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Post subject: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:41 am
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I started playing last October, so I’m a basic beginner. I bought Mustang I amp because I didn’t now if I was going to stick to it, well I have stuck to it and love playing the guitar, although I suck. To reward myself, I want to upgrade my amp to a Blues Jr. III, or a Hot Rod Deluxe. I have tried to do the research but it seems impossible with different guitars different settings different guitarists. Then everybody want to play rock on the Hot Rod and Blues on the Blues Junior.

I would have to Drive 90 miles to a guitar store, that would have both in stock so that’s not going to happen.

I fond a Hot Rod III in a pawn shop for the same price I can buy a new Blues Jr.

So my queston is:
Does the Hot Rod have the ability to make the same or similar smooth smokey, and driven tones of the Blues Jr.?


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Post subject: Re: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 12:59 pm
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The two amps are very different from each other in design, features and capabilities. The Blues Jr is 15 watts using EL84 power tubes, The Hot Rod Deluxe is 40 very loud watts using 6L6GC power tubes. The HRD has a drive and more drive channel to get tones that the BJr cannot. If you can't go to a music store to try both, then take a look at You Tube. There are dozens if not hundreds of demos of both these amps playing different tyes of music.

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Post subject: Re: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 2:45 pm
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+1 bluesky636

I have both (HRDlx I, BJr II), and I mainly got the BJr for the portability......the HRDlx actually gained weight as I aged. :lol: The BJr is a great grab-and-go amp, with great tone and loud enough for most situations, like jamming with friends. Tough choice, but I prefer the HRDlx overall when not traveling.

The HRDlx can get louder cleans than the BJr, and the HRDlx can get some great driven tones, and tones kind of close to the BJr, but as bluesky636 described, quite different amps. If I could get a HRDlx III (in great condition of course) for the price of a new BJr, I wouldn't hesitate, even though I already have one. I am considering getting another HRDlx and another BJr anyway, with modding both in mind.

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Post subject: Re: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:34 am
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bluessky636

I have been to youtube and checked them out thanks. So you say its loud that brings up a question does it sound good at low volume like one or two on the volume? Or do you have to turn it up fairly loud to get the amp dynamics working?


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Post subject: Re: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 9:01 am
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Well you like the hot rod over the Blue Jr.. After checking out bluesky636 recommendation to go to you tube I did find a review of some guy playing blues sounded great. So comparing you’re two amps playing both at low volume are their benefits to the lower watt Bl Jr?

And are foot pedals better in the Hot rod over the Bl Jr?
Thanks


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Post subject: Re: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:18 am
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Your screen name isn't "Hobbyist" is it? :lol: Mine isn't "Rock Star" either. bluesky636 also has a "Rock Star" rating. 8)

I have no problem using the HRDlx at low volume, it sounds great at any volume. If you crank the drive up when using the drive channel, you might find the master a bit touchy trying to dial in a very low volume. I believe that the version III has an audio taper master pot, not sure if that helped. You can try some lower gain preamp tubes if you feel the need to tame the volume a bit.

Both amps will take just about all pedals equally well.

Really, the only advantage that the BJr has over the HRDlx is it's portability, at the expense of volume and the versatility of channel switching. For my needs, the BJr can keep up with a drummer, bass player and another guitarist with a low-watt amp in most cases. I am an amateur, and just jam with friends at their houses (rarely we have an audience), but we still get pretty loud sometimes. It is amazing how loud a BJr, Tiny Terror, Harvard, B&H, and Vibro Champ can be (even the Greta is decent with a 1x12). This is why I got the BJr, grab and go, and I don't need pedals, just guitar and amp. I use the BJr with both single coil and hum-bucker equipped guitars, and all sound great, and the same for the HRDlx with more volume and channel switching. :D

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


Last edited by shimmilou on Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:55 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:51 am
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shimmilou wrote:
Your screen name isn't "Hobbyist" is it? :lol: Mine isn't "Rock Star" either. bluesky636 also has a "Rock Star" rating. 8)

I have no problem using the HRDlx at low volume, it sounds great at any volume. If you crank the drive up when using the drive channel, you might find the master a bit touchy trying to dial in a very low volume. I believe that the version III has an audio taper master pot, not sure if that helped. You can try some lower gain preamp tubes if you feel the need to tame the volume a bit.

Both amps will take just about all pedals equally well.

Really, the only advantage that the BJr has over the HRDlx is it's portability, at the expense of volume and the versatility of channel switching. For my needs, the BJr can keep up with a drummer, bass player and another guitarist with a low-watt amp in most cases. I am an amateur, and just jam with friends at their houses (rarely we have an audience), but we still get pretty loud sometimes. It is amazing how loud a BJr, Tiny Terror, Harvard, and Vibro Champ can be. This is why I got the BJr, grab and go, and I don't need pedals, just guitar and amp. I use the BJr with both single coil and hum-bucker equipped guitars, and all sound great, and the same for the HRDlx with more volume and channel switching. :D

Hobbyist here :mrgreen:

I have had a billion Blues juniors ...cuz i tried every mod and crap you can think of....i have a buddy who has 2.7 million of them and he has a lab also....that dude has made some Fabulous BJ changes...so he has now two perfectly matched amps...one difference...one has Jensen Alnico (old one) and the other a Jensen ceramic...i like the Celestion Gold in that amp (300$ speaker so weigh that option big time...)

google billm mods and go to his site look around...some i do not like (liked the scooped .015uf tone cap...etc) but some ore GOOD and the output tranny he can sell you is nice to have....

bottom line the HR is a club amp with switching/gain etc (a loop) the BJ a club (it can be mic'd) is easy to carry, easy to tweak and will handle a lot of amateurs situations as well as amped on a big stage with a mic...

but if considering an HR....have you thought of a Supersonic 22....a GREAT little amp...that is my go to amp for clubs....i amped up the loop, swapped the speaker and did a few other things and love that little beast.... the clean channel is sweetness and the gain channel can go clean, crunch or MADNESS....something to think about and it has more power out than the BJ (6V6 tube vrs el84's) the el's like el34's give a nice warm mid and high end....the 6v6 amps IMHO have their own sweetness with more bottom end..so i have 2 el84 amps 4 el84 amps and two 6V6 amps...for low power applications

personally before spending your dough....seek out a supersonic22....and i know Guitar center has a 30 day return policy on amps...so order whatever from them send it back if you don't like it...i suggest highly the supersonic 22... :mrgreen: 8)

http://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=ch ... 80&bih=882

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Post subject: Re: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:00 pm
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Ok thank s for youre input I came home from work read the posts. Then took off for the pawn shop to check out the amp got a guitar and a cord plugged in and turned it on and what a dummy I am. The whole store had to suffer through me playing a Stevie Ray Vaughn song for 20 minutes, sale’s plummeted. I was afraid they were going to ask me to leave. But getting back to being a dummy, I could not get that hot smokey overdriven blues sound. I’m not trying for Stevie Ray sound but something like that sound.. So I left bumed out, then on the way home I thought I tried a bunch of different settings overdive and reveveb but I couldn’t the sound then it dawned on me I did’nt use the foot switch.

So my question is how can I get that overdriven blues sound, what settings volume, drive master, reverb and foot switch. ? or what ever else I might have over looked ?

Or is it the amp ?


Thanks


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Post subject: Re: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:09 pm
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shimmilou

Sorry about the name, I a dummy Thank for the input


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Post subject: Re: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:21 pm
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hey rollo

OK i'm an idiot, I cheked out the supper sonic on you tube and it does sound great I seen the used and new link you posted unfortunately its above my price range.

I also have that as a modeled amp on my mustang I. I never thought of using it for bules
I'll have to go into the fuse program and crank it down and the play around with it. The presets are so crank up on the modeled amp I realy hav'nt messed with it that much.

Thanks


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Post subject: Re: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:29 pm
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:lol:

There are push-button switches on the amp that switch channels just the same as the foot switch.

As far as a certain tone, the guitar has something to do with it also. I've found that tuning down a half-step and using 11s helps get closer to that "Stevie tone".

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


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Post subject: Re: Amp Tones Blues Jr III, or Hot Rod Deluve III
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 4:31 pm
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+1 what shimmilou said.

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