It's a small practice amp. It's not meant to play Madison Square Garden. For an 8 year old it's perfectly fine to learn with. It's a Fender. That says quality.
I must admit that this Fender Frontman 20G here does NOT sound "Bad" at all and i did have one too and was amazed at how GOOD it did sound for an SS Amp or how decent it was for any amp as well. I only don't have it anymore since I "upgraded" to a Vibro Champ XD in a trade-in deal. Elmo has high standards plus most amps have improved beyond this already so there's that to consider.
A friend of mine has one. The clean is meh, nothing special but not terrible. The overdrive is unusable. It's just as painful to listen to as in the video. It's even worse if you have a strong pick attack, which some genres demand
Reminds me of my first Harley Benton Amp in 2012. That also sounded very bad. Btw I really like your rants about bad gear. Still polite but straight to the point. Thanks Sir!
20 years ago I grew up playing a MicroCube , such a great lil amp for bedroom playing . After some years i upgraded to Cube 20X which was also very good amp for a beginner player.
I walked passed a shop and seen this amp for 10 English pounds, it turned out to be a bass amp, but wow we both put guitars and effects through it, only a practice amp but the size of the speaker closed cab. Brilliant. Called a Meridian Ak15B Best beginning practice amp ever. Got a a lot punch.
I just bought this amp even after watching this video. I tried it with my G&L strat and my Epi LP Special and thought it wasn't that bad as a clean amp. I also have a Blackstar ID Core 20, an Orange Crush 12, a Roland Cube 10GX and a IRig micro amp. It doesn't sound as good as the Cube or the Crush but I like it better than the Core and the IRig.
I was thinking about buying this amplifier to replace my Crush 12, if you don’t mind, I would like to know if it’s worth the upgrade. I love my crush 12 but I want more of metal sound from my amp. And you don’t have to reply if you don’t want to but it would be appreciated. Thank you.
I love the tone of this ample. So grungey, so garagey, i can't describe the tone as anything but HOT! It's not for everyone, it's not for everything, but there's nothing that sounds quite like it, and nothing that quite shocks the system like its gritty, fuzzy, angular tones. Love this amp. I want several so I can string them together and gig with them.
I a/b both amps at Sam Ash in New York, way before the quarantine, when you could still do that in a music store. All the Champion's voices could be made with the Frontman, by just adjusting the Gain, volume, and (to a lesser extent) the EQ controls. The Champion makes it all easy for you, and it has built-in effects. That's the only difference, IMO; that, and the price.
Yes and Mustang is totally on another level than this. I like that Elmo says it straight unlike many other reactors...just using words like amazing, awesome and brilliant for everything they check.
@@johannessilver8653 The Champion and Frontman both s*ck, and the Mustang is a true Modeling amp, so it has to be more awesome than those two. Oops.....
Your reviews like your guitar playing is aways excellent. Your videos are always informative. I aways go to your videos to hear your good opinion on a product before I purchase anything.
That overdrive channel is like a swarm of angry hornets trained in the art of war to ravage your ears and make everyone hate you (not just your mother)! Thanks for taking the bullet for us Elmo ;) -Gabe
@@MrPolevaulter Time to create some new sub-genre based on the tone of this rare achievement, then wait 30 years and sell this as hyped up vintage gear. :D
These small Fender Frontman amps leave me feeling blessed that my first amp was a 30 watt Crate solid state. Yes. Crate solid state. I get it when these come in a combo set, but I can't imagine buying this separately.
For about 100€ you can get a mid 80s Fender Sidekick 10 which is the best small / practice transistor amp I ever heard. It has a Volume and Master and breaks up very tube like. If you have the chance get one and try it out. Also takes pedals very well.
Agreed - I have owned a Sidekick 10 from new in around 1986 - It’s a great little amp. Thankfully, I resisted the temptation to trade it in when I was younger and even more clueless than I am today! 😃
100% spot on. The Frontman series should not even exist. Even the Champion 20 sounds like a tin can some times, but ok... A Katana mini is the way to go at this price level, or many other things, new or used.. thank God we have TH-cam these days.. Thanks Elmo.. Fender should even be ashamed for the quality of their guitars these days.. I own some of them, so I know what I am talking about...
Not every frontman sounds bad, I have an old 25R which does make a decent clean tone when EQ`ed properly. Not brilliant but good enough for getting started. The drive sound is pretty bad though. Also the tin can feel might be better when using a bigger speaker like 10 or 12. It's sad but Fender became just another lifestyle brand like Gibson and Marshall appearently.
It's good to see the good old amp/guitar reviews again. 😊 I hope you already feel better after losing your job. 😁 (Seeing these awesome reviews I think you do.) By the way I'm happy I have seen your Fender vs Boss Katana review before buying amp. I almost bought this cr#p before seeing your video. I thougt Fender solid state amps have got better after the years but they haven't.
I miss my first amp, some rando Fender amp that came in those strat bundles (late 90s) the newer ones arent the same. It wasnt that good but I liked the gain on it, sounded very good for the type of stuff I was playing like Blink 182, Nirvana etc.
Great clip as always Elmo. I miss my angry 🍻 with chainsaws. I remember tye eighties when I eagerly looked into shop windows hoping to upgrade to a Carlsbro amp... long ago.. but they all sounded like that..kind of like a mini rectifier in a sardine can..in a wooden box..and then there was the obligatory collection of arion pedals with a Ross distortion thrown up front...and plywood marlins, hondos or encores..
I picked up a Frontman 15 R , for a freind who was curious about learning to play. I found it at a yardsale for 15 dollars. It had a blown fuse, and two days later i found him a Roland amp cube for 30 bucks. I still haven't fixed and tried the Fender! Lol
I just got a new one. It was heavily discounted so took a chance. No sound from clean channel at all. Very low volume sound from the overdrive channel, about the same volume as the hiss of the amp on gain. Probably the channel selection switch is faulty. I am sending it back. Interesting to see whether they repair it or refund the money. I already have a Jensen speaker for it so it would be nice to have a working amp to put the new speaker in. On the positive side the pots on this amp feel very nice to turn and of course the looks are classic Fender. A nice practice toy if I will get a properly working unit. For reference I have all the current Fender Champions, 20, 40 and 100. They all sound magnificent! I have a dozen or so tube amps, too, and still I am happy with the tones I get out of those Champions.
thanks, was considering this. Currently I use a $20 set of powered speakers from Walmart. It's manageable since my pedals boost the signal somewhat. This doesn't sound like an improvement.
Elmo I want to thank you for doing this review! I've been looking for a good review on this amp and I'm going to get it. I've been wanting a good solid state amp head but I either don't like the sound or the looks of some of the ones on the market. So I'm going to get the fender 20g and turn it into a head and I'm optimistic that it will sound good through my 2x12 cab! I'll probably just use the clean channel and run my pedal board for drive and whatever else. 👍
I had a fender 25r front man made in 2005. It was a cool amp, 10 inch speaker and a real spring reverb. It was a killer amp. I sold it unfortunately. It's sad to see fender lowering standards. Mind you all the big brands have done it. Like marshall with the mg series.
the MG series actually went up in quality; when the Frontman 10G came out that was deemed by many better due to the noise level inherent on th MG10cd @@MrPolevaulter
The Champion is a modeller. It replicates tube distortion the same way a CD player does. This here is just a straight amplifier and it sounds terrible when pushed into true solid state distortion.
Oh man! My first amp was Fender Frontman 15G, I got it in around 94 or something and thought it was a killer! At least you got that bee-hive buzz drive - more drive, better! I actually still have the amp (just to remind me what I learnt to play on) - it sounds as horrible as one you are demoing. Kids today should be happy for all the tabs, lessons and GEAR... hehe...
I have to confess I recently bought one of these simply to have a small amp to easily move around. My main amp is still a Marshall JCM800 50W tube combo (which is HEAVY), but after almost 60 years of playing, I still like simple stuff, too. Simply retubing and biasing a Marshall amp costs way more than a Frontman 20. If I were limited to only one amp, of course I would get something a lot better. As it is, using the clean channel and my usual stompboxes for extra flavor, it does OK. You're not going to get great sound out of an 8" speaker anyway.
The "Champ" that came with my Squier was pretty damn awful. Back in 2000. But it did sound pretty gnarly when you played it through headphones, like that Beatles "Revolution" distortion.
I switched over to the Fender 20 Frontman G for a home/practice amp and I LOVE IT! The sound, for a small practice amp, is awesome. Great for small venue gigs. My gain and distortion works great. You bought a lemon man. Get your money back. With proper settings on EQ and guitar knobs you can get a lot of better sound. Want more? Add an "EFFING" 40 dollar pedal man! It's NOT a professional gig amp. Get a life.
Looks like $100 in USA. Exchange Rate is 1.34 today. This amp reminds me a little of my Burwood G-10. I won't complain about that one. I got it when Radio Shacks were closing for about $10.
Hey Fender execs, Elmo hit on a genius idea. Make a cheap solid state practice amp with just a clean channel and market it as a "less is more" pedal platform. Call it the "Clean Cut Special". Bundle it with a one use money off voucher for your own line of pedals. In all seriousness this is just a continuation of a decades long trend of entry level solid state amps with usable clean and garbage drive channels. The market is still saturated with them, but as you have shown yourself companies like Joyo and Harley Benton can do better for the money so there no excuses!
After a lot of looking about and loving my Boss GT6 pedal i could not, for home use, find anything worth getting i ended up with a Fender Champion 110 thats and old second hand amp( 20 ish years old )... lovely sound with or without effects (its built in reverb is crap) so i do tend to use with GT6 ... it sound lovely loud or quiet designed in USA built in Mexico and great condition for only £90 ....so look at second hand market guys some lovely bargains to be had still out there PS love your channel !!!!!!
Sounds a bit "stuffed" and "dry" but for beginners to learn and practise in their bedroom, this thing will do. A small amp like this can shurely not sound as good an clear as a 12" stage amp. But: I would buy it for little home use, because i ´ve already heard worse than this.
Another great review, Elmo. Thanks for sharing your honest and fact-based feedback (rare qualities nowadays). How do you find Fender's Champion 20G, though? Have you tried this one?
I have a katana too, that I don't use all of its features a lot. The prosonic has a clean channel also. The problem with a prosonic is it only has one set of tone controls for both channels.
@@Leon-Coils19912a bit more????? You can get these for twenty quid or less!! Amazing for the price. Somebody gave me one. I'm going to install an output and try different speakers. The speaker is it's biggest weakness. Or it's greatest feature if that's the sound you're after...
I have this amplifier, and I have a few gripes with your review of it. First, that amp is never meant to have the gain cranked.... 6 is as high as you should go. Second, I've gotten some absolutely wonderful tones out of my Frontman 20, plugging in my Schecter Omen-6. Lastly, you should dial the bass down to about 2 or 3. I love that amp, personally
I was looking for an amp that cost about 100€, I decided not to buy new one and I've found Fender Champion 65r with spring reverb, two chanels and I can say it is a beast, with 12 inch speaker, it sounds like old good fender, especially with strat SSS, I am happy I've bought used better amp, sound is brilliant. 😊
My first amp was the fender frontman 15, I genuinely wanted to quit not because I couldn't play, but because of how awful the amp sounded, I wouldn't give this amp to a crack head with a toilet seat as a guitar. Upgraded to a fender champion 20 for home use and street gigging and the difference is huge, it has multiple built in effected and voices, you should definitely give it a review! Trust me
With the previous iteration of the Frontman, specifically the ones starting at 15, 15R and 25 watts, the biggest drawback were the speakers. Once those were swapped they were usable to excellent. Now weather that is the case with these new ones I don't know... If it is maybe... possibly... once they go on sale due to overstock or hit the used market then they might be something worth getting once you add the price of the new speaker
I've found a Frontman 25R (10 inch Fender speaker, spring reverb) for 50 USD in great condition. I Cant find one to test, but it seams sounds pretty good in some videos on you tube. Have you ever tried one? I think the Behringer HA-40 could be an option too.
Honestly id recommend you stay away from both and just get a small practice amp like boss katana for 70$, it has quality sound, miles better than the cheapest comobos..
I have a Frontman 25R w/10-inch speaker and open-backed cabinet, and I think it actually sounds pretty decent for a cheap practice amp. The drive channel is not great, but sounds better than this one here!
@@jakollee Yes, I will only use the clean channel and pedals. The clean channel seams pretty good to me. Maybe a speaker upgrade (Celestion Ten 30 for $50).
i just started acoustic some months ago but decided to buy a cheap squire mustang, and i didnt have enough left for an amp so i got this cause i thought oh well its just for now it cant be that baaad, oh was i wrong 😭😂
I bought a Fender Champion 20. Sounded like crap and took it back. Got a Champion 40. It sounded better but the power cord port in the back of the amp was loose. I took that back as well. They are not making these cheaper amps very good. I got a positive spark mini and the new spark2. Both are excellent.
Cynical cash grab? It's $99 USD on Sweetwater. More like a cash flea bite. Maybe a pluck. Or a pinch? I think it sounds jim dandy and bo didley. And it has a lot more controls than my blender. It's also 1/3 the price of a similar output studio monitor (one). Me thinks thou art Jaded green with energy. SO - what is better for acoustic and vocal? Nothing? A natural canyon? A tight Alleyway? A tub and shower? :)
Well as stand alone amp your very correct BUT the clean channel is fab if used even like with a old boss gt6 pedal eq ect and you can make it sound cool but only at lowish vol not as bad as you say depends on your patience to correct eq and drive extra and its over priced so i half agree with you sir Kar+
I have the 10G version I bought in a squier pack as a beginner back in 2015, i remember that combined with the low output squier pickups, gain was still "edge of breakup" even on 10 ! As a boiling teenager, i bought a metal muff from electro harmonix to compensate for gain. At some point, i ended up buying a blackstar HT5R for less than 500€ at the time because this amp genuinly made me think that yeah, solid state amps = dogcrap... and fun fact : 3 years after the original buy, the gain channel stopped working altogether, like it's only a quiet hum with no guitar sound output ! The best part is still the speaker which broke so fast and so bad it makes a "farting sound" when volume is almost audible ! I still have it because i started playing bass in parallel and i don't have a bass amp for the time being and i heard that guitar speakers don't really like bass signal... so i chose to sacrifice the 10G once and for all ! Weirdly enough, with the exact same setup as with my squier (metal muff into clean channel) the fart is gone, this amp is a unreliable mystery xD I was baffled to discover that it was 70€ on thomann alone at the time, i genuinly though that it wasn't more than 40€ haha (and with inflation, the 10G model must have uped its price even more, maybe to 80-85€...) Anyway, if you're seacrhing for beginner amps, this frontman series is the worst. And if you already bought it, well it's not too late to find another amp to not quit guitar just because the sound is so trash...
I was lucky enough to upgrade from this abomination to the amazing Boss Katana. It’s literally like night and day. Made me fall in love with the guitar so much more
I still think that the Strat is really that Gilmour-McCartney's picture. At last there it goes in my head with the 24 hrs. I wouldn't be the first who goes paralyzed by an amp putting out 400W. Pedal to the metal! Still a reliable monitor, Dude. I heard worse of Beringher Audio witch is in fact the last pedal we made. Covers 🆙️ What are you missing, the red knobs of Catwoman? I don't know. Namastè. 🗨😉🤟🌀🎨⚰🔇
Check out all sorts of alternatives: th-cam.com/play/PLNaLwTdlpQNHNo5bubVjV1OW04gkqU8rM.html
Is this made in China or made in Indonesia model ?
@@MrPolevaulter thanks
It's a small practice amp. It's not meant to play Madison Square Garden. For an 8 year old it's perfectly fine to learn with. It's a Fender. That says quality.
no excuse
you can DEFINITELY get a better fender-esque sound from a spark mini OR fender's very own champion line, if that's what you're after
I must admit that this Fender Frontman 20G here does NOT sound "Bad" at all and i did have one too and was amazed at how GOOD it did sound for an SS Amp or how decent it was for any amp as well. I only don't have it anymore since I "upgraded" to a Vibro Champ XD in a trade-in deal. Elmo has high standards plus most amps have improved beyond this already so there's that to consider.
A friend of mine has one. The clean is meh, nothing special but not terrible. The overdrive is unusable. It's just as painful to listen to as in the video. It's even worse if you have a strong pick attack, which some genres demand
Reminds me of my first Harley Benton Amp in 2012. That also sounded very bad.
Btw I really like your rants about bad gear. Still polite but straight to the point. Thanks Sir!
Thank you :)
couldnt say it beter myself :D hahah
WORD!
There is a market for beginner gear so bad it makes kids quit and go back to learning a proper job. Smart fathers know that ;)
Haha :D
20 years ago I grew up playing a MicroCube , such a great lil amp for bedroom playing . After some years i upgraded to Cube 20X which was also very good amp for a beginner player.
Roland is just Roland. Solid amps. always been. Always will be. Period (and many other things ofc!)
I dated a girl who had this amp. I remember plugging in and being absolutely shocked at how BAD this amp was. It's truly something to behold
It truly is.
"Dated"...past tense. Say no more...
I'm not following you... was it terrible when you plugged into the amp or the girl? 🤣🤣
This is why I don't date 😎
Lucky you! You dated a girl who plays!
My 90s made Frontman amps sound great when paired with some vintage celestion speakers 🔊. Takes pedals really well 😊 Gig them often
I walked passed a shop and seen this amp for 10 English pounds, it turned out to be a bass amp, but wow we both put guitars and effects through it, only a practice amp but the size of the speaker closed cab. Brilliant. Called a Meridian Ak15B Best beginning practice amp ever. Got a a lot punch.
" THANKS , BRO , FOR YOUR HONESTY .. NEVER CHANGE .. ALWAYS SPEAK THE TRUTH ..
I just bought this amp even after watching this video. I tried it with my G&L strat and my Epi LP Special and thought it wasn't that bad as a clean amp. I also have a Blackstar ID Core 20, an Orange Crush 12, a Roland Cube 10GX and a IRig micro amp. It doesn't sound as good as the Cube or the Crush but I like it better than the Core and the IRig.
I was thinking about buying this amplifier to replace my Crush 12, if you don’t mind, I would like to know if it’s worth the upgrade. I love my crush 12 but I want more of metal sound from my amp. And you don’t have to reply if you don’t want to but it would be appreciated. Thank you.
Try the Roland Cube 10GX, you can program it for a more metal sound.@@jacobseraphin685
I love the tone of this ample. So grungey, so garagey, i can't describe the tone as anything but HOT! It's not for everyone, it's not for everything, but there's nothing that sounds quite like it, and nothing that quite shocks the system like its gritty, fuzzy, angular tones. Love this amp. I want several so I can string them together and gig with them.
I just bought one for a practice amp. Nothing wrong with it. Sounds good. It gets louder if you crank up the bass and treble knobs.
Thanks Elmo. I had one of these as a beginner. It's amazing how much better the Champion 20 sounds, for not much more money.
Haven't tried the Champion, but I'm sure it's way better than this.
I a/b both amps at Sam Ash in New York, way before the quarantine, when you could still do that in a music store. All the Champion's voices could be made with the Frontman, by just adjusting the Gain, volume, and (to a lesser extent) the EQ controls. The Champion makes it all easy for you, and it has built-in effects. That's the only difference, IMO; that, and the price.
Yes and Mustang is totally on another level than this. I like that Elmo says it straight unlike many other reactors...just using words like amazing, awesome and brilliant for everything they check.
@@johannessilver8653 The Champion and Frontman both s*ck, and the Mustang is a true Modeling amp, so it has to be more awesome than those two.
Oops.....
Yes, I agree.@@DerpRulesAll
Amp sounds good, but do use an IBANEZ TS 10 TUBE SCREAMER. SOUNDS GOOD ON BOTH CHANNELS. I LIKE THE AMP. ALSO THE FENDER 15 G amp is very nice too.
I have this amp. Great for practice.
Your reviews like your guitar playing is aways excellent. Your videos are always informative. I aways go to your videos to hear your good opinion on a product before I purchase anything.
I appreciate that!
That overdrive channel is like a swarm of angry hornets trained in the art of war to ravage your ears and make everyone hate you (not just your mother)!
Thanks for taking the bullet for us Elmo ;)
-Gabe
Thanks :D
Dude I was nearly about to buy this shit thx for your perspective!
Glad I could help :)
Oh man... Now I really appreciate my roland cube 30x which I got second hand for 85 euro. Thank you Elmo for informative video
Cheers!
So many options today. If you start out with one of those, it's good incentive to upgrade.
I liked my frontman 15g so much, I bought a frontman 25r. I love these amps, lol. Just gotta turn the treble down. They’ve got a great fuzzy punch.
yup I can't comprehend what's up with all that hate train. These amps are just amazing.
I have the 10 watt version with the 8 inch speaker. I can’t imagine how an amp could be any worse and more discouraging to make one not want to play 🙂
Pretty much yeah :D
My first "amplification device" was a karaoke machine, trust me that 10 watt wonder you got is infinitely better
I liked it when you dropped the treble and then it was both muddy and still unbearably harsh at the same time.
Haha :D Yeah, it's quite something that it manages to sound harsh and muddy at the same time :D
Amp sounds fine to me. Orda put a tele in to it. Tele is the best kinda of electric guitar they is from squire to fender
@@MrPolevaulter Time to create some new sub-genre based on the tone of this rare achievement, then wait 30 years and sell this as hyped up vintage gear. :D
Thanks for the review Elmo you know I enjoy & appreciate it 🎉cheers🙏✌️❤️
No problem 👍
These small Fender Frontman amps leave me feeling blessed that my first amp was a 30 watt Crate solid state. Yes. Crate solid state. I get it when these come in a combo set, but I can't imagine buying this separately.
Bizarrely, it's quite refreshing to hear something quite bad! Lol
Haha :D
For about 100€ you can get a mid 80s Fender Sidekick 10 which is the best small / practice transistor amp I ever heard. It has a Volume and Master and breaks up very tube like. If you have the chance get one and try it out. Also takes pedals very well.
Agreed - I have owned a Sidekick 10 from new in around 1986 - It’s a great little amp. Thankfully, I resisted the temptation to trade it in when I was younger and even more clueless than I am today! 😃
@@IanOS-UK I'll never ever trade that little gem. That thing and my Tele would be my lonley island rig.
100% spot on. The Frontman series should not even exist. Even the Champion 20 sounds like a tin can some times, but ok... A Katana mini is the way to go at this price level, or many other things, new or used.. thank God we have TH-cam these days.. Thanks Elmo.. Fender should even be ashamed for the quality of their guitars these days.. I own some of them, so I know what I am talking about...
Yeah, this amp is just terrible.
Not every frontman sounds bad, I have an old 25R which does make a decent clean tone when EQ`ed properly. Not brilliant but good enough for getting started. The drive sound is pretty bad though. Also the tin can feel might be better when using a bigger speaker like 10 or 12. It's sad but Fender became just another lifestyle brand like Gibson and Marshall appearently.
It's good to see the good old amp/guitar reviews again. 😊
I hope you already feel better after losing your job. 😁 (Seeing these awesome reviews I think you do.)
By the way I'm happy I have seen your Fender vs Boss Katana review before buying amp.
I almost bought this cr#p before seeing your video.
I thougt Fender solid state amps have got better after the years but they haven't.
I started with a Frontman and a Champion. Not this exact one, but this still feels like someone talking bad about my first pos car.
Thats an assault on the ears. Love it
I have my Harley Benton tube15 with a vintage 30 sörjer, super happy
That's a great amp.
I miss my first amp, some rando Fender amp that came in those strat bundles (late 90s) the newer ones arent the same. It wasnt that good but I liked the gain on it, sounded very good for the type of stuff I was playing like Blink 182, Nirvana etc.
Great clip as always Elmo. I miss my angry 🍻 with chainsaws. I remember tye eighties when I eagerly looked into shop windows hoping to upgrade to a Carlsbro amp... long ago.. but they all sounded like that..kind of like a mini rectifier in a sardine can..in a wooden box..and then there was the
obligatory collection of arion pedals with a Ross distortion thrown up front...and plywood marlins, hondos or encores..
Thank you because I was thinking of buying one now I know better 😎🎸🎶☮️
I picked up a Frontman 15 R , for a freind who was curious about learning to play. I found it at a yardsale for 15 dollars. It had a blown fuse, and two days later i found him a Roland amp cube for 30 bucks. I still haven't fixed and tried the Fender! Lol
I just got a new one. It was heavily discounted so took a chance.
No sound from clean channel at all. Very low volume sound from the overdrive channel, about the same volume as the hiss of the amp on gain.
Probably the channel selection switch is faulty.
I am sending it back. Interesting to see whether they repair it or refund the money. I already have a Jensen speaker for it so it would be nice to have a working amp to put the new speaker in.
On the positive side the pots on this amp feel very nice to turn and of course the looks are classic Fender. A nice practice toy if I will get a properly working unit.
For reference I have all the current Fender Champions, 20, 40 and 100. They all sound magnificent! I have a dozen or so tube amps, too, and still I am happy with the tones I get out of those Champions.
The only thing worse than a Frontman 20G, is a Frontman 10G.
:D
I suppose the Fender Champion 20 is the perfect candidate for a complementary video. Fender should not be making the Frontman anymore.
the champion line is superb. I have a 1996 squier champ and it completely obliterates my fairly new frontman in any way imaginable
Based on this amp, I'd agree.
Excellent guitar player !!!
Thanks!
thanks, was considering this. Currently I use a $20 set of powered speakers from Walmart. It's manageable since my pedals boost the signal somewhat. This doesn't sound like an improvement.
Reminds me of my first amp the infamous gorilla.
Sounds ok to me except the distortion. Maybe it's the miking instead of me being in the room?
Elmo I want to thank you for doing this review! I've been looking for a good review on this amp and I'm going to get it. I've been wanting a good solid state amp head but I either don't like the sound or the looks of some of the ones on the market. So I'm going to get the fender 20g and turn it into a head and I'm optimistic that it will sound good through my 2x12 cab! I'll probably just use the clean channel and run my pedal board for drive and whatever else. 👍
No problem.
Thanks for giving honest reviews. I started playing in the mid 80s and had a small gorilla amp. It was so bad . Fortunately i didnt give up playing .
I went ahead and bought this anyway. I have an affects processor though. Just needed a small speaker to play through.
I had a fender 25r front man made in 2005. It was a cool amp, 10 inch speaker and a real spring reverb. It was a killer amp. I sold it unfortunately. It's sad to see fender lowering standards.
Mind you all the big brands have done it. Like marshall with the mg series.
I think the Marshall MG series is way better than this.
the MG series actually went up in quality; when the Frontman 10G came out that was deemed by many better due to the noise level inherent on th MG10cd @@MrPolevaulter
I Had a Fender Champion 20w amp with some effects inside. It was not so bad as this one.....
The Champion is a modeller. It replicates tube distortion the same way a CD player does. This here is just a straight amplifier and it sounds terrible when pushed into true solid state distortion.
Oh man! My first amp was Fender Frontman 15G, I got it in around 94 or something and thought it was a killer! At least you got that bee-hive buzz drive - more drive, better! I actually still have the amp (just to remind me what I learnt to play on) - it sounds as horrible as one you are demoing. Kids today should be happy for all the tabs, lessons and GEAR... hehe...
Oh! One addition, that wouldn't work as anchor for boat - it floats! 😅
Haha :D It floats :D
" I WOULD USE IT FOR A BOAT ANCHOR , AND I DO NOT HAVE A BOAT ! "
I have to confess I recently bought one of these simply to have a small amp to easily move around.
My main amp is still a Marshall JCM800 50W tube combo (which is HEAVY), but after almost 60 years of playing, I still like simple stuff, too.
Simply retubing and biasing a Marshall amp costs way more than a Frontman 20.
If I were limited to only one amp, of course I would get something a lot better. As it is, using the clean channel and my usual stompboxes for extra flavor, it does OK. You're not going to get great sound out of an 8" speaker anyway.
The video didn’t sound too bad. I’ll take this as a w
The "Champ" that came with my Squier was pretty damn awful. Back in 2000. But it did sound pretty gnarly when you played it through headphones, like that Beatles "Revolution" distortion.
I got a new squire sonic tele and picked one of this to replace my estabaun 10 watt... I like it!
I switched over to the Fender 20 Frontman G for a home/practice amp and I LOVE IT! The sound, for a small practice amp, is awesome. Great for small venue gigs. My gain and distortion works great. You bought a lemon man. Get your money back. With proper settings on EQ and guitar knobs you can get a lot of better sound. Want more? Add an "EFFING" 40 dollar pedal man! It's NOT a professional gig amp. Get a life.
In Canada, it retails for $139.00
Looks like $100 in USA. Exchange Rate is 1.34 today. This amp reminds me a little of my Burwood G-10. I won't complain about that one. I got it when Radio Shacks were closing for about $10.
Hey Fender execs, Elmo hit on a genius idea. Make a cheap solid state practice amp with just a clean channel and market it as a "less is more" pedal platform. Call it the "Clean Cut Special". Bundle it with a one use money off voucher for your own line of pedals. In all seriousness this is just a continuation of a decades long trend of entry level solid state amps with usable clean and garbage drive channels. The market is still saturated with them, but as you have shown yourself companies like Joyo and Harley Benton can do better for the money so there no excuses!
After a lot of looking about and loving my Boss GT6 pedal i could not, for home use, find anything worth getting i ended up with a Fender Champion 110 thats and old second hand amp( 20 ish years old )... lovely sound with or without effects (its built in reverb is crap) so i do tend to use with GT6 ... it sound lovely loud or quiet designed in USA built in Mexico and great condition for only £90 ....so look at second hand market guys some lovely bargains to be had still out there PS love your channel !!!!!!
Thanks!
Sounds a bit "stuffed" and "dry" but for beginners to learn and practise in their bedroom, this thing will do. A small amp like this can shurely not sound as good an clear as a 12" stage amp. But: I would buy it for little home use, because i ´ve already heard worse than this.
I had a 15W Frontman a few yyears back and I got rid of it fast. I do wonder though how the Nobels ODR-1 would have sounded into the clean channel? ;)
Another great review, Elmo. Thanks for sharing your honest and fact-based feedback (rare qualities nowadays). How do you find Fender's Champion 20G, though? Have you tried this one?
Thanks! Haven't tried it.
Is there really any good Fender amps for rock and metal?
A fender prosonic is probably one of the best, but they only made them for 2 years. I have one, and its dirty channel is amazing.
@@jeffwombold9167 What about a clean amp if I rely on pedals? I currently have a Boss Katana which is great, but it has too many features I don't use.
I have a katana too, that I don't use all of its features a lot. The prosonic has a clean channel also. The problem with a prosonic is it only has one set of tone controls for both channels.
@@jeffwombold9167 That's unfortunate. I'd take a clean amp with just a master volume, and a 10 band EQ sliders any day tho.
The clean channel on the prosonic is great with pedals. It's the typical fender clean.
Absolutely nothing wrong with this amp
Im wbout to buy this amp tomorrow is it good?
Ya
@@Nathan-x1r2k did you buy it? what happened?
@@Nathan-x1r2k save up a bit more and buy a Boss Katana mk2 50 👍 i might be a bit too late 🤣
@@Leon-Coils19912a bit more?????
You can get these for twenty quid or less!!
Amazing for the price.
Somebody gave me one. I'm going to install an output and try different speakers. The speaker is it's biggest weakness. Or it's greatest feature if that's the sound you're after...
I have this amplifier, and I have a few gripes with your review of it. First, that amp is never meant to have the gain cranked.... 6 is as high as you should go. Second, I've gotten some absolutely wonderful tones out of my Frontman 20, plugging in my Schecter Omen-6. Lastly, you should dial the bass down to about 2 or 3. I love that amp, personally
Hi Elmo, thanks for the unbiased content! That amp is disgustingly bad.
btw I notice the links to the gear you recommend are not working.
Someone else said that (quite some time ago), and when I checked they worked. Not sure what the problem is.
I was looking for an amp that cost about 100€, I decided not to buy new one and I've found Fender Champion 65r with spring reverb, two chanels and I can say it is a beast, with 12 inch speaker, it sounds like old good fender, especially with strat SSS, I am happy I've bought used better amp, sound is brilliant. 😊
How would a 50s led Paul sound through this?
Anything will sound bad through it.
@@MrPolevaulter any alternatives that don’t cost more than $100?
@@MrPolevaulter never mind I see you link of alternatives. Thank you
Elmo, you must be very committed to informing your viewers or a masochist, I would bet on the former.
:D
I personally have not heard a decent Fender combo amp I liked
Maybe it's where I'm listening on a MacBook Pro, but does it sound a little bit "paper cuppish"?
My first amp was the fender frontman 15, I genuinely wanted to quit not because I couldn't play, but because of how awful the amp sounded, I wouldn't give this amp to a crack head with a toilet seat as a guitar. Upgraded to a fender champion 20 for home use and street gigging and the difference is huge, it has multiple built in effected and voices, you should definitely give it a review! Trust me
With the previous iteration of the Frontman, specifically the ones starting at 15, 15R and 25 watts, the biggest drawback were the speakers. Once those were swapped they were usable to excellent. Now weather that is the case with these new ones I don't know... If it is maybe... possibly... once they go on sale due to overstock or hit the used market then they might be something worth getting once you add the price of the new speaker
Approx $200 AUD here in Australia
is the 10G good?
I've found a Frontman 25R (10 inch Fender speaker, spring reverb) for 50 USD in great condition. I Cant find one to test, but it seams sounds pretty good in some videos on you tube. Have you ever tried one? I think the Behringer HA-40 could be an option too.
Honestly id recommend you stay away from both and just get a small practice amp like boss katana for 70$, it has quality sound, miles better than the cheapest comobos..
I have a 25r. It is repurposed/rehoused with a 12 inch rola and sounds pretty great. Using a separate speaker will help a ton
I have a Frontman 25R w/10-inch speaker and open-backed cabinet, and I think it actually sounds pretty decent for a cheap practice amp. The drive channel is not great, but sounds better than this one here!
@@luciansirbu1784 thanks.
@@jakollee Yes, I will only use the clean channel and pedals. The clean channel seams pretty good to me. Maybe a speaker upgrade (Celestion Ten 30 for $50).
I have a Marshall MG 10 and from the sounds of the Fender 20G, its in the same category.
i just started acoustic some months ago but decided to buy a cheap squire mustang, and i didnt have enough left for an amp so i got this cause i thought oh well its just for now it cant be that baaad, oh was i wrong 😭😂
I hear you
I bought a Fender Champion 20. Sounded like crap and took it back. Got a Champion 40. It sounded better but the power cord port in the back of the amp was loose.
I took that back as well. They are not making these cheaper amps very good. I got a positive spark mini and the new spark2. Both are excellent.
Cynical cash grab? It's $99 USD on Sweetwater. More like a cash flea bite. Maybe a pluck. Or a pinch?
I think it sounds jim dandy and bo didley. And it has a lot more controls than my blender. It's also 1/3 the price of a similar output studio monitor (one). Me thinks thou art Jaded green with energy. SO - what is better for acoustic and vocal? Nothing? A natural canyon? A tight Alleyway? A tub and shower? :)
What about Champion 20?
Haven't tried it.
I can see 2 Elmo's am i seeing double!
But Elmo, how do you really feel about it, LOL. Sad, because the Fender Micro Mustang sounds so much better than that.
How does they still are selling it?
I honestly don't know.
Maybe it just needs a Dumble(ish) tuning
:D
Well as stand alone amp your very correct BUT the clean channel is fab if used even like
with a old boss gt6 pedal eq ect and you can make it sound cool but only at lowish vol not as bad as you say depends on your patience to correct eq and drive extra and its over priced so i half agree with you sir Kar+
Yo compré este y no sabia ,es verdad me wuitan las ganas de tocar
X2 broxd
When I started playing guitar in 2014 i almost bought this amp, but idk how i decided to get the vox mini 5 which i still have and sounds really good
Honestly, it didn't sound that bad for a practice amp. It's only 100USD!
1992 called. They want their practice amp back.
More like it was made from parts manufactured in 1992
:D
What is the best amp for practice at 200-300$ range?
The clean tone is good but the distortion is where everything gets sucky
Where did you buy that neck witout bullet truss rod,
Friend of mine made it.
I had a fender amp once. I was shocked at the speaker when I took it out. very light had really thin magnet. Seemed very cheap.
From Fender I'd expect to built to quality not price.
Try to connect it to 4x12 cab ) Should be much more fun )
I saw people turning rhese things to heads and as they connect them bigger cabs sounds become more usable.
I have the 10G version I bought in a squier pack as a beginner back in 2015, i remember that combined with the low output squier pickups, gain was still "edge of breakup" even on 10 ! As a boiling teenager, i bought a metal muff from electro harmonix to compensate for gain. At some point, i ended up buying a blackstar HT5R for less than 500€ at the time because this amp genuinly made me think that yeah, solid state amps = dogcrap... and fun fact : 3 years after the original buy, the gain channel stopped working altogether, like it's only a quiet hum with no guitar sound output ! The best part is still the speaker which broke so fast and so bad it makes a "farting sound" when volume is almost audible ! I still have it because i started playing bass in parallel and i don't have a bass amp for the time being and i heard that guitar speakers don't really like bass signal... so i chose to sacrifice the 10G once and for all ! Weirdly enough, with the exact same setup as with my squier (metal muff into clean channel) the fart is gone, this amp is a unreliable mystery xD
I was baffled to discover that it was 70€ on thomann alone at the time, i genuinly though that it wasn't more than 40€ haha (and with inflation, the 10G model must have uped its price even more, maybe to 80-85€...)
Anyway, if you're seacrhing for beginner amps, this frontman series is the worst. And if you already bought it, well it's not too late to find another amp to not quit guitar just because the sound is so trash...
I was lucky enough to upgrade from this abomination to the amazing Boss Katana. It’s literally like night and day. Made me fall in love with the guitar so much more
Most things are amazing compared to this :D
@@MrPolevaultersad but true!
I still think that the Strat is really that Gilmour-McCartney's picture. At last there it goes in my head with the 24 hrs. I wouldn't be the first who goes paralyzed by an amp putting out 400W. Pedal to the metal! Still a reliable monitor, Dude. I heard worse of Beringher Audio witch is in fact the last pedal we made. Covers 🆙️ What are you missing, the red knobs of Catwoman? I don't know. Namastè. 🗨😉🤟🌀🎨⚰🔇
The drive Chanel doesn't sound good at all. Elmo have you tested the marshall studio classic 20 jcm 800?
No. Just the Studio Vintage.
@@MrPolevaulteryeah I saw the review