Fender Champion 30 DSP

I reseached Fender, Crate and Marshall effects amps in the 30 watt range on the internet. At Guitar Center I was able to try each one in addition to a VOX Pathfinder before buying the Fender Champion 30 DSP for $229.00.

Great sound on both Clean and Drive channels,useable effects,3 band EQ,headphone jack,open back design gives storage space for power cord and small footswitch,5 year warranty and Fender reputation. An extra bonus was the fact that the Fender was the least expensive of the three 30 watt effects amps.

Wish the channels were switchable via a footswitch like the effects.

Good solid cabinet with excellent fit and finish. Angled control panel is a nice touch. All knobs and jacks are located in the front of the unit. The power cord is detachable which is good for transport. Corner protectors are provided on the bottom and top rear.

Overall this appears to be the best deal on the market for an amp of this size and price range.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This amp is a 30W guitar amp transistor incorporating digital effects like reverb, flanger, chorus, delay ...
It has 2 input jacks, the conventional volume controls for each channel, the gain for the overdrive channel and a power adjustment for the effect, plus a button to select the effect to apply.

UTILIZATION

Configuration is very simple.
Regarding the effect type to select, the button can be a bit confusing, but can still take advantage of two simultaneous effects (chorus / reverb for example) that couples are not scalable.

SOUNDS

I found this amp with the Fender sound very good, perfect ally in my Start and my Tele.
I also use it with an electro-acoustic Washburn Millennium, and again the sound is warm and very good quality.

Regarding the effects, they are very adequate for everyday use, and in the studio. These are not professional effects, and it still feels digital.

The power of 30W this amp intended for use in very nice apartment.

Only small problem: the adjustment of the volumes going too fast for anything too strong. There is not enough range for my taste.

OVERALL OPINION

I use this amp for about 4 months and I am fully satisfied.
The integrated effects me more than enough, so much so that I'll sell my small multi-purpose Korg AX1-G.

The value for money without being unbeatable, is very good, and I recommend this amp for any guitarist wishing to play at home without waking the neighbors, but not sacrificing quality for all sound.

It is an electronic amplifier to 30 W into 8 ohms both channels a clear one selectable saturated with a pedal (not supplied), 3-band eq treble mid bass, it does that gain, and a selector effect Knob dosage level of effect. 2 inputs with a second aténuateur (no value in the manual) a jak to pedal and another headphone output, a large LED for power supply.

UTILIZATION

The usage is very intuitive, 8 potentiometric rotary, each one clearly indicated its function, not need the manual to operate it, quickly found sounds interresting. We regret the lack of settings in the effects (which are difficult because in the range selectable reverb there are 4 different algorithms each one in an angular range unmarked ...), which makes them very soon gadjet (except reverb chorus flange and which are quite happening everywhere), the fact of not being able to adjust the tempo or other delay makes unusable in many situations when the tremolo and the other, do not talk! is domage because they are not very evil. We still find the values ​​of these settings in the manual, do very poorly because it does not give much information (aténuation value in entry 2 for example).

SOUNDS

Well, it's still there that the fate of an amp is played. This amp is very very very clean sound, like all Fender amps, I have heard only one amp that sounded as though it was a plain mesa any lamp with a big TC amon! For the gate is saturated it a little, honestly, it's not too bad, but it's not that bad. The sound is rather thin, but it is not a good pedal made by hand on the California coast, to try anyway.

Update of 01.09.2005: Clean my strat higway, the sound is really great, to believe that the guitar was made for this amp, or vice versa, in any case the couple strat / Champion deserves 10 to play the pop / rock.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for several months, and I'm very happy, associated with a small over-drive pedal is great, the sound is always clear, precise, and always very comfortable power (30 watts but we just move the glass with it), compared to marshall and the other, it is much better and clear sound, but when the music is rock, it gets hot fast! finally everything is relative, roughly, to the metal well nag, it's not worth it, the sound is too clean. For the rock is pretty good, and jazz and stuff Tranquiles there is great. Me I use a Hohner telecaster is a sound that changes Ibanez on marshall and often surprising in many listeners. To resume an amp, I would resume a fender, on the model, can be a bigger following the budget.