Overwhelmed by purchase of first amp.

[washburned]

I’ve been playing acoustic exclusively for a few years but would like to get an electric. I’m pretty set on a American made Fender Jazzmaster. But can’t decide on an amp. I’m assuming my tastes will change as time goes on so I don’t expect to have a forever solution . I will mostly play at home but might occasionally play with a few friends including a drummer.


I’ve read as much as I can but am getting nowhere.

I’m looking at og 65’ Princeton , also the reissue version, headstrong lil King, or ,,,,?
I like the price of the used re issue but so many say they are junk I don’t know if I’ll know the difference starting out but based on my acoustic experience I tend to only buy higher end quality etc.
thanks for any help

[DukeX]

Maybe a good, less expensive modeling amp to start. It will introduce you to the various amp tones and help you decide what sound(s) move you the most. That's how I started.

[mr. beaumont]

A Princeton is a great amp, not a bad place to start. I'd look for a Silverface model. Maybe go up to a Deluxe reverb if you plan on playing with a drummer who hits harder...

What kind of music do you play? What guitar players have tones you admire?

[roylor4]

If you know the guitar you want, buy it first then audition amps. Amps are a huge part of the sound chain and some styles and guitars "like" some amps while others do not. It depends on what kind of tones you want too.

It's hard to go wrong with a Princeton or Deluxe Reverb for most applications.

[The Old Gaffer]

There are a lot of great amps available and the rule of thumb is: if you like it, it's a good amp. Playing them is the only way to make a truly informed choice, so you can stop reading now. Every Tom, Dick or Harry with internet access has an opinion and here's mine: The Fender Reissues are not junk, they are nice amps. I suggest playing the whole range and pick the one you like best I have owned a '65 DRRI and a '65 PRRI. I like them both but I might like the Deluxe Reverb a little more but I don't think you can go wrong with either.

[David MacNeill]

Boss Katana 50. Best sounding and most versatile amp for the money. It even has an acoustic guitar setting. Perfect for bedroom practice or jamming with friends.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by The Old Gaffer

There are a lot of great amps available and the rule of thumb is: if you like it, it's a good amp. Playing them is the only way to make a truly informed choice, so you can stop reading now. Every Tom, Dick or Harry with internet access has an opinion and here's mine: The Fender Reissues are not junk, they are nice amps. I suggest playing the whole range and pick the one you like best I have owned a '65 DRRI and a '65 PRRI. I like them both but I might like the Deluxe Reverb a little more but I don't think you can go wrong with either.

This ^^. There is no substitute for experience, and even trying out in store will only give you a suggestion of what works for you. I have found equipment takes sometimes months trying out at home to really get to know it in conjunction with practice and more practice. I’ll cast a vote for the Fender Blues Junior III. I tried out version 4 and found it dark by comparison.

[Dru Edwards]

I'm guessing you're looking for that clean Fender tone as opposed to a Marshall type tone? Nothing wrong with the Princeton - great amp. The '65 reissue is 15w and the '68 is 12w (which are both very, very loud for home use).

Do you have a chance to play a variety of amps at the local shop?

[washburned]

Thanks for all the replies, I would be interested in playing all kinds of music from blues to punk hard rock, I was thinking pedals would help. I understand the point of trying them first but I’m not going to be able to do that I just don’t have the time I’d rather get something get a better feel for for the electric world and expand. Maybe that makes my request to vague.

But as an example I would rather have a good sounding amp that I later decide is not my style than some random amp that’s not good by anyone’s standards.

I started to look at smaller 5w amps which I think is more than enough but they cost as much or more than my other options.

[Gmountain]

I never liked the Blues Jr III. I thought it was brittle sounding and I never connected with it.

I did, and do, like the clean tones on Vox amps. The AC15 is a pretty great amp- loud( if you choose to play loudly) but a nice tone. Then I tried a Vox AC10 and liked that a lot too. It's easy to carry around. Nice tone. But I was also looking for a jazzier tone.

I was looking at a Princeton, but opted- last week for the Blues Jr IV Humboldt Hot Rod, from MF and GC. Its an upgraded Blues Jr, with a wood cabinet, and a hemp speaker by Eminence. The price was great. It's surprisingly great. The speaker makes a world of difference, and it has a warm, jazzy, clean tone. So I'm pretty happy right now. https://www.musiciansfriend.com/ampl...s%20jr&index=6

So now I have some Vox amps and the Fender, and it seems I have all the bases covered.

If you buy new, or used, from GC, you can return the amp if you don't like it. If there is a GC near you, that might be something to consider.

[muscmp]

some great suggestions have been offered. too bad you can't get to a big box store and try various guitars with various amps as that is really the best way to get YOUR sound. but, i also agree with you when it comes to finding time in your life for this. so, perhaps a princeton reverb used or new as well as your guitar of choice will keep you content until you can try other things.

good luck!

play music!

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by washburned

I’ve been playing acoustic exclusively for a few years but would like to get an electric. I’m pretty set on a American made Fender Jazzmaster. But can’t decide on an amp. I’m assuming my tastes will change as time goes on so I don’t expect to have a forever solution . I will mostly play at home but might occasionally play with a few friends including a drummer.


I’ve read as much as I can but am getting nowhere.

I’m looking at og 65’ Princeton , also the reissue version, headstrong lil King, or ,,,,?
I like the price of the used re issue but so many say they are junk I don’t know if I’ll know the difference starting out but based on my acoustic experience I tend to only buy higher end quality etc.
thanks for any help

Having gone through this about 2 years ago my suggestion is first try to narrow down a budget range $200- $300 $400-$600 whatever it might be and then shop from there. There are literally 100's of amps at everything from under $100 to $75,000 and up for a vintage Dumble so a budget range helps make it less overwhelming

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by washburned

...I’m pretty set on a American made Fender Jazzmaster. But can’t decide on an amp. I’m assuming my tastes will change as time goes on so I don’t expect to have a forever solution. I will mostly play at home but might occasionally play with a few friends including a drummer...based on my acoustic experience I tend to only buy higher end quality...

Originally Posted by washburned

...I would be interested in playing all kinds of music from blues to punk hard rock...I’d rather get something to get a better feel for for the electric world and expand...I would rather have a good sounding amp that I later decide is not my style than some random amp that’s not good by anyone’s standards.

I started to look at smaller 5w amps, which I think is more than enough but they cost as much or more than my other options.

Good choice of guitar - IMO those offset Fenders are highly underappreciated...

Although you're experienced enough to recognize that your first amp may not be a "forever solution," IME there's no reason why a wisely-purchased, solidly-built piece of equipment can't provide you with a lifetime (or more) of service. I still own (and occasionally use) the top-panel Ampeg Rocket I bought brand-new in May 1964, and if you're looking to capture that old-school low-power tube amp mojo in a new product the aforementioned '65 Princeton/Deluxe Reverb reissues and Vox AC10/AC15 would be a great place to start - not only will you never "outgrow" them, they're also the best way I know to get a real feel for the electric world; FYI tube amps are highly responsive to subtleties of touch and technique, and since there aren't a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles to get in the way (unlike today's crop of modeling amps) you learn to create your own individual electric tone step by step, the same way you did on acoustic and the same way we did it back when those amps were new. FWIW when Dhani Harrison expressed an interest in playing guitar he was given a Strat, a cable, and a tweed Bassman - no pedals, no fancy gimmicks, just a lot of exploration and old-fashioned practice - and I think Papa George knew just a little bit about good electric guitar tone...

I don't know what your home situation is - I live in a detached house on a fair-sized suburban property so I can crank my '65 Super RI and Frontman 212R once in a while, without drawing down the wrath of my neighbors or the local constabulary - but if you're in an attached dwelling or apartment building a low-volume option is strongly recommended; if you're mostly a "clean-tone" player (jazz, '50s-60s R&R/R&B, surf, country, etc.) this isn't really a problem - in earlier days I used to practice through a Music Man 410-65 or Randall RB-120 and got nary a complaint from my elderly neighbors, and Les Paul used a silverface Twin to play club dates (FYI it's all about headroom and dynamic/frequency range rather than raw volume) - but if you're going to get into harder, edgier styles you'll need something that'll deliver the crunch and grind without inciting a neighborhood torch-&-pitchfork raid on your premises . That said, you're left with two basic options - one of the 5W amps you mention above with a well-chosen speaker or three, or a higher-powered rig with a built-in or outboard attenuator - which leads me to:

Originally Posted by KevWind

Having gone through this about 2 years ago my suggestion is first try to narrow down a budget range: $200-$300-$400-$600, whatever it might be and then shop from there. There are literally 100's of amps at everything from under $100 to $75,000 and up for a vintage Dumble, so a budget range helps make it less overwhelming

As a result of technological advances in manufacturing techniques and internationalization of production high-quality/high value-per-dollar gear is more readily available than any other time in history (check the "made in..." labels on the back of the current Vox AC Series or Marshall DSL's), and if you're open to paying significantly less for first-rate tone I've had excellent success with the Bugera V5 and V22 tube combos. The first is a 5W 1x8" combo in the mold of those $1K+ amps you cite above, with built-in digi-verb (some of the best I've heard in an onboard unit), a three-step attenuator (5W/1W/0.1W), and a headphone out for when your neighbors/S.O./cat want to get some sleep while you practice at 3AM; there's a lot going on for $199 street price (I've seen them as low as $149 on Holiday Sale/Coupon Days at the big-box stores - I got mine for even less than that) and while they sound great right out of the box, some simple DIY upgrades - high-quality tubes, an upgraded speaker (I'm using an Eminence 820H) - will provide you with boutique-quality tube tone for the price of a 60W solid-state combo...

If you're looking at the Vox AC15 and '65 Deluxe RI but can't decide to go with "British" or "American" tone in a large 1x12" combo, the Bugera V22 might just be what you're looking for - comparable in size and net output (this one'll handle a 600-700 seat house - or a hard-hitting drummer - with no problem), with the option of a low-power setting for home practice and footswitchable OD for the harder stuff. I've had the first-edition "blue-light" version since 2010 and it's my go-to for everything but the few outdoor/large-hall shows our band does - built like an M1 Abrams tank (they use machine screws to hold this puppy together - few of the uber-buck boutique amps even do that), weighs only slightly less (better get a dolly if you don't plan on auditioning for the Jersey Boys road company), and tone that turned the head of every guitarist that ever heard it. To be fair I've upgraded mine as above - Eminence Swamp Thang speaker, Soviet-era mil-spec tubes, mild rebias (the current Infinium versions are strictly plug-&-play - handy if you're new to tube amps since a bias job costs around $100 in my neck of the woods) - but between the two power settings, channel switching, and mid-boost I can get enough useful tones that I don't need stompboxes (other than a Cool Cat trem pedal) or a modeling amp. $399 street (can be had for less), if you like your electric guitar tone with a British accent the factory Turbosound speaker really is quite good (unlike the Celestion wannabe fitted to the earlier amps), and if you've got the room you can have both amps, with the aforementioned mods, for about the price of a brand-new '65 Princeton Reverb RI - not a bad deal by any reckoning and, while you may acquire additional amps as you progress, speaking as a 55-year tube-tone junkie you will find yourself coming back to these two...

Should you decide to go with one or both of these feel free to PM me for additional info...

[DukeX]

I was cautious to suggest spending $1,000 - $2,000 on a first amp, which is why I recommended a less expensive modeling amp. But, heck, he's spending that much on his first guitar, and some folks are suggesting a $1,000-$1,200 PCB based Reissue. If spending that much, I would buy a quality hand made clone instead.

Since he mentioned a Headstrong Lil King (Princeton Reverb $1,850 w/12" speaker), I'll recommend the Vintage Sound Amps equivalent, a Vintage 15 (Princeton Reverb $1,595 w/12" speaker). I love mine.

I also love my Lil Dawg Tweed Deluxe. You can get one of these hand built 1x12 tone monsters for $979--about what you'll pay for a '65 Princeton Reverb Reissue. You'll have to buy a speaker ($50-$100).

If you are going to go big, go for the really good stuff.

Oh, and for around $800 you can grab a hand wired Vox AC4 HW1. They are sweet as well.

[rwmct]

I was in this same boat a few months back. I went with the 65 PRRI. I like it. But a Vox would have been nice too. Or a Subpro. Lots of good amps out there.