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NVAD- 62 Brown Princeton!

TM1

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Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
I’ve been looking for a bit for one of these as they go really quick on Reverb. Bought a 1962 (51st week of 1962). Numbers stamped in ink on the tube chart are “L L”. Why buy one of those faux versions from Fender when you can get the real deal for less.. This was already cut for a 12” speaker. I put an extra Celestion poly grey Alnico that I had in it. Also did a full cap job(filters/smoothing), 3-prong power cable, Mullard GZ34, matched pair of NOS Mullard EL37’s and a couple of Brimar ECC83’s. It cranks out a lovely 15 watts clean! I never realized that the brown Princeton & brown Deluxe both use the same exact Output tranny! This amp sounds wonderful!
When I was 14 I bought a brown Princeton from my neighbor for $50.00. It was my first good amp (this was 1966) and beat the Kalamazoo Model 2 I had.. I still have the ol’ Kal (and my 1st guitar).. got both for Xmas 1965.
Anyway, I’ll be gigging this with my Marshall 1974 this Saturday night. I normally use 2 amps cause I love the sound of two different amps together as they normally compliment each other. Now I can leave my ‘61 brown Deluxe at home... It’s 32 watts and I normally can’t use it over “3” as it’s Loud! I was gifted a ‘63 brown Tremolux output tranny 17-18 years ago and put that in the Deluxe. I put a Celestion Gold 12” in it so it wouldn’t blow the Blue Celestion I had in there. It came with an Alnico blue Jensen stock.
anyway.. sorry to ramble, but I love this Princeton. I love the brown/blonde era amps. Never cared for the BF amps. I did own a ‘59 Bassman 30 years ago that I traded for a ‘69 Marshall 50 watt head...
Thanks!
 

goldtop0

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
Messages
8,931
Congrats Don............yep you boys in the States get all the good stuff..........and routed for a 12" too:2cool
Have seen/heard of one brown amp only over here and that was this year, a Vibrasonic, just too many watts for me.
 
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sonar

New member
Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589
I’ve been looking for a bit for one of these as they go really quick on Reverb. Bought a 1962 (51st week of 1962). Numbers stamped in ink on the tube chart are “L L”. Why buy one of those faux versions from Fender when you can get the real deal for less.. This was already cut for a 12” speaker. I put an extra Celestion poly grey Alnico that I had in it. Also did a full cap job(filters/smoothing), 3-prong power cable, Mullard GZ34, matched pair of NOS Mullard EL37’s and a couple of Brimar ECC83’s. It cranks out a lovely 15 watts clean! I never realized that the brown Princeton & brown Deluxe both use the same exact Output tranny! This amp sounds wonderful!
When I was 14 I bought a brown Princeton from my neighbor for $50.00. It was my first good amp (this was 1966) and beat the Kalamazoo Model 2 I had.. I still have the ol’ Kal (and my 1st guitar).. got both for Xmas 1965.
Anyway, I’ll be gigging this with my Marshall 1974 this Saturday night. I normally use 2 amps cause I love the sound of two different amps together as they normally compliment each other. Now I can leave my ‘61 brown Deluxe at home... It’s 32 watts and I normally can’t use it over “3” as it’s Loud! I was gifted a ‘63 brown Tremolux output tranny 17-18 years ago and put that in the Deluxe. I put a Celestion Gold 12” in it so it wouldn’t blow the Blue Celestion I had in there. It came with an Alnico blue Jensen stock.
anyway.. sorry to ramble, but I love this Princeton. I love the brown/blonde era amps. Never cared for the BF amps. I did own a ‘59 Bassman 30 years ago that I traded for a ‘69 Marshall 50 watt head...
Thanks!

Congrats.

It adds to the evolution/devolution of the brotherhood between the Deluxe and Princeton. You might know that the BF Princeton chassis was punched out for a deluxe transformer, yet a specific size transformer was used in the Princeton production run. Also, the power rail for the PI voltage was actually reduced from the Brownie spec to the BF. It all leads to plenty of fun speculation about how Fender envisioned the models in their range. If we could only ask Leo...
 

TM1

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Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
Yeah, I think the period between 60-63 was a real transition period for Fender. There weren’t as many changes in that period as there were in the Tweeds and the BF/SF. Tonally to my ears, I love that period more than the BF/SF.
 

akstrat61

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2004
Messages
1,845
:photos please?

I use to own both of those brown amps and a brown Super. I got turned on to the vintage bug by a '57 Jr and a brown Deluxe one night many years ago!:dude:

Congrats on a cool score!:jim
 

Jeff West

Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2002
Messages
877
EL37s, eh, those can sound quite amazing. Years ago I tried those for quite a while in my '66 PR, sounded excellent but eventually stopped while I was still ahead, they have ~ 3x the heater current draw.
 

rockabilly69

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
Yeah, I think the period between 60-63 was a real transition period for Fender. There weren’t as many changes in that period as there were in the Tweeds and the BF/SF. Tonally to my ears, I love that period more than the BF/SF.

I have a '64 first production (january) Deluxe Reverb and it's obvious that the paper wound transformer is a transition piece. It is a killer amp..

63aOdvw.jpg


8wxdC2e.jpg
 
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TM1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
I have a '64 first production (january) Deluxe Reverb and it's obvious that the paper wound transformer is a transition piece. It is a killer amp..

63aOdvw.jpg


8wxdC2e.jpg

My `61 Deluxe has a paper wound bobbin o/p. I have a spare o/p as well from `62. Those sound great!
 

akstrat61

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2004
Messages
1,845
No Concert Mike?:hmm

I sold a great one to Chris Campbell, the bass player for Bob Seger. I believe he lives over by you now? Might want to look him up?:dude:

How about I take one of those Deluxes off your hands?? Your picts kill me as always!:jim

Brown Fenders rock! :dude:

Vintage%20Brown%20Fender%20Amps.jpg
 

guitplayer

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
2,114
Brown Fenders rock! :dude:

Vintage%20Brown%20Fender%20Amps.jpg

That's right!! You guys are making me want to burn the dust off this
one. These really have a great rock tone.
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