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Razbo
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Joined: 03/02/09
Posts: 1,562
Razbo
Full Access
Joined: 03/02/09
Posts: 1,562
07/07/2009 1:02 am
Got a new practice amp. I went out looking for a cheapie to keep in the workshop, but ended up coming home with this Fender Vibro Champ XD. (Don't go shopping with a hangover; your judgement may still be clouded! :D)

http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=2331000000

COST:
[Edit: Price Update] This amp was stickered wrong at $295 CDN. The guy felt so bad when I took it back that he knocked $100 off, so I actually paid $195 (plus the nice cable) :). L & M has them for $235 CDN. I see Sweetwater has them on sale for $199 US.

PROS:
A real tube amp! (In combination with some solid state.) I have been playing thru a 20w Peavey Audition Plus using a Digitech RP250 modeling pedal. That combination does not come close to the sound this little amp is capable of. At only 5 watts, I can play it very quietly and still get really nice overdrive as well as great clean sound.

The best part is looking in the back and seeing those tubes glowing! :) I have been (and still am) a proponent of the solid state amps for cost and reliability, but I may be a convert in the making.

Quite a variety of modeling and effects are possible. The 16 "Voices" include clean, slightly overdriven and highly overdriven reproductions of Tweed & Blackface amps, some British combos including Plexi (my fave!), Hotrods, Metal (extreme!), Fender Jazz King and Acoustasonic.

Effects include Vibratone, Delay, Chorus, Reverb and Tremolo. You can get various combinations such as chorus+delay+reverb.

It's small, lightweight and gives great sound at practice volumes.

Level of effects is adjustable.

Has Treble & Bass controls plus Volume & Gain.

CONS:
No footswitch capability. That is probably the worst thing about this amp.
Only 5 watts. I have read it is loud enough to jam with drums, but I doubt it.
Some settings are limited (ie: Delay at 130, 300 or 450ms).
Can't individually control the effect levels; if you turn up the intensity of the chorus effect, you also turn up the reverb (if you have both selected).

REVIEW:
In spite of these limitations, I am more pleased each day I use this amp. I would not feel compelled to take any pedals with me to a jam. This amp has everything I would need. I really wish it had a footswitch capability at least for overdrive, but that is my only complaint, really.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a nice practice amp.
...so ever since then, I always hang on to the buckle.