Fender Champion Lap Steel Electric Guitar (1954)
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Item # 9708
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Fender Champion Model Lap Steel Electric Guitar (1954), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 5792, yellow pearloid finish, hardwood body.
This 1954 Champion is a fine player's example of Fender's "bread and butter" lap steel from the first half of the 1950s. This instrument sounds and plays excellent but is not all original as it is set up with a modern repro pickup. This pickup is likely the Duncan-made exact re-creation of the original and is installed using the original base plate and lead wires. The wiring, pots and cap appear original or at least period but the pots have no visible date codes as they are soldered over. The knobs are correct style repros. The internal masking tape signature is intact indicating it was originally wired up by Gloria on 4-21-54.
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 plate with dome-top knurled knobs. The serial number5792 is stamped on the bridgeplate where the strings anchor through the body. 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 the engine for vintage Telecaster recreations, a trend that has become even more common recently. This one is one of them, but it has been restored as authentically as possible.
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 nice clean Champion overall, and still an excellent instrument taking into account the restoration noted above. It shows some general wear overall, with a number of small bar dinks into the fingerboard, a couple of dings on the body and scuffing to the metal. The only alteration beyond the pickup and knobs is new buttons on the original Kluson strip tuners. The pickup is slightly hotter and brighter than many originals and this is still a fine-sounding steel guitar with a powerful, singing tone; an early 1950s Fender instrument at a relatively reasonable price! Excellent - Condition.
This 1954 Champion is a fine player's example of Fender's "bread and butter" lap steel from the first half of the 1950s. This instrument sounds and plays excellent but is not all original as it is set up with a modern repro pickup. This pickup is likely the Duncan-made exact re-creation of the original and is installed using the original base plate and lead wires. The wiring, pots and cap appear original or at least period but the pots have no visible date codes as they are soldered over. The knobs are correct style repros. The internal masking tape signature is intact indicating it was originally wired up by Gloria on 4-21-54.
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 plate with dome-top knurled knobs. The serial number5792 is stamped on the bridgeplate where the strings anchor through the body. 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 the engine for vintage Telecaster recreations, a trend that has become even more common recently. This one is one of them, but it has been restored as authentically as possible.
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 nice clean Champion overall, and still an excellent instrument taking into account the restoration noted above. It shows some general wear overall, with a number of small bar dinks into the fingerboard, a couple of dings on the body and scuffing to the metal. The only alteration beyond the pickup and knobs is new buttons on the original Kluson strip tuners. The pickup is slightly hotter and brighter than many originals and this is still a fine-sounding steel guitar with a powerful, singing tone; an early 1950s Fender instrument at a relatively reasonable price! Excellent - Condition.