what's the best Jazz amp?

[drewdea]

hello all,

I play an es 175 (circa 1974) and an es135 (post 2000) .. i've played and owned a bunch of different amps over the years and finally came to the realization that the amp needs to match the guitar (and the situation) .... I had an amp made for me that I consider a great blues amp. It works for jazz too but before I settle on that concept, I would love to know what do you all consider to be the best jazz amp?

thanks

[mr. beaumont]

The only way I can answer that is with what is the perfect amp for me, and that's my henriksen jazzamp and redstone speaker cabinet.

I'm willing to bet others say the same thing, that there is no "best" in general, only the "best for you"

[Joe Carlson]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

that there is no "best" in general, only the "best for you"

Yup. Although I guess the gold standard would be a Fender Twin.
For awhile it seemed like the Acoustic Image into a RE cab was top dog, then the Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight had its 15 minutes, but then the Twin bounced back. I have absolutely no data to back this up. Pure conjecture!

[BenThayer]

Originally Posted by drewdea

hello all,

I would love to know what do you all consider to be the best jazz amp?

thanks

You might check into a recent thread about the upcoming Fender George Benson Amp and our specification speculations. Lots of good input. Good Luck!

http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guita...enson-amp.html

Cheers,

Ben

[lpdeluxe]

Originally Posted by Joe Carlson

For awhile it seemed like the Acoustic Image into a RE cab was top dog, then the Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight had its 15 minutes, but then the Twin bounced back.

More than 15 minutes! I bought my Jazzmaster in '08 and it is my number one. Its obscurity is due to Fender not promoting it. If you can find one (especially with the original cabinet) check it out. A terrific amplifier, and it has two tremendous advantages over the Twin: it doesn't weigh 64 lb and you can get a great tone at lower volumes. 250w into a 12" speaker and 26 lb.

[mtierney]

There was also recently a thread that you could probably find by searching for "unconventional jazz amps" where people posted everything from PA systems, to bass amps, to half stacks. It all depends how you use it. The forum can't even unanimously say whether you should go tube or solid state, let alone give a specific amp!

I used to use an AC30. Which sounded great for jazz, set right. Now I use a Mesa Lonestar. Which sounds great for jazz, set right. Right now, that's my amp of choice for everything that I do. Sometimes I play through an old Gallien-Krueger solid state bass amp (can't remember the model, but it has a 10" speaker), which sounds great for jazz, set right. I love Twins, Blues Jrs, and I especially love Princeton Reverbs. But I'm a tube kind of guy, and those are just my choices; I bet Mr B sounds great through his Henricksen, it's just not for me. People love the Roland amps too. It depends on the sound you're going for.

[EddieLastra]

Originally Posted by drewdea

hello all,

I play an es 175 (circa 1974) and an es135 (post 2000) .. i've played and owned a bunch of different amps over the years and finally came to the realization that the amp needs to match the guitar (and the situation) .... I had an amp made for me that I consider a great blues amp. It works for jazz too but before I settle on that concept, I would love to know what do you all consider to be the best jazz amp?

thanks

My current amp over the past 4 years, very dependable and versatile for the other music styles I play:

Guitars 'n Jazz - Rivera Jazz Sumprema Jazz Amplifier

For compact quick get up&go I use a Roland Cube 60.


Other nice amps I've had in the past:
Fender Twin Reverb: the greatest workhorse amp, but too heavy for my aging body to lug around

Polytone MiniBrute: A popular solid state amp, but not too crazy about it

Evans FET500: A great sounding solid state amp, but quite heavy.

AER Compact 60 Classic: Actually was for my acoustic nylon string, but actually sounded great with my archtop. Pound for pound the best for it's compactness, lightweight, and amazing sound to come out of a 8" speaker. Would get one of these again.

Fender Twin Custom 15: Twin reverb with a single 15, one the best sounding amps I've ever had, but with the 15" Eminence speaker it weighed in at 90lbs, waaayyy too heavy

As others have mentioned, amps are a very personal and subjective thing

[jorgemg1984]

http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guita...uitar-amp.html

12 pages of fun. If you use the search function you will find much more.

There is not such a thing as a perfect amp for jazz (or for rock or blues or...) and you will get a lot of different opinions here. Some like tubes others solid state. The ones who like tubes also don't agree on Fender or Amper or Gibson or Mesa or... The ones who like soild state don't agree on Polytone or Henriksen or AI or Evans or Cubes or 80s amps... Of course you will get lots of great opinions here but nothing replaces trying out for yourself.

Even those who agree on let's say Fender won't agree on model. Those who have heads also don't agree on 1x12 or 2x12 or 1x10 or 2x10 or 1x15... It's very personal.

My personal opinion: Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight is better than most things I have tried. Of course some tube amps like a blackface Fender are just perfect for jazz and will be my next purchase. And just to prove my point I don't agree on the Blues Junior or Henriksen recommendation already done.

[jorgemg1984]

Originally Posted by EddieLastra

My current amp over the past 4 years, very dependable and versatile for the other music styles I play:

Guitars 'n Jazz - Rivera Jazz Sumprema Jazz Amplifier

Eddie how do you compare this EL34 amp to the 6L6 Twin? Do you use with archtops? I am curious about it.

[EddieLastra]

Originally Posted by jorgemg1984

Eddie how do you compare this EL34 amp to the 6L6 Twin? Do you use with archtops? I am curious about it.

Yes, I've played archtops through both the Rivera and Fender. I think the tone qualities that come out of the Rivera are more "complex" but has more to do with it's engineering than the type of tubes it is using. Forgot to mention I've also had the Rivera "Quiana" w/ single 12" which has 6L6's like the Fender Twin. I thought of it as a Fender Twin on steroids, but overall I still go with the Suprema 15 as it sounds great with any of my guitars.

As I mentioned, I think the Twin Reverb is an all around proven workhouse, can't go wrong with it, it's just way too heavy for me to lug around.

[mr. beaumont]

Maybe someday I'll have a big enough name to get anything out of a twin.

For the gigs I get, turn the twin up to where it sounds good and I'm not getting asked back!

[NSJ]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Maybe someday I'll have a big enough name to get anything out of a twin.

For the gigs I get, turn the twin up to where it sounds good and I'm not getting asked back!

I remember you extolling the virtues of lugging a guitar and amp over the shoulders, hands-free, and walking to the L. I can still do it with the Henriksen Convertible, amp bag, guitar and gig bag, although I can't really walk that fast and have to mind the balance.

[MikeJ]

I mostly now use a Phil Jones Super Cub.. really impressed with the sounds from my JS.. Light and easy to carry.. Ulbrik tube amp now sits quietly in the corner.

cheers

Mike

[whiskey02]

Originally Posted by lpdeluxe

More than 15 minutes! I bought my Jazzmaster in '08 and it is my number one. Its obscurity is due to Fender not promoting it. If you can find one (especially with the original cabinet) check it out. A terrific amplifier, and it has two tremendous advantages over the Twin: it doesn't weigh 64 lb and you can get a great tone at lower volumes. 250w into a 12" speaker and 26 lb.

Interesting that you'd have a fan in your music room. I find even a ceiling fan on low just disturbs the air too much, makes tuning difficult, makes some chords sound funky. Perhaps it has something to do with my ever present tinnitus, but no matter, I can't tolerate a fan when I'm playing.
So tell us about the tones you get with the mini buckers on the Deluxe. Man, those old LP deluxes are going for $4500 - $5500!

[mattymel]

"the best jazz amp"...i guess that would be the one thats not too heavy and makes you sound like you and ____.

for me its some variation of a PR, just not the RI.

[Insufferable_Rhythm]

Any modifications from the original circuit on your Headstrong?

[Silentwiz]

AI and Redstone. Done.

[lpdeluxe]

Originally Posted by whiskey02

Interesting that you'd have a fan in your music room. I find even a ceiling fan on low just disturbs the air too much, makes tuning difficult, makes some chords sound funky. Perhaps it has something to do with my ever present tinnitus, but no matter, I can't tolerate a fan when I'm playing

As a matter of fact, that was my office in the middle of summer, not my music room, which is dark paneled and harder to get clear photos of gear in.

And that was a very sweet sounding LPD. It is now gone, sold to fund a Mesa/Boogie bass amp, and replaced with a 335. Your presumed selling prices are highly optimistic: sellers may be asking them, but I don't think anyone's getting any where near those figures.

Had Lester not been a boat anchor, he'd still be around.

[Pat Clare]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

The only way I can answer that is with what is the perfect amp for me, and that's my henriksen jazzamp and redstone speaker cabinet.

I'm willing to bet others say the same thing, that there is no "best" in general, only the "best for you"

Is the henriksen a combo with the redstone as and extension,
or are you just using a henriksen head?

[Joe Carlson]

Originally Posted by lpdeluxe

More than 15 minutes! I bought my Jazzmaster in '08 and it is my number one. Its obscurity is due to Fender not promoting it. If you can find one (especially with the original cabinet) check it out. A terrific amplifier, and it has two tremendous advantages over the Twin: it doesn't weigh 64 lb and you can get a great tone at lower volumes. 250w into a 12" speaker and 26 lb.

Oh yeah! Don't ge me wrong about the Jazzmaster. I have one and use it all the time for smaller gigs. Great amp, just kinda low profile. I also have a Twin, and when the room allows, that is always my first choice. Yeah, a Twin is heavy, but you only have to move it once, you have to play the thing all night.
Regards,
Joe

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by Pat Clare

Is the henriksen a combo with the redstone as and extension,
or are you just using a henriksen head?

It's a henriksen head and redstone rs-8 cab. Great natural sound...

[drewdea]

Thanks all .... even though the responses vary greatly, this really helps ...

for the record I had more that a few polytones and they didn't have the presence I wanted although listening back to recordings, it has it's sound. I just sold my Fender twin custom 15, yes very heavy but also the sound lacked some life. Also had a mesa boogie mk3 .. never could get the right sound from it. I was lent a hot rod deluxe which I put a marshall tube pre-amp in the front end and that worked pretty well but not quite there. I have a blues junior, that sounds pretty good actually but pales in comparison to the hot rod deluxe. Currently I'm using a custom amp built for me by Ray Latvala that is based on a 59 Bassman but with verb. I'll try evans, Jazz cat (though no one has mentioned that so far), Cube 60, and some of the others mentioned above. So far though the Latvala amp (although it's my blues amp) is at the top.

-Drew

[Pat Clare]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

It's a henriksen head and redstone rs-8 cab. Great natural sound...

I have a henriksen combo, and was wondering how it would sound with an extension speaker.

[kris]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

It's a henriksen head and redstone rs-8 cab. Great natural sound...

nice compact set!!!

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by Pat Clare

I have a henriksen combo, and was wondering how it would sound with an extension speaker.

I'm guessing great...but then, I might consider a henriksen extension cab too...

Originally Posted by kris

nice compact set!!!

Indeed! That was my plan.

[mattymel]

Originally Posted by Insufferable_Rhythm

Any modifications from the original circuit on your Headstrong?

i did have somebody tweak the reverb a bit as it was a little too prevalent for me. but otherwise no. though i still wish i had a real deal BF PR.

[AlohaJoe]

I got very lucky and landed a '65 Fender Princeton Reverb and I love it (the 'silverface' PRs sound great too and are less expensive). If I need more oomph I'll mike it or take an ext cab w a 12". Sometimes I'll haul an old 150w Poly instead, depending on the venue. If gear was stolen I'd miss the Polytone but it's more readily replaceable than the PR.

[NSJ]

Anyone ever A/B a Henriksen with an Acoustic Image??

How do you compare the 2? I've heard that the AI is less "colored", more flat, perhaps better for fully carved acoustic guitars?

I'm approaching the point where I'll have more amps than guitars! Go figure. I've kept all my amps (Polytone, Fender Twin, Henriksen, Lunch Box, Phil Jones Cub). I was thinking of adding or trading for a AI head--it should work with a Henriksen cab.

[jorgemg1984]

Originally Posted by Joe Carlson

Oh yeah! Don't ge me wrong about the Jazzmaster. I have one and use it all the time for smaller gigs. Great amp, just kinda low profile. I also have a Twin, and when the room allows, that is always my first choice. Yeah, a Twin is heavy, but you only have to move it once, you have to play the thing all night.
Regards,
Joe

Try the jazzmaster ultralight with a large open.back 2x12 at 4 ohms. I actually love the stock cabinet but this might surprise you.

[jorgemg1984]

Originally Posted by Pat Clare

I have a henriksen combo, and was wondering how it would sound with an extension speaker.

I had one with an EV - much better than the stock speaker. I know a guy that has a Tornado in one and loves it.