Dear Fender... Is This The Standard?

MY GEAR

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[TenThumbsProductions]

I loved my Blues Jr, so much I took it to Colombia. To keep it safe I had to take it in the carry on. 3 flights. Over 15000 steps carrying it, and I’ve played it all over Colombia. The mountains of Antioquia, the banks of Guatape, the Caribbean shores, the streets of Bogota. I like to open the master all the way up and the crunch comes in pretty low

[justaspectatorpassingthrou]

I like how you approach the videos as we're just hanging out and having a nice conversation about music with you as a viewer.

[coldshotblues]

Love my Junior it’s made its way from the bedroom to the bar on occasion.

[Magic_Man]

Blues Jr. is such a beast, especially the tweed versions. It's really all you need. Takes pedals extremely well too, so shaping your tone can be endless. I use a delay in front of mine and its such a huge sound.

[mojoredfoot]

I bought the same one a few years ago. The Jenson speaker made my ears super happy

[marceloaugustogasparfilho]

Saturdays are not the same without your videos. The fact that I can finally understand your super fast talking and lack of comas is so fun!! 😂

[jeffrowlette]

I bought an aftermarket all pine larger cabinet for my Blues boxy at all anymore...actually sounds amazing 👏

[SuperMariotrip]

I am currently using a Hotrod Deluxe and a Blues Deluxe in stereo and am loving them!! The whole Hotrod lineup is amazing, can’t go wrong with any of them!!

[guitarhackr]

Strat and Blues Jr. is a vibe! All you need in a lot of cases. Loves to be overdriven.

[josephpurpura]

I feel like one could do any gig in the world with a Blues Jr.

[TinkeringWithRyan]

I too started my tube amp journey with an X2. I happened to plug into a blues jr. at my local GC a few months later and was blown away with how good it sounded. I soon after picked one up from the local classifieds and never looked back. As someone who just plays for his own enjoyment it’s everything I want and need.

[ChristopherJanisch-ccnc]

I've been playing hundreds of gigs with my Blues Junior (that same one you have) for many years. Here's what I can say about it. 1. It's versatile. I can play Fender Strats, Teles, even my monster dual humbucker 78 Les Paul Standard through it, and it handles them all perfectly. So it's not a one trick amp by any means. 2. I get so many compliments on my tone from guitarists and non-guitarists alike. I use a plexi shield to forestall stage bleed, and often people will walk up to me on break and ask me just what's behind that shield. 3. It's sturdy but never too heavy. I used a Vox AC15 for a number of years, which is a great sounding amp. But it was 55 lbs.! Too much to lift in and out of my trunk week after week, gig after gig. When I got the Blues Jr. that problem disappeared. 4. It can cover any gig I throw at it. I've played tiny rooms to huge street festivals and with a mic in front of it I don't need anything else. 5. It takes pedals super well. I have an obnoxiously big pedal board loaded with every imaginable pedal, and the Junior understands them all. 6. It's just as comfortable on stage as it is at the gig. To your point, with the volume on 2, this baby loses none of it's tone and the FAT switch helps immensely to overcome low volume thinness.

Overall, I wouldn't play any other amp at this point in my career. I've had everything from Marshall JCM800's, to Sovtek Mig's to Twins, to Hiwatt 50', and the versatility of the Junior replaces all of them (although I do miss a few of them, like the Sovtek and the Hiwatt). To anyone thinking about an amp purchase, I highly recommend checking out the Fender Blues Junior Lacquered Tweed. It's by far the best amp fore the money.

[GrifsGuitarlessons]

You always tell such good stories Mike!

[bayleyasher]

have that same amp, gen IV tweed -- could not be happier with it. i have never been fully satisfied with an amp before, and this thing does everything i want it to and sounds fantastic. it is alive and crisp and tactile and response; it heats up beautifully, handles pedals very well. don't really have a desire for much else

[hoagyguitarmichael]

Been my amp of choice for years for many of the reasons you mention. A word of warning to gigging players: try to transport it in an upright position. If you lay it down, the reverb will more than likely break. Also be careful when storing the cable in the back, as the tubes are not really protected by that spring retainer and it is easy to end up bending them in the sockets.

[sanfran]

Bro, I just bought a two-year-old tweet Blues Junior with the Jenson speaker last week on sale. Just the clarity of tone over my modeling amp, it's no wonder it's been a celebrated classic amplifier for such a long time. I'm looking forward to gigging with it soon!

[brianpaauwe]

Love my Blues Jr! Such a great value and amazing sound

[jcon]

I really enjoy your videos ... always informative and straight to the point ... great delivery, always positive energy.

[brianmcpartland]

I have owned all three amps that you spoke of. The Princeton, the blues Junior, and the SX2. The Princeton has been the best amp I have ever owned or played. I was a little surprised that your video made no mention of the fact that SO many people have found the BJ to be brittle and quite treble biased. Mine was so bad that I resorted to to playing a loop for hours on end at high volume in an effort to try to relax the speaker. It didn’t help at all. After a year I got so sick and tired of the amp that I sold it. As for the SX2, it is considered a hybrid tube amp. It certainly wasn’t horrible, and it makes a good beginning amp, but the tone is just not up to the level of a true multi tube amp. I didn’t care for its tone.

[brandonthompson]

I love how much your playing is progressing. Sounds killer man.