# Fender 57 Custom Champ Run Hot



## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

This is the 5 watt handwired re-issue. It’s about 2 years old - mostly used at home and for jams.

At a jam yesterday it was running for about 3 hours. When I unplugged the guitar I noticed that the cable plug was warm.

Felt the metal plate on top of the amp where the controls are and the plate was too warm to touch for long.

So is it normal for that kind of heat soak on these amps ?

I don’t recall any of my other amps ever doing this but with most of them the controls were on the front and not on top like the Fender so the top mounted control plate is more likely to get hot because heat rises however this was quite warm which means the the heat source inside the amp must be really hot.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

My Victoria 5112 runs pretty hot too.
Same amp, but in a 1x12 cab.

Just make sure the speaker lead / input is clear of the 6V6 and try to avoid rolling up the cable and stuffing it in the cab because it’s a tight space with hot tubes.

I’ve seen people torch their cable that way.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2019)

It's your playing. You're cookin'.


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## oldjoat (Apr 4, 2019)

yes .... just check that you have the proper fuse ( someone didn't sub a larger rated one )

amp cords are usually thick on the outside , but small gauge wire on the inside .
tube amps get really warm when run for long periods 

turn a old light bulb on for a second or two and you can touch it afterward
leave it on for 5 mins and you can't touch it without burning your fingers

light bulbs are used to keep things warm inside enclosed areas ( brooding chicks / stop things from freezing /etc)
Tubes are similar to light bulbs in the heat they generate ...
so the "tin" above them will eventually get hotter the longer you play.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Ahhh, the joys of Class A amps - and all single-ended amps are pure Class A. Even at idle, they dissipate max power (heat). So even when you take a break, they are still heating up. 

But they sound glorious, with the lowest order harmonic remaining intact (something no push-pull amp can ever do). I'm a big fan of SE or PP Class A amps, but especially SE's.


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## epis (Feb 25, 2012)

Just put small fan in the back of the amp and continue enjoying it . ( in summer)


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

epis said:


> Just put small fan in the back of the amp and continue enjoying it . ( in summer)


Yeah, I was thinking of doing that .


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

epis said:


> Just put small fan in the back of the amp and continue enjoying it . ( in summer)


And it doubles up as a nice space heater in the winter.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

jb welder said:


> And it doubles up as a nice space heater in the winter.


Yeah, I now have 3 tube amps on the go, all fender tweeds, and they put out some good thermal units when they’re all fired up.


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

jb welder said:


> And it doubles up as a nice space heater in the winter.


Like leaving the A/C on in a computer server room all winter because they'd cook themselves with the heat on.


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2019)

epis said:


> Just put small fan in the back of the amp and continue enjoying it . ( in summer)


My Fuchs ODS 30 has a small computer fan in the back.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Player99 said:


> My Fuchs ODS 30 has a small computer fan in the back.


My LSS does, too. It is switchable for recording sessions where fan noise may be an issue. But Mesa recommends leaving it on in nearly all situations.

Of note, it is NOT aimed at the power tubes or rectifier, but aimed at cycling air around the whole chassis. They don't seem to want to directly cool only the power tubes. So maybe not as straightforward as one would think.


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