Champ kit

Brick · November 19th, 2005, 03:43 PM

I'm thinking about building a champ kit as a way to get some tube amp knowledge. The reason I was going to build a champ is that my least powerfull amp is now 18watts which is way too loud for grind at home and a champ seems pretty darn simple and thus easy to build. I was thinking of going the STF Electronics route, but the chassis is configured as a head.

How much of what makes a Champ a Champ is the small speaker in a combo cab? I have a 1x15 cab with a Weber California that is rated 4 ohms. Would this likely be too clean a speaker to get the Champ sound? Would this defeat my purpose of having a quieter amp in the first place?

3StringGuitar · November 19th, 2005, 04:18 PM

Wow that Deluxe 18 watt tweed head looks tasty I wish I could afford one and have the time to build it. As far as how much the combo makes the champ I think it all depends. From what I gathered most fine the combo to be "boxy" sounding, I know there was just a thread about running a champ thru different styles of cabs to get a more "open" and efficient sound. If you build it as a combo you can always run it as a head too since it has the 1/4" speaker out on it.

Hucklebilly · November 19th, 2005, 05:44 PM

I built the champ head kit from STF Electronics. An easy build and a nice way to warm up for more elaborate projects. I have a little cabinet that I made with a Weber Signature 8, but the thing sounds GREAT through a bigger speaker. I don't think you can go wrong for $199.

jdfoosh357 · November 19th, 2005, 05:57 PM

I've got a Champ with a Weber 8A125 Alnico 8" speaker.

I couldn't be more happy with the tone I get from it, nice bottom end. The replacement speaker almost doubled the quality of the sound....i think.

If I used a cabinet, it would only be for more volume, not a different tone.

jjmantele · November 19th, 2005, 08:32 PM

Maybe you can borrow a Champ somehow and hook it to the cab? You can get more drive from a Champ circuit with a few easy "mods." The Tweed circuit has the most to offer in volume if you use the '70's higher volatage power transformer. I switch off the negative feedback and added a bypass cap to the preamp to increase gain and output. I use a 10" and have a switchable output for 4/8 ohms. I've tried it thru my 4x10" 135watt Marshall cab. It works ok but the closed back of the Marshall makes is way too directional. Gain is all there.

If you don't have other plans for the 15" speaker you may as well use it. I think the Californias were originally marketed as good for PA speakers?

November 19th, 2005, 03:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
Brick Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Jose Age: 58 Posts: 793	Champ kit I'm thinking about building a champ kit as a way to get some tube amp knowledge. The reason I was going to build a champ is that my least powerfull amp is now 18watts which is way too loud for grind at home and a champ seems pretty darn simple and thus easy to build. I was thinking of going the STF Electronics route, but the chassis is configured as a head. How much of what makes a Champ a Champ is the small speaker in a combo cab? I have a 1x15 cab with a Weber California that is rated 4 ohms. Would this likely be too clean a speaker to get the Champ sound? Would this defeat my purpose of having a quieter amp in the first place?

November 19th, 2005, 05:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
Hucklebilly Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 821 2 Photos	STF champ I built the champ head kit from STF Electronics. An easy build and a nice way to warm up for more elaborate projects. I have a little cabinet that I made with a Weber Signature 8, but the thing sounds GREAT through a bigger speaker. I don't think you can go wrong for $199.

November 19th, 2005, 08:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
jjmantele Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 851	Champ 15" Maybe you can borrow a Champ somehow and hook it to the cab? You can get more drive from a Champ circuit with a few easy "mods." The Tweed circuit has the most to offer in volume if you use the '70's higher volatage power transformer. I switch off the negative feedback and added a bypass cap to the preamp to increase gain and output. I use a 10" and have a switchable output for 4/8 ohms. I've tried it thru my 4x10" 135watt Marshall cab. It works ok but the closed back of the Marshall makes is way too directional. Gain is all there. If you don't have other plans for the 15" speaker you may as well use it. I think the Californias were originally marketed as good for PA speakers? __________________ JJman If it says "Vintage" on it -it isn't.

November 19th, 2005, 04:18 PM	#2 (permalink)
3StringGuitar Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 623	Wow that Deluxe 18 watt tweed head looks tasty I wish I could afford one and have the time to build it. As far as how much the combo makes the champ I think it all depends. From what I gathered most fine the combo to be "boxy" sounding, I know there was just a thread about running a champ thru different styles of cabs to get a more "open" and efficient sound. If you build it as a combo you can always run it as a head too since it has the 1/4" speaker out on it.

November 19th, 2005, 05:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
jdfoosh357 Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 566	I've got a Champ with a Weber 8A125 Alnico 8" speaker. I couldn't be more happy with the tone I get from it, nice bottom end. The replacement speaker almost doubled the quality of the sound....i think. If I used a cabinet, it would only be for more volume, not a different tone.