My Review Of The Henriksen Bud

[EastwoodMike]

I suspect they are identical. Theoretically with eqs both set neutral, what difference is there?

[El Jazzbo Lobo]

Right, but who sets their EQ flat? I play teles and mostly play jazz, so my lows and mids are turned up more and my highs are down a bit.

[213Cobra]

So based on the above observations, does the Blu or the Bud tend to be the brighter amp?

Same drivers and cabinet architecture. Same pwr amp. Electrically-same preamp with slightly different tone stacks. Both have the tweeter switchable. So set EQ flat on both and they sound the same. If you are a player looking for a specific tone outcome via EQ, you'd get to your objective with somewhat different tone control settings on each amp.

Phil

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Right, but who sets their EQ flat?

I do. I love the jazz tone I get from my Blu 6 with EQ flat. It lets each of my guitars sound like itself, with a beautiful balance across the entire frequency spectrum.. I turn the tweeter on for my carved archtops and for fusion or blues gigs. It's off for my laminated boxes, and I think I get a smoother "woman tone" from it with the tweeter off (using my Zendrive clone pedal). I also turn it off when I want a thunkier old school tone. Any tweaking I do is no more than a small arc of a turn of the tone pot on the guitar.

[El Jazzbo Lobo]

I wish that worked for me. Most of my teles (including the one with the neck-only humbucker) and my jazzmaster require some EQ tweaking to get to a warm tone with balanced frequencies and still some clarity. They are just too bright.

[Tom Karol]

Bud EQ points: 80Hz, 420Hz, 1.6kHz, 3.5kHz, 7.2kHz;
plus input gain controls on each channel, an 1/8" aux input on Channel 1, and a bright switch on Channel 2.
Blu EQ points: 100Hz, 350Hz, 760Hz, 1.6kHz, 3.5kHz.

The way I see it, the single-channel Blu has EQ points set up for electric guitars with magnetic pickups, while the dual-channel Bud has EQ points designed to be usable with a wide variety of electric and acoustic-electric instruments as well as microphones.

The Bud 6 may not be the absolute best sounding amp I've ever owned, but it certainly is the most versatile. Also, its sound can be dramatically enhanced by adding an extension speaker.

[Woody Sound]

[213Cobra]

And.....yet another "reviewer" who fails to point out the EQ centerpoint differences, instead saying "...the EQs are the same..."

Phil

[george4908]

I've played the smaller Blu with an archtop and was fairly amazed at how good it sounded. My question is, does anyone have any experience with this amp (or the larger Blu) with an amplified nylon string guitar?

I have a Fender Acoustic Jr. (which I A/B'ed against the similarly sized Fishman Loudbox Mini and thought the Fender sounded better), but I'm constantly fiddling with it in an attempt to dial out the piezo plinkiness. Sometimes I think I've nailed it, other times not so much. For the record, the guitar is a Cordoba Stage, a thin-body classical with both piezo and internal mic pickup.

Any other recommendations for a small amp that can handle an archtop and a nylon are welcome. Thanks.

[Dave70]

I have the AER Compact 60/4 TE. It sounds great with my Cordoba studo negra and my Guild archtop, I've gigged with both using that amp.

[Tom Karol]

Any other recommendations for a small amp that can handle an archtop and a nylon are welcome. Thanks.

In that case, you probably want to look at the Bud, not the Blu.

[Woody Sound]

I've played the smaller Blu with an archtop and was fairly amazed at how good it sounded. My question is, does anyone have any experience with this amp (or the larger Blu) with an amplified nylon string guitar?

I do. It (Bud 6) sounds excellent with my nylons. But you definitely have to have the tweeter on and adjust the eq accordingly.

[Stringswinger]

Of all the small amps out there, I think the Henriksen Bud 6 is the best choice if you want to play archtops, nylon string, solid bodies, Gypsy guitars and flattops all using one amp. The Bud 6 can do an excellent job with all of the guitars that I mentioned, better IMO, than any AER (I have owned many AER amps in the past), better than the 10 inch Henriksens (which can be a bit "boomy" with acoustic guitars) and better than the Henriksen Blu series (which do not have EQ settings as good as the Bud series for all applications).

That said, if you are after a Fender Blackface tube amp sound, the Henriksen will not get you there.

[jazzgtrl4]

Of all the small amps out there, I think the Henriksen Bud 6 is the best choice if you want to play archtops, nylon string, solid bodies, Gypsy guitars and flattops all using one amp. The Bud 6 can do an excellent job with all of the guitars that I mentioned, better IMO, than any AER (I have owned many AER amps in the past), better than the 10 inch Henriksens (which can be a bit "boomy" with acoustic guitars) and better than the Henriksen Blu series (which do not have EQ settings as good as the Bud series for all applications).

That said, if you are after a Fender Blackface tube amp sound, the Henriksen will not get you there.

Don't forget upright bass!!! lol. just did two duo gigs with an upright bass player and he plugged into the second channel. He was blown away. could only imagine if i brought my Bud 10.

[dconeill]

... That said, if you are after a Fender Blackface tube amp sound, the Henriksen will not get you there.

That's a true statement with the Henriksen by itself. However, IMO a Bud/Blu with a Tech21NYC Blonde, Joyo American Sound, TC Electronic Combo Deluxe '65, or other Fender emulator in front, set appropriately, will get you close. Certainly close enough for me, anyway.

[Little Jay]

I am bringing my Blu 6 to the weekly jazz jam (I am in the house band) and all the other guitar players are enthusiastic about it. It has plenty of volume with drums, piano and upright (piano and upright are amplified).

I do like to have some more Fendery sounds sometimes and then I put my Quilter SuperBlock US in front of it. (I used to do it with my Joyo American Sound but that needs to have the switch repaired).

[coyote-1]

Here’s a vid comparing Buds 6, 10, 12.

Right off the bat I hear the difference, and were I to go for a Bud it would be the 12. It just suits what’s in my head as a jazz guitar sound.

[GuyBoden]

The sound of the bigger Bud is very good.

The bigger the speaker the bigger the sound. This is how it seems to my ears at least.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

The sound of the bigger Bud is very good.The bigger the speaker the bigger the sound. This is how it seems to my ears at least.

I think the 12 sounds a little dull and muddy compared to the 6 and 10. My first thought was that the tweeter was off on the 12 but not on the other two.

I’d like to hear the comparison on chord melody and comping. I’ve had my Blu 6 for about 3 years and wonder at times if I’d get more mileage from a Bud 10. Right now, I use a BAM200 through a Toob Metro FRFR as my PA system, with my ART tube preamp up front. If the guitar tone would be a hair bigger but just as tight, and it would sound as good with a vocal mic in the second channel, a Bud 10 would free me from carrying the second system while enhancing my tone in a way I'd like. But the only way for me to compare them is to buy a Bud 10 too - and I don’t want to invest the price of a Bud 10 in an experiment with little return. I love the Blu.

FWIW, the synthesized “horn section” sounds so cheesy that it negates the value of that comparison. With great synthesized and sampled horns so readily available, there’s no reason to use that glorified kazoo.

[coyote-1]

I think the 12 sounds a little dull and muddy compared to the 6 and 10. My first thought was that the tweeter was off on the 12 but not on the other two.

He says the settings are identical on all three. I’m imagining that he’s got the controls flat, and that if desired the treble knob on the 12 could be nudged up slightly to make up the difference.

But you’ll never be able to boost the bass on the 6 to make up for the shortfall in lows on the small speaker. A 6” diameter cone has @ 29 square inches of surface area; a 12” has over 108 square inches.

[george4908]

The bigger the speaker the bigger the sound. This is how it seems to my ears at least.

Also, the larger cabinet goes a long way in this regard. Years ago I was going to buy a Tone King Imperial — 20 watts w/12” speaker — for its great sound in a small package. At the shop, I was able to A/B it against the Tone King Continental with the same 12” speaker and the power set to the same 20 watts. Literally the only difference was the somewhat larger cabinet of the Continental.

The difference was marked — the Continental just sounded bigger, fuller, more bass. So despite the larger size and cost (and slight weight penalty) I couldn’t buy the Imperial knowing the Continental was sitting there with the better sound. That was my main amp for 30 years.

[Tom Karol]

I've owned a Jazz Amp 112, a Jazz Amp 110, and a Bud 6 (Gen 2 I think). I now just have the Bud 6 but with a couple of extension cabinets to choose from if the context demands it.

Here's my assessment:

1. The 112 was absolutely glorious - grand piano bass and fat juicy high end - produced the perfect-to-me jazz tone with my archtop. And with the right pedal(s) and a semi-hollow, it was a 'Twin-killer' for rock/pop too; I never had to turn the volume past 11 O'clock. I even used it with great success on a rare bass gig. But ultimately, it was too bulky and heavy for my requirements. (It was only 35 lbs. in its loaded gig bag, but I'm 77 now.)
2. I liked the 112 so much that I bought a used 110 from a friend as well, but I never bonded with it. There was something about the 10" speaker (I tried a few) in a too-small cabinet. The bass was not nearly as distinct and the mid-range was too prominent, no matter how I set the EQ. I didn't keep it very long. (Note: The Bud 10 does seem to employ a larger cabinet.)
   
3. I bought a Bud 6 to supplement the 112, but once I acquired the extension cabs the Bud 6 proved to be all I'd ever need and I sold the 112.

By the way, I'm now working on a guitar-guitar duo with vocals. He uses a Roland Street Cube for his electric nylon guitar, I use my DV Mark Little Jazz for my jazz guitar, and we use both channels of the Bud 6 for vocals!

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

But you’ll never be able to boost the bass on the 6 to make up for the shortfall in lows on the small speaker. A 6” diameter cone has @ 29 square inches of surface area; a 12” has over 108 square inches.

Cone diameter is only one of several factors affecting bass response. The main determinant of bass “weight” is the volume of air it moves. This is determined largely by cone diameter, voice coil excursion (“throw”), the speed and efficiency of voice coil response to the signal, and speaker damping.

Cone weight and stiffness affect how accurately it follows signal ups, downs, and transitions, which is a major determinant of the speaker’s harmonic distortion from mechanical factors. The less accurately it follows peaks, the less prominent the fundamental is in relation to the distortion products. This weakens perceived bass.

A long throw 6 with excellent suspension, an optimally designed voice coil, and an optimally damped environment (cab, porting / venting, well matched total Q etc) driven by a well matched amp (output impedance / damping factor etc) can move as much air as an average 10” or 12” cab and sound as good down to its mechanical limits.

Remember that the lowest note on a standard tune 6 string guitar is 82 Hz. This is not deep bass, and it’s well within the capabilities of a good 6 in a good cab. For me, the Blu 6 is quite accurate at the bottom. Its bass is tight and clean, like that from my guitars (all 7s BTW) but louder. The “bigger bass” (from the 10 to some degree and the 12 to a greater degree) is a boost, not an extension. The lowest frequency is still 82 for a 6 and 55 for my low A. The 10 and 12 will let you make the low bass louder compared to the rest of the spectrum - but it doesn’t stay as clean and tight because the 2nd harmonic (an octave above the fundamental) is also being boosted.

[coyote-1]

if you don’t mind my asking: what archtop is it?

1. The 112 was absolutely glorious - grand piano bass and fat juicy high end - produced the perfect-to-me jazz tone with my archtop.

[Tom Karol]

It was, and still is, a stock Eastman AR403ce.
When I played it through the 112, I had Elixer Nanoweb .012-.052 coated roundwounds on it.
I've since switched to Thomastik-Infeld JS113 Jazz Swing .013-.053 Flatwounds.