Superchamp arrives! (mini review)

Lance · December 15th, 2004, 10:55 PM

What a cool little bugger! It showed up in VERY clean condition...the sloppily replaced power plug is ratty and will need replacement soon. The speaker and rest appear stock. No footswitch...whatever. One power tube holder thingy is broken and should be replaced but the socket has plenty of tension on it - not an immediate concern

I plugged it in started playing and heard some real nastiness (yikes....OK remain calm!) All the telltale signs of power tube issues. Luckily, I had a set of Brimars 6V6s in the drawer for backup...much better....but still a slight microphonic crackling....in goes an old RCA 7025 preamp tube ....bingo! Well - that explains it...it had the original cheap Fender glass in there.

There's the tone! All noises gone.

The controls remind me a lot of the Boogie MKII-C I sold this year (good riddance) with the pull mid/boost - just not as interactive controls.

Clean tones are really nice (totally blackface) - reverb is good...similar to my '65 BFDR but with a little less sproinginess. It might be interesting to swap the tank with my DR to see what it sounds like. Clean volume level is a little less than the DR but breakup is not quite as smooth. Bottom farts a bit when breaking up / played loud...backing down the bass control helps but a better speaker is in order.

OK....now for the "dreaded" pull boost. Hmmm...yeah - at low volumes it's a crappy buzz bomb like my MKII-C's lead channel. Opened up (master & lead up), it's kinda cool. Nice feedback to play with. I'll need to try it with the Marshall 2x12 bottom (when the kids aren't sleeping)

I really had my doubts, but I think this'll work fine for our Friday band practices...lighter/smaller than the other amps....and no concern about trashing my vintage toys. I'll have to report this weekend about how it works in the band situation. I think the small speaker is the real hinderance here....but it's a toneful little one.

Marshall Thinline · December 15th, 2004, 11:17 PM

Sounds like a fun little amp. Enjoy!!!

Caper · December 16th, 2004, 12:09 PM

Lance I know a fella with a Super Champ, you wanna hear a clean machine, drop a JBL K series speaker in there and enjoy watching your friends jaws drop.

:D

Wally · December 16th, 2004, 01:16 PM

Lance, glad you like the lil amp. A different speaker int here makes a world of difference...I run an Emi Alnico. The stock speaker is a midrangey affair with no bottm, imo.
As to the reverb tank....after reading some folks mention that the short tank yielded bad results, I had to do a comparison because I had nothing but good reverb sounds coming from both of my SC's. I heard no difference with a long tank. I am told that the 6C10 can make or break the reverb. Both of mine sound the same..great.

Big Tony · December 16th, 2004, 02:14 PM

I think the reverb is really good in my Super Champ. But I do want to replace the Eminence/Fender speaker, the bass tones really starts fartin' when you turn it up.
The clean sound is very good. I don't use the "pull boost", just turn it up until it starts to sweat. When that is too much volume, I just put a pedal in front of it (an old Yamaha DI-01).

Welcome to the club, Lance!

Big Tony · December 16th, 2004, 02:23 PM

Do you know that there's a site dedicated to the Fender Super Champ on the net?

Super Champ site

jimmymackisback · December 17th, 2004, 01:20 AM

This is sure a handy thread. I have loved my SC until I bought my Princeton Reverb w. mods

Too bright and no bass, didn't shine when plugged into a 2-12 cab, it is to die for with my Guild Nitebird which has some smokey Kent Armstrong HB'ers through the stock speaker.

The secret : the mid-Boost. Enough treble for brightness, and that mid-boost make the amp sing and growl. Talk about a BB, Carlton and especially Chris Cain tone. This is it.

Lance · December 17th, 2004, 07:43 AM

Ted Weber recommends:

Quote:

10F150T. Big bottom, lots of punch and dynamics.

So I'll be getting that order out this week.

On the mid boost. Yeah - that's an interesting control. It's too bad this wasn't a knob instead of a switch as I'd prefer a touch less boost.

T-bone Tone · December 17th, 2004, 11:23 AM

Lance, you are a lucky man. The Superchamp is one of the best amps, pound for pound......ever! 8)

For Blues & Rock, it just smokes, and is borderline gigable; remarkable considering it's physical size and wattage. It is already a classic - if you didn't already know - and the prices on ebay for this gem are rising all the time.

Had mine since 1982, and would not sell it for anything. Have fun and try different cabinets and slaving other amps from it is very rewarding, too. :D

jimmymackisback · December 18th, 2004, 01:16 AM

Man what a handy thread.
I was fixing to sell my Super Champ because it doesn't quite earn it's keep, for reasons mentioned above.
Now that Big Tony has enlightened me to the SC website, I see various tweaks possible that will sharpen that puppy right up. Thanks Tony.

Of course, I could use the money I would get by selling, for other gear --- and tweaking will just cause me to spend more on the SC????

But there are those who believe the SC is the best little amp in the world.

The mod for adding the potentiometer to the mid-boost sounds like what every SC owner needs. I have one on my Princeton Reverb and it doubles the versatility of that(the other best little amp in the world) amp.

Caper · March 20th, 2005, 09:10 AM

Hey Lance how are you making out with the Super Champ? Did you get the Weber?

Quote:

Lance I know a fella with a Super Champ

Well he gave me a chance to own it. I feel like a kid again, what a smokin little amp, this thing is a closet classic, I absolutely love it. I also got 2 JBL K110's from him, one in the SC and the other is in a 79 SFPR.

Quote:

Princeton Reverb (the other best little amp in the world) amp.

You better believe it.

March 20th, 2005, 09:55 AM

here's some advice...i own a champII,a super champ without the extras.keep a stock of hardy 6V6's. i've been through 3 sets of tubes in the last couple of months.EH's,fender and groove tubes.all of them fried.it's not my amp,but the ****ty tubes can't handle it.get N.O.S. or from what i've heard lately,JJ's...there's reputedly a couple of mods to the circuit that will allow the amp to use any of the new tubes without changing the tone. i usually run my champ on the 7's.

December 15th, 2004, 10:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
Lance Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,197	Superchamp arrives! (mini review) What a cool little bugger! It showed up in VERY clean condition...the sloppily replaced power plug is ratty and will need replacement soon. The speaker and rest appear stock. No footswitch...whatever. One power tube holder thingy is broken and should be replaced but the socket has plenty of tension on it - not an immediate concern I plugged it in started playing and heard some real nastiness (yikes....OK remain calm!) All the telltale signs of power tube issues. Luckily, I had a set of Brimars 6V6s in the drawer for backup...much better....but still a slight microphonic crackling....in goes an old RCA 7025 preamp tube ....bingo! Well - that explains it...it had the original cheap Fender glass in there. There's the tone! All noises gone. The controls remind me a lot of the Boogie MKII-C I sold this year (good riddance) with the pull mid/boost - just not as interactive controls. Clean tones are really nice (totally blackface) - reverb is good...similar to my '65 BFDR but with a little less sproinginess. It might be interesting to swap the tank with my DR to see what it sounds like. Clean volume level is a little less than the DR but breakup is not quite as smooth. Bottom farts a bit when breaking up / played loud...backing down the bass control helps but a better speaker is in order. OK....now for the "dreaded" pull boost. Hmmm...yeah - at low volumes it's a crappy buzz bomb like my MKII-C's lead channel. Opened up (master & lead up), it's kinda cool. Nice feedback to play with. I'll need to try it with the Marshall 2x12 bottom (when the kids aren't sleeping) I really had my doubts, but I think this'll work fine for our Friday band practices...lighter/smaller than the other amps....and no concern about trashing my vintage toys. I'll have to report this weekend about how it works in the band situation. I think the small speaker is the real hinderance here....but it's a toneful little one. __________________ Lance "not very good...but I make up for it by playing loud"

December 15th, 2004, 11:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
Marshall Thinline Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 635	Sounds like a fun little amp. Enjoy!!! __________________ Shameless plug.... Merry Christmas!!!

December 16th, 2004, 02:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
Big Tony Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden, by golly! Posts: 2,528 29 Photos	Reverb & speakers I think the reverb is really good in my Super Champ. But I do want to replace the Eminence/Fender speaker, the bass tones really starts fartin' when you turn it up. The clean sound is very good. I don't use the "pull boost", just turn it up until it starts to sweat. When that is too much volume, I just put a pedal in front of it (an old Yamaha DI-01). Welcome to the club, Lance! __________________ {8^)> myspace.com/tonypersson

December 16th, 2004, 02:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
Big Tony Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sweden, by golly! Posts: 2,528 29 Photos	By the way Do you know that there's a site dedicated to the Fender Super Champ on the net? Super Champ site __________________ {8^)> myspace.com/tonypersson

December 17th, 2004, 01:20 AM	#7 (permalink)
jimmymackisback TDPRI Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: New York City Posts: 57	Super Champ + or - This is sure a handy thread. I have loved my SC until I bought my Princeton Reverb w. mods Too bright and no bass, didn't shine when plugged into a 2-12 cab, it is to die for with my Guild Nitebird which has some smokey Kent Armstrong HB'ers through the stock speaker. The secret : the mid-Boost. Enough treble for brightness, and that mid-boost make the amp sing and growl. Talk about a BB, Carlton and especially Chris Cain tone. This is it.

December 16th, 2004, 12:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
Caper Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,169 7 Photos	Lance I know a fella with a Super Champ, you wanna hear a clean machine, drop a JBL K series speaker in there and enjoy watching your friends jaws drop. :D

December 16th, 2004, 01:16 PM	#4 (permalink)
Wally Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 4,212	Lance, glad you like the lil amp. A different speaker int here makes a world of difference...I run an Emi Alnico. The stock speaker is a midrangey affair with no bottm, imo. As to the reverb tank....after reading some folks mention that the short tank yielded bad results, I had to do a comparison because I had nothing but good reverb sounds coming from both of my SC's. I heard no difference with a long tank. I am told that the 6C10 can make or break the reverb. Both of mine sound the same..great.

December 17th, 2004, 11:23 AM	#9 (permalink)
T-bone Tone Banned Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Newcastle, England Posts: 321	You will love it before too long! Lance, you are a lucky man. The Superchamp is one of the best amps, pound for pound......ever! 8) For Blues & Rock, it just smokes, and is borderline gigable; remarkable considering it's physical size and wattage. It is already a classic - if you didn't already know - and the prices on ebay for this gem are rising all the time. Had mine since 1982, and would not sell it for anything. Have fun and try different cabinets and slaving other amps from it is very rewarding, too. :D

December 18th, 2004, 01:16 AM	#10 (permalink)
jimmymackisback TDPRI Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: New York City Posts: 57	Man what a handy thread. I was fixing to sell my Super Champ because it doesn't quite earn it's keep, for reasons mentioned above. Now that Big Tony has enlightened me to the SC website, I see various tweaks possible that will sharpen that puppy right up. Thanks Tony. Of course, I could use the money I would get by selling, for other gear --- and tweaking will just cause me to spend more on the SC???? But there are those who believe the SC is the best little amp in the world. The mod for adding the potentiometer to the mid-boost sounds like what every SC owner needs. I have one on my Princeton Reverb and it doubles the versatility of that(the other best little amp in the world) amp.

March 20th, 2005, 09:55 AM	#12 (permalink)
bluemud Guest Posts: n/a	here's some advice...i own a champII,a super champ without the extras.keep a stock of hardy 6V6's. i've been through 3 sets of tubes in the last couple of months.EH's,fender and groove tubes.all of them fried.it's not my amp,but the ****ty tubes can't handle it.get N.O.S. or from what i've heard lately,JJ's...there's reputedly a couple of mods to the circuit that will allow the amp to use any of the new tubes without changing the tone. i usually run my champ on the 7's.