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Fender Champion 600 retro-mod project


Furtive

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If anyone wants to contribute ideas to this - post here!

 

I don't know what to expect of this amp, other than cheap Chinese build quality. Maybe it'll be "good enough", but I'm guessing it'll be on par with the Valve Jr. No pics of the back of the amp - or the circuit itself - is making my plans difficult.

 

Right now I have a 1952 5B1 Champ 600 with a completely original circuit:

Champ6005B1002.jpg

 

And here is the original Fender layout of the 5C1:

Champ5C1layout.gif

 

I'd like to enlarge the baffle for an 8" speaker, and drop a completely new p2p board in there.

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Plans for what? What do you want us to say?

 

It's gonna have new age components, mini pots, plastic jacks, dipped caps.

It's not gonna have Orange Drops.

We all know it's gonna be 12AX7, not 6SJ7, right?

And I'll bet money that they use an off the shelf ouput transformer that's too big.

 

If all goes perfectly, it'll have a well laid out design, in a 2007 wrapper.

 

But the dang speaker is too small!

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oh,

and Alnico what? Not Gonna Happen.

 

 

I should have given more details as to what I'm planning...

 

I'm intending to get one of the new Champion 600's, strip the chassis down and install a new p2p board with a replica 5B1/5C1 circuit. I am talking major surgery, and not just trying to drop in new tubes.

 

There's a guy that sells repro vintage capacitors for guitars on Ebay. I've been talking with him about making repro caps for amps, he's already got some in production. I bought two of his repro Astron guitar caps - they're great. Not cheap - but well made and look excellent compared to an original.

 

Vintage carbon comp resistors are easy to find, as is vintage cloth covered wire. All other circuit components - are out there. Mojo has all the remaining parts needed.

 

As far as the alnico 6" speaker goes, here's an email reply I received from Ted Weber tonight:

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Yes, I am going to buy the baskets again as soon as I can find a decent source and then we'll have them available.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

My retro-mod idea is so far from perfect. Who knows, the RI 600 might be a great little Made-In-China Fender that sounds good all on it's own. I'm looking to be able to turn a reissue into something very close to the original (minus the dried pine cabinet and baffle). This idea won't be a money-maker - but it would be significantly cheaper than buying a vintage 600.

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Don't forget the vintage transformers, and having to change tube sockets and tubes.

 

If you actually follow your plan the only parts left will be the box and some folded metal.

 

Well, then why would you buy the amp?

 

Repro vintage caps? WTF does that mean?

 

I'll just say we are not on the same page. I bet you can buy a real champ and refurbish it for less than what you are planning.

 

Post pics if I haven't dissuaded you. Everyone will enjoy looking at the pics.

 

With all that said, I wish you luck, and happiness with the finished product.

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oh,

and Alnico what? Not Gonna Happen.

 

Not according to Ted Weber. The Alnico Signature 6" will be back in production once they find a manufacturer for the basket.

 

I do appreciate your skepticism, and can understand how my idea might sound half baked (or fully baked) - but all I wanna do is take one of these RI 600s and transplant an original style circuit into it, then compare it to a stock RI.

 

As far as "vintage reproduction capacitors" go - there's a guy I've been talking with that encases new Spragues in wax with a paper label. Yes, it's a cosmetic thing - nothing more. He does a great job at constructing these parts. Pull the back panel off an original tweed Fender, and if it's had a tune up (new caps & resistors) - those new components look out of place to me. I'm not the only fan of vintage amps that feels this way. If your take on it is different - I'm not offended. You post valuable info when it comes to amp projects, and I appreciate your thoughts on my project as a result.

 

I look at Golden Era audio pieces like I look at classic cars - get them running right, using modern, correct replacement parts. If you can keep the appearance looking stock, then that's even better.

 

Sure, an original SF Champ would be cheaper to buy - and be easier to mod - but that's not what I want to do. I want to take this thing that looks like the original 600, and make it sound like an original. I want to make the guts look like they came from 1950.

 

You know the saying about a fool and his money. ;)

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