Fender is a well-known guitar brand and has become a brand that needs little introduction. While they make some great guitars, their amplifiers also have an excellent reputation among players.
With that being said, let’s take a quick look at two popular Fender amps, the ‘57 Custom Champ and the Vintage Reissue 65.
| Features: | Fender ‘57 Custom Champ | Fender Vintage Reissue 65 Princeton Reverb |
|---|---|---|
| Price: | £1,149 | £1,299 |
| Max Wattage: | 5W | 15W |
| Weight: | 15 lbs (6.80 kg) | 34 lbs. (15.4 kg) |
Fender ‘57 Custom Tweed Champ
Fender’s Champ needs little introduction unless you’ve been on an extended journey to another galaxy, that is. It has been riding the crest of Fender amp popularity for the past 60 years, as it was an introduction in the late ’40s as the Champion 600 (6” speaker) and 800 (8” speaker). Since the Champ’s timely birth from a circuit found on the back pages of an old tube manual, the Champ has come through many changes during the years.
Design
The Champ’s chassis is chrome-plated steel, with a slotted side panel that improves strength and assists in ventilation. The control panel has Chickenhead knobs that go up to 12.
The electronics are fairly close to the original version, using a black eyelet board to support all the small components, with neat hand wiring to the valve bases and front and rear panel connections.
While Fender’s original Champs incorporated the on/off switch in the volume control, the reissue, a separate toggle switch and a top-mounted fuse holder that has been added to the reissue. The combo uses Fender’s recently introduced Pure Vintage yellow coupling capacitor – re-engineered versions of the original foil, paper, and resin Astrons, which many believe to be crucial for getting the right tone.
Other ingredients to Fender’s updated version include Alnico loudspeakers – an eight-inch Weber on the Champ and an Eminence-built Fender Special Design 12-inch on the Deluxe – and reworked tapers on the volume control for improved controllability.
The ‘57s control panel is as simple as ever, with two input jacks and volume control. The valve complement is authentic, too, with a 12AY7 in the V1 positions and 5Y3 rectifier valves.
Sound Quality
The Champ powers on with minimal background hum and hiss. Valve-rectified circuits take a little time for all the voltages to stabilise and after a few minutes, the hum will reduce to satisfactory levels.
It’s fitted with a 12AY7 in the V1 position, which improves the clean headroom at the expense of the overall volume.
The Champ’s single 6V6 output valve produces a massive overdriven sound, with pure Class A sweet harmonics and almost endless sustain once it’s been fully cranked. The truncated frequency response of the eight-inch Weber loudspeaker means the Champ can sound a little ‘boxy’. Add some reverb and you’ll quickly get into Rocky Mountain Way territory.
Fender’s Champ sounds great with slide and if you want some greasy blues harp sounds, it’s great for that, too, proving surprisingly versatile for an amp that has only one control.
It’s taken a long time for this legendary amp to come back on the scene. Together with the Custom ‘57 Pro, Deluxe and Twin, it’s part of a quartet that promises an unearthly tone for all who want to experience the thrill and fun of owning a true vintage amp, without having to deal with the pitfalls and fragility of 60-year-old electronics.
That’s the key, given that vintage amps don’t age gracefully.
Fender Princeton 65
The Princeton 65 is a reissue of the original ’65 Blackface Princeton. Fender’s Princeton model has been in continuous production throughout the years due to its immense popularity among guitar players.
Its low power output, compactness, versatility, and relatively low cost have made it a hit among many students and professionals.
Design
Fender’s Princeton includes one of the most legendary combos ever made. The Fender ’65 Princeton Reverb was, and still is, one of the most impressive guitar amps you can get on the market for around 1000 euros.
The first thing you need to know about Fender ’65 Princeton is that it’s a revamp of a legend. In terms of controls, it has a rather simple setup. It comprises two instrument inputs, a volume knob, a simple two-band EQ, and reverb controls.
These include a reverb knob, a speed knob along with an intensity knob. As there’s nothing complicated, getting used to this amp is surprisingly easy. It takes maybe 30 minutes to figure things out.
Specs
The core of the amp is its combination of vacuum tubes. It has 12AX7s, a single 12AT7, two 6V6 tubes and a single 5AR4 rectifier tube. This is pretty much the same configuration the initial amp had back in the day. The Princeton’s total power output is 15 watts at 8 ohms. All the juice is pushed through a single Jensen Special Design C-10R 10″ speaker that does the amp justice.
Sound Quality
There’re many tube amps on the market that are designed and produced by almost every major amp brand. However, Fender’s Princeton defiantly stands out. It’s a single-channel amp with amazing cleans. When you hear people talking about a “vintage guitar sound”, this is exactly what they mean.
Best of all, it can push you into warm, natural overdrive without the ugly consequences. It produces a harsh dirt that has long since become the trademark of classic rock. The ’65 Princeton Reverb also plays great with guitar effects pedals. Its 15 watts of power mightn’t make it the best amp for larger gigs but put this amp to work in a recording studio, and you’re in business.
Conclusion
I think this one will have to go to Fender’s Princeton Reverb with its gorgeous glassy cleans. The reverb is a classic that many guitarists find hard to beat.