Hi all. Iām fairly new to guitar and am only halfway through Grade 2 with Justinās course. Loving it so far. I have a hollow bodied electric Eastman and a Spark 2 practice amp but the other day I stupidly plugged into a Fender Tone Master Princeton Reverb. Of course, the tone was lovely and head and shoulders above the Spark. GAS immediately ensued. Am I completely daft to consider such a great amp
when I can barely bar an F chord, or do people think it might be worth investing in a warm, rich sound because it might encourage me to play more? Talk me down off this cliff guys!
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I hate to tell you this but asking guitar players if you should buy gear is like asking an alcoholic if you should buy around of drinks.
If you want the amp, can afford it and arenāt going to end up getting divorced over buy it then get it.
If you like the sound it will most likely make you want to play/practice more.
Just remember youāre getting this advice from someone who has 5 accoustic guitars, a mandolin, a electric piano and a ukulele. 
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When you first heard it, you compared it to your practice amp, and it won. If you go back and try it again, this time youāll be comparing it to the idealised version of it you have in your head. If it wins again, you have to buy it.
PS: My diagnosis is sound because I have GAS immunity 
Yes.
No.
No.
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I ditched my Spark (first model) and have loved not hearing that muddy thing.
You have a LOT of options. If you are thinking of the expens of that amp being ok, then you might want to consider a modeling unit with a clean amplified cabinet. For the same money you would spend on a couple amp heads, one cabinet, and maybe 4-5 pedals, you can get the modeler and clean amp. The benefit is that you have access to many different amp sounds. If you like to play different sounding things, theis makes good monetary sense as well as just being fun.
I bought into the Line 6 gear. I like it quite a bit. It sounds good, is pretty easy to use, and gives me options. I have the Helix Stadium, and the PowerCab 112+. These are overkill for my playing ability and I do not plan to gig, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of the sound and do not expect to need to buy anything new for years. For the price of the amp you mentioned, you caould look at the Stomp and the PowerCab CL. For about $500-600 more, you could consider the Helix line of modeling processors. These prices are for new, and used are certainly on the market.
Comments on Helix Stadium
The Stadium came out in Nov 2025 and is still not complete and mine is full of firmware bugs. I suspect also it had some hardware trouble. It is in RMA right now and I will see if some of the problems no longer exist on the replacement unit.
I feel like Line 6 put this out a bit too early, not having major features they marked the unit with in the firmware even 6 months after shipping. I feel good it will get there, but maybe the thing to look at is the Helix LT or Floor which have been out for years and seem to be really solid. I had one of those before getting the Stadium.
In general, you will prefer the sound of a better and larger speaker and cab over the Spark2. You will want to get one designed for guitar use so it sounds ārightā. A studio monitor or strero speaker will not be quite right.
You probably want to dig around the forum and some shoping to see what folkls here liked and what options you have on the market.
As for being a beginner, I donāt think that has much to do with the purchase. If you know you will stick with playing, then get good gear up front that will keep you satisfied for a long time. I like to buy what I will want to use for many years. I currently have no GAS wishes because I have plenty to fiddle with in any style I wish to play.
have fun. 
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The Fender Tone Master Princeton Reverb is a good amp, a versatile, but around Ā£850 to Ā£900.
If I was going to spend that level of money I would go for a FENDER HOT ROD DELUXE IV 1X12" VALVE AMP COMBO and psh the boat out for another Ā£200. I had one 20 years ago and it was the best amp I have ever, great tone, could use for Blues, Jazz Rock and lovely clean tones. Go and try one before you decide is my advice.
I definitely agree that if youāre looking for an upgrade amp to try a number. I also agree that being a beginner doesnāt really have much bearing on the quality of gear you should get. I understand if youāre just trying it out and donāt know if you will stick with it, you may not want to spend a lot. But on the flip side, even if youāre a beginner, if you enjoy it and intend to keep it up, that you should buy what gets your gears turning (within your budget).
The various iterations of the Fender Hot Rod tube amps are great amps and generally pretty affordable for what they are. I got a Blues Jr. (belongs to the Hot Rod family) and I love how responsive it is to my own playing dynamics. use a soft touch and it responds to that. Dig in and you get a lot of drive and grit out of it. To stay within my own budget, I got my amp used.
It could depend ā¦ do you have the budget, space and a place to accommodate and use a big valve amp?
Before you do buy it, have a think about whether you can play it loud enough wherever you are going to play it, to do it justice.
If you played it in a large room where you could play it fairly loud without damaging your hearing or the relationship with neighbours, but are going to play it in a small flat, you may find yourself disappointed with it at lower volumes.
I donāt really know the Tonemaster series. I have some experience with Fender amps. They seem to require a certain level of āloudā before they sound good. The guitarist in our band has a Deluxe Reverb. He canāt get it above 3 at home and sounds a bit dissapointed with it at those low levels. In the rehearsal room and when heās used it on gigs it sounds great.
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@simon_plays_bass @Richard_close2u the Princeton series of Fender amp are not tube (valve) amps they are modeling amps that simulate the Tone Master series of Fender tube amps.
They have power settings from 12 watts to .3 watts and like all modeling amp sound pretty good at low volume not like a tube amp which needs the volune to get that ironic sound.
I just checked to price and youāre right they are not cheap.
@stitch Agreed. Howeverā¦ā¦ā¦I have a solid state amp (a Simplifier X that sits on my pedal board). I run it into a solid state keyboard amp with (I think) a 12ā speaker. So itās an all solid state (no valves) set up. At the volume my wife wants me to play at (low so I donāt upset the neighbours) , it sounds pretty uninspiring. At higher volumes it sounds great.
My guess (and it is only a guess) is itās something to do with the characterisitics of the speaker, the small room Iām playing in and how our (mine in this case) ears perceive sound.
Did you also try other amps, or was this the only one? Upgrading your gear is a perfectly reasonable step, but you should be checking out a range of options.
Nope.
Opposite. I encourage you to get it! A amp with them tones will inspire you to play more.
Just so your aware. I play a '65 princeton reverb reissue. So my view is prejudiced.
This is something to consider. I told my wife I was gonna get one for a year and a half. The answer was always no. Then one day she said whatever. Within the month I had my '65 prri, w/o divorce. I think I wore my wife down. It is something to consider though as princetons are not cheap in any iteration.
Good advise. Except, instead of hot rod series, which are much different sounding than princetons, try a real tube princeton reverb, reissues are ākindaā affordable. And they do sound different, slightly, than the princeton tone master version. And certainly different than the hot rod amps. Warmer (the princeton) is my best description of the difference between the two.
The budget question is valid. Space and place to put it is not valid. A princeton tonemaster is not a big amp. Actually, itās a rather small foot print for a amp size wise. I keep mine on a shelf. It is also not a valve amp, itās a modler amp (a computer) that simulates one amp, a princeton reverb.
You wonāt have this issue with the tonemasters from fender. They are computers with power scaling that lets you turn it down to bedroom level and still have it sound like a princeton reverb.
Since itās a modler amp, with power scaleing, you wonāt have this issue. Itāll still sound like a princeton at low volume. And wonāt bother others if ya donāt want to.
This is what everyone says. About tube amps. Again, the tonemaster is not a tube amp. fwiw, I have the tube version reissue. I play at low volume so as not to bother the wife. I get away with doing this, and imho, my tube amp sounds just fine. I will agree if I were to turn it up, it would sound even better, but since I canāt, Iāve learned to play it at lower volume and imho, it still sounds like a '65 prri. And no, a tube prri does not have power scaleing. It has one vol. control. Iāve learned to operate it to my satisfaction w/o power scale or a master vol.
This is true.
This is true too. Albeit, it still cheaper than a princeton reverb reissue. But, imho, the real tube amp sounds even better than the tonemaster version. But then again, why wouldnāt it. The princeton tonemaster version is modeling (copying) a princeton reverb amp.
And it is a iconic tone. Weāve heard the princeton reverb amp on many songs on records for years. The princeton amp dates back to the 40ās I think? The princeton reverb dates back to 63ish? Itās a well known, tried and proved amp tone that people like.
Johnathan, imho, your on the right track in persuing a princeton reverb. My only sugestion is to try the tube version reissues before you go the tone master route. You may find you like the tube version even better. I tried both before I bought. The tube version was better sounding than the tonemaster version I thought. And the tone master version was no slouch either. It did sound good. But the tube version sounded better yet , to me.
One last thought. You may want to consider that generally a tube amp is repairable (and tube amps do require periodic service), if need be. Go ten years out from a modeler tonemaster version and parts may not be available for repair. Think of your computer. When it fails, and they always do in the end. Do you repair it, or go get a replacement? Myself, I get a new computer. My amps, I want to be able to have them repaired. That said, keep in mind a new prri does have a printed circuit board. Which could fail. And it could be of issue for me in the future if fender discontinues making my circuit board. The answer to that is a ā64 prri, which is handwired on a eyelet type circuit board. So likely repairable forever, assuming ya can still get tubes. Ya also pay a whole gob of money more, above the tone master or my 65ā prri for this benefit.
Myself. I encourage you to get it. Any version of princeton amp.
After I got my '65 prri, I donāt need another amp. I donāt have GAS for a replacement amp (my prri is 3 years old now). I got the amp I need. fwiw. My '65 prri was my last amp I got. Iāve got 4 now. Two peavey transtube bandits, silver and red stripe, which I love the tones of. A supro blues king 12 which I also love. Itās similar to the fender hot rod blus jr. And lastley the '65 prri, which sounds better yet than what I already like.
imho. Princetons are really good amps. Tried and proved to be great amps over much time, by many people.
The question is, modeler or reissue or hand wired. 
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I bet it still sounds better than a Spark 2 practice amp at the same volume.
I watch a review on youtube about the Tone Master Princeton and with the volume at 5 the guy was sitting right in front of it and it wasnāt much loader than his speaking voice and still sounded pretty good with a strat single coil pick up. He had to turn it down to around 3 with a Les Paul with Humbuckers and it stll sounded pretty good.
Johnathanās Eastman Hollow body would probably sound really good with this amp at low volume. I do agree it is a pretty pricey amp just to play in a bed room or den.
Yeah but you had amps back in the day 
Gotta 'lecky, get an amp and max it !! 
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What does that mean?
If going for a modeling amp, the power settings are really important. My first amp was a modeling amp without power settings or a master volume and at low volumes I would use at home, it just sounded weak and flat. At first I thought it sounded good I guess because I didnāt know any better. But I could never get it set quite right to give me the tone I wanted. I also didnāt really have much ability to adjust it. It was essentially as low as it would go. Any lower and you couldnāt hear anything. Any higher and it got too loud for the space really fast.
Amps with separate āVolumeā and āMaster Volumeā can sound pretty good at low volumes, too. I donāt have to actually play loudly to push my Blues Jr. amp into sounding good.
I speak a bit of Madman, it roughly translates to āif you own an electric guitarā.
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When I started playing acoustic, I bought a cheap amp and it was so bad I hardly ever played plugged in. A couple of years later I visited a friend who had a much more expensive amp and was blown away by how much better it sounded. So I shopped around and found the same model as his, second hand and still spent a lot of money but compared to new got a real bargain.
Iāve used that amp heaps and never regretted buying it. It was worth it. Your mileage may vary.