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Post subject: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:08 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Just for the fun of it,I made a trip up to the music store where I bought my guitar and amp and they had a Pro Junior 15 watt tube amp out on the show room floor. I have been hearing that they're a good little tube amp for practice,studio,or recording work,...and I just HAD to try it out. I was mighty impressed that you could get such a good sound out of that little amp,...even with it's 10" speaker. I love my Hot Rod Deluxe III 40 watt tube amp,but I have been seriously thinking about a smaller,lower wattage tube amp for practicing,...and I have found it in this amp. I haven't bought the amp yet,but you can rest assured it's on my list of gear to buy next,...along with a Lake Placid Blue Tele! :)
I have never played through one,but the Pro Junior kind of has the look of a more modern
Champ from the '50's,...simple and easy to use with just two controls. MY HRD III is easy to use as well,but I like the idea of the Pro Jr. for use as a practice amp.

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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 4:49 pm
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Cool amps for sure :wink:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=56947

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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 7:24 pm
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Pro Jrs are great amps, but to get distortion from them you have to turn them up very loud. They're really more of a bare bones, stripped down performance amp for small clubs (or big clubs if you mic them trough a PA). Of course they can be used for clean practice, and if you live in a house out in the country and like to practice very loud, you can get power amp distortion from them at slightly more reasonable levels than your Hot Rod Deluxe.

But you can get great cleans from the HRD at the same volume as the PJ, and the HRD has a master volume control so you can get preamp distortion at low volumes that you can't get from the PJ. In fact, cranking the HRD all the way up to get power amp distortion won't be that much louder than a cranked PJ -- just a couple of dB louder.

The old tweed Champs were only 5 watts and that's about half the volume of a HRD (a little less because Champs had 6" or 8" speakers). And that's still pretty loud when cranked.

So other than gaining portability and saving a little bit of electricity consumption, you'll give up a lot of flexibility using a PJ as a practice amp instead of just practicing through your HRD.


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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 7:37 pm
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Not a fan of the Pro Jr.
Or the Blues Jr. either for that matter.
Been there, done that, did the mods, still didn't have a good amp.

How about a 12 watt amp that gives you great Fender tone?
PRRI

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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 4:17 am
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I like the EL-84s in the Pro Juniors. :D

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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 8:14 am
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Aspiring Musician
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Not a fan of the Pro Jr.
Or the Blues Jr. either for that matter.
Been there, done that, did the mods, still didn't have a good amp.

How about a 12 watt amp that gives you great Fender tone?
PRRI


What's the deal with the Princeton now being only $50 cheaper than the DRRI (supposedly). I mean, now that DRRI is down to $949 they cannot possibly keep Princeton at $899....there has to be some deals being given on Princetons if one negotiates, right?


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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 8:55 am
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Canadian pricing is usually a little higher than USA pricing.
I'm consistently seeing the typical regular retail prices at:
DRRI - $1050
PRRI - $950

In Canada about $1K is the going rate for a decent entry level low wattage amp. Under that amount you pretty much get a disposable toy amp.

My 2¢

Toy Category:

HRD3 - 730
BJ3 - 600
PJ3 - 450

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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:35 am
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I also think the Princeton is a way better amp. It was the premier studio recording amp way back. I knew some session guys who just loved them. I would at least try them. The problem I have with both the Pro Jr and Blues Jr is how boxy they sound unless you use an extension cabinet. I tried to like them, but it just won't do it for me. I would also look for a 70's era SF Champ. 6 Watts of tonal nirvana. I have a 74 Champ that I just dropped a Weber Sig Series in as well as installing a 1/4" phone jack so I can run extension cabinets if I want to. Even stoce with the 8" speaker you won't get that boxiness. Putting a 10 or 12" speaker in a cabinet that small causes the boxiness. If you're used to that kind of tone, it's good I guess.

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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 11:08 am
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Upon doing some reading I guess there is an issue being sometimes reported with PRRI.
I guess not every PRRI buyer experiences this but some do.
Apparently, the speaker baffle is made of particle board, MDF I think.
The originals were solid pine, of course.
I guess some people have reported it making an audible vibration at higher volume settings.
There is a fairly straight forward fix available.
Stiffen the baffle by gluing and/or screwing a piece of 1x2 (¾x1½ finished) to the baffle on edge.
Bill Machrone suggests a much more complicated fix.
He routes a slot into the baffle and then epoxies a piece of aluminium flat bar into the slot on edge.

Further proof that RIs are not originals.

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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 4:28 pm
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I got a 94 Tweed one. I don't know what the hell boxiness people speak of. These things are bitchen' right out of the box! I've read about some people having a hum problem with later ones. I got one made in Brea, California USA and it is freakin' cherry! VCs, Champs and Princetons are cool also but, they are a different Fender deal from a different Fender era. I could see modding a piece of gear but, I have heard a few modded Blues Juniors which had the balls taken out of their tone. We have tons of great gear available today! A lot more than when I was a kid is around now.


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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 5:14 pm
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It's an experience thing. Perception of tone is personal but way more than that it is greatly affected by previous amplifier experience. If you've experienced great amps in the past you judge all comers by that standard. Many people are absolutely fine with their HRDs and BJs and PJs. They hear their amp and they think it sounds like something they heard on a CD. If the day ever comes that they happen to spend a few weeks with a real BlackFace Vibroverb or Vibrolux Reverb or even a Deluxe Reverb they will find their perception of those HR amps is significantly diminished and that the CD they previously used as a reference didn't do the real live tone of a great amp any justice. The increasing popularity of the RI amps is testament to that fact despite them not being quite up to snuff in the build department.

This experienced muso hears boxiness in the BJ as do many others. There is a reason you always hear about it ... because it exists ... and people who have already shelled out their cash and don't like hearing they bought something "less-than" can argue until they are blue in the face but it won't change the truth. If you can't hear it then the problem lies with either your ears or your experience. Either way it's about your perception or lack thereof.

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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 6:17 pm
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Total BS I own and played great stuff back in the day and now! Experienced Muso? WTF is that? I'm a musical hobbyist. I've played with pros and sidemen who played paid gigs with legends. Get off your high horse right now! Not only are you not above. Look man, I've played on Bandmasters with a 58 Strat that was to kill for! I'm not settling for HRD of today. I actually like it for what it is. Quit trying to build your silly $@! up by trying to sound like you've been there and, us simple humans have to settle for the average or less than better. I've turned down offers to go pro from a legend before myself! That is as much bragging as you'll get out of me. I love and dig Fender products and, I have been using them for years. I hate the wannabe yah hoos who post nonsense on here. There is major inconsistency to vintage gear! I'm not anti-vintage but, today we got the goods if you realize it or not! Wake up and smell the coffee. Our electronics are far superior today then back in the 70s,60s,50s etc. Don't take my word for it ask a signed artist or, someone who makes their entire living creating the gear or the tunes in a controlled studio environment.


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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 6:24 pm
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Apparently, the speaker baffle is made of particle board, MDF I think. The originals were solid pine, of course.


The original Princeton Reverb's used an MDF-fabricated baffle board as well. Just as every original blackface and all subsequent silverface models. Plywood was used in the tweeds and up through the brownface era.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 6:44 pm
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Good to know.

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Post subject: Re: Pro Junior as a practice amp?
Posted: Fri Aug 30, 2013 6:20 am
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If I understand this correctly, the OP is asking about
a practice amp. A Vibroverb would be overkill, but yes,
a great sounding amp.

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