# Blues JR or Deluxe?



## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Have an oportunity to get a 96 or so blues JR with super low hours on it. The price is $400 and the only thing stopping me is the low wattage.

My other option is a minty Deluxe with the single 12 in it, the second channel is useless to me as I would go clean or add a pedal to get my distorted tones.
The Deluxe is $600 or so.

What do you think?
90% of the playing will be done at home and the rest at our jam, I would eventualy like to get on a stage so the extra power does make sense.

Do any of you metal guys find this Blues stuff hard to play?


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## peter benn (Mar 29, 2007)

Maybe the BJ. I have a green board one, too, a '99, and they are US made, although nothing to shout about wood or speaker-wise.

Rather stout things, though, pretty solid. I believe the speaker is the same between the BJ and the BDlx single 12, so potentially it can take 40 watts or so. Not stressed in the 15 w BJ.

The BJ will do some surprising things. Speaker unhooked and driving an 8 ohm bass cab, it will serve as a condo/quiet studio bass amp, and sound much like a Bassman, to my ears, anyway.

As a guitar amp it will keep up with an unmiked drummer, twice as good as a Champ (won't) and maybe on par with a Princeton Reverb in such a room. I havn't explored all the settings with mine, just come to accept it, in a "just turn it on" way. There *was* an initial period where I didn't like some aspects of the sound. Stage placement is important if you want to hear yourself when it gets loud. If you put it beside a Twin Reverb you're probably going to lose.

So the bigger Bdlx takes care of those bigger soundstage problems, with about the same wood/component quality. But as has been said, its gain channel is not for all tastes. You're only using half of it, IOW. Plus you have to carry it around. And in less than a 50 seat venue, it can be too loud.

Used? Lots out there. Some well-known problems relate to pots, mini circuit boards, and access, as well as reverb pans. 

I suppose special editions of the BJ and Bdlx are moderately collectible, but I daresay not to the level of a fingerjointed silverface Princeton, for example. In the right circumstance (waiting on craigslist for six months scenario) $800 could buy a lot more amp than the Bdlx.


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

I've had both and I would go for the Deluxe. Everything about it is better than the BJ. It's cleans sound nicer, the reverb is probably 10x better, doesn't sound as boxy, way more headroom.

With the BJ, I found playing with a band, when I turned up and used a pedal to goose the amp into some nice overdrive, I couldn't really boost myself for solos because I had run out of headroom real-estate. 

The Deluxe takes pedals really well and has a really great clean channel, but it's loud. Even at it's lowest setting, it's a pretty beefy amp, so if you need to be quiet at home, it may not work for you.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

hollowbody said:


> I've had both and I would go for the Deluxe. Everything about it is better than the BJ. It's cleans sound nicer, the reverb is probably 10x better, doesn't sound as boxy, way more headroom.


I have had both also....I would go with the DRRI...hands down. 
They are fantastic amps. Why did I sell it?............stupidity.

cheers

Dave


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

greco said:


> I have had both also....I would go with the DRRI...hands down.
> They are fantastic amps. Why did I sell it?............stupidity.
> 
> cheers
> ...


I think the OP meant a Hot Rod Deluxe. But if it was a BJ vs. DRRI, then yes, the automatic winner is the DRRI unless there's something wrong with you.

I've, sadly, never owned a Deluxe Reverb, but have lusted after them for a loooooooong time. There's a pretty nice SFDR available in the Toronto area right now for a reasonable price, but alas, no dough


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

hollowbody said:


> I think the OP meant a Hot Rod Deluxe. But if it was a BJ vs. DRRI, then yes, the automatic winner is the DRRI unless there's something wrong with you.


Thanks* hollowbody*...I seem to make this error on a regular basis....LOL

Cheers

Dave


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

I thought he was comparing a Blues Junior vs. a Blues Deluxe, not vs. a Hot Rod Deluxe.

Fender has too many different amps.


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

I have a Blues Deluxe Re-issue. TOO LOUD for home use. It sounds best to my ears on the clean channel around 7ish and it is way too loud at that point. In a band situation it keeps up just fine though. Never tried a Jr before so YMMV...


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Greg Ellis said:


> I thought he was comparing a Blues Junior vs. a Blues Deluxe, not vs. a Hot Rod Deluxe.
> 
> Fender has too many different amps.


Aren't they basically the same amp? I thought it was just a name change during production.


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## zurn (Oct 21, 2009)

The Fender Blues Junior is a 15 Watt EL84 based amp, The Fender Blues Deluxe and Hot Rod Deluxe an essentially the same 40 watt 6V6 based amp but with slightly different voicings. The FBDR and FHRD are very loud amps, at home I wouldn't turn it up passed 2 or 3 out of 12 on the clean channel.

Fender Hot Rod Series Blues Junior
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/...ior-15W-1x12-Tube-Guitar-Combo-Amp?sku=481861

Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Blues-Deluxe-Reissue-40W-1x12-Combo-Amp?sku=483718

Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Hot-Rod-Deluxe-Amp?sku=480510


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

zurn said:


> The Fender Blues Junior is a 15 Watt EL84 based amp, The Fender Blues Deluxe and Hot Rod Deluxe an essentially the same 40 watt 6V6 based amp but with slightly different voicings. The FBDR and FHRD are very loud amps, at home I wouldn't turn it up passed 2 or 3 out of 12 on the clean channel.
> 
> Fender Hot Rod Series Blues Junior
> http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/...ior-15W-1x12-Tube-Guitar-Combo-Amp?sku=481861
> ...


Looking at the descriptions, it looks like the only real difference is the HRD has a "more drive" feature on the drive channel, the BD seems to be missing that.


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## zurn (Oct 21, 2009)

Indeed they both have a drive channel but the HRDX is supposed to have more juice.


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Thanks for all your comments.
Yes we are talking the Hot Rod Deluxe, black not blonde as I belive there is a differece there as well.

+1 to all the different Fender amps. hard to keep track.

In summary it looks like the best bet for me is the JR simply because of the lower wattage and more home use than anything else. Tone wise it sounds pretty good and at this point of my early blues playing its more than good enough.

Price wise it looks like its a bit high but word is the older ones are American made, the newer is supposed to be not as good as the older so maybe thats why its $400.
He also said he has not used it very much at all, maybe 50 hours as it sat in the closet since the early 90's.

I think I will get the JR on Friday.
Thanks all.


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## ashm70 (Apr 2, 2009)

Good choice on the Jr. The BD is just too loud for any use at home... Unless you live in the country. Either way, you'll get your money back out of it if you decide to sell it.


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