Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight Amplifier Revisted

[Wildcat]

This amp checked alot boxes for me a number of years ago. However, it blew up and fried the speaker. I paid to have it fixed and sold it. Chip and new speaker. I didnt know at the time the speaker is a Jensen Neodymium, 2 ohms.
So I am I crazy to look to it again? Is this a potential abusive relationship? Is this a desperate cry for help?

[Sam Sherry]

This amp checked alot boxes for me a number of years ago. However, it blew up and fried the speaker. I paid to have it fixed and sold it. . . . So I am I crazy to look to it again? Is this a potential abusive relationship? Is this a desperate cry for help?

I confess that . . .

I bought the Gallien-Kruger 250ML lunchbox amp at least five times. Each time was like, 'I've got this figured out now. This one is going to not suck like all the other ones.'

Good luck, Wildcat.

[dconeill]

There's no education in the second kick of a mule.

Since the advent of the Fender UltraLight, there have been many small, powerful, lightweight jazz guitar amps made available. Look at some of the others, including but not limited to Henriksen (I have a Henriksen), Evans, and Quilter.

[Spook410]

Wouldn't the new Tone Master Deluxe check the same boxes?

[Wildcat]

But this amp nailed the BF Fender tone way before the others. I have owned many older and recent solid state amps. Nothing has come close to this amp.

Plus the extras, wide variety of effects that I like, 2 channels, 250 watts, a sexy exterior for the head, ultralight cab with Neodymium speaker. handle on the side of the cab so you can sit the head on top, magnetic dimples that lock the feet of the head onto top... I can go on forever....
So well thought out in details.

[Wildcat]

Quilter like others are still looking to get that Fender tone stack, blackface tone! The head and cab for this is well design to work together for this amp.

But this amp nailed the BF Fender tone way before the others. I have owned many older and recent solid state amps. Nothing has come close to this amp.

Plus the extras, wide variety of effects that I like, 2 channels, 250 watts, a sexy exterior for the head, ultralight cab with Neodymium speaker. handle on the side of the cab so you can sit the head on top, magnetic dimples that lock the feet of the head onto top... I can go on forever....
So well thought out in details.

[Wildcat]

The biggest difference from the other newer amps is this amp is the jazz amp with the Fender blackface tone. Many others recreate the Polytone vibe. Sorry but just not interested.

[Greentone]

The Fender Jazz UL was a pretty cool amp and idea. You were really locked into that cabinet, however. 2-ohms! Seriously!

Great amp, though. Sounded really nice for what it was intended for.

[jorgemg1984]

The JMUL with a 4 ohm efficient speaker and a nice cab will sound just as good. Do you take the amp out of the house?

[marcwhy]

But this amp nailed the BF Fender tone way before the others. I have owned many older and recent solid state amps. Nothing has come close to this amp.

Plus the extras, wide variety of effects that I like, 2 channels, 250 watts, a sexy exterior for the head, ultralight cab with Neodymium speaker. handle on the side of the cab so you can sit the head on top, magnetic dimples that lock the feet of the head onto top... I can go on forever....
So well thought out in details.

Careful, this sounds like an "I love Gibson and want a Gibson; talk me out of it!" post. If you want it and can afford it, buy it! But you're not allowed to complain if it blows up again.

[Jim Soloway]

I see the Fender Jazz UL as a flawed but useful early step on the road towards a new era of smaller, light weight amps. But they were unreliable, not all that small and they day has come and gone. If I really wanted a light weight amp with a BF style sound there are a lot of alternatives they'd I'd go to long before I consider a FJUL. Just my opinion.

[wzpgsr]

Sometimes it’s fun just to geek out with new/different gear even if it’s not terribly practical.

[Doug B]

But this amp nailed the BF Fender tone way before the others. I have owned many older and recent solid state amps. Nothing has come close to this amp.

Plus the extras, wide variety of effects that I like, 2 channels, 250 watts, a sexy exterior for the head, ultralight cab with Neodymium speaker. handle on the side of the cab so you can sit the head on top, magnetic dimples that lock the feet of the head onto top... I can go on forever....
So well thought out in details.

And yet it blew up on you-shouldn't that be your top priority?

[dconeill]

If you (the OP) decide a priori that no amp will match your criteria except one that is out of production, rare, and problem-prone, then I predict that you will have a hard time finding an amp to buy.

My mother-in-law, God rest her soul, used to do that, i.e., decide that nothing was sufficient, and then complain that there was no solution to her issue. For example, somewhere along the line she decided that visitors always had to make an appointment in advance to come see her. She would upbraid (?) people who just dropped by. Not surprisingly, after awhile she stopped having visitors. Then she complained that she got no visitors.

Try a different approach: ignore construction details, type of speaker, "sexy" exterior, weight, and so on, and find amps whose sound you like. Only consider the sound. Then select from among those by your other criteria. If that doesn't provide you with a solution, consider re-weighting your selection criteria.

There is no perfect amp.

[Uffe Steen]

I´ve been using my 2 JMUL amps since 2007. 3,4 kg. Never failed me. Guess I was lucky so far.
It has 2 switchable channels, clean and gain with independent Eq + Reverb and delay which I need as a no-pedal player.

Im considering a Quilter 202 as a backup as it weighs only 2 kg.
I still need to try it out.
The DV or the Blu amp 1 top didn´t do it for me soundwise

[AlsoRan]

Many people fall for a beautiful person who knows how to make them feel good. Its probably the same with this amp.

I remember when your post about your amp blowing a fuse. I think you said you disconnected the cord from your guitar and you thought it might have shorted out the amp when the lead touched the ground. What a saga it was.

After reading about the amp, I went out and bought one used a few years ago. It does not get heavy use but is still going strong.

We always think, "This one will work out..." or at least hope that it will. Many a love story was based on this trope.

Maybe you can get a good one if you try again?

[AlsoRan]

Wildcat,
Did you see this video? Richie Zellon had this amp, and ran into problems. I kind of wonder if the amp is sensitive to different power sources. A lot of gigs happen in older buildings. The electrical systems in those buildings can be suspect.

[pingu]

This amp checked alot boxes for me a number of years ago. However, it blew up and fried the speaker. I paid to have it fixed and sold it. Chip and new speaker. I didnt know at the time the speaker is a Jensen Neodymium, 2 ohms.
So I am I crazy to look to it again? Is this a potential abusive relationship? Is this a desperate cry for help?

if you love the amp but want more reliability
maybe run it with a good 4 ohm speaker ...

[Wildcat]

Greentone,
One of the suggestions to avoid some of the issues with the amp is to change the amp's speaker to 4ohms. I have seen the Jenson speaker 4ohm version still available recently. Is this a heat related remedy or reduced stress on the circuitry kind of thing?

The Fender Jazz UL was a pretty cool amp and idea. You were really locked into that cabinet, however. 2-ohms! Seriously!

Great amp, though. Sounded really nice for what it was intended for.

[Tom Karol]

I confess that . . .

I bought the Gallien-Kruger 250ML lunchbox amp at least five times. Each time was like, 'I've got this figured out now. This one is going to not suck like all the other ones.'

Good luck, Wildcat.

Yep, had one of those (but just one), too!

[Wildcat]

Ping
Yes I have seen that suggested. Is a reason why this might help?

if you love the amp but want more reliability
maybe run it with a good 4 ohm speaker ...

[Wildcat]

Good point. When mine failed there was zap type noise. When the tech repaired it there is a particular chip that was replaced. Also as mentioned the speaker fried. With Richie it was the power supply. Perhaps the two are related?

Wildcat,
Did you see this video? Richie Zellon had this amp, and ran into problems. I kind of wonder if the amp is sensitive to different power sources. A lot of gigs happen in older buildings. The electrical systems in those buildings can be suspect.

[Wildcat]

AlsoRan,
Great memory! I probably tried to forget the amp.

Rich

I remember when your post about your amp blowing a fuse. I think you said you disconnected the cord from your guitar and you thought it might have shorted out the amp when the lead touched the ground. What a saga it was.

After reading about the amp, I went out and bought one used a few years ago. It does not get heavy use but is still going strong.

We always think, "This one will work out..." or at least hope that it will. Many a love story was based on this trope.

Maybe you can get a good one if you try again?

[Wildcat]

Spook410,
I had no knowledge of this Fender amp until now. But I am going to take a hard look at it. I find it very interesting. Cosmectially looks like the Fender Deluxe Reverb or a Fender Twin. But is a solid state modeling amp with 1 an 2 Neodymium speakers. And it weights 23 pounds and the Twin 33 pounds!

Wouldn't the new Tone Master Deluxe check the same boxes?

[archtopeddy]

Spook410,
I had no knowledge of this Fender amp until now. But I am going to take a hard look at it. I find it very interesting. Cosmectially looks like the Fender Deluxe Reverb or a Fender Twin. But is a solid state modeling amp with 1 an 2 Neodymium speakers. And it weights 23 pounds and the Twin 33 pounds!

Wildcat, if you have a Guitar Center nearby, they may have the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb in stock and on display -- often right next to a tube version of the DR. for comparison purposes. I bought mine last week and I'm very happy with it. For a smoother jazz tone, I set the volume to 5 and tone and bass each to 4. I then adjust the overall volume by using the attenuator switch in the back, setting it to 0.5 or 1watt for home use and 12 watts for gigs. Plenty of headroom at the 12 watt setting but if I need more, I can still set the amp at "full" 22 watts.

The amp doesn't sound exactly like a tube amp, but it's close enough for me. And I bought it for the practical purposes of light weight, reliability, power attenuation and effective line out. This is a moderate to large volume gigging amp for me, and for that purpose it meets all the marks marvelously.

[Chrisg333]

Wildcat, if you have a Guitar Center nearby, they may have the Tone Master Deluxe Reverb in stock and on display -- often right next to a tube version of the DR. for comparison purposes. I bought mine last week and I'm very happy with it. For a smoother jazz tone, I set the volume to 5 and tone and bass each to 4. I then adjust the overall volume by using the attenuator switch in the back, setting it to 0.5 or 1watt for home use and 12 watts for gigs. Plenty of headroom at the 12 watt setting but if I need more, I can still set the amp at "full" 22 watts.

The amp doesn't sound exactly like a tube amp, but it's close enough for me. And I bought it for the practical purposes of light weight, reliability, power attenuation and effective line out. This is a moderate to large volume gigging amp for me, and for that purpose it meets all the marks marvelously.

I've got two JMUL's and a Tone Master Twin, the JMUL easily competes with the Tone Master on tone and volume, my jam mates all run Tube stacks and take the Mickey out of my tiny stack but they all agree that the tone is killer, I only have to run it at half volume to cut the mix with a drummer that is akin to the Gorilla in the Cadbury's advert. It takes pedals and multi effect units well, I use a Helix FX on occasions for simplicity and ease of lugging it all. I love the Tone Master but at 3 times the cost of a complete good used condition JMUL, if I could find enough of them I'd buy the JMULs all day long.

[Wildcat]

Chrisg333,
I agree with your assement. The JMUL has that "tone". I think it was way ahead of its time.
Rich

I've got two JMUL's and a Tone Master Twin, the JMUL easily competes with the Tone Master on tone and volume, my jam mates all run Tube stacks and take the Mickey out of my tiny stack but they all agree that the tone is killer, I only have to run it at half volume to cut the mix with a drummer that is akin to the Gorilla in the Cadbury's advert. It takes pedals and multi effect units well, I use a Helix FX on occasions for simplicity and ease of lugging it all. I love the Tone Master but at 3 times the cost of a complete good used condition JMUL, if I could find enough of them I'd buy the JMULs all day long.

[coolvinny]

I´ve been using my 2 JMUL amps since 2007. 3,4 kg. Never failed me. Guess I was lucky so far.
It has 2 switchable channels, clean and gain with independent Eq + Reverb and delay which I need as a no-pedal player.

Im considering a Quilter 202 as a backup as it weighs only 2 kg.
I still need to try it out.
The DV or the Blu amp 1 top didn´t do it for me soundwise

Great playing at your Youtube site! Cool how to see how your style evolved around "upside down" guitar technique...this video was a cool example

(so is the Confirmation one I checked out)