Short History of the Tweed Fender Champ
With just 4 watts, the first incarnation of the Fender Champ was introduced in 1948 and
was called the “Champion 800”. It had one 6SJ7 preamp tube, a single 6V6 power tube, and
a 5Y3 rectifier tube. Along with an 8” speaker, it was covered in two toned brown and tan vinyl
and was beautiful to behold. In 1953 the name changed to “Champion 600 ” with a 6”
speaker replacing the original 8”. The two toned vinyl remains, however some of the later
Champion 600's are covered in the new transition tweed covering. By 1953, all Champion
amps were covered in tweed and all still sounded great! These early Champions were the
perfect complement to the new Telecaster family of guitars. But all is not finished yet …
The biggest improvements were brewing. In 1955, the “Champ” is born with the introduction
of the new 12AX7A as the preamplifier tube (replacing the 6SJ7). This brings the output to 5
watts into a 6” speaker. But there is one more big improvement coming. In 1958, along with a
slight component change, the 8” speaker is reintroduced. With this final change, the “mother
of tone” is born. It is as if the planets aligned and whispered to Leo Fender what the near
perfect amp should sound like. He was listening because here it is.
It is this last, near perfect incarnation that we provide for you here.
The tweed champ is one of my favorite amps. Inside its diminutive size rests the heart of an
entire world of music. From blues, to rock-a-billy; from rock-n-roll to soul; from country to jazz,
this amp is capable of holding its own across a wide swath of musical history and genres.
From humble consideration as a “beginner amp”, this amp has become a standard bearer for
what is cool about music.
Therefore imagine my excitement in designing a kit where you can build an incredible amp
on which to put your musical mark on the world. Wow … this is going to be fun!
Thank you for purchasing this great kit. You should be able to easily put this kit together in
an evening or two … whether you have any prior amp building experience or not. I designed
this kit for you to enjoy both building and playing this amp. And once finished, this kit will allow
you to make the best music you can … to make your world mark.
Now, let's have some building and playing fun.
Robert Hull
Director of Technical Services
TubeDepot.com
“
Champ” and “Fender” are the property of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC). TubeDepot is not
affiliated or associated with FMIC or its subsidiaries and FMIC does not sponsor or endorse any of TubeDepot’s
products.
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