S2 Blues Junior Mod

This is a very simple amp. The controls are Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, and Brilliance. I play mostly blues and jazz, and the amp works great for these styles. The amp runs 2 6V6's for its power section and it's plenty loud for studio work, rehearsal, or jamming at sane volume levels. The only feature it is missing, I suppose, is reverb. Since I only like a hint of reverb in my tone, this is not a big deal.

The amp started out life as a Fender Blues Jr. It was completely gutted and rewired by Steven Scott (Category 5 Amps) in Texas.

This is where the amp really shines. It can be very clean; it can be very dirty; it can hang out at many points in-between. I don't think it could do shred, but for blues and jazz the tone is hard to beat. The tone controls on the amp have a major impact on the sound that comes out. Cut the middle to zero and you get a completely different sound from more moderate positions... but still very musical sounding. At moderate volumes, you can play complex chords without losing definition or clarity.

As part of the deal, I purchased a 12" Tone Tubby Ceramic speaker, and this has got to be one of the sweetest speakers I've ever laid ears on.

I have used this with a PRS (humbuckers w & w/o coil tap) and the amp really sings. For fun, I also tried the amp with a Godin Multiac Steel -- just RMC transducers, no magnetic pickups. At lower volumes, the amp even sounds beautiful with this guitar.

If you dime the volume control, it'll get a little bit noisy, but if you are playing with the volume all the way up I doubt you'd hear the noise. If you are sitting there, not playing, with the volume all the way up, I'd wonder why. At moderate volumes -- say zero to midpoint -- the amp is pretty low on the background noise scale. If you're playing quietly -- say 1 to 3-ish -- the background noise is very low.

Well, the amp is now 100% point-to-point. I asked Steven to upgrade the output transformer as well. He used good quality components. I know for a fact that the amp is easily serviced because when it arrived it had a problem (see below) and I took it to a local (master) repair guy and he fixed the problem immediately. I think the amp will be reliable.

As for gigging without a backup, I just don't do that.

As I mentioned above, the amp arrived with a problem. Since I am lucky enough to live near Denver and the world-class repair shop of amp guru Bruce Collins, I took the amp for him to look at it rather than shipping it back to Texas for work.

Then I emailed Steven Scott and told him about the problem and what I'd done. He wrote back immediately and apologized for the trouble and offered to reimburse the repair work (he knows Bruce). After I picked up the amp, Steven promptly sent me a check for the repair.

It is great to see someone stand behind his work like that, and I consider that as top-notch customer support.

I have been playing since 1964. You figure it out: I am too old to add big numbers in my head. I own a good set of guitars & amps:
PRS Custom 22, Godin Multiac Steel, Duane Eddy Guild, BMG C.90.P, Keith Holland Baritone, Fender Jazz Bass, and a couple of acoustics. Besides this amp I have an Allen Brown Sugar, and a Tech 21 Trademark 60 (great backup amp).

I pretty much love this amp. There are so many cool amps out there, that if this were stolen I might search around for something else, but I don't regret buying this for a minute. I love the tone. I love the size & weight. It'd be cool if it had reverb, but that's a minor nit.

I have read about and owned lots of different amps, and this one fits very nicely in my collection.

I would like to add that Steven Scott seems to be a great guy. He listened to me when I specified what I wanted in the amp. He responded to my inquiries & questions. He took care of me when there was a minor problem with the amp. If I were more flush with cash, I'd definitely check out one of his high-end (Category 5) amps.

I received the modded amp on the 16th of October.
It is very basic: a single channel with volume, treble, middle, bass, and "brilliance" controls. The brilliance control is a high cut control. The amp uses a 12ax7 and a 12at7 for the pre-amp and two 6v6's for the power amp. No effects loop and no reverb.

The amp is plenty loud. I intend to use it for rehearsal and backing a jazz vocalist in quiet settings. If I get the amp "dialed in just right" I may use it for recording.

I rate the amp a 5 in this category because it (deliberately) has few features. In this situation I view that as a positive. I do wish it had reverb or maybe an effects loop.

I am very impressed with the complexity of the tone that the amp produces at modest volume. The sound that comes out of the amp is, in my opinion, very beautiful and organic. There is no brittleness or harshness anywhere; although if you crank the amp and hit it with a hot signal, the amp will distort nicely. I don't think it would work for heavy metal, but that's not why I got it.

It suits my style very well. I play some jazz and some blues that lies in the boundary between traditional electric blues and jazz. I like an edge to the sound, but I don't like flabby, loose-sounding bass. The S2amp's Blues Jr. Mod does just about exactly what I want.

The one downside with the amp is that it arrived with a "hum". It's not bad enough to make it a reject, and perhaps it's due to being shipped (the box was pretty thrashed when it arrrived on my porch), but it's a bit too "hummy" for recording. I've actually taken the amp to an excellent repair guy down near Denver and he's going to fix the hum problem.

Not a huge deal, but it's something that I felt I had to mention to be honest in the review. For someone else it might not matter at all; for me it makes the difference between a 7 & a 10 for this category.

Oh, and I should mention that the Tone Tubby 12" speaker that Steven recommended is wonderful. I am not sure how much it contributes to the overall package, but the overall package sure sounds good.

One of the features of the Blues Jr. Mod is that it ends up a point-to-point, and-wired machine. This makes the amp very serviceable (if you've got access to a good amp repair place). I haven't had the amp long enough for it to fail, but I am confident that it's well made. Since you remove the amp from the cabinet and then reinstall it yourself upon its return, you have a good opportunity to check it out. I looked it over pretty carefully, and the soldering seems very neat and the component layout clean and clear.

I almost always bring a backup amp to a gig. It seems too risky to me not to. That's not a reflection of this amp's quality or reliability at all.

Since I haven't had the amp long enough to form an opinion on its reliability, I'm not going to rate this category.

I found Steven Scott very pleasant to deal with during the ordering and building process. He is very busy (which is a good thing, I think), so he doesn't always get to the email right away, but I found the turnaround time -- usually within 24 hours, sometimes much quicker -- very satisfactory.

I would rate this category an 9. That's sort of an average of an 8 for response and a 10 for friendliness and helpfulness.

I have been playing for 47 years and own a decent collection of functioning guitars. My main gigging amp is an Allen "Brown Sugar", which is a fantastic amp for my purposes. I have a Tech 21 Trademark 60 that gets used for recording (sans amp output!), playing jazz, and as a backup amp for gigs (it's light & compact). I also use a Lexicon 284 recording amp in my studio and (gasp) the Guitar Rig software from NI in the studio. If all else fails I also have a Yamaha G-100 out in the garage that is my archive amp, but it hasn't come to that in many years.

If the amp were stolen I might replace it; I might not. I might look at Steven Scott's high end line (Category 5) as I am so impressed with the tone of this amp. That is where the amp really shines: the tone.

I wish that the amp had reverb or an effects loop, but that's not a deal killer for me.

Note that the price I list doesn't count the price of the Blues Junior! It does include the price of the Tone Tubby speaker and an output transformer upgrade.

Don't know they have had my amp for 11-12 weeks despite the web site stating 3-4 weeks.

I read many good things about Steve and s2 amps, but so far my experience has been just the opposite. Emails got answered promptly when ever I inquired about adding more to my mod-$$$$$, but when I inquire about the status of my amp no replies (supposedly getting caught in a spam filter, but why not when I inquire about spending more $. So the long and the short of it is my amp has been gone for 11 weeks, 7-8 weeks longer than what website states, and no status up dates. I'm very reasonable and if I was informed of any delays along the way I wouldn't be posting this less than stellar review. Fortunately I paid w/ a Credit Card through pay-pal. I may have to contact them.

3-4 week turnaround is now on 11-12 weeks and no amp. Very Very frustrated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a simple amp: One channel with Volume, Master volume, treble,middle, and bass controls. It's got a footswitch jack under the chasis that gives it an extra boost. The main feature of this amp is the extra fine workmanship that turned an average, unreliable and fragile amp into a rugged, tone filled, P2P beauty for a very reasonable price.

This amp is basically a little Marshall 18 watt combo. It rocks, it's great for blues and even gets a great straight ahead jazz tone (with the right guitar of course). It's not a high gain machine, but we didn't want that anyway. With an overdrive pedal you can get all the cool rock and blues distortion tones. It's very quiet and suits us totally. My son uses this amp as his #1 and he plays everything from Hendrix to Grant Green to Albert King through it. It works well for all that stuff.

Beautifully built. Looks bulletproof, but if something did go wrong it would be so easy to fix (unlike before when it was the BJ) and I'm sure Steven would make things right.

Steven is great to work with. I've dealt with a lot of guys over the years and he's right there with the best of 'em.

Been playing 37 years and have owned a ton of gear. Have and have had Marshalls, Fenders, a P2P Budda Twinmaster, Tweed Bassman, Mig 50 and others. This amp rates with the best of them. The only problem is that it was a gift for my son (to compliment his tweed deluxe clone) and I don't get to use it very much. Seriously, this is a great amp now and was a fantastic bargain. If you've got a Blues Jr. or a Pro have Steven rebuild it. You won't be sorry.

I came across this amp, a brand new Blues Jr. Conversion fresh off his bench, while doing an Ebay search for 18-watt Marshall-style combos and was instantly intrigued by the description and the slant that Steven had taken on this particular amp. The amp features a Marshall Plexi type preamp and a Marshall 18 Watt style power amp for the ultimate in blues and classic rock tones. And let me tell you - that is an understatement! I play funk, classic rock, hard rock in a working band - it covers my playing style & our material in spades!

One-channel amp, Volume/Gain, Master, Treble, Middle, Bass & Presence controls give me plenty of control over the tonal tweaking. Sometimes, in the smallest rooms we play, I kinda wish it had reverb...but I dial in a little slap-back delay and all is well. This little sucker is LOUD as well. Don't let the 18-watt title fool you. Playing a bigger room, stick a mic on it. Playing a large club, get two and make yourself a 36-watt mini-stack!

I give it a 9 rating instad of 10 only because it doesn't have reverb or an effects loop. Personally I don't care about effects loops but some players do...

The amp covers classic Marshall Plexi tones w/ease. Roll the guitar volume knob back to clean up and you get glassy clean tones till the cows come home. Roll the volume knob up to close to max and/or dig in a bit and you get thick, articulate crunch tones that are the definition of crunch! And if you need more gain and thicker distortion - hit your O/D pedal(s) and turn this amp into a roaring frikkin' beast!

I'm running it with a pair of NOS GE EL84s, and NOS Mullard & Telefunken 12AX7s. I also replaced the stock Eminence/Fender speaker with a Celestion AlNiCo Blue. HUUUUUGE improvement to an already GREAT SOUNDING AMP! I use a Strat-style custom PRS and a PRS McCarty Soapbar w/mini-humbuckers instead of the P90s. The amp sounds luscious with both guitars, and my others as well...those being a vintage Tele and a PRS Hollow-body.

The amp runs quietly, no exessive hissing, even w/ gain cranked up it behaves itself. Touch sensitivity is incredible. It sustains forever! Crank it up and the amp becomes very complex with harmonics galore! I can get into terms like "3-D", shimmering, growling, corpulent grind, juicy and all sorts - because this amp is all that & more. Most importantly, it inspires you to play - and that's rare & MOST important!

S2's workmanship is absolutely top-notch! The layout is clean, the parts used are top-of-the-line. The construction is rugged to the max! Yes, I'd use it w/o a backup.... but I always keep a Korg PX4 or similar gismo in my kit so I can plug into the board and finish a gig if I absolutely have to. I have only had the amp a shor time so it has not broken down but I already have several gigs logged with it and I have no reason to suspect any problems other than a tube crapping out...and I carry spares!

Steven has been very quick to reply to all my e-mails. To date they've all been about optimizing the amp, what tubes does he like, what speakers has he favored. The amp is covered by a lifetime warranty (Except tubes & Speaker) so I have no reason to worry at this point. And that's the inherent beauty of a simple hand-wired circuit like this. A good tech (I have 2) can diagnose and service a circuit like this easily & quickly, though based on the build quality, I seriously doubg I'll ever have a problem. Since it's cathode biased, you can change your own power tubes & experiment w/various 12AX7s (5751, 12AT7, etc) to suit your taste.

I've been playing for over 40 years (yes, I'm a geezer) I currently own various 60s-era blackface Fenders, a Fuchs ODS 30, Marshall DSL401 - this amp is already a classic in my opinion and has it's own unique voice among these other great amps. If it were lost or stolen, boy I'd be pissed but I'd go right out and buy another one! It's extremely Portable and sounds huge! What more could a gigging musician ask for?? And, if you need a bigger sound & more thump - try plugging this thing into a 4x10 or 4x12 cabinet and it get's really huge! Without a doubt - I can easily state that this is the best $700 I've ever spent on an amp!

OPTIONS- Selected by YOU to sound like a Marshall, Fender, Vox, Ampeg, Soldano, Matchless or? Tubes and point-to-point. I got a combination Marshall 18watt/Fender Tweed Deluxe. Have it your way.
UPGRADABLE- With a new output transformer(must), premium capacitors, standby switch, pine cab from S2, hardwood from Sultone, tweed from Mojotone, or not. Swap in a Weber or Tone Tubby, or not.
QUALITY- layout and components, 4, 8, and 16 ohm output jacks, a laser engraved faceplate, no tube biasing.
NO- direct out, headphone jack, effects loop, 1/2 power, no reverb.
Not available from Musician's Friend. No markup.

Clean to dirty, define your style, specify your gain, pick your tubes accordingly. Expect inquiries.

Built to last, but no experiences to draw from. Owned a short time.

Steven answers my qusetions promptly and takes the extra time to offer insight and ideas. I have no reservations about contacting him.

So you already own a Blues Junior. Here are 4 arguments, each with it's own merits. You decide.
1. SELL it. Buy something else.
2. KEEP it. It is what it is.
3. MOD it. Adjustable bias, tone stack, reverb tank, new speaker.
4. TRANSFORM into somthing unique/reliable/serviceable with a custom
builder. Want one?

This amp was made in early 2005. It is the two input Jim (18 watt Marshall)/Leo (Tweed Deluxe) version with volume and tone controls for each channel. I am only giving it a 9 because it is limited, but it is exactly what I wanted and I do not have a problem with the minimalist control layout. I use a Lehle A/B box to do the channel switching. This is a complete conversion of the original Blues Jr. chassis and I had Steve use his transformer and the upgraded caps. Instead of placing the chassis back in the Blues Jr. cabinet I used a Mojo Narrow Panel Tweed Deluxe cabinet with 1 12" Weber Alnico Blue Dog speaker and a Weber Mini-Mass mounted on the cabinet floor. Without the Mini-Mass I would not be able to play this amp in my condo, it is LOUD! In jamming situations I also use a closed back 1X12 cabinet with a Weber ceramic Blue Dog, that is a nice combination.

I have used many guitars through this amp including Hamer Studios with HBs and P-90s, Klein/Steinbergers with Bardens and with Duncans, Steinberger GL with EMGs, CS Mary Kaye Strat, LP Standard with Peter Florance VooDoo 59s, Heritage H-550, and a CS-336. I have to say the amp seemed to like everyone of these guitars for great crunchy blues and rock. At first I was using a Fender Standalone '63 Reverb reissue, Carl Martin Compressor and a Keely TS-808, but it did not take long to realize that this amp likes it straight in. I now run guitar-->A/B box-->amp and that is when it really sings. I use the guitar volume for going from reasonably clean to full roar. The amp is quiet which did not surprise me because Steve does a very nice job of running the wires and grounding everything corectly. These components should be in a chrome chassis like my McIntosh amps!

I do not gig, so this is not an amp that I can judge for day in day out use, but the circuit is basic and well made so I would put a lot of faith in using this without a backup.

Steve was great to deal with while the amp was being made and we communicated very well. I had no second thoughts at any time about buying an unheard amp built by someone I had never met. He talks tone and knows what he is doing. I believe he would support his amp if anything did fail in the future.

I have been playing since I was 16 and I am now on the other side of 50. I have a freaking pile of guitars(15) and amps including an original Mesa Boogie MkIIc+ wood/wicker with SimulClass, EQ, and reverb, SF Princeton, Tech 21 Trademark 60 and 10 and a Power Engine 60. The S2 amp is my current favorite amp and is the one amp that I take to jams and know I can get great tone with no problems (the Boogie requires so much fiddling with the controls that you can spend half the night finding the right settings). I would buy another amp from Steve in the future without a doubt.

Two Channel - Jim and Leo Model(actually the first one - I named them)
Volume and tone in each channel - no other features needed. THis has a Tone Tubby ceramic speaker - it rocks.

TOne for days-Marshall sounds like a Marshall, Fender 5E3 sounds like a fender, especially with single coils. I have 5751 preamp in fender and PI position and a brimar 12ax7 in Marshall position. Everyone who hears it shakes their head then tries to buy it.

It's been gigged - I had one problem - S2 can to my house with tools and fixed it(20 miles away). None since.

See above

THe perfect Blues jam or recording amp. It is small, but loud enough to keep up with drummer. Also, you can crank it and get thunderous tone, only available from a wall of Marshalls.