I’ve been itching to get my hands on a 68 custom Princeton for sure. Call me crazy but I prefer the Sulverface aesthetic over the BF aesthetic any day too
Oh no, thats not crazy - they've done a great job with the look of these amps, especially with the blue pilot light. I still love the blackface look as well. Oddly enough I like one better than the other depending on the model. Vibrolux - Silverface. Twin - blackface. Princeton I could go either way.
I'm glad you showed the native differences between the amps at the beginning, but I wish you'd then adjusted the 68C to sound its best. I really wanted to add some sparkle.
Fender intentionally designed the 68 Custom Princeton like that to bring out a different tonality. The modifications they did to it was, they changed the tone stack in it, so rather than having the traditional Fender blackface tone stack, they created a Fender Bassman tone stack for it. So, you have a little bit more deeper low mids and mids, so if you play strats or telecasters it's gonna thicken up the tone a little bit. The other design choice was that they reduced the negative feedback on the amplifier and that actually makes it a bit more touch sensitive and it also starts to break up a little bit sooner, so you can get those grindy crunchy tones at a lower volume. Speaker choice was also a design choice. They put a Celestion speaker in it as opposed to the standard Jensen, so as you go into overdrive it's going to have a little bit more crunchy tone. All those slight modifications are design choices by Fender. I appreciate the design and will not modify my own '68 Custom Princeton Reverb in any way. I think the amp sounds awesome, why break it by modifying it - I've seen many people making modifications, I personally don't understand it. If you want a different tone, get a different amp.
I’ve played and am considering getting the 68 even though I have the 65 which one of my favorite all time amps. That said, I agree with the hundreds of people online who say the 68 is fantastic except there’s muddy low mids thing that’s difficult to dial out, many resort to boost bass and treble to reduce the relative low mids muddiness, which is not always ideal. I think the Ten30 is a fine speaker but doesn’t have to be everyone’s cup of tea. Reviews of the WGS Veteran 10 for this amp are strong
@@Music_the_Worlds_Language better go try them in a shop if you can … it’s also the feel … :) My buddy has the 68. We always tend to end up on the bright channel in living room conditions for some reason which is not usually my preference, but it does have this nice warm hendrixy rythm thing along with a clapton-esque clean - much like his sound on Pro’s & Cons of Hitchhiking. He is a singer and mostly uses it for rythm in a band context and I think he feels like it would be better suited EQ-wise for a lead/texture guitarist, having a tendency to sit not exactly where he wants it in the mix. The normal channel I remember as being a bit dark and requiring a bit more fiddling. But last time i was there i tried it simply with a good strat and a classic boss overdrive - the yellow morning slipper on the bright channel and it was rather glorious and felt awesome too. I am tempted to try a double amp setup with my old 71 super reverb - using the 68 on bright for increased top end and for the time based effects side (still with direct signal) … with a completely dry signal from the Super.
Nice job! For me it’s the 65 it suits my style. I like the clean sound and headroom. But for others the 68 might be a better fit. To each their own. I’m actually getting ready to buy the 65 for my upcoming 68th (yep I’m old!) birthday.
I loved the sound of both amps, but I'm leaning toward the 68. I prefer Gibsons with P-90s and I like to play with a bit of "dirt" added using an OD pedal. I think the 68 would suit me more than the 65, however, I think the best setup would be playing through both amps at the same time in a two amp setup. I think the tone characteristics of each amp would complement each other and provide an extremely satisfying tone.
Since my last comment a year ago I have purchased a 65 to go with my 68 in a stereo setup. I definitely like the 68 better, and if I was taking one amp to a gig it would be the 68. I just did a 3 way shootout with a 65 blackface, a 65 Sweetwater special with a 12" speaker, and a 68. My buddy wanted to try them before purchasing a Princeton. We both loved the 68 most. Though there were 3 less watts, the 68 was louder than the other 2 amps by 1+ number on the volume dial. 68 took pedals better, and the Vibrato was much more pronounced. The 68 sounded like a record, where the 65s were harsh, and even puny sounding in comparison to the full mids of the 68. I think if you're in a modern rock band with OD pedals the 68 is the way to go. If you like the classic, pure Fender sound the 65 is probably for you.
@@godzoo18 hard to say. Do you like your amp as clean as possible? Then the 65. If you like it a little less sterile, with more warmth and gain, then the 68.
I really appreciate all the double stops. For some reason I can hear the character of the amps the best when you do some hammer on double stop stuff like that
Great video Jack, and well done to your pal Chris for loaning you his amp. I was wishing I could stick my hand through the screen and tweak that 68 Custom. I imagine most of us know the sound of a 65 Princeton, but the 68 not so much. Perhaps a stand alone review of it with you dialing it in ?
Great video. I just got back from GC where I played the Tweed and Bordeaux Limited Editions, and briefly, the 62 Chris Stapleton. I was walking out because they did not have the regular 65, and then decided to try the 68. I was glued to it for an hour. It was not dark on their PRS SE -it was bright with great bass. The tremolo was TO DIE FOR! I nearly bought it but I want to play the 65 10" first.
To be fair, and as Jack pointed out, he compared both with equal tone controls. With the bass rolled off and the treble turned up a little, it does have quite a bit more sparkle. But it's definitely less bright than the 65. I had one of those Riviera era Twin Reverb II's before and the darker tone definitely took some getting used to.
Hi there,nice channel. Not enough gig volume with my 68 Princeton reissue,so I put a Eminence Redfang in,and now it’s sings like a bird,and is as loud as I’ll ever need.
this has quickly become my favorite youtube channel, really enjoy the detail and the way everything is well presented. learning a lot about amps and electrics in general as i come from a fingerstyle acoustic background. picked up a 65 recently due to Jacks demo, and soon i plan to get the 68. really enjoyed this comparison.
I love my 68, I just dial up the bass a little and the treble too, that scoops the low mid darkness. Mine has the celestion greenback speaker which is a bit smoother than the stock one. You can dial in a lot of sounds. The 68 does not quite have the “sparkle” though…
I put a greenback in mine as well and think it sounds amazing with my les paul. I think the speaker also smooths out the bottom end that others had issues with. Absolutely amazing running my LP and pedals through it.
The guitar player in my old band had an original 68’ that one of his uncles gave him and I always absolutely loved the sound of that thing. I will have to buy a reissue one day. For now, I absolutely love my twin verb reissue!
I'm just now getting a look at this video. Great playing as always! Played a few minutes on a fairly new unit. Nice sound. Just wasn't amp shopping at the time. Thanks again!
I can certainly hear the tone difference between the 68 and the 65 and yes the 65’s tone is closer to an original vintage Princeton Reverb. The “Bassman Tonestack” sounds pretty nice on the DR and Vibrolux drip-edge models. Why was the neck position pickup selected when playing the amps dimed at 10? It sounds terrible. You should have used the bridge position pickup! You can hear what the amps are doing so much better with that crunch instead of the woofy neck position sillyness. All in all they both sound okay. My first amp was a 1979 Princeton Reverb with the pull-boost feature that rarely saw use (*the boost not the amp). It sounded glorious - surely far better than these two. IMHO the best coupling of Reverb to circuit in a Fender amp. In any event thank you for the A/B. Definitely worthwhile!
Blackface all the way for me! I owned a Silverface Vibrosonic reverb - Twin circuit with 15" instead of 2x12. It was back breakingly heavy and in the live setting didn't sound quite as nice as when I demoed it in the guitar shop. However, I regret letting it go and wish I had tried a speaker swap before dismissing it so easily. I could have put up with the weight if it had just that little bit more tone I was after. I think a speaker swap would have achieved that. :)
When in doubt,buy a Princeton,and a Princeton! I have both and run in stereo. My 68 is the Surf Green version,that came with a Greenback. I pulled it and installed a Jensen P10R alnico. What a huge difference. It adds more chime,and cuts a lot of the bass. Also installed an Eminence 1028K in the 65. Great speaker,for this amp.
I should note that the reason I bought the 68 was solely on Jack's review and tone tips,from a year ago. I was on the fence,until I watched and listened to the review. Thanks Jack!
I have had the '65 for a couple of years and have been thinking for while about buying another low watter to get into that stereo goodness. I've been thinking about various EL84 amps, but when a Prri68 showed up, I decided to go for it. I would love to hear about your experiences running them in tandem, especially about their breakup points. I play single coil guitars and various styles of music, never high gain in the metal sense of the word.
@@granap I like the early onset of grit with the 68,which makes it very nice to play at lower volumes. Personally,even though the 68 is listed at 12 watts,and the 65 at 15 watts,I think the 68 is louder and punchier. The 65 starts to break up around 5,where the 68 is earlier. In most cases I leave the 65 @ 5,and the 68 around 4-4.5. When I want, or need to get louder,7-8 on the 65,and 6-7 on the 68. You need to play around with the tone knobs,to dial in. 90% of the time,I'm playing through single coils,and these settings work great for many styles of music. Good luck!
@@granap You're welcome! Should also mention,if you want to keep the volume down,and still get a great sound,use the #2 inputs and volume around 3,on both. I use this setting a lot.
Great channel, subscribed! As far as the 65 vs 68, I suppose it depends what you're going for. If I had to choose one, the '65 all day as it's easier to dull a bright tone than the other way around. Probably a better pedal platform as well. The 68 has a rad vibe though.
I just got a 68 for 750€ including shipping i am soooo hyped, the muddy dirty tube brain crusher heroin warm sounds are just freaking amazing for me, i needed this thing, i worked 3 month for it, now i can hear what my guitars really sound like for the first time, since i used to play a mg30 marshall digital amp...
Really great breakdown of these two amps. Thank you! I like that you EQ’d them equally to showcase the difference in tone stacks. I’m dying to get my hands on a Tweed Princeton with the 12” speaker because I love their tone. I’m currently running a Deluxe Reverb Tone Master, (along with a Marshall DSL40 in a stereo setup,) and the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb has a broken in speaker and just sounds STELLAR. I love the power scaling on the Tone Master and it’s kind of become my main amp. I love all amps, tubes or not…but the Tone Master I have is just so user friendly. Regardless, great review here and I’m hoping to add that Princeton someday. The 12” Tweed Princeton has “something” that I don’t really hear in the others, although I like them all. 😂
Dude Ive been absolutely loving your videos lately!! Gonna buy some Fender amps next year and your stuff is giving me a perfect perspective!! Also, the looks you make while playing are total gold!!
oh yea, the only pedal i own is a cornerstone Gladio-i don't plan to get a lot of pedals(many of you laughing about right now-"oh yea, sure, just wait"). I do enjoy "That Pedal show" almost as much as here-mostly because i enjoy watching Dan and Mick. would enjoy seeing what you think of the Gladio(if you haven't profiled it yet-i need to search and see). thank you again Jack Fossett, for an excellent presentation and learning experiences in this wild electric guitar world.
I've got a bunch of Princetons from 1969 to almost current. A few I've had over 30 years. My newer 68 I thought the Celestion Ten 30 sucked, and stuck a Celestion G10 Gold (I found on CL for 80 bucks)i n it. Huge difference to me. Also a stock 64 RI, a 65 (western tolex and a 12"), a 79, a Princeton Recording, Princeton Reverb II and a 73 Princeton (non reverb). I love all my Princetons. I usually play them with a stock LP Custom or a 60s ES175. Occasionally a Tele Custom or early 70s SG. Know what's better then one Princeton? 2 of them in stereo.
Man I just replaced the speaker in my 68 with the celestion gold and you are right on the money, what a difference. I always loved the amp but now it’s even better. So I’m looking to get a second amp to run stereo or just aby, do I go same 68, 65 or the sweet water 65 with the 12” speaker?
@@actionjacksondan I'd think about finding a 70s Princeston, the non-reverbs are usually cheaper (and cleaner) but they're currently about the price of a new 65/68. If you get one, chances are it'll need a little work (cleaned pots, leaking caps, ect...) but when they're sorted they're pretty much bulletproof. In todays market I wouldn't have many Princestons (or anything else).
I like the sparkly high end of the ‘65 better plugged straight in for sure. The ‘68 might work better with overdrive pedals in general though so it might balance out.
A very nice comparison, Jack. You got some great tones out of the amps. The only missing thing would have been hearing you play one of your Gretsches through the Princetons. You always make the Gretsches sound terrific.
Nice work Jack! I have the ‘68 Princeton and my favorite use of it is along with my Dr Z Maz 18 Jr 112 combo. These amps being voiced differently really compliment each other which helps me a lot playing in a trio (guitar, bass & drums). That Strat through the ‘68 tho on its own is money.
I'm a P&W guitar player, and I too have the Maz 18 jr w/ reverb. I play in stereo paired with my '68 DRRi on the bassman circuit. The contrasting tonal difference not only makes your tone stand out more, but makes it sound bigger and better. Glad to hear someone else has a similar setup as me😁
The ‘68 handles a wide variety of guitars. With the bass and treble at 5, perfect for an arch top. I set bass 4 treble 7 for my Tele and MRG Baritone. I changed the speaker to a Celestion G10 Gold; does ok in a band mix.
Awesome video Jack. Well presented and thought out. I have a 68 and while I love it, it can be bass heavy. As you say modifications may help alleviate this. Im now eyeing up a 65 to go alongside!
Great video. The 68 definitely sounds darker. I would imagine the speaker has something to do with that, I will say I have a handful of different amps and my '65 Princeton Reverb "Bordeaux Reserve" with the 12" speaker (only two on Reverb atm) has become home base in my studio.
Yeah, I love the Princeton, but I have to say that I love the Princeton more! LOL No, in all seriousness, the '68 custom used to be my main amp. I totally agree with what you said about its versatility, and I find that the high end of the 65 is a little too brittle for me. Great video! 👏
To me it's the 65 handily - I like the airy, complex, 3d sound with decent headroom. I also played each amp and that was my impression, and the video confirmed it. Thinking of going with the Bordeaux GC edition with the p12q. I played one and really enjoyed it. But I'd prefer the tweed aesthetic - just debating how futsy I want to get. :)
thanks for video. i like the 65 better it it is brighter and the sound represents my favorite Princeton tones clear and bright with some reverb or tremelo thrown in.
I have the 68 and put a Jensen Alnico P10r and a 12AT7 in it for more head room. I'm using it more and more on gigs. Thanks for the shootout. Been wanting to hear the differences. also just pickup an Ampeg Jet ll J12r do you know anything about them there's not much info out there about them> I put a Eminence Legend GB 128 in it/sounds killer. Thanks again. Great channel!
I have the 68, and LOVE it. Works great in a band setting with pedals, BUT I've always wondered if I'd love the 65 more. I SO loves me some pristine cleans! I have an opportunity to trade in a bunch of my drone gear to Adorama to use for cash or trade, and the 65 is on my list. I figure owning BOTH amps will really give me what I want. I can choose which one I need for a particular use scenario, or I can set them both up in stereo. The 68 would be cool for a more gritty delay side tone. The warmer "pong" to the 65's clean "ping". This video has helped me decide that getting a 2nd Princeton isn't a waste of resources. THANKS JACK!
@@jfar3340 The C10R is a cheap speaker it looks like. I plan on putting in a Celestion Alnico Gold, like I did with the '68. That really transformed my current Princeton!
@@ChadWork1 i don't know if it's because it's cheap, or if it's a 10'' ceramic; 10'' AND ceramic = bright city, brittle in the upper mids. For me the celestion gold makes the amp way too loud with its SPL rating, i have tinnitus and can't afford to play loud at home. I chose one of the best (IMO), least efficient alnico 10'' speaker on the market: the jensen p10RFEN. It's a little expensive, not as much as the celestion gold, but it doesn't change the ''princeton'' tone, and gets rid of all the nasty frequencies while keeping all the good ones. The amp takes pedals better, the bass is tighter; PRRI65+p10RFEN is really my dream amp.
Too funny Jack..quite entertaining! The 65 princeton seemed to be the sparkling clean breaking glass strat sound that I love! The 68 was good too,but I like the Princeton...ya know what I mean!? Enjoy yer reviews,keep up the great work!...Jerry S.
I have a princeton 68 to which I have replaced the celestion cone with the jensen that mounts the princeton 65 and I am very very satisfied with the sound obtained.
Nice licks! I wish you would have dialed the 68 custom to its sweet spot. I’ve owned both and the 68 custom can’t shine with bass and treble at 5. I keep my treble from 7-10 and bass 3-4. I like the thicker tone on the 68 but with bass and treble at 5 it just sounds muddy.
Definitely the 65, for me. It has that clarity, projection, definition and string separation... that surprisingly reminds me of what I like in Vox ACs, even if it’s more a treble chime here than a upper-mids one... I can see how the 68 could be “easier” to use though, for blues stuff especially, and when adding dirt / OD pedals. I found the 65 sounded better with humbuckers, and I guess from experience with top boosts circuits that finding the right ODs to do it justice could be a quest! But it’s definitely the one I would want to pick up for a beautiful clean sound, and the way you get inspired by it. Anyway, that’s a great video, thank you. I like the thoughtful analysis along the way, on top of the sound samples! PS: on a side note, how do you manage to get these amps so loud so close to you?! Ear protection? When I go beyond 3 or 4 I feel my ears are already pierced!
Thats actually a very astute observation - I've often felt that the current production model blackface amps have a lot in common with Vox amps, especially in their responsiveness. They each have that glassy edge to the top end, even though the character is different. I haven't had as much of a problem with volume, I have pretty good acoustic absorption in my little studio here which helps settle some of the pain that comes with loud amps. In fact, the one I had the hardest time with was a Deluxe Reverb. That one hurt. The others I've managed ok.
@@JackFossett I have yet to find a clean that I like as much as the ones of the AC10/30 or 15, so your video made me really eager to try the Princeton 65, especially if it’s that responsive... I’m currently testing a Hiwatt (the standard production model) but don’t know yet if I love it or not fully (depends on the days!). Maybe Mesa? Good to know for the volume management, thanks again
I’ve been looking at getting a Princeton amp and still have questions. The first question is do I like this one enough to “upgrade” from my Marshall Origin 20C? Moving on … First, thank you Jack for this very thorough review. It’s the best I’ve seen so far. Ok, for the 68. I like it best for single coils up to Vol = 7. Full open, I thought it sounded muddy. However, I didn’t like how it took humbuckers. The 65 sounded way better than the 68 when you plugged in the SG and when you opened it up. I also thought the 65 at mid volume with the OD pedal sounded better. One question is how did these amps take OD pedals at bedroom volumes (or at least the 65 since you own it)? I love the warm tone from the ‘68 but I don’t think that amp was usable with humbuckers (although that might just take tweaking the EQ). So I think I’m leaning towards the more expensive 65. I just need to A/B it against my Marshall.
@@JackFossettthat’s my take as well. Single coils don’t drive it hard so they sound good. Really drive the amp (volume, pedals or humbucker) you get mud.
⛽️⛽️ is real. We can’t escape it. Lol. I’ve had a 65 For about 4 years now & it’s been my main amp. I just pulled the trigger on a used 68 Custom. I’m gonna try running them in Stereo at my next band session. I sure hope it’s a winning combination.
Nice Guitars ,Amps and a powerfull Demo why Fender Amps that kinda cool and especially the 65 and 68 both sound great and that is not only Distortion and Loudness that you eyes coming out of your Head the Amps and Guitars sound sweet and magicall i have a 68 and it works with my old Marshall 2 x12 Box the little speaker 10 works and 2 12 old speakers minimum 25 Years old celestion never chance somthing on that old thing sounds absolut great
I think I am able to get what I like about the 68 in my 65, I blew the Jensen and plopped in a cannabis Rex 10. Lost a bit of brightness but I can add that back with a touch of compression from my Keeley, likewise I can fatten it up
Great comparison Jack. I used to have the 68. Although a whole lot warmer - what a great alround amp, and it’s perfect with dirt pedals. The 65 I would clip that bright cap on the volume pot to decrease that surgical glassiness, especially if only used at home, and like using overdrives/fuzz. The 68 however had an awful cabinet rattle when turned up passed 3,5. That silver drip edge was the culprit, it seemed - so some modifications was needed to fix that. But all in all the 68 is an amp I actually miss having in my small collection.
I tour a lot overseas and always using rented backline. In videos like this i always lean towards the 68, but in gig situations the 68 feels brittle sounding. To the point where I specifically request the 65. Sometimes they only have the 68s so I have to deal 😮💨
The 68 sounds a little muddier, but both are beautiful, I think I prefer the 65. Are these amps too loud for home use? LIke, does it sound good at reasonable volume levels without pissing everyone in the house off?
Jack, thank you. That was fantastic!. I would go with the ‘65. The reason is I have a Mojo Champ and a ‘57 Custom Deluxe. I believe it would be a great contrast in tone! Thanks, great demo……
@@JackFossett Actually Jack, a local guy went to one of those weekend Mojotone seminars. He has been building 5f1, 5f2, and 5e3 kits. So I bought one of his Champ builds. I absolutely love it! So that ‘65 would be a nice fit in my small amp family!
@@MrBluesilverred Oh nice. I know a few guys who do them too. I'm toying with the idea of getting a 5F1 kit and doing a build along with a video of it.
I would have to disagree on having the settings the same - though there is a high likelihood that the '68 can sound great - those settings make it sound really muddy. I would love to see one where you've got the bass turned down on the '68.
I don't own one but I've been waiting for one to come along Used. Now I've played through the 65 reissue deluxe and the 68 reissue at 22 watts each in a a live situation . I much prefer the 68. So I'm thinking I would probably prefer the 68 Princeton.
I just posted a video on my channel with bass and treble flat vs bass 3/treb 7. I prefer the latter with my Telecaster and the former on my arch top. Noticed the difference was subtle with the reverb on 7. My amp has a Celestion G10 Gold.
The vibrato on the 68 is to die for!!!! That being said, my Fender 65 Bordeaux Limited Princeton is still stock, and might be my favorite amp of all time... On the 68, bass on 0 and treble on 10 is the only way to go.
@@HamzaJamzaFamza is it the stock speaker making it really bassy on the 68? I played a few at GC and thought man it's too bassy. I was thinking it was possibly the stock celestion they put in it. Maybe a 10" with a touch less bottom end? Not sure what that would be. WGS G10C? Haven't researched yet but there was a review where a guy put in a Eminence Copperhead 10 and that sounded pretty damn good. I usually dont favor the Eminence speakers but it sounded like a match.
Great comparison, Jack! I prefer the 68 because of the warmer, more bassy tone. What would your choice be between the Princeton 68 and the Hot rod deluxe?
Thanks! Unless I needed the volume, I’d take the Princeton. Easier to carry, all around higher quality, and more of an upside if you experiment with speakers. Also takes pedals beautifully.
@@JackFossett I have a HRD with a Celestion G12H-80. I put it alongside the ‘68 with stock speaker with both on 5. The HRD made my ears bleed. Now I know why I could set my clean volume only on 2 at most gigs. I put a Celestion G10 Gold in the ‘68 and it made it more clear vs the Celestion 10 plus a tad louder. I reviewed the schematics of the ‘65 & ‘68. The former is closer to AA1164. The ‘68 is still a better sounding amp vs the HRD. I gigged with the HRD for 15 years and did some mods to it.
The beauty of these amps besides the great tones is they're not HEAVY as a 2X12 Custom Twin. That says a lot. Especially when you're older. My call would be the 68 Custom Princeton if I was buying one.
The Bordeaux Limited Edition? I've got that one, with the Jensen p12q... Might be my favorite amp of all time!! Only thing I loved more about the 68 Custom, the intensity and speed of the vibrato! Magnificent!! Might have to mod the 65 vibrato to the 68 specs
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Thanks for this head to head. Definitely leaning toward the 65. The 68 sounds a bit more muddy.
I agree, the 65.
@@pmacchirole Yes, the '65 can maybe better do country or folksy type tones too and that can come in handy too.
I’ve been itching to get my hands on a 68 custom Princeton for sure. Call me crazy but I prefer the Sulverface aesthetic over the BF aesthetic any day too
Oh no, thats not crazy - they've done a great job with the look of these amps, especially with the blue pilot light. I still love the blackface look as well. Oddly enough I like one better than the other depending on the model. Vibrolux - Silverface. Twin - blackface. Princeton I could go either way.
Same, i like the silverface aesthetic, that being said i just traded a 68 deluxe for a 65 princeton
I wasn’t alive in 68 or even 78 for that matter 😂 so idc that all the old heads prefer the 65. I prefer the 68 in sound and looks.
I'm glad you showed the native differences between the amps at the beginning, but I wish you'd then adjusted the 68C to sound its best. I really wanted to add some sparkle.
Fender intentionally designed the 68 Custom Princeton like that to bring out a different tonality. The modifications they did to it was, they changed the tone stack in it, so rather than having the traditional Fender blackface tone stack, they created a Fender Bassman tone stack for it. So, you have a little bit more deeper low mids and mids, so if you play strats or telecasters it's gonna thicken up the tone a little bit. The other design choice was that they reduced the negative feedback on the amplifier and that actually makes it a bit more touch sensitive and it also starts to break up a little bit sooner, so you can get those grindy crunchy tones at a lower volume. Speaker choice was also a design choice. They put a Celestion speaker in it as opposed to the standard Jensen, so as you go into overdrive it's going to have a little bit more crunchy tone. All those slight modifications are design choices by Fender. I appreciate the design and will not modify my own '68 Custom Princeton Reverb in any way. I think the amp sounds awesome, why break it by modifying it - I've seen many people making modifications, I personally don't understand it. If you want a different tone, get a different amp.
I’ve played and am considering getting the 68 even though I have the 65 which one of my favorite all time amps. That said, I agree with the hundreds of people online who say the 68 is fantastic except there’s muddy low mids thing that’s difficult to dial out, many resort to boost bass and treble to reduce the relative low mids muddiness, which is not always ideal. I think the Ten30 is a fine speaker but doesn’t have to be everyone’s cup of tea. Reviews of the WGS Veteran 10 for this amp are strong
Not everyone can just “get a different amp” mate …
@@Music_the_Worlds_Language better go try them in a shop if you can … it’s also the feel … :) My buddy has the 68. We always tend to end up on the bright channel in living room conditions for some reason which is not usually my preference, but it does have this nice warm hendrixy rythm thing along with a clapton-esque clean - much like his sound on Pro’s & Cons of Hitchhiking. He is a singer and mostly uses it for rythm in a band context and I think he feels like it would be better suited EQ-wise for a lead/texture guitarist, having a tendency to sit not exactly where he wants it in the mix. The normal channel I remember as being a bit dark and requiring a bit more fiddling. But last time i was there i tried it simply with a good strat and a classic boss overdrive - the yellow morning slipper on the bright channel and it was rather glorious and felt awesome too. I am tempted to try a double amp setup with my old 71 super reverb - using the 68 on bright for increased top end and for the time based effects side (still with direct signal) … with a completely dry signal from the Super.
Nice job! For me it’s the 65 it suits my style. I like the clean sound and headroom. But for others the 68 might be a better fit. To each their own. I’m actually getting ready to buy the 65 for my upcoming 68th (yep I’m old!) birthday.
I loved the sound of both amps, but I'm leaning toward the 68. I prefer Gibsons with P-90s and I like to play with a bit of "dirt" added using an OD pedal. I think the 68 would suit me more than the 65, however, I think the best setup would be playing through both amps at the same time in a two amp setup. I think the tone characteristics of each amp would complement each other and provide an extremely satisfying tone.
Oooh Yeeesss. That sounds like a perfect rationalization to have both to me. Wonder if the wifey will buy it though? Just asking for a friend.
Since my last comment a year ago I have purchased a 65 to go with my 68 in a stereo setup. I definitely like the 68 better, and if I was taking one amp to a gig it would be the 68. I just did a 3 way shootout with a 65 blackface, a 65 Sweetwater special with a 12" speaker, and a 68. My buddy wanted to try them before purchasing a Princeton. We both loved the 68 most. Though there were 3 less watts, the 68 was louder than the other 2 amps by 1+ number on the volume dial. 68 took pedals better, and the Vibrato was much more pronounced. The 68 sounded like a record, where the 65s were harsh, and even puny sounding in comparison to the full mids of the 68. I think if you're in a modern rock band with OD pedals the 68 is the way to go. If you like the classic, pure Fender sound the 65 is probably for you.
@@godzoo18 hard to say. Do you like your amp as clean as possible? Then the 65. If you like it a little less sterile, with more warmth and gain, then the 68.
I really appreciate all the double stops. For some reason I can hear the character of the amps the best when you do some hammer on double stop stuff like that
Great video Jack, and well done to your pal Chris for loaning you his amp. I was wishing I could stick my hand through the screen and tweak that 68 Custom. I imagine most of us know the sound of a 65 Princeton, but the 68 not so much. Perhaps a stand alone review of it with you dialing it in ?
The 65 has that glassy-crystal chime. I love my 65. Best amp ever created. Those gorgeous Fender Cleans.
you explain things SO clearly! i feel like that's a heck of a skill on its own, and your playing is awesome!! thank you for making this comparison
Thanks so much!
@@JackFossett Absolutely master of delivery. The best on TH-cam!
I really liked the Princeton.
Well sure, if you’re someone who just runs with the crowd… think for yourself man, pick the Princeton.
GREAT VIDEO. I love the silver face cosmetics, so I was going to buy one… but the 65 has the tone I want, and you confirmed that. Much appreciation!
Great video. I just got back from GC where I played the Tweed and Bordeaux Limited Editions, and briefly, the 62 Chris Stapleton. I was walking out because they did not have the regular 65, and then decided to try the 68. I was glued to it for an hour. It was not dark on their PRS SE -it was bright with great bass. The tremolo was TO DIE FOR! I nearly bought it but I want to play the 65 10" first.
The 65, hands down. The 68 sounds like it has a blanket over it.
I do love the 65 sparkle. Works great in a band context too, not too shrill but cuts through nicely.
To be fair, and as Jack pointed out, he compared both with equal tone controls. With the bass rolled off and the treble turned up a little, it does have quite a bit more sparkle. But it's definitely less bright than the 65. I had one of those Riviera era Twin Reverb II's before and the darker tone definitely took some getting used to.
Hi there,nice channel.
Not enough gig volume with my 68 Princeton reissue,so I put a Eminence Redfang in,and now it’s sings like a bird,and is as loud as I’ll ever need.
this has quickly become my favorite youtube channel, really enjoy the detail and the way everything is well presented. learning a lot about amps and electrics in general as i come from a fingerstyle acoustic background. picked up a 65 recently due to Jacks demo, and soon i plan to get the 68. really enjoyed this comparison.
Awesome, great to hear! Appreciate that very much.
Lovely playing Jack! I personally prefer the clarity of the '65, I have other amps for warmth and gain. Absolutely great comparison
I love my 68, I just dial up the bass a little and the treble too, that scoops the low mid darkness. Mine has the celestion greenback speaker which is a bit smoother than the stock one. You can dial in a lot of sounds. The 68 does not quite have the “sparkle” though…
I put a greenback in mine as well and think it sounds amazing with my les paul. I think the speaker also smooths out the bottom end that others had issues with. Absolutely amazing running my LP and pedals through it.
The 65 is just beautiful thats the tone in my head.
Have the 65 Limited with a 12" Cannabis Rex, Have many amps, and by far this is my go to!
Really enjoyed this video Jack. Thank you. Hmm, still can’t decide which I prefer. I’d better watch again🧐
The guitar player in my old band had an original 68’ that one of his uncles gave him and I always absolutely loved the sound of that thing. I will have to buy a reissue one day. For now, I absolutely love my twin verb reissue!
I'm just now getting a look at this video.
Great playing as always!
Played a few minutes on a fairly new unit. Nice sound. Just wasn't amp shopping at the time.
Thanks again!
I can certainly hear the tone difference between the 68 and the 65 and yes the 65’s tone is closer to an original vintage Princeton Reverb. The “Bassman Tonestack” sounds pretty nice on the DR and Vibrolux drip-edge models.
Why was the neck position pickup selected when playing the amps dimed at 10? It sounds terrible. You should have used the bridge position pickup! You can hear what the amps are doing so much better with that crunch instead of the woofy neck position sillyness. All in all they both sound okay. My first amp was a 1979 Princeton Reverb with the pull-boost feature that rarely saw use (*the boost not the amp). It sounded glorious - surely far better than these two. IMHO the best coupling of Reverb to circuit in a Fender amp. In any event thank you for the A/B. Definitely worthwhile!
65 for me. Thanks for the demo!
Great comparison of the two amps. Thank you for helping me decide which one is better for me.
Blackface all the way for me! I owned a Silverface Vibrosonic reverb - Twin circuit with 15" instead of 2x12. It was back breakingly heavy and in the live setting didn't sound quite as nice as when I demoed it in the guitar shop. However, I regret letting it go and wish I had tried a speaker swap before dismissing it so easily. I could have put up with the weight if it had just that little bit more tone I was after. I think a speaker swap would have achieved that. :)
When in doubt,buy a Princeton,and a Princeton! I have both and run in stereo.
My 68 is the Surf Green version,that came with a Greenback. I pulled it and installed a Jensen P10R alnico. What a huge difference. It adds more chime,and cuts a lot of the bass. Also installed an Eminence 1028K in the 65. Great speaker,for this amp.
I should note that the reason I bought the 68 was solely on Jack's review and tone tips,from a year ago.
I was on the fence,until I watched and listened to the review.
Thanks Jack!
I have had the '65 for a couple of years and have been thinking for while about buying another low watter to get into that stereo goodness. I've been thinking about various EL84 amps, but when a Prri68 showed up, I decided to go for it. I would love to hear about your experiences running them in tandem, especially about their breakup points. I play single coil guitars and various styles of music, never high gain in the metal sense of the word.
@@granap
I like the early onset of grit with the 68,which makes it very nice to play at lower volumes. Personally,even though the 68 is listed at 12 watts,and the 65 at 15 watts,I think the 68 is louder and punchier. The 65 starts to break up around 5,where the 68 is earlier.
In most cases I leave the 65 @ 5,and the 68 around 4-4.5. When I want, or need to get louder,7-8 on the 65,and 6-7 on the 68. You need to play around with the tone knobs,to dial in.
90% of the time,I'm playing through single coils,and these settings work great for many styles of music.
Good luck!
@@davidkendall7675 Thanks man
@@granap
You're welcome!
Should also mention,if you want to keep the volume down,and still get a great sound,use the #2 inputs and volume around 3,on both. I use this setting a lot.
The 65 all day long for me. The 68 just sounds dark and very muddy, although you could dial it in to get the sound you really like for sure.
I'm trying to decide between these two and after hearing you, I think I'm leaning 68 now for more versatility, thanks!
The wide open demo did it for me, hands down the 65 sounds much better to me. Thanks!!
I have a ‘68 and I upgraded the speaker to a G10 Gold Alnico. Pretty pleased.
Heard that’s also a great speaker for the 65’ reissue as well.
Great channel, subscribed! As far as the 65 vs 68, I suppose it depends what you're going for. If I had to choose one, the '65 all day as it's easier to dull a bright tone than the other way around. Probably a better pedal platform as well. The 68 has a rad vibe though.
Exactly why I bought the '65: better for me to have the brighter option upfront. You, Sir, are a 'stable genius'...like myself.
I just got a 68 for 750€ including shipping i am soooo hyped, the muddy dirty tube brain crusher heroin warm sounds are just freaking amazing for me, i needed this thing, i worked 3 month for it, now i can hear what my guitars really sound like for the first time, since i used to play a mg30 marshall digital amp...
I would love to see a test of these amps where you attempt to get the best, equal sound out of both of them. "best" being whatever sounds best to you.
Really great breakdown of these two amps. Thank you! I like that you EQ’d them equally to showcase the difference in tone stacks. I’m dying to get my hands on a Tweed Princeton with the 12” speaker because I love their tone. I’m currently running a Deluxe Reverb Tone Master, (along with a Marshall DSL40 in a stereo setup,) and the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb has a broken in speaker and just sounds STELLAR. I love the power scaling on the Tone Master and it’s kind of become my main amp. I love all amps, tubes or not…but the Tone Master I have is just so user friendly. Regardless, great review here and I’m hoping to add that Princeton someday. The 12” Tweed Princeton has “something” that I don’t really hear in the others, although I like them all. 😂
Dude Ive been absolutely loving your videos lately!! Gonna buy some Fender amps next year and your stuff is giving me a perfect perspective!! Also, the looks you make while playing are total gold!!
It's like, if Robert De Niro was a guitar player. Adorable.
oh yea, the only pedal i own is a cornerstone Gladio-i don't plan to get a lot of pedals(many of you laughing about right now-"oh yea, sure, just wait"). I do enjoy "That Pedal show" almost as much as here-mostly because i enjoy watching Dan and Mick. would enjoy seeing what you think of the Gladio(if you haven't profiled it yet-i need to search and see).
thank you again Jack Fossett, for an excellent presentation and learning experiences in this wild electric guitar world.
This was a top notch review and comparison. Thank you!!
I've got a bunch of Princetons from 1969 to almost current. A few I've had over 30 years. My newer 68 I thought the Celestion Ten 30 sucked, and stuck a Celestion G10 Gold (I found on CL for 80 bucks)i n it. Huge difference to me. Also a stock 64 RI, a 65 (western tolex and a 12"), a 79, a Princeton Recording, Princeton Reverb II and a 73 Princeton (non reverb). I love all my Princetons. I usually play them with a stock LP Custom or a 60s ES175. Occasionally a Tele Custom or early 70s SG. Know what's better then one Princeton? 2 of them in stereo.
Man I just replaced the speaker in my 68 with the celestion gold and you are right on the money, what a difference. I always loved the amp but now it’s even better. So I’m looking to get a second amp to run stereo or just aby, do I go same 68, 65 or the sweet water 65 with the 12” speaker?
@@actionjacksondan I'd think about finding a 70s Princeston, the non-reverbs are usually cheaper (and cleaner) but they're currently about the price of a new 65/68. If you get one, chances are it'll need a little work (cleaned pots, leaking caps, ect...) but when they're sorted they're pretty much bulletproof. In todays market I wouldn't have many Princestons (or anything else).
I like the sparkly high end of the ‘65 better plugged straight in for sure. The ‘68 might work better with overdrive pedals in general though so it might balance out.
A very nice comparison, Jack. You got some great tones out of the amps. The only missing thing would have been hearing you play one of your Gretsches through the Princetons. You always make the Gretsches sound terrific.
Nice work Jack! I have the ‘68 Princeton and my favorite use of it is along with my Dr Z Maz 18 Jr 112 combo. These amps being voiced differently really compliment each other which helps me a lot playing in a trio (guitar, bass & drums). That Strat through the ‘68 tho on its own is money.
I'm a P&W guitar player, and I too have the Maz 18 jr w/ reverb. I play in stereo paired with my '68 DRRi on the bassman circuit. The contrasting tonal difference not only makes your tone stand out more, but makes it sound bigger and better. Glad to hear someone else has a similar setup as me😁
The 65 sounds more Princeton-y, but I really like the sound of that 68 everywhere except full volume. Which I’ll probably never do if I get one.
The ‘68 handles a wide variety of guitars. With the bass and treble at 5, perfect for an arch top. I set bass 4 treble 7 for my Tele and MRG Baritone. I changed the speaker to a Celestion G10 Gold; does ok in a band mix.
Awesome video Jack. Well presented and thought out. I have a 68 and while I love it, it can be bass heavy. As you say modifications may help alleviate this. Im now eyeing up a 65 to go alongside!
Great video. The 68 definitely sounds darker. I would imagine the speaker has something to do with that, I will say I have a handful of different amps and my '65 Princeton Reverb "Bordeaux Reserve" with the 12" speaker (only two on Reverb atm) has become home base in my studio.
Well, I installed a Celestion Gold 10 in my ‘68. It’s still pretty damn dark. I love it, but it definitely is missing the Fender spark.
Yes! Thank you 🙌🏻🙌🏻
My heart tells me 65, my wallet tells me used 68!
The 68 really is a great amp. And I mean what I say, it can be tweaked to great tone. In real life I wouldn’t dial it in with knobs at noon
Had 66 Princeton and it is was a banger of an amp.
Yeah, I love the Princeton, but I have to say that I love the Princeton more! LOL
No, in all seriousness, the '68 custom used to be my main amp.
I totally agree with what you said about its versatility, and I find that the high end of the 65 is a little too brittle for me. Great video! 👏
Thanks 👍 great playing
To me it's the 65 handily - I like the airy, complex, 3d sound with decent headroom. I also played each amp and that was my impression, and the video confirmed it. Thinking of going with the Bordeaux GC edition with the p12q. I played one and really enjoyed it. But I'd prefer the tweed aesthetic - just debating how futsy I want to get. :)
thanks for video. i like the 65 better it it is brighter and the sound represents my favorite Princeton tones clear and bright with some reverb or tremelo thrown in.
I have the 68 and put a Jensen Alnico P10r and a 12AT7 in it for more head room. I'm using it more and more on gigs. Thanks for the shootout. Been wanting to hear the differences. also just pickup an Ampeg Jet ll J12r do you know anything about them there's not much info out there about them> I put a Eminence Legend GB 128 in it/sounds killer. Thanks again. Great channel!
😎👍
If it wasn't so dark outside...
It would be light!
Love the sounds you're getting 😎👍
😎👍❤🖖
Love brother
I have the 68, and LOVE it. Works great in a band setting with pedals, BUT I've always wondered if I'd love the 65 more. I SO loves me some pristine cleans! I have an opportunity to trade in a bunch of my drone gear to Adorama to use for cash or trade, and the 65 is on my list. I figure owning BOTH amps will really give me what I want. I can choose which one I need for a particular use scenario, or I can set them both up in stereo. The 68 would be cool for a more gritty delay side tone. The warmer "pong" to the 65's clean "ping". This video has helped me decide that getting a 2nd Princeton isn't a waste of resources. THANKS JACK!
the 65 with the original C10R is harsh and ice picky and doesn't take pedals well.
@@jfar3340 The C10R is a cheap speaker it looks like. I plan on putting in a Celestion Alnico Gold, like I did with the '68. That really transformed my current Princeton!
@@ChadWork1 i don't know if it's because it's cheap, or if it's a 10'' ceramic; 10'' AND ceramic = bright city, brittle in the upper mids. For me the celestion gold makes the amp way too loud with its SPL rating, i have tinnitus and can't afford to play loud at home. I chose one of the best (IMO), least efficient alnico 10'' speaker on the market: the jensen p10RFEN. It's a little expensive, not as much as the celestion gold, but it doesn't change the ''princeton'' tone, and gets rid of all the nasty frequencies while keeping all the good ones. The amp takes pedals better, the bass is tighter; PRRI65+p10RFEN is really my dream amp.
I have a 68 Bassman head I play into an Ampeg 4x12 slant cab.
The best amp I have ever played.
The 65 for sure. 🇨🇦😎🎸
Too funny Jack..quite entertaining! The 65 princeton seemed to be the sparkling clean breaking glass strat sound that I love! The 68 was good too,but I like the Princeton...ya know what I mean!? Enjoy yer reviews,keep up the great work!...Jerry S.
68 for me! Sweeter, fuller! 68 for rhythm, but 65 for solo guitarist in a bend!
The 68 definitely covers a wider tonal range in general.
@@JackFossett You're absolutely right!
Aby box em!
I have a princeton 68 to which I have replaced the celestion cone with the jensen that mounts the princeton 65 and I am very very satisfied with the sound obtained.
Nice licks! I wish you would have dialed the 68 custom to its sweet spot. I’ve owned both and the 68 custom can’t shine with bass and treble at 5. I keep my treble from 7-10 and bass 3-4. I like the thicker tone on the 68 but with bass and treble at 5 it just sounds muddy.
The '65 for me. It has both the clarity and the warmth.
Yeah the 65 is the one for me too
Always will have special place in my heart for my 65 Princeton.
Definitely the 65, for me. It has that clarity, projection, definition and string separation... that surprisingly reminds me of what I like in Vox ACs, even if it’s more a treble chime here than a upper-mids one...
I can see how the 68 could be “easier” to use though, for blues stuff especially, and when adding dirt / OD pedals. I found the 65 sounded better with humbuckers, and I guess from experience with top boosts circuits that finding the right ODs to do it justice could be a quest!
But it’s definitely the one I would want to pick up for a beautiful clean sound, and the way you get inspired by it.
Anyway, that’s a great video, thank you. I like the thoughtful analysis along the way, on top of the sound samples!
PS: on a side note, how do you manage to get these amps so loud so close to you?! Ear protection? When I go beyond 3 or 4 I feel my ears are already pierced!
Thats actually a very astute observation - I've often felt that the current production model blackface amps have a lot in common with Vox amps, especially in their responsiveness. They each have that glassy edge to the top end, even though the character is different.
I haven't had as much of a problem with volume, I have pretty good acoustic absorption in my little studio here which helps settle some of the pain that comes with loud amps. In fact, the one I had the hardest time with was a Deluxe Reverb. That one hurt. The others I've managed ok.
@@JackFossett I have yet to find a clean that I like as much as the ones of the AC10/30 or 15, so your video made me really eager to try the Princeton 65, especially if it’s that responsive... I’m currently testing a Hiwatt (the standard production model) but don’t know yet if I love it or not fully (depends on the days!). Maybe Mesa? Good to know for the volume management, thanks again
I’ve been looking at getting a Princeton amp and still have questions. The first question is do I like this one enough to “upgrade” from my Marshall Origin 20C? Moving on …
First, thank you Jack for this very thorough review. It’s the best I’ve seen so far.
Ok, for the 68. I like it best for single coils up to Vol = 7. Full open, I thought it sounded muddy. However, I didn’t like how it took humbuckers.
The 65 sounded way better than the 68 when you plugged in the SG and when you opened it up. I also thought the 65 at mid volume with the OD pedal sounded better.
One question is how did these amps take OD pedals at bedroom volumes (or at least the 65 since you own it)?
I love the warm tone from the ‘68 but I don’t think that amp was usable with humbuckers (although that might just take tweaking the EQ). So I think I’m leaning towards the more expensive 65. I just need to A/B it against my Marshall.
I think the 68 generally takes pedals better but it's hard to fight the muddiness.
@@JackFossettthat’s my take as well. Single coils don’t drive it hard so they sound good. Really drive the amp (volume, pedals or humbucker) you get mud.
65 hands down. It’s what you buy a Princeton for! The 68 is ok for some things, but overall I’m going with the ole school.
That’s how I feel too
@@JackFossett Looks to me like they basically built a new amp, then slapped a Princeton sticker on it for name recognition to get it sold faster. Lol
Great demo. 65 here.
Just bought the 65 but I want the 68 too.
⛽️⛽️ is real. We can’t escape it. Lol. I’ve had a 65 For about 4 years now & it’s been my main amp. I just pulled the trigger on a used 68 Custom. I’m gonna try running them in Stereo at my next band session. I sure hope it’s a winning combination.
Nice Guitars ,Amps and a powerfull Demo why Fender Amps that kinda cool and especially the 65 and 68 both sound great and that is not only Distortion and Loudness that you eyes coming out of your Head the Amps and Guitars sound sweet and magicall i have a 68 and it works with my old Marshall 2 x12 Box the little speaker 10 works and 2 12 old speakers minimum 25 Years old celestion never chance somthing on that old thing sounds absolut great
Subscribed! What a great channel
Welcome aboard!
I think I am able to get what I like about the 68 in my 65, I blew the Jensen and plopped in a cannabis Rex 10. Lost a bit of brightness but I can add that back with a touch of compression from my Keeley, likewise I can fatten it up
Great comparison Jack. I used to have the 68. Although a whole lot warmer - what a great alround amp, and it’s perfect with dirt pedals.
The 65 I would clip that bright cap on the volume pot to decrease that surgical glassiness, especially if only used at home, and like using overdrives/fuzz. The 68 however had an awful cabinet rattle when turned up passed 3,5. That silver drip edge was the culprit, it seemed - so some modifications was needed to fix that. But all in all the 68 is an amp I actually miss having in my small collection.
How did you fix your cabinet rattle by the way?
I tour a lot overseas and always using rented backline. In videos like this i always lean towards the 68, but in gig situations the 68 feels brittle sounding. To the point where I specifically request the 65. Sometimes they only have the 68s so I have to deal 😮💨
The 68 sounds a little muddier, but both are beautiful, I think I prefer the 65. Are these amps too loud for home use? LIke, does it sound good at reasonable volume levels without pissing everyone in the house off?
Love my 65
Jack, thank you. That was fantastic!. I would go with the ‘65. The reason is I have a Mojo Champ and a ‘57 Custom Deluxe. I believe it would be a great contrast in tone! Thanks, great demo……
Yeah definitely, if you have a small Tweed amp the 68 would be kind of superfluous. Are those kit builds you did yourself?
@@JackFossett Actually Jack, a local guy went to one of those weekend Mojotone seminars. He has been building 5f1, 5f2, and 5e3 kits. So I bought one of his Champ builds. I absolutely love it! So that ‘65 would be a nice fit in my small amp family!
@@MrBluesilverred Oh nice. I know a few guys who do them too. I'm toying with the idea of getting a 5F1 kit and doing a build along with a video of it.
@@JackFossett You will not be disappointed Jack. Crank it to 12, volume knob on my Tele, good to go!
The Celestion G10 Gold Alnico is in my ‘68 RI.
came thinkin I'd like 68 but sounds wooly and I'm a neck pick up guy - thanks for this comparo!
I have the '68 Princeton sounds great clean 👌
I’ll take one of each to go with my ABY pedal!
a question to 65, could you remove the 10" speaker and mount a 12" one??? thank you !!
I would have to disagree on having the settings the same - though there is a high likelihood that the '68 can sound great - those settings make it sound really muddy. I would love to see one where you've got the bass turned down on the '68.
I have the ‘68 and the bass is always on zero.
I think I prefer the Princeton. Also GREAT VIDEO
Really? Interesting… I preferred the Princeton. To each their own 🤷♂️
I don't own one but I've been waiting for one to come along Used. Now I've played through the 65 reissue deluxe and the 68 reissue at 22 watts each in a a live situation . I much prefer the 68. So I'm thinking I would probably prefer the 68 Princeton.
The 68 would probably be my choice for the Deluxe - I find with the 65 Deluxes I'm just always fighting to tame the shrill brightness
I was set on liking the princeton in one setting, then with another setting i liked the princeton better
Right? I know EXACTLY what you're talking about.
Agreed
I just posted a video on my channel with bass and treble flat vs bass 3/treb 7. I prefer the latter with my Telecaster and the former on my arch top. Noticed the difference was subtle with the reverb on 7. My amp has a Celestion G10 Gold.
The vibrato on the 68 is to die for!!!! That being said, my Fender 65 Bordeaux Limited Princeton is still stock, and might be my favorite amp of all time... On the 68, bass on 0 and treble on 10 is the only way to go.
actually treble on the 68 on 9 bass on 4 or so...i was surprised...its the way the tone stack is setup
@@soofitnsexy I can dig the higher bass at lower volumes, like below 4 on the volume knob
@@HamzaJamzaFamza is it the stock speaker making it really bassy on the 68? I played a few at GC and thought man it's too bassy. I was thinking it was possibly the stock celestion they put in it. Maybe a 10" with a touch less bottom end? Not sure what that would be. WGS G10C? Haven't researched yet but there was a review where a guy put in a Eminence Copperhead 10 and that sounded pretty damn good. I usually dont favor the Eminence speakers but it sounded like a match.
@@HiHello-ku1fl the Celestion G10 Gold gives it more clarity plus you gain 3dB in volume.
Check Ludwig vonGrein channel with a few demos.
My question is if you were the new Brownsville Station Geetar player which one would you use?
Hey Jack- my stock 68 overdrives on volume 4. Any advice on what speaker swap would provide a higher clean headroom?
Great comparison, Jack! I prefer the 68 because of the warmer, more bassy tone. What would your choice be between the Princeton 68 and the Hot rod deluxe?
Thanks! Unless I needed the volume, I’d take the Princeton. Easier to carry, all around higher quality, and more of an upside if you experiment with speakers. Also takes pedals beautifully.
@@JackFossett Thanks, Jack!
@@JackFossett I have a HRD with a Celestion G12H-80. I put it alongside the ‘68 with stock speaker with both on 5. The HRD made my ears bleed. Now I know why I could set my clean volume only on 2 at most gigs. I put a Celestion G10 Gold in the ‘68 and it made it more clear vs the Celestion 10 plus a tad louder. I reviewed the schematics of the ‘65 & ‘68. The former is closer to AA1164.
The ‘68 is still a better sounding amp vs the HRD. I gigged with the HRD for 15 years and did some mods to it.
My best man just got a ‘68 Vibrolux Reverb RI and he is happy with it.
@@JackFossett ‘68 also takes an archtop and a baritone pretty well. My Tele sounds great, too; more of a rock sound.
65 great clip
The silver face sounds like it's got a thick blanket over it. I like the 65
Jack we need the handwired unit let's be honest
The beauty of these amps besides the great tones is they're not HEAVY as a 2X12 Custom Twin. That says a lot. Especially when you're older.
My call would be the 68 Custom Princeton if I was buying one.
I did a shootout between 65 and 68, stock speakers. In my room, the 68 at 2 was as loud as the 65 at 4; obviously the 68 was unusable. Thoughts?
Am I correct in thinking that the 65 would be a better daily driver with my Podgo?
Have 65 fsr brown tolex with jenson alnico speaker. Sounds amazing on 4.5.
The Bordeaux Limited Edition? I've got that one, with the Jensen p12q... Might be my favorite amp of all time!! Only thing I loved more about the 68 Custom, the intensity and speed of the vibrato! Magnificent!! Might have to mod the 65 vibrato to the 68 specs
@@HamzaJamzaFamza No not Bordeaux. Brown tolex wheat grill cloth with ten inch alnico speaker. P10q I think.
Sounds like Fender should swap the speakers between these 2 amps so the 68 has theJensen
Good but you should’ve take an extra minute and make another comparison with both wide open dialed the best you could to your liking.