New Amph Day - Fender Super Champ XD

[Gil Janus]

At about 12:30 AM on Wednesday morning, I ordered a new Fender Super Champ XD and a Standback Amp Stand from zzounds via the link on TheFret.net homepage.

At about 2:20 PM on Thursday, my new amp and stand arrived via free ground shipping from zzounds.com - they ship from Saddle Brook, NJ and it reached me overnight - yeah. :

One minor bad thing, we were out and UPS dropped it off at the garage door - safely hidden behind a snow bank in the driveway : But it was dry and safe when we got home about a 1/2 hour after the UPS folks were there.

Took the new baby inside, unpacked it - admired it, glanced at the book and let it get acclimated to the house.

About 8 PM this evening after some diner and watching some NCIS reruns, I got out my VG Strat and just a guitar cord and tried her out - ohh so nice sounds came forth. I tried some of the voices - so really nice ones in there and a few of the effects - again some really nice ones in there.

I'll be playing with her a lot more in the coming days. This is my first tube amp for a guitar, even if it has a digital front end - it sounds so very nice - warm, smooth, and creamy are some words to describe the default Channel 1 voice.

The biggest thing I noticed was how sensitive the amp is to the guitar - notes that seem to die out via the Vox DA-5 sustain for a lot longer thru the SCXD - now I was playing at only 4 or 5 volume, and the TV was turned down, so one could really listen to just the guitar and amp - but it was so much nicer than the Vox - like night and day.

Here's some really bad shots of her in the bedroom - not really enough light for this - but I just had to share. I'll try and get something better later in the week.





I can see how this amp will help me learn - mistakes made on the guitar show up right away - everything is made to stand out - whether it's a really nice set of chord changes or some scales or just note picking, or a bad chord change or a badly held fingering - wham - it's right there for you (and others) to hear.

Some of my GAS is relieved, but of course, there's always more. I need to get the footswitch for her, and most likely we will make her a custom cover - I saw some really nice paisley fabric today when we were out shopping.

Gil, a happy camper :

[markb]

Gil, try turning down the noise reduction on your DA5. Put fx into bypass, hold down the tap button and twist the knob all the way left. This will fix lack of sustain as it's the gate cutting it off even on the clean tones. The amp opens up quite a bit. Unfortunately you have to do this every time you change models. Otherwise, enjoy the SCXD.

[jasongins]

Gil,

I have made a similar observation about my SCXD. Much of my playing at home is done through headphones with GuitarRig3 or my Toneport, but my mistakes do seem to be much more evident through the SCXD. I thought it was all in my head, but apparently I am not the only one. I have the footswitch as well and it is money well spent - the ability to switch channels and turn the effects on and off does add to the fun.

[duhvoodooman***]

Congrats, Gil. People are loving these little amps, from everything I read. Fender hit a home run w/ this model....

[oldguy]

Congratulations, Gil, glad you got your Super Champ. They are great little amps, easy to carry around and really nice sounds from the 10" speaker.

Seems like a lot of people want to upgrade the speaker after they have this amph awhile...........I think it's fine as is.

However, if pluggged into a 2x12 or 4x12 cab it will roar.

[Duff]

Gil,

There is an SCXD thread on the fenderforum.com with a couple thousand posts. Everything you might want to know about the amp and settings, etc. Go to the amps '85 to present and you will see it. It is one of the most popular threads, which says a lot on the fender forum which is loaded with heavy duty Fender type guys, many of which own super expensive Fender amps. The SCXD is very well accepted there.

Plus the speaker swap to an Eminence Ragin' Cajun is highly recommended by many. I did it a few days after I got mine. 65 dollars from MF. 100dB +, super sensitive and a lot louder with super great tone. Makes the stock Fender speaker look like a tiny thing with a magnet weighing about on twentieth. Great speaker if you are into trying to mod it. Only mod I did and I love the amp.

Voices 1,2,and 3 are vintage tweed Fender and you have to mess with the drive, reverb, volume, etc., because it emulates the actual amp. Not like changing the channel on a tv and having the sound stay the same level, etc. Voice 8 is also awesome as well as the bassman voice in my opinion. Great amp.

Have fun and I'm sure it will take you a while to learn all the nuances of it.

Duffy
Winfield, Pa.

[Blaze]

Good clip here ...Interesting little amp..

[markb]

Also now available in a 40 watt 6L6 version, head or combo. This one has preamp tubes. Looks good.

[Ch0jin]

Congrats on your new amp! Sounds like you're in for a lot of fun messing around with it

I've just one question though..

So how long is the warranty?

[Gil Janus]

Thanks for the kind messages about my new amph :

Duff - I've read that thread - I'm giljanus over there too And I even posted to the big thread that I got my amp.

That thread and many of the youtube demos are what got me interested in the amp. I did try it out at a local store (50 miles away) here in Vermont - loved it - I just needed time to get the finances in order to allow the purchase. Real life always gets in the way. :

Playing the amp in your own house is way different then trying in a crowded, noisy music store. It sounds so much better in my house

I have many notes extracted from that thread about the speaker replacement, which sounds really interesting, but so far the stock speaker sounds pretty good to me, and for use in and around the house, it seems more than loud enough for me and the rest of the household.

I'm working my way thru the voices, slowly but surely - and taking notes. For those who need some base settings, see the list the fenderforum folks put together - Billm has a nicely formatted page with them all listed - Super Champ XD Settings - it lives on his new site that he is slowing working on.

I've seen and heard that Greg Koch demo of the Deluxe VM - it sounds so nice - but that really would be way too much for my house.

Here's a couple of other Deluxe VM and Band-Master VM demos by Shane of Fender via Gearwire.

Shane and the Deluxe VM

Shane and the Band-Master VM

Gil

PS I read somewhere that the answer is 5 Years - but what do I know. :

[Robert****]

Congrats Gil! I would like to try one of those little babies one day. Everybody seems to fall in love with them. Have fun with it and post clips.

[Blaze]

This is a good purchase here Gil , if you re lookin for a replacement speaker one of these days have a good look at this one :

http://www.wwbw.com/Eminence-Legend-...-i1153800.wwbw

I heard this one at my tech s place ,he installed it on his old Garnet 30 watts amp and it sounds incredible just like the good old GreenBack speakers ..legend GB is the name ..

[Duff]

Gil,

I don't know if I told you before but I'm a native of the Lake George area of NY. I was born about 5 miles from there and lived around there for years and used to hit the Hampton Manor back in the late 60's when the Vermont youngsters used to flock there because the drinking age was only 18 in NY. Quite the place with some great bands.

Duffy,

Winfield, Pa.

I still visit there frequently and may move back there before long.

Aren't you over there North of Rutland by Mad River Glen? Maybe I have it wrong.

[Gil Janus]

Duff - I'm a little further east, just south of Montpelier. I can take Cox Brook Road and be in Waitsfield in about 30 minutes.

I was born and raised in NYC - I just fell in love with VT after many visits - and I bought a place up here and retired up here for good in 2006.

Blazes - the speaker everyone says to put in the SCXD is the Eminence Ragin Cajun - if I every need her to be louder, I will seriously contemplate it - but for the moment I'm a happy camper. : :

Gil

[Duff]

I've been over in your area to the West a bit. You are probably over the mountain from Bennington. Nice area up in them wild mountains.

We like Vermont better than NY. Even the Adirondacks, my home turf, are different because there are almost no roads in them and you have to hike. But the hiking is really good but the Rangers require you to carry an expensive bear proof keg to put your food in. Can't make your own either. Just like the government for you. You could make one out of PVC pipe that would be better than the cheap black plastic ones they sell.

We used to get a lot of NYC bands in Lake George during the summer. Really good rock bands and so forth. Stimulated the local bands to get really good. Learning by observation.

Duffy

That Ragin' Cajun is worth the 65 and sounds way better.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Also now available in a 40 watt 6L6 version, head or combo. This one has preamp tubes. Looks good.

That was worth watching if only for the pure chewing satisfaction...are you with me on this one?

[markb]

That was worth watching if only for the pure chewing satisfaction...are you with me on this one?

The man's some kind of genius or something

[Gil Janus]

The man's some kind of genius or something

.. with some digital skulduggery ... :

.. It slaps cheek and leaves a mark :

Gil

[marnold***]

When I watched that Koch video I had to think that I don't have nearly enough fun in my life. It's also comforting to see someone more full of it than I.