I loathe modern guitar sounds, which have become a source of frustration for me. Their artificial modulated distortion, digital delay, and fake simulations of classic guitar tones lack the soul and authenticity that I crave in music.
You can hear it all over the web with the social media guitarists who clone each other like mutated lab rats with a repetitive repertoire that revolves around the guitar solos of Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing” and Guns & Roses’ “November Rain” and Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb.”
I used to like Mark Knopfler’s fingerstyle prowess and the tune, but now it’s like mental torment.
A couple of weeks ago, a studio owner invited me to look at his new guitar rig. It had a lovely array of blinking LED lights, with metallic racks upon racks and neatly tied cables; the AC was whispering its coolness. Everything was meticulously isolated. When I plugged the guitar, it sounded so thin and miserable, with layers upon layers of artificial additives, that the guitar’s original tone died somewhere between the first cable and the second. It was sterile and sounded thin, weak, and frail. I mumbled something and nodded because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
When I came out, I thought about the dissonance. It seemed almost surreal that there could be such a gap between the ability to understand and have the technical knowledge of how to record, mix, and master recorded music and the basic understanding of how a great guitar should sound.
I’ve also noticed how people react when they listen to one of my guitars live plugged straight into a classic tube amp. It sounds magical. It was as though all the planets aligned, and the guitar-tone magician flicked the fingers and altered the mundane reality of the digital domain.
Â
Â
A Pine Speedster Custom Guitar with the Mighty '78 Fender Vibro Champ
So what makes the tone of a guitar plugged straight into a tube amp magical? First of all, it’s a 3D experience. A digital plugin mimics the tone and the overall frequency changes, but it cannot replace the space, the reflection, the acoustic qualities of the room, and the projections.
It usually mimics the way a mic captures the tone and not a human ear.
The second thing is the way the amp reacts with your guitar.
A great guitar tube amp has a sweet spot when it’s relatively loud.
When it starts to break up with luscious and beautiful harmonic overdrive.
At this point, it should be quite loud, though not ear-deafening. Since I don’t wax-pot my pickups, the coils are slightly microphonic and react with the amp.
Another point that should be made is that moving the flow of electrons from the pickup coils through endless cables and devices destroys the flow, and eventually, you end up with a weak signal that needs to be manipulated heavily to sound decent.
One of my favorite simple guitar and amp combos is to plug one of my guitars to my 78’s silverface Fender Champ with it’s 5 watts of glory.
The Fender Champ is one of the most iconic tube amplifiers in the history of electric guitar amplification, known for its simple design, affordability, and distinctive tone. Here’s a summary of its history:
1948 – Birth of the Champ
The Fender Champ was introduced in 1948 as part of the Fender Champion series. The original version was called the “Champion 800” and featured an 8-inch speaker with a small tube amplifier. It was designed primarily as a student amplifier, offering a low-cost entry point for beginners.
1953 – Tweed Era
In 1953, Fender introduced the “Tweed Champ,” which became one of the most famous versions. The Tweed Champ was characterized by its tweed-covered cabinet, single-volume control, and Class-A circuit design. This version used a 6V6 power tube and a 5Y3 rectifier tube, producing around 5 watts of power. The simplicity of the circuit and its pure, overdriven tone made it a favorite for studio recording.
1964 – Blackface Era
The Blackface Champ was introduced in 1964, marking a transition to a new look and slightly altered sound. The black tolex covering replaced the tweed, and the circuitry was updated slightly, although the overall design remained similar. This version maintained the same 5-watt output and was known for its clean tones at lower volumes and natural overdrive when pushed.
1967 – Silverface Era
In 1967, Fender introduced the Silverface Champ, which featured a new cosmetic look with a silver control panel and aluminum trim. The circuitry during the Silverface era remained largely the same as the Blackface version but with some minor changes over the years. These amps are often regarded as having a slightly cleaner tone compared to their Tweed and Blackface predecessors.
The Champ became the secret weapon in many recording studios and classic guitar tracks due to it’s it’s simplicity and overdriven tones without the need to tear down the studio walls with high gain output and earth-shattering volume.
At the moment, an original tweed from the ’50s might reach a price tag of $4000, but I love my 78′ Fender Vibro Champ, and I think that every guitarist and studio needs one,
Sometimes I use it with a tube reveb tank . I might add a Tone Bender Fuzz and it sounds fantastic.
Here are some demos of the Speedster Guitars with my Fender Champ:
Â
