fender pro jnr vs blues jnr

wrinkleygit

now I have retired from active gigging (my bass gear will be up for sale some time in the new year) I have time on my hands so having dug out my old LP, now my prs has finally moved on, & I am searching for the holy grail of small valve combos, my other thread on 5w valve amps has prompted some good replies but while scouring the market place I noticed this-

Fender blues junior, 12" speaker, reverb, loads of knobs & 3 preamp valves, av price £465

Fender pro junior, 10" speaker, 2 knobs & 2 preamp valves av price £427 ????

now apart from any price consideration the pro looks fairly close to fitting my requirements but how on earth do fender justify its price in comparison to the blues jnr or have I missed something, mike b.

ICBM

Because the Pro sounds *miles* better than the Blues.

But how they justify the price of either of them when the two-channel + boost, 40W, better-built and much better-sounding than the Blues Junior (and possibly better than the Pro Junior), Hotrod Deluxe is only just over £600, I don't know. That's a really serious amp that actually seems like something of a bargain, unlike the smaller two.

Jalapeno

Blues Jnr is very good at one thing.

Pro Junior is the Dog's doohdahs !

Jeremiah

Maybe wait for the new Fender Bassbreakers to be available? Or try a Laney Cub 10, which is quite a lot cheaper than either the Pro or Blues Junior.

MattFGBI

If you're not in a rush I'd say wait for the Bassbreaker 15, especially if you want to do any recording. 

The Blues and Pro Jnr need to be turned up to get the best sounds so aren't necessarily as home friendly, despite the size. 

I gig / rehearse with a Blues Junior in a covers band and it really comes alive when cranked. 

Alternatively go 2nd hand for now and you can move either on in a few months if you want and you'll probably get your money back. 

Sassafras

Rat Valve Amps.

All the switches and knobs you'll ever need and power scaling. Cheaper than either of the Fenders.

lustycourtier

I had a Blues junior that had all the BillM mods, speaker upgrade too and it was phenomenal. then I tried a standard one and it was awful compared. I may try a Basbreaker when they come out

ChrisCox1994

I'm selling a blues jr with the tone stack mod and a british greenback, its sounds much better than my friend's stock one, (so much so that he bought a princeton)

wrinkleygit

hello chris shame your not closer, as I did spot that in the ad section, I have tried a blues deluxe reissue which was a great sounding amp but felt like it was nailed to the floor, my last gigging amp was a boogie DC3 which was fantastic in some respects & a pain in others, I really like the idea of something that I can carry with one hand & just plug in & play so I may well end up with a pro jnr in the end, I have looked a the rat website as well as my old mate john beer at amp-fix, but nothing has grabbed me yet, keep the ideas coming tho, thanks, mike b. 

richardhomer

MattFGBI;905173" said:

The Blues and Pro Jnr need to be turned up to get the best sounds so aren't necessarily as home friendly, despite the size. 

I used to own a US Pro Junior (I say 'used to' - I leant it to a mate I'm no longer in touch with who's kept it) and completely agree with Matt.

They need to be cranked way beyond home volumes, before they really start to come alive. EC used one for some slide songs on his 'Nothing but the Blues' dates in the mid-90s. That said, they are not a gigging option without mic'ing either - they just don't have the headroom or bass output.

They are capable of sounding superb - the ideal recording amp in many ways.

Fretwired

Of the two I prefer the Pro Junior (I have owned both). However, be aware they get very loud at home when cranked. As I have said a number of times I don't know why Fender don't make a 5 watt amp like the Champ.

I have a Fender Champ and a Blackstar HT5. Both are good amps, although the Champ is no longer available.

tbm

Having owned both to my ears the Pro Jr is a better sounding and louder amp, so not really a bedroom option. The Blues Jr I owned also had the BillM mods, and it was great. But even though it has the extra controls, I seem to be able to get more sounds out of the Pro Jr. I'd changed the speaker on the Blues Jr too - to a Warehouse Veteran 30 - and that did help take away some harshness. I actually put a less efficient speaker - an Eminence legend 1028k - in my Pro Jr to have it breakup earlier! The clean sound you get with a Pro Jr with the level set to 6/7 with the guitar volume pulled back is fantastic.

For home use I've a Vox AC4TV that I bought of someone on the old Musicradar board that's been modded with a voltage regulator. I briefly considered getting rid of it, but it sounds SO good and any volume.

DanR

I have a Pro Jr I use at home.

Like everyone else says it is loud but I use pedals for gain so it doesn't get cranked.

I've amassed a fair few Wampler amp in a box pedals which I put through it so it's been a good purchase.

I do have a Gretsch G5222 which is the same as the Fender Champ 600.

bazxkr

How about a ratamps modded Marshall class 5 ..has the power scaler & headphone IIRC..limited edition white tolex

Looks stunning but I'm not using it

wrinkleygit

I had considered a marshal c5l but have always prefered fender amps so the pro junior is creeping towards the top of my shopping list, however I also miss my old boogie but I am now starting to get away from my original idea of a grab & go amp if I'm not careful, merry christmas everyone, mike

DanR

I had a Marshall class 5 red roulette, couldn't get it cranked at home.

Took it back and got the Pro Jr with a Wampler Plexi Drive Deluxe.

Best of both worlds.