NAD: Fender Champ 600

bobthecockroach · 10-07-2011, 05:42 AM

I only heard of this amp yesterday,but someone had a good deal on CL, and it's got a great sound, so I picked it up. I finally own a tube amp, even if it is a small, cheap one.

I may, and I know this is against my nature, but I may look into an overdrive. The amp can get some natural break-up but only at volumes too loud for my apartment, so it would be nice to be able to get crunchy with less volume. Suggestions? The fewer the knobs the better. The amp only has one itself, ya know.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 10-07-2011, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobthecockroach

I only heard of this amp yesterday,but someone had a good deal on CL, and it's got a great sound, so I picked it up. I finally own a tube amp, even if it is a small, cheap one.

I may, and I know this is against my nature, but I may look into an overdrive. The amp can get some natural break-up but only at volumes too loud for my apartment, so it would be nice to be able to get crunchy with less volume. Suggestions? The fewer the knobs the better. The amp only has one itself, ya know.

A few thoughts...

for low gain overdrive, I would check out some of tenwatt's stuff. SBN made fine stuff, but I think he is mostly out of the business. What level of gain are you thinking? personally IMO for an overdrive for a one knob amp for low volume you are going to need a minimum of 2 knobs. (gain and volume)

You could also attenuate between the amp and speaker and quiet the natural overdrive. https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/micromass.htm would do the trick well. I know, it has two knobs, but they both turn things down.

**jamforchrist123** · 10-07-2011, 06:20 AM

I'm in the market to sell my SBN Lil' Eagle if interested.

Congrats on the new amp! We both had recent Fender new amp days!

bobthecockroach · 10-07-2011, 08:51 AM

This is a nice clip of someone playing an MXR overdrive on the Champ 600:

Champion 600 with effects pedals...let's see how it goes shall we? - YouTube

Do you think the Distortion+ (like $40 cheaper is nice) would be able to get tones like that as well?

Stratopastor · 10-07-2011, 11:26 AM

If you like the overdriven sound of the amp itself, go with Bill's attenuation idea. You could build one like Major Tom's into the back of the amp for way less than the cost of a pedal, and keep the 'rig' down to guitar > cable > amp....

bobthecockroach · 10-07-2011, 11:38 AM

I'm not into the whole building thing though.

S.B.Nichols · 10-07-2011, 07:16 PM

No low gain tube amp is complete without a good boost.

(I do still throw together to occasional BDAB)

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 10-07-2011, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobthecockroach

This is a nice clip of someone playing an MXR overdrive on the Champ 600:

Champion 600 with effects pedals...let's see how it goes shall we? - YouTube

Do you think the Distortion+ (like $40 cheaper is nice) would be able to get tones like that as well?

The distortion+ is kind of a cross between a fuzz and an overdrive. Think early black sabbath with Randy Rhodes. It does not clean up real nicely IMO.

I suspect the attenuator would be your best optione and weber makes a nice one. If you need lower budget options than the micromass, I might try offering less than BIN for this. Weber Mini Mass 25 watt Attenuator | eBay

Here it is new. https://taweber.powweb.com/weber/lpld.htm.

Then again, what sound are you after?

**Rainer.** · 10-07-2011, 10:30 PM

+1

I'd get tenwatt to whip you up a drive sound you like, though. Support local business? Haha...

Almost Enough · 10-07-2011, 11:40 PM

Get a Boss DS-1 for $25 give or take used. That's what I use at home on my little amp.

**Rainer.** · 10-08-2011, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Almost Enough

Get a Boss DS-1 for $25 give or take used. That's what I use at home on my little amp.

Um. Ew.

Almost Enough · 10-08-2011, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rainer.

Um. Ew.

Why drop the money on a dirt pedal if you're not going to play out?

And the DS-1 doesn't sound THAT bad. Heck, if you spend a little time with it you can make it sound pretty decent. It also makes a good platform for mods if you feel so inclined. Also, depending on how much he spent on the amp...why rock a dirt pedal that's worth almost as much if not the same amount as what you paid for the amp?

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 10-08-2011, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Almost Enough

Why drop the money on a dirt pedal if you're not going to play out?

Because you enjoy it, it inspires you to play more when you sound better, etc.

Quote:

And the DS-1 doesn't sound THAT bad.

For what Daniel likes? I can't think of a worse pedal hardly. especially when paired with an amp with a small speaker. Shrill is the word that that combo brings to mind.

Quote:

Heck, if you spend a little time with it you can make it sound pretty decent. It also makes a good platform for mods if you feel so inclined.

I think you can make a modded one sound GREAT for harder stuff. It isn't a pedal that I would ever recommend for lighter breakup. IIRC daniel likes blues, Hendrix, pop, and stuff on the lighter side of things. He also does not like to mod things it sounds like.

Quote:

Also, depending on how much he spent on the amp...why rock a dirt pedal that's worth almost as much if not the same amount as what you paid for the amp?

Who cares? I have a nice amp I spent $120 on. Shall I not plug in an SBN Trinity? Shall I not put a pitchfactor in front even though it sounds awesome because it is worth 3xs the value of the amp?
I think relative cost of pedal to amp is irrelevant if the amp produces a sound you like.

bobthecockroach · 10-08-2011, 06:41 AM

Shrill is definitely a bad sound.

The attenuator, I can see some pros and cons. Pros, natural sound from the amp. Cons, not *quite* as much crunch as I may want in a particularly crunchy moment, requires rewiring, which I don't trust myself to do.

The sound I want? Kinda like that video I posted. Bill's examples are good. That's like 80% of my taste. But I also like stuff like this: The Sounds - The Best Of Me - YouTube (Best song I've heard this year, by the way, give it a listen.) I know that's a very different sound, but I want to be able to push enough to at least have a sound that makes sense in that context. Nothing (or very little) in the world of what would be called heavy though.

Budget? Would definitely like to keep it under $100. Under $80 would be swell.

Modding? Not opposed if someone else does the work.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 10-08-2011, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobthecockroach

Shrill is definitely a bad sound.

The attenuator, I can see some pros and cons. Pros, natural sound from the amp. Cons, not *quite* as much crunch as I may want in a particularly crunchy moment, requires rewiring, which I don't trust myself to do.

The sound I want? Kinda like that video I posted. Bill's examples are good. That's like 80% of my taste. But I also like stuff like this: The Sounds - The Best Of Me - YouTube (Best song I've heard this year, by the way, give it a listen.) I know that's a very different sound, but I want to be able to push enough to at least have a sound that makes sense in that context. Nothing (or very little) in the world of what would be called heavy though.

Budget? Would definitely like to keep it under $100. Under $80 would be swell.

Modding? Not opposed if someone else does the work.

That song sounds voxy to me. I think eventually you may want a couple pedals, a voxy sound, a boost and maybe a fuzz for hendrixy moments would be my choice. IMO heavy is in the attitude of the player mostly. Now... good voxy pedal... I have a voxy amp so I really haven't looked into that.

Attenuators don't require much of any wiring. It is like plugging 2 guitar cables in. If you can keep in and out straight, you are pretty much good.