Fender NOS Blues Jr. Amp

[MattJohnPaul]

I just got one of these tweed amps after about a month of looking! I should have it by friday. I was wondering if this amp was a A or A/B class tube amp?

[MattJohnPaul]

Bump for an answer

[HereIGoAgain]

It is most likely a Class A/B configuration. The only way to tell for sure is to check the schematic.

[mojito]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it a Class A/B too. I don't think Fender makes any Class A anymore.

[dthumb]

Originally Posted by MattJohnPaul

I just got one of these tweed amps after about a month of looking! I should have it by friday. I was wondering if this amp was a A or A/B class tube amp?

since you brought it up i decided to go look on the back panel of mine (about 6 months old) and see if it said..nope. but, from a performance standpoint i would have to say a/b...not quite as responsive to the touch as a pure "a" but, responsive enough...great amp, though!...super clean or dirty...you'll love it i'm sure!


ya gotta love the vintage tweed, too!

[coreybox]

It is two el84s right? It's is almost guaranteed to be class A/B.

Mostly all amps are class A/B unless they are single-ended (in which all single-ended amps are class A).

[dthumb]

Originally Posted by coreybox

It is two el84s right? It's is almost guaranteed to be class A/B.

Mostly all amps are class A/B unless they are single-ended (in which all single-ended amps are class A).

hmmm??....not sue what "single ended" means...could you explain?

[HereIGoAgain]

"Single-Ended" simply means that one tube amplifies the whole sine wave in the power amp section.

Advantages: very touch sensitive, warm tone with lots of mids
Disadvantages: very inefficient, limited to low power. (You could get a 30-watt single-ended config with a 6L6, EL34, KT66, or the like, but an EL84 won't get anywhere close.)

There is something called "parallel single-ended" which has more than one tube in the output section, but each tube amplifiies the complete sine wave.

You can have a Class A amp with a "push-pull" config. One tube handles the top half of the sine wave, one tube handles the bottom half. All Class A/B amps use a push-pull design.

[kensmith]

MattJohnPaul: keep us posted on your new purchase. I was considering the NOS as well, but ended up going a different route. I decided to get the best used MIM BluesJr that I could find (stock) and do some upgrades myself.

I found a great deal on one on Craigslist and picked my own speaker (Eminence Texas Heat) upgrade and will order upgraded reverb tank (Ruby from Mojo) that takes reverb into a new dimension, and have been playing with different tube combinations. I may have BillM do some of his mods on my amp later too (I am on his wait list). In the end, I will end up with a highly upgraded amp to my taste and still less than buying a new one.

These BluesJrs are GREAT!!!
Be sure to join FDP (BluesJrMafia) and UltimateGuitar Bjr club as well.

Ken

[dthumb]

Originally Posted by HereIGoAgain

"Single-Ended" simply means that one tube amplifies the whole sine wave in the power amp section.

Advantages: very touch sensitive, warm tone with lots of mids
Disadvantages: very inefficient, limited to low power. (You could get a 30-watt single-ended config with a 6L6, EL34, KT66, or the like, but an EL84 won't get anywhere close.)

There is something called "parallel single-ended" which has more than one tube in the output section, but each tube amplifiies the complete sine wave.

You can have a Class A amp with a "push-pull" config. One tube handles the top half of the sine wave, one tube handles the bottom half. All Class A/B amps use a push-pull design.

thanks!....i had an epiphone valve standard that i did dearly love that was ( according to epiphone) class "a"...very touch sensitive and warm rounded notes (for lack of a better description) the blues jr that i got to replace my evs while a considerably better built amp has nothing of the "character" of the ves. is there a possible "cure" for this? i have been looking for a ves ever since but,m have yet to find one in good working order (many are fraught with "issues") . i would gladly modify my jr. if i thought i could get more of that sound.

[HereIGoAgain]

Originally Posted by dthumb

thanks!....i had an epiphone valve standard that i did dearly love that was ( according to epiphone) class "a"...very touch sensitive and warm rounded notes (for lack of a better description) the blues jr that i got to replace my evs while a considerably better built amp has nothing of the "character" of the ves. is there a possible "cure" for this? i have been looking for a ves ever since but,m have yet to find one in good working order (many are fraught with "issues") . i would gladly modify my jr. if i thought i could get more of that sound.

There are hundreds of mods out there for the Blues Jr. You can start by Googling blues jr mods and see what you find. It's common to swap out the speaker. That's usually the first mod. It's a snowball effect from there.

Now that I think about it, if your budget permits, keep the Blues Jr and look for a Laney VC30. They are phenominally touch-sensitive and operate in Class A "push-pull" mode. It'll set you back 7 or 8 bills, which you could easily spend in various mods for the Blues Jr.

[dthumb]

Originally Posted by HereIGoAgain

There are hundreds of mods out there for the Blues Jr. You can start by Googling blues jr mods and see what you find. It's common to swap out the speaker. That's usually the first mod. It's a snowball effect from there.

Now that I think about it, if your budget permits, keep the Blues Jr and look for a Laney VC30. They are phenominally touch-sensitive and operate in Class A "push-pull" mode. It'll set you back 7 or 8 bills, which you could easily spend in various mods for the Blues Jr.

that sounds great but, the evs , new, is around 3 bills. i think i'll wait and see what this year's namm produces...a number of dealers say they will have evs's next week. will they be the same?..i dunno.
in the meantime, i'll check out the blues jr. mods...see if there is something that fits the description of what i'm looking for..thanks again!

[HereIGoAgain]

Originally Posted by dthumb

that sounds great but, the evs , new, is around 3 bills. i think i'll wait and see what this year's namm produces...a number of dealers say they will have evs's next week. will they be the same?..i dunno.
in the meantime, i'll check out the blues jr. mods...see if there is something that fits the description of what i'm looking for..thanks again!

Look also at the Crate Palomino series. Great tone. About the same price range as the EVS. I've read, though, about mechanical reliability issues. I nailed the ZZ Top "La Grange" tone using an Epi Les Paul during a demo at GC with the V16.

[dthumb]

Originally Posted by HereIGoAgain

Look also at the Crate Palomino series. Great tone. About the same price range as the EVS. I've read, though, about mechanical reliability issues. I nailed the ZZ Top "La Grange" tone using an Epi Les Paul during a demo at GC with the V16.

as it happens, i played a v8 palomino yesterday...no reverb ( a must for me) single "in", pretty much stripped down but, very rich and powerful for 8watts. i was looking for a v16 which they did not have . i was told they have been discontinued but, with namm being this week, i imagine that will be the standard line for a while until they se how the newer stuff floats.
the tone i am after that is pretty much "natural" for the valve standard with all dials on "5" and volume at or just above room level is actually a "clean" tone for an eastman archtop...very "sexy". it is that point just before break up where the notes sound warm and round but, clear and distinct.

[MattJohnPaul]

Got the Amp in today! Very warm sounding... a MAJOR upgrade!