Ruptured disc sale! '76 Princeton Reverb w/12" Eminence neo

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

About 6 months ago, I herniated a lumbar disc. It was the worst pain I've ever had, and I don't ever want to have it again. I've been rehabbing my @ss off and am now 95% back to full function. My spine's still ratty, but the exercise program should protect me as much as possible against gross further deterioration if I follow it and the precautions I've been given for the rest of my life (which I intend to do). One prohibition is lifting or carrying heavy objects, so I'm selling my big amplifiers.

Here's my '76 Princeton Reverb with an Eminence 12" neo and a Mercury output transformer. It's been well maintained (good tubes, cap job, biased, kept clean, controls / trem / vib work fine) and the Tolex and grille cloth are amazingly nice. Apart from a small ding in the bottom edge of the front panel under the pilot light, it's in phenomenal condition with no rips, tears, or defects and none of the patina you'd expect from a 50 year old amp. It weighs 32.5 pounds. Most importantly, it sounds fantastic.

$1900 plus shipping (US only). Includes new black Fender cover.









All clips were made today (Sat April 4, 2026) with my Benedetto Bravo 7 (TI flats, Dunlop 204 pick). Notice that the amp is also amazingly quiet. There's no NR or gating - the record volume was up through the lead-ins and run-outs:

straight ahead jazz tone:



solo / chord melody:



reverb and vibrato demo:

[Rob MacKillop]

Oh dear, poor you. Fingers crossed for the best rehab you can have.

The sound files are a joy to listen to. I love your playing very much, and the sound is fantastic. Remind me, is the Benedetto 7-string a recent acquisition? It sounds so balanced through its range.

Obviously it’s a great amp, and you should have no problem passing it on at such a great price.

[Sam Sherry]

A princely amp, with a speaker and OT that make it even more attractive.

And you sound real good too!

Here's hoping that a speedy sale and continued recovery each head your way.

[grahambop]

I sympathise, I sold my old Fender Twin a couple of years ago. I hadn’t lifted it for a while and I could feel my back straining to breaking point as I carried it out of the house to the car, it was definitely time for it to go!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Remind me, is the Benedetto 7-string a recent acquisition?

It is, Rob. It's so recent that I haven't posted an NGD yet. This is what I flew out to Texas to pick up 4 days ago. Because of my back, I needed a good, light guitar that I can play on a strap while sitting down. I need to be able to move around and shift it if I'm to play for a few hours, and it has to stay at the right angle. The Bravo meets all my needs except one - it's black, and I don't like the way black archtops look. I almost passed on it, but I realized after playing a 2 hour solo gig with the AF207 that I had to get a lighter guitar. This one is light enough to stay where I put it on a wide suede strap (a gorgeous, locally made strap that I found in a small but wonderful music store in Bath when we were there 2 years ago).

My Eastman carved archtops are wonderful, but they're truly beautiful case queens and I want to keep them that way. The 810 is too big for comfort now anyway. My El Rey is comfortable when standing up, but a 14 is too small to play sitting down without hanging it as high as Urkel's pants. That's an American TV reference that you won't get unless you've seen the show Family Ties - this is Steve Urkel:



I've been gigging with my Ibanez AF207 for 29 years, but it weighs twice as much as the Bravo. I already used the Bravo at a 3 hour rehearsal yesterday, and it's absolutely one of the best and most satisfying guitars I've ever played. It has some finish checking and enough patina to make Wintermoon happy. WM, I promise I'm not going to eradicate any of that - it's a working guitar and it's wonderful the way it is. It's just not very pretty in my eyes, so I look at my Eastmans when I need a fix

Kudos to Rustic for his usual complete and honest description of what he's selling. He's a great and most reliable guy!

[Rob MacKillop]

Well, it sounds great, no question. I might have mentioned I played one for a few minutes when a great Edinburgh-area player came to visit. He left me very envious!

[Simon1234]

Hey Never, sorry to hear about your back.
Keep doing the exercises, and continue to seek the advice of professionals - disc injuries do heal and respond to being looked after. Shedding the heavy amps seems v sensible.
Hope you feel better soon.

[rrbasic]

That sounds really good, you sound really good.

[jim777]

Feel better soon David, sorry to hear about your back problems but delighted to hear you grabbed a Benedetto!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Feel better soon David, sorry to hear about your back problems but delighted to hear you grabbed a Benedetto!

Thanks, Jim! I'm actually feeling fine now - I've been pain free for a few months, apart from the aches that accompany aggressive physical therapy in an elderly man And even those are gone now. I'm up to 20 pushups a day again, although I was doing 60 before this happened and I couldn't do any for 4 months afterward. I'm also doing a lot of exercise I never did before, e.g. using the leg press on the universal - and I'm up to 80 pounds on that.

Hopefully, sticking to my prescribed exercise regimen and being careful not to "BLT" (bend, lift, and twist) or engage in sudden awkward gyrations will keep me stable. I'm traveling again without limitation. Two weeks ago, we spent a week in Arizona taking only carry-ons. I got them into and out of the overhead bin without difficulty - knees bent, back straight, move slowly, don't twist while doing it. Then I flew 1700 miles each way to pick up the Benedetto last week. I left home at 5 AM and returned 16 hours later with no problem. The same drill got the guitar into and out of the bin. So I'm back on the horse!

[Rob MacKillop]

^ Respect!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I thought this was sold, but the buyer is now in a holding pattern - so it’s still available. This is why I don’t take deposits on pending sales

He may complete the deal and he may not. Unless & until he does, you can still grab what I think is the sweetest sounding amp I’ve ever heard. Treat yourself- you know you’ve always wanted a Princeton Reverb with a 12.

[Hyppolyte Bergamotte]

How did you get a new cover? Mine is from 1975 and the cover is rather tired
cheers
HB

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

How did you get a new cover? Mine is from 1975 and the cover is rather tired
cheers
HB

I got it from the Fender store on Amazon for $30. The usual music stores only had $70 padded covers, but I didn’t need that level of protection. My Princeton lives under our piano and only comes out to play at home. All gigging is handled by the new little guys, who live and travel in heavy padded bags.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Here's a surprise. I'd forgotten what tubes were in it, and I got a PM asking about it. So I just looked. The 6V6s are Bendix and the 12s are GE! The last time I used "vintage" tubes they weren't yet vintage. I've been using standard tubes for years since the prices for NOS MIUSA tubes got crazy. But I have to admit that these tubes (along with the 12" speaker and Mercury OT) are probably a big reason that this is the best sounding amp I've ever had or played through. I didn't buy them - they were in it when I got it.

[Fear the Reaper]

You "hit the nail on the head" with the upgrades ! The 12" Eminence Neo speaker alone makes it a reason to buy it.

One more question to round it out. Did it get the 3 prong plug upgrade?

Here's a surprise. I'd forgotten what tubes were in it, and I got a PM asking about it. So I just looked. The 6V6s are Bendix and the 12s are GE! The last time I used "vintage" tubes they weren't yet vintage. I've been using standard tubes for years since the prices for NOS MIUSA tubes got crazy. But I have to admit that these tubes (along with the 12" speaker and Mercury OT) are probably a big reason that this is the best sounding amp I've ever had or played through. I didn't buy them - they were in it when I got it.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

You "hit the nail on the head" with the upgrades ! The 12" Eminence Neo speaker alone makes it a reason to buy it.

One more question to round it out. Did it get the 3 prong plug upgrade?

It has a proper power cord conversion with an industrial 3 prong plug, heavy cable, and no more ground switch. I can't think of a single thing that would make it sound or function any better except a better player - it's truly an outstanding amplifier.

[jads57]

Lovely playing and Tone as well! Hope you get well enough to gig out again!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Lovely playing and Tone as well! Hope you get well enough to gig out again!

Thanks! I'm already back to gigging. I have 2 light archtops that are comfortable for extended playing, and I have a few small amps & speakers that I can carry easily. My first gig when I was ready to get on the horse again was a 2 hr solo show for which I played my Ibanez AF207. It was much too heavy, and I really felt it in less than an hour. I tried standing up, sitting with it on a strap, and sitting with it on either leg. Even on a grippy suede strap, I wasn't able to move it around comfortably and stabilize any angle so I could shift position every few minutes.

My 14" El Rey is too small for sitting but great for standing. It's OK on a strap leaning against a stool, which is workable. The Benedetto Bravo I picked up two weeks ago is much lighter than the AF, so it stays at whatever angle I choose whether standing or sitting. My next date is for International Jazz Day on April 30 at a local restaurant, and I'm doing a blues show on May 3 with the Dukes of Destiny (an old line blues band for whom I'm first call sub).

I never dreamed I'd be pounding the bricks looking for gigs again at my age. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do. My Whole Foods gig ended in December when they decided to stop their live music program. I was playing some great retirement communities over the last few years, but they've recently cut their entertainment budgets too. It's getting tougher out there. But I'm back in the fray.

[Woody Sound]

Hang in there. I've been having serious lower back problems since an auto accident, now my GP says my right arm problem is "tennis elbow." Extremely painful, even to the touch. Eventually, our parts wear out.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

My biggest fear is that I’ll decide I’m as good as new, take this on a gig, and set off another acute episode. Somebody please buy this amp before I succumb!!

[jim777]

I can't think of a single thing that would make it sound or function any better except a better player ...

Good Luck finding that!

[Stringswinger]

Hang in there. I've been having serious lower back problems since an auto accident, now my GP says my right arm problem is "tennis elbow." Extremely painful, even to the touch. Eventually, our parts wear out.

Arthritis was a big part of my decision to retire from being a pro musician. Our parts do wear out for sure.

[jim777]

Arthritis was a big part of my decision to retire from being a pro musician. Our parts do wear out for sure.

It's the worst! I've had surgery on both my wrists to keep playing, and I'm not a tenth as good as a lot of you guys.

[alltunes]

what city is the amp/you physically located?