Fender Champ-Amp 5F1 Tube Amplifier (1963)
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Fender Champ-Amp 5F1 Model Tube Amplifier (1963), made in Fullerton, California, serial # C-20199, tweed fabric covering finish.
This is a superbly clean example of the final tweed-clad version of Fender's Champ; one of the latest-dated examples we have seen. It has a tube-chart ink-stamp "MA" indicating it was assembled in January of 1963. By that point only the Champ (intended for students) retained its 1950s Tweed livery; the other larger Fender amps were well into their white and brown Tolex eras. Leo never wasted anything and one assumes they used up all the tweed covering in stock before re-designing the model to wear Tolex in later 1963-4!
The serial number is C-20199, indicating Fender had managed to build something like 20,000 examples of this classic model over about 9 years! This 5F1 features the slightly larger cabinet and an 8" speaker, upgrades from earlier mid-50s models. As with all tweed Champs, it features just one "chicken head" volume knob and a single-ended 6V6-driven power section, yielding a glorious +/- 5 watts of output power. Like pretty much all of them, it sounds fantastic!
Height is 12 in. (30.5 cm.), 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm.) width, and 8 in. (20.3 cm.) deep.
Externally, this cabinet is in spectacular shape for a nearly 63-year-old amplifier. The rather frail Tweed covering sports a very attractive and light amber patina with hardly any notable wear, save for a few scuffs on one side. The faceplate is very clean with only very light signs of corrosive staining and all the stenciled lettering is nicely intact. The grille cloth is in wonderful shape with no notable tears or fraying and the amp even retains the often-torn original handle, which still has plenty of life left in it!
Electrically, the amp is all original, including the 8" CTS speaker, which has it's stamped code partly obscured by the label but appears to read 137-2xx, dating it to 1962. Both the power and output transformers are the original Schumachers, reading 606-213 and 606-219, dating them to the 13th and 19th week of 1962, respectively. The pot/switch is original and the amp has otherwise 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.
Overall this is a very clean and fabulous sounding example of one of the very last of the great tweed classics, nowadays the most popular vintage choice for an under-the desk modern home studio rig and always a shop favorite here. Excellent - Condition.
This is a superbly clean example of the final tweed-clad version of Fender's Champ; one of the latest-dated examples we have seen. It has a tube-chart ink-stamp "MA" indicating it was assembled in January of 1963. By that point only the Champ (intended for students) retained its 1950s Tweed livery; the other larger Fender amps were well into their white and brown Tolex eras. Leo never wasted anything and one assumes they used up all the tweed covering in stock before re-designing the model to wear Tolex in later 1963-4!
The serial number is C-20199, indicating Fender had managed to build something like 20,000 examples of this classic model over about 9 years! This 5F1 features the slightly larger cabinet and an 8" speaker, upgrades from earlier mid-50s models. As with all tweed Champs, it features just one "chicken head" volume knob and a single-ended 6V6-driven power section, yielding a glorious +/- 5 watts of output power. Like pretty much all of them, it sounds fantastic!
Height is 12 in. (30.5 cm.), 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm.) width, and 8 in. (20.3 cm.) deep.
Externally, this cabinet is in spectacular shape for a nearly 63-year-old amplifier. The rather frail Tweed covering sports a very attractive and light amber patina with hardly any notable wear, save for a few scuffs on one side. The faceplate is very clean with only very light signs of corrosive staining and all the stenciled lettering is nicely intact. The grille cloth is in wonderful shape with no notable tears or fraying and the amp even retains the often-torn original handle, which still has plenty of life left in it!
Electrically, the amp is all original, including the 8" CTS speaker, which has it's stamped code partly obscured by the label but appears to read 137-2xx, dating it to 1962. Both the power and output transformers are the original Schumachers, reading 606-213 and 606-219, dating them to the 13th and 19th week of 1962, respectively. The pot/switch is original and the amp has otherwise 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.
Overall this is a very clean and fabulous sounding example of one of the very last of the great tweed classics, nowadays the most popular vintage choice for an under-the desk modern home studio rig and always a shop favorite here. Excellent - Condition.