I tested some inexpensive but great sounding guitar gear on the weekend. I drove down to Calgary for the Calgary Marathon weekend, where I ran the half-marathon and placed 1st in the Master category. That was fun! My fastest half marathon in over 10 years.
After the race, I went to Axe Music, where I tried the Fender Pro Junior and the Blues Junior. I also tried a Squier Classic Vibe 50s pine tele, as well as the sunburst alder model.
My impressions - good grief, what a good sounding amp the Pro Junior (PJ) is! To me, it sounded way better than the the Blues Junior (BJ). Sure, the BJ has more options for tonal "enhancements", but the tone from the PJ is much more glassy, and dynamic. Simply, better sounding. To my ears, it's not only slightly better tone - it is MUCH better tone. Use some good pedals with the PJ, mic it up and you have a killer rig.
I have tried so many tube amps over the years, and I've never been this impressed by a low powered tube amp before. I just have to go buy one now!
The Classic Vibe 50s Telecaster is also something else. It is oozing with quality, and the TONE! Incredible, from a 300 something dollars guitar. The sunburst model DID NOT sound as good to my ears, although it was not very far off. Definitely also a great guitar, but my number one pick of the guitars I tried yesterday is hands down the Classic Vibe 50's Tele.
By Robert Renman - www.dolphinstreet.com
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