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Fender Blues Junior!

WhittyWhitty Posts: 61
edited June 2005 in Musicians and Gearheads
Hello,

Just wondering/hoping some of you have experience witha Fender Blues Junior amp. I'm in the market for a smaller tube combo (My Marshall JCM 900 half stack is far too large for my current situation). Just wondering how it performs as far as sound quality. I have read review on Harmony Central and am impressed.
Hoping someone can answer my questions:

1. Is the amp too trebly?
2. I like a warmer tone. How does this amp sound?
3. I'm going to be doing some jamming and maybe small gigs. Will this amp cut it with a full band??
4. Good value for the money?

Thanks,
-Mitch
"It makes much more sense to live in the present tense."

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Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    1. it's fine. the EQ on it is pretty flexible
    2. i thought it sounded fine for a small amp. the 12" speaker makes all the difference compared to the 10" in the pro junior.
    3. should be unless you need crystal clean sounds or have an animal on drums. you might get buried if you're playing with another guitarist with a louder amp.
    4. the traynor YCV20 is a better value. better construction, components and flexibility.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    it's brighter than I like however most of that's in the speaker. It's a great little amp, not my favorite but lots of people go a long way with it. I don't like the reverb much either. I really just detest the stock speaker actually. With a better sounding speaker it's solid, especially with a tube upgrade. If the DSL 40 is too loud for you, This will be too, you'll need an attenuator.

    For the money a 2x10 peavey delta blues is more my speed. I also like the simple circuit of the Pro JR. better, you might also try anything else you can find in that category like the Classic 30 or Ampeg Jets or maybe even a used Fender Deluxe RI.

    Definately look into Sovtek too.

    This amp is not really warm unless you swap the speaker.

    You might even find an old silverface champ or Princeton that will do you well.

    Honestly if the DSL is too loud, an old silverface or blackface (if you're lucky) champ or vibrochamp might do you very well. The 8 is a little thin for some people myself included occasionally but it just depends on your situation.

    If fender would dump the reverb, and add the trem circuit from the classic tube line then give it the weber 12 from the tweed twin and load the good GT's they use with the Tweed Twin and new bassman it would be freaking awesome. Hell they could just use the Alnico 10's from the bassman and it would smoke.

    wishful thinking.

    Bottom line, my opinion means shit. Play it, see if you dig it. It's a solid amp for the dough.

    you might try and attenuate the DSL before you dump it.

    http://www.webervst.com

    and http://www.thdelectronics.com are good places to start shopping attenuators.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    I agree that the speaker leaves much to be desired. A swap to something more fitting makes a big difference. If you want it to compare to your Marshall, a Celestion Greenback is a good bet.

    The 'verb isn't great, but it's usable. A tremolo would be cool, but they've already developed the 'verb circuit for the Hot Rod series.

    I'd agree that there are other small tube combos worth looking at. I'd add the Peavey Classic 20 to the list. And it's hard to go wrong with an older Fender Champ. I disagree with Paco, I think the right 8" speaker can sound thick enough, although I have considered adding a speaker-out jack to my Vibro Champ to use external (especially sealed) cabinets. I'd love to get a sealed 1x12" Avatar cab with a Vintage 30 to play it through. But the stock Champ speakers are a little thin.

    Dunno about Sovtek... even the Mig 30's are pretty loud, and they're getting really hard to find. I know, I'm in the market for one.

    If you're going to ditch the Marshall and replace it, I'd look at something a little more classy, like an Orange AD-15 or a Fender Deluxe Reverb RI. But if you're keeping the Marshall and just giving it a younger brother, the Blues Junior is one of a few great options...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    There's nothing wrong with the 8 at all depending on the volume and the room it can leave you desiring a fuller sound. I just prefer a 10 to an 8. One of the kick ass things about the princeton and the vibro champs are the size and weight. Hell I still wish I had a champ but that's just on the long laundry list of things on the wish list.

    The AD-15 is solid, I wish I had a closed back cab for a little more focused sound and sometimes I desire more headroom.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • brain of cbrain of c Posts: 5,213
    i really love this amp. you can't go wrong with it.:cool:
    d'oh!!!!!!

    http://www.myspace.com/brain_of_c
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