Gitfiddler Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 As usual I'm late to the mod party. I've had my original issue Blues Jr. for MANY years now. Over time I've dropped in JJ's and a Celestion Vintage 30, had a custom cabinet built for it by Sultone Custom Cabs (a now long gone builder), pulled the V30 and reinstalled the oem Eminence speaker. Now I'm considering the Bill M mods to it. I don't want the whole shebang; just the basic tone stack, bright switch and something else that slips my mind. At some point it still is a fairly basic, but nice amp. It ain't never gonna be a Dumble! So what should I expect from the basic Bill M mod?? http://billmaudio.com/wp/ Here's my little BJ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steiner Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Gitfiddler - would recommend a BJ for me? Cool cab on that amp by the way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbp810 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 While I can't specifically comment on the Bill M Mod's... I do have to say at least once more that I love that cab! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfiddler Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Well, if Mr. KBP810 was in my neck of the woods, I'd have him build me something REALLY special to go inside that cabinet. Then I'd sell the BJ innards to one of ya'll!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blunote Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I had the tone stack and bias adjustment control added. They're both easy and inexpensive. The tone stack really improved the amp. It's can be adjusted to be more scooped, which is like. It's also easier to get distortion at lower volume levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegleg32 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I owned a basic BJ and a fully modified BJ at the same time and was able to AB them. The mods for sure improved the amp. Is it worth it? Maybe. I can tell you that I dumped the basic BJ almost immediatly and played the moded BJ happily for several months, but eventually I dumped it also and got my Carr Rambler, but again that is more money so is it worth it, Maybe. If you can do the work yourself, that would make it a no-brainer, Not a lot of help am I? I guess if I had it to do again, I would mod the BJ, but also consider a more expensive alternative before you decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schundog Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I had nearly everything done at once, so it's hard for me to comment on WHICH mods do the most good, but the mods DEFINITELY improve the Blues Junior, and not by just a little. I had the presence knob installed on mine, as well as a Heybour (sp?) output transformer, an expensive mod, (around $100 at that time just for THAT mod) but I figured if I was going to GO, Go BIG! I also replaced the original speaker with an Eminence Texas Heat. Since I bought mine when they were under $400, with the mods done, I'm probably up around $600, which I could never sell it for, so I guess it's here for the long haul. That said, it sounds really good, not boxy at all, which is a big complaint with stock Blues Juniors. Frankly, raising the mids gets rid of that sound for me, anyway. I love mine; the tone is really good, and it gets louder than I need to get at it's mere 15 watts. I would try to find someone out there to do the mods, as shipping the chassis back and forth to Bill M, as I did, can be pricey, and, he takes his sweet time getting it done. You just won't have the nice "modded by BillM" sticker on your chassis. I say go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 If I was to get a Blues Junior (sorry folks, can't get myself to call it a BJ ) Anyway, a friend had that amp and did the mod himself. He said it was like removing a veil from the amp. Of course he was a big Strat fan at the time. Not sure how it sounds with a humbucker loaded guitar.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackjack Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Guys, I feel your pain regarding shelling out $1800 for an amp, especially since some of those are "so-so" clones. But taking a Blues Jr. and putting it in an unreal (nice) cab, upgrading the speaker, putting in a better tube, getting mods done... This is a whole pathology of chasing equipment, trying to avoid spending the other half of the money to get an amp that's going to send you somewhere. And I'm really just trying to make sense of it all, no opinions or advice. The next thing on this particular journey is to upgrade the OT, but the chassis has to have room to support it, you might need holes drilled, and possibly to pay a tech to install. You also need just a touch of luck to avoid having the larger sized device injecting noise just because it's too close to another component. Then you've spent most of the money, but down the road if the PCB cracks (they ain't battleships, not even close), you could be out extra bucks there as well. As satisfying as the journey can be, it still might be better to instead narrow the field of candidate boutique amps, ship one in, ship it out if you don't like it, etc...talk to people about their amps, find a used one on a forum, At least that way you get a whole system, hopefully conceived by someone who understands system design. But the economy's bad, and what the <> does anybody know anyhow. So, a guy in my band, good guitarist, has been chasing with the Blues Jr. lately - exactly this journey. He has his Marshall and a 4x10 Bassman sitting right there by it, and he's finding the big wattage to be too big. So he gets a jr and gets the circuit mods done, the speaker, and tubes. Tonight I brought to rehearsal, an amp I built (I build/sell amps btw), and the band gathers around and while I'm off talking to somebody, let's just say they became very, very enthusiastic about the thing. I hadn't thought about it at all, just was curious to get a Pepsi challenge. Maybe they were fortunate to be exposed, without spending a dime, to a box that offered a noticeable jump in tone and responsiveness. Anyway it speaks well of the Blues Jr., and Epi Jr. etc. that they can be modded up with good results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackjack Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Oh, and I don't know Bill M. or anything about him, but I would bet he's a guru, someone I would benefit from talking with. I just realized this thread was in regards to his specific mods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Full Bill M Blues Jr. Demo video... Previous Demo before mod: Tweed vs. Standard Blues Junior Maybe all of these will help put this to rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfiddler Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Thanks for all of the responses so far. Since I have a few other amps in the stable, this project has been stalled for many years. It's time to get better tone out of this beautiful cab. The tone is OK, but boxy as mentioned. The hardwood cab improved somewhat, and so did the JJ's. But it seems that an larger output transformer should be included with the basic mods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schundog Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I am a card-carrying member of the Blues Junior Mafia; I became a "MADE" man here. haha. If you have several days to wade through it, this is a great thread; It's what motivated me to get the Blues Junior in the first place, and then have "the man hisself" mod it. He really is a legend over on this board. BillM doesn't chime in until well into it, but even if you just read the last couple THOUSAND posts, you will find a lot of good stuff, and, of course, a lot of confilicting information. Opinions are like, well, you know..... http://fenderforum.com/forum.html?db=&topic_number=94318&lastpost=2011-11-2306:50:28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulk1 Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Jumping in solely because I've owned two Blues Jr.'s in the past. I'm thinking that if you have to mod an amp to get it to sound like what you want, then that wasn't the amp you wanted. Unless you bought it TO mod - different story. There's value in tinkering, for sure. But I have neither the patience nor the skill to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Jumping in solely because I've owned two Blues Jr.'s in the past. I'm thinking that if you have to mod an amp to get it to sound like what you want, then that wasn't the amp you wanted. Unless you bought it TO mod - different story. There's value in tinkering, for sure. But I have neither the patience nor the skill to do so. My experience as well. Started going down the mod path with two different amps until I realised I just didnt like the basic sound of them. Speakes and cabs bought them more in line with my expectations but still miles short when I put them next to an amp that I thought pretty much was "the thing" I was looking for straight out of the box. A Fender Deville 212 was given to me and it had had every mod on the internet done to it. The owner hated what the amp represented after spending so much cash on it and couldnt bare to look at it or play through it. I gradually took each mod back to standard until there was no mod left to undo. Fully modded it was meant to sound Marshallesque on the gain channel I guess. Next to the three marshalls I had in the room it sounded pretty lame. Un modded the clean channel didnt sound too bad but the mods didnt make it much better, it was still a Fender Deville 212. While modding and unmodding these amps I had fun and enjoyed being preoccupied. It was cathartic to sit and tinker away even if the out come was not an improvement or just something different. Also I didnt kill myself, so that was good and reinforced the positive aspects of the tinkering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Let's look at this mod thing again.. Where did Matchless, Marshall, Soldano, and all those other botique builders get their designs from? They didn't make them up, they modified existing amps such as Fender to create what we know today... So yes, there is merit in modifying amps as it is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schundog Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Jumping in solely because I've owned two Blues Jr.'s in the past. I'm thinking that if you have to mod an amp to get it to sound like what you want, then that wasn't the amp you wanted. Unless you bought it TO mod - different story. There's value in tinkering, for sure. But I have neither the patience nor the skill to do so. With all due respect to tulk1 and Tully (and that's A LOT of respect; I really value these guy's opinions), to say not to buy the amp and be willing to mod it is like buying a guitar, vowing never to swap pickups. Now, if someone were going to pay full price for a Blues Junior today, and then add a couple hundred for the majority of the mods, I'd say that they could probably do better just going for a "better" amp to begin with. However, Tim already has the Blues Junior, and in that beautiful cab to boot! To NOT mod that one to it's full potential is almost criminal, IMHO. Also, I agree, don't buy a Blues Junior if you want a Triple Rectum Fryer tone; it's never going to get there, and you will end up frustrated. The modded Blues Junior, however, is a BIG improvement over the stock model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbp810 Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 It is always fun to tinker! I'm not all that familiar with the Blues Junior, but I'd have to imagine if it were mine I'd be starting with some better iron (namely the output transformer) Of course worst case scenario... I'd wager that something like a 5e3 or 5e5 chassis might just fit in that purty cab's existing chassis cutout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schundog Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 It is always fun to tinker! I'm not all that familiar with the Blues Junior, but I'd have to imagine if it were mine I'd be starting with some better iron (namely the output transformer) Of course worst case scenario... I'd wager that something like a 5e3 or 5e5 chassis might just fit in that purty cab's existing chassis cutout Brian, you could most likely make a nice little side income doing these simple (for you, haha) mods for people. After I had mine done by Bill, I had buddy tell me that he was buying up as many used BJs as he could and doing the mods, then selling the amps for a profit. I'm not trying to steer your focus away from what you are already doing with KBP810 Amplification, but I would be surprised if you didn't get a lot of responses for work if you let it be known that you did the BillM mods on Blues Juniors. Another VERY easy mod you could do for Deluxe Reverb people is the "Fritz Mod," which adds reverb to the normal channel and, to me, seemed to make the normal channel take pedals better, too. Here it is... http://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/index.html?recid=48201 AND, Fritz Mod 2; Deflubbing the Bass. I haven't had my guy do this one yet. http://www.fenderforum.com/userphotos/index.html?recid=64631 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbp810 Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Nah, I'm really more an advocate of DIY, and I think that is what these mod's are really geared/marketed towards - though I'd sure never turn anyone anyway away who asked for my help putting in (or taking out...) a mod on their amp. Besides, I need more work to do right now like I need another hole in my head (though to clarify, I speak mostly of that pesky day job of mine that keeps getting in the way ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 With all due respect to tulk1 and Tully (and that's A LOT of respect; I really value these guy's opinions), to say not to buy the amp and be willing to mod it is like buying a guitar, vowing never to swap pickups. Now, if someone were going to pay full price for a Blues Junior today, and then add a couple hundred for the majority of the mods, I'd say that they could probably do better just going for a "better" amp to begin with. However, Tim already has the Blues Junior, and in that beautiful cab to boot! To NOT mod that one to it's full potential is almost criminal, IMHO. Also, I agree, don't buy a Blues Junior if you want a Triple Rectum Fryer tone; it's never going to get there, and you will end up frustrated. The modded Blues Junior, however, is a BIG improvement over the stock model. I live in an asylum and do drug testing for pocket money. I have limited access to a computer. I use my time on it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted November 28, 2011 Share Posted November 28, 2011 Nah, I'm really more an advocate of DIY, and I think that is what these mod's are really geared/marketed towards - though I'd sure never turn anyone anyway away who asked for my help putting in (or taking out...) a mod on their amp. Besides, I need more work to do right now like I need another hole in my head (though to clarify, I speak mostly of that pesky day job of mine that keeps getting in the way ) We just need to get enough amp business to Brian so that he can quit is lame job and build amps on a daily basis. Talk about making a living doing what you love! Almost as awesome as building guitars for Heritage.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LH575 Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Been a while since I posted on here! I used to have a Blues Jr, NOS. Had it for a couple years. Liked it and was considering the billm mods. I played a DRRI at Guitar Center while I was considering and loved it. I ended up selling the BJ and getting the DRRI. So, I never got around to the mods, but after doing the math, BJ + shipping and mods was about the same price of a DRRI on sale. The DRRI doesn't have the dirt that the BJ can get, so I use a weber Mini Mass and some pedals for dirt. Anyways, prob not much help, but I suppose the moral of the story is try some different amps before you mod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DetroitBlues Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 That's one of the major differences between the blues jr. and the DRRI is the Master Volume. I rather like the blues jr's if they had the Bill M' kits already installed. For what it costs, most of those modifcations could of been done by Fender already... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gitfiddler Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share Posted December 5, 2011 Yep, this thread (and purchasing another Heritage amp) has convinced me to leave well enough alone with the BJ. I've got enough into it already, and it doesn't sound bad. It is what it is, and has very useable tones that set it apart from my other amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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