Opinions on Fender Blues Jr amp?

**Boston Joe** · 05-13-2016, 10:19 AM

I think the Blues Jr. is a nice little amp. I've seen blues players use them mic'ed at gigs. I own one, but I've cannibalized it for parts.

**A. Kingstone** · 05-13-2016, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Pro Junior? badass little amps.

Surprised you could stay clean. Was it more of a rhythm guitar environment and you were meant to be heard more by the band and less by the audience?

I had a Blues Junior, but sold it when I got my Princeton and figured I really didn't need two tube amps about the same size/output... Should have kept it, it was it's own thing, and a cool amp.

That's the one. Oh she was warm alright. I'd turn down for the Freddy bit, fairly clean comping, a little louder for higher strings. When soloing it gave a good warm and fuzzy tone.

Light as a 6 pack too.

**jbucklin** · 05-13-2016, 03:14 PM

I have one, along with a '65 DRRI and a '65 PRRI. I used the BJ for awhile prior to getting the other two amps and I had no problem with it---until I got the other two amps! If you're willing to spring for the Deluxe or the Princeton you might be happier. OTOH, I have a steady duo gig with another (amazing) guitar player who plays his Ibanez GB200 through a stock BJ and he gets a killer sound. But, he could play through a Crate and still sound great.

**abelljo** · 05-13-2016, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by Jake Hanlon

When i moved into my office there was a blues jnr in it. I put it in the closet and it has stayed there ever since. IMO they are absolute trash. Sorry, but that's just the way I hear them as horrible amps that can sometimes sound half decent, but for me sometimes sounding half decent means it's useless.

I wouldn't play one if I was paid to... wait I am paid to, but I still won't play through it.

Some people play them and like them, most of those people in my experience are not professionals or they just have yet to play through a real legit amp OR they have spent twice what it cost to buy it upgrading it, to each their own but be warned, they break easily, they don't have the volume to deal with an aggressive rhythm section and if you're buying it because it's light and easy to move around, please refer to the 'it breaks easy' comment I just made.

I have never been able to get a sound that I like out of them either. But I'm also negatively biased as this is the gear of choice of all the weekend warrior "blues" guys that attend jam sessions. Strat in one hand, blues jr in the other and a tube screamer in the guitar case. lol

**rintincop** · 02-24-2020, 11:02 PM

Anybody a fan of the Pro Jr. ?
I did a side by side with a Fender Pro Jr., a new Princeton 65 reissue, and a Princeton 68 reissue at G.C. I thought the Pro Jr sounded superior. It had a warmer and fuller note tone when playing single notes. The 68 had the second fattest single note tone, the 65 was thinnest.

**TOMMO** · 02-25-2020, 03:03 AM

I've had mine for about 30 years and I'm still a fan.

**Alter** · 02-25-2020, 05:06 AM

Yeah I like mine too. Such a breeze to have a great sounding tube amp that is so portable.

**Greentone** · 02-25-2020, 07:47 AM

I loved mine. It sounded so good that it was bought from me by a guitarist in a touring band who made it his main stage amp.

**christianm77** · 02-25-2020, 08:23 AM

It’s funny, I don’t like them at all with humbuckers.

sound mega with single coils though

**TOMMO** · 02-25-2020, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by christianm77

It’s funny, I don’t like them at all with humbuckers.

sound mega with single coils though

I think I know what you mean: they do have a lot of low end.

**ruger9** · 02-25-2020, 09:34 AM

I've always wanted to try a Pro Jr. I haven't because I have always wanted drive from my amps, and the Pro Jr is too loud for that (at home...) But interestingly, I just bought a PRRI with a 12" for home CLEAN use, and I do really like it.. but now that I actually have a "clean only" amp, perhaps the PJ is worth another look... I do like the fatter tones of tweeds in general, and will be buying a Swart someday to that effect, but the PJ sounds tempting....

**Longways to Go** · 02-25-2020, 10:23 PM

I love the pro jr.

My current go-to rig is ES-175 into reverb pedal into Pro Junior III. I dig it.

**vernon** · 02-25-2020, 10:33 PM

The Pro Jr is not a bad amp. I had one about a decade ago for 2-3 years. Stock speaker sounded quite nasal... put a Weber alnico in it... significant improvement. Put some RCA tubes in... progress. In the end, the small cabinet made the amp sound boxy to me and the “grainy” quality of the el84 power tubes wore me out. I thought it was the 10” speaker that I didn’t like, but I acquired a vintage Princeton and that 10” with the larger cabinet and 6v6’s sounds like a completely different beast. I’d go with the Princeton if I were you.

**Longways to Go** · 02-26-2020, 11:15 AM

I appreciate the Princeton as well, but I sold my PRRI and kept my Pro Jr.
The PRRI has luscious tone and reverb, but is more bright and scooped than I like.

Pro Junior on the other hand, is smaller & simpler. The downside for me is no reverb and it is hissy.
I have no problem with the stock speaker, but I did swap the V1 tube for a NOS 5751 to bring down the noise.
So the hiss is gone & I'm not amp shopping for something better.
I would love not to have to use a reverb pedal, but it's a super functional small rig for me & much louder than I need.

**Tal_175** · 02-26-2020, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by christianm77

It’s funny, I don’t like them at all with humbuckers.

sound mega with single coils though

That's my experience with old tweed amp's too. I think Pro Jr. is more tweed like than being more blackface like. Which is the reverse for me. I don't like blackface's with single coils but I love them with humbuckers.

**Jake Johnson** · 04-08-2022, 04:49 PM

Several posts here have mentioned that this amp distorts easily at high volumes. My solution to that is to mic this amp, leaving it at whatever volume creates the desired tone, and then raising the volume on the mic preamp or the board.

**guavajelly** · 04-10-2022, 03:28 AM

I started using a blues jr. like 15 years ago when I had a trio by the name of guavajelly – playing Bob Marley's music in jazz arrangements. I just had bought a Polytone but sometimes I could not bring it so I used our bass player's blues junior. We also recorded a lot at his home studio and I switched between the amps – we all agreed that the blues jr. had a much better tone.
Since then I bought one for myself and played it a lot for jazz but also blues, funk and soul. For today's stage volumes it's always loud enough and it has a nice warm but focused tone (not too much bass) that works well in the mix. Later I bought a Vibrolux Reverb but honestly for most gigs we do the blues jr. suits better – the more focused tone sits perfect in the mix with organ and drums while the fuller tone of the vibrolux is nice but can swamp things up.
More things to like: It's also a very quiet amp, no hiss or hum, light and easy on the back and doesn't need much space in the trunk or on a small stage.

**mad dog** · 04-10-2022, 08:23 AM

I tried to like the Blues Junior, mostly didn't. At least in stock form. The benefits are pretty obvious. Versatile, usually loud enough, and the price is right. It just never sounded great to me. Boxy, sort thin. Over the years I generalized from having plugged into this amp and several others with 2 x EL84 tubes, figured I just didn't like those tubes and never would. My luthier friend had two Blues Jrs, both with the Billm mods. They were indeed a big step up over stock. Almost changed my mind on EL84s.

What did change my mind was a used Magnatone Varsity non-reverb. The new Magnatone, not the vintage. This Varsity is also a 15 watt 1x12 with 2 x EL84s. 5 pounds heavier than the Blues Junior. Larger cab. Pine construction I believe, not particleboard. Also one channel, ceramic speaker. But this varsity is in a different league altogether. Big volume for 15 watts. A dimensional, room-filling sound. Not boxy, certainly not thin. It's the first 2 x EL84 equipped amp that works for me. Twice as much new (more by now) than the Blues Jr. To me, well worth it. (Got mine used for a good price ...)