Thinking of buying a Blues Junior....good choice, or alternatives?

ICBM

rivercider said:

I quite like my Blues Junior IV, but then my previous valve amp was a Bassbreaker 15 that gave me issues (despite Fender trying to help sort it) and which eventually I really tired of. The Junior instantly was a huge improvement but I'm slowly realising that there may be far better alternatives to consider. Wish I still had my old Peavey Bravo.....   

I genuinely can't see myself replacing my Peavey Studio Pro 112 with any valve amp. It sounds better than most of about the same size, it's lighter than anything louder, louder than anything lighter, and cost me next to nothing. (Market value would be about £100.) OK I did cheat slightly and fit it with a better speaker - a second hand Line 6 Custom Celestion. Which also cost me nothing...

Several people have heard it in my workshop and asked if it's a valve amp.

BintyTwanger77

Godlykepower said:

BintyTwanger77 said:

I'm going to be offloading my Blues Jnr IV soon. 

Yep, based on everything I’m reading...I’ll be giving it a miss too!

I tried a 65 Princeton RI and a used Morgan AC20, and really what I’m missing from the Blues Junior is clarity, the other two amps were 100 times more articulate.

randerson

I've said it before.. Yerasov GTA15. Don't judge it by the looks..

Fuengi

ICBM said:

rivercider said:

I quite like my Blues Junior IV, but then my previous valve amp was a Bassbreaker 15 that gave me issues (despite Fender trying to help sort it) and which eventually I really tired of. The Junior instantly was a huge improvement but I'm slowly realising that there may be far better alternatives to consider. Wish I still had my old Peavey Bravo.....   

I genuinely can't see myself replacing my Peavey Studio Pro 112 with any valve amp. It sounds better than most of about the same size, it's lighter than anything louder, louder than anything lighter, and cost me next to nothing. (Market value would be about £100.) OK I did cheat slightly and fit it with a better speaker - a second hand Line 6 Custom Celestion. Which also cost me nothing...

Several people have heard it in my workshop and asked if it's a valve amp.

I've never tried the Peavey but the best solid state amp I've ever played was a Sessionette Session amp. It didn't have the 'weight of sound' that a valve amp has but it didn't sound like any other modelling amp I've played. Really liked it, in fact I ought to really look out for one for home. 

Had a Vox AC 4, wasn't great. Yerasov GTA15 is a super pedal platform, had one for a few years. My current amp is a Mesa Maverick 1 X 12 which is a class apart and only cost slightly more than a new Blues Jr. 

Creed_Clicks

TheMarlin said:

Creed_Clicks said:

Lots of alternatives suggested, but I'd also check out the pro junior. Great little amp.

The Yarasov is a better built, better quality Pro Jr.  it’s the smarter choice

Yeah I saw these before but never played one. I had a pro junior for a while but sold due to not gigging and moving etc. would revisit the yarasov.
To the OP what about a zt lunchbox though I guess that’s going to be very different to their original query.
There´s also the Laney Cubs and regular Laney 15...

Sassafras

Just get a Katana, as recommended by our own @ICBM ;

Godlykepower

Sassafras said:

Just get a Katana, as recommended by our own @ICBM ;

Tried one before - utter shite!

Sassafras

Godlykepower said:

Sassafras said:

Just get a Katana, as recommended by our own @ICBM ;

Tried one before - utter shite!

Pretty much summarises ICBM's opinion too.

woody

I owned one and it was utter rubbish. Badly built too and noisy. What about a s/h cornford harlequin as a much nicer alternative?

ICBM

woody said:

I owned one and it was utter rubbish. Badly built too and noisy. What about a s/h cornford harlequin as a much nicer alternative?

I’d honestly rather have a Blues Junior!

Godlykepower

woody said:

I owned one and it was utter rubbish. Badly built too and noisy. What about a s/h cornford harlequin as a much nicer alternative?

I’ve thought about this. I used to have a Cornford Carrera, that I absolutely loved, but I seem to recall not liking the Harlequin at the time. I might have changed my mind now, but it’s too much of a faff to find out!

Godlykepower

Had some free time this afternoon, and went to PMT in Cambridge to try out some amps.

I tried a Marshall Origin 20, a second hand Blues Junior 3, and something called an Albion.

I’m usually rather indifferent to Marshall’s, so was pleasantly surprised how good it sounded even with no reverb.

I moved onto the BJ, and it wasn’t quite as bad as people make out, but had a certain something that I didn’t like, so I immediately discounted it.

The sales guy (who suggested the Albion as a bit of a dark horse) got that up and running, and boy, was I surprised! They look a bit naff, but bloody hell, can you get some sounds out of it!

I asked him to get me a reverb and an overdrive pedal (Digitech Polara, and Way Huge Overrated Special) to put in front of the Marshall....

....holy crap! I would quite happily still be sat there now if that little room wasn’t so swelteringly hot, because with mere seconds of knob twiddling, that Marshall sounded absolutely bloody terrific.

I’m not great at describing the tonal qualities of a sound I hear, but I know what I like....and that amp with those two pedals (we did get a Keeley compressor in there towards the end) in front, was precisely what sound I love.

Unless hundreds of you tell me I’m making a mistake, I think I’m sold on the Origin 20.

dano

I've got a Blues Jr mk3 and really like it. It's an FSR with a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker.  Cleans are OK but with a fuzz face or Rat it sounds great at gig volumes. I find at home vs gig volumes the EQ settings are different. 

There is a Laney amp that's quite similar called the LC30 or VC30. It's good, I reckon a but better sounding and cheaper. I used one a while back and recall the controls gave you a decent 2 channel.option.   Worth looking out for. 

donbot

Ibanez TSA15 combo. Brilliant little amp for the price. Takes pedals very well, FX loop, built in tube screamer, 5/15W switch. AND I happen to have one I may be willing to let go...