Another Princeton Forum

[Augustin187]

I’m about to get my hands on a 65 reissue.
I used to have one of those sweetwater tweeds with the 12” speaker. I liked it but moved it along for other things. I have a tone of 12” ext cabs actually like a ton…. so I don’t what this to devolve into a 12” vs 10” scrap…..

My question is what mods on this bad boy have users found essential.

Regarding speakers let’s keep it to other 10” if any.

You see the tweed Princeton is probably the only among mine I never had modded. It was great and I just played it stock….. the trek didn’t go slow enough….

Just wondering what essential mods are out there. I can be a mod perv so I’d like a little regulating of my mind in that respect.

I have a 5e3

I’m not trying to make the Princeton anything it isnt

Just a great version of that flavor. I am an engineer with a studio.

Thanks!

 

[Wally]

I would suggest getting a SF Prin Rev…..especially if you want to modify it. The hand-wired vintage amps are better in all ways but are much easier to work on and modify.
As for modifications, what is it that you would want the little amp to do?
Randall Smith took ‘modifying a Princeton Reverb’ to the extreme when he created the first Boogie amp in the Prin Rev chassis.
What does it NOT do that you would want it to do? FWIW, the Super Champ from 1982-1985 is a modified Princeton Reverb that will do anything you want….except it does not have a tremolo circuit. An outboard trem pedal takes care if that. The Super Champ will go up in value instead of down.

 

[Highway 49]

I guess it depends what you want to do with the amp.
Regarding the speaker, I recently switched my Jensen P10r out for a WGS Veteran 10, and am loving it because it just sounds a little sweeter and is less harsh on the ears, but hasn’t fundamentally changed the character of the amp.
I like a rackety, garage rock, kind of sound, but I guess Country or Classic Rock people might make different speaker choices, or they might leave the speaker stock.

 

[Augustin187]

I would suggest getting a SF Prin Rev…..especially if you want to modify it. The hand-wired vintage amps are better in all ways but are much easier to work on and modify.
As for modifications, what is it that you would want the little amp to do?
Randall Smith took ‘modifying a Princeton Reverb’ to the extreme when he created the first Boogie amp in the Prin Rev chassis.
What does it NOT do that you would want it to do? FWIW, the Super Champ from 1982-1985 is a modified Princeton Reverb that will do anything you want….except it does not have a tremolo circuit. An outboard trem pedal takes care if that. The Super Champ will go up in value instead of down.

I guess really I just want a stock and flavorful PR

Totally insane of me to be thinking of modding it without playing it. I guess I’m just looking for something to research while my wife watches tv

 

[GotA24Fretter]

The only two mods that I consider essential for how I use a Princeton are reducing the second stage cathode bypass cap to 3.3μF and adding a 1M grid stopper to the PI input.

The others (and I do have others) are just gilding the lily.

I started, but have neglected to finish, a thread with a deep dive into mods on this PCB. Worth checking out even if it's incomplete.

 

[King Fan]

Just wondering what essential mods are out there. I can be a mod perv so I’d like a little regulating of my mind in that respect.

Regulate, for sure. The PR is one of the least mod-welcoming or mod-wanting amps out there. For sure maybe try that 750K-1M grid stopper, or maybe a trem-slowing cap. Most of the 'classic' mods (Paul C, Stokes, raw/mid, even NFB) have fallen from favor or been found seldom-used by most builders.

Read Rob's page for sure:

https://robrobinette.com/AA1164_Princeton_Reverb.htm

Speaker swaps, OTOH, go for it; especially if you get a PRRI, where some consider that a must.

 

[srblue5]

I've left my '65 PRRI un-modded but have considered a speaker change over the years to try and quell some of the rattiness with overdrive. I've read good things about the Eminence GA10-SC64. When my ship comes in, maybe I'll consider that.

Haven't considered any other mods for the PRRI. There have been some things I didn't like tone-wise about the PRRI at times but I've come to accept it for what it is and what it does. It's not going to do a smooth overdrive sound -- I have other amps for that. But for great low volume cleans, a trebly '50s style overdrive, '60s garage rock, or early Tom Petty tones, the PRRI is hard to beat for me. With the right overdrive pedal, I've gotten an approximation of Keef's late '70s Boogie tones.

It is a great gigging amp for me as is but I don't gig with it as much anymore due to a push locally for low volume stages. I'm sorry, but a PRRI at 2 is not gonna optimize what that amp does best (and I'm not suggesting I crank it to 11 either -- between 3 and 4.5 is the sweet spot on that amp but that gets mighty loud for local sound techs).

 

[Mikie47165]

Allthough not considered a diy mod, this new model from Sweetwater has a couple mods built in.
added a rear-panel midrange control, enabling you to dial the amp from standard Blackface tones all the way to scooped and mid-forward Tweed-like tones. We also modified the tremolo speed to a slower rate with a wider range of intensity control to provide you with a lusher-sounding effect than a stock circuit.
Its a bit pricey at about $1700 but im going in for one as soon as their in stock

 

[fenderchamp]

I guess really I just want a stock and flavorful PR

Totally insane of me to be thinking of modding it without playing it. I guess I’m just looking for something to research while my wife watches tv

you could play scales instead.

 

[Mike Simpson]

Buy a 70’s pre pull boost silverface Princeton Reverb. The end.

 

[schmee]

Depends on what speaker is in it and what you play.
At home? Gigging? etc
To get everything out of a 10" PR for gigging a Weber 10F150T , 50 watt speaker is killer.
No need for that loud/robust a speaker for at home though. A Emi GA SC 10 will be nice and toneful at home.

 

[Dukex]

Allthough not considered a diy mod, this new model from Sweetwater has a couple mods built in.
added a rear-panel midrange control, enabling you to dial the amp from standard Blackface tones all the way to scooped and mid-forward Tweed-like tones. We also modified the tremolo speed to a slower rate with a wider range of intensity control to provide you with a lusher-sounding effect than a stock circuit.
Its a bit pricey at about $1700 but im going in for one as soon as their in stock

Here's another consideration/option:

VINTAGE 15 (Princeton Style) – Vintage Sound Amps

We build custom guitar amps – one amp at a time

vintagesoundamps.com

 

[Joe M]

I hate it when others start suggesting something other than what the OP asked, but I gotta do it anyway......get yourself a Louis Electric Columbia.....done

 

[Wally]

Buy a 70’s pre pull boost silverface Princeton Reverb. The end.

If one ignores the Pull Boost, it is not there.

 

[Wally]

I hate it when others start suggesting something other than what the OP asked, but I gotta do it anyway......get yourself a Louis Electric Columbia.....done

Hey Joe…. What do you think of an OP’s asking about mods to an amp when he actually has no interest in the subject? I say in such a case, all responders are free to suggest anything at that point. Ommv….

 

[Augustin187]

All responses are helpful and inform and I love to read and listen and learn. Thanks all!

This is for studio use not gigging

 

[Augustin187]

current speaker is the Jensen special design that comes with it new…..

Allthough not considered a diy mod, this new model from Sweetwater has a couple mods built in.
added a rear-panel midrange control, enabling you to dial the amp from standard Blackface tones all the way to scooped and mid-forward Tweed-like tones. We also modified the tremolo speed to a slower rate with a wider range of intensity control to provide you with a lusher-sounding effect than a stock circuit.
Its a bit pricey at about $1700 but im going in for one as soon as their in stock
View attachment 1397811

Very cool - I have the older tweed one from SW. sounds great. Looking for a classic 10 incher

 

[Augustin187]

Depends on what speaker is in it and what you play.
At home? Gigging? etc
To get everything out of a 10" PR for gigging a Weber 10F150T , 50 watt speaker is killer.
No need for that loud/robust a speaker for at home though. A Emi GA SC 10 will be nice and toneful at home.

It currently has a Jensen special design - whatever that is. It’s what’s new in the 6( reissue

Will look into a emi GA SC 10 w

 

[turftone]

Emi GA10 is a sweet speaker

Another cool thing about Princetons is you can plug in to input 2 to get a slight volume drop, maybe a little smoother highs, maybe a little "fatter." I think it's just a db cut, but whatever it's doing, it lets you turn up into the sweet spot zone without it being as loud or strident in the highs. Really nice if you want some breakup at lower volumes. Great for recording, low vol home use, maybe worth trying if sound guys are saying you're too loud as someone mentioned above.

 

[telemnemonics]

Hey Joe…. What do you think of an OP’s asking about mods to an amp when he actually has no interest in the subject? I say in such a case, all responders are free to suggest anything at that point. Ommv….

OP could have just as well put an ad on Craigslist:

Seeking free entertainment while my wife watches TV.
No experience needed.