Members sylvestre Posted June 19, 2014 Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 Hi, I'm on the market for a Princeton, a new one because old ones are too expensive in EU. I'm hesitating between 65 and 68. I need clean headroom and although I know the 68 has less of it I don't know by how much. Is it really much more crunchy than the 65? If you tried the two PRs please what do you think? Is one less noisy than the other? I read that the 68 is noisy and that's not good in the studio... I will use it to record and also miced on stage. I'll use pedals with it to play blues/rock songs. Thank you for your advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ken361 Posted June 19, 2014 Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 I heard people like both, the 65 will give a little more head room but the 68 will sound warmer and might take pedals better. I have the 68 twin it rules:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted June 19, 2014 Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 The 68 is a 12 watt amp so it should have more clean headroom. Tube Amps wattages are rated in clean watts and you may have additional gain above that level but its clipped. The actual loudness of the two amps will depend on the speaker type. If for example the 10W has a speaker with a higher SPL rating it could be as loud or much louder then the 12W amp. Stock Fender speakers aren't the best out there. They do give you the classic fender tone but the SPL ratings often match the Jenson speakers they used which were in the mid to upper 90db ranges. You could get the amp and later upgrade to a 100~105db speaker and make one of those little amps scream if you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted June 19, 2014 Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 If I was looking for a 15 watt amp that didn't have reverb and was worried about noise, I'd probably buy an Egnater Tweaker head with a separate cab and just put a nice speaker in it like a Jensen C12N. The whole thing would probably cost less than a new Princeton reissue and you'd have a lot of advantages: 1. Since a Tweaker can use ANY octal power tube, you can use 6V6 like a Princeton, or 6L6 or EL34. Tone versatility.2. The Tweaker has the same analog tone stack as a Princeton but also a Marshal 18 watt and VoxAC15 tone stackyou get a LOT more versatility in tone with all of the extra switches along with an effects loop3. By having a separate cab and head instead of a combo, you won't have "tube rattle" issues where the speaker shakes the tubes and causes noise. This is really a problem with modern Fender reissues that use PC construction. Again you'll also have more versatility because you can use the head with other cabs and amps more readily.4. By going this route you'll also be able to afford a better speaker than the standard on that comes stock with Fenders. Something like a Jensen C12N comes to mind as a perfect compliment. And again you could use that cab with other amps as a second speaker. I realize that people all want a Fender brand amp but you are paying a lot for that...and a Fender Princeton can be an overpriced one-trick pony compared to other amps out there today that weren't around years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sylvestre Posted June 19, 2014 Author Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 The 68 is a 12 watt amp so it should have more clean headroom. I'm not sure I understand for the wattage here. The 68 PR is 12W and the 65 PR is 15W. Shouldn't it be the other way round? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted June 19, 2014 Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 Are we talking Princetons or Princeton REVERBS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sylvestre Posted June 19, 2014 Author Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 The 65 Princeton reissue as in the thread title and this one has a reverb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted June 19, 2014 Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 I'm not sure I understand for the wattage here. The 68 PR is 12W and the 65 PR is 15W. Shouldn't it be the other way round? Maybe I goggled the wrong Princeton. I thought I saw 10 and 12 watts, but if its 12 and 15, the 15 should give you more clean headroom. Neither is going to have very much playing through a small 10" speaker. If you play with a drummer who uses brushes you may be heard over him but you'd be buried by a normal rock drummer. I do agree with Guitarcapo here however. I see nothing in that amp making it worth that kind of money other then its brand name. If it was s used Blonde then maybe it would be worth that money because of its age. The silver faces never had any resale value until recently. You can still find them for chump change if you look hard enough. My buddy had a blonde back in High school and he used it when he was between real amps. It "barely" kept up playing live with a drummer and only then if you had it at ear level. I had a guy bring by one of the silver faces Princetons to an audition about a year ago. I had to mic it up or no one would have been able to hear him. Its OK for recording and getting some lower volume cranked tone but For $800 & $900 both of those reissues are ridiculously overpriced. The parts to build that amp including the speaker, wood and everything else don't add up to more then $200~250 tops. I have no idea what makes Fender think that amps worth that kind of money but I guess they'll find someone who thinks they're worth it. I do like the 65 or 100W versions. They are at least loud enough to keep up with a drummer but they will still need micing in a larger room. I could surely find any number of amps at a batter price though. If you're wanting a Fender this one is a whole lot cheaper. The Hot rod, https://www.google.com/shopping/product/14553472292233414259?q=18+watt+tube+amps&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&biw=1280&bih=871&bvm=pv.xjs.s.en_US.SU4soCeLflY.O&tch=1&ech=1&psi=FCyjU43YAsOBqgbctIHoAg.1403202893696.3&ei=Vi2jU7jkOsmjqAbDm4KABQ&ved=0CN8EEKYrMCA And a newer one http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-FEN-2303100-LIST?src=Y0802G00SRCHCAPN&gclid=CNL3yoXJhr8CFWrl7Aod1WQAzA Epiphone makes some good smaller tube. The Valve Jr is a little 5 watt job but its more for those who like driven tones. This new Epiphone 1939 Century Amp looks pretty cool combo plus it has a 12" speaker which will give a guitar the bottom end it needs. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EPACN12AN?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=none&device=c&network=g&matchtype=&gclid=CM-z8fDGhr8CFWrl7Aod1WQAzA If I needed a small tube combo I'd likely go with a marshall. http://www.fullcompass.com/product/433845.html?utm_source=googleps&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=googleps&gclid=CMGY78rJhr8CFSJo7AoddWoAzw The smaller peaveys sound allot like a Fender http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Class30II?device=c&network=g&matchtype=&gclid=CLa30-_Jhr8CFXEF7AodYV0AVg Laney https://www.google.com/shopping/product/10269722089787098751?q=18+watt+tube+amps&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&biw=1280&bih=871&bvm=pv.xjs.s.en_US.SU4soCeLflY.O&tch=1&ech=1&psi=FCyjU43YAsOBqgbctIHoAg.1403202893696.3&ei=Vi2jU7jkOsmjqAbDm4KABQ&ved=0CPsCEKYrMBA Orange https://www.google.com/shopping/product/15062813625407786880?q=18+watt+tube+amps&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&biw=1280&bih=871&bvm=pv.xjs.s.en_US.SU4soCeLflY.O&tch=1&ech=1&psi=FCyjU43YAsOBqgbctIHoAg.1403202893696.3&ei=Vi2jU7jkOsmjqAbDm4KABQ&ved=0COgDEKYrMBg Vox https://www.google.com/shopping/product/9553450918335522106?q=18+watt+tube+amps&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&biw=1280&bih=871&bvm=pv.xjs.s.en_US.SU4soCeLflY.O&tch=1&ech=1&psi=FCyjU43YAsOBqgbctIHoAg.1403202893696.3&ei=Vi2jU7jkOsmjqAbDm4KABQ&ved=0CP0EEKYrMCI Ibanez - https://www.google.com/shopping/product/2506026329955996860?q=18+watt+tube+amps&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&biw=1280&bih=871&bvm=pv.xjs.s.en_US.SU4soCeLflY.O&tch=1&ech=1&psi=FCyjU43YAsOBqgbctIHoAg.1403202893696.3&ei=Vi2jU7jkOsmjqAbDm4KABQ&ved=0CO4EEKYrMCE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted June 19, 2014 Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 The 65 Princeton reissue as in the thread title and this one has a reverb. Then it's a Princeton Reverb reissue...a totally different amp than a Princeton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted June 19, 2014 Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 The 65 blackface had tremolo only. The Princeton Reverb had tremolo and reverb.It had the same configs with the 68 silverface but The rectifier was changed from a 5ar4 to a 5u4gb during the Silverface years along with a change in bias resistor value. They made changes to allot of the silver faces many people didn't like because it made them too tame. Some of the earlier silver ones were exactly the same as the Blackface and vice versa. When CBS bought fender they dodnt change everything immediately. I suppose they waited till parts of one model ran out and changes were made based on parts price decisions as well as some minor cosmetic things like the face plates themselves. Luckily most can be modified to run like one or the other very easily. http://jucciz.com/jucciz.com/gfx/amp...ton_reverb.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted June 19, 2014 Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 I have an early 70's SF Princeton Reverb which is not much different than this one... I've gigged with a bass player and drummer using mine which has a Jensen P10R in it and I was fine as long as no one showed up with a Bandmaster or a Twin. One of the great things about these amps is the low noise which makes them ideal for recording. I love the light weight and small size too. I use a Boss Blues Driver with mine and one day at rehearsal there was a Marshall 4x12 there so I plugged the amp into that and, with the Blues Driver, it was BIG! I've heard mixed reviews on the '68 although I've never tried one myself, but I've never heard anything bad about the '65. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joesl8 Posted June 19, 2014 Members Share Posted June 19, 2014 Does it have to be new, anything in the used department out there? I've got an Allen Sweet Spot used on eBay for about $800 several years ago, but I'd look into a used Fender Princeton Reverb on eBay if I were you. Some sellers ship to the EU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sylvestre Posted June 20, 2014 Author Members Share Posted June 20, 2014 Prices in EU are crazy! A new PRRI costs $1540... Second-hand ones are even more expensive. I certainly would buy one in the US but there's a problem with the mains - it's 220V here, not 110V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AJ6stringsting Posted July 10, 2014 Members Share Posted July 10, 2014 I had a 15 watt Fender Princeton amp with a Music man 12 in. speaker ..... sweet tones !!!! It was stolen in 1985 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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