MGR/guitarchitect « Fender Blues Junior »
Published on 12/07/02 at 15:00I purchased my Blues Jr. from a local music store in New Orleans that was closing. It was a black tolex floor model in mint condition but was missing the paperwork (warranty card, owner's manual ,etc.) I tried it out in the store and it sounded GREAT! Because it was the store's last day before closing and with the missing warranty, I was able to negotiate a great price - $250 out the door!
I was interested in the Blues Jr. (nicknamed "BJ" on the Fender Discussion Page) after listening to my brother's BJ bought about a year ago. (We both play guitars in a band together) We played a gig at a small club - he brought the BJ and plugged his vintage Gibson SG into it. It was plenty LOUD with a great, straight ahead tube tone and thick, smooth distortion when overdriven. I was amazed at the sound coming out of the little thing. (Even though I was playing thru a '65 Fender Super Reverb I had to tell my brother to turn down!)I bought one and have liked the single channel design, simple controls and most of all GREAT SOUND! A wonderful practice amp, studio amp or miked gigging amp. And it's small and lightweight to boot!
If I had to list a dislike, I'd say maybe the reverb could be better - it's not very deep or rich-sounding. (I've read about a reverb mod you can do which greatly improves this) I use the 'verb sparingly anyway so this is not a big factor for me.
I also wished I had the blonde tolex/oxblood grille model.
The one I purchased seemed very well-built and solid. But I have read several posts on the Fender Discussion Page that have mentioned screws not tight enough, reverb hum on older models and a few misc. construction complaints. There is also a consensus that replacement of the stock speaker greatly improved the tone.
I think the Blues Jr. is one of the best tube amps Fender makes right now. I have A/B'd it in the same room with Deluxes, Tremoluxes, Twins, etc. and been very surprised at the results. It may not have the power of those amps but the tone is definitely there. I also own a vintage Fender amp collection and my Blues Jr. is the ONLY new Fender amp I have in my arsenal. Go figure? Crank one up and you'll see what I mean!
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
I was interested in the Blues Jr. (nicknamed "BJ" on the Fender Discussion Page) after listening to my brother's BJ bought about a year ago. (We both play guitars in a band together) We played a gig at a small club - he brought the BJ and plugged his vintage Gibson SG into it. It was plenty LOUD with a great, straight ahead tube tone and thick, smooth distortion when overdriven. I was amazed at the sound coming out of the little thing. (Even though I was playing thru a '65 Fender Super Reverb I had to tell my brother to turn down!)I bought one and have liked the single channel design, simple controls and most of all GREAT SOUND! A wonderful practice amp, studio amp or miked gigging amp. And it's small and lightweight to boot!
If I had to list a dislike, I'd say maybe the reverb could be better - it's not very deep or rich-sounding. (I've read about a reverb mod you can do which greatly improves this) I use the 'verb sparingly anyway so this is not a big factor for me.
I also wished I had the blonde tolex/oxblood grille model.
The one I purchased seemed very well-built and solid. But I have read several posts on the Fender Discussion Page that have mentioned screws not tight enough, reverb hum on older models and a few misc. construction complaints. There is also a consensus that replacement of the stock speaker greatly improved the tone.
I think the Blues Jr. is one of the best tube amps Fender makes right now. I have A/B'd it in the same room with Deluxes, Tremoluxes, Twins, etc. and been very surprised at the results. It may not have the power of those amps but the tone is definitely there. I also own a vintage Fender amp collection and my Blues Jr. is the ONLY new Fender amp I have in my arsenal. Go figure? Crank one up and you'll see what I mean!
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com