Fender Vibro Champ XD

great collection of different amp Voices, 5 class A watts. It does not lack any features that I would be likely to use. The Line Out jack and easy access Speaker Out jack are very useful.

Key Features - variety of cool, useful tube tones
- Low Volume HEAVEN
- Smiling as you carry it LIGHTWEIGHT

I play a great project Telecaster that sounds wonderful thru the VCXD. I love the Blackface 4-6 settings, as well as the Tweed and Bassman voices 1-3. The key for me is to make the proper adjustment in the gain control for the different voicings. I can max it out for Blackface but it needs to be dialed down to 5 or less for Tweed and Bassman and the even higher gain voices 7-14, unless you're looking for way huge distortion. For the Jazz and Acoustic voices it should be turned close to or all the way off.
I could not ask for a better sound at low volume - great for playing at home.

I have upgraded the 8" stock speaker to a Jensen 10" Mod 10/50. It sounds great with better bottom and fit fine in the stock cabinet, although it required an enlarged hole in the baffle board. The 5 Class A watts can also power much bigger cabs using the easy-access speaker jack or into the PA via the line out or miced. Very versatile!

I got is used and have had no problems at all for a year now.

I play a wide variety of styles R&R/ Classic Rock, Blues, Country, etc and have been at it for 45 (gulp!) years. In addition to me project Tele, I also have a nicely modded Fender Blues Jr, Fender Fretless Jazz Bass, Bassman Compact 50, 74 Martin D35 and 75 Ovation Balladeer and Classical guitars.

Features are well documented.

I bought and played this with a cool vibe fender squire 5 months before realizing that I would never be happy with the sounds this amp produces. The compression applied in the presets left me wanting to hear my true tone and not this processed soup. The hall reverb makes your git sound like a piano synth (not in a good way). The best setting on this amp is the acoustic setting which makes a single coil git sounds quite nice as a strummer.
To sum up: Built in compression kills a great idea.

My guess is that this thing should last for years.

Never dealt with them.

The natural tone of your guitar does not have much of a chance to shine through this unit.

Features are already listed by many: this little amp is a marvel for tone quality at a very low price.

The amp is ideal for bedroom/practise use giving full tones at low volumes, which is very rare. Also the amp does not compress your guitar tone out of existence and allows every guitar you own/will own to keep its individuality of tone. So different from so many modelling amps which end up making every guitar you own sound the same and artificially compressed, distant and over-effected. This amp is alive and breathes, and the sound is sparkling and in your face as it should be. Voice settings 1-8 are exceptionally good and if recorded no-one would know that a modeling amp had been used. The amp speaker is well matched esp for an 8``. If you need to gig it at venues up to 200 people, take the XD`s line out and slave it to say a Marshall AVT 50 (effects return) which will give it the big bottom end needed to gig with. Tone is superb now as the output stage of the XD is not in circuit and this duo runs very clean of mains hum. (XD has a low cost mains transformer which gives 50hz mains hum).

Fender is always good for reliability at any price level.

Fender are one of the best manufacturers for after sales support.

If you want a sublime tone (clean, SRV breakup, lead aka Moore/Clapton)
try this Fender XD and if you do try the slave idea, your mates will just wonder how did you get all that tone for so little money!!!
The design guys at Fender deserve a medal for this little gem and the little amp will stand alone as brilliant, please see demo on Utube.
However, the amp was built down to a low price which is great for all guitar players, but the Marshall AVT 50 idea will add an enclosed 12" speaker and power amp which will give you the gigging balls without much cost.

I really didn't think I'd end up with this amp. I didn't want a modeling amp. After trying every amp I could get my hands on for the last 40 years, looking for a recording amp, and owning three other pretty good amps at this time, I really didn't expect much from this when a shop guy suggested it.
What can I say do this amp justice - it can sound like most anything, but I use it primarily for the really good Fender Clean Sounds, which get appropriately creamy to slightly crunchy when the gain is turned up, just like a real Fender should. How they sound this authentic and really, really pleasing while using modeling something that has me puzzled, since I've never heard other modeling systems even come close to this. I never use any of my other amps anymore. Oh, the effects are pretty good - I use the reverb all the time, and it sounds pretty authentic like a good spring, and sometimes use a little chorus to taste... does all this fine.

I use this amp for a variety of musical styles, from Blues to Jazz to Funk to Country, and with a number of different guitars (though mostly a 335) and it always sounds great. If I need to use it somewhere where it isn't loud enough (and it is louder than you'd think) I use the output to plug into the house PA system, and it sounds great. This amp always makes me smile. Oh, I usually don't play it through the built-in speaker, but use an extension cabinet... doesn't mean that I don't like the one built in, but it is too small for a lot of venues. Works fine around the house. I don't generally do distortion, OK, maybe some Hendrix or Santana and this amp can do that fine, but I get the feeling that some of the grungier models aren't that good, maybe its only because I wouldn't like them no matter what. The amp isn't noisy - it is sort of like the ideal dream tube amp that just happens to still use some tubes, and doesn't cost much. Oh, I've swapped some tubes in and out, and found that it didn't really make a huge difference one way or the other. While I'm an old tube tweaker from way back when that was all you could find, I oddly don't really miss having to swap them to get it to sound great (which is definitely true with a number of Fenders, especially the little Champion 600).

I've had this amp for 7 months now, and use it most every day. I've even abused it by playing bass through it with the little internal speaker. I haven't had a problem of any kind. While I guess I'd feel comfortable not having a backup, it is an old habit that I'll probably never break.

Having dealt with Fender in the not very distant past (not for this amp) I'd give them very high marks.

I bought this new this year (2009) after looking for a recording amp. I first tried out the newer Princeton Recording Amp, which I was really wanting to like, but honestly didn't get excited about - and at the price they go for, it just didn't work for me. I also tried the Peavey Windsor Recording Amp, which was much worse - it seems to be a Marshall clone with soak, and doesn't even come close to the beauty of the clean Fender sounds. After once buying a Line 6 amp, then returning it, I really didn't want anything to do with modeling. This amp is literally everything I need in an amp, and I'm always truly amazed how good it sounds when I start playing through it. This amp is undoubtedly the best deal going in the modern guitar world. They could stop making all the other amps now and I wouldn't mind.

This amp is quite (and i mean very) versatile. It can go from unbelievable clean, to smooth and warm jazz, to rocking distortion, with a twist of one knob. You can also adjust preset voice levels with volume and gain (and yes, it is a tube amp, so if you want to crank it, go ahead). The treble and bass controls seem quite responsive. The effects are also very good as well, and you can adjust the depth of the effects (my personal favorite is the reverb on 4). The only thing that brought it down to a 9 was that the effects are not infinitely adjustable, but hey, Fender wanted to keep the price below $300. Also, the speaker will take some breaking in, and some of you may want to change it. It also has a speaker out, which is cool. BTW 5 class A tube watts can be loud.

The sound for the most part is good. I play with a cheap squire with a GCB-95 Crybaby. The clean channels can greatly be varied, and you can crank 'em for that unbelievable tube saturation (i am NEVER going back to solid state). I mostly use the 'tweed' tones and sometimes blackface, and the British stack and hot rod. It is very well suited for my style (i listen to classic rock, but i can't stand not playing some TEXAS BLUES). I also try to get a kind of Hendrix and/or Clapton tone. Here is a detailed description of the voices, best if you try it yourself:
(tweed)
1-clean tweed 'champ' tone
2-slightly over-driven Bassman tone
3-heavily over-driven tweed sound
(blackface)
4-super clean, twin-reverb tone
5-slightly over driven clean tone
6- like a twin-reverb with a TS-9
(British-awesome)
7-Vox AC30 overdrive
8-Early Marshall 'plexi' stack
9-JCM series on distortion
(Hot rod-nice for Texas blues)
10-slightly over driven Hot Rod Deluxe/Blues junior
11-SRV's Dumble amps (close, anyway)
12-Lots of overdrive on a Hot Rod Fender amp
(Metal)
13-Dark, scooped distortion
14-high-gain metal sound
(Other)
15-Jazz King type amp, warm
16-Acoustasonic type quality

That about sums it up for sound. I am thinking of getting an area '67 for my neck pickup, so it'll sound better.

I haven't had the amp for two weeks, but if i take good care of it, and not crank the tubes often, it should last me a while before I'll replace a tube (there are only two). So far i haven't put it to the road test.

I haven't had to deal with Fender ever, but i do have a 5-year warranty on it.

I got it for my birthday, and it is a step up from my Cube 15X. For anyone wanting an upgrade, go this way or the amp's bigger brother, the Super Champ XD. It combines some of the versatility of a Line 6, with the tube tone of, say, a blues junior or a champion 600. For all you tube lovers who are uncertain, you will be pleasantly surprised by this deceptively small amplifier. The only thing i wish it had was... well for 300 bucks, you get exactly what you pay for, and then some. Any instrument, ESPECIALLY a Fender, will sound good through this gem. If it were stolen, and i had money, i wouldn't think twice about getting this or the Super Champ again.

If you are reading this, you should know what this is.

I own six electrics at the moment (used to own too many), Gibson-Fender-Gretsch, and they all sound like a little piece of heaven through this thing. You can get the cleanest sounds, the heaviest sounds (no sh*t), and the strangest sounds through this little thing.

I mostly use channel four, which is the clean blackface, and it sounds like any of those expensive Fender amps. Same with the tweed channels.

Bare in mind, I use this as a head, so I have the output through a cabinet with four 12 inch speakers. This improves the cleans, and makes it easier to play louder without breaking up.

If this thing broke down, I'd buy another.

I love Fender products, but thanks to their recent price changes, they're worthless to me. Gibson is the same way. All these overpriced products... This Virbrochamp proves you don't need massive dough to sound great, and as a guy whp has played a lot of gear, I can tell you the cheaper products are the way to go in this day and age. Fight the power.

If anyone doesn't care for this, send me an e-mail. My address is displayed!

It's the best new amp out today, in my opinion, and the cost helps verify that statement.

Addendum to my last review - after spending bit more time with the various voicings, getting that clean 'bucker tone is easy using the Blackface voicings (4, 5 and 6); and the Tweed voicings clean up nicely with an EQ pedal.

The Jazz voicing (# 15) sounds good but lacks the top end of the Blackface voicings. The Acoustic voicing (#16) is still my favourite (it's just different!) but I'm glad I've been able to find clean voicings for both single coil and humbucker pickups.

Nice versatile amp!

5 watt tube combo with built-in preamp voicings and effects. Fender took a tried and true concept (the Vibro Champ used to be a 5 watt combo once upon a time)and modernized it. I'm usually a bit skeptical when manufacturers try to reinvent the wheel (so to speak), but I must say this little amp sounds good.

Single channel, no headphone jack and the voicings and effects aren't foot-switchable (a shame), but it does have a line out. The voicings and built-in effects sound quite decent indeed.

I own a MIM Stratocaster refit with Dimarzio Virtual Vintage pickups, a Squier Affinity Telecaster refit with Samarium Cobalt pickups (sweet sounding guit!) and a home made DC Les Paul that has a Dimarzio Humbucker from Hell in the neck position and a GFS Liverpool vintage Retrotron in the bridge position.

I wouldn't be making any earth-shattering statements if I said it's easier to get a clean tone from the Strat and Tele and easier to get overdrive from the Les Paul.

With a bit of patience though, it's feasible to obtain a clean humbucker sound on the Blackface and Tweed voicings (back off that gain control), forget about it on the high gain voicings, those are meant for loud, overdriven rock (or blues)! Try as I may I wan't able to get that Voxy tone from voice #7 ...

My pet favorite voicing is # 16 the acoustic setting. Add a bit of reverb from the effects section and you have a very pleasant sound indeed. Agreed it won't sound 100% like an acoustic, but I think it's pretty neat to get an acoustic-like sound out of a solid-bodied guitar and a tube amp!

For bedroom practice or "garage band" playing it's more than reliable enough.

Never had the pleasure.

I like the portability and the sound. Just look it up on Youtube, you'll see what I mean. It's more versatile than the Champion 600 it's replacing (I find it has better cleans, the 8" sounds better that the 600's 6" speaker, and the built-in effects sound pretty damned good), though not as versatile as say, its Line 6 counterpart.

It could benefit from foot-switchable effects, but that would increase the price...so if you ask me it's fine as it is. I purchased a MXR Micro amp for a clean boost, to push the amp a bit when a song calls for it, but that's about it. The less pedals between the guitar and amp the better the signal.

I do have a bunch of pedals in my "bat-cave of gear", overdrive, distortion, wah, compressor, delay, etc...but right now I find that simple is better. ;)

Go to Fender's webpage and check it out.

I use a Yamaha AES920 with it and it sounds great to me. I like to play everything from hard and heavy to melodic and harmonic, preferebly in the same song, and this amp can manage that fine.

I've owned it for a few months now and so far it has worked perfect.

I've never needed to contact them.

I've played guitar for about 11 years now and haven't owned a lot of amps. All I can say is that when I bought it I tried out a whole lot of other amps and this one stood out and seemed perfect for me and my purpose, and I have no regrets.

Amp is made in 2008. I play just blues or bluesy jazz. There are a lot of features, don't need more. I can get the sound I want. Real tube amp, real tube sound, very nice overdriven. 5 tube watts enough for me at home. It have a speakerout for a cab and a line out for recording.

I use an Fender american standard 2008 tele. Music style is blues, jazz. The amp is a little noise but no problem. I use it at home, it can make al kinds of sounds, clean and distorted at high volumes, very nice at high volumes. Just 5 tube watts so easely to disturb, nice creamy sound. I use it whit a self made cab whit two alnico jensens, P10R and P12R. 10" for blues and 12" for jazz.

I owned the amp now for half a year, no breakdown.

I did not used the support, I have had no problem whit the amp.

I play for one year electric guitar now and I like the sound and the versalities. I even have a valve junior head and it sound good but differend. These amps are just what I need. Practising in the house. If it was stolen I would buy it again.