Fender Super Champ XD for lap steel?

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

I'm looking for a small combo amp for lap steel. I play mostly western swing. Requirements are that it is tube driven with reverb and trem. I'm only playing house parties and small clubs at this point so 15 watts is plenty. A Princeton Reverb would be perfect but the Super Champ XD looks like it might be a suitable, affordable substitute, using just the clean channel. Does anyone here use one?

PS: Posting this in Steel Without Pedals because I'm only looking for feedback from lap steel players.

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Never tried a Super Champ XD, but it would probably be satisfactory. My silverface Princeton Reverb is wonderful, but you could likely purchase multiple XDs for the price of a PR nowadays. My faves for lap steel are the old Musicmaster Bass Amp and the older USA Pro Juniors, but neither features onboard trem or 'verb.

Glenn Wilde · From: California, USA

Should work fine, i have its smaller sibling ( Vibro Champ XD) and like it alot. The trem and reverb are digital, only the power section is tube.

Mark Mansueto · From: Michigan, USA

I have two SCXD's. I bought one to use as a practice amp and liked it so much that I bought another to use for stereo. I play with a drummer so two together gives me the volume I need. The tube channel sounds very much like a Princeton but gets grittier a bit sooner. Very Fendery clean at lower volume. The modeling channel is also very useful for getting different sounds. I like that the amp is only 22 lbs Smile

Nic Neufeld · From: Kansas City, Missouri

Have a couple of these at my church used for electric guitar. I'm not a wild fan personally but given your requirements, it might do...I was going to recommend the more traditional straight analog Blues Junior but its a bit more money and I don't think it includes tremolo.

I'm using a Vibrasonic now but no one can sanely call that thing very portable (has a nice trem and reverb and such a big sound through the 15"). I also use/used a small, extremely cheap Bugera V5 that honestly did the job pretty serviceably...digital reverb, really basic and simple controls, and I liked the tone (ironically, more with a lap steel than with a fretted guitar, for which they are mostly marketed).

There's probably lots of boutique options with low wattage, trem, and reverb, but odds are they'll cost more than a Princeton.
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Mark Mansueto · From: Michigan, USA

Tim, just to be clear, the SCXD sounds very close to a Princeton. The Blues Jr is also a good little combo and sounds great but does not sound like a Princeton. It also weighs about 10 more pounds and weight is always a consideration for me because I'm old and have back issues. I would say that the Blues Jr is a better built amp though.

I've also played the newer SCX2 at Guitar Center and thought it sounded good but I don't really need the computer editing capabilities so I bought the two XD's instead. I've read many reviews by guys who did actual side-by-side comparisons and said that the XD sounds noticeably better than the X2.

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Moved to Electronics from Steel Without Pedals.
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Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

Thanks for the feedback all. A used SCXD can be had for about $225 and they are plentiful, whereas PRs have become somewhat rare on Craigslist lately, except for the newer 68 Custom reissue. I'll look for a bargain SCXD and sell it if it doesn't work out. Don't see why it wouldn't through.

Mark Mansueto · From: Michigan, USA

FYI, I bought mine used for about that price on fleabay. Both like brand new. I absolutely LOVE running them stereo with a stereo reverb, delay and tremolo. I can use a Y connector to use one footswitch for both amps to change channels or to engage the amp's effects. There are other tricks too, like removing the preamp tube for silent recording with the direct out jack. Can't do that with a PR. I also swapped out the speakers with Jenson C10Q's to give them more headroom. I also corrected the bias because the SCXD's are generally off by differing ammounts. There are directions online to do that and it's easy.

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