65 Princeton & grounded cable...

[Justin Thomas]

Hi everyone,

Usually lurk around here; just recently managed to get regular internet access...

I've got a 95% original PR here. Only things replaced so far are pilot light, footswitch, and reverb pot (poorly).

I'm going to replace all the lytics, 2 or 3 drifted resistors, that reverb pot, and give it a once over. My questions are about the power cord. I've searched the topic and I'd like to leave this as close to original as possible. So, here's what I'm thinking. Seeking opinions or advice.

Enlarge hole if needed & add strain relief for 3-wire cord. Leave courtesy outlet and ground switch in place but totally disconnected - cosmetic only. Any problems there?

Black wire to center of fuse holder, outer lug of fuse to power switch, then to PT. Okay?

White wire straight to PT. Just splice and shrink-wrap? Other method of connecting?

Green wire - tranny bolt okay? Repurpose some other bolt for this? Drilling new hole would be only as a very last resort...

Would it be safer/preferable to use a DPST switch for the power? If so, would the fuse still go before the switch or after? Some newer designs I've seen are using a DPST have the fuse after the switch...

If this was a beater or a build I'd have no issues putting holes or extra parts in it; I and the owner just wants it to be giggable and safer than "turn the plug around." Thanks for any advice & suggestions!

Justin Thomas

[Chuck H]

What you propose sounds fine. SPST power is fine the way you describe. You could run the power cord in at the ground switch hole or make a plate for the courtesy socket hole. That way you can put the amp back to dead stock if you want. Of course, almost no one would argue the merits of proper AC wiring. So enlarging the normal AC cord hole (if needed) should be fine too.

[Justin Thomas]

Thanks Chuck,

That keeps it simple & non-invasive & more original. Thanks for the plate idea - I'll do that to all my Silverfaces that have giant fingerholes where the outlets used to be! "Where's that standby switch? Bzzzzzttt!!!"

Justin

[Chuck H]

With a tube rectifier (or even without one by some arguments) you don't really need a standby switch. But you could always make it the "ground" switch with a dymo label.

[JoeM]

....

I've got a 95% original PR here. Only things replaced so far are pilot light, footswitch, and reverb pot (poorly).

I'm going to replace all the lytics, 2 or 3 drifted resistors, that reverb pot, and give it a once over. My questions are about the power cord. I've searched the topic and I'd like to leave this as close to original as possible. So, here's what I'm thinking. Seeking opinions or advice.

Enlarge hole if needed & add strain relief for 3-wire cord. Leave courtesy outlet and ground switch in place but totally disconnected - cosmetic only. Any problems there?

Justin Thomas

I have a friends PR here for renovation. I put the the 3 wire cord in place of the original, found one that fit without having to enlarge the hole. The ground switch and courtesy outlet are still there too, but just for cosmetics. I only changed the e-caps. The amp sounds great, even though the CC resistors have drifted, none were so far off that I wanted to risk changing them and maybe affecting the tone of this amp.

[Justin Thomas]

Hey Joe,

Thanks for the experience - that's kinda what I was thinking. I have to pull some of yhose resistors out of circuit, but a few read in the 3Meg range in circuit... WAY off for 18k & 100k. Otherwise it sounds pretty good as is after sitting in (climate controlled) storage for six years.

Justin

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

You might have to use a different strain relief clamp... one for round cable not zip cord.
However, look up the difference in an 18g SVT power cord cable and 18G SJT power cord cable... you'll note that one is thinner and will work...
Even though short for my taste, cut the IEC end off any modern computer power cord, and that should work too.
Heat up the plastic sleeve before crushing it with the strain relief and it should pop in any of those old Fender amps using the smaller cable clamp.

[JoeM]

....
Even though short for my taste, cut the IEC end off any modern computer power cord, and that should work too.
....

That's what I used. I find these real cheap at a local church thrift store. (I agree it would be nice if it was longer)

[Enzo]

Even if you buy them new, the IEC cords are usually cheaper than the plain power cords with bare wires at the end. I look for the 8-foot cords.

[Chuck H]

Heat up the plastic sleeve before crushing it with the strain relief

Neat. Good trick.

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

Neat. Good trick.

Although I use one of my heat guns, a hair dryer/blower is good enough
to do this. Don't melt it, just soften it.

[Justin Thomas]

Hi Hi Chuck, Joe, and Bruce,

Thanks for the help and tips! I'm thinking the parts should vome in today or tomorrow; I'll let you know how it goes. I was a bad boy and played it for a while anyway... got a minor zap... and "collectors" worry about originality why? And, why should I take another buzz trying to flip the ground switch? And why should a player have to get up and turn the plug around? Getting shocked sucks. Just do it right the first time. Like R.G. says kinda paraphrased, "Life? Safety? Collectability? Lawsuit? Death? The choice is yours!"

Justin Thomas

[Justin Thomas]

Hi all, just wanted to catch up... Got the cord in - went for a longer better-quality one. I went with a 12' cuz he'd like to gig with it. Hate to say, I did have to enlarge the hole... All new e-caps and cord, quick pot & jack cleaning, sounds really good and not much noise at all!

Here&s something weird - I was playing it last night, and it started making a ticking sound through the speaker. Started pulling tubes one at a time, no change. Change knobs, effects, etc, no change. For grins, swap rectifier tube, problem fixed! Go figure - it wasn't tube rattle like I was used to hearing... this was perfectly timed and the same intensity. I figured the recto tube (Amperex Bugle Boy made in Great Britain, maybe original) may have been on its way out? I know "bad things" can happen if they go, so...

Thanks again for the tips & onfirmation; now it's on to that Bassman 50 that won't cooperate. Someone had "modded" it into a "Marshall," but it sounded like a cracked out mosquito at one end and a gorilla amp on the other... Trying to make it Fendery again...

Justin

[thesynthdr]

I have converted several Fender princeton reverb amps using the info located on this site with great sucess can I also recomend replacing the solid caps with

3 cord rewire link
Install 3 Prong Power Cord On A Vintage Fender Amp | Guitar Files

Jupiter Vintage Tone Red Astron sound fabulous I have used them twice now with fantastic results so close to the original from some one who had owned one first time round.