Fender Champ 12 mod

[tech72]

I want to mod this amp. Can anybody share parts list and schematic for the Torres red knob mod. Nobody seems to post this info. They just refer you to site. Please help.

[Enzo]

Can you link us to what Torres says?

[Dave H]

Can you link us to what Torres says?

RKO "Red Knob" Champ 12 kit. The original hot kit!!

[tech72]

RKO "Red Knob" Champ 12 kit. The original hot kit!!

I need a schematic and parts list. I dont want to order from Torres. I can buy my own parts. Please help!!

[JoeM]

This was posted here sometime ago, havent tried these myself.

[J M Fahey]

Considering $15.75 buys you the real thing, I would waste not a second and just order from them.
The minimum order + postage from a regular parts supplier will be around that amount.
Plus, you are not really paying for parts but for use of the design.
jm2c.

[okgb]

Torres as underwhelming as the amp ?

Considering $15.75 buys you the real thing, I would waste not a second and just order from them.
The minimum order + postage from a regular parts supplier will be around that amount.
Plus, you are not really paying for parts but for use of the design.
jm2c.

I bought a champ 12 that had the torres " ac " mod supposed to make it sound like an ac 30
no ones thinking without redesigning the amp that , thats going to happen , but when i opened up
the amp it appeared to just be two different cathode value resisters & smaller caps to brighten it a bit
[ I see now looking at the site they list one that changes " THE BIAS POINT " adding more gain [ changing the cathode resisters ?
and "Staggered response" technology to get a wider frequency response, more top and bottom end [ making the first cathode cap
smaller to make it brighter and the second cap bigger to retain the low end left ? ] not a bad idea , you don't want too much low end
too early in the path to make a flubby distortion but " The clean sound is also greatly improved, richer and fuller, more natural sounding. So easy to install you can't belive it. four parts, two wires and a screw. " ????? So easy you don't need my huge mark-up ?

my [ total ] guess something like 2.7k & .68 uf on first cathode & 1.5 k 25uf on second cathode
or marshall vox style values for stage one and fender values for stage two [ you could also change the first plate resister
to 220k and call it HiWatt sound , ha !
I can mail you resisters for the 1.00 postage

on my amp I'm sure it sounded different than stock but didn't take it into any inspiring I want to play vibe .
The amp is sitting in the corner until i have time to experiment more , o.k. for t.v. jamming
Torres himself seems insulting to think people are dumb enough to buy his hype ? jealous of Rivera ?
both have some kind of persecution complex ? I once emailed torres about mods to an amp that he dismissed
as " too complex " because it was on p.c. board [ simple single sided marshall , I didn't even ask for anything specific ]
Buyer beware , do good reserach for ANY mods , have patience , don't expect redical change , If it has qualities
you like right now , you should be o.k.

[J M Fahey]

NO WAY this simple and incomplete Mod "turns it into an AC30" or anything remotely similar.
Only way is to drop the board in the junkbin and replace it with a new one with an actual AC30 circuit (save for the lone SE tube at the end).
Including no use of NFB as in the original one, of course.
That Dan Torres Mod is full of cr*p.

[okgb]

You'd think the overuse of buzz words and promises would hurt his business ,
all i can say is I wouldn't spend any money there

[greekie]

That guy just can't build an amp or mod one, without destroying it. How the hell can he stay in business?

[okgb]

Sells enough guitar strings I guess , oh and sells the book that everyone has learned about tube amps from
[ according to him ............. ] sorry to keep this going . on another note are there any experienced builders
who have made a Super champ ?
with the prices staying high I was considering building one but using another 12ax7 instead of the triple triode 6c10
and leaving out the reverb

[Jazz P Bass]

That guy just can't build an amp or mod one, without destroying it. How the hell can he stay in business?

To quote Mr. Barnum: "There is a sucker born every minute".
He stays in business because of the Internet!
It does have it's down side.

[tech72]

Can you email me parts that were added on your amp. Maybe a picture of the parts or a picture of the inside of amp if possible. email address megahertz1972@yahoo.com

[okgb]

I didn't pay attention to them when i took them out , other than to note it was NOTHING special
I would have felt ripped off if I'd paid them , buying the amp that way & not knowing what it was " said " it
should sound like , i simply thought , not great no reason to leave it that way .
what matches his description though , is it was a little ternimal strip where the mounting tab was grounded to the chasis
and two pair of resistor / capacitors that connected to the ground tab and their respective ends to the first two cathodes
so it may have been .68 uf on both caps and 2.7 k for the resisters . NO magic you can start there make the caps bigger if it's too bright and
you want more gain , and check out what typical fender / marshall & vox first stages would be , that's all he did .

[Thurgood]

Whoa hey hey hey. Got one of those and have posted elsewhere. Do not mean to hijack just wanted to join in and learn. Mine sits and gathers dust...........I want to burn it. I hope you folks come up with something good. I would like to "change" mine to something other than...anchor or kindling. Sorry for the excitement. I have read lots of stuff about that amp and so far..to my regret most replies do not fill my heart with joy. Other than pyromania.