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Thread: Restoring OLD Fender Champ help!

  1. #1
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    Restoring OLD Fender Champ help!

    I've got a '72 Champ...I'm stuck in the house because of Covid and I recently had cancer surgery, so I go nowhere but the doctor's office. I pulled out my very first amp. It's a '72 silverface Champ. It needs a lotta work. I've got all the parts I need coming. One thing I noticed though is, there is a bunch of white paint drops all over the Tolex. I've researched this. but I don't get any consensus for cleaning the paint spots off. Can it even be done? Any suggestions would be helpful!

  2. #2
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Restoring OLD Fender Champ help!

    Do you have any idea what type of paint it is? I'd use the mildest solution first and work my way up. Unfortunately, I don't know what's safe on Tolex.

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    Re: Restoring OLD Fender Champ help!

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    Do you have any idea what type of paint it is? I'd use the mildest solution first and work my way up. Unfortunately, I don't know what's safe on Tolex.
    The lightest I thought I might use is just plain old glass cleaner. Maybe let it set for a bit and go from there?

  4. #4
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: Restoring OLD Fender Champ help!

    I have no idea what I'm talking about, so my suggestion is worth every penny you paid for it. I've found that WD-40 does some surprising things!

    https://www.thespruce.com/household-...-wd-40-1814741

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    Re: Restoring OLD Fender Champ help!

    duly noted...thank you!!!

  6. #6
    Forum Member vinyl's Avatar
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    Re: Restoring OLD Fender Champ help!

    Quote Originally Posted by poppadukes View Post
    I've got a '72 Champ...I'm stuck in the house because of Covid and I recently had cancer surgery, so I go nowhere but the doctor's office. I pulled out my very first amp. It's a '72 silverface Champ. It needs a lotta work. I've got all the parts I need coming. One thing I noticed though is, there is a bunch of white paint drops all over the Tolex. I've researched this. but I don't get any consensus for cleaning the paint spots off. Can it even be done? Any suggestions would be helpful!
    Well, here's another opinion. First I would restore the amp electrically. (Filter caps, coupling caps, resistors, etc.) After that, cosmetic restoration, Tolex is a polyvinyl chloride polymer. I'm no chemist, but before I used a petrochemical (kerosene, Lacquer thinner, Lighter fluid, etc) I would try it on a a non visible area like in the back where the tolex overlaps.

    Things like Formula 409, Fantastic, or Windex do help in cleaning Tolex, but it ain't probably gonna remove paint.

    I guess my next question would be how much do you want to spend?

    You could buy a new cabinet, and get one that is better made than a '72, but then you have to deal with the speaker grill, which is glued in.

    You have a relatively nice "porch weasel". Do the paint spots on the "original" cabinet devalue it to the point that you need to do something about them?

    FWIW, I'm stuck in the house because of Covid-19 also, Radiation therapy, chemo, surgery, and more chemo. Hang in there and stay positive.

    Regards,
    Bill

  7. #7
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Restoring OLD Fender Champ help!

    Quote Originally Posted by vinyl View Post
    You have a relatively nice "porch weasel". Do the paint spots on the "original" cabinet devalue it to the point that you need to do something about them?
    I agree with this. If the paint is just spots, I'd consider leaving that history intact rather than doing anything other than cleaning to correct it.

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