Volume comparison between Princeton Reverb and Blues Junior

[89strat]

I'm looking for some more specific answers regarding actual volume differences between these two.  I've had a deluxe reverb and currently have a blues junior, and I've gigged with both.  I prefer the sound of the Deluxe Reverb reissue, but liked the smaller lighter portability of the blues junior for playing live.  Both amps are loud enough for me, but I'm never happy with the sound from my blues junior, which is the most recent tweed version with the better celestion speaker.  For a point of reference, for both bands I play in, my volume on the DRRI would be about 3, and I use overdrive pedals with it.  On the Blues Junior my Master is up full and Volume 3-4, also using overdrives.  We play small bars, amps aren't mic'd, and other instruments in the mix, etc... that volume is enough with some to spare.  

For those of you with experience gigging with these amps, and a Princeton Reverb, how does the clean volume compare.  Not so much looking for which sounds better, I prefer the sound of the blackface fenders compared to the blues junior, but I don't know if I can't get loud enough with the princeton reverb.  

[Mikeo]

I have all 3 amps.

The 65  DRRI is a great amp, my  BJ is a Tweed one with a different speaker and I also have a 65 PRRI.

I have gigged with all of them. You can play a small gig with the PRRI, and I have un mic-ed.

They are an ok amp, at about 4-5 on the volume knob, they don't really sound better. At now a retail price of a grand, I'm not sure if they are worth it. They back a 12" speaker one too, as so many folks were modding it anyway.

You actually have to try it and see if it works for you. It worked for me in this small bar, but I pushed it with pedals.

I'd look at the 12" speaker on in burgundy tolex that MF has.  SW has there own 12" speaker one too.

 

 

 

[DeepEnd]

The Jensen C10R in the Princeton has a sensitivity of 93.6dB while the Celestion A-Type in the Blues Jr. has a sensitivity of 98dB, equal to an increase in Wattage of 2.75 times. All else being equal--which it isn't, of course--the Blues Jr. should get slightly louder and have more clean headroom.

[daddymack]

My experience with BF Princetons [not re-issues] is they will not keep up with a rock drummer who hits hard. DeepEnd pointed out a piece of it, but a 10" speaker won't move as much air as a 12". I've been gigging BJs since ~Y2K, and I have two blondes, both modded [speaker, Standby, Reverb Tank, Tubes]. I'm not a huge fan of getting my sound out of little metal boxes [although I own several, for side gigs], and find that using the BJs volume to overdrive the amp, the master can stay lower [V:9,Mstr:4] and I cut the mids [3-4] and bass [3], and use the volume/tone on the guitar to clean up and adjust the tone....but I was playing in a blues/swing band all those years, not rock.

There are a myriad of amps in the same 15-20W range that would work for you that won't cost you a grand...Vox AC15 [and the 15W Nightrain], Blackstar HT20, Peavey Classic 20...and so on...I just tried the 'new' BassBreaker, still not totally sold, but a serviceable amp. I have not tried one yet, but the Supro BluesKing looks interesting.

[DeepEnd]

10 hours ago, daddymack said:

a 10" speaker won't move as much air as a 12".

True dat. If you allow 1" all around for the surround and frame a 10" has a cone area of 50.27 sq. in. while a 12" has a cone area of 78.54 sq. in. The 10" would have to move 56% farther to move the same amount of air and the 10" would likely reach the limit of its excursion first.

[daddymack]

Just now, DeepEnd said:

True dat. If you allow 1" all around for the surround and frame a 10" has a cone area of 50.27 sq. in. while a 12" has a cone area of 78.54 sq. in. The 10" would have to move 56% farther to move the same amount of air and the 10" would likely reach the limit of its excursion first.

'zackly..damned scientists...always gotta throw math into the equation😉

[DeepEnd]

Just now, daddymack said:

'zackly..damned scientists...always gotta throw math into the equation😉

Not a scientist, I don't even play one on TV, just an amateur math geek. I keep expecting a certain poster to come along and "disprove" basic math with his usual spaghetti logic.

[daddymack]

1 minute ago, DeepEnd said:

Not a scientist, I don't even play one on TV, just an amateur math geek. I keep expecting a certain poster to come along and "disprove" basic math with his usual spaghetti logic.

and two pages of misspellings 😉...

[capitalist]

On 11/30/2020 at 8:14 PM, DeepEnd said:

Not a scientist, I don't even play one on TV, just an amateur math geek. I keep expecting a certain poster to come along and "disprove" basic math with his usual spaghetti logic.

Did you get to use Pi in your calculation?  At least you did not have to calculate the velocity of an unladen swallow!   🙂

[DeepEnd]

36 minutes ago, capitalist said:

Did you get to use Pi in your calculation?  At least you did not have to calculate the velocity of an unladen swallow!   🙂

Of course. Granted, you could just square the diameter of each cone minus 2" for the frame and surround since Pi would cancel out and the ratio of cone area would stay the same (i.e., 10^2/8^2=1.5625) but I used Pi. No swallows, laden or otherwise, were harmed in the creation of my reply.