The Fender Champ, Five Watts of Famous Tones; or The Need for Tweed

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Sadly, in the trend of YouTube to copyright hit even the educational vids, I've had to cut the section on Eric Clapton using a Champ on Derek and the Dominos "Layla and Other Love Songs". YouTube had cut the audio so I've now removed the video. So the somewhat awkward jump from the studio mention directly to Julian Lage is just that, a bit awkward with my apologies. I will be more hesitant to use music in the same way in the future videos (see my video on the Deluxe Amp as an example.) Thanks for understanding and enjoy the content as it is. :)

*Argh! I made a mistake in my zeal for simplicity I overstated the longevity of the simple three tube compliment in Champs. Many of my august subscribers (thank you, sincerely) pointed out that the early champs had an octal, 6SJ7 preamp tube, which is absolutely correct. Mea culpa. And thanks for watching.

The Fender Champ has been around in one form or another since 1948. Production of the original circuit was discontinued in 1982 but by then so many Champs have been built or clones of the originals around, that they are still a mainstay in recording studio both large and small.

Here at Five Watt World I've long been fascinated with the perfection of different five watt amps for studio recording and practicing. All the trouble of adding a gain pedal or compressor to make you 15 or 30 watt amp act like it's at "breathing volume" is unnecessary with a 5 watt amp already "breathing" at living room volumes.

And yes, I know that the live audio clips I've used either (other than the Julian Lage clip) don't use the original Champs but this is the best way to include the songs without running into copyright issues from one record company or another.

Thanks in particular to Dan Lurie at FYD Amps for his years of tutelage on Champs, putting up with my endless questions once I'd become obsessed by them.

I'm sure I didn't get every little thing right and I can count on the contributors over at TGP and TDPRI to help me out on this score no doubt. Thanks in advance. This is all about learning things and sharing that with others. Building a community of folks questioning how much we need to make music in our lives.

[monday]

I love this statement - "If you have a 5-watt Fender and a 5-watt Marshall and one Fender style guitar and one Gibson style guitar you will be hard pressed to find excuses to not make classic tones all day long.". I definitely agree!

[DanBlakerd]

This video validates what took me about 25 years to realize. A tweed champ, Hall of Fame pedal, and an LP is all that I need. Thanks. :)

[kurtrebar]

I love the smell of 12AX7s in the morning... it smells like... oh shit, my amps on fire again

[DHRGrafix]

I love my 1980 Silver Face Vibro Champ. I inherited it from my brother. My dad bought it for him brand new in 1980. Brother and dad have passed on. The SFVC is a little piece of them.

[snarfusmaximus]

I love my little homebuilt tweed Champ but I still find it too loud if I want an overdriven sound. I built a quarter watt amp using 1950's battery radio valves and it's great for cranking up for a tweed Deluxe tone without others complaining. Yes, I love tiny amps.

[jefflinkous]

I stumbled upon a 1978 Fender Champ in 1995 being sold on consignment at a music shop near Fort Knox, KY, for 75 bucks (I think that's what I gave for it) ... still had the paperwork in a plastic bag at the bottom of the cabinet. I still have the amp and that paperwork. A Frank Zappa fan, I bought it for the reference in the title track of Joe's Garage: "And a cheesy little amp/With a sign on the front said "Fender Champ" ... It's been a treasure lo these past 26 years.

[YoureNowOnTV]

I had never heard of Julian Lage until this morning. Thanks for the heads up and the info on the Champ. Today was a good learning day 😀👍

[Peasmouldia]

Wish the 5 amp doctrine was more popular back in the 70s, would have made life as a roadie so much easier. I've managed to get my dosage down from 50 to 5 watts by a careful reduction programme. Keep spreading the word brother. Thanks.

[DieselCat]

My first guitar and amp was a Fender Mustang & Champ Amp that my mom and dad gave me for christmas back in '66 when I was 13. Wish I still had those today.

[jakemitchell]

In about '93 I started getting decent studio work as a guitarist. I'd played out professionally for over 10 years by that time, and I really thought I understood equipment. I owned excellent gear, and not to brag but I was known among other players for having really good tone. I did a couple of sessions that the artist and producer really liked, and before I knew it I was being called regularly for all sorts of projects. On one of these sessions I was booked for a singer-songwriter at an I showed up with my usual tool box: a Tele, Strat, and Les Paul, and for amps an '87 Marshall Silver Jubilee with 2x12 cab and a Mesa Boogie Mk III 100 watt Simul-Class, and of course a rack of effects. I was READY!
Except I wasn't. EVERYTHING I threw at the tracks were USELESS! I had all this wonderful, LARGE and POWERFUL equipment, yet my tone SUCKED!!! Everything sounded small and buzzy in this particular studio. At about hour 3 the engineer had enough. He said, "I've got an idea" and left the room. Two minutes later he returned with a 1973 Fender Vibro-Champ and an original TS-808. Ten minutes later (I swear on all that's holy) I was recording the absolute most massive tones of my life! I've still got those recordings somewhere, and they changed my life forever.

[pgiuliano]

Yet another thorough, concise and extremely educational presentation on a fantastic piece of equipment. Many years ago I was fortunate enough to be good friends with the great Tom Dowd. When he saw the 100 watt Marshall stack and the 50 watt Soldano amp I was trying to record with, he sat me down and gave me the talk. I was living in a 5 watt world and never knew it. You as usual are spot on agin. Can't wait to see your next presentation.

[therugburnz]

I've playing live, outdoor, rock, keg party gigs with a mic'd tweed champ and an EQ pedal. We had to tape the amp to the tarp/stage and the Mic to the cab. The other guitarist used a tiny PV exactly the same size as the fender and an EDI. The bass DI no amp, just sidefill. The soundman Loved Us. He had total control, the singer get could hear clearly through the crap wedge monitors because they contained only him as we played through only sidefill and our 5 watters. The drummer used what is normally the bass amp as a monitor. This was a teen kegged party so we only had a portable 1500watt generator to run the whole show and it worked fukkin great.

[BenJamminBader]

Well done on the history lesson! I am building a 1958 champ clone currently and this is inspirational!

[duanewilson]

I just want to go on record and say the "electric" version of Layla is hands down better than the acoustic version. No contest imo.

[elainericketts]

...I have the prototype for the "Super Champ"....it has a label on the rear of the chassis that reads, "when done please return to Paul Rivera in

[dinein]

Another guy who makes a GREAT amp is Terry at D-Labs from Battle Creek, MI. He makes a unique little 10w called an Opti-Plexer. Push/Pull V/T/B and the "Opti-Plex" control. Got mine hooked up through a pair of 8" Celestion vintage speakers. Great amp. D-Labs has a YouTube channel where he repairs vintage amps and all.

[thomascrow]

I purchased a Super Champ Fender amp New in the early 80's, an it is still Rockin ! It is truly a Super Champ living up to it's name, in Tone & Dependability .

[DMKahn]

Thanks for your historical videos, you have a wonderful speaking voice. Very professional. Cheers

[Topsy_Krett]

"An old blackface Champ is actually what I did ‘Funk #49’ on. A blackface Champ and a Tele, straight in.” -Joe Walsh, from an interview in Guitar World Magazine, June 2012

[tedz]

Dan Lurie just got another sale thanks to you. I just got the desktop version of the champ and it has proven to be a beast. Thank you for all the well researched and easy to follow content for us vintage gear enthusiasts.