Along with the rest of the Fender amp lineup, the Champ and Vibro Champ adopted the “silverface” style in 1968, and both existed in this form until 1982, when they were given a new blackface control panel shortly before being discontinued.Ī new and very different Champ then appeared-1982’s Champ II boasted a 10-inch speaker, all-new circuitry including a master volume and bright switch, and an enormous 18 watts of power from dual 6V6 power tubes (all previous Champs never pumped more than 6 watts). 1964 also saw the introduction of model with built-in tremolo called the Vibro Champ. Lasting into the mid-1960s, this version would be the last of the original-era Fender tweed amps.įender overhauled the Champ by fall 1964 in the “blackface” style-black Tolex covering and black front-mounted control panel with separate bass and treble controls (although a very few transitional models were made in which the blackface style was applied to the last of the older top-panel cabinets). A larger cabinet and 8” speaker were adopted in 1956, by which time the model was known simply as the Champ. Like most Fender amps of the time, the Champion 600’s TV-front designed changed to a new tweed-covered “wide-panel” style in 1953 earlier versions still said “600” on the control plate later ones said “Champ-Amp.” The “narrow-panel” style was adopted in 1955, with the control panel moved to the top, new grille cloth and a substantial circuitry redesign that would endure mostly unchanged for a decade (a 12AX7 preamp tube and short-lived high-voltage filter section choke). The even-smaller Champion 600 replaced the 800 in mid-1949, with identical circuitry but a smaller 6-inch speaker and two-tone brown and white textured vinyl covering. The first in the long-running Champ line, the original Champion 800 was a 4-watt amp with a single 8” speaker, three tubes, and an angled rear control panel with two inputs and a single volume control, all in a diminutive “TV-front” pine cabinet covered in greenish tweed linen adorned with a leather handle and Fender-logo nameplate.
#1957 fender bandmaster professional#
Over the years, the Champ has gone through several other iterations, from tube to solid-state, from tweed to Tolex, but it consistently remained a key piece of gear for casual players and professional artists alike. While both of these early versions were tweed, the Champ was overhauled in 1964 in the “blackface” style with a black Tolex covering.Īs with the rest of Fender’s amp lineup, the Champ and Vibro Champ were outfitted with the “silverface” look in 1968, and that existed until 1982, a year thtat birthed the Champ II with 18 watts of power, a 10-inch speaker and newly designed circuitry. It was soon replaced by the even-smaller Champion 600 a year later. The Champ storied history began in 1948 as a 4-watt amp with a single 8-inch speaker in the form of the original Champion 800. To this day, the Champ continues it’s long run of popularity, especially with the tweed '57 Custom Champ. And in 2011, Fender honored that relationship with Clapton’s signature tweed tube EC Vibro Champ. When you hear “Layla,” “Bell Bottom Blues” and “I Shot the Sheriff,” you’re hearing an original-era Champ. Need proof? One of the most notable artists to rely on the Champ is Eric Clapton.Ī tweed Champ was Clapton’s main studio amp for 1970 Derek and the Dominos masterpiece Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and for acclaimed 1974 solo album 461 Ocean Boulevard.
Small but mighty, it has delighted, inspired and surprised guitarists since 1948 as an indispensable practice amp and prized recording amp, which means that for well more than half a century now, nothing beats a Champ. Few amps have been in the Fender family longer or in more varied forms than the venerable Champ.
0 kommentar(er)
