Fender Champion Lap Steel Electric Guitar (1954)
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Fender Champion Model Lap Steel Electric Guitar (1954), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 7226, yellow pearloid finish, hardwood body, original tweed hard shell case.
This 1954 Champion is a fairly late example of Fender's "bread and butter" lap steel guitar from the first half of the 1950s. Although designed as a student instrument, the Champion Steel was -- and remains -- a great-sounding guitar fully suited to professional use then or now. The flashy plastic-covered symmetrical two-bout body has a chrome bridge and cover plate with dome-top knurled knobs. The serial number 7226 is stamped on the bridgeplate where the strings anchor through the body. The Original pickup, pots and wiring are intact; any date codes on the pots are soldered over but Gloria's masking tape signature indicates she wired this Champ up on May 10, 1954.
The metal fingerboard plate pinned to the body has black paint screening to outline fret positions. The headstock has metal facing with integral nut stamped with lighting bolt logo and "Fender Electric Instrument Co. Fullerton, California". In 1956 the Champion was re-designed with a new Musicmaster style pickup and lost much of its early character. Over the years many of these 1949-55 Champs have sacrificed their pickups and pots to provide the engine for vintage Telecaster recreations -- this one has fortunately avoided that fate. It remains as Gloria put it together, a fine-sounding steel guitar with a bright, singing tone and a genuine early 1950s Fender instrument at a relatively reasonable price!
Overall length is 29 3/4 in. (75.6 cm.), 7 1/2 in. (19 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 1/2 in. (572 mm.). Width of nut is 2 1/4 in. (57 mm.).
This is a nicely original Champion, showing some typical wear overall. The metal handrest and headstock show some small corrosion spots, while the metal fingerboard has some nicks and dings from being hit with the steel. The celluloid-covered body has light average wear, except at the base where the celluloid covering has partially flaked off a bit on the bottom edge.
The only alteration is new buttons on the Kluson strip tuners, replacing the disintegrated originals. The original pickup, knobs and electronics are fully intact and it sound fantastic; the trend of stripping the vintage Telecaster-style pickups out of these has accelerated recently leaving fewer and fewer intact and unaltered original examples. This wonderful sounding steel has been played over the decades but internally remains as it left Fullerton in 1954, and still rides in the worn but lovely original tweed hardshell case. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This 1954 Champion is a fairly late example of Fender's "bread and butter" lap steel guitar from the first half of the 1950s. Although designed as a student instrument, the Champion Steel was -- and remains -- a great-sounding guitar fully suited to professional use then or now. The flashy plastic-covered symmetrical two-bout body has a chrome bridge and cover plate with dome-top knurled knobs. The serial number 7226 is stamped on the bridgeplate where the strings anchor through the body. The Original pickup, pots and wiring are intact; any date codes on the pots are soldered over but Gloria's masking tape signature indicates she wired this Champ up on May 10, 1954.
The metal fingerboard plate pinned to the body has black paint screening to outline fret positions. The headstock has metal facing with integral nut stamped with lighting bolt logo and "Fender Electric Instrument Co. Fullerton, California". In 1956 the Champion was re-designed with a new Musicmaster style pickup and lost much of its early character. Over the years many of these 1949-55 Champs have sacrificed their pickups and pots to provide the engine for vintage Telecaster recreations -- this one has fortunately avoided that fate. It remains as Gloria put it together, a fine-sounding steel guitar with a bright, singing tone and a genuine early 1950s Fender instrument at a relatively reasonable price!
Overall length is 29 3/4 in. (75.6 cm.), 7 1/2 in. (19 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 22 1/2 in. (572 mm.). Width of nut is 2 1/4 in. (57 mm.).
This is a nicely original Champion, showing some typical wear overall. The metal handrest and headstock show some small corrosion spots, while the metal fingerboard has some nicks and dings from being hit with the steel. The celluloid-covered body has light average wear, except at the base where the celluloid covering has partially flaked off a bit on the bottom edge.
The only alteration is new buttons on the Kluson strip tuners, replacing the disintegrated originals. The original pickup, knobs and electronics are fully intact and it sound fantastic; the trend of stripping the vintage Telecaster-style pickups out of these has accelerated recently leaving fewer and fewer intact and unaltered original examples. This wonderful sounding steel has been played over the decades but internally remains as it left Fullerton in 1954, and still rides in the worn but lovely original tweed hardshell case. Overall Very Good + Condition.