Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

The PR II and a PR have very little in common besides a Fender badge and the name Princeton...

I'm not saying one is better or worse just 2 very different amps.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

yeh. i reckon so too. Ive come to the conclusion after 30 years of playing that the simpler the circuit, the richer the sound. Still, im keen to hear what glassman says about ideas for how i can improve the amp i have cos im no amp guru.

Sorry to the OP for hijacking the thread btw. Here is a link for you to look at:
http://store.marshamps.com/product_...ducts_id=41&osCsid=7k0gti68rod1sjovep8ma7nlk3

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

I've owned a couple of those Rivera era Fenders. Didn't love them. Just not very lively feeling amps. From what I've read they were not designed by Paul Rivera. Paul had Ed Jahns design them and Ed, from what I've read, was an aerospace engineer and not a musician who understood why guitarists like a certain kind of distortion and what made for pleasing and useful guitar distortion vs. just plain old distortion. To me those amps are a little dry and lifeless. The tone doesn't "bloom".

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

Not saying I'm going to do this, but I found this article on turning a Princeton Reverb RI into a hand wired amp enlightening: http://www.300guitars.com/2012/01/fender-princeton-reverb-reissue-gets-hand-wired/

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

I've owned a couple of those Rivera era Fenders. Didn't love them. Just not very lively feeling amps. From what I've read they were not designed by Paul Rivera. Paul had Ed Jahns design them and Ed, from what I've read, was an aerospace engineer and not a musician who understood why guitarists like a certain kind of distortion and what made for pleasing and useful guitar distortion vs. just plain old distortion. To me those amps are a little dry and lifeless. The tone doesn't "bloom".

I think a lot of that has to do with the speakers they were using at the time...my friend has a Deluxe Reverb ll loaded with an EV 12", and it sings so well that the times I've used it live, I've actually forgotten to turn on my OD pedals, and still had killer tone.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

I don't want to gig with my old Fenders anymore. I don't want to beat them up. I have a couple of nice blackface Deluxe Reverbs and one blackface Princeton Reverb. I have a Celestion 12 in each of them, even the Princeton Reverb.

The Princeton Reverb, after my brother Bruce at Mission Amps did an extensive circuit tweek and replaced the removable baffle with one that can hold a 12" speaker, is my favorite. It might be my favorite amp I've ever owned!

I want to hang onto the few amps I have left and I'm thinking of selling something else in my now small collection (like one of my 1936 Rickenbacker lap steels...I have two) and purchasing two newer, but used, amps to gig with.

I was thinking of a pair of Pro Juniors but now I'm think of a pair of used Princeton Reverbs. I've seen them used for $500 or so.

My brother, Bruce, doesn't think much of the quality and potential endurance of the reissue Fenders but I'm thinking I could eventually put a handwired circuit board in them and convert them to a 12" speaker.

Or not. Jeff Beck sure sounds full and powerful playing through a pair of 10's and I like playing through two 10's too

For certain, I'd ask Bruce to redesign the circuit of the reissue Princeton Reverbs the way he did my old one.

Is the baffle board removable in the reissue the way it is in the 60's version?

Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

Wait, so Bruce is your brother? That dude is awesome! I built one of his 5E3's and his support was amazing!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

Wait, so Bruce is your brother? That dude is awesome! I built one of his 5E3's and his support was amazing!

Right. Bruce Collins is my brother and owner and designer of Mission Amps. He's also one of the most in demand blues drummers around and gigs 3 or 4 nights a week in the Denver/Boulder area with Mojoville, his regular band, as well as guys like harmonica virtuoso Dan Treanor. Bruce still repairs amps but he's made a name for himself building killer sound harmonica amplifiers. He's got one based on the 3 x 10 Fender tweed Bandmaster that he wants me to build the cabinets for. I would if I still had my own wood shop. I still have the tools - just don't have the space.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

Ouch! The truth hurts sometimes.

Lew I've been gigging out for years (since 89) with my 66 Pro Reverb...I Love the amp,I do baby it as much as possible,but I can't play through any other amp cause I Love this one so much...I say play em and enjoy em buddy! Nothing better than the real thing baby! ;o)

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

Right. Bruce Collins is my brother and owner and designer of Mission Amps. He's also one of the most in demand blues drummers around and gigs 3 or 4 nights a week in the Denver/Boulder area with Mojoville, his regular band, as well as guys like harmonica virtuoso Dan Treanor. Bruce still repairs amps but he's made a name for himself building killer sound harmonica amplifiers. He's got one based on the 3 x 10 Fender tweed Bandmaster that he wants me to build the cabinets for. I would if I still had my own wood shop. I still have the tools - just don't have the space.

Neat! I wish he'd offer a 5F1 kit. I'd buy that in a second.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

Neat! I wish he'd offer a 5F1 kit. I'd buy that in a second.

A Champ? He has built plenty of Champs. I don't know about a kit. The Deluxe is so much more popular and the Champ might cost as much as the Deluxe. The problem is that in order to keep the cost down Bruce has to order things in multiples. Like a dozen identical chassis's and a dozen identical tweed cabinets.

My own favorite little Fender is this one that I used to take lessons on at Hewitt's music in Dearborn, Michigan in the 1960's. It's a hybrid: a tweed Princeton chassis in a tweed Harvard cabinet with one 10" speaker. That 10" speaker really kicks! I put a Weber P10RT in it after I went back to Michigan and bought it from the store I used to take lessons at when I was in high school.

The Princeton, in this case, is identical to the tweed Champ except it has a tone control and the original tweed Champs only had a volume control. The 50's Princetons, are nothing like the blackface Princeton Reverb Amp of course. Totally different animal.

That's my #2 Strat, which is actually my favorite Strat, and my Verbzilla sitting on top.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

The kit I'd really like would be a tweed Harvard. I've always wanted the classic Steve Cropper amp.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

The kit I'd really like would be a tweed Harvard. I've always wanted the classic Steve Cropper amp.

Me too. Big Steve Cropper fan here. My Harvard/Princeton is the closest I've gotten.

 

[glassman]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

The PR II and a PR have very little in common besides a Fender badge and the name Princeton...

I'm not saying one is better or worse just 2 very different amps.

I have to disagree. The signal path of both amps, minus the II's boosts, are very, very similar. The power supplies, though very different in form, are nearly identical in function.

yeh. i reckon so too. Ive come to the conclusion after 30 years of playing that the simpler the circuit, the richer the sound. Still, im keen to hear what glassman says about ideas for how i can improve the amp i have cos im no amp guru.

Sorry to the OP for hijacking the thread btw. Here is a link for you to look at:
http://store.marshamps.com/product_...ducts_id=41&osCsid=7k0gti68rod1sjovep8ma7nlk3

Send me a private message about what you want to change...we'll figure out a path forward.

I've owned a couple of those Rivera era Fenders. Didn't love them. Just not very lively feeling amps. From what I've read they were not designed by Paul Rivera. Paul had Ed Jahns design them and Ed, from what I've read, was an aerospace engineer and not a musician who understood why guitarists like a certain kind of distortion and what made for pleasing and useful guitar distortion vs. just plain old distortion. To me those amps are a little dry and lifeless. The tone doesn't "bloom".

Lew...I agree. I pretty much dislike all of the Rivera era Fenders for just the reason you state. The PR II is different though; almost as if it had a different designer.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

I have to disagree. The signal path of both amps, minus the II's boosts, are very, very similar. The power supplies, though very different in form, are nearly identical in function.

Send me a private message about what you want to change...we'll figure out a path forward.

Lew...I agree. I pretty much dislike all of the Rivera era Fenders for just the reason you state. The PR II is different though; almost as if it had a different designer.

Signal path aside they are different amps...there are a lot of things they are the same but there are also a lot of things that are different, most importantly the tone...PR II's just don't sound like PR's.

As for the designer Paul Rivera has said more than once that he didn't design any of those later blackface Fender amps...PR II, Champ II, Super Champ, etc...

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Princeton Reverb Amp Reissue

My opinion is to play the coolest amps you can, and then use Tuki padded covers.

They add no weight or size, and keep things safe. You simply pull them off, and toss them behind the amp.

I've kept my nice amps looking new with Tuki padded covers. I'd only suggest HD road cases for people who use roadies and cartage companies.


By the way, I've noticed that 90's boutique guy Allesandro had been selling redone Fender Reissues with PtoP board kits installed. Good idea for him. He basically tacks on $500 to whatever amp it is.