Blues Junior | Lightning in a Bottle

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[@bretolson8484]

I would gladly pay up to a tip jar or some tier of membership to your channel. You are one of few I follow that keeps the subject matter first and the viewer experience in mind. I won’t name names but I’m subscribed to 3 excellent amp channels now. Your brand of infotainment is valued and appreciated.

[@williambock1821]

Yup. Always something to learn here.

[@michaelt5012]

Yup I'd do three dollars a month or 5 bucks to keep the show going

[@ckmoore101]

What are the other ones? I love this stuff also. I got into speaker/guitar/amp building as a hobby, and I hoped it would inspire me to play more. It has only inspired me to build more. Bad place to be if you can't sell them easily

[@jasonnoonzio3473]

Same here

[@JorgeTheilacker]

@@ckmoore101 I would say Uncle Doug is one of them...

[@lastofthe4horsemen279]

Im a high end Carpenter and am so impressed with your eastern type work ethic.The small things you do are the same things I follow .As in life mindfullness of all things.Attention to every detail ,the small things add up to make the big things.

[@PsionicAudio]

Thanks 👍

[@edwhite7475]

I love the attention to detail...that chrome looks awesome!!! And the sound is great!!!

[@davebird534]

I agree with what the last view said about you . We as guitar player are I. Very good and safe hand's with your advise . I would like to inject about the brightness problem with the blues junior , your mod helped it but not completely a vintage Jenson. P12rj ' or p12 q's help alot or even a vintage or 90s reissue UK greenbacks with 6402 cones. Vintage Mullards or amprex fully tested and guaranteed by birdhouse vintage audio can really light these guys up !

[@Dr.Sheldor]

Said in another comment but I bought that multimeter based on seeing you use it in other vids. Have an older Fluke that doesn’t even do what this one does! Thanks for sharing!

[@halbertking2683]

Bic Jr . could use a 25 k bias pot to cool it down . I do it all the time . Lift that left bias resistor where it connects to resistor on the right side of it . Bend the left bias resistor [ 22k ] and solder the 25 k trim between the loose end of the 22k and the location where it was cut off . 25k trim pots are available from Mouser . Your just increasing the resistance of the 22k ohm .

[@Bigjoedo66]

Always informative videos!! Blues Jr's seem like your bread & butter, with frequent repairs

[@robertw1871]

It’s because fender sells tens of thousands of them, most popular tube amp on the planet, so by default you’ll see more come though the shop, vs the $8,000 boutique amp that’s even worse with design problems but they only sold 3 ever, right… Tubes and repairs are guaranteed no matter what the amp, that’s the problem with 100 year old technology… And why the big pros travel with a tube amp tech lol… Also why most of the pros are now using modelers and leave the ancient beasts at home…

[@backlineguy]

thanks for the recommendation on the multi meter...at $20, it's a steal, and I actually needed one too...

[@eatmarth]

cheers to a job well done and a philosophy to match!

[@matthewf1979]

I like the Klein M600 and M700 DMM’s. They’re $60-$70 and available at every big box home store across the country. Oh, and they’re good meters with all the functions that an amp tech could ever need (short of ESR).

[@richclayton5785]

Good lesson today as always! Thanks

[@stringbender57]

Excellent video full of information. Now subbed!

[@russellhltn1396]

I learned doing computer repair that a bit of cleaning went a long ways. It show you "took care of their baby". (I also think the reverse is true,. If you don't clean it, they'll forget how dirty it was and when they get it back they'll go "what did you do to it!!")

[@danielsaturnino5715]

You've got to love the fireworks :)

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@themaninthesuitcase]

The final line was worth the price of admission! Thanks for your videos btw. Once the caps arrive then my journey as an amp tech begins by replacing some filter caps and regulating zeners on a 93 Valvestate. Well once I get through all the hot glue Marshall gobbed all over them!

[@nedim_guitar]

Fascinating! Interesting to watch the process.

[@glenkepic3208]

Nice ! I bought an '06 Diamond Series for $400 out of the box and out the door, day after TGD sale. Hard to reign in at bedroom levels but still dug it. My hours got cut a few years later so i sold it. Really couldn't play one now but i miss it all the time.

[@richardlynch5632]

EXCELLENT work ethic😎👍❤🖖

[@BenState]

Re the multi, you may get some joy on PC software. Re- mindfulness, ex RAAF here, we called it 'attention to detail'. Nice job man.

[@jefffree6990]

nice! i have a tweed BJIV like that in my studio, so I've been watching and saving all your videos. no problems yet, but when they come I'll be back!

[@jeffmco6410]

This is a cool channel. Thanks for the content. Liked and subscribed.

[@BlugubriousMusic]

Love it... the bigger names in music studios talk about making sure the assistants sharpen the pencils regularly. If an artist sees you take that kind of care of pencils, they trust you will take that kind of care of them and their music...don't ask me about a local Burger King's cash register! Good stuff!

[@jeffmansfield914]

The brown M&M principle. 😉

[@BlugubriousMusic]

@@jeffmansfield914 nice... Personally if I was VH I would just want to eat brown M&M's because I like them best... Ha ha

[@jeffmansfield914]

@@BlugubriousMusic They are the same on the inside as on the outside. The rest of the colors are all liars, denying who they truly are.

[@BlugubriousMusic]

@@jeffmansfield914 i refuse to believe it! Ha ha

[@scottwilcox6313]

Just another great video. Its nice to see that you don't need top meters to be a great amp tech. And yes you're a professional. Great work

[@bones11252]

If I lived closer, you would do all my amp work

[@crazywisdom2]

where is he located ?

[@MB-st7be]

Any meter this is about half the price of a Fluke is generally just as good quality as a Fluke. Fluke isn't subject to the same market forces as other brands, so its prices are higher for the same quality

[@dimitris470]

Have a loot at Uni-T 139C. 40 bucks, 4 years and still going strong with daily use. Plus it has some very good reviews on mains volt safety.

[@drewdemaio4162]

Great vid Lyle! I've been looking for an inexpensive multimeter and your blessing of the Thsinde 18B+ was all I needed to make my decision!

[@me.roderick]

Good stuff man!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@dannyhowell3184]

Did anyone tell you that you sound like Mike Ehrmantraut from Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad? Can you say, “No Walter, the amp can’t be fixed” next time? Also, great videos, by the way. Best amp repair stuff on KZbin.

[@PsionicAudio]

Thanks Danny. I haven't seen those - tried to start BB because I'd heard it was great, but I didn't find the characters very interesting. I think I made it three episodes in. So I don't know what Mike sounds like.

[@dannyhowell3184]

@@PsionicAudio Mike is something of the brains in the show. Take it as a compliment, I guess. Again, great videos. Thanks for putting them together.

[@13strigoi69]

Somewhere on the internet, someone is disappointed that you didn't lick the amp.

[@javierarias1199]

Nice vid !!! following!!!!!!...what do you think on BAD CATS American series ??

[@brianhensley7161]

Re: Cheap and Cheaper parts - I think I have a broken Volume pot contact/plate/wiper....on on a FBJr II, it goes to 6 nicely then volume expands crazy with lots of noise....$4 part but an hour to get to it / reassemble .....IF YOU HAVE ANY guidance on easy trouble shoot for the Snap-in 1M 10A - ? I will dance at your next birthday celebration.....(or Not! ) Thank You again for ALL the fabulous insight and knowledge ! ! !

[@HandWiredAmps]

I have the same meter, but with the EBTN black screen. Thought I'd try different looking screen than the standard LCD. I was suspect of battery life, and it's short, so stick with the LCD for longer battery life. Over all it's a good meter for the price. I wish it read pF caps. My Radio Shack DVM from school (1990) is still working fine and reads small value caps.

[@acoustic61]

I'm interested in a tour of the test equipment that you use.

[@imannonymous7707]

I still want one , i know they arent trouble free . But its a comprimise im willing to make. Ive played thru a few now and can always find inspiring tones

[@lastofthe4horsemen279]

I agree one of the best tones I ever heard was one afternoon I plugged an AmPro Tele into a blues jr. at a guitar center .

[@erajad]

As a regular viewer (pseudo-musician interested in understanding the tech) I appreciate the way you anticipated my question about the lack of "kink" in the leads of those two new resistors. From watching, I've learned that mechanical grip is important on these parts. Thanks for picking that up. It's the details.... :)

[@JzuHax]

I'm pretty sure Keith Richards writes in "Life" how he used to remove one of the tubes in his amp to get a dirtier sound when the Stones still played in clubs.

[@bayougtr]

I was thinking you were about to demo some Galaxy500.😊

[@jamesf2918]

Namaste🤘🏻

[@glenjo0]

Saw the same light show with my Dynaco Stereo 70. Poof goes the tube. Bummer.

[@thecork6047]

that resistor saved the output transformer, that big resistor will allow the output transformer to be blown next time.

[@kmichaelp4508]

Those are some bright amps! I have an Epiphone Galaxie 25 that’s just as bright. I’ve watched an unreal amount of videos trying to find a good match but without buying 100 different speakers for a$300 amp I’m more than confused. Do you have any thoughts? Thanks

[@dangitdan9938]

I wish someone would design and sell a handwired conversion kit for these. I love mine, it’s no where near stock, but doing anything to it is a PIA and I’m still not confident in its durability. Be nice to gut and replace all the PCB garbage but I guess the cost wouldn’t justify it. Save up for another amp. ☹️

[@davebird534]

Let me know ow if you would to demo your amps with tubes or speakers . Play before you pay sir ! Nice guitar work by the way !Dave

[@Strumbum01]

I’m looking into a used blues or pro jr to haul to gigs strictly as a backup in case I lose my main rig. I’m a bit leery though after seeing so many videos of you fixing them.

[@PsionicAudio]

I wouldn’t recommend either.

[@adamlaskey7265]

Very informative video! What temperature do you normally run your soldering iron at for work like this?

[@AlejandroLopez-oq1ix]

I recently got myself a used Blues Junior. Im cranking the volume knob to the max, yet it still won't crunch. Any ideas or suggestions on what it could be or where should i start checking? Thanks in advance.

[@toddcallison8087]

I wonder why you decided to up the value for the screen grid resistors. I understand why you would increase the wattage, but why is the 1K value better than the original 100u design? Is this a change that would be considered an upgrade for all Blues Jrs? How does this change affect the sound?

[@montygore]

I have a dumb queation. Caaan you tell a difference tone wise in a carbon comp and a metaloxide resistor? Thanks for your great videos. I just found you and have spent the whole night watching.

[@qddk9545]

It is not a dumb question. Carbon comp resistors generate much more noise that metal oxide, but it is proven that they change character when working at high voltages. If it is easy to hear I don´t know - but it could be.

[@gheorge77]

Just curious on the logic behind swapping the 100 ohm screen grids to 1k. I'm guessing there isn't much effect on the tone and protects the tubes better?

[@edwardleaver7838]

I've made a similar mod myself. Yeah, the #1 purpose of increasing the screen stoppers is to protect the tubes. JMI Vox apparently picked 100R from a hi-fi schematic, used 'em in their AC-XY's, called it good, and every el84 guitar amp ever since has made the same error. Rock 'n roll is not hi-fi. The output tubes are frequently saturated. Today's el84s are not Dick Denny's. As far as tone is concerned well, I used 2k screens in my mod, not 1k. That *did* affect the tone, making it softer with increased touch sensitivity. I really liked the change, thought it was for the better. But it was noticeable and might not be for everyone. Kind of hard to describe without the customer actually being there to demo it himself, so I'm certainly not going to 2nd-guess Lyle's choice of 1k. It'll protect the tubes with minimal affect on tone. BJ is bright anyway, and does have a treble knob.

[@gheorge77]

@@edwardleaver7838 I'm not so concerned about protecting the tubes as I've got some nice old Sylvanias, polams, and a mid 50s Amperex. Think it makes a difference on a Marshall 18 watt clone?

[@edwardleaver7838]

@@gheorge77 Not if you only play your Marshall clean. Play it like a Mashall and well... the 18 Watt Marshall schematic I've seen indicates a common, shared 3W 100R screen resistor. Very old-school. Very hi-fi. Very prone to fail a tube when pushed. If it were mine and since it's a clone, I'd go ahead and fit it with at least 470R separate screen resistors. I'd go with 2.2k but ymmv. Find a value you like.

[@cosmoganic]

Hi there, What size resistor should I use to parallel R44 for the reverb mod? I have never liked the reverb on my 2009 Blues Junior 1 (Made in Mexico). even setting the dial at 1 is too much. Thanks man' & greetings from the Sunshine Coast, Australia

[@DetroitWrecker666]

I use wd 40 so often. I could smell it when you applied it to the paper towel.

[@grahamhodgson9154]

Of course, Fender have now changed them to run class A. Still blowing tubes 😂

[@PsionicAudio]

Cathode bias is not Class A.

[@flamencoprof]

07:08 I would pull the resistor toward the component side, as this would minimise the risk of pushing the track off the cct bd. This can be done with both legs. Is there a downside to doing this I have not thought of?

[@PsionicAudio]

Yeah, the leads on the other side are bent and doing that rips the pads. No board damage pushing through like shown.

[@flamencoprof]

@@PsionicAudioTrue. I saw later the bends on the other side but didn't edit. A lot of ccts I have dealt with are just straight thru and clipped off. I guess it is a technique used particularly in amp/speaker cabinets for mechanical/vibrational strength?

[@kaseysimons128]

A comment for the KZbin metrics

[@BCEpedals]

My Vox did this recently.

[@robertleto6692]

I am a Harp player I recently pickup a fender pro shop custom two tone 1-12” 1-10” Blues Jr are there any mod kits that you would recommend getting I’d eventually like to upgrade it in order get the most out of it it’s a keeper

[@astewart9410]

Awesome. I love the tweed amps. Looking to buy my first, for home use, torn between Blues Jr IV, Pro Jr , and Princeton 12” with Cannabis Rex. Opinions, anyone?

[@PsionicAudio]

Of the three only the Princeton is worth buying. And none of them are tweed Fenders, that’s just cosmetics.

[@peterdawson1834]

I had a ‘68 Reissue Princeton with a Weber Speaker. It was a great low volume grab n’ go. Right before the guy Ca,e to pick it up, I added a solid state rectifier plug b/c I wasn’t sure if the 5ar4 might’ve been on its way out. To me it was an instant and significant improvement. I don’t regret selling it, but maybe after a few beers I might tell you otherwise ;)

[@_R_A_]

@@PsionicAudio looking at a Princeton or a tone king gremlin. Fairly close in price used. Any experience with tone king? For around the house mostly. Thanks!

[@_R_A_]

@@PsionicAudio Also, have you considered doing a live Q/A or live stream Lyle? These are the types of questions worth donating a few bucks for a coffee or beer. Well worth it to help make the right decision on a quality amp.

[@astewart9410]

Great to know, thanks. Shame that particular Princeton is roughly $1700 CAD ($1350 USD), new price. The regular version is the same.

[@mdp303]

I like the cleaning but. I used to work in a repair shop and noticed that people never like to pay for repairs even throught they are not ungrateful. I guess they feel like they are just getting back what they had before. At least if its cleaner, looks nice etc it eases the pain of parting with their hard earned cash

[@thraknik]

I used to recommend these amps to students, it was a great way to introduce them to tube tone affordably. But then one of them experienced this exact problem, the difference being that the resistor blew a hole in the circuit board when it gave up its life. These resistors cost pennies, possibly a fraction of a penny to a company like Fender, yet they still choose to spec a part not fit for the job. I not only don't recommend this amp anymore, I actively try to prevent people from buying them. Don't do it.

[@crazywisdom2]

what do you recommendation then ? I would love a matchless 30 watt. but it's way out of my price range. thoughts, ideas, suggestions ? my budget is 1000 -1500 more or less.

[@thraknik]

@@crazywisdom2 I like Dr Z and you should be able to get several models in your price point on the used market. If you like EL84s a Carmen Ghia or a Maz18 would do the trick and you can get reverb on the Maz. Simple circuits, turret post construction, they're durable and sound great.

[@stevem.1853]

So many amps with EL84 output tubes seem to have them biased near the point of meltdown...I just don't get it

[@edwardleaver7838]

Neither do I. Early EL84 amps such as Vox were cathode biased and biased hot. No mistake that a hot-biased tube frequently sounds better. Same with Fender 5e3 Deluxe. But a major reason at the time -- 50's -- was that high value electrolytic caps were still pricey and bulky, even those 25v/25uF output tube stage bypass caps. If you cool the bias there and run class AB, then you'll quickly run into ugly crossover distortion. But the '50s are over. Today you can easily fit a 2500uF or 5000uF bypass cap, double or triple the cathode resistor, and comfortably cool the tubes. BJ of course is fixed biased. There's really no excuse for their output stage to be over-biased right from the factory.

[@acoustic61]

I think Lyle usually cools down the bias to about 55% for Fender circuits. The new tubes aren't built to last.

[@montygore]

Simce those bridge recz are not fast switching diodes the 1n5408 would be a better choice if they would fit.

[@qddk9545]

You can get at fast 4007 also.

[@roberthurless3295]

Speaking of meters, I have been using an Ideal 51-630 that I purchased from Home Depot about 15 years ago. I think I paid $60.00, but I am not sure about that. It is well built, and has served me well with no problems. Do I really need a $400.00 Fluke to do amp repair?

[@BradsGuitarGarage]

Every time I thought "do I really need x", y fails and so does z, so after spending twice as much in the long run, I end up with x after a lot of wasted time.

[@acoustic61]

I prefer to use high quality meters for measuring high voltage. Mainly for safety. Knowing the certification is real. I don't feel like getting a nasty shock.

[@robertw1871]

If you want to do it every day than absolutely yes, if you are looking to repair your personal amp one time then no… I’ve been at a professional level with electronics for 30 years and that’s the only meter you’ll see being used by those who depend on their tools to make a living… There’s no other meter that even comes close for precision and durability, I’ve had my 87 since I was in school, 30 years of heavy daily use and sill going strong… It’s the best investment you can make… They are expensive but if you make any attempt at all to take care of it, you’ll have it the rest of your life… Decide if that steak dinner is really important this week or not, don’t skimp on your tools….

[@acoustic61]

@@robertw1871 I've also been working in electronics for decades. I have two Fluke meters and a couple generic ones. The only time I use the cheapo meters is for low voltage stuff. I even use the Fluke for checking 120v line voltage etc. I would never trust the Cat safety ratings of inexpensive meters. I wouldn't trust inexpensive test leads either. Not while I'm holding onto the probe. Reliability is another advantage. Especially when you use it for your livelihood, it has to turn on when you need it. I don't want to spend time trying to figure out if my meter is working properly when I'm trying to troubleshoot something else with it. I have more than one because occasionally you have a problem even with the best equipment. I've sent a Fluke in for service a couple of times and always came back working like new. Good company.

[@eastbaystreet1242]

I see others saying they would be happy to support your channel. Maybe you should create a Patreon account, that way members (like your subscribers) can support your channel financially.

[@gingercat777]

Do you not do much work on Marshall Class 5 amps?

[@nellayema2455]

What's the best soldering iron temp. when working on a board like that?

[@goodun2974]

I think Lyle said around 700F. Otherwise, the short answer is, hot enough to get in and out as guickly as possible!

[@brentstewart59]

yes I believe it was in the 700 or 750 but it really is an art form to work as quickly and efficiently without burning up pads on the board I watch everything and this channel is great

[@hubbsllc]

I used to have a simple rheostat-control iron and wound up separating a trace. Thankfully It was just a pad around a hole intended to secure the case of the volume pot so it wasn't electrically in play but that scared the crap out of me. I bought a thermostatically-controlled Weller iron soon after. 350C is about where I put it for typical PC boards.

[@nellayema2455]

@@hubbsllc Thanks!

[@nellayema2455]

@@goodun2974 Thank you.

[@jeffwielgos4696]

I had a question about the screen grid resistor values. I see others using four and five watt resistors 2.2 3.5 K values which seems a little excessive. I'm wanting to change mine out as you have in your videos, but I can only source some 2 watt, 820 Ohm resistors locally. Would those suffice in lieu of the 2-watt, 1k that you are using?

[@PsionicAudio]

2W 820 would be fine.

[@SBDavin]

I heard Fluke multimeters cost a small fortune because they are made in USA and include a lifetime warranty. I wonder if you can exchange it for a new one for free.

[@hubbsllc]

I have a Fluke 77 DMM that I've been using regularly since I think 1986.

[@mastermachetier5594]

Hey I have a blues deluxe having a ton of issues curious how to contact you or your location for repair :)

[@johnwilliamson467]

Bryman bm786 is a better value than the Fluke for about 200 USD good for 5 plus digit a fine bench hand held . If your not out in the field doing AC the fluke is over built yet less accuracy than the Bryman . Your results may vary.

[@jayc6170]

Second the Brymen!

[@infectionsman]

Why not rip those IC brand filter caps out? They are the worst caps ever, always fail!

[@PsionicAudio]

Glad to. But that's the owner's call and that can has been kicked down the road.

[@infectionsman]

@@PsionicAudio I see. Did you ever try doing strain relief on ribbon cables like those in the Blues JR? I have done it before with hot gun glue.

[@gearoftones8585]

Most over rated amp of all time. I personally think they're awful

[@qddk9545]

May be, but they sound very good.