NAD Blues Jr

[DetroitBlues]

I had the tone stack, presence control, and output transformer in mine...

[kidsmoke]

It was my first electric guitar amp, and made a lot of sense for me when I bought it. I sold if after buying a KBP810 Reverb Deluxe from DB. It's ironic that I upgraded from a BJ to a Fender blackface clone and DB sold a great blackface clone to eventually settle on a BJ.

 

But I have to say that as much as I liked the Blues Jr., I'm much happier with the Reverb Deluxe. Since then, I've added a 1974x Marshall clone and a Guytron GT100 F/V. These are all high quality tone monsters that out-perform the Blues Jr, in almost every way except that they weigh more. However, I also have a pretty unique Mahaffey lunchbox size tube amp that produces some pretty good tone and is only 8 lbs.

 

Were I you, I'd have Brian build me an amp or pick up DBs Marshall clone before I'd add a BJ to my collection.

 

 

That's 6-pak sized Blunote....

 

Quite a collection of tones....I agree that the BJr is a super versatile amp. Fact is though, after all the mods, you've got a chunk o'change into it, and it's still built on a PCB circuit, and I wonder, if that's the plan going in, why not go boutique from the get go?

 

Certainly, as an evolutionary step, to get into a BJ for 400 +/- gives you a versatile and great sounding amp that you CAN invest in and grow with. And to Brians point, most of us don't need massive power very often, and even then a BJr can step up pretty well. After chasing gremlins in my PCB/Tube hybrid though, I'm gun shy, and thinking of keeping it all P2P from this point out.

[DetroitBlues]

Keep it point to post if you can. The Blues Jr is PCB board, but repairable unlike the micro PCB board amps like a Peavey Valveking or a Fender Superchamp...

[Blunote]

Kidsmoke, I agree. If you have a Blues Jr., then doing the upgrades incrementally may be a way to eventually get to a really outstanding amp. But for about the same money or a little more, various boutique amps can be purchased on used market, or built to order.

 

It's true, the Blues Jr. is a PCB amp that is repairable. I had to have a couple of traces repaired on my board after a component fried. My general preference is for P2P.

 

That said, my Guytron is PCB based. But the amp is well known for being overbuilt. I've never heard of a PCB failing. I have to say, it's the best sounding, most versatile amp (non-digital) I've ever seen, or even heard of.

[H]

 

 

I have to figure out the patch cable trick on my 5E3. I wonder if Shundog has tried patching the channels on his KBP?

I use a pedal cable to join the two channels (join diagonally across the 4 inputs) and then you can adjust the volumes to get lots more tones. My 'Limey' is a 5E3.