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Post subject: Should I Buy a Princeton Reverb Reissue Amp?
Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 12:18 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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You guys, I'm sorry for starting so many threads recently. Please indulge me one more. This has become my favorite part of the forum because there are fellow mustang owners and lovers here.

This is another question better answered by those who have owned real tube amps.

Should I buy a "real" Princeton or Deluxe? It would be a new reissue, not vintage or used; I want the 5-year warranty.

The nuanced reason for my question--or the "real question"--is whether I will simply find that it sounds no better (or even worse) than my Mustang's model (pound for pound, caring only about sound, not price) (not to mention the 300 other sounds the Mustang can give me) (like even the Champ model sounds great IMO) (and the mustang gives good tone at "bedroom volume"). I know these questions all depend on what the user's purposes are.

To review my situation:

1. I own an M4 v1 -- I like the 2X12 Celestians--can crank but also sound good at low volume. I really like having the 2X12 even though I don't need this much power at the moment.

2. I really like clean tones and simplicity (even though I like my mustang). I mean the classic Fender cleans. That's why I'm obsessed with this real Deluxe or Princeton idea. To be a grab 'n go amp for small open mics to plug straight in and play or use just a few pedals and my looper pedal.

3. one of the "gigs" I do right now is playing at low volume for my family. might be unimportant, but I feel like the little 1X10 would be a cool little thing to bring to my sister's house when I go there and play at things like family barbecues. I mean really low volume--they don't want to hear what I'm playing. The problem is I can't waste an entire weekend day doing nothing like normal slobs when I could be getting guitar practice in. But even for these "gigs" it can't hurt to sound as good as possible; maybe they will start to like it.

4. I have this fantasy that a little Princeton and my few pedals could be a nice little rig for this type of thing. Even the Princeton gets way louder than anyone wants to hear, anywhere I play.

I honestly feel like it is legit to ask for opinions of those who have owned both amps, because a test drive in GC is not going to answer the question--new amp in GC does not have speakers broken in, can't really turn it up test it in that environment (I don't want to be "that guy" who plays loud in GC).

The reason I feel it is not completely ludicrous to ask the question is that I have read repeatedly on this website that real pros (or at least guys who have been gigging for 40 years) have "sold my Twin and my pedals and now use only my M3" and similar statements. And I have been told by more than a few people that the M4 flat out sounds *better* than a real Deluxe or Princeton's cleans, which would make it better even if I treated it as a real "amp" and played it clean and never even used the 4,000 other possible sounds.

Of course the tube amp, even a princeton 1X10, costs $900 and tube amps are fragile and require maintenance. Plus I keep reading about all sorts of problems people are having right out of the box. For $900 I can literally buy TWO brand new M4 v2s for backup!!!! or have 4X12 ridiculous outdoor level power.

Should I just learn from their experiences and stick with my mustang, or must I go through the phase where I buy a real Deluxe and use pedals? (or princeton...I'm considering princeton because I really don't need the volume of the Deluxe).

Thanks.

I'm starting to feel that the tube snobs really are "stuck in the past", have not tried an M3 or M4 when they put down the old SS amps of the past, and I literally feel like Jimi Hendrix himself would love my M4v1!

On Jimi, what was he famous (in part) for? Putting a fuzz box in front of his amp and getting crazy sounds that were revolutionary at the time. Well, how much fun would Jimi have with your MIII or M4. I happen to think he would literally love it, including all the "overdone" presets and he's just have a ball with it. He didn't have the option of all those sounds to obtain so easily in 1967.

Would he use my M4 as his amp at Woodstock? Probably not, but I bet he'd love having that amp to write on and mess around with.

And at lower volumes, he might flat out think the mustang sounds better than his noisy tube amp, pound for pound.

So should I buy a princeton reverb or save my money and know that I can buy 2 more mustangs if the one I have ever conks out?


Last edited by Her Wanna on Mon Oct 21, 2013 12:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Should I Buy a Princeton Reverb Reissue Amp?
Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 12:20 pm
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Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:37 am
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Location: New York
I think if you're putting this much thought into it, you might as well!

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Post subject: Re: Should I Buy a Princeton Reverb Reissue Amp?
Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 12:21 pm
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strings10927 wrote:
I think if you're putting this much thought into it, you might as well!

+1

just buy it dood

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Post subject: Re: Should I Buy a Princeton Reverb Reissue Amp?
Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 12:28 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2012 12:58 pm
Posts: 739
captainc wrote:
strings10927 wrote:
I think if you're putting this much thought into it, you might as well!

+1

just buy it dood



Yeah what sucks is that even though I make good money, I'm also divorced and i give BIG money to my ex wife. Don't get me started on that. I make plenty of money (not to brag) such that I should be able to go out and just buy a DRRI and a Vox amp while I'm at it just to have them....but alas I actually have to be careful if I spend $900 on an amp, because of the ex wife situation.

Anyway.....I'll keep wishing I had a princeton.

will keep you guys updated (I'm sure you're excited)


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Post subject: Re: Should I Buy a Princeton Reverb Reissue Amp?
Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:13 pm
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Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2012 10:16 pm
Posts: 209
Hey, Her--

Both Strings and CaptainC have hit the nail on the head.

Having followed your posts re: Fender solid state vs. Fender tube (and been entertained, not bored), I keep thinking you remind me of that line from old western movies, which roughly goes, "He's dead; he just ain't fell over yet!" You're extremely happy with your Fender Mustang IV, but you really, really, really want a Fender tube amp as well, just to cover all the bases. Nothing wrong with that! I don't think you will be satisfied until you have one. But remember: unless you have a bunch of unused effects just sitting around, you had better add at least a few hundred bucks to your budget, for the pedals you're going to need :D .

As far as being put off by the many posts about the woes of tube amp ownership, just remember that for every person who has problems there are ten you never hear about, because they don't. Even Mercedes-Benz puts out the occasional lemon. I have owned tube amps ranging from a built-to-order in 1978 Mesa Boogie MK II, all the way to my latest Fender Machete combo, and my problems have been practically nonexistent because I don't abuse my equipment and take reasonable care of it. My Mustang III V.2 is a dream to use, and easy to move around. I gave my V.1 to a buddy who hasn't plugged in his Vox AC15 (and pedalboard) since he got the Mustang!

The decision between the Princeton and the Deluxe Reverb ought to be based on size and tone, since the output levels are similar (although the breakup levels are not) and the price differential is negligible when you get right down to it. I'm sure you've already dialed up and tweaked the basic Princeton and Deluxe presets on your Mustang to see which you prefer, sound-wise.

To sum up, you're going to buy a tube amp; the only decision you have left is which one.

I deliberately left the Super Champ X2 out of the discussion so as not to further complicate things, but if reduced wattage combined with a smaller footprint, speaker, and genuine tube output is important, you shouldn't overlook that amp, it's Fender's attempt to combine modeling with tube tone, and it works very well indeed.

Good luck, report back when you're ready to pull the trigger!

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Post subject: Re: Should I Buy a Princeton Reverb Reissue Amp?
Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 7:38 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Thu Dec 13, 2012 12:58 pm
Posts: 739
rudorama wrote:
Hey, Her--

Both Strings and CaptainC have hit the nail on the head.

Having followed your posts re: Fender solid state vs. Fender tube (and been entertained, not bored), I keep thinking you remind me of that line from old western movies, which roughly goes, "He's dead; he just ain't fell over yet!" You're extremely happy with your Fender Mustang IV, but you really, really, really want a Fender tube amp as well, just to cover all the bases. Nothing wrong with that! I don't think you will be satisfied until you have one. But remember: unless you have a bunch of unused effects just sitting around, you had better add at least a few hundred bucks to your budget, for the pedals you're going to need :D .

As far as being put off by the many posts about the woes of tube amp ownership, just remember that for every person who has problems there are ten you never hear about, because they don't. Even Mercedes-Benz puts out the occasional lemon. I have owned tube amps ranging from a built-to-order in 1978 Mesa Boogie MK II, all the way to my latest Fender Machete combo, and my problems have been practically nonexistent because I don't abuse my equipment and take reasonable care of it. My Mustang III V.2 is a dream to use, and easy to move around. I gave my V.1 to a buddy who hasn't plugged in his Vox AC15 (and pedalboard) since he got the Mustang!

The decision between the Princeton and the Deluxe Reverb ought to be based on size and tone, since the output levels are similar (although the breakup levels are not) and the price differential is negligible when you get right down to it. I'm sure you've already dialed up and tweaked the basic Princeton and Deluxe presets on your Mustang to see which you prefer, sound-wise.

To sum up, you're going to buy a tube amp; the only decision you have left is which one.

I deliberately left the Super Champ X2 out of the discussion so as not to further complicate things, but if reduced wattage combined with a smaller footprint, speaker, and genuine tube output is important, you shouldn't overlook that amp, it's Fender's attempt to combine modeling with tube tone, and it works very well indeed.

Good luck, report back when you're ready to pull the trigger!


thanks. great comment.


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