How are Fender Blues Juniors these days?

Fiddlesticks_ · February 7

I used to have a 2nd gen one and I thought it was ok - but I got a bit bored of it and it didn’t record well for me so I ended up getting rid of it.

I know that in the past there’s been a lot of ambivalence about the BJr, but I’ve not really paid attention to them for a while and we’re up to 4th gen by the looks of it now.

I’m not planning on getting another one, but I’m just curious - does the ambivalence about them remain with the newer versions or are they generally looked at better these days?

ICBM · February 7

In my opinion the MkIV is miles better than the previous versions - it sounds a lot better, largely due to a better cabinet and speaker, and it has less of a tendency to set fire to itself because they’ve corrected a design problem on the lower PCB - even if not in the neatest way possible. It still runs too hot because it comes factory set for 230V not 240, but you can correct that yourself (without voiding the warranty) if you want.

It’s still not as good as if you put it in a 5E3-sized pine/tweed cabinet with a Jensen alnico speaker, but it’s a lot closer.

HAL9000 · February 7

Mate has a MkIII which I really don’t like. I briefly played through a MkIV a while back and it was like night and day - a far nicer sounding amp in my opinion.

Fiddlesticks_ · February 7

ICBM said:

it has less of a tendency to set fire to itself because they’ve corrected a design problem on the lower PCB

Hah! Luckily the solder joints failed on mine before it had chance to set fire to itself. Good times.

ryanverbena · February 8

They’re 100% better than previous versions. But the improvements haven’t kept up with the rest of the market. The blues junior has been out for nearly 30 years now. When it first came out it occupied the niche (small, well priced, lower wattage single channel tube amp pedal platform, workhorse) that didn’t have a lot of competition.

Since then, there rest of the market has really stepped up the game in this category of amp, whereas fender really haven’t IMO. Especially for £600 new.

Their reissue models for sure, but the blues/hot rod series not so much.

bertie · February 8

ryanverbena said:

previous versions.

*bites lip*

Epsilon · February 8

Boring. Uninspiring. Reliable.

Can think of at least a dozen amps in that bracket I'd rather have.

A bit like the Orange Tiny Terror. The first in its genre but at this point far from the best.

ICBM · February 8

Epsilon said:

Reliable.

Hmmm....

Image: https://tfb-user-images.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/7b4a04486abfad2efc5ea7095b3e991c77ad881790064395d4

Wazmeister · February 8

Im not a fan at all, and never have been.

Like @Epsilon said, there are many better out there.

Strat54 · February 8

Had a MK1 when they came out.....an awful uninspiring amp.

p90fool · February 9

Strat54 said:

Had a MK1 when they came out.....an awful uninspiring amp.

Me too. I'd been gigging a Pro Junior and thought a 12" speaker and reverb would be perfect additions to the same power section, but not only did it sound horrible, it was totally inaudible in the same band.

ICBM · February 9

p90fool said:

I'd been gigging a Pro Junior and thought a 12" speaker and reverb would be perfect additions to the same power section, but not only did it sound horrible, it was totally inaudible in the same band.

That used to be true, but I think the MkIV Blues Jr actually sounds better than the Pro Jr now. The PJ has improved nowhere near as much.

EvansDrD · February 9

Interesting discussion. I played through a mk4 recently and thought it was great, having not liked them any other time I’ve tried one (earlier versions)

But I’m really clueless about valve amps

what would be the ‘better alternatives’ in this class/genre that have been alluded to? Genuine question

stratman3142 · February 9

I've been wondering about a small amp.

I've got a Roland Blues Cube Artist and an HRD IV for gigs. I have a preference for the clean sound of my HRD, but the Blues Cube Artist clean isn't far behind and it certainly sounds a lot nicer than my HRD when things get crunchy. The Blues Cube is also quite a bit lighter. Both work well with pedals.

On that basis I might also consider consider a Blues Cube Hot.

My Blues Cube Artist can certainly keep up with a loud drummer on the 45W setting. I've never needed to go to the 80W setting. So I'm wondering whether the 30W Blues Cube Hot might be loud enough to gig with, and possibly have more clean headroom than a Fender Blues Junior IV.

swiller · February 9

I have a mk3 version FSR with V30 speaker in it. Bought new. Not sure whether valves are different in this fsr version, but a much better amp than stock ones i tried. Ive no reason to sell it and think its great. Familiar with 60s AC30s, mesa mk2/3/4.

I have master full whack by default which makes a difference. Fat button is shite, reverb not great and can be over powering.

But sparkle/glassiness on mine is really nice esp with humbuckers. LPC and SB59 sound superb through it. On strats does edge type stuff really well. Tele twangs like it should.
Heres a comparison of 3 vs 4 stock.

Littlejonny · February 9

I did a gig with a IV and really liked it. I think they are quite different sounding to previous versions.

I ran it with the master full up and the gain low. Clean.

I also recently recorded with a tweed one in a studio but I don’t know what model it was - should’ve checked. Didn’t sound as nice as the IV but recorded well and the engineers and band loved the sound.

Littlejonny · February 9

stratman3142 said:

I've been wondering about a small amp.

I've got a Roland Blues Cube Artist and an HRD IV for gigs. I have a preference for the clean sound of my HRD, but the Blues Cube Artist clean isn't far behind and it certainly sounds a lot nicer than my HRD when things get crunchy. The Blues Cube is also quite a bit lighter. Both work well with pedals.

On that basis I might also consider consider a Blues Cube Hot.

My Blues Cube Artist can certainly keep up with a loud drummer on the 45W setting. I've never needed to go to the 80W setting. So I'm wondering whether the 30W Blues Cube Hot might be loud enough to gig with, and possibly have more clean headroom than a Fender Blues Junior IV.

There’s a Guitar Paradiso episode in which they compare BJ and Roland BC Hot.

I seem to remember being disappointed that the BC didn’t sound as good as the BJ

Fiddlesticks_ · February 10

Littlejonny said:

I also recently recorded with a tweed one in a studio but I don’t know what model it was - should’ve checked. Didn’t sound as nice as the IV but recorded well and the engineers and band loved the sound.

I remember that my dad, who was a studio engineer, hated my BJr II due to the muddiness and boxiness. I was never able to record a tone I liked out of it too (but I’m far from a studio engineer).

fretmeister · February 10

Awful boxy sounding piles of arse.

Fiddlesticks_ · February 10

fretmeister said:

Awful boxy sounding piles of arse.

Dad?

stratman3142 · February 10

Littlejonny said:

stratman3142 said:

...

There’s a Guitar Paradiso episode in which they compare BJ and Roland BC Hot.

I seem to remember being disappointed that the BC didn’t sound as good as the BJ

Yes I saw that. I might have missed if it was mentioned, but I wasn't sure whether the Blues Cube Hot was on its 15W or 30W setting. If the Blues Cube Hot sounds as good (or close) to my Blues Cube Artist, but even more portable, it's definitely a contender.

I need to try both.

Did you see the Andertons video where Lee Anderton picked a Blues Cube over other amps in a blindfold test?

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How are Fender Blues Juniors these days?

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