The 2017 Ampeg PF-20T Rig (with PF-115HE Cabinet)

I picked this up in Jacksonville, Florida while visiting with my father, who was down from North Carolina.

It is an all-tube amplifier head with two 6v6s for power and two 12AX7s in the preamp positions. This is the sound that I associate with classic bass tone.

If one were to buy this setup new, it would set one back nearly $2000. I snapped this rig up for $400!

Initially, there was a buzz when playing the E string. I ordered some new JJ tubes and that seemed to solve the problem.

2024 Fender Champion 100 Solid State Amplifier

It’s not fancy, but it’s loud.

This is overkill for my needs. I had a wonderful Fender Princeton Stereo Chorus amplifier that I picked up for around $180. It was one of those “never should have sold” things that I regret to this day.

I wanted a basic, solid-state, non-modeling amplifier. This fits two of those criteria. While it is considered a “modeling” amp, the clean channel produces outstanding Fender “Twang” and (so I am told) is very good with pedals.

Lightweight (compared to its valve cousins) and extremely well-built, this will last for years and sounds great at lower volumes while providing more than enough power to keep up with an acoustic drum kit.

I slowly traded up to this starting with a BOSS Katana 50 Generation 3 Modeling amplifier which I did not like at all. The sound was “thin” and “digital” so I returned it to Guitar Center, gave them another $20 or so and got a Fender Mustang GTX50.

The GTX50 was a major improvement over the BOSS, but still did not have the “thick” sound I was craving. So, I went back to Guitar Center again and came home with the Champion.

Now, about four years ago, I was in Guitar Center and played a Telecaster through one of these First Generation 100s. The sound stuck with me. And spending another $20 was a small price to pay for the sound I was looking for all of these years.

So, ultimately, it was $310. Not a great deal, but a deal nonetheless.

Fender Vibro Champ XD Hybrid Amplifier

The Vibro Champ is a second-generation Fender digital signal processing (DSP) amplifier that derives its power from a single 6V6 tube with a 12AX7A for the amp’s phase inverter.

As it turns out, this is an amazing little (5-watt) amplifier with beautiful tone. The two best built-in effects are the Tremolo with three settings and the Vibratone with two settings.

It’s an unassuming and often-missed amplifier when considering a “practice” amp. Given the amazing tonality, it works great in studio applications as well.

While the OEM Fender speaker is solid, I am a confirmed Jensen speaker fanatic. Thus, my XD received a C8R, which has refined and given a genuine “Vintage” feel to the little guy’s tone.