any fender super-champ owners?

Elwood

Blues
Guys,

I toy with the idea of getting a Fender super-champ x2 to upgrade from my frontman 25r. I would move my ragin cajun to the new amp if I get one. Obviously I run no risk of hurting myself on the cutting edge.

No performing interest, just playing while the grass grows. Don't need a lot of output.

The frontman sounds fine and is reliable. The x2 might soften up some tones with a tube or two, or not? has a line out, I might end up micing it anyways though?Anyone out there using either the x2 or an earlier SC amp? I'd sure like to hear your take on them. Curious.
 

jmin

Student Of The Blues
Well, I don't have the super-champ, but I do own 2 Fender amps. I have my old Twin that I consider the "mother-of-all" Fender amps - sounds great, super loud (too loud!), and super heavy! (too heavy!). When I retired and took on this guitar stuff as a hobby, I wanted an amp that was much smaller (quieter) and more portable (lighter!). The Fender Mustang looked good, but the new model they came out with (the GT) wasn't very good. I found the Fender Champion 40 to be pretty decent...and cheap! ($199 or less!).
It looks really similar to the Super-champ, but NO tubes. I'd really like to compare the Super-Champ to these other Fender small amps - the Champion series added a 50xl (?) that might be interesting. I think it just depends on what you need (e.g. - volume? tone? effects?) and how much you want to spend, ...and how much weight you can carry!
The Super-Champ looks like a great upgrade to the Frontman!
 

Elwood

Blues
Yeah, you're no help!
Here I am trying to rationalize that I'm having another silly, "never satisfied" moment and the last thing I need to do is replace a perfectly good amp. Yeah, thanks a lot.

(one feature for me is the "line out", running a mic with dogs, phones, garbage trucks, etc, can be interesting. Hopefully the line out will give me what I want. My bass amp, a Fender Rumble 200, has a balanced line out, works great!)

Twins were loud, back then! I wonder how it would work with one 12" if the impedance load was correct? This is bad karma feedback for selling a deluxe, wasn't playing guitar anyway right?

I let you know how I like it :).

Thanks!!!
 

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
I've got a Superchamp x2. I think it's a great little amp!

Some have said that it can sound a little boxy since it only has a 10-inch speaker, but I've never thought that. Part of that may be because I've never just cranked it either. I typically will only have it cracked open to about 2 or 3 for volume. Too much past there and Mrs Snarf comes in complaining about "can't hear anything else" or something.

The clean channel has that blackface tone for days, and, the handful of times I've turned it up, seems to have plenty of headroom. It seems to take pedals really well. The modeling channel has all the standard tones you want, but the ones I use tend to be the tweed and Vox sounds, specifically, the Champ, Bassman, and AC30 TB models. I think there is a Princeton model I use occasionally too. The others (especially the high gain options) I don't use. There are knobs for the Treble and Bass settings, but you can also access a Mid knob if you use the Fuse software. Truth is, you can do a LOT with the Fuse software, but, sadly, Fender quit supporting it a few years ago if you have problems with it.

It also has some digital effects. The only ones I use are either the Tremolo or the Vibratone. I don't like the reverb or chorus that's included. The delay is ok, but I just don't use it. I've also never used the usb line out option. I'll use the usb for the Fuse software, but that's it.

I'm not sure that it's an amp I would use in a lot of cases playing out, but that's mostly because I have a couple of other amps that I like for that (my Blackhearts). For an amp at the house, it's a great little amp. Has lots of options for the folks that like to tinker (especially if you go into Fuse), but is also simple enough that you can pretty easily get some good sounds out of it. It's definitely got that tube sound if that's what you're wanting. Bang for the buck, imho it's one of the better amps out there.
 

Elwood

Blues
There ya go!

I just got back with mine. I will try it out and then I believe I will swap in the Rajin Cajun from from my Frontman 25r and get to know it a bit.

One thing that looks very cool (if it actually works) is that the Fuse SW should allow me to save custom adjusted tones to any of the 16 pre-sets...I hope.

Stage work is not a problem so it sounds like I have a fair chance to have a nice (nicer) home and recording.

Thanks for your feedback. Appreciate it!!! (guess I didn't "toy" with the idea very long) :)
 
I'm a little late to the party here, congratulations on the new amp ! I have the older a Super Champ XD Vintage Modified. It doesn't support FUSE software or have a USB port. It does have a power side that is all tubes and i get a tube tone that a really like using a variety of amp models. I rarely play on the clean setting. I didn't even think about it when i bought it but have enjoyed having the acoustic amp model in there and have used that to play out publicly couple of times and it was fine. Enjoy your new toy ! !
 

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
the Fuse SW should allow me to save custom adjusted tones to any of the 16 pre-sets
Yep...you should be able to do that. I actually went in and changed several of mine...just adjusting the default EQ on them to where I would put it.

Have fun with the new amp!! (y)
 

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
@Elwood In case you haven't seen it anywhere else, here are the amp models on Channel 2. I use 4 and 10 more than anything, but occasionally pull out 1 and 5. I don't know that I've ever used 11-16 outside of giving them a brief listen when I first got the amp like 7 or 8 years ago.

SuperchampX2_Models.jpg
 

Elwood

Blues
Thank you!!

I just got it together with the eminence speaker. Played it just a little and I can tell many hours will pass in amazement. Now I will either order or make a dbl footswitch and dig in. It is really nice you guys jump in. Lots of bad reviews on reliability but I bet it will be fine. Swapping speakers I tightened all the screws I could find in the cabinet. I also took the steel corners and rubber feet from my old Frontman, they look just fine on here.

Take care,
 

CapnDenny1

Student Of The Blues
In combo tube amps it's best to leave the speaker mounting screws finger tight. You don't want to hunker them down. I did that on my Princeton Reverb and it made weird noises all of a sudden. Just on certain notes. I loosened the screws back and it went away. I remember thinking, "Some idiot forgot to tighten these speaker mounting screws", or I guess they are nuts on the Fenders.

Congrats on the new amp.
 

Elwood

Blues
Hey thanks!

I'm lovin it. I will keep the speaker screw thing in mind. Years of thumpin a bass all I had to deal with was loose stuff, not too tight :). So far this is a big improvement. My Rajin Cagun should be well broken in, had it for years and played bass through it for a while (carefully at low volume). I really don't get the harshness some report (could be my high freq. hearing loss though, don't care).

Here is a question for you. My groove tubes are 6v6 marked CBQ and graded as "10". You don't have to repeat what is on the Fender site, but, do you think a 10 would last longer than a 3? I don't know if they degrade in numeric value as they age or if it is more of an inherent trait to the tube throughout it's life. Amp is new, I opened the box at home. No microphonics or phosphor halos, yet. Never thought I would buy another tube anything....glad I did! Of course I wonder if JJs or Tung Sols (give money to Russia?) would sound better? I need to learn what this is so I will know better if I hear it.

Better, more important question...I have never had a tube amp without a standby switch. I tend to play off and on for several hours. I wonder about cycling the power. For short, 5 min or so, breaks I would leave it on. What about 20 minutes or so? Do the tubes suffer more from idling at a constant temp or from being power cycled? A standby sw and a wire or two would have been worth another 5 dolla. (now you know I like it, I go fussing about it).

Take care,

Steve
 
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In case anyone is interested, here are the models in the Super Champ XD amp from the Vintage Modified series. I play on the Jazz King a lot more than i thought i would, and like the acoustasonic better than any other amp that i've played the Acoustic through. The Hot Rod and Tweed models get a lot of use too :)
 

Elwood

Blues
Thanks! I might see if I can import that acoustic setting to replace one of my stock ones. I am typically very cynical of all the labels like fender hangs on these tones...but dang, they do sound good (at least the ones that sound good to me). I need to get some practice time in, I'm just sitting around twisting knobs and swatting strings. The line out thing is very cool! (easily entertained). I think the emulation thing is "OK" with me because it replicates reals things that are real to me. Makes sense in my head. Sure brings lots of options.

I think of all you guys with all those toys, must really be awesome! 11 rack huh? Maybe this is my 1 rack. :)

Hey, How do you manage your power for breaks? Do you power down or leave it on?

Take care,
 

BignJames

Blues Newbie
Gonna pull the trigger on a tweed w/the ragin' cajun. I've got a couple of Mustangs....the I is too small except for b'room play and the V is too big to lug around...at least that's my rationalization.
 

Elwood

Blues
Nuts about mine!

Fuse works great and so does the line out. There is a whole pile of cyber-I'm not really there- pedals in case you want a disguise so no one will know you are playing a guitar :). The amp sims at least sound different from each other and I find some to be nice. If your speaker sounds harsh, be patient. I read some who say this and that...it seems to be a good solid speaker with a beeg magnet. I ran bass through mine for a while, carefully. a little break in might help if even needed.

Another bit of "web wisdom".. I read repeatedly that these amps were being shipped with cold bias settings. I checked mine, after a good warm up, with a good meter, 39.8 ma when checked IAW fender's procedure. Nominal is 40.0, Real world setting = this is right on! When, if, you swap power tubes the bias adj is very easy and accessible. 4 screws to pop the chassis, just be sure to keep a load on the amp (spkr connected) if you have it on (like when adjusting or measuring bias) or you may wish you had done so.

Enjoy!
 
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