stereo amp configuration 65 DRRI or Princeton

[dawgnap]

Hi, im currently using my custom blues jr win stereo with a cheap little crate amp "just for my loops effects" but am about to buy a second amp to complement the blues jr..im not sure what to get? im leaning towards the new 65 deluxe reverb, but also thinking about possibly a Princeton reverb? any suggestions?

[Ricky D.]

Hey, welcome! And from Toledo, Mrs. D's folks are from there, actually started out down the road a little in Luckey.

Tell us more about how you would use it. Home use, gigging, what kind of music, etc.

Personally, I would prefer the Deluxe Reverb because it has the 12" speaker and two channels.

[Webfoot]

Tough one. I think the DRRI has more firepower but the PRRI sounds nicer. So if just at home, then PRRI. If planning to play out or with loud drummer/group, then DRRI (might need the tube upgrade, cap clip and new speaker eventually).

Make sure you can return just in case.

[JD0x0]

i think the DRRI is nicer IMO. but im a modder and i never liked the stock BF sound so i'd wind up modding it anyway. So take what i say with a grain of salt

[still_fiddlin]

What do you mean by "complement?" Do you want it to sound similar, or get something very different?

If you're don't really need to add a bigger amp to your arsenal, I'd stretch on one side or the other of the Blues Jr, and go with maybe a tweed deluxe (5E3/clone), or the PRRI, for classic Fender cleans, tremolo & reverb. A bigger amp would have me considering the DRRI, or maybe one of those AC30s.

[dawgnap]

thanks for the responses! well i gig a lot! mainly jazz gigs but i play a lot of blues and fusion, scott henderson type stuff with my band, but i love the stereo sound. my thoughts for the DRRI are mainly bc i know bill frisell plays one and i love his tone, but the PR's i've played have a great punchy tone, and as far as volume I was thinking with both in stereo i would have the gain i need for bigger venues?

[jhundt]

get them both, and ditch the Blues Jr!

[RubyRae]

Originally Posted by dawgnap

thanks for the responses! well i gig a lot! mainly jazz gigs but i play a lot of blues and fusion, scott henderson type stuff with my band, but i love the stereo sound. my thoughts for the DRRI are mainly bc i know bill frisell plays one and i love his tone, but the PR's i've played have a great punchy tone, and as far as volume I was thinking with both in stereo i would have the gain i need for bigger venues?

I like this response cause you really help answer your own question with liking that 'great punchy tone'...no amp IMO gets that tone and the sweet warm vintage spank like the PR. I would think this would be a great choice for you to run sterio with your Bluesjr. You like the tone frisell has, and the concept of what he runs thru, but you could alter it a bit to create your own sound, and run with it for miles and miles. Ultimately you will be happy with either amp, but the DRRI will give you a slightly different sound, and a bit more volume, but the PRRI will also give you plenty of headroom with how you are running it, and some sweet overall tone and punch. My vote is whatever you think sounds better to your ears and style of playing.

[dawgnap]

Im still on the fence mainly bc now im strating to question which one will be more versatile, i already have a 15w bJ for small gigs so this makes me what to learn towards the DRRI however could the PR be loud enough with a 12 in speaker in it? also the PR 68 im looking at is point to point wiring also a bonus..

[thepassivevoice]

If the second amp is mainly to fill out the sound with stereo effects at small gigs in different rooms, you may want to simplify things by just getting a second Blues Junior. If you use two different amp models, you'll have to spend time fiddling with the volume settings on both amps every time you play a new room.

Just my thoughts, but any tone improvements the DRRI or PR might offer wouldn't be worth the extra hassle.