Has Anyone A/B'd the VCXD to an Original BF/SF Champ?

[Hoodster]

Has anyone done a straight A/B between the new Vibro Champ XD and an original BF/SF Champ? I have a MicroCube and SF Champ (with Weber 8F125, sounds huge) in my home office/practice room, and I was looking at the VCXD to replace them both, hoping for the best of both worlds. The SF is just too loud for home use, so it never gets played, but I plugged in my new custom Thinline Nocaster the other day while my wife was out, added some Holy Grail Reverb, turned it up half way and immediately began questioning the sanity of buying the new digital version.

I'll never sell the SF, but I know if I got the VCXD it would languish in a closet, which is already making me feel guilty cuz it's such a little tone monster....

[pbenn]

I don't know, Hoodster. I own a '77 SF Champ, and love the "modelling possibilities" between 2-1/2 and 3 with the guitar turned down in the condo.

I heard a SC XD at a 30-person small bar recently and wasn't really impressed, but there might have been other factors.

The April 2008 "Guitar & Bass Magazine" (Brit.) has a comparison test between the Vibro Champ XD and the Super Champ XD. A quick take from the article is that they both have printed circuit board front ends and tube power sections, one and two 6V6's respectively, with the SC being sort of loud enough for drums and the VC the most charming, the SC being more flexible.

But their conclusion that "we all need one or the other of these" isn't, IMO, aimed at present owners of silverface Champs.

Is your cabinet finger-jointed pine or particle board? It also determines the way the baffle board is secured.

If you had (as I do, I know) the particleboard mid-to-late '70s version I have read it is possible to achieve another order of tone improvement (maybe as much as your previous speaker swap made) with a real cab. And it's going to cost, too, especially if you get pro Tolexing (around $100 around here, I suppose).

But there you go. Do you want a 15 watt amp that can hold its own for 40 people (why does a Blues Junior come to mind?) or do you want playful control of preamp tube response with the guitar turned down?

I guess what matters is how close in feel to a tube preamp section the XDs really are......

[mikespe]

I can't answer your question directly but I own a VCXD and I am VERY happy with it. I also own the MicroCube. I love them both but for different reasons. The MicroCube is battery operated and has great tone and versatility. The VCXD has great tone with the tube sound we all like. Both are apartment friendly amps but I use the VCXD all the time at home. If I take my electric to the park or in the backyard I take the MicroCube for obvious reasons.

I am bias to the VCXD overall though. I think it's clean voicings are just pure Fender tone and several of the overdrive voicings are just as awesome. I will never get rid of either but I do want to get a nice 15 watt amp and I think the Blues Jr. will be the one. I mentioned in another thread that I would LOVE a Deluxe Reverb but cannot justify it's price compare to my lack of playing ability. But it IS on my wish list.

I know I didn't actually answer your question but I am EXTREMELY happy with my VCXD.

[Hoodster]

Thanks for the input, guys.

Anyone else?