We Are the Champions

Nice pair of old tweed Champs came in. '57 and '59. Let's go through them and see what they need to be their best again.

[@aevans692]

looks like this started life at the hands of Lupe .. goddess of solder awesome ..

[@duanethompson2360]

I am a champion as well. I’ve repaired amps since 1964.went to engineering school in the mid sixties when tubes were still used. Went to computer repair in the 60’s Navy when drum memory and transistor computers were the thing. I used that schooling to further my career in big main frames which are so less powerful than current phones.

[@caseylockwood5512]

Wow, I watched the whole thing. I love these videos of you working on these old amps so much. I don't know the first thing about electronics or amps, but for some reason I am fascinated. Your commentary is appreciated, keep up the great content!

[@chuckdriver8269]

I’m ready for the follow up on these two already! Great content once again!🎸🇺🇸

[@Firstlast-xc5tc]

And a cheesy little amp With a sign on the front said "Fender Champ". And a second hand guitar. It was a Stratocaster with a whammy bar.

[@nickhammick5777]

Yes! Hip hip hooray...Pass the popcorn please! Lovely looking things...

[@goodun2974]

Obviously a blackface or silverface, since tweed Fenders don't say "Champ" on the front. Anyway, the only picture of Zappa I ever saw with a Strat was him holding the guitar that Jimi set fire to at the Monterey Pop Festival (which Frank owned then). Where is that guitar now, I wonder? In Dweezil's collection perhaps, or owned by some multi-millionaire venture capitalist or hedge fund manager?

[@alexbozas887]

Not many will get the lyric pun. Btw there was a pic of zappa cradling a mini strat guitar on guitar player magazine early 80s.

[@alexbozas887]

Cool amps, very underated. Look foward to follow up Lyle.

[@comajoebuck999]

❤️💗❤️

[@michaelmurray8562]

Hello Lyle. I always watch all of your videos, even if they deal with amps I don't really care about... seems like there is always one little nugget of wisdom in every video you post. But the revival of old simple amps like these old Champs always make for the best viewing for me. The exquisite simplicity and total repairability of the old Fender designs is still a thing of wonder, even in the op-amped world of guitar amplification today. Keep up the great work!

[@noelmcmahon4566]

Awesome video for some one thinking of buying a custom reissue

[@Slugg-O]

7:35 is a 100% certifiable fact. Some years ago I bought a 65 Pro Reverb with the original cord and death cap, and in my haste to hear it it I strapped on my guitar and got lit up like a Christmas tree. 😲

[@sjlBoise54]

I have a '54 5C1. Grandpa to these 5F1s. It's such a treat to see these ancient beauties get the TLC they deserve. God I hope the owner of the '59 opts for a 5Y3 instead of that solid state diode mess.

[@DarrenWaters75]

The camera getting bumped after you were talking about getting zapped made me jump. You got me... hahaha. love the videos, thank you so much for taking the time to make these for us. I have learned more in the past few weeks about amplifiers from you than in the 30 years of playing them.

[@ditchgator1]

What a treat😃😎👍 Can't wait to see and hear these amps when you're done with them 😎👍 😎👍❤🖖

[@daviddaniels6473]

For the algorithm: "Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, what condition my condition is in" 🤣😂🤪

[@weschilton]

I have a buddy who has his father in law's 50s tweed champ, and man that little amp ROCKS. Its especially great for recording. This will be fun to watch.

[@goodun2974]

That gray power cable looks like a vacuum cleaner cord from back in the day.

[@Rainy78]

This was awesome to watch. Very interesting! You know your stuff! I'd love to watch the next video. You've earned a sub. Thanks for sharing 👌

[@backlineguy]

thanks for the tip on the $20 meter...got one, it's great, never would have discovered that one if not for you. appreciate it. Great help working on the latest Hot Rod Deluxe - which has all of the typical issues HRD's have - but now I'm able to be sure the caps are properly discharged to safely work on it...keep up the cool work.

[@revylokesh1783]

I will watch the follow-up videos with great interest! 😍

[@jameskavanagh4300]

Brilliant Lyle, we love seeing inside the really old amps

[@toastoftowne1076]

Nothing short of amazing how you know so much tube amps. Talk about making the world a better place one guitar player at a time. Thanks always interesting always informative. Aloha

[@PsionicAudio]

Well, thanks, but a Champ is about as basic as it gets. I wasn't really flexing on these. ;)

[@unclelefteye3166]

That is a gorgeous set you have there, Lyle. Makes me wanna get a power sander and “relic” my new ‘57 Champ RI lol.

[@richclayton5785]

Might be my approach too.

[@sjlBoise54]

Just use it. It'll relic pretty fast with normal wear. Plus those of us who know the product know the artificial relic look always looks . . . . artificial.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

What an interesting video. Two ancient amps that get an extension of life. Nice.

[@johnwilliamson467]

Safety whether they like it or not. Blackbird lead singer if I remember correctly was thrown out in to the crowd because of a grounding problem granted it was England with 220 volt . Sweaty finger do produce a low resistance conductive path .

[@crazkurtz]

Love this channel. Repair Cost breakdown would be cool to see too.

[@alexaguado4854]

Neat content. Reminds me of the ship of Theseus thought exercise.

[@timbuckxxi9690]

If Leo Fender only knew these amps would be around 60++ years later he'd be smiling..

[@jasonstone1046]

Two gems there..very good day to be a tech indeed.

[@richclayton5785]

Being a life long molester (cars, motorcycles and amps) I can appreciate these gems, but would be happier building a clone that I don’t have to worry about someone stealing. And, I can change things up when the urge strikes me.

[@joshphillips9033]

Damn, sounds like you should share with your therapist 😉

[@richclayton5785]

Therapist? She gave up on me long ago. Now, my cousin has two garages full of half restored junk, that given a chance I’d have on the road as a fine rod?

[@danielsaturnino5715]

Cool little amps :)

[@Strumbum01]

Can’t wait to hear them after you bring em back to life.

[@JInfinity7]

You gotta play them in stereo when they're done, Lyle.

[@goodun2974]

With a stereo-wired Gibson guitar!

[@SirLoinMagroin]

Two vintage amps hopefully resurrected with their owner's permission is like history carried on for future generations. Not to mention a great and possibly lucrative investment. If I would have kept all the amps I've owned, it would have been a lucrative retirement fund better than what I have. Just sayin' for those now playin'.

[@paulsteezo1772]

You can JAM AT JOE'S GARAGE...

[@YeatzeeGuitar]

What a sad thing to happen to such a cool amp! I just picked up an all original 58 Princeton, it has that same Alnico speaker as the B amp so that's original. Mines never been touched, and is just shy of mint. Really an amazing piece of history. Surprisingly it sounds great, I wasn't expecting it to even turn on. A little hesitant to touch it now since it works so well.

[@sjlBoise54]

Likewise, I have a 54 5C1 Champ, nearly mint, too. Also a matching 54 Champion Lap Steel. Both June 54 manufacturing codes, handwritten notes. Lupe made the amp; Virgina made the guitar. I had it in storage from 1977 until 2020, so it's in incredible shape It sounded fine with the original caps, but they had very small signs of leakage, and I hated the idea of one of them spontaneously shorting and frying a transformer that had nearly no usage. Changed out the power cord (electrocution isn't worth the originality), electrolytics and the resistors that are soldered tight to the chassis where they inevitably burn. Keeps pace with the $1200 contemporary replica 5F1s. The 6SJ7 preamp tube is a little odd - only Sovtek still makes them, but there are a lot of NOS versions still floating around for under $30. I kept all the original parts for historic and posterity sake.

[@YeatzeeGuitar]

@@sjlBoise54 I'd definitely stuff the caps if I replace them, it's just so sad to touch the amp when it's completely untouched for nearly 70 years. 2 prong isn't so bad, people used them for decades I think they may be a little overblown. Death cap ain't great though

[@goodun2974]

@@YeatzeeGuitar , personally, I recommend adding a grounded cord, but a second (albeit less safe) option is a polarized two-wire plug and a 1000 volt X-Y safety cap in place of the death cap, from the neutral wire of the cord to the chassis.

[@jonnybeck6723]

"I woke up in the mornin' wondering... weary and worn out"

[@richardnagamitsu1582]

What’s the best way to keep the inside of the amp clean with some regular basic care?

[@jimmyjoefine]

Actually the one on the left has the original gray power cable, the one with the lamp cable is a replacement.

[@PsionicAudio]

Frustratingly you appear to be correct. ;). Sorry, the last '50s Champ that came in (earlier than these) had an original more like the lamp cable. Either way, both of these two conductor cables are going away.

[@vintagetubeamplifiers]

15:38, how has no one else mentioned the piece of masking tape with the name Lupe on it. We all know who Lupe is and to own one of her amps must be incredible!

[@PsionicAudio]

I noticed. I will be very careful in the cleaning process not to disturb Lupe's tape.

[@sjlBoise54]

Indeed. My '54 5C1 is a Lupe build. It's part of a matched set with a '54 Champion Lap Steel that Virginia built. Having those handwritten pedigrees makes them nearly priceless.

[@bcaseytube]

So does anyone else think these amps have different widths ? Amp “A” (right) seems slightly wider than Amp “B”.

[@ernestschultz5065]

Yes please

[@BradsGuitarGarage]

Good onya, champion!

[@brendanjames8818]

Test them out in stereo :)

[@nickdevriese]

Honestly, it’s still one of my favorite amps. Simple circuits just sound better to me.

[@richclayton5785]

12:50 Smoke on the Water without any pedals…cool.

[@johnspataro801]

Champs are such simple circuits it seems easy to pull a Ship of Theseus when you change caps and the speaker.

[@chrislink73]

that's true, seems like one is paying more for the history and the aging of the tweed and the name plate on the amp than anything else at some point. But then again, I hear new reproductions of these amps from Fender, and while they sound great, they aren't quite on the same level as these old dogs.

[@PsionicAudio]

Yeah, I totally get that. But if the old ship can't leave the dock...

[@PsionicAudio]

The current tweed offerings from Fender are kind of an in-joke among techs. Mention the EC Vibrolux to a good tech and watch her chuckle. In a sad, resigned, world-weary way...

[@goodun2974]

@@PsionicAudio , gotta scrape off the barnacles, replace the shipworm- infested planking, and apply a fresh coat of copper-bearing anti-fouling paint. Which is why I prefer Fiberglas boats. Fiberglas ladders as well, for that matter...... (PS, a fun factoid ---- millennia ago, ancient seafaring peoples figured out that hanging a chunk of copper in the water off of one side of the boat and a hunk of iron or zinc off of the other side discouraged algal growth due to galvanic action).

[@gdenson5894]

Would you mind elaborating on the issues with current tweed offerings? I ask because I have a ‘57 Custom Champ myself. Also want to thank you for taking the time to do these videos- very, very well done.

[@samuel_towle]

So somebody dropped a Radio Shack 6.3V transformer into amp B for the filaments and kept the HV secondary on the original transformer. I wonder if the original filament winding failed, or caps were causing hum and they thought it was the transformer.

[@samuel_towle]

And bypassed the rectifier tube with a home made diode bridge.

[@russellhltn1396]

@@samuel_towle It's possible they did that because the rectifier filament winding failed as well.

[@bradc32]

@@samuel_towle maybe for if the rect tube fails . surprised he didn't make out the filament trans...not a big deal just a bad install

[@goodun2974]

Hmm, I wonder if burning out the 6.3 volt winding is more likely to occur when an amps filament supply is wired to use the chassis as the return for filament supply. Twisted pairs, with an artificial center-tap made of two fusible resistors, is not only quieter but safer.

[@ClarenceHW]

Dust Bears/Da Bears.... LOL

[@BenPrevo]

I use elmers to tack down the tatty bits so they don't unravel anymore.

[@halhawkins7641]

Wow.....

[@comajoebuck999]

Dust bears….lol.

[@NonalignedVideos]

You've paid your dues time after time...

[@bretolson8484]

Ghost at 6:10 😱

[@PsionicAudio]

Or my wife walking through the living room. YOU DECIDE!!!

[@TheAndyroid]

Charlie Foxtrot? Completely F--k-d?

[@Murry_in_Arizona]

Kinda scary this very high millage 1959 model might be in better shape than that Champ😉

[@stevesuv]

Please do not run either of these babies with your crazy high wall voltage.