Creating a Champ Reverb

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StevenO
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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by StevenO » Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:28 pm

So it's finished and everything works? I'm surprised it's not very noisy with the reverb so close to the chassis. I know a lot of people have noise issues when they put Super Reverbs and Twin Reverbs in head form like that. You don't experience any of this?

Awesome!

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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by sookwinder » Tue Apr 13, 2010 4:14 pm

StevenO wrote:So it's finished and everything works? I'm surprised it's not very noisy with the reverb so close to the chassis. I know a lot of people have noise issues when they put Super Reverbs and Twin Reverbs in head form like that. You don't experience any of this?

Awesome!
Noise because of the close proximity of the reverb tank to the amp itself was one of the potential problems I considered before I even started the project. It was one of the reason that the height of the head cab is what it is (some height as say for any other large amp head with reverb) rather than having the head lower in height to make it look "cooler".

But in th end as I had no real way of determining whether noise would be a problem, I just went ahead a did it. As it turned out the amp is actually quieter than it was when it arrived on my door step as a VC.

While waiting for the matching 2x8" cab to arrive (any day now) as well as the faceplates to get made, I am now working on a project where I'll get a (vibro) champ chassis from a kit builder and create my power fibre/turret board for the Champ Reverb and build one up from scratch ... but this time having a clean layout of components and connecting wires.
relaxing alternative to doing actual work ...

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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by jimboyogi » Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:40 am

Surely this thread should be in the library.

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StevenO
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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by StevenO » Wed Apr 14, 2010 5:01 am

sookwinder wrote:
StevenO wrote:So it's finished and everything works? I'm surprised it's not very noisy with the reverb so close to the chassis. I know a lot of people have noise issues when they put Super Reverbs and Twin Reverbs in head form like that. You don't experience any of this?

Awesome!
Noise because of the close proximity of the reverb tank to the amp itself was one of the potential problems I considered before I even started the project. It was one of the reason that the height of the head cab is what it is (some height as say for any other large amp head with reverb) rather than having the head lower in height to make it look "cooler".

But in th end as I had no real way of determining whether noise would be a problem, I just went ahead a did it. As it turned out the amp is actually quieter than it was when it arrived on my door step as a VC.

While waiting for the matching 2x8" cab to arrive (any day now) as well as the faceplates to get made, I am now working on a project where I'll get a (vibro) champ chassis from a kit builder and create my power fibre/turret board for the Champ Reverb and build one up from scratch ... but this time having a clean layout of components and connecting wires.
Cool! I didn't even notice that it was a taller cab. :)

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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by luau » Wed Apr 14, 2010 6:13 am

Very impressive work, sookwinder!

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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by sookwinder » Sat Jul 03, 2010 3:27 am

OK while I was creating my CHAMP REVERB version two, there were some down time while parts were flying their way to Oz. So I also worked on the version one of the Champ Reverb (aka the spagetti version)

I initially had thought about installing this chassis into the new head/box I had bought from MOJOTONE, but that idea was scrapped after I decided to build the version 2 CR.

So what to do with the version 1 ? easy... I bought a 4 ohm 1962 Jensen speaker, used the black reverb tank bag I had ordered from MOJO "just in case" and used a 2 second reverb tank I had also bought "just in case" from Belton. put them all together, along with some faceplates and you get:

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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by Tubesntone » Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:26 pm

Nice Job!! I have been saving parts and pieces for my next project, and that was going to be a Champ...this gives me inspiration to get off me azz and get on wit it !@@!

Johnne in Seattle ;) ;D

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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by Jazzerstang » Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:41 pm

:w00t:

wow, really impressive.

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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by sookwinder » Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:48 am

thanks guys .... that Champ Reverb was just the "learning" project ....

Here is the thread for the version I built from scratch:
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... 10&t=36071" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is the library thread with layouts and schematics
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... 29&t=39482" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Curent project is a Champ Reverb using an EL34 (6CA7) rather than the 6V6GT power valve .. so it should be up to 11 watts
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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by Fiddy » Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:21 am

sookwinder wrote:

Curent project is a Champ Reverb using an EL34 (6CA5) rather than the 6V6GT power valve .. so it should be up to 11 watts
How far into it are you now? Also the chassis on this one is it a real Fender or a repro? Just curious because of the UL sticker heehheh... ;D

Mattina Musical Instruments ROCK. :-*

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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by sookwinder » Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:50 pm

tribi9 wrote:How far into it are you now? Also the chassis on this one is it a real Fender or a repro? Just curious because of the UL sticker heehheh... ;D

Mattina Musical Instruments ROCK. :-*
On this one in this thread , I actually "hacked into" a 77 VC ... so the chassis is genuine Fender circa 1977.

But on my subsequent CRs, I have used a repro chassis out of the guy in Thailand. (see other threads for pics)

The CR with EL34 is almost there as far as design (both schematic and layout) ..... and once the design is done, then really it is just the fun bit of poutting it together. The issues I have had with the design (with much help from jimboyogi - James) is that I am having to learn about the EL34 and how to design to it... but I'll get there in the end ;D
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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by zhivago » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:45 am

absolutely incredible! 8) 8) 8)

(and that's just the amount of patience you showed!!) ;D


well done on a great project! :)
Resident Spartan.

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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by Guitarzan » Thu Jul 30, 2020 9:05 am

Fantastic. I'm a new member and my reason for joining is to have another source of schematics, layouts & ideas for creating, modifying, and even just reading about the technical side of vacuum tube amplifiers. My current project if I decide to take this one on is to build a Champ style amp with reverb added. It appears to be a daunting task. I have almost every bit of hardware I'll need for it. So now it's just a matter scour the forums for a schematic that looks like what I want to do.

This guy is an amazing individual. The amount of perseverance he demonstrated is absolutely top-shelf. Not to mention his attention to detail, willingness to share his findings, and the way he used the Fender logo, font, & so-forth to make it look as though it's a genuine vintage Fender product. I first saw this very documentation on the project several years ago and still impresses me to no end when I run across it from time to time as I peruse the forums for other reasons.

This time I actually am looking to do this or something very much ike it. I'm not going to do a Fender counterfeit. I just want to build a low wattage, single-ended amp with reverb only, not reverb + tremolo. I imagine I'll discover the reason why most amps with reverb, have tremolo too.

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I've built several Champ clones as well as Deluxe clones and some others, pretty much all from kits. So they're more or less like painting by number. I don't know if I'm up to this one or not but I have another project (several to be honest) that could easily take the place of this one if I decide that this is just too much for me. So now I have this book that Yuri wrote in front of me to read again. It's been several years since I read it the first time so reading it again is a must.

And away we go...

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Re: Creating a Champ Reverb

Post by wproffitt » Thu Jul 30, 2020 4:32 pm

Yeah,
Sookwinder’s the man with figuring things out, explaining things to the rest of us, and being creative with his designs. His wiring is also beautiful! Check out some of his scratch-build threads (search “Vibrogroove”). They’re a treat to read!






http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/vie ... hp?t=76990

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