High Power Vibro Champ build

[Huddy]

They may not name the source - could even be an agreement not to if they aren't branding it - but would be interesting to know the country of origin. For the price, I would guess from overseas, but I could also see them being able to buy in bulk and offset the cost with other items in the catalog for the lower price if USA made.

I just got off the phone (and also received a reply email from) with CE Dist aka Amplified Parts aka Tubes and More and they don't have any info on their back end. No country of origin or anything. Either they want / or don't want the info getting out for speculation reasons - "They're wound by Classic Tone people in a different warehouse They're great!" - or - "They're wound in china by the same company that makes transformers for XXXXX and have loose specs and prone to failure" | OR | most likely, it's such a new product that info simply hasn't been entered into their system and the people answering calls and responding to emails aren't privy to that particular info.

I'll get a champ set in the next week or so and do a little unboxing if someone doesn't beat me to it.

 

[robt57]

What speaker and reverb in the top VID??

 

[robt57]

This looks like a rat's nest - but it's so quiet already with an open chassis and no shielding that I'm scared to mess with it.

LOL, I was going to say as long as it is a quiet rats nest when I read the first part of that sentence.

Sounds pretty damn good to me. So how may watts you figure that one biger bottle is netting?

Also, appreciate if your share speaker used in each of these vids.

 

[JuneauMike]

You might ask 'em. I’ve had good luck calling AES customer support in years past. When the nice person on the phone didn’t know, they asked a tech person to call me back. Hey, if you find out, maybe share a PSA thread here in Shock Bros. Oops. I mean The Forum Formerly Known As Shock Brothers….

Yep, cue the sad trombone.

 

[AmplifiedParts]

Hey all, I am the Dan Moberly mentioned above. Came across this post just in time to be surprised to see a screenshot of my email here.

We have these transformers custom-made to our specifications overseas (not in China) by a reputable large-scale transformer manufacturer. We have gone through a lengthy design & testing process and stand by these transformers as quality products.

Hope this answers your question somewhat (while keeping our information proprietary).

 

[jsnwhite619]

Hey all, I am the Dan Moberly mentioned above. Came across this post just in time to be surprised to see a screenshot of my email here.

We have these transformers custom-made to our specifications overseas (not in China) by a reputable large-scale transformer manufacturer. We have gone through a lengthy design & testing process and stand by these transformers as quality products.

Hope this answers your question somewhat (while keeping our information proprietary).

Thanks - glad to know our voices are heard over here! haha Specs look good on paper, I'm sure I'll try on soon enough.

 

[jsnwhite619]

What speaker and reverb in the top VID??

Everything I've posted so far was with a Jensen C10Q that I've had a few years now, so pretty well broken in. Reverb is just the echo in a small room with wood floors.

 

[robt57]

Everything I've posted so far was with a Jensen C10Q that I've had a few years now, so pretty well broken in. Reverb is just the echo in a small room with wood floors.

Real Analog echo Beooch! yeah baby.

Second VID sounded Jensenee to me. Couldn't discern in first VID. That is a good friendly acoustic room there I guess..

 

[JuneauMike]

Hey all, I am the Dan Moberly mentioned above. Came across this post just in time to be surprised to see a screenshot of my email here.

We have these transformers custom-made to our specifications overseas (not in China) by a reputable large-scale transformer manufacturer. We have gone through a lengthy design & testing process and stand by these transformers as quality products.

Hope this answers your question somewhat (while keeping our information proprietary).

That's great. The price looks great. I'll be purchasing in the coming weeks. Thanks.

 

[jsnwhite619]

Pulled a late one last night getting it together, but here it is with my Telecaster, C10Q, and the dirtiest parts have the Blues Driver. The amp gets a little warm breakup on the bass notes when it's cranked to 10, so anything on here that sounds like it could be the OD pedal, it probably is - more treble breakup and compression with the pedal. The amp-only breakup stays pretty distinct and clear on the treble notes.

 

[jsnwhite619]

Got some work done on the cabinet finally, all the tweed is on and panels are done. Weather has been nothing but rain here forever it seems, may have to give it a few days before any shellac and finishing. Baffle is cut, but still needs paint and grill, so I guess that's the next step.

'72 RI Telecaster and Jensen C10Q in the cabinet below it. The '72 sounded great - single coils are almost too clean, Les Paul took some EQ and balance to get just right and not too dirty. This one sat perfectly in the middle.

 

[wangdaning]

That's great. The price looks great. I'll be purchasing in the coming weeks. Thanks.

You did share a confidential email though
On topic, great work @jsnwhite619

 

[King Fan]

“Confidential email?” Sounds like an oxymoron. If that’s a criticism of @JuneauMike , I say he did both us and the company a service, and obviously there’s nothing 'confidential’ in that email.

 

[wangdaning]

Was meant in a jesting manner.

 

[chas.wahl]

. . . this type of board (5mm spacing) would probably work well in a VC chassis. I'm pretty sure I had cut this one down a little bit since those boards are almost 12" long.

If that's the perforated epoxy board sold by AES/TubesandMore, then "spacing" (of holes) is 9.5 mm each way, and its stock length is about 10-1/8" x 2-5/8". You appear to have cut 3 holes off the length, and one hole off the width (standard grid is 27 x 7 holes).

If it's not one of those, then "never mind!" and my apologies for sticking my nose in.

 

[JuneauMike]

You did share a confidential email though
On topic, great work @jsnwhite619

Ha, confidential information has value. That email was a brush off.

But the upshot is that it prompted them to give their consumers some slightly more useful information on a new product so we can be slightly more informed in our purchasing decisions. Slightly.

 

[Peegoo]

On a side note - after years of only have chicken head knobs, including my own builds with a Pro Jr, Delta Blues, and Hot Rod Deluxe, I miss the "bigger" sweep of them. Roughly a 5/8" radius to turn on the chicken head vs that tiny center knob of the witches hat... it makes the pots seem WAY more sensitive!

Whenever I find old radio/TE knobs (usually Bakelite) I snap up the interesting ones. A little cleanup with Windex and some fresh paint in the recesses makes 'em look new.

 

[Phrygian77]

If that's the perforated epoxy board sold by AES/TubesandMore, then "spacing" (of holes) is 9.5 mm each way, and its stock length is about 10-1/8" x 2-5/8". You appear to have cut 3 holes off the length, and one hole off the width (standard grid is 27 x 7 holes).

If it's not one of those, then "never mind!" and my apologies for sticking my nose in.

I got it from Mojotone. I went back and checked, the board is 300mm x 60mm with 10mm spacing. It's not exactly ideal for eyelets because the holes are smaller than 1/8", but it did save time with the layout.

 

[screefer]

Nice build!!
This just came in

All Hail the Champ!

This month, let’s talk about the black- and silver-panel Fender Champ, the tiniest of vintage Fender amps. Weighing only 22 pounds, it is super portable and easy to carry wherever my music takes me. It’s actually so small that I put it between my kids in the car’s backseat when we go on vacations. B

www.premierguitar.com

 

[jsnwhite619]

Nice build!!
This just came in

All Hail the Champ!

This month, let’s talk about the black- and silver-panel Fender Champ, the tiniest of vintage Fender amps. Weighing only 22 pounds, it is super portable and easy to carry wherever my music takes me. It’s actually so small that I put it between my kids in the car’s backseat when we go on vacations. B

www.premierguitar.com

Thanks! Good timing on that one! I'm really loving it - 6v6 or 5881. The 6v6 has a more compressed overdrive when it's cranked, but it's biased at closer to 100%. The 5881 is down in the 70-75% range, but I wanted to be able to use either without switches. And honestly - if you need the extra power and output from the bigger tube, you'll probably need the extra headroom as well. If not, the 6v6 does fine.

I took it with the SS rectifier and 5881 and plugged it into my big Deluxe Reverb-type closed back cab with a Cannabis Rex - holy tinnitus Batman! 100% gig-worthy volume. The cleans with the extra treble bite through my Telecaster with THAT speaker - incredible clean, jangly, Tele tone. It's actually brighter than I'd like through everything else so far - keeping the Treble set in the 5-6 range usually. The C-Rex balanced that out nicely.

The tremolo on it is still blowing my mind - almost has a harmonic tremolo sound when it's cranked up. Kills the gain, but it is deeper than either 5f11 I've built. But it's just as good with 6v6 or 5881. My theory right now - the trem circuit is stock - is that the big 10W Hammond OT allows more low end to pass than a stock Champ ever could, so the low frequency oscillator trem circuit gets a stronger effect from it. I remember running test signals through my 5f11 Vibrolux build several years ago. The C-Rex and low frequency signals could shake the windows, but once you hit a certain higher frequency signal, it isn't affected at all by the trem. So, my guess here is that I'm able to get a ton more low end with this giant OT, and the stock circuit has much more room to play.