Fender Princeton 65 (FSR) - Any Good, Really ?

Wazmeister

koss59 said:

On the 68 you need the bass at zero and treble 6 or 7 IMO. One of the best amps I've ever owned and I'm always complemented on its tone which never happened once while I had a Two Rock.

Really mate ? Wow... I genuinely respect your views and tone, but the '65 and the '68 were a bit 'just ok' to me...

As Ive said, Ive got the cash and thought for once, I could land a sub £1000 amp ! Maybe I'd need to bed the speakers in, or try another...

Wazmeister

The sound I'm really after Is the Blackface chime, with that slight break up...

The amps that have done this, and really impressed me were;

1.) Redplate Blackverb - loved this one. Then went for the smaller cabs, and had a few reliability problems. But would love a 'good' Blackverb...

2.) Dr Z Monza - really surprised me, and I loved this amp at home volumes.

3.) Carr Slant - kin great amp, but the OD is a bit 'meh'

The ideal for me would be a clean, shimmering Blackface channel, with a same second channel where ypu can match the settings and add a bit of hair. The Redplate does this very well, but Im not sure what others do...

badlydrawnbanjo

I put a Ragin Cajun in my and it really beefed up the sound. Bass and treble are at one on mine, and I'm told it's too loud sometimes!

shaunm

I'd take your guitar because it could be that fender they gave you was unbelievably bright?

p90fool

Wazmeister said:

The sound I'm really after Is the Blackface chime, with that slight break up...

Are you sure? You don't really seem to like Fender amps at all.

Wazmeister

shaunm said:

I'd take your guitar because it could be that fender they gave you was unbelievably bright?

Could be mate. To be fair, and I have this more than once, it was a standard USA Strat (mines a CS 56 Heavy Relic kin diamond of a Strat !) and the kin thing wouldn't even stay in tune... Amazes me that...

Anyway, clearly everyone rates em, so I must give em another go. Still tempted by @gassage original '68 though but would prefer reverb model.

Chalky

Well if you change your mind I'm selling my PRRI at 550 and Redplate CDS2 at 950

Wazmeister

p90fool said:

Wazmeister said:

The sound I'm really after Is the Blackface chime, with that slight break up...

Are you sure? You don't really seem to like Fender amps at all.

Really ? I think the thread and my Carr love indicates that I love the Fende BF sound. Not the Blues Jrs though !

Wazmeister

Now @chalky you have my attention, esp with the CDS2... Ill pm you

JohnPerry

Get another Sportsman mate. You're in denial. I can make mine sound exactly like the vintage PR I have alongside it. And it has a headroom control. You won't get blackface breakup from a Princeton at home without a pedal, unless you can crank it to what ordinarily is neighbour-enraging volume.

The Crazy Tube Circuits stardust blackface has a good rep for that btw and Jim Campilongo uses one, which is a reasonable indicator of quality for me

koss59

It's only my opinion but I found the Two rocks I had to be very sterile sounding. For me the Fender Princeton is like an instrument itself. It's got a great tone and you play it not play through it like some other amps. It seems to me that the boutique makes remove the quirks that make Fender amps sound the way they do.

p90fool

koss59 said:

It's only my opinion but I found the Two rocks I had to be very sterile sounding. For me the Fender Princeton is like an instrument itself. It's got a great tone and you play it not play through it like some other amps. It seems to me that the boutique makes remove the quirks that make Fender amps sound the way they do.

That's kind of what I meant earlier when I said the OP doesn't seem very keen on them.
If you're used to a different, perhaps pushier dynamic feel I can imagine that unmodified Fender amps could seem a little spongy.

Neither is better or worse, just different.

JonHosker

Morgan SW22R combo - amazing amp but decided to sell it  - Lazy J has been on my thoughts for months and have ordered one, so the Morgan has to go if you are interested?