View other reviews for this product:
King Loudness « Nice small Fender combo »
Published on 10/31/11 at 19:28The Fender Blues Junior is like a smaller version of the famed Hot Rod Deluxe and Deville amps, right down to the cosmetics! It features 15 watts of tube EL84 power, and it has a single channel with basic EQ as well as a "fat" switch (which pumps up the midrange and gain a bit) and onboard reverb as well. It features just a single speaker and is very portable and light, a definite plus for a small gigging amp. It has a great Fenderesque sound as well which has made it very popular over the years with players of all styles.
UTILIZATION
Getting a good sound out of this amp is pretty easy. It's only a single channel so it doesn't take much to really dial in and get tones happening. The EQ is similar to the other Fender amps I've tried - it's quite responsive and reacts well to subtle or extreme EQ changes. The fat switch in particular is a great thing to have - it allows the user to really coax some more midrange and gain out of the amp to get some more singing tones for lead work. This amp does have a decent bit of gain on tap which is nice for classic rock or fusion type sounds.
SOUNDS
This guitar seems to react well with both Strats/Teles and humbucker loaded guitars such as Gibsons or PRSi. The amp has a very neutral voice that accepts both the brighter Fender guitars and the darker Gibsons equally well. The clean tones are very Fenderesque - rich and warm with a hint of delicious sparkle and chime, especially when using a dash of reverb and a Strat. The drive tones go from very mild gain (think classic rock) to some thicker and chewier overdriven sounds that work best for single note lead work. I find the highest gain sounds get a bit muddy for chord work due to the small speaker, so I'd say it's best for lead work solely.
OVERALL OPINION
All in all I think the Fender Blues Junior is a great little amp for someone looking for a great portable and good sounding Fender amp for small gigs or recording. Many players have used these over the years and they're very popular around the world. They sell for about $300 used which is a good deal considering how good the tones are for the price. It's definitely worth a look if you're in need of a small amp that sounds great.
UTILIZATION
Getting a good sound out of this amp is pretty easy. It's only a single channel so it doesn't take much to really dial in and get tones happening. The EQ is similar to the other Fender amps I've tried - it's quite responsive and reacts well to subtle or extreme EQ changes. The fat switch in particular is a great thing to have - it allows the user to really coax some more midrange and gain out of the amp to get some more singing tones for lead work. This amp does have a decent bit of gain on tap which is nice for classic rock or fusion type sounds.
SOUNDS
This guitar seems to react well with both Strats/Teles and humbucker loaded guitars such as Gibsons or PRSi. The amp has a very neutral voice that accepts both the brighter Fender guitars and the darker Gibsons equally well. The clean tones are very Fenderesque - rich and warm with a hint of delicious sparkle and chime, especially when using a dash of reverb and a Strat. The drive tones go from very mild gain (think classic rock) to some thicker and chewier overdriven sounds that work best for single note lead work. I find the highest gain sounds get a bit muddy for chord work due to the small speaker, so I'd say it's best for lead work solely.
OVERALL OPINION
All in all I think the Fender Blues Junior is a great little amp for someone looking for a great portable and good sounding Fender amp for small gigs or recording. Many players have used these over the years and they're very popular around the world. They sell for about $300 used which is a good deal considering how good the tones are for the price. It's definitely worth a look if you're in need of a small amp that sounds great.