Did Fender make a black Champ lap steel?

[Ron Victoria]

I see a black Champ on ebay and was wondering if it might have been a special order or just refinished?

ron

[Mike Clark]

Apparently Fender did make a blackface Champ in the 60s. There are pictures of one at http://ampwares.com/ffg/

[Papa Joe Pollick]

Sure did.I have one. PJ

[Keith Cordell]

I think we're referring to the Champ lap steel.

[Todd Weger]

I think we're referring to the Champ lap steel.

Yeah, I think Ron is referring to a lapsteel, and not the Champ amplifier. I've seen a black Champ lapsteel before, but I don't know if the black paint was factory, or a refin. Looked nice, though.

TJW

[Rick Alexander]

The pics are not the clearest, but it looks like a refin.
I was pretty sure Fender didn't make black Champs, but I called the Tweed Knight himself and asked him.
He said Champs didn't come in black.

[Doug Beaumier]

According to George Gruhn's Guide, some Champs came with a black or white finish between 1976 and 1980. The same finishes are listed for the Stringmaster and the Deluxe from '76 to '80.

The one on eBay could very well be an original factory black finish. The seller thinks the guitar is from 1961, but he is wrong, for a couple of reasons. The tuners are post-1968. The case is post-1963. The serial number is fairly high. In my opinion, this is a very nice, all original late 70s Champ.

If it is an older one with a refinish, the tuners would be newer replacements, and the case would most likely be a replacement. Anything's possible.

[Rick Alexander]

Well, there's only one way to really know for sure.
Ron - you better pay the $839 and win the auction so you can really scrutinize it.
Remember when Champs went for about $300 - $400? That was only a couple of years ago . .

[Jody Carver]

Doug,Rick and myself dicussed this, according to my knowledge and to the catalogues and price lists, there was never an option for a black champ steel. My tenure with Fender was from 1950 until my resignation in 1995 to join Leo Fender and Musicman. I see no way
that this guitar in question is original or a special order instrument. I hope this helps. I have been wrong before, at any rate, this is what the Fender bible says, There were Stringmasters made up in Olympic White and Black. Doug and Rick and Ron, however one of the factory workers in his or her spare time may have had some black paint from Sherwin Williams and someone may have refinished it black, but highly impossible.

Thanx

[Doug Beaumier]

Thanks Jody, You’re the man! It’s very possible that Gruhn’s Guide is wrong about this. They may be assuming that all of the late 70’s Fender non-pedal steels were available in black, just because Stringmasters were.

[Paul Warnik]

I remember when I had at least 4 of them-never paid more than $100 for one usually with tweed cases

[Doug Beaumier]

My first lap steel was a Champ. I got it for free, and two years later I sold it for $40. How times have changed.

[Rick Alexander]

Yeah, that's what we get for promoting Steel Guitar - increased demand and rising prices.