Fender Super Champ X2 - Demo & Review

[@leftyfusion88]

I applaud this guy or anyone else who does these demos out of love for music and gear. He does NOT do this for a living, he has a REAL job that has nothing to do with music,guitars or gear. He does this out of love. Try to remember that before you leave negative comments about the man. Have a swell fucking day.

[@randho5150]

Ok we all know your his wife using the alias leftyfusion88.

[@PeterDad60]

I thought he is a dealer in music gear, and has a shop. He's in that shop during this entire video.

[@DaveDexterMusic]

He calls himself "The Tone King", has consistently awful tones through all of his amps, and his playing is terrible. That's my negative comment. If he didn't call himself something so self-aggrandising it wouldn't be so much of an issue.

[@Spidouz]

DaveDexterMusic Tone is subjective... He’s definitely the Tone King since he can always get “his” tone from any amp, regardless how much you like or dislike “his” tone. Food for thoughts...

[@skinnykarlos710]

@@pejoarda772 I agree.

[@davidtheamazing4617]

Damn, this guy has more heads than Jeffrey Dahmer

[@rayg3583]

I have to say. The Tone King is about the only person on You Tube that actually give a review on equipment. He is not here to showcase his playing like everyone else. He takes you through the specs, sounds and goods and bads. And that is what you want.

[@alphajames33]

Sooo true! This review, really shows how the amp performs. Keep it up Tone King.

[@IETCHX69]

Yep . ANYONE can Press distortion and jerk off .

[@MatrixRZ5]

I wonder when a 30w or 50w Fender super champ X2 would be available, that will be a dream amp at least for me. Tone king you're the greatest.

[@greatvanzini]

You line out into a Tech 21 Power Engine 60 & Bam! You're there! Daisy chain 2 of them & you up to 120!

[@whatyoumakeofit6635]

greatvanzinni , thats a great idea

[@austinharrison2453]

Exactly

[@coppulor6500]

@@greatvanzini pardon the ignorance but isnt the line out before the tube section? which would mean you're bypassing the best part of this amp with is the tube section. I honestly dont know if what I am saying is correct as I have never messed with the line out. but if this is correct, then you are going from digital signal to SS amplification which defeats the mojo of this amp. thoughts?

[@greatvanzini]

Good question but,,,,, I don't know either. The sound seems to be absolutely spot on. It is like it just mimics the sound of what ever amp you are out putting from. You could also line out to the sound board/ P.A. On some amps the line out cuts your amp speaker out. Not so on the Fender. So you can use your amp as your monitor then go to house sound or tech 21 aimed towards the audience,,,, or that damn drummer. I tried it on a Vox & it sounded Vox like. The guy had a line out built in to it. Other than that it has strictly been the Fender Champ, both the combo & the head.

[@charlesjohnson8259]

I gigged with a first gen XD combo with a Ragin' Cajun' speaker in it for almost 2 years. Just used the clean channel with pedals. The other voices were OK, not great, but sounded decent for practicing. But the clean channel 1 plus reverb is worth the price of admission alone.

[@Lost-xl6im]

I use a similar setup with 2x10 jenson classics in a open cab; plenty loud l and we like it through the PA in bigger places

[@mtm105]

I AGREE. ONE OR TWO USABLE DIGITAL TONES, MAYBE.

[@doctorskull8197]

That’s all I need to know! Thanks ‼️

[@stratodanster]

I drive a Vintage 30's 2x12 cab with this amp. I can run one or both speakers. Works great for me. The Champ 112 cab just doesn't cut it. This amp shines with good speaker(s). Just my opinion but I'm loving it..

[@samvargas2868]

THANK YOU for starting with the clean channel.

[@aliengtr]

love the tone king reviews, he is like most players out there, so usefull reviews and he isnt trying to sell you anything

[@Tigford]

I just printed out the amp models/numbers from the PDF manual, trimmed the paper, and taped to the lower edge of the amp. You memorize them quicker this way, and the paper is no longer needed.

[@cuinoz3569]

Never seen this amp before. Cool video and great presentation. Appreciate you sharing this. I’ll check out a few more of your videos.

[@JF-em6hr]

I really like how Fender makes this amp affordable. Seems like they're going the other way with their guitars.

[@Mako_One]

I've gotten back into guitar pretty heavy again & I wanted to purchase the Mexican Strat that they had in the $500 price point. Come to find out, they don't make them anymore. At least not at that price. I ended up going with the PRS SE Standard 24

[@Ottophil]

@@Mako_One ok boomer. I remember when the mexicans were 399 all day. But it turns out every single thing costs more. Thats how the world works

[@michaelcain7875]

You did a GREAT job describing this amp and some of it's features. Keep up the great work friend and thanks for a terrific review.

[@marcodado7473]

what about to review this kind of amp with a single coil guitar, let's say .....a Fender!

[@charliestrat56]

this demo convinced me and decided to buy the Super Champ X2 head. thanks!!!

[@jimtippens]

Tone King You Rule! I bought this amp in both combo & head for arround $300 each. i had a 1x12 cab. I really like the fact that you showed everything & explained each voicing on channel 2. Man this amp kick's ass. I record on Protools a lot & the direct out kills. I can get a Great Spy Surf sound for my Spy Darz from Marz or Spy Darz on KZbin. But I can get Punk, Metal or Jazz such a Great sound for each Genera. Thank's to your Awesome advise. I Alway's look forward to your videos. I also liked that Livestream with the 4 of you guy's. Keep doing an Awesome Job. You Rock TK. Sincerely: James Tippens.

[@DennisMurphey]

Well better late than never my 1990s Fender Amp is dead so I ordered this AMp today. You video helped me feel comfortable in the power and tone i would get with this 15W. I do wish they had a 15W switchable to 30W for just a tad more head room.

[@FretFriendGWaL]

Maybe a single coil equipped guitar would have been better for this review buddy! Fender are all about super cleans right? I see the drive channels / modelling as a bonus. I have this amp and tbh, bought it for the cleans. Keep up the good work :)

[@passion_flora]

you don't really have to memorize them, you tend to remember the ones you like. for me, I sorta rediscover tones I like, and it makes going through the amp that much more fun.

[@greatvanzini]

Still have mine. Still love it. Man you have really lost some weight since this vid. Good job.

[@greatvanzini]

Wait! I see I already watched this 2 years ago! Well, that's how good your vids are!

[@xhefriguitars7946]

I have two of these heads and run them stereo. I have two Mesa cabs with 12" speakers. With 2 of these one can keep up in a live setting!

[@empreme]

Good review and I'm LOVING that Carvin V3 in the background.

[@weiserec66]

I had a Super Champ XD as well and there are a few voices left off that my model had. One of which was an acoustic modeler which would make your electric guitar sound like an acoustic. Great amp for hosting open mics. Disappointing to read that Fender purposely used sub-standard caps and resistors making upgrading it more costly than buying it new. I'd be curious how the head compares. Seems the 10" speaker was the biggest complaint from many, however, I liked the cab size.

[@Metallica2131]

Well I have the XD combo, the older version of this but it's essentially the same thing, and I run my DS1, Metal Muff, CH1, Cry Baby and Memory Toy through channel 1 and it sounds excellent, it takes pedals really well, and I'm primarily a metal player. It's a shame that there's no FX loop, and the pedals don't sound as good through the second channel, but it's definitely worth checking out.

[@turboguitar100]

what you're hearing is most likely the amp's cabinet simulator section coloring the sound before it goes into the cabinet, I'm not familiar with the Super Champs, but he did say it was exactly like the mustangs and i have a mustang 1, in the fender fuse software that you can use to edit the viocings to make them your own you can turn the cabinet simulator off so it doesn't color your sound if you aren't using the cabinet that fender supplies for it

[@barbwirebats]

By far the 70's British channel sounds the best. Didn't really strike me as a metal tone but I'd like to check out your video when ya do it : )~

[@Murphy_R9]

Dont go by youtube sounds, go play this amp in person. I bought one and trust me it sounds much better than heard here

[@whatyoumakeofit6635]

Now that so many years have past. What is your opinion on the super champ x2 ? Do you still own it ? In your opinion what are its strengths and weaknesses? What type of cab/speaker do you run it through?

[@parkingcurb]

Bryan Keith I had the super champ x2, but it was the combo version. I know it doesn’t really relate to your question but it was a great amp! Randomly stopped working after about 2 months.

[@PillsBuryDoughBoy_]

@@whatyoumakeofit6635 the comment was 7 years ago. He could be dead

[@kstrat]

For the modeling channel the mid control is present in the Fuse software. You can create your custom presets and load them back into the amp via usb. The absence of an actual amp mid control was a deal breaker for me on the 1st generation Mustang amps. (The I & II) I think the tube output section makes for much better sounding amp. The Champ X2 sound more middy so don't don't miss the mid knob as much.

[@CptjackSparrow80]

#4 Tweed Bassman FTW!!! Woo Hoo I could play on that setting all day (and maybe all night with the help of some Red Bull)

[@kstrat]

This amp would be best described as being a hybrid amp. Channel one utilizes 1 12AX7 tube in the preamp. The 2nd channel uses a digital modeling preamp. The output section uses 2 6L6 power tubes. I had a Mustang II for an hot minute before returning it. The Super Champ X2 may not be a flexible as the newer Mustangs but it's a better sounding amp IMO. Which is why I'm keeping it. (I have the head version).

[@TheAshleywiggins]

I've had one of these about a year now....great amp and it looks good too.

[@muddyditchzhuangzi5275]

This sounds pretty nice. I just ordered one to replace my Bugera V22 disposable tube amp that died after 6 months of light use... I didn't realize Bic made amps.

[@luthier23]

Also this amp sounds much better in person then it sounds in this demo!

[@Darkstar356a]

Your so cool,dude. Your video with the Fender Tele H twin humbucker got me so excited I bought one. Love it. You done it again. I've reserved a Super Champ X2,cream tolex and chocolate speaker cover cloth. Will picker her up Sat. Thanks again,Tone King.

[@Lost-xl6im]

For $200 - You can't go wrong ; Very nice amp ; 20w is plenty loud to play in a band ; I use mine with 2x10 open back cab with jensons ; has plenty of voices from Fender clean to Blues delux ; to Marshall crunch ; Easy to haul around

[@billyb440]

I thought this was well done and enjoyable review. I have one of these little amps, and they are not little in sound. I own the YJM and the SLASH amps and I always seem to migrate to this one to just play along with jam tracks or just practice. And I flow thru a 4 X12 V-30 cab and I find it sounds awesome. I agree good little amp all round.

[@3FlyingFarts]

As usual Your reviews are awesome, ""one of those bad boys right there" LOVE IT !

[@popeye152]

It would be REALLY nice to see what additional stuff you get when you use FUSE with this amp.

[@greatvanzini]

I must have missed this one. This & an AC 10 are my go to amps for home recording. Good vid.

[@danieltelecaster7040]

Very good review. Thanks for posting. The humbuckers in that Carvin made the clean channel break up and get dirty. It sounded kind of cool, but sounds like you really had to tweak a lot to really get clean with hbuckers. Single coils would have naturally jangled more. Like the overall sound of the amp, but could do without all the "voicing/modelling". They all sounded very similar- only differed in eq and gain emphasis. Didn't really sound like the amps they attempted to sound like.

[@martinafan64]

Great demo/review. I'm getting the combo version of this amp.

[@doctorskull8197]

Great video! I need to try out one of these for myself!

[@alwaysrockn2009]

Cool amp. Too bad there's no mid control and indepent reverb. Sounds nice. Thanks TTK. Can't wait for your next videos on this head.

[@30smsuperstrat]

To the guy asking about the gain stages. I asked fender and they told me the first half of the 12ax7 is gain, the second is phase inverter. There are opamps that create the rest of the gain, on channel 1. That's why channel 1 takes pedals quite well while the "voice" channel doesn't.

[@raibard8886]

Good overview! The first Marshall voicing is excellent.

[@moogdome2562]

Excellent demo. You're the best. Thank you.

[@tommywd40]

Hey tone king, long time subscriber, first time poster haha. what tuning are you in? I think it is important for fans to know with reviews!

[@kstrat]

From what I gather the 2nd channel's is digital. I don't know if the preamp tube is part of it's signal path. In any case the amps output section uses power tubes so it a factor in tone for that channel.

[@rickhunter-wolff]

I own one with the matching Fender 1/12 cabinet. Awesome. Had a JC 120. Awesome too, but too loud and heavy. This one a tone monster and portable

[@MRay-zj4ro]

Thanks for the nice demo, man. Seems like a fun little head.

[@hitgar]

Thanks TTK! Is that 70's Brit sound an Orange? Finally! Most others overlook them but I don't know why. I agree with you, Orange has the best tone to my ears and this one is under $250.

[@nack3218]

Very good demo' . When Fender decide to put a master - volume control on this amp , i will have one . Tried the combo' version , but it would not turn down low enough for late night playing .

[@christianc9409]

ariba hombre mustang iii

[@nack3218]

Christian Castellanos :- Really ? OK tnx . Will go take a look-see at one .

[@christianc9409]

ariba hombre the iii has a nicer interface and an effects loop, but the ii has a simpler interface, and it's 40 watts so I just noticed that might be nicer for home

[@dtwow98]

Thanks! Great demo!

[@pyroman6000]

You could likely do it on ch1. Ch2 would give you modelling into modelling, which doesn't sound so good. Also, there is no fx loop, so you'd have to run it strait in the front. Honestly, all this is missing is phaser/flanger, and wah. The good news is ch1 takes pedals very well- I run a phase90, OCD, and pedal tuner into mine. SC X2 sounds good at low/med volume as it is. CH2 is a digi preamp, so you can dial in all the dirt you want at bedroom volume.

[@jackdanielsmd]

thumbs up on the amount of heads you have. nice backdrop for a tutorial! you need a hiwatt in there

[@ToriRocksAmos]

yep. would love to hear it with SCs too

[@n97223]

Great review...I want one of these amps! Thanks for doing what you do!

[@andrewgillis8572]

@The Tone King great but why oh why did you not play us the reverbs or vibratone - that's the main thing I would need to know before buying - could have used time saved on the opening remarks - they were vague, why not just cut to the chase - and mention, price point - plus, how does a Champ need two power tubes, if the idea is throwback - was there such a version in the day? thanks and please - go ahead & take 13:00 next time

[@MechatohMxCentraL]

Fantastic little amp. I want one.

[@sixstringfretter]

Listen to what he says. He states "the power section is all tube." With a single knob that dials 16 amp models and the ability to use the Fender Fuse PC software, there is obviously a solid state section as well. Not to terribly difficult to grasp.

[@shawnjoe72]

How does this or the Super Champ x2 HD amp COMPARE to the Egnater Tweaker 15w head? Good review TTK. You offer a "familiarize yourself"" or aka getting to know this amp" review and truly let us see the amp and the features instead of a quick fast approach of the amps sound with whatever a person decides to use quickly to make their video. Not all of us have the same gear.

[@iamatchr]

You can adjust the mid. by connecting the amp to FUSE. The mid. control appears when you connect it to the software. Looking forward to the rest of the rewiev \,,/,

[@joskam092]

This amp isn't just a tube power section, it's also a tube preamp... right? Online it says it has a 12AX7 preamp tube and 2 6v6 Power Tubes

[@iplayloud2]

joskam092 A normal tube amp has 3-4 preamp tube so there's definitely a shortcoming to calling this a tube preamp but there is indeed one tube stage at the end of the solis state preamp.

[@smanzi333]

Very nice!!! Is channel 2 also used by all tubes? I mean are the picking nuances etc there. From what I got from some other vids is that channel two was digital.

[@MisterGuitarItalia]

Another great review, thanks TK!

[@evander5150]

Thank you Lou ! you always rock !

[@benonguitar9314]

this dude sounds like Spencer from The King of Queens

[@felixnilbog4517]

And kinda looks like him

[@SparkyNarwhal]

Patton Oswalt! That guys is a really funny standup comedian too!

[@MT-nd6iy]

🤣

[@BigMagnumims]

Hey TTK, I really like Your vids. Im a big Fan :P Your Reviews Are very enjoyful .

[@Umbazooksus1]

Great demo. Thank you!

[@luthier23]

Channel one isn't supposed to be a Blackface. It's actually the same as the old superchamps clean. Like from the late 70s early 80's hence the amp's name. There's a difference between the two. The Blackface voicings are numbers 4-6 on channel two.

[@snellgrc]

I have the SuperChamp XD which this amps replaces - pretty much the same idea - its a full DSP pre amp - I have owned mine for a while - plus points are that its a great one stop shop amp - the DSP doesnt get in the way and the amp behaves like a normal amp. Its not a great ultra quiet bedroom amp as there is noticeable hiss. I have a load of boss pedals and now never use them for practice as this amp has all the sounds you could ever want built in ready to go :)

[@joshmillerstudios]

Tone King......awesome review! Have you had a chance to play a dual humbucker PAF guitar through this amp yet? Curious to see what your thoughts are in that regard. Thanks for the great review!

[@michaelbarber1123]

Nice amp, and just 3 bills? I think I'll be getting one of these to put under my Egnater Tweaker 15. Does it have an effects loop?

[@b.j.surfdog3724]

Nice Demo, thank you. It sounds like some of the presets could clean up some to a nice blues od. what is the speaker out ohm rating?

[@sgbcea]

Very nice review! Thanks !!

[@cheribibi112]

Guys excuse my noob question but a head only can be used without cab ? Or it must be plugged into it ? The x2 is great but i don t know if i buy tye copbo or only the head. It s for Home.

[@thetonekingofficial]

a head needs a cabinet.

[@cheribibi112]

@@thetonekingofficial thank you Mr king. So with head only you can choos your cab. That what you can t with a combo. I m right ?

[@brysonlima]

Is this loud enough to gig with in medium sized venues?

[@Lost-xl6im]

Yes -- if you mike it through a PA too ; Even cranked it will be loud ;

[@Piston1776]

Love the review on the amp. I have a couple questions though do you think the amp has enough head room to stay clean with a 2x12 cab and play a gig of 50-100 people? I've seen the Mustang V but I really liked the fact that this is tubes and offered the same ammount of voicing options that the mustang has. I was wondering what is an attenutator?

[@PJRG12345]

I'm curious if this Super Champ head will drive a 2X12 cabinet, not for more volume, but just for better tone. I've always run 2X12 rigs, so a 2X10 or 2X12 would be my preference., I like the fact that it's a tube rig with DSP. I have a Fender DSP amp now and have always liked having the on-board digital fx.

[@SuperSquatch1]

Well, it looks like he's got some pretty powerful pickups in that guitar.

[@Username89039]

I love the very Fendery tubey clean channel, I have to keep it for that. But honestly the distorted channels all sound flat and non tube. My Weber Mass 100 can add a little extra sparkle. Currently trying out a range of speakers to try and kick the gain channel into life - V30 and an old Fane from an AC30 are winning at the moment. I might make the cab open back too, the 112 cab it came with is closed and sounds way too bassy and closed off. Might try a treble booster too. There's good stuff here but the gain side is nowhere near my Marshall (Vintage Modern half stack).

[@charliefoxtrotthe3rd335]

Here it is April of 2015 and this amp is still relevant today. I am trying to choose between the Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 5 ($299) of this (also $299) I am really leaning towards this. The TubeMeister 5 has the cool glowing front face and a RedBox DI built right in but is only a couple preamp tubes (single 12BH7 power tube and 12AX7 preamp tube) The X2 has so many more features and has a proper preamp section with a 12AX7 preamp and two 6V6 power tubes, which makes a huge difference. Those power tubes don't just push sound, they push air. You can feel the amp moving air when you are chugging on the low E, and that is the best sound on earth. I am going with the Fender for sure.

[@unabonger777]

Danny Criss It's not a tube pre-amp on the X2... the 12AX7 is the phase splitter only. Still sounds great though.

[@chrisplummer]

Fantastic video. Great job.

[@myway43]

I am seeing a lot more of that Carvin TK, You liking it a lot? Beautiful guitar

[@cesarchinex]

Hello, I can turn it on without connecting anything to the 8 ohm output and make it sound only by line out or USB.

[@andrescardona149]

How is everything ..???? .. Excellent explanatory video about the effects and their sonic behavior on the platform of the super champ Fender head .... So I wanted to ask you what behavior has at power level the 15 watts of the fender super champ Head on a 2x12 cabin. ??? It is recommended to handle a single speaker or this amplifier can give power to 2 speakers ?? .. Thanks for your help attention and collaboration with respect to this concern ..

[@ricksadeck]

I've been gigging with the first version (5 years ago or a bit more) since it came out. Replace the speaker with a Weber. I also use it plugged into two blackheart 1x12 cabs. The only pedals that I liked with it were my Xotic BB preamp and RC Booster.

[@jts400hp]

TK, love your reviews, pay no mind to the haters my friend..

[@andrewbutcher3391]

Sounds great

[@Imanuel369]

great video! could u do a video on how to change tubes in your amp, or when to change tubes in your amp to get the tone your looking for? thanks.

[@tracymorrison4782]

have one of these i am using to drive a jbl d130 cab. sounds incredible for not very much spent.

[@Dvermoet]

I mainly play blues and rock (Jimi Hendrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer, Pink Floyd) do you think this amp is good for that kind of music?

[@Roddo731]

Good review would loved to have seen the head with the actual fender cab

[@Justicexhaze]

Hey... just subscribed.. love your videos... very informative. Question on the Super Champ X2. I know it's only 15W.. but can it push a 4x12?

[@motumbitoster]

pretty nice amp! how much watts does it has?

[@silentlistening]

I have one of these. Its a great amp but the tolex job was crap! Other than that...i love it.

[@WhippJunior]

Just a guess but I'd think the tube pushes the modeling.

[@MalteseMonstrosity]

would you say it can play metal? thanks! Subscribed!

[@akaboo69]

I would probably own one it seems like a fun little amp

[@michaelmcgill8104]

How would you stack the Fender Mustang against Super Champ X2? They mostly have the same amp voices. I know the mustang has a lot more features but it is cheaper. For example: The X2 combo with a 10" speaker vs the mustang II with a 10" speaker, or The X2 with the 12" extension cab vs the mustang III with a 12" speaker. I would assume the X2 would still have a more authentic sound to it since it has the tubes and is more expensive. But by how much better would it be than the mustang? So many ppl say the mustangs are so amazing and mostly authentic sounding. Thank you!

[@krelbar]

I read somewhere that the models in the champ X2 are the exact same as the Mustang. The difference ultimately being the tube power section...I may be wrong...

[@EDCBushcraft]

Does it sound „digital“ in a negative way? I mean, has it this ugly „speaker-simulation-like“ sound ? I am looking for a new head just for fun and to mess around at home, when I can’t crank my Marshall 6100 or my AC15. But some of these amps with amp-Modeling seem to include some kind of speaker simulator, even when using proper guitar speakers. Would be nice if someone could tell me, if it’s sound has a nice edge to it or if it’s as muffled as let’s say the Marshall MG100HCFX.

[@captainhotbunz659]

Kevin Berger It all depends on how you set it up. Out of the box it’s not a bad amp by any means, but with the fender fuse software you can customize it to your liking. Hope this helps..