A short history of the Fender Champ

[Wally]

The current Super Champ X2 is a 15 watt amp according to the owners manual. Mine was made in November 2018.

I do not consider the modern hybrid Super Champ x,y,z,,XD whatever suffix tobe in the same class as a handwired, all-tube Super Champ from 1982-1985. When I talk about those modern amps with solid state preamps and digital effects, I use the suffix. There is only one Super Champ. It is an 18 watt amp. If that video says the Super ?Champ is a 15 watt amp, then that is why I made the observation that it is an 18 watt amp. Anyone who wants to be accurate about amp models needs to use whatever names, numbers, letters etc denote that specific model, imho and ime. Otherwise confusion reigns....but then, confusion seems to be the mode of the times, eh?

 

[fenderchamp]

just cuz I wanted to be in the thread

 

[JuneauMike]

I read that George's signature slide tone in the studio is his Strat through a Champ.

Do you have an article you can share?

 

[Hear2learn]

Excellent video and excellent channel. Thank you.

 

[JazzboxBlues]

My Tungsten Mosaic(5F1 clone w/tweeks) has become my favorite amp. So much so that a Mosaic II is a real possibility.

 

[Mike Eskimo]

In my list of the best amps I’ve ever played through is a ‘61 (still) tweed Champ that Elderly had. I could have sat there and played it all day.

All the guys that worked there said they were gonna be sad to see it sell.

 

[Old Tele man]

"In the beginning there was Leo...and he made the Champ."

 

[Wally]

....

 

[FRESHMEAT]

My VC is six watts. Funk #49 was a Strat through a BF Champ. Joe stated this in an interview in GW.

 

[printer2]

Vid unavailable.

 

[Wally]

Just for grins...from the Drew Carey Show. There is a tweed Champ sitting back there, and there is a DR with a mic on it. I can’t see a mic on the Champ. Whatever we are hearing, it sounds good.

 

[dkmw]

Hasn’t Keith Richards as well as Joe Walsh toured arenas and outdoor concerts for decades with a tweed Champ?? i saw The Eagles some years back, and Walsh had a ‘front line’ of a number of little amps.

On a stage the size of The Rolling Stones, the amps Keef uses look tiny, but they are actually HPTTs. One of them is number 003, if anyone has 001 or 002 it’s said that Keef would pay decent money.

(Pic cribbed from net, not mine).

 

[Wally]

Yes, I am aware of his stable of hi-po 5F8A’s. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recall that he has always had a little Champ behind everything else. Maybe that has changed.

 

[Mike Eskimo]

I do not consider the modern hybrid Super Champ x,y,z,,XD whatever suffix tobe in the same class as a handwired, all-tube Super Champ from 1982-1985. When I talk about those modern amps with solid state preamps and digital effects, I use the suffix. There is only one Super Champ. It is an 18 watt amp. If that video says the Super ?Champ is a 15 watt amp, then that is why I made the observation that it is an 18 watt amp. Anyone who wants to be accurate about amp models needs to use whatever names, numbers, letters etc denote that specific model, imho and ime. Otherwise confusion reigns....but then, confusion seems to be the mode of the times, eh?

Just to free myself of the shame, I will admit that in 1989 I passed up a real Super Champ for a Silvertone 1482 (side control panel combo).

Price ? My choice : $125.

And I talked him down to $100 ! For either one.

And to his credit, the owner kept saying "Well, you know, this is a much better amp..." referring to the SC.

But, in that part of my life, all I saw was a modern, shiny amp and one that an old blues guy would have used.

Wanted nothing to do with the Super Champ so I walked away w/ the 1482 and its crappy Fisher speaker. For $100. Which was above-market at that time for those combos.

Oy...I don't even feel better, but it's off my chest at last.

 

[fivewattworld]

I do not consider the modern hybrid Super Champ x,y,z,,XD whatever suffix tobe in the same class as a handwired, all-tube Super Champ from 1982-1985. When I talk about those modern amps with solid state preamps and digital effects, I use the suffix. There is only one Super Champ. It is an 18 watt amp. If that video says the Super ?Champ is a 15 watt amp, then that is why I made the observation that it is an 18 watt amp. Anyone who wants to be accurate about amp models needs to use whatever names, numbers, letters etc denote that specific model, imho and ime. Otherwise confusion reigns....but then, confusion seems to be the mode of the times, eh?

I'm with you on the Super Champ, it is it's own, glorious thing and given that I've always been enamored with the Champ form factor, I've thought about building one of these. God knows they are too collectible for me to pick one up anymore.

 

[fivewattworld]

just cuz I wanted to be in the thread

With that handle you SHOULD be here.

 

[fivewattworld]

View attachment 582825

Yes, I am aware of his stable of hi-po 5F8A’s. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recall that he has always had a little Champ behind everything else. Maybe that has changed.

I am reminded that the guys from Fender London said that Beck travels with Marshalls in the front, not running and a pair of Pro Juniors for all the tone behind them. To a Champ loving guy a 4 x 12 would make a pretty good "gobo".

 

[JuneauMike]

Just for grins...from the Drew Carey Show. There is a tweed Champ sitting back there, and there is a DR with a mic on it. I can’t see a mic on the Champ. Whatever we are hearing, it sounds good.

If the DR is the amp on the left then the amp on the right is definitely not a Champ. It's a tweed thing of some kind (looks really new) but not a diminutive Champ.

 

[Wally]

The BF amp on our right looks to be a DR to me...two channel Reverb amp. The 9ne on the left is...now that I am awake...does appear to be perhaps a narrow panel 2x6V6 amp...Deluxe, Vibrolux, Tremolux...???.

 

[jonnyfez]

Do you have an article you can share?

Found it. Reference to that in the back of the Fender-The Sound Heard 'Round the World by Richard Smith.