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Post subject: 1969 Silverface Princeton Reverb w Blackface Chassis
Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2017 5:15 pm
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Hi, I just bout this amp https://reverb.com/item/4130817-1969-fe ... ce-chassis for $1700. Didn't know much about all the details of vintage Princeton Reverbs, but came up to speed in a few hours, and this item led me to believe I was getting essentially a blackface-spec Princeton Reverb with a Silverface cosmetics. Well I missed one thing before I pulled the trigger - these are the "chocolate drop" caps, not the "blue molded" caps in the the 68 and before...did I get ripped off? I'm reading on the net how everyone calls these brown caps "dog turds" - are they really that bad? Should I try to upgrade the caps? Thanks in advance!!


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Post subject: Re: 1969 Silverface Princeton Reverb w Blackface Chassis
Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 8:29 pm
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THIS is a blackface Princeton Reverb chassis, specifically one built in November of 1965......

Image

Compare and contrast its wiring to the amp you bought. Note the orderly lead dress and component layout. These are the hallmarks of a blackface-era build.

As for the chocolate brown tone caps, they first appeared across Fender's product line around 1966 so likely those in your amp are both original and correct.

Do they sound as good as the preferred Blue Molded types? That's entirely subjective and only your ears can make that determination. Should you decide to replace them, I'd recommend Zoso's or Jupiter's.

A more useful upgrade would probably be a better speaker. The OEM Oxford 10J5 is singularly unremarkable in tone and is best suited for use as a frisbee or an ashtray.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: 1969 Silverface Princeton Reverb w Blackface Chassis
Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 9:27 pm
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Yeah, Arjay. Those brown and blue blobs are one of the last iteration of coupling caps used during the silverface era. Nothing to write home about. No where close to the Blue MOLDED ones.

Plus, the synthetic insulation of this era amps really lends to the messiness of the layout. Compared to the colth covered wires of blackface era.

BTW... the basic circuitry of the PR remained the same from blackface to silverface era. Think only real difference is the early BF used GZ34 rectifiers. And later models used the 5U4GB.

Boy, that is a lot of $$$ for that era PR. You prolly can find a nice drip edge era PR (with blue MOLDED caps & cloth-covered wires) for same of less. Need to be patience, but I've seen them for $1200-1500.


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Post subject: Re: 1969 Silverface Princeton Reverb w Blackface Chassis
Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:45 pm
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BMW2002Ti wrote:
BTW... the basic circuitry of the PR remained the same from blackface to silverface era. Think only real difference is the early BF used GZ34 rectifiers. And later models used the 5U4GB.


The CBS weirdness seems to have commenced with the B1270 revision, where both legs of the heater tap were tied to ground via a pair of 100Ω resistors. The pull-boost volume control appeared a few years later.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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