It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 12:32 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 40 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Do you know?
Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 6:14 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:10 am
Posts: 48
How would I check the bias on a Blues JR?


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 8:10 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 3:41 pm
Posts: 1257
The Blues Junior is a fixed bias amp... you can't adjust the bias without modifying the amp.

Some people (notable the notorious BillM, who hosts a website dedicated to modding the BJr) believe that the bias is fixed way too hot, and have plans for adding one or more bias pots to the circuit. If you're so inclined, knock yourself out, but I am of the opinion that most Blues Junior problems are best solved by getting rid of the amp and letting someone else worry about it.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:44 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:10 am
Posts: 48
I understand that .I just want to know how to find out what the bias is currantly set at. I know that I cant change it with out some Mods. How do I find out what is set at now.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 10:51 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 3:41 pm
Posts: 1257
You open your browser, navigate to Google.com, type in "Blues Junior Bias" and choose one of the dozens of pages like this one:

http://home.comcast.net/~machrone/bjr/bjbias.htm


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 10:53 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 7:32 pm
Posts: 1384
Location: uɐʇsıʞɔnuɐɔ 'puɐlʇɐlɟ
As Slapchop mentioned, check into Billm's web pages he may tell you how to check it.

The amps with settable bias have a test point to insert the multimeter probe, not sure if an amp with a fixed bias would have a dedicated test point for it..

_________________
Keep on Truckin, Going full speed ahead down the highway to hades.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 1:22 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:10 am
Posts: 48
Thanks for the info . That helped alot. Im sorry about being a little curt in my earlyer post. Ive been sick all week end and had hight hopes of recording over this brake , but ive learned if im not in a good way not to waste the time. It would most likely sound like crap to me in a week or so . Thanks


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 1:47 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
SlapChop wrote:
The Blues Junior is a fixed bias amp... you can't adjust the bias without modifying the amp.

Some people (notable the notorious BillM, who hosts a website dedicated to modding the BJr) believe that the bias is fixed way too hot, and have plans for adding one or more bias pots to the circuit. If you're so inclined, knock yourself out, but I am of the opinion that most Blues Junior problems are best solved by getting rid of the amp and letting someone else worry about it.


+1 And don't get a HRDlx. :D
The problem with modding these amps is generally, it can cause more reliability problems down the road.

Just because BillM says it's biased too hot, doesn't make it so. I've heard his sound clips and this is just my opinion, I think they sound like crap and took away any character the amp had in the first place. The amp was probably designed with a little hotter bias to keep the tone warm. BillM also says you really can't hear the difference in an amp when it is biased too hot or cold. That's just total BS. I can tell if my amp is drifting too cold and nine out of ten times I'm on the money.

Unless you are having problems or are unhappy with the amp, I wouldn't worry about it. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

It's your amp, so it's your decision. If I was truly happy with the sound, I'd leave it be and enjoy it for what it is.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:34 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:10 am
Posts: 48
I think your on the money. I like the sound of the amp and was just wondering what the bias was. It sounds very good on the clean tones. I like some of the distortion sound but only with a strat. The clean with a strat is really good for my ears. Ive been doing this music thing a while and have owned a lot of amps and guitars . I like to think I know what sounds good. Everyone has their own needs. It sounds so good I was wondering if some kind of mods had already been done on it. But every thing looks stock to me and the pcb looks untouched . Hmmmm. some of the best recording tones were done on small amps , Look at Jimmy page. Small amps a lot of the time. Clapton with a champ on layla. Anyway Im very happy with the amp.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:36 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 3:41 pm
Posts: 1257
watchgrow - Nobody in this thread - or forum, I would imagine - thinks that "small amps" are a bad idea, especially for recording.

But comparing a Blues Junior to Clapton's "Layla" Champ is like comparing a Yugo to a '57 Chevy.

And I'm no fan of BillM, mostly because I think pouring money into a BJr. is a fool's errand (I'm qualified to make that call because I was stupid once and did it). If he says you can't hear the difference in biasing levels, then he's full of it: I know techs who bias by ear and check the voltages later. I just posted that link as the first one I found that continued the stock bias numbers for a BJr.

I'm sure the amp is biased hot to sound warmer, just as '63Supro says.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 8:03 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 3:07 pm
Posts: 98
..


Last edited by billco on Sat Dec 11, 2010 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:15 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:17 pm
Posts: 1986
I am no groupie, but it takes a small person to bash someone publicly where they cant defend themselves against hearsay.Thing is , Billm has an email on his site where you can communicate with him and ask him questions or confront him.This isnt the place to do it.The fact that he has never addressed the bashers publicly says alot about him as a person , says alot about the other people too.BTW, i have never had any mods done by him or anyone either.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:46 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 3:07 pm
Posts: 98
..


Last edited by billco on Sat Dec 11, 2010 3:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:01 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
Well said billco. I don't see Billm picking up the warranty on them. It's one guy saying your amp won't sound good unless it's modded. It's total bull. He'll sell you the parts though. It's all void your warranty and line his pockets with cash.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:13 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:47 am
Posts: 15336
Location: In a galaxy far far away
budglo wrote:
I am no groupie, but it takes a small person to bash someone publicly where they cant defend themselves against hearsay.Thing is , Billm has an email on his site where you can communicate with him and ask him questions or confront him.This isnt the place to do it.The fact that he has never addressed the bashers publicly says alot about him as a person , says alot about the other people too.BTW, i have never had any mods done by him or anyone either.


Whilst I disagree with the 'cant hear the diff' between hot and cold biased amps'. I do have to say BillM provides a service for the tinkerer and a good read. His mod's dont strictly stay in the circuit, i was just looking at his princeton jr mod to the baffleboard. A brilliant way to improve a amps sound is to address its speaker housing. The guy provides a service that you dont have to employ and free info that is always good. Ok impressionable people may be suckered in, in some way. Its certainly no worse than the scam fender pulled off by getting people (me included) to buy these amps.

I'm strongly considering stripping mine for parts and rebuilding it on a different circuit. After all, i paid for the parts and a deaf llama could make a better sounding amp just by using the KISS method.

_________________
No no and no


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:27 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:17 pm
Posts: 1986
It takes a real coward to bash someone publicly here, but he supplies his email address on his website where you can ask him questions .His web page isnt dedicated to "quieting the blues jr", its for various mods that he feels improves the tone.He also says that if you mod these under warranty , it will void your warranty.I dont see on his website where he says the blues jr wont sound good unless you do his mods.He addresses what he feels are weaknesses with the amp and offers a solution.Do those solutions improve the amp, I donno, I dont really trust a soundclip, but i know others have been pleased with his work.I honestly dont care what other "amp techs"think of his work.I find the internet very unreliable for info because people can say whatever they want without any proof.If .... said it , it must be true.Like I said, if you have a problem with BillM s mods, email him, this isnt the place to bash someone just because you are sitting behind a computer and feel invisible.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 40 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: