Blues Jr vs Pro Jr. (The envelope, please....)

[Tim L]

Bad Cat X-Treme Tone... does insanely cool things to my Blues Jr... and every other amp I send it through for that matter!

[analogtodd]

soooo sooo many pedals to choose from

The only answer is to go buy them all and try them out.

If you want DISTORTION get a Fulltone Distortion Pro type of pedal

Of you want mild overdrive, you've already got a TS9

The SouldBender should be cool and fuzzy

[Unclenny]

Mild overdrive IS my goal....with the Gibson anyway. The Soul Bender is a very cool pedal, I admit, and it does get all warm and fuzzy.

But here's the problem. When I need to get raunchy...you know, in an edgy mood and just need to scream a little....I always end up with the Strat (actually custom made by Dr. Bob in Princeton....bridge humbucker) and neither the TS-9 nor the Soulbender quite gets there. Forget about Blues Driver.

The sound I'm after is that of the Bobocaster through my old Pod Pro set on Brit Hi-gain and run through the amps....not that I would ever do that, mind you. Alright, I do it all the time and I'm not proud of it.
It feels good but it sounds too........podish.

I will be checking out the Bat Cat.

[analogtodd]

With the amp turned up a bit (like past 12 o'clock)
you don't get enough grind?

With the Gibson, I'd think it would be a home run.

I'm always trying to get people to use LESS distortion
in the studio.

[6strings]

What about a Hot Plate, so you can crank it up full and overdrive the tubes?

[Pasta4lnch]

Originally Posted by monkeyt

The only answer is to go buy them all and try them out.

thumbsup good advice!! . . . of course you'll have to buy every amp too to compare!


the 2 pedals I use most w/ my blues jr is the T-Rex mudhoneythumbsup and a protone dist pedal . . .

[Unclenny]

Originally Posted by monkeyt

With the amp turned up a bit (like past 12 o'clock)
you don't get enough grind?

With the Gibson, I'd think it would be a home run.

I'm always trying to get people to use LESS distortion
in the studio.

I'm a huge fan of using less distortion for tracking. Get things sounding perfectly overdriven in the room and then back off.

And these two amps together deliver AMAZING tone turned way up behind the Gibson. Sweet and pure...breaking up perfectly with a little more string attack. It's just that sometimes some distortion/overdrive in the guitar chain gives something a little different to stick in the sonic landscape when tracking.

Think I'll stay clear of the Hote Plate. Got the signal controlled a bit with two Boss EQ's......one before dist/OD that cuts the bass and one in a preamp feeding the line splitter that puts the bass back in and further shapes the tone. These babies let me crank the amps without getting them really honking.

T Rex and Protone....I'll check 'em out.

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by monkeyt

With the amp turned up a bit (like past 12 o'clock)
you don't get enough grind?

I'll second that. I got an older, tweed BJ and it delivers a very raunchy and warm overdrive sound with a Tele or Strat once you get past 10 o'clock or so. With its 15 watts the problem is actually more getting enough headroom for clean sounds.

As for the pedals, I had a Soul Bender but sold it again. Didn't like it at all, it wasn't 'Yardbirds' sounding at all and had a very taut midrange character as well as a pretty low output. In fact I hear that character in most Fulltone pedals though I love my FullDrive 2 for Lap Steel. I guess it's a matter of taste.

I'm always surprised how well the Danelectro FabTone performs, it really retains the low end even with a low-watter like the Blues Jr. I find it ironic that it's probably my fave 'fuzz' distortion considering that it costs only a fraction of any 'boutique' pedal.

Another pedal with a very different flavour of distortion is the AnalogMan version of the Boss DS-1. Very transparent sound and the AnalogMan mod takes out all the thinness and piercing of the stock version. Highly recommended.

[Unclenny]

I forgot all about AnalogMan....Thanks, Andi.

[jspartz]

I have been using the Fulldrive 2 and G2D cream tone pedals on my blues Jr. with a telecaster and Gibson es330. I find that it covers a lot of ground and I like the way they sound.

I guess I will have to track down a pro jr and try them together. I had not thought about what that might do.

Jason

[JSchwalls]

i have the Maxon OD808 overdrive, which is awesome to me...
i also have the MXR Zakk Wylde which is more of a distortion...
i have picked up the DOD YJM308 which only sounds good through a tube amp IMO.
The ibanez TS9 is a good pedal, it seems a little muddy compared to the Maxon....
Also the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive is Amazing, as it blends your original signal to the overdriven signal so you keep your definition while still having your distortion.

I use these pedals and like each one for different reasons.

[Unclenny]

These tracks are from the BJ and the PJ blended with a Voodoo Labs switcher.
The lead track has a TS9 in front of a Fulltone Soulbender....the things we do when we get desperate!

I also find the TS9 to be muudy by itself.

Sparkle Drive sounds like it might be a winner.

[Unclenny]

Originally Posted by JSchwalls

Also the Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive is Amazing, as it blends your original signal to the overdriven signal so you keep your definition while still having your distortion

Just picked up a Sparkle Drive and it truly is.........Amazing.
Built like a tank....and the clean blend is PERFECT for tweaking just the right amount of overdrive without compromising the inherent sound of the amps and the guitar.

[octatonic]

+1 for the sparkle drive.
Actually all the Voodoolab pedals really.

[Cap'n Spanky]

Originally Posted by Unclenny

These tracks are from the BJ and the PJ blended with a Voodoo Labs switcher.
The lead track has a TS9 in front of a Fulltone Soulbender....the things we do when we get desperate!

I also find the TS9 to be muudy by itself.

Sparkle Drive sounds like it might be a winner.

Nice sounding track! Very organic sound.

[Unclenny]

Thanks, Cap'n.

[Unclenny]

Originally Posted by JSchwalls

i have the Maxon OD808 overdrive, which is awesome to me...

So I'm still struggling with a pedal combo for my strat. The SG and the Sparkledrive are perfect through the two amps.......but when I plug in the strat I come away wanting a little more grit.
Maybe I've become spoiled by the PAF's........

I'm thinking about Analogman Maxon OD808 and/or Maxon SD9 Super.

Anybody using his Sonic Distortion pedal?

[Unclenny]

So........last word on pedals......

Maxon OD9>>>Maxon SD9>>>>>Sparkledrive>>>>>Blues Jr./Pro Jr............
Makes the humbucker Strat scream like a banshee.

Kick out the SD9 for the SG...creamy clean.

[rob S]

i just did a cool mod to my pro junior.
i kinda got bored with it and how it had one sound.
i bought an ouput transformer upgrade from mercury magnetics
along with a blackface deluxe replacement choke.
retubed it with JJEL84's and good 12AX7's.
changed the feedback resistor from 100k down to 82k,
and put in an alinico 10" speaker.
the amp came to life.
not sure which one of these things made the biggest difference but
it all added up positively.
the choke raised the B+ voltage so the amp has more headroom and
hence stays cleaner longer.
it also no longer has that grainy brash distortion to it.
kinda made it more dimensional and open.
anyways it changed the amp from being something that kicks around at home
to being very usable in the studio.

[Unclenny]

I'm also thinking that mods may be in order. I'll bet the speaker made a big difference.
Getting my Peavey C30 back in a few days with a few mods and I may send in the PJr.

Gotta say that the more time I spend with the two (Blues Jr./Pro Jr.) teamed with my '79 Carvin VT112 the more I dig the Pro. The BJr. hasn't been heated up in a while now.
I kind of like that brashness........

[jeremynothman]

i know i'm late, but 3 words:

Jersey Girl Fulltender

it'll make any guitar sing. i personally use it with my strat copy and PRS copy (with SD jazz/jb set) into a blues jr (stock) and it's lovely

seriously sounds awesome , and can do anything from quite low gain overdrive (as i use it ) to medium-high gain, and even scooped (low and high frequency boost switches). sounds money! and is handmade

i love this pedal, one of those "never sell" items
-j

[Unclenny]

Yeah....I took a close look at the Fulltender. It seemed a bit pricey....not that that should matter to a true G/Slut, right?

Anyway....it's never too late for another pedal.

[Vinrockindie]

My Boss SD-1 and my Blues Junior get along like peas and carrots. I really enjoy the combination.

[Unclenny]

Just got my Peavey C30 back.......Celestion Classic 30 and Fender input mods.

DAMN!!!!

So...now it's BJ and PJ flanking the Peavey with NO pedals.

I am in tone heaven.

SoundClick song info: Back To Kai Luum by Lenny and the Scapers - Song info page with MP3 music downloads

[GPl]

Very nice Lenny

[rob S]

hey unclenny
what part of jersey are you from?
i'm from matawan originally.

[Unclenny]

Hey, Michael...thanks. I appreciate the listen.

Rob......I'm in Cranbury these days.

[JSchwalls]

i recently finished some cool mods on various pedal and amps of mine...

i did some extreme mods on my TS9, swapping out about 12 different parts including adding a chip socket and finally deciding on the texas instruments 4558 chip, which came in some of the original ts808's..

this pedal is now amazing it has so much low end and the drive knob gives everything from mild to cranked tube break up...

I also did work on a DS1 that was given to me. it sounded like crap when i got it and was useless... now it is very usefull and works well infront of a loud amp..

i also accidently came across 3 mods for my pro junior...


my current pro junior has JANPhillips 5751 preamp tubes and JJ/Tesla EL84's, i love this combo, and the 5751's are the best thing i have found for the preamp stage...IMO
1. i removed the purple wire, somekinda negative feedback circuit..
2. i remove the C2 and left it empty
3. i removed the C10 and left it empty...

i thought i replaced the 2 caps when i closed it up and when i turned it on OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it was louder, badder, and had a set of balls hanging from it like never before...

i really dont know what the 2 caps were being used for, my plan was to replace them with higher quality ones... but being under the weather when doing this, i forgot to reinstall them..

anyway... the tone knob has TONS of useable treble, and the drive knob is the coolest thing...
from 1-5 the volume just starts jumping, after 5 the volume seems to remain the same, but the overdrive gets fuller and i dare to say more 'marshall-like'..

i also installed a Celestion Vintage 10 and it is unreal.... the only thing better is when i plug it into my legacy 2x12 cab loaded with vintage Greenbacks

anyway just sharing todays experience.

PS the Sparkle drive is the SH*t and i am glad more people are realizing it !!

[JSchwalls]

i installed JANPhillips 5751 preamp tubes and JJ/Tesla EL84's

The 5751's made a wonderful difference and decreased the hum noticably.