In response to a steep decline in amplifier
sales in the late ’70s and early ’80s,
Fender restructured their amplifier design
team in 1982. Managed by Paul Rivera—of Rivera Amplification fame—the team
moved quickly in creating the II Series of
Fender Amps, which were produced until
1986. Often called “Rivera-era amps,” this
line included recognizable model names
like the Showman, Deluxe Reverb, and
Twin Reverb, as well as new models, like
the Studio Lead, London Reverb, and
Montreux. Each model sported one or
more modern upgrades, including master
volume controls, channel switching, active
tone controls, graphic equalizers, and effects
loops, among others.
The ’86 Super Champ Deluxe featured
here is one of the last examples of the modern
circuitry upgrades that were housed in
a more traditional package. With a nod to
the early days of Fender Tweed amplifiers,
the Super Champ Deluxe amps came with a
natural oak cabinet and brown grille cloth.
Two 6V6GTs pumped 18 watts of power
into a 10" speaker, while a Master Volume
knob controlled the overall output volume.
Pulling out the Volume knob, or hitting a
button on the optional footswitch, engaged
a mid-gain lead channel, re-routing extra
gain from the 12AT7 tube driving the
reverb on the clean channel. A second Lead
Level knob controlled output for this lead
channel. If the player needed some extra
cutting power, a tug on the Treble control
resulted in a strong midrange boost.
Thanks to Glenn Weatherford for listing
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