Fender Princeton Reverbs

The legendary Fender Princeton Reverb! Here's Jesse to compare the Teambuilt '65 Princeton Reverb and the hand-wired '64 Custom Princeton Reverb. Let us know what you think!
'65 Princeton Reverb (ID#13802):
artisanguitars.com/collection...
'64 Custom Princeton Reverb (ID#13940):
artisanguitars.com/collection...
#ArtisanGuitars #NashvilleMusicMakers #Fender #Amps #Princeton #FenderPrinceton #ElectricGuitar #GuitarAmps #Nashville

[@michael_caz_nyc]

I bought a 65 Blackface Princeton Reverb ( Dec 2017 ) and I am so impressed. It has all the glassy, pristine chime and gorgeous Fender-cleans. The amp actually exceeded my expectations.

[@beatbaker7420]

which speaker?

[@colbyjack7074]

Nice Job as always Jesse and Artisan Guitars!

[@ArtisanGuitars]

Thanks for your kind words! We have more Fender hand-wired amp videos coming, stay tuned!

[@gregmacklin9758]

I have the 65 reissue tweed with a 12 inch canibus rex, and it sounds fantastic to my ears. And frankly I think you can adjust the treble and the base either on the amp or guitar and get that hand wired tone. The main difference between the two is probably the response from the pick attack more than anything.

[@jst601]

As Aspen Pittman once said: If Leo Fender had printed circuit boards available to him when he was building those original amps, he would have used PCBs.

[@ArtisanGuitars]

It's great to have a historian among us.

[@gair1944]

I miss Jesse’s videos now that Artisan has shifted business model to just being a maton dealer. Great video. The custom hand wired is clearly in a different league! Very nice

[@ericcartman8354]

I just picked up a Headstrong lil king reverb, hand wired 1x12 (64 princeton reverb clone) I finally got a princeton!

[@beatbaker7420]

whch speaker?

[@ThePedalcr8z]

If you're going to take the time to do this make sure the volume is the same! When you switched to the HW initially it was MUCH louder!

[@LEWDUVA]

Did you notice that he has both amp's volume around 4? Did you hear what he said at 5:55? He set the HW slightly quieter than the '65 due to that volume jump with the '64.

[@alafenetre81]

@@LEWDUVA He shouldn't have since we're interested in differences in sound. It introduced a bias.

[@thomasnonsense]

I just bought the '64 hand-wired Princeton but it hasn't arrived yet. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on it. That fire extinguisher is appropriately placed, by the way, because those Strats look hot!!

[@shckltnebay]

Well?

[@thomasnonsense]

@@shckltnebay It is very well indeed! There are probably all sorts of better amps out there but I'm afraid to look because the Princeton sounds particularly sweet. I completed the ensemble with a set of Kinman Magnum Opus 59 pickups. It probably doesn't get much better in the realm of not-quite-dirty Fender tone.

[@shckltnebay]

@@thomasnonsense Going with to check out a 74 with a friend on Thursday wants something close to my real 68, he had the 65 RI and was disappointed even with a G12h heritage installed like mine has

[@LA-zc9rg]

Swap in a P10R alnico in the 65 reissue and get somewhat closer to the hand wired amp at about 1/2 the cost.

[@gair1944]

I don’t think you can dismiss the fact the hand wired amp uses better components and a pine cab as well. Everything in signal chain matters. That said I own a 65 PR reissue but in a knotty pine cab. It is excellent. I also have a 64 custom handwired “Deluxe”. Everything about the custom handwired sounds and grills better. Yes even when I compare my 64 handwired deluxe to a reissue 65 deluxe with PCB and cheaper parts inside. The custom handwired is on s another level side from just the speaker. IME

[@LA-zc9rg]

@@gair1944 sure there’s a difference but again 95% of the tone at 1/2 the price the law of diminishing returns surely kicks in here!

[@michaelweiss9219]

My 65 Princeton Re-issue came with a p10r speaker and white tolex, It sounds great! I generally like it as much as my Deluxe Reverb RI,

[@elizabethtrotter8403]

the hand wired sounds better

[@MisterTee]

My main amp is an Allen Sweet Spot, which is a handwired amp that is a lot like a Princeton. It’s fantastic. I love Princetons

[@squirelova1815]

It's a bit funny how Both the big bro Blackfaced Twin Reverb and little Princeton Reverb sound awesomely Majestic when pushed. I mean, Robby Krieger's tone with his Twin on the Doors records was so Big, Unique and, yeah, Majestic but Krieger also played fingerstyle too.

[@tjnugent62]

Does the handwired amp have a better speaker than the crap they put in the current issue Fenders?

[@billy10100]

Surely they have different speakers??? And if they do we are hearing that difference more than anything:)

[@aidandorrian3946]

65' re-issue sounds "sweeter", would use for "home recording", 64' custom sounds "punchier", would use as a "live, on road amp"! ... I do actually own a "Princeton"!

[@ron980]

Have you noticed that the 64 hardwired version takes pedals any better than the 65?

[@ArtisanGuitars]

Both are amazing amps, but the 64 handwired sounds better allllll the way around.

[@Heatfarmer]

Same tube configuration? Same volume control pots? Seem very unlikely that there would be such at drastic difference in volume levels only because the one is wired and the other is pcb.

[@andychase7693]

I sure like the tone of the hand-wired one. The other one sounds good, too, but the HW one seems to have a fatter and richer tone.

[@510tuber]

I just bought some sardines off craigslist and they were pretty good.

[@davidlewis2055]

I got the 65 it's OK, but the hand wired Princeton is sweeter

[@shckltnebay]

Mic clipping on the 64

[@ArtisanGuitars]

Yes, we need more technical input, thank you.

[@shckltnebay]

@@ArtisanGuitars There is nothing like being in the room with them, would love to know your thoughts on the 64HW vs a real 64-68 Vintage amp?

[@jensschettler1732]

That clapton strat sounds really lifeless.

[@SH-pq5zq]

I think it’s the way it’s recorded. I bet in person, it’s sound much better…. The whole recording is too “small” sounding….

[@julestielens6988]

What a difference withe the 64!! Way better

[@atarirob]

Huh, I must have lucked out because my '65 Reissue sounds nothing like the one in this video and better to my ears than the '64 in this one. Why does the '65 Reissue here sound so lifeless and flat? Brand new speaker, perhaps?

[@VintageRadius]

Yeah no offense to these guys at all but I’ve heard both of these amps sound better. Could be the audio interface they are using or perhaps mic placement just ever so slightly off. Also, the Clapton sig Strats usually have noiseless “single coil” pickups which I’m not a fan of. They tend to be nice and quiet but lose a bit of that sparkle and chime.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

I Love my 65 reissue. I got mine in Dec 2017 and was not expecting it to exceed my lofty expectations. It's Loud, with clean-high headroom. It sounds absolutely fantastic. I can get those: SRV, Mark Knopfler, Nile Rodgers, Robin Trower & David Gilmour tones. Fantastic amp.

[@VintageRadius]

@@michael_caz_nyc i have a 65 PRRI as well. Love it and agree - great tones. I disagree on headroom. It has some but even playing through some low output PAF humbuckers there really isn’t much headroom at all. Also my OCD pedal set to gain at minimum and volume up a bit can work as a clean boost through my HRDX. Through the Princeton the same settings are rather overdriven even with my Tele. Great amp for what it does though

[@michael_caz_nyc]

@@VintageRadius I play Spanky-Clean about 80% of the time. (however) I do have several gain stages (all set to Low gain). You should try the Barber Gain Changer SR - it's Incredible. I go: Thorpy Muff - Gain Changer - OCD = endless combinations from Santana, Zeppelin & Van Halen tones. I also use a Suhr strat with (low output) Lollar Blonde's. My Princeton is stock (2017) and it has very-high-clean headroom?

[@VintageRadius]

@@michael_caz_nyc ive heard good things about the Barber pedal. Also, I definitely do get more clean headroom out of my Strat so agree on that. I guess its all relative. Speaker will also impact the amount of headroom you perceive. One of the things that I like most about my Princeton is that it sounds fantastic at relatively low volumes. I especially like it with my single coil guitars (Strat and Tele)

[@jfar3340]

they sound the same

[@michaelweiss9219]

You can spend too much time on gear and to little on just playing guitar, thousands of dollars don’t make any difference on playing ability, ask me how I know😊