Build a Princeton Reverb?

[Neil]

Hi

StewMac is offering Princeton Reverb kits for what I think is a lot of
money.

<https://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Amp_Kits_and_Parts/Amplifier_Kits/65_P-Reverb_15W_Amp_Kit.html?utm_campaign=M10734&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NPA&utm_content=M10734_C_20181024>

Genuine P-Rs can be had for about the same money or less, so my question
is, has anyone here built one, and if so, why?

<https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1311.R1.TR12.TRC2.A0.H1.Xfender+princeton.TRS0&_nkw=fender+princeton+reverb&_sacat=0>

--
best regards,

Neil

[Lord Valve]

On Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 2:10:10 PM UTC-6, Neil wrote:
> Hi
>
> StewMac is offering Princeton Reverb kits for what I think is a lot of
> money.
>
> <https://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Amp_Kits_and_Parts/Amplifier_Kits/65_P-Reverb_15W_Amp_Kit.html?utm_campaign=M10734&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NPA&utm_content=M10734_C_20181024>
>
> Genuine P-Rs can be had for about the same money or less, so my question
> is, has anyone here built one,

I've built ("cloned") that and just about every other
Fender from tweeds until the end of the silverface era.

and if so, why?

For money. It's what I do.

>
> <https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1311.R1.TR12.TRC2.A0.H1.Xfender+princeton.TRS0&_nkw=fender+princeton+reverb&_sacat=0>

The price range you're talking about is mostly for
used re-issues. Unfortunately, those re-issue amps
look great, but inside is a set of cheesy parts
mounted on circuit boards. Real BFPRs are going to
set you back $1500-$3000 depending on the condition.

If you have the skills (I'm talking *skills* here,
not "I know how to solder") to do it right, and
you're willing to spend TIME on it - for instance,
the Mojo kit for a BFPR is supposedly able to be
built in 5 hours; you put one of those together in
only 5 hours and you're going to own a piece of
unreliable SHIT, is what - then you can turn out
something that will sound *great*, something you
can point to with pride. The Stew-Mac version has
Heyboer transformers, which are excellent parts.
I prefer Mercury Magnetics, sometimes Classic-Tone
by MCI, depending on what I'm building. The Stew-Mac
is on sale right now for $874, which is one dollar
cheaper than the Mojo. The Mojo kit specifies "Mojo"
transformers - don't know what they are, actually, but
Mojo uses good parts. Could be Heyboers, in fact. If
you order one of these BFPR kits, try to get it with
no speaker. (Mojo will do this - don't know about
Stew-Mac.) What you want in a BFPR is the Weber DT-10,
a speaker I helped design for Derek Trucks. Trust me
on this - no Jensen comes even remotely close.

If I build you one it'll cost around two grand.
Note the USED Allesandros on your YouTube link,
which sell for $2.5K - mine are every bit as good,
some would say better. I'm way pickier about parts
quality than most kit manufacturers; often the
difference in price for the whole parts list is
less than $50. (Surprised? I don't have any bean-
counters breathing down my neck.)


Lord Valve
Expert

tubes AT prodigy DOT net

[Lord Valve]

Taylor Scott (you'll hear of him, if you haven't already)
just sent me links to a couple of live recordings; he's
using a Napper 12, one of my best-selling models. Nothing
between his guitar and the amp other than a cable. That amp
goes for ~$2.5K, depending on options; it's the same size
as a Princeton Reverb, but it's twice as powerful (25 watts)
and has a 12" speaker, as well as a midrange control. No
tremolo. Has a "soul" control (a variable negative feedback
knob.) Bright switch and a gain boost. Taylor plays 200+ shows
a year, including touring with Otis Taylor. That amp has been
in continuous service for over four years, and it gets played
*hard*. So far, all it's needed is one preamp tube and a pilot
light bulb. I build 'em to last.

Take a listen and see what you think:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I7PGxbFL5g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhNqfS1WMNY

[Flasherly]

On Wed, 24 Oct 2018 16:10:08 -0400, Neil <ne...@myplaceofwork.com>
wrote:

>Genuine P-Rs can be had for about the same money or less, so my question
>is, has anyone here built one, and if so, why?

Mystic and consummation. Project builds for everyone or anyone to
explore the technology and its limits. From somewhat specialized to
all sorts of modifications, to aftermarket kits for preserving and
embellishing upon concept designs, then exceeded by one on a promotion
for "as good as", at a fraction of redesigned and exported labor, part
selection and overall cost.

Cost in all ways trumps on the statistical mean.

My "stage" amp outputs are now all hybridized into dual-tube buffered
filters. An extensible concept and offset of, as I suspect, as much
Chinese engineering as not. And probably one more extensively first
seen in guitar amps from the 80's onward.

For a direct Hong-Kong price, to me, at $40. Total, excluding a world
of not insensible prices on bulk quantities of specialty ex-military
and surplus broadcasting (pre-12AX7 design) replacement tubes.

Took me about a year to ascertain that validity and application,
subjective to applicable signal pathing through tube buffers. A step
closer in approximation to an instrumental stage and translucent
clarity I expect from a distant audience char, placed before the
well-rehearsed, live performance.

And so much hogwash for all but a consequent narrow focus, its
degrees, for generalized [dis]regard given from solidstate application
as one respectably engineered, well-implemented and not without
reasonable popularity, as perfectly acceptable to otherwise a
prohibitive field of expensive and specialized equipment.

[Neil]

On 10/24/2018 9:37 PM, Flasherly wrote:
> On Wed, 24 Oct 2018 16:10:08 -0400, Neil <ne...@myplaceofwork.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Genuine P-Rs can be had for about the same money or less, so my question
>> is, has anyone here built one, and if so, why?
>
> Mystic and consummation. Project builds for everyone or anyone to
> explore the technology and its limits.

Those with the requisite skills to explore the technology and its limits
need not buy a prefab kit. I think a kit would be a hindrance to that end.

--
best regards,

Neil

[Lord Valve]

Wait'll you have to hand-punch a chassis for 10 tubes.

[Neil]

On 10/24/2018 6:36 PM, Lord Valve wrote:
> On Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 2:10:10 PM UTC-6, Neil wrote:
>> Hi
>>
>> StewMac is offering Princeton Reverb kits for what I think is a lot of
>> money.
>>
>> <https://www.stewmac.com/Pickups_and_Electronics/Amp_Kits_and_Parts/Amplifier_Kits/65_P-Reverb_15W_Amp_Kit.html?utm_campaign=M10734&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NPA&utm_content=M10734_C_20181024>
>>
>> Genuine P-Rs can be had for about the same money or less, so my question
>> is, has anyone here built one,
>
> I've built ("cloned") that and just about every other
> Fender from tweeds until the end of the silverface era.
>
> and if so, why?
>
> For money. It's what I do.
>

That's understandable; they're not for you and they seem to be popular
amps these days. I never cared for the black or silver-faced versions,
but that's not the topic at hand. ;-)

>>
>> <https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1311.R1.TR12.TRC2.A0.H1.Xfender+princeton.TRS0&_nkw=fender+princeton+reverb&_sacat=0>
>
> The price range you're talking about is mostly for
> used re-issues. Unfortunately, those re-issue amps
> look great, but inside is a set of cheesy parts
> mounted on circuit boards. Real BFPRs are going to
> set you back $1500-$3000 depending on the condition.
>

The link does have a lot of reissues, etc., but unless some of those ads
were misleading, there were a few actual '65s for under $800.

I was mainly curious about the attraction to kits vs. a ground-up design
and build (it's what I've done, but they're for me rather than for sale).

--
best regards,

Neil

[Flasherly]

On Wed, 24 Oct 2018 21:53:40 -0400, Neil <ne...@myplaceofwork.com>
wrote:

>
>Those with the requisite skills to explore the technology and its limits
>need not buy a prefab kit. I think a kit would be a hindrance to that end.

The more skills the cheaper it gets until it becomes free fixes on
Easy St. at dealer pricing 24/7. Got a buck you can loan me for a
hamburger?

[Nil]

I'd like to build a kit amp someday. I think I'd learn a lot from
it. But that StewMac kit is too expensive.

[Neil]

Been there, done that. There weren't other options when I learned
electronics, and I still have the tools. ;-)

--
best regards,

Neil

[Pudentame]

On Wed, 24 Oct 2018 16:10:08 -0400, Neil <ne...@myplaceofwork.com>
wrote:

The reissue Princeton Reverbs are PC Board amps. The StewMac kit is a
point-to-point wiring amp.

They don't sound quite the same. The PC Board reissues are a bit wimpy
and more fragile if you need to schlep it around to gigs.

You could always buy a Fender PC Board reissue and gut it to install a
StewMac point-to-point conversion kit ... or keep your eyes on eBay to
bid on an original old Princeton Reverb (and pay THREE times as much).

[NoName]

On 10/24/2018 03:10 PM, Neil wrote:
> Hi
>
> StewMac is offering Princeton Reverb kits for what I think is a lot of
> money.

Ted Weber and MoJo amps offer similar kits - LV has used them for
years and puts his name on them .

[Lord Valve]

On Sunday, November 11, 2018 at 4:14:55 PM UTC-7, a cowardly piece of shit blubbered:

That's a lie, of course. Feel free to call Weber
and ask TA if I've ever ordered any amp kits from
him. Same with Mojo. BTW - Ted died several years
ago, schmuck.

<spit>

[%]

i was just about to say didn't he die

[Lord Valve]

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Ted_Weber_Founder_of_Weber_Speakers_Dies_at_58

Fortunately, you didn't do that - that would have
put you squarely into the camp of antifa losers like
"no name." You've already made a good start on it, eh?

<spit>

[NoName]

Ike was the 1st AntiFa leader .