This warm-toned favorite takes our 15-watt, tube preamp and power amp platform and pushes it through a 12" Fender Special Design speaker. Add our renowned Fender Reverb, flexible controls, and footswitchable fat circuit for golden tones.
Featured review by:
BadGonzo, on september 13, 2005 11 of 12 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 280
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: This little amp isn't exactly heavy on features. It's a very meat and potatoes amp. It is a 20 watt, all tube single channel with your basic 3 band EQ, master volume, preamp overdrive and reverb. That's it. Not even a standby switch. Once it's on - it's on. Oh it also has a "fat" switch with boosts the mids a bit. About 6 dbs or so I think. Not alot to navigate but it gets the job done. // 6
Sound: I run mine with a Fender Lite Ash Strat loaded with Texas Specials. The clean is sweet as expected. Has Fender ever not done a good clean with tubes? I tend to play blues/rock/country and every once in a blue moon mess around with harder stuff. For the blues and stuff this thing can do it on its own no prob. The overdrive is mild, just starting to clip. You can get more but it gets a bit noisy. If you need more, add a good overdrive on top of it and it breaks up really nice (I like a Boss Blues Driver set just enough to add some crunch). You really need to open the volume up to get a sweet sound out of it, but its tube, so that kind of goes with out saying. Since its single channel getting overdrive and clean is a bit trickier than it would be with a channel switch, but its no rubicks cube. Just set your overdrive sound where you want and to clean it up dial your axes volume back a tad. I also have an Epi Les Paul and the volume pots on that are very touchy and the volume doesn't do much until they get to about 2 and then they want to drop off completely. So in that case I run a pedal for overdrive/distortion. If your guitar is like that I recommend the same idea. I said I mess with some heavier stuff too, but I wouldnt use this amp for it if I was very serious about those styles. The low end is lacking (it's a single 12, 20 watt I think its understandable) and the amps distortion on its own is not nearly enough. For all this I'm giving it a 4. I stated it wasnt suited for metal and such but for clean/overdrive stuff it sounds good so thats why so high. I got all the way to overall impression and remembered the reverb. It can get quite thick but sounds best to me around 2-3. Depends on the space and volume your playing. I crank it to 12 for funzies (seriously it goes to 12) but its best down low. I've heard others say the same. It sounds damn fine dry too. // 8
Reliability & Durability: I've never gigged with it, but I would. Its small enough to crank it up and get tone without killing peoples heads. If you need more volume, mic it. I bet you could pull off small bars with this thing. Plus its small and portable. This controls are on a recessed panel on top but are kind of left exposed a little on the back side, but I dont think they would get beat. If you were careless yeah they would. I try not to move it much unless I have to and when I do I make sure it has cooled for around 10 minutes before I do, and it hasnt given me any troubles yet so that seems to be paying off. 2 years and not even a tube replacment, so its durable. Like I said earlier I run this thing pretty hard and I've left it on for hours at a time on accident a few times too. Tuff enuff for me. I cant imagine its Mesa or Soldano tough though. I give this a 4 taking that in to concideration. // 8
Impression: I like it. It suites what I do and where I do it. I would still like another amp though. A larger one and a different sound. If it was broken or stolen, Id get another. Used probably, the new price on it is a bit much for my tastes. I think new was $379. Mine was new but I had an employee discount so it was around 280 or something. Anyway, overall its a nice lil amp. If you need variety in one package look else where. If you need a good clean/overdive sound at low volume with a touch of muscle, this might be what you need. I hope this helps if you were wondering about it. // 8
Reviewed by:
Irocknroll1990, on december 09, 2008 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: A Fender Blues Junior, very simple ALL TUBE amp, 4 EQ knobs, 2 volume knobs, a reverb knob, and a fat Switch button. That's all you honestly need. It is a single channel amp so an overdrive pedal would be huge help. When used with an OD pedal, it's best for blues, 60s and 70s rock, but can handle harder rock, not heavy metal though. It is LOUD. I played this at full volume and it was louder than my 50 watt Vox Valvetronix. However, I'm not sure how loud the clean can get before it gets distorted. Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Aerosmith are some sounds that this amp can produce wonderfully. // 9
Sound: I use this amp with a Gibson Les Paul Studio. My music style would hard rock, classic rock, and blues. Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix are some of what I frequently play. This amp is wonderful for my taste (altho GnR sound would really be perfected with a Marshall since it is more bottom end). The amp's distortion is NOT brutal... even with an OD pedal, you can't play Slipknot or heavy stuff like that. The amp is very sensitive to how hard you hit the strings. It can produce wonderfully resonant clean tones. I never tried the amp's full distortion, I use an Ibanez TS9DX pedal.
The best example of what this amp sounds like with an Ibanez TS9DX turned up, listen to the guitar riff YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG by AC/DC. It pretty much nails it. It sounds warm and creamy, and if dpending on the settings... it can sound ORGASMIC // 9
Reliability & Durability: I can definitely depend on it, I only had it for 2 months. I don't gig, I play at home... or else I would've gotten the Hot Rod Deluxe. Has not broken down and no tube problems... it's fresh. I can't really comment on this because the amp is new and I don't gig. // 9
Impression: This amp is a GREAT choice for blues players. If you like Stevie Ray Vaughan... get this. An OD pedal will be almost mandatory so keep that in mind. With OD pedal... you can play Led Zeppelin and AC/DC crunch. I love how the amp sounds natural. It sounds like it is it's own instrument. I sounds warm and creamy. The OD pedal makes it sound like AC/DCish... big bright crunch. I also love how this amp can produce that tube tone of far more expensive amps. I chose this because I love Fender's warm sounding tube amps. They just sound gorgeous. This is perfect for bedroom playing. // 9
Reviewed by:
ECistheBest, on july 30, 2007 1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Guitar Center
Features: Amp was made in early '07, bought in april. I play Blues~Classic Rock type of genre. I dig the sound of this amp, kind of voiced like a Fender Bassman in a way. Single Channel, very nice for me and my 70's mentality. The "Turn down the volume to decrease distortion" thing. I use every knob. I mean every knob. The Volume is cranked, TMB are all at 12, and the splash of reverb at 3. Master Volume is most of the time at 12, with my Weber Attenuator, and it delivers some creamy saturation. I play this amp everywhere. Home, Jam Sessions, Practices, and Gigs. It's enough for all. It has 3 - 12AX7 preamp tubes, and 2 EL84 (6BQ5) poweramp tubes. // 9
Sound: Fender Standard Stratocaster Made in Mexico with Fender Hot Noiseless Pickups. These are great combos. Strat through a Blues Jr, you can't have enough. Creamy saturation, with enough sustain, but the volume rolled off gives me such a clean sound with the preamp volume at 12. Breaks up ver ynicely. It really suits my Mid-Gain Blues addiction, and I have a Marshall DSL401 to do higher gain. This amp is dead quiet when I have the Volume off on my guitar. I have every setting on 12 except reverb at 3. Makes awesome sound for my genre, but not so much more. And to answer the last question, no, the distortion isn't brutal at all. And to add, this little beat is loud. You can't figure it's only rated 15watts. It has to be a 30watt or more for this loudness. // 9
Reliability & Durability: It's a very nice amp. I would definitely use it without a backup. It never broke down, but I went through some bad ones before I got this one. I bought a new speaker for this baby, a Weber 12F150, and it's nice. it gives really nice agressive mids, with the pick attack slightly accentuated, warm treble, and tight bass. I haven't replaced tubes yet, but I don't think I would for another year or so. // 8
Impression: I play Mid Gain blues, and it's a perfect match. I've been playing for 2~3 years, and I have a Marshall DSL401 Combo for higher gain classic rock stuff. People want the footswitch for the fat Switch, but there's no need. You wouldn't turn off the fat Switch. If it was stolen, first I would get another one, then order the Speakers I have right now. I love the fact that it has such sweet tone out of a little 15watt $400 amp. and the 15watt is LOUD. It owns my 40watt Marshall. // 10
Reviewed by:
E V H 5150, on january 18, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: used
Features: When it comes to features, this amp has the full package. It has a master volume knob; bass, mid and treble knobs; master volume knob; reverb level; a FAT Switch; and a volume knob that adjusts the gain. To me, that's all a good amp needs. It doesn't need cheap little effects, or amp models or even it's own heavy distortion. It has tubes, and all the "basic" controls one would ever need. That's not to say that I have no need for my ME-50, but with that, do I really need all these extras in an amp? I do play straight through sometimes with the amp. I can get this really nice blues tones, and some good cleans. It will not do metal on its own. It will not give you death-metal gain, it will not give out distortion. It will give you some killer blues tones, whether you want those dirty, dirty blues, the kind that you just need to play slow with the slow bends. And it can give you a more rock-blues type sound. If you want blues and cleans, it is fine. It does a nice job of handling my ME-50's distortion. With that, I can get a death metal tone. Not that I ever use it. It's not the most versatile. No effects, nothing. But it is loud. I've played it with my band a few times, and it worked perfectly. It is a bit loud for a bedroom amp. It's not like my old MG15DFX, which was good for bedroom, and pretty much nothing else. I use it in my bedroom and with my band. I have not used it in a gig situation, but I'm sure that I could just mic it up if I really had to. I bought this amp used, and I think it's made a while ago. I read the specs on the modern one, and it seems like they've added a footswitch jack for the Fat. // 8
Sound: I use this amp with my Peavey HP Signature EXP and Boss ME-50. I play mostly classic rock and bluesy stuff, and I also need a good clean channel. Like I said before, if you're looking for a death-metal amp, you better have a pedal or something, because this is a BLUES Jr., not a metal Jr. But Fender does have the MetalHead amps, if you really like Fender. The amp doesn't do much. It amplifies the sound. It is basic, and suits me perfectly. The tone, however, is great for blues. I cannot say enough how this amp has great blues tones, and I just love to play dirty, dirty blues. // 8
Reliability & Durability: Unfortunately, the reverb on mine does not work. I checked that the thing is plugged into the reverb box, and I don't know how to repair amps, so I'd rather not go investigating, because I can just use the ME-50 for that. It would just be nice to have the reverb, really. I am not the first owner, so I do not know if it has broken down, or when the last tube change was. I also do not know how to tell if it needs new tubes. It seems to be working just fine, however. I would depend on it, but if worst comes to worst, I could always plug my ME-50 direct to the PA, which is what I found this. It's used, but the last owner took care of it, I can tell. It seems to have been alive for quite a while, and I think if I take care of it, it will last at least long enough to when I can afford a bigger and better amp. // 8
Impression: It does do blues, but not metal. That's why I have the ME-50. I love to play blues, and that's pretty much how I play most of the time. I've been a guitarist for 4 years, and I also own: Marshall MG15DFX, a broken Squier Strat, a Peavey HP Signature EXP, a random Squier acoustic guitar, a Boss ME-50, and a Bad Dog distortion pedal. I only ever use the Peavey and the ME-50, with this amp, however. I compared it too, nothing really. I was at my local music store, and I had a bit of money from Christmas, and I asked my friend giving me a ride home to stop there so I could look around, and then I saw this, and a Fender 65 reverb amp. I don't know what it's called, it was also used, and it said reverb on it. I also considered the FM210, and the ValveKing 112. They were all out of my price range, and I was much more impressed with this than the other Fender. It was more of an impulse buy, and it had a real nice clean channel, which was pretty much the only thing I wanted. I bought it for what I needed: an upgrade from the MG. It's loud enough for at least a band practice, and the tone, if you have a distortion or something, is very versatile. // 8
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on september 01, 2008 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Wunjo Guitars, London
Features: The 2008 All-Valve Fender Blues Junior I bought yesterday is easily the most amazing, immense, meat and potatoes amp I've ever bought(as if we expected anything less from Fender). I run my Boss ME-50 through it so I get the 'kick-in-the-nuts' metal sound I look for. As earlier said it is a meat and potatoes kind of amp, with a simple 3-Band EQ, master and volume knobs, an amazing spring reverb knob, and a FAT switch, which gives you that classic Fender crunch. The only let-downs are that it's a single channel amp, so I can't run my iPod into it or jam with a friend, and that there isn't a gain knob, so I can't control the FAT distortion. However the amp is very easy to take apart to install new valves, repairs etc, but I would suggest when changing valves, that you order in the Fender ones for this amp, otherwise it's just not the same. // 9
Sound: I put my Custom 2007 Fender Japanese Telecaster w/neck humbucker through my Boss ME-50 and into my Blues Junior. I find the neck humbucker gives the amp much more of a boost rather than the less powerful single-coil that comes with the Tele. When put through my distortion pedal, it gives the amp probably one of the best sounds on earth, not to mention the fantastic clean sound you get when put straight into the amp with middle on 1, bass and treble on 12, reverb on 4, volume on 12, master on whatever, and FAT switch off. The clean channel doesn't distort the slightest bit until 11 or 12 so very reliable for gigging, however if you want distortion, I suggest you buy an FX pedal. // 9
Reliability & Durability: It seems to be a very durable amp from what I've been told, and it proved that after I lugged it back from London to Surrey yesterday. I would gig with it without backup, however may consider bringing spare valves to gigs when the sound begins to fail. Because of the fact that I've only had the amp 2 days, though, I can't really judge the reliability or durability, however friends Who have the same amp say that it is very reliable and durable. // 8
Impression: For a blues, rock, and metal guitarist such as myself this amp is perfect when matched with the right distortion pedal(I suggest the Boss MT-2). I have been playing for 5 years and have gone through various amps over time, and after my last amp, a Laney, broke again, I knew I had to up my budget a bit. I couldn't have made a better choice, because as I see it, you get what you pay for. If it were stolen or lost, I would see no choice but to buy it, or another Fender amp, because they are the best, and there's n two ways about that. I love the look of the amp, the tone of the amp, the playability and durability and just about everything else, so if you want a valve amp for small gigs and practice, this is it. // 9
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on october 22, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 480
Features: I bought the tweed NOS version with upgraded speaker and tubes. I play blues, rock, as well as jazz, funk, and folk. I use this for my SRV style stuff by turning bass and mids up with gain all the way. I have a ts9 with it and this allows for more versatility. the cleans and headroom are good, about loud enough for jamming while cranking it yields enough for small gigs. The reverb is very nice and the fat switch adds some punch. the only thing it lacks is headphone out, maybe a standby option. // 9
Sound: As I said, the srv sound from this amp is pretty good which is important to many people, but the playing technique (heavy attack, muting strings) is the most important thing. The reverb is awesome, from a little echo to full sounds nice and doesn't suck tone at all as do many FX. The tube distortion is a point of this amp that is extremelyscrutinized, it is very Fender ish as opposed to marshalls, I would recommend a nice Marshall tube for people seeking more of a rock sound, or using a TS-9 adds some crunch. Single coils are good with this, very saturated and thick sound as opposed to the humbuckers which can sound a bit too bright. The fat switch helps a bit for soloing, adds some sustain and mids, but nothing I couldn't live without. The EQ is responsive and the master/volume knobs work well together. using the volume pot on your guitar is nice since you crank this amp on both knobs (it goes to 12) and lower the guitar knob to 2-3 for bedroom volume distortion. Very loud for practice, loud enough for practice in smaller bands (2-6) and good enough for gigging in clubs and stuff. The noise is very low, I keep it in like the worst spot ever, near electronics and it barely hums. The guitar is probably the source of any hum problems with it, but I have noiseless pickups, so it's silent. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I like the tweed, but the seams look glued on and could come loose if you screw with them much, also the backplate had a label on it which I peeled off and rubbed away the adhesive residue, and the junior part of the paint and the warning paint scratched away. The knobs are a little cramped, the fat switch is a little breakable, and the back is open for easy access as well as easy damage. The case is sturdy, the strap is thick leather (but very sharp edges on the strap) and the speaker and tubes are more durable than the standard. It could probably be cranked for a while before damaging the speaker. It is also rather heavy, but worth it compared to other amps of similiar power. // 7
Impression: It is the right amp for me. I tried all other low watt tube combos, Epi VJ, Palomino, Champ, Pro Junior, but this one stood out. I got a deal on it so it was worth the extra $$$ for this one, but the standard BJ is just as good. I hear a little sound difference, but not worth the 80$ extra. If it were stolen, I'd buy another easily. This was the only amp I liked besides the Vox valvetronix, but it blows it away in volume and tone. Look at the tweed NOS if you can, it'll probably last longer than the standard, but it's not worth much more IMO. // 10
Reviewed by:
Tele Echoes, on october 22, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 440.0458
Purchased from: Belle Air Music
Features: I'm not exactly sure what year my actual product was made, although on the warranty info that was tied around one of the control knobs it claims that the 5 year limited warranty was made effective in 2001. I believe it was made afterwards though, since the amp is Brand New and probably wouldn't be up for sale if it were made back then. I'm guessing it's about a year old, two tops. First of all, the model is called "Blues Jr.", meaning that it is primarily meant for blues. The name is quite deceiving though, with the "Blues" label being about as misleading as the "Jr" would lead you to believe this amp is quiet. It is neither. So far I've been able to get a good clean sound of it, to a silky overdriven blues tone, to a throaty blues rock overdrive, as well as classic and hard rock, simply through adjusting the various knobs. The gain on this amp is so natural and kind on your ears, you'll probably feel guilty for getting the amp at the price you did. Also, the reverb is really good, unlike the solid state version Fender puts into their FM series. There's 2 channels to work with, and those are the normal channel and the "fat channel". The fat channel supplies the bigger sound and seems to be satisfactory for the harder driven rock & roll style you youngsters think is all the rage. Seriously though, this amp offers you a really good overdrive/distortion and if you are a minimalist you can sleep tight, seeing as all you need is your guitar, a cable, and the amp to achieve a marvelous sound. As for myself, I use a Crybaby and a Double Muff pedal because I like using my feet. The reverb actually sounds like you'd expect the effect to sound; it gives off a sound that reminds you of playing in a performance hall of sorts, and the different amounts of which you choose to provide your sound with doesn't really matter, since it will sound great no matter what. One thing I noticed that the amp lacks is a drive/gain knob. However, seeing as this is my first tube amp, and that the Drive is not a simulated sound like that of a solid state, I figure that it's absence in reasonable. The Blues Jr. does not have a headphone jack, although I can't really understand why you'd pay more money for a tube amp to use headphones.
That's the only thing that I can think of that could be considered missing, and it's not something I actually miss, so other than that there is nothing I wish the amp had more of. I use all the features that this amp offers. Lastly (looking back I should have noted this at the beginning). The Fender Blues Jr. is a 15 watt class A tube amp. I use it at my house and plan on using it to jam and gig, however I've only owned it 3 days and have been busy with work (a unusual occurence), so no jamming with people on it as of yet. Most of you may know this, but to those looking at this review because they want to know how much power a tube amp delivers, don't be fooled. While 15 watts may seem low, it suonds louder than a 50 watt solid state at least (I don't know the exact mathematics of it). I'm completely satisfied with the amplifier. Fender has once again come through for me. // 10
Sound: I play a broad range of music on this puppy (classical, folk, blues, blues rock, classic rock, and all that space rock and stuff). I use a left hand Fender MIM Telecaster standard through the amp and feel that the Fender on Fender combo is ideal for this amp. My friend played his Epi Les Paul Standard on it and it sounded great as well. If by noisy, you mean loud then yes, this amp can be very noisy. However, there are no negative sounds unrelated to my guitar playing that can be heard on the amp. When I put my Double Muff into it's max Drive 2 option, the amp sends out a buzzing sound. This sound is only because of how overdriven the signal is and is really what you want to be happening. The variety is wide for the sound you can achieve, and my review of the features more than explains my beliefs. The believe the clean level can sound a little distorted at high levels, however I'm unsure and not willing to wake my street up to find out. Sorry. The distortion is not "brutal", it's perfect. However, if you are a hardcore metal head, you may want to invest in one of those metal distortion pedals. If not, this amp isn't for you. // 10
Reliability & Durability: The amp is Brand New and has never broken down. If it had, this thing would be getting zeros across the board heheh. I would feel comfortable gigging this amp without a back up, seeing as it's the best amp I've ever owned to date. I imagine I'll have to replace a tube or two in the future, but that is just part of the tube amp lifestyle. I'd imagine this amp is delicate though, being a tube amp and all, so don't be rough with it. // 9
Impression: I play classical, rock, and of couse "the blues", and play a Fender guitar, so this is a match made in heaven. I've been playing over 4 years now and if it were stolen I would definately get it again, unless of course I had 2 grand, then I'd probably get a Twin Reverb or a Hiwatt or Vox combo. My favorite feature would have to be it's wonderful sound, followed closely by its modest yet fashionable design and convenient wieght. I compared this amp to a 40 watt Peavey and some other tube amps. I felt that this was the best deal for a versatile tube amp both capable of playing at home and with a band and at gigs. I also own a Pacifica, although I don't use her that much anymore, and I always use my EH Double Muff overdrive/fuzz, and when I remember to bring it home, my Crybaby Wah. The only thing I wish this amp had was the tweed design I originally planned on getting. Since this version was in stock though, I have nobody to blame for that but myself. I know my other review didn't contain much negative comments and neither does this one, but this is my most honest and humble opinion on the deserved rating of this product. I love the Fender Blues Jr. because it contributed to me playing the blues, and not having them. I would highly recommend this to anybody looking for a good tube amp at a fair price. The Fender Blues Jr. gets a 10 from me. Thank you for your time and energy in reading my review. // 10
Reviewed by:
andybene, on june 11, 2007 0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: American Musical Supply.com
Features: This is an all tube amplifier. It's totally modern and fit for today, but breathes Vintage tone. This amp I'd say can handle up to a Hard Rock Classic tone, any higher and the amp would distort. This amp works exceptionally well with blues, rock, and jazz, almost perfect tube tone. Which really fits my playing style. I play blues, rock, jazz, and hard rock. So if your into modern rock or metal do not buy this. Totally Vintage authentic amp. This amp has two channels One being clean, but with the volume knob you can increase the drive or roughness of the tone. The 2nd channel is the fat button. It basically increases drive and db+. The only the only things I wish it had would be a vibrato, tremolo, or a rotary simulator. Hey it's only 400 bucks. I don't believe in headphone jacks anyways you get an amp for the amp tone!. I use this amp as my main amp. it's perfect! loud in my room on 3/12. It goes to 12. I've gone in my friends garage and he has a Modern rock amp the Line 6 Spider w/ 150watts and mine could still be heard w/ volume and master @ 6! I wouldn't say blast it to 12 cause the tubes probably would burn. hahaha way better than any solid state nothin beats tube, unless you don't like them. // 8
Sound: I use a Fender Strat with my amp. HA the only thing else I need is an upgrade of a guitar cause this amp has set me for life it's awesome! I use all pickup styles and sounds great. Suits all of my styles too good. Not a noisy amp at all. Hey just slap in a trio of Noiseless Strat pickups and you'll be noise free. It can put out a pretty beefy FAT tone like SRV when de-tune. The Dirty channel sounds great if you know how to tweak. The clean channel always sounds perfect no matter what. And this is not a distortion solid-state amp. It's tube driven overdrive. // 10
Reliability & Durability: Now it is a tube amp so tubes will eventually burn out. But for now I've owned it for about 6 months and nothing has gone wrong. I can depend on it Fender has been making tube amps for so many years and they're one of the best makers in guitars and amps if not the best. I would use this amp everywhere I can rely on it. The speaker is Made in USA by Eminesence Gold label, and these tubes are Fender logo Russian made, and the Spring Reverb is USA made by Accutronics. The amp overall is all made in Mexico. They use to be made in US but it dosn't matter still a well made amp. Just keep this amp nice and treat it well and it will last you till you die. // 10
Impression: In all this amp fits me perfect. I've been playing guitar for six years and I just turned 20 so I'm still a young player, but I've grown so use to playing bluesy music that this amp I knew would fit me nice. I only own Fender gear so I can't beat one up over the other. I use to own a Gibson LP Special, but I hated the tone, so I switched to a Strat and I love it. The reason I bought this amp was affordable, all tube, Fender, and vintage look. I am finally set on amps. Love this little amp. // 10
Reviewed by:
L_Z_Nut, on may 19, 2006 0 of 1 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 387.1
Purchased from: eBay
Features: '05 model made in mexico, all tube, 2 EL-84's, and 3 12AX7's. This amp is pretty versatile (except if you play metal), but it really shines when playing blues/rock, and classic rock. It's called Blues Junior for a reason. 3 band EQ, Volume, and master to control overdrive. Fat switch for boost. Could have really used a stand-by Switch though. I'm using it for a bedroom/practice amp, it has more then enough power for my situation, way more then expected. 7 for lack of features and stand-by switch. // 7
Sound: I'm using an Agile ST-802 with Tex-Mex pickups, and an Epiphone Vintage G-400, my pedals are an Electro-Harmonix The Wiggler, Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, and I just recently purchased an Electro-Harmonix Graphic Fuzz (if you can't tell I'm an Electro-Harmonix fanatic). Sounds great with both guitars and with my pedals, and is a perfect combo for blues and classic rock. The clean is unbelievable sounding, crystal clear, and bright, and sounds amazing when the volume is turned up (great tube break-up sound). It has a little bit of hum, but I'm sending it in to Bill Machrone to get his hum cancelling mods and various other mods I want, I should be sending it in before the end of this year. I just can't let this thing go right now, I love it too much. Giving it an 9 because of the hum, but it's not that bad, just a slight hum. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I've had it for about a month now, and put a lot of hours in it already. Seems like it's built like a tank, very sturdy. Haven't had any problems with it whatsoever, hopefully I won't ever have a problem (knock on wood). I would definately gig with it(if I ever get a gig) without a backup, but only if it's a small venue, if I ever do a big one I would use my Traynor YCV40T. Giving it a 5 because it's too early to tell if I'll have any problems with it further on down the road. But I'm very confident it will last a very very long time. // 5
Impression: Great for blues, and classic rock, and versatile enough for other styles of music, but this is what I mainly play so. Been playing about 7-8yrs now, I own a Traynor YCV40T 2x10 and I'll tell ya' if this little monster was 25 watts more powerful, it would blow my Traynor out of the water. I love it that much. If it were stolen I'd buy a new one in tweed then I'd hunt down the scum sucking ass-monkey that stole it so I can have 2 of them. I love how loud this little thing is for 15 watts, I was very surprised about that. My favorite thing about this amp though is the natural tube break-up, it's so sweet. The only thing I don't like, or wished it had was a standby Switch, and perhaps a tremolo effect, but that's why I bought the wiggler. 8 because of the lack of features, and standby switch. Try this amp, you won't be disapointed. // 8
Reviewed by:
unregistered, on october 24, 2005 0 of 4 people found this review helpful
Price paid: $ 399.99
Purchased from: Crossroads Music
Features: Has enough knobs to get the job done, treble, bass, master, reverb, middle. It also has a "fat switch" that gives it an extra boost of sound. I bought a Boss DS-1 because this thing has almost no distortion. I use every feature on this amp, just to fool around with everything. It is 15 watts, but sounds way louder than that, and it has tubes. // 9
Sound: I use my Fender Mustang through this, which has two single coil pickups. With the Boss DS-1 I have hooked up, it's awesome. The distortion straight from the amp isnt enough for me, my style is grungy loud music. The clean channel is crisp and clear. The only time it's noisy is with the Boss hooked up, otherwise, it's only a little noisy. // 10
Reliability & Durability: I could definitly depend on this thing. I haven't gigged with it, but I'm sure that it would be ok during a gig. The amp has never had any problems. // 10
Impression: My style is grungy, loud music. The Boss DS-1 makes this happen, so its a good match. I've been playing for 2 years. I have a Fender Mustang, Washburn House Of Blues electric, this amp, a little 8 watt amp the Washburn came with, and the Boss DS-1 Distortion pedal. I probably would buy another if it was stolen, unless I tracked down the moron who took it. I like everything about it except the distortion, but it's a tube amp so I couldn't expect much. // 9
Reviewed by:
Rock Boy, on november 06, 2006 0 of 24 people found this review helpful
Features: I don't actualy own this amp, but I have used it on a local club where I am practising with my band. The Blues Jr features two channels, clean & fat. In the name, it says Blues Junior, and that's what it's blues it is made for. Since I play mostly hard rock and punk, this amp doesn't fit my style of music. When I play Jimi Hendrix, the amp is nice if I turn the gain to 12. There isn't too much difference between the clean and fat channels, so fat just give a little more boost. This amp is 15-watts, but it sounds like a 50-watt amp. There is almost weird that this little bastard can produce so much sound. I wish there was more Marshall tube feeling in the overdrive sound. // 6
Sound: For blues or pop rock, this amp is great. For punk, hard rock & metal, forget it! There is not much noise though, but the clean channel gets a little distorted if the volume is too high. The sound isn't very vaiable, because the equalizers don't affect the sound much enough. The sound may be great for other guitarists, but I give it a 4 because it doesn't fit my style. // 4
Reliability & Durability: I won't use it in a gig because of the sound, but it has never broken down when I practice. The wires are well wired and ther is no squeeking when carrying the amp around. The knobs is solid placed on the amp. The tubes seems to be solid, so it's dureable after all. // 8
Impression: I didn't like this amp at all. The sound is not my style, the clean channel isn't clean. I am glad I don't own this amplifter at all. I do not reccomend it to any hard rockers at all. The Laney HCM15R or the Marshall MG15CDR is a much better choise and is both more cheaper and have better distortion. The Marshall does even have digital effects, so skip this amplifter! // 4
lacerhead
: beatiful lots of reverb great foe jazz and blues and has a dirty overdrive great for that white stripes or exile on main street type sound. Also nice medium type overdrive for playing country rock ie Tom Petty,Sheryl Crow. Nice amp great for a beginner that wants something that sounds good and use for home and band practice; unless your band practices with marshall stacks. Add an overdrive or distortion if you want more for punk and metal. POSTED: 03/24/2006 - 01:46 pm / quote|
badman86
: needs a tone stack mod, cooler bias mod, maybe a new speaker to really get the most out of it, like mine =] POSTED: 04/11/2006 - 11:44 pm / quote|
Dom5412
: We can all disregard the third review. Recommending a MG...tsk tsk.
imdwalrus
: The third review is a joke. The name "Blues", as everyone should know, is not going to give you a hard, punk rock sound. It doesn't deserve a 4 because the only genre it can't do happens to be yours. POSTED: 12/19/2006 - 06:56 pm / quote|
besides, if you push a distortion pedal through it, it'll give you the sound your looking for
He's right. I've used this amp a couple of times and with the right pedals, you can get a nice bluesy crunch or even tight hard rock tones if you want POSTED: 02/19/2007 - 11:16 am / quote|
Der Bomber
: Can you connect it to an external speaker?
Yeah, it's got an 8ohm speaker out - no headphone out though - kinda dissapointing. But hey, it's a tad more serious than a little 6" IC practice amp. It gets loud enough, what do you need the headphone jack for... POSTED: 05/10/2007 - 09:35 pm / quote|
stef123
: I want one!!! POSTED: 07/17/2007 - 06:03 am / quote|
Jimirocks
: Hi every1 i have just bort this 2nd hand for £250 and its mouth watering lovely buttery sounds added with my gibson les paul just blows it away ... also DISTORTION - i use a Boss ds1 pedal great predal only £40 but can give you a sound no less than what u'd get from a marshall ty. AMAX POSTED: 08/30/2007 - 09:22 am / quote|
masterofeedback
: who ever suggested an mg for "better disortion" should be shot now POSTED: 09/13/2007 - 06:35 pm / quote|
LonelySyn
: Marshall MG? I have to agree, that's a horrible recommendation, my 120W Crate blows Marshall's MG 200W distortion.. anyways, damn, I wish I could try it, and third review, grow up and be a real musician kid. POSTED: 01/18/2008 - 02:26 am / quote|
fretsonfire74
: i really want one of these! my next amp. POSTED: 01/18/2008 - 09:33 am / quote|
walidb123
: I was at a rehearsal studio yesterday and my friends 100 watt bass amp was so ****ing loud I couldn't hear the damn guitar. At the volume we play at the Blues Junior seems to be too low. I'm sad about it cus I love the sound and feel of it but it seems I got to get something louder.
Yeh, this is a rant but what the hell... POSTED: 01/18/2008 - 11:55 am / quote|
Kevin Saale
: WTF for an MG, how can you give an amp a bad rating because it doesn't do what it's not supposed to badly? I wouldn't give a bass guitar a low score because you can't shred on it.... POSTED: 01/18/2008 - 05:08 pm / quote|
clawsofsteel
: some people are ****ing idiots.its meant for playing blues songs.its ****ing great for blues.ONLY blues.LIKE SRV.NOT FOR CRADLE OF FILTH.OR PANTERA OR ANY METAL THING.IT WASNT MADE FOR METAL IT WAS MADE FOR BLUES,
no disrespect or anything,but seriously cmon.its not deathmetal jr POSTED: 01/18/2008 - 09:12 pm / quote|
Sloopy
: I don't know about this one, I found it very treble-y. POSTED: 01/19/2008 - 12:22 am / quote|
FlamingYouth
: ^ depends on what guitar you play it with. and you could turn the treble down, lol. POSTED: 01/19/2008 - 11:00 am / quote|
E V H 5150
: I personally get great metal tones out of it, with my ME-50. So, yeah, running a pedal solves pretty much everything. This amp was my upgrade from a Marshall MG15DFX. I can tell you that maybe I can't get Van Halen tones from it, but I can play dirty, dirty blues with it just fine. Unlike my Marshall. And the cheap little effects on the Marshall pretty much suck. It's so hard to adjust them, and in the wrong hands, they can become a distraction. Having this amp in my setup makes me feel closer to becoming great... I love the sounds I can get. POSTED: 01/19/2008 - 05:10 pm / quote|
I was at a rehearsal studio yesterday and my friends 100 watt bass amp was so ****ing loud I couldn't hear the damn guitar. At the volume we play at the Blues Junior seems to be too low. I'm sad about it cus I love the sound and feel of it but it seems I got to get something louder.
Yeh, this is a rant but what the hell...
sounds like you need the Deluxe model, 40 watts... and you get a drive channel POSTED: 01/20/2008 - 03:25 pm / quote|
Pete24v
: i plan on getting one of these in the near future, who has replaced the speaker and with what? POSTED: 01/20/2008 - 03:26 pm / quote|
joyous_pain1221
: I think people should use 'amp company amps' not a guitar company amp, know what I'm saying? POSTED: 01/20/2008 - 07:40 pm / quote|
COWlan
: Fender happens to be good at both making guitars and amps. Search around how many great amps Fender has made in the past, Bassmans, Twins, Vibrolux, Supersonic and etc, too many to name. A myriad of pros use Fender amps, and classic Fender cleans and reverb basically set the bar of what a good amp is supposed to be like. POSTED: 01/20/2008 - 11:59 pm / quote|
some people are ****ing idiots.its meant for playing blues songs.its ****ing great for blues.ONLY blues.LIKE SRV.NOT FOR CRADLE OF FILTH.OR PANTERA OR ANY METAL THING.IT WASNT MADE FOR METAL IT WAS MADE FOR BLUES,
no disrespect or anything,but seriously cmon.its not deathmetal jr
OD pedal gives me a good Metallica sound. Amp is very punchy for a Fender. POSTED: 01/26/2008 - 01:17 pm / quote|
jmooney1
: i just bought this amp and it is terrific.. for bedroom blues and classic rock stuff its the best, overdrives beautifully, if you want awesome classi vintage tone this is it, simple but if you want tone this is it, it also takes my metal-zone mt-2 pedal nicely, alot of people dont like this pedal but with time and patience you can find some nice distortions. amazing amp POSTED: 07/24/2008 - 12:39 am / quote|
shaofu0424
: I LOVE MY BLUES JR... i gig regularly with this amp, a cable, and a les paul tv special w p90s and let me say how awesome it is to not have to haul around a bunch o schtuff... the el84s crunch well at volume... i dime out the tone controls to remove the load and use my tone controls on my guitar for brightness... try the tesla/jjs tubes... love em... i have an aftermarket jensen p12q speaker in mine- the stock was a little to brittle... glorious...
having said that, i have a couple of complaints and/or suggestions... the tone stack loads the circuit... fender shoulda used the unused portion of one of the 12ax7s to unload the tone stack... this alone would drastically increase the usefulness of the tone stack as well as going a LONG way to reducing the "boxiness" in the circuit... i dont know why they didnt... probably money... it is mod-able if the tech is willing to work on the pcb board... (im not willing to work on the pcb board)... but recognize it voids the warranty... i would also have recommended changing from fixed bias- although it is less trouble- to a bias pot... youd be suprised at the increase in texture from these little nine pin brutes... as well as functionality...
but i still love my amp... bedroom to the stage, baby!!! POSTED: 09/11/2008 - 07:28 pm / quote|
shaofu0424
: ps... this amp is AWESOME with analog fuzz pedals... holy cow... ... POSTED: 09/11/2008 - 07:34 pm / quote|
raezor
: mine gets a crackling sound from the tubes a lot and when i move the one tube around it crackles more and sometimes goes away. the guy at the store said you just have to move it around a bit until the crackling goes away but sometimes its very extensive and irritating. any suggestions? POSTED: 11/18/2008 - 02:48 pm / quote|
stratomaster123
: does the metal plate on the back of anyones else vibrate when playing lower stuff? any suggestions on how to fix it? POSTED: 02/19/2009 - 08:07 pm / quote|
raezor
: because this amp does not have a standby switch when every other tube amp ive seen does, what should i do to let it cool down? turn it off and let it sit, or let it sit then turn it off? POSTED: 03/11/2009 - 07:18 pm / quote|
mine gets a crackling sound from the tubes a lot and when i move the one tube around it crackles more and sometimes goes away. the guy at the store said you just have to move it around a bit until the crackling goes away but sometimes its very extensive and irritating. any suggestions?
i recommend taking the amp to your tech - probably tubes, but it could be something a little more destructive... i have some ideas, but without seeing it they are pointless... the guy at the store was being a dipstick and was bullsh!tting you... probably knew the product was faulty... i really dont like it when people do things like that...
raezor wrote:
because this amp does not have a standby switch when every other tube amp ive seen does, what should i do to let it cool down? turn it off and let it sit, or let it sit then turn it off?
the type of power section in this amp is constructed so it "technically" doesnt need a standby... i disagree with this and am actually considering installing one on my amp... this is overkill, but i cut the volume the second the show is over(all knobs to 0), then bag the pedals, then cut the power, then collect my stuff, then move the amp last... considering jjs are quite robust, its definitely overkill.. torres has a fan project which might become tempting to some...
yall have got to try zvex pedals into these things... YEAH BOY! rock on... POSTED: 08/20/2009 - 06:16 pm / quote|
Jon Day
: Fender IS an amp company!!! For Crying out loud-the tone of a Fender Guitar through a Fender amp is a Classic Combo...These guys invented to technology that defined the blues/classic rock tone of the 60's/70's. History, dude, History POSTED: 09/02/2009 - 05:14 pm / quote|
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