The Super Champ XD club

[Kid Klash]

I got in on the "Fender Friday" promotion last week and bought one of these SCXD's, and I'm very impressed. Channel one, the clean channel, does a great blackface twin clean sound. The reverb, one of the many digital effects, is very smooth sounding, and much better to my ears than I expected. The amp models on channel two are very cool too, with amp model 3 and 8 being my current favorites. The two 6V6 tubes can produce a VERY loud 15 watt signal... loud enough to rattle the windows in my man cave, and to get instant complaints from Mrs. Klash. I'll put a few hours on it this weekend to loosen up the speaker, and to get a better read on the amp and all it's features. It's rather small looking sitting next to my 63 Tremolux, but it's rather stout too, and packs an amazing punch for it's size.

[red57strat]

Same here! Cool amp and a fantastic deal! I received mine on Thursday, just in time to open it, try it out and bring it to a band rehearsal. It sounded great and functioned well. I used the clean channel as well as voice 8. I didn't bring my pedal board (just my USACG T-Style and a cord) and used the on board effects. The reverb, tremolo, delay and Vibtratone worked great!

I finally got to spend some time alone with it today and try out some of the features. I like it a lot.

[Kid Klash]

Here's a couple photos of my Super Champ XD next to it's big brother...

[Dauntless]

Got mine and I've played it every day since I got it!

I may swap the speaker out for a Jensen.

[davechen]

I have the SXCD's smaller brother, the Vibro Champ XD. It's plenty loud for me just playing at home by myself.

[red57strat]

Originally Posted by Dauntless

I may swap the speaker out for a Jensen.

I have a recent re-issue Jensen C10Q that I used for a few years in a Princeton Reverb. I sold the PR last year and kept the C10Q.

A couple of nights ago I installed it in my SCXD and love it! The clean sounds are fuller and the dirty sounds are less fizzy. I was happy with the amp with the original speaker and was surprised that it improved the amp so much.

Keep in mind, that if you buy a new speaker, it will take some time to break in.

[Kid Klash]

Originally Posted by davechen

I have the SXCD's smaller brother, the Vibro Champ XD. It's plenty loud for me just playing at home by myself.

Those VCXD's are sweet amps too!

[dan79]

I love my SCXD - great amp for messing around with - so many cool voicings and effects - the Tremolo settings are nice to have. Channel 1 is lovely too! On Channel 2 I mostly use the 1,2,6 and 7 amp models along with a bit of delay or reverb.

I'd be interested what others users setting are; I have Gain on 6, Treble on 7.5, Bass on 8 and F/X Level on 6

Here's a pic of my SCXD with my 60's Classic Tele...

[TNO]

I've got mine set up with a "Hammond" 12AX7 and an unmatched pair of grey-plate RCAs. I briefly tried an Eminence Lil'Buddy but much prefer a Weber Sig alnico 10s I had laying around. This is THE speaker for affordable vintage tone in the SCXD. I use the clean channel and voice one. The reverbs and delays are super, the rest of the effects not so much. The only slight bummer is the hiss that the amp produces.

I like mine better than my 5E3.

[Kid Klash]

Originally Posted by TNO

I've got mine set up with a "Hammond" 12AX7 and an unmatched pair of grey-plate RCAs. I briefly tried an Eminence Lil'Buddy but much prefer a Weber Sig alnico 10s I had laying around. This is THE speaker for affordable vintage tone in the SCXD. I use the clean channel and voice one. The reverbs and delays are super, the rest of the effects not so much. The only slight bummer is the hiss that the amp produces.

I like mine better than my 5E3.

That's good to know regarding the Weber alnico Sig 10S... the price is very reasonable ($40), and I figured it'd enhance the vintage vibe tone, but I wasn't sure it could handle the power, or if it'd fit in the cabinet because of the bell cover over the magnet. I might have to order one for giggles. https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/

[mrcrappypantson]

Bought a peavey classic 30 yesterday but wasn't thrilled. Exchanged for the SCXD. Night and day to me. I was tweaking the 30s eq all night without getting one of those inspiring tones that make you want to play. Plugged in the SCXD and it was pretty much instant gratification. Told my wife I'd be right back and played for 45 minutes while she waitied for me to start Top Chef Masters. I LOVE THIS AMP

[Mid Life Crisis]

I love the tones on my SCXD. I keep finding new sounds as well.

My favourites on channel 2 are voice 1 - gain on 10 and volume quite high, it can get seriously loud, great with a Tele; voice 3 with the gain at around 2 just before the o/d really kicks in; voice 6 is an excellent blackface sound; 8 is OK - i find I have to turn the treble down to 1 or 2 and bass on full to get enough depth; 14 is great for a more "brown sound" with the gain on 3 or so. I do find that on some of the models the gain setting is quite aggressive enough at lower settings - I think it would be better if they only went up to 3 (in an opposite to Spinal Tap kind of way).

[TNO]

I don't know if the Weber will fit with the bell cover or not. I didn't want to take up any extra volume in the SCXD's little cab so I removed the bell cover. It can definitely handle the output of the amp and sounds good for clean and overdriven settings.

[BB]

I got to sit down for a 1/2 hour with one of these little jewels a few weeks ago. I was blown away by the wide variety of tones on hand and the amount of volume it put out. I'd get one in a heartbeat!

[PMan]

So does this amp (or even the VibroChamp) need to reach, say, Pro Junior levels of volume to sound completely awesome, or can it be achieved at "bedroom practice" levels?

[FMA]

PMan,
It sounds good at lower volumes.
I picked one up during the MF deal and for two bills, you can't beat it. I've used it twice at band rehearsal and it sounds great in the mix too.
Since I got a deal on it, I was thinking about replacing the stock speaker with a Ragin Cajun, but at his point, now that the stock speaker is breaking in, it doesn't really seem necessary. I still may do it...
I mostly just use the first channel. Some of the models, though, do sound pretty good and the reverb sounds very good. Not Deluxe Reverb good, but good nonetheless. I haven't really messed with the other effects.

[jays0n]

Right on XD club!!! I am in. Got mine 6 months or so back and use it more than any other (I really like this 80s champ I have, but the XD can get close to that sound pretty easily and I feel better giving it the daily wear and tear). All has been said above really, but I will say I love the versatility. I am a bit moody and while my normal fave tone is something like the clean channel with a little gain and vibrato (I think I use setting 3 or 4 on channel two with very light gain), well when I get in a mood I can plug in and quickly get to something dark, ugly, light, happy, gritty or whatever. Just a lot of fun to be had in such an inexpensive thing. I love it and if it died and I could not get it fixed, I would get another in a second.

Pics:

[hooverrocks77]

Love my SCXD!!!

Okay, but tell me if I'm crazy - I've really been spending a lot of time on voice 16 playing some funky stuff. The bass is really heavy and defined, while the high end gets really really funky. It is like having a bass player jamming with me, and I am all by myself.

I've only had mine for a couple months, but everytime I walk by it, I have to plug in and play something!

[red57strat]

Originally Posted by hooverrocks77

Love my SCXD!!!

Okay, but tell me if I'm crazy - I've really been spending a lot of time on voice 16 playing some funky stuff. The bass is really heavy and defined, while the high end gets really really funky. It is like having a bass player jamming with me, and I am all by myself.

That's not crazy! There are as many ways to use these amps as there are players!

[red57strat]

Originally Posted by PMan

So does this amp (or even the VibroChamp) need to reach, say, Pro Junior levels of volume to sound completely awesome, or can it be achieved at "bedroom practice" levels?

As someone who has never liked the Pro Junior or Blues Junior I think the SCXD sounds better than either of them at any volume level.

This amp sounds better at home practice volume levels than any of my other amps (5E3 clone, Mesa/Boogie Express 5:50, Vibrolux Reverb).

[Kid Klash]

I took my SCXD to rehearsal today, and I was very pleased that it kept up with the bass and drums. We're doing a wedding gig out in the sticks next weekend (they're packing in a generator for us), so we're leaving the big guns home and playing through small amps, which means I'll be playing through my SCXD. Dang, she sure sounds sweet!

[BadHorsie]

I love mine.

[profgalen]

I just got my SCXD from MF and love it. I have a three button foot switch from my Fender Roc Pro 1000. Either of the first two buttons will switch channels on the SCXD the third button does nothing. My question is will this harm the SCXD to use this foot switch for channel switching?

[richey88]

I like to plug mine into a 4x12. The Jensen MOD I bought for it ain't bad either......mostly channel 1 w/ pedals.

[Mike S.]

Add me to the club. I was in the market for a new, tube based practice/recording amp recently and decided firmly in favor of the Super Champ XD after sampling a wide range of amps. Couldn't be happier with it.

[Hiker]

Mike S. wrote: Add me to the club. I was in the market for a new, tube based practice/recording amp recently and decided firmly in favor of the Super Champ XD after sampling a wide range of amps. Couldn't be happier with it.

Today is SCXD Day, the search is over, for now! (At a discounted sale price, too.) The 5 watt amps were not my cup of tea. YMMV.

[garytelecastor]

So is it gig worthy???

[Mike S.]

Originally Posted by garytelecastor

So is it gig worthy???

Small venues perhaps, but it is marketed as, and most useful for, practice and studio applications.

[Mike S.]

Originally Posted by Hiker

Today is SCXD Day, the search is over, for now! (At a discounted sale price, too.) The 5 watt amps were not my cup of tea. YMMV.

Glad that you found it a winner as well. The only thing I can honestly say that I wish it had is an effects loop. But for the price vs. what you get, I can't complain.

[BadHorsie]

Originally Posted by garytelecastor

So is it gig worthy???

A friend of a buddy of mine gigs his hard. He used to use a Rivera half stack. now he only uses the SCXD and his pedal board. He mikes it at big Venus. As a matter of fact he works at the local guitar center and is the one who talked me into buying mine. I am in the process of putting my pedal board back together to use with my SCXD.

[garytelecastor]

Originally Posted by BadHorsie

A friend of a buddy of mine gigs his hard. He used to use a Rivera half stack. now he only uses the SCXD and his pedal board. He mikes it at big Venus. As a matter of fact he works at the local guitar center and is the one who talked me into buying mine. I am in the process of putting my pedal board back together to use with my SCXD.

Thankx Mike and BH-
I am looking for a light tube amp but I don't want a C30. I want that classic fender tone. Dis be da amp???

[garytelecastor]

One other question.
Would it be possible to put a 12" speaker in the cab?

[Kid Klash]

Originally Posted by garytelecastor

One other question.
Would it be possible to put a 12" speaker in the cab?

A 12" speaker won't fit in the stock SCXD cabinet.

There is a cabinet maker that makes a replacement SCXD cabinet designed for a 12" speaker, and he'll cover it in any type Tolex you want, with any type grille cloth you want. I see his cabinets (and converted SCXD amps in his cabinets) pop up on eBay, and at various forums. He does EXCELLENT work.

[awfulguitarnois]

Add me to the list of fans. I tried a TON of different amps, including an A/B on the clean channel against a Blues Jr, and I thought the SCXD sounded better. I'm strictly a home player, and like Ch2 on 3 with the gain around 8, bass around 7 and treble around 3. I've recently been trying to get some rockabilly 'bigger' sound out of it (I have a MIM std with rio grande dirty harry and fralin sp 43). I used the clean channel, treble around 9, base around 3, reverb at 6. To my ear, it makes a pretty passable rockabilly sound.

Sorry for rambling, but it's just nice to hear that other people love this amp as much as I do.

[Brian Krashpad]

OK, I'm in!

Found one of these tagged at $250 in the pawn round the corner from my office. Looks brand new.

Saw it there, left, then went and did a little online research.

Went back, checked all around the clock on the effects, everything seems to work, even hooked it up to my open-back 2x12 cab. Played it through my Gretsch Special Jet (singles-- DeArmond 2000's) and my DeArmond Jet Star (HB's-- DeArmond GoldTones). Plenty loud, sounds good.

Total damage?

$175 USD!

[Dauntless]

If it didn't come with the foot switch, you might want to pick one up.
Increases versatility.

Originally Posted by Brian Krashpad

OK, I'm in!

Found one of these tagged at $250 in the pawn round the corner from my office. Looks brand new.

Saw it there, left, then went and did a little online research.

Went back, checked all around the clock on the effects, everything seems to work, even hooked it up to my open-back 2x12 cab. Played it through my Gretsch Special Jet (singles-- DeArmond 2000's) and my DeArmond Jet Star (HB's-- DeArmond GoldTones). Plenty loud, sounds good.

Total damage?

$175 USD!

[jkingma]

This is a club I hope to be a member of soon. I have been going to buy one of these babies for a couple years but the money always ends up going elsewhere.

Oh well. Maybe one of these days.......

[Brian Krashpad]

Originally Posted by Dauntless

If it didn't come with the foot switch, you might want to pick one up.
Increases versatility.

No footswitch unfortunately. It appears Fender does not routinely sell them together. Do you know how much they run?

I wonder if I could find one on ebay.

[Dauntless]

$25.00


http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-FM65DSP-and-SuperChamp-XD-Footswitch?sku=482846

[Brian Krashpad]

Thanks!