Grateful Dead Music Forum

wow, this amp looks pretty cool for jerry tone, what do you all think? is this worth the money? i have always wanted a 6v6 blues junior.
http://www.chromedomeaudio.com/blues_jr_deluxe

Why not go with an actual fender blues jr? Its less money and is a great amp. I LOVE mine.

i agree, i love mine, too, but i like 6v6 power section better than EL84. i feel like the 6v6 is a little more "american" sounding, scooped mids, etc... I have to admit, i like my fender deluxe better than the blues junior, but i like the controls on the blues jr better. mid control, preamp volume, and the fat boost for leads is awesome. this amp sounds like the best of both worlds. in reality, i probably won't buy it, seeing as i already have a deluxe reissue, which seems really similar to this amp. i also have the blues jr, but have been favoring the deluxe reissue over it. just wondering if anyone has any opinions on this amp or has tried one or one similar to it and if they think it's worth the money. I agree, it seems silly to pay for a blues junior, and then have someone basically make it into a deluxe with blues jr controls, but i like the idea. i just really wish my deluxe had a footswitchable boost, right now my carl martin compressor is the boost for it!

why on earth would you pay $1000 for a blues jr... when you can get a SS power amp and a sarno preamp for $1000? or a handwired fender twin for $700? or something like a deluxe reverb, princeton reverb- if you really want 6v6's? Jerry sound is much closer to 6L6's and he used them on europe 72. Those wgs speakers arent great at all- theyre actually cheap. this thing may be the biggest rip off I've ever seen!

"There is a true external speaker jack installed on the amplifier that disconnects the internal speaker when used. "- isnt that exactly what comes on a blues jr?

They dont even mentioned changing the way the tone stack works to behave like a blackface fender, which I think is key to the blues jr's little boxy sound. I had a blues jr humboldt hot rod from proguitarshop.com for a couple months- it had the upgraded tubes and the eminence cannabis rex speaker- along with looking incredibly bad ass. I could have modded it to work with 6v6's and all the cap improvements- along with a whole lot more than this company is offering for a lot less.

But I sold it, because my silverface pro reverb completely destroyed it in every way. The amp's cabinet is just too small to sound big. so there's your first major cost on top of a stock blues jr. Then I wouldnt consider a vintage 30 anywhere close to jerry sounding. and the phase inverter they're talking about here- dont people normally modify their deluxe's from cathodyne to long tail?

I guess this could be KINDA like a princeton reverb, but without the tube tremolo and tube reverb... remember the blues jr still drives the reverb section with solid state parts. And I love a princeton reverb- but you're also asking for jerry. and I think the princeton has the least jerry output section out of all the fender amps!

At one point I was thinking of buying a used Blues Jr. and then having the mods professionally done. In the end it would have cost $800-900 without a warranty, so the amp you're looking at isn't far off price-wise. Go to http://billmaudio.com/wp/ for an in-depth look at the Blues Jr. and all possible mods. It's a great little amp but I've decided to wait a little longer and save up for a Mesa Boogie TA 30 1x12 combo. I mostly play at home and the TA 30 allows you to switch between 15w/30w/40w. Check out the sound clips at Sweetwater: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TA30112/

That amp is not a Blues Jr. Stock they come with EL84s and 8ohm speakers. They must be doing alot.

IMO 6V6s can get you low volume Jerryesque but I'd go for a Deluxe Reverb before this.

Utah Joe wrote:At one point I was thinking of buying a used Blues Jr. and then having the mods professionally done. In the end it would have cost $800-900 without a warranty, so the amp you're looking at isn't far off price-wise. Go to http://billmaudio.com/wp/ for an in-depth look at the Blues Jr. and all possible mods. It's a great little amp but I've decided to wait a little longer and save up for a Mesa Boogie TA 30 1x12 combo. I mostly play at home and the TA 30 allows you to switch between 15w/30w/40w. Check out the sound clips at Sweetwater: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/TA30112/

I've got a Fargen mod'd Blues Jr that was the same price and I had mine compared to stock and Omega mod'd Blues Jr and mine had the better tone. So do think it can be done and done well.

My rule of thumb is when I've got to put as much into a product to get where I want it to be as it cost at the outset, it's telling me it's not the right one from the start and it's time to look at something else.

I agree with the SMS + SS power amp suggestion as an alternative to this heavily modded BJ.

Disclaimer: some years ago, I bought a BJ, too. Owned it for several months, did tube and speaker swaps, sold it, and bought a better amp, a now discontinued Reverend Hellhound combo (with minor tweaks, renamed the Kingsnake and reissued by Cusack in combo* and head** formats) that I've kept and loved for years now.

* http://cusackmusic.com/wp/?page_id=1871
** http://cusackmusic.com/wp/?page_id=1874

Happy to announce I just stole one of these babies from about 500 bucks! - apparently they can handle 6l6's @30watts???! Going to take a hit for out frisbee squard here and see what kinda mini Jerry amp I can make happen - already starting the fun with a mint condition k120 to pop in there :0) Couldnt believe this store accepted my offer. It looks dead mint - fingers cross boys and girls - this could be the one -> (for mini jerry jams)

Since we are talking Blues Jr./alternatives. What are your thoughts on this? Anyone have any experience with one of these? I know it is solid state but it seems interesting.

http://www.award-session.com/bluesbaby.html

If it's a BJ alternative with 6V6s for Dead and similar music, why wouldn't a Deluxe Reverb fit the bill (perhaps with the "Nashville mod" on the mids if you want a bit thicker tone a la the BJ)?