Desktop Mini “Champ” Tube Amplifier (Based on the 1957 Fender Tweed 5F1)
Built in a 5” X 7” Black Crinkle Hammond Enclosure with the “Trannys ‘n Tubes” exposed for that Studio and High End Audiophile Vibe, this meticulously built, point-to-point (no circuit board) hand wired amp is modeled after the venerable Fender Tweed Princeton 5F2A circuit from 1957.
I love the sound of vintage tweed amplifiers from the 50s! The original circuits cultivated from early Tube Manufacturer Handbooks by visionary’s like Leo Fender usually featured one single power tube and one preamp tube. These “Single Ended” Amplifiers yield a wonderful tactile response with sweet natural, organic compression that makes playing guitar through one a very satisfying experience and a lot of fun. At low volumes they have a full, warm and clear sound but when pushed they overdrive with rich harmonic content.
The 1957 5F1 Champ is arguably THE most popular, most recorded, and most talked about Vintage Tweed Amp of all time. When you crank it up to the point of distortion it’s pretty loud. I tune my Champs to ride “on the verge of breakup” with the Vol all the way up! No farting out and flabby bass. Responds well to your guitar Volume and Tone Controls.Perfect for your pedal platform with the Amp Volume around 12:00 to 2:00.
And here is a little surprise extra for you! The mini toggle is a gain boost switch. It follows the same configuration as the on and off switch. Up for off and down for on… The mini switch is up for stock and down for gain boost. An interesting little bit of history is the first Champs do not have a capacitor on the V1 cathode. Leo Fender did not include it on the original schematic. As you may know Leo was all about clean with no distortion. Somewhere along the way somebody at the factory started wiring in the V1 cathode capacitor. Most of the early Champs leaving the factory have it, but some don’t. With this switch you can have it both ways! Try it and see which way you like the best. If you’re using pedals I think it’s best in the up position however most guys like the extra gain, which would be the down position.
Built with TONE in mind, only the best quality modern components available are utilized in this Desktop Princeton Amp. Careful attention to detail reveals Switchcraft jacks, CTS pots, Carling Switches, MOD and Mallory 150 Capacitors and “over spec” Carbon Film Resistors. Finest quality Belton Tube Sockets include a Grid Stop Resistor on the Power Tube Socket to eliminate oscillations, block RFI noise, and a Screen Resistor to prevent odd sounding 'double frequency' blocking distortion.
This amplifier utilizes a 6V6 Power Tube and a 12AY7 Preamp Tube. Feel free to substitute different Preamp Tubes for different Gain Structures. Some common Preamp tubes for this circuit include 12AX7 (ECC83), 5751, 12AT7 (ECC81), or 12AU7. I recommend NOS Tubes (RCA, GE, Philips, Sylvania, Brimar) from a trusted Tube Dealer or New Production JJ brand Tubes.
5 Watts of Vacuum Tube Power - you might be surprised how LOUD it is! JJ 6V6 GT Power Tube JJ 12AY7 Preamp Tube Black Crinkle Finish Enclosure “Vintage Red” Top Mounted Jewel Lamp Vintage Style “Art Deco” Volume Knob Weber Power Transformer Weber 5W “Vintage Voiced” Output Transformer SS Full Wave Rectifier IEC Outlet and 6 ft Cable 8 ohm Speaker Output Best Quality Carling Switches and Switchcraft Jacks
For those of you who have been following me and my work, as of August, 2022 I have needed to raise my prices slightly to keep up with the rising prices of my parts, especially tubes and transformers over the past six months.
I believe that you will find that my amp builds are still an incredible value, especially when you compare to the price of a “build your own amp” kit.
My prices are still lower than a comparable amp kit and include quality upgrades and features not found in kit form.
By the way , here are some nice things Guys have said about my Amps...
I got the amp today and I’ve gotta tell you, I’m really impressed with it. I haven’t had a chance to crank it, but at about half volume, the cleans are exactly what I wanted. Takes pedals well, runs quiet, everything. Super fast shipping and I'm really pleased with this amp. Really nice clean tones and more headroom than I expected for a 5f1 circuit and it can still get nasty with the gain switch engaged. (Joel in Milwaukie, OR)
This amp sounds fantastic—no pedals, nothing, just straight in with my guitar. Warm tones and break up if you want it…(Chris in Katy, TX)
Amp arrived today. I plugged it in and it sounds great. It’s big and full. I’ve owned a 70s Vibro Champ, and a THD Univalve, both of which I liked quite a bit, but the Skylark feels like more amp than either of those. Stays punchy even as you hit the saturation point, doesn’t get flabby like my old Vibro Champ. The negative feedback switch is cool too, lots of different voicings in there. Nice work with this thing! (Andrew in Portland, OR)
This little skylark amp rips! Great transaction, great build quality! If you want the feel of an old amp with dependable, quality components go for it! Sounds amazing with telecaster. at 1:00. P90s, at noon, thru a 1x12, needs a slight amount of low end cut and 6k boost. This is as expected for class A one knob amp. So impressed. (Corey in Fitchburg, MA
Excellent, amazing amp. I bought this as a living room amp, and it’s awesome for that, but loud enough for most other applications. Not noisy. Great pedal platform. With a Dr Z, Fender Vibroverb, Silvertone, I have lots of options, but this one made me play for hours. Love the NFB knob and 3 way capacitor switch. Most bang for the buck amp I have in my arsenal. His small business model means more amp/$. Paired with a Jensen C10q, sounds amazing. (Steve in Colorado Springs)
Great amplifier, great seller. Fantastic Octal Tube Amplifier at a great price. Fast shipping. A+ service. (Glen in Islip Terrace, NY)
Absolutely wonderful sounding amp. The thought and layout and attention to details of everything is truly something special. Super fast shipping and response. Super nice person. I am planning my next purchase now. (Ben in Latrobe, PA)
This lil amp has a classic tone and can have a variety of different sounds (Miles in Pasadena, CA)
Really nice and vibey little amp. On clean tones it feels like the guitar strings are coming right through the speaker. Driven, it gets right into late Beatles territory. Definitely worth the asking price. (Phillip in Albany, CA)
James makes great little amps. The overdrive/distortion on these are very nice and all tube tone. James is easy to work with and responsive. Speedy shipping and secure packaging. Give these little monsters a try! (Andrew in Elmhurst, IL)
Amp arrived unscathed by USPS and is everything I had hoped for! gave it a quick test drive with my TV Jones-equipped Gretsch and it does indeed sound great with Filtertrons. I really appreciate the voicing options and the adjustable negative feedback too. Best of all it passed the “wife test” and was pronounced not too loud. (Bill in Bakersfield, CA)
This thing sounds amazing! The different voicings are distinct. Thanks again! (Frank in Portland, OR)
Wow. Super-fast shipping. Travel-safe packaging. And TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE. Omigosh. Such a simple amp, but I'm in love after just a few minutes. There's something so darn honest about such a simple design. Mr. Knox, thank you so much. Great seller. Buy with confidence. Rock on! (Joe in Glendale, CA)
Great communication with seller before and after purchase. Shipped out the next day. Would definitely use again! Amp is a great compact 5W amp and definitely gets loud. Favorite volume setting for humbuckers is 10-11 o'clock at edge of break up. For single coils I push it a little higher close to noon. Used a handful of drive pedals so far and it takes them very well. Simple, no-fuss amp which easy to dial in. (John n Denver, CO)
I really love the amp! I’ve purchased a few builds like yours and yours by far captured the tone accurately. I own a 55 deluxe and 52 pro. Your build is the one I’m recording with going direct to a boss waza tube amp expander. Sounds fantastic! Thanks for the quality build! (Johnny in Putnam Valley, NY)
This amp was a serious bargain. Couldn’t be happier. (Lee in Bradenton, FL)
Great little amp!!! I would absolutely recommend Second Chance Amps. Quickly shipped and very well packed! I may pick up a Champ or Princeton down the road. (Steve in Prosper, TX)
Gorgeous little amp. I couldn't be more pleased. This is exactly the sound I was looking for. I've wanted a 5F1 for several years to go with a custom 10" cab I built a while back. This is perfect. I look forward to doing business with Second Chance Amps again in the future. (Donald in Temecula, CA)
Great Communication, lightning fast shipping- extremely good design and build quality, and most importantly this amp responds magically and sounds absolutely insane! It sounds like a classic hand wired vibe machine- I might have have to get me another. That tone ain’t a joke. Thanks for making such killer quality stuff! (Tim in Renton, WA)
Wow. Blown away by the sound and aesthetic of this desktop Princeton 5F2. I am having so much fun with it. Amp was packed snugly and had a fast ride. Thank you! (Eric in Ben Lomand, CA)
Humbuckers, humbuckers, humbuckers! Little 5C1 amp has tone for days. Can't believe how quiet this thing is. Great transaction. Thank you! (Jason in Kaneohe, HI)
Great 'Verber' communicater! Lightning fast shipping! But more importantly a truly remarkable 5 watt tone machine. Low noise, 3d like shimmer chime and that is just in the standard Fender setting. Takes Humbuckers and Pedals with delight! Blown away by the build quality. Total hand-wired bang for your buck. Hard to put my guitar down just to write this review. Thank you Second Chance Amps! (Sion in Woodland Hills, CA)
Sounds great, looks great! (Joshua in Columbus, OH)
Amp absolutely screams! Great studio head, impeccable build quality and just a fun piece of kit! Highly recommend! Absolute pleasure to do business with! (Kevin in Seattle, WA)
Super fast shipping, clear communication and awesome tones from a sweet amp! Buy with confidence!! (Jason in Buena, NJ)
100% A+! The seller answered all my questions promptly. The amp shipped very fast and was packaged properly. It couldn't have been a better transaction.....Not to mention the amp sounds great! It breaks up really well and the tone control is very usable. All around great job, I couldn't be happier. I cant wait to hear it through proper speakers and seeing what NOS tubes do for it. Thank you for your hard work and attention to detail. (Aaron in Campton, NH)
Easiest review to write: this seller and these amps are simply the best. When you get the chance to hear something that was built by someone that really loves what they do it is immediately apparent. That is the case with James and his amps. High quality all the way around. Easy to work with, hell, great to talk to! Keep it up! (Ray in Livonia, MI)
Great little amp from the perspective of a hobbyist. I don't have a vintage 1957 Champ 5F1 to compare it to but it sounds great to my ears. I've only tried it with a Fender Jazzmaster so far (clean and with pedals) and it sounds great. Seems like it has plenty of volume for home / recording use or possibly mic-ed for live. (Kristian in Kirkland , WA)
Another quality build of classic rock tone amp. Best with P90 and some distortions. Really rocking and rolling. Great! (John in Dobbs Ferry, NY)
Damn awesome! I plugged into a 60’s Cordovox CL10 Leslie cabinet and played for hours … nails Audrey Freed’s tonality Will definitely purchase another in future! (Henrik in Alexandria, VA)
James is building such great little amp kits! This Desktop Champ sounds incredible and packs the perfect amount of punch for enjoying at home and for recording with. A great seller, super-fast shipment (even during the holiday season), and super communicative! (Tom in Seattle, WA)
Well built, looks good, fast shipping and most importantly - SOUNDS GREAT! (Brian in Cleveland, OH)
Easily the best purchase I’ve made on reverb. Great communication. Ridiculously fast shipping. Way cool amp. Like, beyond cool. (Stacy in Grantham, NH)
Perfect everything transaction!!! Superior customer service, super fast shipping, excellent packing, and an extremely well built super cool and wow, what a great sounding amp! I especially like the 3-way mini toggle in the down position and Mo Betta knob around 11 (almost noon). Looking forward to trying different speaker cabs and doing some recording. (James in Torrance, CA)
Thanks James. Great little Champ, well built, well packaged and thank you for the phone support. (J.D. in Junction City, CA)
Amazing little desktop tube amplifier! Powerful sound, nice warm sound, all the way up to gritty & loud. James built this with lots of detail and care. He responds quickly to questions and shipped it in 2 days. Thanks James! (Bruce in Woodland Park, CO)
Great communication. Super fast shipping. Awesome amp!!! (Eric in Arnold, MD)
Amazing amp, packaged incredibly well and shipped quickly. Thanks! The EQ/Voicing toggle and negative feedback control really make this a versatile amp. I expected the Strat and Tele to sound good, but I was truly blown away when I plugged in the Les Paul and flipped the voicing switch to the humbucker side. I could not put the guitar down. Takes pedals quite well. You will not be disappointed if you buy one of these amps. (Bruce in Boulder, CO)
Another great Little Amp! I liked the first one so much, I bought another one to give to a musician friend ! (John in Los Osos, CA)
I got to spend a couple of hours playing through the amp last night. Everything is working as advertised and it makes some wonderful guitar noises. I love this Amp - thanks James! (Charles in Bartlesville, OK)
Got it... sounds great - This Champ is a champ! (Greg in Avon, CT)
Very friendly and prompt response to messages before and after the sale, James has been very helpful and patient with my many questions! Shipping was fast and the item was well packed. I'm extremely happy with this purchase and would not hesitate to do business with him again. Thanks again James! Very highly recommended seller A+++++ (Chuck in Cornelia, GA)
The amp looks gorgeous! I won’t be able to crank it until the house is empty. I was impressed trying out the mini toggle and radio knob. I love that it offers flexibility to vary the character of the amp. I’m very happy I ended up buying your amp. Nice work my friend. (Stephan in Elk Grove Villiage, IL)
