The Champ model used the most primitive design for a Fender amp. It was intended as a budget amplifier for students and begirners, and the typical Champ uses a single 6V6GT or 6L6GC power tube. It has a single-ended power stage with a large amount of second-harmonic distortion. This gives the Champ a sound often described as "soft" and "lush." The Champ's small and cheap output transformer saturates easily and gives a poor low-frequency response. Early Chanps used 6V6GTs, were extremely primitive, with no feedback, while later models have more complex circuits with loop feedback.
In spite of their crudeness these early Champs are now very collectable, with a design has been much copied by others. The Champ's sound is a rock-n-roll standard, typical of many low-cost amps used in those early recordings.
The first Champ was introduced in 1948 and the series was discontinued in 1982 (although an updated version was introduced in 2006 as part of the "Vintage Modified" line). Most tweed and all blackface amps are easy to date, but silverface amps are more difficult. If the amplifier still has the original speaker there should be a code, usually six digits, stamped on it. You should be able to roughly date your amp using this code.
Fender Champ 12The Fender Champ 12 was launched in 1987, the first of a new series of USA made tube amps. This was one of the first product released by the new Fender Corporation following the purchase from CBS. The Champ 12 was small in size and was designed as a practice amplifer. Production was moved to Mexico in 1990 and the Champ was discontinued a few years later. The earliest ones had black control knobs - these were soon changed to red. | |
No image yet | FENDER CHAMP 5E1In 1954 the Champion 600 designation was dropped and the control-plate logo changed to Champ-Amp. Possibly these first Champ-Amps would have had the 5C1 circuits.
Then in 1955 the amp's controls were moved to the top, reflecting a chassis change, and the circuitry modified quite a bit. By 1955 Fender started putting its amps in the "Narrow Panel" tweed
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No image yet | FENDER CHAMP 5F1The 5F1 version of the Fender Champ was introduced in 1956 and had an 8 inch speaker. This version had a slightly larger cabinet to accommodate the bigger speaker. The 5F1 circuit was also more powerfu; than the original Champion 800 circuit, rated at around 5 watts. |
No image yet | FENDER CHAMP BLACKFACE / SILVERFACE
In 1964 the Champ's circuitry and cosmetics were changed again. The controls were moved to the front like the other Fender amps of the time, and the tweed was replaced with black Tolex. So in 1964 the Champ became a blackface amp. Some 1964 Champs were built with the 5F1 circuits, tweed-era cabinet This model (called the AA764) was in production until 1982. The Vibro-Champ was introduced in 1964: a Champ with an added tremolo circuit and also lasted until 1982. |
No image yet | FENDER CHAMP IIIn 1982 Fender hired Paul Rivera (of Rivera Amplification) to help design amplifiers with a modern sound. Amplifier sales were decreasing. One of the Rivera models was the Champ II, introduced in 1982. It had a 10 speaker, master volume and 18-watt output. |
FENDER CHAMPION 600The Champion 600 (now with a 6" speaker) used circuit designation 5B1. It was rated at about 3 watts, and had a "T.V. Front" style cabinet with two-tone blonde & brown vinyl covering. | |
FENDER CHAMPION 600 REISSUEIn 2006, Fender reissued the Champion 600. It looks similar to the original Champion 600 model, but it has a modifed blackface Champ circuit (with the settings of the tone-stack being hard-wired rather than adjustable via Treble and Bass controls, and a couple of additional resistors reducing input-stage gain). It also has solid-state rectification instead of the original 5Y3 vacuum tube. The reissue model has the TV-front with two-tone tolex and speaker grille cloth of imitation suede. | |
No image yet | FENDER CHAMPION 800The Champion 800 was introduced in 1948. It had an 8" speaker. The naming scheme used for later models suggests this amplifier used circuit designation 5A1. It was rated at about 4 watts, with a greenish tweed covering. It was soon replaced by the Champion 600 model in 1949. |
FENDER SUPER CHAMPThis was the second Paul Rivera designed Champ. It was essentially a Champ II with a second, lead channel and reverb. These are great amps! |
Specifications:
Model | Image | Made in |
---|---|---|
Fender Champ 12 1987 to 1992 | Mexico, USA | |
FENDER CHAMP 5E1 1954 to 1956 | No image yet | - |
FENDER CHAMP 5F1 1956 to 1964 | No image yet | - |
FENDER CHAMP BLACKFACE / SILVERFACE 1964 to 1982 | No image yet | - |
FENDER CHAMP II 1982 to 1983 | No image yet | - |
FENDER CHAMPION 600 1949 to 1954 | - | |
FENDER CHAMPION 600 REISSUE 2006 | - | |
FENDER CHAMPION 800 1948 to 1949 | No image yet | - |
FENDER SUPER CHAMP 1982 to 1985 | - |
Model | Grill Cloth | Number of channels | Number of speakers | Speaker brand and model | Speaker size |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fender Champ 12 1987 to 1992 | Silver face grill cloth | 2 Channels | 1 speaker | Fender designed | 12" speaker(s) |
FENDER CHAMP 5E1 1954 to 1956 | - | - | - | - | - |
FENDER CHAMP 5F1 1956 to 1964 | - | - | - | - | - |
FENDER CHAMP BLACKFACE / SILVERFACE 1964 to 1982 | - | - | - | - | - |
FENDER CHAMP II 1982 to 1983 | - | - | - | - | - |
FENDER CHAMPION 600 1949 to 1954 | - | - | - | - | - |
FENDER CHAMPION 600 REISSUE 2006 | - | - | - | - | - |
FENDER CHAMPION 800 1948 to 1949 | - | - | - | - | - |
FENDER SUPER CHAMP 1982 to 1985 | - | - | - | - | - |
Model | Controls material |
---|---|
Fender Champ 12 1987 to 1992 | black controls, red controls |
FENDER CHAMP 5E1 1954 to 1956 | - |
FENDER CHAMP 5F1 1956 to 1964 | - |
FENDER CHAMP BLACKFACE / SILVERFACE 1964 to 1982 | - |
FENDER CHAMP II 1982 to 1983 | - |
FENDER CHAMPION 600 1949 to 1954 | - |
FENDER CHAMPION 600 REISSUE 2006 | - |
FENDER CHAMPION 800 1948 to 1949 | - |
FENDER SUPER CHAMP 1982 to 1985 | - |
Model | Number of signal inputs | Number of signal outputs |
---|---|---|
Fender Champ 12 1987 to 1992 | 2 inputs | 2 outputs |
FENDER CHAMP 5E1 1954 to 1956 | - | - |
FENDER CHAMP 5F1 1956 to 1964 | - | - |
FENDER CHAMP BLACKFACE / SILVERFACE 1964 to 1982 | - | - |
FENDER CHAMP II 1982 to 1983 | - | - |
FENDER CHAMPION 600 1949 to 1954 | - | - |
FENDER CHAMPION 600 REISSUE 2006 | - | - |
FENDER CHAMPION 800 1948 to 1949 | - | - |
FENDER SUPER CHAMP 1982 to 1985 | - | - |