Fender Champion Lap Steel Electric Guitar (1955)
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Item # 9010
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Fender Champion Model Lap Steel Electric Guitar (1955), made in Fullerton, California, yellow pearloid finish, hardwood body, original brown alligator chipboard case.
This Champ is a super example of Fender's "bread and butter" lap steel guitar from the first half of the 1950s. Although designed as a student instrument, the Champion Steel was -- and remains -- a great-sounding guitar fully suited to professional use then or now. The flashy plastic-covered symmetrical two-bout body has a chrome bridge and cover plates with dome-top knurled knobs. The serial number "7644" is stamped on the bridgeplate where the strings anchor through the body; the pots are original with the date code indicating 41st week of 1955.
The metal fingerboard plate pinned to the body has black paint screening to outline fret positions. The headstock has metal facing with integral nut stamped with lighting bolt logo and "Fender Electric Instrument Co. Fullerton, California". Over the years many Champs have sacrificed their pickups to provide pickups for vintage Telecaster recreations -- this one has avoided that fate. This is a late example of this classic model; a very cool steel guitar, a fine-sounding player, and a genuine 1950s Fender instrument at a relatively reasonable price!
Overall length is 29 3/4 in. (75.6 cm.), 7 1/2 in. (19 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 1/2 in. (572 mm.). Width of nut is 2 1/4 in. (57 mm.).
This is a super clean and original Champion, showing just very light wear overall. Even the flocking on the bottom of the body is largely intact. The only alterations are new buttons replacing the crumbled originals on the original Kluson strip tuners, and some small white painted position number marks on the treble side of the fingerboard. These have partially faded away and could be removed if desired but are very redolent of the period so we have left them in place. The original pickup and electronics are fully intact and, as expected, sound fantastic. This Champ remains basically pretty much as it left Fullerton in 1955, including the surprisingly intact and functional alligator grain original chipboard case. Excellent Condition.
This Champ is a super example of Fender's "bread and butter" lap steel guitar from the first half of the 1950s. Although designed as a student instrument, the Champion Steel was -- and remains -- a great-sounding guitar fully suited to professional use then or now. The flashy plastic-covered symmetrical two-bout body has a chrome bridge and cover plates with dome-top knurled knobs. The serial number "7644" is stamped on the bridgeplate where the strings anchor through the body; the pots are original with the date code indicating 41st week of 1955.
The metal fingerboard plate pinned to the body has black paint screening to outline fret positions. The headstock has metal facing with integral nut stamped with lighting bolt logo and "Fender Electric Instrument Co. Fullerton, California". Over the years many Champs have sacrificed their pickups to provide pickups for vintage Telecaster recreations -- this one has avoided that fate. This is a late example of this classic model; a very cool steel guitar, a fine-sounding player, and a genuine 1950s Fender instrument at a relatively reasonable price!
Overall length is 29 3/4 in. (75.6 cm.), 7 1/2 in. (19 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 1/2 in. (572 mm.). Width of nut is 2 1/4 in. (57 mm.).
This is a super clean and original Champion, showing just very light wear overall. Even the flocking on the bottom of the body is largely intact. The only alterations are new buttons replacing the crumbled originals on the original Kluson strip tuners, and some small white painted position number marks on the treble side of the fingerboard. These have partially faded away and could be removed if desired but are very redolent of the period so we have left them in place. The original pickup and electronics are fully intact and, as expected, sound fantastic. This Champ remains basically pretty much as it left Fullerton in 1955, including the surprisingly intact and functional alligator grain original chipboard case. Excellent Condition.