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jaygl

By jaygl
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stein

stein

Posted
Posted

Sort of, but not really.

 

The only actual Fender amp I own is a Rumble 15 practice bass amp. My two main home guitar rigs are what you might call "Fenderesque": a Traynor YCV40WR and a Vintage Sound Amp (VSA) Classic 22. The Traynor was created to be a direct competitor of the Fender 40 watt Hot Rod, and the VSA uses the Fender Deluxe Reverb wiring circuit.

 

I wouldn't mind someday having a Princeton Reverb to play my Gibsons through (but even that might become another VSA based on a Princeton circuit).

The only difference between a Princeton Reverb and a Deluxe Reverb is 10" vs 12" speaker, and the extra channel on the Deluxe. The Vibrato/reverb channel is the same on both.

 

In other words, plug it into a 10" speaker and you already have one.

 

Might add. chances are your VSA is more of a "Fender" than the reissues. I haven't really heard one that sounds or plays like a real one yet. Although, the Silverfaced ones I have seen and heard a few times, I kinda think they may be getting better.

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charlie brown

charlie brown

Posted
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I have several Fender Amps...a Twin Reverb, HR Deluxe w/extra matching cabinet, Blues Jr., Sidekick 35 Reverb

(SS, made in Japan), and a Vox AC-30 and 2 Marshall's. A TSL 100 1/2 Stack (1960A 4X12 Cabinet), and a little

ATV-20 "practice amp." They all have their "Sweet tone," and uses. But, I tend to favor Fender's, these days,

as well. Both for sound, volume, and portability. The 15 Watt Blues Jr. is plenty, for most venues I play in,

these days (bars and small clubs). Even so, I love the HR Deluxe's fuller sound (larger cabinet, different tubes).

The Twin is just too loud, at it's "sweet spot," for anything but larger or even outdoor (un-mic'd) gigs. The

Marshall TSL?! WOW! Talk about Loud, and overkill! Still, I love it, IF/When I can use it! So, I don't know...

they all have their uses. [tongue][biggrin]

 

I guess, if I HAD to limit myself to one amp (of the current one's I own), it would be the HR Deluxe, or possibly

the Vox AC-30. ??? Who knows? :unsure:

 

CB

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milod

milod

Posted
Posted

I still have a Bassman head and cab from around 1969-70 that's been around. Should have it renovated but... I used it ages ago for guitar and bass, my wive played a Precision through it when we had a little trio.

 

In the mid '60s I used a DR purchased new around Christmas '65. Loved the broad capabilities that it was loud enough for much rock of the era, but also could be used with an electric guitar in one channel and a mike in the other, or even with a turntable. A lot easier to carry than the bassman or a bandmaster.

 

But... I swapped it for an AIMS Dual 12. It was pretty much a 120-watt brother to the Fender Twin. Weighs way too much for me to use nowadays, so I really wish I'd not made the swap because playing the saloon venues of the '70s as a weekend warrior, I needed all that power like a hole in the head.

 

My current most used amp is a Kustom Solid strate AE 30-something watter, and a little Fender 40-watt SS that's been used more as an emergency PA than a guitar or bass amp.

 

That old DR, in memory at least, was an almost perfect tube amp for my purposes and I was a bit silly in trading it. OTOH, the AIMS IMHO was every bit as good as a twin for anything I used it for, and drove my Fender Leslie quite nicely too.

 

m

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badbluesplayer

badbluesplayer

Posted
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The only difference between a Princeton Reverb and a Deluxe Reverb is 10" vs 12" speaker, and the extra channel on the Deluxe. The Vibrato/reverb channel is the same on both.

 

At the same time the PR is about 15 watts and the DR is about 22 watts because of some minor differences in the circuits.

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vangoghsear

vangoghsear

Posted
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The only difference between a Princeton Reverb and a Deluxe Reverb is 10" vs 12" speaker, and the extra channel on the Deluxe. The Vibrato/reverb channel is the same on both.

 

In other words, plug it into a 10" speaker and you already have one.

 

Might add. chances are your VSA is more of a "Fender" than the reissues. I haven't really heard one that sounds or plays like a real one yet. Although, the Silverfaced ones I have seen and heard a few times, I kinda think they may be getting better.

I agree about the Princeton. It's purely a weight thing because I'm perfectly happy with the VSA DR, but would like something with that sound, but a bit less weight.

 

I agree about the "more a Fender than the reissues" too. When researching which amp to buy, I checked out the new handwired Fenders and they cost almost double the VSA amps, and at the time didn't offer reverb on the hand wired selections. I was looking for the vintage DR tones in a new amp. I don't mind the PCB models, but I wanted handwired simply for the hand made aspect.

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stein

stein

Posted
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At the same time the PR is about 15 watts and the DR is about 22 watts because of some minor differences in the circuits.

Wait...that means I am wrong. Big difference between something set up to run 15 vs 22, even if they are "the same".

 

Was there a certain period for this?

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badbluesplayer

badbluesplayer

Posted
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Wait...that means I am wrong. Big difference between something set up to run 15 vs 22, even if they are "the same".

 

Was there a certain period for this?

 

The Princeton has a "cathodyne" phase inverter, which is less efficient than "long tail pair" type in the DR. It's like the one in the Tweed Deluxe. It's also usually has a rectifier with lower voltages that the DR, a 5u4gb vs. the GZ34 in the DR. I think those are the big differences. The Tweed Deluxe - 12 watts - uses the cathodyne phase inverter and also uses a 5Y3 rectifier with lower voltages than the Princeton. So there's the main differences in power. Not sure about which era had what changes. I guess some PR's have/had a GZ34 according to some guy with two stars on the internet. I don't know.

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stein

stein

Posted
Posted

The Princeton has a "cathodyne" phase inverter, which is less efficient than "long tail pair" type in the DR. It's like the one in the Tweed Deluxe. It's also usually has a rectifier with lower voltages that the DR, a 5u4gb vs. the GZ34 in the DR. I think those are the big differences. The Tweed Deluxe - 12 watts - uses the cathodyne phase inverter and also uses a 5Y3 rectifier with lower voltages than the Princeton. So there's the main differences in power. Not sure about which era had what changes. I guess some PR's have/had a GZ34 according to some guy with two stars on the internet. I don't know.

My understanding is there is quite a difference in sound between a cathodine and long tail pair inverter.

 

Perhaps, and what I was thinking, is that if there were changes when they became the same circuit, it would be into the Silverfaced? That is, when the change in the DR (and most others) from 5AR4(GZ34) to 5U4 rectifier.

 

You sure about the 5u4BG rectifier being used before the change? I wasn't aware of any Fender amps using that until the re-design of most of the amps for the Silverfaced.

 

I am behind in my Fender amp "common knowledge", combined with the fact I might have forgotten so much by now.

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stein

stein

Posted
Posted

The Tweed Deluxe - 12 watts - uses the cathodyne phase inverter and also uses a 5Y3 rectifier with lower voltages than the Princeton. So there's the main differences in power.

Oh yes, another very crucial point- the Tweed Deluxe is cathode biased (did I get that right?), which is a MAJOR difference between that and a lot of other Fenders. Really, the main distinction, the reason they are so popular.

 

Which makes me think...speaking of new "eras", might be time for a "Tweed Deluxe Reverb".

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badbluesplayer

badbluesplayer

Posted
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My understanding is there is quite a difference in sound between a cathodine and long tail pair inverter.

 

Perhaps, and what I was thinking, is that if there were changes when they became the same circuit, it would be into the Silverfaced? That is, when the change in the DR (and most others) from 5AR4(GZ34) to 5U4 rectifier.

 

You sure about the 5u4BG rectifier being used before the change? I wasn't aware of any Fender amps using that until the re-design of most of the amps for the Silverfaced.

 

I am behind in my Fender amp "common knowledge", combined with the fact I might have forgotten so much by now.

The amps like the Princeton and the Deluxe get muddier than the DR and I think that's the main difference. I'm not sure about when the different rectifiers were used.

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sparquelito

sparquelito

Posted
Posted

My first proper rig (as a teenager in a garage band) was a used Gibson Les Paul Deluxe gold-top played thru a used Fender Twin Reverb.

I worked as a 3rd Manager at Hardee's, and put in many hours of overtime to be able to put down the $700 for that combo.

This was in 1976, and I believe the guitar and the amp were originally made in 1971 or so.

 

Eventually the band came apart as we kids all began plans for real life, and when I joined the Army to fly helicopters and to see the world.

I sold the gold-top to a good friend and sold the Fender amp to our lead guitar player.

 

Such good memories.

Wish I had been a better player back then.

 

Funny;

If I had held onto both the guitar and the amp, they would be worth thousands of dollars apiece.

And I paid $700 for the pair.

 

My friend Curtis reports that the Fender Twin lasted about five years, and then he blew it up somehow.

There were drugs and alcohol involved apparently.

 

Old friend Barry still owns that gold-top Les Paul.

I am told that he had to have the neck replaced at some point or another.

He was always a hand-sweaty kind of guy, and apparently the frets and the rosewood fingerboard swelled and rusted.

Barry takes better care of it nowadays, and wipes the neck down very nicely with Gibson guitar polish and a soft cloth after each playing.

 

:unsure:

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