Here’s a neat little tube amp from Fender, the 65 Princeton re-issue.
It is 15 watts through a 10″ Jensen speaker-two 6V6’s for tubes. It sounds real nice. Click here for sound clips.
The original Princeton’s are great for recording and I have no doubt that this re-issue would be as well. The reverb sings and it has the real deal vibrato, turn it up and it saturates, turn it down and it gets mellow.
Great practice amp, no doubt.
I’ve been doing a little thinking since we last talked amps here. Is a 15 watter like this enough to do a gig with? Here’s the thing, I strive to do two things, keep it simple and, be prepared for the worst case scenario. The worst case scenario often involves issues with the PA. Sometimes, there isn’t a free channel for the guitar so, you have to have enough power to ensure you are going to hear yourself on stage and pump out enough to be heard out front in that situation. Sometimes, the monitor mix isn’t going to give you quite enough or the sound guy sucks and you have to have enough power to ensure you are going to hear yourself on stage.
Right now, with TNH, we carry our own system and Allen is real good at getting the mix right. So, I would feel comfortable taking something like this Princeton, putting it on an amp stand so it’s pointed at an angle, putting the Sennheiser guitar mic. that I always carry on it and sticking a few select stomp boxes on the floor. It would be a must to run it back through the monitors and that’s the key. You got to get enough through the monitors to get your touch.
It would be a joy to carry around though.
Sweetwater has the list price at $899.99 but, they don’t have them in stock. The 15 watt Blues Junior goes for around five bills for comparison. I’m sure the Blues Junior has a printed circuit board and I’m guessing that the Princeton does not because, when they do these re-issues, they stay pretty faithful there. And, the vibrato on the Princeton is classic, if you are in to that sort of thing. Those little Jensen speakers, I’ve always liked them.
By the way, I found out about this amp by subscribing to Fender News by email. Pretty neat if you dig Fender stuff. Click here to sign up for that.
J wrote,
OK, what’s going on here; –is OPEC controlling the price of tubes now? $899.00 for a 15W tube amp? Are they nuts? I bought my used JCM 800 and cabinet and didn’t pay that much for it! Sheez!
Link | July 31st, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Pribek wrote,
I’m hearin’ ya’ loud and clear J. I once paid $300.00 for Tobacco Sunburst Les Paul just like Duane’s. err…hold on a sec…
Hey!
HEY!
YOU KIDS STAY AWAY FROM MY WINNEBAGO!
damn kids…
I just looked on eBay and JCM 800 heads (w/o the cab) are going for $1,200-2,200 used, depending on which one you have.
Link | July 31st, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Pribek wrote,
From OPEC’s eBay store
1965 Orig Fender Princeton Reverb
Buy It Now price: US $2,795.00
http://cgi.ebay.com/1965-Orig-Fender-Princeton-Reverb_W0QQitemZ260250083715QQihZ016QQcategoryZ10171QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247
Link | July 31st, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Kenski wrote,
I got somewhat excited by this… did the exchange rate and worked it out at £450, which is still a bit steep, but not too bad. Looked it up online and the price here is closer to £700 or $1400.
D’Oh!
Link | August 1st, 2008 at 6:00 am
Pribek wrote,
Wow Kenski, is that mark up in line with other Fender USA products?
One thing I noticed yesterday was, nobody has these in stock yet so, I wouldn’t be shocked if the price comes down some.
Link | August 1st, 2008 at 6:40 am
Kenski wrote,
With the exception of a mini guitar stand (!) I’ve only ever shopped for Fender in the US. Bought a nice tobacco burst ‘54 reissue Strat Plus, I guess in 95ish… sold it (moron). Nice guitar but I always wanted to go Gibson.
Lately I’ve been thinking I wouldn’t mind another Strat to round off the family, as it were…
Let’s see… a Fender strat runs around… Okay, so I get confused by all the versions, but musicians friend seems to say MSRP’s around $600, or £300. In the UK the same model seems to be around £700!
Now, I may be misinterpreting as there appear to be a million and one different versions of the Strat out there, but they’re both billed as Fender American Standard Strat.
At that mark-up I should just buy a couple next time I’m over and sell them in the UK to pay for the trip!
Link | August 1st, 2008 at 6:54 am
911 wrote,
SECURITY!!!! Calling Russell… Code 33… We have an Indian Summer Vermilion Alert… 10-12… approach with discretion… Code 8 at William-Ida-Nora-Nora-Edward-Boy-Alpha-George-Ocean… target protect Tobacco Sun in the camp… repeat Tobacco Sun in the camp…
Calling all Interpol… condition alert at Heathrow also… come back…
[Wow, Danny, it's going to be a busy day in amp fantasy land today. Hey, is that the Starship USS Enterprise Nc-1701-01 on your radar screen hovering over Jack Bald Road? oh my gosh... this is serious.]
Link | August 1st, 2008 at 8:22 am