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Pros:
- Shimmery clean tones
- Great-sounding overdrive
- Each and every frequency has a full body
- Perfect combination of past, present and future
Cons:
- Too much bass for some
- Reverb is different from the original (if that’s what you are looking for)
If you are a vintage fella and do still remember the sound of the original Fender Princeton Reverb, you have to read this article carefully. This legendary amplifier was discontinued somewhere in the ‘70s, however, the company started creating newer models with the same names. ‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb is not the exact reissue of the original, but it comes quite close. It features up-to-date circuitry and mechanism and some updates as well. If you want to purchase a guitar amp under 1000 that resembles that legendary sound but is more modern and dynamic, you have to check out this one. Keep on reading and get detailed information about ‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb and go back to beloved vintage era.
Features
‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb has 12 watts of power capacity, as well as a single 10” Celestion Ten 30 speaker. This tube haze has Modified Princeton Reverb all-tube circuitry with hand-wired tube sockets. The tube section is quite impressive here: we have two 6V6 power tubes, three 12AX7s, one 12AT7 and a 5AR4 tube rectifier. ‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb comes with Fender’s signature tremolo and reverb, which means this is no ordinary and plain amp. This bad boy is compatible with a two-buttoned footswitch that allows you to control the device on the fly and further simplifies its utilization on stage. When it comes to jacks, everything is quite straightforward – this amp has two ¼” inputs for your instrument (the second one operates at -6dB), two inputs for the speakers (one for the in-built speaker and the other for the external) and a single input for the foot controller. ‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb is quite versatile for a tube amplifier and leaves a lot of room for experimentation.
Controls
One undoubtable fact about ‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb is that it is quite easy to control. All the knobs do exactly what their names indicate and give you all the precision you will need. I will discuss which parameters each of them modifies and try to assist you in the tweaking process.
The control panel starts with the Volume knob, which adjusts the level of the signal and guarantees an even output. Then comes a 2-band EQ, which shapes your sound using Bass and Treble encoders. The former accentuates or tames the bottom-end in the sonic spectrum, while the latter balances out the spikes or intensifies the higher end. Next on we have the Reverb, which employs the said effect and enhances its strength and presence. Last two knobs on the front panel are Speed and Intensity, which adjust the rate and depth of the built-in tremolo. Of course, we do also have the Power switch which is located on the rare panel. And that is all you will need to create something incredible with little to no effort.
Fender 68 Custom Princeton Sound
When it comes to the sound of Fender tube amplifiers, it is hard to say something negative and criticize their performance. The same goes with ‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb. It has sparkly clean tones that will illuminate even the darkest chords. They have enough shimmer and dimension for any musician. When you crank up this bad boy and turn the volume at about 5 or 6, this amp starts to overdrive and deliver the thickest and the most musical sounds. This adds extra something to your performance and enhances its versatility quite a bit. ‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb does also shine in terms of Reverb and Tremolo. Compared to the original, the reverb is a bit laid back with a reduced negative response, however, if you find the right settings, it will emit that classic spring reverb. Tremolo is quite rhythmic and dynamic as well, exactly what you would expect from Fender. All in all, ‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb is the perfect combination of vintage and modern sounds and can rock any performance with its character.
Conclusion
To sum up everything said above, ‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb can be trusted with one’s life. It knows how to do its job perfectly and creates ethereal sounds very easily. If you are lazy and hate fussing too much about the tweaking process, then this will be the perfect match for you. All you have to do is twist some knobs several times and you will be ready to roll. There is no doubt that ‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb has more than enough versatility in terms of features and sounds. Those who are into classic vintage tones (without any modification) might not enjoy this amplifier, however, I am sure it will have something even for the pickiest musicians. Whether you throw it in your bedroom or take it to your band practice, ‘68 Custom Princeton Reverb will serve you all right. Good luck!
