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Post subject: Re: Champ 600 frying bacon
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2016 7:40 pm
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Hmm... if that price was under $100, it would be interesting. I have worked on a couple of the re-issues. They have good potential. I wonder why Fender went to solid-state rectifier, instead of the original 5Y3GT or even a Russian-Chinese 5Z3. That may have added some "tube quality" to the amp.


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Post subject: Re: Champ 600 frying bacon
Posted: Fri Jan 01, 2016 9:40 pm
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
I wonder why Fender went to solid-state rectifier, instead of the original 5Y3GT or even a Russian-Chinese 5Z3.


Simple logic.

To keep the price point low and the profit margin high.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Champ 600 frying bacon
Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2016 3:15 pm
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
I have a couple vintage Vibro-Champs (BF and SF) & one 1949 Champion 600. The VC break-up around start to break-up around 5. This is with aftermarket Weber 8-inch speaker. The Champion 600 starts to break-up even lower volume. Maybe around 4. This amp current has 6-inch speaker.

Honestly, the ancient Champion makes a tone to die for --- if you like brown tone with smooth harmonics. It uses a pentode 6SJ7 input-driver instead of the typical 12AX7 of later tweed era Champions.


Good to know thanks. So you just swap out the 12AX7 and put the 6SJ7 or you think a mod is necessary?


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Post subject: Re: Champ 600 frying bacon
Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2016 3:22 pm
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
Hmm... if that price was under $100, it would be interesting. I have worked on a couple of the re-issues. They have good potential. I wonder why Fender went to solid-state rectifier, instead of the original 5Y3GT or even a Russian-Chinese 5Z3. That may have added some "tube quality" to the amp.


Even the Hot Rod series doesn't have the tube rectifier, I think only starting with the Princeton Reverb you get that feature.

A friend told me that tube rectifiers are not as important to the overall Fender tone than in Marshall. I don't know if there is any basis to what he's saying. He's playing with a reissue JTM45 that looks sexier than a Porsche to me. I don't like the Marshall sound to be honest but they look like sex.


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Post subject: Re: Champ 600 frying bacon
Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:41 pm
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poumé wrote:
So you just swap out the 12AX7 and put the 6SJ7 or you think a mod is necessary?


Only a minor procedure......like replacing the entire V1 tube socket with an octal type then rewiring the pre-amp. And such an alteration will cost you the loss of a gain stage since the 6SJ7 is basically one half of a dual-triode such as a 12AX7.

Simple.

:lol:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Champ 600 frying bacon
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:08 am
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Got the amp back!

I was afraid the wait time was going to be over a month but it wasn't that bad.


Picture:

http://imgur.com/91kvxvW


Played it twice and the problem seems to be fixed. There is still some tiny popping sound but it's really nothing compared to before. If I hadn't had this issue, I would probably not notice.


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Post subject: Re: Champ 600 frying bacon
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 11:05 pm
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Tried to record the sound of the amp with my iPhone 6 and the result is not great :( You can barely hear anything.
I'll have to put the iPhone next to the speaker next time because I can't crank the amp in my apartment.


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Post subject: Re: Champ 600 frying bacon
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 6:58 pm
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You still having noise issues with the amp?

As for the 6SJ7... I like the sound of many amps that use octal tubes in the gain stages, rather than the usual 9-pin duo-triode mini tubes. I wouldn't try to mod your Champion 600. I brought the subject up, because early tweed and woodie Fender amps often used octals in input and gain stages.

For a better OD sound, maybe think about using a 5751 or 12AY7, in place of the 12AX7. Then no rewiring is needed.


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Post subject: Re: Champ 600 frying bacon
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 9:54 pm
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The 12AX7 tube is firmly held now unlike before. It doesn't move at all. Yet there is still some little popping sound here and there but it's nothing compared to before. It was simply unplayable before. Still I don't understand why there is some "pop" sound. It's also unpredictable as it happens seemingly at random with no correlation with volume. I don't think I could record that with my iPhone because the pop sound isn't very loud.


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Post subject: Re: Champ 600 frying bacon
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2016 11:35 pm
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Maybe the solder on the socket needs re-flowing?

:?:


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Post subject: Re: Champ 600 frying bacon
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2016 3:05 pm
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
Maybe the solder on the socket needs re-flowing?

:?:


I don't have a clue honestly. The only thing that surprised me was that I could see the PCB board around the socket but I guess that's just an aesthetics consideration.

It's clearly playable for me since I just play for fun in my apartment with it so I would say I'm satisfied but if I used this amp for recording, it could drive someone mad to have a pop ruin a good take.


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