Your First Amp - Well, my fist amp, but a good recommendation.

Posted by Bad Finger (Eric) on February 23, 2011 at 4:58pm

I struggled with finding a good first amp on sort of a budget.  What I got made me more than happy.

 

I picked up a Fender Champion 600 5W tube practice amp.  One simple volume control, high or low gain input and 10 seconds or so to warm up.  Plus it has a nice vintage two-tone look.  And it goes to 12 straight from the factory.

 

On a guitar tuned to power chords, this thing rips.  On my guitars tuned EBE, I find myself playing mostly the 2 low strings and I love the distortion that I get with the volume set around 10.

 

If you are contemplating spending $20 on a Honeytone 9V amp, think twice unless you really, really want to run of batteries.  Save your milk money for a couple more weeks and find a used Fender Champ 600.


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Replies

  • MichaelS Country Boy Guitars February 24, 2011 at 4:35pm

    Nice, rock on!

     

  • Bad Finger (Eric) February 24, 2011 at 9:40am

    Here's something I didn't know.  Taken from the Fender website:  http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=2330100000

     

    A fun and affordable tribute to a rare historic Fender® model. The Champion™ 600 is a five-watt tube guitar amplifier with a 6” speaker and a ’50s-style two-tone look. The added higher-gain preamp circuit takes the overdriven tone beyond that of the original, with a choice of high- or low-gain inputs. Internal speaker output jack allows use of a larger speaker cabinet.

     

    Looks like you can also use both inputs, one for mic and one for instrument.

  • Jon Pruett February 24, 2011 at 9:39am
    Hehe - that's great to hear!  Thanks!

    E D said:

    Michael, the inputs are high gain and low gain.  Without getting into the electro-geekery, the low input will give a more honest reproduction of the sound at higher volume levels.  The high gain creates more distortion.  It sounds great at 10.  It is like cranking up the gain adjustment on most other amps.  This one just makes it simple by plugging into either low or high.  I think the aim was to make a nice, simple amp that doesn't try to confuse the user with 4 dials to adjust tone, gain, effects, etc.  Warm it up, crank it up, and start playing.

     

    With my low strings, using EAD from a six pack and tuned EBE I can't crank it up past 10 without stressing the speaker.  The low tones are just too much for that size.  My other guitar runs the GBE strings also tuned EBE and it can go all the way up without too much stress.  However, my ear doesn't like the high freq as much.

     

    I wouldn't spend much money modifying this amp.  It is simple and functional right out of the box.  Money changing speakers and tubes might be better spent on a different amp if someone is looking for a different sound.  This one will make your wife angry without any extra money spent.

  • Bad Finger (Eric) February 24, 2011 at 9:25am

    Michael, the inputs are high gain and low gain.  Without getting into the electro-geekery, the low input will give a more honest reproduction of the sound at higher volume levels.  The high gain creates more distortion.  It sounds great at 10.  It is like cranking up the gain adjustment on most other amps.  This one just makes it simple by plugging into either low or high.  I think the aim was to make a nice, simple amp that doesn't try to confuse the user with 4 dials to adjust tone, gain, effects, etc.  Warm it up, crank it up, and start playing.

     

    With my low strings, using EAD from a six pack and tuned EBE I can't crank it up past 10 without stressing the speaker.  The low tones are just too much for that size.  My other guitar runs the GBE strings also tuned EBE and it can go all the way up without too much stress.  However, my ear doesn't like the high freq as much.

     

    I wouldn't spend much money modifying this amp.  It is simple and functional right out of the box.  Money changing speakers and tubes might be better spent on a different amp if someone is looking for a different sound.  This one will make your wife angry without any extra money spent.

  • MichaelS Country Boy Guitars February 24, 2011 at 12:46am
    What does the high low input do?
  • Jon Pruett February 23, 2011 at 8:26pm
    My guitar instructor has been recommending this as a great first tube amp as well - evidentially there are a whole bunch of mods that can be done to this amp too including tube and speaker replacements to grow into just the tone you want. He mentioned these amps were also popular recording amps for some of the early rockers in the 60's and 70's. I've been keeping an eye out for a local used one too.
  • Bad Finger (Eric) February 23, 2011 at 7:03pm
    Forgot to mention price. About $150 new or I got mine for $79 barely used.
  • MichaelS Country Boy Guitars February 23, 2011 at 6:04pm
    Nice amp E D, Hope to hear it someday.  I use a Roland cube, works on batteries or plug in and really sounds great with my piezo equiped guitars, but a real tube amp, way cool.
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