Fender Champ

File:5C1.jpg

1953 Fender Champ in tweed covering

The Fender Champ was a guitar amplifier made by Fender. It was introduced in 1948 and discontinued in 1982. An updated version was introduced in 2006 as part of the "Vintage Modified" line.

The Champ had the lowest power output and the simplest circuit for all of the Fender tube amps. The Champ had only one power tube, which meant that the circuit is single ended and class A. Five watts and the simple toneful circuit allowed the Champ to be used easily and often in recording studios.

Champion 800/600

First introduced in 1948, it sported the name "Champion 800" (with 8" speaker), changing a year later to "Champion 600" (6" speaker) with circuit designation 5B1. It was rated at about 3 watts, featuring a "T.V. Front" style cabinet with two-tone blonde & brown vinyl covering. This style lasted until 1953, when Fender's cabinet style changed to the "Wide Panel" design with a tweed cloth covering. Fender also renamed the circuit the 5C1, 5 standing for the decade (1950s), C for the third circuit revision, and 1 was the Champ's circuit designation. The 5C1 circuit was extraordinarily simple, using one 6SJ7 pentode in the preamplifier section to provide a single stage of voltage amplification, one 6V6 beam power tetrode in the power amplifier section, and a single volume knob and no tone controls.

The Champ

By 1955 Fender started putting its amps in the "Narrow Panel" tweed cabinet with a plastic oxblood color grill cloth, and by this time the Champ was officially named the Champ (model 5E1). Through 1957, Champs only had a six inch speaker, but the 1958 model 5F1 featured an 8". The 5E1 and 5F1 circuits used a 12AX7 dual triode in the preamplifier to provide two stages of voltage amplification, and a single 6V6GT power tube to produce about 5 watts. A Champ from this era can easily be dated by the code stamped on the tube chart.

Blackface/Silverface

The 5F1 lasted until 1964, when the Champ finally made the transition to the "Blackface" style of circuit and cabinet. A small number of the last 5F1 style cabinets were covered with the "Blackface" amp cosmetics around this transition, as the factory most likely ran out of the tweed cloth covering. In 1964, a Champ with tremolo was also introduced. It was called the Vibro Champ. In late 1964 the Champ switched to Blackface. In 1968 it switched to silverface. It switched back to blackface in 1981.

Champion 600 reissue

In 2006, Fender "reissued" the Champion 600. Cosmetically similar to the original Champion 600, internally it features 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) and a switch to solid-state rectification from the original 5Y3 tube. The current look is the TV-front with two-tone tolex and speaker grille cloth of imitation suede. The same electronics are available with a different look and feel - based on "tweed" Fender amps, despite the branding - as the Gretsch G5222.

Specifications

• Available as a 6" Combo, features an internal 4 ohm speaker output jack
• 5 Watts RMS
• Volume Control
• Power Switch
• 2 Input (high, low), 1 Channel
• 1x 12AX7 and a 6V6
• Solid State Diode Rectified
• Class A, Single Ended

Vibro Champ

The Fender Vibro Champ was a guitar amplifier made by Fender. It was first introduced in 1964 and discontinued in 1982. The Vibro Champ featured built-in tremolo with controls for speed and intensity. The silverface version served as a basis for the Bronco student amplifier of 1967.

Vibro Champ XD

In 2007, Fender reintroduced the Vibro Champ as the Vibro Champ XD, part of their "Vintage Modified" series. Aesthetically, the XD is based on the Champ from the blackface era. Unlike the Champion 600, which has a straightly all-tube audio signal path, the Vibro Champ XD's tube circuitry is complemented by a digital signal processor (DSP) that functions as a pre-amp by modelling 16 different amplifiers. The effect of the volume, gain and tone control knobs varies according to the selected amp model. The digitally modelled signal is fed into a class-A single-ended tube circuit, with a 12AX7 output tube driver, and a 6V6 output tube. The amp also comes equipped with DSP effects, including reverb, delay, chorus, and tremolo (there is no spring reverb tank).

Specifications

• Available as a 8" Combo, 4ohm output
• 5 Watts RMS Class A, Single Ended
• Controls: Volume, Voicing, Treble, Bass, FX level, FX select
• 1 Input, 1 Channel
• 1x Sovtek 12AX7 and 6V6
• Solid State Diode Rectified
• DSP provides 16 effects, including chorous, delay, tremolo, reverb
• Made in USA

Super Champ

In 1983, in order to combat its decreasing amp sales, which at that time was selling 10,000 unit per year, Fender hired Paul Rivera (of Rivera Amplification fame) and ask him to help design amplifiers with a modern sound. He did not personally create the new designs but headed a design team. The end result is the 2-channel Super Champ, featuring a 10" speaker and a new circuitry, including Master Volume and a Mid Boost switch. In order to increase gain and cut cost, Super champ utilized 1x 12AX7 for the first and second stage preamp, a 1x 12AT7 for spring reverb driver tube, while a triple-triode 6C10 are used for three functions; one as a third stage preamp for even more gain, one as the phase inverter (instead of two for most class-AB circuits), and one as pickup tube for the spring reverb. When the volume knob is pulled, signals from the 12AT7 is routed, resulting in higher gain. Two 6v6 power tubes provide it with 18 RMS watt. The Super Champ was sold until CBS sold Fender.

Specifications

• Available as a 10" Combo, features an internal 8 ohm speaker output jack
• 18 Watts RMS
• Controls: Volume (pull for lead), treble (pull for mid boost), bass, reverb, lead level, master.
• 1 Input, 2 Channel (Clean with Reverb; overdrive with no reverb)
• 1x 7025, 1x 12AT7, 1x 6C10 Triple triode and 2x 6V6
• Solid State Diode Rectified
• Accutronics 3-spring reverb
• Class AB, push pull

Super Champ XD

In 2007, Fender resurrected the Super Champ name with the Super Champ XD, part of "Vintage modified" series. The look is based on the blackface model. Unlike the Champion 600 (all tube circuitry) and Vibro Champ XD (class A circuitry complemented with modeling), the Super Champ XD is a hybrid. Aside from one dual-triode 12AX7 and two 6V6 output tubes, it also has a digital signal processor (DSP) models 16 different amplifiers and programs the volume, gain, and tone controls accordingly.

It has two channels, channel 1 being a clean channel, and channel 2 having both clean and distortion voices, using modeling technology to provide 15 additional voices. Both the Bass/Treble EQ and Effects (FX) are global settings meaning they affect the sound of both channel 1 and channel 2.

There are two stages of amplification: the first stage is done by solid-state op amps and the DSP, which also provide the desired voicing of the amps. It is then fed into the first triode of the 12AX7, which acts as a second stage preamp, provides the additional tube gain for both channels and acts as an interface between the solid state circuitry and the tube circuitry. The second triode is a phase inverter, which creates mirror images of the signal to drive the output tubes. This arrangement provides the same feel of a complete tube amp while allowing multiple voicing. The DSP chip also provides effects, including reverb, delay, chorus, and tremolo. There is no spring reverb tank.

Specifications

• Available as a 10" Combo, features an internal 8 ohm speaker output jack
• 15 Watts RMS
• Controls: Volume 1, channel select, gain, Volume 2, Voicing, Treble, Bass, FX level, FX select
• 1 Input, 2 Channel (Clean and voicing)
• 1x 12AX7 and 2x 6V6
• Solid State Diode Rectified
• Class AB, push pull

Fender '57 Champ

Fender reissued the 1957 narrow panel tweed Champ in 2009

Models

• Champion "800" (1948-1949) - First version of the Champ.
• Champion "600" (1949-1955, 2006-Present) - Replaced the Champion "800", modified/reissued in 2006
• Vibro Champ (1964-1982; 2007-Present) - A Champ with tremolo; reissued in 2007, with modified tube circuit, and utlization of DSP for 16 effects
• Champ II (1982-1983) - 18 watts/10" speaker.
• Super Champ (1982-1985; 2007-Present) - channel switching and reverb; reissued in 2007, with modified tube circuit, and utlization of DSP for 16 effects
• Champ 12 (1987-1992) - 12 watts/12" speaker
• Champ 25/25SE (1992-1994) - tube/solid state amp