Princeton Reverb Reissue vs Blues Jr vs DRRI etc...

[mr_sooty]

Really just tyre kicking, dreaming of the day when I might be able to afford one of these. I have a big ol PV Classic 50 that has been very good to me for the last 9 years or so. It's great clean, and overdriven, and it takes pedals beautifully. It's really reliable too. But sometimes I get an itch for those classic Fender cleans, and now that I'm 33, sometimes my back really hates the PV. Plus, I'd love to have a second amp to play around with some stereo effects.

So I was wondering if anybody had compared the Princeton Reverb reissue to the Blues Jr, or the tweed Blues Jr NOS, or the 65 Deluxe Reverb. Looking for as much clean headroom as I can get in a reasonably lightweight package. And just wondering which one of these sounds best to you. Also wondering which, if any of these can be used with an extention cabinet, and whether doing so would increase the headroom for bigger gigs.

Also, which if any sound good with overdrive pedals? I know the Twin Reverb Reissue sounded terrible when I tried a G2D Classic through it at the RS. But it was beautiful clean. Apparently the Deluxe Reverb takes pedals better with the bright cap clipped. What about the Princeton? Does it need mods for pedals too?

I love the way the PRRI sounds in this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHVG4kDurtY

and I love the way the way the Blues Jr NOS sounds in this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWK2IhU0sD8

Just trying to spark some discussion really. I mainly use pedals for all my distortions now, so I need to be able to keep it pretty clean with a drummer (usually behind a drum sheild) at practise, and it needs to work well with pedals.

[sambrowne]

Ok, the Blues Junior sounds amazing, but it will not give you clean headroom. The volume knob effectively works as a gain from about 3 o'clock onwards, just gets crunchier and dirtier. It's a fantastic amp if that's the sound you want, but if you want pedals and stuff, and just a nice clean base, a BJ is not your amp.

[ant]

I played a blues junior and though it sounded ass, dist channel was horrible,maybe a bad one? But I guess what fender has a good distortion channel.

The drri would have the most headroom, and generally constructed of a higher standard than the BJ I believe.

The princeton reverb has no bright cap - perhaps better with pedals, & the breakup will sound different to the DRRI because of the preamp. But as you said you can clip the bright cap on the DRRI if you want.

The princeton actually shares the same phase inverter as the peavey classic which affects the tone a great deal so if you really dig the peaveys breakup(master cranked, naturally) perhaps you will dig the princeton, it also has less gain than the DRRI.

Where as the DRRI has the standard marshall phase inverter which offers more headroom and a different breakup sound. But it also has almost everything in common with the bigger fenders, vibrolux,super,twin etc etc except for 6v6 tubes, so it is the more traditional fender approach.

Have you considered a tweed fender, so much fuller when compared to a BF fender

edit: In retrospect I have actually played all of them, as I have built a princeton and blackface deluxe , but you will have to decide what YOU like.\

I may be selling a 2 channel 2x10 amp that has a princeton channel and a tweed bandmaster channel, all you would need would be a reverb pedal for the princeton channel if you need reverb, although the solid pine cabinet adds reverb/resonance on its own.

You can even mix the channels together, I dont think any boutique builder has mixed tweed and blackface fenders in one amp?

This amp lets you hear the difference between the older and newer fenders, which is why I suggested a tweed fender - its just a better tone IMO. try a fender 57 twin before you buy a blackface amp.

[shednz]

I agree the tweeds sound fuller. I have a victoria fender deluxe clone (20112) and it is fat. Have had an urge for some blackface (purely wanting what I do not have probably) and tried the PR reissue at the rockshop. Seemed sharp and harsh to my ears after a few years of playing with tweed, or maybe that's just the blackface thing - don't really know cause I can't say had any meetings with real blackface amps. The PR sounded like something that needed the edges rounded off, if that makes any sense. Having said that, Ant, I am real interested in the amp you're talking about. I love 10" speakers - have a bassman reissue ltd and used to have a pv classic 4 x 10. both good amps in my opinion (prefer the bassman, tho' with no master volume the bassman loud but lovely). Getting older tho' means looking for smaller and have been thinking a 2 x 10" would be gr8 - which lead me to blackface and the idea of a vibrolux (there's one on trademe right now). Mixing tweed and blackface in a 2 x 10 package sounds perfect 4 me - so please tell me more. Cheers, Scott

[ant]

Its still a big cab, but it only weighs 20kg or so. One of the advantages of using Pine is a much lighter cab than ply! I built it slightly bigger than the bandmaster cab, so it looks almost like a bassman or super reverb so you can fit a third 10" in if you want.

It has 10" weber speakers. Basically a tweed super/bandmaster, it also will take 6v6 or 6l6. 20-30watts

And as stated you can run either channel together blended or individually. You can also use an A/B box for switching blackface cleanblack, tweed distortion,

Probably a good idea to run a reverb pedal with the blackface channel to get a thicker sound or the tweed channel will kill it .

Will get a pic later

[sambrowne]

Every Fender I've played has been bettered by the Victoria amps I've played. They are SWEET amps. They also cost about twice as much. The 4x10 I played in Wellington still haunts me, I think it was Darren's own one.

I could be wrong but I was under the impression that the Blues Junior was just a slightly more controllable version of the amp I have (which is awesome) - the Pro Junior. The PJ has one input, one volume and one tone and that's it. The BJ adds EQ and reverb but no distortion channel. So perhaps you played one of Fender's many mid range amps - a Deville or something, all of which have horrible distortion which they might as well have left out altogether in favour of better other stuff.

[Hot_Grits]

Of those choices, I would go for the deluxe reverb with the bright cap clipped and probably a speaker swap.

Higher up the chain, I'd suggest the Swart AST Pro for excellent tone v portability. My
Victoria Double deluxe is very light for its wattage. The straight deluxe clone weighs practically nothing.

[ant]

The pro junior is way different to the BJ, the Pro junior is more like an 18watt marshall. Try it with celestions. Where as the BJ has a scooped fender tonestack in there.

[mr_sooty]

OK, just to clarify a couple of things - I really want reverb. I'm a reverb junkie and I like to be able to just plug in and play at home sometimes without having to get out the pedal board. A nice Reverb is essential. This is really what's putting me off tweed amps like the '57 Deluxe. I like the tweed sound, but most of the tweed amps were non-reverb.

Regarding Victoria, yeah, I too have loved Darren's Victorilux when I've played it, but man, that's way more than I was wanting to spend. I'm thinking price-wise a DRRI is about my limit. Even then I'll be hunting down a second hand one. Not interested in a Deville, but the Blues Deluxe might be OK, but really, those Blues/HR amps get way too loud way too quick, they're a bit useless at low levels.

I tried a Vibrolux and it sounded beautiful, but it they have this wierd hiss that you have to mod the amp to get rid of. Add that to the hiss I already get from my pedalboard sometimes, and we're gonna sound like a box full of snakes. Also, the Vibrolux is probably starting to get a bit big for what I'm after.

Anybody know about the extension cabinet thing? Could you plug a cabinet into a BJ or a PRRI, and would this give you more headroom?

[ant]

Not sure if they have extension jacks, you will have to find out.

But you can unplug the stock speaker and use a louder speaker (ie celestion). This will give you more 'headroom'.

Adding a 2nd speaker in addition to the one in there wont really make it noticeably louder if they are identical speakers, just help the projection a bit.

Many guys say they dont need reverb with the tweed amps. The cabs do seem to impart a sort of resonance/reverb to them. Or they use an outboard reverb unit .

[shednz]

Hey ant, without redirecting the thread I think I can still lug 20kg love to see a pic, and talk a little more about it - sent you a pm. Re the reverb i find a good tweed, like the victoria, has a shimmer about em that means I don't miss the reverb at all. Actually the bassman does that too - maybe the pine cabinets have something to do with it. I guess depends how much verb you like to swim in, but if its just a little for depth for me the victoria does it by itself.

[sambrowne]

Yeah I agree, reverb is only a necessity with amps that don't sound that great - a really great clean eliminates the need for it. You can always get a Holy Grail or something anyway, maybe best not to make it a deal breaker.

Perhaps a Pro Junior is what you're after? I really love mine, incredible tone and cheap as. I have a Weber Blue in mine and man, it kills anything under $2000 I've come across. Absolutely smokes a hot rod deluxe or deville. But yeah, not so good on the headroom - it's designed to break up early.

[mr_sooty]

I guess depends how much verb you like to swim in, but if its just a little for depth for me the victoria does it by itself.

Hmm, the Victoria I played had Reverb alright, one of the nicest reverbs I've heard. Very natural sounding.

You can always get a Holy Grail or something anyway

Well like I say, I like to be able to just plug in and chuck on some Reverb sometimes without getting out all the pedals. Would really prefer something with reverb. I'm not sure about the Tweeds 'not needing it', they would have to prove that to me. Lol. Last time I heard the Bassman I thought it would sound nice with a bit of verb.

Really appreciate the comments guys, keep it coming! Always nice to get some different views on these things.

[k1w1]

Well the BJ and PJ are a little different, I sold Sam his and it is a kick arse little amp, kills a lot of more expensive amps.

Yes the BJ has a line out. It is a single channel amp, to get cleans, volume down master volume up and the reverse for distortion, the volume is really a gain knob. Dirty is really quite good on them (for fender lol).

The reverb is OK, I have a holy grail and it equals the spring reverb, but the hall on the Grail is oh so good with the amp. Really great for what I wanted, a fair amount of sounds and very portable, no hiss, and for what I paid in the US very, very nice.

Edit: Oh and the tweed BJ is the same amp but I believe has a Celestion speaker

[Bg]

Hmmm, my take on reverb... I'm a bit of a Peter Green fan so consequently like to do the total immersion thing at times But the last couple of amps I've used don't have a spring, so I got a behringer on the board. To be honest in the majority of places I play in, I don't use reverb - they are either so stupid acoustically that the natural reverb washes me anyway, or I forget to switch the pedal on. Reverb is good in studios but it can be overdone live. If you really need it, use a pedal - if you're so feckin overdriven that it colours your overdrive - you don't need it....