# Fender Champion 600 - good price at L&M



## TubeStack (Jul 16, 2009)

I just picked up a new Fender Champion 600 at L&M's in Burlington on the weekend - they've got them at $160 now.

Great little living room amp, absolutely perfect for what I wanted, which was something to noodle on while my toddlers play, or to jam along to the stereo with, late at night. Also looks super cool next to the couch. 

Really nice, warm tone, great tube vibe. I like the clean sound, as well as juicing it with a Bad Monkey for a bit of dirt (grabbed that used at L&M's the same day). And the low price makes it easier to not worry about, with little ones jumping around (my 2 year old has already put a decent ding in it, on the corner, knocked it off the fireplace step and into the stereo's subwoofer... LOL!)

Might try the Weber speaker upgrade, down the road, or a tube swap, but for my purposes this little amp's fantastic as it is. Highly recommended for low-level, living room jamming.


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## Voxguy76 (Aug 23, 2006)

Yep i got one from L&M a few months ago. Fantastic little amp, and cheaper than most pedals i own. 
I've heard some stories about some of them being noisy, but the one i got is dead quiet. My only gripe about the amp is that the small 6" speaker tends to fart out with higher volume. I think it sounds great stock. Not gonna mess with the speaker or tubes anytime soon.


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

I picked one up and converted it to a tweed champ 

it was a big pain since everything is so cramed and the traces are plated through the holes 

making it harder to remove stuff ... however better for longevity 

the 6 inch speaker is a disaster ... period 

I picked a valve jr and converted it to a tweed champ and its great 

easier to work on and better options with your choice of speaker cab 

If anyone knows a of a decent 4 ohm 6 inch speaker let us know 

p


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Weber make 6" Signature Alnico ($45US) and Ceramic ($30 US)speakers.


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## TubeStack (Jul 16, 2009)

parkhead said:


> I picked one up and converted it to a tweed champ
> 
> it was a big pain since everything is so cramed and the traces are plated through the holes
> 
> ...


That's cool if you're into that. 

The mellow, low volume vibe suits me fine, which the speaker does alright with. Might try the Weber down the road, for fun, but for lounging around, noodling, etc, it's fine. I don't think this amp is intended for much more than that.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

ive got one.
i never understood guys who buy these and then get bigger speakers or are unhappy with the 6 inch one.
the idea is to be able to crank it without pissing off the nieghbours.
why not just buy a silverface champ if you want louder?
i dunno.
anyway- i ended up putting an electro harmonix 12ax7 in mine- and did a bunch of circuit mods- only circuit mod i kept was to replace the resistor at r19 ( stock its a 15k) with a 30k.
i use low output pickups, single coils- that resistor change increases the mids for a throatier more tweed sound when cranked. backed off slightly on the volume its nice and clean.
otherwise mine is stock and will remain so.
bet it would sound like crap with humbuckers or something, but its my most vocal and versatile amp presently. betwixt my guitars tone and volume controls, and the volume knob on the amp- im good. and i can crank it at 3 am in my apartment. thats what this amp is made for. good fender tone at low volume. if you want more volume, just get any other amp- 
ive got a valve junior as well, i modded the circuit lots, but left the speaker etc stock- it sounds unbelievable, but its way too loud for apartment dwelling, but not loud enough for jamming with a drummer. not very useful for me- cept if im home in the daytime.


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

fraser said:


> ive got one.
> i never understood guys who buy these and then get bigger speakers or are unhappy with the 6 inch one.
> the idea is to be able to crank it without pissing off the nieghbours.
> why not just buy a silverface champ if you want louder?
> i dunno.



well thats why I bought it ....
But I have also do gigs with acoustic players and need an acceptable low volume sound 

I have a Valve JR head & a signet scepter (hamilton built vibro champ)

It sounds great through a 1-12 extension cab but like total 4$$ with the stock speaker 
The dust cap buzzes like an angry mosquito, and the low notes rattle the foam surround 


My comment centers around the 6 inch speaker being not just inefficient and lackluster but actually 
supremely annoying ... it sounds like you've plugged into a home stereo speaker
or have a paperclip sitting on top of it 

I'll go with the weber if I can't find something suitable


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## TubeStack (Jul 16, 2009)

I would never gig with this amp - it just ain't built for it. Don't have time or the inclination to spend hours trying make it something it isn't.

At home, I never have the volume past 1 o'clock and it sounds fine. Nice, small, mellow tone. It's a good-sounding couch-noodler, a small-room practice tool.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

here is mine- 
not much of a video or tune, but what the hell.
no treatment, just a sm57 aimed at the amp, mixer input set at unity-
[YOUTUBE]KvljCe4t-fw[/YOUTUBE]


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## torndownunit (May 14, 2006)

When I was in at the Arts in Newmarket getting my CVC Tele, they had one of these used (but in perfect shape) for $120. If I wasn't quite content with my Cube, I'd have grabbed it. My girlfriend loved the Champion though. She thought it would look great in the living room. Or, look better than the Cube lol. Which is another valid point about them. As far as a practice amp, they not only sound decent but look super cool. They are the type of amp you can keep on display in a room.


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## TubeStack (Jul 16, 2009)

fraser said:


> here is mine-
> not much of a video or tune, but what the hell.
> no treatment, just a sm57 aimed at the amp, mixer input set at unity-...


Hey, that was cool. Thanks for posting that.

Nice, catchy riff! Cool Strat tone.


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## TubeStack (Jul 16, 2009)

torndownunit said:


> ... My girlfriend loved the Champion though. She thought it would look great in the living room. Or, look better than the Cube lol. Which is another valid point about them. As far as a practice amp, they not only sound decent but look super cool. They are the type of amp you can keep on display in a room.


Totally! They're highly "girlfriend/wife approved," in the looks department. Very living room friendly.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I've been sorely tempted ever time I've gone into L&M to pick this up as my tv-watchin-pratice-amp. At $160, you really can't go wrong, cuz these little dudes sound pretty decent.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

As the schematic for the amp (or this preamp-specific diagram) shows, the Champion 600 has the *identical* tonestack as a great many treble/mid/bass-equipped Fender amps, except that the controls are replaced with fixed resistors to provide a single tonal profile, rather than variable controls to produce many. Conceivably, what some people do not like about the speaker may well be more a matter of wishing to nudge the treble, bass, or middle control a little bit this way or that. As was noted, it is not a *simple* exercise to install such variable controls, but may be a worthwhile one for some, and save the nuisance of desperately trying to find some "ideal" speaker.

As always, I remind folks that the 15k resistor to ground replaces the middle control, and if you lift its connection to ground, that effectively bypasses the tonestack, yielding a hotter signal suitable for solos. Think of it as the "Joe Bonamassa tone"; thick and meaty.


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## The Kicker Of Elves (Jul 20, 2006)

Tried one at L&M in Waterloo today...thought it sounded pretty bad, actually. The Gretsch G5222 didn't fare much better, I was disappointed in both of them. This was with humbuckers, however. The store brought one in from another location, so they did have one in stock this afternoon if anyone in the area is interested.

In a related note the guitars hanging in their amp room are in terrible working condition, and I'll remember to bring a guitar I know is solid next time.


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## Voxguy76 (Aug 23, 2006)

The Kicker Of Elves said:


> Tried one at L&M in Waterloo today...thought it sounded pretty bad, actually. The Gretsch G5222 didn't fare much better, I was disappointed in both of them. This was with humbuckers, however. The store brought one in from another location, so they did have one in stock this afternoon if anyone in the area is interested.
> 
> In a related note the guitars hanging in their amp room are in terrible working condition, and I'll remember to bring a guitar I know is solid next time.



Yeah i'd agree the amp doesnt sound very good with humbuckers. Single coils is the way to go. I play the 600 with a Classic Vibe Tele and it sounds amazing, plus they look great together.


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## TubeStack (Jul 16, 2009)

I used it with my SG w/humbuckers and a Bad Monkey today, working on the slide solo for "Just Got Paid." Sounded great, was a perfect level/tone for playing with the living room stereo. Good for learning licks.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I was in Kingston yesterday and saw a Champ 600 on sale for *$299.99* - I nearly crapped myself. At $160, it's a no-brainer practice amp, but $300??? C'mon!!!!


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

hollowbody said:


> I was in Kingston yesterday and saw a Champ 600 on sale for *$299.99* - I nearly crapped myself. At $160, it's a no-brainer practice amp, but $300??? C'mon!!!!



And yet another thread that starts at a respectable price but then enters the region of pricing madness!!


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

damm! i paid less then $150 cash, brand new- that was a few years ago tho


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

as noted most stores are selling them for $160 

any store like that with a high price just NUKES their credibility even if they bought it years ago at a higher price and are taking a loss 

Its like those "pawn shops" around 99% of them sell used & abused stuff for used prices higher than the same stuff can be found new or at 80% of the price but with HUGE issues 

What amazes me is that people still buy stuff from them 

p


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

parkhead said:


> as noted most stores are selling them for $160
> 
> any store like that with a high price just NUKES their credibility even if they bought it years ago at a higher price and are taking a loss
> 
> ...


Yeah, I saw a beat-up (and I mean REALLY beat-up) SD-1 at a pawn shop a while back and thought I'd look into it. I figured if it the price is right, I'd pick it up. Turns out they wanted $50 for it. When I told them I could get the same pedal new for under $70 with taxes in at L&M, they asked how much I would offer for it. I said $30 tops with taxes in. They said no. I said "bye."

Really, what kind of target customer are they looking for who can't afford the extra $18 to buy a brand spanking new pedal on top of a commitment of $50? We're talking a 30% increase, most of which is goverment tax that cannot be avoided?

/facepalm


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