# 90s Fender solid state combos , why do I like them so much ?



## hedzup (Apr 23, 2009)

There is a series of Fender amps that came out in the 90s , which contained the Deluxe 112 plus , Princeton 112 plus etc. Over the years I have owned a few , and they always sound spectacular with my Strat . Nothing else ss ever can come close . I have always sold ir traded them , and then wished I hadn't. I recently grabbed Stage 112 SE combo in nice shape , and there it is again , great Strat tone ! Check one out if you never have , I would take these of any recent ss amps hands down .


----------



## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

I agree. Owned a few of them and very dependable and sound good.


----------



## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Me 3. I've owned a couple, light and a pretty good pedal board.

I bought one when people started showing up with Line 6 amps. I watched them lift their amp with their pinky and still be able to be loud enough. I thought I'd like something like that. But I thought the Fenders were much better sounding and way easier to dial in. 

Blew one up and lent the other one to a friend years ago. Probably never get it back - and I'm OK with that. If it's getting used, that's better than sitting here collecting dust and wishing it was.


----------



## hedzup (Apr 23, 2009)

I know it may be blasphemous, but I would take one over a Blues Jr anyday ........


----------



## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

Amen to that. Fender often struggles with dirty sounds but these amps do it very well. Cheap and reliable too.


----------



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

Are these the red knob amps or after that period?


----------



## hedzup (Apr 23, 2009)

After the red knob I think.


----------



## Guest (Feb 12, 2018)

Do red knobs make a difference?









I have a BXR300 combo that kicks it big time.
I bought a Markbass to replace it, but I can't seem to let it go.
Just sounds so good with every bass that I own.


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I have a red knob M80 that I got new, used it for years without issue.

Pretty good sounding amp to me, the drive channel wasn't even that bad, better than the rk Twin that I had.


----------



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

laristotle said:


> Do red knobs make a difference?
> View attachment 171537
> 
> 
> ...


I heard to steer clear of them. 

I had one. I did that comfortably numb youtube vid with it after botching it so bad in real life, ha. It sounded good with that one setting. It was probably the worst amp I've had outside of my Gorilla.


----------



## StratCat (Dec 30, 2013)

A '92 Deluxe 112 was my second amp after a Sidekick 15.

I would take the Deluxe over to the Uof M on a Friday night and jam in the Wind Tunnel Lab with a couple friends.

Sometimes I would just plug it in anywhere on the 4th floor in the hallway and let it echo down 4 flights of stairs. Good times!


----------



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I've got a Princeton 112 Plus that I've had for about 20 years. Sounds great, never misses a beat, it's light, and I take it to jams because I don't care what happens to it.

I've been sort of noticing the value of those amps the OP mentioned have been slowly creaping up in the 5 years or so.


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

First Fender amp I had was a rental from L&M, a Princeton Chorus, circa 1992 - I don’t know if that’s in the range of amps being discussed, but I remember it as a really good sounding amp with a Strat.


----------



## AlBDarned (Jun 29, 2017)

I had an Ultimate Chorus 212 for a long time. I had been been looking for a JC120 but wound up with the Fender instead. Great amp, insane volume which it could handle staying nice and clean.


----------



## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Yeah I think the Deluxe 112 Plus was my first amp.

It sounded good at home but in a band with another guitarist playing through a tube amp it just sounded washed out.


----------



## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

Some of the 'red knobs' have black knobs.  Sounds ridiculous doesn't it?
But later some of those same series had the same style pointer knobs but in black, and are considered 'red knob' amps.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I sold my '90s Princeton and I can't for the life of me remember why, it was a great amp. Way better than a Laney solid state I had around the same time. Since then I've pretty much exclusively played Traynor tube amps, and happily so. Yet, I like a good SS amp sometimes. I do like my Traynor DG30 though, it's at least as good as the Princeton.


----------



## Frenchy99 (Oct 15, 2016)

Hummm....

I'l have to buy me some red knobs to make my amps sound better !


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Make your dreams come true....

Fender Princeton 112 Plus | Amps & Pedals | Brantford | Kijiji

and...

Fender Princeton 112 Solid State 65 watt | Amps & Pedals | Brantford | Kijiji

I have no idea as to the when these were produced.


----------



## Chitmo (Sep 2, 2013)

hedzup said:


> I know it may be blasphemous, but I would take one over a Blues Jr anyday ........


Wait? That's an original thought? That's not the forum model, we're all suppose to like tubes amps, 50s lesters, 60s strats and true bypass pedals with goop on the circuits. Affordable gear isn't allowed to be good, is it?


----------



## Edjohansson (Dec 13, 2016)

I love my red knob Eighty Five, but I've never owned a tube amp.....


----------

