FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

[raystone]

Have a hot rod blues junior that i never really liked the sound so one day i decided to turn the master volume all the way up and use the pre-amp volume for the main volume. WHAT A DIFFERENCE its not distorted but thick sounding like u took a blanket off the amp.Then i used an OCD for my drive and a memory man unbelievable sounded like a full stack marshall anyone else have this experience with this amp?

[FuseG4]

Re: FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

Many amps with a volume and gain knob will sound really great this way!
I like to do this and wind the gain up past where I need it, and then start with the volume of the guitar low and then wind it up until I get a good crunch. The volume knob of the guitar (on most, not all guitars) shaves off a noticeable amount of treble, and this is the ticket IMO to really loving bright, vintage-output single coil pickups.
Very, very different sound from the old "preamp gain on 10, master on 3, all guitar knobs on 10" approach I started with back with my first few amps.

[Chickenwings]

Re: FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

wait till you try a better speaker...

[IM4Tone]

Re: FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

wait till you try a better speaker...

^ Agreed...and even better yet with a bigger cabinet with a new speaker(s). Either an over-sized combo cabinet or use an extension cabinet. Major difference IMO!

[jeremy]

Re: FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

i used a blues jr for years as my main amp. with a little work they can sound great

[Kac]

FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

I've had two different modded Blues Jrs. Both for a considerable amount of time considering how long I usually keep an amp. I'll probably get another one. Great Amps!


I've gigged with them in rock bands running them as a combo or using an extension cabinet. Never disappointed.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

If you're handy with a soldering iron, BillM mods are often worthwhile. He's made a career out of finding ways to make inexpensive Fenders perform like more expensive amps.

[IM4Tone]

Re: FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

If you're handy with a soldering iron, BillM mods are often worthwhile. He's made a career out of finding ways to make inexpensive Fenders perform like more expensive amps.

By the time you add up all the mod and speaker change $$, you could have purchased the Blues Deluxe Reissue and had (IMO) a far better sounding 2 channel switching amp.

[Chickenwings]

Re: FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

If you're handy with a soldering iron, BillM mods are often worthwhile. He's made a career out of finding ways to make inexpensive Fenders perform like more expensive amps.

i did all those, then reverted back to stock...my 2c
To be fair, i only did the simple mods with tone caps etc. i never changed the transformers or anything large.
I think once you get to that stage, might as well look for a new amp with better iron and a better cabinet.

[jeremy]

Re: FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

a 40w channel switcher isnt the same as a 15w single channel amp though. the blues deluxe amp is a decent amp but they are pretty different

[IM4Tone]

Re: FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

a 40w channel switcher isnt the same as a 15w single channel amp though. the blues deluxe amp is a decent amp but they are pretty different

For sure, and I spell "different" in this case b-e-t-t-e-r (as in sound and value). It is more difficult to control volume-wise, however, if that's an issue to the user.

[jeremy]

Re: FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

they also sound completely different. if i was looking for a 40w channel switcher id look else where and if i was looking for a big fender clean tone and didnt care about the channel switching, id also look else where. not bad amps and i know a few people with them who are very happy with them, just not my favorite.

[IM4Tone]

Re: FENDER HOT ROD BLUES JUNIOR

By the time you add up all the mod and speaker change $$, you could have purchased the Blues Deluxe Reissue and had (IMO) a far better sounding 2 channel switching amp.

they also sound completely different. if i was looking for a 40w channel switcher id look else where and if i was looking for a big fender clean tone and didnt care about the channel switching, id also look else where. not bad amps and i know a few people with them who are very happy with them, just not my favorite.

The point I was making was value for $$$ spent, including costs of any changes the person felt were necessary to get the sound/tone he liked. I own both the BJr. and the BDRI. I was meh about the BJr. until I converted it to a head and played it through a 2X12. The BDRI was very satisfying stock. Just feel the BJr. is too costly for what you get.