It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 3:53 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 16 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 5:21 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 1:11 pm
Posts: 60
Location: Metro Detroit
Hey guys, I did a search here but that didn't really clear it up for me. Looking for info on the non Hot Rod version (I thought), but going to the GC site, all I see listed is the Hot Rod version.

But the one I've read about (the standard NOS), I'd read had a "FAT circuit" and a Jensen (which the HR version says it has on GC website), while the Hot Rod version I thought had the Sparkle Mod and lightning speaker.

Did they just add the Hot Rod moniker to the NOS, or is this HR version a different one from what I was remembering?

_________________
"If you don't know the blues... there's no point in picking up the guitar and playing rock and roll or any other form of popular music".
Keith Richards


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 7:01 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:49 am
Posts: 170
Location: North of Philly
The NOS Blues Junior is a "Hot Rod". All Blues Juniors are part of the Hot Rod Series (Pro Junior, Blues Junior, Hot Rod Deluxe and Deville). The Blues Junior comes in different models which are just different speakers and/or tolex colors. The NOS is Tweed covered with the Jensen speaker. I'm pretty sure that every Blues Junior has the Fat switch.

The latest Blues Junior III has the sparkle mod and Lightning speaker. Other III models have a Celestion 30 speaker or a Cannabis Rex speaker and JJ tubes. But, Fender did not add these "III" upgrades to the NOS Blues Junior... it still is the previous version of the Blues Junior with the Tweed covering and Jensen speaker. You can tell the difference because the new III models have the front-facing black control plate, while the new NOS still use the rear-facing chrome control plates.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 10:00 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
+1 Think Floyd

The Blues Deluxe (BDRI) and Blues Deville (BDvl) are also in the Hot Rod family, and originally the HRs used to be named the "Fat Series". :idea:

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 3:23 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 1:11 pm
Posts: 60
Location: Metro Detroit
Thanks Gents, now I know for certain what my next amp will be! After n this one, maybe a '59 Bassman reissue Ltd...

_________________
"If you don't know the blues... there's no point in picking up the guitar and playing rock and roll or any other form of popular music".
Keith Richards


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 11:09 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie
User avatar

Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:54 am
Posts: 228
Location: Alabama the Beautiful
i've had the FAT (w/o sparkle switch) standard black B'JrIII with the lightnin'bolt for a couple months now, and it's the best sounding small amp i've had of 15 or so.(all different)
my custom tweed/oxblood 2x12 cab came in a cpl days ago, and i'm gathering the necessitys to swap the chassis/reverb tank/speaker into it from the factory cab......already have a nicely broken in Jensen filling the other half of the baffle.

Maybe i'll call it the NOS+....

_________________
You won't hurt its feelings boy, play it like you stole it!
ASPCA We Are Their Voice !
Speaking up for those that can't speak for theirself.....
Proud member of the ASPCA "Guardian Angel" program.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:23 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
shimmilou wrote:
and originally the HRs used to be named the "Fat Series". :idea:


???

The only name I ever recall seeing associated with the HR amps was "All-American Tube" series. Which of course got flushed down the crapper the moment that their production was moved from the USA to Mexico.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 7:41 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
I thought that it was "Fender American Tube" series (F.A.T). And yes, that name was dropped when they moved to Mex. :idea:

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:41 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
We'll split this one, shimmilou.

The phrase "Fender American Tube Series" was in fact used in the '90s-era Frontlines to categorize these amps. But nowhere in the literature does the acronym "F.A.T." appear.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 10:00 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
:lol: OK, I couldn't remember where that came from. I guess that they dropped it sooner than I thought.

Maybe it stands for F'ing Awesome Tone? :lol:

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:07 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
There were a number of other acronyms and designations used during the late '90s that were applied to several forgettable amps, eg: "H.O.T.", "R.A.D.", etc.

Perhaps that's where the confusion stems from.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 4:56 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jun 14, 2007 2:27 pm
Posts: 1242
Location: Grass Valley, CA
I don't know if this is really relevant to the discussion, but this is from the current Blues Junior Owner's Manual:

The “ FAT ” switch provides additional preamplifier
boost adding warm, “Fender American
Tube” distortion and may be controlled from the
top panel or with the optional footswitch.


Interesting that they are still using that terminology considering the amp's origin.

_________________
“All music is folk music, I ain't never heard no horse sing a song.” Louis Armstrong


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:09 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:49 am
Posts: 170
Location: North of Philly
According to a 1999 Fender Frontline catalog, the "Hot Rod" amps (Pro Junior, Blues Junior, Hot Rod Deluxe, Hot Rod Deville) were listed as being part of the Fender American Tube Series. There was also the Vintage Series (65 DRRI, 65 TRRI, 59 Bassman) and the Professional Tube Series (Twin Amp, Custom Vibrolux Reverb, and Prosonic).

I knew that these old Frontline catalogs would come in handy; I wish that Fender still produced them. :(


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:37 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:20 pm
Posts: 9640
Location: Indiana
Good thing that the Professional Tube Series wasn't named the Professional Musician Series. :lol:

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:40 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
shimmilou wrote:
Good thing that the Professional Tube Series wasn't named the Professional Musician Series. :lol:


Damn right!

Only a "Mastercard Maestro" could afford them.

:lol:

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Blues Jr. NOS Hot Rod or not, model confusion
Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 9:41 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:19 pm
Posts: 8827
Arjay, the funny thing is that way back ALL Fender amps were actually professional quality amps, all the way down to the Champs and Bronco's. That's why there's so many still around and not in the landfills.

_________________
Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 16 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  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: