Pro Junior Blonde 1995?

JerkMoans

Anyone got any experience/opinions on these little pocket rockets?  Been offered one in a partial trade for something and pondering it.  I presume it's nothing like a Champ, save in looks: more like a baby Hot Rod Deluxe?

All observations gratefully received, as ever.

thecolourbox

I had one, lovely little amp albeit a little bit hissy - don't think they all area just depends on luck of the draw I think. Main reason I got rid was that it only did clean quietly and drive loudly which is the exact opposite of my use case. It doesn't sound like a Hot Rod, sounds a million times better than a Blues Junior, not played a champ to know on that one.

I don't think there is anything different about the Tweed version of the Pro Junior Fromm the standard black one apart from the livery

JerkMoans

thecolourbox said:

I had one, lovely little amp albeit a little bit hissy - don't think they all area just depends on luck of the draw I think. Main reason I got rid was that it only did clean quietly and drive loudly which is the exact opposite of my use case. It doesn't sound like a Hot Rod, sounds a million times better than a Blues Junior, not played a champ to know on that one.

I don't think there is anything different about the Tweed version of the Pro Junior Fromm the standard black one apart from the livery

Wiz'd and thank you.  A million times better than a Blues Jr is a good start

munckee

Ive tried them a few times, too loud for home use I found but great sound. I have a 5 watt champ with 5 f1 circuit and they are not very alike. 

octatonic

1995 might be a USA made one.
I used to have this committed to memory but it escapes me now.

JerkMoans

octatonic said:

1995 might be a USA made one.
I used to have this committed to memory but it escapes me now.

Yes it is

octatonic

JerkMoans said:

octatonic said:

1995 might be a USA made one.
I used to have this committed to memory but it escapes me now.

Yes it is

More valuable then.
Nice amp, better than the Blues Junior.
I like doing head conversions or putting them into 12" loaded combos.

thecolourbox

octatonic said:

JerkMoans said:

octatonic said:

1995 might be a USA made one.
I used to have this committed to memory but it escapes me now.

Yes it is

More valuable then.

Made by Mexicans in America, rather than by Mexicans in Mexico

octatonic

thecolourbox said:

octatonic said:

JerkMoans said:

octatonic said:

1995 might be a USA made one.
I used to have this committed to memory but it escapes me now.

Yes it is

More valuable then.

Made by Mexicans in America, rather than by Mexicans in Mexico

and therefore more valuable.
I'm not saying it isn't mad.

p90fool

My first one was a blonde 95, it sounded fabulous and was very loud. I gigged it in a seven piece soul band using an attenuator. 

Some of the early ones had a panel screw which was too long and caused a hum by touching the volume pot, although mine was ok. 

They're a little brash sounding but work perfectly in a band mix - just don't expect deep, Fender Twin-style cleans, it's a bit more Vox-like than that. That's through it's own speaker, through a 2x12 it's a glorious sound, much bigger and deeper. There's not much point in doing a head conversion though, it already has a speaker jack and is small and light anyway. 

A word of warning though, they can be addictive and you'll end up wanting to run a pair of them. 

ICBM

octatonic said:

JerkMoans said:

octatonic said:

1995 might be a USA made one.
I used to have this committed to memory but it escapes me now.

Yes it is

More valuable then.

But slightly less well-made than the Mexican one...

Still not bad though - there's less difference with the PJ than the BJ.

If it's very hissy, check that the Zobel filter on the OT primary isn't faulty - either a failed resistor (which will make it hiss) or sometimes a shorted cap (which produces a very low output) is a known issue.

I could be wrong but I think the blonde LE version came with an Eminence alnico speaker, as was fitted to the Bassman reissues of the time.

springhead

I've still got the US made blonde Pro Junior I bought around 94, 95.  It's not a typical Fender circuit, so doesn't do the Fender clean thing.  It's more like a Marshall 18W (though not quite that circuit).  They're loud, and need to be turned up to get the best out of them.  That and the inherent hum/hiss they tend to have means it's not a home/recording amp, but they're a great live blues/rock machine. 

They run the EL84's too hot, on or over the max anode dissipation.  Modding to variable bias and backing it off a bit is a good thing to do.  I've also put better pots and jack in mine and changed some of the passive components for better quality/lower noise.

Having said all that, I'm going to sell mine.  I built a tweed Deluxe recently and hence don't need the Junior anymore - but could do with the funds to pay for the Deluxe!

Oh - look up Jeff Beck videos on YouTube - he sometimes gigs with a pair of them.  The Rock and Roll party video was one occasion.

CountryDave

I had one for a while.  I mainly gig a Blues Jr but took this to a couple of gigs (mainly because it was even easier to carry up stairs).  The sounds were great, but at the volume I needed it did tend to break up more then the Blues Jr.  I loved it, the singer said it was too distorted (it wasn't)