Headstrong Lil' King Reverb 112 Combo

Price Paid: US $1500.00

Features: 9
I give it a 9 because it isn't for all types of music. You can get fantastic clean tones and very realistic classic rock sounds, but you can't get modern rock or metal. If you are buying this amp then you probably don't want to anyway.

Sound Quality: 10
I am using this amp only for clean tones. It sounds incredible. I am not old enough to compare it to a real Princeton Reverb, but the original ones I have heard at Guitar Center don't sound as good. The reverb is deep enough and it doesn't wash out until it is maxed. The reverb is so good that I sold my reverb tank. The tremolo is also fantastic and authnetic, but I think that a pedal like the Demeter Tremulator or Fulltone Tremolo have wider ranges. This probably is not an issue for old school stuff. I play surf music and I am using an American Fender Jazzmaster => BBE Sonic Maximizer => Fulltone Tube Tape Echo into the Lil' King.

Reliability: 10
I poked around in it and it looks very well built.

Customer Support: 10
Wayne Jones is a great guy. I talked to him before I bought and after I played it and I ordered some more power tubes for it over the phone and got them immediately.

Overall Rating: 9
I have owned a Bad Cat and the new Mesa Boogie Lonestar Special, and I currently own a Carr Mercury, and the Lil' King is the best amp for clean tones. I am sure the distortion is equally as good, but I am a bedroom player and I use the 1/10th watt setting on the Carr for distorted tones. The preamp tubes are EH and JJ and the power tubes are TAD's and the rectifier tube is a JJ. This combination of tubes is great, but I changed out the preamp tubes and rectifier tube for Mullards. I am a tube snob but the TAD's are as close to NOS tubes as you can get, so I didn't bother changing them. I give it a 9 because it is expensive, even though it is worth it.

Submitted by Greg Williams at 01/27/2006 21:46

Price Paid: US $835 used

Features: 10
This amp is an exact replica of a '64 Princeton reverb.
1-Input, Volume, Treble, Bass, reverb, tremelo.
It has all the features that I need in an amp and none that I don't need. 12 watts into a 12" ceramic speaker with nothin' but tone!

Sound Quality: 10
I am using a MIJ '57 strat copy, a Heritage 535 and a D28 with a Sunrise magnetic pickup. My styles are Blues, Jazz and 60's Rock&Roll. This amp is the warmest amp I have ever heard. It makes all my guitars sound better. I use it at home for practice and with a 60's R&R band doing beatles, bryds, stones, kinks etc. It cuts through no problem, and if needed I could always mic it and put it through the PA.
Its just a fantastic sounding amp!

Reliability: 10
I always have a back-up amp and spare tubes with me, but this is a point-to-point wired amp (like the old days) and will likely out last me!!

Customer Support: 10
Wayne Jones the owner of headstrong is very helpful, he answered Emails when I had questions and offers a 10 year limited warranty on his products.
I would not hesitate to do business with him again!

Overall Rating: 10
I've been playing on and off for over 40 years and have owned and played through many quality vintage amps and this is one of the best amps I have ever heard.
I was lucky to find a used one at a super low price, but I would pay full price for a new one if I had to.
I also have an AER acoustic amp and a Kendrick Black Gold 35.

Submitted by Bill at 11/13/2005 15:27

Price Paid: N/A

Features: 10
brand new amp purchased in spring 2005. very simple to operate volume, treble, bass, reverb, and tremolo. one single 12" speaker. my other amps are master volume and channel switchable, one reason I purchased this amp is because it has neither. I also wanted something i could turn up in small rooms, this amp delivers. I have owned other amps with much more in the feature department ie: multiple channels with multiple modes per channel (mesa mark iv) but I will give this amp a 10 because it has exactly the features for which I was looking.

Sound Quality: 10
it sounds like a small fender amp with reverb. I have used this amp predominantly for practice, but I did use it at a gig last week. it was miked and did just fine on stage. the band i'm in generally plays loudly but at this club we are forced to keep the stage level down. at home during practice I will use a strat or tele with vintage syle single coils or a 335 style with humbuckers. on this gig I used the 335 through an anolgman king of tone into the lil king. the volume was on 7 and bass and treble were set at about 7 and 5, reverb around 4, tremolo intensity and speed around 3. got a little loose on the bass when it was set higher but cleaned up nice with a twist of the bass knob. again, it does exactly what I want it to do in this category.

Reliability: N/A
worked just fine at home for three months and on its only gig. right up until the last song. i heard no pop, sizzle, or crackle and did not see/smell any smoke, but my amp stopped working completely. checked the fuse: still intact. turns out the speaker blew. according to the maker one or two out of a batch of 50 of this particular speaker has blown. i got one of the two. I play 15-20 times a year and have never brought a back up amp. I will from now on, not because i feel this particular amp is unreliable but because I, personally, have pushed my luck and have now learned a lesson. hard for me to rate this category so I will leave as no opinion for now.

Customer Support: 10
excellent. I sent an email to repairs@headstrongamps regarding the above situaion and recieved a phone call from Wayne within a matter of hours. I explained what happened and his suspicion was the speaker. I tried the amp through another 1x12" to confirm that the amp worked and called Wayne back. This was last Friday, it is now Monday and he has already fed-exed a sturdier replacement. spoke to wayne for a while about this amp and some of his other plans, very friendly and eager to help.

Overall Rating: 9
yes, i would purchase this amp again. although I would request it with the beefier speaker from the start. It is lightweight, plenty loud but not overbearing like my other amps, and delivers the sound I wanted. I would purchase a different amp if I were looking for additional features. I certainly hope to try one of their other models in the near future. value, like beauty, is subjective. I feel I've received my money's worth and then some.

Submitted by charlie at 06/13/2005 12:13

Price Paid: US $1450

Features: 10
This is a brand new amp made in 2005. Folks it's simple-this is a mid 60's BF princeton,period. I was lucky enough to own a museum quality 65 princeton and foolish enough to trade it to Deacon Fuller. It was the best toned amp I've owned. When I read the review in tone quest I said can it be? I ran down to killer vintage and asked Dave if I could give it a shot. WOW! No foolin'-exact,not close but exactly the tone of of my princeton. Thanks you Wayne at headstrong for giving me back my favorite amp except it's not 40 years old and farting all over the place!

Sound Quality: 10
I play blues so this is the kind of rig I prefer, straight forward,not alot of gizmos just volume, treble, bass, reverb and vibrato.Wonderful reverb that really helps produce those Jimmy Vaughn, Ronnie Earl tones. I mainly use thsi amp with an early 90's cutom shop strat with fat 50's which I think is a nice match.

Reliability: N/A
Reliability....don't know yet-BUT if I was to take a stab at it I would say it will last. There is a 10 year warranty on it and it is point to point built with the finest parts. No problems so far and I don't expect any-Wayne at headstrong seems very nice and I think he will make things right.

Customer Support: 10
Wayne is a player so it is easy to talk to him,in fact that is him playing on some of the videos on his website. He really likes to talk about amps and you can tell he has a real passion for them.He takes the time to answer all of your questions and them some!

Overall Rating: 10
I have been playing for 28 years and I know what I like and don't like. I listen to the T-Birds, James Harmon, Jimmy, Ronnie, Anson,Jr. Watson, Little Charlie and many others. It is company's like Headstrong that are building amps that let us reproduce the sounds of yesterdays and todays players.This is a FINE example of a mid 60's Fender BF Princeton-One of the finest tone machines ever built!

Submitted by Steve Burdi at 06/03/2005 22:52

Price Paid: US $1499.00

Features: 9
Single chanel. This is a sweet version of the Princton Reverb with a 12" speaker wich gives the amp more guts and bottom and Mid's. ALl tube- Hand wired. THis amp rocks in all but the largest settings where a Mike and a 2-10" extension speaker make it work..

Sound Quality: 10
I am a blues player and also back singers etc. The amp sounds good in all settings. I use a Klon pedal and an old Tube screamer to get grit a lower volumns but you can get that great natural distortion when you crank this baby! I use both Strat type guitars and all sorts guitars with Humbukers and while the humbucker definatly push ahrder all sound very good..Lipsticks sound awesome...This is definatly a fender lovers amp!!!

Reliability: N/A
Too early to tell but this is a very very well built little amp

Customer Support: 10
I love these guys..Very responsive and great communication. This is not inexpensive so you really want to feel good service..Terrific....These guys take car of you

Overall Rating: 10
I play aqll sorts of amps from vintage Fender Pro reverb to, Bad Cat, Carr and Allen amps and I like things about all of them. Lil' King from Headstrong is the equal to all hte high end stuff that I have played..WOnderful

Submitted by Matthew Brown at 05/17/2005 08:16