Blues Deluxe vs BF Princeton

I have a gentleman wanting to trade me a recent Fender Blues Deluxe with lacquered tweed, JJs and an Eminence red, white and blues speaker for my squeeky clean '66 non reverb Princeton. The princeton is in excellent shape, even the bottoms of the cabinent aren't scuffed. I assume the Deluxe is minty too althought I've not seen it yet.

So if you guys had a 66 Princeton that looked nearly new, what would you allow in trade for the Blues Deluxe?

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f64/bluegrasssboy/AMP1.jpg

JUst my 25 cents...
He would have to give me $1,000 and the Blues Deluxe to get that Princeton away from me. That doesn't reflect the market as much as it reflects my personal taste and opinions. I would keep the Princeton if I were the Decider.
(:^)

My Princeton is "only" a 1970, but I gotta agree with Wally.

If you are looking for a louder amp with more overdrive and reverb, the Blues Deluxe will fit you more than the Princeton. If you look at the going market through classifieds or eBay, the Blues Deluxe will probably bring similar money (the BD would be more than my SF, but there's no doubt that a clean BF has more $$ value).

But there's something cool about the simplicity of the plain ol' Princeton. And that one in your picture looks beautiful. If you want the BD, find the cash or trade something else.

Don't do it! Don't! I don't understand why the Blues Deluxe seems to be in high esteem lately. I had one of the originals and it was a nice enough amp -- pretty loud, good clean sounds, nice compact package -- but it was cheaply made, and the drive channel was raspy & unpleasant. I think I sold mine for $400 or so. That's about as far as I'd go in trade. Why do you want to get rid of that Princeton, anyway? It's cool-looking.

I had a Princeton EXACTLY like that one, and I'd never trade it for a Blues Deluxe!

But if you don't want or like the Princeton, that's your call! I'd say it's worth $700-900, based on recent completed auctions on eBay, and a Blues Deluxe between $400-500.

Cheers, Tim

Value-wise, doing that trade is a poor choice. That Princeton will continue to gain value over the years. It's a classic amp held in high regard (and demand). I doubt if the Blues Deluxe will ever gain that status.

Keep the Princeton and just save for the Blues Deluxe.

I use a blues deluxe nearly everyday as my main amp, i think there great, nice "big" clean sounds and great reverb.

BUT! if i did'nt need it as a loud giging amp I'd swop it for a princeton any day of the week!

I'd hang on to the princeton, even if it's just for collectibility. It's worth more to a collector than a BD ever will be.

What kind of offer is that?

A crappy sounding new amp for an awesome sounding old/used amp?

I'd punch that guy in the mouth for that kind of insult! HAHAHA

Don't do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Princetons are great little amps.

As the years go by that trade will be less and less in your favour. I wouldn't do it however appealing it seems at this instant because I think you'd live to regret it. Nothing on earth would get me to swap an original vintage Fender amp in that condition except for another original vintage Fender amp in that condition. And certainly not a newish two-a-penny one with a PCB. I'd sell my kids before I sold an amp like yours (which, to qualify, is probably why nobody has ever been foolish enough to have kids with me).

Tim,

It might be yours. I think the previous owner bought it off the classifieds here. If I remember correctly I think that's where he said he got it. I've had it for about 4 years and I'm not sure how long he had it...1-2 years I'm guessing.

I traded a banjo to it!:lol::twisted:

I was entertaining the idea of selling it and then the Blues Deluxe showed up in the picture. I could also possibly trade it to a Deluxe Reverb RI with a Weber speaker, Mercury Mag transformer and hand picked tubes. Speaking of that Deluxe just last week, when this picture was taken,

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f64/bluegrasssboy/AMPS.jpg


we put them back to back and plugged the deluxe's Weber into the Princeton. It was noticeably louder and I'll have to say it sounded really good. If I keep it, I'm thinking of taking out the original baffle and speaker and putting them up, buying all new and sitting a new 12" Weber in it.

I was entertaining the idea of selling it and then the Blues Deluxe showed up in the picture. I could also possibly trade it to a Deluxe Reverb RI with a Weber speaker, Mercury Mag transformer and hand picked tubes. Speaking of that Deluxe just last week, when this picture was taken,

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f64/bluegrasssboy/AMPS.jpg


we put them back to back and plugged the deluxe's Weber into the Princeton. It was noticeably louder and I'll have to say it sounded really good. If I keep it, I'm thinking of taking out the original baffle and speaker and putting them up, buying all new and sitting a new 12" Weber in it.


I had a phone conversation with the owner of the Deluxe today who told me about the possible trade. I told him to tell you nearly the same thing you've been hearing here. Put the amp away and buy another one. It you want to try the 12" speaker go ahed, but for my money I'd first try a different 10. My current fave is an Eminence Legend 105. Inexpensive, but what a tone.

Winnie

Hell No!

Tim,

It might be yours. I think the previous owner bought it off the classifieds here. If I remember correctly I think that's where he said he got it. I've had it for about 4 years and I'm not sure how long he had it...1-2 years I'm guessing.

I traded a banjo to it!:lol::twisted:

I sold mine in '97, through Osprey Guitars in Fort Collins, Colorado, part of a big sell-off of gear during a difficult period. I also sold a profoundly wonderful '68 Bassman head and a very fine '77-ish 50-watt Marshall JMP head.

All of which are worth more than double what I sold them for then!!!

:oops:

Tim

The guy I got it from lives in New Mexico, but I was almost sure I remember him telling me he got it off the classifieds. He's probably lurking around here somewhere.

Tha's not a very good trade at all for you....and a terrific trade for the other guy!

Keep yer Princeton.

As far as financially--you'd be throwing away about $500 (Clean BF Princeton vs. used Blues Deluxe.

The Blues Deluxe is a pretty nice amp. Fender made boatloads of them (they've even "reissued" the model and it is currently in production). If you want one, go ahead--but keep the Princeton or at least get what it's worth by selling it outright.

Personally I'd keep that mini-Hiwatt sounding thing--maybe put in a clean efficient speaker like a Weber California and enjoy the thing. Turn it up, plug in a Tele and "Krang" some big chords!!!

P.

That's why I was asking for suggested values, just strictly financially speaking. How much boot is fair?

a quick glance at ebay "completed items" shows non-verb blackface Princetons all over the map, fluctuating between $650 or so up to $900. The BD is worth ??? $500 or so. That's the problem with the trade -- cash value this year might be pretty close. Then you make the trade and five years down the road, the Princeton will be worth more, maybe a lot more, if recent trends continue. Or if that BD ends up with a cracked circuit board, which is not exactly unheard-of.

If you really really need a bigger amp, though, scout around for a silverface pro or vibrolux, even a bassman if you're going to be playing Shea Stadium soon. If you trade vintage Fender for vintage Fender, you'll do fine in the long run.

don't do it.

and BTW, I guess there's no accounting for taste but the one time I heard a Blues Deluxe it was among the worst sounding tube guitar amps I have heard. The Flextone II that sat beside it on the stage blew it away.

I looked at the completed auctions. I saw what looked like a really nice one sell for about $650 and then there's this one:

http://tinyurl.com/2vgx9s $999.99

Yowsa. I like the fact that my amp is worth more every year, but then I cringe every time I window shop on ebay.

No Freakin Way

(he's hardly a "gentleman"....he's taking advantage of you)