1954 Fender Champion Vintage Lap Steel Yellow Pearloid w/ Case & Original Pickup

Up for sale, a 1954 Fender Champion lap steel in exceptional condition and in perfect working order. 100% original save for a new pair of official Fender knurled knobs, this Champion retains its original flat-pole Tele-style pickup, delivering a soulful and snappy sound with plenty of chewy twang and sparkle on tap. Strung with 11-50 roundwound strings, the Champion has been a mainstay of gigging musicians and recording artists for decades. The headstock features a clean chrome plate embossed with the lightning bolt "Fender Electric Instruments" logo, along with a set of original Kluson Deluxe no-line tuners which retain their original functional, albeit shrunken, buttons. The metal playing surface overlay on the pearloid is also quite clean, with no notable wear. The wiring harness features untouched solder joints, with an original Astron "dynamite" tone cap and Stackpole pots which date to the 37th week of '54. A quite unusual bonus is an original signed and dated piece of masking tape inside the control cavity reading "Virginia, 11-15-54." The original pickup at the heart of this steel is becoming a real rarity in its own right, as many Champions have suffered the indignity of having their pickup repurposed for Telecaster restorations, as the pickup is sonically and structurally identical to early Teles and Broadcasters, save for a two-screw mounting plate. This particular Champion retains its original pickup with stock windings. The chrome-plated pickup cover and control plate are remarkably well-kept, and the four-digit serial number is stamped on the bridge base behind the saddle. The yellow pearloid wrap is vibrant and clean, showing only a few scuffs and minor chips in the yellow pearloid material on the body parameter, with a small amount of additional wear on the felt on the bottom of the steel. A vintage tweed hardshell case is included. While not the official Fender case for this model, this hardshell is a good fit and of the era, likely for a Gibson or National model steel, featuring racing stripes on the tweed exterior, functional latches, and a luggage-style handle.