Bluemoon Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 So I took the plunge and modified by Blues Junior. Went the BillM mod route. It was a little bit of gamble. There are those who swear by his mods. There are others who are very critical of them. The problem I had with my Blues Junior was that although I liked the tone, size, wattage, etc...I wasn't thrilled. It seemed at times either really muddy or very shrill. The mid and bass EQ were useless. So I decided to try the mods. The actual mods cost about $40--which included replacing some caps, adding a bias trim pot, messing with some other stuff, replacing the cheap plastic input jack, and adding a standby switch...which really isn't needed in this amp, but is nice to have. The mods are fairly simple to do, though I just didn't have the time. So my amp tech did them for $60. The result...nice. I mean it really opened up the amp. The notes really sing out....before the mods it almost seemed like someone had thrown a blanket over the amp. The EQ controls are much more responsive, the mid control is way more refined. It just has a lot more bite and character, as well as more headroom. I also can hear my LP sustain for much longer. Also, my OCD pedal and Wah sound much better. The mods also quietened the amp, which I think is the result of running at a cooler bias. It didn't change the voice of the amp...just made the voice much more refined and clearer. The mods were worth every penny. Saved the amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mick Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Ah fresh clear tone beautiful isn't it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djroge1 Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Sounds like a winning situation for you. I'm sure some different values in those caps really helped a lot to open up the sound as you say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Natural Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 I've got a Blues Junior, and I really like it. Sixty bucks or so for similar mods?...I might really like it even more. I used to have a '59 Reissue Bassman, and I do miss the stand-by switch; it is nice to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 The BillM Mods really help, don't they? I made the mods to mine and they really opened up the amp. Thanks, BillM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemoon Posted October 5, 2009 Author Share Posted October 5, 2009 The nice thing is that they aren't designed to turn it into an amp it isn't. They aren't designed to turn it into a Marshall or vox. They are designed to improve the existing tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djroge1 Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 So what is the big deal about a standby switch? I know what they're for, but so what if it has one or not? Is it really that important for you guys who have this amp or any other amp? For me, I see the main benefit is that it drains the caps in order to work on the amp. Am I missing something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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