Ugly Guitar Truth: Fender Blues Jr Mk IV

Just ahead of NAMM Fender announced that they were updating four amps in their current line. This didn't really peak my interest until I heard that the Blues Jr. was one of those amps. I have used a Blues Jr. for many years. To me, it is almost a right of passage. This was the amp at the music store that you sampled all of your pedals through. It was the amp that you hoped to upgrade to from your cheesy starter amp. Even by many professionals, this amp is considered a valuable tool. It is the 'everyman's amp' that has the iconic Fender sound. It was, what many considered, the perfect pedal amp. Now, Fender has gone and changed that.

What They've Changed


The overall look of the amp has changed very little. I believe the backplate is now black and the knobs are white. Other than that, the two amps look identical. That is until you look at the speaker. Gone is the Eminence for favor of a Celestion A-type speaker. They've also fiddled with some things inside the amp as well. While a part for part breakdown is yet unknown, the tone-shaping and reverb are notably altered from the Mk III.


For Better or Worse

Have they improved upon a classic or messed with a good thing? Well, at this point it is a little hard to tell. They've only been available for a few days and hands on testing is limited. What I can say is that a few Key features have been changed. The spikey high end that many Fender are known to have is now rounded out. The amps presence is still there, but the high-mids that seem to rattle around in you noggin are tamed to tolerable levels. The low-end might be the measurable change though. While the Mk III was know for its defined low-end. The Mk IV has made the low-end its trademark. The Mk IV sounds much fuller when the lows are pushed. Side by side the Mk IV out shines the Mk III. Making the Mk III sound thin. The reverb is also a point of noticeable change. Despite the fact that many guitarist can conjure a sound upon hearing "Fender reverb", Fender has changed it in favor of a darker, more controlled spring.


Other Notes

While some might look at these changes as messy with a good thing, many of the changes are simply keeping up with times. Obviously, older players will still seek out that original Fender sound, but younger players desire an amp with more modern features. This line of amps is still, for the most part, a working man's amp. Pro Jr.s, Blues Jr.s, Deluxes, and Devilles, are staples of backlines and bar-stages everywhere. While I think that the Blues Jr has lost a lot of what makes it a Fender, the changes have made a little more of versatile amp.


While I wouldn't call this a Marshall-y sounding amp. Fender has made the Blues Jr more Marshall-y. Before, I would use a Blues Jr to act as the platform for my pedals. The Mk IV makes a decent sound all on its on. The breakup and overdrive/distortion are much more pleasing and usable. I can see where they might have taken bits of the Bluesbreaker amps and transplanted them into the Blues Jr. While this might make for a better overall amp, it may change the way we view and use a Blues Jr. This all sound pretty flattering, but imagine if Vox made their AC15 sound a little more like a Mesa Boogie. I know that is a dumb "what if", but what would you do if you wanted an Vox AC15 sound, but they'd changed the sound to some high-gain scooped mids nonsense. You'd have to find an older used version, right. Well, that probably our future. Our favorite pedal platform is now a thing of the past (and craigslist).