Headstrong Amplifiers boutique handwired Fender style tube amps

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Asheville NC 28804

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For more than 10 years Headstrong Amplifiers has been building boutique hand wired replica and original amplifier designs for some of the world's most renowned guitar players and musicians.

If you're tired of your tone getting pushed around, maybe it's time to try a HEADSTRONG!

The Story of Lil King #114

November 18, 2024  /  Headstrong Wayne

Lil King #114 left my shop in West Asheville in 2008, I had already hit my stride with production at this point…It was my 5th year in business and things were going well

The guts of a chassis from 16 years ago, still looks identical to what I do today for the most part…wire routing, components, transformers, so you can usually rest assured that an old one will (or can be brought back to) perform as a new one.

BUT, #114 came to me from a gentleman named Joe in the Chicago area…He had found a blonde/ox little king with a 12 inch speaker in his area….a widow was selling it as it was her late husband’s only amp.

The price was fantastic so Joe went over and picked the amp up without even trying it out…everything he had read and heard about Headstrong gave him the confidence to do so, I must say…rightfully so!

When Joe got home, he tried to turn it on…nothing, no pilot light, no tubes lighting up, no sound….TOTALLY DEAD. He reached out to me and told me what was going on….I had him ship me just the chassis for inspection.

When I opened the box, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It appeared as though the transformer had blown, but instead of a normal, just you know a little bit of darkness around where the wires come out of the PT or maybe a weird smell something, there was basically the guts inside the transformer had sprayed all over the inside of the chassis. The whole thing was tobacco stained brown inside….Covering connections, the steel chassis, caps, resistors, everything!

I emailed to ask him about it and to have him Send me a picture of his cabinet… the inside top of the cabinet looked the same…big brown stains!

I’ve never seen a transformer blow like this. I’ve only had fewer than 10 blow in 21 years on all of my amps combined so this was puzzling. I reached out to a few techs that are far more knowledgeable than I, the consensus was basically, yeah, that happens but the amp should be fine. You might have to clean up a few connections etc, but it’ll be fine. 

Being honest, I had no interest in working on this chassis and it sat there for longer than I’d like to admit and I felt terrible about it, but I was so busy. I didn’t know how to handle it. I do have a lifetime warranty, but clearly this was some kind of massive malfunction, and I was worried about soldering around and on all of this residue that was left inside. I have ventilation here, but the smell of this….it wasn’t going to go well….

And then…

Well, as you probably know we had a natural disaster hit here in late September and I was down for 12 days or so but once I was back up and running Joe reached out wondering about the chassis and I’ll be honest with you, I was a little put off and I’m ashamed to say so because this is my job and I love it, but also because the storm has changed parts of me forever! What I used to consider an inconvenience or and issue, is a joke to me now! The stuff I have seen and still see everyday, that is a real issue! Not the stuff I make up to be…

Sorry, I am sticking to this, I am not going back to that!

WELL, this is point right here,

I explained to Joe that I just gotten back into the shop and just up and running and the situation and he nicely responded “yes I noticed on Facebook what you were going through and glad you are alright…”

And then he let me know his situation…

He had been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer in early July and was just wanting to spend as much time as he could playing his old trusty Tele and this cool amp that he found after hearing how great it was on Ask Zac and the like…

I was embarrassed and leveled! He wasn’t using this as some sort of retaliatory statement. He was just telling me his situation as I was telling him mine… After all I’d seen here at home, and knowing how lucky we were, I instantly knew what had to be done!

Rather than work on that chassis #114, I decided to keep it here as a reminder…. and Joe will get chassis number 861! A brand new chassis for the cost of some out of warranty work!

I built the chassis last week and this last weekend, I got an email from Joe. He had received the chassis on Sunday and with some apprehension fired it up!

He said he hadn’t played his guitar since he had gotten his cancer diagnosis and it felt so good just to plug in and play again

The point for me here is

There will always be somebody out there with a MUCH bigger struggle than the one you are in (or in some cases perceive you are in) and we should treat each day appropriately.

Sorry this one was so heavy guys, I had to get it out!

The next blog will go right back to the tech stuff, I promise

Raise a glass to Joe and his family tonight if you’d like!

 Thanks for helping me get to do what I love!!

Wayne



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HOW TO BUY A HEADSTRONG

May 29, 2024  /  Headstrong Wayne

You can always buy direct, just shoot me an email or call to discuss.

You can also purchase through a dealer as I try to keep amps on the floors or at least something on the way as much as possible. If they do not have one in stock, you can usually get on a list or place an order for something specific. Purchasing through the dealers can be a little faster, especially if you luck out and get one in a week or two because I just finished something for them, timing is everything as they say!

Buying direct may mean a 2-3 month wait, the upside is you can get the amp exactly as you want and talk to me about what may be your best option.

A $1000 deposit gets the amp in the queue, with the balance due when ready to ship. I take virtually all forms of payment, so whatever works for you, works for me!

There is no charge for most custom colors and I offer FREE SHIPPING in the Cont. US and a discounted rate for most Worldwide shipping!

Thanks for all of your interest and support! It is GREATLY appreciated!!

Wayne

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A little rant about reissue amps

April 03, 2023  /  Headstrong Wayne


I get the following email about 3-5x a year…

Hi, I was just checking to see if you can hand wire my reissue amp?

Part of me wants to take this personally of course…Who do you think you are asking me to work on something like that, fixing some other company’s mistakes… etc. But in reality, I realize that some people are just never going to bring themselves to buying a high end amp…or they think they cannot afford one. But in reality, the price of a re-issue combined with a hand wiring job (if actually done to completion) is close enough to the price of a new Headstrong, and possibly the same price as a used one.

I am not actually angry about the question, just frustrated that people don’t realize how close they are in price to being able to get something that is actually built properly. This doesn’t mean a Headstrong is the only option either, there are several guys out there building quality amps for less than I do that will perform well, last longer and cost about the same, or less, than a hand wired board mod.

To me the issue with these amps is not the PC board so much as it is the overall (lack of?) quality of components and build consistency. The hand wired vs PC board discussion is for another blog, but in my opinion there are quite a few PC board amps out there that are of equal quality as a hand wired amp. It is just not being offered by the big companies, generally speaking. The larger companies will always use price points as a deciding factor in ALL builds, even the “hand wired reissues”. In fact if you look inside some of the hand wired versions of these amps, you will find many of the same components as the PC reissue amps have. My guess is CE certification and costs are the main reason for this. The other thing I have noticed is the same clip on connections for transformers, switches and fuse holder…An old amp (and the Headstrong) have been soldered for these connections. While I have seen some “boutique” tone caps in the hardwired series, the other caps are basically what you would find in the PC amp.

Gut shot of the $2800 PR “hand wired” amp

Tonally PC vs hardwired can actually sound different, but to me the differences lie in overall quality, serviceability, consistency and toughness. Some of the PC amps just won’t hold up on the road. They have connection issues, bad tube sockets, grounding issues etc, that when put out on the road in a van or bus, running around the country with varying AC voltages etc, this will just beat a reissue into submission alarmingly quick! There are many exceptions to this, you can actually win the reissue lottery and get one of the good ones! Even the hand wired series have issues with fit and finish, the cabs buzz or rattle, it is literally a crap shoot!

PC board from a PRRI Custom

And while we are on that subject…the board is only one of the issues going on inside those “hand wired” amps. There are many that have the wrong value filter caps, questionable pots and the layout is different as well. The carbon film resistors are the same as you would find in the $1300 dollar version…They want $2799(!) for a hand wired version, that, other than more labor, has basically the same Bill of Materials as the cheaper versions. The sum of all parts is what makes an amp sound and perform well. NOT just the board or wiring technique used.

I am not trying to convince you to spend your money on what I do, but rather, spend your money on the best possible option that is available for you. Also consider, do you work hard in your day to day, can you afford something more high end? You most likely deserve to treat yourself to something of quality! Do some research, ask some pros what they think about reissue vs hand wired versions. Most guys I know, for fly in gigs chose the DR reissue…they know what they’re going to get, they can get a decent tone out of it and they’ve been around for years, and most likely they already know where to set the thing to get through the gig.

There are several companies out there that offer the hand wired conversion, for what I think is a great price. They have been doing this for years, and are great at it. My approach would be more, by the time I am done bringing that amp to spec, you would pay more than if I just built you something. The transformers are suspect, the tubes are not great, some of the wire routing is no ideal…you get the picture.

So in closing, what I should’ve said in the first paragraph…NO I do not do hand wired drop in boards for any reissues nor do I work on any current offering from Fender. Just not something I have time or desire to take on. I really enjoy building an amp from scratch, it allows me to layout everything the same way as I have for 20 years, not having to adapt and say things like, “it’s close enough” Perfect is basically the only thing that I find to be “close enough”

With that, I will now get back to the bench and finish up what I think is a proper Deluxe Reverb, the Royal Reverb, with all of its soft bass response when pushed and “noisy and drift prone” carbon comp resistors!

Thanks, as always, for reading

Wayne

2 Comments

The Disposable Amp

March 15, 2023  /  Headstrong Wayne


I get quite a few questions that usually take the form of something below:

Why would I buy a Headstrong over a re-issue or hand-wired version?

What is the difference between your amp and “Company X”?

Over the years I have made it a policy to not talk bad about any amp company, regardless of what quality they put out or level of service they may or may not provide. I also do not compare my work any other company other than the one I am trying to emulate, mid 50’s-Mid 60’s era Fender amplifiers, that is the bar!

But if pressed for an answer, one of the main differences, is that the amps I make are built to last a lifetime and if you decide to come back and buy another amp from me, it is because you loved the last one so much and want another or you need something else I build to fill a gap in your amp line and you appreciate the level of customer service I provide.

NOT because of this:

Maybe it is the 5th or 6th time to the repair shop one year and you have to make a decision on to pour more money into the same problems, or in most cases, just buy another. I call this the disposable amp model. That is what MANY companies do, more common on the import and mass production level, but also in some other boutique type models as well. I am sure you are familiar with Fender’s re-issue lines and the Hot Rod line, or the Pro Jr. line. These amps, when dialed in can sound really nice and there is a reason most guys request them for back line set ups when on the road without band gear…You can dial in a sound that “works” for the gig, you know what you’re getting, and they do provide the essence of that vintage tone.

The real problems fall to the owners and come in the form consistency, reliability, and long term life span. This is probably not a mistake or oversight, this is a business model. You will inevitably go right back to that amp on the same sales floor multiple times over the life of your guitar playing career…You know the amp, it sounds pretty good, you know how to get your sound out of it…And you dumped a bunch of money into the last one, so really that’s all you either want to or can afford spending on “another” amp. My Dad used to tell me, “pay me now or pay me later” is how life works. You can spend it all on something of quality, or you can buy something decent that probably won't last and you will be spending the same amount (or more) than just buying the one built right the first time. This is not exclusive to amps or gear…I have found this with everyday purchases as well. Just buy the right tool for the job at the requisite quality level to get the job done!

If you have read my other blogs, you know that I am not trying to sell you an amp, but rather, build you an amp you want or need. After we have established that I build something you can use. I am stating the above so that if you are in a position to buy quality over quantity, this is something to seriously consider. Some of us are in no position to spend the money on a new $2000-$4000 dollar hand-wired blah blah blah…And for you, the Re-issue or similar is a KILLER way to go! If you get a good one, they are actually damn nice! I worked with a backline company near Greensboro NC that had all the familiar characters set up on stage, but the speakers in the Re-issue’s had been changed to AlNico Weber’s! The guy playing it was a monster so that helped, but the guys working for the backline company said the owner buys the amps and sends them all to his tech to go through them and upgrade the speakers and tubes….It made a noticeable difference to my ears!

So there are ways to make marked improvements…If you don’t want to learn how to do basic (and a bit more in most cases) maintenance on these amps, make sure you develop a friendly relationship with a tech in your area…They are not always adversarial…In fact, you may want to consider them your lifeline to decent reliable tone…This may improve the dynamic between you and your tech. Regardless of what you buy at this level of quality, just remember that the idea is to get you to buy several of these over the life span of your hobby, or career! This is obviously a viable way to go based on the fact that most people go this route!

I am positive that $4000 Custom Shop guitar with the $1000 pedal board and high end cables will sound great through that $1500 Re-issue…

The other option is to buy something on the higher end market…First figure out what it is you need: wattage, speakers (size and number), what gigs you need it for and more importantly, don’t need it for. Also, do you need just one amp? Is that even possible for one amp to do all of that. My belief is the one amp that sounds like many is a bit of a “jack of all trades, master of none” situation. I will save that for another blog…It is important to know what you can afford, but also what you actually need for your gig. There is the element of what you deserve as well, that gig could be sitting in your music room alone, or with some friends, if you work hard and have the means, you probably deserve to treat yourself! Also this may be for relaxation and fun…It is not very fun taking your not that old “disposable amp” to the tech again!

It is all something to think about and if at some point you call me to ask about a build or just some advice in general, you can rest assured, I will do what I can to get you what you need or point you in the best direction if it is not something I build!

Hope this made some sense and thanks again for reading!

Wayne


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categories / Guitar amps, Hand wired amps, Headstrong amps, Fender amplifiers, Boutique amps
tags / amp repair, hand made amps, Headstrong amps, fender amps, Fender deluxe reverb, Fender princeton, Fender Vibroverb, Fender amp repair, Vintage fender amps

The 1977 Princeton Reverb Repair Part 1

February 22, 2023  /  Headstrong Wayne

Part 1

A couple weeks back a local customer emailed me regarding a Lil King S he had acquired on the used market in the Asheville area. It was an easy fix, but it had a changed cab and a few other things done to it. NO matter, I got that thing fixed right up for his next session! I will cover that one in a future post. He mentioned that he had a 1977 Princeton Reverb that had been acting up and when I met him to pick up his S he brought the PR with, so I could have a look. I was hoping from the description, it would be an easy tube swap or solder joint touch up, “Sounds great for an hour then drops volume and or reverb fades”, you know, boilerplate, my old amp isn’t working right stuff.

I don’t normally do repairs, but if it is a vintage Fender, especially a Princeton Reverb (PR), I will do the work…mainly because I have all the parts on hand to build a new one, so a repair is usually pretty straight forward. Also, I love to hear the old ones as they are usually all a bit different. Some of this is obviously based on the work that has been done to them over the decades, and also, the production process back then was not the most consistent, supplies could change, multiple people building the amps, etc.

I was also thinking I could test this amp out against Lil King (LK) #700 that I had just finished up for Deke Dickerson. Once I got it in the shop, I turned it on to burn it in and see if I could replicate the issues. Sometimes these intermittent issues can be the hardest things to track down. I’d rather have an amp that won’t turn on or has a smoked resistor…Intermittent usually means you’ll hear something along the lines of “it’s working fine here on my bench” back from your amp guy…Then maybe a bench fee, and you take it home, with a emotional cocktail of hope and skepticism…To turn that damn thing on, and then almost immediately, it does the thing again!!!

Back to the tech, repeat and so on…it is NO fun for anyone involved. I know what both sides feel like…in my other posts I have referenced this, take it to a tech and not know what it will sound like when it comes back…Even when it is just some new tubes…it’s agonizing as a player…and as a consumer!

I, of course didn’t hear any of the volume drop or cutting in and out. Jacks seemed fine, tubes seemed fine…I had not even opened the amp up yet, just plugged in and listened. I always try to approach it as a player first…Play the thing and LISTEN. Well I a/b’d it briefly with #700, using a long speaker cable from my bench, I plugged the LK into the PR cab with the (seemingly) original 10” speaker as well as into the bench LK Cab that has a well broken in Alessandro GA-SC64 speaker. First thing I noticed…man the PR was really bright and edgy on the top end and upper-mids…through both speakers. The reverb was also way off…cranked to 6 it wasn’t as present as the LK on 3…There was definitely something off. The LK was way warmer and more responsive…I am confident in the job I do replicating these old Fender’s and that the 70s ones are generally considered “close” to “ok but a little bright” but this was a ways off…This was not a fair way to compare…and Deke was ready for his amp. I decided the a/b test at least in terms of playing would need to wait so I could inspect the 77 and ship Lil King #700 out west.

Opening up the chassis really filled me in on what was going on

There was obvious work done inside, some good, some not so good, the reverb issue was because someone omitted the bypass cap on the reverb driver tube (v2 12AT7)…this was why it didn’t have the lush wash out of a normal Fender reverb. Also, there were quite a few metal film resistors (very stable voltage wise) in key spots, and honestly, in completely random spots as well

The Plate resistors on the pre-amp tubes are the ones you may have heard or heard about, the term, popping, cracking, sizzling or a combination of any of those when they go bad…seeing these replaced is pretty common. I have my beliefs on this, and there are MANY more, most, by guys that probably know more than me about electronics and very likely, everything else…But I do know that in the pre-amp plates, that is where this carbon composition resistors shine for tone, you want the voltages to drift…that is what the old amps did…SO that was the first order.

I assume they didn’t have some of the common values for Fender amps…btw, if a tech tells you he doesn’t stock say a 100k 1/2 watt resistor, he probably doesn’t work on many Fender amps. You may need to seek a second opinion for the repair. To remedy not having the a few 100k’s, and a couple 56K’s he just wired two resistors together to attain the value needed. I replaced all of that with the 1/2 Carbon Composition type to get it as close as I could back to stock

Stay tuned for part 2 and maybe 3 if it is needed…Next we get to the power tubes, rectifier tube and check out the differences between the 64-67 and this 1977 Princeton Reverb





NEXT WEEK:

“The missing bypass cap may have been intentional. The work was not subpar, it may have been a “fix” for the washed out reverb that happens on Fender amps above 4, generally speaking. I had never thought of that one, so there again, someone knew what they were doing, electronically speaking…. “

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categories / Headstrong amps, Guitar amps, Fender amplifiers, Boutique amps, Vintage amp repair
tags / hand made amps, amp repair, Fender princeton, Fender amps, Fender amp repair, Vintage amps, Vintage fender amps, 1977 Princeton Reverb, Fender princeton reverb

What are the differences between the Lil King and Lil King S?

February 14, 2023  /  Headstrong Wayne


…and what’s this I hear about a Lil King X?

First let’s start with the Lil King…first built in 2004, at that time, there were NO Princeton Reverb Chassis available in the boutique amp supply chain, and I know this because the few big companies that were around back then did not have one yet…I am sure someone, some where probably had a few made or bent and welded one themselves, but for someone looking to produce a replica on the fledgling boutique amp market like myself, there was nothing out there. I had an old silver face PR and had a company blueprint the metal work and produce them for me. Several LONG months later it was done and by late 2004 I had the FIRST Lil King built and ready to send to David Wilson (RIP) of The Tonequest Report for review. Back then I had to build and sell these things so I could pay for the parts to build more. (I have a story about how I got the very first Lil King back…YES, I sold the first one to buy the parts for more!!) One of the great things about replicating after years of playing these old Fenders was that prototyping was not nearly as important as when you build something that is tweaked or completely NEW in design. That, as you know, is not something I do, I build replicas, “flaws” and all! I did not borrow ANY money to start Headstrong, it was literally amp to amp back then.

The Lil King is a faithful reproduction of the AA1164 Black Panel Princeton Reverb, and at that time, trust me there was NO ONE building these for the commercial market. I did not tweak anything in the circuit to change the bass response or clean it up etc. Just built this thing as close as I could to an old one. Side note, I did side by side tests of a few GOOD vintage examples that I had access to, as you know there can be a huge variance in these old amps…Some sound good or great while others are just off for a variety of reasons.

The Lil King Reverb is built around one of the GOOD vintage examples and after nearly 20 years and 700 ( I am building chassis no. 700 this week for Deke Dickerson) of the stock Lil King amps of which I have personally wired EVERY ONE, I am confident that its as close as it gets…Not saying it is better than anyone else’s take, just as close as it gets!

The idea for the Lil King-S (the S stands for “Souped up” or “Stage” ) came in 2009 after several years of building the Lil King and people asking me about beefing the amp up or tightening the bottom end. There are a few popular Princeton Reverb Mods out there as you know, but I wanted to take it further…This is one of the few times in the 20 years I have been building amps that I even considered doing this. To me one of the main reasons Princeton Reverb’s sound the way they do is the Phase Inverter (read the Blog, “why do the Princeton Reverb and Deluxe Reverb amps sound so different” for more on this) I wanted to keep that, otherwise I am building a single channel Deluxe Reverb basically. I wanted all that sag to happen like a Princeton, but much louder and cleaner on the way to that point. I boosted the PI voltages by using the untapped leg of the Filter cap can, bumped some voltages in other places, but mainly…I had a HUGE Princeton Sized Power transformer built AND a 35 watt Output transformer built with a special primary impedance so that it would handle a variety of power tubes. It was my thought that is I beefed up all of this, but kept the PI the same, the amp would land at about 25 watts with 6L6 tubes. SO the main difference in the stock Lil King (black panel Princeton reverb AA1164) and the Lil King S is the transformer set and higher voltages across the board…The effect of this has also been explained in previous Blog posts, so please check those out if you are so inclined!

Lil King S (left) and stock Lil King (right) power transformers built to my spec by Heyboer

The Lil King-X…Well that is what I call a “flex” model between the two amps. There is a significant amount of room between the Lil King and at the Lil King-S, so over the years I have talked to so many people about what they wanted out of the amp I was building for them, that the X took shape. Charlie Hunter was one of the first to have one built. He had several Lil King and Lil King S amps, but sometimes there was too big of a gap between them for certain rooms. The X can be many things…The one I just built for JD Simo, is Lil King S power transformer, Deluxe reverb output transformer, it will run 6V6 or 6L6s, for 18-22 watts. PI voltages were raised, but pre amp voltages were kept close to the stock AA1164 readings. I have done so many different versions of this to achieve what someone wants…stock LK power transformer with a Deluxe reverb output to juice it just a little, Lil King S power transformer with stock Princeton Output and 6V6s…a ton of voltage mods to clean or brighten…It is virtually endless.

I personally prefer the stock versions of both, but there have been some cool variations. Rest assured, this is not nearly as complex or vast as it seems, these are finite incremental changes, some of which are so subtle, only guys like JD and Charlie Hunter can really tell the difference…subtle changes to mids, volume, headroom, and compression…these are guys that are TRUE MASTERS of what they do and have done it for so long, they can hear these little 1-5% changes….Not to discourage anyone from exploring this, but lets not over think this thing…Call me and I can walk you through some of this…it is not something that you should obsess over, I can get you where you need to be based on the information you provide.

Lil King-S (left) and Lil King (right) Output transformers built to my specs by Heyboer

Between the Lil King, the Lil King-X and the Lil King-S, I have built almost 1000 chassis, so I have heard most if not all of it at this point…There is a reason guys call me about this circuit…And I am not one to brag, but I do think I have earned the right to consider myself a bit of an authority on the Princeton Reverb and what makes them sound so good!

I hope you enjoyed this latest 5 AM rant! Time to get to work on Lil King No.700!!

Thanks for reading!!

As always, you can call or email me ANY time with questions and feel free to comment below!

Wayne

4 Comments
categories / Guitar amps, Fender amplifiers, Headstrong amps, Hand wired amps
tags / princeton reverb amp, Fender princeton, Fender amps, Vintage fender amps, Vintage amps, JD simo, Charlie Hunter, building tube amps, Tube amps, Boutique guitar amps, Boutique amps

Why do the Princeton Reverb and Deluxe Reverb amps sound so different?

January 30, 2023  /  Headstrong Wayne

Did you ever think to yourself, “why do the Princeton Reverb and Deluxe Reverb seem to sound so different?” They are technically both “Blackface Fender” amps, they both have reverb in the circuit…but why is the Deluxe always a bit brighter, cleaner and louder?

The obvious differences between the Princeton and Deluxe reverb amps are wattage, transformers, cabinet size, 10” speaker vs 12” speaker, 1 channel vs 2 channels etc…This article is a bit more granular and nuanced than that.

I will try to keep this on guitar player level tech talk, that is, I will use terms that guitar players use rather than a bunch of terms that amp techs and electronic guys tend to use. I feel that is a strength that I developed early on in my 20 year building career. Not alienating guitar players with a bunch of technical talk…Sometimes guys with a more electronic based background, who lack knowledge of the tone terms (as well as dealing with an eccentric group of people) we like to use a players, can get a little defensive and throw a bunch of big words at you…I prefer to use the vernacular that the players use and bridge the gap between the two sides of the fence so to speak.

I started as a player who knew NOTHING about why tube amps sounded so good other than, every time I played one, I knew that was the tone! Communicating with amp techs (if you could find one) could be dicey and uncomfortable at best. Leaving us wrought with anxiety over how our amp was going to sound when they finished the “work”. Not wanting to offend anyone, was NOT my forte in those days…and I remember a few times the “old guy in the back” gave me that look! How could “I” be wrong I thought, that guy is Full of it I thought to myself!..Yeah man, it was all him!

Fortunately times have changed and there are of course many great options now, but in the 90’s, no internet, no forums etc, you were shooting in the dark with techs.

Now, back to the topic at hand

To me the Princeton reverb still has a foot in the Tweed and Brown era tone. I feel this is due in large part to the Phase inverter section of the amp. In the old days, Fender used what is referred to as a “split load Phase Inverter” meaning that the phase inversion is accomplished by using only half of the 12AX7. The 12AX7 is known as a dual triode…two sides, 3 pins on each side (plate, grid, cathode). Make sense? By only using half of the tube to do the job, like using 3 of the 6 cylinders in your car, it is inherently less efficient than the Long Tail pair type found in other blackface amps, such as the Deluxe reverb and all other BF amps above it. The Tweed Deluxe, had the split load as well. Basically this means the signal is less powerful heading to the power tubes so the sag and break up happens much earlier. Also, to my ear, it is a bit darker and lacks a little of the scooped mid sound of the rest of the Blackface Fender amps above it. The other difference in the Princeton Reverb from other Blackface amps is in the tremolo…The PR has the Bias Vary/Wiggle circuit. This uses the power tubes to modulate the bias to create what I think is one of the most swampy, bluesy tremolo sounds they ever did. This type of tremolo is also found in the Brown Vibroverb, Princeton and Deluxe. (NOTE: It is not to be confused with the only true “Vibrato” Fender did in the Brown Concert, Super, Pro and Bandmaster…That is a completely different beast and I will go over that in a future article. FYI, I will be building that Brown Super this year!) In closing, the Princeton Reverb, to me is still a Brown Princeton, but with the Blackface reverb circuit added. Fender kept the Princeton Reverb virtually the same until the early 70’s barring a few adjustments and general butchering.

The Deluxe Reverb is VERY different from a Brown Deluxe, thus different from a Princeton reverb as well. This is where I feel the real blackface tone people are referencing comes from. Cleaner, brighter, scooped mids etc. The tremolo circuit is also different, Fender moved to the Opto-coupler based tremolo that basically modulates the volume to create the tremolo effect, and to my ears is a little less organic sounding. Still a cool sound, and obviously, used by many legends over the years. They stuck with that circuit on all the other Blackface amps from that era as well. The other difference is the “Long Tail Pair” phase Inverter (both sides of a 12AT7 powered this) making it more efficient, brighter, slightly higher voltages across the amp. The first stage filter caps were also higher than a Princeton so it is a bit tighter. The voltages on the power tubes are significantly higher in Deluxe Reverb amps as well. Some are as high as 470V (JD Simo’s DR is that high at 120v!!!) You often see, “will handle the high plate voltages of a Deluxe Reverb” in some 6V6 power tube descriptions. This is what they mean!

For reference, The Royal Reverb, the Headstrong Deluxe Reverb replica comes in at about 425-435 VDC (Volts DC) @120 volts (AC from the wall). By contrast the Princeton Reverb came in at 400-415 VDC…The Lil King is usually 400-410 VDC range.

Pre-amp gain stage (V1 and V2) voltages are a bit higher in the Deluxe Reverb amps. 170-180 VDC on the plates of the 12AX7 tubes (vs. the Princeton reverb pre-amp plates at 150-160vdc). I think this may be an under discussed topic…The higher the plate voltage on those pre-amp tubes, the cleaner and brighter the sound. The lower voltages, like in a Tweed amp, you get a darker tone…less spike in the notes. Finding a balance between the two is what I try and do when someone wants to tweak the amp a little to their liking. Rather than make these big changes to the circuit, sometimes a small resistor change will get you what you need without drastically changing the tonal character of the amp that you loved. Thus avoiding a case of diminishing returns.

So in closing, the main differences electronically between these two amps is why you may have noticed a big difference in these two amps. Some people may feel, the Princeton Reverb is just a lower watt Deluxe Reverb and that is just not the case. The Princeton will always be darker, softer on the bottom end, less spiky on the top end as well as much easier to carry around to the gig!

I could keep rambling on this topic for days, but I also have to actually build these things! As always, thanks for reading and thank you ALL for the 20 years of support! I still can’t believe this is what I get to do all day!!

Talk soon,

Wayne

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categories / Headstrong amps, Guitar amps, Boutique amps, Tube amps, Vintage amplifiers, Fender amplifiers, Hand wired amps
tags / Fender princeton, Fender deluxe reverb, Deluxe amp, Fender amps, Vintage fender amps, Vintage amps, guitar amps, Tube amps

Nashville Blog: The art of jamming and reading the room

January 26, 2023  /  Headstrong Wayne

On a recent trip to Nashville, I had the opportunity to see and hear some world class music from some world class performers. The first being the East Nashville Guitar Club’s monthly meet up and The Underdog. Here Guthrie Trapp and Headstrong Endorser, Jack Ruch paired up with a stellar rhythm section of Tim Marks and Dave Racine (you’re doing God’s work fellas).

If you are not familiar, this is an idea spawned from GT’s desire to unite and showcase some of, what he considers (I’d say that carries some weight) to be the most talented neighborhood of guitar players anywhere. The house band starts off with a couple of tunes and then rotate in 2 guys per tune (dependent on number of jammers, I assume) that not only get to jam with that rhythm section, but also play through the rigs of GT (amp was a Kendrick build, a higher powered Tweed Deluxe) and Jack (1X12 Verbrovibe aka Brown 6G16 Vibroverb replica)….Not to mention, basically rub shoulders with some of the highest level talent Nashville has to offer…It was one of the BEST jam formats I have ever witnessed.

A little backstory…Blues jams are a great way to get out and play, but the underside of this can be a loud mess, therefore I have not attended one in MANY years. I find them to be self serving, too loud, a bit sloppy, and just really frustrating. It has been years since I was a gigging musician, for many reasons, but one thing I do know is that listening, reading the room, playing WITH your stage/band mates, etc, seems to be something that is totally lost in these settings, at least in my experience. I assume we have all had these things happen to us…volume wars, longer than appropriate solos, stepping all over the others’ sonic footprint/space. This is because as we all know, when most get up to jam, it is usually about what they want too say in a solo, NOT in backing everyone up, or locking with the bass and drums. We all LOVE to solo and stand out, but in my 20 years building amps and working with some of the best in the world, I have noticed one thing about the difference in jammers and pros….EYES and EARS!

When you hear pros jam, they almost always listen first and play second. By that I mean, listen to where everyone on stage is sitting in the mix and finding an area, sonically, where they sit and fit in. GT actually asks the jammers to be conscious of where the amps are set up, how to properly use the pedal boards available etc. In other words, let’s not crank the amps and engage all the pedals at one time, blowing each other off stage and basically taking from the tune, not giving to it. Well his words do carry some weight in the guitar world, so people really seemed to listen and the results were pretty impressive! After this many years of playing and building/testing amps, live shows (I am talking to you Black Crowes) I can only take so much volume before ear fatigued sets in, and since I came for some specific shows (keep reading), I didn’t stay very long…You have to conserve your ears at my age. I had an opportunity to hang with Jack a bit after their set and talk about the next amp I am building for his YouTube videos, I headed out to check in to our condo.

The ENGC meets on the last Sunday of the month (pending schedules) and I think EVERYONE should check these out if given the opportunity…There are some great unknown players in that town…I heard some great stuff and the fact that Jack and GT, as well as The Underdog are providing a place to let players be showcased and to network is so generous and selfless (in a selfish business no less). But to me, even more importantly, learn the valuable skill of listening and playing WITH, not against others on stage is VERY important for that next guy who wants to break through or get a gig touring in a working band.

So, the main reason I went to Nashville other than to connect with and talk to Jack a bit about his next amp, was to see and meet, someone I consider to be one of the best young talents (only my opinion, and I have many) in blues/roots/soul/R&B in a traditional sense, McKinley James.

If you are not familiar, he is worth a listen. He has a Sunday night residency at the Underdog when he is not out touring the world. At 21, he has a sense of tone and feel that few, at any age, do in my opinion. He plays old amps and guitars so he is set up for the proper tone for this type of music, but he seems to really nail the feel and his voice and songwriting are equally impressive…I know, I know, another young blues guy, blah, blah, blah…Trust me, this is not the case and his reach is beyond blues. In fact on Sunday it is a duo with his drummer, Jason Smay (who is also his Dad and a seasoned vet on the kit). This gig had elements of punk rock, garage rock as well as soul and blues. Traditional blues numbers mixed in with his own original tunes, they really have something unique going on. Again, his voice is something worthy of more than one mention. His guitar tone is another discussion! He plays a host of guitars, but his ’61 (players grade) ES330 with Tim Shaw Humbuckers (out of phase) through his 1968 Fender Super Reverb (plugged straight in) is just fat and buttery! He also had an early 90’s reissue Tweed Bassman with the Blue Frame Eminence built Alnico speakers (everyone’s favorite from what I hear) to cover some low end…He also uses a big 147 Leslie powered by the Super Reverb. He has been playing with his Dad since he was 11 or so, this is very evident…Drummers, you need to google Jason Smay…his shuffle is a big slushy pillow of goodness that any blues or roots player would kill for…You blues players know how hard it is to find that in a drummer…(here’s a tip, four on the floor guys! Its all quarter notes down there!) I have not seen Ali, my Fiancé, be that taken in by blues music before, she was blown away by Sunday night, as was I! After many Instagram messages and post likes, I finally had a chance to meet McKinley. He was clearly raised right by his parents…A true gentleman, well spoken, cordial, and just a light happy demeanor….AND a total gear head! I knew we would hit it off! Also on another note…seeing the look on Jason’s face, watching his son play and sing like that? Worth 10X what they charge at the door! You Dad’s can probably relate.

Man, what a night!

Back to the room for a few hours of sleep…We had big plans to do some retail therapy for Ali, and myself…I like clothes and shoes, OK! We live in a small city so the choices are slim at best…and my lady has taste that stretches beyond Mountain wear we mainly see here in Asheville (time and place for everything)

I loved Sunday night and the duo, but I am a DIE HARD traditional blues guy and my friend Patrick Sweany has cultivated an unbelievable scene over the years on Blue Mondays at The 5 Spot! He has put in the work and really created something there! I usually have to go out West or to ATX for this type of thing….NOT anymore! An early 6-8pm set, The Tiger Beats is a rotating band of top notch players, this particular Monday was Jason Smay on the kit, McKinley on guitar and vocals, Dave Jacques on bass (KILLER) and PS on guitar and vocals and overall vibe curator! I Love PS and what he is doing…We are working on a build for him as well

I have attached a picture of his amp settings and a few videos to show you what this article is about…Although a small room, McKinley had is 68 Super Reverb on stage…I did not need earplugs this night…The tone reminded me of early-mid 60’s BB King…fat, LOTS of reverb, and just great feel and note selection! He could have easily blown the room out with that amp…but instead, proper volume, great rhythm playing, GIVING to the song, and what a result. Same with PS, never stepping on any toes, showcasing others while showcasing himself! These are real pros guys and there are tons of videos on YouTube out there!

We have all been to Blues shows, usually TOO loud, way too may slow blues numbers, and the solos…my god man, enough redemption solos…if you blew a few notes in the last 12 bars, live with it and move on….Trust me, the next 12 bars ain’t gonna save you! I speak with experience on both sides of this! We’ve all done it!

So in closing, at your next jam or hang with your friends…

Find the right amp for the room, listen to what the other guys are doing and find your spot…stay there until its your turn to blow….Be a giver on stage, think of music and these opportunities as a charitable cause if you have to, and add to the music and vibe…When you find a group of guys that do this (even in your basement), it is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have as a musician AND as a listener!

Sorry if I got off point on this, but I am prone to rants!

Thanks for reading!

Wayne

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categories / Boutique amps, Vintage guitars, Vintage amplifiers, Nashville Music scene
tags / Nashville, guthrie trapp, Jack Ruch, Nashville Guitar, Blues jams, Guitar amp, Fender amps, Boutique amps, Blues guitar, McKinley James, Nashville Music Scene

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