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Post subject: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:21 am
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Hi folks,
I picked up a 1965 Black Face Vibro Champ today with “Fender Electric Instruments” Pre-CBS front face… It’s had a few repairs done on it so I’ll need to have it checked out for consistency to make sure what was done was done right. It’s in really great shape, no original speaker but has a Jensen CR8 Special Design and a Tone Tubby A Brown Soun (not sure what that is) that came with it , the amp sounds really fantastic and I actually like the Jensen better. I probably paid too much but I just had to have it… $525.00 for the amp and both speakers, I saw some on eBay for $600 to $700 so maybe I did ok, it was a spontaneous buy so I’m not looking back. Tubes are all RCA except for one that just says made in Russia 12AX7 … what’s ya’lls thoughts on the repairs and this buy????… here are some pix
Thanks,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalcan ... 216757761/

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Post subject: Re: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 7:39 am
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Amp looks good! It has had extensive replacement of components on the chassis. The PT looks aftermarket (a photo of the stamped numbers on the trannies would be nice). As well as most caps ( there are good cap can available now, for this unit, if you should decide to go this route). Not, that all these mods are bad. As long as the amp has that vintage VC tone. Which is very distinct, in a good way.

BTW... Leo Fender sold his company to CBS in late 1964. So my guess, if that your amp was built under CBS rule. This is also not bad, as CBS didn't really change the Champ, VC, Princeton basic circuitry. Here's a little history blurb:

http://www.fender.com/about_fender.php

A photo of the tube chart and chassis number may also help pin-point the date of manufacturer.

Enjoy the new amp!


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Post subject: Re: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 8:52 am
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
Amp looks good! It has had extensive replacement of components on the chassis. The PT looks aftermarket (a photo of the stamped numbers on the trannies would be nice). As well as most caps ( there are good cap can available now, for this unit, if you should decide to go this route). Not, that all these mods are bad. As long as the amp has that vintage VC tone. Which is very distinct, in a good way.

BTW... Leo Fender sold his company to CBS in late 1964. So my guess, if that your amp was built under CBS rule. This is also not bad, as CBS didn't really change the Champ, VC, Princeton basic circuitry. Here's a little history blurb:

http://www.fender.com/about_fender.php

A photo of the tube chart and chassis number may also help pin-point the date of manufacturer.

Enjoy the new amp!

Yes you're right BMW :( it has had a lot of stuff done to it including the PT, no cloth wiring is the first give away….., I should have thought about it a little more and looked around but it was a spontaneous purchase and it looked really nice and clean. I saw a few on eBay that claimed to be all original at around $650 -$800 but you never really know what you get once it arrives. They could need everything replaced as well. I’m not totally sure what one should sound like so I have nothing to compare it too except for my ’77 champ. I do have the new EC Tremolux that sounds very close as far as the tone goes but the EC is obviously a lot louder with a lot more mids…. I feel a bit disappointed in the purchase and probably should have paid no more that $350 or $400 for it. Oh, well…. You live and learn but I’ll still enjoy it.

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Post subject: Re: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 5:01 pm
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Replacement parts aside, it sure is clean on the outside! Enjoy it!

T2

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Post subject: Re: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 9:14 pm
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Well, good news.... everything is original and period correct. I checked all the stamps, punched and inked and they all date to 1964 and 1965...even the cabinet

This is great news as I was bummed all day thinking it had been pretty butchered but it's all good and sounds sooo awesome.....

I updated the pictures I took tonight...

Power Transformer: 125P1B - 606-5-14, (606) Schumacher (5) 1965 (14) 14th week
Output Transformer: 125A35A – 606-4-45 (606) Schumacher (4) 1964 (45) 45th week
Inside Label: Model -AA764 Production #6 “OG” (O) July (G) 1965
http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalcan ... 216757761/

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Post subject: Re: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 9:39 pm
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Very Good, indeed! OG on tube chart would indicate July, 1965. That Astron can cap has been bypassed by the three caps soldered under the hood. That would be the only concern I would have. Fender went to cap cans or putting these big filter caps under a separate dog house to protect the circuitry, if the cap should leak.

There afre been good cap cans made for this range of use, the last 5-10 years. So, my guess is those three cap maybe older than 10 years. You may wish to think about replacing them with a good quality can.

Other than that, enjoy!

:mrgreen:


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Post subject: Re: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 9:49 pm
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
Very Good, indeed! OG on tube chart would indicate July, 1965. That Astron can cap has been bypassed by the three caps soldered under the hood. That would be the only concern I would have. Fender went to cap cans or putting these big filter caps under a separate dog house to protect the circuitry, if the cap should leak.

There afre been good cap cans made for this range of use, the last 5-10 years. So, my guess is those three cap maybe older than 10 years. You may wish to think about replacing them with a good quality can.

Other than that, enjoy!

:mrgreen:

Thanks,
Yeah I looked at some cap cans today but not sure what to get. I will look t up again tomorrow, seems a company i found is using the same Mallory tooling???mmm :!: :!: tey were about $50 or so, I need one for my '77 Champ too...

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Post subject: Re: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 10:45 pm
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I've been using the 30/20/20/20 at 525VDC CE cap can. You may use three of the sections for Champs and VCs. The 525VDC rating has quite a bit more electrolytic fluid capacity than the 450VC rated ones. Nearly twice as big. Should last a long time, as fluid loss over time, is the usual culprit for cap can failure.

http://www.tubesandmore.com/products/C-EC30-20X3-525

Schemo:

http://www.webphix.com/schematic%20heav ... _schem.pdf


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Post subject: Re: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 9:05 am
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exactly the way I found my 75 VC
I had to swap out one cap that was way out of range, I did however leave them the way I found them under the hood, long term I will put one of the new cap cans in.

For now the Tone is soooooo sweet !

Image

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Post subject: Re: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 5:03 pm
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Not the best at spotting wiring changes, but you go t a "real" 65 VC!

I have a 65 as well, from the original owner. Paid $525 too. This is my fourth vintage VC; every time I buy something "nicer", I sell, but find I find I miss it too much. Learned my lesson, tho, this one is staying.

I'd suggest a Weber Sig8S speaker, really quite an upgrade. If you want to. Spend more, the Vintage Series is even better. The trem on these is fabulous. Can get nice overdriven sounds at less than window-shattering volumes too.


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Post subject: Re: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 6:46 pm
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mackaygtrs wrote:
no original speaker but has a Jensen CR8 Special Design and a Tone Tubby A Brown Soun (not sure what that is) that came with it , the amp sounds really fantastic and I actually like the Jensen better.


Make sure those speakers are each 4 ohms. The Vibro Champ OT's secondary is wound for 3.4 ohms.

Pretty clean from what I can determine.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: My new 1965 BF Vibro Champ
Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:42 pm
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Just scored a '66 VC and am LOVING it. FYI: A Brown Sound, probably the greatest speaker folks on the planet (or something). Up in NorCal. Been around for 40 years. I hung out there when I was a kid. There's rehearsal studios next door a Joe Ct. where A LOT of their clients warmed up for tours and still do. They work/worked for everybody! *,Lucas Film * Mesa Boogie * Neil Young * Huey Lewis and The News * Robert Cray * Grateful Dead * Hank Williams Jr. * Carlos Santana * Elvin Bishop * Sammy Hagar * Metallica * Pearl Jam * Zero* Different Fur Recording (S.F.) * Hyde Street Studio (S.F.) * Cola * Prairie Sun Recording * Jefferson Starship * Keith Richards * The Rolling Stones * Foreigner * Marty Balin Band * Journey *R E M* Fabulous Thunderbirds * Boz Skags * The Beach Boys * KSAN FM* Ronnie Montrose * Steve Morse * The Fillmore * Saul Zaentz Films * Fantasy Studios * Norton Buffalo * Guitar Center * K V H W * Vinyl* Narada Michael Walden * Tarpan Studios *S.F.Exploritorium *The Tubes* Leo's Music * Last Day Saloon * Blumfield Theaters * Tom Waites* Landmark Theaters * Pacific Theaters * Music Spectrum * Bobby Vega* Phoenix Theater * Laughing Tiger Studios * San Francisco Ballet * Speaker Center * Steve Kimock * Hornblower Yachts * New Georges * Dolby Laboratories * Skywalker Ranch * Steve Miller * Budda Amplification* I L M /Industrial Light and Magic * Stroke 9 * Mark Isham * Van Morrison * Sly and the Family Stone * David Grisman * Enterprise Studios / Burbank * Paramount Pictures *Quicksilver Messinger Service * Eddie Money * Tony Saunders * Chris Isaac * Mickey Hart * Buck Owens Productions * Van Halen * Robin Trower*! Wow!


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