Topic: Mods to My Blues Jr.

So about a month ago I decided to buy some mods for my amp I'm stealing from my dad.  I always loved the Fender Blues Jr's stock sound when cranked and got the crazy idea that I should open myself up to more options on the amp.  So I've done about all them now but I'm not totally done yet.  Like I need to drill a hole in my circuit board for the bias (which might never get done because the board is already back in the chasie) and a hole drilled in the chasie for the presence/clean boost mod.  I'm not going to finish tonight to be ready for a video or anything but I thought it would be a good time to share my videos of the amp when it was stock.  The only thing that isn't stock are the 2 JJ Electroics EL-84's and a Mallard Preamp tube that I thought was in V1 (turns out I had it in V3 OOPS!) 

This is where I bought the mods, it took about 2 weeks to get everything in. http://billmaudio.com/wp/

Here is what I got:
1 Basic mods
2 standby switch
3 presene/clean boost switch
4 TO20 transformer
5 metal input jack
6 mid range tone stacker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vysZSI3ylE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlWAccW5 … mp;list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h__xHUj … mp;list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64wwt5NG … mp;list=UL

2 strats 2 les pauls and a lot of goofing around.  Hope its not too horibble to listen to.  roll

Re: Mods to My Blues Jr.

Update:  The amp is finished, wiring is complete, no issues, nobody dead when you touch it and its got sound!  Big Fat glorious sound.  I still need to drill a hole in the pannel for the presence control but it works and makes all the difference in the amp to me.  I think at the 10 o'clock position its back to its stock settings, its got a ton of range.  I wish I had moved the mallard preamp tube to v1 before the mods but oh well.  Everything works like its supposed to (I think) and the amp seems to just have a lot more balls.  No demo yet maybe tomorrow, my daughters got a graduation party for finishing Pre-school today so it will be a miricle if I even get my hole drilled.  I also decided not to put the bias in, I like the sound its got and it's such a strain on the ribbon wires to pull that circuit board out that I'm afraid I'll damage it.  Plus I can get more gain out of my amp running a little hot, its not like JJ electronic tubes cost an arm and a leg!

Re: Mods to My Blues Jr.

Dont drill the hole by the input/master where they say. you'll need long wires and they will act like an antenna for feedback. If I could go back I'd drill it in closer to the power switch and red power light.

I have an audio explanation from my amp tech who is one of the best in Detroit area. I can email you the audio explanation if you shoot me an email.  cool

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool

Re: Mods to My Blues Jr.

Well, too late I drilled the hole monday moring.  All I can say is WOW!  This amp really can bring the thunder now.  If I get too close to it I hear a lot of 60 cycle hum but 3 feet away its as quite as it ever was.  I'm going to try and do some videos tonight to show case it but really you can't tell I did anything until you turn it up louder then my camera likes.  hmm

Re: Mods to My Blues Jr.

An amp tech went through mine after my brother modded it, and it had some weird spiking with the treble jacked up. Microscopic, but needed adjustment. Bad preamp tube and some other small issues. I'd pay $40 for a bench check and make sure it all got done right. My bro made a JTM 45 clone metro amp, and there were some things that only a professional can double check!


If you're wiring in the presence control, I should really email you that audio file of my amp tech saying why the directions say to install it wrong as far as what to hook it all up to, etc.. It should make sense to you.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool

Re: Mods to My Blues Jr.

I'm pretty happy with how its sounding right now.  I only had one screw up as far as I could tell but I did a pretty good job fixing that.  I wish the presence control had a little more adjustablity to it.  To me at 0 you get 0, but more then half way starts to bring the presence in until you turn it up wide open then all the treble fq shows up.  I'm thinking of doing a treble bleed mod to that pot exactly like the kind you put in strats to help the treble stay consistant as I'm turning down.  Don't know if that works the same way or not.  I kind of like my sounds on the treblie bright side anyway.  So maybe I'll leave it alone and leave it turned to the 5 o'clock position.  Next up is the speaker, but between this and buying a Epiphone Joe Bonamassa guitar my fun money is depleated for a while, so maybe this fall I'll look into a new speaker for it.  I haven't heard anything that I would say is a problem yet either.  So there might be some issues that I am unaware of but I can't hear them.  The Trebe is brighter and the bass is fuller, I love this amp to begin with and thought there was no way it could sound much better...  But I was wrong.  Way wrong.  Demo's on the way I swear!

Re: Mods to My Blues Jr.

I'm pretty behind on demos too.

1. Forte cabinet
2. blues jr.
3. custom pickups

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool