Princeton Reverb ri first report

[boobtube21]

I can't recall the last time I saw a healthy PR for $800

Here's a few Neo:

http://search-completed.ebay.com/Fen...fisZ2QQfromZR2

Marcondo was right on as usual.

[NeoFauve]

Yeah, but almost anytime someone buys an amp on ebay, standard procedure is new caps, tubes, maybe replace the speaker.
Unless you're doing the work yourself and are one of those who has speakers on hand from other projects, it winds up pretty close to $800 anyway.

Here's a brand spankin' new PtoP BF option:
http://cgi.ebay.com/AA1164-Princeton...QQcmdZViewItem

(no affiliation)

[NTBluesGuitar]

I've got a Marsh repro BFVV faceplate and chassis. It's quality stuff.

[stratcat55]

Now that's worth $950. At least it's not some mass produced pcb garbage. Mike will sell you the completed chassis for $790.
What no Groove Tubes?

[NeoFauve]

At least it's not some mass produced pcb garbage.

You mean, like a DRRI?

[Wilko]

You mean, like a DRRI?

not worth the CB it's P'd on.

[stratcat55]

There's nothing wrong with the way DRRI sounds, I just don't like pcb's in tube amps period. They suck to service and yep they are mass produced overpriced garbage just like everything else made today. TV's microwaves, dvd players you name it. I used give electronic stuff away when I got tired of it, now I have to pitch it because it's either obsolete in a year or two or it's just not worth fixing.
A musician friend of mine said if pcb's were around in the early 60's Leo Fender would have used them. They were around back then and he still didn't use em.
Sorry, I'm getting down off my soapbox now. I apologize in advance if I offended anyone. I'm a geezer and miss the old stuff. I like stuff made in America by American Workers.

[CocoTone]

Will probably be a great recording amp. I 'd buy one.

CT.

[BigDa]

I'm from Australia and it makes me cry when I see the vintage Fender amps you guys have access to and the prices you can get them for. Over here there's very few in circulation, and when they do come up they change hands at very high prices. They're just not an option for a guy like me. Even new amps are twice the price here.

Because a guy needs a Fender amp in his quiver I've been looking at the DRRI's for a while. They're on the shop floor here for about AUD$2,300 but can be had for about $1,700 if you're prepared to haggle hard. Anyway, I went to my local today to have another play of the DRRI and I saw they had a new PRRI on the floor. Looking at the price I couldn't understand why anyone would pay $200 more for 7 watts and two inches less. It just didn't make sense. So why did I walk out of the shop with one?

I played it for about half an hour and I was very impressed with the shimmering tone and the strong, silky bass. Then I plugged into the DRRI expecting to immediately hear the benefits of the big 12-incher pushing the air around, but to my surprise it sounded comparitively flat! I tweaked and fiddled but I just could not get the same quality of sound from the DRRI.

I'd read a bit about the PRRI but I wasn't in a hurry to step back to a 10' speaker so I'd basically written it off. I'd gone from a Laney LC15R (10' Eminence) to a Cornford Harlequin (Celestion Vintage 30) and the idea of a 10' just didn't rattle my cage. How wrong I was. The PRRI is the best amp I've played in a long, long time. It kills me to say it, but it makes my Cornford Harly sound boxy. The PRRI is just so open and chimey. The only other amp I've played that comes close is a late 50s Tremolux that a mate of mine owns. And that thing is so noisy and temperamental that there's a big price to pay for the sound!

To be fair there's not a huge amount of headroom on the PRRI for obvious reasons, (especially with my Les Paul which has some fairly hot humbuckers) and if I was gigging there'd be a compelling argument for the DRRI. In my opinion though, the actual tone of the PRRI is superior. I have no idea why, but I've got a fair ear after 30 years and I reckon Fender have made an absolute cracker with the new Princeton.

[guitar george]

I don't understand all the hub-bub about the new Princeton Reverb. Especially at $800.00

Back in the '60s, when they were new and relatively affordable, they weren't really considered to be "serious" amplifiers.

In fact, anything less than a Vibrolux wasn't considered "serious".

Now if Fender would bring back the blackface Pro Reverb . . .

[stalkforrest]

Seems to me, all these "re-issue" products popping up
is similar to what Coca-Cola did with the "New Coke/Classic Coke" years ago. Coke drinkers were jonesing for their old fix but couldn't get it 'cause it wasn't made anymore, then suddenly coke classic emerged, and once again Coke cashed in.... BIG!!
With the tremendous onslaught of vintage remakes of vintage gear at firm higher price, those companies will make money on what people really want once again.
Honestly they don't care if you have one of their pieces of gear, they want the money you paid for it. They don't make money on clones of their gear.

[CocoTone]

You guys are forgeting one important factor. The PRRI is made here, in America. I for one would like to see our $$$ not go to China.

CT.

[stratcat55]

So what's the point? You only pay more because it's made here. It's not a hand made point to point built by Americans amp. It's more than likely just mass produced and then assembled here, still using cheap imported caps ect. Just the PCB's may be better quality. I don't like seeing my money go to China or Mexico for that matter.
I read this here a long time ago. Someone said that "the difference between a Mexican made Fender amp or guitar and an American made Fender is that the Mexican made stuff is made in Mexico by Mexicans and the American stuff is made in America by Mexicans."
Your money still indirectly comes back to Corona Ca.

[CzarSketch]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone on the forum made a BF PR from scratch? How much would parts actually COST? It'd be way out of my ability range right now, but what about Kap'n, etc?

and where did Fezz go?

[ampdan]

I have built them. With top shelf parts, around 800.00 (parts only).

[Wilko]

minor hijack...

Ampdan... I like the look of your avatar.

Can we see more?

[ampdan]

minor hijack...

Ampdan... I like the look of your avatar.

Can we see more?

Sure. Here ya go.

[Wilko]

'62 relic?

from the avatar, I didn't see so much red. I thought it might be one of these:

[ampdan]

It's a 2001 '60 Relic, that took the place of my "real" 1960 about a week after I bought it.

[CocoTone]

So what's the point? You only pay more because it's made here. It's not a hand made point to point built by Americans amp. It's more than likely just mass produced and then assembled here, still using cheap imported caps ect. Just the PCB's may be better quality. I don't like seeing my money go to China or Mexico for that matter.
I read this here a long time ago. Someone said that "the difference between a Mexican made Fender amp or guitar and an American made Fender is that the Mexican made stuff is made in Mexico by Mexicans and the American stuff is made in America by Mexicans."
Your money still indirectly comes back to Corona Ca.

Are you supposed to be making sense??!?

CT.

[stratcat55]

Yep. Just because it's made here doesn't mean it's better and worth more money, It just costs more to make it. The money you spend here is also used to pay the wages in China and Mexico. The money just don't stay here, it pays the company's wages all over the world.

[Rickenjangle]

Makes sense to me. Great amp or not, $800 seems steep for a 1-channel, PCB-based, mass-produced amp.

And IMHO, build quality is just as much a function of the focus and craftsmanship of the person doing the building as it is in the location of the build.

[Kap'n]

Makes sense to me. Great amp or not, $800 seems steep for a 1-channel, PCB-based, mass-produced amp.

That you'll need to replace the tubes and speakers on anyway.

For $50 more, you can buy the new handwired Ampeg.

[Gris]

For $50 more, you can buy the new handwired Ampeg.

Actually, I've seen it on-line for LESS money.

[Kap'n]

Really? If the transformers are any good, it should be easy to mod to your tastes, even if it doesn't sound 100% out of the box.

[stratcat55]

GP has a photo of the insides. It looks like the pots are on a pc board and attached to the main board with ribbon connectors. They also said the more you turn it up the muddier the bass gets and it can't keep up with a drummer.

Am I the only friggen geezer that remembers it was originally a good sounding practice amp? Some guys recorded with it, but some guy's recorded with a 3 watt Pignose amp too but I wouldn't pay $800 for that I only paid $69 .

[Moonrider]

I tried one out at the local Mom & Pop and I REALLY liked it. Just not for 800 bucks. If it had been priced at $599 I probably would have snatched it right up, even though they didn't have any "wiggle room" on the price. As it was, I decided to get a Blues Jr.

Still might look at the Princeton RI later if there's a price drop.

[stratcat55]

After seeing how it's put together, I wouldn't pay more than $350 for it.
Only the tube sockets are hand wired, and they use a lot of spade connectors. I second the Ampeg J 20 vote.

[hudpucker]

Actually, it's constructed pretty much like a....DRRI.

[NTBluesGuitar]

Here...get one of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Princeton...mZ220259399874

No action at $499! 4 days to go.

Here's the first PRRI I've seen used:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-65-Prince...mZ320277532338

$699 starting and almost brand-new.

Just a matter of time, and these can be had for around $500 or less, I bet.

[stratcat55]

The DRRI is a two channel amp with a little more power and a 12" speaker for not much more cash. I still don't like the construction.
I'm glad I still have my 74 Champ that I can record with when I need to.
I only paid 150 bucks for that.

[stratcat55]

I tried one out at the local Mom & Pop and I REALLY liked it. Just not for 800 bucks. If it had been priced at $599 I probably would have snatched it right up, even though they didn't have any "wiggle room" on the price. As it was, I decided to get a Blues Jr.

Still might look at the Princeton RI later if there's a price drop.

It looks like they're going for $899

[Rickenjangle]

I'd rather have the SF from the link in TJ's post. It's about as mint as I've ever seen for a SFPR, and it's got years of playing mojo...

[stratcat55]

It seems like it's a ploy keeping the price so close to the DRRI to sell more DRRI's............ Sorry, I'm usually not into conspiracy theories.
For my money, I'd rather have the Ampeg J20. I feel some GAS coming on.

[NeoFauve]

The DRRI is a two channel amp with a little more power and a 12" speaker for not much more cash. I still don't like the construction.

If you want a 12" and the extra power, I think you'll dig that Ampeg J-20.
The time I played it, I couldn't really go past 3 on the volume, and it seemed to be getting pretty loud.

[stratcat55]

The truth is I like the hand wired aspect of it. Even if they used cheap caps you could easily replace them. Plus Ampeg makes some great sounding stuff. If I get time this week, I might check it out. Maybe I'll see what I can get for my ticking time bomb, HRDlx.

[Don]

For my money, I'd rather have the Ampeg J20. I feel some GAS coming on.

Or an early silverface Princeton Reverb.

[1958lpjr]

I think this amp should be heard on it's own merrit. It obviously isn't a vintage amp. But it may reveal vintage tones, and in the hands of a pro player it might sound amazing. I keep reading endless HRD bashing with everyones personal handmade whatever being the best amp ever produced. But at the end of the day the players touch and skill determine what sounds great and what doesn't. So in my opinion if it sounds close to a vintage Princeton, great, it would be nice to have a fully functioning new alternative with a warranty.

[phantomman]

So in my opinion if it sounds close to a vintage Princeton, great, it would be nice to a fully functioning new alternative with a warranty.

Twew dat. But I really think those marketing ding-dongs at FMIC stepped on their dicks by settin' the price point so close to that of the DRRI.

I'll give the PRRI an honest look-see when they're in the stores. But I won't pay robber-baron prices......when they start hittin' the secondary market for five hunnert bucks, that's when I'll seriously consider whippin' out the Visa card.

Jus' mah 'pinion, y'unnerstan'......

[NeoFauve]

I think this amp should be heard on it's own merrit.

...in the hands of a pro player it might sound amazing.

Jim Campilongo does a video demo for the PRRI. It's on the Fender site/Youtube. For all intents and purposes, he sounds like he does with his original BF and SF PR's.

So in my opinion if it sounds close to a vintage Princeton, great, it would be nice to have a fully functioning new alternative with a warranty.

That's kind of my thinking too, but then again,...
... is there an authorized service tech nearby, are repairs done onsite or will a PRRI have to be shipped somewhere for svc. etc.
... if you can find a deal of a SF, the serviceability of a PtoP amp is hard to beat.
... the shop where I used get all my repairs done closed last summer.

So i don't know. It's enough to make a guy go acoustic, or take up whistling.