Lightweight amp with reverb and tremolo?

[SealCove]

Another shout for Swart. AST or a STR-Tremolo. Used in either case, though I got my STR-Trem for under your budget new with a sale.

 

[blaster]

Princeton Reverb 65 RI. I just purchased one and it's turning out to be one of the best new amps I have purchased.

 

[mangoman]

Princeton reverb....otherwise, Swart AST or Carr Sportsman (Both used)

 

[Vibroluxman]

Vox ac 15 is nice too. If you like dirty cleans Princeton. If you want something oomphier, deluxe reverb with a lighter speaker and a pine cab.

 

[DRS]

DRRI

 

[amorica]

I’d almost prefer this to the 68 custom Princeton since the speaker is 12”

I just sold this same model Tweed PR from Sweetwater after about a year. Cool amp but didn't have a lot of highs at all, was missing that Fender Sparkle big time. I even play a Tele with low winds. I changed out the speaker with a Swamp Thang I already had (not that their known for highs) and wanted the clean headroom. It helped but still didn't sound like a Princeton. The Trem was killer, but the 68 PR is even better on the Trem. The 68 PR with a brighter speaker, even a Ragin Cajun is better IMO.
Its all in the speaker for the most part

 

[amorica]

Vox Pathfinder 15R!
For reals, probably not at all what you're looking for, but not a bad lil amp for that kind of thing.

I'll 2nd the PF 15R

 

[Atmospheric]

Vintage Sound 15. Don’t buy a PCB RI Fender without checking out VS first.

 

[Vibroluxman]

I forgot Ampeg’s reverberocket. One from the 60’s shouldn’t be terribly heavy. The reissue was a bit of a bear.

 

[griggsterr]

Quilter Micro pro.
I don't want the onboard stuff so I play Aviators.

 

[mikemjr12]

I'll second the Quilter Micro Pro Mach 2. Quilter also sells the Steelaire, which has trem and verb, but it's a bit pricey. Sweet tone controls though. Low and high mids in addition to treble and bass. Wish more amps had more options like that, but I digress.

 

[Always-Ben]

Vintage Sound 15. Don’t buy a PCB RI Fender without checking out VS first.

I like that they have additional reverb controls and bias trem vs optical.

 

[Vibroluxman]

I like that they have additional reverb controls and bias trem vs optical.

All Princeton reverb amps have bias tremolo

 

[Always-Ben]

All Princeton reverb amps have bias tremolo

They do? Great!

 

[jnovac1]

i miss my ampeg j12t ‘90’s reissue. 2 in stereo is pretty memorable!

 

[Vibroluxman]

They do? Great!

Yep. It was only the deluxe and higher that went opto. Honestly the trem on proncetons is pretty weak if you run a hot bias on your power tubes. Nowhere near as swampy as my gretsch made by Valco. I find the deluxe around an intensity of 5 is my PR on 10. However speed max and intensity maxed with the reverb set around 8 is pure surf lol. Sounds great.

 

[gplayer50]

At one time or another I’ve owned each of these amps with Reverb and Tremolo and here they are ranked from least favorite to favorite:

Swart AST
Goodsell 17 Mark IV
Louis Electric Columbia
Roland Blues Cube Artist
Quilter Micropro Mach 2
Vintage Sound 20
Ampeg Jet 12 RT
Princeton 65 RI
Princeton 68 RI
Quilter Steelaire ()

 

[jpervin]

At one time or another I’ve owned each of these amps with Reverb and Tremolo and here they are ranked from least favorite to favorite:

Swart AST
Goodsell 17 Mark IV
Louis Electric Columbia
Roland Blues Cube Artist
Quilter Micropro Mach 2
Vintage Sound 20
Ampeg Jet 12 RT
Princeton 65 RI
Princeton 68 RI
Quilter Steelaire ()

The Swart is your least favorite?

 

[nsnate02]

Surprised nobody mentioned the Roland JC22 or even the JC40

 

[gplayer50]

The Swart is your least favorite?

Unfortunately, yes. I tried one a couple different times. I found it way too boxy sounding and rather noisy. The Reverb was fair but seemed to have no good middle ground and I did not like the single tone knob given the amps basic tonal sound. I will admit that I liked the tremolo, but it could not make up for the other things I did not like.