Fender Champ

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blackba

blackba

Well-known member
I am GASing for a small tube amp and looking at a Blackface Fender champ or early silverface champ. Maybe even one of those Champion 600's fender recently released.

Anyone have any experience with Champs?

I am looking for a light grab and go amp....
 
My buddy has one that I love to play everytime I visit. Its a old Silver face Vibro champ that's just really fun to play because you can crank them all the way up and it doesnt get super loud. get a good OD pedal and u have a great little small gigging amp or home practice.
 
Does that Vibro champ have the stock speaker or has it been replaced?

The only thing that is holding me back slightly is the small 8" speaker (6.5" for champion 600 ). I do have a number of 4ohm cabs I can run it through when I am at home though.....
 
I've had a few Champs and Vibrochamps throughout the years. They're very cool amps. SF & BF Champs/VCs have enough room to fit a 10" speaker. You just need to cut the baffle, which is a very simple deal as the speaker cloth pops off the front. On tweed Champs, you're pretty much stuck with a small speaker unless you plug into a cab.

Of the Champs I had, the BF and SF amps had more headroom and were louder than the Tweeds. I especially liked the tremelo on the SF VC I had (tube driven). The Tweed amps are sweeter sounding and start clipping a lot sooner, but they cost quite a bit.

I haven't played through the new Champ 600, but noticed that they lack a recto valve....which was a disappointment for me. They could sound great for all I know; however, IMO, there's a lot of cooler amps out there for around the same price.

Try searching for Supro, Valco, Silvertone, Wards, Sears, etc.. The Supro/Valco amps are especially cool!
 
blackba":51934 said:
Does that Vibro champ have the stock speaker or has it been replaced?

The only thing that is holding me back slightly is the small 8" speaker (6.5" for champion 600 ). I do have a number of 4ohm cabs I can run it through when I am at home though.....
Click to expand...

I honestly don't know, sorry.
 
I am a big fan of small low watt tube amps. I have a 5 watt amp Les Paul Jr and the matching guitar that is very loud for 5 watts. My main amp is a 59 Guild 20 watt and is plenty loud for my style and gig at church. Neil Young uses a 20 watt deluxe and rocks for an old guy. You gotta mike them to play out but you gotta mike most amps for a large room anyway.
 
I have actually place an old silvetone amp, not bad, kind of ratting sounding. My buddy has an old silvertone head, no idea what model or year.

I came across a blackface champ from '67 for $475 shipped, is that a good deal or should I keep looking?
 
I ran into a Fender Bronco last week for $275 at a Mom and Pop store here in town. He said it was a 68 or 69. It was a Silverface....

I hadn't heard of the Bronco so I came home and googled it....Basically,its a rebranded Vibrochamp. Same circuit, looks, everything but the name.

I went back the next day and missed closing time by 30 minutes. I went back Saturday and he closed early. I'm going back tommorrow and BUY that amp.

8^)
Wade
 
I run a TS-9 into the front of mine. I have thought of making it my main rig. How easy it would be to set up. I did not know a ten inch would fit, very cool J. I ripped the speaker trying to get it out and have not replaced it yet. Thanx. The old champs sound killer. I have a silver face.
 
This '67 Champ I am looking at is 100% original, so I will need to replace the power chord. Is it possible that the 40 caps don't need to be replaced if it is sounding okay.

Its not a vibrochamp either, but I don't really need vibrato I have it on 2 other amps....
 
Is it better to get a weber 8" speaker for a champ or change the baffle and put a 10" weber speaker in the champ?
 
The Champ to get IMHO is the superchamp. Those are little fire breathers, thank you Paul Rivera.

I was looking hard at silverfaces last summer but couldn't come to grips with $300+ at the time. I suppose they're escalating in value every year...
 
I finally got to the store on time......68-69 Fender Bronco...talked him down to $250 plus tax....someone has already put a 3 prong plug on it..other than that ..it seems to be all original. I likey!!

8^)
Wade

Wadesamp005.jpg

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Wadesamp001.jpg
 
blackba":dbc89 said:
I have actually place an old silvetone amp, not bad, kind of ratting sounding. My buddy has an old silvertone head, no idea what model or year.

I came across a blackface champ from '67 for $475 shipped, is that a good deal or should I keep looking?
Click to expand...

There's lots of options out there for a champ on the budget, I personally wouldn't spend 475 for a blackface, not a bad amp by any means but the champ circuit is so simple I would just build one.
http://acruhl.freeshell.org/mga/schemat ... champ1.jpg
There's the layout for a tweed, it doesn't get much easier than that. There's all kind of kits out there but you could piece one together for cheap. I've seen guys use a small thick baking pan for the chassis. Build one and have fun, you could make a working little head for cheap.
 
Nigel Tufnel":9ca6f said:
There's lots of options out there for a champ on the budget, I personally wouldn't spend 475 for a blackface, not a bad amp by any means but the champ circuit is so simple I would just build one.
http://acruhl.freeshell.org/mga/schemat ... champ1.jpg
There's the layout for a tweed, it doesn't get much easier than that. There's all kind of kits out there but you could piece one together for cheap. I've seen guys use a small thick baking pan for the chassis. Build one and have fun, you could make a working little head for cheap.
Click to expand...

I thought about building one from a kit, but right now I don't have the time to do it and so I would rather just restore an old amp. I just saw a '73 vibrochamp that someone made into a head with 2 8" speakers in the cab. Pretty cool looking little rig....
 
blackba":a7fc0 said:
This '67 Champ I am looking at is 100% original, so I will need to replace the power chord. Is it possible that the 40 caps don't need to be replaced if it is sounding okay.

Its not a vibrochamp either, but I don't really need vibrato I have it on 2 other amps....
Click to expand...

Everytime I changed out the filter caps it made a significant improvement. Even when things sounded good to begin with. ...just saying... The replacement of the can cap on the BF/SF Champ is a very simple operation, too. VibroWorld carried direct replacements.

I don't know what the going rates are for the BF champs, but if I had the choice, I'd go for the cheaper SF. The Weber Sig speakers are really cheap and they sound great as well. I have an 8" in my tweed Champ and a 10" in my Supro. If you end up getting the BF, and if it is 100% original, I don't think I'd cut the baffle for a larger speaker. However, to be honest, I do much prefer the sound of the larger speaker.
 
Mudder":3c698 said:
The Champ to get IMHO is the superchamp. Those are little fire breathers, thank you Paul Rivera.

I was looking hard at silverfaces last summer but couldn't come to grips with $300+ at the time. I suppose they're escalating in value every year...
Click to expand...

You do realize that the SuperChamps are going for ~$750, right?
 
wader2k":981e4 said:
I finally got to the store on time......68-69 Fender Bronco...talked him down to $250 plus tax....someone has already put a 3 prong plug on it..other than that ..it seems to be all original. I likey!!

8^)
Wade
Click to expand...

SWEET!!
 
argonaut4":7d92f said:
Everytime I changed out the filter caps it made a significant improvement. Even when things sounded good to begin with. ...just saying... The replacement of the can cap on the BF/SF Champ is a very simple operation, too. VibroWorld carried direct replacements.

I don't know what the going rates are for the BF champs, but if I had the choice, I'd go for the cheaper SF. The Weber Sig speakers are really cheap and they sound great as well. I have an 8" in my tweed Champ and a 10" in my Supro. If you end up getting the BF, and if it is 100% original, I don't think I'd cut the baffle for a larger speaker. However, to be honest, I do much prefer the sound of the larger speaker.
Click to expand...

If I got a silverface I would want to get a drip edge ('67-'69). I have 2 other drip edge fenders, that's about the only reason. No matter what champ I would get I would make a new baffle and leave the stock one alone. I heard its the grill cloth is just stuck on the baffle, if its on there like a normal amp I could just get some more grill cloth and cover the new speaker baffle.

Are the super champs more money cause they have reverb, 10" speaker and are about 18Watts?
I am still thinking for me a Champ will be fine, spending up to $750 is a more than I have at the moment....
 
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