is an excellent comment. Thanks a lot. I'll go for the Fender. It seems to be a better pedal platform?
@@rodolphep0nthus555 Glad to help :)
Hi@@rodolphep0nthus555, Yes I think it is safe to say that the Fender is a better pedal platform, although I think both are brilliant as pedal platforms or any other type of use. It is however easier, in my opinon, to sculpt a Fender amp in contrast to a more british sounding amp. The Fender cleans are just best from Fender amps, and well the Marshall or British dirt, is easily achieved through pedals, plus the upside of having the option of true Fender/american dirt as well.
For me it's a nobrainer, get both ;)
Hi Shane, sounds fantastic and looks killer. But don’t discount the Bugera V5 until you have tried the bright cap mod. Night and day difference just by adding two caps across volume and gain pots. I always found the Bugera to be too dark and lifeless, until I did that mod. Now it’s amazing, for the cost of a couple of $ in caps. But I know it won’t be for everyone if they aren’t able to work on it safely themselves.
I have the Bugera V5 - can you do us a demo vid?
With a smaller space, that's why I'm happy with my Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb. Still gets the same sound and with the attenuator, I disturb no one. Looking at the size of the Vibro Champ, it will definitely fit into small spaces easily.
I’m thinking about getting the Tone Master Princeton for this reason. My tube driven Princeton while phenomenal is just nuts and using an external attenuator is just a semi pain in the neck.
@@mattmanley7118 I was considering getting the Tone Master Princeton but I decided against it because it's not loud enough when playing with the drummer.
Love my TM Twin!!!
@@Santaheckler The Twin is too big and costly for me. I'm still happy with my Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb Blonde.
That's lovely! I've had so many digital home amps over the years, always move them on. This could be a good tube option! Right now I'm running two Boss Katana 50s (ABY with Radial Big Shot) and it sounds pretty great...
I dont know how people complain about the speaker. Honestly, I've had Princetons with upgraded speakers, and i could only hear a very minimal difference.
Even at 5 watts, this thing can get loud. The sparkle cleans are beautiful, and the digital reverb and tube tremolo sound aweome.
The bottom line is for 1k , its definitely worth it
Wow. That is beautiful. As u say, it sounds way bigger than it is.
He’s right. I found one on sale for $725. It’s surprisingly good. It’s definitely a keeper.
What a fantastic purchase, Shane! Sounds so good!! 🤘😊👍
Thanks Shane I was on the fence for this amp but I think ya pushed me to purchase. Keep up the great work!
I plugged into this amp a while ago while trying a guitar. It sounded amazing, the tremolo and reverb were unreal. But unfortunately i vowed to not buy a tube amp for a long time. I hope they will release a Tone Master of this amp some day 😀
Wait a minute. Didn't you just buy that little Marshall behind you too? You got gas bro.
The JTM was sent out by Marshall a few weeks back for the review video. It's a monster of an amp, but I didn't buy it. :)
This was my first amp ever. In the mid 60's it was made black faced and had a larger cabinet. It was stolen in the seventies along with a Guild semi-hollow and a vox hollow body.
I’ve got a silver face VC and I’ve always loved it. With reverb it’s perfect.
Sounds great, and new studio is wonderful mate!
Thanks, Dylan!
Great playing as always, Shane, and a good review. It's super clear what the amp sounds like - and it sounds great. As great as it sounds, it all reminds me of how I just don't love the black/silver Fender sounds. Thank you for saving me from my Princeton urges! :) I have a fuzzy tweed heart...
Oh man that does sound sweet.
I'd love to see a direct comparison with the Vibro Champ and the Fender Tone Master® Princeton Reverb®solid state amp.
I had an original Vibro Champ in mint condition, sounded like a dream mmm. I let my brother borrow it and he lost it in a storage locker. I’m still passed about it! He should buy me this!
VERY sparkly for a 5 watter! \m/
I've had this amp for over a year now and it sounds really great. takes pedals well. Excellent cleans and add a overdrive pedal and it cooks! Also have a Line 6 modeler and both sound great! Get it!! Play it! Love it!!!
@@NS-tc9kk I heard a rattling noise once but it turned out to be a lamp in the corner was rattling. But check the screws holding the speaker to the cabinet. Make sure they're tight. Make sure all the screws are tight.
Ok now i have a mixed bag of the champ is good with pedals to not so good to ignoring the use of pedals or discussing the use.
No big deal but yeah the lamp rattling in the corner has got to go!
@intheblues, Hi Shane after watching your review and a few others I went to try out a 68 custom vibro champ too with a strat and sg standard as well as compared it to a blues junior tweed Ltd. The blues junior sounded a bit fizzy and too loud for home or bedroom to be played quietly but man that 68 vibro champ had a nice clean and an even better grind especially with a few overdrive pedals in front. Sounds so good with my Gibson Sg Standard 61 as well as my Strat. I've got an EHX reverb pedal and compared that to the vibro champ and all I can say Fender did a very nice job with their digital reverb which sounds way better than my Ehx. Also love that the cabinet is made from Birch plywood unlike the blues juniors chipboard. I can't belive how good this thing sounds turned up 😊
Ps: Also tried the 68 custom Princton reverb which sounded very bassy and too loud turned up for home, however that little 68 vibro champ had that magic mojo ingredients in my opinion, even the guy in the shop said the same thing
Sounds lovely. I wanted one of these but ended up getting a pro junior instead because I couldn’t stretch to the extra money. They are pricey for a 5 watt amp but do sound fantastic. Im happy with my pro junior anyway.
You're right that sounds super nice. Great video as always Shane. Enjoy your day brother ☮️❤️
Thanks! You too!
Mate, Sounds great! Nice amp
Bought one of these a few years ago after 1st came out in the USA. Think I paid about $800USD. They are now up to $900USBIDEN$ but cheaper than a new lacquercover CHAMP.
Portability - weight is good. Soundwise, slightly spikey.
What a beautiful, classic amp!
Wondering why you haven't used a Princeton Reverb Tonemaster & set it to a lower power?
Good question.
Would love to hear a reply.
I bought one of these.
One of these and a Blues Jr. and I am content.
I sold my tonemaster and bought one of these as the tonemasters sound like a valve amp but don’t feel like a valve amp. They lack the sag and feel you get when playing valve amps.
Oh, man, how I love that amp. I have a straight up 74 Champ, in the collection, which is just amazing and a studio go to.
Oh, that sounds so sweet Shane! No wonder your buddies were urging you to break the bank and just buy it. An amp to keep you company during your long, cold Australian winter nights, eh? LOL from Canada! 😏🎸😎
I like a lot of the 5 watt tube amps. I have a Fender 600 champion that I really like. Only a volume control on it. Got an Epiphone Valve Junior head that sounds great. Just a single volume control on it also. It sounds great with no effects. The Bugera V5 is another one I own that's a good little amp. Guess I'll have to try out one of these Vibro Champs now. It sounds great in this video.
Nice video! I've had mine a few years now and just love it! I play at home so it's the only amp I need. No need to replace speaker or any of that nonsense, it great as is...
Love this review Shane!
I am the owner of a 1977 Vibro Champ that was completely restored by a friend of mine. While it lacks reverb I love the way it sounds and I will never part with it even though it has a smaller speaker than these new Vibro Champ amplifiers from Fender. Great demo by you here, and a great amplifier too!
I have a '74 champ myself, I switched out the rca speaker jack for a 1/4" one, it's a very easy and fully reversible mod worth looking into if you want to run it through a bigger cab
Thanks that’s a great suggestion!!
I have a 77 also. Had to replace the speaker. Went Guitar Speaker Warehouse, they have 2 excellent 8” speaker choices. Affordable.
Wow...thx Shane. I will be running out to demo one today based on your video! Remarkable tone and as always great video buddy!
The celestion speaker will keep your overdriven tone articulate
Sounds Beautiful Shane , and Beautiful playing
Another good review. You have really good insight on how to dial in amplifiers. This amp blew me away the first time I tried it at a local guitar shop. There were many amps there and the Champ was the only one anyone was using to test out their guitar after it was repaired. I’ve got amps for every occasion but I have found this little fella works really well with any big hollow body, ES-175 or similar. And yes I got one! It’s like my Vibro King had a baby.
@intheblues_ legit?
Love my VC reverb! But i see a lot of ppl in the comments dont really get the point of these. Each to their own i guess. Considering swapping the speaker in mine to a fat jimmy c1025, but there's no real need. The stock speaker sounds great as is.
You sound pleased with your purchase. The amp does sound splendid. What turns me off, many new amp purchases do not include the footswitch. Why build an amp that will take a footswitch and not include with the purchase. Absolutely ridiculous. Fender is not alone.
I reckon i should bought one of these. Psionic Audio has put me off alot of amps though haha. The guy knows his stuff
Those are some really amazing amps. Dynamite in a small package.
i have my puta hooked up to my denon avr and this amp sounded amazing ,, just sublime,mmmm maybe on xmas wishlist ,,,does it have a speaker out??
Sounds great BUT for anyone considering this, you might want to do what I did...grab a quality 5 watt hand-wired HEAD only. I snagged a lightly used one for $450! It's based on the same Champ circuit only it uses far better components.
Fender tube amps usually suffer from either noise and/or failure of the Trem and Reverb. They are fantastic when they work but that is often short lived. I demo them in the GC store often and about 50% of the time, the Trem is dead on used amps. Sales guy always acts dumb...really dude? Yeah- really. Spin the Intensity knob and nothing changes.
My amp builder said he likes to omit the Trem and Reverb in his heads because that way they can be dead quiet and super reliable. He said those circuits require additional tubes, electrical interferance, etc. Annoying buzz or humm is usually from those and other design flaw issues.
With the money I saved, I then bought, in many (not all) ways superior Strymon FLINT pedal- gets you great TREM and also very decent REVERB all in one pedal ($349.) It isolates the circuits and can help keep your amp quiet. It also has bypass. Stereo pedal too and much easier to control than having to do it on the amp- or amp footswitch. Far more tweakable.
If you buy a Fender new, plan on dropping about $500 more ASAP to have a good amp tech fix it- upgrade the caps, maybe the transformer and a few well known problematic components, reistors, heaters, etc. I found that proposition rediculous which is why I went the way I did.
Then, say you do all of that. Congrats but now you will want to upgrade the speaker. To smoothen out what can be described as ice pick tone, yet keep that great Fender sparkle, I went with a GA SC-64 10". I made a larger, mostly open back cabinet. The speaker sounds larger, fuller and more musical. 12" is fine- many like it but in a 5 watt amp it can get muddy. I have another 12" amp that I can AB/Y and run them in parrallel.
This amp sound beautiful but appreciate that it is mostly a one trick pony- and that is OK. Have other amps for hard rock or metal. Appreciate this amp for clean tones- jazz, light blues, etc. It has a paper cone, same with my new speaker. that makes it extremely light and touch sensitive but also more prone to get damaged if you drive it hard- lots of square wave, hard trem and distortion while cranking it. Some is fine- just not too much. If you need louder, mic it to another powered speaker or cab.
Bottom line, I spent about the same money and ended up with a FAR better amp., arguably better effects and upgraded speaker. Tube driven trem on amp does sound great- when it works.
Good review. I was a little concerned about the digital reverb, but it seems they have done a good job getting that effect sounding about right. It would be nice to hear it plugged into a full sized cabinet.
This reverb is so good. I had no idea it was digital until I got it home and read the card on the top. The reverb is something else.
the bassbreaker series has fantastic digi hall reverb as well, it's most likey the same module
It’s got a nice character. Not sure if I’m imagining it, but I swear when I turn up the reverb the amp drives harder
I plug mine into a 4x12 Marshall cab at the studio where we jam...huge sound and tone!! I really don't need anything else.
@ElyRiverBlues So, it can push a single 12" for sure then. I've never liked 10"s....
I have actually taken my vintage silverface champ to rehearsals. It sounds good!
What a fantastic amp. I’m intrigued now as I still haven’t traded in my tube Princeton yet . It’s unfortunately just too loud BUT even using an external attenuator is a bit of a pain just more wires n cords to hassle with.
Fender Princeton TM still looking likely
Make sure to test the TM first. I sold my Deluxe Reverb TM. It did not sound as good as a tube amp to me. I have tried but yet to find a perfect digital tube emulation.
Fender tube amps are the best, and their reverb is amazing. Great sounding amp!
If you have a decent P.A front of house, then this amp could be gigged with, the majority of pubs/clubs musos play in Australia are pretty small anyway, you could gig with this in most situations, 5 watts from RMS tube is actually pretty loud
Hi my brother. Can we get the shimmer from this amp as nice as we can get from Super Reverb? For home use, I can not turn up the volume of Super Reverb so I'm planning to get Vibro Champ 🙏
Great amp and I love the lunch box size. Throw a mic in front of it if you are playing with a band. Crazy that it still sounds so good with that Celestian Ten in it. I bought one of those speakers for a 90's Marshall combo amp and it worked well but never thought it could get that chimey with a Fender amp.
Hi Shane. This video is surprised me. I have too Vibro Champ. The Beatles used in their late time Silverface Twin Reverb. I wish buy a silverface Twin Reverb but I am amateur guitarist, just playing free time. I bought Vibro Champ for this reason. But I can say that has super clean tones. I'm using with Fender Player Strat, Marshall Bluesbreaker Od and Stomp XL. I have many overdrive pedal but unfortunately they are don't with me. I didn't have time for crunch or overdriven tones, but usually I am tried some chorus, univibe, rotary effect by Stomp XL. It gives good reaction. I will try with my other guitars when I back to my home. I am waiting your review video, with your Tokai and jam track. Stay well.
I use the Pro Jr. IV amp in tweed for a practice amp. It can gig if called upon to do so.
Fender Vibro Champ Reverb is an amazing amp. Perfect for recording and works for small gigs too. The original Vibro Champs always suffered from their lack of reverb.
I have a 77 vibro champ that I bought brand new., no reverb, but a killer Tremelo..Turn it on and wait 15-20 mins to let it warm up. 45 yrs and its still rocking, I have replaced a tube or two, and the speaker.
yup they are classics for good reason. I had a '66 bfvc, it sounded great at every volume: clean low, crunchy turned up, and dependable as a rock. However I always missed having reverb and finally sold it. I eventually replaced it with this model and I'm very glad about it. Enjoy yours, it'll last at least another 46 years! @@guyincascade
Sounds great! Congratulations on the new house!
Thanks, mate! Much appreciated.
I watched this all the way through and you did a great job of demoing it. I have watched a lot of other RUclipsrs demoing this amplifier and for some reason it just doesn't gel with me.
I do like the sound of the Black Star 10 6l6 and I think that will be my next purchase.
Thanks for the kind words, mate. If you're looking for a great clean channel tone, this is hard to beat.
@@intheblues - you are welcome Shane. I suppose that the smart thing for me to do would be to go somewhere and demo this amp.
I never understood why they make such a good amp then throw a $35 speaker into it. I trashed that for a WGS G10c/s
I'd throw a Greenback in there.
How is the amp now with the new speaker ? I want to upgrade it too with a wgs but there are too many options
@@ecowill10 The Champ is awesome with the G10 c/s speaker. It really send out what the amps range is. I think the original speaker in my 74 was getting flubby. I put the same speaker but a 12” in my Princeton with the same results. I have several cabs with at least one WGS speaker in it as well. Solid product.