65 Fender Deluxe Reverb - Jensen P-12Q vs C-12K ceramic magnet

[omphalopsychos]

Victoria also makes a champ replica. This is a guitar demo, but it’s also a great demo of the amp. Great thick, hairy tone.

[Fat Fingers]

Black face Princeton and Tweed Deluxe amps are great. I don't own the Princeton (I do have a tweed, though--different circuit), but I own several Tweed Deluxe amps. They are beautiful amps. You can play a lot of different type of music through them--including great Blue Note jazz stuff. I do lots of gigging with the Deluxe. It works well with all sorts of guitars. Here's a couple of my Deluxes--both the mid-50s tweed circuit--with a Strat, a 335, and a 17" archtop.
Attachment 55341Attachment 55342Attachment 55344Attachment 55343

This one is the modern version of it correct? 2000$ at Sweetwater dang lol.

Fender '57 Custom Deluxe 12-watt 1x12" Tube Combo Amp | Sweetwater

[gggomez]

I always enjoy Greentone’s posts and have a look at the guy he looks so happy.

Is guitar playing like surfing? The guy best surfer is the guy having the most fun.

[Greentone]

Fat Fingers,

Yes, that's the Fender reissue of the old tweed, and it's a great amp. Fender got it right.

And, I do have fun gigging.

[rabbit]

Two amps.

Buy two different amps; at least one with at least a 12" speaker,
and in different flavors with a good ABY box.

Your home will sound wonderful.

I am personally long past anything sensible in life so take care with the advice I offer.

But, your home will sound wonderful.

P.S.: Lots of folks hate 'Master Volume' amps but they allow you to run the power section
at a nice "temperature" regardless of your effective (lower) volume.
I have been caught doing this and it might be useful to remember when auditioning amps.

Best of luck to you!

[Fat Fingers]

Thank you all for the help! You helped me narrow it down to few choices. I really like that 57 custom tweed deluxe, but it is probably out of my price range at 2k dollars (at least right now).

So I found these Princeton Reverbs...

'65 "special" it has a 1x12 cannabis rex... Fender '65 Princeton Reverb 15-watt 1x12" Tube Combo Amp - Lacquered Tweed | Sweetwater

'65 "regular" it has a Jensen C10R... Fender '65 Princeton Reverb 15-watt 1x10" Tube Combo Amp | Sweetwater

and a '68 it has a 1x10 celestion... https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...tube-combo-amp

I like the little 5 watt champ, but I must admit confusion as to why such a small costs so much...

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...tube-combo-amp

I know they are all Fenders but these are the ones I can find to try out.

..at any rate I don't want to keep bugging you guys, thanks for all your help!

[Jim Soloway]

..at any rate I don't want to keep bugging you guys, thanks for all your help!

Feel free to keep bugging. We all go through the amp hunt and you've wandered into a deep and favorite topic. It's a discussion that most of us can keep going happily for a very long time and one that can sometimes bring out the best in this little community.

[pauln]

You asked about the difference between amps with T/M/B knobs vs the ones with just T/B... the Fender tone stack circuits are all the same except the ones with t/m/b have three variable resistors in the circuit and the ones with just t/b have two variable resistors - and a third fixed resistor standing in for the missing middle control, that fixed resistor having a value equivalent to setting the middle control (if it had one) at 8.5 which is good for traditional jazz sound.

Keep in mind that most musical instrument amplifier speakers are highly sensitive up around 100dB - this is a measure of how loud they play, the specification being dB level when driven with 2.83 volts. Watts = volts squared divided by speaker impedance. Notice that 2.83^2 is 8 and when the squared voltage is 8 volts and the speaker presents 8 ohm of load impedance, that is 1/1, or 1 watt.

So with a single 8 ohm speaker you will get about 100dB from 1 watt... you can have a whole row of single 8 ohm speaker amplifiers with power ratings from 1 to 100 watts, but all of them are going to be driving 1 watt when their single 8 ohm speakers all hit the 100dB loudness level. The more powerful amps will be cleaner and have more clean headroom to handle dynamic peaks. Of course we don't play jazz at that level; more like 80-85dB leaving lots of headroom above that.

I find that the Princeton is too thin sounding with my Strat but perfect for my arch top. I have tried the Deluxe and larger Fender amps with the arch top and found that 12 inch speakers just move a little too much air and promote feedback on a cozy stage, but the 10 inch in the Princeton is just right, nice thump and clarity. To get the same quality of tone with my Strat I need Supers or Twins, or in a really small place the Deluxe.

The bottom line is that you need to play through different amps and decide based on how they respond, how they feel, and how they make you respond and feel when you play through them.

One of the long term advantages of tube amps is that you can reversibly shape their tone character by swapping preamp tubes of different gain factors...

Tube [Gain Factor] (Acceptable Substitutes)
12AX7 [100] (5751 12AT7 12AY7)
5751 [70] (12AX7 12AT7 12AY7)
12AT7 [60] (5751 12AY7)
12AY7 [45] (5751 12AT7 12AV7)
12AV7 [41] (12AY7 12AU7)
12AU7 [19] (12AV7)

[Fat Fingers]

OK I am actually reconsidering making the 57 deluxe custom happen, at 12 watts it probably will be tame enough volume wise for home use, and as far as tone, well, if greentone plays one...

[gggomez]

Fat fingers if there is a boutique repdroducer within a days drive of you do yourself a favour. If your lucky they may have a suite of Tweeds and Blackface for you to compare.

Those reissues really are nothing like what these guys can make... my experience only of course. (I had a Fender RI Princeton, compared to the one I have coming it was like a $200 joyo. I spent money on tubes speakers and of course repairs for solder things popping off three different times then the reverb went and the amp was unusable squeeled like a piggy). I will have it in the next week and happy to record it for you.

as for Tweed Deluxe for home use... Hmm the issue you will have is it is oh so much sweeter once you turn it up just that much more. .. and then that much more again. Also if you go try one out you need to do so for over an hour as as it gets hot it sounds sweeter but has more gain (beautiful gain) at lower volume. Tweed Champ I think would be better for home use.

I suggest do not compromise. Take your time and if the expensive one is your thing you deserve it go for it, it may be your friend for life.