tweed champ fans. post here

I have a Mojotone 5F1 that I built with the help of one of the TGP-er's. It's an excellent amp with great tone. It's the one I generally plug into when I have a few spare minutes to play.

 

I would look at a tweed Princeton. The reasons are you get a tone control, the output transformer is bigger, the speaker is bigger, and the amp is quieter because of the way the power supply is done. This guy has some pretty good prices and he does great work (I have a couple of his amps):

http://www.s2amps.com/princeton.html

 

Does my Victoria 518T count? Amazing amp. I've also played some real deal Champs. Amazing as well. Not the most versitile amp in the world - but, it excells at what it does!

 

My wife has a Victoria 518 does that count? Love it! But I did get a variation on the theme and picked up a Swart str tweed and a 12" speaker makes things even better.

 

I love my victoria champ, it really does sound great at any volume and with any guitar or pickup. From very warm and jazzy to twangy clean to great breakup it really does it all. I never play out and sometimes I wonder why I even have any other amps when the champ really covers all my bases. It takes pedals great as well--my OCD in front of it sounds amazing. I sold my Hot Cat when I realized I liked the sound of my OCD into my champ better than the Hot Cat's distortion.

 

I have a '57 Champ. It sounds good!

 

I have three, one wide, two narrow panels champs. Price range is about $800-$1200, realistically. $1500 better have the hang tags, and not a scratch, dent or ding on it. Every once in a while you see someone get a real Champ for $500-$600 for a beat up, but great sounding example.

 

Earlier ones (wide panel) used an octal based preamp tube (6SJ7). Later ones (narrow panel) used a 12AX7 preamp tube. More gain, more grit, more dirt, more anger in a narrow panel. Early narrow panel had a choke, later removed it. Both my narrow panels don't have it. One has a 6 inch, the other an 8 inch speaker. Circuits are all similar with some minor differences. Narrow panels tend to get more money than wide panels.

They all sound awesome though. Just a little different.

 

I would love to find out! I can imagine it'd sound freakin' AWESOME!

In my experience, boutiques and clones are very nice and have great tones of their own. However, if you are wanting the classic vintage tones, go with a vintage amp. Plus, they will hold their value. Try to get a Tweed Champ with as little replaced as possible. Especially the transformers. Good luck with your search. There was someone on the emporium not too long ago selling Tweed Champ for a good price.

 

I had an old tweed princeton that my uncle gave me.......I sold it. It seemed like a
firetrap. After they get too old they become unsafe. It's better to have a clone
for daily use. Many many on the market. Kits are fun too.

 

I had a narrow panel and sold it after I bought a Victoria 518; they sounded identical!
They have an extremely warm sound. I am a pedal fanatic and find it takes all pedals very nicely. I understand Clapton used a narrow panel
tweed champ when recording "Layla".

 

No offense, but this sounds a bit paranoid. They aren't firetraps. If you are worried about a vintage amp, take it to a tech to give it a once over. They will tell you if it's a firetrap or not.

And yes, the wide panel has a slanted chassis, and a hole for the opening, narrow panel is top mounted, and has two separate back panel pieces.

Sorry about posting a huge picture, but it's the only one I have up right now. On the right, from top to bottom: Top shelf is two White Amps (one 1956, one 1961, essentially tweed Princeton's in difference boxes. Made by Fender), Next shelf 1956 Champ Narrow Panel w/ 6 inch, 1960 White Amp, 1962 Champ Narrow Panel w/ 8 inch. Next shelf is 1955 Tweed Deluxe (4 input/small box), and a 1957 Princeton (big box). Last shelf is a 1954 Super wide panel, and a 1939 Epiphone Zephyr.

Hunting down a White amp or a Princeton is also a good idea. Same basic amp, but with a tone control.

 

I sooooo want a tweed Harvard!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQp2b68PrMM

 

6 inch speaker on a narrow panel champ is usually 1955 or 1956. Haven't seen any later than that, but it could exist. 6 inch is standard on a wide panel 1953-1955.

Tweed Harvard (5F10) is a step up from a Princeton, kind of. It is a pair of 6V6's, a 12AX7 and a bit of an oddball tube, a 6AT6 as the first preamp stage. Came with either an 8 or 10. Cool amp. The other version of the tweed Harvard (the 6G10, very similar to a Princeton) was only a schematic. No originals have ever been seen and probably don't exist.