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Post subject: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:50 pm
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Does the Blues Junior take pedals well? I think I am going to pull the trigger on a Blues Junior this weekend. Specifically, I am looking at using it with an Ibanez Tube Screamer, a Boss DD7 or DD3 delay, and a Chorus pedal. I like the tone of the Blues Junior and it is easily in my price comfort zone. If push came to shove, I could probably spring for a reissue 65 Deluxe Reverb but I wonder if it would be too loud for my little 15 by 15 practice room. I currently use a little G-Dec 3 thirty watt amp that is okay but to me everything in just a little too thin if you know what I mean..


Last edited by truebluefliplover on Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 10:47 pm
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I'm surprised there isn't a steady string of replies saying "get this instead", "get that instead". I have one and love it. For the price it suited my needs. I was happy with the tone (haven't modified it and don't feel the need to). I run a Blues Driver pedal through it and hopefully Santa will be bringing me a DD7 Delay.

If you've played it and like it, (but also compared some other amps), go for it.

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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 10:57 pm
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mhainz wrote:
I'm surprised there isn't a steady string of replies saying "get this instead", "get that instead".


In that case, allow me to be the first......

I have no love whatsoever for that amp and I find its tone reprehensibly tinny.

It may sound like something but certainly not anything that Leo Fender ever made.

(that do it for you?)

:mrgreen:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:24 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
mhainz wrote:
I'm surprised there isn't a steady string of replies saying "get this instead", "get that instead".


In that case, allow me to be the first......

I have no love whatsoever for that amp and I find its tone reprehensibly tinny.

It may sound like something but certainly not anything that Leo Fender ever made.

(that do it for you?)

:mrgreen:

Arjay


Arjay and mhainz, Thanks for the input. Tinny sounding is the problem I have with my current amps and the reason I am looking for a fuller sounding amp. Additionally, since all of my amps are modeling amps, I wanted to go with a tube amp this time. I have two amps that I am probably going to get rid of soon (a Vox AD50VT and a Marshall MG100FX) and I wanted to get a good all around bedroom/living room amp. I do have some hearing loss (my fault - I love going to the range without ear plugs) and sometimes I wonder if it is ME and not the amps that are at fault.

BTW, I am not dead set on the Blues Junior and I am completely open to suggestions. The Peavey Classic 30 interests me too! Heck, this forum is the reason that I have the MIM stratocaster in the first place. Lots of good advice shooting around here all of the time.


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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:47 am
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Look the thing is to go and try a few in your price / spec range and decide what you like.

Personally I LOVE mine but as I have mine in a room approx 4m x 3.5m along with an intolerant wife, the volume never really goes up that high. I have cranked it on the odd occassion and yes once the volume rises it does start to sound tinny but by stage I think the wife and / or neighbours jacking up would be a far worse problem.

I guess it all depends what you want out of it. There's that much out in the marketplace these days we are really spoilt for choice.

Good luck in your quest!

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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:13 am
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The BJr is a great little amp, small enough for bedroom with master volume to get distortion at lower volumes, and big enough to keep up with drummer and bass on it's own. It takes pedals as well as any tube amp (wonderfully), and pushing the amp with pedals produces some fantastic tones. If you plug the BJr into an ext cab for even more volume, it's amazing how loud the amp can get. The BJr is not a DRRI or a TRRI or even a Deluxe, but what the BJr does, it does well. I've been enjoying mine for several years now, not one problem. In fact the amp can be even better with a few small mods, like adding an adjustable bias.

This might be what Leo had in mind when he put EL84s in the Tremolux (decades ago). It seems quite possible that the EL84s would sound similar in the BJr and the Tremolux, but since none of us have ever heard a Tremolux with EL84s, hard to say for sure that the BJr doesn't sound like anything that Leo built. With similar designs and same output tubes, both amps would surely sound close to each other. :wink:

Let's see if the vendetta boys chime in on this one. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:27 am
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I thought about getting a Blues Junior for a very long time. Especially the red tolex model with the Vintage 30 speaker...I thought that amp sounded pretty good. But after having the opportunity to extensively play a Deluxe Reverb Reissue in a practice and live band situation I realized the Deluxe Reverb Reissue was my type of amp.

The bottom line is...let YOUR ears be your guide and decide accordingly.


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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 7:42 am
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shimmilou wrote:
The BJr is a great little amp, small enough for bedroom with master volume to get distortion at lower volumes, and big enough to keep up with drummer and bass on it's own. It takes pedals as well as any tube amp (wonderfully), and pushing the amp with pedals produces some fantastic tones. If you plug the BJr into an ext cab for even more volume, it's amazing how loud the amp can get. The BJr is not a DRRI or a TRRI or even a Deluxe, but what the BJr does, it does well. I've been enjoying mine for several years now, not one problem. In fact the amp can be even better with a few small mods, like adding an adjustable bias.

This might be what Leo had in mind when he put EL84s in the Tremolux (decades ago). It seems quite possible that the EL84s would sound similar in the BJr and the Tremolux, but since none of us have ever heard a Tremolux with EL84s, hard to say for sure that the BJr doesn't sound like anything that Leo built. With similar designs and same output tubes, both amps would surely sound close to each other. :wink:

Let's see if the vendetta boys chime in on this one. :lol:


Thanks shimmilou, it is good to hear that the amp takes pedals well. I had not thought of attaching an external cabinet to it to get more volume (my practice room isn't very big) but it is nice to know that I would have that option. I might just keep the Marshall for that reason. Then again, I bought my granddaughter her first guitar for Christmas this year. Maybe I should give her that 100 watt half stack so that she can have some very loud fun :D

I have already checked the Fender line out at Guitar Center a few times and liked what I heard. Last night though, via youtube I checked out a bunch of videos featuring the Peavey Classic 30 and it seemed pretty good too. I guess I will go back to Guitar Center Friday and look again. Hopefully I will have a happy NAD this week!

Thanks again.


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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:21 am
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The Peavey Classic 30 is also a great amp, somewhat different sound as the C30 has four EL84s and the BJr has only two. The C30 does clean better (more headroom) than the BJr, and the distortion is smoother in the C30. Of course the C30 is a bit louder than the Bjr, as the C30 has twice the output wattage. You really should try both to see if one strikes your fancy more than the other. The reason that I bought the BJr was after trying several other small amps, the tone was just head-and-shoulders above the others (C30 not included). I was also impressed with the sound the first time that I heard the C30, but was surprised that it had EL84s as the sound was very clean, almost like 6L6s. :o

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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 8:48 am
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shimmilou wrote:
The Peavey Classic 30 is also a great amp, somewhat different sound as the C30 has four EL84s and the BJr has only two. The C30 does clean better (more headroom) than the BJr, and the distortion is smoother in the C30. Of course the C30 is a bit louder than the Bjr, as the C30 has twice the output wattage. You really should try both to see if one strikes your fancy more than the other. The reason that I bought the BJr was after trying several other small amps, the tone was just head-and-shoulders above the others (C30 not included). I was also impressed with the sound the first time that I heard the C30, but was surprised that it had EL84s as the sound was very clean, almost like 6L6s. :o


Thanks again shimmilou. Way back when I purchased my VOX, I had originally gone there to buy a Blues Junior and was persuaded by the salesperson to buy the VOX instead. I have always regretted the decision as the VOX has never grown on me. Unless the C30 really impresses me, I am probably going to get the BJ. At least that way, if I have any buyers remorse, at least I will have a good sounding amp and I can add the C30 later if I feel the desire.


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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:08 am
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The BJ is not a bad little amp, and with a pile of mods like the BILLM mods and a speaker swap it's sound can be fixed up.

If that is the way you want to go.
Myself I prefer something that doesn't need mods to work right.

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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:30 am
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peterp wrote:
Myself I prefer something that doesn't need mods to work right.


+1000!

8)

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:46 am
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So, the trem tick in the DRRI is acceptable?

What about the Fritz mods?

Pffft! Double-standard. :evil:

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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:50 am
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I've got one and to be honest the best part of the BJR in my opinion is it's portability. That comes at a price though and to me it really only sounds good with an extension cab. As others have said it's "thin" sounding stock. If you can swing the extra money a used DRRI is hard to beat. That's my "go to" amp. If you're looking for an inexpensive amp I would even recommend the SCXD over the Blues Junior. It is a hybrid but I also own one of those and to me side by side it has better tone than the BJR, especially through a 12" extension cab. Your first choice however should be a DRRI, you can't go wrong and it handles pedals very well.


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Post subject: Re: Does anybody NOT like the Blues Junior.
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2011 9:51 am
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What's a trem tick?

I got 14 Fender amps (everyone of them with "Vibrato") and none of them has it.

The "Fritz Mod" is intended to add to the utility of an already-superb platform......not to fix an inherent design flaw.

Nice try though......

:mrgreen:

Arjay

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