Recording Fender Princeton Reverb amp

  • Thread starter Thread starter seanppp
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seanppp

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I have a Fender Princeton Reverb amp and am looking to get a nice rocking sound from it. But so far I've had zero luck. Here's my gear:

Fender Princeton Reverb
ES-335 guitar
Shure SM57 mic
Neumann pencil condensor mic
Pro Tools 7

Any ideas as to what amp settings/mic positions I could employ to get a good rock sound reminiscent of Tom Petty or the like?

Thanks!
Sean
 
Use the 57 right on the grill, maybe 3inches from the cone as a palce to start and move the mic around the speaker.

For the Princeton amps I like lots of highs and lots of volume. Just enough volume to break up, when you strum hard. Cut thr bass some so it doesn't mess with the bass guitar and other instruments. But really you're gonna need play with the settings to get it right.
 
When you say no luck, are you talking about the actual amp sound or the mic sound? If you are not getting the sound you want from the amp no microphone will get the sound you want.

I have recorded a Fender Princeton with a SM57 and it sounded fine.

Here are some tips, I have written this in non-technical terms:

First get the actual sound you want from the amp. Then place the SM57 close to the speaker, start with it about halfway out from the centre to the edge. Moving it to the outside of the speaker will give you less tops and more bass, towards the centre less bass and more tops. When you get it as good as you can, try moving it a bit further away to see if the sound gets more air / room, but with a SM57 it won't want to be too far away. When it's got a good sound, try adding the condenser on another channel, mix the 2 mics together to see if it gets better. You have to check the mics are in phase, you will tell if they are not as the sound will thin out. Try having the SM57 close and the condenser further away, does it get better or worse.

At any point you feel you have the sound you want stop and use it. What I have described is trial and error, it's how I learned to do things, don't be afraid to try anything.

Alan.
 
And, as always with electric guitar - LESS distortion is better when recording.
 
Dear seanppp,

That silly ol' Princeton Reverb is a horrible amp. You don't need it. I will forward my address. You can send it to me to get it out of your way. :)

I had one of those until I was in a tough spot and needed cash. I miss it dearly. (sigh) The info witzendoz gave you was almost identical to the last time I recorded with it, and got great results.
mjbphotos and aaronmcoleman are dead on, too. Real good info here. Post what you end up with, eh?
 
+1. Princeton Reverbs are VG amps. I'd almost trade my Deluxe Reverb for one... almost.
 
Can you possibly post a gtr only clip of what you consider Zero Luck?

Also, please better describe the rocking type tone you're after.
 
Without knowing exactly the tones you're going for, I'd bet a good overdrive/distortion pedal might get you closer to what you want. A quick google search leads me to believe that Tom Petty uses/has used old Marshalls and newer HiWatts to get his tone, both of which have more gain than your Fender. I'm not saying to go out and buy an uber-high-gain thrash machine (step away from the Boss Metal Zone!), just something to push the preamp a little bit. The ibanez tube screamer is quite popular. I personally love my T. Jauernig "Gristle King".
 
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Good advice here.

While I no longer have my Princeton Reverb, I do have a Fender Champion 600 and a Peavey Classic 20 (tweed). You might be surprised at the cool and different tones certain pedals bring to some low wattage amps.
While I love the familiar sounds you can get from a Fulltone OCD and an Ibanez TS9 reissue, I've been pretty surprised at the sounds I get from 90's-era pedals like a Marshall Drivemaster or a Ibanez Mostortion MT-10.
 
If you want a Tom Petty sound getting a Rickenbacker would maybe get you there. I love my 330, it's awesome for clean jangly sounds but also with lots of fuzz.

I think Petty used a 600-series solid body Rick but one of the hollow ones should get you there too.
 
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