Fender Champion 100 Review (2023)

Build Quality:
Hardware:
Electronics:
Sound:
Value:
Average:

Check on Amazon

Pros:

• Great sounding voicings
• Clean and dirty channels
• Easy to use
• Legendary tones at affordable price

Cons:

• Some amp models sound a bit artificial
• Available amount of gain might not be enough for everyone

Fender has been renowned for creating some of the most legendary tones. Their Blackface and Twin Reverb amps made history by delivering unique sounds that nobody had heard before. To this day, these sounds are considered highly desirable and are implemented in many digital amplifiers. Fender, themselves, decided to make those classics more accessible to the public and came up with more affordable variations. And Champion 100 is definitely one of the best guitar amps under 500.

Features

Fender Champion 100 is a solid-state amplifier that has two 12” Fender Special Design speakers and can generate 100 watts of power (as indicated by the name). Its design is reminiscent of other models from the Champion line and replicates its sleekness and classic looks. This bad boy has two channels (clean and dirty) with dedicated tones that contribute to creating the most elaborate tone. Drive channel has additional Voicings, such as Tweed, British, and Blackface. Various effects can be added to both of these channels for extended versatility.

Fender Champion 100 has an extra gem hidden in its shell: it is equipped with an effects loop, that allows you to integrate your pedals into your signal chain. This amp is compatible with a footswitch that lets you control the settings on the fly. And finally, it has a single input for your instrument, 1/8” auxiliary input for MP3 players and other audio sources, and, of course, 1/8” headphone output for silent practicing.

Controls

The recurrent case with modeling amplifiers is that they are sometimes overcomplicated with knobs that are impossible to grasp. Fortunately, this is not the case with Fender Champion 100. The control panel is sleek and fancy with everything laid out perfectly. This part of the amp is kind of split in two with a channel switch “barrier”: on the left, we have Clean channel knobs, while on the right those of the Drive channel.

The first one is represented with five knobs: Volume 1 sets the level of the said channel, Treble, and Bass modify the higher and lower end frequencies and balance out your tone, FX Level adjusts the volume of the effects, while FX Select allows you to switch between diverse effects, including Reverb, Delay/Echo, Chorus, Tremolo, and Vibratone. The second one has 8 knobs: Gain intensifies the distortion and adds girth to it; when it comes to the rest of the controls, you already know what Volume 2, Treble, Mid, Bass, FX Level, and FX Select do. Both channels have dedicated Tap toggles for setting the rhythm of the effects.

As you can see, everything here is clear-cut and straight to the point. Each knob does exactly what it says it will and gives you ethereal accuracy. The controls are very responsive and relatively sensitive, which means you will easily rule the roost.

Fender Champion 100 Sound

Fender Champion 100 is loud enough for small or mediocre venues. Even though it will not blow up a large audience, it will definitely satisfy the needs of smaller gigs. The clean channel sounds dimensional and organic, with the right amount of warmth and clarity. It is reminiscent of Fender Twin Reverb but offers way more than that. The drive channel, on the other hand, can go from subtle to heavy distortion depending on your needs.

It has the option of changing the amp voicing, which means you can pick out British (for those classics), Metal (for modern metal and heavy distortion craze), Tweed (for just a little bit of crunch) or Blackface (for vintage blues) voicings and layer them on top of your distortion. This way your sound will have texture and definition, as well as distinctive character. The effects loop lets you integrate your pedals into the signal chain and create something unworldly.

On the whole, Fender Champion 100 offers versatile sounds while maintaining its natural character. You know Fender when you hear one and that pattern is maintained in this model as well. This amp gives you the option to enjoy the luxury of those legendary tones without breaking the bank. Quite an amazing deal, don’t you think?

Conclusion

Fender Champion 100 is the combination of all your deepest desires. It has everything one could ask for: wide range of sonic possibilities, versatile options to mess with and the power needed to rock a small gig. This amp can also be utilized as a practice amp with the help of headphones, which makes it extremely versatile. If you decide to invest in Champion 100, I am sure, you will not be disappointed. Good luck!

Check Availability