NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Make it loud here.
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Despot
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Re: Pending NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb

Post by Despot » Sat Sep 24, 2016 3:59 am

So ... here we go.

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Here's the speaker - google image seems to both say and contradict that this is an Oxford - anyone here able to identify it?
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No other codes on the basket or cone - just the white sticker code.

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Man, I got lucky with the valves!
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RCA 12AX7s, Sylvania in the reverb driver and Philips 6V6GTs in the power section. Nice!

The baffle has been replaced - and it'll do, but I'd probably have done a cleaner job, but it'll do.

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Re: Pending NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb

Post by StevenO » Sat Sep 24, 2016 6:45 am

Looks like mine! Even has the same tube compliments! Mine came shipped with all RCAs but they weren't removed during shipping (the seller told me he forgot and was apologetic), and naturally FedEx have the box a good beating, so all the tubes were broken. Luckily the seller included a well-packed extra set of old stock tubes, just in case.

I bet that amp sounds incredible!

And yep, that's an Oxford 10j4 speaker. Fantastic speaker. Might not be loud enough for gigs, clean, but it'll gice you great bedroom and recording tones.

You got a fantastic amp on yiur hands. Enjoy it immensely. :)

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Re: Pending NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by Despot » Sat Sep 24, 2016 10:13 am

Thanks Steven. :)

I've been playing all day, swapping between it and the non-reverb Princeton. I like both, but I think the SF PR is going to be it for me. The NR sounds less loud overall ... the PR seems a little louder at all volume levels on the dial. I'm hoping that the Weber will sound as good as the speaker in the PR when it breaks in - the Oxford sounds really really good.

I could easily see myself using both with a splitter box - there's a bit of a difference in their clean sound. Variants of the same thing ... but different enough to be able to tell apart.

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Re: Pending NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by HorseyBoy » Sat Sep 24, 2016 1:18 pm

Absolutely beautiful. I've always wanted one of these but they don't show up often here in Oz. Enjoy it!

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Re: Pending NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by StevenO » Sat Sep 24, 2016 2:00 pm

I find the PR has more character than the NR Princetons (in much the same way as Twin Reverb sounds better than a Showman, IMO), and they are definitely louder given the extra gain stage.

I took my PR in to get looked at again. The repair guy said "this is the best sounding Princeton Reverb I've ever heard". No, that has nothing to do with the topic at hand, just gloating... BUT, if that's any indicator of your PR, enjoy!

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Re: Pending NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by PJazzmaster » Sat Sep 24, 2016 2:22 pm

awesome! I'd love to hear a sound demo!

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Re: Pending NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by Despot » Mon Sep 26, 2016 12:26 am

Thanks folks.

Yep. It's perfect. Doesn't need any messing. Which is rare ... I normally get to tinkering with things.

Those valves I bought will go in the spares box - there's no need to change anything. Still - always nice to have some decent valves there in case one craps out.

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Re: NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by sookwinder » Mon Sep 26, 2016 2:41 am

Just for the record the reason the PNR is not as loud as the PR is that the PR has an extra gain stage (it uses an extra half a 12AX7 in the preamp section (just before the PI) that the PNR doesn't have/use.

My 66PR is amazing... just as many of those here describe their PR.
Also the amps I have designed/built that are GREAT amps, basically are based upon the PR.

Kevin.... I actually find it interesting to think that if you looked at a lot of the equipment that we all have (those of us who are old enough to shave, drive, and find women over 30 or 40 ... or dare I say 50 attractive) we all have gone down the same path or maybe I should describe it as we have ended up at the same place....
relaxing alternative to doing actual work ...

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Re: NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by Despot » Mon Sep 26, 2016 3:06 am

You're spot on David. Though I would broaden the spectrum slightly to say that there's still a place in my heart for the Swart (so, basically, a more tweed orientated circuit). There are things that the Princeton does that the Swart doesn't, and vice versa.

Nevertheless I would feel comfortable bringing one of them with me somewhere and not feel that I was missing out by not having the other there. No matter what guitar I'm using both flatter to deceive in that they make me sound better than I am, just in different ways.

But for a non-tweed Fender sound, the Princeton Reverb is exactly what I need. I remember thinking when I bought the DRRI that I would have rather had a PRRI, but there wasn't any knocking about Dublin back then ... so I went with the DRRI, which I very soon realised was still a little too loud for my uses. Having played a few reissues now it's not that the reissues are totally different than the sound of this one - they're very similar. A friend and I were playing these at the weekend and concluded that the difference in sound was sort of like the final 5% that makes a big difference. And it's not that it's the old speaker, because you can notice the same thing in the non-reverb Princeton which has a totally new speaker in it ... it's just got something.

Light enough to carry around without doing my back in, loud enough to be heard when playing and low powered enough that I can get a really great sound from it without annoying the neighbours. Ticks all the boxes right there.

By the way - well done on the reverb unit David - that's a pretty great birthday present for your nephew. He's building quite a stockpile of kit up through birthdays!

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Re: NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by sookwinder » Mon Sep 26, 2016 6:05 am

But his mother wasn't happy ... his room for doing his uni work in (not his bedroom) is starting to look like a back storage room for a vintage guitar and amp shop. :D
relaxing alternative to doing actual work ...

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Re: NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by StevenO » Mon Sep 26, 2016 7:36 am

If I may... I suggest you pick up yourself a Swart Night Light as well, and run it with the PR. Oh boy, I think you'll like what you find with it. :shifty:

Seriously, my Night Light turned my PR into a ridiculously good amp. Usually it's a little too loud to play with a band, trying to get decent gain out of it. But with the Night Light, it goes to Neil Young territory, and cleans up beautifully. The lowest/loudest setting with the compression setting just makes a glorious sound. It turned a great amp into an amazing amp. Running keyboards through the amp, sounds great too, by the way. Just thought I'd throw that one out there.

:shifty: :shifty: :shifty:

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Re: NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by wproffitt » Mon Sep 26, 2016 6:26 pm

Mine has the Oxford speaker too. Every now and again, I think about a speaker swap because I can't leave well enough alone. Then I play through it and all of those thoughts go away. ;D Enjoy!

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Re: NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by Despot » Wed Sep 28, 2016 1:29 am

Funny that you mentioned keyboards Steven ... I'm pretty convinced that the non-reverb Princeton had been used for that very purpose (hence the ultra efficient over-powered speaker and solid state rectification mod).

I'll have a chance to use this in a practice/band context at the weekend - I'm due to meet up with a few friends for one of our rare musical get togethers. I can't wait to see how it pans out pitted against everyone else - the other guitar player will be using a warmer sounding amp (he uses an Emery Sounds amp with valves that make it a little mid/warm, but gritty sounding). I'm pretty sure that we'll sit apart quite well. That being said the Swart normally manages to stand out as well. We'll see....

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Re: NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by Ursa Minor » Wed Sep 28, 2016 4:51 pm

Kev, this looks so great! Glad it sounds as good as it looks and you have what looks like original tubes too!

Thanks for the inspiration! You're PR has made me dig out my original Oxford speaker in recent days. I've had a Weber 10F150 and 150-T in mine pretty much right after I got it and have always been super happy with those choices. Couldn't remember why I dismissed the original Oxford so I dug it out. Unfortunately, it has some voice coil rub which sounds like a fuzzy distortion underneath every note. :( But there's an excellent sounding speaker under there somewhere. If I gently press on the lower part of the cone I can get it so sound out clear (running a loop as my test). Now I'm on the quest to fix it. The Webers are great and definitely what i'd use if playing live, but they're really BIG sounding speakers. The Oxford is much quieter but is really rich and detailed. I love it! Hoping I can get it fixed up myself and if not, I'll send it out for a recone. (Hoping it doesn't destroy the beauty or the original cone and internals.)

Also figure its time to share my old demo, post trem mod. :)
Slowed it down by reducing the cap size in the trem network. Its much more usable for my purposes. I also experimented with making it deeper but eventually reversed that mod since I can control the depth easier by lowering the power tube bias. I've never found a use for running hot 6V6s in a PR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_BI3hlDkxw
The artist formerly known as kosmonautmayhem.

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Re: NAD - 1971 Princeton Reverb (pics pg 3)

Post by maximee » Wed Sep 28, 2016 6:30 pm

Very cool, kosmonautmayhem, I'd also like to do the vibrato speed mod on mine.
If you search the forums you'll find one of my posts about the voice coil rub. My speaker had it too and I was able to fix it with not much effort and zero money spent.
I remember cutting open the spider (that little domed dust cap).
The I used a really thin business card type of paper and put it between the coil and the magnet. Then I carefully wetted the cloth type material behind the paper cone where the cone is glued to the magnet chassis. I used acetone to soften up the glues. Be careful not to overdo it. I went back three times after letting the speaker sit a while on its back - I nearly gave up but after the third or fourth time the rub was gone.

The acetone softens the glue and after it evaporates the glue sets in the new corect position due to the paper shims.

Little hint: when you slice open the dust cap use a really sharp razor type blade. You want a sharp clean cut and only go around 359 degrees. That leaves a little bridge and makes it easy to glue back the dust cap after you are done. Don't be afraid. The dust cap doesn't do anything to the sound.
Saved a otherwise ruined speaker for me!

Oh and by the way, I've listened to that video of yours many times when I was waiting for my Princeton to arrive here. It really captures that PR sound so well and the playing is mostly how I play. Slow laid back midnight jams after a long work day. Perfect! Thanks for sharing.

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