Members murch33 Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 I've been amp-less for far too long, and with my tax return I'm really looking hard at these new Princetons. I wouldn't be against getting an original, but I really like that the new ones have the FX loop. I'm thinking about just hanging on to my rack gear rather than dumping it all and starting over, so an original Princeton wouldn't work for that. They've been available for a while now. Are there any real drawbacks to them (assuming that you're not looking for vintage Princeton tone)? If I get an amp without an FX loop, that means I've got to flip my rack gear which would leave me without delay and crazy over-the-top reverb. I could also do something like a Classic 30, but I'd kind of like to get something really nice that I won't want to turn around and sell in a few months time. Budget's right around a grand, so the new Princeton would pretty much be all of my refund. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members angus_old Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 it's too expensive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fatbackribs Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 Will it have enough volume and headroom for you. Princetons are great amps, (I haven't tried the P-recording amp), but they stuggle to keep up with a drummer playing anything louder than mellow roots music. The Classic 30 has double the watts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BBTweed Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 It is a great little amp. I love the sounds. Onbongos is right-for what they are, they are expenisive. They are also pretty quiet. Not a stage amp. Great bedroom/recording amp though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members inscho Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 because you should get a vintage princeton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members murch33 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 I'm looking for home recording type stuff... Not going to be playing with any drummers with it. Basically the main thing I'm going back and forth on (FX-wise) is either keeping my rack gear and getting an amp with an FX loop, or dumping the rack gear, buying some Moogerfoogers, and getting a more affordable amp like a Pro Jr. or something. Fatback, the reason I loved that Ebow Attack! clip so much was because that's exactly the kind of thing that I love to do. Very droney, ambient stuff like that. I do enjoy the occasional dirt pedal, but I'd say probably 90% of my stuff doesn't go beyond light-to-medium crunch. So my rack setup is definitely geared towards spacey, mostly clean tones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wilbo26 Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 Go vintage. They'll hold their value better, they sound amazing, they're perfect for micing up and recording at home and getting good results. If all you need is an amp with an FX loop surely there are better, cheaper options than this thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uma Floresta Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 They look cool to me. All-tube design, built-in power attenuator, recording/headphone out, built in compression and OD pedal if you want that... it's pricey but in theory it seems like the best option for home recording if you want to avoid digital amp modeling. Peavey just came out with something similar (Windsor?), but I don't know how it sounds. Clips I've heard of the Princeton Recording Amp were good. I haven't tried it myself, so, grain of salt and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members murch33 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 If all you need is an amp with an FX loop surely there are better, cheaper options than this thing. Well then let's hear them. I know some of the choices include the Peavey Classic 30, Laney VC15 or VC30, Traynor YCV40... Hell, even a Sunn T50C would be cool with the quarter-power switch. At the most basic level, what I want is a really nice clean channel that takes pedals well and has an FX loop for the rack gear. It can't be too loud for home use. Whether or not it's gig-worthy is a secondary concern. But I don't want such a low-powered option that I can't turn it up without it distorting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thriftyshirt Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 Well then let's hear them. I know some of the choices include the Peavey Classic 30, Laney VC15 or VC30, Traynor YCV40... Hell, even a Sunn T50C would be cool with the quarter-power switch.At the most basic level, what I want is a really nice clean channel that takes pedals well and has an FX loop for the rack gear. It can't be too loud for home use. Whether or not it's gig-worthy is a secondary concern. But I don't want such a low-powered option that I can't turn it up without it distorting. Vox AC30cc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wilbo26 Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 Well then let's hear them. I know some of the choices include the Peavey Classic 30, Laney VC15 or VC30, Traynor YCV40... Hell, even a Sunn T50C would be cool with the quarter-power switch.At the most basic level, what I want is a really nice clean channel that takes pedals well and has an FX loop for the rack gear. It can't be too loud for home use. Whether or not it's gig-worthy is a secondary concern. But I don't want such a low-powered option that I can't turn it up without it distorting. At half the price the VC15 looks like a great option. I know the VC30 is great, but probably a bit much for home use. The main thing about the Princeton that did excite me was the DI out for silent recording...and the attenuator could be really handy, if they had just stopped at that, cut out the other addons and got it priced more in the 600-800 range it would look a lot better to me. Probably your best bet at this point is to find one to try in person and see if you really dig its sound. If it sounds anything like a vintage Princeton Reverb and you like its features perhaps its worth the price for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members murch33 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 At half the price the VC15 looks like a great option. I know the VC30 is great, but probably a bit much for home use.Yeah, I really need to check out the VC15's some more. Those are Vox clones, right? I wonder how an SCOD sounds through a Vox... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thriftyshirt Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 At half the price the VC15 looks like a great option. I know the VC30 is great, but probably a bit much for home use. The main thing about the Princeton that did excite me was the DI out for silent recording...and the attenuator could be really handy, if they had just stopped at that, cut out the other addons and got it priced more in the 600-800 range it would look a lot better to me. Probably your best bet at this point is to find one to try in person and see if you really dig its sound. If it sounds anything like a vintage Princeton Reverb and you like its features perhaps its worth the price for you. The problem is with the Princeton Recording amp is that a decent D.I. costs less than $100, and an attenuator like a Hotplate or Mass is only a couple hundred. And unlike the ones that come with the Princeton, you can use them on any amp you own. Why pay $300-400 for the attenuator/D.I. option when you could just buy an attenuator and D.I. that will work with ANY amp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wilbo26 Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 Yeah, I really need to check out the VC15's some more. Those are Vox clones, right? I wonder how an SCOD sounds through a Vox... Yeah poor man's Vox. Certainly not clones but have a similar sound, great cleans and they take well to pedals usually. No clue with the SCOD though. I used to GAS hard for them back when I was gigging after playing with one that belonged to a guy in another band, but they seem pretty hard to find around here used, and I couldn't afford the prices of them new, although I was going after the VC30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wilbo26 Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 The problem is with the Princeton Recording amp is that a decent D.I. costs less than $100, and an attenuator like a Hotplate or Mass is only a couple hundred. And unlike the ones that come with the Princeton, you can use them on any amp you own. Why pay $300-400 for the attenuator/D.I. option when you could just buy an attenuator and D.I. that will work with ANY amp? I'm assuming the speaker emulated line output is more than just a cheap DI and will let you record without using the speaker, so you could record late at night without waking the neighbors and still get more tube amp quality sounds compared to using a modeler. Standalone units that do that are usually several hundred dollars at least from what I've seen. That was the only really interesting feature to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thriftyshirt Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 I'm assuming the speaker emulated line output is more than just a cheap DI and will let you record without using the speaker, so you could record late at night without waking the neighbors and still get more tube amp quality sounds compared to using a modeler. Standalone units that do that are usually several hundred dollars at least from what I've seen. That was the only really interesting feature to me. Understood. I thought it was just a basic D.I. Either way, one of the attenuators (Mass, Hot Plate?) lets you record via silent out by completely turning down the signal to the speakers. Seems like that would be a better way to spend a few hundred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thriftyshirt Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 Plus the Princeton is just ugly with that big black bar across the top of the grille. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wilbo26 Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 Understood. I thought it was just a basic D.I. Either way, one of the attenuators (Mass, Hot Plate?) lets you record via silent out by completely turning down the signal to the speakers. Seems like that would be a better way to spend a few hundred. Really? If so then yeah probably. And also I really don't know how good the silent speaker emulated DI will sound, I eventually just gave up on the idea, bought a mic, and realized that if I'm going to record anything it needs to be at a reasonable hour, and I currently live in a house so noise isn't quite as big a problem. I suppose if I go back to an apartment in the next couple of years I'll be right back there looking for something, but an attenuator seems like the most cost effective option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gorebuc Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 You can get a Weber minimass 25w for less than $100. Crank it to zero, and it has a line out. Run it through the Behringer cab simulator/DI (they seem to be truly innovative in this department ) that costs about $30 and you'll be good to go with the same niceties as the Princeton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wilbo26 Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 You can get a Weber minimass 25w for less than $100. Crank it to zero, and it has a line out. Run it through the Behringer cab simulator/DI (they seem to be truly innovative in this department ) that costs about $30 and you'll be good to go with the same niceties as the Princeton. Well there we go. I have also heard Behringer's little DI box sounds great for the money. I looked into them but was being cheap and didn't want to pay for an attenuator at the time so it seemed pretty useless to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members M900 Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 Go vintage. They'll hold their value better, they sound amazing, they're perfect for micing up and recording at home and getting good results.If all you need is an amp with an FX loop surely there are better, cheaper options than this thing. For about 1K, I'd want something I can play out with, even if I don't have any immediate jamming options. Have you looked into the new Ibanez and Peavey amps that are coming out? I think Utterhack posted those a week or so ago. c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members angus_old Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 the ibanez is japan only if it's the same one i'm thinking of. the peavey windsor looks great, they were talking about it in the amp forum before Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wilbo26 Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 For about 1K, I'd want something I can play out with, even if I don't have any immediate jamming options. Have you looked into the new Ibanez and Peavey amps that are coming out? I think Utterhack posted those a week or so ago.c Well as long as there's a PA available gigging with one wouldn't be a problem...but I suppose that's a BIG if there. When I gigged we played maybe 1 or 2 venues that didn't have our amps miced up running into the sound board, and those places were so small that a 15 watt amp would be plenty, granted there wouldn't be any clean tones with the amp cranked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wilbo26 Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 Are ya'll talking about the Windsor? The one I've seen is a 120 watt head...not exactly practical. Is there another version I missed out on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members angus_old Posted January 31, 2007 Members Share Posted January 31, 2007 Are ya'll talking about the Windsor? The one I've seen is a 120 watt head...not exactly practical. Is there another version I missed out on? they announced a 15 watter at NAMMhttp://www.peavey.com/news/article.cfm/action/view/id/235/20071801.cfm here's the amp forum thread on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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