Modifying Princeton Reverb for acoustic?

[Bookstorecowboy]

Odd topic -- I know. Anyway I have a Princeton Reverb reissue ('65 or something) that I got for electric guitar.
I no longer have the slightest desire to play amped electric although sometimes I play clean electric because it's easier on the hands. Anyway, no need for this monster amp! I could cause hearing damage in a minute if turned up. It's scary, actually.
Sell it? No. Where I live, no one is interested in an item like this secondhand as it is a luxury item, and anyone who wants one and can buy one will buy new, and believe me I've tried. Also people think it might be fake (it isn't, bought at an authorized dealer but lost the receipt) so if they did offer they'd want me to price it like a fake.
So, is there some way to modify the speaker to make it more like a super-powerful acoustic guitar amp? I have an AER amp (beautiful sound) but it could double. Or maybe a way to make it into an acoustic+vocal amp?
I suppose you could say that I want to convert it to a PA. Right now the sound is not bad for an acoustic guitar but it is a little harsh as you might imagine. The AER is sweeter. Not as loud. But better.
I know this is a weird topic, but I don't know anything about amps and thought the many unbelievably knowledge members of this forum might have some ideas.

[abn556]

Does your Princeton have the 10” speaker or the 12”. If its the 10” speaker, you can upgrade to a Jenson 12” speaker that has more clean headroom than the 10”. Your amp is pretty clean until about 3.5 on the volume.

Keep in mind the voicing on these amps is EQ’d to the treble side and they are quite bright. I run my Limited Edition PRRI with the bass on 8 and the treble on 2.

Tubes amps can only stay crystal clear to a certain volume point.

[Jim Owen]

Abn is spot on here, Bookstore. A 12 will just fit in the Princeton cabinet.

I’ve never used a Princeton for acoustic guitar or vocals, though. There isn’t a lot of clean headroom (which is why I loved them for electric).

For your purposes, though, I’d start by swapping out the 10.

[leew3]

+1 for swapping the 10 for a 12. I did this in my ancient 'monsterized' (added master volume, low impedance line out and a 12' speaker) Princeton back in the late 70's and it was a good choice.

[Lefty MacGuffin]

Fender tube amps have a fairly flat frequency response with the treble and bass controls turned all the way down and the mids all the way up. The mids on a Princeton Reverb are fixed at about a 7-8 so close enough. There won’t be much above 4-5k hertz and it will be quiet but worth a try I would think.

[rmp]

is that really a '65? Man, if it is, I would not modify that at all.

any thoughts in looking at something like the fender acoustasonic JR as your acoustic amp

[Goat Mick]

Honestly, I wouldn't mess with it. It's not going to sound like an acoustic guitar at all. I have heard some players running their acoustic through a really clean Deluxe Reverb and it sounded cool, but it didn't sound a thing like an acoustic guitar. Being a reissue, it doesn't have any vintage value but it is a really good and popular amp. I'd look into trading it for an acoustic amp or all-in-one PA like an Bose S1 Pro or an Electro Voice Everse 8.

[PineMarten]

I have a homebuilt Princeton Reverb based amp that I quite enjoy acoustic instruments through. I think I wouldn't try and make it into anything it's not, but there are a couple of things you can do to increase headroom without internal mods - a more efficient, less peaky speaker than the Jensen, and a pair of JJ 6V6 should help a lot. A 12" is an option, but even a larger magnet, higher efficency 10" is an improvement if you want warm and clean - mine has an Eminence Copperhead.

[jseth]

Don't try to "Frankenstein" that Princeton Reverb!

Sell it (will be REALLY easy) and buy a second AER Compact, or the "slave" unit that AER offers and pair it with your Compact.

You already know that you love the AER - why mess with success?

[Bowie]

For those who don't know, 65' is a name Fender used twice for modern Princeton amps.
That aside, I'd get an amp made for acoustics. I'm a serious Princeton fan and have owned a number of them. Nothing about them makes me feel they're great for an acoustic. The speaker change is a common thing but I wouldn't invest in a good speaker if the amp is not ideal for what you are after.

[Bookstorecowboy]

Thanks for the suggestions! It is a 12" speaker, the Celestion special.
I should try the trade -- that makes sense.
Hard to sell around here, but someone might trade.

[Brent Hahn]

FWIW, I've got a Princeton like OP's and it sounds great with my Baggs M80 magnetic. Not strictly "acoustic" sounding, but a really nice sound and I don't have to modify the way I play, even hard strumming sounds good. My Baggs HiFi is a more "acoustic" sound for me through most PA systems, but not as good as the mag through the Princeton. So there's that.

[MarkF_48]

The Princeton appears to have a jack for the speaker. Any thoughts about using a non-powered PA speaker? Granted a bit less 'portable', but would keep a classic amp in stock condition. Open back amps just don't seem to yield a decent 'acoustic' sound.

[leew3]

Originally Posted by rmp

is that really a '65? Man, if it is, I would not modify that at all.

any thoughts in looking at something like the fender acoustasonic JR as your acoustic amp

I should add that if it is indeed a '65 this is the best advice. Mine was a '65 and after all the mods I did to it I sold it when I needed the $400. It went with my orange label Gibson 335 that I got $475 for at the time....yeah, I know now.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by Bookstorecowboy

Thanks for the suggestions! It is a 12" speaker, the Celestion special.
I should try the trade -- that makes sense.
Hard to sell around here, but someone might trade.

you can always try a close by Guitar center, or local mom and pop store and see what you can work out.

Trades are usually not highly in favor of the buyer (aka you) but it gives you a quick out, and you leave the store with what you're seeking.