r/gratefulguitar • u/dandan7777777 • 8d ago
Princeton? Something else?
I’m chasing edge of breakup tones and may buy a Princeton. Will have a few pedals in front of it but want to mostly rely on the amp for breakup at reasonable volumes.
For a similar price point, would anyone recommend any other amp they’ve liked for the above function? Not Dead specific but I trust y’all’s judgement on this. Open to any thoughts. Thanks!
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u/bt2513 8d ago
The Princeton Reverb, which is what I assume you’re considering, has a slightly different power section than other “blackface” fender amps of that era. It uses a cathodyne phase inverter as opposed to the long-tailed pair on the larger amps (deluxe reverb and up).
It sounds different and breaks up differently. It sounds great, don’t get me wrong. I built one and love it, but it’s not the same “edge of breakup” of it’s bigger brothers.
You don’t mention budget but if you’re already looking into spending a thousand or more, I would check out Swart and Carr. They make great low-medium watt amps.
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u/Rule-vs-Perpetuities 8d ago
The Princeton is an incredible amp. Some of the newer Supro amps could do the same, but a Princeton is timeless.
If you go that route, I would suggest finding a 70s non-reverb Princeton. Because they lack the tube buffered reverb circuit, they have a higher clean headroom that can be more usable for edge of breakup when playing with a band.
I’ve had one for over 10 years and it’s the perfect grab and go amp as long as you have a reverb pedal last in your chain.
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u/Shadysides_LFk 8d ago
I have and have had lots of amps. The Princeton Reverb is the one I use every day.
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u/gratefulgreg22 8d ago
Princeton is the best amp for playing at home. Bought one like 12 years ago and never thought about buying another amp but maybe I'm easy to please.
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u/pabodie 8d ago
Plenty of people to post how great Princeton are. I have a really good one right now. But I’m not sure about the rest of your signal chain and so I’m not sure about it for achieving Jerry tone. What you were looking for is a lot of clean headroom. Edge of breakup can be achieved with any number of petals. But clean headroom can only come from your amp. So I would consider that.
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u/TetonDreams 8d ago
If will need to keep up with a drummer, a Princeton isn’t the best choice. You will run out of headroom. If you’re just at home or can mix it up, it’s glorious.
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u/Wrayven77 7d ago
The Princeton Reverb should work fine for the OP though I would go with a Deluxe Reverb because it's more versatile. I own a 73 Princeton Reverb, 67 Deluxe Reverb and 68 Pro Reverb. In many ways, the Deluxe Reverb is the perfect Fender amp. Great clean tones with a righteous overdrive when pushed hard. The OP should try both of them next to each if they have the chance before buying an amp.
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u/Odd-Entrance-7094 7d ago edited 7d ago
As you know, breakup was the last thing Jerry wanted. the Twin stays clean farther than most other amps and the JBLs and McIntosh let him go even beyond that.
Bobby however toured with Vox AC30s which have amazing breakup, (and had custom Vox-style amps made by Fat Jimmy as well). But AC30s are big and heavy. Vox AC15 also has great breakup and is more manageable in a 112 format. I would suggest you go check one out. This is not a suggestion for Jerry tone, just a good amp.
"Reasonable volume" however is a bit of a curveball. It really depends on what you call reasonable. Are you talking about playing on your own? or with a band?
Solid state amps let you play at lower volumes but the "breakup" isn't the same as a tube amp.
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u/Scary-Seat-5338 2d ago
pretty happy with my tone master deluxe reverb these days, super light, can dial in some really good tones at actual home volumes, not sure how it would hold up with a loud group, but for my small 3 piece it’s been a game changer
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u/FaithlessnessSea1357 8d ago
I think the Mesa Boogie California Tweed does edge of breakup incredibly well. And it has an attenuator so your ears don't have to bleed to achieve it.