repair help -- fix or toss?

[ginormous]

I bought a 1999 Fender Princeton 65, back in 1999. This is the production model number PR 403.

(net grab; equipboard [dot] com)

It's a solid state amp, but for $300 it's been a solid investment.
I swapped the factory 12" for an OEM Celestion. That made an amp with good cleans into a Dr. Banner/Hulk when I put some drive or distortion on it.

Of course, during a bar gig, it bit the big one. I had to finish the night direct from my pedal board into the PA.

Right now, it's sitting downstairs, some busted volume pots the likely culprit.

Is it worth rescuing, or should I grab something new?

 

[ginormous]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

You could get a nice modeling amp for that kind of money now.

That's a thought, but I'll have to hustle to get up to half that price now.

 

[Securb]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

How did you like going straight to the PA? Have you considered going straight to a powered speaker with the pedalboard? Cheap, loud and light.

 

[Mincer]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

This might depend on what could be wrong with it. How did it die? What sound was it making? I don't know if it is worth fixing unless you absolutely love the tone- you might be able to find a used one for the cost of the repair, or just look at another solution.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

Without knowing what's wrong and a estimation of repair cost
The value cannot be derived

But if it was serviceable for 20+ years
You may have gotten your money's worth out

By the same token
You owe it to the little guy to see what's wrong


Local shop here charges $50 bench fee up front and parts and labor come out of that
If it's simple

If not they will estimate repair

Couldn't hurt could it

You kinda like it right?

Modeling amp wont behave the same way with a distortion pedal
At least none of mine do

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

Those pots are surface mounted to the circuit board, correct? Very tough to repair, sometimes it's just not in the cards.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

It depends on the cost of the rescue and how much you like the amp.

Most amp techs I know have a bench charge (like ehdwuld says) for opening it up and taking a look. If it's a simple fix they do it for the bench charge, otherwise they qive you a quote. Depends if you like the amp enough to risk the bench charge.

Having said that, there are some great sounding cheap amps available these days - Boss Katana for example.

Or even a used Peavey Bandit. Those are always solid and do a nice Dr. Banner/Hulk.

 

[Mincer]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

It also might matter if parts are available. Lots of techs don't work on those- they just replace the board that has failed.

 

[Sprinter]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

If you like the amp, and it sounds like you do, then I say fix it.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

I don't like the idea of living in a highly disposable society, so I think it's worth fixing an amp -especially a solid state where there's usually no one component that fails thats very expensive to fix.

it may be a good opportunity to learn more about amps and fix it yourself too.

so I say fix it, even if you give it away to someone starting out or sell it.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

I don't like the idea of living in a highly disposable society, so I think it's worth fixing an amp -especially a solid state where there's usually no one component that fails thats very expensive to fix.

it may be a good opportunity to learn more about amps and fix it yourself too.

so I say fix it, even if you give it away to someone starting out or sell it.

I don't like living in a highly disposable society either . . . but it might also make sense to spend more money buying an amp that is designed to be easy to fix and repair for long term rather than try to keep an amp that was designed to be cheap to build and unfixable going. This is always a tricky call, with no clear right answer.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

I don't like living in a highly disposable society either . . . but it might also make sense to spend more money buying an amp that is designed to be easy to fix and repair for long term rather than try to keep an amp that was designed to be cheap to build and unfixable going. This is always a tricky call, with no clear right answer.

I usually use a legit failed amp as an excuse to buy something nicer immediately and give me time to fix it later, and then I usually fix the am and sell or give away.

I'm trying to think of a guitar amp I've owned that wasn't worth fixing.... maybe some little desktop ones.

 

[Jacew]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

Those pots are surface mounted to the circuit board, correct? Very tough to repair, sometimes it's just not in the cards.

I don't think I've ever seen an amp with surface mount pots. I have Mustang I, which is about cheapest amps Fender makes and that has usual cheapo trhu-hole pots & jacks.

Of course finding correct may be tricky, but you can always just wire whatever pots there with wires.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: repair help -- fix or toss?

I don't think I've ever seen an amp with surface mount pots. I have Mustang I, which is about cheapest amps Fender makes and that has usual cheapo trhu-hole pots & jacks.

Of course finding correct may be tricky, but you can always just wire whatever pots there with wires.

I have seen several cheaper amps with surface mount pots.