Having finally taken delivery of my rather minty 1962 BF 6G2 Princeton, I am in awe of its loveliness.
Seriously one of the biggest sounding most detailed combos I’ve ever heard, and had loads of crunchiness if you crank it.
Frankly I prefer it to the Blackface I have as there’s more hair...it’s actually very tweedy and I believe that the circuit is a variant of the 5F11 tweed (
@riftamps or @ICBM may confirm this?)
The trem is quite spectacular and very throbby. In all it’s a sensational amp.
Every Brownie I’ve ever tried has been quite amazing...Supers, Deluxes, Pros etc...
Which leads me to ask, why is this era so overlooked by Fender themselves? Why so few RI’s of the stellar tones? Also, brown or blonde with wheat is simple divine to look at so why the Black and silver face obsessions when Brownies are so amazing?
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Comments
The 6G2 is just a 5F11 in a different box. They did update the filtering though which changes it slightly.
Rift Amplification
Brackley, Northamptonshire
www.riftamps.co.uk
Chris, I am down your way on Sunday and might see if the Major is in his bunker- could bring both down. Btw, have you a single switch phono end foot Switch? CME forgot to pack mine and I’d be grateful if you did, to save Adrian making one for me?
but yeah, it’s bloody lovely.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
I don't know why they've been largely ignored in reissue terms. Some of it may be down to their relative obscurity - '61-'63 wasn't a long period at all. A bit of it may be down to modern-day Fender feeling that the lack of reverb (2x10 Vibrolux excepting) may still be a drawback at point of sale... after all, tremolo with reverb is probably what a lot of people still feel is "the" Fender sound. Another factor may simply be the brownness. I love it but you have to admit it's pretty "country".
My No. 1 amp of all time is the brown Vibrolux (not the Vibrolux Reverb). It's basically a 2x6L6 35-watt Tremolux head with that fabulous bias tremolo jammed in a 1x12" brown combo cabinet - weirdly, the only time Fender ever did that exact combination, but the perfect power, size and weight for a club amp today. It's supposed to be the Sultans Of Swing amp. I've borrowed one on occasion and it's flipping glorious. Only ever seen one for sale in the UK, and it was £3k. Just a leeetle rich for my blood...
Rift Amplification
Brackley, Northamptonshire
www.riftamps.co.uk
Must admit I'd love a 5w with a 12" speaker and onboard Trem and Reverb.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
Rift Amplification
Brackley, Northamptonshire
www.riftamps.co.uk
it has a little more hair than a blackface, but more scoop than a tweed.
i did a demo of my Princeton elsewhere on the amps section.
the 6G2 is a derivative of the 5F11 tweed Tremolux circuit and breaks up rather like a plexi
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.