Princeton Reverb 12" Speaker Conversion

The Black Face Princeton Reverb was Fenders smallest amp with reverb and tremelo.It came equiped with 1-10" speaker pumping out about 12 watts.Designed as a student and practice amp it sounded great and was easy to haul around.The only problem with the amp was the 10" speaker just didnt have enough range to handle the guitar in a full band situation.Headroom was also a problem if the band got too loud.

That was in the 60's, now there are a couple of things you can do to your Princeton to compete with most any amp on the stage.First off, you will need to change the stock speaker to a good 12" speaker that is efficent. I can recommend the Celestion Greenback,Vintage 30, Jensen P12N,Eminence Texas Heat,Weber 150-F,I have a original Celestion 30-H Blackback from the 70's in my amp and it is a fine speaker.

In order to do this you will need a new baffle cut for a 12" speaker.The baffle changeover will work on all Black Face Princetons and Silver Faced amps up to and including the 1970 year models with a removeable baffle.The later Silver Faced amps wont work due to the baffle is glued in and cant be removed.It is possible to have a cabinet shop remove the glued baffle and install cleats,then install a Black Face style baffle. This will cost a few bucks due to the work inolved,but may be well worth it.

I am sure by now you are wondering, do I need a centered speaker or do I need to offset the speaker to avoid the output tranny or filter can ? Well,most speakers will fit centered with no problem.This includes all the speakers I mentioned above plus JBL's, New Jensens, Vox Buldogs,Eminence.The only speakers I have had to offset were the vintage Oxfords and CTS speakers also EV's. Some Jensen speakers wont work centered.These older speakers dont have a open frame and usually have slots or small round holes in the back of the frame.The EV has a large frame and may interfear with the reverb tank even if offset.

So now we have a good 12" speaker in our amp and things have changed quite a bit.Bigger bottom,a much more open and spacious sound and more headroom.For best results I recommend you have your amp serviced with a fresh electrolitic cap can and a good set of 6V6's biased properly.

Now it is time to put the amp to the test on the gig or with the guys in the garage.The amp sounds great but I still need a bit more headroom for those jazz or country licks after we all have had a couple of beers and it is near midnight.

I would recommend the Paul C. phase inverter mod.You can find this mod most anywhere on the internet or your tech will have it for sure.The mod will give you tons of headroom and a smoother breakup.You will loose some harmonics in the process but it will be worth it with the overall improved preformance.I play in a 5 piece Blues band and play my amp at 3-4 and it has the finest Fender chime and clean tone you could wish for.I have played larger rooms at 6 and the amp didnt even begin to break up.Try the mod and if it does not suit your needs,or if the bar owner tells you to turn down,then it can be easily reversed.Also the Paul C.mod has a tremelo mod that involves changing 1 resistor to greatly improve the tremelo.

I hope this artical has been informative and can help you to get more from your Princeton.If you play with a full band and need a small amp with lots of power and tone the Princeton can fill the bill if set up properly.If I can be of any further help with any of the topics mentioned above please call or email me.

Rodgers Amplifiers

Larry Rodgers