The Victoria version costs £909 at Charlie Chandlers - so an equivalent is not cheaper.
Looking at the pic of the chassis it looks like it is turret board and that they are using a hybrid of authentic and modern parts (and a yuccky IC cap - those thing break down sooo fast! - Xicons or Nichicons all the way!).
Difficulty for Fender as opposed to custom builders is that they have to produce a product that complies with all International coventions on electrical compliance in order to sell their stuff worldwide - and a alot of 'authentic' guitar electronics theories spouted by 'booteek' experts is all hoodoo bollocks anyway (like those who put carbon comp resistors in TS9's for 'brown' sound - its brown because its all a pile of shite).
But I can't help thinking that Fender could have got the excellent guys at their Mexico factory to build it for the price of a Blues Junior - I think that would have made more sense for something as simple as a Champ (although given the often irrational gear snobbery common on the BKP boards, we would probably be discussing that instead!)
