Ive had this one about two weeks and its started having. On first impressions at least, the fender blues junior iii is perfect. Nos, all i need to do is crank the volume up to around 78 and the master at around 3. I see a quarter inch jack up next to where the speaker is plugged into and was wondering if i. I have had it checked and all connections tested and they are fine is my reverb tank broken. Fender blues junior lacquered tweed 15w 1x12 combo. I own a fender blues junior and recently had to replace a fuse because it blew and the amp wasnt powering up. Modifying a fender blues jr university of illinois.
Im no amp tech but one thought that comes to mind is the possibility there may be some cracked solder joints on the tube sockets. May 22, 2016 on first impressions at least, the fender blues junior iii is perfect. Nos, all i need to do is crank the volume up to around 78 and the master at around 3 and right there is some pretty decent breakup. From the factory, this pint size wonder has a lot of potential, but with some select fromel tweaks this amp can stand toetotoe with some of the finest boutique amps on the market. Fat switch the included 1button footswitch is used to remotely activate the fat switch, boosting the midrange for pronounced tonal thickness when soloing. Fender special run blues junior amp the fender blues jr. This warmtoned favorite takes our 15watt, tube preamp and power amp platform and pushes it through a 12 fender special design speaker.
Luckily for me i dont use reverb so i am fine without it but it is a seemingly common problem for blues juniors. Blues junior reverb issues gearslutz pro audio community. For your purposes, a pro jr will do, and its a much more toneful amp than a blues jr. The problem is that the concentrated heat from the el84s goes straight up into the sockets and you get all that expansion and contraction.
Any new production tubes grooves, jjs, tung sol, ehx, sovtek, etc etc run just fine in a junior. On the other hand, while you are correct that the tubes are inverted, a good number of fender and other amps are arranged in the same way and, in the case of the blues junior, there is a tube retainer which holds them in place. Fender fsr black paisley blues juniorthis amp is brand new and never left the store, it does however have a few small blemishes, that is why the listing condition is labeled very good and not brand new. A replacement fixed that problem, but another arose. Lacquered tweed takes fender s 15w gem and gives it the true vintage treatment with a lacquered tweed covering and a vintagevoiced 12 jensen speaker. Up for sale is a used fender original run green board blues junior in fantastic condition. The longer tank, used in the hot rod deluxe and blues deluxe, is electrically compatible with the blues junior, but it doesnt fit inside the bjr cabinet. Nos takes fender s 15w gem and gives it the true vintage treatment with tweed covering and a vintagestyle 12 jensen speaker. I also do some before and after sound tests so you can see the difference. What about the blues junior is so different from the vintage 50s and 60s fender designs that are so coveted and that so many of my amps are inspired by. Fender introduced the blues junior in 1995, and has revised and updated it periodically since then. Older blues jrs that are made in the usa are all getting due to have their filter caps replaced and many of the current blues juniors made in mexico are known to have leaky filter caps.
The blues junior is a tube guitar amplifier introduced in 1990 by the fender musical instrument corporation. The creamcolored board is laid out entirely differently and better than the green board. The blues junior is a 15watt warmtoned, longtime favorite the perfect grabandgo tube amp for stage and studio. Discussion in amps and cabs started by bthornell, apr 6. The blues junior iv features the classic fender look of sparkling silver grille cloth, lightly aged to give it even more mojo. So far i have had some help from the guys at fender although have not nailed the problem yet. Pack of 6 stainless steel back panel screws suitable for fender reissue tweed series amps. Fender blues junior iv 15 watt electric guitar amplifier.
Like a 23year aged whiskey, the venerable fender blues junior has only improved with age. Another blues jr reverb not working thread telecaster guitar. It clearly blew my fuse, as the glass was burnt and the wire was severed in the middle. In the other thread when the op was talking about spending over 2k for an amp, i was really temped to say get a few of this blues jr if it has preamp out.
He cofounded and was originally the principal designer for budda amplification, though he launched east amplification in 2010. Its just cheap of fender to leave the pot out on the blues jr. The blues junior is a good choice for someone trying to get their first tube amp but it not a professionals amp by any stretch. Unleash the tone of your blues jr with these modifications from fromel electronics.
Its golden tones are generated by an alltube signal path using a pair of el84 output tubes and three 12ax7 preamp tubes. Older blues jr s that are made in the usa are all getting due to have their filter caps replaced and many of the current blues juniors made in mexico are known to have leaky filter caps. I have the ds1 selfmodded to keeley ultrasem, but i cant seem to get a decent distortion out of my new blues junior. The glass fuse read 2 amps 250 volts, and then the number 312, whatever that means. Fender blues junior modifications fromel electronics. I had been through a long search for an amp that could give me classic fender tone at a reasonable volume and weight. I gig and rehearse twice a week with a junior cranked to the gills and i have half a dozen friends in the local blues scene who us em as well. And over time, things we chew, harder things, chewier things, gradually you can develop a crack in the tooth close to the filling.
This kind of crack generally occurs around a dental filling. I have replaced all the tubes and used contact cleaner as well and it did not fix it. In this video i upgrade the tubes in my blues junior to tube amp doctor. The incidences of cracks in teeth seem to have increased during the past decade. There is a lot of sand and highfrequency crap in sound. Thanks watching for the delivery truck this week for my mod kits to show up 8. The blues junior has a solid state rectifier which is generally brighter with a tighter bottom end. They sound way better after the speaker gets broken in. Tubes free delivery possible on eligible purchases.
Find great deals on ebay for fender blues junior and fender blues jr. I had the nos version stock and also did most of the billm mods, and swapped the speaker. Fender frequently releases limited editions of the blues junior. The blues junior is a 15watt warmtoned, longtime favorite the perfect grabandgo tube amp for stage and. With the 5 year warranty, fender will take care of the repair but it baffles me that they cant upgrade the quality to avoid the inevitable returns to repair these amps. Highlighted parts have been modified in some way for this project. Has the original fender speaker in it and 15 watts is more than enough for me. In this quick video, adam takes a look at the blues junior iv. After a bit of exploration i discovered that both power tubes jj el84s had been dislodged from their sockets, and that one of the tubes now had a broken tip. I would try unseating the connectors and cleaning them and checking the cable for issues. The fender blues junior is a truly professional, small, tube amplifier. This is the second one ive had and its developed the same fault as the first one. Dec 27, 20 blues junior, fixed bias, tube replacement. Fender blues junior lacquered tweed with jensen c12n long.
Fender tweed blues junior made in the usa original run. Why a fender blues junior does not sound like a vintage. For distortion i use just my boss ds1 pedal with clean amp sound. It is aimed at achieving the warm, tubedriven tone common in many styles of american blues and blues rock dating back to the 1950s, while remaining both portable and affordable. How to repair noise fender blues jr el84 tube guitar combo. Jun 02, 2012 my fender blues junior is from 2003 i think mim cream board so i use pages 2 and 3 of this document. Since its introduction in 1995, fender s blues junior has become one of the worlds most popular amps, but along the way its also become one of the most modded, with reams of forums discussing ways to improve the compact combo. Some people have hacksawed the ends off the tank to make it fit, but the ruby tank will probably give you all the reverb youd ever want. Fender hot rod series amplifiers can be found on every stage in the world, large and small, and are used by guitarists from all walks of life. It features 15 watts of tube el84 power, and it has a single channel with basic eq as well as a fat switch which pumps up the midrange and gain a bit and onboard reverb as well. Its golden tones are generated by an alltube signal path using a pair of el84 output tubes and 3 12ax7 preamp tubes. Plugging in, the clean tone was exactly what i was looking for.
Has been a huge seller for fender for many years and that wouldnt happen if the general puplic thought they were. If youre looking for a lowwatt tube amp with killer tone, you need to check out the fender. With all due respect ive read a lot of your posts and you know youre stuff this is way too alarmist. Blues junior nos versus 5e3 tweed clone telecaster.
Product type cabinets 6 combos 30 heads 2 amplifiers 1 venue type. Cracked tooth repair is a dental procedure performed to restore cracked, chipped, or broken tooth. I have owned maybe 5 blues juniors over the years and every one of them had the reverb stop working after a while. I found that pushing up on the bracket that holds my el84 tubes when the cracking happen, it stops it. Blues juniors and pro juniors have been cracking their solder joints since the mid1990s, when they were still made with lead solder. I have a blues junior also, and it cost the same as the ht 20. Some will say its a one trick pony, but i completely disagree with that assessment. Fender blues junior lacquered tweed 15w 1x12 combo guitar. Jeff bober is one of the godfathers of the lowwattage amp revolution. First one lasted about a month before a valve went bad. A week ago i plugged in my blues junior 2001, green circuit board to play, only to get nothingno power light. I bought this blues junior in december 2007 and it immediately became one of my favorite amps.
When i first got my blues jr i would have my reverb at about 5 or 6 and it ould be quite alot, but lately i have to have it full on at 12 and it is really suptle. The fender blues jr delivers unmistakable fender tone and is the perfect platform for musicians to craft their own signature sound. Buy fender hot rod 02205700 blues junior iii 15w ltd tube guitar combo amplifier, tweed. Combo amps free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Add our renowned fender reverb, flexible controls, and. Dental practitioners need to be aware of cracked tooth syndrome cts in. I do not want to use a pedal reverb but the stock fender one seems to be very pingy and i would like to get a warmer tank for my blues jr, any suggestion. How to repair noise fender blues jr el84 tube guitar combo amp dlab duration. Shop for the fender blues junior lacquered tweed 15w 1x12 combo and receive free shipping on your order and the guaranteed lowest price. Blues jr reverb not working telecaster guitar forum. I changed r52 with a 100k variable resistor i think a 50k would have done the job, but i had a 100k in my spare box el84 max pa is 12w. In the oldest blues jr s made before 1996 the tone is dark, the tone mod brightens up and adds more clean headroom to these first versions of the blues jr for a great improvement in tone.
Improve the tone and reliability of your fender blues junior amp with a new set of high quality caps. Feb 14, 20 clean strat sounds through a fender blues junior iii. Brand new for this year sees fenders relaunch of the hot rod series of amplifiers. It is quite subtle as having a flourescent light electronic ballast switched on or off which is about 4 feet above the amp on my bench can switch on and off the squeal. Compact size, professional tone, and traditional styling make the fender blues junior ideal for rehearsal, backstage warmup, and studio work. Ltd takes fender s 15w gem and gives it the true vintage treatment with a lacquered tweed covering and a vintagevoiced 12 jensen speaker. Like having a new amp ive been asked on numerous occasions what i think of the bill m. This power tubes tend to wear out a bit quicker when pushed hard. After the mod, the amp boasts clean, sparkling top en. Blues junior lacquered tweed guitar amplifiers fender. Lacquered tweed takes fenders 15w gem and gives it the true vintage treatment with a lacquered tweed covering and a vintagevoiced 12 jensen speaker. Great build quality with a wide choice of speakers and cabinet finishcolours. With a 12ay7 in v1 and an efficient speaker, it covers all the bases for me. Tubes were shot, microphonic, running hot, hum, hiss, pops, you name it.
These nofrills amps are affordable, reliable and loud, and they pair extremely well with stomp boxes. One form of tooth fracture, cracked tooth syndrome cts, often presents a. Fender blues jr squealing gearslutz pro audio community. Bill, i want to get a different reverb sound that has a warmer darker tone. Is it possible to get a line out on a blues junior amp. Fender really make a series of good small amps, tho pro jr, blues jr etc. Blues junior history can be divided into two major categories. If youre used to the kind of distortion you might get out of a mesa boogie, marshall or even a solid state amp, dont expect the blues jr.
Figure 1 is an annotated schematic of the fender blues junior. Blues junior revision history fender introduced the blues junior in 1995, and has revised and updated it periodically since then. When i max all the controls i can barely get any volume out of the amp. Fender blues junior tweed vs black ii doctor guitar episode duration. Fender literally wrote the book on electric basses, laying the foundation for musical innovation and evolution. I tried the cannabis rex for quite a while and never liked it.
My previous amp was fender pro junior and it worked great. But the tubes are remote to not attached to the circuit board. Fender blues jr combo v2, v3 and v4 now made in mexico, this is a very popular 15w fender combo amp and i have modified hundreds of them. If you have a cherished octal power tube or rectifier with a broken keyway, here is a great solution. Its power is generated by an alltube signal path using a pair of el84 groove tube output tubes and 3 12ax7 preamp tubes.
This mod fixes that to produce that lush classic reverb tone that made fender amps famous. A true classic, with that latenight blues tone found nowhere else but in a fender. However, it is always a good idea to give the amp a. The fender blues junior is like a smaller version of the famed hot rod deluxe and deville amps, right down to the cosmetics. Fits the fender hot rod deluxe, hot rod deville, blues deluxe, blues junior and blues deville, and 59 bassman reissue.
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