Photo of Fender Princeton 65 and more gear in a amplifier

Fender Princeton 65

$279.99 Price Tier: Budget

4.0 (13)

5 Reviews

Find out who is using Fender Princeton 65

2 community setups

4 wishlisted

21 saved

Page last updated Jun 01, 2026

Pricing and availability

We compare 600+ stores and found this item at 1 store. Prices updated June 1, 2026.

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Reviews

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5.0 (4)

$279.99 2 available Used

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Average Price: $280

Budget/Beginner

$300

$701+

Price Tier

In the Combo Guitar Amplifiers category, Fender Princeton 65 is priced in the Budget/Beginner range. This is great gear to get started with or for creators on a budget.

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Description

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The Fender Princeton 65 is a classic combo guitar amplifier that combines vintage aesthetics with modern performance. Celebrated for its 65-watt power, this amp is perfect for guitarists seeking a reliable partner for both practice and smaller gigs. The Princeton 65 offers a dynamic range of tones, from crisp cleans to warm overdrives, courtesy of its solid-state circuitry and a specially designed 12-inch speaker. Its intuitive controls make it easy for musicians of all levels to dial in the perfect sound, while the built-in reverb and chorus add depth and dimension to your playing. Known for its versatility, the Princeton 65 is equally at home in the studio or on stage.

Equipped with a dual-channel design, the amplifier offers both clean and overdrive settings, each controllable with a simple switch. The inclusion of a headphone jack allows for quiet practice sessions without compromising tone quality. Whether you're a hobbyist or a seasoned player, the Fender Princeton 65 offers a balance of power and portability, making it a trusted choice for musicians worldwide.

Key Features:

65-watt power output
12-inch specially designed speaker
Dual-channel design (clean and overdrive)
Built-in reverb and chorus effects
Headphone jack for silent practice
Solid-state circuitry for consistent performance
Intuitive control panel for easy tone shaping

Product specs

Brand	Fender
Model	Princeton 65 2-Channel 65-Watt 1x12" Solid State Guitar Combo
Finish	Black
Year	1999 - 2002
Made In	Mexico
Categories	Guitar Combo Amps
Built-In Effects	Built-In Effects
Color Family	Black
Direct Output	No Direct Output
Effects Loop	No Effects Loop
Electronics	Solid State
Model Family	Fender Princeton
Model Sub-Family	Fender Princeton 65 Solid State
Number of Channels	2 Channels
Number of Inputs	2 Inputs
Output Power (Watts)	65
Power Tube Type	None
Reverb	None
Series	Fender Dyna-Touch
Speaker Configuration	1x12"

FAQs

Is the Fender Princeton 65 a tube amplifier?: No, the Fender Princeton 65 is a solid-state amplifier, which means it does not use tubes for amplification but instead relies on solid-state electronics.
How many channels does the Fender Princeton 65 have?: The Fender Princeton 65 features two channels, allowing for a variety of tonal options and flexibility during performances or practice.
What is the power output of the Fender Princeton 65?: The Fender Princeton 65 delivers 65 watts of power, making it suitable for both practice and small to medium-sized gigs.
Does the Fender Princeton 65 have built-in reverb?: No, the Fender Princeton 65 does not include built-in reverb, which is a feature that some players may look for in an amplifier.
What type of speaker configuration does the Fender Princeton 65 use?: The Fender Princeton 65 is equipped with a 1x12" speaker configuration, which is a common size for combo amplifiers, providing a balanced sound.
Is the Fender Princeton 65 suitable for using guitar pedals?: Yes, the Fender Princeton 65 can work well with guitar pedals, offering versatility for those who use external effects to shape their sound.

Videos

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Jack Fossett

Fender 65 Princeton vs. 68 Custom Princeton

Jack Fossett

Reviews

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PROS

Nails the blackface Princeton tone
Great clean channel for sterile sounds
Second channel offers classic compressed sound
Control over mids in second channel
Lightweight and portable
Can daisy chain for fuller sound
Affordable for its quality

CONS

Distortion/overdrive can be almost unusable at high settings
Reverb quality is lacking; many prefer using a pedal
Prone to soldering issues, requiring potential maintenance
Speaker may be considered for an upgrade

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Fender Princeton 65.

Use cases and applications

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The '65 PRRI is favored for its versatility in achieving blues, jazz, and rock tones when used with pedals, making it suitable for diverse musical styles.
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A Princeton with a 12” speaker is recommended for indie band performances, as the standard 10” may not provide sufficient presence in a mix.
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Owners note the Princeton Reverb is great for clean sounds and pairing with pedals, but can be too loud for natural overdrive in close living quarters.
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Mods and upgrades

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Some owners recommend using an attenuator, like the Weber Mini-mass, to manage volume levels while maintaining the amp's tonal characteristics.
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Some owners achieve their desired tone by replacing the stock speaker with a 12” Celestion, noting a preference for the fuller sound over the 10” speaker.
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Swapping the stock Ten-30 speaker in the '68 CPR with a 12-inch Jensen can reduce muddiness and enhance clarity.
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An attenuator, like the Tone King Ironman Mini, can help manage volume while achieving amp overdrive at home.
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User experience

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Owners report a transformative experience when using the Princeton, often leading to a renewed enthusiasm for playing and exploring different musical styles.
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Princeton's touch sensitivity significantly enhances playing experience, making every note and touch feel impactful, which some users claim improves their playing.
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The Princeton is noted for its excellent clean tones and compatibility with pedals, making it a versatile home amp when overdrive is pedal-driven.
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Features and functionality

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The amp's ability to enhance pedal tones dramatically is noted, with pedals sounding significantly better through the Princeton compared to solid-state amps like the Katana.
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The '68 CPR's sound is consistently described as having a permanent "muddled" character, attributed to reduced negative feedback, affecting its clean tone capability.
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The Fender Princeton 65 lacks a master volume, requiring higher volume for natural overdrive, which may not be suitable for home environments.
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The '68 CPR is noted for being slightly noisier compared to the '65 PRRI, which is described as "dead silent" by users.
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Comparisons

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The Princeton Reverb is less versatile than the Deluxe Reverb, which is favored for studio work due to its different gain characteristics.
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The '65 Princeton Reverb Reissue (PRRI) is praised for its pristine clean tones, while the '68 Custom Princeton Reverb (CPR) offers a grittier, bass-heavy character, breaking up earlier.
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The Blues Junior is often described as "boxy" sounding, while the Deluxe Reverb offers a wider, creamier tone at home levels.
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4.0 out of 5

Based on 5 Reviews and 13 Ratings

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fabliauvivant

162

over 1 year ago

Pristine Cleans and Great Dynamics

Sounds great as a bedroom/practice amp (volume around 1) and gets painfully loud around 4, so probably giggable. Stock speaker is very decent blue label (better than stock Blues Jr blue label, I’d say). Clean tone is sparkling and crisp. Channel two is decent for edge of breakup tones, but full-on distortion gets dark (almost fuzzy)pretty quickly. You’ll either love or hate the gain channel sound. Overall, fantastic amp for anyone looking for sparkling Fender cleans at decent volume in an easy to transport size.

Roles:

Guitarist Bassist

Genres:

Rock Indie

robert_nolan

530

over 5 years ago

Worth the price on the used market

First things first, it nails the blackface Princeton tone very well for a late 90s solid-state amp from Fender. The clean channel is great for a sterile clean sound, but the second channel is where things get interesting.

While the distortion/overdrive of this amp can be almost unusable when dialed high, kept low gives it the classic compressed Princeton sound, which is exactly how I keep it. You also gain the control of your mids in this channel.

The reverb leaves you wanting something better, unfortunately, though I've upgraded I've with a MOD tank and it's still not fully there. I leave it off for a number of reasons but mostly because I like the sound of my pedal better.

It's a single 12" Fender branded eminence speaker, it's not bad but it's worth considering for an upgrade. I find that the 12" really does give a nice tone that the classic 10" speaker could never touch.

The bad, and minor at that, is that this entire line was plagued with soldering issues, and now people pretty commonly report having to reflow solder in certain areas to mitigate the noise issues. This mixed with the reverb on only increased said noise, thus I leave the internal reverb off to isolate the hum to the lowest it could be... Plus I like the pedal sound better anyway.

This amp is still so much a win, I own two of them because you can use input two to daisy chain them like an older tube amp. They're light weight, sound great, and when you get past the soldering issues they are a thing of reliability that I would never get rid of. Even as a backup amp, one is loud enough, but two is incredibly full sounding.

Roles:

Guitarist Bassist

Genres:

Rock Pop Blues

kkjellquist

100

over 8 years ago

Grab one cheap if you see it!

Best $100 I've spent. Great clean tones and, like I stated, they are dirt cheap! Wish Fender would still make nice solid state non-modeling amps like this.

nanuuuu

129

about 8 years ago

Heavenly cleans!

Do not be fooled by this solid state amp. Cleans are amazingly good and it's lightweight.

gary_x_wei

313

about 10 years ago

Sounded Great

It was a pretty nice little amp and I do regret selling it, just a little bit, hahah.

Artist usage

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David Gilmour

Guitarist

Pink Floyd

Verified via Gilmourish

David Gilmour used a Fender Princeton 65 amplifier while recording "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" in his studio aboard the Astoria boat. The limited space in the boat studio made the compact amp a practical choice, as noted by Bjorn on Gilmourish.

Daniel Kessler

Guitarist

Interpol

Verified via Photo

In the image above, Daniel Kessler can be seen using a couple of Fender ‘68 Custom Princeton. He used these live for much of Interpol's 'Marauder' tour.

Also, in this interview, Kessler mentions using an old 60’s Fender Princeton amp for using within the studio:

"Ideally, if I could tour with my old Fender Princeton 60s amp that I use for recording I would, but unfortunately it’s too fragile and not tour sturdy.”

Interview found here.