Fender Champ 5F1 Tube Amplifier (1960)
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Fender Champ 5F1 Model Tube Amplifier (1960), made in Fullerton, California, serial # C-12898, tweed fabric covering finish.
This is a generally nicely preserved and early example of the classic tweed Fender Champ 5F1 model, showing some general wear but looking not too heavily used. It has a tube-chart ink-stamp "JB" indicating it was assembled in February 1960. The serial number is C-12898 so Fender had so far already built over 12000 examples of this classic model by this point. This iteration of the 5F1 features the larger-sized cabinet an 8" speaker giving it a touch more headroom. As with any tweed Champ, it features just a "chicken head" volume knob and a single-ended 6V6-driven power section, yielding about 5 watts of output power and offering a sublime low-volume tone and searing overdrive when cranked.
Height is 12 in. (30.5 cm.), 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm.) width, and 7 1/2 in. (19 cm.) deep.
Externally, this 65 year old amp shows some typical wear and scuffing to the rather fragile tweed fabric covering, including a bit of fraying largely around the corners and edges. The faceplate is clean and mostly free of corrosion, though a bit of the stenciled lettering is rubbed away around the volume dial. The grille cloth is in great shape and the handle is a new high-quality replacement made by Bob Brookwood of Brookwood Leather. The original handle comes with the amp and still has a bit of life left in it!
Electrically, the amp is nicely original, save for the speaker, which is a Utah 8" ceramic, dating to the 49th week of 1963. Both the Schumacher-made power and output transformers are original to the amp, marked 606-949 and 606-947, dating them to the 49th and 47th week of 1959, respectively. The volume pot/switch appears original. The amp has received routine maintenance, including standard replacement of electrolytic caps, as well as a grounded 3-prong power cord and cleaning of all sockets, pots and jacks as well as biased to spec. The masking tape inside the chassis bears the signature "Shirley" which is a first for us; she must have been a later addition to the Fender wiring team as we have never seen her work before!
Overall this remains a fairly clean and most importantly fantastic sounding example of the great low-wattage tweed classic. Very Good + Condition.
This is a generally nicely preserved and early example of the classic tweed Fender Champ 5F1 model, showing some general wear but looking not too heavily used. It has a tube-chart ink-stamp "JB" indicating it was assembled in February 1960. The serial number is C-12898 so Fender had so far already built over 12000 examples of this classic model by this point. This iteration of the 5F1 features the larger-sized cabinet an 8" speaker giving it a touch more headroom. As with any tweed Champ, it features just a "chicken head" volume knob and a single-ended 6V6-driven power section, yielding about 5 watts of output power and offering a sublime low-volume tone and searing overdrive when cranked.
Height is 12 in. (30.5 cm.), 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm.) width, and 7 1/2 in. (19 cm.) deep.
Externally, this 65 year old amp shows some typical wear and scuffing to the rather fragile tweed fabric covering, including a bit of fraying largely around the corners and edges. The faceplate is clean and mostly free of corrosion, though a bit of the stenciled lettering is rubbed away around the volume dial. The grille cloth is in great shape and the handle is a new high-quality replacement made by Bob Brookwood of Brookwood Leather. The original handle comes with the amp and still has a bit of life left in it!
Electrically, the amp is nicely original, save for the speaker, which is a Utah 8" ceramic, dating to the 49th week of 1963. Both the Schumacher-made power and output transformers are original to the amp, marked 606-949 and 606-947, dating them to the 49th and 47th week of 1959, respectively. The volume pot/switch appears original. The amp has received routine maintenance, including standard replacement of electrolytic caps, as well as a grounded 3-prong power cord and cleaning of all sockets, pots and jacks as well as biased to spec. The masking tape inside the chassis bears the signature "Shirley" which is a first for us; she must have been a later addition to the Fender wiring team as we have never seen her work before!
Overall this remains a fairly clean and most importantly fantastic sounding example of the great low-wattage tweed classic. Very Good + Condition.