Got my SF Princeton Reverb back - awesome!

[JedimasterPaul]

A month or two ago I posted about a 1979 Princeton Reverb I bought from a coworker, for $200.

It wasn't working, was missing a lot of tubes.

I took it to a shop where we popped in some replacement tubes, and found out that this amp was working fine - it was just in need of some TLC - cleaning, pots, etc

I got it back this evening and it sounds great! I did replace the stock speaker with a Weber 10F150T - made a big difference. The stock speaker feels like a toy in comparison - it's magnet is much lighter.

other than the speaker, I have left this amp untouched for now. I am planning on getting the Torres bias mod installed, but that is about it.

Tomorrow when I get home from work I should have a chance to crank it.

[buckkillr8]

Congrats. Mine's a '74 that I got from a friend for $120 a few years back. Non-working before taking it to my tech. I also replaced the speaker with the 10F150T.:aok

[soldersucker]

Congrats! if you are at all tech inclined here's how to add that bias pot for 1.00 in parts.http://www.el34world.com/charts/Biascircuits.htm

[FFTT]

Sweet score and a very smart buy.

[JedimasterPaul]

Had a chance to play it a bit more this evening. It definitely seems loud for its size. But ut has that nice fat clean sound I like. I play a P-90 equipped SG.

I did crank it into overdrive this evening and thought that sounded great as well - not overly harsh. Not as smooth as my 1974x, but that's not why I got this amp.

Gonna take it to practice Wed so I can play it at higher volumes.

[JS335]

I love my 79 PR. I played it next to a friend's 72 SF PR and it sounded louder than his. That's with the pull-boost not engaged. Just louder. Great amp for clean.

[CitizenCain]

Had a chance to play it a bit more this evening. It definitely seems loud for its size. But ut has that nice fat clean sound I like. I play a P-90 equipped SG.

Do the Princetons have a little fatter sound than something like a Deluxe or Vibrolux? I love that clean Fender sparkle, but it can get a bit thin at times. Seems like a Princeton is the ticket.

[JedimasterPaul]

Not sure. I used to have a DRRI, but that amp seemed to have a 'harder' clean sound to me. The clean sound on this one seems 'rounder', it that means anything.

I tried my Lunar Module into the amp, and it sounded fantastic - not buzzy like dirt boxes did into the reverb channel on my DRRI.

I tried the pull boost, but I didn't like it.

[69mojostrat]

dont do anything Torres to that amp!

[henry_lee]

dont do anything Torres to that amp!

+1!!!

I recently sold a Silverface Deluxe Reverb that the
previous owner had "Blackfaced" by Torres. I couldn't help
but think it was a liability in selling the amp. While it
was a GREAT amp, I was relieved the new owner didn't
care / had no idea wtf blackface mods were.

I was just happy to get it out the door. They're great amps
as they are, no reason to mess with 'em really!

On a side note, I replaced the SFDR with a '66 BFPR and
could not be happier. A nice little compadre to my '67 Vibrolux Reverb.
Very similar tone in a nice, compact size.

Congrats on the amp. Princetons rule! :JAM

[JedimasterPaul]

The only mod I was getting was the Bias pot installed.

I took it to practice tonight. This is one loud little amp. Very loud for its size in my opinion. The tone is fantastic.

I got my 1974x back from the shop last night, so I was able to do a little comparisoin between those two. I defnitely like the tremelo better on the Princeton - it is much, much smoother. Of course the Marshall wins the 'overdriven amp' contest, but the overdrive on this particular Princeton sounds farily smooth. It is defnitely not harsh or buzzy.

The cleans on the Marshall were 'harder' compared to the Princeton. It also seemed like it had more taper on the volume knob at lower levels.

Which brings me to my one gripe with the Princeton Reverb - the volume knob. Maybe it just needs to be replaced - the tech I had looking at it (basically for free) simoply cleaned the amp up for me, and cleaned that pot (it was very scratchy).

It has a tiny bit of 'play' in it near 1 where you get no sound, then you get sound.

If I were to eventually get that pot replaced, is it a big deal to just get the boost circuit removed at the same time, and have the tech put in wehatever volume pot goes in a non-pull-boost PR? I don't care for it.

[smolder]

they are very different overdrives no? One crunch... the other more compressed?

[JedimasterPaul]

Definitely different of course, I didn't really mean to compare them. I was surprised the overdrive on the PR sounded as good as it did.

[bgoez]

dont do anything Torres to that amp!

totally agree

[TravisE]

totally agree

+1! Caps, cord, speaker, and tubes. If all of those are good, there's nothing else that a Princeton Reverb needs.