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Post subject: superchamp xd - considering upgrade to drri or prri
Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 4:40 pm
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Hi. I have a superchamp xd which I like because of its portability and different voice effects. I notice however, that I tend to use the Fender blackface voices the most (voices 4,5 and 6 I believe). As a result I am thinking of trading the superchamp xd in for a prri or drri. The reason is mainly that I would be going after a more genuine blackface type tone, with slight overdrive. I use the amp mainly for practice band sessions and small gigs where I don't want to carry my bigger (and much heavier) amp (Mesa Boogie Mark V). I don't need to play at loud volumes or have high gain type tones in this amp (I have the Boogie for that), but I would like to be able to get good overdriven tones at reasonable volume levels. With the superchamp, I use volume levels around 5 - anything higher seems to not balance well with the band I play with (an acoustic guitar, electric bass, drums and vocals). Will I be happier with the prri over the drri b/c it would be overdriven at lower volume settings? Is the prri that much more portable than the drri? Would either the drri or prri need to be driven at fairly loud volume levels to get that nice overdriven sound? Should I just keep the superchamp since I can get that modeled overdriven blackface sound at low volume levels? Thanks for any advice.


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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 2:46 pm
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I'm gonna catch a lot of flack for this, just because the DRRI is such a great amp and has so many loyal fans, but I'd shy away from it for your specified purpose. It does have to be driven to a decent volume to get that beautiful drive it's known for, and that could be an issue if volume is a concern for you. I tend to use my SCXD as my bedroom amp, or for low-volume grab-and-go applications. That's actually why I bought it, and it suits my purposes well, being a small amp that I can't get a few different sounds from without pedals. And I definitely know what you mean about the BF voices.
That being said, if you really want one of the Blackface reissues, (and who doesn't?, lol) I believe you'd be happy with either one. I've used a DRRI with a booster pedal to overdrive it at a slightly lower volume, and it sounded great. I'm sure the PRRI will behave in much the same way. A nice transparent OD could also work, but if you go that route you may have to do some research to find one that doesn't colour the sound too much. After all, if the basic character of the amp is what you want to hear, the wrong pedal can kill it.
Just my two cents.

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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:29 pm
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The DRRI is built better and sounds way better than a SCXD. It will also gig better too. Plus the difference in wattage is minimal. I used my friends last night at rehearsal just to see what the fuss is about and many of the models sounded really boxy and the effects were IMO rather cheesy and thin to me. Also different settings were way louder than others. I'm not sure if something is wrong with it or not. I think if it had maybe a deeper cabinet it would be the mutts nuts. If you can afford it, I'd get the DRRI.


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Post subject: RE: SXCD
Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:59 pm
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Here's some more ideas for you on the SXCD and more opinions (2500+) on the ins and outs, including other's comparisons with the PRRI and DRRI.
http://www.fenderforum.com/forum.html?d ... 0907:20:03

Enjoy,
Bill


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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 9:53 pm
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Yeah nat, just to chime in, I've always preferred the Princeton to the Deluxe. They seem to be a little more layed back, whether using a 10" or 12" speaker. Art

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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 7:07 am
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The problem I've always found with the Princeton is it can get buried under a drummer pretty easily. You can always drive a bigger speaker cabinet or mic it. The SF I had years ago even when you mic'd it, if you didn't have a good monitor system is that you'll struggle to hear it. It's also one of the most overpriced RI in the Fender lineup. For a little more you get the DRRI that has a bigger speaker and another channel which can come in handy if a musician friend comes over and you feel like jamming with him/her.

The other thing I've found is the Blackface voices on the SCXD to my ears anyway, sound nothing like the real deal. It sounds too digitized and sterile to me. You need to try these amps out and decide. That's the best way to do it. There's not a whole lot of difference in wattage, but the DRRI with it's larger cabinet and soeaker would be my choice just because of it's versatility. IMHO the Princeton is at least $300 overpriced for what it is. Even used it's overprived.


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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 7:40 am
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You've got one heck of an amp from what I read in that Mark V. But I can't find the weight. It's a 1x12, like the DRRI, but has a lot more going on.

DRRI's 44# (I play through 2 in parallel...pretty killer). What's the Mesa weigh?

Maybe a PRRI is what you want, but I much prefer the 12".

Perhaps a good option for you would be a Blues Jr NOS. Nice, pretty clean 15w into a 12". This is the amp I have sitting next to me that I drag to work. Difference over the stock Blues Jr is the covering (laquered tweed, love the look), and the speaker. Uses the Jensen C12N instead of the Specially Designed by Fender (Eminence), the 50w version of the ceramic Jensen that's in the DRRI (C12K, 100w), .

Weighs 31#, has decent reverb and a Master volume, so you can dial in some grit at lower volumes.

Excellent little amp, and the smallest I've found I enjoy. (I also have a Pro Jr that sits next to the 'puter at home but will likely go up for sale)

Cheaper than a PRRI or DRRI, too.

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=483711


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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:06 am
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The Mark V weighs 78 lbs. Feels heavier lol. It's a great amp though and I love it. Just don't love moving it.

Thank you for all of your very informative replies. I took all of your advice into consideration and tried out the amps as well. I decided to trade in the SCXD and got the DRRI. I really like that amp, and it frankly seems to have a much different tone than the Boogie which is nice. I imagine I should be able to dial in the Mark V to get a similar tone as the DRRI but I haven't figured out how to do it yet lol. It also feels a lot lighter in weight and I am very comfortable lugging that amp around to practices and jams etc. I thought about the PRRI, but the 10 inch speaker worried me a little and a lot of people have commented that the DRRI would be better to gig with. In the end, the only reason I would have gotten the PRRI was it's better portability, and I didn't think that was a good enough reason. The DRRI was still within a weight that was easy to carry. It also seemed like a much better value for the money compared to the PRRI.

I also got the Fulltone OCD pedal to go with the DRRI so that I could get some nice overdriven/breakup tones on the DRRI at low volumes. I've been very happy with that. So far I've been very happy with my decision. Thanks for all who replied to my question - it was very helpful.


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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:06 am
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natdad, good luck with the DRRI. I think you made a wise choice. The OCD is also a great choice for your amp too. :D


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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:16 am
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The DRRI is the way to go. It has that great tone and is loud enough to easily be heard in most venues. The PRRI is a great amp but overpriced compared to the DRRI. I'm going to defend the SCXD however as well. The reason it is so successful is that it offers a lot of value for $300 or less. I would never try to convince anyone that it was in the same league as a DRRI or PRRI, it isn't. But to be fair remember that those amps are at least three times as expensive. It's like saying a Chevy Cobalt isn't as nice as a Corvette. We are comparing apples to oranges. I like the SCXD for what it is, a nice inexpensive amp that a decent guitar player can get a very nice sound. When Fender starts selling the PRRI or DRRI for $300 then it will be a fair comparison. Otherwise why knock it?


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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 4:55 pm
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Awesome choice Nat. That's a killer amp, and the OCD is a nifty pedal. I like the way it sounds all of my amps. When I got it, I test drove it through a DRRI, and at the higher drive levels it brought to mind a Mesa Heartbreaker. The DRRI is known for being very friendly to pedals in general, so you shouldn't get bored with it :D Not to mention its basic tone is legendary.

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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 4:57 pm
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Great choice!

I'll never get rid of my DRRI.


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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 5:45 pm
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My DRRI is here to stay too. Put a good OD pedal in front of it and you got some killer tone. Most of the time I just play clean though. It just sounds so good!

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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:37 pm
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As I'm mostly a "home" player, my DRRI is primarily a clean machine as well. I usually don't push it much past 3, but the few times I've used it with a bassist/drummer I ended up bypassing my pedalboard and going straight into the amp. That slight-breakup tone is THE tone...


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