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Sixteen voices covers a wide range of tonal ground

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The inclusion of modulation effects within Fender amp circuits has a long history. The tremolo-equipped Tremolux, introduced in 1955, and the 1956 Vibrolux boasting a sumptuous vibrato, are just two examples from the illustrious annals, while that classic spring reverb is a significant part of most people's definition of the 'Fender sound'.

The new Super Champ XD, introduced into the Vintage Modified series, mixes an all-valve configuration with a number of specific preamp voicings and on-board DSP effects.

"Small, inexpensive, bang-for-the-buck valve amps are very popular these days," says Fender's Shane Nicholas. "To answer the many requests for Fender amps of this type, we looked to some historical models and we thought it would offer more value for money and 'fun factor' if the next two models had a full DSP complement rather than just spring reverb and/or tremolo. So we added digital effects and modelling to the basic power amp platforms of the vintage models: our engineers made it work!"

Featuring the Blackface livery admired the world over, and offering a low output and straightforward operation, the Super Champ XD and its sibling the Vibro Champ XD are likely to have a wide appeal.

"For the experienced player who wants a low-volume valve amp for home practice, recording, jamming, or just another fun toy to mess around with, the XD models are a very affordable choice," continues Shane.

"These amps also appeal to less-experienced players who are interested in valve amps, but aren't ready to make the leap to, say, a Hot Rod Deluxe or Deluxe Reverb amp. Also, the variety of distortion voicings and effects will let them play any style of music they want."

The Super Champ XD offers a 16-way rotary encoder that selects a number of preset preamp voicings that drastically alter the basic tone which can, of course, be tailored further by experimenting with the amp's output stage.

The majority of the voicings are based - rather than authentically modelled - on classic Fender amps. The Tweed and Blackface sections each offer three choices based on differing drive settings and you can alter the amp's gain pot to suit.

There are two full-blooded metal tones, a soupy jazz option and even a pseudo acoustic tone based on an Acoustasonic. Add three British settings that tip their hat to either Vox or Marshall, and you theoretically have pretty much any tone you could realistically need.

The two-way EQ is extremely efficient too, which is important, as we'll discover, The Super Champ, rated at 15 watts and utilising a 10-inch Fender Special Design speaker, boasts a pair of 6V6 power valves alongside a single 12AX7.