Fender Princeton Chorus

I purchased this red knob amp new in 1989 for $350 after much research and haggeling with local music stores. I wanted a versatal amp that I could just plug into and play without needing a lot of stomp boxes to get the soud I was looking for; good clean to slightly gritty, sought of that Beatles "I've got a feeling" sound. My amp at the time was a 1967 Fender Delux Reverb "Black Face", great amp but not easy to get the sound I was after without cranking it to ear bleeding volumns or using a tube screemer. I was also looking for a good clean jazz sound that my deluxe could not produce with my Les Paul.
The Princeston Chorus provided me with both as well as the most beautiful stero chorus that I have ever heard. It has far exceeded my expextations and as it approaches it's 20th birthday I am blown away to see how popular it has become with other players.
My other amps are the 67 deluxe reverb and a 2007 Fender Blues Deluxe Re-issue; all are great for different reasond but for clean that stays together without sounding solid state the Prinston Chorus wins hands down.
I have been playing since I was 7 and am 48 now, I love 60's rock / blues, Clapton, Buddy Guy, BB King, Beatles, as well as SRV, Hendricks, Steely Dan. I've been in bands, played gigs, but nowadays, I sit out on the back deck and jamb with a friend or two once in a while but mostly play for my own satisfaction. As far as power goes, it's not as loud as my Black Face and my Blues deluxe blows both away. As far as features, it has all I need for what I play and I have an RP-90 for when I need more and a drummer that I can controll.

Gets a bit noisy when you turn the gain up but not more then other amps.
I play a 2007 Gibson Les Paul Blond Beauty Standard (another love story}, a 1982 Ibanaz Artist AC (striped to natural and beautfuly refinished) and a 1997 Fender Strat Deluxe.
As I said abouve, This amp sounds natural and clean at high voulms, perfect for jazzy chords (John Lennon would love this amp).
I think that the limiter is a fantastic controll for smoothing the gain and adding endless sustain at high gain settings. I also love the touch sensitive dynamics of this amp, it reacts like a fender tube amp.

Two things have happenend in the las twenty years; the grill cloth tore so I bought origional Blackface Fender grill cloth and replace it, it looks sooo much better then the origional cloth and looks great next to my blackface. The second thing was the volume poy and the master volumn pot got srcatchie. I am please to pass along a little trick that fixed the problem, I removed the head and blew out the pots with my compressor and sprayed a drop of WD-40 in each. If they fail again I will replace them, I have done it before on Fender amps (replaced the linear taper volumn and master on my blues deluxe with Fender audio taper for better controll of volumn at lower settings). As I have indicated above I have a 42 yr old black face (3rd owner) and it still plays and sounds great with minimal maintenance, Fender still build quality amps.

Never had to use it and I hope I never will, at 20yrs old I will take care of repairs myself or take it to a trustworthy tec for things I cannot handle if the need arises.

This amp is a 10 in every aspect, it's intuitive controlls allows quick and easy dial in and tweaking of the sound I am looking for.
If it were stolen or lost then we would need to talk about my gun collection. Other products? I love fender amps, not all ( I hate the new DSP junk) but the three that I have sound boutique enough to me.
Is there anytrhing I wish it had? I don't know green LED's instead of red? No, I can think of nothing, it is by far the best SS amp that I have ever heard and easily compares to two of the best sounding tube amps that I have ever heard.

Do not know the year, I bought it off of ebay. It is made in Mexico, as if that makes a difference. Two 10 inch speakers. This amp fits my needs very well. I play country, gospel and Christian. The clean channel is super. The gain channel is OK. The stereo chorus is the best I have ever used. This is two amps in one having two power amplifiers, 25 watts each, therefore creating the stereo sound. Don't let tha wattage scare you this amp gets plenty loud! As stated in the manual this is "virtually" a two channel amp, but not exactly. If it had EQ's for the gain channel it would have received a 10. I never use effects loops, but this has a set of mono and stereo loops. The headphone jack doubles as a line out, I do like and use that. The presence and limiter knobs help the gain channel and I do like the mid-boost button. You can get several tonal options. The reverb is signature Fender. I use this amp at churches and small parties and outdoor functions. Has plenty of power for me. It is solid state, but don't let that bother you. Light weight, easy to haul around. I think it weighs 38 lbs.

This amp has the sound I have been looking for for, in a small package! I use strats and teles. All with stock single coils. I have never played a guitar with humbuckers through it so I have no idea how that would sound. For an idea how the clean channel sounds go to YouTube and enter Don Rich Buckaroo. With my tele I can match his sound perfectly! I love the Chimey sound of the clean channel on a Fender amp. My father had a twin reverb and this amp can sound just as good as that, just not as loud. It has a SMALL amount of hum, and I do mean SMALL. A pleasant surprise since I use single coils. As I stated before the stereo chorus is luscious! Of course when the amp has chorus in the name you would expect this. I don't play at high volumes so I don't know if the clean channel distorts of not. I don't care if it does. I haven't had the volume louder than 5 and I don't want to stand directly in front of it then! If you play bang your head slap your momma stuff SKIP this amp. The gain channel works for me I just wish it had a separate EQ. When I use the gain channel I barely turn the gain up, just enough to give it a little fuzz. I like it, some don't. Thats why they make so many different amps. People cannot believe such loud and wonderful sounds come out of so small a package.

I don't own a back-up amp. I have never had a problem. I bought it off of eBay and when it was delivered the box looked as if it had been rolled down a mountain and drug behind the truck! Pulled it out of the box, plugged it in, turned it on, worked perfectly and has for quite some time now. For reliability you cannot beat solid state. I have no idea how it was treated before I got it and have no idea how old it is. It does have a few scrapes and tears in the tolex, but I don't think that is from abuse just use. If an amp is hauled around it is going to show it. I never worry about it breaking down. I guess it could break down. Only the Shadow Knows! Oops I'm showing my age now.

Never used it.

I have been playing for 37 years. I own to much gear to list, just ask my wife! If I lost this amp I would go directly to eBay and find another. My favorite thing about this amp, other than the clean channel, is the weight. I'm to old and stove up to lug an 80 lb amp around. I have played through a myriad of amps over the years and I can tell you, for my taste in music, Fender amps are the best. If I had a roadie I would probably get a twin reverb, but at this point in the game I don't see that happening! If I could change one thing I would add an EQ on the gain channel. If you are reading this then you are interested in one of these amps. Just remember that " A Great Sounding Amp!" is subjective. The only way I know to find out if you like an amp or not is to plug YOUR guitar into it and play.

Mid-90's MIM model. You should know the basic specs by now. I'll make note, though of the features that I take into consideration in giving my rating: Really only one channel with an overdrive button, gain knob and shared EQ. Nice limiter, however, for the overdrive and a presence knob. My favorite features are the spring reverb and all analog true stereo chorus. Never used the effects loops, did appreciate the headphone jack. It took me a long time to find useable tone with the overdrive. Lots of experimenting with the EQ (which needed to be adjusted quite differently than when playing clean) and limiter. Would be nice if it were a true two-channel amp with a second separate EQ for overdrive. Then it would be feasible to channel switch very smoothly in a performance setting.

I played this amp with only a Gibson ES-135, 1996 model with P-100's. The clean sounds, as other previous reviewers have noted, are amazing. For a really nice jazz tone, I'd keep the bass EQ'd around 4, treble at 6ish, and the mids at 8. Add a touch of reverb and chorus depth and rate both set at 2. Playing through the neck pickup with flat-wound .11's sounded fantastic. Very lush, full sound.

However, and this for me was a big however, getting a consistently useable distorted sound was a chore. I play jazz, blues, alt country, and indy rock. For jazz and blues, this amp was fantastic. Not so much, though, for the slightly Wilco-esque distortion I was looking for. Also, I should note that I bought this amp primarily for home recording and practice. To get the distortion breakup I wanted and a tube-ish sustain (which IS possible thanks to the limiter), I had to play at volume levels much higher than my wife or my neighbors appreciated. If I were recording in a studio situation or playing jazz out at small venues, I would have probably kept this amp.

Thick as a brick.

No contact with Fender is always good.

I've been playing now for around 12 years, and am mainly an acoustic multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter recording from home. I own several Martins, a handmade banjo, and a Japanese carved top mandolin in addition to my Gibson ES-135.

I actually just traded away the Princeton Chorus to pick up a VOX 4ACTVH and accompanying 12" speaker cab. I decided that I wanted true tube distortion at much lower volume levels for home recording and practice that won't drive my wife (and baby on the way) crazy. I do already miss the clean sounds and the stereo chorus from the Princeton, but let me tell you, it's nice to switch the VOX's attenuator to 1/4 watt, crank the volume and tone and get pure tube saturation at reasonable home volume levels. Plus, set to 4 watts, the VOX has some nice clean headroom. So, I'm very much aware of the tradeoff I made, and could envision a scenario down the road when I might go out and score another Princeton Chorus (or ideally two to run in stereo) for small jazz gigs.
Bottom line for me is if you're looking for great cleans and dripping, swirling chorus for studio, rehearsal, or small gigs, if you can find one of these for around 200 bucks, you're getting a deal. However, if you're looking for a truly versatile home recording amp that can provide both cleans and easily dialed-up saturated distortion, look elsewhere.

I do not know when this awesome amp was made. I got from my church who wasn't using it anymore because we converted to in-ear monitors. So this amp was in our little sound room collecting dust untill I took it home. It has two channels (Clean and Overdrive) with a chorus effect for both channels. Overall, really good amp. For a solid-state amp, this kicks butt! It is by far the best sounding solid-state that I have ever heard! I use it mainly at home and I crank it when my parents aren't home and it sings! I'm wanting to use it live but I'm gonna have to check with my worship leader for that. I wish it had delay and a crunch channel because in the gain channel it really only sounds great at a pretty high-gain setting.

Well, I'm playing an Epiphone SG G-400 Vintage guitar with all stock pickups (for now.)It sounds pretty good. The clean channel is awesome! Especially with the chorus. It doesn't disort to bad at high volumes but I haven't used it live yet so I don't know. It, for a Fender solid-state, is good for metal, pop, and obviously country. The distortion is great! At high-gain settings it doesn't muddy up. But it is very wimpy when you have it below about 7. Other than that great sounding amp.

We used this at church before and it, from what I know, is pretty reliable. It was pretty dusty when I got it because it was really never used after we swiched to in-ears. But, um... I guess it will do good in a medium sized live situation.

Never dealt with Fender. I've owned this and I used to have the Frontman 15-G amp and it was okay... for an $80 amp.

I haven't been playing very long at all. I can say safely that this is my best amp! (Especially compared to my Estaban G-10!) If it were stolen I don't know what I would do, I would be going crazy that's for sure. I don't have a whole lot of amp experience so I really can't tell you what I compare it with. I wish it had tubes and a seperate crunch channel. Good amp it was a huge blessing from GOD and I'm really happy with it.

Fender Princeton Chorus Red Knob version. Basic Fender reverb, fantastic limiter for great sustain,2 channels,mid range button,presence knob. Used on stage and studio.

I play Blues, Nostalgia Rock and Jazz. These amps "sing to you"! I've owned over 50 amps in my lifetime and this one goes in the top 5 of all of them (and there were many high dollar amps). Not noisy at all and has that classic Fender reverb. I've owned Roland Jazz Chorus and didnt like it as well as the great stereo sound of this amp.Lot's of head room for stage (and when it doesn't have enough, just mic it).You will not be dissapointed

AAA+++ for reliability.

Fender goes hot and cold with customer support, But, they've never let me down.

Playing Pro since the 60's. So, you know that I've played alot of amps.These amps were and are world class. But, as always, Fender decided to quit making them. Seems like every time that they have a winning product, they either discontinue it or change it.Bring these babies back! Especially the Red Knobs! I've owned both models, DSP and Red Knob and I like the Red Knob version alot better. If you can find or get your hands on one, BUY IT QUICKLY! They are slowly disapearing.

Red knob version, chorus, overdrive and reverb, fx loop mono and stereo, foot switch for chorus and overdrive.

For a solid state amp it still had the gorgeous Fender tone I was after, slightly less warm than tube amps, but it packs more tone for the price than it really should, plus you won't have the extra expense of maintenance that comes with tube amps and it sounds good even at low volumes. With the volume turned up max without overdrive it remains clean, it is fine for practice and recording, but at gigs you might need reinforcement if you aren't going to be using the overdrive. Overall I was really impressed with it.

The chorus is another big selling point it is fantastic and better than any foot pedal chorus I have used. I imagine this will be due to the use of two spaced 10" Fender speakers used to create the effect in stereo, if you play a gig and need sound reinforcement, or record this amp with just one mic you will not get the chorus result you hear at source, you will need to mic both speakers.

Bass tone control is hardly needed, first get this amp off the floor on a stand, it gets rid of the muddy bass sound, but even when its off the floor you don't need to turn it up much, I use it on 2, higher than that just overpowers the balance that I'm after.

I don't rate the reverb on this amp, there's not enough control over it and it has a rather nasty tail to it, I'd recommend you use other outboard reverbs or inline fx pedals.

Not a fan of the overdrive either, just not the sound I'm after on its own, I think it suits some styles but nothing I like to play or record, BUT I have found though that if you mix it with other overdrive/distortion pedals you can get some great results, more than the sum of the parts, try it out.

FX loop was noisy when used, it might be the kit I used in between, it also seems to remove some of the tone, I checked this by running a cable straight (nothing in between) from in to out.

I have used single and humbucking pickup guitars from various manufacturers through it, haven't found one that didn't sound great through it.

Mine's second hand and must be several years old, still working fine, although the foot switch isn't switching as well as it should, but this is expected after so much use.

Never needed it

I can recommend this amp whole heartedly for its gorgeous clean sound and chorus, it does that so well it more than eclipses the shortcomings with the overdrive and reverb and that's why I give it a 9.

I dont know what year my amp was made, i bought mine in music-go-round in towson, m.d. a couple years ago but man this thing is cool. i love this amp and pretty much dont need anyother amps. this amp is extremly versatile. i am a blues player, have been playing guitar for about 6.5 years now and 1. there isnt anyother features i think it needs, it has everything and i can get any tone i want. (more than a transistor amp, and better sounding). 2. its tough. i always wanted a tube amp but when i tried this amp, i found that it was not only cheaper than a tube but when i realized it was solid state, i realized that the tone would practically never wane. and 3. it's freakin loud. people in my former apt. complex ACROSS THE PARKING LOT heard me when it was on 5.

i have so far an epiphone wildkat with alnico v p90 pickups, an epiphone firebird studio with stock humpbuckers, and a heavily modified Squier Mongrel Strat (a 2002 bullet strat neck, '94 body, new pickguard, and Fender Custom shop Texas special pickups). this amp suits my playing style because my amp must have been used alot before so i kinda got that broken-in sound which is perfect for my kind of blues. so far the sound quality for me is excellent and not to mention this is very versatile, good for rhythm AND lead playing.

i have not really gone gigging with this amp yet but this is honestly THE amp for me. i feel like i can depend on this amp for many years to come and i think i could use this amp without having to buy a backup. and this amp has never given me any problems whatsoever.

never used customer service but that probably says that its an amp that dosent really need much maintenance and that fender made an amp that is tough, excellent, and great quality.

Overall i only have this question to ask, if this such a great amp, Why the hell did fender stop making it? its tough, reliable, great sounding, good value, i mean its a great amp overall and my favorite fender amp of all the amps i gave tried, its on the top of my list. need i say more

I bought a mid 80's model (Red Knobs) from new and I'm still gigging with it. One of the best I've heard for clean sounds but not so good if you are after a harder edge / lots of distortion. The single most impressive point for this amp is how loud it can go while remaining crystal clear - its simply incredible.

I own a late 80s Princeton Chorus (red knob). I gotta say, the features are awesome. Its got the usual array of tone controls and gain, but the limiter, presence, and chorus are great! Ill elaborate in the next category...

I have my '08 Tele hooked up to it, and the resulting sound is amazing. I am a versatile player, and it suits all of my music. Its got variety, quality, and volume. I prefer tube, but for a solid state, this amp gets really close. Though, the sound has degraded, see reliability...

I have used it with everything, even a bass guitar. Both the treble and reverb channels have a hiss. Its my fault, I abuse it, but I'd rather a little more out of it.

Never had to...

Ive been playing for way too long, yet not even close to long enough, I collect guitars and amps, etc... So, For a solid state amp, its in the top of its class. Its definitely the best value. I would definitely take another one, and am very happy with it.

The one I bought is a USA model made in 1996. The amp is plenty versatile if your not playing Metal. It's darn near perfect for blues or classic rock. The clean channel is just that, CLEAN. It has channel switching, clean or gain, effects loops, line out and headphone jack. I use this amp for recording and smaller gigs. It's perfect for me since I'm an old Blues player. Has more than enough power for smaller venues.

I use this amp with a Fender Deluxe Strat. Thier a perfect mix. The amp set at clean is very quiet and has that Fender tone everyone searchs for. The chorus is second to none. Full and rich! If Fender put this in a pedal they could sell a million. The gain channel is good but you need to tweak it with the limiter. Once dialed in it's not bad at all. Like I said it's perfect for Blues or Classic Rock. Metal palyers need to look elsewhere.

The amp seems to be built like a tank so I'm looking forward to many more years of service.

I have not had to use Fender support so I can't comment on thier support. But thats good if a product just keeps on ticking!

I've been playing for 40 plus years. I can tell you if this amp got stolen I would be back on Ebay in a heartbeat to buy another. If you like the old Fender amp sound you love this model. It's not a tube amp but it's as warm as you'll get in a solid state.