Amp Woes #2

As I slowly and painfully came to the conclusion that my Reverend Goblin just wasn't going to work I started thinking about other amps I might like to take a look at. My first stop, as always, was at Atomic. They seldom have any vintage stuff but usually can get pretty decent prices on recent model stuff used.

Went to Atomic on Tuesday or Wednesday. They had a decent looking Fender DRRI (which would really bring this whole thing full circle) so I plugged in and started messing around with it. Played it with a Tele for a couple minutes then grabbed a Les Paul. Hadn't played for more than a minute when one of the owners came back and told me he'd just sold the amp! It was really kinda funny, actually.

Any amount of research at all will turn up mixed opinions on the DRRI. For many people it's "good enough" while others find it an abomination. To my ears it sounds pretty good but I'm not trying to compare it to a "real" BF Deluxe -- I'm just looking for something that sounds good. Then there's the whole PCB vs. PTP issue. (See sidebar.)

Next stop was Action Music in Arlington. Lots of vintage amps and guitars. Been there a couple times but never really found anything that suited me AND I could afford. This time they had several things that met those criteria. First thing I played was a 73-ish non-reverb Princeton. Sort of the big brother to the Champ. Love the sound, but not significantly louder than my Champ. Price was decent, around $500.

They also had a 1970 Deluxe Reverb. Cosmetically so-so, nothing to write home about. Sounded great. Couple problems, though. First, it's still got the original 2-prong power cord. Danger Will Robinson! Second, the back panels are missing. Fairly simple to replace for small $$$. Biggest problem was they were looking for $900 or so on it. That struck me as a little bit high. Especially when you consider that my first stop with it is to take it to a tech and have that power cord replaced and most likely a full cap job done on it.

Next up was a 60-62 Tweed Harvard. Small amp but loud. Good tone, but about 2 minutes into it it started making some very odd noises. The sales guy looked quite concerned. Sounded as if the Martians were going to land any minute.

On Saturday I went out to Garret Park; they have a 69 Princeton Reverb for sale. I already knew they wanted too much for it, but I figured I'd give it a shot. It is said to be a bit louder than the non-reverb Princeton; figured I'd find out. Except when I plugged in there was almost no volume at all. Just not my week for amps, I guess.

I *did* get to try a Fulltone OCD pedal while at GPG. Very cool item, if somewhat pricey. More on that another time.