Brownface Fenders?

[TheProphet]

I've been looking around for an old Princeton (something 6V6 based that's apartment friendly) for some good tones at reasonable volumes (more on the vintage style tones)

From what I've heard the Brownfaces are more Tweedy in character.

What worries me is that since I rarely hear people talk about them (Brownface Princetons), do they have bad tone? are they unreliable?

Just curious

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

I've been looking around for an old Princeton (something 6V6 based that's apartment friendly) for some good tones at reasonable volumes (more on the vintage style tones)

From what I've heard the Brownfaces are more Tweedy in character.

What worries me is that since I rarely hear people talk about them (Brownface Princetons), do they have bad tone? are they unreliable?

Just curious

They sound good and are relialble. They are also pretty hard to find.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

No...just very rare and usually very expensive.

 

[TheProphet]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

Hmmm very interesting thanks folks

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

What worries me is that since I rarely hear people talk about them (Brownface Princetons), do they have bad tone? are they unreliable?

This may be completely out of line, but when you're dealing with something rare and potentially valuable- I believe, at this time, it would be a bad idea for you to get a vintage amplifier if you don't know thing one about it.

I know a repair dude who had a customer bring in a rare, valuable and highly coveted amp. The customer had a good idea of what that amp was when he bought it. He read about a mod on the intarweb. Dude installed the mod and completely totalled the amp. There was nothing my repair friend dude could do- there were no parts for the amp available anymore, the entire thing was toasted. So now the customer dude sits at home with his completely blown up formerly cool, formerly valuable and now increasingly rare non-working amp that will never work again that's worth next to nothing.

I'm not saying that you'd do something like that, just that if you don't know what it is, you probably won't appreciate it for what it is.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

^ agreed

also try out a deluxe reverb. Yes it's new but i bet it'll suprise you. And also keep in mind that you can use jj 6v6's in most 6l6 amps

 

[jeremy]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

the brown amps are great!! ive played brown supers and deluxes and i really like the tone. kinda tweedy but with a touch less mids.
a princeton would be a cool amp for an apt, the dlx might be a little much

 

[ES350]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

The brownface stuff has a great tone that is a little fatter and more aggressive than the BF era...as compared to their tweed counterparts, they are cleaner and louder (more fixed bias circuits and long tail PI's), pretty high plate voltages, different transformers, stiffer rectifers, ceramic magnet speakers...they were a relative bargain for vintage Fenders until about 4 or 5 years ago. Highly recommended...the Princeton and the Deluxe are killer recording amps.

 

[TheProphet]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

a princeton would be a cool amp for an apt, the dlx might be a little much

I've been trying out the DRRI for while. Great amp, but in terms of an apartment setting it's a little too much. (plus considering how hard it is to get into a good apartment here, don't want to piss anyone off)

This may be completely out of line, but when you're dealing with something rare and potentially valuable- I believe, at this time, it would be a bad idea for you to get a vintage amplifier if you don't know thing one about it.

Good advice and much appreciated.

Albeit I do know a little bit concerning Princetons, it's the Brownface era that I know next to nothing about.

In regards to the amp, it appears to be a '64 that was made to Brownface specs (the amp itself has blackface cosmetics but with the white knobs).

Are there any manufacturers making Princeton clones these days then would be the operative question? (I've never really enjoyed the feel and sound of EL84 based amps)

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

You may have trouble finding a tube NMV amp that gets good tones at an apartment friendly level. I'm sure my old BF Champ would have gotten me kicked out of apartments.

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

there's a 1961 Brownface Princeton sitting in a guitar shop about an hour from me..taunting me...for $750....*taunt* *taunt*...*sigh*

 

[TheProphet]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

You may have trouble finding a tube NMV amp that gets good tones at an apartment friendly level. I'm sure my old BF Champ would have gotten me kicked out of apartments.

Thus my dilema

Any suggestions?

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

Thus my dilema
Any suggestions?

What are you really looking for...do you want a brownface Fender or do you want an APT amp...the smallest tube Fender is a champ and even a Champ is too loud for an apartment...

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

I really can't tell you.

However, I can tell you there are many more options at getting a good, pleasing sound at 'bedroom' levels than there were 10-15-20 years ago...

 

[TheProphet]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

What are you really looking for...do you want a brownface Fender or do you want an APT amp...the smallest tube Fender is a champ and even a Champ is too loud for an apartment...

I'm looking for a 6V6 Fender based amp that would work for apartment living. I guess I kind of feel a little stupid now.

In regard to why I was asking about a Brownface, it was because I could get a deal on a Princeton that was a Brownface (I was merely trying to get a history)

EDIT I did find this from looking around

Are you talking about an old tweed, blackface or silverface Princeton? The tweed versions are similar to a Fender Champ but with the addition of a tone control. Not alot of output, but a cool "play at home" amp.

Great little amp! Gets pretty farty when you crank it up but gets a great overdriven tone at low volumes. Sounds like a little Marshall.

Any thoughts? (Low volume for a house?)

 

[jeremy]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

i think a champ with an ineffiecent speaker would be great. i use a musicmaster bass amp that i turned into a champ in my apt. i can run it about halfway up and not be too loud but still get great tone. the speaker has the smallest magnet ive seen on a 12" and is pretty piss poor but works for the apt.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

Personally, I'm starting to feel that for apartment levels a player might be happier with a modeling amp like one of the Line 6 Spiders. Seymour even uses one! It's just so hard to get a good overdriven tone at neighbor friendly volumes with any non-master volume tube amp...even a Fender Champ is to loud if you're trying to keep your neighbors from being disturbed.

As for Brownface Fenders, I've owned Concerts and still have my old '62 brown Deluxe. To me they have a tone that's a little growlier or sassier than a blackface Fender. More mids than a blackface and maybe less mids than a tweed.

Depends on the amp and speakers though...

Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

I'm looking for a 6V6 Fender based amp that would work for apartment living. I guess I kind of feel a little stupid now.
In regard to why I was asking about a Brownface, it was because I could get a deal on a Princeton that was a Brownface (I was merely trying to get a history)
EDIT I did find this from looking around
Any thoughts? (Low volume for a house?)

no need to feel stupid but keep this in mind...overdrive at low volumes and over drive in an apartment are 2 very different things. In an APT a modelermight be a good idea or something very low wattage (like a Champ or smaller) and an attenuator but taking even a Champ (3 watts) and craning it up is gonna be a little on the loud side in an apartment...

 

[TheProphet]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

Yeah right now I'm using a Flextone II, but it has a unfortunate tendancy to get a little muddy at lower volumes even when you fiddle with the Speaker models. I may re-cab it using a new speaker and better wood.

But I'm most likely picking up a Fuchs Black Jack 21 for playing live (mostly small venues here). I was hoping for something similar and quieter for home, but maybe I'll just grab one of the new Fuchs attenuators at the same time.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Brownface Fenders?

a new speaker will do that flextone a world of good and an attenuator will do your volume a world of good in an apartment...Im in the same boat...and I need to get an attenuator!