Fender Champ lapsteel

Frans van Winkel · From: Netherlands

Hi everyone,

Just new on this forum I'd like to know something about my Fender Champ lapsteel, most likely from the 60's, that I'm hoping to receive today.
Not being abel to send pictures yet, I wonder if there are certain items this lapsteel should have.
To be original, are there specific properties (potentiometers, knobs, tuners etc.) a 60's lapsteel must have?
In that case I will search for it.
Or were some parts on the instrument maybe better to replace, while the originals never were so good?

I hope someone can give an answer.
If you need a picture, I will send a.s.a.p

Thanks in advantage,
Frans

Frans van Winkel · From: Netherlands

So here it is; came an hour ago.

[img]

Can I lubricate the tuners through the little holes?
Can I clean the potentio-meters?

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Bill Groner · From: QUAKERTOWN, PA

Beautiful Lap Steel Frans......Have fun.
_________________
Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40

Frans van Winkel · From: Netherlands

Thanx Bill!

Frans van Winkel · From: Netherlands

Thank you, Jack, for your answer. Don't know yet 'bout the potmeters and tuners, but I think they're original.
Would you advice, in case it is a part of the reason of heavy turning of this tuners, to try and bow them?
Some of them are not standing very vertically, so to say.
(forgive me the bad english).

Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

Frans, first off you have a great lap steel there and congrats.
I have a Champ too.
I notice your volume potentiometer looks different than the your tone potentiometer. The tone pot has a concentric ring stamped in its case. This is how both pots on my champ looks so I assume the volume pot was changed at some point?
You can tell the approximate date of manufacture of the guitar by reading the date codes on the pots.
My Tone pot is a 1Meg ohm Linear type with code 304-6336. The 6336 indicates it was manufactured in the 36th week of 1963.
My volume pot is 250K ohm Audio taper type and reads 304-6340, the 40th week of 1963.
This tells me my guitar was not manufactured before 1963.
Read the code on your Tone pot if you are curious.
Note my case is from the Fender "Brown face" era which lines up with 1963. Earlier champs from the 50s would have a tweed covered case.
Other things I have noticed about your Champ:
You are missing the bridge cover, and your control knobs may not be original. They are normally knurled black aluminum. This is not that important but if it bothers you, they may be found on Ebay at some point.
See the pics of mine.

Bill Groner · From: QUAKERTOWN, PA

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Frans, your Kluson strip tuners appear to be original. If they are hard to turn, it's doubtful bent shafts are the reason. You could attempt to straighten the shaft(s), but beware there is a risk of breakage. Removing the old lubricant and re-lubing as explained above should do the trick. Replacement strip tuners are available, but the ones I've seen have either metal or white plastic buttons. It's possible one end of the base plate may need to be chopped off (Fender used a custom die from nearby toolmakers Race & Olmsted). I prefer these Gotoh TK-0700-001s to the reissue Klusons:

I agree with Jim that the bridge cover is missing (many folks removed them, as to some -- myself included -- they're an impediment to their playing technique), and the knobs may not be original. Most were anodized black, not chrome plated.

No knock on Champs (I have a Studio Deluxe, which is basically a Champ with legs, and I love it), but keep in mind they were marketed as entry-level student instruments back in the day. They were manufactured for years and years, and are not particularly scarce. If it's functional as is, I'd just play it and enjoy it. Searching out and obtaining original replacement parts may not be cost effective.

(By the way, I agree with Bill. Your English is just fine.)

Bill Groner · From: QUAKERTOWN, PA

All on here speak a common language..........
STEEL MUSIC.
_________________
Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40

Frans van Winkel · From: Netherlands

Thanks Jim, I've tried to read the vol.- en pot-meters.

Here it is: Tone: 1 MEG LIN 304 6610 ..461
Vol.: 250K - A - 1377438.. 032367

Some figures may be invisible by bad welding; it's were the dots are.
I suppose the vol. is '74?

Never the less, maybe I'll try to score a cap somewhere; the knobs are okÃ© for me.

Enjoy steeling!
Frans

Frans van Winkel · From: Netherlands

Thank you Jack!
I learned a lot from the forum.
Just one thing: I'd love to move the Kluson-cover to see inside for two reasons:
1. maybe the pin is much easier to bend if I have it out (don't worry, I know about breaking).
2. It's far much easier to clean the gear and re-grease it.
Point is, the two 'lips' on the back that hold the cover on it's place, are very stiff and not easy to bend backwards.
Do you know what I mean and a way to do it?

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Frans, I've never tried to remove the stamped gear housing on a Kluson Deluxe. I haven't had a reason to, always achieving satisfactory results using the procedure described above. I've rehabbed dozens, if not hundreds, of old Kluson Deluxe tuners -- both strip tuners and individual tuners -- over the years. I'm a big fan of postwar Gibson lap steels, and have purchased, rehabbed, and resold lots of 'em over the last decade or so. Virtually all were equipped with Kluson Deluxes at the factory.

I have both successfully -- and unsuccessfully -- straightened tuner shafts in the past, but never when the buttons were still on the shaft. (Since the plastic buttons on so many Klusons disintegrate over time -- the white ones are worse than the black ones -- I have re-buttoned lots of 'em.) I made a tool out of a short chunk of brass tubing with an inside diameter slightly larger than the tuner shaft, so it slips over it, and glued it into a hole drilled the size of the outside diameter of the tubing into about a four-inch chunk of one-inch diameter wood dowel. I heat the shaft with a soldering gun before attempting to bend the shaft back into position (never apply heat with the plastic buttons still attached to the shaft). Beware: Usually they bend back into position; sometimes they snap off. Attempt this procedure only at the risk of destroying the tuner(s).

Frans van Winkel · From: Netherlands

Thanks, you all!! Very Happy

Frans

Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

If you decide to heat up the tuner shaft, here's a link to replacement tuner knobs.
https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-hardware/tuning-machines/tuner-parts/vintage-style-tuner-knobs.html

Jeff Highland · From: New South Wales, Australia

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