New hand wired 62 Princeton.

[Stevem]

Yesterday at work I had to stuff a new pilot lamp in one of these $2300 amps so I thought I would pull it apart and share a quick review of it.

In short it sounds really great, is built great as you can see from the photos and even the cab is not particle board, but real wood.

Only thing that needs to be addressed about this amp if close Micing it for recording is that when you turn the intensity up there’s a good amount of low frequency throbbing going on.

Of all the amps I have played thru, a 62 Princeton is not one of them so I dont know if this is normal.

[TUBEDUDE]

Many will be crushed to see no huge blue Atoms in the supply!

[Phil_S]

Some interesting stuff! I see three circuit grounds made to the chassis next to the board. It looks like 2 of them are from filter caps and the 3rd must be at the "end" of the preamp or PI circuit. I'm curious about the input jacks, which are hard to see. Is there a circuit ground near the input jacks? I am asking this because I feel as though I am the outlier on this -- everyone likes to do it this way but me. I have never grounded the audio circuit at the input jack end. I want to know what Fender did and if you think it is quiet enough.

Also, I see IC filter caps. I've seen those get rated as, at best, mediocre. I've used them and don't understand, what's the problem? I was pleased to see Fender used them.

[Stevem]

Another nice part of the build is that it's made with 3 fuses , one primary side and 2 on the secondary, and it has a ground switch.

[xtian]

Loo-OOOpy yellow wires. Clearly they do not have enough OCD Fu on their team.

[gui_tarzan]

There sure is a lot of solder and flux spatter on the board. Yikes!

[TUBEDUDE]

Some interesting stuff! I see three circuit grounds made to the chassis next to the board. It looks like 2 of them are from filter caps and the 3rd must be at the "end" of the preamp or PI circuit. I'm curious about the input jacks, which are hard to see. Is there a circuit ground near the input jacks? I am asking this because I feel as though I am the outlier on this -- everyone likes to do it this way but me. I have never grounded the audio circuit at the input jack end. I want to know what Fender did and if you think it is quiet enough.

Also, I see IC filter caps. I've seen those get rated as, at best, mediocre. I've used them and don't understand, what's the problem? I was pleased to see Fender used them.

The IC caps had a run or two of bad caps in the past. They may be OK now.but those of us that were stung avoid them. The reason Fender uses them I'm sure is purely economic.

[pompeiisneaks]

Some interesting stuff! I see three circuit grounds made to the chassis next to the board. It looks like 2 of them are from filter caps and the 3rd must be at the "end" of the preamp or PI circuit. I'm curious about the input jacks, which are hard to see. Is there a circuit ground near the input jacks? I am asking this because I feel as though I am the outlier on this -- everyone likes to do it this way but me. I have never grounded the audio circuit at the input jack end. I want to know what Fender did and if you think it is quiet enough.

Also, I see IC filter caps. I've seen those get rated as, at best, mediocre. I've used them and don't understand, what's the problem? I was pleased to see Fender used them.

The IC caps had a run or two of bad caps in the past. They may be OK now.but those of us that were stung avoid them. The reason Fender uses them I'm sure is purely economic.

Yea everything I've read/heard is that if you buy off he shelf IC they're actually pretty decent, but fender actually pays for them in bulk but asked for a really low price and to meet that agreed to slightly lower requirements, meaning they're basically pretty crap... but not ALL IC are crap, just the fender used ones I too still won't buy them, though, too many other brands that are great and not having that past.

~Phil

[Masco]

Is that a 1 ohm R in the cathode I see for bias adj.?

[maxkracht]

I have been pleasantly surprised by the past few years of mid to high-end fender stuff I have worked on. Seems like they have actually read complaints and remedied things. Still some silliness, but much improvement from the 90s-early 2000s.

Also, I see IC filter caps. I've seen those get rated as, at best, mediocre. I've used them and don't understand, what's the problem? I was pleased to see Fender used them.

I get at least 3-5 amps in every year with very low hours but past warranty and a dead IC electrolytic. They tend to fail open with no signs of damage which makes me wonder if it is related to handling at fender or spot welder settings at IC. I have nothing against the brand, but avoid their high voltage electrolytics when possible. If someone has me working on their amp I usually recommend replacing at least the plate and screen caps. Another $10 to put in F&T or Nichicon is a no brainer, especially If I have to pull the board for something else anyway.

Yea everything I've read/heard is that if you buy off he shelf IC they're actually pretty decent, but fender actually pays for them in bulk but asked for a really low price and to meet that agreed to slightly lower requirements, meaning they're basically pretty crap..

Lower-rated for a bulk discount makes sense... Never had a problem with the low-voltage axial caps and really like their yellow axial film caps.

[TUBEDUDE]

Some interesting stuff! I see three circuit grounds made to the chassis next to the board. It looks like 2 of them are from filter caps and the 3rd must be at the "end" of the preamp or PI circuit. I'm curious about the input jacks, which are hard to see. Is there a circuit ground near the input jacks? I am asking this because I feel as though I am the outlier on this -- everyone likes to do it this way but me. I have never grounded the audio circuit at the input jack end. I want to know what Fender did and if you think it is quiet enough.

Also, I see IC filter caps. I've seen those get rated as, at best, mediocre. I've used them and don't understand, what's the problem? I was pleased to see Fender used them.

The IC caps had a run or two of bad caps in the past. They may be OK now.but those of us that were stung avoid them. The reason Fender uses them I'm sure is purely economic.

Yea everything I've read/heard is that if you buy off he shelf IC they're actually pretty decent, but fender actually pays for them in bulk but asked for a really low price and to meet that agreed to slightly lower requirements, meaning they're basically pretty crap... but not ALL IC are crap, just the fender used ones I too still won't buy them, though, too many other brands that are great and not having that past.

~Phil

Sounds like the bean counters are still in charge over there.
That makes as much sense as buying all the tubes that fail QC to get bulk at a lower price.
Factory amps, whatcha gonna do.

[Reeltarded]

Factory amps, whatcha gonna do.

Spend 14 years with you grubs trying to invent perfection.

TOTALLY WORTH IT

If this place existed in 1979 we would all be rich.

[TUBEDUDE]

Factory amps, whatcha gonna do.

Spend 14 years with you grubs trying to invent perfection.

TOTALLY WORTH IT

If this place existed in 1979 we would all be rich.

Not me! I apparently have an aversion to making a healthy profit from this avocation.

[pompeiisneaks]

Factory amps, whatcha gonna do.

Spend 14 years with you grubs trying to invent perfection.

TOTALLY WORTH IT

If this place existed in 1979 we would all be rich.

Not me! I apparently have an aversion to making a healthy profit from this avocation.

HAHAHA this gave me a great chuckle this morning, thanks

~Phil