Stew Mac: build your own Princeton Kit

[Tonray's Ghost]

[tlarson58]

Man, they included everything! Still, for $1,300 I'd lean towards buying a fender model off the shelf. But I don't think that they're marketing to me (no skilz).

[Tonray's Ghost]

Man, they included everything! Still, for $1,300 I'd lean towards buying a fender model off the shelf. But I don't think that they're marketing to me (no skilz).

Yeah same for me, I just thought it was quite interesting in that if you have the skills, you end up with essentially a hand wired amp and some great experience. I would have likely soldered the caps to my hand necessitating surgery with an amp tech and MD attending.

[mozz]

I doubt off the shelf is going to be hand wired for that price. I was actually given a princeton reverb chassis kit complete with transformers, reverb tank, all parts. I had to supply the speaker and found a real fender princeton empty cabinet on reverb. I have the sticker here for the faceplate here somewhere. Much easier than building a cramped tweed champ chassis but 3 times as many parts.

[Chocol8]

Man, they included everything! Still, for $1,300 I'd lean towards buying a fender model off the shelf. But I don't think that they're marketing to me (no skilz).

$1300 is a bit much for a Princeton kit. I would think you can still get good quality parts to build one for under $1000. If hardwired is important to you, I know you can buy a lightly used reissue and replace the internals with a hand wired board for $1000-$1100, maybe less if you get a good deal on the used amp.

[andrewsrea]

I doubt off the shelf is going to be hand wired for that price.

Nice amp and I was thinking the same thing. The Fender Princeton offering of the past decade or so, has been a nice PCB and may suit most at home players. Won't be as rugged or as playable as one built like a 1965 Fender (point-to-point, on an eyelet board).

[Tonray's Ghost]

Man, they included everything! Still, for $1,300 I'd lean towards buying a fender model off the shelf. But I don't think that they're marketing to me (no skilz).

$1300 is a bit much for a Princeton kit. I would think you can still get good quality parts to build one for under $1000. If hardwired is important to you, I know you can buy a lightly used reissue and replace the internals with a hand wired board for $1000-$1100, maybe less if you get a good deal on the used amp.

The $200 or $300 premium is the guarantee of quality working parts and the countless hours you would spend trying to source everything you need piecemeal yourself, in addition to the quality instructions and I'm guessing a tech support line to help you along the way.

[tlarson58]

^ word.

[tonebender]

I have a red knob Fender Champ that has a 12" speaker. That amp sucks so I have had thought of putting a hand wired circuit in the chassis to make it usable. Then I realized you can get a Princeton with a 12" speaker these days ready to go for the same coin if you factor in the kit cost and the labor hours to build it.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ered-tweed

[peskypesky1]

I'll buy one when they come out with the solder-free version.

[Tonray's Ghost]

I'll buy one when they come out with the solder-free version.

That's why I like Strats, preloaded pick guards only require a ground wire connector and you're done