Fender '65 Princeton Reverb RI

This is a one channel amp that gives many wonderful tones simply by adjusting the volume.
The reverb is beautiful. I like it between 1 and 2.
The vibrato is classic.
The tone controls are useful.
Nice long detached power cord.
Useable amp cover
Light weight
Loud enough to play small gigs.
Quiet enough to play on 10 and not blow the rest of the band away.

The amp is quiet on 10 (till you plug in a noisy guitar)
Mine does not rattle as described by other reviewers.
Tone is subjective--and I am very happy with what this amp delivers. Bright but not too bright; plenty of bass, but not boomy. (Hard to believe the bass coming from a 10" till you remember many a bass amp uses 10's.
With a strat (with Vintage Noiseless pickups and turn all the way up) the amp stays clean up through 4 then begins to crack up. Plenty of bluesy distortion.

I haven't had this long yet. N/A

5 year transferable warranty

Played semi-pro for 35 years. Other amps I've owned: Silvertone, Ampeg SVT 4X10, Peavey Classic 30, Fender (Rivera) Princeton II, Leslie 145, Acoustic (the hard wood MesaBoogie look-alike model), Atomic Reactor w/PODxt (www.atomicamps.com).

I chose this amp for its tone combined with its low power. I prefer to play an amp on 5 to 10 to get the tone and then mic it to get a good mix.

Big bad cabinet rattle. The review below by smoker joe assumes that anyone who has had a problem doesn't know what they're talking about. If he got a good one I'm happy for him but he sounds just like the complaints department at Fender. Either smoker joe is a Fender stooge or as he says a "smoker". Stoner joe is kidding if he thinks a top of the range reproduction Fender amp should be purchased with an inherent problem and we should just be accepting and part with our money. No wonder the boutique amp market is booming.
Poor form Fender and poor form Smoker Joe, or are they the same person

Nice rattle

Fender are reliably making poorer quality products

Fender's standard line "we haven't heard of that problem". Alternately they get smoker joe to make dumb comments.

I've been playing several gigs a week for over 20 years. I never thought genuine american amps and instruments would be comparable to chinese made in quality but here we are. It's vintage or nothing from now on.

To start with this a real gem !! Great Reverb and Tremolo !! Simple and cool !!

This amp is truly killer with luscious Fendery tones that sparkle with a strat and works well with pedals !! I really don't know what all the squack is over a buzzing cab ?? I think it's the cheezy Jensen RI C10R speaker !! It may sound good but this amp has some serious power and for loudness it blows away my 1975 SF Princeton Reverb !! I think the speaker buzzes at higher volumes ?? I don't gig with 10" speakers anyway unless it's a Weber 10F125 and definitely won't mess with cheapo Jensen RI's !! I have a Celestion Blue with a custom made baffle and it kills !! Best Fender RI amp yet !!I am a full time working guitar player and know good stuff !!

Have not had it long but don't expect any problems with the amp ?? Have done 12 gigs with it and am totally impressed !!

Have not had any problems and am keeping my fingers crossed on that !! I do think Fender is a stand up Company and would expect them to make things right with the amp though ??

This is a tremendous amp overall and the tones r just killer !! I love this little amp and am considering selling my 75' SF model !! Tone to die for and the goober's below who say they rattle have no idea what is going on !! A good guitar player can fix small problems such as these standing on there heads !! Quit whining about little things boys and get to pickin' the best Fender RI amp so far !! Period !!

See below!

This little amp has the best clean sound ever and also an outstanding crunch sound. I sold my lovely Deluxe Reverb to buy this amp.

Mine had also the rattle problem.
I put some type of gasket material between the baffle and the wood supports that stiffen the baffle on 3 sides. And now there is no rattle!

I love the sound of this little amp!

As already listed, very straight forward traditional Fender style.
It should be the perfect amp for small rooms and recording. It's like a small version of my 65 Deluxe Reverb.

Great sound. Best sounding amp with a strat I've heard. Except for the cabinet rattle on the bottom F#. I couldn't live with it and took it back to the shop. The rattle maintains volume even as the note drops away. You might be able to use it in a noisy room and not notice it too much but you couldn't record with it. Fender and others have to stop field testing after retail. Get it right before you put it out there. Sack whoever made the decision to put this amp out there before it was right. See the other listings and check the Fender Forums. This amp has a major problem especially as it is sold as a classic reissue and quality build.

It lasted less than 2 hours at my home before I took it back.

Fender deny knowledge of the problem. Standard answer before a major recall. Just like the Vox AC15ccs that were recalled last year and the Taylor acoustics with the hot B string that were sent back the year before. This problem is gaining publicity and will likely result in a recall and change to the build. Just look at the other listings in this group this is a common fault. Fender will keep it low key and some poor bastards will get caught with the B grade product. I tried the suggestion of loosening the mounting screws but it didn't change anything. I removed the rear covers and even the valve covers. Nothing changed. I didn't hear it at the shop because of all the snares rattling around me. I believe Fender knew as they took it back and refunded me without offer of warranty or replacement.

The problem with the cabinet rattle is magnified by the fact that without it this amp is a beautiful amp. It would easily become the most used amp I own but for the rattle.

DON'T BUY IT !! YOU WONT HEAR THE RATTLE IN THE SHOP BECAUSE OF SNARE DRUMS ETC. IF YOU WANT TO HEAR THE RATTLE PLAY A BOTTOM F# WITH THE VOLUME ON 5. IT'S MORE EASILY HEARD FROM THE BACK OF THE AMP.

If you find one without the rattle you'll be very happy.

Single channel, only things that i wish this amp had are mid range tone control and standby switch. but then again, it wouldn't be a true '65 PR with those added features. I work around it by fiddling around with bass and treble and turning the amp on with volume all the way down and letting it warm up for about 2 mins. I am not sure if this is the best practice but it works for me. If you want features, like others mentioned here, this amp might not be the best amp for you. But I must say, reverb + tremolo combo on this is just awesome.

I simply can't complain about the sound. I was amazed with the warmth of the tone I can get out of this amp. I often use a combination of few pedals for light distortion and delay. I really appreciate its clean sound and transparency. Each guitar I plug in, I can hear each guitar's clear and distinctive tone through this amp.

Haven't really had any issues with it, hopefully it stays that way. It seems though few have complained about the mounting screw being too tightly screwed and making the rattling sound above a certain volume level. Test it out before you buy and have your music shop tech to fix it for you, better yet, adjust it yourself, if that's the case. Mine arrive at my house in one piece and has been rocking ever since.

I have nothing to write except, i was fortunate that all my fenders have been trouble free so far.

I have been looking for an amp that is portable and have a clean channel to carry the tone i get from my guitar. It definitely has the tone that Jazz and Blues musicians can appreciate. Also with a few pedals, you can get the classic rock tone without breaking a sweat. Currently I play '52 Tele Vintage reissue through a Keeley Compressor, a modded TS9 tube screamer and a Boss Giga Delay. I enjoy playing anything in between blues and classic rock. I must say I am quite satisfied with my setup, especially the amp, which suits the music I play.

I think it's been covered below. Single channel, non master 2 6V6, tube rectified, 10" Jensen, Reverb, Tremolo. I rate this a 10 because it's all about tone rather than knob twiddling and preamp overdrive.

OK, this is a tough one, because this is an otherwise gorgeous sounding amp, but poor design and/or build quality ruined it. Quintessential blackface tone, nice gradual breakup, impossible to make it sound bad except maybe in extreme settings. Reverb is a bit over the top, but can be made more gradual by swapping a tube, tremolo could stand to have more slower settings, but not a big deal. The Jensen is an excellent match, IMO. I played a couple of Strat's through it and a Parker Fly Deluxe. They all sound great, but single coils really shine.

Now for the big issue, and I know many others have experienced this as well. I went through three of these amps, and returned all of them. There's a buzz/rattle in the cabinet when you have this amp at around 5 or above, and play low notes. Low F# seems to bring it out the most. I tried a number of things to remedy this issue, all to no avail. I appears to be a problem with the baffle. From reading a couple of Fender related forums, only a couple of people have found amps that DON'T have this issue. Fender appears to be in denial about it in spite of people returning it or getting their amp fixed under warranty (takes months if shipped back to Fender).

So sounds beautiful if you stay away from low notes and play the amp VERY quietly, but with the buzz/rattle (and again, I found it in all 3 I tried) the amp is not usable IMO.

See buzz/rattle issue above.

I'm giving this a 4 becasue Fender does have knowledgeable people and they do answer the phone. Hard to come by these days, so kudos to Fender for that. However, they pretend like they don't know about the buzz/rattle issue, which they obviously must know about.

I'm giving it a 3 because although it's a beautiful sounding amp in a compact package, it's not usable with the current quality problems. I've been playing through tube amps for 40+ years, so I do have a little experience in this area.

Amp is a 2008 Fender '65 Princeton Reverb Reissue.
Features include:
15 watts.
One channel with 2 inputs, volume, treble, and bass controls.
Also has reverb, and vibrato/tremolo.
6V6 output tubes, 5AR4 rectifier tube, 3 12AX7, and 1 12AT7 preamp tubes.
10 inch Jensen Speaker.

This amp does not have a ton of features, and that is why I love it!
Just a nice classic blackface clean tone, that breaks up nicely when cranked..the reverb is awesome, and the vibrato sounds great.
I have used this amp for recording, and it sounds killer.
It takes to pedals really well too.
I think the amp is quite versatile for most styles, other than metal.
I play a lot of different types of music from blues to classic rock,
and the Princeton works well for all.
I personally do not use the amp for live gigs, mainly because our drummer is pretty loud, but for some styles of music, and especially where there is the ability to mike the amp, with a good monitoring system, the amp would work fine.

I mainly use the Princeton with my Warmoth Strat, or my Gibson Les Paul Standard.
The amp loves the Strat, into the Toadworks Texas Flood overdrive,(essentially and 808 Tube Screamer), and straight into the amp.
I get a nice SRVish type of blues tone with the pedal on, and the classic blackface clean with the effect bypassed.
My Les Paul sounds great too, not as muddy with this amp, as with others.
With the amp dimed, the drive is really sweet...classic rock territory...does Zep, Humble Pie, AC/DC, etc...
The real beauty of the amp is that it puts the onus on the player, and not channel switching, to access the different tones available...it's all in your hands, and the guitars volume/tone controls,(ya..those knobs on the guitar kids!).
Funny how an amp with very little in the way of "features", actually benefits a more experienced player..someone that knows how to use dynamics, and that simple device, the volume control!

Reliability has been fine, although when I tried the amp out at the store, it had a big low end rattle...turned out that the mounting screws for the speaker were a bit tight, and once backed off a bit...no worries!

I have never had a problem in my dealing with Fender, or the authorized service centre's.

The amp has Fender's 5 year limited warranty.

The only trouble with tube amps, are tubes!
Change em' out when you need to, and don't drop the amp!

Been playing, recording, gigging for almost 30 years.
I would replace the amp if stolen, for sure.
I love the fact that I don't need an owners manual the size of a phone book to get a great sound from this amp..plug in and classic Fender tone is right there.
I own an original 65 Fender Princeton, non reverb, and I would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the reissue and my '65?
Fender really nailed it with this one...worth the wait.

2008 reissue, single channel(2 inputs), volume, bass, treble, reverb, tremolo(speed, intensity). It has everything you need for the"Fender" tone. The reverb and tremolo are terrific. The tone and drive are only possible through true tube circuits, including reverb/tremolo.

It is the beautiful Fender sound using single or humbucker pickups. The tone is so clean and bright as only a true Fender can produce. The bass adds a sweet depth to the tone. The amp takes any effect pedal with no problem; in fact they sound better than usual. Overdrive comes in at around 7 on the volume control and sounds great. I have to turn down the bass control when driven. It is as quiet as I would expect. It can be used for any style music except heavy distortion/metal.

I have had no real problems with Fender. Tubes must be maintained and can be fickle.

I have never dealt with Fender directly.

I have been playing off and on for over 30 years and love Fender gear. I have a Strat, Tele, Carvin, and a couple of hollow body guitars. I also have a Frenzel Deluxe Plus amp(great modified amp) and modified Epiphone Valve Junior. There is no better clean tone than a true Fender tube amp. I love the reverb and tremolo also. Give this reissue a try, there is nothing like it.

65 reissue princeton reverb, perfect for blues, country, R&B. 1 channel, rverb and vibe. Does exactly what it was meant to do...

I use a variety of guitars, humbuckers, Single coils, stock pups and aftermarket. I'm floored by the beautiful sound of this amp, clean fender and just the perfect breakup when dimed. If your looking for hi gain or massive distortion look elsewere. like I said before it is what it is and it does it perfect!

Never had an issue with Fender

Same as above, never had the need to talk to them, I'm sure they are great lads

I have been playing for more years than I care to count (that doesnt make me a great player) but I do know tone and this little boy has the voice of an angel.... I have other great amps 1974 Marshall hand wired, 2061 also hand wired, Laney lion heart, DrZ route 66. They all sound fantastic and they do theire thing perfectly, we are living in the best of times enjoy!!!!