Fender Blues Junior

I bought the amp in 2004 or 2005, I can't remember, and I bought it new, so It was probably made in 2004-2005. It is a really nice amp, for playing classic rock. But it's deffinatly not a metal amp. I play anything from blues, to heavy metal, and everything in between. Its an amazing blues amp, but it can't handle the higher gains...
I do wish it had a channel that would allow for high gains, but I doesn't... The reverb is great though.

I run either my Mexi strat or my Epi Les Paul Custom through, after a string of distortion and effects pedals, and it sounds ok.
the clean tones are great, its good for balads and blues, and soft rock. Buuut, thats not me. The amp itself is not noisy, but when you run a boss metal zone... it is noisy, so I also run a noise suppressor.
I run the master volume all the way up, fat switch engaged, and use the gain volume for my volume, as that doesn't distort it as much. If the amp is distorting, it wrecks the distortion from the effects string.
and the distortion from this amp couldn't kill a flea... you could deaffen it with the volume though...

Very. Very. dependable amp. I've used it in every gig for the last 3 years my band has played, with out backup. the only thing is, the reverb box has broken 2 times. soldier failour, the second time i never got it fixed... but i have dropped this amp several times, and it hasn't failed...

havn't dealt with fender...

Ive been playing almost 6 years, its been my only amp, and I'm looking into a marshall for my main amp. this will be my practice amp after that... If it were stolen... I would be mad, but I wouldn't buy another one...

Bought used with serial number removed so I can only date is a post 2003 model by the PCB. All the specs are well known to you readers. It has everything i could wish for save for maybe a standby switch. I play light and classic sounding indie rock with my 4 piece band. Mostly clean with a little saturation.

Ok, here is the thing: I am obsessed with this little amp. Ive been stalking them for several years but feared the low wattage. I love the small package and overall aesthetic. I finally bought one to take with me overseas and it sounded great off the bat. But, I have a HRD with Celestion Vint. 30 and had to try the same in my BJr. Of course, it improved the clarity and dynamics. Finally, I did the BillM TwinStack mod this afternoon. It now sounds like a dream. There's a touch too much hum with the strat single coils but overall worth it. Im curious to play with the band now. The Celestion boosted the volume a touch I think.

Not sure yet. It handled the mod just fine and seems like a solid little guy. Id rather P2P wiring but what can you do?

Not tried yet.

I give it a 9. I just cant get over the tone and surprising loud volume. Im taking a risk bringing this to Europe but if it performs well it will be my go to amp.

This is a 2008 model MIM. I am a drummer and a "strummer". I have several guitars and also a Dean Markley CD60 amp. I wanted something more portable and light weight than the DM when I go and jam with friends amd this fits the bill perfectly! My main styles are blues and rock covers - 60's to 80's/
Single channel' FAT switch etc etc.
I don't wish it had any other features because if I wanted more I would have bought something else. I did a great deal of research on this amp before I decided to go ahead and purchase it. I read the Blues Junior Mafia forum on the FDP site as well as reviews here. I tried the amp about six times at different music shops and decided to go ahead and buy it. I insisted on a BNIB model rather than one off the floor.

As I said I own several guitars. My main guitar is a self built custom strat with Lace Sensors - red dually in the bridge, a silver in the middle and a blue at the neck. I can get some awesome tones out the amp using this guitar. I play mainly rhythmn and the amp handles it very well. When I play a (basic)lead break it has the guts to cut through. I use a variety of settings depending on wht I'm playing but normally Reverb- 1, Treble- 5, Mid - 4, Bass- 6, Volume- 5 and Master- 8. I control the volume with the guitar knob.The fat switch is great when on and give the amp just that more bite. I didn't buy the optional footswitch and I usually have it off and use an MI Audio Blues Pro pedal and a Boss CE2 chorus. I just want it simple!

I have owned this amp for only 3 weeks so can't really comment.I would(when I'm capable)use it at a gig as it s bloody loud and would mike it up if needed.

I spoke to a guy at Fender Australia last week and he was extremely helpful. I was asking about mods and speaker replacement. I decided that as Fender have been building amps for what 50 years?? surely by now they would know what they doing. I may replace the speaker for a Celestion vintage 30 and JJ Tesla tubes but at this stage why bother. It has a 5 year warranty which is pretty good these days.

I have been playing or struuming guitar for about 40 years and have finally at 57 gotten serious! I'm sick of lugging my drum kit around:o)
I own a custom built strat, a Genesys Dot copy,2000 American series Strat, Maton Flamingo, MIM 1993 Strat, Maton EM 225C. As I said earlier my other amp is a Dean Markley CD60 and this compares extremely well with that .
If it were stolen I would buy another. Portable, light, loud and a good amp! Want more features? Get a different amp!! Mods? - Can't see/hear the point other than MAYBE the tubes and speakers. I wonder about those guys on the FDP forum.However Billm as he's known is very helpful.I asked him a few questions and his response was quick. I've read what he can do to possibly improve this amp but for me at this point in time ... all is well!

Early 2000's edition... All tube... "12 Fender Loud Speaker... Reverb... Black Tolex & Silver Grill mesh... 15 watts... Blah, Blah, Blah...

Simple...

Straight forward...

I've played it with a variety... From Peavey's to Gibson's... Obviously, the better the guitar, the better the sound... But it's excellent... You can tell its tube... Warm... Nice natural over drive... IT's as noisy as any other tube I've played... Not much variety in sound... It's a Fender... You get nice clean tones, to shimmery to slight over drive... When you start to push? It pushes back... Resistant to being completely overdriven... (It's neither good now bad... It's a Fender...) Keep the drive down and use a Big Muff Pi or Tube Screamer to crank it... (Had to get a MArshall for my dirtier sounds...)

Reverbs nothing to write home about...

Very dependable... Heavy sucker though... After a a few weeks of use some of the Tolex near the tubes started to peel back... I had to glue it back and tape it down with aluminum tape... Other than that? The fit and finish is solid... Knobs, inputs and switches as solid... Graphics and name plate solid as well...

Never dealt with the company... After about 7-8 years its still thumping strong...

Been playing about 10 years...

Currently...

I have a completely moded Epiphone Dot, Schecter Hellraiser, Guild Cherrywood Acoustic...

A selection of MXR, Dunlop & EHX Pedals...

Fender Blues Jr., Marshall MG100 Half-Stack, Silvertone 10 watt practice...

If it were lost I would def get another... It's quite handy, and very very loud... Good for clean tones, or when I don't feel like moving the massive half stack...

My amp is a tweed 1995 Made in USA Blues Junior. It is still stock with the original Eminence speaker and green circuit board. I believe the later Blues Juniors have a cream circuit board that makes the overall sound quite a bit brighter. The amp features have been listed by other reviewers so I won't go into them in detail. Without any pedals in front of it the Blues Junior is a one trick pony - it does a great LOUD clean for 15 watts and that's about it. Hence the 6 for features. I bought the amp for home use but have gigged with it for the last 10 years as it is so easy to transport.

I have 2 Strats (a US Strat Plus and early 80's Jap JV), a G&L ASAT semihollow, and a Washburn J9 Jazz guitar. I play mainly indie pop rock and some fingerstyle jazz. The amp has a fairly dark, mid-rangey sound with all the tone controls set at 12 o'clock. I find that this darker voicing really suits brighter guitars like strats and tele's as it helps smooth off the naturally hyped top end. My J9's humbuckers sound like mud without some creative EQ and the extended bottom end of this guitar makes the cabinet rattle at certain frequencies. I've tried out the later Blues Juniors but I don't like their sound at all. IMHO they are far too bright and lack depth or body. I'd call them pokey. I much prefer the darker sound of my green circuit board model.

When the mid tone control is rolled back to 3 and the bass and treble are turned up to 8 or 9 some classic Fender clean tones start to emerge from the mid range fog. I leave the tone controls set around this region. The fat switch introduces a further layer of mid range mud and I never use it. The amp's natural overdrive is nothing to rave about. I try to keep the amp clean and use a Boss OD-1 for overdrive or my DG Stomp modelling amp for anything heavier. The Blues Junior loves pedals. Even using a simple boost pedal pushes the tubes a little bit harder and give more warmth and body to the tone. The original Groovetubes tubes did nothing for the amp and I replaced them with a matched set of JJ Tesla's from Bob at Eurotubes.com. I highly recommend these tubes for squeezing every last drop of sweetness from the amp. The reverb on these early Jnrs is, ummm, bad. It is noisy and the reverb quality is average at best. I never use it. The sound quality is 7 with the JJ tubes in, 5 without. For the record the sound of a Vox AC30 comes close to a 10 for me.

The gain volume pot has never been right from new. Not much happens until you reach 4 and then it springs to life at a fairly ear splitting volume. The input jacks are poorly constructed and are evil to replace. I've been through 2 even though I'm gentle with my gear.

Other than that the amp has been very reliable. It's been gigged in some pretty extreme temperature/humidity environments and has never complained once.

Fender Australia are a waste of time. Send them a question and you won't hear a thing. Their website has a disclaimer directing people with complaints or questions to a Fender dealer. I prefer to cut out the middle man and buy any Fender stuff directly from the US over the net.

I've been playing for 30 years, but I started when I was 5 so I'm not THAT old (yet) :-) I have a Roland Cube 30 as my other amp at home and I really like it for clean tones. My J9 Jazz guitar loves that amp. The Cube 30 can pull off a sound very similar to the Blues Jnr at a fraction of the cost, but it won't go as loud as the Blues Jnr.

If my Blues Jnr was stolen I'd probably go looking in the Vox or even Laney direction for another low wattage amp. I tried a Laney VC15 a while back and it had beautiful chiming cleans and the kind of valve break up I wish the Blues Jnr had on board.

I got one of the pre-2001 amps. Appearantly there were some changes made to the reverb section.

15 watts all tube
preamp: 3 x 12AX7
power: dual EL84
12 inch speaker

there are two volume controls, one for the preamp and the master vol for the power section

It's pretty cut and dry. no distortion or overdrive channel. it has a fat switch, I think most people just leave it engaged. No effects loop either, however it takes the whole pedal chain really well before the amp input.

I'm using a mex strat with Dragonfire pickups in the neck and bridge and a DiMarzio Blue Velvet in the middle.

From the guitar straight into the amp it sounds great. it has a really nice soft clean fender tube tone that's well compressed, but not quite as poppy (responsive) as the older fender amps. For amps of this size the only one I usually compare it to is the Peavey Classic 30. I think that on clean, this one cut through a little stronger than the Peavey. To beat this one out on tone you'd have to venture up into the thousand dollar price tags.

Again there's no onboard drive channel, but it really processes preamps well. I currently use a Nady TD-1 for my distortion and a Boss SD-1 for overdrive boost. Like all tube amps, it sounds great with the tubescreamer type overdrives. My favorite to play with is the Chandler tube driver. They sound great together, especially if you're into that Eric Johnson tone. I've always thought that a good base for using well controlled distortion and overdrive is a clean fender

I had a power tube fail on me once, but that was with the stock Groove tubes. I never really liked groove tubes, so I got some Sovteks which supposedly are from the same factory. I felt like there was a noticably better difference between the two and I haven't had any tube problems since.

Fender will be around forever they got really good warrantees too. I think I got mine with 5 year warrantee. I think they're about as good as you're gonna get

The value of this amp has carried over the last 14 years or so. I think I got mine when it was selling for about $250 back in 1997. Since then it's been steadily rising and I've seen more of them up on stage at big concerts.

I seem to have outgrown the desire to have a fullstack behind me on stage, now I usually put this amp in front of me and mic it through the PA mix. That's pretty much how they usually work it even if you got a monster set.

This is by far the best tube amp tone for the money out there.

As a player of rock and blues I feel this amp has everything I need. Great cleans and an overdrive that is enough. The reverb is a great touch for lots of clean stuff I like to play especially Hendrix. The fat switch adds a nice touch of mid and gain to your sound so I found it quite useful. A well deserved 8 to me of course.

I use a Mexican made stratocaster with stock pick ups and let me tell you this thing can pull out some nice warm cleans, sprinkle a little reverb on top of that and you have a beautiful clean tone. Now for that overdrive, I was a bit hesitant when I first got it as I was not able to turn the master above 2, but as soon as I went to my band practice cranked the master to 4 and the volume to 12 and I was amazed at how creamy the overdrive was, you will not be disappointed blues and rock fans. I have a Fulltone OCD coming in the mail soon, I'm very excited to see how these two pair up with one another.

So far no problems, the amp is very well built in my opinion and feels as sturdy as a rock.

None needed.

I think this is a fantastic value for a musician on a pretty low budget looking for a gig worthy amp that has tone unlike the losers that use the Marshall MG's at my school.

I bought it from a friend. I think it was new back in 2005. I have owned it for a year and use it to play small clubs. It is my main practice amp at home. I use the fat switch all the time. Never turn it off. Mine is stock but it came with a beam blocker which I don't think is a major modification.
Nice compact cab. Decent reverb (had to buy a new tank for it), and good controls. Decent stock speaker. Pretty average features for a small amp. IT'S PLENTY LOUD. Takes pedals well.

I play mostly clean. My band does classic oldies and some classic rock from the American and English sides of the Atlantic. Think Beatles, Dave Clark 5, hollies, Jerry and the Pacemakers, Buddy Holly, Dion, Ventures, Beach Boys, etc. We also venture into Cream, Stones, ZEP, Doobie Bros, Eagles and other "Classic Rock" stuff where a little overdrive is needed. I use a MXR Distortion III (M-115) pedal for overdrive.
Cleans are very round and clear with a Strat. Slightly more hair when using a Les Paul. The OD pedal works well with this amp. Nice harmonics push through in either clean or overdriven modes. This is a nice sounding little amp. Yes it is overpriced, but if you pick one up used it's worth it. I stole mine for a mere 200 and paid another 40 for a reverb pan replacement. I'm using Telefunken 7189 tubes for the most headroom along with American made NOS preamp tubes.
With the Master volume at 10 (goes to 12) I use the gain (drive) knob to set the volume. Stays clean to about 5-6. Pretty loud at this setting. Can't really find anything to complain about. It's a good sounding compact amp. I'm very happy with it in all respects.

Seems well built. Who knows?

I've been playing in bands since the 80s. I own other amps besides the BJr. My guitars are all strats or Les Pauls. My large venue amp is a Blues Deluxe with a matching tweed extension cab.
To sum it up: This is a very nice 15 watt tube amp with a great sound for clean or slightly overdriven sound, which is what i use it for. I'm very satisfied with it. I'd buy another one.

Mine is an '07 model, made in Mexico. I find the amp to have a very warm disposition to it, compared to the emotionless tone of my old line-6. Has very good tone for texas blues, tons of mid, especially with a tube screamer. Having separate volume and master volume controls is nice, as it lets you get a little more grit out of the amp at lower volumes. The reverb is useable, I don't use very much, but it could be better. However, when compared to the complete garbage reverb found in some other small amps, this one performs nicely.

I play a Stratocaster with seymour duncan texas hots in it, and mainly play through the neck pickup. I hear people complain about the strat lacking mid, but with this amp and pickups, can get a very strong, SRV like tone out of it, no lack of mid here. I'm not a big fan f the "fat" switch, as it really doesn't suit my tone at all, I just really don't like the kind of overly muddy sound it gives it, it's like turning your tone knob waaay down. Overall, this is the best 15 watt amp I have heard, and with a price of around $500 CDN new, it's also one of the most affordable.

Just picked it up a few days ago, no problems as of yet.

Haven't dealt with fender in regard to this amp yet, however they have been good in the past about other things.

I love this amp's tone, especially when used with my keeley tube screamer. If it was stolen, I'd buy another one, or break the neck of whoever stole it. Great little practice amp.

Standard BJ with Fender Eminence speaker. Can't really give it 10... I just wish it had emulated headphones so I could enjoy it into the wee small hours!

SOUND QUALITY. This is why I'm writing a review and I hope this will help if, like me, you're maybe not quite so expert at choosing gear and rely on these reviews for guidance.

I've been playing on and mostly off, for years and have just got back into it ??? with good gear, a tutor and (now I'm a bit older) a much more critical appreciation for TONE. I (try to) play 52 reissue and 60's classic Telecasters. Having flirted with Les Pauls and a 333, I have come to the conclusion that I love Fender tone... I might add a Strat just to see the look on my wife's face!

I have just bought the 'Standard' Blues Junior. I already have the Limited Edition with the Jensen C12N, which I've had for six months. (Don't ask why I've got them both... long story, but I've sold the Ltd Edition and it's waiting to be wrapped and posted... mistake... read on).

I've read all the reviews about changing the speakers, with a mix of curiosity and scepticism. It's to answer the few reviewers who state that changing the speaker will only make minimal difference...

YOU MUST HAVE CLOTH EARS!!!

The difference is HUGE. The stock speaker is okay, but when you play them alongside each other it sounds thin and almost tinny. Some might say 'bright', but I think it lacks any of the warmth and creamy depth of the Jensen. It's like the difference between strawberries and milk ??? and strawberries and cream.

CONCLUSION: Try it stock and if you like it that way, fine, but be prepared to spend ??60.00 for the upgrade.

I still give it 8 with the stock speaker, but 12 with the Jensen!

As a platform for upgrade I give it 10.