Fender Blues Junior III Guitar Combo Amplifier (15 Watts, 1x12")

The Fender Blues Junior III offers classic tube tone in a compact package. With sparkling cleans and gritty driven tone, this 15-watt combo can go anywhere.

Overall User Ratings (based on 14 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(14) (see rating details)
Submitted July 15, 2014 by Randy K in Longmont, CO

"Small package that screams"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
Needed a sm/med amp for Jams and small gigs (which is about 95% of what I do) but I kept acquiring big loud amps which I love but can't use at these type of events. Not being rolling in the dough I found out about ZZ's 4 pay plan and since I had always heard great things about this little guy I decided what the heck go for it. Well ZZ is awesome first off got it quicker than expected and stayed home on the day so I could make sure I grabbed it when FedEx left in on the porch. Could not be happier, the little amp screams and gets mellow when needed. I was worried about the EL84 tone because some folks didn't dig it but I Love it the tone isn't as spikey as an old Silverface but to me it sounds just about right The fat channel is great adds just enough oomph and I can crank it more with a Tube Screamer if I want to. About the only complaint I have is the lack of standby switch which really isn't that big a deal but I thought I'd mention it.... A+++++

Musical Background:

Guitar player for many years GIT Grad and teacher

Musical Style:

Combination of everything but leans towards blues and country
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Submitted September 7, 2012 by Michael M in Troy, AL

"Lives up to the name"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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The Blues jr is a great amp for someone looking for a great clean tone or classic rock tone. I've found it takes pedals very well which makes it even more versatile, I also like the fact that it doesn't weigh 40 to 60 pounds like its big brothers and for a person with a bad back to have a tube amp that doesn't require back pains all night makes gigging alot more fun. I would trust this amp to be loud enough for gigs and to have a great sound throughout the show.
Sound
The clean sound is as expected of Fender, great and I have no complaints at all. The Blues jr does well and I prefer its size than my other two fender amps (HRDeluxe and Deville). You can get good clean blues tones, country, jazz or whatever else your into and the best thing is unlike its bigger brothers it won't break your back. Although it doesn't have a designated drive channel, if you turn the volume to 12 and master to your desired specs you can get a great classic rock tone, one for example would be a tone reminiscent of Claptons "Cocaine".
The Wow Factor
Great tone in such a small frame, that's "wow" enough wouldn't ya think.

Musical Background:

6 years experience, various college ensembles, and bands that need fill ins.

Musical Style:

Classic Rock, Blues, and Country
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Submitted July 21, 2015 by mike s in massapequa , NY

"Great versatile amp "

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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This amp is perfect for everything from blues to surf to hard rock. The tones are versatile using the 3 band EQ. Gets the cleanest fender sparkle tones and tweaking the volume and master volume offers a broad range of overdrive from mild breakup to full on hard rock. The fat boost works great with Strats and Teles. The is an input for a fat boost footswitch located under the back panel. It is easy to get to, just see the manual for exact location. As with Fender's Hot Rod line this amp works great with pedals and expands it's versatility. Great power from this little amp. So much fun to play. If you're into blues and classic hard rock then buy this amp!

Musical Background:

25 years, hobbyist, gigged for years. own strats, tele, les pauls, fender supersonic 22, mustang II, blues junior III

Musical Style:

Rock, blues
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Submitted January 20, 2014 by James N in ocala, FL

"Fender blues Jr."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I recently purchased the blues Jr. Awe what an amazing amp fender put together here. The people at zzounds are the best !! I would recommend this amp to any one who is gigging or just to practice with. Thanks Zounds !!

Musical Background:

5 yrs. gigging around for fun !!

Musical Style:

Rock, country, and the blues !!
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Submitted June 10, 2012 by Tony M in Washington, DC

"Possibly the only Amplifier I ever needed"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
When I first considered purchasing the Fender Blues Junior III, I had only two selfish things in mind: inexpensive all tube sound and maybe one less trip to the car on some gig nights. I was hoping that the amp would be loud enough for rehearsals and MAYBE some gigs with the help of miking (there is no direct line-out) and perhaps some monitor support on stage. What I got went well past simply exceeding my expectations. First, I don't know how Fender measures wattage but this all tube "15" watt amplifier is both loud AND clear. It not only held its own in rehearsal but on stage as well, and without monitor support. This amp could end up replacing my Fender Twin Reverb for most gigs, and that is definitely one less trip to the car. But it's not just the size of the amp (about 36lbs) and how loud it is, it's what you get out of its single 12 inch speaker. It didn't take me long to dial up the perfect tone for my style of music (funk, jazz, R&B). As far as features go, you're not getting a lot of bells and whistles (i.e. a direct line out, effects loop, separate channels etc). But I added a little pedal support and I was good to go! BTW, zZounds is by far one of the BEST online sources of equipment! I ordered the amplifier Monday afternoon and Wednesday night I had it at rehearsal. And did I mention the shipping was FREE? Low price, great service, great sound. I don't know what more to ask for.

Musical Background:

Playing guitar and vocals for about 25 yrs, some professionally.

Musical Style:

Blues, R&B, Funk
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Submitted September 23, 2012 by John M in Asheville, NC

"Recent Purchase"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Bought Strat right before I got amp. They sound great together. both arrived within 3 days of purchase. Great service and delivery of all purchases from zZounds!

Musical Background:

been playing guitar off and on for about45 years mainly at home

Musical Style:

Mainly classic rock and blues
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Submitted April 18, 2011 by a customer from airgeneral.com

"Good Amp at a fair price"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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I do not see myself selling this amp anytime soon.
Sound
This amp is very responsive. It is exactly what you would expect from a Fender Amp.I gave it a 9 because the reverb can be a little harsh.
Features
I bought this amp because I was looking for simplicity and this is it. I gave it a nine because an on/off footswitch for reverb would be useful
Ease of Use
Pretty Easy , If you know what you like to hear and know how to turn knobs then you got it made.
Quality
The tubes had been knocked out of the sockets during shipping som the "shockmount" didn't work so well but I'm sure the engineer who designed it didn't count on people throwing their amps around like freight handlers.The seams on the tolex are pretty rough but what do you expect from a product that is mass produced in a foreign country?
Value
This is amp is worth the money .
The Wow Factor
Its a nice addition to any set up

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Texas
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Submitted April 30, 2012 by HObbinero Madrigal in marshall, MI

""River of Blues""

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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Fellow tone hunters, lighten your burden, enlighten your selves...Alow me to share stress free tone-jackpot with you.Go with Fender, as I have, put away the guessing, get to the answerthat has stood the test of time. All my amps from china have had to go back, my fender came to me and has found and shares my home, where ever I go my fender blues 3 has brought me recognition of master tone blues. Amen, get the recognitition...

Musical Background:

1968, British top 40, 70's rock&roll,80's southern rock, 90's texas hot dam blues, 2000,guitar insructor, classic car events.

Musical Style:

Played gibson, epiphone, silvertone, faithfull as the fender blues 3 fat tube amp.
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Submitted January 26, 2014 by michael b in new lenox, IL

"Clean, clean, clean and LOUD!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
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What an awesome little amp for the money. This thing sounds great on 3 and shakes the house on 10! It has an awesome clean sound for artists who demand that type of clarity from their amps. It also packs some serious punch....the loudness of this 15watt legit tube amp is really cool. It is great for practice, jamming in the garage and even small gigs. My only complaint, and I knew it when I bought it, is that it does not have a dirty or distorted channel. I just use a Boss distortion pedal and I can go from clean, Mississippi delta blues to Alternative rock/metal in less than a second! Great deal on this amp, and it sounds great!

Musical Background:

I am a hobbyist with moderate ability

Musical Style:

blues, rock, classic rock, funk, alternative rock
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Submitted March 12, 2012 by Alan H in San Francisco, CA

"It should not be called a Blues Jr anymore, how 'bout chimey jr."

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Fender has changed the game plan on this one. While the changes are good for some rock musicians who dig the "chimey, jangly & sparkly" sound, it's no good for jazz guitar. There is no warmth or headroom and tone is thinner than the cream & green board versions. I owned a few of the previous generations versions of the blues Jr's and they were a tad on the bright side to. By replacing the speaker though, they would sound just fine for jazz and old school blues. The clean headroom has been diminished replaced by early breakup. I never had a problem with that aspect on previous models of the blues jr's. In a low volume jazz duo in a small restaurant I found that my chord melody was breaking up even on ballads. I could keep the amp and make some mods, but I'm against doing anything that voids the warranty. Some of the amp mods out there may cause amp failure in the long term. Also if I'm buying a new amp it doesn't make sense to spend more money on mods if that money would enable me to but a better suited amp for my needs. I do plan to return this amp and go with with something else. I love the customer service at zZounds and so I will try to support them with my future business.

Musical Background:

Professional jazz & Chicgo blues guitarist for 47 for over years.

Musical Style:

Jazz, blues, funk, soul & country.
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Submitted April 5, 2012 by Alan H in San Francisco, CA

"Blues Junior III "

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
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zZounds is really on the ball and make sure you're totally satisfied. I just ordered a Roland Cube 80XL from them yesterday afternoon and it arrived this morning via Fed Ex ground :-) (I'm lucky to be close to their west coast warehouse). They hustle to get the orders out and the customer service is great. I recently purchase a Blues Junior III from zZounds. Fender had changed the spec on the amp and the new speaker breaks up too early for me and is too bright. I have owned a few of the older generation Blues JR's and the new one is geared more for rock and pop. I tried it on a low volume jazz trio gig in a small venue and even with the volume on 2 1/2 it was breaking up, (the older ones did not do that even with the stock speaker). Fender designed it to do that so I returned it, no hassle. It only took 1 day after zZounds received it for me to get my refund. So I ordered a 65 DRI from them that I'm totally pleased with for jazz trio gigs.

Musical Background:

Professional jazz & Chicgo blues guitarist for 47 for over years.

Musical Style:

jazz
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