2009 Princeton's: Your opinions

[NashVox]

Now that I have sold my Metropolitan, I am looking for something less expensive to travel around with. A grab and go amp. Looking for that classic Fender clean. Deluxe's probably have to much juice, so I thought Princeton or Blues Jr. This will compliment my Matchless Spitfire.

Are the Re-Issues any good? Do I need to look at the Mid 60's or perhaps a Headstrong or will a modern Fender cut it?

Your opinions and experience would be appreciated! Thanks!

[jmp]

I just picked up a new reissue earlier this week. I was also considering a Headstrong Lil' King (with 10" speaker), but the local Fender dealer made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

I'm sure some will disagree, but I think the new reissue is very close to the sound of the originals. I used to own a well-maintained original '64, and also an Allen Sweet Spot 1x10" combo. I don't have the '64 anymore to do a side-by-side comparison, but the sound and feel of this reissue definitely takes me back to my Princeton days, much more so than the Sweet Spot ever did. The Sweet Spot is a great hot-rodded Princeton with beefed up transformers, modified phase inverter, increased filter supply, etc., and therefore responds more like one of the larger Blackface amps with a tighter feel and less "sag" in the notes. I really like that extra sag of the stock Princeton circuit.

My reissue does not have the speaker baffle rattle/buzz that many complained about early on. The speaker is a reissue of the Jensen C10R, which is what was in my '64 (verified this from photos). The speaker was bright and stiff at first, but as I play it more and more the high end seems to be smoothing out some and the bass is really opening up. Many people like to experiment with speakers in these, but I think I will keep the stock speaker in for now.

The stock tubes are decent (Sovtek, EH 6V6, Ruby GZ34), but I will probably put a set of the Tung Sol reissue 6V6s in it.

Yes, it bothers me sometimes to think that inside the chassis are a bunch of PCBs and ribbon cables, but then I hit some riffs from "Tin Pan Alley" with the verb on about 3 and it sounds so darn good that I tend to forget all about that stuff. The cabinet is plywood with an MDF baffle (like many of the Silverface amps were). I would have preferred pine with a plywood baffle like the originals, but I don't think the cabinet construction is as integral to the tone on these like it is on the earlier Tweed amps.

All-in-all I am happy for now. It sounds like a real Blackface Princeton Reverb. Time will tell if the gear snob in me will feel compelled to splurge for the Headstrong replica, but if so it won't be because I'm looking for better tone so much as the boutique construction.

-Mike

[princetonreverb]

I have jammed on the reissue- pretty dang good sounds. Shop craigslist. I picked up a blackfaced (inside and out) princeton with a 12" red white and blues for super cheap locally. Would not look back. Sounds glorious.

[monkmiles]

I just got one and like it alot. I had some a rattle on loud volumes. It turned out to be the top of the baffle against the bottom of the chasis. Put some felt in between seemes to have stopped the rattle.

I put a 5751 in the v1 spot and right now have a Jensen Neo in it and think it sounds sweet. I'm thinking about getting a new baffle to put a 12" speaker in though.

Anyways, I think they sound great.