It's an awesome amp. Probably the only solid state amp I would have no problems using in a live situation. Wish I still had mine. I only ever used the blackface/twin settings, but with a reverb in the loop or an actual tank out front, it had such good sound.
Amazing amp!!! Love mine to death! As a metal player, I bought Blackstar HT dual valve preamp distortion pedal and tighten it up with mxr Zakk Wylde Overdrive. In the FX loop I put the noise gate and the EQ ( which I think many players overlook but it is essential to the rig) the results are mind blowing. Keep up the good work! Awesome video and very educational as well! Cheers from UK
Sounds really really good! Thanks for sharing. I have an older 100 Watt Fender Frontman 212R and a newer Fender Champion 20, both are good amplifiers. They take pedals well. That Frontman can be loud and has real spring reverb, and an effects loop. The newer Champion 20 has many modern modeling features. Both are useful. Your 100 watt 212 Champion is an advanced combination of both! I still prefer tube amps, there's a slight raggidnes to their tone which I like. But I will never put down/insult S.S. and Digital amps.
This really helps. I have this amp and really like it but I wanted some different tone options in a pedal rather than turning the knob settings. Good video. Thanks!
Excellent playing and thanks for giving a different perspective on this amp. Thinking seriously about trying one out soon. UA-cam drama never ceases, lol. I wish all the critics would put their demo up for everybody to critique......play on bro. You inspired me.
Bro, it took you over 13 minutes to get to the good stuff. But it was worth it. The Dark Matter mixed with the other overdrive sounds amazing. I love tone stacking. And both those pedal mix perfect. You just turned a $500 amp into a $3,000 amp. Awesome work. Sounds great. 👍
Kinda shocked how good it took overdrive. I currently have a mustang amp and it can't take my tube screamer worth a crap. I know what to upgrade to. Thanks for this video!
The Mustang is a digital amp and the algorithms probably crap themselves with the complexity of a distorted signal that they were not designed to handle. (Btw, this has to do with the processing power and programming of your amp, not a problem with "digital" in general).
If you're going to use a digital modelling amp, maybe stick with the onboard effects. If you really want to mess up the signal before it hits your amp (with pedals), keep it simple at the end and use an analog one.
Does it sound okay dirty using a pedal? I generally use a clean amp with a distortion pedal instead as I play live and need to use clean and dirty sounds. Would this be okay on this particular amp?
I love my Champion 100, probably the best value for the money out there. $399 with an included 2- button foot switch. I invested that little bit extra for the amp cover (the Fender logo is embroidered) and is the perfect fit. Solid state no longer means cheap imported junk and the quality of this amp and everything it does is second to none. Way to go Fender (again)!
Thank you and hey NICE guitar playing!! I just bought one and have two more tube amps, but I have been trying to figure out the send and return on the amp itself which is the pre-out and pwr-in. Yea the Champions crunch by itself when you play lead is to me just a tad thin so yes pre amp pedals and such just to get better tone for sure! Great demo and thank you!!!
My (admittedly limited) experience is that it depends on the guitar you use. I have an 80’s Squier Strat, a Gretsch Electromatic and a self-built Tele copy with original Fender pickups. I’ve tried everything but I cannot get the Strat to sound nice, the Gretsch needs work but can sound great, the Tele sounds fantastic no matter what I do to the amp (although both pick ups are ridiculously trebly). I have used it with and without pedals and it can sound really good by itself, though for my needs I’ve never used the effects loop. (I play rhythm guitar punk with occasional solos when the main guitarist can’t be bothered, so my requirements are pretty basic!) What I will say is that it is incredibly loud. I usually play in small to medium pubs without a PA, and despite having a fairly vigorous drummer I’ve never had it above about 3.5. I should also add that the few times I’ve gone through a mic to the PA it has always sounded really good. My bass player keeps complaining that it isn’t a real punk amp - I had considered an Orange but found the Fender second hand at a very good price - but I’m very happy with it.
I've only tried my boss 200 sy synth pedal so far it sounds good i love this amp I'll try my other pedals soon im still learning how to play the guitar
Honestly, when people ask if a solid state amp 'works with pedals,' they're almost always referring to Overdrives and Distortions. Modulation, Time-based, Octave, and Wah pedals go hand-in-glove with Solid State amps.
That sounds amazing with the Dark Matter and the Keeley Workstation ! Those overdrive and distortion tones are the among the best I've heard. All the other demos of the Champion 100 I've seen don't even come close, either with or without pedals. Stellar job ! Do you still use this setup ? How is it for live / gig use ? -Cheers !
How much did that pedal build cost? It sounds amazing!! I want I want. I have a new champion 100 amp but don’t like the gain channel and will more than likely need a setup like this as I’m looking to play in a cover band and I just can’t get behind the gain channel alone on the amp. I’m new to pedals. I have been in bands when I was younger writing originals and it was all punk on gain on my amp all the time. The last 15 years I have played on my computer using effects and no amp but Im back in it. I need any advice from anyone on which direction to go.
I'd love to hear from you if you got the amp, and it so how much that affected your guitar playing. I'm in a similar position, and I'd love know if getting an amp would boost my playing
Hi I'm a bit of a guitar noob, I have the champion 100xl, and just started setting up a pedal board. Can I/should I be running my compressor/fuzz/distortion through the input/pre amp rather than the effects loop on this amp? Also can I use a overdrive well with this amp as it's as not tube?
Yes. Compressors, fuzz, boost, distortion and overdrive pedals should go to the input. Reverbs, delays and volume pedals, should go in the effects loop.
kind of a late comment but anyway. i think the sentry is affecting the amp tone because you are gating the preamp therefore not getting the full shaping of the tone (i dont know if that's how it works, just guessing). if you just ran the pedals themselves through the sentry send-return then you should be good as the actual amp is not getting affected whatsoever. also loved your playing and how clearly you explained everything👏
Hey Chris, I didnt catch you about looping effects with the amp... If I have one overdrive pedal, with one input and one output, I need to connect my guitar to the pedal, and pedal to the amp's Power In jack? TNX!!
With an overdrive pedal, I'd suggest: Guitar> pedal input. pedal output> Amp input. In my experience overdrive sounds better going before the preamp, not in the FX loop.
Thinking of selling a pair of my headrush 112 speakers and getting a fender (as the cleans are amazing) to make space , I used to have a fender performer 1000 but sadly sold it and cannot get one now. Would this amp take a head rush pedal board and pedalboard well. I prefere tube amps and do not know too much about these solid state fenders
Chis, last night after I listened to you play (again) and heard a lot of Power Chord strumming, I realized what in my opinion is the perfect guitar for you. I had one and I had to sell it because of my neck injury and its extreme weight. It's much, much better for metal than my 2017 Gibson SG Standard HP (I know you have the 2018 version). I am talking about the B.C. Rich Kerry King V. There are three (3) versions, I am talking about the best version. It has a Canadian Maple through neck (the neck runs through the entire body to give the very best sustain). The fingerboard is Ebony, which is the hardest wood and is frictionless (almost) for speed and easy string bending. The neck is thin between the thumb and fingers but wide on the top where the strings are, making it easy to form chords (POWER CHORDS). It has a Kahler Tremolo with roller bearings that makes dive bombs and neck pull ups sound better than any other tremolo system, and makes them easier to do as well. It has two active pups EMG 85 Neck / 81 Bridge Humbuckers W/ PA2 Preamp (powered by 9V battery). There is a toggle for turning the pup's on (active) and luder, or off-passive and nomal metal sounding. Fantastic pups! USA Kerry King Signature Kahler Tremolo with rollers for the contact with the strings. Neck-through body construction Canadian Maple Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners Black Hardware THEY SELL OR USED TO SELL FOR $7,500 IN JAPAN. I looked on ebay (for myself) last night and found two one for $3,379 New, with case and one for $650 used. These are the best "Heavy Metal" guitars ever made IMHOP! Right now I can't afford either of them so I thought I would be a good sport and tell you about them. I probably should keep silent for my own selfish reasons to obtain another BC Rich KKKV but here is the info anyway. The new one looks like mine did and I would love to purchase it even at $3,379 because I have been looking for years and they are always between $6,500 and $7,500 new from Japan. Even if you get the used one for $650 it will instantly improve your sound and your playing, they are that gooooooood! -Peter
(Revised about 5 times so if you read this please read it again as it has more info.) I want to add that the Kahler Tremolo System uses ball bearings. I am not talking about the brass rollers that make contact with the strings. I am talking about ball bearings inside the transverse "pivoting" shaft that go in a direction from the E to E , so the trem movement is friction free and very smooth. Pulling the Trem arm to its extreme positions up and down is effortless and will never break a string! It's the best tremolo system built onto a guitar I have ever experienced. I want to add that the Kahler Trem System has a screw locking system so you can run it as a hardtail, with the benefit that you have those brass roller bridges so you will never break a string! It also has the fine tuners typical of this style of trem. As well as the string lock at the nut. The B.C. Rick KKKV (best version) is a very well thought out, modern guitar using the best materials available. I tell you Chris from what I have heard of your playing this guitar shall take you to a level that you didn't know existed. Usually I always say the gear is not all that important, it's your fingers. However, after owning that guitar I am speaking honestly it is tailor made for Metal/Heavy Metal. You will experience new levels of guitar playing because of the wide ebony fingerboard that is both easy to play and fast. I have never played any guitar that even comes close! Those EMG active pups have a great tone and a lot of aggressive power, when combined with the Kahler Trem System opens up new horizons to ant guitarist. A great amp live a "hot rodded" Marshall JCM 900 Hi Gain MkII and a Full Stack of Marshall JCM 900 1960A and 1960B cabs will round out the rig. I'm 68 and would not steer you wrong. Seek out professional equipment (amplifiers). The JCM 900 Hi Gain MkII is an older amplifier, you need a tech to hod rod it! I had mine restored to factory spec's and I did not like it after that. My guy works out of Farmingdale L.I., call the Local Guitar Center in Huntington L.I. and ask them for his phone number. The new modern Marshall 900's do not hold a candle to the older JCM 900's. Maybe a new Plexi is a good alternative. Don't skimp on the speaker cab's. I think the Marshall JCM 900 1960 cabs are better than your Orange cabs. A Full stack of 8 Celestion GT-75's will quiver, roar, at loud volumes. The hot rodded JCM 900 MkII will go to "dimed" and the tone is unsurpassed. If you like shivering, quivering, pulsing, extremely loud roar with great tone and sustain then the gear I have described is your pathway to get it. -Peter
I'm still using (rarely anymore though) my original Hall of Fame reverb. Love it, but all my amps have built in reverb, so I usually use them. But this whole new line up of Fender pedals I have heard nothing but awesome comments about. Especially the Santa Ana drive. I was thinking pretty hard on getting one of those. I kind of outgrown my TS9 and the soul food is back in it's box for the next round towards eBay, along with several amps and guitars. But I ended up buying one of The Dane pedals from Anderton's. Should be here today. After I ordered it though, I found out my local shop had some of the Joe Bonamassa Overrated Special pedals left over. Pricey as hell but limited editions. I started doing some digging, and I knew it was a based on the Way Huge Green Rhino mk2 but tweaked. I checked out the Green Rhino mk4 with a head to head against the Overrated and found them to be so much alike, I opted for the mk4 at a serious discount. lol wouldn't you know it, I ran into a mk4 vs The Dane pedal review, and they are almost identical. Oh well. I guess I'll run one into the other and see what blows up first. lol. Nice review on the Champion 100 though. I have considered getting one since they are so incredibly cheap for a loud blackface sound. I prefer having the knobs up front like that, and my Hot Rod deluxe and Cub212R both have the knobs on top. Right where you can't see them. Because of that, I rarely ever use them. PITA trying to make adjustments. And that HRDx is so freaking loud it will peel the paint and get me evicted. So mostly I have a DV Mark Gen Silver 15 head and a Blackstar HT-1R head stacked up next to the couch on my side table. For home use, that's really all I need. The DV is very clean, like super clean Blackface tone, and even with everything dimed it still only gets a little crunchy. But it takes pedals in the front like a rockstar. Hey congrats on the win of the PRS amp. Badass dude!! I just bought my very first PRS's from Moore Music. A Zach Myers limited edition 2018 in stealth grey and a 2019 PRS SE T60E acoustic. Both are great guitars, and I actually like the Zach Myers better than my Les Paul or my Tokai. Definitely more comfortable to play, and better tone. I honestly don't know how Paul Reed Smith is able to pull it off for those prices. So the les Paul and the Tokai are heading for the eBay block too. I need some room to walk around in here. Take care, and great review. Bob in Germany
How would you hook up a boss NS-2? I’m a novice and trying to learn. Or is the tc electronic the way to go? I use the included footswich and occasional Kirk Hammett whah with the champion amp. I have a single coil Mexican fender strat. Just trying to eliminate the hiss. Any help would be appreciated!!
Are your pedals holding up and do you still recommend this set-up for the Champion 100 Chris? The tuner pedal is the only one I have seen any negative feedback on.
I change my gear like socks... So, as far as the longevity or reliability of these products, I really can't say. I am playing through a Boss GT-1000 pedal into a Headrush FR/FR cabinet, these days. Sorry I can't answer your question.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear Well, let me re-state the question then. Before you dissolved this combination was it still functioning/performing to your satisfaction? You seemed quite pleased with it at the time of the video. I'm planning to purchase a Champion 100 for home use and I was just gathering as much info as possible without expensive experimentation. Thanks!
@@rickss69 Oh, heck yeah!! I would gladly purchase all of this again. This was an excellent set-up for me. Especially the Champion 100. I really like that amp. Light weight and sounds great. Priced well under it's worth, IMO.
Hi Chris can you please show me how to use pre out pwr in ?? I still don't know how to do it. I would need a schematic but I didn't find anything anywhere. I have guitar effects just chorus,tube screamer, hall and looper
hello sir.. great vid.. really informative.. i have a question tho.. how can i connect the champion to the PA system? im using my headrush pedalboard and conneted out to the input of the champion..thank you
Sounds a bit obscure in the video, may be because of the camera’s mic tho. I currently own this amp and I’m having a bit of trouble in getting a nice gain tone out of it. I’m currently using a MXR GT-OD and the gain isn’t enough even at full drive. I’m gonna be adding a compressor soon and I will be trying stacking other overdrives/boost into the MXR to see if it gives me the tone I want
I think you'd probably need a distortion pedal for more gain. I have my set up and have an overdrive pedal that sounds fantastic, yet for certain tones, I need more gain for rock and stuff. So, I need at distortion pedal. Just like Chris on here, he uses a distortion pedal. Also, you can dial the gain back and tweak the settings a bit to get a bluesy type sound.
Try to use the 2nd channel. I use it in the “jazz” modeling, try to turn up the mids, it really improves the od/dist sound; it doesn’t give you more gain but the sound is better anyway. Hello from Mexico!
@@albaid511 that's what I did a few weeks ago with the MXR and a new Keeley D&M Drive I got and it gives a much better tone! I'm currently so happy with this amp. Y saludos desde México igual bro!
I have the same amp. But by running pedals into the FX loop it gets very laud and loose the originale tone even if pedals are not active. What do you think I do wrong? Also, do you run also your distortion in the FX loop? Thank you for your attention
Amp vs amp, I'd choose the Katana. It's just so much more robust. Using the Boss software, you can get just about any tone you could ever need out of it. Remarkably versatile.
if you want a classic/traditional clean sound the fender wins in my book... if you want versatility the katana is better, but for me digital amps just don't cut it
I just got the Champion 100 and I love it! However, I have a question for you. I got the TS9 and it makes a lot of noise. I tried my Strat connected directly to the amp and it was fine but when i connect from the pedal to the amp makes a noise and then when i turn the pedal on makes more noise. What do you think I should do, how could I get rid of the noise? Thank you!
Unfortunately, Tube Screamers do make quite a bit of noise. I'd recommend putting a noise gate between the pedal and the amp. Also, if you are using the TS9 on a high gain setting on the amp, reduce the amount of gain a bit. The noise level should change. I've found that, high gain settings sound best when you are boosting into a low to medium gain channel. But, a noise gate is going to help.
I'm looking at the Boss Noise Suppressor, it is not that expensive. I will do some experiment about the gain on the amp and also on the pedal. BTW, I think Fender should pay you a commission or something because thanks to your videos I decided about getting the Champ 100 and I`m really happy with it.
Sorry to ask you stuff again.... But, do you use a compressor? and if you do, how do you use it? I really took a look at the Boss NS-2 and its great, I will get it very soon!
I do sometimes... I like it when playing metal. It levels out the string volumes and adds a bit of a boost to the signal. Kinda makes the chugs... chugier? As far as settings, I couldn't really explain HOW to set it, I just play with the knobs until I hear what it is that I'm looking for. Sorry for the poor explanation, I'm a bit of a compressor novice.
I've been looking a lot of things lately, just to be prepared when i have to get more pedals. What has taking more of my attention is compression and clean boost
Not everyone uses tube amps. Look at a majority of studios in Japan for example. Most of them always have a Roland JC-120 on hand. That amp has been a staple of Japanese music for well over 30 years. From rock to metal and jazz bands and on and on.
Get the hoof fuzz, shit it’s the best fuzz tone I’ve ever had. This amp, the hoof fuzz and my tele - sounds exactly like Gearmandude’s review of the hoof. The RAT sounds fabulous w/ this too, Boss SD-2 for high gain OD’s, Mxr od for low gain sounds. It’s not exactly a setup, but these are some tips on what sounds good with this amp. Modulations and reverb/delays all sound great.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear hi Chris would you rather have the standard 100 or the 100XL? I really cant decide. The XL seems good but it has the new look which I'm not too much of a fan of. I love the standard in clean and some of the cleaner channel 2 sounds but the versatility of the XL is good. What would you recommend? Thank you for your time
@@locky828 I have not yet tried the XL version. Therefore I cannot make an educated recommendation. I do really like the standard though. I will eventually try the XL. When I do, there will be a demo video.
I have this amp and it'll be because although it has a lot of built in effects it won't beat pedals for sure. Especially overdrive/distortion. In my opinion anyway.
@@kkdeveauxgue2592 you have to notice then that unique pedals are (most times) better than a multi-fx unit. And you probably don't know more than me, since I have a champion 40, a Laney LV300, had a zoom g1xon, 3 guitars and some pedals. I mean, no guitar player ever (unless u are using a Kemper or any very programmable amp, and in that case you would also need pedals to make other sounds) would run an AMP with only the effects in itself, you can only use one at a time and you cant even combine two of them!
@@EliseoCaporale In the boss GT 10 you can and it's funny cause you can tweak them to any sound you can and oh.. I'm "KK DeVeauXgue" by the way... look me up on Google about my past Arsenal of guitars,I played the Les Paul Epiphones and an array of Two Boss GT 10s,So like I said again it doesn't really matter what pedals you got I was just letting you know,Why go further than what you have I can understand the concept of changing from sound to sound,But I'm just stating my present state of mind,I have 12 acoustic guitars and I'm about to buy the Fender JazzMaster guitar cause I wanna go clean to just a distortion sound with just Chorus and a touch of reverb that's what I'm about to do,I got 94 songs recorded on my cellphone on acoustic,so I'm about to go into a professional studio and record between my acoustic guitars and JazzMaster,it's gonna be a challenge,but as you can see I've had my own studio,so I pretty much know what I want as as far as sound goes,but Thank You for the advice,Have a great day..KK DeVeauXgue...out..
@@kkdeveauxgue2592 You basically just said that guitar pedals are redundant if you have built in amp effects, went on and on about your gear and then unironically signed your own comment.
Great amp. Easy on the wallet, easy on the back. Love mine.
Would you reccomend this amp as a clean amp for pedals?
@@goingbananas this is literally what this video is about
Was just reading these comments when the guy on the video said “well there you go this amp takes pedals really well” lol
really impressed with this amp. would be nice and light. sounds just as good as the fender solid state tone master twin reverb.
@@J31392 why would you think that?
Best demo about this amp with pedals.
You are a really good guitar player. I like your sounds. I just got a Champion 100 so you've given me some good ideas.
It's an awesome amp. Probably the only solid state amp I would have no problems using in a live situation. Wish I still had mine. I only ever used the blackface/twin settings, but with a reverb in the loop or an actual tank out front, it had such good sound.
Amazing amp!!! Love mine to death! As a metal player, I bought Blackstar HT dual valve preamp distortion pedal and tighten it up with mxr Zakk Wylde Overdrive. In the FX loop I put the noise gate and the EQ ( which I think many players overlook but it is essential to the rig) the results are mind blowing. Keep up the good work! Awesome video and very educational as well! Cheers from UK
Sounds really really good! Thanks for sharing.
I have an older 100 Watt Fender Frontman 212R and a newer Fender Champion 20, both are good amplifiers. They take pedals well. That Frontman can be loud and has real spring reverb, and an effects loop. The newer Champion 20 has many modern modeling features. Both are useful. Your 100 watt 212 Champion is an advanced combination of both!
I still prefer tube amps, there's a slight raggidnes to their tone which I like. But I will never put down/insult S.S. and Digital amps.
Awesome amp Champion 100, powerful, versatile, we have several amps in one. 100 watt
Sounds great! The Champ is great with pedals. A player who takes their time can dial in some sweet tones.
Sounds amazing. That keeley sounds like a swiss knife of tones. Great vid.
This really helps. I have this amp and really like it but I wanted some different tone options in a pedal rather than turning the knob settings. Good video. Thanks!
Excellent playing and thanks for giving a different perspective on this amp. Thinking seriously about trying one out soon. UA-cam drama never ceases, lol. I wish all the critics would put their demo up for everybody to critique......play on bro. You inspired me.
Nice. Ive had the 100 about 8 years. Love the amp and had mixed feelings with pedals through it.
Nice demo
No Overdrives or Distortions worked?
Thanks! I couldn't figure how to utilize the loop of the FC100 until i watched this vid!!
Bro, it took you over 13 minutes to get to the good stuff. But it was worth it. The Dark Matter mixed with the other overdrive sounds amazing. I love tone stacking. And both those pedal mix perfect. You just turned a $500 amp into a $3,000 amp. Awesome work. Sounds great. 👍
Kinda shocked how good it took overdrive. I currently have a mustang amp and it can't take my tube screamer worth a crap. I know what to upgrade to. Thanks for this video!
The Mustang is a digital amp and the algorithms probably crap themselves with the complexity of a distorted signal that they were not designed to handle. (Btw, this has to do with the processing power and programming of your amp, not a problem with "digital" in general).
If you're going to use a digital modelling amp, maybe stick with the onboard effects. If you really want to mess up the signal before it hits your amp (with pedals), keep it simple at the end and use an analog one.
Great playing, awesome versatile tones, excellent video!
Thats impressive what you get out of a solid state amp. I only liked it as a clean platform. The dirty channel to me sounded pretty crappy.
Yeah I agree, it sounds way too boxy and almost impossible to find a crunch tone
@A D 100 watt Boss Katana Combo.Will smoke that Fender Champ 100. IMO.
may i ask which is better
fender champion 100 or peavey chorus 212? thanks from philippines
Does it sound okay dirty using a pedal? I generally use a clean amp with a distortion pedal instead as I play live and need to use clean and dirty sounds. Would this be okay on this particular amp?
@A D Peavey Bandit 380€ ( 80W. .( thats aye srong amp!!! Transtube 112, it is trans,
I quite like how the sentry changes your tone
I love my Champion 100, probably the best value for the money out there. $399 with an included 2- button foot switch. I invested that little bit extra for the amp cover (the Fender logo is embroidered) and is the perfect fit.
Solid state no longer means cheap imported junk and the quality of this amp and everything it does is second to none. Way to go Fender (again)!
Peavey has been making great solid state amps for years.
great demo of this amp bc i also use this amp and have been using it for awhile and i’ve grown to like it. great amp for the right price.
Thank you and hey NICE guitar playing!! I just bought one and have two more tube amps, but I have been trying to figure out the send and return on the amp itself which is the pre-out and pwr-in. Yea the Champions crunch by itself when you play lead is to me just a tad thin so yes pre amp pedals and such just to get better tone for sure! Great demo and thank you!!!
My (admittedly limited) experience is that it depends on the guitar you use. I have an 80’s Squier Strat, a Gretsch Electromatic and a self-built Tele copy with original Fender pickups. I’ve tried everything but I cannot get the Strat to sound nice, the Gretsch needs work but can sound great, the Tele sounds fantastic no matter what I do to the amp (although both pick ups are ridiculously trebly). I have used it with and without pedals and it can sound really good by itself, though for my needs I’ve never used the effects loop. (I play rhythm guitar punk with occasional solos when the main guitarist can’t be bothered, so my requirements are pretty basic!)
What I will say is that it is incredibly loud. I usually play in small to medium pubs without a PA, and despite having a fairly vigorous drummer I’ve never had it above about 3.5. I should also add that the few times I’ve gone through a mic to the PA it has always sounded really good. My bass player keeps complaining that it isn’t a real punk amp - I had considered an Orange but found the Fender second hand at a very good price - but I’m very happy with it.
I've only tried my boss 200 sy synth pedal so far it sounds good i love this amp I'll try my other pedals soon im still learning how to play the guitar
Amp and pedals sounds great
Fantastic tone, congratulations !
I use a Fulltone fat boost 3 and a EP booster at the end the FET. JFET transistors bring it well into tube territory
FINALLY - someone that can demo an amp and ACTUALLY PLAY GUITAR WELL! Thanks, man - great job! Two thumbs-up bay-bee!!
Wow, thanks!
Nice tone and playing , salute bro
Thanks for the tip, this is probably the ill get for my BOSS GT-1000
I want to get one for my GT1, what has your experience been? thanx
Honestly, when people ask if a solid state amp 'works with pedals,' they're almost always referring to Overdrives and Distortions. Modulation, Time-based, Octave, and Wah pedals go hand-in-glove with Solid State amps.
That sounds amazing with the Dark Matter and the Keeley Workstation ! Those overdrive and distortion tones are the among the best I've heard. All the other demos of the Champion 100 I've seen don't even come close, either with or without pedals. Stellar job ! Do you still use this setup ? How is it for live / gig use ? -Cheers !
How much did that pedal build cost? It sounds amazing!! I want I want. I have a new champion 100 amp but don’t like the gain channel and will more than likely need a setup like this as I’m looking to play in a cover band and I just can’t get behind the gain channel alone on the amp. I’m new to pedals. I have been in bands when I was younger writing originals and it was all punk on gain on my amp all the time. The last 15 years I have played on my computer using effects and no amp but Im back in it. I need any advice from anyone on which direction to go.
I'd love to hear from you if you got the amp, and it so how much that affected your guitar playing. I'm in a similar position, and I'd love know if getting an amp would boost my playing
Great video! Sounds pretty good to me over here, great playing as well.
This is what I need the sound !
Hi I'm a bit of a guitar noob, I have the champion 100xl, and just started setting up a pedal board. Can I/should I be running my compressor/fuzz/distortion through the input/pre amp rather than the effects loop on this amp? Also can I use a overdrive well with this amp as it's as not tube?
Yes. Compressors, fuzz, boost, distortion and overdrive pedals should go to the input. Reverbs, delays and volume pedals, should go in the effects loop.
Wow that sounds awesome. Thank you.
Just bought one of these. What a tone you got out of that thing man lol
kind of a late comment but anyway. i think the sentry is affecting the amp tone because you are gating the preamp therefore not getting the full shaping of the tone (i dont know if that's how it works, just guessing). if you just ran the pedals themselves through the sentry send-return then you should be good as the actual amp is not getting affected whatsoever. also loved your playing and how clearly you explained everything👏
Hey Chris, I didnt catch you about looping effects with the amp... If I have one overdrive pedal, with one input and one output, I need to connect my guitar to the pedal, and pedal to the amp's Power In jack? TNX!!
With an overdrive pedal, I'd suggest: Guitar> pedal input.
pedal output> Amp input. In my experience overdrive sounds better going before the preamp, not in the FX loop.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear Thanks man! :)
Impressive tone
I use a champion 40 and it takes pedals amazingly.
Hell yeah bro! Thanks for sharing. Keep shredding!
Nice video man, very helpful. Got the same amp not long ago an thanks to you I learned much about it. Much more versatile than I initialy though
Great tone man
Thinking of selling a pair of my headrush 112 speakers and getting a fender (as the cleans are amazing) to make space , I used to have a fender performer 1000 but sadly sold it and cannot get one now. Would this amp take a head rush pedal board and pedalboard well. I prefere tube amps and do not know too much about these solid state fenders
Well done bravo
Chis, last night after I listened to you play (again) and heard a lot of Power Chord strumming, I realized what in my opinion is the perfect guitar for you. I had one and I had to sell it because of my neck injury and its extreme weight. It's much, much better for metal than my 2017 Gibson SG Standard HP (I know you have the 2018 version).
I am talking about the B.C. Rich Kerry King V. There are three (3) versions, I am talking about the best version. It has a Canadian Maple through neck (the neck runs through the entire body to give the very best sustain). The fingerboard is Ebony, which is the hardest wood and is frictionless (almost) for speed and easy string bending. The neck is thin between the thumb and fingers but wide on the top where the strings are, making it easy to form chords (POWER CHORDS). It has a Kahler Tremolo with roller bearings that makes dive bombs and neck pull ups sound better than any other tremolo system, and makes them easier to do as well. It has two active pups EMG 85 Neck / 81 Bridge Humbuckers W/ PA2 Preamp (powered by 9V battery). There is a toggle for turning the pup's on (active) and luder, or off-passive and nomal metal sounding. Fantastic pups!
USA Kerry King Signature Kahler Tremolo with rollers for the contact with the strings.
Neck-through body construction Canadian Maple
Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners
Black Hardware
THEY SELL OR USED TO SELL FOR $7,500 IN JAPAN.
I looked on ebay (for myself) last night and found two one for $3,379 New, with case and one for $650 used.
These are the best "Heavy Metal" guitars ever made IMHOP!
Right now I can't afford either of them so I thought I would be a good sport and tell you about them. I probably should keep silent for my own selfish reasons to obtain another BC Rich KKKV but here is the info anyway. The new one looks like mine did and I would love to purchase it even at $3,379 because I have been looking for years and they are always between $6,500 and $7,500 new from Japan. Even if you get the used one for $650 it will instantly improve your sound and your playing, they are that gooooooood!
-Peter
(Revised about 5 times so if you read this please read it again as it has more info.)
I want to add that the Kahler Tremolo System uses ball bearings. I am not talking about the brass rollers that make contact with the strings. I am talking about ball bearings inside the transverse "pivoting" shaft that go in a direction from the E to E , so the trem movement is friction free and very smooth. Pulling the Trem arm to its extreme positions up and down is effortless and will never break a string! It's the best tremolo system built onto a guitar I have ever experienced.
I want to add that the Kahler Trem System has a screw locking system so you can run it as a hardtail, with the benefit that you have those brass roller bridges so you will never break a string! It also has the fine tuners typical of this style of trem. As well as the string lock at the nut.
The B.C. Rick KKKV (best version) is a very well thought out, modern guitar using the best materials available. I tell you Chris from what I have heard of your playing this guitar shall take you to a level that you didn't know existed. Usually I always say the gear is not all that important, it's your fingers. However, after owning that guitar I am speaking honestly it is tailor made for Metal/Heavy Metal. You will experience new levels of guitar playing because of the wide ebony fingerboard that is both easy to play and fast. I have never played any guitar that even comes close! Those EMG active pups have a great tone and a lot of aggressive power, when combined with the Kahler Trem System opens up new horizons to ant guitarist.
A great amp live a "hot rodded" Marshall JCM 900 Hi Gain MkII and a Full Stack of Marshall JCM 900 1960A and 1960B cabs will round out the rig.
I'm 68 and would not steer you wrong. Seek out professional equipment (amplifiers). The JCM 900 Hi Gain MkII is an older amplifier, you need a tech to hod rod it! I had mine restored to factory spec's and I did not like it after that. My guy works out of Farmingdale L.I., call the Local Guitar Center in Huntington L.I. and ask them for his phone number. The new modern Marshall 900's do not hold a candle to the older JCM 900's. Maybe a new Plexi is a good alternative. Don't skimp on the speaker cab's. I think the Marshall JCM 900 1960 cabs are better than your Orange cabs. A Full stack of 8 Celestion GT-75's will quiver, roar, at loud volumes. The hot rodded JCM 900 MkII will go to "dimed" and the tone is unsurpassed. If you like shivering, quivering, pulsing, extremely loud roar with great tone and sustain then the gear I have described is your pathway to get it.
-Peter
Can you tell me how to use the pedals in the effects loop?
You need the foot switch
Awesome sound! I have owned this amp, but I sold it, and now I regret... :)
I just plugged an overdrive pedal into this amp and when I turned pedal on it admitted a high pitch whiny sound, what am I doing wrong?
nice pedals
Is this amp able to be connected to sound board or only by using mic for stage? Are the pre out/ power in jacks the effects loop? Thanks
I'm still using (rarely anymore though) my original Hall of Fame reverb. Love it, but all my amps have built in reverb, so I usually use them. But this whole new line up of Fender pedals I have heard nothing but awesome comments about. Especially the Santa Ana drive. I was thinking pretty hard on getting one of those. I kind of outgrown my TS9 and the soul food is back in it's box for the next round towards eBay, along with several amps and guitars. But I ended up buying one of The Dane pedals from Anderton's. Should be here today. After I ordered it though, I found out my local shop had some of the Joe Bonamassa Overrated Special pedals left over. Pricey as hell but limited editions. I started doing some digging, and I knew it was a based on the Way Huge Green Rhino mk2 but tweaked. I checked out the Green Rhino mk4 with a head to head against the Overrated and found them to be so much alike, I opted for the mk4 at a serious discount. lol wouldn't you know it, I ran into a mk4 vs The Dane pedal review, and they are almost identical. Oh well. I guess I'll run one into the other and see what blows up first. lol. Nice review on the Champion 100 though. I have considered getting one since they are so incredibly cheap for a loud blackface sound. I prefer having the knobs up front like that, and my Hot Rod deluxe and Cub212R both have the knobs on top. Right where you can't see them. Because of that, I rarely ever use them. PITA trying to make adjustments. And that HRDx is so freaking loud it will peel the paint and get me evicted. So mostly I have a DV Mark Gen Silver 15 head and a Blackstar HT-1R head stacked up next to the couch on my side table. For home use, that's really all I need. The DV is very clean, like super clean Blackface tone, and even with everything dimed it still only gets a little crunchy. But it takes pedals in the front like a rockstar. Hey congrats on the win of the PRS amp. Badass dude!! I just bought my very first PRS's from Moore Music. A Zach Myers limited edition 2018 in stealth grey and a 2019 PRS SE T60E acoustic. Both are great guitars, and I actually like the Zach Myers better than my Les Paul or my Tokai. Definitely more comfortable to play, and better tone. I honestly don't know how Paul Reed Smith is able to pull it off for those prices. So the les Paul and the Tokai are heading for the eBay block too. I need some room to walk around in here. Take care, and great review. Bob in Germany
How would you hook up a boss NS-2? I’m a novice and trying to learn. Or is the tc electronic the way to go? I use the included footswich and occasional Kirk Hammett whah with the champion amp. I have a single coil Mexican fender strat. Just trying to eliminate the hiss. Any help would be appreciated!!
Looking for a decent combo solid state amp as a back rig that takes my pedal board so basically a nice clean channel ….this loud enough to gig with?
Are your pedals holding up and do you still recommend this set-up for the Champion 100 Chris? The tuner pedal is the only one I have seen any negative feedback on.
I change my gear like socks... So, as far as the longevity or reliability of these products, I really can't say. I am playing through a Boss GT-1000 pedal into a Headrush FR/FR cabinet, these days. Sorry I can't answer your question.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear Well, let me re-state the question then. Before you dissolved this combination was it still functioning/performing to your satisfaction? You seemed quite pleased with it at the time of the video. I'm planning to purchase a Champion 100 for home use and I was just gathering as much info as possible without expensive experimentation. Thanks!
@@rickss69 Oh, heck yeah!! I would gladly purchase all of this again. This was an excellent set-up for me. Especially the Champion 100. I really like that amp. Light weight and sounds great. Priced well under it's worth, IMO.
When you use the effects loop, in which place of the chain are the effects of the amp?
Good video, hello from Mexico!
Antes del effects loop, los efectos del ampli estan en el preamp entonces todo lo que hagas en el loop es despues de los efectos del ampli
@@morioh6505 gracias :)
Thanks, great video.
Turn effects off on the Amp use clean channel and your set to use what you want
Hi Chris can you please show me how to use pre out pwr in ?? I still don't know how to do it. I would need a schematic but I didn't find anything anywhere. I have guitar effects just chorus,tube screamer, hall and looper
Pre out is the send. PWR in is the return. Standard effects loop. This is a great resource: www.sweetwater.com/insync/use-amps-effects-loop/
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear Thank you Chris, you're the first dude to explain this to me normally
hello sir.. great vid.. really informative..
i have a question tho.. how can i connect the champion to the PA system? im using my headrush pedalboard and conneted out to the input of the champion..thank you
I'd send the headrush to the board. There isn't a "proper" way to send to a PA with the Champion.
Sounds a bit obscure in the video, may be because of the camera’s mic tho. I currently own this amp and I’m having a bit of trouble in getting a nice gain tone out of it. I’m currently using a MXR GT-OD and the gain isn’t enough even at full drive. I’m gonna be adding a compressor soon and I will be trying stacking other overdrives/boost into the MXR to see if it gives me the tone I want
I think you'd probably need a distortion pedal for more gain. I have my set up and have an overdrive pedal that sounds fantastic, yet for certain tones, I need more gain for rock and stuff. So, I need at distortion pedal. Just like Chris on here, he uses a distortion pedal. Also, you can dial the gain back and tweak the settings a bit to get a bluesy type sound.
Try to use the 2nd channel. I use it in the “jazz” modeling, try to turn up the mids, it really improves the od/dist sound; it doesn’t give you more gain but the sound is better anyway. Hello from Mexico!
@@albaid511 that's what I did a few weeks ago with the MXR and a new Keeley D&M Drive I got and it gives a much better tone! I'm currently so happy with this amp. Y saludos desde México igual bro!
Might have sold me on that tone workstation pedal lol
I got mine last mond ago then i dont know how to use the effext loop
I love fender but i crave for peavey bandit
Does anyone know which chanell he is using on the amp and the settings?
I have the same amp. But by running pedals into the FX loop it gets very laud and loose the originale tone even if pedals are not active. What do you think I do wrong? Also, do you run also your distortion in the FX loop? Thank you for your attention
Just run everything through the clean channel. Don't bother with the FX loop.
Would I run my distortion pedal as a preamp through the effects loop?
Hey Chris, for tone which amp do you like better? Katana or this Fender?? Thank you brother and Rock On!!
Amp vs amp, I'd choose the Katana. It's just so much more robust. Using the Boss software, you can get just about any tone you could ever need out of it. Remarkably versatile.
Chris Tompkins Thank you Chris!!
if you want a classic/traditional clean sound the fender wins in my book... if you want versatility the katana is better, but for me digital amps just don't cut it
I was looking at getting the Champion 100 but most of my pedals are high gain. Will the champion take really high gain pedals and still sound good?
joey leagjeld in my opinion the champion might not be the best option if you’re wanting to play high gain. this amps a bit more ‘jangly’
Is the Champion 100 digital???
Also, Id love to have a Silverface control panel for that
It is all solid state, yes.
This is clever. Thanks. ;)
I just got the Champion 100 and I love it! However, I have a question for you. I got the TS9 and it makes a lot of noise. I tried my Strat connected directly to the amp and it was fine but when i connect from the pedal to the amp makes a noise and then when i turn the pedal on makes more noise. What do you think I should do, how could I get rid of the noise? Thank you!
Unfortunately, Tube Screamers do make quite a bit of noise. I'd recommend putting a noise gate between the pedal and the amp. Also, if you are using the TS9 on a high gain setting on the amp, reduce the amount of gain a bit. The noise level should change. I've found that, high gain settings sound best when you are boosting into a low to medium gain channel. But, a noise gate is going to help.
I'm looking at the Boss Noise Suppressor, it is not that expensive. I will do some experiment about the gain on the amp and also on the pedal. BTW, I think Fender should pay you a commission or something because thanks to your videos I decided about getting the Champ 100 and I`m really happy with it.
@@etidancal I wish! LOL!! But, that amp really is one of the good one's. And maybe the very best at that price. IMO... Best of luck my friend. :)
Thank you, if you like follow me on instagram @etiennedanielca I will be putting there videos of my strat with the amp.
That's honestly I pulled the trigger on buying this amp after your reviews🤣🤣
Your use overdrives and distortion into power amp?
Nice demo. However, they the over complicated way the Sentry is wired makes it useless...
Sorry to ask you stuff again.... But, do you use a compressor? and if you do, how do you use it? I really took a look at the Boss NS-2 and its great, I will get it very soon!
I do sometimes... I like it when playing metal. It levels out the string volumes and adds a bit of a boost to the signal. Kinda makes the chugs... chugier? As far as settings, I couldn't really explain HOW to set it, I just play with the knobs until I hear what it is that I'm looking for. Sorry for the poor explanation, I'm a bit of a compressor novice.
I've been looking a lot of things lately, just to be prepared when i have to get more pedals. What has taking more of my attention is compression and clean boost
What channel is your amp on , 1 or 2?
What tuner brand is that
Is this amp light in weight? Im wondering cause im thinking of buying it as a first amp
It has some weight to it but nothing unbearable
Hey Chris would you take that amp instead of the fender mustang GT 100?
I have several amps including this in a katana and I like this better
that amp looks really small on vid but irl is bigger
Great playing brother but a good reminder that nothing beats a proper tube amp. 5x more pricey but.... for good reason.
Not everyone uses tube amps. Look at a majority of studios in Japan for example. Most of them always have a Roland JC-120 on hand. That amp has been a staple of Japanese music for well over 30 years. From rock to metal and jazz bands and on and on.
Does anyone else have any pedal recommendations for this amp? I'm looking to get a setup
What genres do you play often
Get the hoof fuzz, shit it’s the best fuzz tone I’ve ever had. This amp, the hoof fuzz and my tele - sounds exactly like Gearmandude’s review of the hoof. The RAT sounds fabulous w/ this too, Boss SD-2 for high gain OD’s, Mxr od for low gain sounds. It’s not exactly a setup, but these are some tips on what sounds good with this amp. Modulations and reverb/delays all sound great.
@@junebug6379 post punk,what do you recommend?
Don't lol could I use this running say like guitar rig 6 through this, some guy Danny danzi runs his axe fx any demos out there pedals sound gr8
do you need that sentry pedal to use one pedal with the fender amp.
Marshall Hackhammer dude
Amp sounds noisy looking for a solid state great clean for pedals
This one is a good choice.
So my dog magically antiqued my Champion 100. I cannot take responsibility for the wear, it was all Stella's teeth 😢
Christopher, this or the Fender 50 XL? I cannot decide bro.
I've never plugged into the 50 xl, so I honestly can help. But the 100 is an awful lot of amp for the money!
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear hi Chris would you rather have the standard 100 or the 100XL? I really cant decide. The XL seems good but it has the new look which I'm not too much of a fan of. I love the standard in clean and some of the cleaner channel 2 sounds but the versatility of the XL is good. What would you recommend? Thank you for your time
@@locky828 I have not yet tried the XL version. Therefore I cannot make an educated recommendation. I do really like the standard though. I will eventually try the XL. When I do, there will be a demo video.
How do you connect yours pedals in the ample
@4:04
Dumb question: Why have all that Crap if the Amp already has it all?
I have this amp and it'll be because although it has a lot of built in effects it won't beat pedals for sure. Especially overdrive/distortion. In my opinion anyway.
Larry Shurtleff That’s a good question, hope we get some more good answers like Gfw’s. As a newbie I was wondering the same thing.
ooo" that sounds nice
So which channel(s) does the effects loop go through ?
Both channels.
This thing loud enough to do small gigs with?
It's quite loud. More than enough for small gigs.
@@ChrisTompkins-Music-And-Gear ohhh ok tysm
Chris Tompkins wich are u guitar Microphone that u have Dimarzio? Serial number please thks .
@@georgesilveira4936 There is a Dimarzio "Dominion" in the bridge position (DP245). The single coils are Ibanez.
when I play on a clean sound, the volume control doesn't work for me and I have a new amplifier, the effect is nux distortion deluxe
It sounds great :v☇
Way too much hiss and noise when not playing with those pedals on. Sound decent when playing chords but at idle sounds like it's going to blow up.
rather than a center buy aye HUMdebugger
I disagree with the use of a outside source if I already have the effects built in
Then you probably don't know anything about guitar pedals and their use in comparison to built-in effects in a the Champion 100
@@EliseoCaporale I do more than you I had the boss GT 10 and it had over 200 FX so I not only know about them but also how to program them
@@kkdeveauxgue2592 you have to notice then that unique pedals are (most times) better than a multi-fx unit. And you probably don't know more than me, since I have a champion 40, a Laney LV300, had a zoom g1xon, 3 guitars and some pedals. I mean, no guitar player ever (unless u are using a Kemper or any very programmable amp, and in that case you would also need pedals to make other sounds) would run an AMP with only the effects in itself, you can only use one at a time and you cant even combine two of them!
@@EliseoCaporale In the boss GT 10 you can and it's funny cause you can tweak them to any sound you can and oh.. I'm "KK DeVeauXgue" by the way... look me up on Google about my past Arsenal of guitars,I played the Les Paul Epiphones and an array of Two Boss GT 10s,So like I said again it doesn't really matter what pedals you got I was just letting you know,Why go further than what you have I can understand the concept of changing from sound to sound,But I'm just stating my present state of mind,I have 12 acoustic guitars and I'm about to buy the Fender JazzMaster guitar cause I wanna go clean to just a distortion sound with just Chorus and a touch of reverb that's what I'm about to do,I got 94 songs recorded on my cellphone on acoustic,so I'm about to go into a professional studio and record between my acoustic guitars and JazzMaster,it's gonna be a challenge,but as you can see I've had my own studio,so I pretty much know what I want as as far as sound goes,but Thank You for the advice,Have a great day..KK DeVeauXgue...out..
@@kkdeveauxgue2592 You basically just said that guitar pedals are redundant if you have built in amp effects, went on and on about your gear and then unironically signed your own comment.
You should talk some more
the detail is mind-numbing. He missed detailing the flow of the electrons between everything! God Almighty!