Fender reissue amps?

[stevecuss]

Originally Posted by alnico5

... I attribute most of the difference to the speaker in the DRRI. I don't think hand wired circuits make electrons behave differently than they do on a PCB board.

If an amp sounds, then it sound good!

I agree with this. I don't believe that PTP sounds better than PCB, all else being equal. PTP is more desirable because PCB can be a pain to work on and is more prone to failure, less 'shake' proof.

[alnico5]

A 6L6 shorted out once in my Carvin amp and blew a 5 watt power resistor. It was easy to fix. You could solder from the top of the PCB board.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

The latest round of reissues are pretty darn good. I've got the '65 Deluxe and the '68 Custom Princeton. The Deluxe is really very much like the originals. When it came out it was universally praised. Despite its Silverface cosmetics, the Custom Prince has a tweaked circuit that sounds more like a Blackface Bassman preamp into a tweed power amp. The straight Blackface '65 Reissue Prince is very close to the originals. My review of the '68 Custom Prince is HERE.




Bob

Interesting review; the custom ‘68 certainly isn’t a throwback to the silverface voicing w/ high negative feedback. To go vintage Fender, I’ll be looking at the ‘65 reissue. It would be interesting also to read reports from those who have spent considerable time comparing this ‘68 with the ‘65, specifically with regard to touch sensitivity and tighter bass response of the ‘65 RI.

[51 Relic]

I've owned two a Pro Reverb and my favourite a lovely Vibroverb reissue and if I was gigging ( electric ) again it would be a Fender reissue amp no question

[davidd]

I think it boils down to the fact that the Reissue amps sound very good compared to their vintage brethren, but given the option at the same price point PTP is superior over PCB for ease of maintenance. Did I get that right?

[stevecuss]

Originally Posted by davidd

I think it boils down to the fact that the Reissue amps sound very good compared to their vintage brethren, but given the option at the same price point PTP is superior over PCB for ease of maintenance. Did I get that right?

Yes, I think that is generally right. And by generally, of course I mean 'there are also factors like tubes, NOS tubes, speakers, break in etc that also contribute.'

But yep, apples to apples, PCB and PTP, most techs I know prefer to work on PTP every time

[M Sarad]

Endless possibilities abound:

https://www.fromelelectronics.com/products/drri-mods

[amo_guilford]

I have one of the 65 Reissue Princetons with the stock speaker, and it sounds just fine to me! I've owned some nice handwired amps from various boutique companies, but wanted something that was a little more giggable and manageable at lower volumes. I bought my PRRI for a great price, used, and it held up just fine. Is it as good as an old Blackface Princeton? Probably not, but I think the intended application is always important. I probably wouldn't play a club tour on a 50 year old amp, or toss it into the back of my car for a rehearsal. As always, to each his own!

[viccortes285]

I own a 65 and a 68 Fender Deluxe Reverb Amps
Both are R.i. And work flawlessly.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by viccortes285

I own a 65 and a 68 Fender Deluxe Reverb Amps
Both are R.i. And work flawlessly.

Fender Clean Deluxe - some say the best Fender amp ever made. Is it too hot for home use? Will 1.5 on the Volume dial sound full enough?

[Jerry D]

Originally Posted by amo_guilford

Is it as good as an old Blackface Princeton? Probably not, but I think the intended application is always important. I probably wouldn't play a club tour on a 50 year old amp, or toss it into the back of my car for a rehearsal.

You're right, Amo. I used to gig with my '66 Super Reverb, but now it lives safely in my downstairs den.

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by stevecuss

Yes, I think that is generally right. And by generally, of course I mean 'there are also factors like tubes, NOS tubes, speakers, break in etc that also contribute.'

But yep, apples to apples, PCB and PTP, most techs I know prefer to work on PTP every time

The thing you guys are putting aside is that the Fender eyelet board of their PTP construction involves very large solder joints which will fail due to temperature cycling (worse with modern tin-silver solder which is more brittle than tin-lead). It's a good thing they are easy to service because they will need it. For my money a simple through hole single sided PCB is easy enough to solder when needed and not a reliability problem as it leaves the factory brand new.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by M Sarad

Endless possibilities abound:

https://www.fromelelectronics.com/products/drri-mods

As per the claim in the cited article, I sure hope that a new DRRI sounds a bit thin and harsh compared to a vintage original - the idea that all brand new components and speaker should sound as smooth as butter is an odd concept. New electronics should sound very tight to begin as an indication of strict quality control, and further, touch sensitivity and performance should trump considerations of sound to begin with. Let the reality of breaking in an amp take its course, just like in the old days.