Fender Champion 20 and 40

[Jim Soloway]

Based on what I'd read here, I bought a Fender Champion 40 a couple months ago. It's a wonderful amp at a ludicrous price. Yesterday I picked up the little brother, the Fender Champion 20. It was used (very lightly) and the price was $100 CDN (that's $77 US at today's rate). It's fabulous. It's about the size of an old Silverface Champ and is able to get me into the same general tonal area. It's loud enough to enjoy playing in my home office and could probably cover a small restaurant or coffee house for a quiet background gig. Someone else here referred to the Champion 20 as the best $100 he'd ever spent on gear. I have to agree.

Here's the pair ...The big brother Champion 40 is 19 lbs with a 12" speaker and the little Champion 20 is 12 lbs with an 8" speaker.

And as I sit here playing through the 20 with a PAF equipped guitar, I am remembering why I got rid of the Silverface Champ: because it sounded great with a Tele but couldn't handle the output from a humbucker. This one handles it without a hitch.

[2bornot2bop]

Good for you Jim! Congratulations on that fine pair!

[charleyrich99]

The red knob Champ 12 also sounds nice for low volume Jazz.

[burchyk]

I've tried something similar, SuperChamp X2 maybe, thought it was an amazing value for people who like Fenders.

[John A.]

Jim, can you describe the differences between the 20 and 40 (other than "20", needless to say)?

[Jim Soloway]

Jim, can you describe the differences between the 20 and 40 (other than "20", needless to say)?

The biggest difference is that the 40 has two channels (one with modeling and one without) and the 20 has only the modeling channel. The digital section of the amp is identical. The 20 is somewhat brighter (which I assume is a function of the smaller speaker and cab) but really the voicing of the blackface model (which is what I'm running on both) is remarkably similar. I picked up the 20 for a simple reason. I live in a neighborhood that's loaded with galleries, restaurants, coffee shops and bars and I'd really like to get out to play in some of them. With the 20 I can walk to any of them with a guitar, amp and accessories. With the 40, I'd probably need to use a cart.

[John A.]

The biggest difference is that the 40 has two channels (one with modeling and one without) and the 20 has only the modeling channel. The digital section of the amp is identical. The 20 is somewhat brighter (which I assume is a function of the smaller speaker and cab) but really the voicing of the blackface model (which is what I'm running on both) is remarkably similar. I picked up the 20 for a simple reason. I live in a neighborhood that's loaded with galleries, restaurants, coffee shops and bars and I'd really like to get out to play in some of them. With the 20 I can walk to any of them with a guitar, amp and accessories. With the 40, I'd probably need to use a cart.

Thanks. I wasn’t clear on the 40's channel lay out. The 20 is great for the used you describe.

[Jim Soloway]

Thanks. I wasn’t clear on the 40's channel lay out. The 20 is great for the used you describe.

Now that I've had both of them for a bit I wanted to expand on my previous answer a little.

When I first picked up the Twenty I set it up as close as I could to the way I use the 40. Yesterday I spent some time going back and forth with the two amps and experimenting a bit. What I found is that the blackface model is still my favorite with the 40 but with the 20 and the smaller speaker it sounds a bit thin. So I tried the tweed model and it made it much thicker and warmer. It's a very different sound than what I'm getting from the 40 but by definition playing through the 20 is a more intimate experience and the warmth that comes from the stronger mid range works very well for that smaller sound. So the 20 no longer just sounds like a smaller of the 40 but rather a different but equally pleasing alternative.

[John A.]

Now that I've had both of them for a bit I wanted to expand on my previous answer a little.

When I first picked up the Twenty I set it up as close as I could to the way I use the 40. Yesterday I spent some time going back and forth with the two amps and experimenting a bit. What I found is that the blackface model is still my favorite with the 40 but with the 20 and the smaller speaker it sounds a bit thin. So I tried the tweed model and it made it much thicker and warmer. It's a very different sound than what I'm getting from the 40 but by definition playing through the 20 is a more intimate experience and the warmth that comes from the stronger mid range works very well for that smaller sound. So the 20 no longer just sounds like a smaller of the 40 but rather a different but equally pleasing alternative.

Do you find the 40 to be appreciably louder?

[Jim Soloway]

Do you find the 40 to be appreciably louder?

Yes and it fills a bigger space

[pingu]

played a Champion 40 at a jam

yes it was great
It warm I had to run the Bass control
on 2/10 and Treble on 5 or 6

plenty of omph , nice and light to pickup

[buduranus2]

Based on Jim's recommendation I picked up a NOS Champion 20 for $82 ($111 in the door with S/H and tax.) A perfectly usable grab and go jazz amp for solo/duo use. Thanks Jim!

[jim777]

I played my Champ 40 for two weeks at band practice and it hung in there (rock band) with another guitar, bass, keys, and drums. It was the reason I stepped up to the TM Twin. 12" speaker, and only 19 pounds. VERY loud if you need it to be. (And I also bought it on Jim's recommendation.)

[John A.]

Based on Jim's recommendation I picked up a NOS Champion 20 for $82 ($111 in the door with S/H and tax.) A perfectly usable grab and go jazz amp for solo/duo use. Thanks Jim!

I use one often with groups at jams and small-venue gigs (I have one of my own, plus it's the house amp at a couple of places where I attend jams). It holds its own. Best $89 I ever spent (I got mine several years ago).

[frabarmus]

I have (and enjoy very much) one too!
My son uses it most of the time (because of all the effects and amp models).

[Doctor Jeff]

I don't think they make the Super Champ XD/X2 anymore. The 40 looks pretty similar, though not so many voicings. (The XD had a 10" speaker though, the 40 has a 12".)

I agree these are great amps for the money.

[chris32895]

For these amps, can anyone comment on the general noise-floor level? Like, if you don't plug in a guitar and just have the amp on is there appreciable hum/hiss coming from it. I'm a bit sensitive to this

[John A.]

For these amps, can anyone comment on the general noise-floor level? Like, if you don't plug in a guitar and just have the amp on is there appreciable hum/hiss coming from it. I'm a bit sensitive to this

The Champion 20 is quiet. I've never noticed any noise, hiss, etc., coming from it when no guitar is plugged in. I haven't used the 40, but I'd assume the same.

[chris32895]

The Champion 20 is quiet. I've never noticed any noise, hiss, etc., coming from it when no guitar is plugged in. I haven't used the 40, but I'd assume the same.

Fantastic, I'm in need of a quiet practice only amp and this should be great for now

[chris32895]

Just picked my Fender Champ 20 today and this is a nice little amp! I particularly like the tweed setting with my humbucker equipped Telecaster. It has less of a noise-floor than my Quilter 101 (which I sold), is less bright, and certainly way less expensive. Maybe it's just the acoustics of the small room I play in but it doesn't boom nearly as much as my Quilter BlockDock 10 ever did. The cleans are nice and pleasant, but nothing to really write home about. It's just a very even, maybe even sterile, amp that I can practice with. I forget it's there and only worry about practicing, which is just what I need.

Oh, but the thing makes a really loud POP when shutting off. I may try to rig something up to get rid of that but for now sticking something in the headphone jack just before shutoff does the trick. I hear these all do that.

[chris32895]

Playing with this amp some more the '65 Princeton voice is really incredible. Plus basically no noise coming from the amp (there is a little but playing whisper quiet with my head essentially a foot away from the speaker I can't tell). Granted I am using a humbucker. Using a P90 I got some noise.

[John A.]

Just picked my Fender Champ 20 today and this is a nice little amp! I particularly like the tweed setting with my humbucker equipped Telecaster. It has less of a noise-floor than my Quilter 101 (which I sold), is less bright, and certainly way less expensive. Maybe it's just the acoustics of the small room I play in but it doesn't boom nearly as much as my Quilter BlockDock 10 ever did. The cleans are nice and pleasant, but nothing to really write home about. It's just a very even, maybe even sterile, amp that I can practice with. I forget it's there and only worry about practicing, which is just what I need.

Oh, but the thing makes a really loud POP when shutting off. I may try to rig something up to get rid of that but for now sticking something in the headphone jack just before shutoff does the trick. I hear these all do that.

The 8" speaker in the C20 helps lot with boominess. I Mostly use the Deluxe Reverb setting, with B & T both turned all the way down, and gain usually somewhere in the 5-7 range. That warms it up quite a bit. I like the tweed Bassman setting, too. FWIW, I also have a Quilter Aviator Cub, and I don't notice any noise with that either.

[garybaldy]

Can these amps be likened to the discontinued Fender G Dec 3 30 but without the backing tracks?

[chris32895]

The 8" speaker in the C20 helps lot with boominess. I Mostly use the Deluxe Reverb setting, with B & T both turned all the way down, and gain usually somewhere in the 5-7 range. That warms it up quite a bit. I like the tweed Bassman setting, too. FWIW, I also have a Quilter Aviator Cub, and I don't notice any noise with that either.

Going through a bunch of amps looking for something simple for in-bedroom practice has really taught me that certain amps play better in certain rooms than others. I think the closed back 10" of the BlockDock was too much for my little room. Could never really get enough volume and it was either always too bassy or too thin. This little amp is just right. I think the open back allows some of the bass frequencies to spill out rather than shoot at and bounce around my walls (with a closed). I don't know much about acoustics so not sure if I'm just spouting out nonsense

[John A.]

Can these amps be likened to the discontinued Fender G Dec 3 30 but without the backing tracks?

It's possible that they use the same amp models under the surface, but I can't know for sure. The Champion amps are basically the same thing as the Mustang amps, but without the ability to save amp and effects presets or interface with a computer and download more sounds.