Hand Wiring a Princeton Amp (Full Build) — feat. commentary by Grammy winner Michael Perez-Cisneros

42 minutes of uninterrupted bench-cam: every solder joint from kit to first power-up, with Mike in a small PIP box talking amps almost the whole time—history, parts choices, serviceability, and why tiny layout decisions change noise and feel.

What you’ll see:

Eyelet board layout, lead dress, and grounding scheme

Wiring heaters, bias supply, tremolo (bias-wiggle) network, and reverb circuit

Soldering technique, strain relief, and tidy harnessing

First power-up procedure and sanity checks

Why small decisions (wire twists, component orientation, routing) change how a Princeton feels and sounds

What Mike covers while you watch:

Build vs. buy economics: why vintage Princeton Reverbs and high-end clones cost what they do—and how a carefully built kit can land you great tone for less.

Transformers (“the iron”) matter: thoughts on output transformer upgrades (Brian Sours / Soursound) and how they shape feel and headroom.

Princeton eras, fast tour: Tweed → Brownface → Blackface (’64–’68) → Silverface; tremolo/reverb differences and why Blackface is the classic benchmark.

Cabinet + baffle talk: pine cabs with thin, floating birch baffles vs. later particle-board baffles, resonance, and why open-back placement matters.

Tubes in 2025: NOS scarcity, modern production realities, reliability, and how to shop trustworthy vendors (plus quick notes on JJ/EHX and microphonics).

Serviceability: why hand-wired eyelet builds are easier to maintain than many PCB reissues (and why PCBs aren’t inherently “bad”).

New here? This is the companion to my main overview/demos video. Watch that for tone tests and the big-picture breakdown; watch this for the nuts-and-bolts wiring session.

Safety first: Tube amps contain lethal voltages—even after power-down. Don’t attempt a build without proper training and procedures.

Parts used :
Kit: https://reverb.com/item/6902314-mojot...
Chassis: https://mojotone.com/products/blackfa...
Cabinet: https://ebay.us/m/I1ia6w
Mic (for demos): https://north-america.beyerdynamic.co...
Speaker: https://jupitercondenser.com/products...
Tubes: https://www.tubeampdoctor.com/en/rca-...
Capacitors: https://www.tubesandmore.com/products...
Other Parts: https://www.tubesandmore.com/products...

Shout-outs: Huge thanks to Michael Perez-Cisneros for the running commentary, and to Mauricio Rivera @prestige.guitarworks for the final touches (including the period-correct Fender badge).

#TubeAmp #FenderPrinceton #PrincetonReverb #GuitarTone #DIYAmps #VintageTone #StudioGear #HandWired #AmpBuild #MichaelPerezCisneros