Well that's the question, anyone know how these two amps compare?
I know the Deluxe is highly revered, is the Princeton much different?
Similar in performance/tone?

Is it a Princeton? or a Princeton Reverb? A Princeton is no Princeton Reverb. I have only had experience with a DR and a PR. The PR uses the reverb tube for an additional gain stage and sounds wonderful.

Deluxe Reverb
Larger transformer = gorgeous cleans
More headroom
To my ear, 6V6s get ratty at high volume
Richer reverb
May be better for a drummer
Really too loud to be a practice amp
Heavier
More collector's appeal

Princeton Reverb
Sweeter tone without the rattiness
The sweet spot is at a more tolerable volume
More musical distortion
Nice cleans but grittier - not as swirly
Deeper tremolo
A great practice amp
The ultimate grab ˜n go
A player's amp

Princeton
Unless it is one of the old tweed Princetons, it is nothing I would compare to a DR. It is a much different amp for that comparison..

Probably the most obvious difference would be speaker size and wattage ...

Princeton - 10" and 15 watts
Deluxe - 12" and 22 watts

The cabs are different sizes.
Two channels on the Deluxe.

That being said they are definitely in the same "classic Fender" ballpark no doubt.
(I assume there's gotta be circuit differences?)

The Deluxe is "probably" more gigable due to a few more watts and a bigger speaker but I still see a lot of guys just use a Princeton on a chair turned all the way up. Campilongo does that.

*LFB beat me to it. Sorry for any repeated info.*

You guys are the best!
Post a question like this here and look at the quality responses you get within one hour.

LFB, it's a Princeton Reverb.

I may be picking this one up....

Paul,


A friend of mine got a SF PR at Rogue in 1991- I believe that it had been Blackfaced.


Nonetheless, it was a great little amp. I'd third what LFB and Ken have said, though I will say that the couple chances we got to play together w/ a drummer, his PR was nearly as loud as my DR (and sounded like gold w/ an original Tube Driver).

No matter what, it's a great amp to add to the aresenal!

All of the info these guys have shared are my thoughts as well.

I feel that the Deluxe Reverb is a great "Small Club" amp. A staple for Blues and Country acts. On the edge breakup, and a nice punch. Brighter but this translates into a type of clarity.

A Princeton Reverb is probably "The" recording studio amp. Less volume. More of the on the edge of breakup than a Deluxe. Sweeter clean tones. Actually, the Benchmark of Fender cleans for me. And the OD tones are also something else. Recording, very small gigs, and home use. Or, mic'd for larger stuff. A lot of famous guitar tones come from these.

To echo something that Jeff just said:
I have a mid 70's SF Princeton Reverb and I will not buy (or keep) a guitar with out first playing it through this amp. It is the benchmark/gold standard of 'clean' tone (for me anyway).

Put a 12" speaker in a SF Princeton reverb and you've got a little tone monster

Now, those Tweed Princetons are something special too...........

Cubba,

If I had a choice, I'd take a Princeton Reverb any day of the week over a deluxe. Just waaaay more musical imo.

Everything just sounds better, the reverb, the cleans, and the grit when it breaks up.

With that said, I have heard a few deluxes that did sound good. One with a Rola speaker, and one with a JBL d-120.

But those were just two amps out of fifty deluxes I've played that sounded good to me.

I have a 70 deluxe that I'm selling. It has it's own cool tone, but just sounds boxey no matter what I do to it. The higher wattage just doesn't do much for it over the lower wattage princeton.

Running two princetons in stereo would be absolutely killer imo.


Also... if your looking for the fender tone, check out the Swart AST.

I was in NY for a short time (would have called if I had real time to hang) and I went to Ludlow guitars on my way out of town. They had a Swart, and my jaw dropped. Killer fender tone, but with even bigger sounding reverb. The cabinet is superb, and the tremolo is crazy cool brown fender style.

Best

Check this article out. You really can't go wrong with either amp...

http://www.tonequest.com/articles/article2.htm

quote:

Originally posted by darth dildor:
Check this article out. You really can't go wrong with either amp...

http://www.tonequest.com/articles/article2.htm

Those TQ guys know just how to hit you straight in the wallet.



thx (I think?)!

I agree with Darth on Swart.

I have a 6V6SE that delivers the sweetest tube breakup of any amp I have played. Only 5 watts but still loud and as sweet as I have heard with NOS tubes *Mullard 12AX7, Brimar 6V6, Bendix 6106 [5Y3GT]*

That article is cool, dildor! Putting a louder speaker in a princeton.. like f.i. an alnico blue?

That's a similar thing to what I'm getting ready to do.

I am making a new baffle, and am going to stuff a 12" into my 59 Tweed Princeton. Should be sweet! (As long as I can get the Speaker to fit under the Tubes!)

I was thinking of a Red Fang. But, maybe a Texas Heat, or a Blue? Not sure yet. But, I''l post PIX when I do it. Along with a full report, of course!

I am a total Fender amp guy and like the Twin for it's cleans and Princeton for it's solo tones. The Deluxe seems like they were trying for a lower wattage amp that had the cleans of the Twin.

In 1990 I played with a guy that just plugged into a Princeton and would play his volume pot.
This was while I was lugging a 100 watt Evil Twin and pedals to get a solo tone.

A Deluxe is great with pedals while for Thursday night jams the Princeton would be the choice since it's a plug and play amp with no pedals needed.

Ahh crap, just get the Deluxe because you have the pedal collection from hell that will just collect dust...LOL

quote:

Originally posted by PedalworX dude:
I am a total Fender amp guy and like the Twin for it's cleans and Princeton for it's solo tones. The Deluxe seems like they were trying for a lower wattage amp that had the cleans of the Twin.

In 1990 I played with a guy that just plugged into a Princeton and would play his volume pot.
This was while I was lugging a 100 watt Evil Twin and pedals to get a solo tone.

A Deluxe is great with pedals while for Thursday night jams the Princeton would be the choice since it's a plug and play amp with no pedals needed.

Ahh crap, just get the Deluxe because you have the pedal collection from hell that will just collect dust...LOL

Sounds like Jimmy Campilongo! Check out the vid below. I have a Princeton Reverb. I love it dearly. It sounds great cranked or at about 7 or so. I just use the volume knob and you have a clean tone. Cool thing is that it is still great for the apartment even at 7. Full out might be too much though. My Carmen Ghia is another story though. It is a loud 18 watts. It starts pushing walls at about 4...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHVG4kDurtY

quote:

Originally posted by cubba:

quote:

Originally posted by darth dildor:
Check this article out. You really can't go wrong with either amp...

http://www.tonequest.com/articles/article2.htm

Those TQ guys know just how to hit you straight in the wallet.



thx (I think?)!

No kidding! The father of one of my son's friends has been trying to get me to buy an old Vibrolux ( first year silverface, converted to blackface) and now I'm thinkin' I should check it out...again...

quote:

Originally posted by dirty murphy:

quote:

Originally posted by cubba:

quote:

Originally posted by darth dildor:
Check this article out. You really can't go wrong with either amp...

http://www.tonequest.com/articles/article2.htm

Those TQ guys know just how to hit you straight in the wallet.



thx (I think?)!

No kidding! The father of one of my son's friends has been trying to get me to buy an old Vibrolux ( first year silverface, converted to blackface) and now I'm thinkin' I should check it out...again...

Murph, the BF Vibrolux Reverb is one of my all-time favorite gtr amps. The other gtrst. in my jam band used one and the tones he coaxed out of that thing, sans pedals, were amazing.

quote:

Originally posted by dirty murphy:

quote:

Originally posted by cubba:

quote:

Originally posted by darth dildor:
Check this article out. You really can't go wrong with either amp...

http://www.tonequest.com/articles/article2.htm

Those TQ guys know just how to hit you straight in the wallet.



thx (I think?)!

No kidding! The father of one of my son's friends has been trying to get me to buy an old Vibrolux ( first year silverface, converted to blackface) and now I'm thinkin' I should check it out...again...

Dude! Buy it! Or at least give me a price quote! I might take it.