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Post subject: Blackface Princeton (nonreverb) - why it sounds so weak?
Posted: Tue Jan 02, 2018 1:34 pm
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Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 1:19 pm
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Hi, I have bought blackface nonreverb Princeton (1964) and it has 2 problems, other wise it is a very nice sounding amp with unique warm sound and clean allthe way up, which is one of special characterics of the non reverb Princetons.

Problem number 1:
Tt doesnˇt sound any louder than my blackface Vibrochamp from the same year (at the highest volume it sounds only a little bit louder than my vibrocham)! Speaker is 10 Emminence Ragun Cajun (which should be loud). Maby the tubes are the problem (there are 2 Fender Ax7 tubes-seem to be old, 1RCA and 1 Sylvania 6V6. Rectifier seems to be little bit old)-Amperex- there is written also something like Amp.. grea... on that). I haven´t looked at into the chasis wiring yet. What amp do you think has the most impact on volume?
Promblem number 2:
Tremolo is extremely weak, recognizable only at the highest intensity set on amp - also changing the ax7 tube(the old fender tube i have there?)

Many thanks, fender guys!

Lukas


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Post subject: Re: Blackface Princeton (nonreverb) - why it sounds so weak?
Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 7:31 pm
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Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:50 pm
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Location: Denver, CO, USA
First suspect is almost always tubes. Could be any one of them, could be all of them.

Might not be any of them. But first thing to do is try new tubes.

RCA, Sylvania, and Amperex are all outstanding tubes -- if they're not worn out. And if the two 6V6's are reasonably matched.

Older Fender branded tubes were usually from premier manufacturers. Late '90s were from somewhat less great manufacturers like Sovtek. Again, if they're worn out it doesn't matter how good they were when they were new.

More details on the history of the amp might help. Did it have the Eminence when you got it, or did you put it in? Did you hear it before you bought it? Did you talk to the previous owner?

Does your VibroChamp have its stock speaker? Or does it have a better quality higher efficiency speaker? (A Princeton should be quite a bit louder than a stock VC, but if the VC has a high efficiency speaker the difference might not be as much as you expect.)


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Post subject: Re: Blackface Princeton (nonreverb) - why it sounds so weak?
Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2018 10:50 pm
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Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2014 3:25 pm
Posts: 1022
Weak tremolo is associated with worn power tubes. The tremolo circuit modulates the bias of the power tubes to change the volume up n down. If the tubes are worn, they don't respond to bias change like fresh tubes will.


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