Fender Champion 50XL vs Mustang GTX50?

[vipor3d]

I'm looking at getting a new amp and think I've narrowed my decision down to either the Fender Champion 50XL or the Fender Mustang GTX50.

I've read and watched several reviews of each, but haven't found anything directly comparing the two. For me, the champion has a big advantage with the more direct analog controls that can be easily adjusted. But I also see the advantage of all the built in amps/effects the Mustang has.

The reviews I've watched all seem to praise the upgraded Celestion speaker in the Champion as having a warm and smooth tone (which I like). The GTX50 also has a Celestion, but it's the Seventy 80 which doesn't always get great reviews. Also, my previous experience owning a modeling amp left me disappointed as the amp voices just sounded somewhat fake if that makes sense, but that was several years ago now.

I guess in a nutshell what I'm wondering is if the mustang GTX50 sounds at least as good (if not better) than the champion 50XL and if it would be worth the additional cost for the additional amp models and effects?

 

[Gimble]

I would go with the better speaker as it’s such a huge element in the overall.

Settings can be tweaked but starting with a less than great speaker makes it harder to get a sound you’d be happy with…

 

[JKPickin]

I did have a Mustang III v2 and liked it a lot. I never thought it sounded gimmicky but I built my own patches rather than using the built ins. I ended up selling it a few years ago as I had to downsize due to a life change. I now have a Champion 50XL and after playing with the whole ‘voice’ channel, I now leave it on the clean channel all the time. I do have a Boss ME-70 in front of it for effects when needed. Overall I like the sound of the amp although it does have a slight hiss when you’re not playing. It sounds good at low volumes which is nice and it gets pretty loud if you want it to. It’s also very easy to dial in a tone.

Hope that helps, I don’t think you could go wrong with either. For my money though, I’d go with the GTX 100 because it includes the footswitch.

 

[vipor3d]

I did have a Mustang III v2 and liked it a lot. I never thought it sounded gimmicky but I built my own patches rather than using the built ins. I ended up selling it a few years ago as I had to downsize due to a life change. I now have a Champion 50XL and after playing with the whole ‘voice’ channel, I now leave it on the clean channel all the time. I do have a Boss ME-70 in front of it for effects when needed. Overall I like the sound of the amp although it does have a slight hiss when you’re not playing. It sounds good at low volumes which is nice and it gets pretty loud if you want it to. It’s also very easy to dial in a tone.

Hope that helps, I don’t think you could go wrong with either. For my money though, I’d go with the GTX 100 because it includes the footswitch.

I appreciate your response. How would you say the clean of the 50XL compared to the clean on the mustang you used to have? The reviews I've read/watched suggest that the GTX mustang models sound better than any prior mustang model. So I guess if the cleans were as good as the champion on your older mustang, they would be just as good if not better on the GTX

 

[The Angle]

If you prefer the simplicity of the Champion, then that's your answer right there. Don't buy an amp that's going to frustrate you or annoy you every time you need to make an adjustment.

If you're comfortable with an amp that requires a computer or phone hookup to get the most from, then I think the Mustang GTX's are hard to beat.

 

[vipor3d]

If you prefer the simplicity of the Champion, then that's your answer right there. Don't buy an amp that's going to frustrate you or annoy you every time you need to make an adjustment.

If you're comfortable with an amp that requires a computer or phone hookup to get the most from, then I think the Mustang GTX's are hard to beat.

Well it's not that it would annoy me. In fact, there would be times I'd really enjoy just playing around with the different amp models and effects. It's just that I know there are times I'd like to plug in and only worry about bass/mid/treble EQ, volume, and gain and be able to easily adjust them. From what I'm gathering, though, it seems that if you set your own presets with the GTX you can essentially do what I described to adjust as needed.

So for me I think it would just come down to any difference in tone between the two amps, which at that point I think is really more of a debate between the two Celestion speaker models (Seventy 80 vs Midnight 60)

 

[howardlo]

I had a Mustang I for years. About a year ago I bought the GTX50 and really like it. I only play clean and it sounds really good to me.

It has a lot of great amp models and effects. Also has an effects loop and Bluetooth. Having an LCD screen on the amp makes settings easy. It can also save hundreds of presets that can be stored in playlists. But even better is that through the Bluetooth you can add and rearrange effects and amp setting through your phone. You can easily adjust these using that to the tenth of a number. It also allows you to play backing tracks through the amp using Bluetooth.

Easier and more convenient through the phone app than even on the amp itself.

Even has a built in looper (but that requires the foot switch).

Far better amp than the old Mustangs and far easier to use.

 

[StevesBoogie]

For what it is worth, I have the GTX100, and think it is absolutely fantastic. I believe the Seventy 80 is also in this amplifier. I want to say that the only difference between the GTX50 and GTX100 is simply wattage.

Back in Feb 2020 I did the cost analysis between the 50 and 100 and went with the 100 because they throw in the footswitch controller, which is GREAT. The 60-second looper on it is really good. I think the difference was less than $100, it may be different now.

I am still perplexed why this amp is not better well known.

It really is easier to use a smartphone for navigating through the amps's sounds and user patches.

My all-time favorite that I use 95% of the time is a user-created tone called 'Angry Tweed Twin' .. holy smokes, it really rips!!!

I had a headache right off the bat getting bluetooth to be friendly, but that was the only 'issue'. I've been riding high on it ever since.

Again I realize you are interested in the 50 but thought the opinion of a 100 owner could come in handy. Good luck to you.

 

[howardlo]

I am very happy with my GTX50, but in retrospect wish I had gone with the 100 only for it including the foot switch.

 

[The Angle]

Well it's not that it would annoy me. In fact, there would be times I'd really enjoy just playing around with the different amp models and effects. It's just that I know there are times I'd like to plug in and only worry about bass/mid/treble EQ, volume, and gain and be able to easily adjust them. From what I'm gathering, though, it seems that if you set your own presets with the GTX you can essentially do what I described to adjust as needed.

So for me I think it would just come down to any difference in tone between the two amps, which at that point I think is really more of a debate between the two Celestion speaker models (Seventy 80 vs Midnight 60)

You absolutely can run the Mustang pretty well from its built-in control panel. If you'd enjoy the Mustang's capabilities, then my recommendation is the Mustang. It can do everything the Champion does plus quite a lot more. Whatever difference there may be between their speakers is dwarfed by the sound-shaping capabilities of the Mustang amp.

What I've found from years of using Fender and Vox modeling amps is that their versatility is huge fun to play around with, but eventually I settle on a particular voice and it gets used 80 percent of the time. If you decide to upgrade the speaker at that point, you can choose one that enhances the voicing you prefer. For example, if you favor Vox-style voicings, then a speaker such as a Warehouse Green Beret is a great upgrade from the stock speaker. But until you know which of the amp's voicings you want to focus on, choosing between these amps on the basis of their stock speakers probably isn't the best approach. Swapping in a better speaker is the easiest of all possible upgrades (it probably has the greatest impact, too), and good second-hand speakers are easy to come by with a little patience.

 

[DrBGood]

You either love or hate controlling an amp through an outside device. Like many mentioned, after a while you'll probably settle on one or two tones you like best. To get there through a screen, you can easily get lost. Personally, I like twisting knobs, it's right there as you do it.

The Champion 50XL has basically the same voices spread as the older Super Champ. I have two SCXD and can't find another amp to compete with them. I have had many amps and am still looking. I presently have a Egnater Rebel 30 and a Marshall Origin 20 and the SCXD still gets lots of play time. I rented a BLues Jr for a week. I'll be returning it tomorrow and I'll test the Champion 50XL while in the store. I've been looking at it for a long while.

 

[howardlo]

You either love or hate controlling an amp through an outside device. Like many mentioned, after a while you'll probably settle on one or two tones you like best. To get there through a screen, you can easily get lost. Personally, I like twisting knobs, it's right there as you do it.

Ah, but with the phone app you can sit on the sofa, click a knob on the amp and a screen appears that will let you adjust it precisely like from 5.5 to 5.8, etc.

You really don’t get lost choosing amps or presets. You can make multiple preset lists. I have about half a dozen amp models and presets for them that I use the most and have them saved in a list named favorites. I go to that list and only that half dozen show up. Besides the amp always starts up with the last preset used, that is normally the one I use 80% of the time. So all I have to do is start up the amp and it is there. I have another list that only contains my surf presets. Really simple and I can do it from wherever I am sitting.

 

[DrBGood]

Like I said, you either love it or hate it.

 

[lmjmitchell]

I have a GTX100 and it's great. I only play clean with it, but you can come up with some excellent tones if you take a bit of time to dig around in the settings and experiment.

 

[archetype]

Well it's not that it would annoy me. In fact, there would be times I'd really enjoy just playing around with the different amp models and effects. It's just that I know there are times I'd like to plug in and only worry about bass/mid/treble EQ, volume, and gain and be able to easily adjust them. From what I'm gathering, though, it seems that if you set your own presets with the GTX you can essentially do what I described to adjust as needed.

So for me I think it would just come down to any difference in tone between the two amps, which at that point I think is really more of a debate between the two Celestion speaker models (Seventy 80 vs Midnight 60)

IMO it doesn't come down to which speaker is "better." It comes down to the tone you get out of the amp. The Seventy 80 sounds somewhat bland in conventional amps where it is used because it's cheap, but it's well-matched to many modeling amps that uses its fairly neutral response as the baseline for modeling to.

Play through both amps. Listen hard.

You either love or hate controlling an amp through an outside device. Like many mentioned, after a while you'll probably settle on one or two tones you like best. To get there through a screen, you can easily get lost. Personally, I like twisting knobs, it's right there as you do it.

The Champion 50XL has basically the same voices spread as the older Super Champ. I have two SCXD and can't find another amp to compete with them. I have had many amps and am still looking. I presently have a Egnater Rebel 30 and a Marshall Origin 20 and the SCXD still gets lots of play time. I rented a BLues Jr for a week. I'll be returning it tomorrow and I'll test the Champion 50XL while in the store. I've been looking at it for a long while.

The driver, phase inverter, and power sections in the SCXD are 99% identical to a Princeton circuit. It's hard to improve on that, if that's the tone you want. I'll be intested to know if the 50XL successfully models the same tone and *response.*

 

[DrBGood]

I'll be intested to know if the 50XL successfully models the same tone and *response.*

Well no, I was quite disillusioned and would not buy one. It was sitting between a Bassbreaker and a Blues Jr, which I also both played. The 50XL sounded like a Casio amp compared to them.