A True 'Time Capsule' Amp: 1979 Fender Silverface Champ
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- This video features both an interesting story and a very interesting 1979 Fender Champ, that apparently has been in storage for over 30 years and is in virtually pristine, original condition. The amp is evaluated thoroughly, inside and out, and subjected to a sound check both clean and with a Dani-Sonic 6G15 Clone Reverb Tank.
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Thanks for watching !!!
That reverb is dripping with tone!!!
Glad you liked it, RM.
The Champ is a phenomenal amplifier. I got a brand new one for Christmas in 1979 and just had to replace the tubes three years ago.
I can tell you that amp is in BEAUTIFUL shape.
One thing I noticed with your amp is that both rear panels are perfect rectangles.
The top panel should be a little "taller" with corners on the bottom part that flare out with a diagonal taper.
You mentioned "contact cement" on the panels. There was no such adhesive on my amp's top panel when I removed it to change the tubes.
If you search images attached to sale listings you will see how the back's top panel is shaped differently. Amusingly, I've seen several with the panel upside down with the flares on the top which tells me that panel had been removed at least once in the lifetimes of those particular amps. I've purchased roughly a dozen amps in my life and each purchase was an attempt to find something that sounded as good as the Champ but was more powerful. I never did. I finally found something close in a Vox AC15C1.
I guess there's a reason it's called "The Champ".
Yes, indeed, LPD. Thanks for your input.
What a sweet amp and a fortuitous find !! That's the stuff most of us can only dream about !! Love your sense of humor Doug; and your taste in music. Golden era!! Thanks for reminding me not to sneeze around my amps !!
Thanks, Donald. Some days things just work out well, and this was one of them. I met the guy at a truck stop on the Texas-NM border and half expected him to pull a gun and rob me.....but the lure of a nice old amp made the risk worth taking :))
Give a grown man reverb and... Rusty would not approve. That is a sweet find. I love my '76 Vibro Champ but it wouldn't hold a candle to the condition of your little beauty. Congrats!
Thanks, Chris.
Great video, thanks for sharing! I found one of these gems on the local listings for $125 a few years ago. 1976 Mint condition, barely used back in the 80's and kept in the closet for more than 20 years! Haven't plugged it in for a year or so. I think it's time!
Wow......I'll bet it sounds as good as it looks, S. Good luck.
Great Surf tone thru the reverb! Just became a Patreon-keep up the fantastic. work. You are one of my top three favorite teachers.
Thanks, Frank. Welcome aboard :)
You're right about the low end from the little 8" speaker.....it really is impressive; while the slide switch isn't that great. Thanks for watching and posting some good comments, Frank.
Pretty clean, congratulations!
The blackface era Champ to silverface era Champ didn't change internally at all, except for a few minor thing's.
The one thing I did notice on your Champ back was that in 1979 or somewhere's?
The top rear panel board is identical to the rear bottom board and does not have the cat or dog ears going up to the top covering the outside of the rear chassis.
I have a 1976 Champ that I rescued from a pawnshop back in 1992-3 and it has the cat ears going up the outter sides to the top.
I cannot remember if mine had one of those flat front plates or if it was one of those plastic bubble types that was in bad shape and I removed it or not?
I must have, because mine does not have a faceplate.
It had an alnico Oxford that was shot, so I replaced it with a vintage ceramic magnet Jensen 220206, all particleboard cab.
The front chassis has the metal toggle on off switch.
The electronics were bone stock, so I just played it.
True story, right after I aquired this little Champ, some buddy of mine gave me a tube screamer pedal at the time, as he was a big fan of the great SRV of Texas and Stevie used these. Well, I'm not really a pedal person outside of unique wahs, echo or groovy fuzz pedals. Reluctantly, I told him I would give it a whirl.
The following situation was bizarre to say the least.
I'm in a small town, in a single stall wood garage probably from the early 40's with an earth floor and an AC outlet on a warm Sunday afternoon with all the doors closed near an alley.
I've got a Charvel strat clone with single coils to run this set up, that I should have kept, because the guitar sounded really good, but I traded it, etc. : (
I've got this rig cranked up and the pedal on squeezing everything that I can get out of it for about 20 minutes.
I pause between riffs and someone is knocking on the garage door, so I take the guitar off and open the door and step out and it's a police officer!
I spoke first and said you got to be kidding me? He said NOPE, we got a complaint about the noise from a neighbor.
Could you please hold it down or go down by the river? LOL!
I'm not breaking any noise ordinance, I'm on private property and in a garage on a Sunday afternoon, sir. He says, well she's trying to take a nap, etc.
You remember when captain Kirk and Spock were caught inbetween places in the teleporter transport zone and their particles were floating in and out? That's what I was feeling at that moment.
He leaves and I'm too bewildered to do anything but unplug and go in the house. Later on I got rid of the tube screamer in a deal, never liked that compression sound anyways. I always share this story with guitarists and the only ones that were able to top it were some friends of mine in the same town who were an acoustic guitar duo, that were shut down for playing acoustic sitting outside one evening while playing for the public downtown.
No PA, just acoustic guitars.
After that, I just had to move away from there.
I do miss being right next to the big river though, LOL.
Thanks for the short story, Amo :)
I think reverb just makes everything sound better :)
Leo Fender is a gawwwwwd. I watched this video and grabbed my long board to go surf Lake Travis. This Halloween, I'm dressing up as a Silverface Fender Amp - everyone will love me! Thanks Uncle Doug. You always entertain and educate me.
How fitting uncle Doug..
I have a '78 champ that has a fitting history. I was taught to play as a youngster by a few family friends... Uncles Kim and willie.
Kim was given this amp from his uncle Roy when he passed. We played that amp every weekend in Kim's river shack. Unfortunately, we had pushed this amp a bit to hard and left it on all night. I was given the amp as a gift and sent it to repair. Tubes, caps, and one new tube socket later.... Uncle Roy's Champ wails once again! She really screams at '10'.
Great video!
+cole glasscock Thanks, Cole, and thanks for sharing the story of your '78 Champ. It's great when amps have a long family history. I'm glad to hear that you tuned it up and that it's back, wailing again :)
Jeez.....Some people just can't be pleased. If I played it with Vibrato you would probably have whined about no Reverb. :))))) Seriously, Dave, thanks for watching.
These are incredibly great little amps. I was blessed to find one at $100 (VibroChamp), and I gave it to my then-grown son, who LOVED it. Class A, IIRC. You can make another baffle board for it for a 10" Weber (10F150) and a larger OT, and it really beefs it up. Good as is, though. This one, is quite nice.
You are a lucky duck, uncle Doug.
Indeed, KW......Quack !!
Nice find . They have really went up in value .
Chuck Elkins, your comment had no reply capability, so I'll respond here. I did some checking and was unable to find a 1979 Fender retail price list. Perhaps a viewer can provide this information. I would guess around $150 to $200. Meanwhile, thanks for the kind words. Rusty and I are glad you like our little Champ :)
What a gem? Well done Doug. After hearing that little champ over headphones, it has a lovely sweet sound and I was very impressed
Thanks, BB. Rusty and I really appreciate your kind appraisal.
Give rusty a biscuit for me
as always UD, a rocking great demo.
Thanks so much, Dave.....glad you liked it :)
Oooh! that reverb sounds nice! That drip!
Thanks, Ian.
Amazing find wow!! Your right a true time capsule! Wish all vintage fender amps were in this condition. I love the vintage silverface fender amps. Museum quality i say!! Sounds great too! Nothing like todays newer cheaper fender champ amps!
Thanks so much, GH :)
Great show... I have a 1957 tweed reissue Champ, they are amazing amps. Love the Dick Dale tone.
Thanks, George :)
"Again, I guess this one's headed for the dump..." Lmao! 😝 Enjoyable video, Thank You Sir for posting 😄✌🏻❤️
Yep....If you ever do have any amps for the dump, I'll take them there for you ;)
@@UncleDoug Ha! 😝 Lol ✌🏻
Thanks for your input, Omegalen. I have a bunch of good, used, vintage 6V6's, and may well follow your advice. It would be a shame to wear out the original tube.
Thanks, BT. I'm glad you liked it.
Thanks, Dan. I really appreciate it.
Wow what a find ...............man i can't wait until i get my 1996 blues jr tweed back from the shop i ve tried playing my transtube peavey but its no tube amp........ your site is awesome
Thanks so much, DS. I've had several Blues Jr.'s and they are wonderful amplifiers. I hope it gets back to you soon, and in great shape. Good luck.
Oh, man! I bought one of those amps off of eBay a dozen years or so back.
No hiss. No hum.
None.
Really awesome tone.
Thought I was making a killer move when I sold it in tripled the price I paid for it.
And have regretted it ever since...
Been there....done that :(
Ah! The voice of Uncle Doug!
I pray that you and yours are well.
Never better, MH. Thanks for asking :)
Truly a flawless specimen. While I am disappointed you didn't dive in deeper I totally understand your hesitation to do so.. However I just finished restoring the exact amp '77 model and those Champs are biased insanely hot. With the stock 470 ohm bias resistor, the one I did had a plate dissipation of 19.5 watts and still had all the original Fender special designed tubes. I am astounded that the 40+ year old 6V6 still tested very strong. As I did a recapping of the amp I also decided to lower the dissipation to 15 watts as the customer will use the amp to gig regularly and I hope lowering the bias will improve the reliability. But I have to wonder what Fender amp designers know that we don't when it comes to amp design and what an appropriate bias on their amps should be.
Thanks, Bill. I agree that Fender sent these out with ridiculous plate dissipation levels. I tend to bias quite conservatively, in the 10W to 11W range, and find the tone to be as good or better, with cooler operation and extended (modern) tube life.
That red power cable end was Fenders sneaky way of telling us what was coming in the future... Red knob amps ! LOL!
I would never own an amp with a notch in the tube chart ! I would of junked this :-P hehe
Agreed, CT. It went in the Dumpster the moment the video was done ;)
Thanks, Philo. I'm glad you liked it.
The only disagreement with these videos (my opinion) are the issues with these "flaws" on the look. I would own an amp in a heartbeat and use it even it looked beat up and was scratched. As long as it works, I'm good. But aside of that, good job on finding this, man.
+Dak's Entertainment Center I agree, Dak, and own a bunch of amps with all sorts of cosmetic issues reflecting their age and use. It's just nice to find one, every once in a while, that still looks like new. Thanks for your input.
Uncle Doug Oh, no doubt, man! Finding a solid condition one is pretty nice. And yeah, man.
Sounds great...what a find...I'm looking for your video on the reverb...that is cool...thank you uncle Doug...
Thanks, Eddie :)
That 8" speaker just blew me away. I'm staggered. I don't like 10" speakers and admittedly I'm not widely experienced with them, but I had a little prejudice about them building up. The tiny titan in this amp has sent me to school.
I agree, IP. In person, the speaker is physically unimpressive with a tiny little ceramic magnet.....you probably wouldn't pay $5 for it at a garage sale......but it sure does work well. I too was pleasantly surprised.
Another great episode. May I humbly request when panning across the inside of the chassis to see the components that you slow the pan rate so we can get a good view of the build. Keep up the good work, it takes me back to sixties when I first bought an amp and started to play in a band.Valve amps - you would get to a gig and hope when you went from standby to on, all the valves worked. Eventually we could afford to take a case of spares.
Thanks, Al. I will definitely keep your suggestion in mind for future videos. Thanks for watching and for your helpful input.
Very nice find; amazing condition and it sounds great, wonderful score.
+John Cunningham Thanks, John. It's a real "one owner" gem.....now "two-owner" I guess :)
Wish I grabbed a dozen of them back when they were so easily gotten. Beauty practice (and studio) amp. Thanks, Uncle. (Say aloha to the critters for me 🤙)
Thanks, D. Agreed :) Will do.
WOW its like a page out of my yearbook! Fender Champ '79 ?! Holy Cow!
A good year indeed :)
I have one of these, owned it since 1982 never had any issues with it, great little practice amp… oh and Rusty is a legend!
They are indeed great little amps, FT......just like Rusty is a great little pup ^. .^ Thanks for watching !!
What a sweet find, Uncle D. I've been thinking of building a modified version of one of these. Sadly, since Fender has started building reissues of silverfaces, they're not all that affordable any more!
+Alva Goldbook Thanks, Alva. Good luck with your project, if you decide to proceed.
wow doug, quite the find! sounds awesome solo and like a dream with that 6G15!
Thanks, Tom. I'm glad you like it :))
What a wonderful find.
Thanks, Ed. There are still some jewels out there, waiting to be found.
What a nice find - you lucky dog! :)
Thanks :)
Great find Doug! I am in the process of building a 5F1 from scratch! (not from a kit).
Thanks for sharing!!
You're welcome, Chris. Please see my video series on scratch building a Fender Champ from scrap parts.
Uncle Doug I checked it out! Great stuff!!
I really liked the DPDT with the 4&8ohm taps. I would never have thought of that!
I want to try driving the OPT with your variable negative feedback loop trick! I will probably add it shortly after the holidays.
I have a question about driving the transformer like that. How much is too much? I mean it would be pretty easy to cook the windings in that manner, correct?! I am not afraid to fry it in the name of tone and R&D, but I'm just looking for some insight on that.
I bought an identical amp years ago at an auction, and if I ever really learn to play guitar I'll try it out! I enjoy your vids, even though my knowledge of electronics is minimal. Your voice reminds me a bit of Garner Ted Armstrong (a name from the past).
Greetings, Ron. I have to admire a man who buys an amplifier even though he doesn't play the guitar :) Please keep watching the videos and maybe you'll get inspired to start playing.
I vaguely remember Garner Ted. As I recall he was a (real outspoken) evangelist. Maybe I'll start passing the collection tray after I post each new video :)))
Pipeline sounded great! Your reverb tank captured the 'verb quite nicely,
+kcrmson Thanks, Cory. Glad you liked it :)
Red plug! I was wondering what was up with that on my Champ. Great score!
I have one just like it, the one I have is almost as nice came out of a church closet and sounds wonderful! Now I need a Fender Reverb unit
The 6G15 is a great unit to have, JB. It can give Fender reverb to any amp.
Uncle Doug I once rescued a Yaesu FL2100B amp from a trash can, it works great.
Thanks, Nancy, and good luck with the Trick or Treating. Next year you might consider going as a Tweed Fender Amp, just for a change of pace.....:)
"If you sneezed, 30 feet away"; so true...
Greetings, DA. Yep, those silver face amp panels definitely are fragile :)
Truly a museum piece. Congrats on your find
Thanks, Joe. I'm glad you liked it :))
Thanks for watching, CD.
Admit it you didn't find this amp. You said " Rusty fetch" and he showed up 15 minutes later with this gently caressed in his powerful jaws.
It generally worked just the opposite......he would disappear with one of my amps, and then reappear with a steak bone. He was trading with a neighbor's son :)
Yep, that red plug is indeed typical. I just got in a 77 Vibro-Champ for repair and it has the same plug. Great videos and great humor, please keep 'em coming!
Thanks, AB. I too have seen more of these strange red plugs on Silverface Fenders. Apparently, this is the original plug for the amp, even though it does look odd. Maybe Fender got a better deal on red plugs, since no one else wanted them :)
Never fear, Rusty and I will do our best to keep on posting videos, so thanks for watching.......and stay tuned ^. .^
Ha ha, either that or some chain hardware store went out of business during that era and made Fender an offer they couldn't refuse. They sure do look awful, I have to say!
Rusty thinks they look like an "appendage" found on male dogs..... ^. .^
Rusty is correct! LOL
Not sure when they started using the red 3-prong ac plugs, but maybe around '73? I own both a '78 vibro champ and a '79 deluxe reverb with the same red 3-prong ac plug. As far as I can tell, it seems that Fender actually started using the 3-prong red plugs much earlier, as I saw a '73 champ at an auction the other day and it had the same red ac plug (assuming, of course, that it hadn't been replaced). The common failure with these (which is more of a cosmetic issue than electrical) is that the outer cord covering/insulation tends to shrink and pull away from the plug, leaving a gap between the end of the insulation and the plug. Anyway, once they're plugged in and fired up, the color of that plug is of no concern to me whatsoever ;)
"To the dump" lol which dump-- I will be there!
It's a Dumpster behind the local WalMart, Julian......but Rusty and I generally remove all the good parts before discarding the husk :)
Always thought Blackface was overhyped.....loved the demo.... all that reverb and "pipeline" good job great find!
+Ron Gay Thanks, Ron. Glad you liked it . On the smaller Fender amps, there is virtually no difference between the BF and SF circuits. As a result, you can get BF tone at a SF price.....which is nice :)
Love your vids.. can not wait for the new ones Doug!
Thanks!
Greetings, Omegalen. I have both a Jensen C8R (in an Airline amp) and the Oxford in the Champ, and although I have never directly compared them (i.e. both being powered by the same amp) I will say that I have never heard a better sounding 8" speaker than the Oxford. Bear in mind, however, that re-coning may alter its tone a bit (especially at first), so its hard to predict if it would be worth it.
I picked up a NOS Vibro Champ from a music store that was going out of business. Somehow the VC was put "upstairs" and was never sold. Mine is a '79. I got it and a Deluxe Reverb that was in for repair for $100.
Bbendfender I can see why the music store was going out of business......virtually giving away valuable merchandise has never been the key to success :) I guess the DR owner had never come back for the amp. At least it and the VC ended up in good hands :) Which reminds me of a lurid tale from the past:
Many years ago, when I was restoring antique jukeboxes full time, I took some parts to a chrome shop. While there, they asked me if I wanted to buy all of the jukebox parts they had chromed (over many years) but had never been picked up by the owners. It was an all-or-nothing deal and I was a little apprehensive......being a cynic and pessimist, I naturally assume the worst. They took me to a dimly lit storage room in the bowels (literally) of the chrome shop and as my eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness (and toxic fumes) I almost fainted. The shelves were crammed with beautifully replated classic Wurlitzer and Rock-ola jukebox parts......thousands of dollars worth (even if unplated).
Fortunately, the toxic fumes acted like smelling salts and I was able to maintain my composure, as I meekly asked "How much?"
"$250 and you have to take everything.....not one penny less". I probably ripped the back pocket out of my Levi's retrieving my wallet, counted out the $250, and then proceeded to cram my car full of rare and very valuable parts and castings. One of my better days :)
Uncle Doug Actually the music store had been in business forever almost. The old man's wife had died and they had no children. They were just selling everything. I made 5 trips to the store on consecutive Saturdays and loaded my truck. I paid about $100 per pickup load. I did well.
Love it ! It's gonna stay the way God and Leo intended. Beautiful inside out especially the tone.
Thanks, Mike.....glad you liked it :)
What a awesome find, this amp is worth a lot! The original Frank Zappa Joe's Garage amp...
Craig Diamond Thanks, Craig.....glad you liked the video and the amp :)
thass kinda funny; i've always covetted a Silver-face .. they're such an urban myth amp. Lucky u on such a find .. love the stories that go with vintage amps, gtrs & gear. I've got a 77 silveface with the original spkr swapped out 4 a WG8C. All the demos I've watched sound "chimier" than mine .. granted my gtr's a humbucker. My "clean" is "creamier" .. breakup is smooth tho'. Mmmm, I think I love my "new-old" Champ. Has a surprisingly big sound. would sound different on carpet-2-timber deck porch-2-polished timber studio.
Thanks, Jock. Glad you enjoy the tales :)
Amazing what you can find out there... all you have to do is keep your eyes open... Nice!
+Eric Swanson Thanks, Eric :)
Beautiful machine - great find!
+TheOldgeezah Thanks, OG. We obviously have a lot in common :)......including an appreciation for nice old amps.
The designs in those days were unsophisticated but still had great subtlety. No real need for unnecessary whistles and bells just an emphasis on great sound. It speaks volumes that many players today are content to use a low wattage, hand wired boutique amps, simply miked. What was good in the day is just as good now.
Amen, OG. I agree wholeheartedly.
.I love it .just surprised Rusty didn't get more excited.
Thanks, Stephen. Rusty is tough to please sometimes ;)
Boy I’ll tell ya’ that was fun and entertainment that I would choose over most major production TV shows. You’re a great solo act Uncle Doug!
...Oh! Sorry. I almost forgot the house pet sidekicks. They play a great supporting act. ( not an act .. I know). Uh oh, now rambling.
Good show!
Thanks so much, RRG, from me and all the furry crew :)
Beautiful! What a find! Great story for you: A few years ago, I landed a silverface Bronco Amp at a rummage sale for $30. Nice shape, as it was literally owned by an old lady who only used it occasionally for her odd old Yamaha electric piano. I did my due diligence, suggesting more than once to the seller that it was probably worth about $400, and that they should put it up for auction. I asked again what they wanted for it, and they said $30, so I said I thought I could manage to take it off their hands for them. Been learning more and more about it since then. Bronco is, of course, a re-branded VibroChamp, originally packaged with a Bronco guitar. Drip edge shows it's a '68. Blackline-silverface suggests it's sort of in the transition between blackface and silverface. And the thing just checked, that came of what I've learned from watching your vids: it's the earlier, blackface circuit. I think I scored!
I think so too, Ed, and I'm impressed by your honest treatment of the original owner. I tend to run into opposite situations, where some joker has a Fender Squier with a warped neck and is asking $1200 because it looks like one that Eric Clapton had ;)
Uncle Doug # man that's funny... it happens to me all the time and then after that tell you they won't take a penny less and get real angry with you because they act like you insulted them no but the thing and it sits on Craigslist for over a year because they keep reposting the ad they are sure they have struck gold but no one ever buy s it . funny.
@EdMuse1122 The circuit in the Silverface champ/vibro champ is the same as the blackface/drip edge model, i think, except it uses a Princeton power transformer (correct me if i'm wrong Uncle Doug) which can run the power tube quite hot, i changed the bias resistor in mine (81' vibro) to fix that issue. Nice score indeed!
@@withmygoodeyeclosed According to Fenderguru the BF/SF Champ/VibroChamp were all the AA764 circuit and the only changes through 82 were wire, caps and speakers used. I have a '78 and love it. Of the 5 amps I have, it gets 90% of my home playing/practice use. I use a Holy Grail+ into it for reverb.
I have one that I found out on the curb for the trash pickup about 30 years ago and the only thing wrong with it was that the speaker wire connection was missing, along with the upper back panel. Someone had jacked into the amp head and there was a thin RCA mono plug with nothing connected. - other than that it’s in good condition. Not perfect but definitely “Good”.
Thanks for sharing, OS :)
I sure hope this amp found a good home that will take care of it.
It did, Dan.....I still have it and am taking really good care of it. Thanks for your input :)
Traded my fender hot rod deville for one of these. Can’t believe how much better this small combo sounds compared to modern fenders
I agree, DF. The moment they decided to go with PCB's, the magic was gone.
Lovely amps.. I have a 1978.. genuine 'coz I bought it new back then.. though I changed a tube about 15 years ago... little bit more drive.
Thanks, T :)
What a score. Great video Doug.
Hi Doug, it looks like this amp is good find! I have the same amp in my recording studio, 95% of the sessions are done on it. Even tough the audio is picked up with the camera mic, it's plain to hear that this amp has a really nice tone! I can't get over the low end the little 8 inch has! My only gripe about the champs are the little RCA plug for the speaker, and the cheesy slide switch for the power instead of the usual bat-handle toggle...Other than that, I've found these to be reliable! :)
Cool little amp! I have a Fender 75 from the same year. Got it in lieu of gas money for a gig. Put an Eminence Legend 15 in it because the square magnet original Fender speaker had coil damage!
Thanks, Thomas. I thought the Fender 75 was offered from 1980-1982, but may be wrong. Thanks for your input.
Ooos. It is a 1980!
I agree, Henry, they do have more tone and presence than you would ever expect from an 8" speaker.
Thanks for the nice videos. I think that may be Dick Dale [King Of Surf] showing up at your driveway instead of the police once he heard your reverb unit! lol
You're welcome, Daniel, and thanks for the nice comments. If Dick shows up, Rusty and I will make him feel at home :)
I'm sure he will not be "Board". Thank You for your nice reply back to me. Take care.
If he stays for a few days, he'll have to make his own bed.....I hope he's a good carpenter ;) Will do, Daniel.
lol!
Great find!
Thanks, Raymond :)
Sounds great, Doug. One thing you can do is "Blackface" a SF Fender if you don't like the tone as much. It's a completely legit mod that typically adds value to the amp. Just my $.02.
Thanks for the input, Kevin. In this particular case, I am quite happy with the tone and am reluctant to alter such a nice, original amp. However, in less perfect (looking and sounding) amps, Fender tweed and blackface modifications really help :)
There is not much blackfacing to do on the Silverface Champ, the circuit is the same. They put in a bigger PT wich upped the voltage and runs the Power tube way over its limit.
What i did do to mine just recently is swapping the Cathode resistor out with a higher value one (680 ohms instead of the standard 470), i also changed the cap there to 22µF/40VDC and now the 6V6 runs at around 13 watts while it was running around 18/19 watts before the mod, it also overdrives much smoother, not as harsh. Also a bit more bass response. If you ever want to mod it you should give this a try Doug, it certainly benefits the tone.
*****
These seem like good suggestions, Len. I will check the plate dissipation in the Champ's 6V6. If it is indeed too high, I will definitely increase the bias resistor value (and change the bypass cap, if necessary), to lower it. Thanks for the warning.
Fender made the best sounding reverb amps in my opinion that’s a great sounding setup
Thanks, Wade. I agree.
Sounds great!Great find!
FYI this circuit is identical to the pre-CBS Champ circuit. That's why it sounds so good. CBS didn't bother to update this circuit since it was their cheapest amp offering.
Yes, CBS left most of the blackface circuits alone in their smaller amps, which makes the Silverface Champ, Princeton, and Deluxe Reverb great bargains. They were not so kind to the larger amps, unfortunately, and proceeded to degrade them with all sorts of "updates".
Yes true but in Fenders defense, the amps were not selling because people were buying amps that would overdrive and distort, and had more wattage output. To sell against such as the 100 watt Marshalls the company management raised the power and added distortion to their best amps. They were desperate to turn things around, the massive sales they had in the 60's and 70's were over. By 1980 the JCM800 was out and Fender put up the white flag and started looking for a buyer. No one was interested in paying what they had in the company and it was about to just fold up and die. The president organized the employees to buy out the company but they didn't even get the building, so for a year the only guitars they produced were either imports or made from left over parts. They paid 12.5 million, so they owed $11 for every $1 in equity.
interesting insight
Yeah those three are like the Holy Trinity of blackface circuits in silverface amps (Champ, Princeton, DR)
Hi Uncle Doug. I love your videos.....keep 'em coming! One little game I try to play at the end of some of them is to guess which song the chords you play belong to. I think I've got this one........"Dedicated Follower of Fashion" by The Kinks. I'f I'm right I'll have a stab at some others. Cheers :)
Thanks so much, Zee. You're very close....it was my version of Well Respected Man, also by the Kinks. ruclips.net/video/4WsmSgBRUe4/видео.html
Thanks Uncle Doug....well, I was close. I'll try another one later. BTW, I'm building a combo amp at the moment and your videos have been super helpful. Cheers from Sydney Australia :)
You're welcome, Zee. We're glad to hear that the videos have been helpful. Best of luck with your project.
That should cover the sales tax and part of the shipping :)))
Around 1979, I went into the same music shop John Lennon and Paul McCartney bought their guitars. As a novice,the salesman tried hard to sell me a new Champ...But no, I wanted a 100W transistorized thing with built in fuzz and everything. To this day I can remember the salesman telling his friend "he tried"....Obviously the 100W transistor amp went in the bin 30 years ago. Had I listened to the salesman, I would still have that Champ....
I'm sure we've all have those "What the heck was I thinking?" moments, Johnny. I'm still wondering what possessed me to trade in my one-owner 1965 Pontiac GTO (Tri-Power, four speed, 360 HP) on a new Toyota Corolla back around 1972. You're in good company :)
Uncle Doug Yes Doug you made an "error in judgement" with the GTO...I really enjoy your Fantastic videos!
Thanks, Johnny.....glad you enjoy them.
Hey Uncle Doug there were no changes in the circuit of the "smaller" Fender amps post-Blackface era. A Silverface Champ, Vibro Champ and Princeton will be the same as a Blackface. Stands to reason why you would be impressed. The bigger Silverface amps, for all their differences, can't be beat for clean headroom if you're an effects junkie.
MuscleDad420 I agree completely, MD. A perusal of the schematics for the smaller Fender amps reveals virtually identical circuits for both the BF and SF amps. In my opinion, this makes the SF amps, which are often available for a much lower price than the BF, a real bargain. Thanks for your input.
This was my first amp. Along with a Squier Katana. Didn't know anything about what I had. Wish I'd just stuck both in my closet and forgot about em.
Amen, S3. We all have regrets about fine items lost during our "wasted youth" :)
That really interesting. I bought a late model silver face, but the speaker in it was alnico. I would have much preferred the ceramic like you got.
Greetings, Doug (a fine name, by the way :). Some people prefer Alnico to ceramic, and vice versa, so I guess it's just a matter of personal preference. Ceramic speakers much less expensive than Alnico's ($37.50 vs $89 for 8"), so maybe you could buy a ceramic and try it out.
Uncle Doug Hello Doug:) I did change the speaker to a Weber 8A100 because the stock speaker basically had no compression at all and sounded really harsh, but my silverface was super clean like yours. I would have preferred to keep it totally stock. I guess CBS didnt know how to design alnico speakers. Anyway thanks for the response :)
Hi Uncle Doug & Rusty, I hope your all doing well. Awesome score, looks brand new! I made ( I know, a crappy chip amp, LM386 1/2 Watt ) a Ruby amp, Runoffgroove.com, and used a Jensen MOD 8", 20 Watt, 8 ohm speaker, sounds like more than 1/2 a Watt. Love this channel. Reviewing 5F1 Champ Schematic to learn about it and re-watching your videos on it and other amp related electronics. Thankyou. Take care, C.
+Cass Virgillo You're welcome, Cass. It's good to hear from you. All is quite well here at Chez Rusty, and I hope it's the same with you. Best of luck with your projects and studies.
Beautiful!
Thanks, Juan :)
Hi again Uncle Doug; just another quick note to say thank you for making these videos, I am learning a lot just from watching and I really appreciate it; and by the way, you always make me laugh out loud, thank you. By the way, a question you have probably heard many times before: what book or books about tube amplifiers do you recommend for someone like me, a total neophyte? Give Rusty a bone treat for me please:)
You're welcome, Alex. I'm glad the videos are amusing and helpful :) Gerald Weber has published several tube amp books, available on Amazon, that would be helpful. I also recommend the following Internet sites: The Valve Wizard and Aiken Amps (Technical White Papers). Rusty says thanks for the bone, and best of luck with your pursuit of knowledge.
Love the reverb.
Thanks, JC. It was one of my first home-built projects.
Just amazing 👌
Thanks, Brandon :)
Hi Doug,
I am of the same mind as you are about Silverface amps... although most of them were unchanged electrically from their blackface versions. I don't think that the Champ was subjected to the "improvements" that these amps later on... master volume, ridiculous increases in power, and other indignities. In fact, most silverface amps only changed cosmetically and substituted plywood for the earlier pine boards, since the knots in them tended to stain the Tolex as time went on, and particle board for the older plywood baffles. Frankly, I actually hated the silverface amps, since l was disappointed when Fender switched over from the old reliable blackface design.
However, even the silverface amps weren't the worst to come from Fender after Leo left the company in 1968... have you ever seen the "Solid State" amps they came out with the same year? If you haven't, I'm not that surprised... unlike the previous amps that Leo designed, these were absolute CRAP. Frankly, if any have managed to survive until today (which I doubt), I'm pretty sure they are no longer operational. CBS brought some engineers in from Ford, and they brought the "Detroit Attitude" (lets change things after a couple of years, just for shits and giggles...) with them.
+Bill Daniels I agree with your analysis, Bill. I never understood why people looked down on Silverface amps. Once you compare schematics of the models from Deluxe Reverb down (in size and wattage), It's evident that the changes were, as you mentioned, about 99% cosmetic. As a result, I quietly buy up every one I can find, at very reasonable prices, benefiting from the misguided notion that they are inferior. Thanks for your always informative input.
great find UD! I wonder how much this amp was sold for in ’79?
In 1970 the Champ cost $78.50, so by 1979 it was probably in the $100 range.
@@UncleDoug geez I bought my first guitar and amp around ‘ 76 I was 14 my mother came along, she we the money controller , I knew nothing about either of them , I just knew I loved this cherry burst Univox les Paul copy and a Univox SS amp it had reverb and tremolo , I can’t remember how much the amp was but the guitar was about 170 bucks and maybe 70 maybe, I still have that guitar , I was never happy with the guitar it was very frustrating, I had no idea that it was the guitar, but a friend let me use a fender Stratocaster and WOW ! what a difference, like night and day , from that day forward I knew that the more I pay the better I play. That’s when I bought that Stratocaster made in Japan but I love playing it .
A little Pipeline!Awesome!
Nice you are playing The Kinks.
I'm trying, James ;) Thanks for noticing :)
surf rock! nice... music would really blow if Leo never started building amps
You're right, Flip. It's hard to imagine the 60's without reverb :))
Picked up one of these this weekend. Excited to see how she sounds. Who is Dani?
You're a lucky guy, Joe. It's part of the brand name I use on my hand-built amps.
Uncle Doug the amp should arrive on Monday. Thanks for all you do. You have no idea how helpful your videos are during this stressful time. They are such a great distraction from all that is going on. I hope you are well. Joe.
@@joepeezy4sheezy You're quite welcome, Joe. You too :)
I miss that Fender Vibrato on this one.
Awesome!!!!
+Jethro Mann Thanks, JM. Glad you liked it :)
I was given one of these. it’s missing the ground prong on the plug, and it has some popping and buzzing but all in all works well.
You're a lucky guy, B14. Check/replace your plate resistors.
I did some recording in a friends studio with a Silverface Champ many years ago and I thought it would sound small, but I was wrong. It sounded very big with a close mic
Nice pickin' there Uncle Doug!!! I'm thinking (of buying) Princeton, or Champ... Champ's more realistic for me... but I'd like a little more headroom... So, probably the Princeton.... How ya doing there?
The Princeton Reverb is one of Leo's greatest creations......it can do it all. Get a Silverface version. They are virtually identical to the Blackface and cost a fraction of the price.
Thanks!
@@UncleDoug How about the re-issues, (65 and 68) ?