Getting a Blues Junior on the 3rd, recommend me some mods
- Thread starter EveryMn
- Start date
Hoss
Joyfulnoiseologist
Re: Getting a Blues Junior on the 3rd, recommend me some mods
google search BillM mods. the first thing i'd do is put in a JJ retube kit from Eurotubes and then research a speaker change. I haven't changed speakers yet but i'd like to!
they also have an ENOURMOUS thread on the fender discussion page website under the blues jr mafia thread...tons of info there!
google search BillM mods. the first thing i'd do is put in a JJ retube kit from Eurotubes and then research a speaker change. I haven't changed speakers yet but i'd like to!
they also have an ENOURMOUS thread on the fender discussion page website under the blues jr mafia thread...tons of info there!
Fresh_Start
New member
Re: Getting a Blues Junior on the 3rd, recommend me some mods
You'll find lots of info searching here too. There was a thread less than a month ago with various opinions about the Blues Jr.
Shortcuts for everyone:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/machrone/bluesjunior.htm]Bill Machrone's Blues Jr. Page
Mark Huss's cathode follower mod
The best "beginners mod" IMHO is a speaker swap. A Weber Blue Dog or a variety of other speakers will give you much better tone, and a slant toward British sound.
Trying different power tubes, the EL-84's, is worthwhile, but the biggest bang for the buck is sampling different 12AX7's in the V1 spot. If you go with Eurotubes, they'll sell you JJ's. (no offense intended Hoss) Not bad tubes at all - they may turn out to be your favorites - but you could try Shuguang (Chinese) and Tung Sol 12AX7's among many choices, and various power tube sets. (Ei's are my current favorite, but YMMV and the JJ's I've got are 2nd place in my book.)
Try a new speaker first, then the first preamp tube, then power tubes. If you still aren't satisfied and you know how to work on an amp without electrocuting yourself or terminally torching the circuit, then you might open it up. My Blues Jr. is still stock inside, but the first things I'd try would be the bias mod and tweaking the tone stack.
Just my semi-educated opinion, but Bill Machrone's recommended tone stack values won't get you a British tone. The cathode follower mod and standard Marshall resistor and cap values should get you much closer. Note: the cathode follower mod is possible because half of V2 is unused in a stock Blues Jr.
Have fun!
Chip
You'll find lots of info searching here too. There was a thread less than a month ago with various opinions about the Blues Jr.
Shortcuts for everyone:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/machrone/bluesjunior.htm]Bill Machrone's Blues Jr. Page
Mark Huss's cathode follower mod
The best "beginners mod" IMHO is a speaker swap. A Weber Blue Dog or a variety of other speakers will give you much better tone, and a slant toward British sound.
Trying different power tubes, the EL-84's, is worthwhile, but the biggest bang for the buck is sampling different 12AX7's in the V1 spot. If you go with Eurotubes, they'll sell you JJ's. (no offense intended Hoss) Not bad tubes at all - they may turn out to be your favorites - but you could try Shuguang (Chinese) and Tung Sol 12AX7's among many choices, and various power tube sets. (Ei's are my current favorite, but YMMV and the JJ's I've got are 2nd place in my book.)
Try a new speaker first, then the first preamp tube, then power tubes. If you still aren't satisfied and you know how to work on an amp without electrocuting yourself or terminally torching the circuit, then you might open it up. My Blues Jr. is still stock inside, but the first things I'd try would be the bias mod and tweaking the tone stack.
Just my semi-educated opinion, but Bill Machrone's recommended tone stack values won't get you a British tone. The cathode follower mod and standard Marshall resistor and cap values should get you much closer. Note: the cathode follower mod is possible because half of V2 is unused in a stock Blues Jr.
Have fun!
Chip
EveryMn
New member
Re: Getting a Blues Junior on the 3rd, recommend me some mods
Anyway, I have a soldering iron and minor experience with using it... I'll try a new speaker and tubes, yeah. Are there any particular tubes more conductive to high-gain applications? Because I'm looking for the CP103 kinda tone here...
I've already spoken with Mr. Machrone about his mods... prices don't seem too bad, but I'm not ready to invest that serious of dough yet.
Anyway, I have a soldering iron and minor experience with using it... I'll try a new speaker and tubes, yeah. Are there any particular tubes more conductive to high-gain applications? Because I'm looking for the CP103 kinda tone here...
