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neil2726 wrote:I have a Super Champ but have just purchased a Fender FM65R off E Bay. Solid state I know , but a nice clear tone and 65watts - and light to carry. A good amp for rhythm players!

How do they compare/differ in terms of tone, overall sound and volume levels without incurring distortion and why did you decide upon the new purchase when you already have the SuperChamp?

Both sound good to me , prob the FM65R is a little thinner in sound but louder! It has 12" speaker as opposed to the SuperChamps 10". Why did I buy it? It was £90, only had limited home use, in mint condition and I couldn't resist it. It didnt sell on E bay so I contacted the seller and arranged to view it. If you dont want the voice settings that the Super Champ has, its a good and cheaper alternative. Has a clean channel with bass and treble, and a drive channel with treble bass and middle. Reverb on both channels.

Hi Martyn,
I've used a Fender Superchamp XD for the past two years & find it an excellent little amp with all you need in one box, & valves too. My friend decided to change his speaker to a 'Ragin Cajun'
,but when he did a side by side test with mine, we both thought that the original sounded a bit better. There's plenty of volume for home use &/or rehearsals, & if you neeed to gig, just use the DI out socket directly into a PA channel.

Tony.

Thanks for the much appreciated advice, everyone.
With this valuable information I think I now need to visit my local store and try one out for myself rathr than buying unseen - and unheard. I won't be able to hear it at the typical volume levels I'll need but at least I'll have a better idea of how it sounds at normal levels in the shop.

Many thanks,
Martyn

neil2726 wrote:Both sound good to me , prob the FM65R is a little thinner in sound but louder! It has 12" speaker as opposed to the SuperChamps 10". Why did I buy it? It was £90, only had limited home use, in mint condition and I couldn't resist it. It didnt sell on E bay so I contacted the seller and arranged to view it. If you dont want the voice settings that the Super Champ has, its a good and cheaper alternative. Has a clean channel with bass and treble, and a drive channel with treble bass and middle. Reverb on both channels.

Interesting that the 65w amp's louder than the 15w valve jobbie - I'd always understood valve amps whacked out much more power in real terms than the solid state types. I also wonder if there's room in the XD cab for a 12" speaker - or even if that's considered desirable in a smaller cabinet?

No, there isn't enough room in the Superchamp cab for a 12" speaker, & usually cabs are built to specific technical dimensions to get the best out of a speaker. There is, however, an Ext. Speaker jack jack socket, so you can connect it to another cab. I have used mine with another 10" louder ext. cab & it works great. So if you have , say, a 12" cab of the correct ohms, you can connect that & get more volume.

Tony.

The FM65R has a louder clean sound than the Super Champ. I found the Super Champ isnt really loud enough in a "group" situation with drums and needs to be micked up or DI to a PA. Using the voice channel and the Vox Clean (7) or the Fender clean (4) voice requires turning the gain up to 2, anything over this and the distortion kicks in. Using the distortion settings on the voice channel, the Super Champ will blow your brains out, it really is loud!

My interest has been aroused by the good things that have been posted about the XD which has largely been centred around 'is it loud enough for club meets'

Many are saying that this amp delivers a good sound but does it deliver those warm vintage tones that we have come to associate with Vox and those early Shads numbers?

Kind regards

Terry

I'll start a new thread asking SMSE members to comment on the sound of the Super Champ XD (which has been the mainstay amp at the club for most of 2009).

Best wishes,

JN

Just to throw another option into the mix, I wondered about the Blues Junior. It's the same 15w but with a 12" speaker, has fewer bells & whistles yet is more expensive so, aside from the larger speaker, what are its advantages compared to the XD that warrant its extra cost and how would it compare in terms of power output and, more importantly, suitability for Shads material?