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AudioArtist « 2X10 With Chorus and some Punch! »
Published on 09/18/12 at 15:26The Princeton Chorus series are, (since the 80's), solid-state amps with ample power and very well rounded speakers.
You are given the standard two input option common on many Fender Amps. Also you have both a mono and stereo FX loop, foot switch jack and a headphone output.
The model that I own, (approx. '90), delivers 125 solid state watts of power and is plenty enough to compete with much more powerful and larger amps.
On your clean channel you have volume, bass, mid, treble, and reverb controls.
On the distorted channel you have gain, limiter, presence, and volume controls as well as a mid boost switch.
Then you have the chorus settings which includes a rate and a depth control.
One odd thing about the way this amp works is that the clean channel EQ section and the reverb control remain in use when you switch over to the distortion channel. This makes both the mid boost switch and the presence control in the distortion section very important if you intend to use the onboard distortion channel. I would personally suggest staying on the clean channel all the time and using an external distortion pedal or multi-effects board.
The chorus is pretty good overall being a very limited and cheap factory installed ho-hum chorus. The reverb is your typical spring reverb and it...well...it's reverb.
UTILIZATION
The Princeton Chorus's 2 10in. speakers provide quite an unexpected amount of very well defined low-end. When I first got mine I was very impressed with how well it sounded live and how well it recorded, especially with palm-mute, chunky, distorted guitar sounds. It also has a great clean tone.
Of course, your choice in instrument will always have a rediculous effect on the overall sound of your amp. I've used a Fender Telecaster, PRS soapbarII, Epiphone Les Paul, Harmony Stratotone, and various other accoustics and electric guitars with the Princeton Chorus and have always been able to get a good sound from it.
Surpisingly, on a few very low-key quiet gigs I've even plugged my guitar and a microphone into my princeton and gotten away with a decent sound with no PA! I don't really recommend this by any means I just thought that it is an interesting thing to point out, food for thought as it were.
Having purchased mine used, I never had a manual but I really can't see how the manual for this amp would be either incomplete or lacking.
SOUNDS
As I stated above, I've used many, many different guitars with this amp, ranging from really vintage sounding ones to very modern sounding ones. I've never been dissapointed.
The Princeton Chorus really shines in the lower mid-range. It also has a very sufficient low-end growl and punch but, the highs aren't what i would call "brilliant". Overall, it seems that the frequency response kind of drops off above 6kHz. This is nothing that can't be remedied by a good multi-effects processor/pre-amp though.
If you are fond of a very milky, very mid-rangy type of tone, then with the right guitar this amp will certainly fit the bill.
OVERALL OPINION
Don't buy this amp new or used for the chorus effect. Buy this amp because the factory 10in. speakers are of very good quality, and the 125watt solid state amp holds it's own very well and is also of good quality. I've had mine for many years now, driven it until it screamed for mercy, put it through the torture of "the road", and all I've ever needed to do was clean the dust off and clean and lubricate the pots every now and then. It's been a reliable workhorse for me for a long time.
The Princeton Chorus has a somewhat muted, low-end heavy, robust mid-range tone that makes me tend towards classifying it as having a somewhat vintage sound. Yet, don't be fooled, with the right multi-effects processor or whatever you prefer, you can coax some very sharp, tight, modern sounds from it.
You are given the standard two input option common on many Fender Amps. Also you have both a mono and stereo FX loop, foot switch jack and a headphone output.
The model that I own, (approx. '90), delivers 125 solid state watts of power and is plenty enough to compete with much more powerful and larger amps.
On your clean channel you have volume, bass, mid, treble, and reverb controls.
On the distorted channel you have gain, limiter, presence, and volume controls as well as a mid boost switch.
Then you have the chorus settings which includes a rate and a depth control.
One odd thing about the way this amp works is that the clean channel EQ section and the reverb control remain in use when you switch over to the distortion channel. This makes both the mid boost switch and the presence control in the distortion section very important if you intend to use the onboard distortion channel. I would personally suggest staying on the clean channel all the time and using an external distortion pedal or multi-effects board.
The chorus is pretty good overall being a very limited and cheap factory installed ho-hum chorus. The reverb is your typical spring reverb and it...well...it's reverb.
UTILIZATION
The Princeton Chorus's 2 10in. speakers provide quite an unexpected amount of very well defined low-end. When I first got mine I was very impressed with how well it sounded live and how well it recorded, especially with palm-mute, chunky, distorted guitar sounds. It also has a great clean tone.
Of course, your choice in instrument will always have a rediculous effect on the overall sound of your amp. I've used a Fender Telecaster, PRS soapbarII, Epiphone Les Paul, Harmony Stratotone, and various other accoustics and electric guitars with the Princeton Chorus and have always been able to get a good sound from it.
Surpisingly, on a few very low-key quiet gigs I've even plugged my guitar and a microphone into my princeton and gotten away with a decent sound with no PA! I don't really recommend this by any means I just thought that it is an interesting thing to point out, food for thought as it were.
Having purchased mine used, I never had a manual but I really can't see how the manual for this amp would be either incomplete or lacking.
SOUNDS
As I stated above, I've used many, many different guitars with this amp, ranging from really vintage sounding ones to very modern sounding ones. I've never been dissapointed.
The Princeton Chorus really shines in the lower mid-range. It also has a very sufficient low-end growl and punch but, the highs aren't what i would call "brilliant". Overall, it seems that the frequency response kind of drops off above 6kHz. This is nothing that can't be remedied by a good multi-effects processor/pre-amp though.
If you are fond of a very milky, very mid-rangy type of tone, then with the right guitar this amp will certainly fit the bill.
OVERALL OPINION
Don't buy this amp new or used for the chorus effect. Buy this amp because the factory 10in. speakers are of very good quality, and the 125watt solid state amp holds it's own very well and is also of good quality. I've had mine for many years now, driven it until it screamed for mercy, put it through the torture of "the road", and all I've ever needed to do was clean the dust off and clean and lubricate the pots every now and then. It's been a reliable workhorse for me for a long time.
The Princeton Chorus has a somewhat muted, low-end heavy, robust mid-range tone that makes me tend towards classifying it as having a somewhat vintage sound. Yet, don't be fooled, with the right multi-effects processor or whatever you prefer, you can coax some very sharp, tight, modern sounds from it.