Build a point-to-point amp using a Champ 12 as a platform.

[Bob M.]

Hi All,

I have a Fender Champ 12 amp that I've tweaked on for a while with less than stellar success; it's not a very good amp - bad overdrive, bad reverb. I was thinking of a radical rebuild: a completely new circuit, new point-to-point circuitboard and a new speaker to start with. I like the 1x 12" speaker and amp size/weight and I like like the snakeskin cab that the Champ 12 came in. I could leave it as a 1x 6L6 single-ended amp or convert it into a 2X 6L6 amp, appropriate for small/medium gigs. And, yes, of course, I know, I know, I can sell it and get something else.

But I'd like some advice or recommendations, especially from some of the guys who have converted amps they had lying around into something usable. I got this thing for a song so the $$ is not really any kind of consideration. I do have some pretty good transformers lying around, collecting dust so it would cost me very little in the end to make some special from it.

Any positive advice is appreciated, and thanks,

Bob M.

[Justin Thomas]

Hmmmmm ... I'm inclined to say "Super Vibro-Champ," SE 6L6 with trem, for the easy route. Or Princeton (BF, non-reverb). Anything is possible if you have chassis space. I see no reason to start off installing new trannies off the bat. The voltages are a little high for my tastes to run 6V6s, maybe JJs will be okay. (Yeah, I know the ratings. Doesn't mean they SOUND best run that way...)

A friend of mine has a Gretach Compact Reverb, SE 6V6 w. reverb & trem. Sounds really nice, and is NOT a dirt machine. I'd imagine you could go without the 'verb and use a 6L6 instead, and it might be a treat... add a Depth control, too.

Just leave all the original boards intact! And I hope the tube sockets are chassis-mount. If not, consider all-octal?

Justin

[Bob M.]

Thanks for the reply. Right now, I'm thinking of some sort of Z-28 inspired amp but I'm only in the idea stage right now. I already have a SE parallel amp I built that is about half Gibson Gibsonette and half 'the Re-Making of a Champ'. It's a good amp I use around the house so I don't need to do that again.

I could always use another 2x 6L6, 1x 12" spkr, 30 watt amp for gigging. I've got alot of front panel knobs on the Champ 12 so I can have lots of features or a switchable hi-gain situation. I'm a pretty good fabricator so I could probably create a circuitboard for the octal tube sockets, to keep the integrity of the tube socket mounting the same and have less chassis disruption and also, so it could be re-converted to its former inglorious self, if need be.

Bob M.

[Justin Thomas]

In the case of a Z, go for it. I sorta-just made one, with an EF86 & currently using RI TS 5881s. It'll take 6V6 & 6L6, too. I tried some GT-branded JJ EL34s, hut funny noises came out, and i'm not feeling adventurous enough to risk blowing it up. It's friggin' awesome. And for sale. Probably the most "hi-fi" amps I've ever heard, in the sense of "what goes in comes out," but also bristling with personality... really covers a lot of territory, well.

Justin

PS I see every bit of adventure in fabricating a turret board to fit PCB-mount tube sockets... I made one to replace the mini-PCB my Prosonic's recto switch was on... the 12-pin switch pins fit perfectly in the turrets!