The Fabulous Headstrong Lil' King Amp

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The Fabulous Headstrong Lil' King Amp - Ask Zac 158

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Жыл бұрын

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I have bought and sold at least 10 Princeton Reverb-style amps over the last 30 years. I want to love them, but I hate the way most of them sound really small when dialed in clean with a Telecaster's bridge pickup. And as much as I love my old 1965 Deluxe Reverb amp, there are many times when I wish I had an amp that would hit the sweet spot at a lower volume, and be a bit easier to tote around.
Earlier this year, I was at JD Simo's studio, and he encouraged me to play through his Headstrong Lil' King. I was blown away and ordered one the next day. It arrived a couple of weeks later, handbuilt by Wayne, and it was no less stellar than Simo's amp. I took the amp on a gig 2-days later, and I kept looking back at it during the gig. I played at least half the time on the bridge pickup with a cleaner tone, and the Lil' King produced wonderfully fat tones. After many years of searching, I found my Princeton.
Gear used:
2023 Headstrong Lil' King with 12" Eminence GA-SC64 speaker
headstrongamps...
1957 Fender Esquire with a 1954 neck pickup, and original bridge pickup. Restoration and Aging on the Body by Dan "Danocaster" Strain. Refret by Nick at Glaser Instruments. Both pickups were rewound by Ron Ellis. Pickguard design by Jay & Kristi Smith of Juicebox Designs.
Strings:
D'Addarion NYXL 95-44
Pick:
Blue Chip TPR 35
#askzac #princetonreverb #headstrongamps

Пікірлер: 198

@guitardaze812 Жыл бұрын

Zak please film some of your gigs we would love to see you play more,besides being a wealth of information, your an excellent musician,very sweet amp,the reverb sounded huge, headstrong got it right.

@Marcus_C51 Жыл бұрын

Yes, I second that! Would love to see you onstage, I'm sure it'd be a real treat!

@fivewattworld Жыл бұрын

I love that you’re gigging this stuff Zac!

@cowpunkify Жыл бұрын

I’ve had a Headstrong Santa Cruz for a few years now, I still can’t believe how much I love the amp

@justfine77777 2 ай бұрын

I just saw JD Simo in Springfield Illinois. He had that exact amp with three pedals and a Danocaster. He got every sound you could want. He got clean and glassy to a bit heavier than a ZZ Top Lagrange sound. He sounded amazing. He is JD Simo though. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@fleadoggreen9062 Ай бұрын

What’s a danocaster?

@jamesgrobertson8024 Жыл бұрын

I got a Verbrovibe head off Wayne & had it shipped to Scotland. Indeed the packaging was incredible. And of course the amp is stunning.

@willgoodall6104 4 ай бұрын

Me too with a Lil' King S and its all I have gigged with for the last 6 years. Brilliant amp for me.

@musiccreation1198 Жыл бұрын

The best Tele sounds (to my taste) I've ever heard. Congrats on the new amp.

@charliewesley94 Жыл бұрын

Those Allesandro SC 64 speakers sound awesome right out of the box.

@DKentization Жыл бұрын

I bought 2 of these from a Jazzer in Southern California about 8 years ago. One is a early model S, I believe from 2011 and the other is the 12 watter. Both are smoking great amps. Some of Wayne's component choices were different from his current models but both are wonderful sounding amps...and so well built. Zac, I'm glad that guys like you and JD are out touring with them and spreading the word about Wayne's great creations.

@dalehamon4295 Жыл бұрын

Which one do you like better, if you were only buying one, which one would you prefer

@DKentization Жыл бұрын

I suppose it would be based on the kind of sound you like and the type of gigs you do. I got really lucky in that the guitarist I bought these from was moving to a digital amplifier and didn't feel the tube saturation was important and didn't want to keep the amps. I use the 12 watter more often. The S is more akin to a Deluxe which stays cleaner at the volumes I normally play at.

@dalehamon4295 Жыл бұрын

@@DKentization thank you

@popvultureatx5656 Ай бұрын

I bought one of these second hand years ago and absolutely love it. Not sure if it was ordered this way or not, but mine has a Warehouse G12C/S in it that solved all of the issues I had with a lot of Fender amps. I'm a treble-loving guy, but there was always this painfuul high end that I had to dial out with the guitar tone knob, especially on the bridge with a tele. The G12C/S rounds off the top just a little bit - just the perfect little bit of warmth and mellowness I wanted. Can't recommend this amp enough, especially with that speaker.

@barthrvatin8297 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing Zac! There’s a lot to be said for, “it sounded just like my buddy’s”. Great component selection by Headstrong! 👍🏻👍🏻

@ManchurianCounterweight Жыл бұрын

Hey Zac, just bought a 71 deluxe reverb, inspired by you, and guthrie, and tom bukovac. What a great amp, thanks for making me see the light.

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

Rock on!

@patriksvanangen4445 Жыл бұрын

I have a Lil King S that I think is the best amp I've ever had. I picked it up used in Stockholm. These are rare birds in Sweden!

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

A rare bird there indeed! Quite the catch

@jltrem Жыл бұрын

The only Lil' King I was ever aware of was cream ale.

@Dondini44 Жыл бұрын

This is a King of a channel. Loved Lil Kings. Drank way too many of them.

@bryanfinkell5184 Жыл бұрын

Yeah! Gave me the worst hangovers 🍻

@repat1000 Жыл бұрын

Flashback to High school 😂

@smoochie3331 8 ай бұрын

Things I bought after watching Zac: Raf Mirage, Deep blue delay, Mostortion, Boss Tremolo, Vibrochamp, Headstrong Lil king, Fender Harvard, and Ask Zac Mug.

@AskZac 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for supporting me! Enjoy the mug!!!!

@AdamJohnSwenson 4 ай бұрын

@@AskZac - I love how the takeaway from this was "enjoy the mug." Priceless.

@josephmosesso466 Жыл бұрын

Happy 50th (belated) youngster!

@ThodEssmann Жыл бұрын

I seriously considered this amp but went with the Allen Sweet Spot. Best amp I've ever owned. Build quality as good as it gets. Very similar amps, but the Sweet Spot is more versatile. It has something Allen calls a Raw control. There is an additional tone knob for mids. This works just on the mids until about 3. From 4-10 is takes more and more of the tone stack out of the sound, feeding the preamp signal directly into the power tubes. With the Raw control cranked, the sound is in tweed territory. What sold me though was the lush clean tones, and the reverb and tremolo are just gorgeous. I will be selling my vintage Deluxe. It is just too much amp for me.

@TheMoodyLoners Жыл бұрын

Fantastic sounding amp! That trem is something else. Saw Marty and Fab Superlatives a few years back and both Marty and Kenny were using Princetons on stage and their tone was....superlative. They using some heavily modified models?

@telecasterbear Жыл бұрын

Greetings Zac. So great to hear of your satisfaction with a new product.

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

It's a good one!

@jeremyversusjazz Жыл бұрын

headstrongs are killer…almost bought one after having a terrible experience with a vintage 60’princeton-money pit-seller was someone i knew and he was cool about giving me my money back. after trying the lil h and a whooly coats i went with a fender custom hand wired princeton reverb. never looked back-love it. to be honest I went with the fender because it’s just easier to sell fender and Gibson gear and I move a lot of stuff around but in truth I’ll probably hang onto this for a really long time. It’s a killer little lamp it’s built great I like the fact that it’s hand wired maybe it doesn’t matter anymore but it matters to me!anyhow, headstrong sounds amazing dude thanks for sharing your story. btw yeah the range on yr trem is better than on the pr’s which are kinda always too fast even at slowest setting…

@walterrizotto8668 Жыл бұрын

You can have it modded: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/n8qDaa6Ws9-4dWg.html

@migalito1955 Жыл бұрын

The amp sounds simply excellent.

@conrad-music3922 Жыл бұрын

I’ve had one for four years now. Fenomenal amp. ❤

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

Good to hear!

@rcleon1431 Жыл бұрын

@@AskZacnever try Fender 64 Custom deluxe reverb? If you can do a review will be great

@cptntwang Жыл бұрын

Wow, that amp sounds killer. I recently purchased a Tonemaster Princeton and I am also very happy with it after many years with a Silverface Princeton.

@cpfs936 Жыл бұрын

Man, that's sweet! When I got my Stage IV, it was packed the same way- locked in with bagged foam. Almost 60 pounds, and solid as a rock! "That's not going anywhere!" 😄

@ThodEssmann Жыл бұрын

Richard Thompson also used one to these amp.

@littlerhodyguitar2169 Жыл бұрын

Love finding out about amp builders. Great video thanks Zac.

@BluesboyJagCigarBoxGuitar Жыл бұрын

@JuanHernandez-uq5ld Жыл бұрын

Lol I already have a lil king and you are making me want another one.

@JackTheSkunk 7 ай бұрын

Fine sounding amp. Reverb and trem are great. I think the builder might consider adding a mid control.

@davidbrowning6762 Жыл бұрын

I have a 1976 Princeton Reverb that has a Peavy Scorpion in it. It’s been my core tone since I started playing in the 90’s. Sounds great for my Tele’s, Strat’s, and my Les Paul. But I understand. I tried to love my old AC-15. But I just couldn’t get down with it.

@carolynshulman Жыл бұрын

That amp sounds gorgeous!

@peppers776 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for spreading Tele Aloha Zac! 🌴 the bass has to be off on the Princeton when it’s loud. The floor the amp is sitting on …is the bass (Campilongo). He’s right!

@ericsanders5357 Жыл бұрын

Telecaster Love❤....also, I gotta thank Music for helping me my Anger 💢 issues..(and I have a few)

@concertodue2145 11 ай бұрын

Thank you Zac for sharing your eq settings! My 3rd Power Wooly Coats Mk ii (also a Princeton style amp) with the bass on two or three now finally sounds like a Fender blackface. I didn't dare to set the bass under noon for some reason. I learned from you: Don't be afraid of extreme eq settings.

@jimmyjams1974 Жыл бұрын

I really want one of these.

@matthewf1979 Жыл бұрын

You can do a lot with these old Fender circuits with better grounding and shielded leads in a couple places. A 12” speaker does wonders too. Killer amp!

@tomaszblazejowski735 Жыл бұрын

I have one question. I think maybe you can give me an answer. I live in Europe and that's a problem. I want to buy one of the FENDER 64 Deluxe Reverb or Headstrong Lil' King amps. I can't decide without hearing Headstrong Lil' King live.

@thomaspick4123 10 ай бұрын

How much?

@mooseymoose Жыл бұрын

Happy 50th birthday! I beat you to it by a couple weeks, LOL! Dig the amp.

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@cosmonaut9942 Жыл бұрын

The amp sounds great. My favorite BF Princeton Reverb clone is the Louis Electric Columbia.

@TheHamebusk Жыл бұрын

One of my top Zac favorites...well done!

@vayabroder729 Жыл бұрын

I believe Marty Stuart and Kenny Vaughan use or used Princetons in their shows, at least on the show on RFD TV. Killer tone on this new rig!

@RokinLee Жыл бұрын

What is it about NC? Top hat, Carr, Swart and Headstrong?

@markmcdonald5711 Жыл бұрын

Love my Swart Atomic Jr.

@michaelgranka7904 Жыл бұрын

You sold me on the tone only on the bridge pup. I'm going to attempt this week. Thanks for posting the info on how to it.

@Steck896 Жыл бұрын

What about your ‘62 Princetone Chris Stapleton? Is it the end of a love affair?

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

I have it to. Different flavors

@allenhughes12 5 ай бұрын

That sounds incredible to me. Just what I would want.

@joegorfinkle Жыл бұрын

Great to see this clip. I have two of Wayne's amps and love them; a Little King which he built with Brownface(think Vibrolux) tone controls and his Corduroy(similar to 6g3 Deluxe)..He's a great guy and his amps are the real deal.

@NateTheMeh Жыл бұрын

I’ve got a Tyler JT14 which is that same beefed up black face Princeton vibe. I LOVE IT! And with a 1x12 I can’t think of a better amp to grab and go with to a gig and get incredible tones.

@tommywilliamsjr.697 Жыл бұрын

I just played out my JT14 head last night. Easily kept up with a drummer and sounded just killer!

@kenbash2951 Жыл бұрын

I add a 12 inch speaker and a solid state rectifier to my Princeton's and it really opens them up. They play gigs just fine after that.

@analogblues9606 Жыл бұрын

What speaker did you add? Thanks

@kenbash2951 Жыл бұрын

Neodynium Celestion- I forget the name- costs about $150 weighs 4 lbs.

@stevesuv Жыл бұрын

Long live the Princeton!

@jfinester Жыл бұрын

That Lil King sounds great with your Esquire! I’ve seen the Headstrong ads in Vintage Guitar, but I’ve never heard one of the amps until now. I’ll certainly be checking out the website.

@capefearcapt4679 Жыл бұрын

I briefly considered a Verbrovibe, but just couldn't swing the asking price. They seem like really great amps though.

@jeffbriggs4268 Жыл бұрын

I have a 2018 Princeton blackface and it sounds great especially with my Gibson Special with P90s (this is a very underrated guitar). It's awesome with my Telecasters, too. It sounds good with other guitars, too. I have a Strat and that guitar sounds the best with my Fender Blues, Jr III with a little bit of grit. The Headstrong amp does sound good. Nice review.

@blueyes4766 Жыл бұрын

Another great show Zak! Thank you!!

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

My pleasure!

@Marcus_C51 Жыл бұрын

Hi Zak-always a pleasure to hear you play and wow, was this episode special! That Headstrong Lil' King is so warm and radiant sounding! Then there's the tremolo----the first setting floored me, might be the best tremolo I've ever heard! Or close to it. It's perfect! The other settings were great too. Lovely reverb as well--wow. So nice to hear that after that long ten hour drive you could really enjoy the gig with the amp sounding great. MIght have to try a Headstrong someday, really impressive amps.

@fredderf6208 Жыл бұрын

Have to admit that sounds great. A tele should sound like a tele, unless you’re playing jazz.

@producerman10030 Жыл бұрын

I have a couple of friends that have those. Great amps. Enjoy.

@homeautismtreatment Жыл бұрын

I’ve got one and it’s excellent!

@fivepiece 4 ай бұрын

Great. Just great. Yet another quality piece of gear I have to sit here wanting and not having. :/

@Dave-rk2nl Жыл бұрын

That sounded killer, nice amp. It had some meaty tones there..wow

@michaelruiz3167 Жыл бұрын

All the best to you with your new amp. Happy Resurrection Day.

@briannacery9939 4 ай бұрын

Love that Princeton.

@KevinHowardMusic Жыл бұрын

Have you ever tried a Tyler Jt-14 or Jt-20? Those are my favorite amps in that style. Fantastic tremolo on them, too. Better customer support than I’ve ever experienced, as well. John Brinton makes them, and he’s brilliant.

@edwardmonsariste4050 Жыл бұрын

I definitely want to try that speaker in my Fender amp. The Fender labeled Eminence in mine is fairly harsh in the treble.

@brianbard3410 Жыл бұрын

Buying an amp you didn't need to service anything Is the cabinet pine.

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

It is pine

@miketaylor7057 Жыл бұрын

Very nice Zac. Great sounding amp

@RB-bp5ud Жыл бұрын

Really good sounding amp Zak.

@fiddlix Жыл бұрын

Excellent episode Zac. Kudos.

@deanchenry Жыл бұрын

Great sounding amp. Ever play Dr Z Maz 18? Mine’s a 2007 2x12. Great low volume…but heavy as a twin…

@jeffdixon847 Жыл бұрын

My vintage Fenders get a lot less play since I got a Maz Jr. Mine is the 1x12.

@JHKNVY02 3 ай бұрын

Love the videos but some more playing on this one would have been nice.

@marklarkinsmusic5543 Жыл бұрын

always enjoy the show!

@LUCKYB. Жыл бұрын

Give the 56-60 Base man with 4-10

@mattlongmusic9139 Жыл бұрын

Great video!

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@Winterfell1066 Жыл бұрын

Good review. I know Headstrong makes great amps. I have the Fender Handwired Princeton reissue. Love it. I love my strat, LP custom, and my tiles through it. So... before I think I should have done something else, it would be helpful if you could post a comparison video showing the differences you are describing as you switch between the Fender Princeton and the Headstrong version. I wonder if we could hear it through KZfaq?

@lambert1702 Жыл бұрын

This is supposed to be an exact replica of a mid 60s Fender Princeton. The difference in tone has to be the speaker choice. That's great if it's the tone you want, but it no longer sounds exactly like a real Princeton.

@ensaerodynamics8615 Жыл бұрын

Sounds great Zac, full disclosure nice saying you bought it and how many Prineceton amps you have had.... pointing out the differences. I get it! sounds Great!

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

Yes, exactly

@RUpatton09 Жыл бұрын

Hey Zac. Love your channel. I just watched this video and the one you did with Keith on 5 watt world on the deluxe vs princeton. Not including the headstrong, it seems you prefer a tonemaster for home use due to Princeton or deluxe sounding thin if not turned up loud or modded. If you threw the fender custom 68 Vibro champ in the mix, would you still go with a tonemaster for home use or did you like the new Vibro champ better?

@brianbard3410 Жыл бұрын

Sounds great Zac.

@chrisquinn9104 Жыл бұрын

Princetons seem odd. I owned a ‘78 that was mushy, even though I had it gone through and tried different speakers, plus I tried some others that sounded different from each other. One or two of them sounded amazing though

@brianbard3410 Жыл бұрын

They all are going to be either slightly different or way different in tone and loudness. I had many 60-62 Brown ones a couple of them were huge a couple weren't.

@brianbard3410 Жыл бұрын

When genders switched to plywood cabinet and presswood baffle boards you need reverb.pine cabs and plywood speaker board's you don't need or want reverb.depending on the room.

@chrisquinn9104 Жыл бұрын

My amp never took the plywood pronoun, but if it did I would support it

@chrisquinn9104 Жыл бұрын

But seriously folks, I actually put the ‘78 into a head cab for a while for that very reason, but it didn’t solve the mush problem. My buddy has a ‘78 that sounds much better than mine did, in fact so good, that I sold the brown Deluxe I had. Never figured it out and sold the amp. Right now I use an Ampeg Gemini 1s, or a Tone King Imperial for that stuff. I know, not the same, but some day I’ll find the right small black panel type amp

@brianbard3410 Жыл бұрын

@@chrisquinn9104 Hey Chris I don't know what you mean by the plywood pronoun? Brian.

@enriquemendez1507 Жыл бұрын

Guys please help. What do y'all suggest between a fender frontman, a Princeton, or a champion based on good TONE alone. Effects aren't really important for me. Thanks!

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

Play them all! Choose the one you like best that fits your budget

@balke7935 3 ай бұрын

Zac, would it be safe to say a Black Face Princeton like this gets you in the same tonal ballpark as a Deluxe Reverb with more reasonable volume? I’m in the market for a Fender style combo for use at home and maybe small gigs. It sounds great btw, thanks for all the great encouraging videos.

@AskZac 3 ай бұрын

Yes. Similar tone at a lower volume

@BarryGober Жыл бұрын

Is yours the regular model or the little King s. I have wanted to try one of these and his Verbovibe model for quite awhile but have not run onto either one

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

Reg model 12 watts, but with a 12" speaker

@MariJu1ce Жыл бұрын

Sounds wonderful! been gas'ing over a vintage deluxe reverb for many years now, but still havent found a nice one where i live, maybe ill look into this instead =) or maybe the royal reverb? im afraid of a too small cabinet sounding too small, but it seems like with the Lil king that isnt an issue? =)

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

It sounds plenty big to me.

@j.justinzimmerman9836 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Zac! Been a 2-Princeton R, or a 2-Vibrolux Reverb guy for a long, long, time. I’ve got ta move! Now! If I could afford a Bartel amp, that’d be one thing. But these Headstrong amps are HOT ! Thank you for introducing them to us! JJZ…(°¿.°`)

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

Go for it!

@Prettynoise Жыл бұрын

Zac, now I'm looking to get one myself .😅

@anthonyfigueroa9289 5 ай бұрын

Hey Zac, awesome video! I might have missed it but what do you think about this amp used in combination with effect pedals? I have a fender hot rod deville and it gets the job done particularly when I’m having fun with my pedal board which is mainly built to play 60s /70s rock. Problem is that it’s a lot to move around and I’ve never been super in love with the clean tone I get out of it. What do you think?

@AskZac 5 ай бұрын

I use pedals with mine

@banjosforbreakfast6086 Жыл бұрын

Sounds like music!

@brucerichard2904 Жыл бұрын

How does it compare to the Chris Stapleton Princeton?

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

The CS is louder, and has a lot more midrange. Lil King has verb and less mids.

@andrus108 Жыл бұрын

Love the shirt!

@MARBSTUDIO 2 ай бұрын

If I may ask for as advise please lil king or tone king imperial Which would you choose?

@AskZac Ай бұрын

Lil King

@empathysgone96 5 ай бұрын

Zac, you always bring the best info. Would love your advice. I bought this amp a year ago and I can’t gel with it. It’s a little bassy and muddy. I’m beginning to think it’s the guitar more than the amp. I’m playing a hollow body with filtron humbuckers on the neck and p90s in the bridge. I’m a rhythm guy not much on the leads. Your professional opinion on settings for a rhythm guitarist and guitar suggestion?

@AskZac 5 ай бұрын

turn the bass down, and get it off the floor

@stevehobbs6686 Жыл бұрын

nice sounding amp

@michaelogden5093 Жыл бұрын

Seems like now'a days, paying more money seldom gets you what you want. Glad you got a good 'un.

@goswo Жыл бұрын

Yes, it sounds really good. Really :-)

@giulioluzzardi7632 4 ай бұрын

Magic!

@thedonrizzguitar Жыл бұрын

Killer video! Love your channel

@nicko6710 Жыл бұрын

For me the Princeton sound is a 10". Let us all know how that speaker holds up,

@azcharlie2009 8 ай бұрын

It does sound wonderful! Creamy sounding. But, at $3K, it should.....

@michaelogden5093 Жыл бұрын

What's tube rattle?

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

When the parts inside the tube make noise

@TheStimpy60 Жыл бұрын

Love my Milkman Creamer

@robertbarnes9745 Жыл бұрын

Oh no! What about your ac10?!?

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

It has not seen much use recently

@surfjones22 Жыл бұрын

Hi Zac, I was wondering if you found any benefit in running the lil’ king at 117v or 110v Thanks!

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

I like it best at 117. 110 is too low.

@scotthd2841 Жыл бұрын

Are we not discussing the telephant in the room? That neck, just sitting there. Very distracting. I do like the way that amp sounds, glad to hear that they are made properly!

@AskZac Жыл бұрын

What neck? Ha.....

@vayabroder729 Жыл бұрын

I noticed it too….