Fender Black Face Vibro Champ Amp

[dna9656]

Back in the day circa 1972(?) I bought a Black face Vibro Champ for the princely sum of $65.00. It was affordable ya know? My comment/question is about the tubes; I swear it had 2 6v6 tubes, I was told at the time that was a "push-pull" feature that had certain advantages. I was looking at mojotone.com and noticed they offer a Vibro Champ clone; the fly in the ointment is their model has ONE 6v6 tube. So am I mistaken about the 2 6V6 tubes?

 

[South Park]

The fender champ is a single ended amp with one power tube.the black face that is a push pull two power tube . Fender made lot amps so it hard to keep track of them

 

[Im247frogs]

The Vibro champ has an additional preamp tube for the vibrato. The regular Champ, if you look in the back from R to L its a 12ax7, a 6V6, and a 5Y3 Rectifier. The Vibro has 2 of the mini tubes, then the 6v6 and the 5y3. A 5y3 and a 6v6 are pretty close size wise.

 

[thetragichero]

had an early silverface (drip edge, black vertical lines on the faceplate) vibrochamp for awhile and it was a killer amp. lots of great tones. sold it after i built myself a stouter version (better iron all around, 10" speaker)
what the other folks here said is correct

also apparently my father's first amp was a vibrochamp, which he promptly threw away when he got a deluxe reverb. crazyness

 

[1967owner]

SF Vibro Champ here. It still has the original tubes from when I bought it in 1973 and it still sounds great.

 

[Wildeman]

Yeah, im thinking you thought the 5y3 was a 6v6 too.

 

[dna9656]

The fender champ is a single ended amp with one power tube.the black face that is a push pull two power tube . Fender made lot amps so it hard to keep track of them

There's another term I am not familiar with "single ended" What does that mean please?

 

[South Park]

Never heard that term in tube land .

 

[thetragichero]

single-ended

 

[jazzdj]

If you can't find a true Vintage Blackface Vibro Champ (or afford one, they're closing in on $3k now), the second best choice is a very early Silverface Vibro Champ. (I would highly recommend AGAINST the re-issues). This is my 1976, paid $55 for it at a Bakersfield CA pawn shop in 1979. Yeah, I think it was a great investment and "player". But I don't use Tremolo much so I prefer my very rare 1963 "Transition" Tweed box/circuit/ chassis Black Tolex Champ. Also have an original 1965 Champ. It's OK. Personally (and ordinary guys like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Tom RIP Petty, etc) I feel the late 50's and early 60's Princeton's are a better amp and there were models with Vibrato and real spring reverb.

 

[Wildeman]

If you can't find a true Vintage Blackface Vibro Champ (or afford one, they're closing in on $3k now), the second best choice is a very early Silverface Vibro Champ. (I would highly recommend AGAINST the re-issues). This is my 1976, paid $55 for it at a Bakersfield CA pawn shop in 1979. Yeah, I think it was a great investment and "player". But I don't use Tremolo much so I prefer my very rare 1963 "Transition" Tweed box/circuit/ chassis Black Tolex Champ. Also have an original 1965 Champ. It's OK. Personally (and ordinary guys like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Tom RIP Petty, etc) I feel the late 50's and early 60's Princeton's are a better amp and there were models with Vibrato and real spring reverb.

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3k for a Vibro Champ.....good grief

 

[Wildeman]

This thing eats a Vibro Champ's liver with stewed carrots and fava beans. thats a 10" in there, with cheezy Valco reverb!

 

[1967owner]

If you can't find a true Vintage Blackface Vibro Champ (or afford one, they're closing in on $3k now), the second best choice is a very early Silverface Vibro Champ. (I would highly recommend AGAINST the re-issues). This is my 1976, paid $55 for it at a Bakersfield CA pawn shop in 1979. Yeah, I think it was a great investment and "player". But I don't use Tremolo much so I prefer my very rare 1963 "Transition" Tweed box/circuit/ chassis Black Tolex Champ. Also have an original 1965 Champ. It's OK. Personally (and ordinary guys like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Tom RIP Petty, etc) I feel the late 50's and early 60's Princeton's are a better amp and there were models with Vibrato and real spring reverb.

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Yeah, I bought mine new in 1973 at Ace Music in Miami. Don't remember what I paid for it but it was probably 50-60.

 

[marcusin]

Back in the day circa 1972(?) I bought a Black face Vibro Champ for the princely sum of $65.00. It was affordable ya know? My comment/question is about the tubes; I swear it had 2 6v6 tubes, I was told at the time that was a "push-pull" feature that had certain advantages. I was looking at mojotone.com and noticed they offer a Vibro Champ clone; the fly in the ointment is their model has ONE 6v6 tube. So am I mistaken about the 2 6V6 tubes?

 

[jazzdj]

$65 in 1972
$1100 in 2021 for a late year Black Face Champ.
https://Reverb(dot)com/item/4054133...l-6-watt-1x8-guitar-combo-1965-1966-blackface

But don't forget the "Inflation" of the USD (Dollar):
"The inflation rate in the United States between 1972 and today has been 533.9%, which translates into a total increase of $533.9. This means that 100 dollars in 1972 are equivalent to 633.9 dollars in 2021.

So .... $65 cost in 1972 is a $346.45 "cost" today. Has only appreciated 3.5X.

 

[Torren61]

So many people who haven't played through a Tweed, BF or SF Champ just don't know what they're missing. Those amps can sound HUGE. Clean when dialed back and growl when pushed. Champs are some of my favorite amps. If you have one and the sound is "meh" to you, something is wrong.

 

[jazzdj]

So many people who haven't played through a Tweed, BF or SF Champ just don't know what they're missing. Those amps can sound HUGE. Clean when dialed back and growl when pushed. Champs are some of my favorite amps. If you have one and the sound is "meh" to you, something is wrong.

True, Champs are incredible, rather mindblowing considering that they were meant as a entry-level practice amp.

BUT, the Fender Champs are not the best in this catagory. 1/2 the price these days are the late 50's and very early 60's Gibson GA series from the 1959 "Les Paul Gibsonette" GA-8" (8w 1-10" Jensen/ more like a Fender Princeton) which the Beatles used in their early "Club Days", the 1959 Gibson GA-9T "Discoverer" (10w 1-10 Jensen or JBL w/Tremelo), or older the Gibson BR-6 meant for Lapsteel but a killer blues amps (6w 1-10 Jensen) to the upscale Gibson 1960 "Maestro" series (sold directly to bands, ie Swing, Jazz, Big Band, Orchestra) M-216RVT (21w 16" JBL Reverb and Tremelo) akin to the Fender "Pro" model. Les Paul used his LP Gibsonette model into the 80's because the sound was so clean and that was Gibson's hallmark - Loud but CLEAN and no breakup until you got to 10. If you got to be clean, but loud because you use Pedals or just clean recordings, the Gibson's clobber the Champ's, Princeton's and even the Deluxe models.

59 GA-8


Beatles - Harrison's favorite Gibson GA-8 circa 1964


59 GA-8 back and controls


'59 Gibson GA-9T

1948 Gibson BR-6 (6w, 8" Jensen)


1958-60 Gibson "Maestro" M-216RVT. The foot switch is made of carved WOOD!

 

[Torren61]

Harrison is playing a Gibson GA-40 there.

 

[marcusin]

 

[Torren61]

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*LIKE*