jep1210
TDPRI Member
Curious about the Fender Blues JR. Is 15 Watts enough to play gigs at small to medium bars in a band with out going through the PA?
Anyone gigging with a 15 watt Blues Jr
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MilwMark
Doctor of Teleocity
Depends on your style of music, how loud you play it, what speaker you have, how clean you need to be.
I used one fine at rehearsals (with "gas" to spare honestly). But had a Cannabis Rex speaker and I don't need to be all that clean. I THINK it might have been OK for gigs, unless the rest of the guys got carried away. The tone wasn't quite for me though so I never tested it.
It's just so hard. Too many variable.
I mean, my Deluxe Reverb with a C-Rex was always too loud to get the sweet spot. It's only 7 more watts (give or take) which is negligible in terms of real output, but the circuits are different so the DR must have just that much more headroom. The BJR I was worried wouldn't always be enough.
But then it occurred to me that Brian Henemann has toured all over the world with a Blues Jr. and been plenty loud doing it. But he's the clear leader and I'd guess everyone else in the band is VERY careful not to drown him out...
Good luck.
I used one fine at rehearsals (with "gas" to spare honestly). But had a Cannabis Rex speaker and I don't need to be all that clean. I THINK it might have been OK for gigs, unless the rest of the guys got carried away. The tone wasn't quite for me though so I never tested it.
It's just so hard. Too many variable.
I mean, my Deluxe Reverb with a C-Rex was always too loud to get the sweet spot. It's only 7 more watts (give or take) which is negligible in terms of real output, but the circuits are different so the DR must have just that much more headroom. The BJR I was worried wouldn't always be enough.
But then it occurred to me that Brian Henemann has toured all over the world with a Blues Jr. and been plenty loud doing it. But he's the clear leader and I'd guess everyone else in the band is VERY careful not to drown him out...
Good luck.
jep1210
TDPRI Member
I play in a cover band and play primarily dirty however, I do have moments of needing to play clean sections. The Deluxe reverb is great sounding amp but weight and price are a bit on the steep side.
Southpaw Tele
Friend of Leo's
Hate to say it, but my Mustang III really covers a lot of ground and has plenty of headroom. I was using an Ampeg J-12 15 watt tube amp at church and it was too loud in the sweet spot and broke up too soon. Different circuit than the Blues Jr., but it got me thinking about modeling amps again and I went with the Mustang. Sounds good at every volume and is 200 bucks cheaper than a Blues Jr.
brbadg
Tele-Afflicted
Wait,a deluxe reverb is too heavy? Mine's not bad at all.
Then again I'm used to lifting bass gear.
I had to give up my Blues Junior.
It's just not loud enough even for my little blues project.
It seemed to work ok if you have some monitors for guitar,but that's not guaranteed.
Then again I'm used to lifting bass gear.
I had to give up my Blues Junior.
It's just not loud enough even for my little blues project.
It seemed to work ok if you have some monitors for guitar,but that's not guaranteed.
jep1210
TDPRI Member
Yeah, I'm thinking it's not going to cut it despite what a friend of a friend says.
*EDIT* Well to be honest I never lifted a DR so I'm going on the basis of appearances. My Marshall DSL 40 combo is pretty heavy at 45 lbs or so. Don't really want to go more than that. BTW I'm looking to replace the Marshall. I've com to the realization I might just be a Fender amp guy, based on multiple tube swaps in the DSL.
RockerDuck
Friend of Leo's
The speaker in the DRRI makes a difference in sound and weight. 42lbs stock. I added a C.Rex speaker with 100 db efficiency. Its louder, sounds marvelous, and now weighs 39lbs. I gigged with a Celestion v30 for awhile and it was a rock monster. It keeps up with loud band volume and weighed 45lbs. So, if you can lift 35lbs easy, then surely 45 lbs. isn't too much.
Snowbird
Tele-Meister
I've played some shows with the blues Jr. and it worked really well. I realize it is always going to be different depending on the venue, the other people you're playing with, the type of music (how clean you need it to be), etc, but the Blues Jr was always plenty loud. In fact I usually just dime the master and doing that I could never get it to the sweet spot --too loud.
Abu Twangy
Friend of Leo's
I used one as my primary gigging amp for seven years. I was often mic'ed but for dispersion only. It kept up with eighteen other instruments, some mic'ed for volume purposes.
Comparing clean volume only, the Hot Rod Deluxe I had as a "big" stage amp during that timeframe wasn't that much louder.
Comparing clean volume only, the Hot Rod Deluxe I had as a "big" stage amp during that timeframe wasn't that much louder.
Axis29
Poster Extraordinaire
I've done a number of gigs with my 5e3 since I got it back in the Spring. At 12 watts and an efficient speaker, it gets loud (but dirty.... In a great way). I just went to see two of my buds Friday night who were both using Blues Jrs. Funny thing is, I was hoping the one would bring his vintage Tremolux out....
Now, they were being run through the PA. But, I think mostly because they were being recorded/broadcasted. I've seen their band a few times when they haven't mic'd up their amps and they are plenty loud. But, they do both play with a good bit of breakup.
A number of years ago, I was in a band and was gigging with a DRRI. Everything was fine until our drummer moved to L.A. The new drummer was a huge Keith Moon fan and was always hitting the skins like he was mad at them. We did an outside gig and I had zippy headroom left. I swapped over to a 40 watt, 2 6L6 amp and didn't go back to lower wattage amps for almost ten years. Now, I gig with a 12, 40, 45 or 50 watt amp. Depending on my mood and my desire for clean tone.
Now, they were being run through the PA. But, I think mostly because they were being recorded/broadcasted. I've seen their band a few times when they haven't mic'd up their amps and they are plenty loud. But, they do both play with a good bit of breakup.
A number of years ago, I was in a band and was gigging with a DRRI. Everything was fine until our drummer moved to L.A. The new drummer was a huge Keith Moon fan and was always hitting the skins like he was mad at them. We did an outside gig and I had zippy headroom left. I swapped over to a 40 watt, 2 6L6 amp and didn't go back to lower wattage amps for almost ten years. Now, I gig with a 12, 40, 45 or 50 watt amp. Depending on my mood and my desire for clean tone.
OlRedNeckHippy
Poster Extraordinaire
I giged with a guy that used one for about 6 months, 2 years ago. He eventually burned it up. Smoked it. At a gig. So he used my backup amp, a Fender Deluxe 112 (SS) for a few gigs. He quit the band before he fixed it, so I never found out why it fried.
I always felt it was just not enough amp for what we were doing. That's kind of odd considering I play a 66 Princeton Reverb.
I always felt it was just not enough amp for what we were doing. That's kind of odd considering I play a 66 Princeton Reverb.
Spent a week bar-hopping in Austin Tx last year and saw more Blues Jr's than any other type of amp. Yes it's giggable.
El Tele Lobo
Poster Extraordinaire
I played a first gen one for years in the NYC and Tampa Bay blues scenes...did clean and dirty like a trooper. Upgrade the speaker and get a mojotone solid pine tweed cabinet and you'll have a great sounding amp that's lighter than stock and sounds better than ever...it'll be a looker too...and stock or modded, they are loud! You might need to mic up for a festival but it will handle any bar for blues or country.
picknfool
Tele-Holic
Mine was my primary gigging amp until I got a Mustang III- now it's my backup.
Tim Bowen
Poster Extraordinaire
To me, viability of a small amp like a Blues Jr. in a live setting depends upon the following variables:
- drummer
- size and type of room/venue
- style(s) of music
- size of act/band/ensemble and type of instrumentation
- your needs and relationship w/ clean headroom; what your idea of clean tone is
- how well you hear combo of overall mix/your signal
- stability or diversity of volume levels/dynamics
- whether you mic' the amp
- whether you can (and/or want to) hear amp signal in monitor(s)
Single small amps have almost never * been a good fit for me personally in live settings, but I absolutely love running a pair of small amps.
* I don't have a Blues Jr., but I have an early Pro Jr. Great amp, I love to crank it in the studio for lap steel tracks. The only room I've played fairly regularly in the past where I learned to always bring the Pro Jr. was Fat Matt's Rib Shack in Atlanta; small stage, small, odd room. First time I played that room, I brought an AC30, which was.... beyond ridiculous. Also, I always played the upstairs (larger) stage at Tootsie's in Nashville; if I ever played the downstairs room, I'd bring the Pro Jr., as nothing else I own would even fit on that tiny matchbox of a stage. However, 99.9% of every other live situation I've lived through, I gotta have more amp than that.
- drummer
- size and type of room/venue
- style(s) of music
- size of act/band/ensemble and type of instrumentation
- your needs and relationship w/ clean headroom; what your idea of clean tone is
- how well you hear combo of overall mix/your signal
- stability or diversity of volume levels/dynamics
- whether you mic' the amp
- whether you can (and/or want to) hear amp signal in monitor(s)
Single small amps have almost never * been a good fit for me personally in live settings, but I absolutely love running a pair of small amps.
* I don't have a Blues Jr., but I have an early Pro Jr. Great amp, I love to crank it in the studio for lap steel tracks. The only room I've played fairly regularly in the past where I learned to always bring the Pro Jr. was Fat Matt's Rib Shack in Atlanta; small stage, small, odd room. First time I played that room, I brought an AC30, which was.... beyond ridiculous. Also, I always played the upstairs (larger) stage at Tootsie's in Nashville; if I ever played the downstairs room, I'd bring the Pro Jr., as nothing else I own would even fit on that tiny matchbox of a stage. However, 99.9% of every other live situation I've lived through, I gotta have more amp than that.
A Blues Jr. III has worked just fine for me for the last three years, weekly gig. But I've only got one rhythm player, a fiddle, a very responsive bass player and a small kit to deal with. No problems having enough volume.
But as mentioned above, a few variables to account for, such as who you are playing with (or against...) and the type of music your band plays. on occasion, my rhythm player can drown me out, but he's usually got an ear for dynamics, so not such a problem. A full drum kit taking a serious pounding might be a problem; if you've rehearsed with your drummer, maybe not. Depends on the whole band.
I've not had problems with clean headroom, but consider my working environment. And yeah, I have taken a 60 watt Blues Deville to the same gig...
But as mentioned above, a few variables to account for, such as who you are playing with (or against...) and the type of music your band plays. on occasion, my rhythm player can drown me out, but he's usually got an ear for dynamics, so not such a problem. A full drum kit taking a serious pounding might be a problem; if you've rehearsed with your drummer, maybe not. Depends on the whole band.
I've not had problems with clean headroom, but consider my working environment. And yeah, I have taken a 60 watt Blues Deville to the same gig...
Johnny Cache
Former Member
I did for a while, tried 2 different ones. I thought the sound sucked at higher volumes, it got plenty loud for a 5 piece band but didn't stay clean enough. Kind of messed with my FX pedal settings. A great practice amp or small venue amp.
I wouldn't compare it to a DRRI.
I wouldn't compare it to a DRRI.
Aras Bruce
TDPRI Member
I haven't in a while but have in the past. It definitely has that mid/high end range that doesn't get muddy with the rest of the band. That amp will shake walls like bigger amps....just with different frequencies. I guess it all depends on your band mates and if you play with folks who try to be the loudest in the room or those who are about the music and playing together. I still love pulling out my tweed blues junior even though I have two "better" amps at my disposal.
I'm on board with those who say that it all depends. I guess in some situations the BJ might not be enough amp. On the other hand for most places I play these days it's perfect. Half the weight of my Twin, much easier to dial in than my Mesa, a third the cost of either and enough volume/head room for a four piece Country band that probably won't ever play anything larger than a medium sized beer joint.
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