Fender Princeton Reverb (1964)
Vintage
This power-packed pre-CBS 1964 Princeton Reverb just rolled into the shop and has quickly earned the top spot as the best sounding black panel PR to find its way to us. Sounds like a bit of the old fashioned salesman hype, but with a few staffers who own 60s Princeton Reverbs making the claim, this one's about as bonafide as it gets.
So what makes THIS particular Princeton Reverb so special? Part of it might have to do with the fact that it seems to schematically align with the earliest PR circuit - AA764. Minor tweaks, surely, but there's something about the voice of this particular amp that is very impressive. It does have all of its original transformers, too, and that's a big part of the equation. It's also got an old 5V4 rectifier tube in place of the stock 5AR4/GZ34, which softens the amp just touch as well. Otherwise, it may just be the sum of the parts in this combo that are making it sing. Whatever it may be, we're pretty blown away by this Princeton! Paired up with a well broken-in Weber Signature 10 Alnico speaker, there's a surprising amount of low end and dynamic range. It almost feels like a baby Deluxe Reverb in that regard, without compromising the sweeter, warmer overall tonality of a PR. The Reverb is especially impressive; it's got the classic 60s Fender bounce but there's an overall smoothness to the decay that makes it sound more lush and dimensional than we're used to hearing in these shorter pans.
And the breakup?!?! Watch out! While BFPRs aren't known much for having a particularly satisfying crunch tone (especially when compared to earlier Fenders), this one's got more low-mid character that feels much more balanced without being too raspy in the top end. Paired up with a tele and pushed to 6-8 on the volume, you've got some instant Americana and Roots Rock tones available.
The amp was recently serviced by our favorite local amp doctor, Stan Day, which included a recap and replacement of the 12AT7.
A truly great vintage Princeton Reverb is one of the most complete and versatile combos in existence, and this amp couldn't be more proof of that.
| Power | 12 Watts |
| Controls | Volume-Treble-Bass-Reverb-Speed-Depth |
| Switches | Standby On/Off | Power On/Off |
| Inputs | 1/2 |
| General | Finger-Jointed Pine cabinet |
| Covering | Original Tolex - Original grill cloth |
| Modifications | Replaced speaker and speaker cable |
| Tubes | (2) 6V6 | (3) 12AX7 | (1) 12AT7 | (1) 5V4 |
| Speaker | (1) 10" Weber Sig10 Alnico |
| Transformers | PT 606-439 / OT 606-435 / Reverb 606-430 |
| Service History | Recent Recap / 3-prong cable |
| Dimensions | 16" x 20" x 9½” |
| Weight | Approx. 32lbs |
| Serial Number | A 01485 |
Every instrument is thoroughly checked and set up before shipping fully insured via UPS with tracking to your door. We reuse boxes and materials to cut waste when they meet our protection standard.
Inspect it, play it, and if it isn't right, contact us within 48 hours of delivery to arrange a return or one-time exchange. Returns are subject to a 5% restocking fee, and the buyer covers shipping both ways.
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