Fender Champion 600 1x6'' 5 watt Guitar Amp Guitar Amp Combo

As a Player with technical backgrounds I will state what I truly expected and discovered from the Fender Champion 600.

A single ended tube amp with six inch fender speaker.
a.)Both Chinese power and pre-amp tubes need to be changed out for better quality tubes right off the bat. Many better quality tubes are available (tube education is advisable.)
b.) The speaker though adequate for low volume is not up to the task of good performance when the tubes are overdriven; for better performance at higher volumes a speaker change out is needed. ( again educate yourself on speaker choices.)
c.) The grill cloth should be changed out to a more transparent fabric as the factory fabric resricts air flow which in turn muffles the sound projection to some degree.
d.) The circuitry is developed for cost and performance with the Factory in mind..... a quality mod kit should be incorporated if you want this amp to perform beyond the stock limits, which BTW will become apparent almost immediately when you first use it in its stock form.

In a nut shell......buy this amp if low volume is all you want, then the stock amp will work....if you don't mind some hissing and buzzing at or above 6 on the volume knob.

As a modding platform that with proper materials and proper installations ( Disclaimer.... I am not responsable nor do I recommended you do these modifications yourself.) If you have any doubts about your abilities to perform printed circuit modifications, and dealing with high voltage transformers; then let a qualified tech do all the upgrades and modifications to the amp if you desire to increse the amps performance.

My intent with the purchase of this amp was to enhance its performance and sound quality with extensive modifications to the circuitry, tubes and speaker all of which was completed and turned this little bedroom amp, into a potent deliverer of quality sound; suitable for playing and recording.

This is a nice little amp.... no tone-tweaking available (one volume knob and a choice of high-or-low-sensitivity input jack; that's it), but great retro looks and easy to modify. The one I bought on ebay had been expertly modified with an aftermarket 8" speaker, better tubes, and more acoustically-transparent grille cloth. The mods definitely make it a better amp! Modified versions of this little amp appear often on ebay for a variety of prices... this one was at a good price (the price of a new "stock" one from most discount online sources at the moment), so I BIN'ed it... I am glad I did! This amp is IMHO most effective when used with some sort of versatile pre-amp or multi-effects unit between the instrument and the amp, such as a Line 6 pod, V-amp, or in my case, a Roland Micro-Cube. That way, you can add effects and alter the tone.

OK, these amps are pretty terrible as they come from the factory. Both the cheap Chinese tubes and underpowered 6" speaker are the mail culprits. That said this little amp is one of the easiest and best sounding project amps out there. I like to switch out the 6V6 for a vintage 1950’s RCA or better still Raytheon tube and with a JJ tube as the 12AX7. The next move is to go 8" on the speaker. If you can find a vintage CR8 that's the best way to go, but a Jensen SD CR8 will do just fine as well and you can always find one here on ebay. You can go Alnico or ceramic, but in this case I actually like ceramic better because the amp is already so bright with the new tubes. You will need to modify the grill plate cutting it larger for the new speaker and will need to move the mounting holes for the speaker, but you can use the existing hardware. The speaker needs to go as far left (when looking from the back) and bottom as possible. While you're at it you will need to change the grill cloth to something more passive to sound. Burlap is popular and works well, but there are many options there. There are also many options on the board and I won’t go into that, but if all you do is the tube, speaker and cloth you've got a great little amp! With the tube and speaker combo I'm suggesting above think Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode to Joe Walsh - Rock Mountain Way. A little smoker!!!

As with buying anything 'as is' or 'project' or 'broken' you must be aware that you are buying something that is not functional and needs fixing. Project or broken items can serve as a challenge to the DIY minded, or a source of inexpensive spare parts for future projects.

That being said, for an electronics hobbyists, these items are like gold and I can't resist the challenge of buying a broken used amp at a fraction of the retail price and, with a bit of elbow grease and knowledge, bringing it back to life once more.

These little amps are a nice small size and sound quite good for their price. They are a modernized version of the original Champion 600 produced by Fender in the 50's. The 6" speaker does limit bottom end, but you can get these things to howl without waking up the neighbors (or your wife, kids, etc.) I have not tried squeezing an 8" speaker in there, but I have heard of it being done. The circuit is very simple and easy to troubleshoot. It is on a PC board but because of the simplicity of the design, a more ambitious tinkerer would easily be able to re-wire these using point-to-point techniques if desired.

In the case of the example I purchased, the speaker/grill cloth was damaged badly and there were a few other minor electrical glitches. As I was planning on upgrading the speaker (to a Weber) and tubes anyways (upgrade those cheap stock tubes!), this posed little issue for me.

In summary, if you are a tube hobbyist, or interested in building an amp kit I would recommend buying one of these broken gems as a start. It’s a good way to get your feet wet fixing tube gear without too much expense ($80 vs. $450+ for a full amp kit). Oh, and be careful! These circuits use a much higher voltage than modern electronics, so if you don't know how to safely work around electricity and tube circuits, this is probably not the hobby you are looking for. Be Safe!

Happy bidding and good luck! This project amp was fun to fix for the DIY minded, and very fun to play, but fixing amps may not be for everyone out there! Paying an amp tech to fix something like this would quickly make the deal not worthwhile.

Toounknown.

This little amp brings back the tones that amps were meant to sounf like. I haven't heard tone like this since a Super 6 Reverb I Played in the 80's. Plugged it in to a Marshall 4X12 Cabinet an it wails. No pedls, no effects, no0 nothing, but that pure Fender Overdriven Tube Amp Sound . This Amp would be great for practice jam sessions and would also do wounderfully in a small club setting with an extension cabinet of course. I own a 100 watt Marshall, Cavin x-60A, a Fender Solid State 9forgive me my wifes, an ampeg and a new Blackheart 15. I can Imagine the tones you can achieve when you put the Fender and Blackheart in stereo. I tried it a little already, but with some tweaking here and there I believe it will simply be amazing!
Thanks, James Casey

Also Propt Shippment Quality Product I think IO'm im Lovre with Fenders AGAIN!!!