I have a ton of photos for you today. They are of Fender Champion 600 serial number 1570. The Champion 600s featured a 6 inch speaker (this particular amp sports a Cletron speaker), about 3 watts of power, TV-front cabinet style and two tone vinyl covering. They sported a 6SJ7 preamp tube (changing to a 12AX7 with the introduction of the 5E1 model around 1955), a 6V6 power tube and a 5Y3 rectifier tube.
Dating this amp by its serial number tells us this was made sometime in 1950. The serial number on the Champion 600s is stamped into the metal of the chassis on the bottom, right between the tube sockets.
It’s been one year since I started posting about the greatest little amp ever invented – the tweed era Fender Champ. I’ve learned way more than I thought possible.
I’ve compiled a few of my favorite posts from the past year for your enjoyment.
In no particular order:
- My Hello World first post (maybe this order was a bit particular…).
- How vacuum tubes work – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (I LOVE old film clips).
- A wicked cool chart showing Fender’s explosive growth in the 50′s and 60′s (my Excel skills are awesome!).
- There’s asbestos in your vintage Fender Champ (don’t miss the video clip all the way at the bottom of the man in an asbestos suit in a furnace with a mannequin).
- A super rare Champion 800 and a very cool lineup of Fender Champs courtesy of Terry Foster.
- A crappy Champ I bought for some reason that escapes me.
- And early posts about the 12AX7, 5Y3GT and 6V6GT vacuum tubes.
It’s been a grat ride and I love all your feedback. Don’t hesitate to let me know what you think and what you’d like to see in the future.
- Jason Isadore
I’ve got photos of another great vintage Fender Champ today. This one is a 5C1 Fender Champ with the serial number 7498.
This serial number tells us this amp was made in 1954, probably in the middle of the year. I don’t have a photo of the tube chart which has a two letter date code stamp that indicates month and year of manufacture.
This was the next revision to the Champ line after the Champion 600 and sports the same electronics inside a completely redesigned cabinet. The most prominent differences are the shape of the grill and the use of a diagonal pattern tweed instead of two tone vinyl.
I have photos of another cool little vintage Fender Champ to share today. This one is serial number C-04268. As you probably know by now, this serial number dates this amp to about mid-1957. The tube chart code is GD which tells us it was made in April 1957.
This particular amp is owned by Harri Koski, CEO of Mad Professor Amplification in Finland. That’s him rocking an ES345 in the demo videos (I’ll excuse him for playing a Gibson!). Check them out, they’ve got a pretty cool vibe going with their amps. He tells me that they are working on a new amp inspired by the Champ that is not a clone. He says it will feature 1 x 12AX7 and 1 x 6V6 with a solid state rectifier, custom transformers and tone switch that they call Rock/Jazz. I can’t wait to hear all about it when it is ready for the world.
It looks like it has its original power cord and the speaker has the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety sticker on it (that orange circle).
Another Transition Fender Champ is pictured today. This one is serial number C-22872 which puts this amp as being made in 1964. The tube chart code is NH which means that this amp was made in August 1964. This makes this Champ one of the last of the tweed/transition era. The speaker was replaced by the Fender Service Center and has a Fender Service Center tag that says it was serviced on 03/3/78. The power cord has been replaced and it looks like a capacitor or two have been switched out as well. We have a nice shot of the asbestos cloth that protects the wood of the cabinet from the intense heat of the vacuum tubes. I wrote up a nice post about the asbestos in these Champs (along with some super sweet vintage educational videos!). You can read more and watch here. This amp’s current owner, Bill Woodson, tells me a great story about this little amp. I think his words do a better job telling the story than I could, so here goes. read more…