Henriksen Bud 6 for solo fingerstyle jazz (or something else)

[Johnpiazza]

My favorite amp for solo fingerstyle is my 2006 10" Henriksen JazzAmp. A used one of these might be a more affordable alternative to a new unit. That said, I have a LJ that I got used from Guitar Center for $199, and it does 90% of what I want/need, it's portable, reliable, and I don't have to be careful with it. I'm a teacher, and I keep it in my classroom. So if you find a used LJ, there is no downside to getting one. You might find it is perfectly adequate, and if not, you can keep it as a backup, or in another location where you play regularly.

[KRosser]

For many years I played my old 62 Strat and a Fender Twin, just the standard picking and strumming with bands and by myself. After marriage, kids, high stress jobs I kind of quit playing and gave my adult son my Strat and my Twin (he loves them both.) I have now retired, and I am taking up solo fingerstyle jazz playing (have to retrain these old fingers!) and have a nice archtop electric and I bought a Boss Katana MKII amp. I have found that I do more futizing around with all the modeling on it, trying to find the right tones to load into it to get that solo fingerstyle jazz sound I want, than I do playing.


I want to sell this Katana MKII and get an amp that is really designed for the kind of music I want to play without having to search a gazillion tones online to try (and try to remember how to use the software to use them.) I've been looking at reviews and I am not sure what to get. I see great reviews of the Henrickson Bud 6, and I like the size, and I'm not afraid to spend the money on it (or the Blu, not sure I need two channels, never used a second channel.) I don't anticipate playing in huge arenas, etc. - any public performances are very likely to be small venues.


I'd appreciate suggestions from all of you. Is the Henrickson Bud 6 or Blu 6 the obvious way to go or are there other options I should consider?

(Oh, also I noticed some amps like the Bud 6 have XLR inputs, which I've never seen on an amp before; is there a brand or style of XLR to 1/4 phono cables best for this?)


Thanks!

Solo jazz gigs are my favorite application for my Bud 6. I also do a lot of chamber music using electric guitars or classical with a pickup and it's perfect for those. It sits with acoustic ensembles nicely and has no discernible operational noise. I like having the two channels because I can bring both electric and acoustic, or hollow and solid body, and have each channel dialed in specifically for each guitar. The XLR inputs are great for using a mic.

I have tried many of the other amps mentioned here, this is my favorite but definitely check out everyone else's suggestions. What a boring world this would be if we all liked the same things.

[jazzgtrl4]

And..better than the bud 6 and bud 10, which i own and use mostly...The Forte! ya its bigger, (deluxe reverb size) and heavier but it sounds huge, warm, great. glad i have one.

[andreshum]

i have bud 6, and Little Jazz, Polytone Baby Brute, Quilter TB202 w BD10 cab and some other bigger amps dedicated for jazz. I would say the first 3 amps I mentioned are in the same ballpark of acoustic amps.

I bought the LJ first. Then bought the bud 6 as an upgrade with high hope. Tried it briefly in store. But it ended up sitting in the corner, haven’t been touched for over a year or so. I don’t mean it’s bad, or I would have sold it. It’s not better or worse than the LJ, they are just different. As others have mentioned, the bud offers more possibilities, has its own sound, more power, more feedback resistant, the smallest gig-able amp I have. But it lacks the bottom end the larger LJ can offer (some might argues less boomy is an edge for bigger archtop), doesn’t go well with my Tele (not a perfect match w LJ either but slightly better). I keep the bud mainly for gigging.

The LJ on the other hand is an one-trick pony. It’s simple, warmer, sounds good right out of the box, can take pedals, a lot cheaper. It could be underpowered for bigger gig though. I use it as my bed side amp.

The reason I don’t use either of them as my main amp at home is because I’m more into Fender style tone. But then that’s probably different from OP’s liking.

As other members have mentioned, AER amps probably worth trying. But I have no experience with them.

[jazzloverfat]

Bit of a side-question, but in your opinion, what would pair well with a 68 Princeton Reverb for either a stereo or wet-dry solution? Looking at a 57 Champ, a 65 Princeton and even a 68 Deluxe Reverb. Would the Little Jazz work or would it be underpowered in terms of volume and headroom?