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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.

I've been playing for over twenty years have long wanted a Fender tweed amplifier. However, I almost solely play at home (in an apartment). Of course, most people buy tweed Champs so they can crank them up and overdrive them and there are tons of videos on YouTube of people doing that. If you have your own house and do recording, then it's perfect for that. That said, I play mostly classic country, rockabilly, and classic R&B, so I was going to use it more for the cleans. All of this is to say that I suspect I am not the typical purchaser of this amp. What I have found after playing the amp for a week is that it was certainly worth the cost, even just for playing mostly clean and at bedroom levels. We're conditioned to think of the blackface as the prototypical Fender clean sound, but the clean tweed sound is fantastic in its own right (thicker, less scooped). I've been playing it with my Fender 50s Road Worn Telecaster and it is amazing. Multiple times in the last week that I've owned the amp, I've found myself just smiling while playing because of the sound. In terms of volume, I play it mostly between 3-5 (depending on the guitar) and it's perfectly fine for bedroom levels but with the 12AT7 it doesn't start breaking up naturally until a volume that's at least too loud for my situation. Make no mistake, this amp puts out a very loud 5-watts. And don't be confused by reviews online of the earlier 2009 model which had a 12AX7 and broke up much earlier than the newer 57 Custom model (though you can of course do a tube swap if that's what you want). In fact, I have loose plans of swapping out the stock tubes for NOS at some point in the near future, though I'm not sure if I'll try the 12AX7 or not. As mentioned, I've paired this with a recently purchased Fender 50s Road Worn Telecaster and it is a fantastic combination. I've also played my Epiphone Sheraton II with humbuckers through it, which is great, but an amp like this seems to call out to Teles and Strats (or even something with P-90s). And of course purchasing it from zZounds was easy and very fast (guitar and amp both came in two days).

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Stop fooling around with all the knobs and JUST PLAY. I've had many amps. The Champ is 2nd to none. Just warm it up, turn it to 12 and then play guitar using the knobs on your guitar. This amp sounds like it has reverb, delay and tremolo but it doesn't. It's simply alive. The combination of everything combined in this little package make for such terrific amp. The build quality is superb and it's made to last a lifetime. It is a bit RAW when new, but as it breaks in, it gets sweeter and warmer.

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The Champ is extremely warm compared to some popular 4 watt British amps. It's also perfect for someone who cannot disturb the neighbors. It can be cranked up to 12 and guitar on 3 or 4 and you'll be fine, in all pickup and tonal configurations. What's amazing with this Champ is there is zero amount of ear fatigue. I have it plugged directly into power socket and there is not the slightest amount of hiss, hum or buzz, with or without a guitar connected and on 12. The manufacturing quaility is excellent both exterior and interior and mine was completed 3 months ago. The protective cover is not a tan cloth fabric but something like a tarp, the color is a cross between dark green and dark brown. I'm definitely going to keep the Champ for its ability to remain low volume in full range, no ear pain and highest quailty.

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I've had the '57 Champ long enough now to get a good feel for it and wow! What a great little amp! The cleans have a beautiful warmth and presence and when it gets dirty it's everything you expect. What you might not expect is just how loud this little 5-watt demon is! I've messed around with the preamp tube a bit (12ax7 in place of the 12at7) and found JJ-ECC83G works really well. Doesn't break up too early but does break up sooner, and retains the presence and clarity. That said, the stock tube is great as well, just requires a lot more drive to get that sweet Champ breakup. It's VERY well built, easily tweaked with the preamp tube (and it does respond) and not at all loose on the bottom end as you might expect given the 8" speaker. Not cheap but I think it's worth every penny! Well done Fender!

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iam always looking .this amp will be a keeper

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I ordered the Champ to compliment my 65 PRR; which was also purchased on the 12 month plan from ZZOUNDS. The Champ sounds amazing and is extremely well built.It arrived the next day after ordering.Another great experience purchasing from ZZOUNDS.

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I bought for recording and it really has blown me away! It has a naturally percussive sound when played hard. Plug straight in, turn up the volume at least to 6, and use the volume on the guitar to control the gain. I found I don't even reach for my pedals.For the reader wanting details:I always swap out stock tubes for JJs in my amps. For this Champ, I did the JJ version of the 6V6S and 5Y3S for the power and rectifier. Being that there is no tone knob, I tried the stock 12AY7, a JJ 5751, a JJ ECC803S (long plate 12AX7), and a JJ ECC83S (short plate 12AX7) in the preamp slot to see what I liked the best.The stock 12AY7 was too boxy and dull sounding. I found that I gravitated toward the JJ ECC83S while playing my Strat (with vintage noiseless pickups). However, while playing my Gibson ES-339 (with burst bucker pickups) I really enjoyed the ECC803S.I hate the sound of my Strat with the long plate 12AX7 in this amp, wheras the Gibson really shines beautifully! For me, the tone of the Strat is absolutely breathtaking through a short plate 12AX7 inside. I may try a JJ ECC83MG (a medium plate 12AX7) but since I bought this amp specifically for recording, I don't mind swapping the preamp tube depending on the guitar I'm playing. The two guitars sound completely different so it only makes that different tubes provide the contrasting compliments.For reference: I generally play blues & blues/jazz/funk infused rock. My main amp for years has been a tweed reissue Fender Bassman. I use a Blues Driver & TS808 (both Keeley mods) along with my volume on the guitar to control the layers of gain.I never thought I could find an amp that would make me forget about my Bassman or utilizing pedals for that matter. It is truly a wonderful amp and worth the money.Note: If you have never played on a handwired tube amp and are skeptical of spending the extra money for one, then I highly advise you to seek one out in a music store to test. If you can't hear the difference, then spending the extra money probably isn't worth it.

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