Re: [Harp-L] Fender Blues Jr tube swap ?

[Rick Davis <bluesharpamps@xxxxxxxxx>]

Just last week I helped a harp student set up his Blues Junior he'd just
picked up on Craigslist for a measly $300.  It was a couple years old,
completely stock, and in near mint shape.

All we did was a couple of very simple things and it sounded pretty dang
good for harp:

-We replaced the 12AX7 preamp tube (V1) with a JAN Philips 5751 (twenty
bucks from Harp Depot).  We may later try a JJ 12DW7 tube in the
Phase Inverter socket (V3).  I liked that mod in my project Pro Junior harp
amp.  There is no reason to change the tube in V2.  Half of it is the reverb
driver, and the other half is idle.  The BJr has a solid state rectifier so
there is no tube for that.  The EL34s were new Groove Tubes and they sounded
fine.

-We got the amp off the floor.  Using an amp stand or chair is probably the
biggest single improvement you can make to the BJr's harp tone.

-We set the controls as follows:  Dime the bass, roll off the mids, and zero
out the highs.  Set the volume to 50 percent and use Master to set the amp
volume.  Reverb on 2.  Turn the FAT switch OFF!!!  It is evil for harp.

That's it!  We spent a whole $20 and the BJr has a respectable harp tone.
With a good bullet mic it sounded really nice.  I would totally use it at a
gig.  It didn't have the crunch and tone of my harp-specific amps, but it
was WAY better than I expected.    It could get plenty loud enough before
feedback.  The reverb was lush.  Nice little amp.

-Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
http://www.bluesharpamps.blogspot.com/