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Guys,
I'm a long-time lurker and bedroom surfer, but haven't posted much.
Since I'm mostly a bedroom surfer these days, I recently picked up a
'68 Princeton Reverb so I won't annoy the neighbors and/or wife too
much. The amp sounds great with my Jazzmaster (and soon to join the
family: a CIJ Jaguar), but I'm thinking of replacing the stock Oxford
10" with a 12" of some sort to get more bottom oomph and a little more
volume/headroom for jamming with friends out of it.
I've heard that the Weber California series speakers are good JBL
clones(?), and people especially seem to like the 15" model. Would the
12" Cali be a good choice for surfing (and similar early 60s sounds)
for my PR?
Also, unrelated to the speaker choice, since the faceplate is battered
and the tolex a bit crusty, I'm thinking of making it into the PR that
never was: cream tolex/wheat grille, repro/custom brown faceplate with
cream barrel knobs. It'll be the mini surfing machine!
Any suggestions for someone to do the cab recover (or just build me a
new cab/grille and baffle)? I've heard Larry Rodgers as a good
recommendation, but his website (rodgersamps.com) seems to be AWOL
these days.
Opinions/thoughts/etc. welcome!
Thanks,
Steven
I don't think a 12" will fit in the Princeton cabinet. I'd check mine but
it's late and I'm just too lazy to go double check. OK even I can't be that
lazy.
In theory it would fit but the strength of the baffle might be compromized
there wouldn't be too much wood at the top & the bottom. Which is probably why
the Deluxe Reverb is an inch taller.
You might want to try something that I tried a few years ago. Make a 15"
extension speaker cabinet that is 20"x20"x10" and make a mini stack. That way
you
get the high end bite of the stock 10" and the big bottom end of the 15." It's
been a while but I think it was a pretty good combination.
As far as the recovering-DIY. Teach yourself by making the extension cab and
then tackle recovering the Princeton. If you really want to have fun turning
it into a cream tlex mini surf machine go all the way and make it a mini
Showman with a separate head and cab.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
A 12" will fit, but it's a bit tight. I've owned another Princeton
before that had a 12" and it worked just fine. That one had a custom
baffle made for it, though.
On Dec 2, 2003, at 12:53 AM, wrote:
> I don't think a 12" will fit in the Princeton cabinet. I'd check mine
> but
> it's late and I'm just too lazy to go double check. OK even I can't be
> that lazy.
> In theory it would fit but the strength of the baffle might be
> compromized
> there wouldn't be too much wood at the top & the bottom. Which is
> probably why
> the Deluxe Reverb is an inch taller.
> You might want to try something that I tried a few years ago. Make a
> 15"
> extension speaker cabinet that is 20"x20"x10" and make a mini stack.
> That way you
> get the high end bite of the stock 10" and the big bottom end of the
> 15." It's
> been a while but I think it was a pretty good combination.
> As far as the recovering-DIY. Teach yourself by making the extension
> cab and
> then tackle recovering the Princeton. If you really want to have fun
> turning
> it into a cream tlex mini surf machine go all the way and make it a
> mini
> Showman with a separate head and cab.
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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I have tried a lot of speakers and amps over the years - there really
is no substitute for a JBL - the D series speakers with original
cones are getting very expensive, but I think the K series sound
great and they are a lot less money - or maybe a reconed D. These
speakers will only go up in value. I have never heard the E series
so I can't comment on them.
did they make a K110? anyone know? if so, that is what I would put
in the Princeton Reverb (one of the greatest sounding amps of all
time)
www.thebelovedinvaders.com
My two cents:
One thing you may want to think about as far as re-covering the
cabinet is 'vintage value'. As soon as you take the black tolex off
it's value will go down no matter how beat up it is. what I would do
is have a new cabinet made, or make one yourself, replace the face
plate and knobs to what you like. Keep the old stuff so you can
always bring it back to original. But, if you don't care about the
value, that's another story.
There's a cabinet maker here in Buffalo who's pretty good. I've seen
a Princeton with a 12" in a custom cabinet that he made & covered. I
almost bought it but how many Fender Amps does one need? The other
guitar player in my band had him make a cabinet to turn a Bassman
into a 'combo' with a 12" speaker. I can get his name and number for
you if you like.
As for more punch and bottom I like gmcgrory's ideas of making a Mini
Showman or a mini stack. Personally I'd rather have a 12" speaker or
two in an the enclosed cabinet. And I like old Jensen's the best.
Concerning 'headroom', if you mean getting a clean sound at a higher
volume, I'm not sure how much you'll get with the output section of
the Princeton. I would move up to 6L6s for that. But if you've got
an effiecient speaker, you may get what you want.
Good luck, have fun, hang 10
Russty
--- In , Steven Jarvis <sjarvis@s...>
wrote:
> A 12" will fit, but it's a bit tight. I've owned another Princeton
> before that had a 12" and it worked just fine. That one had a
custom
> baffle made for it, though.
>
>
>
> On Dec 2, 2003, at 12:53 AM, gmcgrory@a... wrote:
>
> > I don't think a 12" will fit in the Princeton cabinet. I'd check
mine
> > but
> > it's late and I'm just too lazy to go double check. OK even I
can't be
> > that lazy.
> > In theory it would fit but the strength of the baffle might be
> > compromized
> > there wouldn't be too much wood at the top & the bottom. Which
is
> > probably why
> > the Deluxe Reverb is an inch taller.
> > You might want to try something that I tried a few years ago.
Make a
> > 15"
> > extension speaker cabinet that is 20"x20"x10" and make a mini
stack.
> > That way you
> > get the high end bite of the stock 10" and the big bottom end of
the
> > 15." It's
> > been a while but I think it was a pretty good combination.
> > As far as the recovering-DIY. Teach yourself by making the
extension
> > cab and
> > then tackle recovering the Princeton. If you really want to have
fun
> > turning
> > it into a cream tlex mini surf machine go all the way and make it
a
> > mini
> > Showman with a separate head and cab.
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
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Lexmark
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&
> > Canada.
> >
> >
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> >
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> > messages, bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
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> >
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> >
> >
Apparently, they *DO* make a K110 (or so a little surfing around the
net says).
What do the K series sound like, as compared to the D series and other
folks' speakers?
On Dec 2, 2003, at 9:46 AM, Bob Cannistraro wrote:
> I have tried a lot of speakers and amps over the years - there really
> is no substitute for a JBL - the D series speakers with original
> cones are getting very expensive, but I think the K series sound
> great and they are a lot less money - or maybe a reconed D. These
> speakers will only go up in value. I have never heard the E series
> so I can't comment on them.
>
> did they make a K110? anyone know? if so, that is what I would put
> in the Princeton Reverb (one of the greatest sounding amps of all
> time)
>
> www.thebelovedinvaders.com
>
>
> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
> ---------------------~-->
> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
> Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US &
> Canada.
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> ~->
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> .
> Visit for archived
> messages, bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
>
>
No argument here about the sound of the JBL--but as far as the
California Weber speaker goes, some like it, some don't. I prefer the
alnico version, and I know guys who play for money that chose it for
their vintage TR's.
--- In , "Bob Cannistraro"
<cannistraro@e...> wrote:
> I have tried a lot of speakers and amps over the years - there really
> is no substitute for a JBL - the D series speakers with original
> cones are getting very expensive, but I think the K series sound
> great and they are a lot less money - or maybe a reconed D. These
> speakers will only go up in value. I have never heard the E series
> so I can't comment on them.
>
> did they make a K110? anyone know? if so, that is what I would put
> in the Princeton Reverb (one of the greatest sounding amps of all
> time)
>
> www.thebelovedinvaders.com
On Dec 2, 2003, at 11:50 AM, russty1107 wrote:
> My two cents:
>
> One thing you may want to think about as far as re-covering the
> cabinet is 'vintage value'. As soon as you take the black tolex off
> it's value will go down no matter how beat up it is. what I would do
> is have a new cabinet made, or make one yourself, replace the face
> plate and knobs to what you like. Keep the old stuff so you can
> always bring it back to original. But, if you don't care about the
> value, that's another story.
I think you're right about this. Using a repro cab would also let me
get a little taller cab for the 12" as well, assuming I go with a 12".
Initially, I was just thinking about how to do it while spending as
little as I have to, and recovering seems cheaper (though I guess it
depends on who does it).
Cheers,
Steven
>
> --- In , Steven Jarvis <sjarvis@s...>
> wrote:
>> A 12" will fit, but it's a bit tight. I've owned another Princeton
>> before that had a 12" and it worked just fine. That one had a
> custom
>> baffle made for it, though.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Dec 2, 2003, at 12:53 AM, gmcgrory@a... wrote:
>>
>>> I don't think a 12" will fit in the Princeton cabinet. I'd check
> mine
>>> but
>>> it's late and I'm just too lazy to go double check. OK even I
> can't be
>>> that lazy.
>>> In theory it would fit but the strength of the baffle might be
>>> compromized
>>> there wouldn't be too much wood at the top & the bottom. Which
> is
>>> probably why
>>> the Deluxe Reverb is an inch taller.
>>> You might want to try something that I tried a few years ago.
> Make a
>>> 15"
>>> extension speaker cabinet that is 20"x20"x10" and make a mini
> stack.
>>> That way you
>>> get the high end bite of the stock 10" and the big bottom end of
> the
>>> 15." It's
>>> been a while but I think it was a pretty good combination.
>>> As far as the recovering-DIY. Teach yourself by making the
> extension
>>> cab and
>>> then tackle recovering the Princeton. If you really want to have
> fun
>>> turning
>>> it into a cream tlex mini surf machine go all the way and make it
> a
>>> mini
>>> Showman with a separate head and cab.
>>>
>>>
>>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
>>> ---------------------~-->
>>> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or
> Lexmark
>>> Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US
> &
>>> Canada.
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
>>> ~->
>>>
>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>>>
>>> Visit for archived
>>> messages, bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
>>>
>>>
>
>
> ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
> ---------------------~-->
> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
> Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US &
> Canada.
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> ~->
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> .
> Visit for archived
> messages, bookmarks, files, polls, etc.
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
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>
There is a new speaker made by Eminence that is used in the new Fender Vibroverb
that has a silver dome, and, according to a big wig at Fender, is their new
version intended to sound like a JBL D130F. Check before buying, 'cause you know
how those "'sposed ta's" can turn out. This may have been designed for the new
Vibroverb, I didn't ask. But, I'm sure it would be possible to round one up.
It's a 15", so it isn't going to fit in the Princeton!
-dave
Bob Cannistraro <> wrote:
I have tried a lot of speakers and amps over the years - there really
is no substitute for a JBL - the D series speakers with original
cones are getting very expensive, but I think the K series sound
great and they are a lot less money - or maybe a reconed D. These
speakers will only go up in value. I have never heard the E series
so I can't comment on them.
did they make a K110? anyone know? if so, that is what I would put
in the Princeton Reverb (one of the greatest sounding amps of all
time)
www.thebelovedinvaders.com
Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
To All My Guitar Friends...
Please be aware that adding a speaker to an amp
might be a bad thing, unless you disable the original
speaker. You must keep the total ohms that the amp
drives stay the same as it was orginally designed.
If the original speaker is 8 ohms, adding a speaker in
parallel would make the amp "see" 4 ohms. That will
stress out the secondary winding of the precious
output transformer. Eventual burnout will result.
If you try to wire the speakers in series, the amp will
see 16 Ohms, which will stress out the Primary of
said transformer. Again, premature death of the
output transformer.
my 2 cents worth...
Bill
We A-B'd a RECONED D120 with a stock K120 and could not hear any
differenece. I think the original D120's with their cones are
commanding the big bucks. Again, I really like the K120, I use one
(!) in my Dual Professional for most gigs (the other speaker hole
is "boarded up") (yes I am fully aware of the impedance situation) -
for "stadium" gigs I use the Dual Prof with a mid 60's Bandmaster cab
loaded with a K120 and an EVM12L. It really rocks and with the Dual
Prof on top I have a "surf stack".
shop around - I think anybody on this forum would be happy with a
reconed D120 or stock K120. again, these speakers are not going down
in value, just like NOS RCA or GE 6L6's (man, they are getting high!)
Steven,
I use 12" Weber Californias in a couple of my cabinets. They sound
great when they're cranked, I hate them quiet. I usually use them when
I play outside gigs just because I can play them really loud. They're
made to be clean when pushed. I don't think they'd do the trick for a
bedroom amp. In my bedroom amp ('64 deluxe) I use Weber's version of a
Jensen C12N.
Rick
Halibuts/Deoras
--- Steven Jarvis <> wrote:
> Guys,
>
> I'm a long-time lurker and bedroom surfer, but haven't posted much.
>
> Since I'm mostly a bedroom surfer these days, I recently picked up a
> '68 Princeton Reverb so I won't annoy the neighbors and/or wife too
> much. The amp sounds great with my Jazzmaster (and soon to join the
> family: a CIJ Jaguar), but I'm thinking of replacing the stock Oxford
>
> 10" with a 12" of some sort to get more bottom oomph and a little
> more
> volume/headroom for jamming with friends out of it.
>
> I've heard that the Weber California series speakers are good JBL
> clones(?), and people especially seem to like the 15" model. Would
> the
> 12" Cali be a good choice for surfing (and similar early 60s sounds)
> for my PR?
>
> Also, unrelated to the speaker choice, since the faceplate is
> battered
> and the tolex a bit crusty, I'm thinking of making it into the PR
> that
> never was: cream tolex/wheat grille, repro/custom brown faceplate
> with
> cream barrel knobs. It'll be the mini surfing machine!
>
> Any suggestions for someone to do the cab recover (or just build me a
>
> new cab/grille and baffle)? I've heard Larry Rodgers as a good
> recommendation, but his website (rodgersamps.com) seems to be AWOL
> these days.
>
> Opinions/thoughts/etc. welcome!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steven
>
>
>
>
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I think the only kit available for a JBL D120 recone is an "E120".
In the past, I would do some gigs like the Jon & the Nightriders "Live in '98"
with my '64 Super Reverb loaded with late fifties Jensen P12Q speakers, and
disconnect one of the Jensens and connect a 1X12 cab with a JBL D120. A little
bit of JBL goes a long way!
If you ever mix a JBL with another brand of speaker remember that JBL 99% of the
time are wound "reverse phase" from all other brands. You must reverse the wires
to get them all moving in the same direction.
I'm not a fan of EV's for guitar, different strokes for different folks! I do
like my old silver Vox alnicos that have been re-coned with "Hempcones". I put
one of those with an old Jensen P12N {I just bought two on Ebay} and it's pretty
good. I did that for my "Slacktone Amp", and my '62 Bassman.Add JBL to that and
you'd have all bases covered.
Bob Cannistraro <> wrote:
We A-B'd a RECONED D120 with a stock K120 and could not hear any
differenece. I think the original D120's with their cones are
commanding the big bucks. Again, I really like the K120, I use one
(!) in my Dual Professional for most gigs (the other speaker hole
is "boarded up") (yes I am fully aware of the impedance situation) -
for "stadium" gigs I use the Dual Prof with a mid 60's Bandmaster cab
loaded with a K120 and an EVM12L. It really rocks and with the Dual
Prof on top I have a "surf stack".
shop around - I think anybody on this forum would be happy with a
reconed D120 or stock K120. again, these speakers are not going down
in value, just like NOS RCA or GE 6L6's (man, they are getting high!)
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
You make a really good point about the Weber Californias sounding
better when they are driven. After all, they were designed to handle a
lot of power. I've never had a chance to hear them ab'd against jbl's,
but, in a loud, live performance, if someone told me, they were JBL's,
or Weber's, I sure couldn't say if they were right or wrong.
But at more reasonable sound levels, like for recording purposes, not
DI, but micing the cabs, or for playing smaller venues, and more in
keepin with the small amp topic, what's the best speaker choice under
those circumstances? Also, the JBL's are great, but hard to find and
super expensive--and the reconing kits are expensive. The guy who was
involved in the D-130's development, Harvey Gerst, owner of Indian
Trail Recording Studio, has had a lot to say about the history of the
speaker on rec.audio.pro and alt.guitar.amps. You can get a lot of
opinions from the jazz players about speakers for smaller venues, but
its hard to find opinions on this topic from the Surf Chieftans.
--- In , Halibut Rick <halibutrick@y...>
wrote:
> Steven,
>
> I use 12" Weber Californias in a couple of my cabinets. They sound
> great when they're cranked, I hate them quiet. I usually use them when
> I play outside gigs just because I can play them really loud. They're
> made to be clean when pushed. I don't think they'd do the trick for a
> bedroom amp. In my bedroom amp ('64 deluxe) I use Weber's version of a
> Jensen C12N.
>
> Rick
> Halibuts/Deoras
>
>
> --- Steven Jarvis <sjarvis@s...> wrote:
> > Guys,
> >
> > I'm a long-time lurker and bedroom surfer, but haven't posted much.
> >
> > Since I'm mostly a bedroom surfer these days, I recently picked up a
> > '68 Princeton Reverb so I won't annoy the neighbors and/or wife too
> > much. The amp sounds great with my Jazzmaster (and soon to join the
> > family: a CIJ Jaguar), but I'm thinking of replacing the stock Oxford
> >
> > 10" with a 12" of some sort to get more bottom oomph and a little
> > more
> > volume/headroom for jamming with friends out of it.
> >
> > I've heard that the Weber California series speakers are good JBL
> > clones(?), and people especially seem to like the 15" model. Would
> > the
> > 12" Cali be a good choice for surfing (and similar early 60s sounds)
> > for my PR?
> >
> > Also, unrelated to the speaker choice, since the faceplate is
> > battered
> > and the tolex a bit crusty, I'm thinking of making it into the PR
> > that
> > never was: cream tolex/wheat grille, repro/custom brown faceplate
> > with
> > cream barrel knobs. It'll be the mini surfing machine!
> >
> > Any suggestions for someone to do the cab recover (or just build me a
> >
> > new cab/grille and baffle)? I've heard Larry Rodgers as a good
> > recommendation, but his website (rodgersamps.com) seems to be AWOL
> > these days.
> >
> > Opinions/thoughts/etc. welcome!
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Steven
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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