In praise of the Fender Pro Junior

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JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
As an experiment I took my Morgan LP and Fender Pro Junior to jazz rehearsal last night,

What a lovely sound !  Creamy edge of break up sound that just got better and better when you cranked up the guitar volume. and loud to - competing with a 5 piece brass section not problem.  Blues Junior used to break up far too early for any usable (semi) clean sounds.

So glad I swapped the Blues Junior for a Pro Junior ! Toatally different amps :)
Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

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  • RichardjRichardj Frets: 1538
    I have no idea why they are overlooked when it comes to a compact valve amp.  OK, you pay the Fender price tag but they just sound so 'solid'. If only they came with a 12" speaker........
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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    edited October 2016
    I was worried it'd be jumping all over the place - like the Princeton Reverb it just doesn't.  And none of the BJ boxiness.


    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    They are great sounding little amps.
    I suppose they're less popular because people have got into the habit of thinking you need loads of controls for an amp to be 'good'.
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  • Mine has now become my main gigging amp! So far I haven't played a gig it can't handle. Although I definately agree above that it'd be better with a 12" speaker for more bass end. 
    How very rock and roll
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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    I had a Tweed Pro Junior from way back .. it was better than my Blues Junior. Glad I sold the latter sorry I sold the former (to a guy in Scotland on the old Music Radar forum). Great amps. Jeff Beck used to gig with two of them for a stereo sound.

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • Hi folks. Looking at maybe moving to a Fender Pro Junior down the line, and getting an extension cab for it to add a bit of low end. I had been thinking of an AC15 + an extension cab, but to be honest, the simplicity of the Pro Junior is enough for me.

    Used to have an AC15 and a Blues Junior, and out of the 2, I preferred the Blues Junior, but didn't use the reverb really.
    Plus I like the fact the Pro Junior has the option of a cab. But maybe the Blues Junior might be the better bet. Dunno.
    Currently playing an Orange Dual Terror, and use the 15 watt setting mainly. It's a loud amp, even on 15 watts, but I never use the overdrive/distortion. 

    I would be a fan of Alan Sparhawk, and I know he uses a Pro Junior, no doubt a vintage one, but love the growl he gets...
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  • RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Frets: 13929
    edited January 2017
    Jeff Beck sounds pretty good through his Pro Jrs, shit outfit though, looks like The Joker from Batman:





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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    Jalapeno said:
    As an experiment I took my Morgan LP and Fender Pro Junior to jazz rehearsal last night,

    What a lovely sound !  Creamy edge of break up sound that just got better and better when you cranked up the guitar volume. and loud to - competing with a 5 piece brass section not problem.  Blues Junior used to break up far too early for any usable (semi) clean sounds.

    So glad I swapped the Blues Junior for a Pro Junior ! Toatally different amps :)
    I agree .. I stupidly sold a Tweed Pro Junior to guy in Scotland on the old Intermusic Forum. It was one of the limited run aged models that I bought from Sad Old Man also of the forum. I regretted it .... bought a Blues Junior and hated it.

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    Jeff Beck sounds pretty good through his Pro Jrs, shit outfit though, looks like The Joker from Batman:




    Amazing voice .. not sure Beck's style suits the song (coming from a major Beck fan) - great tone though.

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • TTBZTTBZ Frets: 2873
    edited January 2017
    They'd never been on my radar til I saw the Johan Segeborn video of him playing one with a les paul and got one of the best rock tones I've heard of his. Marshall-esque but more raw. Made me want to try one out for sure. How loud do they need to be to get that breakup?
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  • I guess you wouldn't be getting one for clean sounds then
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  • @TTBZ I haven't seen the video you are referring to but to get a PJ to a crunch you will still be above home volumes. 
    How very rock and roll
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  • WhitecatWhitecat Frets: 5378
    Superb amps, but they are noisy which I think puts some people off right away. Once you're playing of course none of it matters...
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  • RichardjRichardj Frets: 1538
    I found them decently clean and loud with volume and tone set at noon. I use the guitar's volume to then drive the amp. After around two - three o'clock it doesn't really get louder, just more compressed.

    Noise wasn't a problem in any of mine (I've had three of them, two Mk.IIs and a Mk.III) either, I think some carefully selected valves should usually deal with that.
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  • WhitecatWhitecat Frets: 5378
    It's not a problem, per se - I've owned two iterations of the amp, and the latest one I've got has fancy matched Groove Tubes from Watford Valves, but it's still pretty noisy compared to every other amp I've got. The first-gen one I had was even noisier by quite some margin, even with nicer tubes, but that's expected with those ones. It's all relative.
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  • RichardjRichardj Frets: 1538
    Maybe I had good ones. They just weren't noisy, no more hiss and hum than the Twin, Boogie, HRDX, even my new Rivera.  
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  • Jalapeno said:
    So glad I swapped the Blues Junior for a Pro Junior ! Toatally different amps :)
    What's the noise floor like at home levels? Any significant hiss/hum/buzz?
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  • TTBZTTBZ Frets: 2873
    @benmurray85 this is the video I have in mind. The tone I really like is around 1:55.


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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    Jalapeno said:
    So glad I swapped the Blues Junior for a Pro Junior ! Toatally different amps :)
    What's the noise floor like at home levels? Any significant hiss/hum/buzz?
    There shouldn't be. There was an issue on early models where one of the top rear panel screws touched an internal component and caused a hum, but overall they're not too noisy if the valves are in good nick.




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  • I find mine is quite noisy - sounds amazing but the hiss is pretty loud. However it's size, portability and sound makes it easy to ignore. Plus I play it alongside my Hamstead which is basically silent...
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