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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Fender Princeton Reverb RI
Fender Princeton Reverb RI
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Philmore1313
8 posts
Feb 19, 2013
10:30 AM
So I just picked one of these up this past weekend. I love it so far. I swear it is noticeably louder than my Blues Jr. I've been gigging pretty regularly with my VHT Sp6 and just dropping a mic on it to get over the full band. We do a lot of progressive jam/funk rock stuff and I play through a somewhat extensive pedal board. We don't do a lot of traditional blues or even bluesy rock I guess. Everything from NOLA jam funk to bluegrassy whiskey rock.

Anyway...I love the vibrato with the classic fender reverb, but I don't want it to overpower the sound (if that makes sense). So I'm always curious, when I get a new piece of equipment, how others dial theirs in. So if you have a PRRI, how have you set yours up? Are you using effects? Did you do the tube or speaker swap (I like the Jensen, but I can't help but wonder what my Eminence Lil Buddy would sound like) Etc......

My rig is as follows:

SP 20's
Ultimate 57>
Rocktron Hush>
Micro Pog>
DLS Rotosim>
EQ
Two Timer Delay
BBE Sonic Maximizer
Fender Princeton Reverb RI
Kingley
2325 posts
Feb 19, 2013
10:37 AM
The Princeton Reverb is hands down the best amp for harp I have ever played through. I had a 12AY7 in V1 (furthest right when looking from the back). Ran it with no effects mostly. Though sometimes I used a delay with it. I set the bass between 6 - 10 depending on my mood and the room. Treble off, reverb off, mic into input one.
Philmore1313
9 posts
Feb 19, 2013
10:43 AM
I've been thoroughly impressed with it so far. Just running it dry over the weekend and tweaking it a bit, I set the bass at about 8, rolled the treb down all the way. Left the reverb at about 3 and intensity at about 3 as well. Plan on running it with the pedalboard this afternoon for a bit just to see what I like. Just need to get it dialed the way I want it before Thur. Planning on using it for all 4 gigs this weekend.
Goldbrick
71 posts
Feb 19, 2013
10:43 AM
I have a Princeton recording and use it straight with reverb. I like the fact that it has an attenuator to adjust how much drive you want on the tubes
Personally I never use effects with a tube amp. Seems to defeat the point-you just put a bunch of chips in front of your tubes you paid a lot of money to hear

I also have a Princeton 65 solid state-that I run on the clean channel if I want to use effects ( leslie, flange etc)
SuperBee
932 posts
Feb 19, 2013
1:55 PM
i guess it may not be relevant, but i have a silverface PR...i know its not really the same but then again, in a way it is

the best thing i did with it was change the speaker. its a ballsy little amp...i wouldn't part with it. but, i don't really like the reverb with harp. its fine with guitar.

settings: easy, treble off, bass on. used to be no question about the settings, but with new speaker (weber 10A125-O) there is a bit more room to move

i use a LW Delay a fair bit, but with this amp not so much. the thing sounds good all by itself
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asilve3
131 posts
Feb 19, 2013
3:33 PM
Hey upload some videos I would love to hear what all of that sounds like!

I have a Silverface PR from the 70's. I have modified it heavily and made many changes over the years. I have tried different speakers, different tubes, and swapping the reverb tank. The best mod I made to mine was adding a solid state rectifier. This opens the amp up to a lot more head room and allows more of the low end to come through. Over all I think it makes my harp sound more articulate but still dirty. It opens you up to some serious tone!

I like many others keep the treble way down, like 1 or 2 and the bass way up 8 or 9!
FMWoodeye
570 posts
Feb 19, 2013
11:17 PM
Soooo.....some pretty glowing testimony about the Fender Princeton Reverb RI. I have an Excelsior on backorder at one/third the price of the Princeton. I figured it would fill the gap between the Roland Cube Street and the Bassman. But you guys are making me rethink. I would rather spend the money once and get it right. Also, health issues make me dread dragging the Bassman up the stairs. I have in the back of my mind dumping the Bassman.....but I do love it so.
SuperBee
941 posts
Feb 20, 2013
1:38 AM
FMW, the PRRI came up trumps in a survey Kudzurunner conducted a while ago, for amps in its class. I don't recall the precise parameters, but the PRRI was the clear favourite, perhaps not as overwhelming as would be the vote for VHT6 in the <10watt range, but still the clear favourite.

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HawkeyeKane
1484 posts
Feb 20, 2013
7:26 AM
@FMWoodeye

Don't ditch your Bassman dude. That's one of those amps that if you part with it, you'll kick yourself up one side and down the other for a long while. I have at home somewhere some schematics for an easy to use slide ramp that I designed for a buddy of mine who, like you, stored his amps in the basement and a lot of them were heavy suckers. He has chronic back problems, so I designed this thing so it's removable, but will really help get a big amp up and down the stairs easily. Lemme find them at home and I'll send them to you.
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Hawkeye Kane
FMWoodeye
571 posts
Feb 20, 2013
10:54 AM
SuperBee...yes, I remember that thread well. It was pre-Excelsior. The combination of a good ad by Fender, combined with the looks of the amp AND the price apparently dazzled me. It does seem to be a great value, though.

Hawkeye....there are casters on the Bassman, so once it's up the stairs, it's not too hard to handle. When the weather breaks here in Michigan, I can bring it into by garage where I have an insulated, air-conditioned office built. Mostly the thoughts of getting rid of it intrude when I'm about halfway up the steps.

A slide ramp would be nice. Maybe the EMS could use it when they finally come for me.
Kingley
2332 posts
Feb 20, 2013
11:20 AM
" I would rather spend the money once and get it right."

Then my advice would be to buy a Fender '65 Blackface Princeton Reverb Reissue. I have owned and played through all sorts of amps over the years both boutique and stock. Including Bassmans, Bandmasters, Fender Super, Pro Jr, Roland, Watkins, Laney, HarpGear, VHT, Sonny Jr, Super Reverb, Peavey and many, many others. The only two amps I have ever regretted selling off were the HarpGear HG1 and the Princeton Reverb Reissue. All the others pale into insignificance compared to those two particular amps.
FMWoodeye
572 posts
Feb 20, 2013
11:45 AM
@Kingley...."All the others pale into insignificance compared to those two particular amps."

Nothing equivocal about that endorsement from an authoritative source. Thanks.


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