Henriksen Bud 6 or AER Compact 60/4 for archtop & vocals

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

It……gives me something special to look forward to and to help motivate me during the 3-4 months of P/T I'll soon be facing to recover from last week's surgery.

You might consider deferring your decision until you’re more fully recovered and rehabbed. Once you and your doctor know your likely abilities and limitations, you may find that a few more pounds don’t matter and you have a wider choice.

OTOH, in the unfortunate event that you’re more limited than you hoped, a 7 pound Toob Metro / BAM200 “combo” may be the best and safest choice to minimize a recurrence of the problem that required surgery. Next up the weight ladder is an 11 pound Blu 6, then a 12 pound Bud. Even that last pound could be uncomfortable for you.

Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. It sounds like you won’t be gigging for a while, so I’d wait a bit and see how you are. We all wish you a quick and complete recovery!

[shekie]

You might consider deferring your decision until you’re more fully recovered and rehabbed. Once you and your doctor know your likely abilities and limitations, you may find that a few more pounds don’t matter and you have a wider choice.

OTOH, in the unfortunate event that you’re more limited than you hoped, a 7 pound Toob Metro / BAM200 “combo” may be the best and safest choice to minimize a recurrence of the problem that required surgery. Next up the weight ladder is an 11 pound Blu 6, then a 12 pound Bud. Even that last pound could be uncomfortable for you.

Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. It sounds like you won’t be gigging for a while, so I’d wait a bit and see how you are. We all wish you a quick and complete recovery!

Thank you for your suggestions and good wishes! My Pete Townsend windmill days may be over but I'm hopeful I'll be able to stumble through "God Bless The Child" by New Years.

[rpjazzguitar]

It was a combination of weight (4-5 lbs. heavier than the Bud 6) and the "not voiced for jazz" sound. I found it a bit too bright unless I significantly reduced the treble. It did sound good on acoustic guitar and vocals but less so on the hollow body. I also tried out a Bose S1 pro+ but could not get their Connect App to work on my 2023 iPad and found the bass somewhat muddy, so it got returned. I've also never seen or heard a Toob product although they are certainly well liked on this forum.

I think the Bud 6 is a significant step up sound wise from the Bose and EV speakers I've tried, based on the video demos I've listened to. It will provide the flexibility I seek, as a home and rehearsal practice amp for both hollow body and vocals, as a small, light, all-in-one solution for solo gigs, and by adding a small mixer, as a small, light, easy to set up and operate system for a duo.

The only downside, it is considerably more expensive than the Bose/Electro Voice/JBL/Fishman LB speaker options, but right in line with the AER Compact 60/4 pricing. It's an early retirement gift (from me......to me) and gives me something special to look forward to and to help motivate me during the 3-4 months of P/T I'll soon be facing to recover from last week's surgery.

Good luck with your recovery. And thanks for explaining your take on the Bose and EV.

I was able to get the Connect app working on my android phone without difficulty. And, the Bose S1 sounded good in some situations. My issue was that when it didn't sound good it was hard to adjust. Two band EQ and dozens of undocumented presets.

So, for example, there's a 335 setting. Is that Larry Carleton or BB King? And, if it didn't seem to be working in a given room, there was no way to know what to try next. A call to Bose didn't help.

I've still never heard a Bud or Blu in person, but they certainly have gotten raves from people I trust.