FDP Forum / Fender Amps: 1985 - Current / Champion 600 hum?

coconino Canada	Jan 19th, 2012 07:40 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic I have a Champion 600 (purchased used with upgraded tubes and a Weber speaker) and I like it a lot. It does, however, produce a noticeable hum in operation. This is not a 60 cycle hum, or other noise coming from the guitar; it is a steady, moderately loud hum that is constant whenever it's on, regardless of volume, or even, for that matter, whether anything is plugged into it. I can't even tell for sure whether it is coming through the speaker. Anyone have any idea what this is? Or if there is an easy fix? I don't want to spend a fortune. There is a fellow on eBay who sells a kit that he says will reduce or eliminate the hum on the Champ 600, but it comes with other mods that I don't really know that I need or want. What do you folks think?
carsten on the rhine	Jan 20th, 2012 03:57 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic hi coconino! yes, unfortunately, the hum on the "600" is a well-documented problem. i like this amp and i´ve bought 3 or 4 of them. they all had a bad hum. louder than all the other amps i have at home COMBINED. i decided to keep one after all and had my tech perform some mods that tamed the hum. it was a cheap fix and i´m fine for now. it´s a bummer, though, that fender didn´t take care of that in the first place... the "600" is cheap and plentyful and it makes a great platform for mods and rearrangements, but in its stock-form it´s hardly useable, i´m afraid... cheers - C.
coconino Canada	Jan 20th, 2012 09:12 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Thanks for the reply, carsten! Do you know what your tech guy did to tame the hum? This would be a great little amp for home recording if it weren't for that hum!
Modal Magic Contributing Member **** MBJ, Highway Hound. You Can't Bend It Aussie!	Jan 21st, 2012 03:21 AM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic "but in its stock-form it´s hardly useable, i´m afraid..." Certainly don't agree with that. As always, it is the luck of the draw. I think the chance of coming across a C600 that hums is higher because it is a cheap amp. The only problem I had with mine was the cloth in front of the speaker used to give a weird distorted sound when volume was @ half way and over (I could dampen the noise by touching the cloth). After I did a 4000KM road trip with the amp in the back of the car, I never had the problem again (never touched the amp the whole trip 'cause I was moving interstate). Mine has never hummed. The thing sounds better with use because the speaker wears in nicely. I'm glad I didn't get on the speaker change band wagon, 'though I nearly did. It's the perfect "late night" practice amp and takes OD/distortion pedals well too. Edit- to put it in perspective, I have had way more problems with my Super-Sonic 60 Watt amp, a “professional" quality amp — hiss, farting, blown fuses, broken footswitch — talk about the luck of the draw! (This message was last edited by Modal Magic at 03:27 AM, Jan 21st, 2012)
carsten on the rhine	Jan 21st, 2012 03:55 AM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic hi coconino! sorry, it´s been a while and i don´t remember what exactly he said he did... i know he changed some of the wiring (routing) and also a few caps on the board which he said were sub-par. i later had a chance to a/b mine with a stock model and mine sounded fuller and hummed less. i know it cost me around $20... cheers - C.
carsten on the rhine	Jan 21st, 2012 04:58 AM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic hi modal magic! sorry to hear about your troubles with the supersonic! but you´re right - my comment about being "hardly useable" was way too harsh. it´s a nice (and reasonably cheap) amp for playing around the house, taking it on holiday etc. but i still had the hum-problem with each of the 3 or 4 "600´s" i owned. it´s ok, though. they go for around $100/$120 used and i might get another one down the road and have my tech perform his $20-trick - so i can keep one upstairs and one downstairs ;) cheers - C.
PappaRay B.C. Canada Do your best, fake the rest	Feb 27th, 2012 05:52 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Mine hums no more than other single ended tube amps I have had. It is actually reasonable at volume settings below 85%. Even above, it sounds like all the other single ended screamers I've had.
coconino Canada	Feb 28th, 2012 03:11 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic What do you mean by "single ended"? (I Googled it and found many links about high end audio amps, but no explanation.)
StratQuebec Canada Patient people get what they want.	Feb 28th, 2012 06:57 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic See link coconino. What Do the Terms "Push-Pull" and "Single-Ended" Mean?
jimihen USA/Japan/Africa/UK	Feb 29th, 2012 07:54 PM   Edit   Profile   Print Topic   Search Topic Hi all, I was out of FDP Forum for a while untill today. I have 4 C600 but none of them hum. Hum is a bummer and I did sell my new tweed Bassman and V- Champ because of Hum and never want them. I do not have any hum with 4 C600 with any vol range upti max. All moded but never Hummed. Of course it will hum with certain elec equipments ,Heater, etc but I try to eliminate Hum by unplugging other equipments. I know my statement do not help but possibly 240v area people might Hum. Mine is 110v. Jimihen

FDP Forum / Fender Amps: 1985 - Current / Champion 600 hum?

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