I finally played a good example of a BF Princeton

[tfarny]

And...I get it! That not-quite-so-scooped but-still-BF tone is really what I dig. Super compact, loud but very manageable.
I have no need for another amp like that, and I have no idea why it costs way more than a Blues Jr except for 'markup' but I really did love the sound and found it super easy to dial in. Definitely not an amp to kick out of bed. It was like a smaller and cleaner version of my Allen with "raw" on 1 1/2. Just a little kick-up in the middle.
I played it through a stellar PRS CE24 semi-hollow which probably didn't hurt. But that was a durned good amp.

 

[Dacious]

What makes or breaks the Princeton is the cathodyne phase inverter which gives it touch sensitivity - you can 'feel' notes especially on vibrato. Coupled with the dinky power and output transformer that saturates. Some people it's enough headroom, some not so.

Why it's more expensive than a Pro or Blues jnr:

1. The tubes are mounted to the chassis with fly leads to the boards, not on PCBs which can cook, warp, split traces.
2. All the signal processing and power/ rectification is by tube. Eight tubes in a PR. Four in a PR or BJ. Tubes and sockets are expensive compared to chips on a board.
3. The cabinet is plywood or pine depending on model, not MDF.

Things like tube sockets, switches, jacks and pots in a vintage one last 50,60,70 years, mostly with little maintenance.

 

[Deathray]

I love mine! Great amps.

 

[Cadillac_Mike]

What makes or breaks the Princeton is the cathodyne phase inverter which gives it touch sensitivity - you can 'feel' notes especially on vibrato. Coupled with the dinky power and output transformer that saturates. Some people it's enough headroom, some not so.

Why it's more expensive than a Pro or Blues jnr:

1. The tubes are mounted to the chassis with fly leads to the boards, not on PCBs which can cook, warp, split traces.
2. All the signal processing and power/ rectification is by tube. Eight tubes in a PR. Four in a PR or BJ. Tubes and sockets are expensive compared to chips on a board.
3. The cabinet is plywood or pine depending on model, not MDF.

Things like tube sockets, switches, jacks and pots in a vintage one last 50,60,70 years, mostly with little maintenance.

Aren't they made in USA too while Blues Jr. and Pro-Junior are Made in Mexico?