If you’re in the market for a relatively inexpensive solid state electric guitar amp then you’ve probably seen the Fender Champion and Orange Crush popping up quite often.
In this article I’ll compare the tones, effects, features, controls, prices and sizes of every amp in these two series so you can figure out which is the best option for you.
Let’s start with a brief overview of each series and the different amps available.
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Fender Champion Series
There are 4 different amps in the Fender Champion series:
- Champion 20
- Champion 40
- Champion 50XL
- Champion 100
All amps have 2 channels except for the Champion 20 which only has one. All amps have a voice control so you can change the sound of the amp easily. The Champion 20, 40 and 50XL have 4 voices, and the Champion 100 has 5 voices.
Only the Champion 100 has a mids control, the other three amps instead have a 2-band EQ (bass and treble).
Amps in the Champion series have many built-in effects including reverb, delay, and modulation effects. The Champion 20, 40 and 50XL have 12 effects, whereas the Champion 100 has 15.
Only the Champion 100 has an FX loop. The Champion 40, 50XL and 100 are footswitch compatible, and all four amps have a built-in tuner, headphone jack and AUX input.
Here is a table summarising the features of all four amps.
| Champion 20 | Champion 40 | Champion 50XL | Champion 100 | |
| Wattage | 20W | 40W | 50W | 100W |
| Channels | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Controls | Vol Gain Bass Treb Voice | Vol Gain Bass Treb Voice | Vol Gain Bass Treb Voice | Vol Gain Bass Mid Treb Voice |
| Effects | 12 | 12 | 12 | 15 |
| Speaker | 1 x 8” | 1 x 12” | 1 x 12” | 2 x 12” |
| FX Loop | No | No | No | Yes |
| Tuner | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Foot Pedal Compatible | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Orange Crush Series
There are four amps in the Orange Crush series:
- Crush 12
- Crush 20
- Crush 20RT
- Crush 35RT
All amps have 2 channels, a 3-band EQ (bass, mids and treble) and a gain control. The Crush 20RT and 35RT have a reverb effect whereas the Crush 12 and 20 don’t have any onboard effects.
Only the Crush 35RT has an FX loop. The Crush 20RT and 35RT have a built-in tuner. All amps except for the Crush 12 are also footswitch compatible. All amps have a headphone jack and AUX input.
Here is a table summarising the features of all four amps.
| Crush 12 | Crush 20 | Crush 20RT | Crush 35RT | |
| Wattage | 12W | 20W | 20W | 35W |
| Channels | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Controls | Gain Bass Mids Treb | Gain Bass Mids Treb | Gain Bass Mids Treb | Gain Bass Mids Treb |
| Effects | None | None | Reverb | Reverb |
| Speaker | 1 x 6” | 1 x 8” | 1 x 8” | 1 x 10” |
| FX Loop | No | No | No | Yes |
| Tuner | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Foot Pedal Compatible | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $110 | $150 | $200 | $300 |
Which Amp Sounds the Best?
This is a very subjective question and I’d highly recommend that you try both amps in person so you can really figure out which you like the sound of.
Here are some observations I made when testing these two amps out.
- When comparing the clean tones, the Fender Champion sounds much brighter but thinner compared to the Orange Crush which sounds warmer and smoother.
- When comparing the distorted tones, the Orange Crush sounds much more direct and full compared to the Champion. In my opinion the Champion sounds a bit like a towel is covering the speaker.
Check out this YouTube video by 5 Minute Music to hear a comparing of the Crush 20 and Champion 20.
Controls, Features and Effects
All Orange Crush and Fender Champion amps have a built-in headphone jack so you can play without annoying your housemates and neighbours. They also all have a built-in MP3 input so you can connect a device e.g. smartphone, tablet or laptop and play along to music.
The Champion series of amps are good if you want to use built-in effects instead of pedals as all the amps have at least 12 effects. The Crush amps on the other hand are very limited in terms of effects, with the Crush 20RT/ 35RT only having reverb, and the other 2 amps having no effects at all.
If you want an FX loop (very handy if you’re using pedal effects such as modulation, reverb and delay), then you’ll need to go for the largest amp in either series: the Crush 35RT and the Champion 100. None of the other amps have an FX loop unfortunately.
If you need the amp to be footswitch compatible you have the choice of the following: Crush 20/ 20RT/ 35RT and Champion 40/ 50XL/ 100. Unfortunately, neither the Crush 12 or Champion 20 are footswitch compatible.
Here’s a table outlining the features available on each amp.
| Amp | Footswitch Compatible | Tuner | FX Loop |
| Crush 12 | No | No | No |
| Crush 20 | Yes | No | No |
| Champion 20 | No | Yes | No |
| Crush 20RT | Yes | Yes | No |
| Champion 40 | Yes | Yes | No |
| Champion 50XL | Yes | Yes | No |
| Crush 35RT | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Champion 100 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Comparing Dimensions and Weight
The smallest amp available is the Crush 12. However, if you compare the Crush and Champion amps with similar wattages, then you’ll notice that the Champion amps are a bit more compact and slightly lighter compared to the Crush amps. In a practical sense though, there’s barely any difference between the two.
Here are tables comparing the dimensions and weight of each amp.
| Amp | Width | Height | Depth |
| Crush 12 | 12.01” | 11.42” | 6.88” |
| Champion 20 | 13.75” | 12.75” | 7.50” |
| Crush 20 | 14.67” | 12.80” | 7.75” |
| Crush 20RT | 14.67” | 12.80” | 7.75” |
| Champion 40 | 17.25” | 17.25” | 9.00” |
| Champion 50XL | 17.25” | 17.25” | 9.00” |
| Crush 35RT | 17.32” | 15.75” | 9.00” |
| Champion 100 | 26.00” | 19.00” | 10.25” |
| Amp | Weight |
| Crush 12 | 10.4 lbs |
| Champion 20 | 12.0 lbs |
| Crush 20 | 15.8 lbs |
| Crush 20RT | 15.9 lbs |
| Champion 40 | 19.0 lbs |
| Champion 50XL | 19.0 lbs |
| Crush 35RT | 25.0 lbs |
| Champion 100 | 40.0 lbs |
Price Comparison
The cheapest amp available is the Orange Crush 12, however when you compare amps with a similar power rating, the Champion amps are a bit cheaper compared to the Crush amps. For example, the Champion 40 is roughly $50 cheaper than the Crush 35RT.
Here is a table comparing the prices of each amp. The prices shown below are correct as of the time of writing but are subject to change.
| Amp | Average Price |
| Orange Crush 12 | $110 |
| Fender Champion 20 | $130 |
| Orange Crush 20 | $150 |
| Orange Crush 20RT | $200 |
| Fender Champion 50XL | $230 |
| Fender Champion 40 | $250 |
| Orange Crush 35RT | $300 |
| Fender Champion 100 | $400 |
Fender Champion 20 vs Orange Crush 20
The Champion 20 only has one channel but it has 4 voice settings which all sound different from one another. The Crush 20 on the other hand just has 2 channels. The Champion 20 has a 2-band EQ (bass and treble) whereas the Crush 20 has a 3-band EQ (bass, mids and treble).
If you’re looking for built-in effects then the Champion 20 with its 12 effects is the obvious option as the Crush 20 unfortunately has no effects built-in. You can step up to the Crush 20RT, however this only has a reverb effect and is $70 more expensive than the Champion 20 on average.
The Champion 20 has a tuner, unlike the Crush 20. However, the Crush 20 is footswitch compatible unlike the Champion 20, which in my opinion is a more useful feature.
Both amps are 20W, have a single 8″ speaker, headphone jack and AUX input. Neither amp has an FX loop. The Champion 20 is approximately $20 cheaper than the Crush 20.
Here is a table comparing the Fender Champion 20 and Orange Crush 20.
| Champion 20 | Crush 20 | |
| Wattage | 20W | 20W |
| Channels | 1 | 2 |
| Controls | Gain Bass Treb Voice | Gain Bass Mids Treb |
| Effects | 12 | None |
| Speaker | 1 x 8” | 1 x 8” |
| FX Loop | No | No |
| Tuner | Yes | No |
| Foot Pedal Compatible | No | Yes |
| Price | $130 | $150 |
Fender Champion 40 vs Orange Crush 35RT
The Fender Champion 40 is approximately $50 cheaper than the Orange Crush 35RT and also has 11 more effects compared to the Crush which only has a built-in reverb effect. The Champion 40 also has an additional voice control allowing you to change the sound of the amp in addition to its 2 channels. The Champion 40 has a larger speaker (12″ compared to 10″).
However, the Crush 35RT does have several advantages over the Champion 40.
Firstly, the Crush 35RT has a 3-band EQ (bass, mids and treble) whereas the Champion 40 only has bass and treble controls. Additionally, the Crush 35RT is the only amp which has an FX loop, making it the ideal choice if you want to use your own effects pedals rather than built-in amp effects.
In terms of the similarities, both amps have a built-in tuner, are footswitch compatible and have a headphone jack and AUX input.
| Champion 40 | Crush 35RT | |
| Wattage | 40W | 35W |
| Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Controls | Gain Bass Treb Voice | Gain Bass Mids Treb |
| Effects | 12 | 1 |
| Speaker | 1 x 12” | 1 x 10” |
| FX Loop | No | Yes |
| Tuner | Yes | Yes |
| Foot Pedal Compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $250 | $300 |
Here are more comparisons you might find useful:
Fender Champion vs Marshall MG
Orange Crush vs Marshall MG