Fender Champ

I have 2 silver Faces, 1974 and 1978 (often used in stereo). Simple 6 watt hand wired tube heaven. Simple circuit, 1 5y3 rectifier, 1 6V6, 1 12AX7, 1 vol, Treble, Bass, Mustang style on/off switch, light and portable, not very loud, but mic it up! Stradavarious of 4-6 watt tube amps. tone really responds to tube changes, speaker changes, etc.

no digital junk

Great for roots rock, indie rock, blues, rock'n roll, (I use 2 in stereo with delay and reverb effects)also takes all pedals well. Noisy only if you do not let it warm up. at 3-4 nice clean and warm- very natural and woody, at 5 and 6 it starts breaking up, 7-10 it sounds like a cross between the Stooges and old Sabbath with buckers and p90s, nice blues over drive with singles.

Very elementary- the original Fender cleans/ overdrive

wattage/size not big enough for bassy rhythm live, but works great recording.

Old amps really need alot of tlc, educate yourself as much as you can. The 74 seems to have some filter cap problems- have blown many fuses.

Keep them clean, let them warm up and you will be fine.

backup- another reason I have 2. totally worth it.

CBS musical instruments no longer exists.

instead of buying one of those new fangled Champion 600's or whatever they are, save a little more and look for a silverface Champ- they have basically the same circuit as the blackface champ (unlike the larger old Fender amps that had many changes over the '70s)

Love the size- packs a punch for such a small and light amp
also have a 76 princeton Reverb, 71 Twin Reverb, 68 Bandmaster.

These old amps blow the new amps away

1959 tweed Champ Amp. Little box. Little speaker. Volume control that switches off. Mine is fully original with the original speaker--not reconed but in good shape.

I use it with a lot of different guitars, but mainly a P90 equipped Suhr Classic T. I don't understand the hype and mystique that has grown up around this amp. My Champ is in great shape but it sounds like what it is: a tiny little amp with a tiny little speaker. It sounds much better through a Weber Z-Matcher and into a 4x12, but through the little speaker it sounds pretty lame.

It's been around for half a century, and likely will last quite a bit longer. Largely due to the fact that it sounds bad and I don't play it much except to remind myself how much better my other amps sound.

Irrelevant for something this old

Sorry Champ fans. I cannot recommend this amp to anyone but possibly a harp player. Even then, your other options in this price range are much better. Try a 5C3. It's just a bit bigger but with a 12 inch speaker it KOs the Champ in any kind of comparison.

What I can't understand is that Fender is reissuing these amps for almost what you can buy a vintage one for.

Even more incomprehensible is that people buy those reissues. Anyway, when the economy picks up, mine is going on the block.

57 Reissue champ made 2009. One knob, and two input channels, one each for single coils and humbuckers. I got tired of lugging my 42 lb Deluxe Reverb RI up and down the stairs in my house and I wanted a good samll 5 watt amp that breaks up at lower volumes. All tube and very responsive to picking.

I use mostly single coil guitars with this amp and it really shines. I love the way it grits with a very nice smooth distortion as you crank up the volume past 5 (it goes to 12). At 12 the distortion is very very good and the speaker (Weber 8" alinco) sounds just great. I put Weber speakers in all my amps. I think the speaker chosen for this amp is fantastic!

This amp iw very quiet even with the volume at 12. I can't get over how much I love this amp!

Time will tell. Just got it!

I've had very good experiences with Fender customer support. I once had a Blues Junior I really beat the hell out of until it just smoked one day. My Fender repair man is just two miles from my house. He looked it over and told Fender I needed a replacement (love that 5 year warranty). I had a new amp in less than a week.

I've been playing 15 years and own a Fender custom shop strat and 3 custom shop teles (all relics) and a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion. I have a Fender Deluxe Reverb RI and a THD Bivalve. I've had a Blues Junior (stolen) and a Hot Rod Deluxe (sold). I've had a Gibson Hisotric Les Paul Gold Top, ES 175 and many other guitars. The only Gibson I'll ever have is the Howard Roberts. All other guitars will probably be Fenders (I just love Fender CS guitars).

This amp is a keeper and will be replaced if lost or stolen.

I can't give this amp a 10 because it is expensive. I looked at the Swart 5W amps and would have really considered one of them if I knew that I could get warranty repair work as easily as I can with Fender amps.

Not a lot of features on a 1965 Fender Champ. However, it "features" GREAT tone. Simple Volume, Treble, and Bass controls. Responsive to guitar volume control and picking attack.

Played with single coils it has a nice bell like tone. Played with humbuckers it has a nice growl and surprising low end for a small enclosure and speaker. The distortion is very bluesy, from a light overdrive (hair) to nice fuzzy breakup similar to "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Stones. I think Keith even used one on that track with a Treble Booster in front of it. No noise. I haven't opened the chassis yet to see if any caps have been changed or any mods made, but I think not. It still has the original two-prong power cord and any tech worth his salt would have changed it to a grounded cord if doing a cap job. Original speaker as well and old US made tubes.

In the realm of reliability, I believe Fender wrote the book on tube amp reliability. 44 years old and still works (and sounds) like a dream.

Um, if I was really in a pinch I might call Fender and they might respond. More likely I would work on it myself. Its a Champ after all. Doesn't get much simpler inside than this.

I have been playing for over 20 years, collecting amps and guitars for just as long. Been working on tube amps for the last year or so. I play mostly Fender guitars (Tele, Strat, Jag, Jazzmaster, Musicmaster) and have a couple of Gibsons too. Also, Epiphone Dot. All sound great through this little tone monster. I have no issues with it not having tremolo or reverb. I plan on using a tape echo and maybe a standalone 63 Reverb most of the time anyway. Well, maybe having Vibro Champ would be a little cooler than just a Champ, but I still love it. Paid a decent price for this amp. Tried to haggle, but decided not to let it slip away. This is an all original 1965 Champ. Transition era Fender Musical Instruments on the front but Fender Electric Instruments on the back!

Basic as they come, 5 watt tube amp. Volume and tone are only controls along with high and low gain inputs. There is an output jack inside of the cabinet for connection to a cabinet. I've never used this feature. The amp is small, light and very cool looking. I bought this amp new from a local supplier about a year ago. It has only worked intermittently (first one failed completely, bad switch).

For what it is it, and when I have been able to use it it sounds good. I play rock, blues and it has a nice growl when distorted. Performance is quiet. Nice clean and distorted sounds, when it works.

This is where I vent. This is the second champ I have purchased. Each had faulty switches. I returned the first one, and have the same problem again. Must have been made on the same day, tequila day in Mexico. I'll just repair this one myself rather than go thru the hassle of happening again. Because I like the sound and portability of the amp, I'll keep it and solve the problem on my own.

I don't know what the warranty is, I returned the first clunker and was immediately issued a new one by the retailer, no questions asked. I don't want to go thru the hassle of repair process, so I'll fix it myself. I really have no opinion on Fender's customer service, but I'll give a high grade to the retailer who acted, I'm sure, with the certainty that Fender would take the clunker back.

I have been playing for 2 years. I would not buy another one because of the unreliability of the unit. I like its portability, great sound for a small amp. I hate the fact of such a poor product being built by a good American company. I also own a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue that is a great amp, and a Roland Cube 20, great amplifier also. I own several guitars, both acoustic and electric.

November 1964 AA764 Fender Champ.. I traded a Solid State Peavey for this amp some time around 1975. Lost some volume but gained a lot of tone. If I want the volume I can always mic it.
Upgraded the cord to 3 prong for safety years ago and I think I replaced the original tubes once in the 80's.
The controls are simple.. 2 inputs, volume, treble and bass.
I wish it had a reverb, otherwise I would change nothing about it, it is perfect.

I play an 80's Japanese custom shop strat with the only current mod being that I traded the pickups for some from the 70's.
However, I've played various guitars through it over the years.

It has that classic clean Fender tone. It breaks up a little at full volume but not enough for any kind of metal.
It is surprisingly loud for such a little amp.

I play mostly blues/rock kinda stuff but my daughter plays some pretty heavy stuff (Opeth, Lamb of God) by plugging her Jackson Warrior into a pedal board in front of it.

It's a workhorse.
I have been using this amp regularly since I got it in 1975. It gets played almost every day by either me or one of my kids. Every style, all kinds of abuse. I've used it as a PA monitor, playing out, mic-ed, at home in a garage. This thing has not only survived, it has kept it's beautiful, musical tone.
I've thought about putting it away and stop abusing it since it's vintage gear but then I wouldn't get to play it.

N/A I guess.

The tone is why I've kept it.. that and the way it smells.. tubes and wood like something from another time.
This amp and my guitar have gotten me through a lot of hard times.
If it were stolen or lost I would spend the rest of my life looking for it and I WOULD find it.
When you can build a mechanical device, from wood and metal and wires, that can generate those kinds of feelings in someone you know you did something right. Thank you Leo Fender :-).

My champ is an all original 1959 5F1 narrow panel. It has the very basic tweed Champ features: volume knob and little speaker.

I use a variety of guitars (Suhr Tele, SG Specials and Jrs etc.), the one thing they have in common is P90 pickups. I like my amps to be responsive to the way I play, the Champ does that, but to my ears it just sounds small and boxy. It's got a lot of volume, but not quite enough headroom to gig with.

I can't help but wonder what people who rate this amp so highly are comparing it to. I've got lots of old tweeds and some black and brownface Fenders and with respect to sound quality, the Champ is the hands down loser of the lot. If I need to use a small amp. I'll take my 6G2 white knob Princeton. It's an all around better sounding amp.

It's in great shape for a 50 year old amp. It'll probably withstand a lot of abuse

I've been waiting for the economy to recover so I can sell it for a reasonable price. I will not be replacing it with another Champ

mine is a 1973 Silverface Champ. Came with a really muddy bad sounding speaker, replaced it with a Jensen Special Design (Italy) ferrite magnet speaker, soldered the wires right to the terminals just like the original. I showed it to a friend (a musician!) and he thought it was the original speaker! It's been modded with a speaker line out and a Vibro circuit (knob on back for vibro - so kinda impractical, but a good circuit never the less. Face plate & tolex seen much better days, scrapes on the corners of the cab, kinda beat up. Sounds freakin great.

Crank it and it really is nice. I saw Jeff Beck years ago at the infamous Todd Rundren (opening act) show in Boston. Beck had a Strat, with a line out of his Champ going to the big speakers. Couldn't tell if it was a vibro or not. Mine is a little noisy, might need new caps at some point. I had a 3 prong plug put on it, mostly because being shocked to death is not my idea of fun. The 12AX7's are sylvania or something. I have not experimented with tone by using diff tubes (valves), although I'm tempted to try Mullard AY7's just to see... I play blues and rock, from power chords to slide to just pickin. The Champ is great for all that. It's a plain vanilla budget amp. People are starting to pay crazy money for old Fenders, including the black & silverface amps but if you got the coin, it's worth it IMO.

super reliable, too small to heat up too much, great little amp. I play it thru a marshall cab with 4 alnico speakers (3 Heppners and 1 Utah, 16 ohm speakers wired to be 4 ohms )and it sounds nice and full, just with the 8" Jensen it's fine. This is a workhorse, could probably be used 8 hrs a day for years before you'd have to re-cap & tube it.

somehow I doubt it would be worth it to send this to Fender. I think the warrenty expired 35 years ago - but it's still working, so they did somehting right when they built this amp!

There are few amps in the world that compare to this one. It's the small block Chevy of the amp world. I have a 1948 Vega steel guitar amp that is very close to the Champ in some ways, but still different in terms of tone. I paid $200 for my Champ in 2006 and about $100 for the Jensen speaker and for the amp technician (Mr. Ben)to give it a speaker line out, the caps checked, the tubes tested and a 3 prong cord added. Totally worth it. One of the best little amps you can buy, and they are a known product with an established market. It's really hard to go wrong with this amp, kids. Get one.

Mine is a 1959 tweed Fender Champ. It's simple design is is its only feature. Less is more, here. That is what I love about it! It has just one knob to turn the amp on and to adjust its volume and has two inputs, one high-gain and one low. It was created to be a student/practice tool. It was born in a time when guitarists still had to learn to play their instrument without the crutch of effects.

It is what it is. Sonically, it's supposed to be simple and pure. At low volumes, it has a wonderfully mellow and rich tone. As volume increases, it begins to bark and then really fuzzes when cranked all the way up. Single coil pickups really shine through on this amp. However, humbuckers produce a nice sound when plugged into the second input, as well. Regardless of the pickup or guitar used, the forces the player to pay special attention to technique. It's not very forgiving towards mistakes, which is ideal for students and practicing.

It's almost a 50 year old amp. From time to time, tubes and things need to be checked and/or changed.

No need to call Fender about something this old.

I've been playing guitar for over 20 years and this has been the most constant, and probably most important, tool in my development as a player. I've had many great amplifiers over the years that have seen stages and studios all over the world, but no other can take this amp's place in my home.

Been playing for 30 years, but never owned a tube amp. The Champ was recommended to me as a "starter" tube amp. Mine is a 1973 with a Jensen speaker and American made tubes. I won't detract too much from the rating on account of the simplicity because anyone buying this amp knows it has no frills. I usually play through a 2X12 Line 6 with a floorboard, giving me every effect, amp model, cabinet configuration at the step of a switch... so this is quite a departure for me.

This is what it's all about. Others have noted that this amp shines with single coil pickups, and that has been my finding as well. My Ovation Viper hardbody sounds great, but the Ovation Preacher and UK2... not so much. The holy grail is coupling my Gretsch Tennesean (single coil Hi-Lo Tron pups) with the Champ. I have NEVER heard my Gretsch sound so sweet. As has been said before, the Champ has tons of headroom and not much distortion. For some that would be beneficial, for others a detraction. I dusted off an old DOD overdrive pedal and it sounded great through the Champ. The Champ may not shine with all of your guitars, but for the right ones, wow!

With the simplicity of design, I imagine someone will be enjoying this amp for a century or so.

No opinion. Will take it to the amp repair professional I purchased it from if anything needs to be fixed.

Once you pair the Champ with the right single coil guitar, you will be enamored with this amp. Could it be more powerful, have more (any) features, a second channel, etc.? Sure, but it does what it was built for just fine. I am very happy with my purchase of The Champ.

1968 Vibro Champ

I would swap the vibrato for reverb in a heartbeat but......oh well

Have used a variety of guitars through this lil' "champ", mainly now my Nashville Power Tele. I even use it for practicing my pedal steel which sounds great!

Replaced power cord, broken 3rd prong, otherwise no problems..

Has never been needed....

All the original "needs" is reverb to make it the perfect practice, recording or even small gig amp....

Made in heaven in 1973. Incredible sound from blues to rock. Goes well with Strats, LP, Tele. One channel, 2 jack inputs. The only thing I miss is a line out and/or Headphones. It was sweet and beautiful with the '73 stock components, but after the Torres Tweed mod, a new Weber Alnico speaker upgrade and a swap of tubes for original NOS RCA, it now develops an incredibly rich sound. Tons of cream. Regarding the mod, I really prefer the mod with the Fine Tuning 750 mF cap, smoothening the beast. It is now a solid 10.

Blues, Rock sound. Crunchy, creamy, hot, sweet, 70's.
Good with HB, good with single coils.

It worked since '73. That deserves a 10, does it not?

Dont' wanna know about it: I will fix it myself, it is so simple.
Actually schematics are so simple that I think I will clone it to have a backup.

For less than 10 bucks, go fot the Tweed Amp Torres mod kit. It boosts the sound, overall volume and reactivity to your play.
The other upgrades (Weber speaker, NOS valves,... ) are expensive. But if you can afford this little luxury, go for it. It is much sweeter than the Champion 600. All in all, it is not a real good value, but what would be life without gems like this??? Hmmm? Tell me...

My follow-up review.
Just a basic, feature-less practice amp... 2 channels, channel one slightly louder than channel two. Volume, treble, bass. 5 watts, 8" speaker. 12ax7, 6V6, 5Y3. Nothing more, nothing less.
When the Champ was still in the Fender line-up, it was sold as a simple, bedroom practice amp, yet has risen to almost empirical status. Would I pay big bucks for a 60's black face Champ? Only if I were a desperate collector or out of my mind.

No "distortion", except for a certain tube saturation at high volume, if you can even get the 6V6 to saturate that is. The ratty, stock speaker is horrendous, thus invites a replacement. However, after replacement the clean, bell-like tone is heavenly. For more volume, a 4 ohm, 10" speaker can be used. If the amp has been used extensively, over time some components on the circuit board may have to be replaced unless you want all your expensive tubes to die a slow death.
The Champ has been hyped to no end and perhaps rightfully. Let's face it: the clean, bell-like tonal quality is a thing of beauty and it is shameful to put a fuzz box in front of it. It would be better to change the caps and transistors to saturate the 6V6 to get a good tube-breakup. Just my opinion.

How reliable are tube amps? Depends. I bought my 1980 Champ used and have had no problems. However, I modded the board extensively with a Torres tweed-kit, so many capacitors and transistors were replaced. I'd say that tube amps in general are as reliable as the time one is willing to invest in general maintenance, the quality of electricity coming out of the socket (no major spikes and surges) and storage (temp and humidity/moisture controlled).

Never needed.

I like my Champ the way I have it now modded, which has cost as much as the original acqicision price. Tweed-mod (caps and transistors replaced), speaker replacement (10" Weber). In its original form, I wasn't too impressed. Don't get me wrong, I loved the tone. But the Champ has more potential and that is ultimately why I bought it. If I have to sell off all my gear, the last stuff I'd keep would be my Carvin SC90 and my Fender Champ.
I would like to buy another Champ and leave that one original, but the prices have become almost prohibitive... yet in a way, I am glad. The higher prices keeps the Champ from being bought by folks, i.e. kids (no offense) that should really buy a solid-state super shredder of some sort. I almost did leave it original, but the late silver face Champs are tonally really nothing to write home about and the modification is certainly justifiable, so I think no sin has been commited.

This is my '68 Silverface Champ that have the same schematic model as later Blackface Champs..Volume, Treble, Bass, 1 6v6, 1 12AX7, 1 5y3GT and a oxford speaker.

I think my Champ works best with lower-powered single-coil pickups, i use it with my fender '66 mustang and it's perfect!!!This amp is perfect for studio work, stays clean until about 5, gets warm around 9, then is wonderfully overdriven at 10

ok!

ok!

I highly recommend this amp as a practice amp for people who want clean sounds, like the blues, and don't want to piss off their neighbors or family. A great apartment/dorm amp, although if you cranked it, it would be too loud for that.
I play all different styles of music. From Country to blues, alternative, Its absolutely the perfect size for a practice amp, small gigs and recording

1975 Champ. Amp was sent to Mojotone and totally gone over. New JJ tubes and new 10" mojotone speaker. Also had a new transformer for a 8 Ohm 10 added to it. This amp truly kicks ass. I was stunned at how much better a Champ sounded with a 10" speaker in it.The cleans are unbveleiveable and the cranked sound is too die for.

Cleans are to die for and so is the cranked sound.

Built like a Tank!

Fender doesn't know these things exit.

I have been jamming since 1977. Am tone fanatic! Get yourself a Champ and plug into a 10" or 2-10" cab and enjoy!

I have a 78 Silver Face Champ, bought at a music store in Orlando about 3 years ago. While limited to volume bass and treble controls, this amp does what it is supposed to do. Volume control is actually the most versatile, providing a nice crunch that starts around "6" and really gets thick around "9". Treble and bass controls don't seem overly responsive until you hit about "6-7" but do offer as much control as is needed given the pedigree of this amp.

I mostly play my 62 Gibson ES330 through this amp so it benefits greatly from the rich sound of vintage P90s. Nonetheless it has such an even clear tone that the P90 sound is well represented. Overall it is pretty quiet at most volumes, hence it's reputation as a great recording amp. This is also supplemented by its clarity and the evenness of its tone It's probably too small for playing out at anything but a small venue. However, it is a great practice amp and I have used it for many recordings and the sound quality comes through very well. I don't play anything too heavy (blues and classic rock mostly), but do enjoy a fat tone nonetheless and this amp delivers. The natural overdrive that really kicks in around "7" is rich yet controlled and tasteful. When supplemented by a boost or Tube Screamer, it offers limitless natural tone. It's a Fender Tube amp. How could it be less than a 10 for this one?

I must report that recently, after only 30 years I had to have this amp serviced when a tube socket fried out on me. All joking aside this amp is bulletproof, partly due to its simplicity, partly due to Fender quality. With the exception of a few caps that need replacing periodically, everything else is stock on this amp. The speaker still sounds great, all controls work, and the cabinet is still pristine and looks great. The hand wired circuitry is still flawless after nearly 3 decades too. The aforementioned service included a filter cap change, a tube socket change and replacing the large can type capacitor in the power section. Once completed, the sound was amazing. I would guess every bit as good as the day this baby rolled off the line.

It's a Fender so it was no trick to find an authorized service center. Otherwise I've had no contact with Fender so I can offer no opinion.

This is a great amp. The sound is so sweet that I would always want one for recording and for the bedroom. Given its size, it's not the amp that will replace all others. However it's small size and big versatility, make it a great multi purpose amp. Easy to lug around, and easy to get great tones out of. Given that these amps are still relatively cheap, I call it an absolute MUST HAVE.

Made in April 1965 (OD). Blackface with Sam Hutton initials on inside cabinet. Envelope in speaker cabinet contains original schematic.

Sounds exactly the same as the first time I plugged it in Christmas of '65. Just dug it up out of the bowels of my parent's house after a 40 year hibernation. Can't believe it just fired up and worked and still sounds so amazing.

Original everything. My friends are envious!

With such a great product, who needs customer support?

I can't believe the interest in this amp after all these years (never found my electric train in the attic, though). Don't play much anymore, so it's fate is in question.

Champ: "71" or "73" I don't remember!
It was given to me as a gift as I swore to protect it till the day I die!
I am the 2nd owner. It has the original tag on the cord, and the original owners manual is still in the plastic w/ the staple intact.
Est. 20-30 hrs. of play time on it and could be put right back on the shelf as being brand new, all original, extremely mint.
I keep it in a special hardcase!
It has been played just enough at regular intervals to keep the caps alive.
Features etc. are obvious.
I play everything from metal to mellow.
About 25-yrs. experience.
Obviously I use another amp for the metal, but this thing does everything else quite well, although squeals and fingered harmonics are lacking a bit due to the anti-feedback circuit.
Wish it had a good 12-in. speaker instead of the 8-in. to take advantage of the power it is capable of producing.

Excellent. Like I said, not a metal amp, but does everything else very well, probably one of the more diverse amps I own.
Very clean, but will get some very good distorted tones when used w/ an overdrive pedal like a Boss blues driver or SD-1 especially when combined w/ a good hot double humbucker or E.M.G.
When used w/ a fender strat it is as pretty as can be.
It has some of the prettiest clean tones I've ever heard.
Never cranked it very much as the 8-in. breaks up too early and it's too cherry to abuse.

Don't know - like I said it's got about 20-30 hrs. of play time on it, but the fact that it's over 30 yrs. old and still works says guite a bit.

Although I've known several people who have owned them and they are close to bullet proof. I've seen them kicked off the stage and picked back up and keep going like the energizer bunny.

I think I covered most of these questions in earlier sections.

But, I own several different guitars of different flavors, I have everything from EL-34 100/100's to little 10 watt practice amps, as well as vintage stompboxes to POD-XT's and this thing goes well w/ all of them. Wish I had two so I could do it in stereo.

If you've ever wanted to find out just how good you are, or how good your technique is, sit down and play one of these w/ no effects.

I would buy one in a heartbeat, and if anyone ever stole this one it would be a slow gruesome death if I caught them.

Mine is a 1962 Tweed Champ. One chicken head knob turns it on, up in volume, down in volume and off. 6v6 tube. 8" speaker.
Versatile? No. It's more of a one trick pony and that pony is old school blues tone (Howlin Wolf, Muddy etc). Not to say it can't be used in other forms but that's what it epitomizes.
I could wish for other features but it woudn't be a Champ. It might be a Vox AC30 or a Marshall stack wouldnt it?
I use this amp at home, for playing and recording.

It's a clean sound up until 1 on the volume control. Then its gets more compressed and overdriven and only slightly louder as you turn it up.
When cranked it has a fat ratty blistery fuzz sound. Make of that what you will. Great for bluesy lead & doublestops. Not good at all for chords. Way too farty.
Personally I like the sound when the volume is between 1 & 4. It's a woody rockabilly/swing kinda sound.

40+ years old. All original. So it's proven to be reliable. On the other hand maybe it's so old it will konk out tomorrow. I doubt it though.
I wouldn't use it on a gig. Lacks volume for one thing.

I could contact the people who bult this amp...but I'd need to use a ouija board. Fender doens't sell anything like this amp today and I'm sure would direct me to an independent service person.
These are simple amps. Easy to service.

I'll probably sell this amp. It's too limited for me.

silverface champ , don't know the year. 6 watts of pure tone, volume, bass, treble. high and low input. 8 inch original speaker " oxford " brand. 3 tubes: 1 6v6 for the amp, 12ax7 for the preamp and a 5y3 for the rectifier. Point to point circuit original

this amp need to be play with a fender guitar single coil pickup. I don't understand there is some reviews here that says ; Oh when i play with my boss multi-effect ..... blablabla ... WO!!! don't put any digital effect with amp!!! you scrap the sound!! 1 fender guit, a champ and a wire!! that's what you need to rock and have the 100% of this little amp!! Sound amazing, you can get good distortion of the tube at low volume!!

built like a thank! it is a point to point amp so it's very to repair but don't need to. The only thing I did when i bought this amp is a clean up , i change the tube, 1 socket tube and a clip. Now it's doing 7 years.

I Email a couple of time fender for questions on my fender guitars or amps and they always answer me pretty fast.

it's doing over 20 years i play and 15 years proffesionnaly. I have over 15 guitars that's collectionnable and 6 tube amps. I,m also a studio owner with a 3 rooms studios. I use this amp for studio only. Live i'm using rivera fandango and/or old marshall jtm. For my personnal rock band project i'm using a 5150 head with a marshall with greenback speakers, with only old analog stomb box!! I don't really like digital for guitar... don't sound good as a tube amp and analog effect.

Silverface Champ from the 1970s. Volume, treble, bass knobs. Tube pre- and power, solid state rectifier. 10" speaker. All the features you could want in a small tube amp, except maybe pre- and post- levels and a 12" speaker, and maybe a tube rectifier. Then it would be perfect.

The lack of reverb and other effects is a plus. Who needs low-end onboard junk gumming up the works? Use pedals and shop for them a la carte, I say.

I used it mainly with a Bullet equipped with one Lace Sensor, but also with a Strat clone and a neck-through mahogany solid-body with coil-tapping, active humbuckers. Played mostly surf and rock rhythm with this. The settings were live venues, practice spaces, and home recording. It absolutely shined at semi-grunty, semi-damped rhythm, open chord strumming, and open arpeggios, all at volumes compatible with a reasonably restrained live drummer.

I prefer an EL-84 to a 6L6 in the power stage, and overall I tend to go for the mellow, warm, and wobbly Gibson tube sound over the spankier Fender sound. But that pentode-driven Fender top end sure lends you some transients. Pick attack really comes through, and at high volumes, those transients break up pretty roundly on top of the overall signal. Classic.

One of the best guitar players I ever knew used to gig with one of these in an empty Marshall 4x12 cab. He always got compliments on his apparently rockin' "stack." This was one musician who knew guitarist delusions from reality. Big amps visually fill the stage and puff up our egos, but when it comes to sound, small amps are the way to go.

It's an old tube amp. I'd have to be insane to take it to a gig or a studio without backup. Why not just set fire to my money instead? Yes, I'm aware that many of you gig and record without a backup, but you are all completely nuts.

You do not get an amp like this for its reliability!

I've been playing electrics for 16 years, mostly with small or variable-power (damped with pentode-triode modes) tube amps. I currently have 3 such amps, and the Champ isn't one of them. I don't even remember what I traded it for or why, but that's one I'd like to take back. If I had one today, I'd hang onto it, and if I lucked into one for cheap, I'd snatch it up like free pizza. But the sad fact is that everyone knows how cool these old amps are, and they don't make them anymore, and that spells a high cost for its practical value when compared to brand new tube amps. For less than half as much, you can get a new Epiphone Valve Jr. For about 3/4, you can get a new Pro Jr., and for about the same as an old Champ, you can get a new Blues Jr. All sound wonderful and should be way more reliable than the Champ.

But if you must have the old Champ sound, then only an old Champ will make it, and you will pay! It's still a bargain compared to the new "boutique" snob amps that are supposed to imitate it.

This amp is for all kinds of rootsy rock and country. Metalheads and jazz players will want to look elsewhere.

I give this a 9 where a 10 would be a pre-CBS blackface Champ.

This is a 1966 Blackface Fender Champ I bought in 1986. Plain jane, as described elsewhere. 5 watt output from a single-ended class-A output stage with a 6V6 tube, 8-inch speaker. The tone circuitry is the same as bigger Fenders, only with a higher value for the mid-range sculpting resistor (15K instead of 6.8K). This is why the bass control doesn't do much, but it is the right choice for a 5 watt amp.

This is not intended as a stage amp, but is perhaps one of the greatest practice/rehearsal amps ever made.

I have the original speaker, but replaced it with a Weber Alnico Signature 8S. What a tremendous difference - the original was rather thin sounding, but the Weber brings out tons of "body" while retaining the twang. Highly recommended upgrade, IMHO.

A perfect miniature Fender. I use a 1965 Deluxe Reverb and a Telecaster as my main rig, and this little tiny amp gets that same "vibe" at very modest volumes (the Deluxe is only 20 watts, but with a JBL it can do real damage!). Clean up to about 5, then classic Fender saturation above that. I use a Boss RV-3 reverb/echo with the Champ and it is darn hard to beat for practice, rehearsals and low volume "sit down" gigs. Nothing finer for playing with acoustic instruments, it fits right in and doesn't overwhelm.

I play a lot of country-influenced Telecaster along the lines of Danny Gatton, Jim Campilongo and James Burton. I apply this thinking to everything from rock to blues to jazz to folk, and I love it. Turn the Champ up to 8 and the ghost of Roy Buchanan materializes right over the pilot light.

I have replaced the multi-section filter cap (a must-do in a 40+ year-old piece!!), added a "tweed" switch (removes the tone ciruit) and upgraded the cathode bias resistor - but there is just nothing to go wrong in this thing, it is build like a small tank. I fully expect it to outlive me.

N/A - why would I have anyone but me fix this thing?

I have been playing for 32 years. I play quite a few styles, but when it comes to electric guitar I am all Fender and especially Telecaster. My stage amp is always a 1965 Deluxe Reverb that I have owned for 22 years.

Used to be that Champs were cheap and easy to get - and with a little work they sound great. Now they are terribly expensive and I would probably build something from parts if this one were lost. Still, I love the design, the low wattage, and ease of use. Every guitarist should have one of these classics in the old kit bag!

Pretty basic, it has 3 knobs and 2 inputs. 2nd input is hot.

I've replaced the speaker with a Weber Signature AlNiCO.
It love the clean sound. It really doesn't have much distortion, but a nice breakup at higher volumes when you pick hard(mine still has the negative feedback circuitry).

It takes well to my RAT, but sounds best when you plug in direct. It's allows your guitar to shine through and is very touch sensitive.

The rectifier and light went out after I got it, but that's pretty minor. Mine is a '73, so I guess these things are pretty reliable. The power tube doesn't sit all the way into the socket, but it's not loose.

I think it's past the warranty period.

For my rating, I'll consider this to be a $300 amp. I paid $180 + $40(new speakers) + $80 (potential need for a tech to replace some old caps and such). I really love this amp's clean sound. I use a different amp when I want distortion.

I believe mine is a 1975. I bought it w/ a "tweed mod" that supposedly makes it sound more like the fifties ones. I'm not handy enough to know what that is but how much different could it be? The circuitry on these old class-A tube amps is simple as dirt--one pre and one power amp tube.

All it has is bass, treble and volume controls. You can't completely sculpt the tone like you can w/ modern amps just tweak things a little; basically, no matter what, it sounds like a Fender Champ and that's awesome. The only thing I wish it had was an extension speaker out. The real attractive feature of this is that it's a small, vintage tube amp that gives you great tones at low volume. For a practice/recording amp what more could you want?

I play mine w/ a G&L ASAT special w/ the big honkin' single coils. W/ the neck pick-up and the Champ set for as loud as it can go w/o breaking up, the tone is amazing. It fills the room but isn't loud. The sound of my guitar and pickup come through full and fat w/ just a bit of gainy sweetness added. It is quite simply one of the nicest things I've ever heard.

It responds well to the volume and tone controlls on my guitar as well as to my picking style. W/ it set at about three or four, it's as loud as you'd normally want for practice and the tone ranges from very clean if you're gentle to a good crunchy, mild overdrive.

I think what you pay for when you get something like this is its simplicity and how well it responds to your guitar. There's a certain purity to your tone you don't get as much w/ bigger, more complex amps. My neck pickup on my ASAT sounds like the neck pickup on an ASAT. The bridge pickup sounds like the bridge pickup. If you plug an SG into it, it sounds like an SG. You could see that as a limitation but that's where it's true greatness lies.

My sole complaint is that at higher volume settings, I'm not crazy about how it breaks up. It's got a fun raunchy sound but it's a bit thin and overly treble-accented. If you tool around w/ it a bit you can get some cool sounds though.

For all the years up to eighty-two, I think these were hand wired. It's very simple circuitry so there's not much to go wrong and not much to fix when something does go wrong. Even the cabinet housing is made from very heavy, sturdy wood. It's an old amp; it's gonna have problems but nothing too major.

N/A

The silverface-era Champs are a steal. The go regularly for under two-fifty on eBay. True, they aren't blackface or tweed but can you imagine getting a hand-wired tube amp of any other variety for under three hundred bucks? That just doesn't happen these days.

You don't get much w/ this. Just a nice practice amp that sounds fantastic at low volumes. I'm thrilled ot have it.

1978 Silverface Champ.
Bass control is not as responsive as the treble control, but that's the general consensus with these later Champs. Still, a good low end.

I play a G&L Legacy through it. Switching between pickups does wonders. I prefer the middle position with this amp. Very rich; nice round bottom end and clean glassy highs with lots of presence- almost felt rather than heard outright; maybe at the upper edge of human hearing. When picking certain chords, it almost sounds chorused- so lush. What a great tube amp. It really lets you know when you're actually playing well and when you're playing poorly. It makes you a better player, for sure.

So far so good.

I don't think I'd bother with the Fender folks nowadays. Just take it to a reputable amp tech.

I've been playing since 1988.
Rock, Indie. (from Son Volt to Death Cab)
They're more expensive as time rolls on, but there's nothing currently made in mass production that can replicate its responsiveness and rich tonality. If you gig with it, you'll have to mic it... and put a blanket over the whole front(~6 watts). I've heard you can mod these to sound like blackface and (near)tweed champs, but I'm not sure if I'll do that. It would be nice if it broke up more smoothly at higher volumes like its Champ predecessors, but I'd hate to sacrifice the great sparkle/chime of the lower volumes. Sounds pretty damn good with a TS-9 in front of it.

Features? What features? Volume, treble and bass! But you buy a Champ for that One Tone.

Clean at low volumes, breaks up smoothly when pushed. That's it it.

I replaced the filter caps when I got the amp ten years ago. I assume it'll last another 30 without attention.

Fender is not exactly known for customer servic after the sale... but there are techs everywhere who can keep this puppy going.

Been playing for 30+ years. I gig occasionally with a solid state amp, but at home I play this a lot. It was given to me by a good friend, and if it disappeared, I'd probably have to go search for a replacement.

I got two Champs:

One is a '72 "Silverface" the other is homemade and based on the 5F1 "Tweed" Champ circuit.

The '72 is stock (even the old caps, which should be replaced soon), except for:
1. I replaced the power cord with a 3 prong (so I could ground it properly).
2. Replaced the old RCA speaker jack for a normal 1/4" one.
3. Replaced the slide style power switch (it crapped out and kept blowing fuses).
4. Replaced the speaker with a Weber Alnico 8".

The "Tweed" Champ I built myself and has a few minor differences than the original 50s version:
1. I built it as an amp "head" with 4, 8, or 16 ohm switch for the Speaker Out jack.
2. Solid State rectifier instead of 5Y3 tube rect (Class A amps really get no "sag" from tube rects, so why bother, huh?).
3. 10 watt Hammond Output Transformer instead of stock 5 or 6 watt OT.
4. Rewired the Power Tube's socket to accept an EL34.
5. Added a switch to change it's cathode biasing for either a standard 6V6 or a 6L6 or EL34 (therefore the 10 watt OT).

For features the '72 gets an 7 for it's Bass and Treble controls and ability to be a Clean or a Dirty amp in one little box. The "Tweed" gets an 8 for the ability to use a variety of speaker cabs and tubes.

The nicest feature is it's tone, so I averaged on the higher side to an 8 :)

CHARACTER
Out of all of my Amps, the Champs always seem to give you a more intense flavor of pickups, tubes, guitars, strings, and picking dynamics. New amps seem to mute or kill the subtlety of all of the other components in tone.

Perhaps this is due to it's TINY signal circuit. It's so honest since it's such a simple design.

Hot pickups ACTUALLY make a difference in getting more distortion, whereas on all of my more "modern" amps the sound is more controlled by the amp itself. THE CHAMP IS GREAT FOR GETTING A TASTE OF DIFFERENT BRANDS OF TUBES.

As you would expect the "Tweed" Champ is a little more agressive due to it's older style Negative Feedback Loop circuit. The '72 still breaks up into distortion a little earlier (since it has a little less headroom than my freak), but it's not as "scrappy".

VOLUME
Both are very pleasant and VERY loud for a "6 watt" amp (of course my Tweed freak is closer to 10watts with the 6L6 or EL34 in her). SORRY, BUT To get that nice distortion, it is NOT at "neighbor friendly" volume levels.

CLEAN
The clean tones are where this amp wins most in my book. The cleans are a little more compressed due to the lower wattage of headroom. Warm and lively.

DIRTY
The dirty on this is by no means "Captain Crunch", but it is pretty mean sounding. For recording, the Champ's dirty adds great "meat" and character when double-tracked with a more aggressive amp. On it's own it could not be a Metal amp, but it is GREAT for classic rock, blues, or SOME hard rock.

The homemade "Tweed" has TONS of Bass. Shook my house like a bass amp does (even on the 6 watt mode). It also bloomed into nice feedback when I wanted.

EVERY RECORDING GUITARIST SHOULD HAVE A CHAMP IN THEIR HERD OF AMPS. It can help you pick what brand of tubes you want (and why you want them) for other amps. It can record great clean, country, jazz, rockabilly (or psychobilly when pushed harder), blues, dirty, rock, or hard rock. For double-tracking, the Champ can add weight/balls, shimmer, chime, or alot of other character when combined with another guitar track.

One minor problem. The amp can shake your tubes when cranked. You can hear em rattling! This is not a problem on my "Tweed" Champ since it's a head (I built the tube sockets standing up like most heads have).

The '72 had a loose solder making it cut out (a bad solder after over 30 yrs - that's a tough amp). Not bad since it's 2006 now and the amp was ALL original. I fixed the solder and updated her (power cord for safety, speaker jack for avoiding mishaps to the OT or speaker). I should replace the power/filter caps since they're probably about dried out.

The homemade "Tweed" Champ is more solid because I built it, so that doesn't count.

No biasing (as it's Cathode Biased), not really much on maintenance (although Champs are famous for running 6V6s into the firey depths of hell and makes tube life a LITTLE shorter due to heat).

Gigs? Never gig without a backup. You could mic this amp up and get AWESOME tone for live gigs :)

Never dealt with Fender. Register my new Fender stuff for warranty, but never needed it.

I repair my own gear, so I would trust myself over strangers anyways.

For about $375 you can find Silverface Champs. Buy one, it may become a utility amp, or maybe your Clean or Dirty amp for recording.

You can buy kits to build as well, but I don't know how the quality on kits are. Buy all of the parts yourself and build it - it's surprisingly easy and will get you started for building your own handwired Marshall Plexi copy.

The kits are like $400 and include everything. Shopping around for loose parts and doing it from scratch can be about the same price, but is cooler :)

1970 something. Anyways I'm playing through a 1979 Washburn Eagle, and a boss ME-50 and lemme say something this setup prolly cost me $1000 CAN.
I am really suprised with the tone, I play anything from funk to Neil Young and really this amp can crank out amzing tones. Only issue is it overdrives a little at 5 once you get the tubes heated up. Very basic primitive amp on the outside. This amp was most likely used back in the days where kids would modify their own amps this thing is really easy to open up and fiddle around with (If you know what your doin)
I give it a 5 because there really arent many features to be honest but that doesnt degrade from total tonality of the amp.

Im using the washburn (humbuckers)
To be honest this thing really shells out what you sound like and your fingers. The variety depends on your fingers and the pedals + the volume, its like vol3 is a totally new amp from vol 5 its wierd you get used to it! My seems to rattle a bit i'll have to check it out!

I sorta depend on it. But these things are usually at least 30 years old so you have to be prepared. I would definatly use a backup. The only time this amp broke down is when some jackass took out the speakers and put in car sub woofers, this caused un controllable distortion and very low output. pretty much the amp blew and the tubes were glowin purple, got that fixed put in some groove tubes and the baby never sounded better

I've been playing for two years. And I own a washburn eagle, Me-50 ( sounds great through it by the way!), Fender Champ, Peavy Bandit 112, Boss MT-2. I would DEFINATLY acquire another one, these amps are in pretty high circulation.
I wish it had a output, so I could channel its great sounds through other amps ( With the right OHMS of course)

'78 Silverface Champ. Stock,but rewired using all original spec wiring. Original speaker.Paid about $350,and it's in nearly perfect cosmetic condition..grill cloth perfect,Silver bar perfect,and no cuts in the covering. It's a great little harp amp,just the way it is. I run a delay pedal into it--that's all. There isn't much variation in the bass control,but the treble control's fine. Big on/off light really glows..it's pretty. Plug rewired to three prong. Nice light amp. I jam,practice,and rehearse with it,and have used it mic'ed with a SM57,for low volume stage gigs,where it's loud enough to be a good stage monitor. It'll actually handle my small Yammy digital keyboard nicely,for low volume jammin', IF I only turn the keyboard up no more than half way,and don't push the amp volume more than 6-7. So,it's a little versatile.

I bought it to play harp through,solely. Pushed, it breaks up nicely,and gives a slightly distorted sound,with a little treble cut to it,which is handy for a low volume amp. I have no intentions of "blackfacing" this little beauty; it's got all original speaker,grill,knobs,handle,and original spec tubes,and I'm gonna leave it that way. If I need a different sound, I'll use a different amp. Plenty loud,too. For harp, loud is easy to achieve with this amp. Not loud enough to cut on stage when the band is loud...something in the 15-50 watt range might be better for that. I'd heard about these things for a while before I found one in the back room of a music store,not displayed, and I'm very happy with it. I use a Shure green bullet or a Blue Blaster mic with it,and a Digitech Delay,or a Danelectro BLT Slap Echo cheapo delay pedal. Sounds fine any way.

I just had it rewired,so it's not givin' me any trouble yet. I never would choose to do a gig without a backup amp,but this one doesn't have any little "gremlins" hiding in it,as far as I can tell. It doesn't fade when warm,and one input jack scratches a little when you plug into it,but the other one's fine.

N/A on customer support,but there's alotta info on the web about servicing these little pets.

I've been playing harp for about 40 years,but only for the last 5 years have I played using a bullet into an amp. Before that,I played through a SM57 cupped, or right through a SM58 vocal mic,not eq'd. I can't see any reason not to have one of these around,if I lost this one. I bought it because I was curious about the sound,and I didn't think I could ever lose my investment. I needed a good small tube practice amp. I compared it to my re-tubed Peavey Classic 30 tube,and a Fender Blues,Jr.,and Pro,Jr. The sound quality held its own with all of those...not better or worse,just different. If you play well through it,people will like the sound,as long as you can here what you're playing on stage. You can always feed a little of the sound back to yourself thru the monitors. I love the looks of it. It's a classic,and it's pretty. It's a breeze to haul to rehearsal,or gigs,and it draws a crowd with musicians around. It doesn't need a thing,unless you prefer onboard reverb. I'd leave this amp alone. If you want a different sound,buy a custom built Tweed or Blackface for the browner sound and more volume.

Hey kennethcardell, "a pre CBS 1967"? Dude, uh, CBS bought Fender in 1965....anything built in 1964 or before is considered "pre CBS"

So anyways, I just bought another 1976 Champ to go along with my 1973 Fender Champ amp that I've owned since 1990. I also bought it to replace my 1968 Vibro Champ. I bought it at Rainbow Music here in Tucson, Arizona from the highly prized Harvey Collection!

The Champs main feature is it's amazing clean tone!

Sounds like something Hendrix might have used to record Little Wing.

What really suprized me is how quiet these trebly amps are at idle.

I compared it to a vintage blackface 1964 Vibro Champ and a new Fender Blues Jr and even though the other amps cost $100 more they totally lacked compared the to silver faced 1976 Champ.

It's all original except a new Groove Tube power tube.

So, I use the {pre CBS} 1973 and {post CBS} 1976 in stereo with my 2000 Fender American Series Stratocaster and my Boss ME-50 mutiple effects processer and the sound is fantastic!

The 73 and 76 look and sound identical.

A Champ can be cranked for distortion and the sound is very much old Van Halen sounding, but I shudder at torturing the speakers like that.

Old Fenders are extremely reliable as long as you don't kick them around. I've owned my 1968 Vibro Champ since 1979 {paid $25 for it} and played it everday practically since without a single issue other than the red light burning out once! That's 25 years of daily use people! It still has all of the original tubes and speaker!

I've been playing guitar since 1969. I play blues, rock, metal and grunge.

If you are gonna use pedals to play at living room levels the Champs are the BEST!

Use them in stereo!

They even look beautiful! The silver faces are the best looking amps in the world and they are under rated in the tone arena.

What new tube amp can you buy for under $300 that sound this good?

I bought my Black Face Champ in 1969. It has the standard Volume, Treble, and Bass controls. It had been on the shelf for 15-20 years when we pulled it out to test it for my son (13). We are buying him a Fender Stratocaster for Christmas.

I think the original tubes are still in it (at least can't remember ever replacing them). It still works except for the On/Off switch is a bit touchy.

I always wanted very loud sound which this amp could not provide. It is a good practice amp and my parents never yelled at me to turn it down.

It still sounds good for its age.

I've had it for 36 years and it still works. The clerk at the music store where we bought the guitar wanted to know if it was for sale.

Never had to.

It has been a solid and reliable amplifier. I hope my son will get good use out of it.

Mine is a 70's silverface - you know the deal. Treble, Bass and volume. Original speaker. I use at home for recording and playing.

Love the sound. Great valvey tone, boxy but in a good way that records well when pushed a bit - the Champ knows its place in a mix. I also have a SF Princeton and the two amps complement each other - the Princeton is clean and shimmery, the Champ is dirty and punchy.

A lot of people seem to dislike the standard speaker and put in 'better' and often more efficient speakers. I don't find that necessary - for my needs the Champ is too loud anyway - it is the most honest 5 or 6 Watts I ever heard.

Very well built but 30 year old amps need to be looked after. But they are easy to work on if you know what you are doing and can do so safely. Point to point wiring is the best.

Spares are quite easy to get hold of.

You either 'get it' with these amps or you don't. I took quite a few years for me to 'get it' after trying Pods and all sorts of other stuff but there is something about an old SF fender amp that is just a joy to plug in and play. Its a real sound, not some virtual crap and I am hooked on the real thing these days.

It is a simple amp which is a plus for me. No effect loops, no frills, just a great tone.

If it was stolen of course I would get another one.

My chanp is a '67 pre CBS model. It has a range of tones, although it has a certian transpearent quality that allows you to hear yourself and the effects of the different types of pickups/guitars played through it. It has one channel w/treble bass and volume knobs, and 2 inputs high/low. Alltube design with a tube rectifier. I generaly use this amp at home, since it is small, but has a really neat tube sound. It is plenty loud enough for a small rehersal, providine your drummer doesn't play with hammer hands. Wish it has classic fender reverb though.

Anything from glassy clean tones to raunch distorted tones are no problem. I is perfect for me since i like overdrive much better than distortion. It getts dirtier at higher volume settings, but cleans up when i roll the volume knob back on my strat. It is driven by a 6v6gt tube in a circuit that requires no bais(self biasing design), which has a unique tube tone tone. It sounds like no other amp i have ever used/heard. It is also the first amp i have used that has a tube rectifier, which may account for the organic quality of the tone.

It has never broken down on me. My one complaint, if you would call it that, is that it seems to eat tubes to breakfast. I have been buying old and NOS tubes online. I can retube it and it may sound unbelievable for a month or two(tone that can make you smile on a bad day) and then rather quickly, looses tone and volume. New tubes=more smiles. Since this amp is self biasing, this isn't a big problem as much as it can be expensive(if your buying vintage tubes)

Since my amp is a 1967 pre-cbs, I didn't get a waranty. It has never broken down and from the looks of the wiring, it probably wont. Extremely simple innards.

I love the unique quality of the sound. If it were stolen, i would be heartbroken. It is small, light weight, pretty loud and cool looking(as if that matered). I dont know what else to compare it to. It is even great on stage, if your using a pa system w/monitors(and the sound guy is your friend). Also, since it is a pre-CBS, as lokg as i take care of it, it will always hold its value!

Serial says it's a 1973, stamp inside chasis says 1972.

For a tube amp, it has the BEST features - NONE. Bass, Treble, and Volume with two inputs (why two are needed IDK).

6 watts. All tube Class A with a tube rectifier. 4 ohms (actually 3.2). 8" speaker.

Oh, and a handle :)

Versatile for my music style? It can get "clean" and "dirty" sounds that are unique, but it can't be the ONLY amp one should have.

With a Les Paul ('57 RI with Alnico II humbuckers) it sounded like a LPaul. With a Telecaster (Alnico II single coils) it sounded like a Telecaster :)

DUH
That statement sounds ridiculous, but this is where the amp shines - the wood and pickups in a guitar can actually be heard... so can YOU. If you suck and bang the guitar it bangs back, if you finesse your strings it shows through the speakers.

Cranked the amp dirtied up and sounded very large. On 4.5 to 7.5 the amp sounded Clean to varying degrees (semi-very clean to a Fender Deluxe warm-clean), 8 to 10 it was large and mean (like a raunchy distortion should sound).

Most "youngsters" (although *I* am a youngster) will whine about the Bass and Treble not having much impact on the sound... it does, just not a wide sweeping effect like modern amps.

You can get a nice warm clean tone (Country, or otherwise), to a semi clean "Exile On Main Street" Rolling Stones tone (or Dwight Yoakam sounds), to a full bore Rockin tone. HOW? By plugging in the appropriate guitar, switching to the appropriate pickup(s), and using the GUITAR'S Volume and Tone control... never used 'em before I bought this amp... always wondered why they were on a guitar until now.

The amp is SO SIMPLE it is as honest as an amp can be. PICKUPS, WOOD, VOLUME, AND SPEAKERS have such a huge impact on the actual tone... this amp is the way they used to make em, and for that I am glad as hell. What you give it (fingers, pickups, wood), it gives back.

SPEAKERS
Find a speaker with a great deal more headroom, the distortion can sound like crap (flubby, and lack focus) due to poor bass handling. Alnico speakers can tame (warm) harsh Treble as well. Perhaps this amp could sound best in a 10" to 12" speaker scenario.

I opened the thing up since it was fuzzing out and dropping out. Was a loose connection. I could fix this thing if I had to, and I'm an electronic retard. I couldn't believe my eyes at how basic the wiring was.

No biasing required, plugged in a variety of preamp and power amp tubes to hear the SUBTLE (kids need to learn how important subtle is) differences. PLUG AND PLAY.

IDK.

This review is a "first impression" review.

I am impressed by everything (this amp is so simple, the word "everything" almost makes no sense), EXCEPT for the speaker. I can't help but have a prejudice against 8" speakers...

I will give a few high end ($) 8" speakers a chance and repost as I go, but I will also try the amp in my 8ohm 2x12" Celestion Vintage 30 cab (plugging into higher ohms is OK, it just will not be running at full power) as well. I may put her in a larger amp shell and drop in a 10" or 12" Alnico speaker, or turn her into a head unit. After I find "the" speaker scenario I will post my findings.

OTHERWISE
For the asking price of $180 this thing is GREAT. Some Class A 5watt amps available new are way expensive. This circuit is so basic and "honest", for the "Low Watt, All Tube" category this amp gets the "A plus" it has gotten since they were invented.

Shouldn't be your only amp, BUT every guitar player should have (at least) one in their amp collection.

1979 Silverface, replaced with Kendrick speaker. Plenty loud enough for home use. Replacement EH 6v6, original 5y3 and probably original 12ax7.

Have never heard black face version but would be surprised if it could sound any better than this. Have a swag of old tube amps, some sound as good/better at breakup but if you think you have a great clean sound and dont own a fender think again.

Certainly shows its age, tone controls probably not as effective as they once were. Tube sockets on the loose side.

There are a few other basic 5 watters around at the moment, if something happened to the champ i'd have a look.

Mine is an early 70's Champ (long tail logo). About 5W through an 8" speaker, volume/bass/treble controls and not much else. Has all the features I need for what I play. When I bought it the original blue label speaker and RCA tubes were still kicking, but I removed them for enhanced performance (see below).

I changed a couple of things on my amp - the speaker is now a Weber 8A125 alnico and I installed a JJ 12AX7 and 6V6. The rectifier was also changed to a Weber CopperCap.

Musically my main interests are 50s/60s blues and jazz - the Kings (BB, Freddy, Albert), Kenny Burrell, Grant Green and most of the horn players of that era. I play a Rickenbacker 330 with 11-50 strings (must be one of the only blues/jazz players using a Ric) and sometimes use an Aphek Peanut Butter overdrive box for solos.

These are such fantastic little amps. Upgrading to the Weber has resulted in less speaker breakup with a tad more volume and bass response, which works well for jazz. If you want more breakup, leave the stock speaker in the amp. Either way, an almost perfect amp for home or studio use.

Mine has never let me down. They are well designed and built, and the circuit is so simple that they are quite easy and inexpensive to service. Leo was a very smart man.

Also, upgrading to the Weber CopperCap means that the rectifier will never fail or need to be replaced.

The modern Fender company is no better than McDonalds - poor service, wasteful resource usage/management, exploitative work practices (I wonder how much the Mexican factory workers make per day), sloppy QA, all the while staffed by mindless automatons who don't know the product (and who can blame them since Fender produce about 8 billion different product lines these days). Do the world a favour - if you must have a Fender, buy a used one (recycle) or buy an instrument from a smaller company that is not listed on the NYSE. Leo must be rolling in his grave. End of rant!

Beautiful amp. These things sound and feel like a small Deluxe (sans reverb). And if the tone is happening, you don't really need reverb anyway.

It is a pre-1978 cause I bought it used from the second owner.

sounds like it did when I got it second hand in 1978

It has never let me down

none needed

I bought my Fender Champ in 1978 along with a L series Fender Telecaster for $300.00 bucks. They are still going strong. 5-8-2005. Just can't let go of either of them. The Tele barely survived the 1960's with all the psychedelic alterations done to it. It may not have the sticker and it may be kicked around a bit but that neck is like cream in your fingers. 1962 tele neck. Anyway See ya.

I am up to 23 Champ Amps now.

6 Tweed Champs (Five 8" Speakers & One 6" Speaker)
4 1964-67 Champ Amps (Blackface)
7 1964-67 Vibro Champ Amps (Blackface)
2 1968 Vibro Champ Amps (Silverface-Blackline)
2 1968 Bronco Amps (Silverface-Blackline)
1 1967 Bronco Amps (Silverface-Blackline)

1 1984 Super Champ (Blackface)

This is the first amp I bought back in 1971. I was in a basement playing in a band and we all had Champs. Now, a few years later I still enjoy them.

Back in the 1970s when I was in my basement band, I smoked a few, and I swear I was Hendrix.

Most of the amps still have the original telefunken 12AX7 tubes. Installed 3 prong grounded cords on the players amps. I load them up with NOS RCA tubes, Weber Speakers.

Installed new can caps on the amps I play and left the others stock for collectors value. Fender keeps making great parts for these amps, chassis straps, handles, etc. And thanks to Weber for making the best speakers in the World for the Champ and my other amps.

Keo Fender was a brilliant man, he designed the early amps to be serviced by removing 9 screws on the Blackface Champs, the power cord clip, the four screws on the top back panel and the four chassis strap screws. Slide the chassis out of the cab and you can easily repair any part of the amp. You then remove four more screws for the bottom back panel and then four more screws that hold the speaker baffle into the cab. remove the speaker baffle and you can work on the speaker, clean the entire amp cab and grillecloth.

then in early 1972 Fender/CBS changed the materials and glued-in the baffle to the cab making it "fixed". then they went downhill from there.

Then the Super Champ Came Along and it's the MacDaddy of all the Champs.

That's about it.

1972 silverface 6w,3 knobs,2 inputs...purchaced new in 1972 from Tom Lee Piano Company in Hong Kong....cost HK$100 (Aprox GB#10). it was my 12th birthday present.

Originally used with a Hofner Galaxie 60's model,but in the late 70's punk days,I shoved anything that needed amplifying through it...guitars,bass,keyboard etc

These days use it mainly for my acoustic guitars,harmonica,Danelectro 56U2...its an all tube amp (still with the original valves supplied!!)...It amazes me how versatile and sweet it is after all these years.

Now Ive grown up a bit and actually like hearing what I play....this amp just gets better and better..set the volume right,balance the two tones to your taste and you'll love what it can do...nothing fancy..just warm and beautiful.

I've been playing with this amp for over 32 years...it still has the original tubes that were supplied with it...so how reliable is that??

This amp has survived transportation from HongKong to the UK,plus general abuse during my Punk days,and it still goes on and on...I just dont know how those valves keep going on and on!

Never needed to contact them....but I'll give them a ten for making this beauty in the first place

If you can get hold of one of these incredible little amps...grab it with both hands...they may be small but they'e perfectly formed.

A pro musician friend of mine recently offererd to buy it from me at a rediculously high price...I turned him down.(I grew up with it after all!)

I love my Fender Champ!!!!

1971 (according to the chassis) - 2 inputs, vol, treble, bass - what more do you want?

I use it for practice/band rehearsal and sometimes as a boost on gigs (a/b switch) It's a LOUD little fecker! I use a Custom Vibrolux Reverb, a Bassman 10 and a Hot Rod Deluxe variously on gigs but this little beast is great for rehearsal - our drummer has sampled his kit into an electronic kit so the volume can be kept fairly low.....sometimes! Said drummer also played a string type thing from his keyboard through this and it was so bloody clean it was unbelievable! I'll rate it as a 10 cos the features are what i wanted - i.e. just great tone!

2 strats and a Sheraton. Covers (or, as we prefer 'interpretations' of songs by Beatles, Stones, Who, Crowded House, Coldplay, Steve Earle, Blues stuff etc. This amp sounds great for anything. Great simple circuit - no unwanted noise - and the tone controls WORK!!!!!
Clean till about two thirds up and then the most glorious bluesy break-up - no pedal needed!

I've had it for about 4 years - used regular and sometimes gigged flat out - original valves (tubes) and speaker - i wouldn't modify anything.
I have a spare set of valves but won't put them in till this baby needs them!

not applicable - if it goes bad i'll fix it - there's nothing in there that is scary or difficult!

When I stop going out to do gigs, I'll keep this one. My 13 year old daughter has started playing and I'm getting her to understand that you need a great basic sound to start with - she loves this amp! She's into Nirvana and Green Day etc so she uses pedals to push it so I guess she'll inherit it when i'm gone.....

Reckon this must be a '72 model as I bought it new that year in Glasgow (McCormacks)with a Strat, only because it was small and relatively cheap. Guitar was #212 ($370) and the amp was around #80 ($115). At the time I was not concerned with the distinct lack of features as I just wanted to play that guitar. Bought as a bedroom amp, it did its job well and could also annoy the neighbours a little.
I also purchased a Cry Baby and so the lack of effects didn't worry me. Up until that time, all I had was my brother's Selmer AC 30 which seemed bland in comparison to the rich tone of the Champ so I guess that I was pleased.

Various guitars have been played through this box (inc.the Strat) eg Grimshaw LP copy - the humbuckers sounded good, a Futurama which didn't cut it, albeit a classic now, and, later, a '75 LP Pro Deluxe which sounded just fine. But these were all at bedroom levels (max 6 usually). Rock 'n Roll was not what it was about, but blues seemed to suit her fine, and still does.

Never been broke in all these years - total reliability. Tube never gave in although I got Sonus (respected amp guys in Glasgow)to put in a beefy sound years later. I kept the original Tube because it sounded sweet.Time to change back.

You dont need support with an original Champ.

Played since 1969 but only got reasonable 4 years later, then deteriorated. Had plenty of good guitars and boxes since then. Only rate the Champ, Twin Reverb, Marshall Mini stack (SS)and, on Guitars, Mike Vanden (have 2 - see his web site, he's good) LP Pro Deluxe, Strat and, most recently an Aslin Dane 335 - very good for under $200. The Champ is as good as amps get and are best played through a PA although its not the box for kids, too good really! Sorry - grumpy old man. If it got stolen, then some lucky guy just won the jackpot. Champs are now over-priced as players with all the gear in the world start to collect them but I can't understand why people sell them in the first place - don't!.

early 70's silver face.It has features that most amps don't.To see these features you must turn the amp on,plug in your sure dx mic,
close your eyes and play from your heart ! voila..It's features are FAT !!! This is the best harp amp a harp player can have for the price.(If you can find one )Mine is in Showroom condition and all original including the tubes.I am getting ready to install a Torres champ mod kit in it.Hoping it will do like everyone says it will.
Stock out of the box is supurb though.

I use a Sure DX 550 green bulletand sometimes a JT30 mic.
I use Lee Oscar harps and some Hohner(don't like the protruding reed plates on the newer ones )I also use a Boss Digital Delay which is incredible for a nice full sound.I've tried all the pedals .This one accually gives you some nice overdrive too.All you harp players- Try one today don't delay-If you want some delay .HA !

Would I use it on a gig without a backup ?? Come on,WE ARE TALKING FENDER HERE !!! of course.
This thing is bulletproof.
They should be re issuing these as we speak .

I don't need no stinkin warranty !
Never gonna need it !

Ive been playing Harp for 19 yrs and giging for 12
If it were lost or missing,I would put it on the back of a milk carton
What do I love about it? It does what it is told and it doesn't cost much to feed it !
What I hate about it is that it won't go to the fridge and get me a beer.

This is a silverface Fender Champ, between a '70 and a '74 according to the Ampwares Field Guide. I play rock, blues and "dieselbilly". It is a simple, single channel amp. I use this amp at home as a practice amp, but do jam with full band on occasion. All tube is a beautiful thing.

I use this with a 2001 American Standard Strat and a 1886 MIJ Tele (with USA pickups). Very quite amp. I did have some hum initially, but it turned out to be a bad cable. Although 6 watts through an 8" speaker dosen't sound impressive, this thing cranks pretty well. Clear, glassy, bell-like tones all the way up to about 6, then the nice crunch begins. I go with Bass on 10, Treble on 6 and Volume on about 5. Combined with an Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail, this rig is Pure Heaven.

Totally stock and RCA tubes appear to be original or at least pretty old. So far so good for reliability. Fender knows amps. For a 32 year old amp it shows terrific endurance.

Not applicable. Never had a problem.

Been playing for 25 years, also own a Marshall Valvestate AVT50 and a '68 Fender Bandmaster. Would definitely buy again if lost or stolen. Very impressed with this amp. I bought it because I wanted an all-tube amp and read that Clapton used Champs for Layla and all the Derek and the Dominos stuff - although his was an older tweed I believe. No matter, the Champ is one Fender amp who's circuit has changed very little. I put a replacement Jensen PR8 Alnico model and it blows the stock Fender speaker away.

'73 Champ, siverface, 6 watts, 3 knobs. Simple, has great sound. Great practice amp, especially for those who play through Fender siverface tube amps for their gig amps. Actually it's fine as a living room instrument- not too loud, but certainly loud enough for most needs. It can be heard above drums if your drummer is reasonably quiet, though not much "head room" to play with in this situation. 8 rating for few features. Want features, but something else. This is pure tone.

I use it with a Stratocaster, Les Paul, and for a slide guitar setup. It does the clean Fender tube sound VERY well, which is why I bought it. I play through a Super Reverb and a Princeton Reverb for most gigs, so I wanted something to drag around to practices that's light but represents my sound. It has no reverb, but that's the only thing it's really missing. If you want distortion, either leave the original speaker in and crank it (as Joe Perry did for his latest CD with Aerosmith), or use a pedal (I suggest this). I switched out the original speaker (and kept it, as always) for a new Jensen "Mod" 8 inch speaker. Let me tell you it makes all the difference in the world!! It is ultra clean at all volume levels (the speaker is rated at 20 watts, this amp puts out 6), which you can't do with a pedal- clean is clean, no substitute! I use a pedal for breakup and the edge I need on leads and on occasional riffs and rhythms. This is a small Princeton, wothout reverb. If you play through a Fender amp on stage, I suggest you use this Champ for practices, if you want a lighter, smaller version to carry around. Again, it stands on its own, too, just no reverb. I play rock, blues, and jazz.

I practice with it and use it as my backup at gigs. Realiable so far. All my Fender amps are reliable. They're all hand-wired. The newest one I have is 1975. I trust them.

Wouldn't even know.

Buy the amp, assure it has good tubes, put in the Jensen speaker replacement and save the old one. Just play through it. No comparisons for me, it is the best representation of bigger Fender silverface amps out there. Clean, clean, clean.

This review is for a '78 Fender Champ.

Even stock, it sounds great at any volume level above 2. The speaker is the weakest link - replace it as you wish...

Many no-mod tricks are possible to give the Champ a wider range of sounds. Heres' a few tried-and-true ones:

=> Use a 6L6 in place of the 6V6 for a bit more clean headroom before distortion. The only caveat is the cathode resisor bypass cap MUST be replaced with a higher voltage rated cap; say about 22uf @ 63VDC or higher. The rating of the stock cap (25VDC) will be exceeded with a 6L6. You may then elect to...

=> Replace the tube rectifier with a solid state one for even more headroom.

=> Replace the 5751 for a little less gain. This plug-and-play mod can be done on a stock amp. This ain't my cup of tea, some swear by it.

=> Get rid of the 330pf cap on the socket of the 6V6 socket. It bleeds-off high frequencies, sucking some of the life from the amp.

=> Plug the darn thing into a 2X12 cabinet. This is the best 'mod' of them all. Cranked Champ + 2x12 = Tone Heaven.

Reliability of the Champ is very good if you repace the 'can' filter cap. Antique Electronics Supply sells suitable, newly manufactured replacements. Also, if you have a silver-face Champ, have a spare 6V6 on hand. Champs are really rough on 6V6's, running them well over 100% of their maximum specified rating.

1979 Fender Champ. 6 watts from 1 12AX7 preamp, 1 5Y3 rectifier, and 1 6V6 output tube. Controls: volume, bass, treble. All you really need if you know what you're doing.

I play a Gibson Les Paul Studio with Gibson 490r and 498t humbuckers. I play mostly rock, from classic to modern, and some blues. The amp is perfect for all of the above. With the volume around 8 the amp breaks up nicely, very warm with nice tube compression. It responds to the most subtle nuances of your playing. Go from dirty to clean with a simple roll of the volume nob, or a change in pick attack. Great for practice and excellent for recording. The sound from a 100 watt stack with the preamp up high, and the volume low is buzzy and thin. Much better is using a low wattage tube amp cranked.

Very dependable. Fender is a great company. It is however, a tube amp and must be treated accordingly.

n/a

Great amp. I also own a Carvin MTS3200 100 watt tube stack which i use for gigging. The fender is my choice for studio work though. I would most definitely replace the champ. Do yourself a favor and find an amp like this one. You can learn much more about playing guitar when your amp reproduces exactly what you feed it.

1980 Silverface Champ. Three knobs, Volume, Bass, Treble. All tube, including power supply. Tube lineup -- 12AX7 (Preamp); 6V6 (PA); WY3 (Power Supply). The single tube 6V6 power amp is very nice and convienient. No biasing when changing tubes and matched PA Tubes are not necessary (only one PA!).

Wish it had Reverb -- but that's the only thing that I'd like to see that's missing. I use this amp for recording and for practice at home -- it's my main amp -- and it's highly portable. The volume level is very manageable, and you can crank it into distortion without blowing out the windows of your house. It is still loud though when cranked to 10 -- not loud enough to gig with though unless miked.

I changed out all of the stock tubes after I bought it and replaced the stock ceramic speaker with a new Alnico Jensen.

Get's a 6 in the category of "Features" ONLY because it has 3 knobs. But in this case, less is more.

Sounds awesome. I use this amp with my American Telecaster -- which I play rock / blues / jass / country on. I would not classify this amp as a "heavy metal" amp. But it nails Chuck Berry, Eagles, Sheryl Crow, Buck Owens, Travis Tritt, and any kind of Blues or Jass you could possibly play.

Distortion is warm and sweet -- not crunchy at all. I use a Route 66 Compression/Overdrive pedal with it and that's it. I will probably also get a Route 66 H20 Chorus/Echo pedal also simply so I can simulate the Lesley effect for my "Let It Be" solos.

The WY3 Power Supply tube adds an extra "dimension" to the sound that is hard to describe -- believe it or not. Because of that, the amp really needs to be turned up to at least "3" because using lower volumes really exaggerates the "lag" of the power supply tube. But at 3 or better, what you get is nice smooth pick attack articulation through the amp.

With the new tubes I put in and the Alnico Speaker -- I give this amp a "10" in the sound department because -- it is.

The amp is dependable, but since it's a tube amp -- it's going to sound better than a Solid State amp but it's not going to be as reliable. This thing is old and the tube sockets are a little loose, so I ensure that the tubes are well seated before turning it on. There are just a lot of little things you have to do to "nurse" a tube amp, especially an old one -- and this one is no exception. This is just something you deal with as a tradeoff in order to get that great "tube sound". So reliability gets a "7" -- for an old tube amp. A new Fender Frontman Solid State amp would probably get a "10" for reliability -- but they don't sound as good.

N/A -- You buy one of these things -- you fix it yourself or take it to a good amp tech. Parts are plentiful on the internet though -- so any old Champ can be fixed when it breaks down. Parts availability is also enhanced because this amp sort of has a "cult following". There are lot of them out there, people really love this amp. Where else are you going to get an ALL TUBE (including PS) amp for under $400?

Overall rating is a 10 -- that's a sentimental rating. This amp is 25 years old. Every one of these Champs from the past has it's own personality. If it were lost or stolen -- I'd be depressed. I'd certainly buy another one but these little amps are like Harley's -- you never want to get rid of them, trade them in, or see them broken or stolen.

This is a '64 Blackface. 1 preamp tube, 1 power tube, 1 rectifier. 6 watts rms into an 8' speaker. Volume, bass, treble controls. Just what I need for a studio amp and nothing I don't!

This is an unbelievable amplifier. I play an SG standard with humbuckers. I play all kinds of rock from classic to postmodern. I usually use distortion sounds. You need an od/distortion pedal to get really high gain sounds with this thing. Cranked up on it's own, you get a nice crunch and the amp maintains it's astounding input sensitivity. Put just a little clean boost or a tube screamer type pedal in front and this thing will rock as hard as you need it to. It is pretty quiet, even at higher volumes. You can't get as much tonal variety as other combos with more preamp features, but you can go from pristine clean to crunch just with the volume control, and the amp gives you YOUR tone (your guitar and fingers). I'm not sure where the amp breaks up, because I usually play at either a very low volume (home) or cranked up to 10 (studio). What really make this amp special are sparkle, clarity, and responsiveness. My fingers have begun manipulating the strings in nuanced ways they didn't used to when I only played through highly compressed/high gain amps.

I've had it for nine months, no problems yet, except for a dead pilot lamp which cost $1 to replace.

I wouldn't approach Fender about this amp. Hand to hand point wired amps are easily fixed I'm told, and this one has such a simple circuit. No worries here.

I have been playing guitar for over 10 years. I also own an '84 Marshall JCM800 2205 w/ 4x12 cab which I use for gigging. The Champ gets used in preference to the Marshall for 95% of my studio work. If my Champ were stolen, I'd kill myself. Then I'd go pay whatever I had to to replace it. This is the most important piece of gear I've ever bought, next to my guitar itself. It has taken my love of guitar playing to a new level. Long live the Fender blackfaces! Now I have to get a BF Super Reverb for gigging!

1971 Fender Champ SF, class A tube, three knobs, which is probably two too many. I use it everywhere I can. yeah, the feature I never use- power off.

I own one elctric guitar by choice, a Gretsch 6120-60 and it sounds beautiful and transparent. That great Gretsch sound and early Fender tubes. Talk about soul. The amp makes one sound- pure tone, breaks up around 6-7, which is nice. I'm 20-something and somewhere between the Buffalo Springfield box set and wasting hours on programmable, plastic crap of every variety I came home to this amp.

Based on the other reviews and given the age, these amps justify the cliche about things not being made the way they used to be.

Quality needs no warranty.

I'm not the oldest player or the best, in fact I'd consider myself willfully ignorant of many of the particulars discussed out here. I'm not a gear junkie either. But, I pay attention to tone and soul and this amp embodies both. I may start collecting these off ebay for all the obvious reasons.

This is a 1971 Silverface Champ. "Point to point" wired, 6 "Class A" watts, Volume, Treble & Bass knobs, 8" original Fender Speacial Design speaker, 3 tubes: a 12AX7 for the preamp, a 5Y3 rectifier, & a 6V6 power tube. I bought it used from my buddy's store, but he new the first 2 owners and how they "kept up" the amp, so functionally it's fine. The only cosmetic issues are a little discoloring on the grill cloth, and some tarnish on the metal parts on the top of it(Hey, it's over 30 years old).
I had been remarking for months that I wanted something simple that I could crank, with maybe just tone & volume knobs. When this cam along I snagged it immediately. No channel switching, no built in effects. At this stage in my musical "career", this is the perfect amp for me(I also have a Deluxe Reverb Reissue that I unfortunately don't get to use to it's fullest potential).
I use the Champ at home and for basement rehearsals(our drummer uses sticks that are essentially brushes, so a Champ on 3 or 4 is enough for band practice). I've used a Reverend Drivetrain 2 and a TS9 Tubescreamer Reissue for crunchy rhythms and leads, but I've been digging the "naked" tone of the Champ on it's own lately. Volume wise, it'll have to be miked for gigs. Fine with me! Think about it: what soundman isn't gonna tell you to turn down your 50 or 100 watt Marshall, and make you lose your tonal "sweet spot"? I'm gonna try it out. If I can hear myself on my side of the stage, I'll stick with it. Ratings are subjective, I found what I wanted with this amp.

I play rootsier music these days(classic rock, blues, and alt-country. I'm also a big fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers & U2) and I'm using 3 G&Ls(ASAT Special, ASAT Classic, and a Legacy...all single coil pickup models)& a Hamer 25th Anniversary Edition Artist(Seymour Duncan humbuckers). The Champ, near it's highest volume settings, has a slight natural overdrive with the G&Ls that allows me to play clean with a touch of the guitars' volume knobs & a lighter pick attack, and a cool Keith Richards-type semi-crunchy tone when you max the guitars' volumes and lean into the strings with some hard strumming(this amp responds VERY well to picking dynamics!). My favorite sounds ever. The Hamer is a little tougher to keep clean at higher settings(humbuckers, dontcha know), but it gets some KILLER rock tones! The little 8" speaker can get kind of "farty" when pushed too hard. Maybe I'll get around to buying a fancy replacement speaker, but what do you expect from something this big?
The amp responds well to pedals, but I'm trying to get away from effects lately. It LOVES Tubescreamer type overdrive pedals like the TS9 Reissue & Drivetrain. On it's own, the amp doesnt have a "brutal" distortion, but it's perfect for Rolling Stones riffing and Chili Peppers funk. Decent sustain when cranked.

33 years old. I'll definitely have to replace the 2 prong power chord with a modern 3 prong(to be safe). My buddy went over the amp before I bought it, and it checked out fine. A year of use later, no difference in performance. When I get the chord replaced, I'll have the filter caps replaced as well. that way, I'll know EXACTLY when it was last service, and treat it according in years to come.
Simple circuit. Point to point wired. Given it's age, I'd say she's a dependable little amp.

Warranty doesn't apply(not 33 years later anyway!). My experiences with Fender's Customer Service people has always been great, but I really can't apply this category to this amp.

I've been playing for 18 years. The longer I play, the less I want out of an amp beyond, well, AMPLIFYING the tone of the guitar I'm plugging into it. Older Champs just have volume knobs, and I'd be fine with that. The Treble & Bass knobs on this amp are bonuses, as far as I'm concerned. If lost or stolen, I'd get another right away. I can't wait to record with it, and I'm sure I could gig with it miked. In fact, I plan on finding out ASAP. I'd love to run 2 or 3 of these at the same time in a club.
All around, a very pure-sounding, FUN little amplifier!