Fender Pro Junior

Recent model PJ. Has the black tolex and brown logo speaker. The simplest amp on the market. One volume, one tone. The speaker plugs into a jack in the back, so you can unplug the amp's speaker and hook up a cab. All tube circuitry, not sure about the rectifier though. Stock Fender tubes(not Groove Tubes). I was gonna go with the Blues Junior, but my friends at the TDP raved about this one, and with good cause! The BJ defeats the purpose of a small, simple, great sounding amp anyways. Would like more tone controls, but I didn't buy this amp for that! Also, I paid $250 for it at Sam Ash. Don't make the same mistake. Find a used one for around $150 or new for no more than $200.

Well I use a Jimmy Page Les Paul, a Fender Jag-Stang w/ Duncan JB, and an Electra LP with Duncan/'59. This amp is just killer! I bet this would make an excellent recording amp. This thing was made for blues and rock. Metalheads go elsewhere, the tone's too good for you. I was home alone recently in a house with vaulted ceiling and finally got to use this amp without a fuzzbox. Wow! Just running straight into it makes you smile. Ever hear the Mayall/Clapton "Beano" album? Well crank this baby up to 12(that's right Nigel, 12!)with the tone around 8, and you have that Bluesbreakers tone with an LP. I've noticed that this amp distorts at different levels depening on the jack you plug it into. Must be differing voltages. Some places, it stays clean till around 6. Others, till 4. Only 15 watts, but still plenty loud.
I used this jamming with a very loud drummer(think Bonzo), and I didn't even crack it up to 6! Just make sure you put it up higher towards your ears. The clean sounds are pretty good too. Classic Fender clean. But all in all, this amp was made to rock. I heard former Custom Shop man Bruce Zinky saying they wanted to design a small amp like the old Champs without a bad sounds in it. Well bravo!

This amp is very reliable. It's survived a cross-country move, bouncing around in the trunk of a Miata, and 5 hour long jams. Only had it around 5 months, so no servicing as of yet. No retubing as of yet, cause I'm happy with the stocks. If you could advise me if some new tubes(this is my first ALL tube), please mail me. 2 gripes though. One of the tubes is microphonic and there's hissing at the higher volumes. But that's probably normal to tube amps. I also once picked up a radio station.

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I've been playing 4 years and this is my fave amp. Kinda reminds me of the old Supros Pagey used in the studio. I can't wait to do some recording with this. Cranked to high heaven, it's deafening and toneful as hell. NO fuzz needed. I also own a hybrid Legend A60 head going thru a Fender 4by12. This amp kicks it's half SS ass! For only a 10" speaker, the tone is real beefy. Think early Clapton and early Gibbons. I'd sure buy another one. Good enough for small gigs miked up, and perfect for jamming. Like I said, I'd like more EQ, but I didn't buy this amp for that. I should try it thru a cab and see how it sounds. I totally recommend this for recording, and just plain great tone. If your idea of tone is a tiny SS Kustom amp, shell out a few more clams and get a PJ.

This is one of the earlier models as it is tweed and has the blue frame alnico 10" speaker. I give it a "2" because it's a bit less than very limited in features. Very small, 1 volume knob, one tone knob (that's fine w/me). There's nothing I wish for in the features dept. except for MORE SOUND and MORE VOLUME.

I play classic/alternative rock and some bluesy/singer/songwriter stuff. I got this used in mint condition at a fair price, mainly because I wanted to check it out. You know that everyone's raving about this little amp. But as it is I must say, that I am frankly disappointed. We had a little tweed-amp shootout only yesterday and this has been killed (I mean killed) by my Blues Junior. We used a US Std. Strat and a Les Paul Special with P 90`s and in comparison to the BJ this amp sounded small and boxy and could not cut through at full volume vs. half way up on the BJ. BTW we only played guitars, there were no bass or drums. It does have some nice sounds though, but they're all gone as soon as somebody else enters the room. It's clean only up to 4 on the scale, then it gets gritty and it does really good distortion as you turn it UP. The tone knob works well, but I keep it low because at higher settings it gets too bright for my tastes. I think it could be a good amp for recording. It does hiss quite a bit when it's turned up.

I've been playing for more than 15 years and have owned/own several amps, mainly fenders and marshalls from twelve to fifty watts. I wouldn't get it again. Although I really had a lot of sympathy for this little amp it was a disappointment. It was quite surprising how small it sounded compared to the Blues Junior (same wattage!). Maybe some experimenting with other tubes would help with the obvious shortcomings of this amp (as mentioned in other submissions) or hooking it up to a bigger cabinet - but why would you want a small amp if you have to bring your 4 X 12 anyway. What I do like about the PJ is the "clean to drive" volume knob and some of the sounds from the "blue"-speaker. If you like these small amps and want to use one to play through (not only recording sessions) I highly recommend the BLUES JUNIOR. You get way more amp for a little more money.

Here's my six pence worth on the Pro Junior.
If you've never seen a Junior, it's a little 10 inch speaker loaded combo covered in either tweed, blonde tolex or black stuff. It has an input, volume, tone and an on/off switch with a light...... and that's it. It is rated at 15 watts but it sounds like more. Features? not really.

Firstly, I use a Fender Tele without any distortion/overdrive boxes. This amp has 'tone'. You know what I'm talking about, some amps (usually the expensive ones!) just give your guitar a big round sound and this amp has it. It really is inspiring and it makes you wanna play and play. Sound wise, it sounds similar to other fifties tweed fenders like the bassman. Don't expect sparkling clean black or silver face twin tones, this amp doesn't wanna be clean. I have a Jazz playing mate who used it for a while and was mucho pissed off as he couldn't turn it up beyond 3. Half way up it's gritty and bluesy, give it some more and it gets filthy, give it the full whack and it turns ballistic! Simple and effective.

I've had it years and neither it or its tubes have given up ever.

What for, it never goes wrong.

To be honest, they weren't cheap new but they do pop up for good prices second hand. I would definately buy one again. I love mine cos it has character. It's a bit dirty and beaten up now too which makes it look more the part too. Lately I've been thinking about buying another and having someone refit it with a Fender three knob tube reverb, know that would be so cool. I haven't ever gigged with it but I would like to. I can imagine that it would look kinda stupid and small up there on the stage sitting behind you but I bet it wouldn't sound like that. Thinking about it, it does sound so good you would go to all that hassle of miking it up. All self respecting guitarists should own at least one.

This is a bare bones, no frills amp. One volume, one tone, one 10" speaker and 15 watts of tube power. Thats all it needs!

I play in a club cover band. There are six people on stage. We play everything from disco to hard rock. I can coax all the tones I need out of this amp with my Strat, an MXR DynaComp compressor and a Tube Screamer. It's missing a little of the room filling power of my Marshall amps but thats what the PA is for.

I cant imagine having trouble with something so simple.

I have been playing professionaly since 1986. I have owned and used dozens of Marshall, Fender and Peavey amps. They all sounded great too but were always a hassle to move from gig to gig. This little Pro Junior is small, easy to move yet still packs enough sound for me to play live. I would, and in fact, already plan to buy a second one to set-up a stereo rig. Worth every penny!

Other reviews have covered this territory. It has a simple and effective interface.

When I bought this amp I was looking for a non-master volume amp that would cover all the tone bases relying just upon my guitar and amp: the pro junior succeded. The pro's clean tone is nice, but I incredibly miss the reverb for my tone. I didn't get the blue junior because its reverb relyed on a solid-state circuit, aka tone-sucking. However, this amp really shines when you push the power tubes and get rewarded with a variety of overdrive tones. This amps covers most of the tonal bases, light clipping to gonzo rock! With a pedal, this amp can really crunch. As my other guitarist noticed, this amp is really voiced for a rock distortion, clean playing is a bit insipid with this amp: this tiger just wants you to crank it. The amp has a bit of mid-range hump which allows one to cut through the mix. Other points, this amp is very loud and can easily power a 4 x 12 cab, like my Hi-Watt. Actually, this amp sounds great through the cab!! Another point from my fellow bud guitarist though, this amp needs a few more watts to stand alone as a club amp. During band rehearsals the pro would seem to benefit from a bit higher headroom.

Ahhh, the wonders of the modern mass-producing man. My amp has shown some inconsistent performance. The original speaker crapped out on me quite early, it developed a small tear on the cone. Fortunately, my bud helped me with my tone by leading my his old warhorse, a nice big fat EV 12 inch speaker: boy, is this speaker spankin' loud! While the speaker overwhelms the cab it's in, I can really overwhelm the crowd with my great rock sounds. Also, once in a while, the amp will also fad in and out volume wise. The Pro is a nice amp but at times I really worry about its durability.

This has been covered.

The Pro is a cool little amp. For the small size, one gets very large rock tones. It's efficient, easy, and its get the job done. Despite the speaker issue, I'd recommend this amp to anyone looking for a great amp to just crank and rock!

15 Watts, 10 inch speaker, Volume and Tone controls that go to "12"
Nice silverface on mine.
Brand new.
Maybe I would get the Blues Junior if I were doing it again, for the Reverb and the 12 inch speaker but, on the other hand, I got this cause it's small - 10 pounds lighter than the Blues Junior. Who knows, maybe if I ever pay off my bills, I'll get a Blues Junior, as well.

I play reggae, ska, blues, rock, and pop. I play a Melody Maker, a LP Special with P-90's and a Tele. I play clean a lot, but like a little natural dirt. I also like to experiment with different sounds.
All I can say is this amp is heavenly. Sounds good in any combination, and there are many combinations available by adjusting the two knobs.
I start playing on this amp and just don't want to stop. I have been playing a long time and can enjoy playing through the most bogus amps, but this one is really sweet. A great deal for the money.

Seems quite solid.

Never had to call Fender.

Been playing for 25 years. This is my new practice amp, although it's loud if you need it to be. I have gigged with it already and was really surprised at its ability to handle a room with a couple of hundred people, and this was un-miked!
It is so cool to be able to walk into a gig with this amp, so easy on the arms and the back. I can't use it for every gig, but so what? I have a bigger amp for that. This is one of those quality things that you can be happy with for as long as you own it. It and its sound will never get tired. In other words, it's a classic, in my opinion. Fender came up with a winner on this one. It's in the great tradition of the Champ and the 600 and it was designed by a guy who obviously knows what he's doing.

1 Input jack, 1 volume & 1 tone control, 1 10" speaker, all tube, solid state rectifier. Real simple. Bass & treble tone controls & a stand by switch would be nice. Got this as a easy to tote, small gig & practice amp.

I've tried it with single coil & Lace Sensor equiped Strats. I play rock, blues, jazz, country. The volume control jumps RADICALLY at about "4" on the dial. Tone jumps at "4" also. Above or below this, not much change. Distortion is uninspiring. Clean sounds are VERY POOR.

Output tubes were microphonic. They look like Sovteck's. New ones helped that problem. My amp has an intermittant buzz. (With NO input plugged into it.) I suspect a bad power transformer.

I have 7 other amps of various power and configurations. I've been playing for 30 years. I bought this amp based on the reviews on this web site. I'm sorry I did. This is the only Fender product that I ever bought that I am unhappy with. At any volume, or any tone, it sounds like a cheap guitar is plugged into it with the guitar tone rolled off. Very "BLAH" sounding. I've tried various brands of NOS tubes, various external speakers, to no avail. This thing also has a bad hum. This could be due to the lack of no preamp tube shields. The potentiometers are small cheap parts. Opening up the feedback wire improved the sonic character a little. Mine is the tweed version with a ceramic magnet speaker. It Looks good. But that's all it has going for it. I play live gigs where my amp is mic'd. Various Les Pauls & Strats have been plaved thru this thins. It still sounds bad. There are better blues amps out there. Pass on this one.

OK I'll add my two cents too on this amp. There seems to be a lot of review of it. I'm putting no opinion in the features section here. Its' got almost none and that's the point isn't it? Just sounds great all the time at any volume. No messing with 3-4 tone knobs, preamp gains etc. etc. Looks killer too! (Mines tweed).

OK. I use a Charvel maple neck strat style with EMG SA pickups for mostly blues and roots style aproaches. Love this amp. Loud enough for small to medium gigs even. Especially if I hook it up to my Peavey 4x10 cab. Nice. It's kinda like a mini-Bassman reissue with out any fuss. Just turn it up, up up till it's as distorted as you need it and then use your guitar volume to clean up for rythm. Remember, were talking blues tone here not Mettalica! (Yecchhh!)

No problems yet. Hope I don't blow anything up. But seems to work fine.

No experience here yet............

Ive been playing guitar about 30+ years, Harp (harmonica) about 5. Oh yeah, I didn't mention it sounds great for harp too. I put and AT7 in so it doesn't feed back to soon, and change it back for guitar. I've got a features up the ying-yang Mk.4 Boogie. Can't touch this. But if I really need more volume I'll need another one. Now that would look and sound cool.........

As far as features go it is not the holy grail,BUT the single volume and tone knobs (as well as your guitars) can create some amazingly full and flowing (to distorted and chunky) sounds

sounds awesome, just one problem, if you need a good amp for jazz band (practice) andd the like it breaks up to soon. With a Fender Jaguar rhythem setting is starts to distort single notes at 4 to 5(vol) and at 3 to 4 for lead (nice sounding bluesy distortion but no clean for sure) an American standard strat breaks up between 6 to 7. For recording this is good because they have about the same physical decibal output, so you can almost keep your levels on the board the same.

I have only had it for a day, but my hot rod deluxe has held up fine, and this built they same way should do fine as well

They do jack to help you except telling you where gold level service people are. My local gold service guy Leonard Shapiro (if you live in the twin cities, MN goto him!) who delt with fender for my and they were suddenly willing to pay for warranty repair that they weren't before

perfect for bluesy, rock recording/practice, but lacks as far as a usably loud clean sound, for more umph and volume for clean get a Blues Junior

1997. do you want features with this amp I put in the four specified tubes in that the gent recommended way at the first of these review ,about the jan tubes and philips and the guy putting the new standby switch on it. I am teling you it really really worked on a stock black pro junior the sound is so sharp that even on five out of 12 through 2 12s you are pushing air this is only 15 watts. so we have it set on 5 and 6 volume and treble respectively and hook up to a danelectro daddy o treble down mid and bass up volume::::::up on this pedal you can get so much more low gain feedback or back it down and turn up the distortion do you get the picture this set up into a 2 12 mesa boogie cab rivals the fender 40 watt i have well anyway those 15 watts sure are sweet with a pedal

I am playing a jimmie vaughn strat for the neck and bridge pickup, a parker nitefly for all out jazz and an american tele for this country band that wont go away The pro junior is a weird amp that has all tube no reverb and low wattage but sounds better than a practice amp now come on tell me what does that all mean please amp it baby

I have another pro junior, a tweed that i havent equipped with the necessary tubes but they cost about 40 bucks and i mean they are worth it in overall tightness, power and response, they make this amp sound like it was 25 watts through a 12 in speaker

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like I said no reverb 15 watts the perfect practice amp why cant they make an amp like this with no frills for 350$, I mean the blues junior is almost there but there is still the 15 watt power factor, how about a Pro Senior yeah thats the ticket a Pro Senior for all us seniors that cant hear anymore no seriously how bout it fender freaks