68 Custom Vibro Champ

I agree with this, another small 6L6/6V6 from Fender without the 57 Champ reissue price tag would be a great addition to their lineup.
Enough of all his el84 stuff, they just don't deliver that special shimmering clean we all love. (well most anyway)

 

I'm sure Fender is aware and is working on the math to make it work. It's still hard to beat the price of vintage ones as there's no way you're getting a hand-wired anything for $500-600 USD.

 

Yup. There are still tons of SF champs around for ~$400. VCs for ~$600. Absolutely no incentive whatsoever for Fender to compete with that.

A Super Champ costs $399. Bassbreaker 007 costs $449. Blues junior 1x10 costs $499.

EDIT: Fender Tweed Champ is $999. The Mojotone Vibro-Champ clone kit is $725. Custom built is $950.

 

I see that good condition Vibro Champs are going for $550 and up in various places. There are a glut of these used amps still sitting unused that occasionally pop up for sale in local markets and garage sales for a lot less than $500. Kit versions abound in the $550+ price range as well. I had one given to me a few years ago and all I had to do to it was add a 3 prong power cord. Being a class A amp one has to question the need and expense of having a tube rectifier that's adds no sag or compression. Since the Princeton Reverb amp is so popular perhaps adding a low power switch and tone stack mod to emulate the Vibro Champ would make sense.

 

People balk at the handwired and EC 5F1. There's

Because no-one wants to pay $1000 USD for it. They balked at the pine cabinet Tweed 5F1. Just look at what Allens, Victorias Swarts etc cost. As Corliss1 says you can buy a real one that won't depreciate 30% when it leaves the showroom.

Even if it was done as a pcb 68 Custom style due to a lack of volume sales it'd cost close to the 65/68 Princeton. People won't pay that much for a limited baby 8"w 5w amp when for relatively little more you can have a 10" giggable Fender amp with tube reverb.

Fender probably considers it's got the market covered.

Champs are not really bedroom amps unless you have understanding family and neighbours. Sold all three of mine, got a modded Greta.

 

SF Champs are handwired, and still cheaper than boutique.

But an already crowded low end small amp offering is a good reason for them not to. The SF/BF reissues are not handwired. But they are a step up from the build designs of the BJs and HRs. I'm not sure how Fender could fit a not-quite handwired Champ/VC reissue in their lineup. What would be the price point? What would the impact be on their budget amp lineup? Their "handwired" Tweed Champ reissue is $999. That's comfortably between most 5F1 kits and boutiques.

 

Price point is definitely an issue. In the $1000 range for example, you can get an Allen Chihuahua which has a ton more features including RAW control, reverb, master volume, great distortion and breakup capability.

 

I don't see it happening. You can buy and update a BF / SF Champ or VC for far less than the $1000 Fender would charge - if not more.
And then you get a nice hand-wired amp that should retain its value.

 

I agree with everything you said except the very last phrase. If you want a good clean tone at bedroom volume a Champ is hard to beat. You’ll get a lovely sound – better than a bigger amp running cold IME – at a very reasonable volume.

Of course – and I guess that was your point – you can’t crank them unless you have very understanding family and neighbours. They can get loud! I just gigged my 5F1 with a big band, not mic’d, in a small/mid-sized room, and I was just barely undergunned…

Anyway, IMHO as clean bedroom amps they’re really hard to beat unless you want something you can CRANK … and then, even 1W tends to be too much.