COYS
Member
- Messages
- 5,723
So, we have these two contenders currently on offer from Fender.
Differences: (other than cosmetic)
The '65 seems to be MIA, the '68 Custom is MIM.
The '65 has a Jensen C10R speaker, the '68 Custom has a Celestion Ten 30 speaker.
The '65 has the traditional blackface circuit, while the '68 Custom has "modified tone circuitry for greater tonal flexibility with pedals, reduced negative feedback for greater touch sensitivity, and quicker overdrive onset."
I played a few of each of these and I ended up buying a the '68. I tried them between 0 and 5 on the volume dial sitting about 10 feet in front.
For me, I felt that:
-The '68 sounded a touch warmer - not worlds different, but enough to give what I felt was a more pleasing tone with both an LP and a Tele.
-I felt the '65 sounded kind of raspy in comparison, and it had a sharp edge to the tone particularly in the highs. That might be useful in some ways, but for me, it felt like this was something I was going to have to work to control if I got that one. The '68 just sounded fine with no attention.
-I went back and forth between the two for a half hour or so, and an older fellow came up behind me and said "Buy that one", pointing to the '68, explaining that he'd been listening to it all while over at the repair bench. I was already feeling that way, almost from the first touch.
-Reverb and Trem sounded good on both. Wouldn't favor one over another.
-I wanted to like the '65 better because it's MIA, I tried to like it better, I just didn't.
-At this shop, the '65 was $200 more.
So anyway, I'm the happy owner of a new '68 Custom Princeton. Anybody else a big fan of these?
Can't wait to hear what it sounds like after the speaker gets broken in, but it' really nice as-is. Fender got it right
Differences: (other than cosmetic)
The '65 seems to be MIA, the '68 Custom is MIM.
The '65 has a Jensen C10R speaker, the '68 Custom has a Celestion Ten 30 speaker.
The '65 has the traditional blackface circuit, while the '68 Custom has "modified tone circuitry for greater tonal flexibility with pedals, reduced negative feedback for greater touch sensitivity, and quicker overdrive onset."
I played a few of each of these and I ended up buying a the '68. I tried them between 0 and 5 on the volume dial sitting about 10 feet in front.
For me, I felt that:
-The '68 sounded a touch warmer - not worlds different, but enough to give what I felt was a more pleasing tone with both an LP and a Tele.
-I felt the '65 sounded kind of raspy in comparison, and it had a sharp edge to the tone particularly in the highs. That might be useful in some ways, but for me, it felt like this was something I was going to have to work to control if I got that one. The '68 just sounded fine with no attention.
-I went back and forth between the two for a half hour or so, and an older fellow came up behind me and said "Buy that one", pointing to the '68, explaining that he'd been listening to it all while over at the repair bench. I was already feeling that way, almost from the first touch.
-Reverb and Trem sounded good on both. Wouldn't favor one over another.
-I wanted to like the '65 better because it's MIA, I tried to like it better, I just didn't.
-At this shop, the '65 was $200 more.
So anyway, I'm the happy owner of a new '68 Custom Princeton. Anybody else a big fan of these?
Can't wait to hear what it sounds like after the speaker gets broken in, but it' really nice as-is. Fender got it right