Love your casual approach Don. You play great and you made me love this amp all the more. I had trouble finding one but I just ordered a used one fro GC in Charlotte NC. I hope it sounds as good as yours. Your killin it. Thanks.
Yes, I have two XDs, and a X2 head, and it also seems to me that the Chinese made XD sounds a lot better than the latter MIM X2. Glad I am not the only one who noticed the difference, thanks.
Tricko What would you attribute the difference to, the amp voices, the tubes or speaker? Presumably the tubes and speaker might be the same model in each?
Nealix D. I have a used XD (for a good price). I was tempted by the X2 but did not want to be faffing around with USBs and computers. However, the tap tempo on the X2 seems to be a good improvement (the delay/tremolo settings on the XD are a bit limiting, although easy to use). Seems like I am not missing much on the X2.
Thanx Don I like your friendly style. I just got a super champXD ( I think you sold it to me ha ha!) So much you could say about the amp. Its a sea change in amp design and I love it. I`m plannin to rip your licks off if I can play them! Thanx again.
I have one of these amps and gig with it at small gigs micing it up to the P A terrific sound I just love this amp so easy to carry around as well !!!!!!
As with your first review, you did a great job of giving a simple but effective review of the amp effects. By keeping it straight forward, any reasonably intelligent person should be able to form an opinion of the amp's capabilities. Your reviews should be a model for everyone to follow. Thank you.
Hey, Don. I've watched your videos a couple times (each). You seem to have an easy way about you that I like. I'm planning on buying the super champ also. These videos have cinched it. Thanks again and keep up the good work. Chris S.
@ImageRiver ...yes compression is apparent. but remember a good class A tube amp get a lot of compression with the power tubes as well as the pre-amp tubes ...especially with 6V6 or EL's as opposed to 6L6's which tend to be less compressy. You have to play with the gain & volume to get the right amount that you like. if you open the amp up a bit it will minimize the compression a bit.
I think that these tubes don't add any compression because they always work inside the linear amplification zone. The small tube acts as a preamplifier and a 180 degree phase shifter and the two 6v6 add the final amplification gain without adding any kind of compression. Sound does not change at all from low volume all the way to full volume. Those final tubes in push pull, not in class A but in class AB mode, are only there to move the speaker up to get great peaks up to 15 watts average.
From Argentina, Thank you very much Dan. I am very interested in this amp that it seems to me wonderful, and your reviews has helped me to know it much better. Greetings.
Delay, Reverb, Chorus, Tremolo and Vibrato are 5 single but variable effects. Add some interesting combinations of two effects at the time lime. Reverb plus Delay, Chorus plus Delay and Chorus plus Reverb to get 8 effects in all, 16 including all variations. A great collection of 16 voices, the most famous sounds in electric guitar history. And 16 famous effects to complete the collection to have it all. 16 by 16 makes 256 combinations. AWESOME
Is there a jack so you can plug in your ipod and play along with your favorite songs? Have you upgraded the speaker yet? I heard a speaker upgrade is a good idea. Comment? Great playing.
hey Don...great review!!! This guitar looks like a fender stratocaster 1959? two color sunburst, with a rosewood neck...Really like your tone and playing!!!
Hi Don- Great demo, great playing. I got one last week and love it! At $280.00 it's a steal (Guitar Center). What model Strat are you playing in the video? Are the pups stock? Thanks- Pete
@johncartelli I also found that by using my Fender Concert amp(60 watt tube amp combo) is better to amplify the champs sound without coloring it...which def makes it more than loud enough to play with other musicians...
Love the reverb comments. In a lot of other reviews I've read I haven't heard anything positive bout the effects it doesn't sound all that horrible in your vid.
nice video. i just bought one and i love the way it sounds, except there's an annoying rattle on mine when i play. i don't hear one on your amp, but hard to tell through the youtube. didn't notice it in the store model i played, either. from what i read on the internet, this is somewhat common problem with these. i'll probably exchange it for another and hopefully i won't get another defective one. problem could probably be solved fairly easily, but the guitar center isn't licensed to repair.
Yeah, I played this thing in the music store and was able to get some great sounds from it! I also tried the blues junior and it had, like more of a "classic tube" sound.
Great reviews....But don't agree with your 20% better reverb idea.....Sorry dude...I'm a firm believer in the sound of each room and find am reverb odd..but each to their own....Thanks so much for these reviews you convinced me to buy this amp.... Keep up the great work your really a great player and a great reviewer
Hey Don, this amp does sound amazing, really nice....can I ask you if you know the difference between this one and the vibro champ xd , I know it's a 10 inch speaker and less watts but it does sound very good also...and in some vids it sounds even better than this one..could be the recordings yes but just wondering if you know anything about this...thanks...
@mistervicenteblues ...good guess ...It is in fact a 59 2 color /rosewood known to some as the transition year...cause they eventually thought the 3 color burst was more appropriate with the rosewood neck...this guitar plays sooo nicely...feels very warm and sustains beautifully... it is as many that year were, very light weight. that adds to the tone...
Don, what is your take on the lack of "real" spring reverb as opposed to the digital reverb that is included on this amp? How close to do you think the reverb is to spring reverb?
-reply to Jamez1818- while the bassy sound of the superchamp is a great contrast to the single coils of a fender, in some ways it makes the humbuckers of a gibson sound a little muddy and not too bright. that said, if you turn the treble up pretty high it will sound great. i recommend you try your guitar with all the amp settings before buying.
Well done, Don. I played one of these a while back and the tones were great but I noticed a good amount of compression on the modeled channel, especially while using external effects. Note, I was using the amp at pretty low volume which may have had something to do with it. Can you address that? Thanks.
hola Don. i just purchased this little amp and i'm getting a hum/hiss (low but still there) when the unit is plugged in and nothing is plugged into it. i've never had a tube amp so i'm not sure if that's normal or not, can you please advise? thanks! great vids!
What chords are you using for "Spooky" in this video? By the way, You do the absolute best reviews of ANYONE on the internet hands down! Thanks for you efforts!
no SteevyG92...it's not going to be a versatile "gig" amp. If you could mic it and run it back thru monitors then it would work ..but by itself it's not going to cut across general "stage volume"...close but not quite. another thought ..it can be used as a pre-amp that could be run out to a bigger amp ..so you would basically use it as an effects unit...sounds awesome ....!
Don, is there an XD and a Regular Super Champ? You should be hired by this big Guitar Worlds and Guitar Players to do the demos...excellent I'm sold on the amp because of you...is there a difference betweena Super Champ XD and a Super Champ? are they the same?
@hotroadaxe55 hard to say...a good monitor system can help. It is way bigger a sound than it looks... I do wish it had maybe a tad more power and maybe a 12 inch spk option ....then the size wouldn't be as valued.......there always a compromise Don
It is not an analogue spring reverb tank. It is a digital spring reverb effect under a Fender copyright, it sounds good enough, not as good a tank (but those do fail from time to time).
Drop output into 2x12 DEEP Marshal Cab and this little gem will do , 200 people medium venues, with great sounds. its so cheap s/hand and add an old tatty cab and what value!!
to get over drums and other players you need a bigger amp...I use the line out on the back of my super champ and run that into the effects return on my hotrod deluxe...super tone and super loud...just do not run the line out into (a guitar input)where you normally plug your guitar on the bigger amp you will blow up the input section on that amp because the signal is too high a voltage..
I am by no means an amp expert, but don't Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses use Marshalls, or something with more of a British EL34 / EL84 tube sound? I find that when I crank my Vibro Champ XD the bottom end begins to loosen up for a less focused bass, boomy, sound. That, I think, is the characteristic of 6V6 output tubes. EL34 / EL84 tubes have a tighter bottom end, even when overdriven.
CH2 Voice 9 on the SCXD has a good Marshall Stack tone, crank the gain up (8), great tones at bedroom volume (3). I understand that the vibrochamp has a smaller speaker and is a lower wattage amp.
Maybe the ratteling your hearing is because you have it too close to a wall . You need to have atleast 6-8 inches of open space behind it . I just got one and it sounds great . at 8 on the overdrive volume the only ratteling I hear is the windows in my house .
A Fender amp I never liked, the 10# Speaker just lacks what you get from a 12#. No t a fan off all the different amp types, doesn't sound anything like the real thing and the effect sound cheap. You can do a lot better for the money IMO. Doesn't have that real Tube tone and to me sounds cheap. IMO
Love your casual approach Don. You play great and you made me love this amp all the more. I had trouble finding one but I just ordered a used one fro GC in Charlotte NC. I hope it sounds as good as yours. Your killin it. Thanks.
Thanks Fred hope you love the amp, I had mine for a few years now and it’s still working like a champ,, no pun intended
Thanks for doing these great reviews of the XD. I hand been thinking about getting a vintage fender or and XD and ended up ordering the XD.
j
Have both the XD and the X2 now and the XD is the one I am keeping. Sounds amazingly good.
Yes, I have two XDs, and a X2 head, and it also seems to me that the Chinese made XD sounds a lot better than the latter MIM X2. Glad I am not the only one who noticed the difference, thanks.
Tricko What would you attribute the difference to, the amp voices, the tubes or speaker? Presumably the tubes and speaker might be the same model in each?
Nealix D. I have a used XD (for a good price). I was tempted by the X2 but did not want to be faffing around with USBs and computers. However, the tap tempo on the X2 seems to be a good improvement (the delay/tremolo settings on the XD are a bit limiting, although easy to use). Seems like I am not missing much on the X2.
dude you are awesome! I wish there were more things you could demo on the super champ, i need a part 3! haha
Great, This is what I need. You really helped me decide which amp to get. Now I just need a little scratch.
Thanx Don I like your friendly style. I just got a super champXD ( I think you sold it to me ha ha!) So much you could say about the amp. Its a sea change in amp design and I love it. I`m plannin to rip your licks off if I can play them! Thanx again.
I have one of these amps and gig with it at small gigs micing it up to the P A terrific sound I just love this amp so easy to carry around as well !!!!!!
As with your first review, you did a great job of giving a simple but effective review of the amp effects. By keeping it straight forward, any reasonably intelligent person should be able to form an opinion of the amp's capabilities. Your reviews should be a model for everyone to follow. Thank you.
Hey, Don. I've watched your videos a couple times (each). You seem to have an easy way about you that I like. I'm planning on buying the super champ also. These videos have cinched it. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
Chris S.
@ImageRiver ...yes compression is apparent. but remember a good class A tube amp get a lot of compression with the power tubes as well as the pre-amp tubes ...especially with 6V6 or EL's as opposed to 6L6's which tend to be less compressy.
You have to play with the gain & volume to get the right amount that you like. if you open the amp up a bit it will minimize the compression a bit.
Are you still making videos?
I think that these tubes don't add any compression because they always work inside the linear amplification zone. The small tube acts as a preamplifier and a 180 degree phase shifter and the two 6v6 add the final amplification gain without adding any kind of compression.
Sound does not change at all from low volume all the way to full volume.
Those final tubes in push pull, not in class A but in class AB mode, are only there to move the speaker up to get great peaks up to 15 watts average.
Hi Don, Great review and great guitar playing chap. Have just bought the amp on the strength of your review, you should get royalties from Fender.
I am a new owner of the SCXD. Thanks for the two excellent demos of the amp. Also, your playing sounds great. TB
Thank you for the GREAT-GREAT review! Very objective and informative. Also, your playing is truly outstanding, but that goes without saying...
From Argentina, Thank you very much Dan. I am very interested in this amp that it seems to me wonderful, and your reviews has helped me to know it much better. Greetings.
Delay, Reverb, Chorus, Tremolo and Vibrato are 5 single but variable effects.
Add some interesting combinations of two effects at the time lime. Reverb plus Delay, Chorus plus Delay and Chorus plus Reverb to get 8 effects in all, 16 including all variations.
A great collection of 16 voices, the most famous sounds in electric guitar history. And 16 famous effects to complete the collection to have it all. 16 by 16 makes 256 combinations. AWESOME
Is there a jack so you can plug in your ipod and play along with your favorite songs? Have you upgraded the speaker yet? I heard a speaker upgrade is a good idea. Comment? Great playing.
No Aux 3.5mm input jack, no output jack for headphones.
your welcome...glad I helped with some info...great little amp ...
hey Don...great review!!!
This guitar looks like a fender stratocaster 1959? two color sunburst, with a rosewood neck...Really like your tone and playing!!!
Thank you, sir! Just what I was looking for. Fender owes you a check.
Hi Don- Great demo, great playing. I got one last week and love it! At $280.00 it's a steal (Guitar Center). What model Strat are you playing in the video? Are the pups stock? Thanks- Pete
@johncartelli I also found that by using my Fender Concert amp(60 watt tube amp combo) is better to amplify the champs sound without coloring it...which def makes it more than loud enough to play with other musicians...
Love the reverb comments.
In a lot of other reviews I've read I haven't heard anything positive bout the effects it doesn't sound all that horrible in your vid.
nice video. i just bought one and i love the way it sounds, except there's an annoying rattle on mine when i play. i don't hear one on your amp, but hard to tell through the youtube. didn't notice it in the store model i played, either. from what i read on the internet, this is somewhat common problem with these. i'll probably exchange it for another and hopefully i won't get another defective one. problem could probably be solved fairly easily, but the guitar center isn't licensed to repair.
@luit13 YES....it works just like a "pre-amp" a great way to record or amplify that tone.
Yeah, I played this thing in the music store and was able to get some great sounds from it! I also tried the blues junior and it had, like more of a "classic tube" sound.
Great reviews....But don't agree with your 20% better reverb idea.....Sorry dude...I'm a firm believer in the sound of each room and find am reverb odd..but each to their own....Thanks so much for these reviews you convinced me to buy this amp....
Keep up the great work your really a great player and a great reviewer
Hey Don, this amp does sound amazing, really nice....can I ask you if you know the difference between this one and the vibro champ xd , I know it's a 10 inch speaker and less watts but it does sound very good also...and in some vids it sounds even better than this one..could be the recordings yes but just wondering if you know anything about this...thanks...
@mistervicenteblues ...good guess ...It is in fact a 59 2 color /rosewood known to some as the transition year...cause they eventually thought the 3 color burst was more appropriate with the rosewood neck...this guitar plays sooo nicely...feels very warm and sustains beautifully... it is as many that year were, very light weight. that adds to the tone...
fantastic review !!!!!!! thanks don
Don, what is your take on the lack of "real" spring reverb as opposed to the digital reverb that is included on this amp? How close to do you think the reverb is to spring reverb?
Another great demo. Thanks Don!!
Great information...thanks for your time.
Thanks Don :) u do great reviews
-reply to Jamez1818-
while the bassy sound of the superchamp is a great contrast to the single coils of a fender, in some ways it makes the humbuckers of a gibson sound a little muddy and not too bright. that said, if you turn the treble up pretty high it will sound great. i recommend you try your guitar with all the amp settings before buying.
Great amp, nice sound. Does anyone know if they sound as good with Gibson's?
Well done, Don.
I played one of these a while back and the tones were great but I noticed a good amount of compression on the modeled channel, especially while using external effects. Note, I was using the amp at pretty low volume which may have had something to do with it. Can you address that? Thanks.
hola Don. i just purchased this little amp and i'm getting a hum/hiss (low but still there) when the unit is plugged in and nothing is plugged into it. i've never had a tube amp so i'm not sure if that's normal or not, can you please advise? thanks!
great vids!
What chords are you using for "Spooky" in this video? By the way, You do the absolute best reviews of ANYONE on the internet hands down! Thanks for you efforts!
whats the song called again you play at about 8:03 ?? its so cool, I recognize it but I forgot the name :(
Some don’t know the footswitch for this also controls the effects
chords for Spooky....Em7 to A13... thanks for the kind words
no SteevyG92...it's not going to be a versatile "gig" amp. If you could mic it and run it back thru monitors then it would work ..but by itself it's not going to cut across general "stage volume"...close but not quite. another thought ..it can be used as a pre-amp that could be run out to a bigger amp ..so you would basically use it as an effects unit...sounds awesome ....!
Are you from NYC ?
Do overdrive pedals work well with it, or does it respond differently to how a pure tube amp would?
can you use the effects on channel 1 or can you only use them in combination with one of the voicings?
CH1 or CH2.
Don has a late 50's (1959 I think) strat. He is one luck hombre!
Hi i have a marshall mg30fx and im not so verry happy with it is this a good upgrade??? By the way i play mostly bleus,rock and metal :)
thanks, great video, really helped.
Don, is there an XD and a Regular Super Champ? You should be hired by this big Guitar Worlds and Guitar Players to do the demos...excellent I'm sold on the amp because of you...is there a difference betweena Super Champ XD and a Super Champ? are they the same?
fender has a footswitch for this for Ch. / effect select... is ch. one always DRY?
No, the effects work on CH1 and CH2.
has anyone used this amp for Harmonica? What settings would you recommend?
@hotroadaxe55 hard to say...a good monitor system can help. It is way bigger a sound than it looks... I do wish it had maybe a tad more power and maybe a 12 inch spk option ....then the size wouldn't be as valued.......there always a compromise
Don
Has the champ xd the famous spring reverb?
It is not an analogue spring reverb tank. It is a digital spring reverb effect under a Fender copyright, it sounds good enough, not as good a tank (but those do fail from time to time).
hey thanks for the video. how do you think this amp pairs with a les paul style guitar? particularly an ESP ltd deluxe?
Nice with a Les Paul with Humbuckers. Lots of Fender amp models, plus Marshall type stack and more.
Drop output into 2x12 DEEP Marshal Cab and this little gem will do , 200 people medium venues, with great sounds. its so cheap s/hand and add an old tatty cab and what value!!
to get over drums and other players you need a bigger amp...I use the line out on the back of my super champ and run that into the effects return on my hotrod deluxe...super tone and super loud...just do not run the line out into (a guitar input)where you normally plug your guitar on the bigger amp you will blow up the input section on that amp because the signal is too high a voltage..
what they should have done for those digi effects is just list the fx and add peramiter knobs...
I am by no means an amp expert, but don't Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses use Marshalls, or something with more of a British EL34 / EL84 tube sound? I find that when I crank my Vibro Champ XD the bottom end begins to loosen up for a less focused bass, boomy, sound. That, I think, is the characteristic of 6V6 output tubes. EL34 / EL84 tubes have a tighter bottom end, even when overdriven.
CH2 Voice 9 on the SCXD has a good Marshall Stack tone, crank the gain up (8), great tones at bedroom volume (3). I understand that the vibrochamp has a smaller speaker and is a lower wattage amp.
BTW I could only find th X2. So I'll know in a few days if it's happening f
no mid?
hey let me know how it works for you...!
Maybe the ratteling your hearing is because you have it too close to a wall . You need to have atleast 6-8 inches of open space behind it . I just got one and it sounds great . at 8 on the overdrive volume the only ratteling I hear is the windows in my house .
A Fender amp I never liked, the 10# Speaker just lacks what you get from a 12#. No t a fan off all the different amp types, doesn't sound anything like the real thing and the effect sound cheap. You can do a lot better for the money IMO. Doesn't have that real Tube tone and to me sounds cheap. IMO
Here ya go: www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-Super-Champ-XD-/380170434918
I tried one out in a music store and I agree that it sounded cheap.