Fender Blues Jr Combo V2 + V3

Another Great little Amp from Fender. Made in Mexico. It's an all Valve Amp with the exception of the Reverb which is 'Op-Amp' (Chip) Driven, it uses an Accutronics 'Short' Reverb Tank. Recently upgraded in 2010 to the V3. Solid construction Cabinet made from Chipboard. The Amp has some nice 'Cleans' available, turn it up and hit the 'FAT' Switch for some decent overdrive. Rated at 15 Watts RMS using 2x EL84 Power Valves, Fixed Grid Bias, Push-Pull, Class A/B, There are no Hum and Buzz problems. The new V3 Amp has an Eminence 'Lightning Bolt' Speaker. The Stock Amp has a few minor 'Issues' but nothing serious. Overall a Nice Amp wide open to some Great Modifications.

New V3 Features - Black Control Panel with Front-Reading Text - Rattle reducing shock absorbers for the 2x EL84 Power Valves - Vintage Fender 'Dog-Bone' Carry Handle - Vintage sized jewel Pilot Light - Fender (Eminence) 12" 'Lightning Bolt' Speaker - Heavy duty 'Chicken Head' Knobs - New Badge.

The Stock Amp is Nice but the Modifications turn it into a Real Performer.

Modifications-

1. - The Stock Amp does not have a Standby Switch - I replace the Factory Switch with a 'Carling' 3 position........ 'Off / Standby / On' Switch.

2. - All Fender Amps supplied in the UK have their Mains input Voltage set at 230vac. I reset this to the correct UK Voltage of 240vac. This may not sound like much but LOW Mains voltage settings cause the Valve Heater voltage to run High - Not good for the Valves.

3. - I do 2 Modifications to the Power Supply - Increase the Smoothing Capacity for 'Tighter Bass' -and- Fit a 'Safety' Resistor so that the Amp no longer holds it's Lethal Charge when switched off.

4. - All of the 'Tone' Capacitors are replaced with 'Orange Drop' -and- 'Silver Mica' Parts. This gives the Amp much better definition.

5. - All Blues Junior Amps run a 'Hot' Bias setting with no Bias adjustment control. This can make the Amp sound a bit Harsh and may cause other problems when changing the Power Valves. I fit a 'Bias' adjustment control and reset the Bias Level to a slightly Cooler setting. This will increase the 2x Power Valves life and makes the Amp sound better.

6. - Full Lead Dress - All Transformer and Heater wires in a Valve Amp must be tightly twisted or they will induce 'Noise' into the Amp Circuit. Twisting all of the wires and placing them in the correct location does make this Amp quieter (Background Noise - Buzz-Hum-Hiss).

7. - Variable Boost Footswitch - Switches the Internal Boost (Tone Bypass) circuit On-or-Off. The Footswitch is fitted with a Variable boost Level control (from Zero-to-Max) and gives a HUGE Boost to the MID Frequencies and Harmonics. The Footswitch is Metal construction with a 12 foot lead and 'Red' LED 'On' Indicator.

8. - The Input socket on all Blues Juniors is a Problem. It is PCB Mounted and made from 'Hard' plastic. The first time you 'trip-up' over your Guitar lead, you will destroy the input socket. It is then a Major job to replace the socket as the Amplifiers PCB must be removed - NOT Easy. I replace the Socket with a Quality part that can be easily changed in about 5 minutes (if you ever need to change it).

9. - NFB Switch - (Negative Feedback On-or-Off.....Small Switch located next to the Volume Control) - Almost all Fender Amps use 'NFB'. This is an internal 'Loop' that sends part of the Speaker signal 'Back' to a previous stage in the Amplifier Circuit. It keeps the Amp 'Clean' and allows 'Tone Shaping'. If the 'NFB' is turned off - the Amp becomes a lot more Aggressive and Harmonic. This works in conjunction with the Factory 'FAT' Switch which adds even more Harmonics into the final Sound.

10. - The Stock 2x EL84 Power Output Valves are not the Best - These are replaced with a matched pair of 'JJ' EL84 Valves...... In the Past, I have had brand new Amps arrive at the Workshop producing little more than 10 Watts RMS Output. This is down to poor Quality Power Valves. A decent set of 'JJ' Output Valves will keep the Amp working at it's optimum.

11. - Modified Tone Stack - The Factory Tone controls do not allow total tone control, they sweep in a 'Preset-Range'. The Modified Treble, Middle and Bass Controls will sweep from 'Zero-to-Max' on each Frequency.

12. - Reverb 'On/Off' Footswitch - The Stock Blues Junior does not have this facility. I normally use a 2 Button Footswitch - One button for 'Variable Boost' or 'FAT' On/Off - The other button for 'Reverb' On/Off.

13. - Half Power Switch - (Located next to the Reverb Control) - Switches the Output of the Amp between 15 Watts and 7 Watts RMS. This will allow you to get the 'Crunchy' sounds at a much lower Volume.

14. - Tri-Rectifier - (3 Position Switch Located on the Top -or- Lower Rear Panel) - The Stock Blues Junior uses a Silicon Rectifier and the Sound is 'Sharp and Crisp' with immediate Note Attack. With the Tri-Rectifier, using the Valve (V1-or-V2) setting, the Amp is a LOT more 'Vintage' Sounding with some Great 'SAG'. I use a NOS 'EI' EZ80 Valve.

I can Supply a New V3 Amp with Any or All of the above Modifications -or- I can Modify your Amp (V2 and V3 Amps only) - Great Pricing and Rapid Turnaround.

Please 'CONTACT' me for a Quote......

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