JazzAmp "Tweetey"

[NSJ]

Henriksen is not making or selling their prior versions of the Tweety. I called them up and a new version is, however, in the pipeline.

[EVV]

I have a Kent Armstrong jazz neck pickup in my archtop. Which guitar do you use with the tweeties? Do you think a tweety would be OK for me? The sound is, in my opinion, already quite acoustic-y.
Erik

[D.G.]

hi,
Is it good for nylon strings guitar?
http://www.jazzamp.com/products_tweety.asp

Disclaimer: I haven't tried this product.

I hate tweeters anywhere but in the PA and stereo speakers. Every acoustic amp I've ever played sound rancid with the tweeter engaged, regardless of guitar or pickup system/mic.

However: YMMV.

[KirkP]

The Tweety is optimized for Hendriksen amps, but I've only used it with other amps (a Jazzkat, a tube amp similar to a Princeton Reverb and Fender Twin Reverb). I've experimented with a variety of guitars, but mostly an Eastman 810CE and a Yamaha nylon string. I'd only use it if you already like the sound of a particular amp/guitar combination, but you want to add just a touch of sizzle to the top. Start with the Tweety knob set to minimum. The minimum volume setting is often just enough sizzle for me. Higher settings can get ugly. Placement makes a big difference - on top of the amp, on the floor, tipped or rotated various directions, bouncing off a nearby surface. Don't expect miracles, but it can be useful if you like to experiment.

[KirkP]

The Tweety is optimized for Hendriksen amps, but I've only used it with other amps (a Jazzkat, a tube amp similar to a Princeton Reverb and Fender Twin Reverb). I've experimented with a variety of guitars, but mostly an Eastman 810CE and a Yamaha nylon string. I'd only use it if you already like the sound of a particular amp/guitar combination, but you want to add just a touch of sizzle to the top. Start with the Tweety knob set to minimum. The minimum volume setting is often just enough sizzle for me. Higher settings can get ugly. Placement makes a big difference - on top of the amp, on the floor, tipped or rotated various directions, bouncing off a nearby surface. Don't expect miracles, but it can be useful if you like to experiment.

After writing the above, I did more experiments with the Tweety and a Jazzkat amp, using both an Eastman AR810CE archtop and a Yamaha NTX700 nylon string crossover. It actually can do some magic if you're methodical about searching for tone settings. I had the best luck by first dialing in the amp (without the Tweety), then cutting the mids and high on the amp to make it much darker than desired. Then I plugged in the Tweety and brought the level up a little at a time to add just enough sizzle. Both guitars ended up with a much more natural acoustic tone than the Jazzkat's 8" speaker could achieve.