Fender '65 Princeton Reverb Guitar Combo Amplifier (15 Watts, 1x10")

A faithful recreation of a classic, the '65 Princeton Reverb is a fantastic amp for recording, with 15 watts of all-tube glory through a Jensen C10R speaker.

Overall User Ratings (based on 32 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(32) (see rating details)
Submitted March 15, 2020 by Shane R in HARTVILLE, OH

"Go For It!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I've had my Princeton Reverb for almost a year now, and I can confidently say, this is the absolute best "do it all" amp Fender has ever made. I've played all of them - from the Pro Junior - which I own and love - to the Twin - which is only suitable for playing in a club or practicing in the middle of nowhere. But my Princeton can be played at home or in a small venue. With the volume on 2 you get the absolute best Fender tone at a usable volume. And you can crank it up a couple more notches and still retain your clean tone at a rocking volume. I use different pickups, and they begin to break up a different volumes. My main P90 guitar will start to break up between 4 and 5. Other pickups seem to get dirty after 5. At that volume the amp is really ripping - and it sounds amazing. I use a variety of dirt and fuzz pedals, so I wanted an amp I could keep clean sounding, but the more I played it, the more I just relied on the amp to do what it does naturally. I absolutely love plugging straight into it - if I'm playing clean, strumming type songs - or turning it up just a little and punching the strings to give it an edge. And don't believe anybody that says the Princeton isn't loud enough for a band. It's plenty loud. There's no question. It can totally hang with a deluxe. It's expensive - that's the rub - but if you're serious about getting a great sounding amp you're going to play a lot, and for years to come - this is the best decision you can make. The reverb is a bit splashy for me, but it sounds great if you're in a surf band. It does have it's uses, and the speaker does start to fart out if you've got it cranked. I haven't swapped the speaker yet because the Jenson that comes stock sounds really good at the volumes I play at. I rarely push it past 5 or 6, and in that range it stays pretty tight, but if you're wanting to dime it, I would say you'd probably have to get a different speaker. But the tremolo is the best, most warm sounding tremolo I've ever heard. I love it and use it all the time. I'd say if you're looking for a practice amp you can play at home without making everyone around you mad, and for jamming with you're friends - this is the amp you want if you want the Fender sound. I'm guessing you're probably thinking, "Deluxe or Princeton?" - and I was thinking the same thing - it it really comes down to how you're using it. The Deluxe is going to be a lot louder right off the rip, where the Princeton is more manageable. Don't forget you can always do the simple modification and put a 12 inch in the Princeton to make it louder. Tone comes down to personal taste. For a long time I thought the Deluxe was the best sounding, but now, after playing my Princeton, I'm going with it. It just sounds a little sweeter and the snarl is just a little sharper - to me. There's a reason the Princeton is on so many records and so many players have one in the studio - it's a gem. Go for it. Buy one. You'll love it.

Musical Background:

I've been playing for over 25 years - solo and with bands.

Musical Style:

Rock and Roll.
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Submitted January 17, 2018 by DJ D

"There's a reason for 10 inches...."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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There are a few Princeton's out right now, a few 65's and a few 68's ... a few with 10's and a few with 12's... This may be the right one for you! The reason for the 10" is simple....volume. This same amount of wattage run through a 12" is soo very much louder. Now, that should be a good thing right? Maybe not. The 10" allows you to run the amp in it's sweet spot. About halfway. At that volume, you get a good amount of volume, but not ringing ears later on. It (more importantly) allows you to run the amp at it's optimum. Meaning, the tubes are humming, the speakers working, everything is up to speed. It's sounds soooo very nice! There's a reason for 7 tubes in a single channel, low-wattage amp with a 10" speaker, and you'd near to hear it in person to find out. IMHO this is the best sounding amp that exists, and I have played many quality amps. Also, forget about people complaining about the 10" speaker "farting out" because that speaker warms up to be your favorite once it is broken in. Mine changed dramatically after only 45 minutes of heavy play. I more than highly recommend this amp. I'll say one thing. IF you want that "punk rock" classic high gain distortion the 68' sound beats the 65'. But the 65 does everything else better. Buy this amp! You can't do better.
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Submitted April 7, 2015 by Erik L in Burlington, WA

"Another great Fender reissue. "

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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What a fabulous amp! You can't beat that Fender sound, and even with the smaller size and somewhat lower wattage it has the sparkling clean tone that we all love. Portable, powerful, and worth every penny.

Musical Background:

professional for 20 years

Musical Style:

Jazz, blues, rock and reggae.
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Submitted November 4, 2012 by Jeff C in Kyle, TX

"A Faithful Reproduction"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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The amp is really clean below about 6 and after that you get the breakup that you want sometimes. Fortunately, that 16 watts is loud. However, that is rather unfortunate as well, since my neighbors do not appreciate fine music when they hear it. But with a Tube Screamer on it, it sounds fine and not as loud. Overall, it is one of the better amps you can buy today. If you gig, just put a mic in front of it. Very light and portable.

Musical Background:

Hobby

Musical Style:

Slide guitar/blues
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Submitted March 3, 2017 by Randy S in Round Rock, TX

"what an awesome amp and a great company!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This is the 2nd one I have owned and really love the great fender cleans. Not much out there for this price. Great warm reverb and beautiful tremolo. Nothing like a fender strat or tele though a fender blackface amp! Thank you zZounds super fast shipping and a great supplier of musicians dreams!

Musical Background:

playing guitar for 30 years

Musical Style:

Rock, Hard Rock, Country and blues
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Submitted March 23, 2015 by Gary C in Spring Lake Park, MN

"Great little amp"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Does what my '65 deluxe reverb does only smaller and lighter. Is not as loud as the other but is loud enough for small to medium venue classic country music.

Musical Background:

Semi-Pro

Musical Style:

Classic country, jazz standards.
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Submitted September 27, 2013 by Jordan S in Westland, MI

"Fanfreakingtastic, and with the right pedals, a versatile amp!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I believe that this amp is THE amp for clean players. If you're a distortionist (like me), I encourage you to explore clean tone territory. You'll quickly fall in love with clean tones after playing with this baby. Don't worry though, fellow disters. With a good pedal, this amp can give you an insane dirty tone.
Sound
The sounds this amp can produce are nothing short of spectacular. The barebones clean tone is crystal clear and sounds good, but if you load up on the amp's reverb and tremolo, you can get a very haunting, bone chilling sound... I absolutely love it. When it comes to distortion, unless you use pedals for that, you're gonna wanna steer clear of this amp. This amp was designed for clean tone players. However, I'm addicted to distortion so I got an MXR Fullbore pedal for my fix. The Princeton takes it VERY well and after doing some tweaking to the pedal and amp setting, I can get a monster metal tone.
Features
The reverb and tremolo sound fantastic! The footswitch however, it sucks. It will not let you toggle the reverb and tremolo on simultaneously. Well, actually, I can, but the result is a pulsating and horrible sound coming from the speaker. It's only a footswitch issue, because I've found out two things. The reverb and tremolo can be used together and not make that awful noise without the footswitch, and I also took my footswitch to Guitar Center to see if the same thing would happen... which, it did. It's not a big problem because I'm not gigging at the moment, but I will have to get it solved before I find a band.
Ease of Use
There's 6 knobs. That's it. Very easy to dial in a sparkly clean tone. Distortion pedals can make it become a fire breathing dragon if need be. The amp takes effects nicely.
Quality
Besides the faulty footswitch, a very finely made amp. The shiny, silver grill perfectly sums up the tones you get - squeaky clean, sparkly, and beautiful. The overall color scheme is great too. It's not super heavy either. It is a little chunky, but certainly not a gorilla. It should be very simple to transport!
Value
I definitely believe it's worth 1000 dollars. The tones and styling are fantastic. I chose this one over the Deluxe because the Deluxe has a little more low end. I prefer my cleans with less low end.
Manufacturer Support
I called Fender today about the footswitch. I was on hold for 20 minutes. I hung up. Dang you, Fender. At least the footswitch isn't needed for my playing at the moment.
The Wow Factor
It's just so dang sexy... and it sings. My dream amp is a Marshall JCM800. When I finally acquire that and the 1960, this 65 Princeton Reverb will sit along side them.

Musical Background:

1 year of self taught guitar.

Musical Style:

80's Metal, Metalcoreish stuff, Surf, Funk, Classic Rock, Alternative, Electronic, HipHop... just to name a few
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Submitted June 25, 2013 by David L in Cantonment, FL

"This amp is perfect. Exactly what I was looking for. "

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I used to play through a Fender Blues Deville 4 x 10. As a bedrooom practice amp that 60 watt 4 x 10 was too much and I was never completely satisfied with the sound it produced so I sold it and purchased this Princeton Reverb. It was the right move! This amp is super responsive and sounds awesome! Unlike the old Blues Deville, it's easy to adjust the volume to just the right level. I did replace the speaker with an Eminence Patriot Ragin Cajun. I made this decision based on reviews that this speaker would break up a little later than the stock speaker and offer more bottom end. I prefer the smooth distortion offered by my tubescreamer pedal to actually overdriving the stock speaker. This amp is super responsive and sounds wonderful. It's just the right physical size too. I have it up on an amp stand that tilts it back so it plays towards me. I have a renewed interest in playing my guitar now!

Musical Background:

Guitar player for 20+ years.

Musical Style:

Blues, Jazz, Rock
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Submitted July 13, 2015 by Sean Connolly in Woodstock, MD

"This amp sounds beautiful"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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The sound from this amp is stellar. As is the amazing spring reverb and tube driven tremolo. Incredible cleans. This amp also takes stomp boxes very well. I love using my big muff for great fuzz tones. It's really hard to stop playing this thing. Everyone I know who's heard it is blown away. This is the perfect practice amp, and it gets very loud too. I haven't gigged with it but I'm sure it could hang in a smaller live venue and of course you could just mic it up. I will probably keep this thing forever!

Musical Background:

Guitar, playing for about a year and a half.

Musical Style:

rock, blues, folk, alternative
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Submitted September 23, 2021 by a customer from gmail.com

"65 Princeton Reverb"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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Great Sounding Amp, and light, great for taking out, loud enough for most situations, unfortunately mine started popping and crackling after about 60 days of light use. zZounds great customer service as usual took the amp back for straight up trade. I always have a good experience with zZounds customer service top notch Thanks!
Sound
Sound is spectacular will fit with most style just add od pedal for gain.
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Submitted April 27, 2014 by J Bernard M in Saint Louis, MO

"Ok amp, but not worth the money"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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I already have a Deluxe Reverb reissue and love it. I was looking for another smaller amp for rehearsals and small venues. Thought I'd try out the Princeton. The weight is reasonable (34 lbs), and under a rehearsal applications it is great. Taking it out on even a small gig really stresses the amp to the max. I could have mic'ed it through the PA and I think it would have been OK, but I wanted to see what it could do. All in all, the amp is well built and good sounding, but I don't think it's worth the price tag that Fender is placing on it. I should list at least 30 - 40% less than they're trying to sell it for. I actually tried buying the amp twice. With the first purchase the reverb was not working, and had to return it. The second purchase, they sent the amp with a 'cheap-o' cover that didn't even fit the amp snugly. Fender claimed it was 'the cover' that came with the amp, but I beg to differ. The first amp I bought had a real nice, heavy duty, tight fitting cover. The second amp did not have the same cover as the first. Anyway, it didn't matter. I returned the amp. Bottom line: good amp but way over-priced. If you plan on using it for anything other than studio or rehearsal, this is not the amp for you. You should just go with the Deluxe Reverb instead. I eventually returned the amp and bought a brand name solid state amp (CUBE 80GX) for my rehearsals. The CUBE doesn't have the tone quality of a Fender re-issue all tube amp, but it will do as a rehearsal amp and back-up amp. I'll also use that amp if my Fender Deluxe happens to be in the shop or something.

Musical Background:

Professional with 40+ years of experience

Musical Style:

All types.
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Submitted January 7, 2018 by a customer from gmail.com

"Great amp!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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I got the blonde with the Jensen P10R. Got a good deal for a very sweet amp! I was worried that the P10R was going to sound thin and harsh, like the C10R sounds to my ears. I was wrong, the amp sounds warm and articulate with a big, round low end and nice top to boot. The mids are fuller than my DRRI. I play a tele and a strat mostly, but it works well in the lower db input with my Les Paul. Great amp, louder than I was expecting, plenty to gig a small place (depending on the rest of the band), or larger with a mic. Lighter and less bulky than my DRRI while still sounding full and pure Fender, without the boxiness smaller cab combos can sometimes get. I wouldn't want a 12" in this box. It was designed for a 10" and, with this 10" in it, it sounds spot on. Nice job Fender and zZounds! Good price for a great product. I did notch the manufacture support category down to 2 stars--1 for each year their products are now warranted as compared to the five years they used to do until recently. Can't say I've had any problems in the two months or so I've had it, but it does make you wonder about Fender's faith in their QC.

Musical Background:

Many years amateur and semi-pro

Musical Style:

Many styles, mostly roots music these days
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Submitted October 15, 2010 by a customer from excite.com

"For clean players not heavy metal heads."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Sound
The tremelo/vibrato effect sounds like a chorus if dialed in correctly-- speed on 5 and intensity on 3. Not a lot of volume but lots of presence and sustain. Humbucker and EMG guitars go into input 2 while the input on the left is reserved for single coils, this keeps the amp as clean as possible. Sounds great with my :es Paul copy-- ESP 401 with the Seymour Duncan pickups.

Musical Background:

guitarist

Musical Style:

blues rock jazz
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Submitted December 26, 2011

"A Great Little Amp that does exactly what its supposed to"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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This amp will be a permanent part of my rotation for a long time to come. Would replace it in a heartbeat of it were gone.
Sound
As billed, the sound is tremendous.Just what I expected. Great sweet spot at volume around 5, beautiful breakup, great vibe. Have used for band practice and at small gigs. 2 of my band mates have original late 70s silverface Princetons - both are in good shape and sound good, but this one beats them both. Plays well with pedals.
Features
Its the basics. Thats why I bought it.
Ease of Use
Just dial it in. Easy to find that sweet spot with both single coils and humbuckers. I have a variety of Strats, they all sound fantastic. Have played a couple of Les Pauls and a Mira through it as well, nice sound.
Quality
Looks to be very well made.
Value
This is exactly what I was looking for, at a great price point.
Manufacturer Support
Nio reason to call.

Musical Background:

40+ years of guitar. Play with a regularly gigging band, your basic 4 piece rock outfit.

Musical Style:

All styles of rock, blues, alt
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