Jazz+ Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Anybody played Rhodes with a Fender Princeton Reverb amp? I loved the 68 Silverface Princeton Reverb tube amp I had when I was a young guitarist. I long for that same style, smell, tube tone and look in an amp for my Rhodes and organ clone (Mojo 61). I see the Fender Princeton Reverb 68 re-issue is 23 pounds priced around $850 (12 watts, 10 speaker). Has anyone used one of these with a Rhodes. I see they also make a 15 watts special edition Princeton with the 12 inch speaker which would be louder (34 pounds, brown tweed) . The Deluxe at 41 pounds is too heavy for me, Twin is out of the question. Dont tell me it isnt loud enough. I play acoustic piano volume level with jazz duo and trio, drummer plays brushed. No rock pop band volumes ever. Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 850 of Harry's solo piano arrangements of standards and jazz tutorials at https://www.patreon.com/HarryLikas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxcvbnm098 Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 I used to practice on my Rhodes plugged into an old Alamo tube amp with similar specs. It sounded great, and I'd bet this would too, although I haven't tried one. Amazing how the value of these original small Fender amps has gone through the roof as of late. I remember seeing old Princeton's for $150, and Deluxes for $250 back in the 80's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doerfler Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Anybody played Rhodes with a Fender Princeton Reverb amp? I have not, I use a Twin Reverb. Yes, it is too heavy for gigging. That being said, were it me, I would go with the special edition Princeton as it has a 12" speaker. My dos centavos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Aiken Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Princetons sound fantastic with Rhodes/Wurlies. They are going for around a grand these days, at least locally, but make great recording amps. I would not use one live with a loud band, but for what you describe it should be fine. Not a ton of low end. Moog The One, VV 64 EP, Wurlies 200A 140 7300, Forte 7, Mojo 61, OB-6, Prophet 6, Polaris, Hammond A100, Farfisa VIP, ,Young Chang 6', Voyager, E7 Clav, Midiboard, Linnstrument, Seaboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Good for low volume practice, but I wouldn't play too loud on one as you could burn out the output transformer which are $$$. Princetons were never designed for wide frequency instruments like Rhodes pianos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bourniplus Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 I have a reissue Princeton Reverb which I use with my Rhodes MkV (and other keyboards too). I slightly prefer it over my Peavey Classic 30, which also sounds really nice to my ears and was much cheaper. I love the simple tone controls and the built-in tremolo. I used to always have a tremolo pedal between the Rhodes and the amp, but now I find it nice to plug straight in the amp (though less flexible). There is enough volume for a gig in a small venue in trio or quartet, with the volume around 6-7. Plenty of bass even with the 10" in my opinion. "Show me all the blueprints. I'm serious now, show me all the blueprints." My homemade instruments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Princetons sound fantastic with Rhodes/Wurlies. They are going for around a grand these days, at least locally, but make great recording amps. I would not use one live with a loud band, but for what you describe it should be fine. Not a ton of low end. Maybe a while back before 2008.... But the Vintage collector markets took a dive in all things, guitars, amps, cars etc.... You can get a 64 Princeton for less than $1500 all day long. Chicago Music Exchange has a nice clean one for $1395 right now. I would not do this though. I would get a Morgan PR12 before I would buy a vintage Princeton. The Morgan is the 12 watt Princeton blackface circuit with a better power supply section so it doesn't fart out on the low end. It comes loaded with a 12" greenback. But I personally wouldn't get this for Rhodes. If amp weight is an issue I would consider a separate head and cabinet. You can swap speakers easily this way also. A nice solid state amp like a Quilter could be a good compromise. It will give you a lot more headroom. Guitar players want a high level of tube compression where sometimes we want more clean headroom that will still compress when we attack the keyboard hard. That is why our go to amps for keyboards have always been the Twin or sometimes the Super. Tubes are sexy but for higher headroom in a lightweight package the Quilter amps are pretty dog gone appealing. I've been considering a Quilter Steelaire for my pedal steel rig. Volume differential isn't the reason we choose amp wattages. It is headroom and compression. I play in guitar in a loud 90s alternative rock band with a 25 watt 1-12 combo running in 10 watt mode. It is louder than Heck. Line level keyboards send a way hotter signal to the front end of an amp than a guitar does. I would get something with more headroom than a Princeton.... "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJUSCULE Posted March 19, 2018 Share Posted March 19, 2018 My Hot Rod Deluxe has been rock solid, sounds pretty good, was cheap enough, and isn't too heavy. My two cents. Eric Website Gear page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz+ Posted March 20, 2018 Author Share Posted March 20, 2018 For my Mojo 61 Rhodes and jazz organ joy; Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 850 of Harry's solo piano arrangements of standards and jazz tutorials at https://www.patreon.com/HarryLikas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz+ Posted March 20, 2018 Author Share Posted March 20, 2018 Unable to post an image or stay logged in today... Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 850 of Harry's solo piano arrangements of standards and jazz tutorials at https://www.patreon.com/HarryLikas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doerfler Posted March 20, 2018 Share Posted March 20, 2018 Unable to post an image or stay logged in today... maybe your dues are past due. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuckerMC Posted March 21, 2018 Share Posted March 21, 2018 I demo'ed the Amplitube Princeton amp with some of my Rhodes VSTs and thought it sounded really good. It's a bit cheaper than $850. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicale Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 I just inherited several amps. A early 1960's Showman(Dual Cabinet;Blond), A VibroKing (3*10" optional 1*15" JBL); a mid-60's I think, Twin Black face; A Peavey 2*12" TransTube; A Tweed Twin Clone (Yet to be identified) and a Peavey Nashville 400 with factory Mods. So these are under evaluation. I can say at this time, that the Showman rocks the house when I play my XK3c through it... Of course overkill for your application, (although a head/speaker arrangement). Amp choice is really a big item. I don't currently have a Rhodes but have had them in the past. We pretty much know that a Twin is great with a Rhodes, but imagine a showman... I tried the Tweed Twin with the Hammond but it didn't really do it. I took it in for service to see if it is working right. This is a dual 5U4GB amp. So if you are playing a lot and are interested in audiophile level sound, Then tread carefully. If going a minimalist route(live), then you could probably do with a much smaller arrangement. The choice of a pricey Boutique amp is the best suggestion, I think, in this discussion. Musicale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthiola Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 I use a Deluxe Reverb (the HW edition). Sound wise this is pure tone heaven. The amp breaks up very smooth and gradually from modest levels to loud (3 to 7). With Rhodes you don't have clean sound at modest rehearsal volume. I used a Twin for years which has gorgeous clean tone at those levels. I like my Rhodes a bit cleaner, the break-up for Wurly is spot on. The Princeton is lighter than the DR. I think it will give you a fairly overdriven sound on Rhodes at moderate levels, probably too much... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real MC Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I just inherited several amps. A early 1960's Showman(Dual Cabinet;Blond), A VibroKing (3*10" optional 1*15" JBL); a mid-60's I think, Twin Black face; A Peavey 2*12" TransTube; A Tweed Twin Clone (Yet to be identified) and a Peavey Nashville 400 with factory Mods. So these are under evaluation. I can say at this time, that the Showman rocks the house when I play my XK3c through it... Of course overkill for your application, (although a head/speaker arrangement). Amp choice is really a big item. I don't currently have a Rhodes but have had them in the past. We pretty much know that a Twin is great with a Rhodes, but imagine a showman... I tried the Tweed Twin with the Hammond but it didn't really do it. I took it in for service to see if it is working right. This is a dual 5U4GB amp. So if you are playing a lot and are interested in audiophile level sound, Then tread carefully. If going a minimalist route(live), then you could probably do with a much smaller arrangement. The choice of a pricey Boutique amp is the best suggestion, I think, in this discussion. Musicale Nice inheritance (my condolences). Showman was Fender's high power amp and I can see how it would sound good with XK3. A lot of Wurly players use old Fender amps. They really make that piano bark. Rhodes doesn't always have the same effect because the passive pickups lose tone too easily when they are loaded with an input impedance that is too low. Rhodes players don't need to spend a lot of money on a Fender Twin Reverb. I use a Dual Showman Reverb from 1976 - it is the head version of the Twin Reverb (exact same circuit and chassis), a lot lighter, and a lot cheaper as guitar players haven't caught on to this. Yes you need a separate speaker cabinet, but the separate units are easier to carry and like guitars the type of speaker can change the tone of the Rhodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazz+ Posted March 28, 2018 Author Share Posted March 28, 2018 The Princeton 65 blackface reissue is too bright and twangy, imo. It is for lead guitarists. Fender has also released an attractive variation, the Princeton Reverb Custom 68 Silverface. It is wired like a Fender Bassman head and features a bigger low end and sounds warmer. It is a nice practice amp and for low volume gigs. Put a 12 hemp speaker in it and it is loud and clean. But I cannot justify the high price tag and will continue to use my excellent powered EV speakers. Harry was the Technical Editor of Mark Levine's "The Jazz Theory Book" and helped develop "The Jazz Piano Book." Find 850 of Harry's solo piano arrangements of standards and jazz tutorials at https://www.patreon.com/HarryLikas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Simons Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Showman was Fender's high power amp and I can see how it would sound good with XK3. I'm pretty sure it was a dual Showman amp in my '67 silvertop Suitcase Rhodes - my first electric keyboard. I could be misremembering, it's been a half century. lol Yamaha P515 & CK88, Pianoteq, Mainstage, iOS, assorted other stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicale Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Thanks, It was my brother that passed. We were close and these amps are about 1/2 of the stuff... I am getting these tuned up and will probably offer them up for sale here and maybe other places as well. Musicale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Coda Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 ... A early 1960's Showman(Dual Cabinet;Blond)... Oh man ... I owned 2 of these cabs and used ´em w/ a silverface Fender Dual Showman Reverb Amp for my Fender Rhodes mk I 73 Stage for a very long time. For Rhodes and Clav D6 it sounded fabulous ! We pretty much know that a Twin is great with a Rhodes, but imagine a showman... One of our guitarists had a silverface Fender Twin Reverb w/ JBL speakers at that time. I tried it for my keys too, but I prefered the rig mentioned above even the Fender Twin Reverb tube amp is identical to the Fender Dual Showman Reverb. It was probably the combination w/ the sealed old cabs vs. open back combo making it sound better. From all the Fender combo amps, for the Rhodes, I liked the blackface Fender Super Reverb most. I also used Fender Vibrolux reverb amps in studios which sounded great too. 10" speakers are great for the Rhodes, but on stage, 4 10" speakers were better than 2 or just only 1, may it be 10" or 12". I won´t forget to mention I always used a EQ w/ my Rhodes at that time, the BOSS GE-10 ! I used it until I bought a TC 1140 pre-amp/3band parametric EQ for the Rhodes when I gave up tubeamps and used mixers, solid state ppower-amps and EV 3-way cabs. A.C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicale Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 A nice history lesson Al Coda. I hauled a Rhodes around a lot back in the 60's and 70's. Your dissertation just brought me back in time for awhile. Thanks, Musicale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doerfler Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 It was my brother that passed. We were close and these amps are about 1/2 of the stuff... My condolences also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 My condolences Musicale. To the OP - I did a session last week where they recorded DI off the harp of a MK1 Stage but for my own monitoring purposes I had a silverface Princeton Reverb. It sounded fantastic and I wish they had also mic'ed the amp. My Site Nord Electro 5D, Novation Launchkey 61, Logic Pro X, Mainstage 3, lots of plugins, fingers, pencil, paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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