# Fender Pro Junior IV



## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

I’m getting lazy in my old age. I play in a local bar jam once a week. For the past year I’ve been playing acoustic there because I like the ability to show up, plug in, and play with no fuss. Lately I’ve been wanting to play electric there but my two giggable amps are too heavy and require at least two trips at each end to load and unload the car. Also my back isn’t up to loading in a heavy amp. I went on a quest for a light, small size amp that could keep up to a drummer and that I could carry in one hand with my guitar in the other. After listening to countless online demos I decided to try out a Katana, a Blues Cube, and a Fender Pro Junior. The closest Long and McQuade in North Vancouver had all three in stock so a trip to town was in order. The one that came home was the Fender. The other two would have worked but there is something about the sound of a tube amp running flat out that speaks to me. It was also the smallest and lightest. I mostly play an older SG special. It sounds awesome with this amp, as good as with any amp I’ve played. With my strat the amp just sings, especially positions two and four. I’ve never had an amp where I liked those positions. I rented it for a month to give me some time with it but I’m pretty sure it won’t be going back. I can’t believe how loud and full sounding this very little package is.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

If you've got a 1x12 cab kicking around try running it into that.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

I do have a 1x12 but it would defeat the purpose. I bought it to be a lightweight amp for live use 

But yes, I will try it.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I got a pro junior IV from L&M a few months ago and it quickly became my favourite amp.


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## BSTheTech (Sep 30, 2015)

Is there a PA? I saw a cool DI the other day that had all kinds of emulation for about $200. Not sure if this was it or not, but Radial usually makes good stuff. The crowd won’t know the difference .


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

BSTheTech said:


> Is there a PA? I saw a cool DI the other day that had all kinds of emulation for about $200. Not sure if this was it or not, but Radial usually makes good stuff. The crowd won’t know the difference .


I thought about something like that. I use a DI with my acoustic so I’m sure it would work. In the end I just wanted a tube amp. It’s irrational but there it is.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

My Pro Jnr in a lightweight pine 1x12 cab.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

I had one of the fists pro Jr amp in Canada. Was around 1992 or so. From when the guitar shop was called Musiplex. 

Gigged tons with it. It was a rock machine. I particularly liked that amp tilted back. Good choice.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

I like the Pro Jr more than the Blues Jr. A great little grab n' go.

I jammed through a guy's dual Pro Jr stereo rig one night. It was indeed a righteous tone.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

They are a hidden gem in the Fender lineup


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

I've liked the Pro Jr for years.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

OK....obviously I don't get the LOVE for the Pro Jr..
I have a Blues Junior and I have not played a Pro Jr.
Having said that....
I don't think I have to get into all the details BUT the Blues junior seems to offer a lot more amp compared to the Pro jr.
What am I missing here...?
G.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

GTmaker said:


> OK....obviously I don't get the LOVE for the Pro Jr..
> I have a Blues Junior and I have not played a Pro Jr.
> Having said that....
> I don't think I have to get into all the details BUT the Blues junior seems to offer a lot more amp compared to the Pro jr.
> ...


The Blues Jr is mostly preamp breakup while the Pro Junior is more power tube breakup. It depends what sound you are after. They are both excellent amps but they sound quite different.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

I also like the Pro JR as it is simple and you have to work at it to get what you like soundwise. Keep it simple.


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## DavidP (Mar 7, 2006)

What's the noise floor like in the PJ IV?? That was the deal breaker for me in the previous versions...


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

DavidP said:


> What's the noise floor like in the PJ IV?? That was the deal breaker for me in the previous versions...


With no guitar plugged in at full volume you can hear a little hiss but very quiet. With a strat plugged in there is a lot of hum. With an SG with humbuckers it is much less than the strat. Overall it is about the same as my other tube amps.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

Kerry Brown said:


> The Blues Jr is mostly preamp breakup while the Pro Junior is more power tube breakup. It depends what sound you are after. They are both excellent amps but they sound quite different.


saw the demo and the breakup sounds were just distortion.....you should be able to get that from any of your 6 or 7 overdrive pedals on your board.
I had to laugh on the statement. " a 10" speaker reacts quicker then a 12" ....cammon........ that what comedy routines are made of.

Sorry still dont get it...
G.


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## StratCat (Dec 30, 2013)

marcos said:


> I also like the Pro JR as it is simple and you have to work at it to get what you like soundwise. Keep it simple.



The simplicity of the Pro jr begs me to use my guitar volume and tone controls instead of leaving them at 10. I love the amp because of this.


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

great choice
I have loved the Pro Jr. since it came out. Part of my love for it comes from it's direct topology lineage back to tweed Fender's with a tone and a volume control.
It's a great sounding amp no matter which version (and I do think I've owned them all at some point)
Still have my first tweed one from way back and a purple tolex version along with a Custom Shop version and a Woody 60th anniversary version.
My band did a live CD at the Orbit Room a few years back and the Pro JR was my amp of choice.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

GTmaker said:


> OK....obviously I don't get the LOVE for the Pro Jr..
> I have a Blues Junior and I have not played a Pro Jr.
> Having said that....
> I don't think I have to get into all the details BUT the Blues junior seems to offer a lot more amp compared to the Pro jr.
> ...


For me, a blues jr is only clean platform amp. I find the drive tone to be terrible. I never put the master below 10.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

GTmaker said:


> " a 10" speaker reacts quicker then a 12"


The good folks at MESA agree with this statement.
What cabinet is best suited for my amplifier?

_"10-inch speakers react quite quickly to a signal, where 12-inch speakers respond slightly slower, and 15-inch speakers even more so. It is a subtle difference but one you’re likely to feel as you play. When purchasing a *MESA* cabinet, these are things you need not fret about though, as we’ve already spent countless hours examining the various combinations and have chosen the best for use in our designs."_


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

greco said:


> The good folks at MESA agree with this statement.
> What cabinet is best suited for my amplifier?
> 
> _"10-inch speakers react quite quickly to a signal, where 12-inch speakers respond slightly slower, and 15-inch speakers even more so. It is a subtle difference but one you’re likely to feel as you play. When purchasing a *MESA* cabinet, these are things you need not fret about though, as we’ve already spent countless hours examining the various combinations and have chosen the best for use in our designs."_


I'm going to try and book you as a comedy act Dave...
Your first bit can describe how your amazing sensitive ears can detect how quickly different speakers react....
Your going to be a hit for sure...
G.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Can I alter the speaker reaction time by plucking the string faster?


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

GTmaker said:


> Your first bit can describe how your amazing sensitive ears can detect how quickly different speakers react....





greco said:


> It is a *subtle difference* but one you’re *likely to feel* as you play.


Put the switching A/B box that I gave you on a single 12" and 10" and see what you think. Maybe you will notice some type of *subtle differences*? 
Who knows?


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Kerry Brown said:


> The Blues Jr is mostly preamp breakup while the Pro Junior is more power tube breakup. It depends what sound you are after. They are both excellent amps but they sound quite different.


Wouldn't that depend on how you run it?

ie Just because there's a preamp gain knob doesn't mean you have to put it at 9.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Guncho said:


> Wouldn't that depend on how you run it?
> 
> ie Just because there's a preamp gain knob doesn't mean you have to put it at 9.


Maybe it's just the different circuits. Whatever it is I find the tone of the Blues Jr on the edge of breakup not as full as the Pro Junior despite the bigger speaker. When I have played a Blues Jr I definitely have the master higher than the volume but I still wasn't completely happy with the tone. Then again I haven't played with a Blues Jr that much.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

davetcan said:


> Can I alter the speaker reaction time by plucking the string faster?


Yes but only if you are still hearing echo returns from the 1970s.


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## 5732 (Jul 30, 2009)

davetcan said:


> Can I alter the speaker reaction time by plucking the string faster?


I compensate for the slower reaction time by pre-plucking all my notes.


Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

mud_guy said:


> I compensate for the slower reaction time by pre-plucking all my notes.
> Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk


that's is cheating sir....please stop doing that immediately..
G.
by the way....plucking the strings faster to alter the reaction time is well withing the bounds.

I have been asked to try my own experiment so I have just ordered a pretty decent stopwatch ( pictured below from Ebay and only $128.75).

My plan is to have the stopwatch very close to my plucking hand...
pluck a string...
quickly reach over and start the pretty expensive watch.
When the speaker reaction time finally plays the note, I will stop the watch thus giving me a pretty accurate reaction time reading.
Yes ...I will try this with a 10"....12" and a 15" speaker.

Charts to follow as soon as the watch gets here...
G.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

You'll probably need a digital stopwatch, sometimes those dial thingies can be confusing.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Took the Pro Junior and an SG Special to the local bar jam last night. The amp is a keeper.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Kerry Brown said:


> The Blues Jr is mostly preamp breakup while the Pro Junior is more power tube breakup. It depends what sound you are after. They are both excellent amps but they sound quite different.


Can you share a little more detail with us on that @Kerry Brown . I'm in the same boat as @GTmaker ...have a BJ and you can get both a PreAmp drive as well as a fairly snotty Power tube break up out the BJ with the Master cranked. I haven't watched the video yet, so if that explains it I apologize. I have replaced my speaker with an early 90 Celestion G12T-75 though, so we should take that into account as well.

EDIT: Nevermind..I read the 1st page of the thread first thing, first cofee. Didn't even realize there are 3 pages of posts that fill in my question.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Maybe it is the speakers in Blues Jrs I’ve tried. I found running the master cranked sounded flubby. The best tone I got was with the volume and master just above noon. Then again I’ve only played one live a couple of times. So far I much prefer the Pro Junior, not that the Blues Jr is bad, they are just different beasts.


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

Kerry Brown said:


> Took the Pro Junior and an SG Special to the local bar jam last night. The amp is a keeper.


Try a good USA Strat with that amp and you will never part with it.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Distortion said:


> Try a good USA Strat with that amp and you will never part with it.


I’ve got a Mexican Deluxe Roadhouse with Texas Specials. I must admit it is the best this strat has sounded since I got it.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Thought I'd update this thread. As much as I liked the Pro Junior IV I took the rental back and bought a used Pro Junior III which had been upgraded with a Ragin Cajun speaker. It is definitely not as nice as the IV but it's a bit less than half the price. L&M wouldn't knock anything off the price of the rental. They said I was the first person to rent it. They would bring in a new one from another store if I wanted but it was full price so I made a private deal for the used III. I tried the III at a couple of jams. It is a very nice amp. It breaks up earlier on the dial than the IV but the loudness and tone is about the same. I'm not a fan of the Rain Cajun. I find it gets quite flubby at high volumes with not a lot of articulation as the amp breaks up. This morning I woke up to find a Jensen P10R for $50 on Craig's List. That is the same speaker that comes in the IV. I talked to the seller. He had it in a Princeton for about a year so it was broken in. I couldn't drive to the city fast enough. It took about twenty minutes to swap the speakers and I'm glad I didn't shell out for the new IV. This amp is awesome with the Jensen. The bonus is the Jensen is noticeably lighter than the Rajin Cajun so the amp is now even better for a grab and go.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Kerry Brown said:


> It took about twenty minutes to swap the speakers and I'm glad I didn't shell out for the new IV. This amp is awesome with the Jensen.


...and they lived happily ever after.

Congrats!

Dave


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

BSTheTech said:


> Is there a PA? I saw a cool DI the other day that had all kinds of emulation for about $200. Not sure if this was it or not, but Radial usually makes good stuff. The crowd won’t know the difference .


No but then you’re dependant on the sound guy to setup your monitor to your liking and he can do what he wants to it while you’re live.


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## BSTheTech (Sep 30, 2015)

.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Kerry Brown said:


> Thought I'd update this thread. As much as I liked the Pro Junior IV I took the rental back and bought a used Pro Junior III which had been upgraded with a Ragin Cajun speaker. It is definitely not as nice as the IV but it's a bit less than half the price. L&M wouldn't knock anything off the price of the rental. They said I was the first person to rent it. They would bring in a new one from another store if I wanted but it was full price so I made a private deal for the used III. I tried the III at a couple of jams. It is a very nice amp. It breaks up earlier on the dial than the IV but the loudness and tone is about the same. I'm not a fan of the Rain Cajun. I find it gets quite flubby at high volumes with not a lot of articulation as the amp breaks up. This morning I woke up to find a Jensen P10R for $50 on Craig's List. That is the same speaker that comes in the IV. I talked to the seller. He had it in a Princeton for about a year so it was broken in. I couldn't drive to the city fast enough. It took about twenty minutes to swap the speakers and I'm glad I didn't shell out for the new IV. This amp is awesome with the Jensen. The bonus is the Jensen is noticeably lighter than the Rajin Cajun so the amp is now even better for a grab and go.


Just seeing how that Jensen P10R is working for you. I have/had the P12R in my BJ3 (2012) but there was something about it that didn't quite click to my ear. Seemed a little light in the Bass response and overtly jangly. It could be that I was so used to the Gibson/Marshall/ Hard rock sound that I didn't quite adjust to it. Or I didn't play it hard enough to properly break it in. I might have to check that option out again.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Dorian2 said:


> Just seeing how that Jensen P10R is working for you. I have/had the P12R in my BJ3 (2012) but there was something about it that didn't quite click to my ear. Seemed a little light in the Bass response and overtly jangly. It could be that I was so used to the Gibson/Marshall/ Hard rock sound that I didn't quite adjust to it. Or I didn't play it hard enough to properly break it in. I might have to check that option out again.


I find it gives the Pro Junior a more Fendery sound if that makes sense. It has more sparkle, especially with a strat. It also has a less muddy breakup with my SG. It was easy to over power the Ragin Cajun with humbuckers. I had to back off the amp volume if I was using humbuckers. With the Jensen I can use the same amp settings for humbuckers and single coils. I like to control overall volume and tone with the guitar’s controls. The Jensen seems to work better for this.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Kerry Brown said:


> I find it gives the Pro Junior a more Fendery sound if that makes sense. It has more sparkle, especially with a strat. It also has a less muddy breakup with my SG. It was easy to over power the Ragin Cajun with humbuckers. I had to back off the amp volume if I was using humbuckers. With the Jensen I can use the same amp settings for humbuckers and single coils. I like to control overall volume and tone with the guitar’s controls. The Jensen seems to work better for this.


Thanks for that. I've taken my Jensen out and replaced it several different times but I might check it out yet again. Being a very Heavy Rock/Metal player for so long has trained my ear to a certain sound unfortunately. I have to break out of that for different sounds and styles.


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

Kerry Brown said:


> I find it gives the Pro Junior a more Fendery sound if that makes sense. It has more sparkle, especially with a strat. It also has a less muddy breakup with my SG. It was easy to over power the Ragin Cajun with humbuckers. I had to back off the amp volume if I was using humbuckers. With the Jensen I can use the same amp settings for humbuckers and single coils. I like to control overall volume and tone with the guitar’s controls. The Jensen seems to work better for this.


I totally get your evaluation there. It would make your Fender....more Fendery as you have said. I am also not a big fan of the Ragin Cajun.
Other options would be and I've used these in mine....Celestion G10 vintage 10 and the G10 greenback. both sound great and are (IMO) an upgrade from the speakers they replaced.
I'd love to try a 10" Celestion Gold in there. But I don't think it will fit with the deep magnet and the position of the power tubes


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Dorian2 said:


> I'd love to try a 10' Celestion Gold in there. But I don't think it will fit with the deep magnet and the position of the power tubes


There isn't a lot room for sure. The Jensen barely fits. The magnet is only a few millimetres away from the power tubes. I'm hoping this doesn't cause a problem down the road. I never had the IV apart but I'm wondering if they changed the cabinet a bit to make the Jensen fit better.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

I'd like to try the Pro Jr with a 10 inch Greenback in it.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

I tried the III with the Jensen at last week’s bar jam. It was way better than with the Rajin Cajun but still not as good as the IV was stock. I was using an SG and the rest of the band was pretty loud that night. The humbuckers got a little muddy when I had to crank the amp to keep up with the other guitar going through a cranked Hot Rod Deluxe. Damn, that Deluxe is one loud amp. The tone was very good but there wasn’t a lot of clean available. With the IV I could crank it and turn the guitar volume down to two for a decent almost clean tone.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

Kerry Brown said:


> There isn't a lot room for sure. The Jensen barely fits. The magnet is only a few millimetres away from the power tubes. I'm hoping this doesn't cause a problem down the road. I never had the IV apart but I'm wondering if they changed the cabinet a bit to make the Jensen fit better.


The older Pro Jr's had a lot of hum and buzz when the amp was just idling. Of course, that's not noticeable if you're playing the amp cranked.


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