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Post subject: 57 Champ...Is it worth $1000?
Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:33 am
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Is this amp worth the $$$? I'm wondering if $1000 could be better spent elsewhere...

It's got everything I'm looking for in a new amp, I guess I'm wondering if there is another amp in that price range that I should consider.

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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:48 am
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Depending on your need and mission profile;

"57 champ is a nice full valves amp 5W point to point wired, dedicated to house or recording (from my point of view). You should consider "57 Deluxe that is a little bit more powerfull and can be used also in concert.

I've a BDRI, that is very cheaper but fully satisfy me.
8)

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Post subject: Re: 57 Champ...Is it worth $1000?
Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 6:25 am
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mainburner wrote:
Is this amp worth the $$$? I'm wondering if $1000 could be better spent elsewhere...

It's got everything I'm looking for in a new amp, I guess I'm wondering if there is another amp in that price range that I should consider.
You answered your own question....it's got everything you're looking for in a new amp.....it all comes down to how you want to spend your money.


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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 8:15 am
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Better to buy a real boutique amp if you want high quality, look Swart Amp , one 6V6 like the champ and is sold for $850 list price . And you can find some other boutique amp


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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:18 pm
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A real boutique amp? I disagree that a "boutique" amp will be of better quality than the Fender Champ. The champ is point to point handwired = just as good as any boutique amp in my opinion. Boutique does not necessarily mean it will be better than the Fender. I've played lots of so called boutique amps that I didn't think sounded as good as much cheaper PCB based valve amps. Mesa Transatlantic I'm looking at you!


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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:28 pm
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It's not worth a grand to me. You can build a Tweed Champ kit for less than half that. You can build a 5E3 for $600 or less. It depends on how much the word Fender is worth to you. I've heard some really fine sounding kits that to my ears sound every bit as good if not better than the Fender reissues. You can actually find a real 50's Tweed Champ for not much more coin that the reissue.

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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 6:48 pm
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I don,t like them. The ones I tried rattled alot. Marshall Class 5 for 4 hundred dollars is what I ended up with.


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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:05 am
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Just for the heck of it, I'd consider the THD Univalve. It's not a combo. But you'd get an amp with the ability to swap pre amp and output tubes, to your heart's(ear's) content. Art

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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 7:24 am
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Unadan said : "Boutique does not necessarily mean it will be better than the Fender. "

1- You could ear the same sound at your ears, but IMO it is not same quality of parts. Boutique amp I talk use american or high quality parts, Fender ?

2- In many many years, Boutique amp keep the same good tone, Fender ?

3- Many Boutique amp use NOS tube. Fender, I'm sure not. NOS = better tone


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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 7:25 am
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Check out the VHT Special 6. Hand wired, comes with a schematic for modding, and the head I tried sounded great. It's $199 for the combo and around $179 for the head. 6 watts of fun.
http://www.vhtamp.com/avsp16.html

Every Tweed Champ reissue I tried had baffle rattle. That was 4 out of 4 in both NY and Pa.

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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:19 am
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Supro, we talk about a $1000 amp, What you talk about is another story . I should say that you can't have a good quality amp at $179. This does't mean you can't have fun with but it's cheap amp

Look at this VHT we can see all asian (chineese ?) capacitors, and what about transformer ? And other parts.


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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:56 am
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stratele52 wrote:
Supro, we talk about a $1000 amp, What you talk about is another story . I should say that you can't have a good quality amp at $179. This does't mean you can't have fun with but it's cheap amp

Look at this VHT we can see all asian (chineese ?) capacitors, and what about transformer ? And other parts.


When you have a $1,000 amp that buzzes like a can of bees, it's the same story. American made caps and resistors don't cost a fortune. Fender uses Taiwanese Illinois caps in most of their amps even the Blackface Reissues. The custom amps like the 57's I believe use Sprague.

A grand for a 5 watt one knob amp is just ridiculous. I don't measure an amp by how much it costs, but how it performs. The 57 Champ didn't really impress me all that much. It does have good components, but the 5F1 circuit only has barely a handful of parts. It loses it in build quality. The VHT Special 6 I tried out had no buzzes, rattles or crackles even at full volume.

I would go with Dr. Z or build my own 5F1 before I would buy the 57 Champ. That's just me though and just my opinion. YMMV

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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:35 pm
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For the Champ I agree with you Supro


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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 2:07 pm
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When I was a kid (shortly after fire and the wheel were discovered) the MSRP for a Fender Dual Showman Reverb amp set was $1000.....$505 for the head, $495 for the cab.

Top of the line in the FMI food chain......a triple-entree combo plate with taco, burrito, enchilada, and a couple of cold cervezas to wash it all down with.

Thus, that's my perception of what a thousand dollars ought to buy (within my own romantically-clouded memories).

Personally I do not have any appreciation for the appeal of a one-knob, 8-inch speaker, single-ended 5-watt amp despite its tweed box and regardless of the alleged "mojo". Not for a grand anyway.

But I'll be the first to fight for anyone else's right to own one.

However with all the shortcuts being employed to maximize profits on the sale of these anachronistic curios, I think the better builds are those marketed by the "boo-teek" companies or even those built as a labor of love on someone's kitchen table.

JMO

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Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 2:52 pm
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Retroverbial said :

"When I was a kid (shortly after fire and the wheel were discovered) the MSRP for a Fender Dual Showman Reverb amp set was $1000.....$505 for the head, $495 for the cab. "

We are from the same area.... Yes we have to pay lot, lots more money for an amp but they were THE best build amps.
I have some Fender price list , if I look in 1967, a vibro champ cost $142. A Deluxe Reverb cost $399, IN 1967.
$142 in 1967 is it around $1000 in 2010 ? I think ,

So don't think you have a good amp at $200 today.

And it is not too costly a high end amp like boutique amp : this is the cost


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