Fender '68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb amp demo and tones | Guitar.com

Mixing period-correct looks with modernised specs, Fender's new-for-2021 '68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb isn't just a secret weapon for recording, it has enough muscle for rehearsals and even small gigs. In this video, Guitar.com Chief Editor Chris Vinnicombe puts it through its paces using a Novo Serus J and an old Tube Screamer.
Read the Guitar.com review here: guitar.com/review/amplifier/t...
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[@paulwatson9217]

I can honestly say that I haven’t heard a bad sound on any demo of this little gem, I’m buying one!

[@paulnealgrove5016]

Same here

[@michaelworse6034]

Got mine today , brand new , with guarantees…After being scammed on Kleinanzeigen. Will be the most expensive amp of my whole life for sure . But hey , I love this little gem ❤

[@untartelette7545]

Absolutely beautiful, that amp is a gem

[@gearathon]

Tried one today when I was in the local music store. Had to buy it and take it home🙂

[@bmurphy519]

Just got this amp for home use, it sounds incredible. At around 3, the tremolo is very warm and subtle and the reverb adds some depth, making the cleans sound glorious at low volumes. I don’t even need my pedals. This amp plus a strat = heaven.

[@mikeyankie9594]

Tons of dynamics can be had by running the volume at 10 and using your guitars volume...Try it...

[@caferacer9939]

@@mikeyankie9594 Good call, I have since gotten an attenuator so now I can crank it to 11 and get some awesome crunch at low volumes. Perfect bedroom setup.

[@Twylightt]

@@caferacer9939witch attenuater you use?

[@tdc_2021]

@@caferacer9939which attenuator do you use?

[@kaidemen156]

Love that little amp, I’m going to have to add it to my collection.

[@KodiakArt]

Fantastic sounding video! Thank you so much. It’s a beautiful guitar and amp!!

[@cinquettitt6161]

3:07 Great melodic playing with a very beautiful chord progression!

[@lowercase3635]

Sounds amazing in a mix.

[@humbuckercafe]

Great review (as always) 👍 Sometimes all you need on a summer day is that kind of sound 🎸 Thanks a lot and (if any football fans outhere) let the best wins ⚽️ All the best from Poland, Mike

[@ericbrendanmurphy]

Beautiful composition and playing! Thank you!

[@dep1001]

Awesome demo! Man, that little amp sounds great!

[@GuitarDotCom]

Thanks!

[@marktheshark99]

Killer demo. I'm sold on one.

[@ekkuapo62]

Thanks to your review i bought this as a grap and go amp. It is agreat pair for my Tone Master Twin Reverb Blonde 💪

[@chrisdrake447]

Sweet demo, Chris. The Nova seems to just love that amp.

[@lucasg4624]

got mine for christmas and got goosebumbs hearing it. never played something like this, if you consider buying one, do it.

[@Twylightt]

With atenuatter? Have youn test pedals, like big muff ?

[@steveturner6770]

I need to have one of these.

[@SkonrokkenTV]

Nice playing! Won't get rid of my vintage ts-9 in a hurry!

[@Dang...]

This amp is outstanding.

[@michaelworse6034]

Fantastic guitar , playing and amp ❤

[@rrickey360]

Mate love your playing

[@nikolaubtopou]

Heavenly tones😍👌👌👌

[@tjnugent62]

This amp will sell more than any fender amp in history.

[@ElyRiverBlues]

Been running mine through a Marshall 4x12 cab this morning at the studio...sounds absolutely huge and what tone and sparkle!! That's it for me ! Fortunately the cab lives at the studio so only have to bring the amp 🙂

[@jasondorsey7110]

I run my '74 champ through a 2x12 and it's magical, there's just something special about 5 watt single ended tube amps through big cabs

[@PubliusRutiliusLupus]

Sounds incredible.

[@javiceres]

Sweet examples

[@gradyshawver7643]

Nice playing🤙

[@kateandrews8506]

After 3.5 years with a Fender Deluxe Reverb Tone Master that has just expired and has my local tech scratching his head, I've bought a Vibro Champ. Best move ever.

[@alafenetre81]

That's a good ad for Fender.

[@mikeyankie9594]

Great review. I love mine, I've tweaked it with an old R & A alnico speaker and a tube swap.

[@cmmnsenserules4339]

Hey bud, why the tube swap? Just preference? I only ask because it's designed for a clean platform.

[@mikeyankie9594]

@@cmmnsenserules4339 The old tubes are better sounding IMHO. Not that the new tubes sound bad but, they have some harshness to my ears. Thw old mfg tubes are smoother/creamier to my ears. Plus new production tubes don't last near as long.

[@mikeyankie9594]

But, a speaker swap is not needed... I switched back to the stock speaker some time ago. It has better low end response than the alnico I used.

[@lucalondon]

Really nice!! What guitar is it?

[@chrisallen5816]

SOLD!

[@wicowicomusic7721]

How was the recording chain of that gorgeous sound?

[@davidpopelka4073]

What to say. Cool guy playing cool guitar via cool amp 😁. Thank you

[@GuitarDotCom]

Thank you!

[@losangulos]

Sounds good, do you think its too far from a lazy amp?

[@sega62s]

Gréât amp, I added a compression for more sag effect, and it does gréât result

[@fer_fdi]

Which mic and preamp for recording?

[@wolferthehawkeye]

Does anyone knows what microphone is being used in the demo?

[@adaptableadventurerider]

Wow that sounds beautiful love the playing what's your take on a Vibro Champ vs a Princeton for home use.

[@Rockriverboarder]

Vibrochamp is perfect for home. I use mine nearly daily. It’s a comfortable volume at 3 to 4 depending on guitar which gives you some bloom from the tubes and enables the eq stack to sound correct. I have a Princeton and a Deluxe Reverb and they’re just too much for home. They sound great of course but you can barely get them off minimum volume in an apartment or shared wall scenario. If you have a basement or garage situation where you can get louder i’d think Princeton.

[@adaptableadventurerider]

@@Rockriverboarder Thanks Chris I actually ended it with a ToneMaster Deluxe Reverb in the end been great for my usage so far actually let my other brand tube Amps go to.

[@ColocasiaCorm]

let it be known that the single ended champ is superior to the push-pull princeton. the champ is not a bedroom amp. it is the purest amp possible when power is not a concern. when power is a concern we then make engineering compromises like push-pull topology to make it louder, but as is in life there are no free lunches. the higher power in push pull comes with crossover distortion. that crossover distortion can be minimized using negative feedback, but that negative feedback itself is a compromise, introducing higher order harmonics. you're welcome. btw i have no engineering background so don't trust a word i say!!

[@jasoncheshire6153]

Can I use my 4ohm cabinet with this??

[@garfield4863]

A1 video

[@StephenEmmer]

why dont we see it being miked up? sounds awesome namely, so wanna know

[@DOCKent-3339]

It craps out when overdriven!

[@DOCKent-3339]

For those who have ears to hear nothing beats the class A circuitry of the original 5F1. Nothing.

[@plexitele]

I’m sure the hands and guitar are helping but this amp sounds great

[@pugforce8315]

@BB502 Why don’t you like it?

[@pugforce8315]

@BB502 Alright didn’t realize. “if it sounds good it is good”

[@gwynbleiddroach2589]

@@BB-wl4qzI’m pretty sure there is two preamp tubes

[@paulcowart3174]

OK yeah a re-ish Very cool Digi verb did you say ?? Ah hearing it now...does sound pretty good but just not a big reverb guy I fortunately came across something really cool A 61 Princeton tremolo but does have a new alnico blue I will have to break in Time to get a looper for that Great demo Are the digital artifacts coming from the backing track or the circuitry ?? Does sound good

[@fisheyelens876]

Was thinking the same thing, digiverb effect sounds dramatic and I liked it but I like the natural clank of springs and tubes, still this guy can play and it shows through, again I played it several times, my tube heart missed the clank replaced by the digiscmachael ( if I am allowed to coin without repress) very cool demo, leaves one on a tone quest, nice!

[@DickieDemos]

I enjoyed testing this amp for the written review, but... wonder if it'd be even more fun with an 8in speaker. Anyone ever tried that? ;~)

[@windmillcancersurvivor2568]

This or the 64 Supro? Maybe both split with a Strymon Deco like my Lightning/ Marshall 4x12 setup in the basement.

[@carraror]

Belated reply, but I managed to try both today at a shop along with my Supro DK 10, which I brought to trade it in. The Supro 64 reverb was great, maybe a little compressed, don't know if that's because of the 8" speaker. What delighted me of the Vibro was when I cranked it: sorry, but this video doesn't do justice. It just blew my mind! Alas, I cannot play it that loud at home, but that sound alone is worth the purchase.

[@fruhentus4437]

@Roberto Carraro Paul Davids' demo does it justice ! Had a desire to play after i heard it

[@danielcarter3928]

this amp on paper looks perfect for me, but i cannot decide if i want the more traditional spring reverb! or is it pretty similar? GAH

[@ColocasiaCorm]

even though the hall verb is digital, it can be superior in some ways to the spring: the hall is more based on acoustic environments whereas the spring is more of an 'effect'. Of course the brain still perceives the spring as a caricature of space, but it's got a few things like the slap of the spring that wouldn't be there in an acoustic environment.

[@danielcarter3928]

@@ColocasiaCorm ya this is the amp i want to get once i'm able to upgrade!

[@ColocasiaCorm]

@@danielcarter3928 you can get analog spring reverb pedals and digital hall reverb pedals. Consider a 57 champ with pedals or spring reverb tank/pedal then you dont have to choose. Also check out victoria 5112. Its a champ with bigger speaker. Champ can sound a bit boxy

[@danielcarter3928]

@@ColocasiaCorm decisions decisions! I'd really like to keep the price as low as possible..... I have a good amount of pedals, so I really just wanted something that sounds good at low volume.

[@thefraish2660]

Tried this amp today. The reverb is horrible. Unusable above 2, barely useable on 2. The amp itself is very nice. Dimed, it sounds great, and could be used on a small gig with no pedals, other than a reverb pedal. Again, terrible reverb on this amp. Splatty and harsh sounding. The tremolo is nice and the amp sounds warm. But, for me, the reverb is unusable.

[@camerond8176]

Sounds great clean, but driven nothing will beat the sound of the tweed champ on crunch................................

[@dheevesh16]

Is this amp too loud for apartment use when cranked? I can’t test it in store. Deciding between this and a modeller (Line 6 Helix) to use with my new Fender CS Strat.

[@TylerCochran20]

I just got one a few weeks ago. Definitely too loud if completely cranked in an apartment. I would say you could get it up to 4 or so in an apartment before it became an issue. Which actually isn't terrible considering I wouldn't run most tube amps past 2 in that environment.

[@latchodives]

I second that. Most my practice is at level 3/3.5 (input 1 with a les Paul). I might push it at 4/4.5 from time to time but not more than 10/15 minutes. I have a weber mini mass attenuator, to push the amp around 7/8 at an apartment level.

[@TylerCochran20]

@@davegresswell8691 Lol, sure, I’m sure everyone’s neighbors/family have different tolerances for loudness. 😂

[@dandical]

Just get an overdrive pedal, nothing beats a real amp. Went down the modeller route before then bought this amp and no regrets

[@jordanpratt9384]

I've got a 5 watt marshall,and cranking it is not an option.

[@Saycheeseanddie84]

Haha this video got me ordering one from Zzounds so fast...

[@davidgcrawford6695]

I'm holding out for the hand wired.

[@dennisszejman6390]

Sounds great using the clean settings but I'm not too impressed when it came to using the distortion.

[@natearchuleta2003]

Imagine a thick p bass under it.

[@markkosa1]

For $100 less buy the Bassbreaker 15 with a 12 inch V Type speaker and 3 gain stages...Sounds bigger and better on the low gain with the bright switch in and so many more options...just my experience. Sent this back and love the Bassbreaker...both made in Mexico and you could gig with the Bassbreaker.

[@jokerjoker3967]

For playing pink floyd and jimi hendrix srv this amp is good please ?

[@Twylightt]

The some here

[@johnnylonglegs]

holy shit looks like im going into debt,

[@cmkilcullen8176]

Mini Princeton

[@jcmangan]

Great playing, a little to much reverb. Sounds almost like a Fuzz.

[@dongriffiths3898]

Anyone else have problems with the Reverb? Or did I just get a rare bad amp?

[@David-yn4cs]

The clean sounds are great but is it just me or is everyone missing the elephant in the room? When he turns up the volume and overdrives the power stage, it sounds terrible, at 2:40 it sounds mushy/buzzy/raspy, where is that smooth Fender tube breakup for those 60s/70s sounds e.g. rolling stones, cream etc? It might be a small 5W amp but it's not cheap, I would expect much better from Fender at this price.

[@hillelmusic]

This sounds like America

[@augustleo7434]

Man knows how to sell an amp

[@cmmnsenserules4339]

I feel it's waaay overpriced. But if you have 900$ no prob, yes you'll like it. But if you are like most, save a little more, buy the 57.

[@ltournell]

The reverb sounds digital to me ...

[@sooparticular]

ahhhhh....it is??

avec une REVERBE NUMERIQUE??????????????

[@antoonhermans8953]

this amp could be so much better if fender had put an better speaker in it , the celestion ten 30 is wellknown as a crappy speaker . An WGS g10c ( 4 ohm ) will make this amp come alive .

[@mattmakuta]

@@BB-wl4qz how many times are you gonna bitch about the same thing mate

[@fukusamon4277]

low iq @@BB-wl4qz

[@GarlicTaters3]

@@BB-wl4qznah dude it has two preamp tubes. The reverb is digital though.

[@petrochemicals4u]

Why digital Reverb?

[@Tzadeck]

No room for a reverb tank. This thing has a 10 inch speaker that JUST BARELY fits in the cabinet.

[@Tzadeck]

@BB502 ​ No, you have no idea what you are talking about. There are two preamp 12AX7 tubes. The only digital part is the hall reverb. The rectifier is solid state, unlike a vintage champ--but here 'solid state' does not mean digital. So, the only digital component is one that wasn't even in the original vibro-champ: the reverb. If you don't like it buy a separate spring reverb tank or something, haha.

[@Tzadeck]

Also, Fender says exactly what I'm saying here.

[@Tzadeck]

@BB502 This is the internet dude, no one believes you. If you say Fender says that it's all digital, provide some link where Fender says that. Also, you can literally open the back of the amp and see the pre-amp tubes. Which I can do because I have one.

[@Tzadeck]

@BB502 You're saying two different statements that are not equivalent. "The entire preamp section is digital" is clearly not true, since there are analog tone shaping components in the preamp section. "There in no pure tube path in that amp"--this one isn't well defined and I don't necessarily know the answer. What is a 'pure tube path'? We know that there is a digital component in the signal chain, for example.

[@oldandeerie]

the digital reverb is depressing at that price point. much rather a real spring tank

[@alexwalker5645]

Ugh!!! No high gain neck pickup power chords please!!!😩😩 Rest of demo was great! Great playing and amp!

[@tjnugent62]

This one is the shit... Just like a vintage vibro champ.

[@bastardsonofretkillr]

Nope it’s not point to point wiring

[@tjnugent62]

@@bastardsonofretkillr Not in wiring in tone...

[@tjnugent62]

@@bastardsonofretkillr Wiring makes no difference in tone. It makes it more dependable.

[@bastardsonofretkillr]

@@tjnugent62 agreed but I was just pointing out the difference between point to point wiring I always thought that the Vibro Champ would sound better with a 10" speaker then a 8" speaker and Reverb is a plus too...I own a 1966 Fender Blackface Vibro Champ I installed a 10" Jensen Neodymium Toronto in it

[@ac30lifestyle]

I didn't like the driven chord tones

[@deanallen927]

Doesn't sound very good cranked, does it. Has that Maestro Fuzz sound in the bass like a lot of small amps. My Boogie does 5 watts as well and that sounds like crap too. No thanks.

[@bastardsonofretkillr]

It’s not point to point wiring

[@Tzadeck]

@BB502 It's not digital except the reverb.

[@adamlitchfield3371]

@BB502 mate what's wrong with you? Get a life

[@R3TR0R4V3]

Digital reverb? C'mon Fender.. 😐 Tubes or bust! ✊

[@zakhobbsmusic]

The problem is in such a small amp enclosure you can get some interference w/ a spring verb.

[@DOCKent-3339]

It lacks the mid range of the real Champ.

[@davidbarlow431]

Lovely little amp but way overpriced.

[@williamkerr3350]

The bottom end sounds like a rubber band.

[@paulcowart3174]

Digital reverb I think

[@williamkerr3350]

@@paulcowart3174 you'd imagine it would cope with any sort of gain with that speaker,to me it just sounded like flub ,it seems to be the shortcoming of a lot of compact amps .