Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Fender Vibro Champ XD vs. Mustang II

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    84
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default Fender Vibro Champ XD vs. Mustang II

    Hi Folks,

    I have the opportunity to pick either of these amps up for a pricey sum of £150 each. I watched a tonne of reviews of both and can't assertain much difference except the Vibro Champ is a 5watt tube amp compared to the Mustangs 40W Solid state.

    I'll mostly be using this for bedroom use. Do you guys have any opinions? Is Tube>Solid state on all occassions?

    Cheers

    Ant

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Clear Lake, Texas
    Posts
    5,413
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    If the Vibro Champ is anything like the Super Champ X2 or XD, it is a clear winner.
    The Mustang 1 and 2 are good, but the Super Champs are great.
    Guitar: Gibson SG Standard Natural Burst, Squier CV 50's Tele, Hell Guitars No. 2, Squier CV 50's Strat, Reverend Club King 290, Taylor 522e 12-Fret mahogany,
    Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Short Scale
    Amp: Fender Super Champ X2 Head, Egnater Tweaker 15, Fender Mustang I, Acoustic B20 1x12 bass amp
    Pedal: Budda Budwah wah, Wampler Ego Compressor, Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Wampler Velvet Fuzz, Seven Sisters Eve Tremolo, TC Electronics Gravy Tri Chorus & Vibrato, Catalinbread Echorec, TC Electronic Alter Ego 2 Delay, Hardwire Supernatural Ambient Verb, MXR Carbon Copy, Catalinbread RAH, Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker, BYOC Mouse 2.0 Distortion, BYOC Boost/OD-2

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    84
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    I've gone for the Vibro Champ XD after noticing that it has both pre-amp and power-amp tubes, rather a hybrid style amp over the solid state nature of the Mustang. Should arrive tomorrow, so I'll boot her up and let you know how I get on.

    Apparently the only difference between this and the Super Champ XD was that it's 5w rather than 15w and so got discontinued due to lack of demand. I find that hard to believe as BlackStars HV5 and HV1 are doing very well. Perhaps the profit margin wasn't so high compared to the Mustangs and the Super Champs? Anyhow can't wait. NGD tomorrow!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Kansas
    Posts
    364
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    I've recently picked up a Vibro Champ XD and love it. The main difference between Vibro and Super is the Super has a clean channel, 15 watts, and a 10" speaker. The Vibro doesn't have the clean channel and is 5 watts with an 8" speaker. Everything else seems pretty much the same. I can tell you that 5 watts is plenty for bedroom use!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    84
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Oh boy did I make the correct decision. The variety of sounds out of the VC are superb. The cleans are really damn clean, the overdriven sounds are bluesy, just on the cusp of breaking up, and it responds to dynamics fantastically well letting you push the guitar and creating more highs and lows of overdrive as you play.

    The one thing that has suprised me is the quality of the FX's Chorus aside (never been a fan of that effect), the delays are ringing ala The Edge, and the three Reverbs are all very usable. I wasn't expecting much from the FX but as I have a hist of pedals anyway it wasn't a problem, I was buying it for the cleans and overdriven sounds.

    And it's blumin' LOUD!

    My only criticism is that the voulmes between the voices are all at different level. If I ever gig this - and it's possible mic'ed up and loud enough to deal with an enthusiastic drummer - I'll ahve to have a list of settings to deal with the different voices.

    I'm a very happy guitar-slinger today!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    W. Branch of Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania
    Posts
    1,044
    Post Thanks / Like

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by @nthony View Post
    Oh boy did I make the correct decision. The variety of sounds out of the VC are superb. The cleans are really damn clean, the overdriven sounds are bluesy, just on the cusp of breaking up, and it responds to dynamics fantastically well letting you push the guitar and creating more highs and lows of overdrive as you play.

    The one thing that has suprised me is the quality of the FX's Chorus aside (never been a fan of that effect), the delays are ringing ala The Edge, and the three Reverbs are all very usable. I wasn't expecting much from the FX but as I have a hist of pedals anyway it wasn't a problem, I was buying it for the cleans and overdriven sounds.

    And it's blumin' LOUD!

    My only criticism is that the voulmes between the voices are all at different level. If I ever gig this - and it's possible mic'ed up and loud enough to deal with an enthusiastic drummer - I'll ahve to have a list of settings to deal with the different voices.

    I'm a very happy guitar-slinger today!

    I agree that you made a great decision there.

    Evidently the Mustangs had some "snare drum sizzle" or some odd sound riding on the note decay at some settings, that was very annoying to people that had the problem amps, which was a lot of people. They now have out the "Version 2" that has supposedly cleared up the sizzling noise. If that Mustang you were looking at was a Version 1, then you made an especially good choice.

    The new Mustang's are clearly marked "V2", version 2, on the paperwork attached to the amps. I would only consider a Version 2 if I was getting a Mustang, otherwise a lot of dudes really like the Mustangs.

    My question is, why buy a Mustang when you can get a decent tube amp for the same price in most cases. For instance, the Mustang IV is about the same price as a Blues Junior. I would probably like the Blues Junior better, although there is a lot to be said for those modelling amps. I have a Vox "chromie" VT30 that I keep at arms length in my den, right near my Marshall tube amp; and it gets a lot of use because I can get a lot of different sounds without needing to use pedals and the amp models are always interesting.

    Speaking of modeling amps. I had a Marshall JMD1 two twelve combo I got when they were discontinuing them and blowing them out. That was the best modeling amp I have ever owned but it broke down three times in less than six months. It modeled like sixteen Marshall only amps and had great effects, plus it had four EL34 power tubes and still sounded great a very low volumes and roared of course when cranked. I miss that great modeling amp. I have a DSL40C now and like it but although it is not a modeling amp it has four voices.

    There is nothing like a good modeling amp and the Vibro Champ is definitely a good one, as is my Vox VT30 Valvetronics hybrid. Nothing was a nice as that Marshall JMD though, but it originally retailed for probably at least four or five times as much as the Vibro Champ or Super Champ XD, and it wasn't dependable.

    Dependability is probably one of the main things I look for in an amp purchase at this point. I want to buy an amp that has a proven dependability record; but, of course, even the nicest $hit can f**k up when least expected. Anyway dependability is something I really value in any purchases I make at this point. That and repairability. That JMD was so digitized that it would probably be impossible or super expensive to fix if the digital components had to be fixed and replacement parts are probably impossible to find since it was a joint sort of venture between Marshall and some other outfit from yet even another country like Sweden or something - SoftTube I think. They did the digital part and modeling software.

    Any Fender repair guy should be able to fix or get parts for a Vibro Champ, even though they are supposed to be a "replace only" type of warranty item.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •