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Author Topic:  Demo - 5 Watt Fender tube amp - Vibro Champ Reverb
Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2024 11:18 am    
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I just purchased a '68 Vibro Champ Reverb (reissue) for home playing and recording. It sounds surprisingly good at low volumes.

I made a short iPhone video: Carter pedal steel (w/George L's humbucker) plugged directly into the amp. The amp volume is on 2. No effects other than the reverb in the amp. No volume pedal. This reissue has a 10" speaker (the originals had an 8"), and it has digital hall reverb. Two 12AX7 preamp tubes and and one 6V6.

-----> https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6RkByiOUF4/?igsh=OGhwdGlqcXRxaG8x



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Last edited by Doug Beaumier on 27 Apr 2024 3:48 pm; edited 1 time in total
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John Larson


From:
Pennsyltucky, USA
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2024 11:32 am    
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Love those little amps, a local music store had one for a while and I had so much fun playing it. A strat in position 4 and some verb nails the "sultans of swing" tone.
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Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 27 Apr 2024 11:58 am    
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I'm having a blast with this one. It's given me new incentive to practice and learn new riffs.
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2024 2:02 pm    
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I love my '79 Silverface Champ for lap steel and guitar.


Great little amp, plus it's serviceable. Never plugged a pedal steel into it, which I'm hesitant to do with its vintage 8" unoriginal Jensen. I use my '79 Princeton Reverb with a K110 JBL when I need something smaller than a PV 400.
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Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 28 Apr 2024 3:31 pm    
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Great picture, Jack. That Champ looks to be in nice condition. I know what you mean about "serviceable". Most modern reissues have PCB's, and amp techs hate working on them.
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John Larson


From:
Pennsyltucky, USA
Post  Posted 29 Apr 2024 7:27 am    
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Doug,

Have you tried the 5W on pedal steel? Do you like it? I've thought about picking one up for steel but I'm worried it would break up too early with the high output of most pedal steel pickups.
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Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous; praise is meet for the upright. Give praise to the Lord with the harp, chant unto Him with the ten-stringed psaltery. Sing unto Him a new song, chant well unto Him with jubilation. For the word of the Lord is true, and all His works are in faithfulness. The Lord loveth mercy and judgement; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.
- Psalm 33:1-5
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Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 29 Apr 2024 9:00 am    
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John Larson wrote:
Doug,

Have you tried the 5W on pedal steel? Do you like it? I've thought about picking one up for steel but I'm worried it would break up too early with the high output of most pedal steel pickups.


Yes, I'm playing a pedal steel in the short clip I posted in this thread... a Carter S-10 with a George L's humbucker. I have the amp volume on 2 (with no volume pedal). The sound is clean until the volume is about 4. Anything above 4 and the amp starts to sound crappy (in my opinion) for steel guitar. Of course, it sounds wonderful for regular guitar at any volume. I bought the amp for home playing and recording, and it does that perfectly.

As to be expected, the amp doesn't have a lot of Lows, but the highs are really sweet (with the volume below 4). I A-B'd the Champ and my Quilter TT-12 and switched back and forth several times. I set the attenuator (Master) on the Quilter down to about 15W. To my ear, the Champ is more satisfying and fun to play through. It has that sparkly Fender sound at low volumes. Of course, the Quilter has more Lows and a broader range of tones. (larger cabinet, bigger speaker).

I had some musician friends over the other day and I played through both amps for them, and they preferred the sound of the Champ. I wasn't playing at bandstand volume though, I had the volume set at 3. Again, it's a fun amp for quiet, home playing. When it comes to a band gig though, I will continue to use my TT-12 or TT-15.
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Joseph Lazo

 

From:
Wisconsin, USA
Post  Posted 10 May 2024 5:23 pm     Re: Demo - 5 Watt Fender tube amp - Vibro Champ Reverb
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Doug Beaumier wrote:
I just purchased a '68 Vibro Champ Reverb (reissue) for home playing and recording. It sounds surprisingly good at low volumes.

I made a short iPhone video: Carter pedal steel (w/George L's humbucker) plugged directly into the amp. The amp volume is on 2. No effects other than the reverb in the amp. No volume pedal. This reissue has a 10" speaker (the originals had an 8"), and it has digital hall reverb. Two 12AX7 preamp tubes and and one 6V6.

-----> https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6RkByiOUF4/?igsh=OGhwdGlqcXRxaG8x




It twangs! It sparkles! It's a Champ!

I've been wanting to check one of these out, but no place around me ever has one. On a scale of 1 to 10, how close do you think its reverb comes to a real Fender reverb?
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Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 10 May 2024 5:58 pm    
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Quote:
On a scale of 1 to 10, how close do you think its reverb comes to a real Fender reverb?


I'd say about a 7. It's a digital hall reverb, and to my ear it sounds really good. I was skeptical at first and I wondered why Fender didn't go with a digital "spring" reverb, but this reverb sounds great, as does the tremolo.
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25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel
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