8 Inch Speaker Combo

Be sure to ask about our NOS USA made/HiFi quality tube sets for this amp. Pricing varies on supply so please contact for current pricing.

We can build these as head and we build matching ext. cabs in 1x12, 2x12, 2x10, 2x8, 4x10, and 1x15 configurations. Contact us for current pricing.

Description

The 5F1 Classic Tweed Champ is the king of recording and practice amps.  It's Clapton's "Layla" amp, Joe Walsh’s "Funk #49" amp, and Keith Richards secret studio weapon on countless Stones tracks.  It can be heard on all sorts of other the classic rock and blues cuts too. It has a distinctive aggressive overdrive that is familiar from the moment you plug in. It has a low 5 watts of output so can be fully cranked with ease.

Please don’t confuse these with the many clones and re-issues out there. Mine with stand toe to toe with an original while having less noise and being more reliable.

Each one is carefully and meticulously built and tested.  All amps carry a 45-day warranty on tubes and a two-year warranty on everything else.  Working chassis do not carry a warranty.

• 5 Watts All Tube Power (Uses one 6V6, one 12AX7 and one GZ-34 or 5Y3 Rectifier Tube)

• Meticulously Hand-wired

• Improved grounding system and layout minimizes hum and noise. It much quieter at idle than Fender’s RI and every boutique version I’ve encountered.

• Single Volume Control

• Hi and Low inputs

• Combos are made of Solid Finger Joined Pine with Lacquered Tweed

• 4 ohm Speaker Out on 5 watt combo version and 8 ohms on 5/10 Watt Version and 4/8 on head version

• Weber 8A125T Alnico Speaker (a huge upgrade from the usual Champ speaker offerings)

Optional 5/10 Mod Allows the use of 5881, 6L6GC, 6L6WGB or 6V6 .

Parts:

Custom wound transformers, Malory 150 Tone Caps,  Neutrik or Switchcraft Jacks, Special Resistor Selection for low noise, High End Tube Sockets,  Weber Vintage Series Alnico or vintage re-coned speaker , combos are finger joined pine. 

What People are Saying about the Classic Tweed Champ:

“Carl,

I received the amp late Saturday afternoon, unpacked it, and let it get to room temperature overnight.

Sunday morning I plugged it in and was so pleased with the sweet sound of the amp. Thank you.”

Vincent

Hi Carl, 

I hope you're doing well! I've had more than a month with the amp, and I wanted to let you know that I'm really pleased with it. It's exactly what I was looking for, and, as a result, I quickly sold my '57 Champ reissue to someone nearby. After playing your amp, I realized that the reissue just wasn't it at all, and I didn't want to play it anymore. Maybe that speaks for itself.

Thanks again!

Thomas M.

I hope all is well. FYI, I bought one of your 8" tweed champ combos for bedroom playing the other day. I really love it !
Its far superior to the couple of Fender champs i had in the past and ended up reselling.

Quick Assessment:
The 8" did NOT result in the small boxy sound I was expecting...very happy about that. Sounds as spacious as any 10" speaker I’ve played. The tonal aspect reminds me of my old fender deluxe reverb with just a tiny amount of reverb for some reason. Great lush sound!

I was thrilled to discover it wasn’t going to hum and buzz like a Fender Champ... this is quiet as a library !! Great amp Carl. My first impression is that I LOVE it..

FYI, Gearmanndude said hi, I asked him if he would recommend this amp and he said "Absolutely ", so I bought it based on his strong support.

Take Care,
Bradley”

I got the amp yesterday. She's a beauty!! I used it last night for my band practice. Nice and quiet at idle, sweet sound, excellent touch sensitivity and smooth breakup as you move up the volume…..”

Thanks!

Michael S

Carl,

The amp arrived right on time. You obviously pack with great care- thank you. It sounds absolutely terrific. It delivers the tone I was hoping for but greatly exceeds expectations. I couldn't be happier.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Chip

Carl,
Your Classic Tweed Champ 5F1 1x12 combo is amazing. It is so touch sensitive and responsive. For only having one knob the palette of tones I can coax out of this beast is extremely impressive. I crank up the volume on the amp and use the volume and tone controls on my guitar to get a pure, pristine, and undiluted sound that allows me to express myself directly through the guitar eliciting a smile from ear to ear.
I have been playing straight through the amp with no pedals and it is extremely satisfying.
Additionally, the build quality, components, and appearance put mass produced, and even boutique, amps to shame. I have Mesa, Tone King, vintage Oahu, vintage Alamo, and Victoria amps and the Carl’s Custom is superior. FANTASTIC and much appreciated.
Well done, Carl!
Thank you!! ✌🏼🇺🇸

Jared

“Carl, My champ arrived in good order a month ago and I’ve been playing it every day since. Thought I’d send you my observations. Your layout and workmanship are first class, you’ve built me an heirloom quality instrument that will be easy to service and last for generations. Plugging in my various guitars I noticed the character of each didn’t get lost even at high levels. Nice sparkling cleans, classic champ growl when cranked up. The purity of tone/dynamics you get with these simple circuit amps is really something! Responds well to different drive pedals, and with extension cabs/speakers I have lots of tones to choose from. WELL DONE! Mic’ed up by itself thru the PA sounds HUGE! I am now selling both of my big watt/ master volume amps. Your champ fills my needs much better.

Thanks again, Mark Ray”

"Hey Carl! The amp is gorgeous and sounds great! This little guy is actually louder than I expected! Cheers.

Best,
Vincent "

“Carl,

Just wanted to let you know that the amp showed up yesterday. It looks great and sounds even better.

Thanks again!

Jeff”

“I received the amp this afternoon. Showed up safe and sound!

This amp is incredible!  I’ve been wanting a 5f1 champ for years now and I’m so glad I waited until I found the right builder.  Amazing tone for days and whisper quiet at idle.

Thank you so much for the craftsmanship and excellent customer service.  I’ll be recommending Carl’s Custom Amps to anyone who will listen.”

-Ben DuBose 

“Hi Carl, The picture below has over 1,000 words. Like a child playing on the floor, my 45-year-old godson is showing us how he feels about his new Carrasco amp. He's going to take it to record with his band next week because it's now his favorite amp, according to him. Please note he owns 5-Star Guitars here in Portland and he's personal friends with the CEO's of Fender, Gibson, Mesa Boogie, and the like, and he can literally have any amp in the world. The acumen of his perception of gear is on a par with your mastery of the intricacies of creating unimaginably perfect tone with glass, wood, and steel components.”

A. Fisher

“WOW!  I’m stunned! I’ve been using a blues junior and mustang II and that was OK but I could never could get the tone that I had in my head.    Right out of the box I’m hearing what I’ve heard on my favorite albums and CDs.  Excellence is never an accident.  I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve had to do over the years to make such a remarkable product available for people who love guitars and music.

  Warmest Regards,

Greg”

"Excellent amp. Sounds and looks incredible. Very low noise floor, quality built and came with top notch tubes. Makes my strats and Teles come alive. Just love it. Wasn’t familiar with the Weber Vintage speaker but it sounds great and it’s still getting broke in. That shouldn’t take long as it’s hard to stop playing this thing, very fun and responsive amp. Already decided to add a second Carl’s Custom amp soon. So many choices! Hard to decide! "

James---

"Hi Carl, hope all is still well.

  I received the 5F1 champ a couple weeks ago in good order. The red tamper fuse was blown but that didn’t surprise me. Everything seemed fine upon opening it. I wanted to give some time playing and swapping rectifiers before giving any definitive feedback.

  First off, it looks amazing in person. Couldn’t be happier with the dark tweed.

  Your right, the GZ-34 does sound better. You would know, but I wanted to experiment. I’ve only had experience with one GZ.

 My strange observation is that the 5Y3 made the combo flub out a lot and resonate/vibrate annoyingly around any C note I played on the guitar. Swapping to the GZ tightened things up and resolved that issue.

 Tone wise. I’m currently plugged straight into input 1 just past 11 on the dial. Using a high powered Seymour JB Humbucker. I’m getting everything from boarderline fuzz down to cleans with just the volume knob. It’s very touch sensitive and dynamic. Very Zeppelin :)

  The AC noise floor at home seems much quieter then my other 5 watt head from another small builder.

  Anyways, just wanted to fill you in on how much I’m enjoying the amp. Just put on some tube dampers. I’ve got a NOS Telefunken 12AX7 and a Beano Boost on the way I’m pretty stoked for.

 Thanks again,

Clayton F. Canada"

“Received my Champ earlier this afternoon, fantastic little amp. I'm used to regular "Deluxe" style amp with a 12" speaker and this little Champ enable me to turn upend enjoy it's sonic voice in my living room. I am very pleased with the whole transaction. Didn't know how much I needed this amp. Thank you for the surprising little gem….Carl, I'm very pleased......Jack M.”

“Hello Carl,

Just wanted to let you know that I received my Champ a couple of hours ago.

The shockwatch patch you affixed to the package turned red indicating the package had taken some impact, but your bulletproof packaging prevented any damage,

After opening the box and examining the amp, I could just not believe the quality of the amp.  The fit and finish was flawless.  I then opened the back of the amp to install the tubes.  The craftsmanship and attention to detail in this handwired beauty is just unbelievable.  Again, flawless.  Then I unwrapped the tubes, which were also securely wrapped, and discovered the power and rectifier tubes were NOS.  I did not know the amp came with NOS tubes.  This was a nice surprise and further testament to your commitment to quality.

I installed the tubes, which was really straightforward due to the excellent instructions included, plugged the amp in, let it warm up and began to play.  This amp is so versatile and finding the killer tone I was looking for was not at all difficult.

Carl, I am so pleased with this amp. It is truly a piece of art. The whole transaction was a pleasure.  You do business the way it should be done.  I know where I'll be going for any future amp needs.  No need to go anywhere but Carl's Custom amps.

Thanks for everything.

Sincerely,

Ed G."

Prescott, AZ”

“ Hi, I purchased a tweed champ 5F1 build from you a few weeks back and it's fantastic! “

David B.

“I bought one of your Champ amps and just wanted to let you know it’s absolutely fantastic!!! Just love it! Thanks for building such great amps!

Sincerely,

Dave M.”

"Hey Carl, Just a few words about my Champ I just received from you. I already own your 5e3 deluxe and recording pro head, so I knew your Champ would be a good amp. Well I was blown away. The tone was better than my high expectations. The transition from the classic champ clean to the aggressive beefy growl is great. Amp set to 9 and let the guitar volume knob does the rest. The Carl's Champ is a fantastic amp. 

Thanks,

James M."

“Hi Carl,

I hope this message finds you well.

Sorry for the late follow up after purchase of the champ amp from you.  I finally got around to setting up the amp and playing it for the first time today. I had been very busy before that in order to get around to it sooner.  The amp arrived safe and sound.  Great looking amp and amazing sounding too! Thank you very much!  Eventually in the future I would like to buy the 5e3 deluxe.

Thanks again.

Regards,

Rafal”

“Hey Carl. The Champ sounds great, very happy. Merry Christmas! “

Gary K

“Very clean work. Sounds great. Well done.”

Chad M. Via Ebay

“Hello Carl. I ordered a Champ from you on fleabay. Great amp! After 24 hrs it's started to open up. Nice cabinet,clean wiring.Great speaker.. thanks for a great amp. hooked it up to an 8ohm 12"speaker and it sounds good that way as well. Thanks. “

—Steve M

“Hey Carl,

Got it today, installed the tubes & fired her up...

Plays like a perfect dream with my Les Paul and Strats.

I am loving this baby. Beautiful workmanship. Amazing sound.

Thank you so much for the great work you do.

Best,

Charley P”

“Hi Carl,

Wow - I just spent about 2 hrs with the amp/cab - whewww!!!! Exceeded expectations on tone and attack. The response is really tight and I’m guessing that’s a unique combination of the clean/breakup amp staging and the 2x10s. Now that I’ve thought about it, I can’t remember playing a 2x10 cab before think, I do have a Dan Butler, Chicago Blues Box, Buddy Guy signature (Bassman) that is 4x10, but it’s a different beast - huge/heavier to lug around (also toneful - but in a brighter/clean way.

The open cab/box is very airy too but the dark side of this amp is more complex and fun to jam on. AND I’m glad we stuck with the darker lawyer- looks awesome - She’s definitely a keeper!

Anyways, I could go on but I’ll save it for another time.

Completely stoked - thank you so much!!!”

Josh S.

Note: Josh has a cage head and 2x10 Ext. cab version.

"Carl,

Your custom built 5F1 Tweed Champ is my favorite guitar amplifier. It is far superior to the current mass produced Fender reissues (and at a lower cost!), and it even sounds better than my retired vintage Fender Vibro-Champ. Fit and finish is outstanding and Your attention to detail is as good as it gets.

Prospective buyers,

Anyone considering a 5w Champ should give Carl a call!"
Gary, Fort Worth, Texas

"Hello Carl- I can't say thank you enough. I love vintage Champ amps, but have always been annoyed by the noise and the less than perfect grounding. Your 5F1 addresses all the problems, and improves on the tone. My speaker cone is not even broken in yet so I know there is more good to come. Thank you again!"

David, Redondo Beach

“This amp is fantastic for what I wanted--a solid sound true to the original. I connected a Keeley oxblood pedal with overdrive on zero to give a brightening option. Amp is so quiet. Weighs significantly more than the Fenders for sale currently. Love the long heavy cord. Craftsmanship is beyond beyond. “

Al in Kansas City

"Hello Carl,
Just wanted to let you know I'm very pleased with the amp. Very full and fat sounding with the 6L6 and the alnico speaker. I used to own a Fender Bassman RI with the 4 10 inch alnicos and really this 5F1 Champ you built for me with the 6L6 and 8 inch alnico Weber reminds me of that vibe - not the same of course but very nice vintage Fender tweed sound!"

Enrico P

"Amp is glorious. Arrived very well packed. Excellent craftsmanship. Thanks, Carl!"

Dan S.

"Great communication, and shipping was quick. More importantly, the amp is solid and sounds like pure rock and roll! Thanks a ton!"

Robot Sounds

“Hi Carl,

Just put my amp together and plugged it in for it’s maiden voyage. One word—

OUTSTANDING!

This amp is going to the grave with me. 

Nice work.”

Mike C.

“Carl,

You made a Champ chassis for me a year or two ago, and I just want to let you know it has a real place in my heart. I’ve loved it from the beginning, but I happened to find an old Jensen PR8 alnico that I’d bought years ago and thought I had sold! I switched it into the pine cab and something just clicked in my soul. I am stone cold in love with the combination of your amp and that speaker. Playing it sends me to that happy place, and it’s my absolute go-to recording amp with a 57 and an SM7B. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

All the best - Randall, Atlanta

“Hi Carl,

I hope the Holidays are treating you well.  I have to tell you about my experience with your Champ.  I've had it for a few weeks now and am continually stunned by its shear dominance over the Fender Custom Champ.  I knew it was better, if not a totally different amp, as soon as I plugged it in.  I really can't describe how different it is, its one of those things you have to hear, as you know.  Its both a compliment to you and a dig on Fender currently.  Your volume knob is usable throughout its entire range.  Lots of great sounds that are defined and not muddy.  It has a dirty clean tone that I was looking for and could never get out of the Fender version, even with speaker and tube change.  I was much happier with the Fender with the speaker change you suggested , but it still wasn't enough, especially with the price tag that Fender put on it.  Yours however is worth every penny.  Yours will even take an overdrive pedal, of which the Fender could not.  It also breaks up later than the Fender, which is helpful when trying to mic the amp and still feel like I am pushing the level so I can actually hear it.  

Thanks Carl.”

JESS B

"Wow! Perfect in bedroom studio, clean or cranked without pedals. Strat plugged straight in, 5 watts, an 8-inch Ted Weber speaker, and one knob is all I need to feel the blues deep in my gut. Impeccable craftsmanship to boot. My Fender Bassman may have to go in the closet until I'm good enough to gig. Thanks, Carl ..."

Paul

"Amp works great and sounds completely killer and awesome!  It screams when you crank it, and has that beautiful vintage harmonic distortion.  I love it!  You did a great job and I really appreciate your attention to quality and detail.  The punch on the low and midrange is just incredible, and no hum!  It's really amazing....your craftsmanship is of the highest order, and I am your newest fan!

                                                                                                                     Thank you very much

                                                                                                                      Rod"

"Just wanted to say thanks! I finished putting together my amp I ordered from you a while back (10 watt 5f1) I built a solid pine dovetailed cabinet for it. It has a 12" vintage Jensen and RCA tubes. This amp sounds amazing, played side by side to my buddys Fender champ reissue and mine was far superior. I included some pictures. But I'm sure you see more than enough amps. 

I was curious about the plates for the front of the amp and how one might obtain a plate. I wanted to show off who built the amplifier itself because I always get asked. 

Thanks Zac

"Just a few words on Carls Tweed Champ...I have been playing professionally for going on 50 years...have used the whole spectrum of gear thru the years...have a couple of premo guitar amps but needed a small but capable 5 to 10 watt tube amp for my latest project...just happened across Carls website and called him...very very pleasant and knowledgeable fellow who I was impressed with...he built for me a Tweed Champ clone in very short order...when I cranked it up I was blown away!!..all the good stuff was there!!...set it at 9 to 10...use your guitar volume and tone knobs...bingo...as a side note...I sold my Victoria 5112...as the 8" speaker and amp size suits me better for my small group playing...this amp is every bit as nice as the Victoria...IMHO...at a great price point!!...service second to none!!...he is also an accomplished amp tech for old Fender amps!!!...when your stuck out here in Tucson...this is a great find!!...Please...give him a try and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!!!...Well done Carl!!...Richard T...in Tucson AZ"

"Got the amp today and appreciated the workmanship upon inspection..... I plugged in a Suhr telecaster that has very clear but full pickups.  I was impressed with what you built and want to thank you kindly for making my day....This little champ has a spectrum of chime and resonance that I haven't found - at lower volumes - from all my other amps including Bogner, Rivera, Carr, Marshalls, Bad Cat, etc.

It's the perfect amp for a quiet stage and mic setup.  Later, I'd like to ask you about other models like the Princeton . . . after I clear out some more gear.

Ciao,

Oliver"

"Excellent wiring......beautiful sound"

"Wow ... a great little amp. Well put together and quality made. A+++"

"Great amp chassis for my Champ project. Highly recommend."

"Killer tone, quick turnaround!"

"great little amp, super helpful, great communication, fast shipping, many thanks"

"++++ Awesome Amp !!!! Very Happy with my Purchase !!!"

"Great amplifier, thank you!"

"Kept me updated and is very honest!"