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Post your EQ settings.
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11-26-2025 03:32 PM
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A couple of reactions.
I returned a Blu. I didn't find it muted, though. Rather, it seemed icy or brittle, and no amount of fiddling made it sound warmer.
Like you, and unlike some fans of the Bud/Blu, I play a semi, not an archtop. I will be surprised, though, if we don't hear from semi or solid players who love the Bud/Blu.
I am aware that players I admire love the Bud/Blu. I didn't.
Also, like you, I tried the Bose S1. It can sound awesome (for guitar and vocals) but it can also sound boomy in the bass. Unfortunately, the EQ on the S1 is two bands, with the higher one centered at 7500hz, which meant neither my wife nor I could hear any difference between min and max. There are also a great many presets which are not documented and I didn't find useful.
I'd always heard that a PA which is good for vocals would not be good for guitar. So, I wondered, how could the Bud do both? I thought it was probably the 5 band EQ. Maybe the absence of impedance match issues when you plug a guitar right into the board?
I ended up with a JBL Eon One Compact. It has 6 band EQ on each channel and 8 band on the Master. Reverb, chorus and delay, hi Z input etc. On-board mixer. Works great for my applications which are guitar, voice or both. I almost always play with a Boss ME70 in front of it. Impedance/signal-level match may not be perfect, but sounds fine to me.
One view is that guitar amps include complex overtones which make guitar sound better. If that's true of the Bud/Blu, it's curious (to me, anyway) why the Bud/Blu doesn't make vocals worse. Maybe it does and people are giving it a break, given that it's small, light and pretty powerful.
All in all, I ended up using a powered speaker to do a guitar amp's job. I get my sound and I'm happy with the size, weight (17lbs) versatility and price.
Good luck with the search.
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That's it in a nutshell. I bought this amp specifically for gigging in a combo with piano and horns - and it just keeps sounding better as time goes by and the speaker is getting some mileage on it. I was convinced I'd be using the Black (Deluxe Reverb) channel before I bought the amp. But I found that the tones I want for my ES175 and AR480 live in the Tweed channel. On the other hand, Sadowsky FV sounds richer and warmer in the practice room through the Black channel. I don't know why Q didn't use a toggle switch as they have done on their amp heads. Picking the slot and plugging into it is no big deal.
Originally Posted by Tal_175
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It's hard to know how someone else's vocabulary applied to descriptions of sound matches up against someone else's. I am having difficulty reconciling the word "muted" associated with any thing coming out of a Henriksen amp regardless of pickup. Even with the tweeter off.
I can only associate "muted" with defective for that amp. You could return it, having Henriksen test it and verify it's either in proper working order, or it's not and it gets replaced. Now, if "muted" means something else from what it communicates to me, then a richer description of the sonic disappointment and knowing the EQ settings that get closest to what you want, could be useful here.
Phil
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I did 2 things. I turned the volume to the max on the guitar as previously suggested and I used your setting only with the addition of turning the tone knob down from the max to about a 7 or an 8. These adjustments made a big difference. The output no longer feels muffled. It is a "thicker" sound than I get from my Bose PA but they both sound good so far. I will have stop playing for awhile then come back and try it again an hour or so later and do that a few times just to confirm the change is real (which I suspect it will be) so thanks for taking the time to give me those settings. A yellow sticky note is now part of the amp Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
I do love a little chorus so any chorus pedal recommendation would be appreciated.
This is a great forum. I am a criminal defense lawyer by the way. I played a lot of guitar prior to law school but after graduation spent the next 35 years building my practice and barely touched my acoustic guitar so the vast majority of you all are way way way above me in knowledge and skill which is why I post questions here from time to time. What I do is get sheet music for songs I want to play chord melodies to and create very simple CMs using the chords and figuring what inversions to use to keep those melody notes on top. It can be quite time consuming but I enjoy the challenge and have a great sense of satisfaction when I am done. Fly Me to the Moon, Besa Mucho. Michelle, Autumn Leaves, Blue Skies are a few examples of songs I have done this to.
So thanks again to all who responded.
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Good luck, John! We face the embarrassment of riches problem. 50 years ago there were about three main amp makers, which each had a half dozen models, and you could go to a music store and try some or most of them. Now there's well over 500 (maybe 5000) amp makers and thousands upon thousands of models, music stores are fewer and they tend to stock lower end amps that they can realistically sell quickly. Not $1000+ amps with a small, small market like amps for jazz.
So we buy amps by mail order based on word of mouth and YouTube videos instead of basing the purchase on our ears. Many of us are old and want a 10 pound amp that sounds like an 80 pound amp, not an 80 pound amp that sounds like an 80 pound amp. The reality of the world marketplace today.
The Henriksens are well-regarded amps and I suspect there's a tone in there somewhere. The EQ control is not the traditional treble-bass or treble-mids-bass and, I have read, has a learning curve. I've never played through one. The maker is reputed to be helpful over the phone.
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There are lots of choices out there, and probably lots of opinions. I have a basic chorus pedal (Boss CH-1) that I use occasionally to change textures when using a looper to back up a vocalist. It was relatively inexpensive and easy to dial in, and adequate for how I use it. Originally Posted by John H. Power
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I have two Blu-10s that I play in stereo. I have also had email exchanges with Mr. Henriksen who is the son of the original Mr. Henriksen. I think the original may have passed on. And I can’t remember their first names. The son was great to deal with. He took my old Henriksen Jazz Amp as a trade-in for one of the Blus. At the time he would take old Polytones as trade-ins as well. One thing to be cognizant of is that, even though these are solid state amps, they can take a few minutes to settle into their sound. Might just be the speaker, but I feel that they open up after 15-20 minutes, or so. Originally Posted by Cunamara
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TBH, i'm not surprised - you go from a really cool amp with a speaker well suited for Jazz (Cannabis Rex), if the internets are to be believed, to a solid state thingie....
I think u just miss the sound of a tube amp so going back to a Princeton or a Champ might be the way to go. Recently I have had access to quite a varied number of solid state and modeling amps and every time I get back home and plug into my lowly Princeton, there's nothing like it. SS and digital are clean, clinical and precise, but they lack a bit of magic that for me - and maybe u as well based on your comments? - can only be found in a tube amp: there is a warmth, a depth and a rawness to the sound that makes everything sound more alive. And the way a tube amp responds to the playing dynamics, letting you go from clean to a touch of grit just doesn't feel the same on an SS amp.
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Having given up a small trove of Mesa and Fender tube amps, led by the inimitable Mesa Blue Angel, I agree all of this is true. A lot of Henriksen and Quilter amps are sold to people who are no longer willing to heave their heavier tube amps around, or no longer have the space for them, domestically. And then there are the buyers for whom a Bud or Blue is not a second or fallback choice, but exactly the sound they want. Originally Posted by jazzloverfat
There's this to consider:
Just a moment...
Jax also makes a 15W head, and a 5W version of the above. Bring your own pedal EQ.
Phil
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If you have a brighter sounding guitar, try using that to test the tweeter. Or maybe plug in some music from your phone. However, boosting the upper eq’s, you should be able to get a pretty bright sound even without the tweeter.
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Personally, I never understood the whole buzz about Henriksen amps around here - had two of them, no longer have any. It was really hard to make them sound good.
Some versions of the Classic 57 can also be too dark, maybe that's part of the problem? There are certainly PAFs with better clarity out there.
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Not sure I agree. I have a Class D solid state amp (AI Clarus) and several Fender tube amps (most vintage). When I bought my AI Clarus I also listened to a Henriksen and didn't think there was any comparison. The tone on my AI is rich and full when I use it with humbuckers. Lots of jazz players have used AI amps - including Pat Martino, so he evidently didn't have a problem with solid state per se. My AI through a Raezer Stealth 10 sounds fuller than my early silver Champ. AI is no longer in business, unfortunately. Originally Posted by jazzloverfat
The AI is my main gigging amp, and I occasionally need to use a single coil guitar with it. Single coils (at least mine) can sound a bit thin through it. Depending on the circumstances, I sometimes use a tube preamp pedal (sometimes with slight compression) or a Quilter Superblock (US) to get tone closer to a fender blackface. I don't know if I'd keep the Henriksen, but if you do perhaps a preamp pedal or Superblock could warm it up a bit.
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I agree with previous posts that the Blu/Bud 6 must be elevated off the ground to sound good. Put it on a foot stool and you will hear a big difference.
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it does sound like the wrong tool by your own words. Originally Posted by John H. Power
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A late friend of mine and the forum passed away about 6 months ago. He too bought a Blu 6 and did not like it. So, he brought it over to my house to evaluate. We both had our trusty Hollenbeck's with a floating JS pickup to give it a try. To be honest it was fine I did not dislike it, but it was not something I would go all out and say was great. The great thing about it was the very small size and weight along with power. That at my age and current situation means as much as anything. I am not ever dragging a Fender Twin. Originally Posted by MarkL
However, to me in comparison to my Acoustic Image Clarus r2 with twin 8 custom cabs made by Rich himself, it simply could not produce the sound. My AI with the RE set up had way more depth and width in sound. In fact I have thought about getting a Blu 6 but this little comparison made all the difference. We tried different settings and such but never could come up with a sound that was anything other than certainly ok. These are Class D amps and maybe out at a gig that would make the different. I am not opposed to buying one sometime but the original poster may have had the same reaction depending on what he had been using. I say send it back.
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I like my Bud, I think it’s very versatile, especially if you have a preamp in front. But it could never be my main amp, over Quilter, Genzler, and RE. I use it strictly for convenience, when I want very small and light. It actually just fits right into my larger gig bag. Also, my wife loves “borrowing” it for her electric violin, because she doesn’t need a whole lot of big bottom sound, and it’s very loud and clear if you don’t need that much bass.
Last edited by Woody Sound; 11-27-2025 at 05:14 PM.
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A common belief, but the Quilter 101R I tried a while back with a Toob speaker felt just like my Fender tube amps (tweed Deluxe and Pro Reverb) and sounded close enough to tubes that it wouldn't be noticeable to anyone who wasn't looking. Not loud enough at 50W, so I replaced it with a DV Mark Raw Dawg EG 250, which has a 6205 preamp tube; also feels like a tube amp and sounds great. SS amps aren't what they were in the 60s-80s. All that said, I've never tried the Henriksen. Originally Posted by jazzloverfat
They're just different tools. Dismissing one out of hand is like dismissing metric wrenches from your toolbox. At some times I like my Deluxe, at others I like my EG250/Toob Metro BG+. Both sound great and I sound like me with either (unfortunately I don't ever seem to sound like someone good, I always just sound like me).
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I know that various players love both the Bud and the AI/Razor combination.
But, if I understand the specs, the Bud is around 13 lbs and the AI/Razor combination is going to be around 27 lbs. Is that right? Maybe there's a lighter cabinet?
If I've got the weights about right, these are not comparable units. The weight difference is too large for that, IMO.
I think that some of the Bud-comparables are probably in the small/tiny powered speaker world. JBL, Bose, EV, Mackie, Fishman and others have similar units in their product lines. Arguably, they aren't true comparables to the Bud, because the Bud is a lot more money.
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Can't compare a 2 speaker cabinet/amp with any 1 speaker cab. The interaction between the 2 speakers add a richness you can't get with 1 speaker. That's why I haven't gotten rid of my old Pro Reverb, even though I hardly ever use it and can't even pick it up any more without risk of injury. Those 2x12s (JBLs) have a multidimensional thing. Originally Posted by deacon Mark
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I have plenty of wind from miles riding the bike (although not outside any more retired to indoors). but I have not much brute strength. Right now, bring my guitars up and down the 14 steps to the second story are all I can handle. Interesting the post that say the Blu lacks the bottom end. What you said is true about the AI but my set up is really light, not feather light like the Blu 6 but manageable. Originally Posted by Cunamara
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Just a moment...
I have one for a number of years,and have never been happier! Try and find a better priced one if you can.
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Ain't it the truth. Originally Posted by Cunamara
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Given the lower limits to standard tuning guitar, Bud and Blu 6 don't seem bass-deficient to me. But if you want more bottom-end or more low-end warmth or emphasis from your Bud/Blu 6, just sell it and get a Bud/Blu 10. The 10" speaker has the Henriksen/Beta driver tone, but with clearly additional low-end presence, independent of EQ. And the amp is still compact & lightweight. Originally Posted by deacon Mark
Phil
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Man, for the longest time I've been wishing for a Bud 8. Originally Posted by 213Cobra
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