Fender Princeton Reverb II - Rivera

What are peoples experience with these amps?

I am not interested in high gain, I am looking for bright cleans, nice reverb and and can take pedals....

It needs to be able to compete in rehearsal with horns and keys (will be mic'd at gigs)

Has a line out as well so could go to desk/PA/audio interface......

Anyone?
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Comments

  • minimoogminimoog Frets: 128
    edited March 2016
    I'm not widely experienced in amps (or guitars come to that haha) but I do own a PRII, although I don't do much properly clean stuff. First weekend I had it I took it to rehearsal and blew the stock speaker - I'd played it at bedroom vols earlier and it had sounded a bit flabby and farty so I think it was already knackered. Anyway I put a Celestion G12H 70th Anniversary in it and it got *way* louder. In a rehearsal room with drums bass and another guitarist I run the gain at 8-9 (i.e. crunchy) and the Master no more than 3 on the dial and that's plenty loud enough. After about 6 on the dial it doesn't get much louder, just crunchier.

    I'm pretty sure it'd have enough headroom for you. I have to hit it pretty hard with various combinations of compressor, boost, and OD to get it to really rock.It does take a pedal or two well. I've never used the line out.

    I think @ICBM here knows a fair bit about them. You'll have no doubt perused Stratopastor's page on them too - http://www.stratopastor.org.uk/strato/amps/prii/PRII_hub.html

    I forgot to mention the reverb. Probably because I can't think of much to say about it. It's there, it works, but it's fairly unremarkable to my ears. As I said I don't have much experience with other amps, especially those with reverb, so I can't be much help here.
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  • minimoog said:
    I'm not widely experienced in amps (or guitars come to that haha) but I do own a PRII, although I don't do much properly clean stuff. First weekend I had it I took it to rehearsal and blew the stock speaker - I'd played it at bedroom vols earlier and it had sounded a bit flabby and farty so I think it was already knackered. Anyway I put a Celestion G12H 70th Anniversary in it and it got *way* louder. In a rehearsal room with drums bass and another guitarist I run the gain at 8-9 (i.e. crunchy) and the Master no more than 3 on the dial and that's plenty loud enough. After about 6 on the dial it doesn't get much louder, just crunchier.

    I'm pretty sure it'd have enough headroom for you. I have to hit it pretty hard with various combinations of compressor, boost, and OD to get it to really rock.It does take a pedal or two well. I've never used the line out.

    I think @ICBM here knows a fair bit about them. You'll have no doubt perused Stratopastor's page on them too - http://www.stratopastor.org.uk/strato/amps/prii/PRII_hub.html
    Cheers Minimoog - I'll check stratopaster out. I'd be using it for clean and some crunch - no serious overdrive required. 
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  • minimoogminimoog Frets: 128
    He's a nice chap to chat with via email, so if you've got specific Qs he'll doubtless help.
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  • chromatunachromatuna Frets: 366
    Damn! Just visited stratopastor's site, now I want one, sounds like my kind of amp.
    This is the truth from hillbilly guitars!
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  • JeremiahJeremiah Frets: 629
    This is an amp I've always been interested in, anyone know how the modern Rivera amps compare to Rivera-designed Fenders?
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  • Jeremiah said:
    This is an amp I've always been interested in, anyone know how the modern Rivera amps compare to Rivera-designed Fenders?
    If your interested in buying here is one I've been looking at - 


    I don't know how they compare...... but if you do go for it please let me know how you get on
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  • minimoog said:
    He's a nice chap to chat with via email, so if you've got specific Qs he'll doubtless help.
    thanks mimimoog - I contacted him. He was very helpful and knowledgable!!! 

    So whats with the name? You a synth nut?
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  • ArchtopDaveArchtopDave Frets: 1367
    Jeremiah said:
    This is an amp I've always been interested in, anyone know how the modern Rivera amps compare to Rivera-designed Fenders?
    I know this Rivera Amp isn't related to a Princeton, but I've owned a Rivera Jazz Suprema (50 watt, 12" Speaker, version) for the last 3 years. It does what it's designed to do - beautiful clean sound plus lovely reverb.

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  • Nice amps Princetons but your going to need cab Irs to Go direct I think. the line out is just line level, it's not can emulated.

    Not sure on clean headroom either. When I tried one I wanted some blues grit so wasn't worried about headroom. you may need more power to compete with keys and brass while staying clean. Best to try one I would think


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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71951
    Actually, having just posted a not very good joke in your other thread :), a thought occurred to me…

    Try a Mesa Subway Blues. They're discontinued but not impossibly rare to find, and are a very unusual Mesa - no high-gain distortion, just a nice, pretty Fendery clean sound, reverb, and… a silent recording output with a built-in power stage mute.

    Also loud enough to gig with, probably - only a 20W 1x10" so small and light by Mesa standards, but they're quite pokey for something that size.


    NB, the Subway Rocket is a completely different beast and for your purposes, avoid - far more 'rock' sounding and midrangy.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ICBM said:
    Actually, having just posted a not very good joke in your other thread :), a thought occurred to me…

    Try a Mesa Subway Blues. They're discontinued but not impossibly rare to find, and are a very unusual Mesa - no high-gain distortion, just a nice, pretty Fendery clean sound, reverb, and… a silent recording output with a built-in power stage mute.

    Also loud enough to gig with, probably - only a 20W 1x10" so small and light by Mesa standards, but they're quite pokey for something that size.


    NB, the Subway Rocket is a completely different beast and for your purposes, avoid - far more 'rock' sounding and midrangy.
    Thanks of moving that! I'll have a look at the Mesa subway blues - sounds ideal. 
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  • minimoogminimoog Frets: 128

    So whats with the name? You a synth nut?
    You could say that :)
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  • minimoog said:

    So whats with the name? You a synth nut?
    You could say that :)
    Vintage stuff?
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  • minimoogminimoog Frets: 128
    edited March 2016
    .


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  • i have one and its one of my favorite amps....great cleans and reverb i never use the push pull over drives in the amp..it takes pedals well and sounds good at low volume for small gigs and really packs a punch when you crank it up.....a friend of mine has a blackface 60s princeton and mine sounds just as good....i've never understood why they have bad rep on some forum's,
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  • fretfinderfretfinder Frets: 4978
    I had one a few years ago, it had been 'blackfaced' by Brinkley Schwartz apparently. It sounded very nice and was quite loud but the 10" speaker was never going to compete with a 12" in my eyes (ears?) plus it did that horrible cab vibration thing when you cranked it up and I tried several things to solve it but couldn't. For a home only amp it would have been great.
    250+ positive trading feedbacks: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/57830/
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