Fender Champion Model Lap Steel Electric Guitar (1955), made in Fullerton, California, yellow pearloid finish, hardwood body, metal fingerboard, original tweed hard shell case.
A very fine example of Fender's "bread and butter" lap steel guitar from the 1950's. Although designed as a student instrument, the Champion Steel is a great-sounding guitar fully suited to professional use then or now, with a Telecaster-style flat pole pickup fully equivalent in sound to the legendary 1950's Teles. The plastic-covered symmetrical two-bout body has a chrome bridge and cover plates with dome-top knurled knobs. The serial number "9194" is stamped on the bridgeplate where the strings anchor through the body. The metal fingerboard platepinned to the body has black paint screening to outline fret positions.
The headstock has metal facing with integral nut and Kluson strip tuners with white plastic buttons. The peghead is stamped with lightning bolt logo and "Fender Electric Instrument Co. Fullerton, California". Inside the control cavity under the original wiring is a piece of masking tape with "Mary 8-17-55" written in, a touching reminder of the hard-working folks who built these now-historic instruments. Nice examples of the Champ are increasingly harder to find; many have been sacrificed over the years to provide electric components for Telecaster recreations. This is a great guitar for playing or collecting.
Overall length is 30 in. (76.2 cm.), 7 1/2 in. (19 cm.) width, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth at side. Scale length is 22 1/4 in. (565 mm.). Width of nut is 2 1/4 in. (57 mm.).
All original components except replaced tuner buttons; very little wear. Flocking on underside is partially lost, as is very common with this model. A really nice example with a lovely original tweed hard case. Excellent + Condition.
