Henriksen Blu-10 demo

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 12-12-2025, 02:37 PM

Here's a quick video I just did to try out this new amp that arrived yesterday. It's a Henriksen Blue 10 guitar amp and it's quite nice right out of the box. All controls are set to flat and i just plugged in and played, so what you can hear is pretty much what it sounds like in real life- warm and clear. This amp has zero self-noise. I mean, not ever the slightest hiss or hum that would tell you it was even turned on (trust me- this is very rare). Any, have a listen and happy Xmas to you and yinz! Oh, and what do YOU think?

**Gitterbug** · 12-12-2025, 03:56 PM

Works! Super playing as always. A little less echo (whether from amp or the room) would suffice in the recording. To me, 10" is the ideal speaker caliber for jazz guitar. The by now ubiquitous IcePower power source/power amp module is a Class D pinnacle.

**Cunamara** · 12-12-2025, 04:04 PM

Yins! Are youse from Philly?

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 12-12-2025, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

Yins! Are youse from Philly?

it’s a Pittsburgh thing, but no I’m not. Visited a few times.

**Zack** · 12-12-2025, 04:35 PM

"... right out of the box" that's the best way, congrats !
Nice playing

**Cunamara** · 12-12-2025, 04:45 PM

Sorry, I's from the Chicago area*.

Philly/Pittsburg are sum of dem "out East" places. A high school buddy's parents were from (I thought it was Philly, but maybe I'm remembering wrong and it was Pittsburg. Edit: confirmed Pittsburg) and his mom in particular said yins. Seemed to be the plural form (like you and youse in parts of Chicago, sometimes pronounced "yez" as in "whuch yez doin'?").

But the amp. Nice sound with the EQ flat, just a touch less "liquid" than your usual tone which is maybe the reverb. But it sounds a bit more expansive, on the other hand- maybe that's having some tweeter in it.

*After 48 years in Minnesota, I sound like a mongrel between the two- clipped consonants and long o's.

**stringmann** · 12-12-2025, 10:41 PM

Mk, this is helpful, thank you. ...but I believe you could play through the silvertone guitar case amp of the 60's and make it sound lovely.

**AKA** · 12-13-2025, 03:21 AM

What amp have you previously used?

AKA

**skiboyny** · 12-13-2025, 08:51 AM

Very nice sound! How did you record this? Mic, direct in off the amp?

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 12-13-2025, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by AKA

What amp have you previously used?

AKA

I use Clarus SLR (Acoustic Image) and Raezers Edge cabs. The Henriksen just arrived for trial.

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 12-13-2025, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by skiboyny

Very nice sound! How did you record this? Mic, direct in off the amp?

I use about 45% from a stereo mic on the cabinet super close, 45% direct and 10% from a room mic near the guitar body from the side (near right side).

**AKA** · 12-13-2025, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by Mark Kleinhaut

I use Clarus SLR (Acoustic Image) and Raezers Edge cabs. The Henriksen just arrived for trial.

The Henriksen sounded good, but I didn’t hear anything special.

I’ve always loved your tone. Just recently my SL R failed. It’s in transit to Greg Holmes in Ontario for repair. I used it with an RE Twin 8. So, I may be biased.

AKA

**Oscar67** · 12-13-2025, 11:51 AM

Thank you for sharing! Your playing is as beautiful as ever. The sound of the Hendriksen doesn’t really do it for me. The sound in your video is almost exactly as I remember it to be when I tried Henriksen amps myself. Practical considerations like size and weight aside, a Henriksen will tell you what your guitar really sounds like. Which is great. But there is a certain directness and immediacy to the mids that bothers me. It’s like a laser beam. I prefer the mids to embrace me, if that makes sense. My loss, because it’s obviously a very good product.

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 12-13-2025, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by Oscar67

Thank you for sharing! Your playing is as beautiful as ever. The sound of the Hendriksen doesn’t really do it for me. The sound in your video is almost exactly as I remember it to be when I tried Henriksen amps myself. Practical considerations like size and weight aside, a Henriksen will tell you what your guitar really sounds like. Which is great. But there is a certain directness and immediacy to the mids that bothers me. It’s like a laser beam. I prefer the mids to embrace me, if that makes sense. My loss, because it’s obviously a very good product.

Your commment is interesting to me. What amp/speaker do you prefer. I’ve been ClarusSLR/Raezers edge for years and the Henriksen feels and sounds different to me. Not better or worse and it’s hard to put my finger on it. For comparison, here’s something recorded with my “old” rig just a day or two before the test of the blue 10:

**Oscar67** · 12-13-2025, 01:34 PM

I’m a tube guy I guess. I’ve used a Brunetti Singleman 15 combo for the past years but yesterday I finally got the amp I’ve been dreaming about for years but was never willing to pay full price for: a Carr Sportsman. With a good guitar, such amps become become part of the trinity (player, guitar, amp) where each influences what the other two do. To me, that’s magical. Also tube amps like that allow me to take several routes. I can keep the volume down, the gain down and the guitar almost full-up. Or I can turn the amp up (which means more bass, more meat to the bones, less treble) and roll the guitar down. Depending on my mood, the room, the guitar, this can really help to find my comfort zone. With a solid state amp, this is not so easy. Solid state amps just get louder, they don’t start to compress. Anyway, I’m rambling but I guess I prefer a more forgiving, less immediate sound, especially with the mids and the highs.

**skiboyny** · 12-13-2025, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Mark Kleinhaut

Your commment is interesting to me. What amp/speaker do you prefer. I’ve been ClarusSLR/Raezers edge for years and the Henriksen feels and sounds different to me. Not better or worse and it’s hard to put my finger on it. For comparison, here’s something recorded with my “old” rig just a day or two before the test of the blue 10:

Comparing the two the Henriksen Sounds a lot better to me. We all hear things differently though. It's always nice to have different flavors, long as the pocket book doesn't mind.

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 12-13-2025, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by skiboyny

Comparing the two the Henriksen Sounds a lot better to me. We all hear things differently though. It's always nice to have different flavors, long as the pocket book doesn't mind.

.

could you describe the difference and what you like better! It’s so subjectively, of course.

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 12-13-2025, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Oscar67

I’m a tube guy I guess. I’ve used a Brunetti Singleman 15 combo for the past years but yesterday I finally got the amp I’ve been dreaming about for years but was never willing to pay full price for: a Carr Sportsman. With a good guitar, such amps become become part of the trinity (player, guitar, amp) where each influences what the other two do. To me, that’s magical. Also tube amps like that allow me to take several routes. I can keep the volume down, the gain down and the guitar almost full-up. Or I can turn the amp up (which means more bass, more meat to the bones, less treble) and roll the guitar down. Depending on my mood, the room, the guitar, this can really help to find my comfort zone. With a solid state amp, this is not so easy. Solid state amps just get louder, they don’t start to compress. Anyway, I’m rambling but I guess I prefer a more forgiving, less immediate sound, especially with the mids and the highs.

Agreed, tube amps are a whole other animal. You have to learn how to play them

**skiboyny** · 12-13-2025, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by Mark Kleinhaut

.

could you describe the difference and what you like better! It’s so subjectively, of course.

I like the Bell like tone of the high strings, also on the whole a much creamier sound if that makes sense. I don't find the mids too forward or direct as Oscar67. Having an amp that sounds just like my guitar, would really be ideal for me personally if that is indeed the case. You would know best on that point.

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 12-13-2025, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by skiboyny

I like the Bell like tone of the high strings, also on the whole a much creamier sound if that makes sense. I don't find the mids too forward or direct as Oscar67. Having an amp that sounds just like my guitar, would really be ideal for me personally if that is indeed the case. You would know best on that point.

Thanks for your thoughts. The “creamier” sound is a coloration tjat the amp is adding. The clarus is flatter-uncolored, and a bit more true to the unplugged sound of the guitar. That said, it’s a delightful sound. Also, what I hear is a slight chorus effect coming from the amps reverb due to the type of reverb chip utilized. It’s a bit of shimmer from detuning the reverb tails. It’s a sweet sound, but it’s not a natural sound of the guitar, so I’m a little in the fence about it.

**skiboyny** · 12-13-2025, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Mark Kleinhaut

Thanks for your thoughts. The “creamier” sound is a coloration tjat the amp is adding. The clarus is flatter-uncolored, and a bit more true to the unplugged sound of the guitar. That said, it’s a delightful sound. Also, what I hear is a slight chorus effect coming from the amps reverb due to the type of reverb chip utilized. It’s a bit of shimmer from detuning the reverb tails. It’s a sweet sound, but it’s not a natural sound of the guitar, so I’m a little in the fence about it.

I have always thought that the Henriksen had a personality from all the clips I've heard. People keep calling it a neutral sounding amp very High fi, but because I haven't played thru one I can't really argue. The reverb is an easy fix. All and all for what you do, it sounds really good to me, and yours is a somewhat different style from most that I've heard demoed. So really a pleasant surprise. Best of luck on your decision if you love the sound of your guitar I can understand why you would be on that fence.

Remember we all think we know what we like but the truth is we like what we know.

**jazzloverfat** · 12-14-2025, 01:14 AM

Originally Posted by skiboyny

Comparing the two the Henriksen Sounds a lot better to me. We all hear things differently though. It's always nice to have different flavors, long as the pocket book doesn't mind.

Talk about taste... I prefer the sound in the "My One and Only" recording.

Comparing the 2, the Henriksen to me (through both Genelecs and Beyerdynamic closed backs) sounds less open, more like a recording whereas the other setup feels a lot more like a live performance, more open, more dynamic and I feel the notes have more space to ring out?

Would be interesting to hear the same tune played through both setups.

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 12-14-2025, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by jazzloverfat

Talk about taste... I prefer the sound in the "My One and Only" recording.

Comparing the 2, the Henriksen to me (through both Genelecs and Beyerdynamic closed backs) sounds less open, more like a recording whereas the other setup feels a lot more like a live performance, more open, more dynamic and I feel the notes have more space to ring out?

Would be interesting to hear the same tune played through both setups.

I just realized that My One and Only was a poor choice for A/B given it’s played fingerstyle bs the Blu test video is plectrum. Here’s a better comparison:

**skiboyny** · 12-14-2025, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by jazzloverfat

Talk about taste... I prefer the sound in the "My One and Only" recording.

Comparing the 2, the Henriksen to me (through both Genelecs and Beyerdynamic closed backs) sounds less open, more like a recording whereas the other setup feels a lot more like a live performance, more open, more dynamic and I feel the notes have more space to ring out?

Would be interesting to hear the same tune played through both setups.

That's fair "more like a recording" and yes closed backs are tighter sounding. The second video kind of points that out even more. It's more scooped and the reverb is quite a bit different. More of a fender sound. I tend to favor hearing the mids a bit more. The top and bottom ring out more in the other setup where the mids are much less apparent. You hit the nail on the head though "more like a recording" isn't that what this is?

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 12-14-2025, 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by skiboyny

That's fair "more like a recording" and yes closed backs are tighter sounding. The second video kind of points that out even more. It's more scooped and the reverb is quite a bit different. More of a fender sound. I tend to favor hearing the mids a bit more. The top and bottom ring out more in the other setup where the mids are much less apparent. You hit the nail on the head though "more like a recording" isn't that what this is?

I don’t think this line of thinking is really about studio recording vs live sound, but about natural vs contrived. Not that I agree with the assessment either way. To my ears, two main things are happening differently on the Henriksen; the mid range has more presence and there is a chorus-like detuning in the reverb tails. Meanwhile, keep in mind I haven’t begun to touch the eq on the BLU, but then again, on the Clarus I’ve had the eq left at flat for 20 years