Members albiedamned Posted February 4, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 4, 2009 I know GC sells them on their web site, but the question is if they stock them in store. The vast majority of stuff on their web site is not stocked in the stores near me, it's "special order". But maybe they do stock the Egnater line. I'll call tomorrow and find out. If so, then I may well take advantage of their 30 day return policy to take one home and try it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 I have not seen a Egnater Rebel in the local GC's, but several of the folks on the HCEF have. I don't get out very often, which probably explains why I have not personally seen one - but the word on the street is that, yes, GC normally stocks them in the stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mattyc146 Posted February 4, 2009 Members Share Posted February 4, 2009 Thanks again for the replies. Phil, the PRRI was what I tried at GC the other day, and like I said, it sounded just a touch nicer to me than the DRRI. Does anyone have any thoughts on the specific issue of recording 10" vs 12" speakers? What are the pros and cons?Regarding the Blues Jr, which a few of you have suggested, I will try that out next time I'm at GC. I'll try to give it a fair shot, but it's an EL84 amp not a 6V6 amp so I'm not expecting to get the nice cleans I was getting from the PRRI and DRRI. I'm going to keep my Valve Jr which is also EL84. I realize that not all EL84's sound alike, but I do like the Valve Jr for Vox-like jangly sounds so I feel like I have that base covered. Which GC do you go to?? I am a fellow Marylander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Untone Posted February 4, 2009 Members Share Posted February 4, 2009 What's a good Princeton model to look for as far as feature set, age, etc? I'd like reverb and decent drive for sure, tremelo would be nice once in a while..not too up on the various versions of this amp and what they have or don't have. There are always a couple for sale in town here (chicago) and I might look into one. I've got a Blues DeVille reissue (tweed i spose it's called). It's a nice amp runnning clean but the drive is not so great and I'd like to have a little bit more reverb available..though, the reverb on this is subtle and very nice, there's not much there if you need more. Plus, this thing is loud in capital letters. I cant even begin to get the thing near 3 without structural issues kicking in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members albiedamned Posted February 4, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 4, 2009 Which GC do you go to?? I am a fellow Marylander. Glen Burnie is the closest, though I went to Towson on Sunday after the idiot on the phone at Glen Burnie told me that the only PRRI in stock was a used one for $200 (yeah right) and that new ones were special order only. Towson had them both in stock. Chuck Levin's is a much much better store and I prefer buying stuff there, but it's a longer haul for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mattyc146 Posted February 4, 2009 Members Share Posted February 4, 2009 Glen Burnie is the closest, though I went to Towson on Sunday after the idiot on the phone at Glen Burnie told me that the only PRRI in stock was a used one for $200 (yeah right) and that new ones were special order only. Towson had them both in stock.Chuck Levin's is a much much better store and I prefer buying stuff there, but it's a longer haul for me. I totally agree with this! I'm sure I know the idiot you are talking about. Porbably the guy in his 50's, with long hair and thinks hes still in the 80's, he also knows NOTHING about gear. I truly hate him, I you call him out or correct him he flips, he should've been fired months ago. I am in Crofton, so GB is the closest also, you just dont have to deal with the DC beltway, otherwise I'd be going to Chucks or Atomic. Actually call Atomic they may just have a used one in good condition. http://www.atomicmusiconline.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted February 4, 2009 Share Posted February 4, 2009 What's a good Princeton model to look for as far as feature set, age, etc? If you want a "new" one, the 65 Princeton Reverb reissue is your only real option unless you go to a kit or a small boutique builder's clone. I'm not sure if Fender has kept the Princeton Recording in the lineup, but I never really "got" that amp... the inclusion of onboard overdrive and compression circuits didn't really make much sense to me. I'd rather pick my own... Ditto that for the power attenuator. I really don't see much need for one on a low wattage amp, and if you really need one, Weber and THD both make good units. If you're willing to go used, there's a ton of great Princetons. The tweeds are cool, and so are the brown tolex, single tone knob models from the early 1960s. Both will be expensive though... as would an original "blackface" from the mid 1960s. The later silverface models are practically identical to the late model blackface units, and although they're subjectively "uglier", they pretty much sound the same and can be had for less wampum than the blackface models. The last of the handwired, point to point Fenders was the "II" series from the early 1980s. The Super Champ and Princeton Reverb II (I have one of each) are both outstanding amps. You lose the "Vibrato" and the tube rectifier, but you gain a footswitchable "lead" boost; it's a bit more controllable on the PRII than it is on the Super Champ. Fender also made a non-reverb Princeton up until about 1979 or so. I have a "blackfaced" 71, and it's a great little amp. It has more clean headroom than a Princeton Reverb, but the overall sound is basically the same. All of these amps, with the exception of the Princeton Recording, absolutely smoke the Blues Jr IMHO. The Blues Deville and Blues Deluxe are both really good amps IMO. I know a lot of people have unfavorable opinions of the dirty channel, but I'll say this: I'm never unhappy to see a guitarist bring one through the front door of my studio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIP Posted February 4, 2009 Members Share Posted February 4, 2009 A tweed Champ(56-60 range) can really be a stellar sounding amp in the studio...microphones seem to just love that 8" speaker. You can usually find one on ebay for about $700. And they don't seem to be getting any cheaper...so you probably won't lose any money on the deal should some day you need to dump it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted February 4, 2009 Members Share Posted February 4, 2009 Yeah, that's a good point. Getting something that's sort of "collectible" (going up in value) is always a beautiful thing - 'specially when it makes beautiful sounds anyway. Just gotta make sure that the maintenance doesn't set you back too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members albiedamned Posted February 4, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 4, 2009 I totally agree with this! I'm sure I know the idiot you are talking about. Porbably the guy in his 50's, with long hair and thinks hes still in the 80's, he also knows NOTHING about gear. I truly hate him, I you call him out or correct him he flips, he should've been fired months ago. I am in Crofton, so GB is the closest also, you just dont have to deal with the DC beltway, otherwise I'd be going to Chucks or Atomic. Actually call Atomic they may just have a used one in good condition. http://www.atomicmusiconline.com/ Thanks for the tip I'll check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members albiedamned Posted February 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 5, 2009 Ok I tried out the Rebel 20 head tonight at HC, using the Egnater 1x12 cabinet. I had the guy set it up right next to the DRRI so I could A/B them. And I have to say it was no contest. The DRRI sounded much warmer and fuller on cleans, even with the Rebel all the way on 6V6. I tried all its various options - Bright, Tight, the wattage knob, but it just didn't have that awesome clean sound that the Fender has. And the sweet Fender reverb was the icing on the cake. They didn't have a PRRI (the guy on the phone the other day was right I guess, even though the GC 20 miles away stocks it) so I couldn't compare that. I think I'm gonna pull the trigger on the DRRI. I suspect I'll regret it if I don't get the 12" speaker, and the extra $50 is not really a factor. I can get 10% off at GC with one of their ubiquitous coupons, though I will have to pay 6% sales tax. I could wait for an online deal to come along that can get me about 10% off without sales tax, but a) I'd rather buy it locally in case I decide to return it, and b) I'm worried that the price is about to go up. I noticed that some sites (including Sweetwater) have it at $1200 now instead of $950, with a list of $1500 instead of $1300. That's a big difference. I checked the official Fender site and their "Winter 2009" price sheet shows $1500. On a side note, GC has this new display in their store with a computer that you can use to check prices at other dealers, so they can prove they have the lowest price. I find this and all the other "guaranteed lowest price" claims offensive. GC knows darn well they have the lowest advertised price because Fender as well as all the other major manufacturers have deals with their retailers prohibiting from advertising below a certain price, the Minimum Advertised Price or MAP. A dealer can sell for less they just can't advertise it that way on their web site or anywhere else. That's why every music retail site has virtually the same price on every significant piece of gear, and that's why you sometimes see those cheesy ads with "price too low to print". The whole thing stinks of collusion and anti-trust to me, and I really hope someone somewhere is challenging it in court. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 I don't think a Rebel's strongest suit is the cleans - they're good, but the appeal is in the dirtier tones - at least to me. If you think the cleans on that DRRI sound good, you should hear the PRRI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted February 5, 2009 Share Posted February 5, 2009 On a side note, GC has this new display in their store with a computer that you can use to check prices at other dealers, so they can prove they have the lowest price. I find this and all the other "guaranteed lowest price" claims offensive. GC knows darn well they have the lowest advertised price because Fender as well as all the other major manufacturers have deals with their retailers prohibiting from advertising below a certain price, the Minimum Advertised Price or MAP. A dealer can sell for less they just can't advertise it that way on their web site or anywhere else. That's why every music retail site has virtually the same price on every significant piece of gear, and that's why you sometimes see those cheesy ads with "price too low to print". The whole thing stinks of collusion and anti-trust to me, and I really hope someone somewhere is challenging it in court. I don't think there's anything illegal about MAP pricing. As long as the dealer can sell at whatever price they want, and it only covers advertising, I don't see what grounds you could use to successfully argue against it in court - especially since dealers "agree" to it in their dealer contracts when they sign up to carry the products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nerol1st Posted February 5, 2009 Members Share Posted February 5, 2009 On a side note, GC has this new display in their store with a computer that you can use to check prices at other dealers, so they can prove they have the lowest price. I find this and all the other "guaranteed lowest price" claims offensive. GC knows darn well they have the lowest advertised price because Fender as well as all the other major manufacturers have deals with their retailers prohibiting from advertising below a certain price, the Minimum Advertised Price or MAP. A dealer can sell for less they just can't advertise it that way on their web site or anywhere else. That's why every music retail site has virtually the same price on every significant piece of gear, and that's why you sometimes see those cheesy ads with "price too low to print". The whole thing stinks of collusion and anti-trust to me, and I really hope someone somewhere is challenging it in court. Try making a deal for a mesa. There isn't a store on the planet that will/can do it. I don't care if you whip out $2k in cash, they won't budge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members albiedamned Posted February 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 5, 2009 I don't think a Rebel's strongest suit is the cleans - they're good, but the appeal is in the dirtier tones - at least to me. If you think the cleans on that DRRI sound good, you should hear the PRRI. I did hear the PRRI, the other day, and I thought it sounded slightly better than the DRRI. I thought it had a little more clarity and the DRRI sounded a little muffled in comparison. But it was a very slight difference. In the end the DRRI's 12" speaker and the concerns about rattles in the PRRI (this is primarily for recording after all) are pushing me to the DRRI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIP Posted February 5, 2009 Members Share Posted February 5, 2009 Thanks for the tip I'll check it out. Another good shop kind of around you is Action Music in Arlington. Pretty much only carries used gear, but he always has a good selection at fair prices. As for GC...I haven't bought anything but emergency PA gear from them. Both Chuck's and GC treat customers like criminals(check my bags at the door {censored} YOU!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ToneMonkey Posted February 5, 2009 Members Share Posted February 5, 2009 I use a Bad Cat MiniCat II. It's a 7 watt EL84 single channel master volume amp with a 12" Celestion. It also has a fantastic sounding line out. No joke, I don't know how they did it, but it just sounds "right." Super fat, but not muddy or buzzy. Instead of multiple mics, you could easily do one mic and a line in. These run about $900 new (which I happily paid), but I've seen them used on eBay for stupid low $$$, sometimes under $500. FWIW, I owned a real (vintage) 65 Princeton. Loved it. Fantastic low volume stage amp that just loved pedals and mics. I had an extra 12" baffle made for it. I was using an Emi alnico in it. It sounded (and felt) fantastic. Sadly, I had to sell it during a divorce. "Find the cost of freedom..." To my ears, none of the RI Fenders really have "it." If you've played real vintage Fenders, you know what I mean. I also owned a Tiny Terror (one of the early supposed holy grail Korean ones). I never really bonded with it... it seemed very sterile to me. It never sounded bad, but also never inspired me. Kind of like kissing your sister. The Mini II is my secret weapon. I also use it as a pre into my Line 6 PXTL. It really fattens up modeled tones. Beware that the original MiniCat lacks the extra gain stage (and tube) that the Mini II has. I feel that the Mini II is much more versatile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members albiedamned Posted February 5, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 5, 2009 Another good shop kind of around you is Action Music in Arlington. Pretty much only carries used gear, but he always has a good selection at fair prices. As for GC...I haven't bought anything but emergency PA gear from them. Both Chuck's and GC treat customers like criminals(check my bags at the door {censored} YOU!) In Chuck's defense, they're not in the best of neighborhoods. I like them because they have a fabulous selection of stuff actually in stock, they have knowledgeable sales people, and my favorite part, they totally buck the MAP system by not advertising any prices and consistently giving better deals than anyplace else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members albiedamned Posted February 6, 2009 Author Members Share Posted February 6, 2009 As you can see from my newly updated signature , I purchased the DRRI tonight. So far, it is beautiful. The difference between this and my little Valve Junior combo is night and day. I love the warm, powerful cleans. I love the reverb. The vibrato is nice - not spectacular, but good enough for me to put my tremolo pedal up on craigslist. I love how it sounds overdriven with a pedal. I don't love it so much with my Big Muff, but Big Muffs ain't supposed to be pretty. I really love it with the vibrato turned off but with some modulation coming from my Micro Vibe pedal. In the store I had been trying it with a PRS SE Singlecut, which is dual humbucker. It sounds good with that for sure, but when I tried it at home tonight with my Epi Dot with P90's (GFS Mean 90's), it was heaven. The amp really brought out the warmth of the semi-hollow body and the P90 pickups. It was like butter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Instrospection Posted February 15, 2009 Members Share Posted February 15, 2009 Something like a Fender Champion 600--those 5 watt tube ones--are very good. They don't cost that much, and the stock 6" speaker isn't that great, but when you plug it into a good cab, it really shines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mistersully Posted February 18, 2009 Members Share Posted February 18, 2009 keep in mind a lot of the princeton reverb reissues have a bit of a problem with cab rattle they are a beautiful sounding amp.... but if you try one... turn it up past half way and strike an F# chord... the rattle can be horrid you may not want to overdrive the amp when you record... but if you do... it's something to consider... i'm not saying the problem can't be fixed though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted February 18, 2009 Share Posted February 18, 2009 In the store I had been trying it with a PRS SE Singlecut, which is dual humbucker. It sounds good with that for sure, but when I tried it at home tonight with my Epi Dot with P90's (GFS Mean 90's), it was heaven. The amp really brought out the warmth of the semi-hollow body and the P90 pickups. It was like butter. I love what my 71 Princeton does when I feed my '01 Epi Casino into it. P90's FTW! Congrats on the new amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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