Fender Champion Model Lap Steel Electric Guitar (1954), made in Fullerton, California, yellow pearloid finish, hardwood body.
A good player's example of Fender's "bread and butter" lap steel guitar from the first half of the 1950's. Although designed as a student instrument, the Champion Steel is a great-sounding guitar well suited to professional use then or now, with a Broadcaster style flat pole pickup fully equivalent in sound to the legendary 1950's "Blackguard" Teles. The flashy plastic-covered symmetrical two-bout body has a chrome bridge and cover plates with dome-top knurled knobs. The serial number "7066" is stamped on the bridgeplate where the strings anchor through the body. The metal fingerboard plate pinned to the body has black paint screening to outline fret positions.
The headstock has metal facing with integral nut and Kluson Deluxe strip tuners. The peghead is stamped with lighting bolt logo and "Fender Electric Instrument Co. Fullerton, California". All screws are Phillips-head, typical of 1954 Fender production�the pots but undated. A year or so later the Champ design was altered to a less well regarded design with a smaller plastic-covered pickup that is cleaner and much tamer sounding. Nice examples of the original style Champ are increasingly harder to find; many have been sacrificed over the years to provide electric components for Telecaster recreations. This is a very cool steel guitar for playing or collecting, a nice 60 year old Fender instrument at a 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.). A nice example with some small very dings and pits to the metal fingerboard; there are small position numbers scratched on the treble side of the fingerboard-you have to look closely to really notice. Otherwise the guitar is quite clean overall with only minor play wear, some scuffing to the chrome and a few edge dings into the covering. All original except for replaced tuners-now older Kluson strips but with metal buttons and without the safe-ti-slot string posts. The electronics are completely and unmolested including the (great sounding) original pickup and wiring..a real screamer when cranked. Excellent - Condition.
