background image

Fender

 Champion “600”

 • 

Mercury Upgrade Kit

This
 project

 and
 its

 documentation

 is

 the
 result

 of

 technical

 investigations

 made

 by

 the
 engineering

 staf
f of

 

Mercury Magnetics

. The
 disclosure

 of

 the
 information

 herein

 may
 pertain

 to

 proprietary

 rights

 and
 

the
 furnishing

 of

 these

 documents

 does

 not
 constitute

 an

 expresed

 or

 implied

 license

 to

 use
 such
 materials.

ADD JUMPER

JUMPER

REMOVE

RESISTOR

R7

REMOVE

REMOVE

RESISTOR

R19

REMOVE RESIST

OR

R25

REMOVE

RESISTOR R15

REMOVE

RESISTOR

R16

REMOVE

RESISTOR

R22

REMOVE

RESISTOR

R20

R12

4.7k

2W

C3

10

µ

F

50–63V

CENTER TAP

GREEN/YELLOW

VERSION: 10-14-10

www.MercuryMagnetics.com

www.Amp-Exchange.com

This pr

ojec
t and its do

cumen

ta

tion ar

e the r

esult of t

echnic

al in
vestiga

tions made b

y the engineer

ing staff of 

Mer
cur
y M
agnetics

. T

he disclosur

e of the inf

or

ma
tion her

ein ma

y p
er

tain t

o pr
opr
ietar

y r

igh
ts

, and the fur

nishing of these do

cumen

ts do

es not c

onstitut

e an e

xpr
essed or implied

 lic

ense t

o use such ma

ter

ials
. C

op

yr

igh
t © 2007–2010 b

Mer
cur
y M
agnetics

. A

ll R
igh
ts R
eser
ved

. F

ender is a r

egist

er

ed tr

ademar

k of FMIC.

 C

hampion and C

hamption 

“600”

 ar

e tr
ademar

ks of FMIC.

 

A

xiom 

and 

ToneC

lone 

ar

e r

egist

er

ed tr

ademar

ks lic

ensed t

Mer
cur
y M
agnetics

Mer
cur
y M
agnetics

, M

ini-C

hok
e and 

“T

he H

ear
t & S

oul of 

Your A

mp
,  ar
e tr
ademar

ks lic

ensed t

Mer
cur
y M
agnetics

Mer
cur
y M
agnetics

 

is not affilia

ted with FMIC (F

ender M

usic
al Instr

umen

ts C
or

p.).

C4

22

µ

F

450V

X2

10

µ

F

50–63V

X1

270

ρ

F

500V

Mercury

supplied 

replacement 

15W–4

 speaker

ADD JUMPER

REMOVE RESIST

OR

R23

OPTION:

 ADD JUMPER

HERE FOR MORE GAIN

REMOVE RESIST

OR

R18

ADD JUMPER

REMOVE RESISTOR

R14

ADD JUMPER

REMOVE

RESISTOR

R26

Notes:

 (unless otherwise indicated)

1.  All resistors in ohms, 5%; 1/4W.
2.  All unpolarized capacitors in mF, 10% or better; 

 

50V minimum (power supply bypass capacitors 

  are 20%).
3.  All polarized capacitors in 

µ

F, 20%; 50V minimum.

4.  All DC voltages are measured with no signal.
5.  All AC voltages are +/- 10%.

= Modification

Mercury Magnetics  

transformers

= New or moved part
= Removed part or connection
= Buss wires as jumpers or new connections

Mercury 

choke

C600-C

Mercury 

output 

transformer
C600-O

Mercury 

power

transformer
C600-P

Summary of Contents for Champ 600

Page 1: ...VERSION 040711 ...

Page 2: ...s documentation is the result of technical investigations made by the engineering staff of Mercury Magnetics The disclosure of the information herein may pertain to proprietary rights and the furnishing of these documents does not constitute an expresed or implied license to use such materials Mercury Magnetics products are UL Underwriters Laboratories Inc recognized components for the USA and Can...

Page 3: ...have to fabricate a repair or created a jumper to a trace See this manual s appendices for tips POWERING UP A GUITAR AMP After making any modifications to an amp s circuit e g this Upgrade use a Variac along with an current meter some have both to slowly apply power to the amp while checking for warning signs of circuitry errors or shorts See the section on Using a Variac at the end of this manual...

Page 4: ...taff of Mercury Magnetics The disclosure of the information herein may pertain to proprietary rights and the furnishing of these documents does not constitute an expresed or implied license to use such materials The stock Champ 600 chassis reference photographs POWER TRANSFORMER POWER TRANSFORMER SPEAKER OUTPUT 6V6 POWER TUBE 12AX7 PREAMP TUBE ...

Page 5: ...lver mica One 4 7KW 2W resistor axial flame proof Two sets of 8 32 x 1 4 with optional 1 2 bolts nuts washers and locking washers for mounting the Mini Choke on the chassis Four sets of 8 32 x 1 2 bolts nuts washers and locking washers for mounting OT to chassis Four sets of 8 32 nuts and locking washers for mounting PT to chassis One coil of 18 gauge buss wire as jumpers One coil of 18 gauge shie...

Page 6: ...als Copyright 2007 2010 by Mercury Magnetics All Rights Reserved Fender is a registered trademark of FMIC Champion and Chamption 600 are trademarks of FMIC Axiom and ToneClone are registered trademarks licensed to Mercury Magnetics Mercury Magnetics Mini Choke and The Heart Soul of Your Amp are trademarks licensed to Mercury Magnetics Mercury Magnetics is not affiliated with FMIC Fender Musical In...

Page 7: ...om On the next 3 pages are 3 schematics They show the process of making the Mercury Upgrades to the main circuit board of a Fender Champion 600 version 1 This page shows the front of the board with the Upgrades applied without external connections This project and its documentation are the result of technical investigations made by the engineering staff of Mercury Magnetics The disclosure of the i...

Page 8: ... herein may pertain to proprietary rights and the furnishing of these documents does not constitute an expressed or implied license to use such materials Copyright 2007 2011 by Mercury Magnetics All Rights Reserved Fender is a registered trademark of FMIC Champion and Chamption 600 are trademarks of FMIC Axiom and ToneClone are registered trademarks licensed to Mercury Magnetics Mercury Magnetics ...

Page 9: ...te an expressed or implied license to use such materials Copyright 2007 2011 by Mercury Magnetics All Rights Reserved Fender is a registered trademark of FMIC Champion and Chamption 600 are trademarks of FMIC Axiom and ToneClone are registered trademarks licensed to Mercury Magnetics Mercury Magnetics Mini Choke and The Heart Soul ofYour Amp are trademarks licensed to Mercury Magnetics Mercury Mag...

Page 10: ...67 Independence Ave Chatsworth CA 91311 818 998 7791 FAX 818 998 7835 info MercuryMagnetics com www MercuryMagnetics com 100 of our products are designed handmade in So California USA Established in 1954 TM All dimensions are nominal C600 P C600 P CLASS Axiom TYPE Power Transformer PART NO C600 P ORIGINAL FENDER PART NO 073070713 MOUNTING Lay down VA RATING 30VA DATE 09 19 07 REVISED 01 15 08 Phot...

Page 11: ... Fender Photo of C600 C All dimensions are nominal C600 C C600 C CLASS Axiom TYPE Mini Choke PART NO C600 C ORIGINAL FENDER PART NO N A NOTE The introduction of the Mini Choke This choke was specially designed by Mercury Magnetics for the Champion 600 but may also be used in almost any amp style Call for more information MOUNTING Horizontal A Frame POWER RANGE 5 Henry 200ma max DATE 09 19 07 for t...

Page 12: ...n 1954 TM All dimensions are nominal C600 O C600 O CLASS Axiom TYPE Output Transformer single ended PART NO C600 O ORIGINAL FENDER PART NO OB 600 4 MOUNTING Horizontal L bracket open frame POWER RANGE Our OTs are rated to handle up to four times more power than the original manufacturer spec DATE 09 19 07 REVISED 01 15 08 Photo of C600 C Copyright 2007 by Mercury Magnetics All Rights Reserved Merc...

Page 13: ...trademarks of Mercury Magnetics Axiom and ToneClone are registered trademarks of Mercury Magnetics Fender is a registered trademark of FMIC Fender Music Instruments Corp Champion is a trademark of FMIC Mercury Magnetics is not affiliated with FMIC Fender Champion 600 Version 1 Chassis Locations of Mercury Magnetics transformers choke mounting hole modifications AC CORD 6V6 SPEAKER OUTPUT MERCURY S...

Page 14: ...nd the furnishing of these documents does not constitute an expresed or implied license to use such materials Stock component removal reference photographs Unsolder and remoe the following 14 components 1 Resistor R14 8 Resistor R12 2 Resistor R23 9 Capacitor C8 3 Resistor R25 10 Resistor R22 4 Capacitor C3 11 Resistor R20 5 Resistor R19 12 Resistor R26 6 Resistor R18 13 Resistor R15 7 Resistor R7...

Page 15: ... these documents does not constitute an expresed or implied license to use such materials Make 3 trace cuts on the circuit board The above photographs show you a method for doing this A trace is a conduc tive strip on the circuit board It is a paper thin layer of metal like tinfoil Cutting a trace is like clipping a wire Use a box knife Exact knife or a Dremel Tool with a cutting or grinding attac...

Page 16: ... wire supplied with the kit See the schematics at the front of the manual for the precise locations Note that we have intentionally located buss wires on both sides of the board Typically buss wires are eitehr soldered into an existing hole or onto a terminal Study these photos carefully before processing The 4 locations of the buss wires on the top of the circuit board Note that 2 R18 is optional...

Page 17: ...ts does not constitute an expresed or implied license to use such materials Measure prep and solder these 4 components onto the circuit board as indicated in these illustrations Positions X1 X2 C3 and R12 Note X2 and C3 axial capacitors must be mounted with correct polarity R12 X1 C3 X2 Positioning for C3 note polarity Positioning for X1 bridges pins 5 and 8 of the 6V6 socket Positioning for R12 P...

Page 18: ... their exact positions The holes are for the 2 leads from the choke The holes should just clear the trace Take a sharp knife and scrape away the insulation layer above the trace next to each hole Then tin the new contacts with a small amount of solder 1 Drill the first 1 16 hole next to the trace For the location see the schematics It is near the location of R11 2 Drill the second 1 16 hole next t...

Page 19: ...ew hole locations for the output transformer and choke then using a 3 16 drill bit make the 2 holes for the choke and the 4 holes for the output transformer This reference shot shows the 2 holes for the choke and 4 for the output transformer Solder the output transformer s speaker leads in place green and green black wires as shown Solder the Center Tap to the filaments from the power transformer ...

Page 20: ...nting holes If there is paint on these tabs you must sand it off Sand to remove all paint from the outer side of the tab The inner side is not necessary The idea is that when the chassis is inserted into the cabinet that it grounds against the metal foil in the chassis rack area Likewise if this metal foil is ripped or torn you should patch it up with new foil Heavy duty aluminum foil will do the ...

Page 21: ...f of Mercury Magnetics The disclosure of the information herein may pertain to proprietary rights and the furnishing of these documents does not constitute an expresed or implied license to use such materials Note Some wire pairs from the power transformer are twisted together Follow this photo as a reference Final re assembly reference photograph ...

Page 22: ...osure of the information herein may pertain to proprietary rights and the furnishing of these documents does not constitute an expresed or implied license to use such materials Final re assembly reference photographs Note When bolting the OT and Mini Choke into the chassis run the bolts UP through the chassis not down into it This will prevent the possibility of electrical arcing ...

Page 23: ...extreme risk of frying your amp or some of its components getting hurt electrocuted etc A Variac is a standard amp tech tool No amp tech should be without one They are available from many electronic stores or online eBay etc Prices start at about 50 and go up from there The better units such as the Tenma isolated variable AC power supply shown in these photos include output current metering Consid...

Page 24: ...ro 0 Turn on the Variac s power Then turn on the amp s power Variac A variable transformer used to vary AC voltages Also the tradename for a brand of variable AC transformer There are other brands but the term is generically used to describe all of them A variac allows adjustment of the incoming AC mains voltage The better quality units have meters for voltage and current or both and fuses for pro...

Page 25: ...Variac s output voltage knob The amp should turn on at about 45 volts When you get to about 60 volts you don t want to see more than a few hundred milliamps If the current meter reaches anywhere above half an amp roll the Variac back to zero shut everything down discharge the caps and look for the error short or bad component Correct the problem and repeat until this test passes STEP D Once you ca...

Page 26: ...aintain affordable prices for consumers On a PCB components are often attached to the top of the board and then soldered from the back via pass through conductive eyelets where they follow the traces that make up the circuit Asian made PCBs are typically not as resilient as those made in the west Therefore they re likely to Continued on next page è Damaged eyelet Intact eyelet Repair to a damaged ...

Page 27: ...ff in the process of making repairs and modifications If this happens the easiest workaround is to reveal about 1 8 of trace material near the eyelet hole on the same circuit and solder the component s lead connection directly to that Or if there s a nearby soldered connection on the same trace you can use the component s lead to jumper directly to the terminal If an eyelet is damaged or missing o...

Page 28: ...ry Resistance Secondary Resistance Core Eddy Current Losses Core Hysteresis Losses Blessed are the Tone Makers The above circuit reveals the properties of an audio output transformer The transformer is a reactive component its values change depending upon the information feeding it Transformers for tube based electric guitar amps are designed to intentionally provoke the tubes into distortion the ...

Page 29: ...n high voltage current circuits safely Several ways to discharge caps FIRST UNPLUG THE AMP But that doesn t make it safe THEN take a screwdriver or a jumper and short the capacitors leads OR jumper the power amp tube plate pin to ground for a minute or so Class A single power tube only OR jumper the positive lead of each large cap to ground for several seconds A jumper with a built in resistor 10K...

Page 30: ...very good chance that it will explode in your face If you haven t given the capacitors a couple of days to discharge or if you just want to be cautious you can use a short length of insulated wire with alligator clips on the ends to discharge them First make certain that the amp is unplugged Attach one alligator clip to a capacitor s positive lead then touch the other clip to the amp chassis sever...

Page 31: ... TO DO IT In old electronics books they tell you to use a screw driver with an insulated handle to short out the caps Shorting with a screwdriver will almost instantly drain the caps to zero volts causing sparks from high current This is not acceptable If there are several hundred volts stored in the caps be prepared for a nice sized spark It will most likely leave a black mark on the chassis and ...

Page 32: ...tor until there s absolutely no doubt in your mind that all are drained Less than 5 volts is safe but I prefer to drain mine to 1 volt for peace of mind Don t be surprised if you find the capacitors slowly recharging themselves This phenomenon is known as dielectric absorption and is quite normal in electrolytic capacitors The filter caps shouldn t recharge to a lethal level but leave the discharg...

Reviews: