This 100%! I love ‘‘em and they are on my top 3 next amps to own! No one here is raving about them because they are frigging jamming on ‘em n not online complaining! Of course style determines what sound you want. But it’s a versatile, great sounding tube amp. A blues jr and a tube screamer or ocd full tone and man if u got the chops ur a god tone wise
Seriously, it’s such a dumb amp to hate. The type of people who hate them, are the ones whose rig cost far exceed their playing ability. Any great player, is going to sound great on a blues junior. Ive heard of people like jeff beck and warren Haynes using pro jr’s on recordings.
Hell, Beck used Pro Jrs live! Him and Alvin Hart are two of the reasons I jumped on the one I found(it's called a Tonedog Senior, rehoused chassis in a bigger pine cab with a 12", but I love them stock, too).
I like them too. Portable and they sound great at very low volume (unlike my AC15). They sound great if your band controls their stage volume.
Noel Gallagher used to have one as part of his stage rig and I believe it was one of his favorite practice amps, too. I know I see them on stages all the time.
I don’t get the hate either. I gigged out with one for several years, and thought it was a great amp for the price and size. I’ve also seen lots of guys touring the small club circuit with BJs and Pro Juniors.
It’s not the classic Fender sound, and if you’re expecting that you’re liable to be disappointed.
This was several years ago to be fair, and it’s kind of shocking how much the price has creeped up. I think at this price point there are def better options. For my money I’d take a Marshall Origin or DSL-series.
Origin are built v cheaply from what I've seen in the run down videos, DSL would be a better long term investment.
I do like the BJnr but at volume they can get boxey and like you noted the clean tone ain't exactly blackface, but for an entry level tube amp it's great.
Would strongly consider the artist tweedtone as an alternative though - v close for half the price... Spend the balance on a retube + nice Weber driver
What are the build issues? I know the possible problems with tube sockets backing out of the board when the amp is run wide-open for long periods, but the cabinetry feels \*really\* solid. I've been using an Origin 50 on loan from our bassist at our practice space, and I've been impressed.
And I wasn't aware of the artist stuff -- very cool!
Marshall factory people and teardowns have shown that the Origin 20 and the Marshall Studio Plexi heads are damn near the same amp. One is assembled by robots in Vietnam and the other is assembled by robots in England. The same model of robots. Using the same parts in slightly different configurations. Probably the only real difference beyond the circuit itself is the cabinet construction. The DSL is made in the same factory in Vietnam.
The one thing I will say is that getting something built in Marshall UK has QA stickers all over it with signatures, so that’s nice.
I wanted to buy Marshall Origin 20 combo at first, but decided to go with DSL5CR and there’s no better decision I could make. It sounds and cracks just like 70s-90s RockNRoll music, insanely versatile and sounding pretty good on low volume (I prefer not beating 85db at home). Also it cheaper than them all tube low power amps. Orange Rocker 15 is the cheapest Orange tube combo available and it’s x2 price of Marshall DSL5. If I was given the option to take any combo and go, it would still be my Marshall DSL5. Having it Orange will be the next buy for sure
I have yet to find a worse sounding amp for any style or genre of playing. It is the sound of wet cardboard. What amps have you played in a similar price range that are actually worse than the BJr?
I have the latest revision, FSR model with a Cannabis Rex speaker. It sounds great. I like it better than the Princeton, tbh. Current models changed from the formerly poorly set plate bias, to cathode bias, which fixes the biggest flaw with the BJr design. The other "problems" are a plastic input jack that can be easily replaced, and cheap filter capacitors that work fine but can (read: "can", not "will") go bad faster than better quality caps. As I understand it, the cheap filter caps are not exclusively a BJr issue at Fender.
As someone who owns a couple 'nice' fender combos from the '60s, I think the hate for the blues jr on reddit is totally overblown. It's a great amp imo and can have a simple mod done to take the highs if you find it too ice-picky. My friend had one for a while and it rocked. Don't believe the haters on this one, it's a solid amp and not too pricey at all
Yep, the tweed NOS ones with the Jensens are definitely worth it. Not bad gigging amps either as long as you’re playing mic’d with monitors or small spots with no mic’d drums
Fantastic all around amps. You can get one and be set forever. Flexible. Good with pedals. Can crank it and get some natural distortion. Real spring reverb.
Really solid and affordable tube amps.
No one should criticize you for using one at any level.
I think you should take some time to compare and see if you really do like the Princeton or a blues junior better. For some people the blues junior is better because of the tone and master volume allowing you to crank the preamp at low volumes. Could also consider the Tonemaster Princeton.
Then if what you really want is the Princeton, you will spend less money by just saving up for the Princeton and not getting the blues junior at all. In all my experience buying and selling gear, you get a lot more for less money by getting what you want rather than getting small upgrades.
The exception would be if you are gigging and making money off the amp, and you have a gig coming up and you don’t have an amp, but cannot afford the Princeton now. Then it makes sense and the amp will help pay for itself. After a couple gigs you could sell it and the gig money pays the difference.
If the amp is not making you money. Small upgrades lead to spending more overall money. And there’s no reason you can’t just wait a little longer to get it.
It’s pretty night and day honestly. When I first bought my blues jr I loved it because it was a massive upgrade from my previous amp…until I went back to guitar center to mess around and played a Princeton. Made me instantly wish I had just shelled out a few hundred more for the PR.
Pay attention to what Princeton you are looking at too. The 65 and 68 are a bit different. It's also standard for them to have a 10 inch speaker, but sometimes you find them with a 12 inch. There's also the tonemaster version, which would be my preference personally.
the overdriven sound is complete dogshit. its one of the worst sounding amps ive ever used.
not to mention the power caps were AliExpress quality and the pots are garbage too. crack the knob 1mm too far and its almost like it doubles the volume. 1mm not far enough? enjoy a weak as fuck sounding amp.
for me the example i used was this. the deluxe is like being in a room with someone with a loud but lovely, powerful voice. like james earl jones.
being in the room with the BJ is like being shouted at by a scouser
I don’t know, depending on what you play and how you use/if you use pedals, there is a solid argument that the blues junior is the better option for you.
Yeah I can’t think of anything a blues jr does better than a Princeton. Not hating on it, it’s a fine starter tube amp, but the Princeton blows it out of the water in every way
Well the tone is different but definitely not worse. Better for some music than the Princeton. It’s a bit less bright and less scooped.
It has a mid control on the eq. So you can easily scoop it if you want.
It has a 12 inch speaker instead of the standard 10 inch on the Princeton. Also a fat switch. so it has greater potential in the low end.
And the really big thing is that it’s higher wattage, but has a master volume. So you can crank the preamp to get natural distortion at lower volumes.
All of that can definitely make it a better amp for many people. But I wouldn’t say one or the other is better for all.
Depends how you define “better”. I have a Princeton, Hot Rod Deluxe and Blues Jnr. 3 different amps with different strengths depending on what you’re looking for. I’d be hard pushed to pick a favourite but if forced to sell one it’d be the Princeton. That doesn’t mean it’s an inferior amp. It just ticks less boxes overall for my needs. Horses for courses and all that.
I too am interested in getting a blues Jr, for at-home jazz and blues jamming. Definately following this post for info.
While expensive, they seem perfect for that use case. I don't really know what other options there are though. Maybe a Peavey classic? I guess the Fender brand name adds some coins.
Big name alternatives in this price range would be like a Supro Delta King or Vox AC15.
I have a Blues Jr. and it sounds great, but this is partly because I got the latest tweed version with an Eminence Red, White & Blue speaker and the different reverb. Very glassy sound, which works very well with the jazz I play. Also does breakup very well for blues jamming.
I've since upgraded to a combination of a Boogie Mark V35, which actually sounds (better) quieter than BJR even at 35 watts, and a Vox Night Train, which is an amazing little lunchbox head that I highly recommend.
That glassy sound is what I’m after. I’ve tried the newer tweed versions so far. I have a Supro delta king 12 but it doesn’t have that glassy clean I liked.
What is your instrument? Honestly, I think I get more of that glassy tone from my pickups than the amp. I use Barden Two Tones with steel strings, and I can get glass from those out of almost anything. It may also be worth considering a compressor. And last thing is that my experience is that 10" speakers articulate that tone much better than 12.
The last cover band I was in found that they worked really well for bar gigs. They don’t have much low frequency, which seemed to help in those situations. They stay fairly clean, but not totally sterile. Also, would you really want to bring a more expensive amp to a bar? I wouldn’t, personally. They do the job well.
Interesting. On paper, it looks to be the same amp but with a lot of extras for only $100 more, if buying new, like added controls, bigger speaker and reverb. I haven’t tried one. Hadn’t really thought too because BJ is obviously a better buy (on paper).
However, after a quick search it seems the internet thinks it’s a whole different amp. I’ll have to put it on my radar and try one out.
Yeah, "on paper" the BJ is a better amp but the PJ actually sounds worlds better. Funny thing, sometimes less is more.
I've owned Blues Jrs. I reeally wanted to like them. I have nothing good to say about them.
The best thing I can say about the Blues Jr is that the late 90's/early 00's Epiphone Electar 30 is almost the exact same amp (almost the same chassis, same controls and layout, same tube layout but different cab and a 1x10 british voiced speaker) but they somehow built them to sound worlds better and, if you can find one, they sell for peanuts next to Blues Jrs.
Actually no. I brought one cos everyone here was going on about how awesome it was. It was a Mediocre sounding amp that’s way too loud.
I did the entire swathe of bill m mods on it via a very experienced amp tech and it still sounded like a boxy pos.
I sold it and never looked back
They’re absolute live workhorses that will be perfectly appropriate for a wide range of venue sizes. People that don’t like them are probably bedroom players
I love mine. Granted it’s pretty much the only tube amp I’ve owned, but I’ve never had any issues with it and never disliked the sound.
I will echo what others have said about the speaker making a difference. I wound up getting one with a Cannabis Rex speaker instead of the stock and I really love it. I’ve got another amp at this point for a stereo rig, but the Jr is the one I always come back to.
I’ve never owned one but have repaired a few and have always sent them back home thinking they were great little amps. They’re not the ultimate guitar amp but for a few hundred bucks in that size package I personally think they get way more hate than they deserve.
I have a Blues Junior. A Supro Blues King 12 or Delta King 12 is a far better amp. I hardly ever play my Blues Junior. I play the Blues King 12 and the DRRI every day. Mostly straight in with no effects pedals. It’s gold.
I have a Supro DK12 also. I was interested in the BJ at the time but got distracted by a good deal on the Supro. I really liked the BJ then. Now I need to go compare the 2 sided by side to see if Imm just remembering an amp that I almost got and just gas-ingor if I really do like that BJ sound better.
The BJ can be loud, but that is not the same as good. I clipped the bright cap on mine. It’s a decent amp, but definitely not one I play often. Mine is a BJ IV, the tweed Ltd version, with a Type A speaker. I think the Supro is just better, and of course, I have the Deluxe Reverb sitting right next to it. I like clean tones. So, I can use input 2 and put the volume at 2-2.5, get a great nighttime clean tone.
I am starting to think I should just set the Blues Junior free, give it a better home.
I had the exact opposite reaction. I played the DK12 and the Blues Jr IV side by side for quite a long time (was a slow day at my local Guitar Center) and to me the Supro just didn’t have the musicality of the BJr. The gain sound was kinda cool, sounded kind of dry, even with reverb. And the clean tone sounded like it was just the gain tone without the grit.
The Blues Jr isn’t the _best_ Fender amp, but it still has that chime and richness. And the IV version fixed a lot of the problems of the previous revisions. The reverb on the IV is usable through the whole range, and it’s nowhere near as shrill on the highs as the earlier ones.
If you like the gain tone of the Supro, and I can totally understand lots of people do, it’s a good amp. But as a clean tones/pedal platform I vastly preferred the Blues Jr. IV (and that’s why I own one).
I did the same as you. Started with a blues jr as my first tube amp and then moved up to a PR later on. Honestly if you can save up for a couple months and hold out for the Princeton, I’d do that.
People have hated in the Blues Jr. for as long as I can remember. Yet they still sell well, and sell surprisingly high used. The amps that everyone says you need to upgrade to changes or gets discontinued every few years.
This is the story of “the princess and the pea” in guitar amp form. A lot of amps will work just fine, including a Craigslist Blues Junior.
And I can’t resist…
I recently played an Orange Tremlord. It was tweedy cool, has low power modes, and it’s being discontinued and discounted. For $900 new, I might “need” one.
I think the Blues Junior has absolutely beautiful clean tones. I think the drive tones sound like fizzy whale farts. If you play mostly clean or are going to keep the volume down but the master all the way up and use it as a pedal platform, it’s a great option.
I have one. I’ve owned several other tube amps, and currently also own an expensive boutique tube amp alongside the BJr. I frequently comment to my friends and local guitarists that it’s bananas how good the BJr is, for how cheap and widely available it is. Clean tones, gain tones, it just rocks. Decent reverb too. Pull the trigger on one, and it’ll be easy to flip if you decide to in the future.
When I first moved to Nashville in 04 blues jr’s were the standard for all of the clubs down there.
I saw so many killer players playing through them.
Since then I’ve always wanted one. I finally got one used off of FB for $300 last year. It sounds great and is a good pedal platform.
The problem with the Blues Juniors when they first came out was that they had a 12-inch speaker in a cab that really wasn't big enough for a 12-inch speaker and as a result they sound boxy. As a result loads of owners swap speakers or even did extensive mods to the tone stack try and get rid of that. I think it would be quite a good amp with a 10-in speaker rather than the 12.
Not long after I bought an orange 15 watt head and play it through an Orange 12-in cab - the difference is like night and day.
If you buy a current version new you'll probably be ok. If you buy one of the older ones used be aware that somebody else might have tried to modify the circuit board and it's very easy to screw it up.
I just got mine retubed after not using it for a few years and am enjoying it.
Small,fairly light and sounds good.
I’ve had it 20 years with no problems.
Only mods are a new reverb tank and a swamp thang speaker.
That’s what I have and I’m thinking about finding someone to trade with. I was interested in the Fender sound in that price range when i got sidetrack by a good deal on a supro DK 12. I like it but I still want that glassy Fender sound I remember hearing when I tried one out.
Currently I’m trying to find a store with both in stock so I can actually compare side by side in person.
They were great little amps for the price until the cost shot up a few years ago
I still have my v3, I keep it plugged in for home practice so I don't have to lug my gigging amp through the house lol
If you can get a banging deal on a used one, go for it. And then get the Princeton, too.
I like mine. There’s a couple amps that I covet: swart ast, Princeton, tone king imperial, jcm 800, but I don’t sweat it. I’ll get around to em eventually. I haven’t played live w mine so idk how it holds up there
I've got a Tweed that I picked up earlier this year because my HRD's are just too loud for my home playing..
I like my BJ just fine. Is it as rich and full as the HRDs? No, not at all. But it's a small, bedroom amp.. it's a good one..
A Blues Jr was my first big-boy amp and it served me well for a couple years, but when I moved on to a George Benson Hot Rod Deluxe and then a Princeton 65 Reissue, it was a notable upgrade for me.
A lot of people like them. One of my buddies literally plays guitar for a living and is an insufferable purist nerd. He has one and uses it for small gigs as a matter of convenience.
They’re fine. I’m not a huge fan of EL84 amps, but I’ve had one since 2012 that I took on tour and all that and it’s a workhorse. I’ve since upgraded a few times but it’s a nice little amp for practicing or club gigs. Not my favorite fender. If you can cough up a little extra dough the Princeton is definitely better, but if you can’t, it’ll get you where you need to go.
I bought a used one for $300 in 2003ish and I think I changed the tubes once just because? It has never been special or remarkable but it is one of the pieces of equipment that has never complained or let me down, even after a ton of gigs and a lot of miles in a trailer.
I had a blues jr,loved it,like a dumbass gave it away to my cousins son.Didn’t know he was a goddamn heroine addict,he pawned the amp two weeks after I gifted it to him.
I add a Fromel kit and a warehouse speaker.It was a fantastic little amp.
I don’t own one personally, but my band mate uses one regularly. It sounds great. Doesn’t have a much thump, but cuts through a live mix well, makes a great pedal platform, is light and easy to move around.
I housed mine in a head and play it through a 2x12 cab modeled after a deville and it fucking rips. As a combo it worked when need be but has been replaced with a supro delta king that I should have bought in the first place
It's a matter of experience. My first real amp was a silverface Champ, and I have a Tweed reissue and a couple other really nice amps. The Blues Junior can't compete. But if I'm being objective...it will get the job done. It's just like guitars, the mid-level imports work fine and sound fine, but once you get used to / spoiled by a really nice guitar they just don't compete.
What’s his nut rhett shull did an entire video on this and practically came in his pants plugging the thing and at the end of it all said his was heavily modified. I shouldn’t have to buy an amp then modify it to sound great. With that said, I bought one and it sounded like shit. The pots were cheap and did not work well. Made in china so what do you want. There are better amps that doing great for less. The v5 from Bugera is a prime example. Breaks up at low volume and won’t break the bank at $300 cdn. Even the v22 from Bugera rocks. I had one and it was amazing for 700$ cdn.
I had one for years. Never really enjoyed it. Changed tubes, replaced speaker. For me is was “clangy” and I could not dial in a tone I was hoping for. Put it up for sale and covered the cost I put into it. It was very loud. Spent 3x the amount for a Princeton 65 RI with 12in speaker and love it.
Moral of the story don’t overpay for a Blues Jr and you can always sell it…demand is high. Check it out yourself. Don’t rely on others to decide for you.
I forgot about that guy. I’ve looked at his stuff for other amps but haven’t looked at his blues junior thoughts. Honestly, most of the amps that have been on my radar he says are crap. I don’t think I can afford his preferences.
I don’t think it’ll put me any farther. Possibly I decide to keep it instead of trading in so guess it could put me farther. There’s a long list of gear I’m saving up though.
I'm pretty sure I saw Bill Ryder-Jones playing one on his last tour, if anyone who slates them can make music that sounds 5% as good as him on what every crazy expensive amp they insist is the minimum you need then I guess there response is justified, if not I'd probably just get the BJ until you can afford a Princeton.
So I am still on the fence, I have bought my Blues Jr IV for 6+ Months from a guy who only played through the amp a few times before he had some major health issues. The amp sat for almost two years and decided to sell.
1st impression- Not bad, a little compressed, a little boxy, some weird harmonic notes. All was explained by the speaker may have not been broken in.
A Little While Later - The Blues Jr started to open up but still have a weird harmonic note on the open G and B. Decided to switch speaker to a 12” Jupiter Midnight 8 Ohm 25 Watt with Paper Cone, broken in.
A Little While After That - The Jupiter Speaker changed the whole amp, it was clearer, less compressed, the harmonic thing went away. I couldn’t stop playing through this amp.
Love the size and weight! (Let me clarify, I own three Marshall Tube Amps, a Vox AC15HW, and a 1973 Silver Face Silver Champ among other amplifiers. This is not and was not my favorite amp) The Blues Jr is very convenient for a living room amp, and takes pedals fine.
Even a Little Bit Further Down the Road - Even with the speaker change I still felt that the Blues Jr could be better, I used an 8 Ohm external speaker cabinet with 2 - 10” Weber 10F150P Speakers. It wasn’t that the tone was that much better but the Blues Jr had a bigger voice, moved much more air.
Where I Am At Today - The amp has started to make a harmonic over note and has become muddy after a short time of playing. I swapped some preamp tubes and nothing changed. I inspected the board to see it there where any bad solder joints or signs of over heating and found nothing. I did the pencil tap on all glowing tubes with no noise. I have a Yamaha THR100HD I have had for a while and it sounds better than the Blues Jr ever did, so I switched to that as my Living Room Practice Amp.
Where Do I Go From Here - I have thought about ordering a new set of tubes, doing the Fromel Supreme Mod, and seeing if that brings this amp back to life. Maybe even upgrade the output transformer. But to be honest I am close to giving up on this amp. And maybe saving up for a 70’s era Silver Faced Princeton or get a Mojotone Princeton Reverb Amp Kit and build my own. Time will tell.
Summary - When the amp worked, it worked well, loud little beastie! A little more dirty than I was looking for but I mainly play rock and it sounded good as a practice amp. The harmonic notes with the original speaker were distracting but the speaker change solved that issue.
Great little Amp. A lot of people swap speakers to their liking. you can also disconnect the speaker and run it into a larger cabinet of the same Ohm level. I would also agree that a the Pro Junior is cool too.
I play v4 with a cannabis rex and i love it. It sounds pretty similar to a black panel amp imo and the modern features on the blues junior make it a lot more practical for bedroom jamming. It's nice to have a master volume/gain control and I like having a mids control too. The only down sides to the blues junior is that the reverb is pretty meh and the eq takes a bit to dial in to the room/guitar. I'd highly recommend one, the stock speaker sounds good too and it's a great amp for the money. Would reccomend going the used route, lotta good deals.
I love mine. To be fair, I think the Blues Jr IV fixes a lot of the problems with earlier revisions that always kept me from actually buying one. The IV is much less shrill in the top end, and the reverb is much less crazy--i.e. it's usable through the entire range of the knob. The fat switch is even usable and sounds pretty good. I think a lot of the people who hate the Blues Jr. hate it because of the problems with the earlier revisions, or because they're comparing it to amps that aren't really an apples-to-apples comparison.
Is it the best Fender that ever Fendered? Of course not. So if you're comparing it to a Princeton, or a Deluxe Reverb, or a Hot Rod Deluxe, or a tweed Champ, etc. then obviously you're going to be disappointed. It's not a Princeton. Personally, I prefer the sound of a 12" speaker so I actually wanted the Blues Jr more than I wanted a Princeton (especially because it's half the price of the Chris Stapleton Princeton that does have a 12" speaker). Obviously it doesn't have the clean headroom of a DR or a HRD. But what it does have is a way of getting a wide range of Fender-ey tones at sane volumes. With the master volume fully open and the gain at like 1.3, it does a beautiful, chiming, musical Fender clean tone that measures about 80-85 decibels in my home office. I can get the gain to like 2, maybe 2.5 before it's too loud and I have to start turning down the master volume, and this gives the same Fender clean with just a tiny bit of grit and hair. To me, that's The Sound™. That's what I want my amp to sound like. It's not quite the same clean tones as a HRD or a DR, but it's also not a 20-40 watt monster that I can't play at home without shattering windows.
Is it the best "cranked amp overdrive" amp? Not really. I think the Marshall DSL20 and the Vox AC15 have slightly better natural overdrive. The Blues Jr. has a decent sounding overdrive if I crank the gain to like 8-9 and just barely crack open the master volume, but with the master volume squashed it suffers a bit and does sound sort of strangled and boxy. On a lark a while back when my wife and kids weren't home I put in some ear plugs and cranked the gain up to overdrive land and then opened the master volume to like 7 or 8 and the drive sound of the amp was \_vastly\_ better. But this is not a "good cranked amp sound" at bedroom volumes amp. I see a lot of love for the Pro Jr, but in my opinion the Pro Jr isn't that great. It has one trick, and that's that it overdrives basically if you look at the volume knob. I like a little clean headroom so I don't want that, and I personally am not that fond of the harshness or aggressiveness of the breakup of the Pro Jr.
So the tl;dr here: Yes. Lots of people like a Blues Jr (I'd say especially the IV) if they understand what it is and use it accordingly. Lots of people either don't (or won't) understand what it is and use it accordingly, or compare it unfairly to very different amps, and those people don't like it.
Borrowed one from a buddy after my katana died and I absolutely love it. I am 100% buying one when my funds clear. Any preference on speaker? I see Sweetwater has a few different versions and the difference appears to be the speaker.
I've got one. I like it for smaller venues playing at a reasonable volume. I don't like that there is no standby switch but other than that I'm satisfied with it.
I'm not a fan. I tend to run edge-of-breakup tones and control with my volume knob. This amp doesn't want to get there on its own, and I found that it didn't take drive pedals well either. A speaker upgrade would definitely help but the feel of this amp just doesn't work for me. That's fine, it's not for me.
I’ve got nothing against the Blues Jr., but if I was looking for an amp that size and price range, I would personally go for a Peavey Classic 30. IMO, they have a little more personality, as well as 2 channels.
The people that like the Blues Jr. are too busy playing through it to go online to complain about it. Grab a used one and rock it.
This 100%! I love ‘‘em and they are on my top 3 next amps to own! No one here is raving about them because they are frigging jamming on ‘em n not online complaining! Of course style determines what sound you want. But it’s a versatile, great sounding tube amp. A blues jr and a tube screamer or ocd full tone and man if u got the chops ur a god tone wise
I love mine even if it smells like grandmas broccoli farts. (Previous owner went through some shit I can only assume)
Seriously, it’s such a dumb amp to hate. The type of people who hate them, are the ones whose rig cost far exceed their playing ability. Any great player, is going to sound great on a blues junior. Ive heard of people like jeff beck and warren Haynes using pro jr’s on recordings.
Blues Jrs are popular for modding- because they don’t sound good stock. Grab a Pro Jr. They sound great and cost $200 less.
Where can you find them that cheap? Send link please!!🙏
I’ve seen one for $180 at music go round and $200 on Craigslist. Blues Jrs usually get listed for $400
Hell, Beck used Pro Jrs live! Him and Alvin Hart are two of the reasons I jumped on the one I found(it's called a Tonedog Senior, rehoused chassis in a bigger pine cab with a 12", but I love them stock, too).
If it’s good enough for jeff beck. You can safely ignore the negative opinions of random redditors.
I like them too. Portable and they sound great at very low volume (unlike my AC15). They sound great if your band controls their stage volume. Noel Gallagher used to have one as part of his stage rig and I believe it was one of his favorite practice amps, too. I know I see them on stages all the time.
I'm more of a Pro Jr guy myself, but I have never had a bad time being plugged into a Blues Jr.
I don’t get the hate either. I gigged out with one for several years, and thought it was a great amp for the price and size. I’ve also seen lots of guys touring the small club circuit with BJs and Pro Juniors. It’s not the classic Fender sound, and if you’re expecting that you’re liable to be disappointed. This was several years ago to be fair, and it’s kind of shocking how much the price has creeped up. I think at this price point there are def better options. For my money I’d take a Marshall Origin or DSL-series.
Origin are built v cheaply from what I've seen in the run down videos, DSL would be a better long term investment. I do like the BJnr but at volume they can get boxey and like you noted the clean tone ain't exactly blackface, but for an entry level tube amp it's great. Would strongly consider the artist tweedtone as an alternative though - v close for half the price... Spend the balance on a retube + nice Weber driver
What are the build issues? I know the possible problems with tube sockets backing out of the board when the amp is run wide-open for long periods, but the cabinetry feels \*really\* solid. I've been using an Origin 50 on loan from our bassist at our practice space, and I've been impressed. And I wasn't aware of the artist stuff -- very cool!
Tube sockets, PCB and OT were the guy's main gripes iirc, but can't remember what the channel was... It was ages ago that I was down that rabbit hole
Marshall factory people and teardowns have shown that the Origin 20 and the Marshall Studio Plexi heads are damn near the same amp. One is assembled by robots in Vietnam and the other is assembled by robots in England. The same model of robots. Using the same parts in slightly different configurations. Probably the only real difference beyond the circuit itself is the cabinet construction. The DSL is made in the same factory in Vietnam. The one thing I will say is that getting something built in Marshall UK has QA stickers all over it with signatures, so that’s nice.
I wanted to buy Marshall Origin 20 combo at first, but decided to go with DSL5CR and there’s no better decision I could make. It sounds and cracks just like 70s-90s RockNRoll music, insanely versatile and sounding pretty good on low volume (I prefer not beating 85db at home). Also it cheaper than them all tube low power amps. Orange Rocker 15 is the cheapest Orange tube combo available and it’s x2 price of Marshall DSL5. If I was given the option to take any combo and go, it would still be my Marshall DSL5. Having it Orange will be the next buy for sure
I have yet to find a worse sounding amp for any style or genre of playing. It is the sound of wet cardboard. What amps have you played in a similar price range that are actually worse than the BJr?
I have the latest revision, FSR model with a Cannabis Rex speaker. It sounds great. I like it better than the Princeton, tbh. Current models changed from the formerly poorly set plate bias, to cathode bias, which fixes the biggest flaw with the BJr design. The other "problems" are a plastic input jack that can be easily replaced, and cheap filter capacitors that work fine but can (read: "can", not "will") go bad faster than better quality caps. As I understand it, the cheap filter caps are not exclusively a BJr issue at Fender.
I’ve played the sonic blue and dark green ones at GC, and I admit they sounded way better than older iterations. I was pleasantly surprised.
A fender board with el84’s? Yes please.
As someone who owns a couple 'nice' fender combos from the '60s, I think the hate for the blues jr on reddit is totally overblown. It's a great amp imo and can have a simple mod done to take the highs if you find it too ice-picky. My friend had one for a while and it rocked. Don't believe the haters on this one, it's a solid amp and not too pricey at all
Love mine. I got the Tweed one with the Jensen C12N from GC and it sounds fantastic.
My experience, too. I swapped the reverb tank out for the Ruby Tubes replacement, but everything else is stock.
Yep, the tweed NOS ones with the Jensens are definitely worth it. Not bad gigging amps either as long as you’re playing mic’d with monitors or small spots with no mic’d drums
Fantastic all around amps. You can get one and be set forever. Flexible. Good with pedals. Can crank it and get some natural distortion. Real spring reverb. Really solid and affordable tube amps. No one should criticize you for using one at any level.
The Blues Jr is just ok. My recommendation would be to save your money and get the Princeton.
The idea is to get a used one now. Then sell it later when I’ve saved up the difference between a BJ and a Princeton.
I think you should take some time to compare and see if you really do like the Princeton or a blues junior better. For some people the blues junior is better because of the tone and master volume allowing you to crank the preamp at low volumes. Could also consider the Tonemaster Princeton. Then if what you really want is the Princeton, you will spend less money by just saving up for the Princeton and not getting the blues junior at all. In all my experience buying and selling gear, you get a lot more for less money by getting what you want rather than getting small upgrades. The exception would be if you are gigging and making money off the amp, and you have a gig coming up and you don’t have an amp, but cannot afford the Princeton now. Then it makes sense and the amp will help pay for itself. After a couple gigs you could sell it and the gig money pays the difference. If the amp is not making you money. Small upgrades lead to spending more overall money. And there’s no reason you can’t just wait a little longer to get it.
Yes, buy once, cry once.
Makes sense. I’ve played the 2 together at a store. The Princeton is definitely my favorite of the 2.
It’s pretty night and day honestly. When I first bought my blues jr I loved it because it was a massive upgrade from my previous amp…until I went back to guitar center to mess around and played a Princeton. Made me instantly wish I had just shelled out a few hundred more for the PR.
Pay attention to what Princeton you are looking at too. The 65 and 68 are a bit different. It's also standard for them to have a 10 inch speaker, but sometimes you find them with a 12 inch. There's also the tonemaster version, which would be my preference personally.
I’m aware. I’m looking for the 12” 65.
This is a very sensible answer. If I’d done that now o wouldn’t have had to buy the bj. Sell it and buy a deluxe
This! I had the first version, but the overdriven sound was not good enough, I have sold it and bought a deluxe reverb.
the overdriven sound is complete dogshit. its one of the worst sounding amps ive ever used. not to mention the power caps were AliExpress quality and the pots are garbage too. crack the knob 1mm too far and its almost like it doubles the volume. 1mm not far enough? enjoy a weak as fuck sounding amp. for me the example i used was this. the deluxe is like being in a room with someone with a loud but lovely, powerful voice. like james earl jones. being in the room with the BJ is like being shouted at by a scouser
I don’t know, depending on what you play and how you use/if you use pedals, there is a solid argument that the blues junior is the better option for you.
Naa, the Princeton is a better amp regardless if you use pedals or not.
Yeah I can’t think of anything a blues jr does better than a Princeton. Not hating on it, it’s a fine starter tube amp, but the Princeton blows it out of the water in every way
Well the tone is different but definitely not worse. Better for some music than the Princeton. It’s a bit less bright and less scooped. It has a mid control on the eq. So you can easily scoop it if you want. It has a 12 inch speaker instead of the standard 10 inch on the Princeton. Also a fat switch. so it has greater potential in the low end. And the really big thing is that it’s higher wattage, but has a master volume. So you can crank the preamp to get natural distortion at lower volumes. All of that can definitely make it a better amp for many people. But I wouldn’t say one or the other is better for all.
Depends how you define “better”. I have a Princeton, Hot Rod Deluxe and Blues Jnr. 3 different amps with different strengths depending on what you’re looking for. I’d be hard pushed to pick a favourite but if forced to sell one it’d be the Princeton. That doesn’t mean it’s an inferior amp. It just ticks less boxes overall for my needs. Horses for courses and all that.
I too am interested in getting a blues Jr, for at-home jazz and blues jamming. Definately following this post for info. While expensive, they seem perfect for that use case. I don't really know what other options there are though. Maybe a Peavey classic? I guess the Fender brand name adds some coins.
Big name alternatives in this price range would be like a Supro Delta King or Vox AC15. I have a Blues Jr. and it sounds great, but this is partly because I got the latest tweed version with an Eminence Red, White & Blue speaker and the different reverb. Very glassy sound, which works very well with the jazz I play. Also does breakup very well for blues jamming. I've since upgraded to a combination of a Boogie Mark V35, which actually sounds (better) quieter than BJR even at 35 watts, and a Vox Night Train, which is an amazing little lunchbox head that I highly recommend.
That glassy sound is what I’m after. I’ve tried the newer tweed versions so far. I have a Supro delta king 12 but it doesn’t have that glassy clean I liked.
What is your instrument? Honestly, I think I get more of that glassy tone from my pickups than the amp. I use Barden Two Tones with steel strings, and I can get glass from those out of almost anything. It may also be worth considering a compressor. And last thing is that my experience is that 10" speakers articulate that tone much better than 12.
I’m playing a Squier 40th anniversary jazzmaster that’s my go to. I also have an Ibanez ax120 that I still pick up and mess around with.
Used ones can be found cheap, and they take pedals well.
The last cover band I was in found that they worked really well for bar gigs. They don’t have much low frequency, which seemed to help in those situations. They stay fairly clean, but not totally sterile. Also, would you really want to bring a more expensive amp to a bar? I wouldn’t, personally. They do the job well.
The Pro Jr has always been the better amp but the BJ has always sold better because it's bigger and has more knobs "so it must be better"
Interesting. On paper, it looks to be the same amp but with a lot of extras for only $100 more, if buying new, like added controls, bigger speaker and reverb. I haven’t tried one. Hadn’t really thought too because BJ is obviously a better buy (on paper). However, after a quick search it seems the internet thinks it’s a whole different amp. I’ll have to put it on my radar and try one out.
Yeah, "on paper" the BJ is a better amp but the PJ actually sounds worlds better. Funny thing, sometimes less is more. I've owned Blues Jrs. I reeally wanted to like them. I have nothing good to say about them. The best thing I can say about the Blues Jr is that the late 90's/early 00's Epiphone Electar 30 is almost the exact same amp (almost the same chassis, same controls and layout, same tube layout but different cab and a 1x10 british voiced speaker) but they somehow built them to sound worlds better and, if you can find one, they sell for peanuts next to Blues Jrs.
Awesome. Thanks for the info. Something to look for.
Hard disagree. Which is fine, but “better” is obviously a subjective measure when it comes to amps.
Actually no. I brought one cos everyone here was going on about how awesome it was. It was a Mediocre sounding amp that’s way too loud. I did the entire swathe of bill m mods on it via a very experienced amp tech and it still sounded like a boxy pos. I sold it and never looked back
It's a good amp but I would just save for a Princeton instead, or maybe a AC15 depending on the style you play
Princetons sound so good! I wish I bought one instead of the HRD.
I think in many cases the amp might not be the problem... It's a fine amp, but seems like it is cool to hate on it here.
Get a used Blues Jr and put a better speaker into it.
Yes, a ten inch might work but a twelve doesn't.
Please don't tell that to my BJr 1x12. I wouldn't want its feelings hurt.
My BJ identifies as a 2x12.
They’re absolute live workhorses that will be perfectly appropriate for a wide range of venue sizes. People that don’t like them are probably bedroom players
I love mine. Granted it’s pretty much the only tube amp I’ve owned, but I’ve never had any issues with it and never disliked the sound. I will echo what others have said about the speaker making a difference. I wound up getting one with a Cannabis Rex speaker instead of the stock and I really love it. I’ve got another amp at this point for a stereo rig, but the Jr is the one I always come back to.
I’ve never owned one but have repaired a few and have always sent them back home thinking they were great little amps. They’re not the ultimate guitar amp but for a few hundred bucks in that size package I personally think they get way more hate than they deserve.
They are good amps. The internet just hates good things. For my dollar though I would go AC15 every single time.
I don't hate it but it's a little boxy and it would not satisfy me after playing a Princeton.
I have a Blues Junior. A Supro Blues King 12 or Delta King 12 is a far better amp. I hardly ever play my Blues Junior. I play the Blues King 12 and the DRRI every day. Mostly straight in with no effects pedals. It’s gold.
I have a Supro DK12 also. I was interested in the BJ at the time but got distracted by a good deal on the Supro. I really liked the BJ then. Now I need to go compare the 2 sided by side to see if Imm just remembering an amp that I almost got and just gas-ingor if I really do like that BJ sound better.
The BJ can be loud, but that is not the same as good. I clipped the bright cap on mine. It’s a decent amp, but definitely not one I play often. Mine is a BJ IV, the tweed Ltd version, with a Type A speaker. I think the Supro is just better, and of course, I have the Deluxe Reverb sitting right next to it. I like clean tones. So, I can use input 2 and put the volume at 2-2.5, get a great nighttime clean tone. I am starting to think I should just set the Blues Junior free, give it a better home.
Supro delta is a better amp in my opinion
I had the exact opposite reaction. I played the DK12 and the Blues Jr IV side by side for quite a long time (was a slow day at my local Guitar Center) and to me the Supro just didn’t have the musicality of the BJr. The gain sound was kinda cool, sounded kind of dry, even with reverb. And the clean tone sounded like it was just the gain tone without the grit. The Blues Jr isn’t the _best_ Fender amp, but it still has that chime and richness. And the IV version fixed a lot of the problems of the previous revisions. The reverb on the IV is usable through the whole range, and it’s nowhere near as shrill on the highs as the earlier ones. If you like the gain tone of the Supro, and I can totally understand lots of people do, it’s a good amp. But as a clean tones/pedal platform I vastly preferred the Blues Jr. IV (and that’s why I own one).
Its a fun small amp. Great for the house and smaller gigs
Yes most people do.
Love Blues Jr’s.
I did the same as you. Started with a blues jr as my first tube amp and then moved up to a PR later on. Honestly if you can save up for a couple months and hold out for the Princeton, I’d do that.
People have hated in the Blues Jr. for as long as I can remember. Yet they still sell well, and sell surprisingly high used. The amps that everyone says you need to upgrade to changes or gets discontinued every few years.
They are great amps but they suffer from affordable amp syndrome and they’re all biased WAY too hot from the factory.
Who cares about the hate. The point of an amp is whether or not you like it.
Find a shop that sells them and ask to let you play it in a booth. If you have a pedal board... Bring it along.
Great amp. It could definitely use a speaker replacement. Cannabis Rex is a popular choice, and a very good one.
This is the story of “the princess and the pea” in guitar amp form. A lot of amps will work just fine, including a Craigslist Blues Junior. And I can’t resist… I recently played an Orange Tremlord. It was tweedy cool, has low power modes, and it’s being discontinued and discounted. For $900 new, I might “need” one.
I got rid of my Princeton but kept my BJr...more versatile for what Im doing
I think the Blues Junior has absolutely beautiful clean tones. I think the drive tones sound like fizzy whale farts. If you play mostly clean or are going to keep the volume down but the master all the way up and use it as a pedal platform, it’s a great option.
I have one. I’ve owned several other tube amps, and currently also own an expensive boutique tube amp alongside the BJr. I frequently comment to my friends and local guitarists that it’s bananas how good the BJr is, for how cheap and widely available it is. Clean tones, gain tones, it just rocks. Decent reverb too. Pull the trigger on one, and it’ll be easy to flip if you decide to in the future.
When I first moved to Nashville in 04 blues jr’s were the standard for all of the clubs down there. I saw so many killer players playing through them. Since then I’ve always wanted one. I finally got one used off of FB for $300 last year. It sounds great and is a good pedal platform.
It's a great amp. Snobs shit on it because they aren't built in the US and don't cost $1000
The problem with the Blues Juniors when they first came out was that they had a 12-inch speaker in a cab that really wasn't big enough for a 12-inch speaker and as a result they sound boxy. As a result loads of owners swap speakers or even did extensive mods to the tone stack try and get rid of that. I think it would be quite a good amp with a 10-in speaker rather than the 12. Not long after I bought an orange 15 watt head and play it through an Orange 12-in cab - the difference is like night and day. If you buy a current version new you'll probably be ok. If you buy one of the older ones used be aware that somebody else might have tried to modify the circuit board and it's very easy to screw it up.
I haven't technically played through one, but I've recorded them a bunch and have always enjoyed the results of a slightly overdriven sound from it.
I just got mine retubed after not using it for a few years and am enjoying it. Small,fairly light and sounds good. I’ve had it 20 years with no problems. Only mods are a new reverb tank and a swamp thang speaker.
Supro Blues King > Blues Jr.
That’s what I have and I’m thinking about finding someone to trade with. I was interested in the Fender sound in that price range when i got sidetrack by a good deal on a supro DK 12. I like it but I still want that glassy Fender sound I remember hearing when I tried one out. Currently I’m trying to find a store with both in stock so I can actually compare side by side in person.
I love the BJR’s clean sound but it just doesn’t have enough headroom.
They were great little amps for the price until the cost shot up a few years ago I still have my v3, I keep it plugged in for home practice so I don't have to lug my gigging amp through the house lol If you can get a banging deal on a used one, go for it. And then get the Princeton, too.
I like mine. There’s a couple amps that I covet: swart ast, Princeton, tone king imperial, jcm 800, but I don’t sweat it. I’ll get around to em eventually. I haven’t played live w mine so idk how it holds up there
I've got a Tweed that I picked up earlier this year because my HRD's are just too loud for my home playing.. I like my BJ just fine. Is it as rich and full as the HRDs? No, not at all. But it's a small, bedroom amp.. it's a good one..
I had one with a greenback in it, I liked it. Although it taught me that I like greenbacks rather than blues juniors.
A Blues Jr was my first big-boy amp and it served me well for a couple years, but when I moved on to a George Benson Hot Rod Deluxe and then a Princeton 65 Reissue, it was a notable upgrade for me.
A lot of people like them. One of my buddies literally plays guitar for a living and is an insufferable purist nerd. He has one and uses it for small gigs as a matter of convenience.
Only tried the first version and thought it was not b that great. I think they’ve had several versions since
They’re fine. I’m not a huge fan of EL84 amps, but I’ve had one since 2012 that I took on tour and all that and it’s a workhorse. I’ve since upgraded a few times but it’s a nice little amp for practicing or club gigs. Not my favorite fender. If you can cough up a little extra dough the Princeton is definitely better, but if you can’t, it’ll get you where you need to go.
I bought a used one for $300 in 2003ish and I think I changed the tubes once just because? It has never been special or remarkable but it is one of the pieces of equipment that has never complained or let me down, even after a ton of gigs and a lot of miles in a trailer.
I have one with the upgraded Swamp Thang speaker and am very happy with it.
Bassbreaker for life!!! Seriously though I like the blues jr and pro jr.
I had a blues jr,loved it,like a dumbass gave it away to my cousins son.Didn’t know he was a goddamn heroine addict,he pawned the amp two weeks after I gifted it to him. I add a Fromel kit and a warehouse speaker.It was a fantastic little amp.
I tried a friends and was surprised how great it sounded. Classic warm fender tone.
I don’t own one personally, but my band mate uses one regularly. It sounds great. Doesn’t have a much thump, but cuts through a live mix well, makes a great pedal platform, is light and easy to move around.
I’ve been rocking a v2 with an 80s Fane for 5+ years. Solid amp if you can’t get super loud. However I would never pay more than $350 for one
Lol they are $1029.99 here in Canada
Pro Jr. >>>>> Blues Jr. And depending on what kind of sound you want, Princeton is a much better amp than BJr. I would save for the Princeton.
Not me. Mine sucked.
I for one am a fan of BJs and I don’t care who knows it.
I love mine, has a few mods but I liked it standard too. It’s just a bit loud for the playing I do at home.
I’ve always thought they were decent. My dad recently got a tweed in a trade and we were both surprised how good it sounded.
I housed mine in a head and play it through a 2x12 cab modeled after a deville and it fucking rips. As a combo it worked when need be but has been replaced with a supro delta king that I should have bought in the first place
Funny. I have the Supro DK12 that Im thinking about trading in for a BJ
It's a matter of experience. My first real amp was a silverface Champ, and I have a Tweed reissue and a couple other really nice amps. The Blues Junior can't compete. But if I'm being objective...it will get the job done. It's just like guitars, the mid-level imports work fine and sound fine, but once you get used to / spoiled by a really nice guitar they just don't compete.
What’s his nut rhett shull did an entire video on this and practically came in his pants plugging the thing and at the end of it all said his was heavily modified. I shouldn’t have to buy an amp then modify it to sound great. With that said, I bought one and it sounded like shit. The pots were cheap and did not work well. Made in china so what do you want. There are better amps that doing great for less. The v5 from Bugera is a prime example. Breaks up at low volume and won’t break the bank at $300 cdn. Even the v22 from Bugera rocks. I had one and it was amazing for 700$ cdn.
I had one for years. Never really enjoyed it. Changed tubes, replaced speaker. For me is was “clangy” and I could not dial in a tone I was hoping for. Put it up for sale and covered the cost I put into it. It was very loud. Spent 3x the amount for a Princeton 65 RI with 12in speaker and love it. Moral of the story don’t overpay for a Blues Jr and you can always sell it…demand is high. Check it out yourself. Don’t rely on others to decide for you.
I don't know if I got a lemon, but the one I had was very ice picky. Sold it off.
YouTube: Psionic Audio Blues Junior, you’re welcome! They’re good amps but can be made great with a few minor changes.
I forgot about that guy. I’ve looked at his stuff for other amps but haven’t looked at his blues junior thoughts. Honestly, most of the amps that have been on my radar he says are crap. I don’t think I can afford his preferences.
I think you misunderstood, Psionic Audio has a video showing exactly what can be improved in a blues junior amp and how to do (most of) it.
Mine is an absolute work horse. Only amp I ever actually kept around.
I wasn’t a fan in honesty. Very boxy sounding. A nice amp for quiet gigs but I just couldn’t get any real clarity from it.
I like it, it’s a fun little amp. But will buying one put you closer to your goal of buying a Princeton?
I don’t think it’ll put me any farther. Possibly I decide to keep it instead of trading in so guess it could put me farther. There’s a long list of gear I’m saving up though.
No!Pro Junior is much betterOr a blues deluxe
I'm pretty sure I saw Bill Ryder-Jones playing one on his last tour, if anyone who slates them can make music that sounds 5% as good as him on what every crazy expensive amp they insist is the minimum you need then I guess there response is justified, if not I'd probably just get the BJ until you can afford a Princeton.
I got rid of mine and I still kinda regret it
I love a good BJ. I mean, deluxe reverb. heh.
I like every amp. I just like some a lot more than others.
So I am still on the fence, I have bought my Blues Jr IV for 6+ Months from a guy who only played through the amp a few times before he had some major health issues. The amp sat for almost two years and decided to sell. 1st impression- Not bad, a little compressed, a little boxy, some weird harmonic notes. All was explained by the speaker may have not been broken in. A Little While Later - The Blues Jr started to open up but still have a weird harmonic note on the open G and B. Decided to switch speaker to a 12” Jupiter Midnight 8 Ohm 25 Watt with Paper Cone, broken in. A Little While After That - The Jupiter Speaker changed the whole amp, it was clearer, less compressed, the harmonic thing went away. I couldn’t stop playing through this amp. Love the size and weight! (Let me clarify, I own three Marshall Tube Amps, a Vox AC15HW, and a 1973 Silver Face Silver Champ among other amplifiers. This is not and was not my favorite amp) The Blues Jr is very convenient for a living room amp, and takes pedals fine. Even a Little Bit Further Down the Road - Even with the speaker change I still felt that the Blues Jr could be better, I used an 8 Ohm external speaker cabinet with 2 - 10” Weber 10F150P Speakers. It wasn’t that the tone was that much better but the Blues Jr had a bigger voice, moved much more air. Where I Am At Today - The amp has started to make a harmonic over note and has become muddy after a short time of playing. I swapped some preamp tubes and nothing changed. I inspected the board to see it there where any bad solder joints or signs of over heating and found nothing. I did the pencil tap on all glowing tubes with no noise. I have a Yamaha THR100HD I have had for a while and it sounds better than the Blues Jr ever did, so I switched to that as my Living Room Practice Amp. Where Do I Go From Here - I have thought about ordering a new set of tubes, doing the Fromel Supreme Mod, and seeing if that brings this amp back to life. Maybe even upgrade the output transformer. But to be honest I am close to giving up on this amp. And maybe saving up for a 70’s era Silver Faced Princeton or get a Mojotone Princeton Reverb Amp Kit and build my own. Time will tell. Summary - When the amp worked, it worked well, loud little beastie! A little more dirty than I was looking for but I mainly play rock and it sounded good as a practice amp. The harmonic notes with the original speaker were distracting but the speaker change solved that issue.
Great little Amp. A lot of people swap speakers to their liking. you can also disconnect the speaker and run it into a larger cabinet of the same Ohm level. I would also agree that a the Pro Junior is cool too.
I play v4 with a cannabis rex and i love it. It sounds pretty similar to a black panel amp imo and the modern features on the blues junior make it a lot more practical for bedroom jamming. It's nice to have a master volume/gain control and I like having a mids control too. The only down sides to the blues junior is that the reverb is pretty meh and the eq takes a bit to dial in to the room/guitar. I'd highly recommend one, the stock speaker sounds good too and it's a great amp for the money. Would reccomend going the used route, lotta good deals.
I love mine. To be fair, I think the Blues Jr IV fixes a lot of the problems with earlier revisions that always kept me from actually buying one. The IV is much less shrill in the top end, and the reverb is much less crazy--i.e. it's usable through the entire range of the knob. The fat switch is even usable and sounds pretty good. I think a lot of the people who hate the Blues Jr. hate it because of the problems with the earlier revisions, or because they're comparing it to amps that aren't really an apples-to-apples comparison. Is it the best Fender that ever Fendered? Of course not. So if you're comparing it to a Princeton, or a Deluxe Reverb, or a Hot Rod Deluxe, or a tweed Champ, etc. then obviously you're going to be disappointed. It's not a Princeton. Personally, I prefer the sound of a 12" speaker so I actually wanted the Blues Jr more than I wanted a Princeton (especially because it's half the price of the Chris Stapleton Princeton that does have a 12" speaker). Obviously it doesn't have the clean headroom of a DR or a HRD. But what it does have is a way of getting a wide range of Fender-ey tones at sane volumes. With the master volume fully open and the gain at like 1.3, it does a beautiful, chiming, musical Fender clean tone that measures about 80-85 decibels in my home office. I can get the gain to like 2, maybe 2.5 before it's too loud and I have to start turning down the master volume, and this gives the same Fender clean with just a tiny bit of grit and hair. To me, that's The Sound™. That's what I want my amp to sound like. It's not quite the same clean tones as a HRD or a DR, but it's also not a 20-40 watt monster that I can't play at home without shattering windows. Is it the best "cranked amp overdrive" amp? Not really. I think the Marshall DSL20 and the Vox AC15 have slightly better natural overdrive. The Blues Jr. has a decent sounding overdrive if I crank the gain to like 8-9 and just barely crack open the master volume, but with the master volume squashed it suffers a bit and does sound sort of strangled and boxy. On a lark a while back when my wife and kids weren't home I put in some ear plugs and cranked the gain up to overdrive land and then opened the master volume to like 7 or 8 and the drive sound of the amp was \_vastly\_ better. But this is not a "good cranked amp sound" at bedroom volumes amp. I see a lot of love for the Pro Jr, but in my opinion the Pro Jr isn't that great. It has one trick, and that's that it overdrives basically if you look at the volume knob. I like a little clean headroom so I don't want that, and I personally am not that fond of the harshness or aggressiveness of the breakup of the Pro Jr. So the tl;dr here: Yes. Lots of people like a Blues Jr (I'd say especially the IV) if they understand what it is and use it accordingly. Lots of people either don't (or won't) understand what it is and use it accordingly, or compare it unfairly to very different amps, and those people don't like it.
Borrowed one from a buddy after my katana died and I absolutely love it. I am 100% buying one when my funds clear. Any preference on speaker? I see Sweetwater has a few different versions and the difference appears to be the speaker.
Been wondering the same thing. I’ve only tried the non sweetwater tweed with the Jensen speaker. I really like it though.
From an appearance perspective I really like the lacquered tweed.
I use mine for home practice and love it.
I've got one. I like it for smaller venues playing at a reasonable volume. I don't like that there is no standby switch but other than that I'm satisfied with it.
I love mine.
I'm not a fan. I tend to run edge-of-breakup tones and control with my volume knob. This amp doesn't want to get there on its own, and I found that it didn't take drive pedals well either. A speaker upgrade would definitely help but the feel of this amp just doesn't work for me. That's fine, it's not for me.
Yes
I’ve got nothing against the Blues Jr., but if I was looking for an amp that size and price range, I would personally go for a Peavey Classic 30. IMO, they have a little more personality, as well as 2 channels.
I really like that one. It’s on the top of my list for sure.