Introduced in 1964, the Fender Princeton Reverb is a legendary 12-watt tube amplifier known for lush spring reverb, rich tremolo, and warm, dynamic clean tones. A favorite for recording, practice, and small gigs because of its smooth breakup and responsive character, the Princeton Reverb is a versatile amplifier that can handle everything from clean jazz to gritty blues and classic rock. Compact size, simple controls, and timeless Fender tone.
This Princeton Reverb dates to 1969, and it sports the classic Silverface panel and grille cloth. It is in excellent cosmetic condition—the metal parts show some rust and the grille cloth is faded, but the tolex is very clean all around but a little loose on the bottom (see photos). This Princeton has survived the years nicely. The original power cable has been replaced with a safe grounded plug, but the internal components, filter caps, and transformers all appear to be original.
Interestingly, the speaker is a USA-made Pyle Driver 10" with a Ceramic magnet, and according to the source date code, the speaker was made at approximately the same time as the amp. At the time, Princetons would've shipped from Fender with an Oxford, so perhaps the original owner decided to upgrade the speaker immediately after buying the amp. Or maybe someone tracked down the closest period replacement speaker they could find, and it was a Pyle Driver instead of an Oxford. Hard to say for sure, but the ceramic magnet is a common upgrade to improve the clean headroom of a Princeton Reverb.
As far as sound is concerned, this Princeton Reverb captures all of the character and subtleties that make this model so special. Shimmering cleans that cut through with lush reverb and softer, rounder tremolo? This one has you covered! It also takes pedals nicely, and because it's only 12 watts, you can crank the amp into natural breakup without blowing the doors down. It's no wonder this 1969 Fender Princeton Reverb is the shop favorite! It seems to highlight and bring out all of the best qualities in whatever guitar you plug into it.