I remember back in 76-77, a neighbor of mine bought a vibro champ, and that thing rocked my world. I've been addicted to guitar ever since. RIP, Louie!!!
You have quickly become one of the best channels on youtube for helping figure out what amp to buy. Your unique insight into the build quality and projected longevity has been a huge help in narrowing down my choices. I've been burned before with crappy tube amps but this sort of insight is hard to come by. Thanks for your service!!
This amp solves the limitations of early Champ/VibroChamp amps. It sounds good, it's more versatile due to 10" speaker and reverb. I've gigged this several times and it works well.
@@paulwatson9217 No, it was a guitar duo playing classic rock, country in an average sized bar. Plenty of volume, sounded great. In a band with drums it would have to be mic'd, but it would sound great then.
@@clintwhite3021 Guitar duo gigs, average sized pubs, not mic'd, there's plenty of clean headroom. I actually wanted to turn it up more, but it was already loud enough! Pedals used for overdrive, surprisingly clean.
@@Dang... Thanks for the reply, sounds pretty great actually. My 22 watt amp just never sees the dial past 2 anymore or even an actual gig since being encouraged to go direct by the band manager.
I got the 57 reissue too. Its the best amp I ever had. Hand wired quality with a great Weber and tube rectifier. This Mexican model has a transistor rectifier, digital reverb and a cheap speaker. I was tempted to try it out til I saw this video. One thing with the 57 is you may have a little rattle or buzz. To fix that I just pulled the back panel a couple of mil away from the steel tube protector.
Totally agree this 57 rocks! I was hoping they were going to put the same quality level into a Vibro version but alas. Period The 8 inch speaker is what makes this thing sound amazing! Nice tight punchy rock 'n' roll sound!
@@es330 who cares about the price of the speaker? It should always be about sound and those Celestions in the 68 amps fit so great. Best Fender sound since decades
Of course, the amplifier is not for playing really loud (there are others for that) but for practicing at home it is very good. And for the price, it's definitely a good choice. My opinion...
@@shayeasynot just recording. I’ve gigged with mine for decades. Miked up, it sounds HUGE, throw a Seinheiser in front of it and make your sound tech happy; throw it in everyone’s monitors and make everyone happy. Show up with it to any gig and make the talent buyer happy.
To quantify that "feels warmer than it should" thing, I'd use one of those Harbor Freight heat laser handheld devices. I've found them accurate when diagnosing issues involving warmer-than-normal wiring issues.
To anyone looking at this amp, I have had it a while and it sounds great and does everything thing I want of it. Regarding the speaker, I changed the stock to a Weber. I played on the Weber for quite a while and switched back to the stock one. The stock one to my ears sounds better. Good definition overall and the bass is more than serviceable for 5 watts. Before you go down the speaker rabbit hole just know the stock one sounds great and is paired with this amp for a reason. As stated in the video these speakers may fail more than others, however, that has not been my experience so far and it has worked out for me. The stock one to my ears sounds good not only clean but also if you run an overdrive pedal into it. The Weber sounded reasonable clean but not desirable with an OD pedal. Again, this is all subjective and to my ears. This amp does take pedals extremely well in my experience also by the way. In my opinion the best upgrade is to get some NOS RCA or other tubes and put them in. Mine sounds fantastic to my ears, particularly after tube upgrades. NOS tubes are pricey and not all will claim to notice a big difference but, my ears hear a vast difference between a good NOS tube and the basic newer ones that come stock.
@@BenState there are plenty of decent scientific vids you can find on RU-vid to dismiss that tube tonal rubbish out of hand, they amplify not add tone, just a thought
Another informative and even entertaining (to me) video. I own one of these amps and so far no tube issues for me. I tend to prefer the Celestion G10 speaker of this size & might swap it at some point. I typically don't go for pcb amps but for the price I think this little amp is quite nice & fun to bring with me for family vacation type playing. You've always done a good job repairing my amps but hopefully I won't need to have this one worked on anytime soon.
Some of my favorite hit songs were played on Fender Champ amps. They sound huge on tape and are the perfect size for the house or studio. You don't really need much more to play live. Mic it and it can be any size... easier to move and sounds great.. win win.
What does justifies its higher price? It's more expensive than a Blues Jr, but appears to have as much as print circuit board as any other entry-level tube amp.
@@francisco.amorimThis amp is incredibly well made. Even Marshall agrees that PCB amps are more dependable than Tube amps. I like this champ a lot. It sounds great and is the perfect size for my house. I am happy to pay $800 for this quality of amp. I would pay $1200 for this .. You can always find fault in anything. I think this amp is a mile better than the Blues Jr any day.
@@tjnugent62 I'd really like to know minor details that justify its price. The speaker is a pretty inexpensive $50 Celestion Ten-30. I have a Fender Super Champ XD for more than 10 years. Never had any issue and it was offered for half the price of this Vibro Champ. In comparison, a 5W tweed Champ with handwired circuit, Weber alnico speaker (around $100), costs "only" $300 more, but it seems to be a better deal to me.
@@francisco.amorim Francisco, I understand these amps are expensive. Perhaps if you can't afford the more expensive amps, I undetrstand. Luckily your Champ XD is still alive and well and you feel good about the purchase.
@@tjnugent62you are inferring something I didn't say. I have a SRV strat, a Gibson LP Studio and an AVRI jazz bass. I'm just asking you a simple question. You just don't know the tech specs that justify why a small tube amp with a lot of pcb circuits costs more than similar amps with similar amount of pcb circuits.
I have one of these and thankfully no issues. It sounds wonderful to me. I did after. few weeks change the stock tubes to all NOS RCA and its even better now. Got me worried about the speaker now though.
Hi, I've been using this amp as a practice amp in the living room since April. I swapped the speaker for a Jenson P10R Alnico to get a little more treble.
Sounds like a Champ to me. Mine always had that sound of the notes bleeding together in that awesome, slightly trashy tone. Tone is also a matter of taste (unless it's a really really bad tone).
My DIY version of the Vibro Champ has a diode rectifier and an additional filter stage with a choke and a 68uF. It's dead quiet now. Some other useful addition: NFB switch, master volume and a 100k log mid control, which works as a tone stack lift when it's fully CW. And I love the Eminence Legend 128p in this amp.
I have mine now ! An amp builder made me one. He have added a Master pot too. Great option. I don't know for the diode rectifier... He made 40+20+20 uf. It's better than my vibro champ XD in terms of quiet. No mid for me ... But he added 4 ohm, 8 and 16 ohm outs. For me 12 inch kill the charm of vibro champ. I prefer 8 inch, or 10 inch max. I'm waiting for my P10R HP,😁
it is amazing that it would be just as easy to wire it PTP than Fender going PCB....in a few years when its in the scrap pile it would be great to hand wire it
It looks like the potentiometers are attached to a PCB like the Blues Jr and that is a disappointment but at least your video is informative and entertaining. You provide real information instead of marketing hype. Keep up the good work. Thank you.
I was close to buying this one😅 Can you please recommend another one in the same price range? I play with a fender Strat (rock, blues, love Mark Knopfler kind of style) 🙏
I finally changed the speaker to the same one in this video. Huge improvement!! Thank you for that!! Learning so much from your videos. Something odd though, before the speaker change I felt like the amp was getting hotter than it should. I could feel the heat when touching the front panel. Nothing too serious but I've owned a lot of Champs in my life and its not something I remember. Since I changed the speaker, its not getting that hot anymore. Weird.
@@clintwhite3021 I would say yes, definitely at low volumes it seems more alive, With the new speaker it handles a Big Muff or Tone Bender much better than the original speaker. Much better amp now. I still wouldn't recommend it for the $ though.
Figured it was a speaker issue upon hearing it. I’ve been having fits matching speakers with conversions utilizing VVR’s as I got a batch of 6 Hammond Ao44’s I’ve been turning into different guitar amps. They have a strangely large output transformer and a smallish power transformer so it’s not as simple to get them right if doing a complete conversion with them. And every version (stock tubes,el84’s,or 6v6’s)reacts differently to different speakers. Still fun to experiment tho!
Could you please comment on the value and the quality of this amp in your estimation or recommend some thing that is actually comparable, but a better build and value?.. please and thank you
In front of the amplifier I have a Greer Amps Lightspeed (which is very good and very transparent). Then comes an MXR Carbon Copy Bright and an MXR Analog Chorus. I am very flexible with that. At volume 3-4, treble at 7, bass at 5, I have my Fender sound.
Thanks a bunch for this video! I'm currently troubleshooting some pretty major static from 5 onward. Seems like way too much although this is my first tube amp. I've gone so far as to switch out all 3 tubes, made sure all connections were secure and no grounding issues that I can tell. Tried different cables and guitars. Essentially unusable for recording above 5 or 6. What's next after all the obvious stuff? It's sooo sweet at lower volumes.
What I discover is that a lot of people have problems with the factory tubes. It happened with mine, the trem was horrible, white noise, clipping at each rotation cycle.. A mess. The power tube was mictophonic and vibrated like hell. Changed the tubes and everything was solved. Fender put crap tubes, they must have bought a low price batch to save $$$... For such a price (very expensive), I find that Fender are not very honest with their customers
Thank YOU! I do different filament wiring depending on a lot of factors. If you see my video on gutting and rebuilding the 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb you can see me doing Fender style (but much more neatly than post '65 Fenders). If you see the most recent AC30 TB/TBX videos you'll see a blend of Fender style tightly twisted preamp heaters and non-twisted outputs. On the most recent Excalibre 15 video you'll see non-twisted heaters and hear why.
Hi! Thanks so much for your highly informative videos letting us behind the curtain of amp repair! I was wondering when you swapped out the power tube, did you have to rebias on this amp?
Thanks for the video! I own this amp and was considering to replace the stock TEN30 as well. I opened it up but after removing all screws I was not able to move the speaker. It seems they glued it to front. Can you please let me know how to best get the TEN30 out without damaging anything?
Just wondering if a 6L6 could be put in to replace the 6v6 should give it more headroom if it can be done without too much messing about? NB ,the Jensen P10r is a pretty good speaker and they gave a P10r F which sounds a bit more zingy like the older version.
Just reading up on this amp . I don’t think it’s a stock Celestion Ten 30 . It was designed with fender specifically for this amp , hence the 3,2 ohm rating . Stock I believe it only comes in 8 or 16 ohm ? Yes people may want to change the speaker at some point which many do with a lot more expensive combos , just for a different flavour . Having briefly tried the amp in a shop and listening to RU-vid demos I think the amp sounds killer for what it is 👍
I have this amp & plan to change the speaker to the same Warehouse you used. I wish this amp had a standby switch. Is this amp able to be modified to have a standby switch?
As soon as I play it louder and especially in low frequencies the amp creates terrible vibration noise. It seems that the sound comes from a point between the grill cloth top center under the reverb knob. It is gettin quieter when I press gently against the grill cloth. I don#t know what I should do to fix the issue?
I ordered an amp from Thomann, returned it on site in Treppendorf with the technicians and they ordered a second new one for comparison. What you describe is the EXACT same thing, why i went to the shop again. humming/rattling noise when playing low/mellow tones at volume 6-7 and above, mainly low e string 3-5th fret. You know what? Second amp is even worse!!! We changed the 6v6 tube, no difference, tightened all screws, removed backplate -> it´s the speaker/resonancing pretty sure.... i returned mine, however i LOVE this sound of this amp. I hope/think maybe bad batch??? Anyway how sad it sounds in those amps today, you need to swap all tubes for 100€/$ anyway with better ones and use the stock ones for backup.. for right now 900€ in europe a shame somehow
@@mario25.11 I had mine for repair twice now. For the first time they changed the speaker. After it returned I had to send it back again after a few days as the noise came back and was even worse. They changed a tube. Since then it works ok and sounds proper but still develops a vibration noise on the 4th fret when going louder. Anyhow I will not send it back again. You are totally right. It is a shame for that amount of money. I know from another guitar player forum that a lot of people share the same problem with this amp, so I guess it is not just a bad batch.
I've got the same amp. When I tried to change the power tube, I've notice that it's very hard to put the tube in. When I think it's in correctly, their's no sound coming out or a lound hum. I've manage to put it in correctly after a couple of try. Should I replace the 6V6 socket? And also, do I have to re-biais it for a Tung Sol 6v6? Thanks
At the end of the day I personally find it better to purchase old Inoperable vintage amps and restore what I can and then send it to my Technician. I’m just not feeling the confidence with these new smaller less expensive amps that are flooding the market.
How can they call this a '68 reissue when the DSP powering the reverb probably has more processing power than the computer's which launched the Apollo mission a year later.
they don’t call it a reissue and make no secret of the modern modifications and additions. but they are inspired by the originals cosmetically and sonically, and in the case of the vibro champ i think they did capture the spirit of the original.
Great video! I was wondering if the light jewel is fixed or removable? They tend to be LED if there is no knurling around the metal on the bottom of the jewel. Also, it looks like some versions of this particular amp comes with a smaller tube cage, and only two mounting screws.
“JJ’s aren’t better or worse than others.” What??? There are many variables in tube manufacturing. And yes, some tubes are absolutely better or worse than others.
Do you know what digital reverb IC they are using on that module on the right? Unfortunately it's not readable from the video, and I am just really curious :)
Clicked on this thinking "wtf... '68 Champs didn't have reverb" When you were first playing softly, it was really a pretty great sound. Too bad it seems to ship with a crappy speaker.
Should be a 500 buck amp at most cos you need a new speaker immediatly and (valves perhaps too) so by the time you feel reasonably happy with it you've spent a grand and lost a lot of time too. Better of getting a "Handwired" combo made for the same dough.
Since it's not tube rectified, and doesn't have a standby switch, how does it not present a problem for the electronics on initial startup? Thermistor? Sorry to comment on a year-old video, but if anyone knows the answer, I would be grateful to find out.
What is your opinion on the long term reliability of PCB board amps in general? Do you think parts, like chips, etc, will be available when needed? One thing about vintage tube amps is that they are still repairable when necessary; circuit diagrams and parts are available. Seems that a lot of modern electronics are disposable.
It really depends on the person doing the PCB and the intent. There are PCB amps that will last as long as anything - see Suhr, Metropoulos, etc. But Fender, Marshall, and many other companies do them as cheaply as possible with predictable results. Componies like Vox and Orange should almost be grouped in the first category, along with some of the less expensive Friedmans. They approach the very high quality stuff. Then at the bottom of the pile are the modern Supros. Dumpster fires waiting for a match. PS a lot of "handwired" amps are also built like crap. Whose hands?
This is very interesting. I know that well made PCB is better than crappy point to point. Moreover companies bump their prices considerably with the "PTP is better therefore pricier" You say Vox, the new ones, make good PCB builds, if I understand well your statement? I agree, modern Supros are total crap.. The two I bought (Keeley Supro and Amulet) were defective right out the box, and I returned them immediately.. I'm done with that brand for sure..
Hello thanks for sharing this. Just curious why you didn’t go for the WGS Veteran 10 or Green Beret? I am considering a speaker swap for mine and looking at the options WGS has. Also, I noticed that 10-30 that comes with it is rated at 3.2 Ohms. I’m guessing that a 4 Ohm speaker works fine in these?
The GB and V10 sound good in a 2x10 or 4x10 configuration but lack low end in a 1x10. And they have very prominent mids that would not do this amp any favors. No difference between 3.2 and 4 ohms. It's all in the measurement frequency. See Celestion and their 15 ohm speakers.
Love the comment about being disappointed when "Amp X" doesn't sound like "Player Y". You made a comment in another video about "tone chasing", and the fact (that most of us disregard) that most of the music we love was made with NEW equipment. Doesn't it stand to reason then, that what you'd REALLY be looking for is an equivalent to a vintage amp, but in its NEW state? i.e no component drift, etc.
To an extent. Some drift can be good. But it can also be choosing a CF that matches the typical value of a new CC in the circuit. For example, most "100K" CCs are closer to 110K. So using a 110K CF...
A 5W amp should not be able to damage a 30W speaker. Neither should a 12W Princeton. And yet they do. Often. Kind of makes you wonder at the quality of that "30W" speaker.
Hello everybody ! Got the same amp and the same problem, exept that there is a "hum" on mine. 50hz. Do someone know if the two 12AX7 need to be paired ? What could be the source of the hum ?
Man, I was actually going to buy this one yesterday because of the sale price, but the sales guy never called me back. Looks like a dodged a bullet. ha
Hey Lyle, I know your busy...but, I dont know who else to ask about this. My Vibro Champ Reverb Amp "reissue" has a noticeable volume and tone loss starting around 5 to 6 on trem intensity. Gets worse the higher you go. This is with trem off via footswitch. Is this normal? ..or do i have something going on? I have to remember to turn down the intensity when not using trem. Pretty annoying.
Mine had a very odd temper when engaging the trem.. Volume loss, white noise, clipping, right out the box. Changed one of the preamp tubes. Can't remember which one? but obviously one of them has a job in the trem circuit because everything came back in order after that. The power tube was also badly microphonic and ringed like a bell.. Changed it and the amp works now like a charm. So in my opinion the valves Fender put in this amp are crap and not selected.. Try changing the valves, and I 'm almost sure the problem will be solved
If I take out the right-most preamp tube, everything goes dark, but if I take out only the second, it still works. Is this normal behaviour or is something badly gone wrong? Thanks for any insight. @@rodolphep0nthus555
A couple to three hundred bucks, above that, I'd be VERY hard pressed to get one of these. What do you think of the Kustom Defender V5?I have two of them and they seem pretty darn good considering how inexpensive they were.
Too bad the reverb is solid state and even digital it seems ...Today with the high impedance reverb tanks we can make wonderful spring reverbs transformerless with only one 12DW7 tube...
@@MrBossei The tank can normally sit at the bottom of the cab , not in the chassis. The average size (8xxxxxxx in the Accutronics range ) fits perfectly and sounds way better than those digital devices. Today's Fender designers should be punished for high treason :-)). See the size of the SWART ATOMIC Jr for example
I've read good reviews on this model loaded with a 10 ceramic celestion and digital reverb I've got a vested interest as I own a 70 champ myself. Of course reviews can't all be honest obviously . Not a fan of digital reverb or celestions in a fender
Looks nice cosmetically, pity it's a pc board. Kinda' like all your hand wired turret board inventions.. Wouldn't want one of those new Fenders..Thanks for the info, and sharing..Ed..UK..😀
Why do you have the chassis just flopping around your table? you think that you have them on some kind of stand so they're not bouncing on the tubes. doesn't look very professional.
@@brucehayes7251 I bet that he won't do that again he will put the camera down and not try to film with one hand and tighten up speaker jacks .so my comment I'm sure helped I'm no expert just watching a video and that's what I observed. Your Dad should be proud of you not me.
