65 Shootout! Fender Twin vs. Super vs. Princeton Reverb 

Just a wee Heads up Jack. There are 10 one minute samples of the new Robben Ford album "Pure" on his website, sounds awesome. The album comes out in July.

always princeton!!

i think i liked the super reverb best in this video.

Include the TONEMASTERS in the comparison!!

@@TurboMountTV solid state? Gross 😛

Thanks for sharing! Do you prefer the Princeton with 10-inch or 12-inch speakers? I am waiting for Fender to release those special version Princetons with a 12-inch speaker. I hope they re-release that "denim" blue one.

@@strumminronin I prefer the original design with the 10”.

Can it play on a apartment? I love that tone and have a budget But volume is bothering me Btw I'm new to tube amps

@@sathira_anuk5179 Yes it can.

@@sathira_anuk5179Fender Princeton can get loud, get a vintage silver face champ for apartment playing.

Glad you enjoyed it!

I love the Twin. Its just such a magical amp.

Glad it was helpful!

Glad you enjoyed it!

You can't go wrong with one. I snagged a 70's silverface one for muse this past summer. After playing guitar for 25 years, I had never even tried one before. I've mostly played a Marshall JCM2000 and a 90's Blues Deville for most of my career... I regret having never having crossed paths with a Super, and had honestly never really considered one. I'm a diehard SRV fan and could NEVER realistically obtain a Vibroverb... but after watching a great video on his amps, I was surprised to learn the Super Reverb was an unsung hero of his tone and a mainstay in Stevie's rig for most of his career. He used one on a great many of his legendary performances (such as Live at El Mocambo) and it pops up off and on through his gigging and recording career. That night, after I watched that video I began researching the Super Reverb and looking for one. One popped up in my results at Guitar Center 5 hours away in Nashville... A little far to go try out. The next morning, I get a text from my mom with live photos from an Eagles concert. She was in Nashville for their show the night before and was leaving in a few hours. Something weird hit me and I called GC, talked to the manager about the amp (it belonged to a local gigging Steel player), and was so confident that I paid for it over the phone and had mom swing by and get it before she left. The manager promised me I could return the amp to my local GC if I didn't like it, which reinforced my decision. I got the amp and tried it a but, before having a very good tech go through it and service it. You have to swap the old caps and test/replace the tubes every decade or two, and I wanted to be safe than sorry. The amp still had the original caps, tubes, etc in it and had never been opened up or serviced... It truly is a magic amp and very warm and dynamic. Since then I have also bought a 70's Twin and Vibrochamp, but the Super steals the show. People crap on the silverface stuff from the 70's, but it's point to point, hand-wired with great components. I'd rather pay $1,300 for a 70's silverface instead of the same price for a new "tonemaster" Super with the modeling processor. I've taken mine to my favorite local shopped A/B'd the two, and my 70's silverface KILLS the new one. If you have the chance, try one and pick one up, because the prices have gone up a few hundred bucks since I bought mine.

⁠@@ChrsGuit YEP Super Reverb is an amazing amp! I had also never crossed paths with one. Didn’t know what I was missing. I bought a 1968 that had been ran through the ringer, appeared to have been played out for years. Definitely a players amp. It had been totally recapped and many resistors changed. And it still has tone to die for. This one says AB763 circuit on the tube chart, which means the guts are still blackface, I checked and they are. Anyone considering buying a vintage Super, go for it.

@@Zelleram55 I should update my comment... Last month I scored a honey of a deal on a 66 Blackface Super Reverb. It had been serviced and new speakers installed... it's absolutely incredible

Very nice - yes it certainly does

Very cool!

Thank you! And an excellent description.

Thank you kindly! That sounds like a great Princeton collection - which models? And yes I agree on the guitar pairing 100%

@@JackFossett Hi Jack. Wow, in 1974 or early 1975 (I was a senior in HS, and actually a drummer fooling around with guitar) I bought my first Princeton; I was so excited. It was my first Fender. I bought it used; it was probably from somewhere around '67. It was a black face. Alas, I sold it around 1980 or so to finance some Zildjian cymbal. I had those until 2017. I have always regretted letting that Princeton go. But, everybody always says that about their old Fenders. I have two new-ish Princetons. The Chris Stapleton version, which I really like. And one of Fender's hand-wired '64 re-issues. 12W through a Jensen10 inch. It's a monster. Just perfect. And I have two older Princetons from back around 2000. Both very good small gigging amps. I just put an Alnico blue in one of them. Man, that perked it up. Your video was really good.

David. How would you compare you’re ‘64 custom Princeton to you’re old 60’s black face Princeton Reverb, so far as you can recall? Also the Stapleton? Do you think the ‘64 HW is very bright? I’ve got & am very happy with my custom ‘64 HW deluxe Reverb, & I really like both channels, but if I could only have one, it would be the bright. I also love the tightness of those 10” speakers especially on the 6L6 amps. Unfortunately, I can’t use the volume of the SR or my bassman for anything. Most Princeton Reverbs reissues and clones, I’ve played and almost all I’ve heard clips of seem really overly bassy. On Deluxe Reverbs, all the vintage ones seem very bright without the cap clipped, and the reissues seem overly bassy. I actually like the cleans on the black tonemaster deluxe better than the ‘65 reissue. I think they nailed everything on my ‘64 custom Deluxe Reverb, but It’s just still too loud, even running clean for the house, if anyone else is home. I’ve never been able to locate a ‘64 Custom PR within a reasonable distance to try out. I would appreciate any thoughts and experiences you could lend.

@@artisanmetalcraft Hi Aaron. Thanks for your questions. I would say that my '64 re-issue is he "smoothest" Princeton I've ever played through --- its clean is just a little less brash/trebley than others, so less bight to my ears.. A wonderful clean, though. Still quite chimey. It sounds much more powerful than you'd expect from its twelve watts and ten inch.speaker. It just seems to "bloom" out of that little cabinet. I have so far attributed this great sound to the hand-wiring and the pine cabinet. I have noticed similar characteristics in other hand wired Fender-style tube amps. Now, that being said, virtually every Princeton I have ever played through has been a great amp. (I remember only one exception.). When you play Teles through Fender tube amps, as I mostly do, very few will seem "not bright enough." I would repeat most of the the above about the Chris Stapleton model. That's a really nice Princeton, too. And, I'm completely with you on the magnificence of Fender amps with multiple ten-inch speakers. Hope that was some help. Best regards.

I run my pre CBS twin reverb and 58 tweed super together.. lights out! Bring a change of underwear

I have jcm 800 and im saving for twin. Do you think 65 twin is better than 68 custom?

Hey thanks so much, glad you like it!

Thank you, appreciate that!

@@JackFossett thank me later

…I’ll allow it.

Cool! Good to know.

Thank you! Thats a great point, they each suit different tones better. Princeton is one of my favorite amps for a great hum bucker clean that isn't too overpowering. Funny thing is when I was editing this I couldn't decide whether I liked the Super or Twin better for single coils. My favorite was whichever I happened to be on!

Very much agree!

Lol I don't see why you'd want to go higher than 7 on a twin anyways

Hahahah damn!

Collect them all! 😃

Marcus King uses them

@@williamsterling9538 thank you! I've just discovered Marcus King yesterday! What a coincidence!

I think they're amazing , especially for someone living in an apartment.

Supposedly BB King did at times too, but those were also some massive stages he was playing and before the days of the really advanced live sound gear that exists today.

@@JackFossett Yeah, BB and Jeff Beck were the ones that influenced me to buy a Twin in my late teens. Not the best choice for my age now, too big and heavy with too much power - but what a great tone! A '71 in mint condition and has never failed me. But not fun to "grab and go" to the local hang.

Right, thats exactly it. I got rid of my first twin because in the time I had it, I used it for 1 gig and 1 session. And thats when I was playing 3 shows a week. It works for me better now because I do more playing and recording at home than I do out, so it gets a lot more use.

Do you have any favorite pedals for reverb or tremolo? I've been using the Keeley Hydra with my Bassman.

@@JackFossett I use a Walrus Audio Monument for tremolo as it has Harmonic and Bias style, tap tempo, different wave forms and all sorts of other functions. My reverb is a Walrus Audio Fathom. I mostly use the plate setting, but it also has hall and loads of other atmospheric style reverbs as well as a sustain footswitch that is great. The sustain is similar to the EHX Freeze pedal. Recently seen this one by Gamechanger and want it ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wvsRuUJ-u98.html

I just rewatched the whole 4 hour Tom Petty documentary 👍

The Twin and the Tele are totally a match made in Heaven. And thank you very much! I'd love to do a run of vinyl - trouble is its very expensive and I'd have to have enough interest to make it work, so if you'd be into that, best thing to do is to share the album as much as possible. If you're willing that would be a huge help!

I did and of course I will share your album. I like it alot. You master all genres don't you?

@@Annodomini1993 thank you! Well I’m not sure Ive really master anything. I certainly moonlight in other genres from time to time though 😃

Good choice! I may keep the Princeton over the others but tonally I go back and forth between the Super and Twin as to which is my favorite. In other words, I'm indecisive and love them all.

@@JackFossett Not a bad dilemma to have. 🎸🇨🇦

My new Super is amazing. Plugged in and an hour later….I realized I’d lost myself in the magic 🪄 of 4 10’s shaking my house with pristine Fender awesomeness. To be fair this is my first time playing one. It’s hard to describe the experience….I’m attached to my Princeton, Deluxe, Pro Reverb, Twin and now this Super. I don’t want to think about choosing only one but I agree with Jack…the Princeton is all a person “really” needs….each one has its on unique personality…..and they all have a similar tone (and I also like the 10’s…they just do something different in a good way)….all these Blackfaces are all amazing. Blessed to be able to own all these amps!

Ayyy I love St Pete was it Tony Tyler? He rocks one

@@Raydoesitintime Kid Royal it was.

@@57ebartley nice dudes an animal

Plus I’ve got a 12” Celestion Gold that I found on the side of the highway (for real) that needs a home.

Wow! What a find - Celestion Gold is one of the top speakers for Princetons

A fine choice

But to be honest, it’s because of the holy trinity: wonderful amp- wonderful guitar- wonderfull player. Always a pleasure listening you play! Take care !

Glad you enjoyed it!

The Champ is on my short list of amps I want. Not only for videos but just because they are a classic tone all unto themselves. Plus I'm a huge Clapton fan.

@@JackFossett I heard he recorded the entire Layla album using an original ‘57 Champ.

So I agree on all counts - I would say regarding the first part there Mids and Bottom end, alot of that can be compensated for with a different speaker. I switched to a Weber 10F150t and I absolutely love it. It still has the Princeton character but with kind of an "Essence of Tweed Deluxe" dashed in.

American Original 60s!

As an avid Twin lover, I'd also like to get the Tone Master. I recently got the Tone Master Super, and while I love my tube Super, the Tone Master is already the one I'm using more.

@@JackFossett You wont regret it, being able to play a cranked twin at 22pm without bothering your neighbors and without destroying your windows is so worth it

Ahhh, just heard you mention what pickups are in it.

Thats the ticket! Mine will pretty much stay home. I may bring it out for some special gigs here and there but for the most part a studio mainstay.

I like how it sounds where it is

Well - I’m actually not the biggest Deluxe fan, and I absolutely adore the Princeton. So I’m biased. If you’ve always wanted the Deluxe though, maybe go with your gut.

@@JackFossett hey thanks for such a quick reply! Thanks for all your hard work it is certainly appreciated!

Fender Princeton Chris Stapleton Handwired has it from factory (1X12" Eminence Special Design)

I agree ☝️

Yeah I think a Princeton with a good 12 sounds better than any deluxe

Ampeg B15N ; best sounding amp I've ever owned.