Brand: Fender
Instrument Categories: Electric, SOLD, Solidbody, Steel
This Fender Champ Lap Steel, built during 1959 at the Fender plant in Fullerton, California is in very nice, mostly original condition.
The Fender Champ Lap Steel was often sold as part of a starter set, with Fender’s smallest amplifier – the 5 watt Champ. That amp itself went on to become very popular in some recording studios. For example, it’s the amp Eric Clapton used for much of the Derek and the Dominos – Layla album.
Fender began producing lap steels around 1948, and in 1955 their Champion entry level model was replaced by the simpler Fender Champ lap steel. Built with a lightly contoured Alder or Ash body, a single pickup mounted on a metal control / bridge plate and a fairly standard six-string tuning set at the head. The fingerboard, such as it is, is a screened metal sheet with markings for 29 frets. The bottom has a green felt pad, and while it was available in a number of colours, this Desert Sand, or Fawn or Tan, was perhaps the most common.
This particular Fender Champ Lap Steel is in very clean condition all round. It’s had some wiring repairs – the jack has been replaced and the pots may not be original. The metal parts show little to no corrosion, and there isn’t much wear.
The original hard shell Fender Tweed case is included, and while it has some stains, it’s in good shape.
- Model: Champ Lap Steel
- Year: Current
- Finish Desert Sand
- Class: Vintage
- Serial Number: 005868
- Country of Origin: USA
- Condition: Good
- Date Posted: 24/02/2020
- This instrument has been sold
- Consignment Item
- Including original Hard case
- Instrument Weight: 4.7lbs 2.18kg
- Scale Length: 22.5in 571.5mm
- Nut Width: 1.89in 48mm
