Brownface Boutique Amp Shootout: Fender '62 Chris Stapleton Princeton, Suhr Hombre & Dr Z Z-28
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- Опубліковано 13 жов 2024
- This is the ORIGINAL Brown Sound!
In today’s video, we wanted to revisit one of the most overlooked guitar tones of all time. The secret studio weapon for countless guitar heroes of the 60s & 70s, the humble low-powered brownface Fender amp was key to nailing many of the great tones we’ve come to commonly misjudge to be much more powerful amplifiers. Truth is, a lot of the time, we were hearing an amp that many would have considered a ‘practise rig’!
These days, there are several options available if you want to dig in to this magical, chewy tone for yourself. Fender have recently released the ‘62 Chris Stapleton signature model Princeton - a pretty dead-on repro of the overlooked reverb-less older brother of the ‘65 gem. This amp delivers on those woody & sweet tones that slot so effortlessly in to densest of modern-day mixes. Suhr’s offering is the Hombre, a heartfelt recreation of one of John Suhr’s personal favourite amps of all time, the 6G3 Deluxe. With modern build quality and a couple of signature Suhr tweaks, this amp offers slightly more flexibility, volume and punch, still in a compact package with a timeless aesthetic. Lastly, we’ve pulled in Dr Z’s Z28 1x10 combo. Punching well above its weight, this little powerhouse offers a different spin on the classic Fender theme, leaning on the infamous EF86 preamp valve to deliver milkshake-thick tone, with a powerful EQ section to add all sorts of character.
If you’re looking for an amp that responds to your guitar like no other, these may be exactly what you’ve been searching for!
Let us know your favourite of the three in the comments below, thanks for watching!
Check them out here:
Fender '62 Princeton Chris Stapleton Edition - bit.ly/3fdKpJr
Suhr Hombre 1x12 Combo - bit.ly/2IOXCMP
Dr Z Z-28 1x10 Combo - bit.ly/2UJ11PG
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After 27 years , my original ‘62 Princeton remains my favorite amp ever
Thank you for not using pedals, this was great.
So true. Hopefully both bedroom and professional guitarists will follow this idea.
@@vintagesoul5146 As someone that owns the Suhr Hombre, good luck turning it up to 4 or 6 without annoying everyone in your home, or your neighbors. It's an amazing amp, but quiet is something it is not. A bedroom guitarist might be able to turn it up with attenuation. They are becoming more common it seems, but still not everywhere given the typical cost for something better than an L-pad.
@@Andy_Yates I just got a 61 Princeton and it is perfect I've been using low wattage amps lately Got a Tone King Gremlin head recently and it's perfect too and plenty loud enough to gig with
The right way to demo an amp. No pedals, No flash shredding. Just hearing the amps tone. I already have a Chris Stapleton Princeton but I enjoyed hearing it played well. Also have a 59 fender Bassman, another great tone amp.
Can't go wrong with a 4/10 59 Bassman It's my birth year amp
That Suhr sounded like something straight off of the first ZZ Top album!
The Hombre really shines. I was more impressed than I thought I'd be.
All 3 are top notch but that Z-28 really has something special to it, sounds so open and rich!
Agreed, I think that about Dr Z just generally. They always sound so open, rich and have lots of harmonic overtones and just a very 3D sound. Always very Zingy too which has now become vital for me in an amp now.
It’s the EF86 preamp that makes it special, like a Vox AC Top Boost. I have an amp like this a 20w Barr NY-made boutique amp with parallel, switchable EL34/6V6 power sections with separate volume controls. A very unique, gainy amp that rocks!
I could never live with the name "Dr. Z."
I've built copies of American amps. Easy.
Anything euro will have that EF86 .VOX, whatever. I bought200 NOS tubes. I gave up. This tube is over mylimit. Nothing sounds better than an EF86 tubed amp. Ill just buy that Dr. Z
I’ve owned 3 Z amps they are amazing… so musical… 3 D - the best amps I’ve ever played through
The best played, documented, musical and precise demos in the guitar community! Well done! Hats off! Those 3 amplifiers are a win. I would go for the Suhr myself. Incredible sound.
Man...that Z28...WOW!
That Fender Princeton is just amazing !
Man...Imma tell you what! Jack, your playin' absolutely brings the best out of these amps. So many tasteful chord progressions intertwined with articulate tone settings. Your insight into these amps is very informative. Cheers from Texas!!!
Ya, right? You definitely wanta get this kid playing your band ... :--)
That's the best clip I've seen/heard showcasing the Z-28.
I would have liked to hear a Z28 with a 12" speaker at the 333 setting. Thanks for the comparison, stellar quality, and playing.
Why they didn't call it the staple-tone, I don't know!
Loved the Dr Z the most with the Princeton coming in at a close second
Now that I've owned my original '62 Brownface Princeton for a few months, I can safely say that the Stapleton reissue gets pretty damn close! I just love how the Princeton gets into almost fuzzy territory, but I'll be back on the hunt for a Deluxe one day lol. Great video guys, cheers!
Suhr...all day, everyday! I have played mostly Fender amps my whole life but the Suhr is really a terrific sounding amp!!
Great amps. Love the simplicity and sound of the Z.
Your demos are top notch and made greater by your fantastic tasteful playing. Keep up the great work!
Wow! All 3 sound amazing. Excellent playing Jack-great touch and tone. I'd happily take any of those 3 and paired with that guitar they sound fantastic.
Z28..........my fav DrZ amp, and one of my fav all time amps...........simple on the outside, but a LOT going on under the hood.........and you’d never believe that was a 1x10! 😎😊👍
Definitely love my Brown Sound amp. Have had a 63' Vibroverb RI for nearly a year and I'm fairly sure its my desert island amp. The only way I'd part with it would be for a hand-wired version.
Agreed Amp comparisons are best dry, no pedals, straight into the amp. Thanks!
Good choice of guitar to demo the raw tones of these 3 great amps, Suhr “wins” for me due to my own requirements, but no losers in this company! Great playing and excellent that there are no pedals involved which allows a true comparison of the amps/speakers!👍👏👏🎶
That first progression you played on the Suhr using the middle position and a clean sound was awesome. Reminded me a bit of Norah Jones, actually...
Killer upload!
This video made me buy a Z-28 -/10” combo. Thanks man.. can’t wait till it comes in.
My first observation, and the characteristic which stayed with me, was the spongy sound - which is a form of "natural" compression (i.e. rectifier tube sagging). It doesn't suit every music style, but it's just right for grungy blues, classic rock or, like you say, the dirtier end of Americana. However, your cleaner demo revealed that the "sag" doesn't happen until you really dig in and whack the strings. This sag is quite different to any compressor pedal on the market, although it's reminiscent of vintage optical compressors.
Amazing amp demos, unbeatable! Suhr Hombre just sounds wonderful clean and bad ass dimed with a humbucker guitar. Love Z's as well, fantastic amps!
Most excellent, Jack! Z-28 was where it be eht, man.
There's no Z-28's on your site so I'm guessing this video has served it's purpose well!! It sounds fantastic and as usual your demonstration of the capabilities of the kit is second to none. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos so informative and not the usual widdly widdle pants.
I take it back, searching on the site brings up the Z 28 but for some reason using the filters doesn't include that model in the DR Z range? Never mind! As you were
Thanks for pointing that out, will have a look into it. Glad that you found it in the end!
If in doubt we try to include links for the products used in the description so keep an eye out there too!
Excellent picking here, no bluesy noodles to be heard. Thank you.
The Z-28 is the clear winner in my opinion. I've owned all 3, still have the Z, as well as a MKII Z-28.
How about the Mesa Boogie CA Tweed. Mine has tons of Brown tones and attenuation to boot. Goes from Champ to BandMaster in a second flat.
It's such a pleasure to watch and listen to your videos. The hands plugged right into the amp for the real tone.
I got the Hombre from you guys a few months back (it sent me down a bit of a Suhr rabbit hole to be honest) . I highly recommend it, fantastic amp. I recommend getting a reactive load box as well at the moment given most of us aren’t getting out playing loud.
What reactive box you reccomend?
@@blam07 Suhr
An embarrassment of riches. So nice. Tx for this demo!
Bloody Brilliant Vid! Love your playing. Thanks!
I just bought this amp second hand for $1200. It arrives on Tuesday. I am so excited.
What is that microphone you guys use on your videos? It always sounds great.
As far as I'm concerned, this guy is the best player on youtibe. Are you in a band? Where can I hear your music? Thank you very much!
I second this!
He is
Like and wish I could try all three, but I own the Stapleton Princeton, so adding a few thoughts: (a) maybe weird to say this, but it sounds great with IR cab extensions, better than all the heads I own, and isolating the handwired amp while quieting the little speaker through an Ox or Torpedo has replaced a lot of my digital modeling in quarantine times; (b) wish the "speed" of the trem had a bigger range, everything above 2-3 is really fast but between 1-2 it's rich and on all the time; (c) it does seem expensive for this simple circuit but for a handwired fender it's comparable to the boutiques in the category and maybe has a brand to carry value later? (d) It can get very loud; and (e) I appreciate Stapleton but don't play his style of music, it's just a great amp
Yeah I thought the Suhr for my tastes, sounded great 👍
The best pure sounds! I love those chops too!
There was something about the Hombre's breakup that sounded like an old transistor breaking up when you turn it too loud but other than that it sounded good. The Dr Z is a little more modern sounding but I like it's breakup, and of course the Fender's cleans are still amazing.
Thanks. Went in thinking the Suhr Hombre would come out on top, with the bigger cab/driver. But actually, I preferred the Chris Stapleton's character by quite a lot. But then, the Z28 really sounded the biggest of the three, by far. And there's Z28 head version, so I think I'm sold on a Z28. To add a classic vintage Fender Deluxe tweed type tone to my arsenal, joining a Marshall ST20H JTM and a Vox AC30. I reckon the Z28 head with a larger 1x12, or even 2x12 Greenback or Creamback cab will sound huge.
Dream guitar and dream amps right here
I'm all about that Z-28!
Suhr for the win! YMMV. 😉
Z~28 my favorite Camaro but the Suhr was Awesome great demo 👍🔥🎸🦅
Wow... 62 Princeton amazing
Volume, Treble, Bass: what more does one need ? Dr Z does it again !
I really like the sag of the Stapleton Princeton when cranked.
Outstanding - thank you. What style are you playing, particularly when on the Hombre? I'd like to explore and learn!
6g2 is fixed bias but sounds squish/compressed when pushed(cathodyne PI design with modest B+ filter),a different animal from the others..The Dr Z is aggressive and wringing,nice tight clear crunch.The Hombre seems to fill the middle ground.All nice amps.
The Dr Z was the winner here!
I was lucky enough to have both amps(Fender and Suhr) as a weekend loan from my local brick and mortar music store. I was looking for a nice amp for my Jazzmaster. I liked em both bought finally bought the Fender which is unsurpassable when in conjunction with a Jazzmaster(i have a niiiice 62)….the tremolo was what sold the amp to me….
Plugged straight in and the tones are epic. You don't need a lot of gain to get a good guitar tone. I wish the kids just starting out would realize this sooner than later.
Why do you wish that? So everything sounds the same? Not everyone likes the "tone" you like. Some (a lot of) People like high gain. if everyone played the same old guitar into the same old amp it would be boring.
@@fixedgear37 The point is turn down the gain to get a better guitar tone. Guitar players just starting out tend to crank the gain to 10, turn the Mids to 0, and leave it there until they go on their tone quest. They often have no sense of where each guy in the band should be sitting int he frequency range and the overall sound of the music suffers.
Guitar is a Mids instrument. Listen to your favorite guitar players for the music you like. Is their tone drowing in reverb, delay, and other effects? Certain genres use a lot of gain. Cool. But you should consider experimenting a little by turning down the gain a bit at band volumes. See if you notice how the guitar sounds clearer and mroe defined.
That Suhr sounds like all the late 60's Woodstock era stuff. Incredible
But the DR Z seems to be the most versatile and spanky. That overdrive 😮
IMO They all sounded amazing, however the DR Z was the meanest, and with a ten inch speaker? Put that through a Z Best 2X12 and bye bye! You’re a great player my man. Love the clips!
man, what en epic demo. nice one
Man the Z really shines when you crank it up!
Great licks, great amps, thanks!
All three are excellent, but I give the nod to the Z for that EF86 preamp. There's just a little something special about that sound. Same for a Vox AC15.
The Z doesn’t crap out at ALL! Sorry they discontinued this model? The Suhr, is really nice, especially with the 335.
If I were a rich man, I’d have a studio full off these kinds of amps...and more!
Dr. Z continues to impress? Great company
You can build one hell of a good sounding Brown Deluxe these days. You can spend more than what the Hombre sells for or a lot less. From a full lineup of Mercury transformers, NOS tubes, NOS Allen Bradley resistors, boutique caps etc to an inexpensive kit.
@@matthewf1979 hear that! Not sure I have the skill set? Playing with the insides of tube amps can be tricky? Love the idea!
Doc is working on an improved V2 including a MV I believe
Nice one, hombré.
Great playing mate 👍🏼
I can’t tell which is more brown on the '62r. The tolex or the power section.
I concur that the vibe of the Suhr isn't quite the same as the Fender, yet it has more wide-ranging tones. Anyway, I suggest that the difference could be lessened by retrofitting slightly 'rougher' sounding valves (tubes), such as Sovtek. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the tubes in the Suhr, or advocating retrofitting different different brands of tube on a whim - I've experimented with so many different brands and variations and I've learnt that there's not really a better or best, inferior or worst; it's about discovering what gets you the sound you hear in your head (or achieves the sound in the producer's mind - which may often be "like [X] or [named player]."
Z 28 is absolutely beautiful tone
I couldn’t give you a flip for any of them frankly 😮
great work as usual
Amazing playing and great amps but that Z 28 sounder stunning
Suhr was the shizzle
Loved the DRZ as well
Man, that Chris Stapleton sounded like it was about to blow up.
Great video content, jacks amazing, the Princeton sounds the best for “that sound” (I own one so I am tainted as a judge), the Z sounds a little Voxish to me at times, but still sounded better than the Suhr. I bet it’s pretty versatile. The Suhr was pretty good, Hope it’s not too pricey. How about the 335 though!
Not my cuppa tea. I'll take that Princeton Fawn everyday.
I would have liked to have heard the normal channel on the suhr as well
Beautiful sounds for sure. 👍
Also, thank you for tuning your guitar with having it in tune all throughout the demo. Lol. Princeton to me sounded the best. I guess they got there first and everybody tried their version which was just a modif ied version of the original
Best Amps Ever! Holy hot damn! And killer playing!
Great tones and great playing!!
great video! need a blackface shootout now
Definitely hearing that the brownface sound falls into it's own spectrum, somewhere between tweed tone and blackface tone - but closer to the tweed side, I'd say. Honestly though, the more I listen, the more like I feel like it falls short of what I like about tweeds and blackfaces, and so, falls short of being a kind of best-of-both-worlds amp. The cleans are just a little too dark for my taste, compared to a blackface (though that could have been because of the humbuckers), and the fully cranked fuzz-like tone also falls short of the monster tone of a cranked tweed. Also seems to be missing that strange thing about tweeds where you can have a full-bore squishy fuzz, but also still hear chimey articulated notes in the treble range (also could have been due to the humbuckers though..).
The Dr Z sounds the grainiest, which may be desirable. For me the Fender has the warmth. Let's not forget that the loudspeaker makes a big difference.
I'd suggest that the "brown sound" - in the context of this comparison, not Eddie Van Halen's "brown sound" (which was coined by his brother Alex, who was referring to a desired snare drum sound and, guitar amp-wise, achieved through "voltage starvation" using a Variac - vary the alternating current) - may be enhanced by the installation of a Tone Tubby speaker, which is made by, wait for it, A Brown Soun' (no 'D'). I did some R&D with Denis Cornell with Eric Clapton's No. 1 Twin (which had vintage Oxford speakers in it) and, to cut a long story short, Eric ultimately specified Tone Tubby speakers - which his mate Carlos Santana had suggested to him if I'm not mistaken. BTW, A Brown Soun' TT speakers are red!
who is this kid? killer chops, my man.
I learned about this era of Fender amps thru Joey Landreth, until him, I was not aware of this lovely amp. I dearly love those, but the prices are way out of my reach.
Joey Landreth is amazing! I hear ya about the prices, but I think the Suhr is actually very fairly priced at 1500$. I mean, that's a lot of dough for the average musician, but reasonable for what you get, especially if you compare it to other brands.
@@JohannesLabusch for 1500 $ it will be great, but here it is like 2200€. Similar to the Stapleton Fender, which sounds much closer to what my heart desire.
@@stanislavmigra Ah, that darn exchange rate, and those greedy importers. Well, in fairness, they probably have to change the voltage to 240, which is not cheap. But maybe you can find a good used Princeton and a magician with a soldering iron ...
I commissioned Lildawg amps to make me a Brown Princeton in a Princeton Reverb box. It has a 12inch speaker, a switch that reduces the amount of Negative Feedback, and with the addition of a 25 watt output transformer it's actually putting out about 16-17 watts instead of the 12ish watts of the original 6g2s. I played $1159 and Absolutely LOVE this lil bugger!!
@@artshaw7079 thats a dream up 👍👍👍
I like them all but I would trade the vibrato for tube driven spring reverb. Who uses vibrato anyways?
Mate, awesome playing
Hey guys was looking at different BF demo's because I just picked up a 61 Princeton tremolo and wanted say it totally blows away the Chris Stapleton...even w the reissue's 12" speaker The 61 Princeton that arrived today is absolutely glorious and the tremolo is WOW It does have a new Weber ten in it but feel a 60 y/o that's been used for that many years has run it's course If it had set in a closet for 60 years well that an exception Brown face amps are something else guys
That Z with a 12 inch speaker would be nice All sounded good but enjoyed the Hombre w that Celestion
damn that Suhr sounded great
I own 4 original Brown Face Fenders and I'd say Dr Z has the best tone.
What mic is that?
Definitely the Hombre for me
All 3 are good. The z stands out.
That Z28 is awesome
Great demo and video. I was just about to pull the trigger on the Suhr but that Fender CS sounds mighty. Too bad, Fender hasn't just made a version of this amp all these years. Crazy that F wouldn't have had the Brown circuit available all these years as a competitor to vintage Marshalls. What were you thinking? Anyway, great playing and great tones throughout.
Princeton: 1x6v6, eminence speaker, 12 watt. Suhr Hombre: 2 6v6 push pull, celestion V type. The Suhr for gigging. Due to the pp it remains fairly clean and upright compared to the Princeton. I really like the cranked Hombre. I havent looked at the circuit but i bet he did something to get a smooth overdrive at higher volume with different cathode bypass caps and resistors and coupling caps. The usual 'marshally' mod. More versatile than the Princeton but was surprised how nice the Princeton crunch was at higher volume levels.
nice playing
I like them all but that Z-28 seems the most versatile , it has something different going on
No Tone king amp??
I really, really enjoy your amp comparisons and playing, Jack and Peach Guitars.
Next time, I'd love to hear a Matchless Laurel Canyon, Cutthroat Audio Down Brownie, and Allen Hot Fudge w/Nuts.
Thanks again for the great video!