Champ Clone?

[ca7922303]

Friend of mine ask me to make this sound like a fender champ. I modified a champion 600 once and it turned out good. Wondering if anyone knows what this is? Any mod ideas? Thanks.

[Enzo]

What it is is a small amp someone built in an old chassis in their basement. I suspect it is already pretty much a Champ, at least circuity wise. Different part values maybe, different transformers, different speaker.

You could rebuild this thing. Or just get a real Champ eyelet board from Mojo or somewhere, stuff it and mount it in the box. Of course that does nothing about the transformers or speaker.

[ca7922303]

What it is is a small amp someone built in an old chassis in their basement. I suspect it is already pretty much a Champ, at least circuity wise. Different part values maybe, different transformers, different speaker.

You could rebuild this thing. Or just get a real Champ eyelet board from Mojo or somewhere, stuff it and mount it in the box. Of course that does nothing about the transformers or speaker.

What do you make of the transformers and speaker?

[Enzo]

The transformers are from a Crate V8 Palomino. Find a schematic for that and we can talk. It is a small amp, not that different from a Champ.

Generic speaker I am sure is up to the task. You like the tone of the speaker or you don't.

[J M Fahey]

Experienced Enzo instantly solved the mystery

Maybe it was *already* converted from a Crate V8 Palomino into a Champ.



That would explain the commercially made chassis with expensive complicated cage nuts (not common in a cheap SS practice amp and the full set of Palomino transformers.

What are the chances of somebody getting those parts separate in the open market? : nil to zero, unless he already started with one.

Your chassis:


Palomino chassis:


Both have 7 hole panels.

The speaker is as Asian as possible, probably Palomino original.

I am intrigued by your zinc plated chassis instead of pictured Palomino painted one, but yours might be an early version.

Cabinet build style and speaker mounting, let alone speaker type, strongly reminds of 80's Roland Cubes

Extra weirdness points awarded for the 6V6 socket mounting over some plastic "thing" looking like a transformer bobbin or something.

Only explanation I can imagine is they could NOT punch/cut/file a hole for an octal socket, so they epoxied one on that "thing", then epoxied "it" to chassis, and used flying wires to interconnect socket pins to rest of circuit.

"Wild" does not even start to describe it.

[ca7922303]

The transformers are from a Crate V8 Palomino. Find a schematic for that and we can talk. It is a small amp, not that different from a Champ.

Generic speaker I am sure is up to the task. You like the tone of the speaker or you don't.

https://music-electronics-forum.com/...6&d=1640951238

[ca7922303]

The transformers are from a Crate V8 Palomino. Find a schematic for that and we can talk. It is a small amp, not that different from a Champ.

Generic speaker I am sure is up to the task. You like the tone of the speaker or you don't.

https://music-electronics-forum.com/...4&d=1640957180

[ca7922303]

The transformers are from a Crate V8 Palomino. Find a schematic for that and we can talk. It is a small amp, not that different from a Champ.

Generic speaker I am sure is up to the task. You like the tone of the speaker or you don't.

I believe its a celestion palamino with the sticker missing. Haven't plugged a guitar into it yet, only a smooth jazz audio signal.

[mozz]

The socket the octal output tube is plugged into is from a octal relay. Still in use as far as i know.

[ca7922303]

The socket the octal output tube is plugged into is from a octal relay. Still in use as far as i know.

Need help seeing how this compares to a fender champ circuit.

[mozz]

Can't tell without a wiring diagram. Looks like a beginner wired it. Those coupling caps look awful small for any tube voltages. Is there anything hooked up to the input jack?

[ca7922303]

Can't tell without a wiring diagram. Looks like a beginner wired it. Those coupling caps look awful small for any tube voltages. Is there anything hooked up to the input jack?

I've ran an audio signal thru it from my phone. It works. Haven't plugged guitar into it yet.

[Enzo]

Well, what is a Champ? A 12AX7 and a power tube. What do you have? A 12AX7 and a power tube. A Champ has a volume control and a tone control. Your has a volume control and a tone control. Starting to see the parallel?

[J M Fahey]

Need help seeing how this compares to a fender champ circuit.

We need you to draw it.

Paper, pencil, a good rubber (youŽll erase and redraw a few times), no pets/wife/kids, preferably late at night with some smooth music background and youŽll have it in 1 or 2 hours.

And then we compare it to Champ.

That said, construction is way too flimsy, besides I personally HATE perfboard with a passion, awkward, hard to impossible to mod, ugh!!!

Get a Champ eyeletted board (or make your own, easy peasy since you can use original Fender Champ layout) .



No special tools needed, just a small bag of 3 mm (1/8") brass/iron/nickelplated eyelets available at any local Hobby shop (beware there are aluminum ones too, which canŽt be soldered) by 5 to 8 mm (1/4") long; you can apply them with a piece of rebar or similar iron with the tip ground into a cone to expand them, plus an extra hammer whack to flatten them.

If no phenolic or epoxy board available, use a piece of Formica.
Hey, even Two Rock and Dumble use it!!!

[g1]

So you have weak output. Looks like there is a 6V6 and 12AX7 in there, just like a Champ. All heaters are lit up?
Measure DC volts at 6V6 pins 3, 4, 8. At 12AX7 pins 1, 3, 6, 8.