Fender Champ (1964)

This is my '64 Fender Champ, commonly called a "Black Face" Champ due to the black front panel. I picked it up in 1987 when I went looking for a tube amp. I was disappointed with the Peavey Bandit I had bought earlier in the year at the same time I got my Strat.

The guy at the store mistakenly called it a '63 and I thought it would be neat to match it with the guitar. As it turns out, the amp was actually from November '64 (tube chart code NK).

This is a 6 watt, Class A, tube amp and just drips with the classic vintage tone that these amps are known for. The clean sound has a shimmering warmth and when the amp is pushed it breaks into a wonderful vintage overdrive. I think it sounds best with Fender single coils, no surprise there. Humbuckers will push it harder but you've got to cut back on the volume to get a good clean sound.

To push the amp I'll use either my VeryTone or Hotfoot. I've also used it with some borrowed TS-9 style pedals and they sound good also however a DOD Mystic Blues I owned for a while didn't do much for it.

Unfortunately, age has caught up with this amp and I'm going to need to get it overhauled. One downside to the amp is that it has the old fashioned 2 prong plug. The results can be ...err...shocking if I'm not careful. It has zapped me a few times. I'll probably have it replaced with a newer 3 prong grounded plug. Secondly, the caps and other components are worn out which has led to the tone not being as good as it once was. When I get the time and money I'm going to have the amp fully overhauled by a pro (as opposed to my clumsy tinkering with it).