Fender Champion 600

Bill Ashton

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I posted this over at the TDPRI about a month ago, but thought the amp-heads over here might enjoy my foibles...

I received a new Champion 600 from my son as a belated birthday present! :D :D :D

Curious wondering what tubes were in it, as under another thread (on the TDPRI) I had read they were sometimes using EH and Sovtek instead of Chinese. Well, the tubes came out easily, even without taking off the back: The 6V6 was "Made in China December 2007" however the preamp was a Sovtek 7025/12AX7WA, pretty good.

Power tube went back in easy enough...CANNOT get the preamp tube back in...check pin orientation with inspection mirror..nope, won't go. Take back off. No better. Harumph! Down to the workbench, take out the chassis, STILL won't go in. Tube socket looks like two-part, start to unscrew, only the base for the shield comes off, but now I can see the pins well. All are lined up, won't go in! Nothing is bent, all the contacts are there. Well, if I can only do this once, open up the cache, and grab a NOS Amphenol 7025. With great effort, almost to the point of breaking the tube, it slides home.

Thats some tight tube socket!

Ok, its open, grab an RCA 6V6GT while I'm at it, and get 'er all back together.

Ahhhhh, very nice! Even better through my Tremolux cab with a Reverend speaker in it.

This might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship...if I don't have the urge to change the preamp tube again!
 

Bill Ashton

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I have heard they are noisy, however I cannot say it is any better or worse than other old tube amps I have around here. Like with all single coil p'ups, there are noisy guitar positions and quiet guitar positions ( :lol: )...you know the joke about Telecaster-players and their strange stances...and it doesn't help that I seem to have played it mostly in the basement under a flourescent light...

Frankly I thought it might be a little "mush" machine, but amazingly it has much more headroom than I anticipated...much more than the old tweed Champ I had back in the 60's.
The speaker installed appears to be the cloth edge like an acoustic suspension unit, so I am thinking a Weber or Jensen with a accordion-rib edge might handle the output a little better.
But she is a nice little toy as is.
 

motopsyche

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Hey Bill!

Congrats on the Champion 600. I also picked one up in December. I just love it. It is a match made in heaven with my Fender Thinline Tele. Great crunch and lovely clean. Mine is bone stock complete with two-prong cord. I'm just reluctant to change anything out. RCA tubes. Very cool.

Enjoy!
 

Bill Ashton

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Hmmm, 2-prong line cord? So I take it that you got a real one from the 50's? Nice catch! I guess I didn't say mine was the reissue, but should have been implied in the text.

Never seen one, but would love to see a picture of the original style grille cloth, probably should change out the chamois-shirt material used on the reissues. What does it use for a pre-amp tube, a metal-envelope 6SL7 or something of that family?
 

AlohaJoe

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Has anybody figured out the difference between the Fender Champion 600 and the little Gretsch Electromatic version? They look like the same box to me but Elderly carries both and sells the Fender for $50 less.
 

capnjuan

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AlohaJoe said:
Has anybody figured out the difference between the Fender Champion 600 and the little Gretsch Electromatic version? They look like the same box to me but Elderly carries both and sells the Fender for $50 less.
Hi AJ: look pretty much the same; 12AX7, 6V6, and a 6" speaker. Didn't read all the reviews but if they standby switches, then they have solid state rectifiers ... no public domain schematics and no explanation for price difference.
HC/Gretsch Electromatic
HC/Champion 600
 

coastie99

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tele4tone said:
coastie99 said:
A slight lurch sideways !!

Anyone looking for an "alternative" grillcloth, lookee here ....................... http://www.grillecloth.com/

Way cool link thx!!!!!!

Jeff

My pleasure Jeff.

A caveat ........ this is hardly industrial-strength stuff ! I certainly wouldn't cover the baffle of a gigging amp. with it. It's considerably lighter-weight than conventional grillcloth.
 

tele4tone

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coastie99 said:
tele4tone said:
coastie99 said:
A slight lurch sideways !!

Anyone looking for an "alternative" grillcloth, lookee here ....................... http://www.grillecloth.com/

Way cool link thx!!!!!!

Jeff

My pleasure Jeff.

A caveat ........ this is hardly industrial-strength stuff ! I certainly wouldn't cover the baffle of a gigging amp. with it. It's considerably lighter-weight than conventional grillcloth.

Good to know... That is where I was heading with it. It would still work for my Random heads that need recovered and new cloth tho.
 
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