My dad is an electrical engineer too and he worked in television for 30 years! He has helped me make a couple of mojotone amps and he convinced me that I can make my own PR from a kit instead of buy a reissue.
Great video! This was the first amp I built as well and after building a number of others, I’d say that there are definitely easier ones to dip your toes into the building water with (like the 5F1 Tweed Champ). The Princeton Reverb is quite a bit more complicated, especially with the reverb and tremolo effects, which add additional stages, tubes, and components. In general, spring reverb circuits in these amps are known to be more noisy. I had to go to extra lengths to keep the noise floor on the reverb circuit as quiet as possible. Mine also didn’t make a sound the first time I turned it on. However, having built other amps, that’s not necessarily uncommon and if you delve into a project like this, be ready to really study and learn troubleshooting skills. Learn how to follow the signal path, etc so you can tactfully trace the signal through the amp and where it stops (or isn’t right). Learn how to read a schematic and compare the schematic with your actual wiring before turning it all on. One great piece of advice I saw on one of the amp forums is to print a black and white schematic and/or layout and then color/highlight it as you check against your wired amp. RobRobinette.com has a LOT of excellent information about tube amps in general and specifically some mods you can do to the Princeton Reverb circuit. If you are new to doing this, a lot of it may not really make sense until you experience it first hand and learn (after making a few mistakes in my case). In the end, you’ve got an excellent amp and it sounds great!
I built the StewMac version of the 65 Princeton this summer and I think it may be a rebranded version of the Monotone kit, I took my time and it probably took me two months to get it done. The StewMac instructions were very good but like you I made several mistakes along the way that I found when rechecking my work. I was also missing a capacitor that they kindly sent me. I was pretty nervous when I began the circuit tests after completing the build but everything checked out and it worked the first time I turned it on (I honestly wasn't expecting that). Like yours, I found the reverb to be really intense at higher settings and the tremolo was a bit weak. Thanks to Uncle Doug and Psionic Audio videos I found suggestions for improving the tremolo and also a use for the cosmetic only ground switch. Adding additional .02 micro Farad capacitors in parallel with the .01 micro Farad caps in the tremolo circuit and a 1 M ohm resistor in parallel with the existing 1 M ohm resistor at the output of the tremolo circuit slowed down the speed and increased the intensity and it's perfect for me now. I also put the ground switch to use as a switchable negative feedback control to make the amp more versatile. I absolutely love this amp!! Good luck with yours!
My first build was the Mojotone 5E3 clone and had no issues putting it together. I purchased the cabinet and speaker from other vendors and when it was completed I had an amazing guitar amplifier. This was 5 years ago and it still looks and sounds great. Currently I'm building the Princeton Reverb clone and the wiring diagram is giving me fits. I wish the instruction manual and diagram were more clear. You shouldn't have to guess where the connections are being made. I'm so frustrated the project is in a corner collecting dust until I find clearer resources to guide my progress.
Amp sounds great! Been wanted to build on of these for a while. Thanks for the honest review! I can see how easy it is to miss those connections for the picture! 😳
This is really helpful! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and walk through some great points and observations in such detail. Ive been looking for a review like this since their products caught my eye. Plenty to consider, and if I do take the plunge, this video will be hugely helpful with my approach. Ps. Lego style pictures would be great
I started with a 5f1. Built another one a few years later with a 10 inche speaker, beefier trannies, and a bunch of mods. That's probably my favorite amp of all time. It's just so damn good. It'll take 6L6s if I wanted to play with a drummer, but I like the 6v6 better. I've since built a highly modded 5e3 and mildly modded AB763 Deluxe. Fender amps are the best.
Cool video and I agree, it’s a pain to work from ‘a picture’ and yes, these kits do cut corners on some components. I’ve just finished a TAD kit. Doesn’t come with a manual at all, only a schematic and diagram. So I downloaded Mojotone’s and Stewmac’s instructions and the 60s wiring diagram. Interestingly all were slightly different. Eg. Stokes mod, screen grid resistors, pot tapers, ground schemes… I used the 60s schematic and checked everything following the schematic before soldering. Huge learning curve, but in the end: a successful build. I did add grid stoppers, bias trimpot, used the correct pot tapers, another on/off switch, another reverb cable… Fun project, but next time I’ll order parts to my taste instead of a kit. Tremelo: check your bias. Biasing a bit colder will emphasise the trem. You can also replace a resistor and a cap to improve depth and slow down speed. Rob Robinette’s website has some instructions. Reverb noise: rca jacks on the reverb tank facing the front side of the cab should have the lowest noise.
Started with their 5f1 kit and then the 5f11. I definitely learned a bunch with the champ and the vibrolux was a bit more tricky but both are tweed beauties
The end product sounds great! Sorry you had the experience you did with MojoTone. Unfortunately, my experiences with MojoTone have been similar. I live in Eastern NC about 20 miles from their location in Burgaw, NC. I'd love to do business on a more local level, but for the past several years I've chosen to order from other suppliers.
Sounds like I'm waiting for a Trinity amp kit then. I'd heard some bad stories about mojotone kits and this one seals it. Thanks for sharing, end product sounds good though despite the headaches.
If your tremolo is subdued, you may have the amp biased too hot. Do some research on adjusting the bias. You can change one of the resistors on the bias board or better yet, add a potentiometer to allow infinite adjustability. I run my Princeton Reverb at 18 to 19 mA cathode current and have a very nice tremolo.
thanks for the honest review. seems that unless you're into the building aspect, a used point to point reissue seems to be worth the price to save time.
Going through the same thing right now... building a British 800. But absolutely NO instructions... just a picture and schematic. Even better, the PT has 2 pairs of the same color wires. I had to look up their PT and get the schematic of that. I'm working with Mojo right now with voltages that are not even close to their schematics. However, it does play. That being said, I'd love to build a Princeton next.
At the time I built my Mojotone Princeton Reverb, I also bought a used Fender Princeton Reverb Reissue. The Fender was a bit brighter, even played through the same speaker. I ended up adding a 3-way bright switch to mine just for the option of boosting the treble response. Both are great amps, but I still give the edge to the Mojotone. The speaker can make a huge difference. The Fender PRRI had a Jensen C10R and my Mojotone PR has a Jensen C10Q. It’s shocking how much sound those 10” speakers can push out.
@@mathieulandry2181 I used a Jensen C10Q because that’s what Mojotone sent me in the full kit (you have to order their cabs and speakers separate now). If you want to hear how it sounds I just put out a sound demo video of the amp yesterday: ua-cam.com/video/R0MXePMT4DM/v-deo.html
Hey! The Intro sounds awesome and the playing in general. 😍 is it straight into the amp or did you use any pedals in front? Also which guitar is the black one?
Thanks for the kind words! Played straight into the amp, as we do with most our demo's we try not to muddy people's interpretation up with other things, so straight in! the black guitar in the beginning was a collings 290. Thanks again!
My dad is an electrical engineer too and he worked in television for 30 years! He has helped me make a couple of mojotone amps and he convinced me that I can make my own PR from a kit instead of buy a reissue.
Your dad is cool too. He probably would have made a video about building the amp though. So glad there are still generations out there that get it
Great video!
This was the first amp I built as well and after building a number of others, I’d say that there are definitely easier ones to dip your toes into the building water with (like the 5F1 Tweed Champ). The Princeton Reverb is quite a bit more complicated, especially with the reverb and tremolo effects, which add additional stages, tubes, and components.
In general, spring reverb circuits in these amps are known to be more noisy. I had to go to extra lengths to keep the noise floor on the reverb circuit as quiet as possible.
Mine also didn’t make a sound the first time I turned it on. However, having built other amps, that’s not necessarily uncommon and if you delve into a project like this, be ready to really study and learn troubleshooting skills. Learn how to follow the signal path, etc so you can tactfully trace the signal through the amp and where it stops (or isn’t right). Learn how to read a schematic and compare the schematic with your actual wiring before turning it all on. One great piece of advice I saw on one of the amp forums is to print a black and white schematic and/or layout and then color/highlight it as you check against your wired amp.
RobRobinette.com has a LOT of excellent information about tube amps in general and specifically some mods you can do to the Princeton Reverb circuit. If you are new to doing this, a lot of it may not really make sense until you experience it first hand and learn (after making a few mistakes in my case).
In the end, you’ve got an excellent amp and it sounds great!
Sounds great, good demos too. Cheers.
thumbs up for playing Neil Young with a Gretsch into a Princeton!!
thumbs up for recognizing!
@@kinsmenmusicofficial Like a Hurricane, indeed a great song
I built the StewMac version of the 65 Princeton this summer and I think it may be a rebranded version of the Monotone kit, I took my time and it probably took me two months to get it done. The StewMac instructions were very good but like you I made several mistakes along the way that I found when rechecking my work. I was also missing a capacitor that they kindly sent me. I was pretty nervous when I began the circuit tests after completing the build but everything checked out and it worked the first time I turned it on (I honestly wasn't expecting that). Like yours, I found the reverb to be really intense at higher settings and the tremolo was a bit weak. Thanks to Uncle Doug and Psionic Audio videos I found suggestions for improving the tremolo and also a use for the cosmetic only ground switch. Adding additional .02 micro Farad capacitors in parallel with the .01 micro Farad caps in the tremolo circuit and a 1 M ohm resistor in parallel with the existing 1 M ohm resistor at the output of the tremolo circuit slowed down the speed and increased the intensity and it's perfect for me now. I also put the ground switch to use as a switchable negative feedback control to make the amp more versatile. I absolutely love this amp!! Good luck with yours!
My first build was the Mojotone 5E3 clone and had no issues putting it together. I purchased the cabinet and speaker from other vendors and when it was completed I had an amazing guitar amplifier. This was 5 years ago and it still looks and sounds great.
Currently I'm building the Princeton Reverb clone and the wiring diagram is giving me fits. I wish the instruction manual and diagram were more clear. You shouldn't have to guess where the connections are being made. I'm so frustrated the project is in a corner collecting dust until I find clearer resources to guide my progress.
Amp sounds great! Been wanted to build on of these for a while. Thanks for the honest review! I can see how easy it is to miss those connections for the picture! 😳
This is really helpful! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and walk through some great points and observations in such detail.
Ive been looking for a review like this since their products caught my eye.
Plenty to consider, and if I do take the plunge, this video will be hugely helpful with my approach.
Ps. Lego style pictures would be great
Glad it was helpful!
I started with a 5f1. Built another one a few years later with a 10 inche speaker, beefier trannies, and a bunch of mods. That's probably my favorite amp of all time. It's just so damn good. It'll take 6L6s if I wanted to play with a drummer, but I like the 6v6 better.
I've since built a highly modded 5e3 and mildly modded AB763 Deluxe. Fender amps are the best.
Thanks a lot for this video. Saved me 1,000 bucks 😂
Cool video and I agree, it’s a pain to work from ‘a picture’ and yes, these kits do cut corners on some components. I’ve just finished a TAD kit. Doesn’t come with a manual at all, only a schematic and diagram. So I downloaded Mojotone’s and Stewmac’s instructions and the 60s wiring diagram. Interestingly all were slightly different. Eg. Stokes mod, screen grid resistors, pot tapers, ground schemes… I used the 60s schematic and checked everything following the schematic before soldering. Huge learning curve, but in the end: a successful build. I did add grid stoppers, bias trimpot, used the correct pot tapers, another on/off switch, another reverb cable… Fun project, but next time I’ll order parts to my taste instead of a kit.
Tremelo: check your bias. Biasing a bit colder will emphasise the trem. You can also replace a resistor and a cap to improve depth and slow down speed. Rob Robinette’s website has some instructions.
Reverb noise: rca jacks on the reverb tank facing the front side of the cab should have the lowest noise.
wow! above and beyond on this response, thank you SO much for watching and ESPECIALLY for your insight into the trem and reverb!!
Oh wow! And more "sound samples" at the end, fantastic. Btw, the tremolo part was actually useful to know, Thanks.
thanks for watching Pete!
@@kinsmenmusicofficial I did my best.
Started with their 5f1 kit and then the 5f11. I definitely learned a bunch with the champ and the vibrolux was a bit more tricky but both are tweed beauties
That amp sounds fantastic, your perseverance really paid off.
thanks for watching Jerry!
The end product sounds great! Sorry you had the experience you did with MojoTone. Unfortunately, my experiences with MojoTone have been similar. I live in Eastern NC about 20 miles from their location in Burgaw, NC. I'd love to do business on a more local level, but for the past several years I've chosen to order from other suppliers.
Sounds like I'm waiting for a Trinity amp kit then. I'd heard some bad stories about mojotone kits and this one seals it.
Thanks for sharing, end product sounds good though despite the headaches.
I agree, trinity seems to be way better with the kits. good luck on your build, and thanks for watching!
If your tremolo is subdued, you may have the amp biased too hot. Do some research on adjusting the bias. You can change one of the resistors on the bias board or better yet, add a potentiometer to allow infinite adjustability. I run my Princeton Reverb at 18 to 19 mA cathode current and have a very nice tremolo.
Sounds amazing!
Thanks so much for watching!
thanks for the honest review. seems that unless you're into the building aspect, a used point to point reissue seems to be worth the price to save time.
possibly, but this was more of a passion project with my dad and friends, so there's also that to consider.
@@kinsmenmusicofficial certainly a memory to cherish. cheers
Nice video of you. Could you make one about building the amp? Thanks.
Going through the same thing right now... building a British 800. But absolutely NO instructions... just a picture and schematic. Even better, the PT has 2 pairs of the same color wires. I had to look up their PT and get the schematic of that. I'm working with Mojo right now with voltages that are not even close to their schematics. However, it does play. That being said, I'd love to build a Princeton next.
Thinking about starting with a 5E3?
good luck and have fun!
Try flipping the reverb tank around. You need to change a resistor for more intense trem.
thanks so much for info and thanks for watchin!
Lowering the bias will strengthen the trem since it is a bias wiggle type of tremolo
Cool video! Thanks for your honest review. Did you ever got the chance to compare it to a Princeton reissue?
No unfortunately i don't know anyone local with an actual princeton :0/
At the time I built my Mojotone Princeton Reverb, I also bought a used Fender Princeton Reverb Reissue. The Fender was a bit brighter, even played through the same speaker. I ended up adding a 3-way bright switch to mine just for the option of boosting the treble response. Both are great amps, but I still give the edge to the Mojotone. The speaker can make a huge difference. The Fender PRRI had a Jensen C10R and my Mojotone PR has a Jensen C10Q. It’s shocking how much sound those 10” speakers can push out.
@@BoydTimothy awesome thanks! Which speaker did you prefer and why? I’m currently building a Mojotone PR and bought the C10R to put in it.
@@mathieulandry2181 I used a Jensen C10Q because that’s what Mojotone sent me in the full kit (you have to order their cabs and speakers separate now). If you want to hear how it sounds I just put out a sound demo video of the amp yesterday: ua-cam.com/video/R0MXePMT4DM/v-deo.html
Great tone from my phone...not bad dude
thanks for watchin!
I really like this video, I also build tube amps
Hey! The Intro sounds awesome and the playing in general. 😍 is it straight into the amp or did you use any pedals in front? Also which guitar is the black one?
Thanks for the kind words! Played straight into the amp, as we do with most our demo's we try not to muddy people's interpretation up with other things, so straight in! the black guitar in the beginning was a collings 290. Thanks again!
Why doesnt Mojotone build the amp themselves and do an over shoulder video?
no clue. great idea though.