I love pushing the 15 watts through the 12". you can get a true, warm, gritty overdrive without a bunch of fake-sounding effects. once those tubes get saturated, all good. BUT the reverb is weak, and gets pretty tin-like when cranked. i recommend getting if modified with the inexpensive mods you can get off the web. mine has a reverb, bass, and mid tone mod, and this little amp sounds like a classic twin reverb.

the master vs clean volume is amazing. you can really get a great clean tone, or just crank the volume and add the fat switch for that great natural overdrive. the reverb needs help.

its hard to make this amp sound bad. i sometimes play with just this amp, and can easily find a great, thick, mid-ranged tone. and sometimes i combo it with my Vox AC-30. i use the great high/low end of the Vox, and crank up only the mids of the Jr. WOW!!!! the most complete tone, and volume, i've ever jammed.

i've had mine for 7 years, and worked it pretty hard. i haven't needed to change a tube in all that time. i HAVE HAD PROBLEMS with the pot shafts. pretty poorly built. you'll wanna get them changed. but other than that, its stood up well to what i've done to it.

for $400! are you kidding!?!?! YES!!! AMAZING value. and if you invest another $40-$80 in upgrades/mods, you've basically found yourself a miniature Twin Reverb for $400! great value!

its easy to find someone to help you with repairs if you can't do it yourself. THE MODS ARE MORE THAN WORTH IT! very inexpensive, and do wonders for the tone/reverb.

i've always loved the look of the fender amps. especially this series. i'm huge on the look/vibe of all my equipment. i know it might sound lame, but people love looking at a great stage set up, with good looking gear. whenever i go see shows, i'm always checking out their gear first thing.

active musician/recording engineer

americana, blues, rock, country

This amp has a classic Fender tone. Sounds great clean and overdriven. In fact I was surprised how great this amp sounds when it is overdriven. There is something particularly sweet about a Strat with a Fender amp and this amp continues the tradition. My Les Paul with 57 PAF pickups also sounds so very tasty. With the gain turned up full and the fat switch in this can play a heavy rock tone if you want, but it will not be suitable for a metalhead. The sound is trebly and quite cutting, but this is not a bad thing to me. The tube overtones are just delightful and its lack of deep bass response when overdriven aids in making yourself heard over the mix. I agree with the other comments here that the reverb is not so great - but its not awful either. Just keep it low.

A footswitch can be used to switch on the Fat mode, which might be useful I suppose, but it's easy to just switch it directly on the amp wo I have never bothered with this. Perhaps the reverb should be foot-switchable too?

It's very easy to use having only one channel and with the usual basic controls

Well constructed and finished.

Excellent tone for little expense.

No experience.

It's not particularly sexy, but it's good.

Active musician 30 years playing

Blues/Rock

This gives me the warm, smooth overdrive/distortion I was never able to get out of a solid state amp (traded my Fender FM-212R for it!!) I immediately (with a little tweeking) was able to get these great sounds the first night I used it (I messed with my 212 for months!). I found the volume at 10-11, master to 2, lower/medium settings on bass and treble (3 or 4), and guitar (American Strat) volume rolled down a bit, gave me exactly what I was looking for! It sounds great by itself, or with any pedals I tried with it. Perfect for what I will use it for (home recording) NOTE: I've read a few reviews about "unhappiness" over the reverb - ? - I don't get it!! The reverb sounds great to me (not turned up a bunch)!

As other people have said, would have been nice to have a foot switch for the "fat" mode. But, other than that, clean, simple, easy.

As I said above, able to get the sound I wanted very quickly. Don't need the manual, very easy to use.

Very well made, as all Fender products are!! I will only use it for home use, but it seems very solid, and certainly capable of being taken out on the road. And, how could you ever really have a beef with these guys?? If you ever do have a problem, they take care of it! (The first Mexican Strat I got had a neck issue, and they replaced the whole guitar - not just the neck)

A little bit high for a "15 watt amp" - but, hey - it sounds fantastic, and you get what you pay for!!

As I said above, they handled the problem immediately.

The look is somewhat "retro", and although that is nice in itself, I really got it for the sound. That's the beauty of this amp!

Hobbyist

Classic Rock, Blues

Love it. Low watt amp that you can push. Might change the speaker to get more clean headroom.

Master volume - most excellent. Kinda thin sounding, but the Fast switch makes a huge difference.

I'm always finding new sounds.

Here's where I have problems. I've read lots of player reviews and they're mostly written by bedroom players. I've gigged this amp 30 times in three months. The plastic pot shafts are wobbly and will be a problem. The tubes come loose. So my impression is - the amp is on the delicate side. I LOVE THE PORTABILITY, THOUGH!!

I NEED THIS AMP - it is way portable!! I've needed an amp like this for eons.

Haven't needed support, that's what the interweb is for!

Looks good!!

Professional - 27 years

NUmerous - roots, country, blues, rockabilly, jazz

Typical Fender Tube sound. With a strat you're in heaven.

Pretty naked, but who needs more (put a Boss ME 33 between Guitar and Amp)

Let's wait and see...

Yes

No Problems getting my Ultimat Chorus fixed after several years. Warranty works.

Needed a small Amp. Would prefer the Twin - but it's too big to carry to 90 gigs a year. When I need a blasting Tube Amp I take my Mesa. Blues Junior is Twin sound that is easy to carry.

From Standards, to R&B, Blues, Gospel to Jazz

The Blues Junior is a screamin' little tube amp. You would think at 15 watts the sound would be mediocre at best.

Not a lot of bells and whistles here but if you are loking for a tube amp sound, this puppy will get the job done. The FAT switch add a little crunch to the sound but could be a little tighter.

Volume and Master volume give the Blues jr. a lot of volume. Good for small clubs.

Made with the usual Fender quality. I have had this amp for 5 years now. Played both harp and guitar thru it and have NEVER had a problem. It is a tube amp so you will get a little hum during quiet times. That comes with the territory!

If this little baby was stolen I would replace it in a heartbeat!

Unknown as I've never had to call or use tech support.

Looking for tube sound at a very reasonable price? This is the way to go!

hobbyst harp player; Sound tech in house of worship

Blues

I am pleasently surprised. The sound is quite good and very Fender. I was concerned that the Fender "special" speaker would be less than favorable. Not at all. The sound is excellent for this little amp. It is loud enough for 15 watts. You can find great tones at lower volues. It does use pedals really well. Its quite dynamic and takes to Humbukers as well as singles. Really a super little amp.

Excellent amp with a master and a 3 band EQ. Groove tubes and real spring reverb. It is very Fender. Its Mexican made and it is very well made.

Very Fender sounding and with volume and master volume coupled with a 3 band EQ. It is easy to find good usuable tones in the Fender tradition.

I am so happy with the build quality. The amp is quite good lookin. I have the Black tolex. I wanted the tweed but that is hard to find. This amp is tight and attractive. I would use it on stage (mic'd of course) I have not had it long,but I have owned and still own Fender amps from the 50's until now. Right now I have my 1970 Twin Reverb and my 1979 Bassman 10(the 70 watt version) and a Princeton stereo chorus as well as my Super Champ XD(great little amp too) all including the old road dogs have and will take it. Take care of your stuff it WILL take care of you.

Great amp if you can use it and it is doing what you need is a great value.

sometimes good sometimes not so good.

looks good and sounds great.

past pro present hobbyist

blues,rock basically everything.

great amp. small,light,loud,great tone. no need to replace the speaker. it a 50 watt speaker. i put the same speaker in my Marshall AVT50 combo.reverb sounds great to me. blends well with other instruments. add an sm57 mic to the p.a. and wow! once the speaker breaks in the spound is darker.runs a Marshall 1960 cab with ease using the 8ohm switch so you dont fry the tubes. build quality is very good. i leave the fat switch on all the time. loves pedals. i use boss pedals. sd1,mt2,cry baby. i play punk, hard rock and metal too. some oldies as well.

the best! less is more! head phone jacks are stupid. fx loops are crap in most amps anyway.

didnt come with a manual for some reason. dont need it. just plug in and rock! very easy to use.

very good on mine

15watt all tube is worth 400 bucks easy! check other brands prices for the same specs and see. worth its weight in gold. im a career bar player @ 43 yo.

fender makes good!

this amp is good to have around. great back up amp or main amp. looks great

active. my only job

most styles

Great tone out of a little box! If you want to make it louder you can mike it to your board and PA system and it has a great sounds that way too!

Is small little amp that weighs nextto nothing and the tone is great, what features do you want? Buy add ons if you want them.

Great little amp for practicing and wife doesn't yell at me when I want to get the right sounds (i.e., house doesn't rattle and hum)

Havn't had to use their support yet.

Hobbyist

Rock and Blues

I've been playing Harmonica for a few years (12yrs) the Blues Jr is one of the best if not the best harp amp that I have found!!Best Harp amp for the price.

The fat switch gives the amp so much more drive ..I added a foot peddle to mine so I can switch from fat to normal and back depending on the song or the mood.

All you have to do is Plug the amp in, A little adjustment and your playing like a pro, 5 min. and your Jammin

It's a fender what more do you have to say

The best price for the quality

never had a problem so I can't say

as soon as I played through one I had to have it..

play in a band

Blues ,Country ,Rock

No need to put anything between your guitar and this amp except a good cord. IF, IF, IF you MUST HAVE anything else you should get what you need from a good processor or pedal.

Great and simple.

Hobbyist - Active Musician

Rock, Blues, Alternative, Folk

This amp is great! Its cleans are honestly just as good as some of the fenders that cost three times more. Its a loud 15 watts, but if you were to go gigging you'd need to mike it. Thats no big deal for me because i have a mike, but if you need a loud amp this may not be the one. still, has those great fender cleans. The distortion will not get really thick and heavy, but its perfect for classic rock and blues stuff. it works well with pedals, so you can always distort it more with a distortion pedal.

Its got everything you really need, but its not some new breakthough in amplification. One channel is plenty, and again, if you need two channels you can use a pedal for distortion, the amp for cleans. the fat switch is cool.

this amp is soooo easy to use. Because it only had the basic stuff you need, you can fnd a tone you like in less than a minute. its hard to make this amp sound bad.

i have a friend whose owned one for a few years... he beats the crap out of his and it still looks and sounds great.

its the best cleans you can find for 400 bucks - thats awesome

i haven't dealt with them, so i couldnt really judge them here

i dont want it because it looks cool, I just love the tone. It does look cool though.

hobbyist

rock... all kinds of rock

The sound of this amp is exactly what it was made to do. It sounds AWESOME! Great paired with a Tele or Strat. Great when paired with a Les Paul. With the LP you get GREAT bluesy tones. Only 15 watts, but plug it into and external cab and its PLENTY loud.

Well its a pretty plain jane amp. NO Frills so how can I deduct points. No footswitch included, who cares? dont really need it, it just switches the Fat switch on and off.

Well the reverb was broken on mine when I got it. Its still broken, but I think that could be why mine sounds so good. I have read that the way the reverb is wired into the signal path of this amp effects its tone. So mine doesnt have reverb, and I havent had a chance to take it to have it looked at.

I think it was worth the money. Everything is expensive now days, especially namebrand tube amps.

Dont know yet.

I would have rather had the Tweed or the Blonde, but im impatient so I got black.

Active Musician, Engineer

Rock'N'Roll

this thing has awsome sound has a real nice natural overdrive. if u like fender all tube tone get this

i dont like 20 million pots on an amp cuz i dont need em this thing has a 3 band, reverb and a fat switch, oh and of course volume and master

u get what u pay 4 which is a bad ass tube amp

in blonde with oxbloode grill cloth this amp looks pretty good but neway who cares what it looks like with the tone it produces

active musician

classic rock rock

I've always thought of Fender amps to have a "vanilla" tone. However, with the Blues Jr., the sound is great if your using a Strat and/or looking for a vintage bluesy tone. For the money, there are MUCH better sounding amps out there depending on what you're looking for. I own an AVRI Jazzmaster, SG standard, and a Vintage 57 Strat. The JM and SG sound TERRIBLE through this amp. The Blues Jr. with my Strat really nails that Stevie Ray Vaughn sound and if that's what your looking for, than this amp is a perfect fit. If you're in the market for new amps, here is my personal opinion on what to get: For those of you with a ton of effects pedals looking for a crystal clear clean tone, save up and get a Roland Jazz Chorus 120. For heavy distortion that doesn't sound like a thick mushy mess, get a Marshall head through Vintage 30s or just about any Mesa amp. For indie rock, save up and get an AC30. Orange amps are a great choice as well.

The only distinguishable feature on this amp is the fat switch.

Again, it's hard to get a good sound out of this amp unless you're looking for the tone of SRV, Clapton, etc.

No problems qualitywise. That doesn't change the fact that my Blues Jr. is going up on craigslist.

For the price, you can get much more versatile amps.

Never had to deal with Fender's service because I've never had to.

Your boxed into the very limited range of sounds from this amp, which makes it not worth the price.

Hobbyist

Indie, experimental, progressive

If these were still being made in the US I would have more positive things to say. They should cost 299. if made in mexico. It has a harsh tone, the upgrades everyone talks about should be incorporated into a Corona made product, then it would be worth what they cost nowadays.

It's got plenty o' features, but mexico lower-budget value is costing Fender their good name, imo.

Very easy to use.

Fender downgrades parts for their imports.

Look for an old US made one...

Fender U.S. is just great!

Put the upgrades in it, Fender!

40 yrs professional musician, rock instruments

all styles except rap, which really doesn't use guitar much, anyway.

reverb is rather dull.One would expect a better result with springs.

looks sturdy enough

OVE

5years guitar.used to be a singer

rock blues pop

hey you get what you pay for here at least you will get what you pay for pure fender tube sound

as few as needed just plug n play

yes

dont know this one

The sound is perfect. I play a Les Paul and the deep growl that comes out of the Amp when pushed is unmatched.

The only jack on the amp is input.

So far no issues

I always believe you get what you pay for. With this you get more.

Easy to take anywhere. Loud enough for small gigs. I think people will hear this amp and think there is something special.

Rhythm & lead Guitar

Blues, Rock

Replace all of the TUBES with JJ/tesla tubes.....this thing will rock..

not many features but you arent lacking anything...you have reverb..thereis not an OD switch but you get some incredible natural OD if you turn the master down and the volume up....there is a phat switch...but dont turn it off. ALWAYS LEAVE IT ON!!!!!!!! sounds amazing.

professional

its worth 400 easily....

yeah...there was a loose tube jack in mine...(my fualt because i rode woth it in my car for days without an amp case....they sent me a brand new amp!!!

the blonde is super sexy...i have a black one but the soud makes me care not for sexy

I bought a Blues Jr. and a Traynor YCV20WR to compare them. I use these mostly for home practice. Compared to the Traynor the stock Blues Jr. sounds thin and boxy. The Blues Jr. has the same size speaker (12") but crammed into a smaller cabinet which may have some effect on the sound. The smaller cab also forces them to use the short 8-series Accutronics reverb versus the full size 4-series like the Traynor. The 8-series seems suck quite a bit of tone even at low settings, unlike the 4-series. I see from the Fender discussion page that a lot of folks are modding the tone stack and swapping the speakers and switching the tubes from the stock Blues Jr to improve it - for about the same price of those mods you can get a stock Traynor which sounds great right out of the box and has more features.

Features are 'par for the course' but fall short of the Traynor. The Traynor gives a headphone jack, DI output, speaker defeat, and true 2-channel operation with a footswitch.

Tubes were just about falling out of their sockets when I unpacked it, there are no spring clips or other kind of retainers on them. This is more the fault of the guys who packed it at the warehouse since they ignored the 'This End Up' on the Fender box and packed it flat.

Comparing sound and features, not as good a value as the Traynor YCV20.