How to Get Your Blues Jr to Stop Sounding Boxy

The Fender Blues Jr is a classic amp, but it can sound boxy if it's not dialed in correctly. Today I want to show you how to set up a Blues Jr to get a full sounding tone.
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Gear Used:
Fender Blues Junior IV - amzn.to/38CC27X
Fender American Original 50's Stratocaster
Wampler Tumnus - amzn.to/3ofZ11g
Donner DT-1 Tuner - amzn.to/3gszu0l
MRX Classic 108 Fuzz Mini amzn.to/3SRcoAX
Tools I use:
Ernie Ball Guitar Cleaning Kit - amzn.to/2Wi1SuP
Music Nomad Neck Cradle - amzn.to/2Wj9DRp
Baroque String Action Gauge - amzn.to/3zdQBu1
Ernie Ball String Winder - amzn.to/2UHGZbZ
Music Nomad F1 Oil - amzn.to/3ybFTmI
Music Nomad FRINE Fret Polish - amzn.to/3mv42Cq]
String radius gauges - amzn.to/3JdJ1oj
Pedal Board - amzn.to/3gvvooi
XLR to USB Cable - amzn.to/2UK3kpx
Movo1 USB Lavalier Mic - amzn.to/2UHYl8G
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Lights - amzn.to/2WmwV8Y
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:58 - What is the boxy sound?
2:43 - How does master volume affect the amp?
3:33 - Adding in volume
4:52 - Blues Jr EQ
5:43 - Using the volume to drive the amp
8:13 - The fat switch
8:50 - Setting it up for pedals
13:03 - Final
#Fender #BluesJr #OneMoreGuitar

[@swmorgan515]

The faucet / nozzle analogy is a great analogy for using these classic tube circuits in conjunction with each other.

[@MayorMcCheese2000]

This is one of the most enjoyable pieces of content I've ever had the pleasure of consuming! The pace was so relaxed but at no point was there ever any dead air. You didn't say anything that was filler, it was all just great information, great video and audio, perfect scripting... I really don't think you could have made this any better, and as someone who consumes a ton of this kind of content, I can't tell you how grateful I am for this one!

[@Stratisfied22]

You want to crank the Master volume and use the eq volume to set your desired volume. This is the way to go.

[@dsholt]

I set the volume at around 4 or 5 and then set the Master volume at whatever volume I'm comfortable with. Also, an EQ pedal is the Blues Jr's best friend for adding some low end.

[@jameswilson6374]

Great video Kyle! Good to see you back man!

[@John-nl4vu]

Thanks for the great heads up; I thought it was the guitar and it may still be but the sound I'm getting now is alot better. Keep up the good work.

[@uncledoug9934]

I think the master vol controls the pre-amp and the the other vol controls the EQ side if I remember correctly. I installed a pair of EL84 Electo-Harmonix tubes in mine to soften it a bit and waiting for the Fromel Supreme kit to mod it for a better overall tone and correct the bias.

[@franknagyvathy2389]

One of the best videos on the blues jr. My sweet spot for home playing is 3 on the master and 3.5 on the volume with the fat pushed in. More volume and drive pushed through pedals.

[@4034miguel]

Thank you for the great info. Cheers!

[@designsinorbit]

Great video man! Super helpful.

[@jeansj7027]

Thanks for this, great info for a great amp!

[@williamdevlin366]

Good stuff man. Thank you!

[@trawl7880]

Swap out tubes on mine for JJ's vs the stock Groove. Alive at Volume 4. Master 4 is loud enough. Sounds great. Needed 5 on the volume pre juice before with the stock tubes, then volume had less headrm before it would hit the box and fart bass. Now with the tube swap, the gain stage is most manageable in the best way. And same in reverse, volume 10 master 3. Tube grit goodness not so muddy.

[@peterkarakondis2914]

Wow! Just made the same tone adjustments on my Hot Rod Deluxe and It's never sounded so good! Thanks so much for this video, I thought the problem was too much bass, but it was the mids that had to be turned down, and the treble and bass up. I also thought maybe the problem was the speaker, glad I saw your video before I tried replacing it. Now I've got to check out your other videos. Thanks again!

[@icarus7073]

Pretty good dude ... worth my sub ❤

[@gregweber3387]

I bought my first electric guitar a couple of weeks ago; a Yamaha Pacifica. I paired it with a Behringer HA-20R amp. I normally keep the equalizer settings at 12:00 (bass, treble, etc.). I watched a video recently that explained the differences between overdrive and distortion. With overdrive, your sound should essentially stay the same; just a little fuller. I've always like cleaner tones overall, but I've been adding just a slight amount of overdrive and reverb and I'm really likeing the fuller sound I seem to be achieving.

[@andrewg5854]

Love my Yamaha Pacifica!!!

[@jimmalone3482]

I enjoyed the video. Thank you

[@darwinsaye]

Instant cure for a small, boxy sounding amp is putting a BBE Sonic Maximizer (or some copy of it) in front of the amp, or if you have an effects loop, preferably in the loop. It’s an effect that gets a lot of criticism, but it absolutely excels at this purpose.

[@Mike28625]

I find that the Jr blooms at about 4 on both volumes. Bass and treble at 9. Mid at about 4 or 5. I use the pre volume and reverb to enhance the high end presence. I also use an mxr 10 band eq pedal to make it "perfect".

[@mikerauter1859]

Excellent video Kyle!

[@onemoreguitarchannel]

Thanks!

[@johnyoung6712]

Hey, Tyler Young here. It’s great to see a familiar face in an unexpected place. I enjoyed the video. Good seeing ya bud

[@andrewg5854]

Thanks man!

[@jameshenryworkman7716]

Have you had success with a the delay pedal that is on your board and the blues junior?

[@andywright4538]

what kind of speaker does your Jr have? Celestion or jensen?

[@slimturnpike]

The biggest thing you can do to make make a BJr sound bigger is to install a beam blocker in front of the speaker. I added a Weber beam blocker and it was night and day. Sound dispersion is terrific. I also installed one on my Laney Cub 10, an amp with a 10" speaker and 2 6V6 power tubes. Again it erased all perceived boxiness.

[@hwnfrd]

Great informative/tutorial video Kyle, I'm still trying to grasp learning the guitar and now you throw this into the mix, talk about information overload. 😄

[@onemoreguitarchannel]

Haha I know the feeling! That’s what I’ve been going through figuring out the right way to mic them too. Still working it out lol. There are so many things to learn with music, it’s a wonder any of us have time to play 😁

[@carpathus]

Nice!

[@onemoreguitarchannel]

Thanks!

[@williamsporing1500]

I put a Texas heat speaker in mine. Sounds much better for what I do.

[@seventwistsclockwise]

What about the fat switch..on or off?

[@chrispage2782]

The fat switch does nothing except boost whatever signal you’ve chosen….

[@nickf9392]

Two words my friends.....Extension....Cab. Some people dig the boxy sound of the original configuring, for some songs, i kind of dig it myself. However, I really started to see the beauty of this amp when I plugged it into an extension cab. It really is a good amp for a lot of styles of music.

[@matthewstearle7395]

Was thinking of buying one,I know its a different amp but would you choose this over a Line 6 Catalyst or Katana?

[@onemoreguitarchannel]

I like the Katana and I haven’t played through a Line 6 in a long time. The modeling amps are impressive with some of the features but I prefer the way a tube amp sounds. I tried for years to stick with modeling and I never could find one that sounded like what my ears wanted to hear haha. It depends on what you like/need but if it were me I’d go with the Blues Jr or something similar with tubes. Hope this helps!

[@matthewstearle7395]

@@onemoreguitarchannel Thanks for your advice Kyle,I can get the BJ like yours for 600 new.

[@kennethc2466]

YES! The most common mistake I see is people starting with modeling amps, only to learn to hate them vs a valve amp. Then they try to sell their modeling amp, and it retains no value, where a valve amp retain it's value, if not increases it. No one, ever, said their X molding amp sounds as good, in the room, as a valve amp. My neighbor's kid spent a LOT of money on a Line 6 Helix, power amp, and cab...only to like my OLD Peavey Classic 30 far more. I sold him the Peavey VERY cheap, as he got back less than a 3rd of the money he spent on his 'perfect rig'. Quality over quantity.

[@matthewstearle7395]

@@kennethc2466 THANKS so much for your advice,I appreciate it

[@kennethc2466]

@@matthewstearle7395 My pleasure, as I've seen to many good, hardworking people make the same mistake, only to later regret it. Cheers, and jam on.

[@darrengrimshaw7555]

i run mine into a 4 x 10 inch cab..huge sound

[@SwordAndFern-mw3ke]

Crank the master, volume between 3 and 6, push the eq for volume

[@nicholasg923]

You could fall lucky like I did and get your Blues Jr totally handwired for £500. This meant I had a valve rectifier as well as solid state, the bias corrected, so the British electric grid didn't burn out my tubes, a total sweep tone stack & a tube driven reverb tank. With a custom power scaling too & its original C.Rex speaker, the amp easily matches £2000 boutique units

[@nicholasg923]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zn-ceWeio6eghZY

[@nicholasg923]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYnWqmmebs-Cgas

[@yarbzag]

Sounds amazing. Do you have contact for who did it please?

[@nicholasg923]

@yarbzag Rat Valve Amps, unfortunately, he's retired. There's lots of info on his website & he might make recommendations of others.

[@ClaimOfRightMuso]

​@@nicholasg923Yep. I got my BJ done by Rat Valve just before Lockdown in 2020, and about a year (or less?) before he retired. I had endless problems with the previous, useless guts (gutless) of the circuit board after it had been butchered by a succession of engineers (one used a wax to hold a valve base together) and I ended up with Frankenstein's Monster of a heap of garbage. I was at my wits end when I saw the Rat Valves ad and thought I'd go for it. This is a new amp entirely. I'm more than happy with it. I'm currently toying with having it housed in a bigger, probably pine, cab now. You're the first guy I've encountered who's had the Rat Valve modification, although I'm sure there's a great many of us out there. Cheers.

[@Fugettaboutit]

Other thing is that combo cabinet is rather small for a 12" speaker. I had a Blues Junior that I put into a custom cabinet that was a bit larger and it made a major difference. Either that, or they should use a 10" speaker for that cab. Even though smaller speaker it will have more baffle and cab space in proportion to resonate with. Like with the Princeton Reverb which some replace the 10" speaker with a 12" and replacement baffle, I find the 10" better in that cab and a replacement speaker like the Eminence Ragin Cajun can kick things up even more.

[@bobt7484]

Put the chassis and speaker in a bigger cab, or use a bigger extension cab.

[@bxsoup]

Good video BUT , you should have turned up JUST THE VOLUME FIRST . That way a BEGINNER would have seen/heard that “ SOME AMPS REQUIRE THE MASTER TO BE TURNED UP AS WELL “ When I was begginer I had a Bugera V5 and I didn’t know that , so I changed the tubes thinking they were bad Chinese no name brand . Turns out I needed to turn the Master up to get sound out . IJS 🤷🏻‍♂

[@catdaddy7982]

Was thinking about Blues Jr. Gonna pass. Still too boxy for me.

[@Nick-ej3qe]

Dont rely on this video. It sounds a lot better in person. No idea what that guy is doing

[@waynegram8907]

ONE MORE GUITAR, which guitar pedals can make an amplifier sound very boxy? I'm trying to get that very boxy tone by using guitar pedals. Also the fender amps jack#2 low input is suppose to be used for overdrive pedals while input jack#1 is suppose for your clean tones which you should make a video lesson to do this.

[@shanemichaels8289]

Best thing I did to make my blues jr nos sound better was to trade it for a USA peavey delta blues

[@col145]

Just sell it 🙃

[@2309612]

I keep buying and selling these amps…what’s wrong with me?

[@tornadoluke]

I currently own 11 blues junior amps. I'm a live musician. I sometimes have a stereo setup of 2 stock Blues Juniors. 'They say it sounds boxy' nope 'they' just don't know how to get a good sound out of an amp or have the wrong speaker fitted for their style of music. I have to agree with another viewers comment... 'None of the sounds in this video sound good or does this amp any justice. Recording issue?' I think so. And why o why do you start showing us your pedal board? That has nothing to do with the sound of the amp. You seem to be a nice guy. Well explained and good video but please make it on something else then 1 amp you have owned only 1 year and mostly not played on a stage (inside or outdoor).

[@chrispage2782]

wait, you own 11 Bjrs? as in ELEVEN? Like, one after 10? 10+1? ELEVEN??

[@tornadoluke]

@@chrispage2782 yes 11. More than 10. Most of them are different colors Tolex and have different speakers. My 14 guitars have their own amp to be combined with by looks and sound or music genre. I can so... Why not?.

[@chrispage2782]

absolutely! Why not??

[@silverwings1843]

The BJ has a Marshall Tone Stack. Rip it out and put in the classic Fender Tone Stack. Lower the Brite Cap and put it on a switch. You will have a 70s Fender Amp.

[@russellives6069]

Interesting comment, since the Marshall tone stack is a Fender tone stack. Unless of course, you take into account all the different versions both companies have offered over the past 70 years.

[@iancclark1]

@@russellives6069 It's not. The Fender is pregain, the Marshall is post.

[@mindfield9832]

It’s a Blues Jr. its strengths are to play blues tones. You know a bit dirty. In my opinion the pristine clean tones of this amp sound like shit. Just get a good dirty tone and roll back your guitar’s volume knob for a cleaner sound.

[@mrbillyjackson]

I don’t know if it’s your recording/mic setup, but there are zero good tones in this video.

[@user-ol8ln8zw7r]

Absolutely 💯awful

[@doctorskull8197]

Crap amp. Drastically underpowered. Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb is a far better option.

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

LoL. 2 totally different amps. I have the BJ and the DRTM. The BJ is not crap!!!

[@SwordAndFern-mw3ke]

It is most definitely not a crap amp, crank the bass, keep mids down do whatever with treble depending, keep the master in the higher end for most stuff and push it with volume

[@therory6888]

Thanks for the video. I changed the tubes and it made a positive difference. The stock tubes are terrible in my opinion. And not a big fan of the stock speaker in this amp. Changed the stock speaker to a Warehouse (American) speaker and it made a huge difference in a good way. My amp is a series III version.