Tube recommendations: Champ 12

firebottles · June 7th, 2007, 08:30 PM

Hello All,

The only amp I have for the forseeable future is a snakeskin, made-in-USA Champ 12. I'd love to buy a different Fender or Marshall combo, but for now, I've got this Champ...and where jams or open mike nights are concerned, I'm of the 'run what ya brung' philosophy.

There's a fair amount of talk about this beast, some good, some bad, some so-so with the qualification that "if you get the x mod, it'll sound better..."

I'm not inclined to modify this amp, but I'm going to need new tubes eventually. Which begs the question(s)

1.) Can any Champ 12 owners recommend preamp and power amp tubes (other than stock)? Ones which they've been very happy with, or surprised by?

2.) What are good tubes to change the distortion/break-up flavor, and what would be good tubes to enhance the clean tone of this amp?

Thanks,

-CJ

dibber124 · June 8th, 2007, 07:06 AM

Tung-Sol 12AX7, SED "winged C" output for clean. Could get a really nice breakup tone with a JJ 6V6 as output , but you would go through tubes fairly quickly. Do not own, but have worked on quite a few.

Hoodster · June 8th, 2007, 08:43 AM

Just get some JJ's from Bob at Eurotubes.com and you'll be good to go.

I tried a lot of mods with my Champ 12 (Torres, speakers), with the verdict that it's never going to be more of a nice little bedroom amp. I loved the BFish tones at home volumes, but it couldn't even hang playing with BJ's in non-drum jams.

firebottles · June 9th, 2007, 04:45 AM

Thank you all for the information and comments.

By the way: I had a .gif or a .pdf of the Champ 12 owner's manual a few years ago. I hope to hell I backed it up to CD. In any case, I'd like to print out a copy of the manual. Does anybody know a place to download it? I've searched, to no avail.

June 7th, 2007, 08:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
firebottles NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Worcester, MA Age: 36 Posts: 6	Tube recommendations: Champ 12 Hello All, The only amp I have for the forseeable future is a snakeskin, made-in-USA Champ 12. I'd love to buy a different Fender or Marshall combo, but for now, I've got this Champ...and where jams or open mike nights are concerned, I'm of the 'run what ya brung' philosophy. There's a fair amount of talk about this beast, some good, some bad, some so-so with the qualification that "if you get the x mod, it'll sound better..." I'm not inclined to modify this amp, but I'm going to need new tubes eventually. Which begs the question(s) 1.) Can any Champ 12 owners recommend preamp and power amp tubes (other than stock)? Ones which they've been very happy with, or surprised by? 2.) What are good tubes to change the distortion/break-up flavor, and what would be good tubes to enhance the clean tone of this amp? Thanks, -CJ

June 8th, 2007, 07:06 AM	#2 (permalink)
dibber124 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Long Island, New York Age: 53 Posts: 1,174	Tung-Sol 12AX7, SED "winged C" output for clean. Could get a really nice breakup tone with a JJ 6V6 as output , but you would go through tubes fairly quickly. Do not own, but have worked on quite a few. __________________ "I feel that it is healthier to look out at the world through a window than through a mirror. Otherwise, all you see is yourself and whatever is behind you." - Bill Withers

June 8th, 2007, 08:43 AM	#3 (permalink)
Hoodster Tele-Meister Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 262	Just get some JJ's from Bob at Eurotubes.com and you'll be good to go. I tried a lot of mods with my Champ 12 (Torres, speakers), with the verdict that it's never going to be more of a nice little bedroom amp. I loved the BFish tones at home volumes, but it couldn't even hang playing with BJ's in non-drum jams.

June 9th, 2007, 04:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
firebottles NEW MEMBER! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Worcester, MA Age: 36 Posts: 6	Thank you all for the information and comments. By the way: I had a .gif or a .pdf of the Champ 12 owner's manual a few years ago. I hope to hell I backed it up to CD. In any case, I'd like to print out a copy of the manual. Does anybody know a place to download it? I've searched, to no avail.