Fender 1964 Princeton Tuxedo Early Pre CBS Excellent

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This 1964 Fender Princeton Tuxedo is dated to January of 1964, making it a very desirable, early example.  The tube chart is a tell of how early this amp is in the blackpanel period - it is a leftover from the brownpanel era 6G2 model, but is stamped NA (1964, January.  The Princeton is a 12-watt, single-channel, tremolo-equipped amp built around a pair of 6V6 power tubes, a 5Y3GT rectifier, and a single 10" CTS speaker — a combination that produces the warm, slightly compressed, harmonically rich clean tone that made small blackface-era Fenders studio and stage staples.

The square pine cabinet in black tolex with silver sparkle grille is all original and rates excellent; the chassis, baffle, and all original knobs are likewise in excellent shape. This is a clean, intact example of one of the most sought-after small-format Fender amps of the 1960s.  This example runs perfectly and sounds just how you want it to.

The Princeton Tuxedo is a transitional variant produced during Fender's shift from the brown/blonde era into the blackface period. The black tolex and silver sparkle grille cloth distinguish it from the standard tweed and brown-era Princetons. The 6V6/5Y3/12AX7 topology in a small open-back pine cabinet is a proven low-wattage design that pushes into natural power amp breakup at manageable stage volumes. The 1964 build date is confirmed by the serial number and component codes. The power transformer (Schumacher, code 606, date 337) and output transformer (Schumacher, code 606, date 349) are both original to the amp. The CTS speaker (code 137-441) is original to the amp and is pictured here.  When I dug into the amp I found a defect in the cone that caused coil rub.  I sent it off for a recone and temporarily installed a 60s ceramic Jensen, also shown in the pics.

I performed some light service on the amp, replacing the filter capacitor can and the bypass caps. The power cable has been updated to a grounded three-prong. The pedal included is new and non-original. Preamp tubes are US made, probably original to the amp. Power tubes are RCA 6V6; rectifier is RCA 5Y3GT. I tested all the tubes to make sure they are good to go.  Tube sockets, pots, and jacks were all cleaned and tightened.  No smells noted. 

SPECIFICATIONS

• Date: 1964
• Where Is Date Noted?: serial#, codes
• Weight: 24lbs 12oz
• Dimensions: 19" w x 16" h x 9-1/2" d
• Watts: 12 watts
• Case/Cover?: no
• Covering Material: tolex
• Covering Color: black
• Covering Original?: yes
• Cabinet Material: pine
• Cabinet Condition: excellent
• Cabinet Repairs/Changes: none
• Cabinet Original?: yes
• Grille Style: silver sparkle
• Grille Condition: very good
• Grille Original?: yes
• Baffle Material: pine
• Baffle Condition: excellent
• Baffle Original?: yes
• Baffle Repairs/Changes: none
• Chassis Material: metal
• Chassis Condition: excellent
• Chassis Original?: yes
• Chassis Repairs/Changes: none
• Knobs Original?: yes
• Handle Material: rubber
• Handle Original?: yes
• Speaker 1 Brand: CTS
• Speaker 1 Size: 10"
• Speaker 1 Manufacturer Code: 137
• Speaker 1 Date Code: 441
• Speaker 1 Cone Code: WS33
• Speaker 1 Cone Original?: ?
• Speaker 1 Condition: excellent
• Power Transformer Manufacturer: Schumacher
• Power Transformer Manufacturer Code: 606
• Power Transformer Date Code: 337
• Power Transformer Original?: yes
• Output Transformer Manufacturer: Schumacher
• Output Transformer Manufacturer Code: 606
• Output Transformer Date Code: 349
• Output Transformer Original?: yes
• Tremolo Or Vibrato Onboard: tremolo
• Pedal Included?: yes
• Pedal Condition: new
• Pedal Original?: no
• Rectifier Tube: 5Y3gt
• Rectifier Tube Brand: RCA
• Power Tubes: 2 x 6V6
• Power Tube Brand: RCA
• Preamp Tubes: 12AX7, 7025
• Preamp Tube Brand: ??
• Potentiometers Original?: yes
• Filter Caps: replaced
• Internal Repairs: none
• Power Cable: grounded
• Accessories Included: none
• Documentation: none
• Smells?: none
• Speaker 1 Original?: yes

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By completing your purchase you are agreeing to this shipping policy. Shipments require signature on delivery, no exceptions. Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely. If there is damage, retain all packing materials intact, photograph them immediately, and send the photos to sales@maharsvintageguitars.com.

Amplifiers: We take additional precautions to prevent common shipping damage. Depending on the amp, this may include removing tubes, pulling the chassis from the cabinet if heavy transformers present a drop risk, or removing heavy speakers that could crack baffles in transit. Reassembly is required on delivery — we label everything clearly. These measures add to shipping costs but reflect hard-won experience. Vintage amplifiers (20 years or older) are sold as-is — all amps are tested in our shop upon intake and again before shipping. We cover shipping damage but cannot be responsible for the failure of vintage components in instruments that are 20 to 50-plus years old.