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It looks like the closest thing to an updated Polytone mini-brute yet. Looking forward to your report as well.
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08-22-2016 02:19 PM
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2b, The 4th reason is the JazzAmp with an open back sounds like a great idea for small rooms.
I rarely play the 112 at home. I have a really large living room and it sounds good in there. But I leave the Polytone down there. The Size of the living room is big enough to absorb the "noise" of the amp.
I think you might love this amp.
JD
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I am going through a similar analysis. My wife and I are contemplating moving into an apartment in the near future, which will likely mean a significant reduction in living space. I have a fantastic David Allen Sweetspot, which is his version of the Princeton, but with a twelve. Not a large amp, but a bigger footprint than might be maintainable in a city apartment. So I recently purchased a Buscarino Chameleon cabinet (thanks Jabberwocky) and this past weekend took delivery of a Quilter Pro Block 200 head. After minimal fiddling, I got a really nice tubey sound out of the Quilter/Chameleon combination and played it exclusively and happily all weekend. This morning I plugged the same guitar (new Campellone) into my Sweetspot -- and it sounded like butter -- much more forgiving of my sloppy playing. I think the real question for me will be, 'how close is close enough?'
Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
To see if I can live with the smaller amp vs the larger amp for home use - see recent twin amp thread discussion. Again, my bias against the small SS amp is strong. But I've an open mind. What did Jerry MacGuire prove? Show me the money!
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I have been meaning to sing this amp's praises but I'm not really into the whole forum thing anymore. Anyways, I have an Alfresco as my main amp and have had it for close to a year (I think ) - it's a great amp and I highly recommend it.
Mine has the newer Weber "Black Shuck" speaker (not the original "custom made" Weber speaker) so my speaker adds some weight but seems to sound more a little more gritty, more aggressive, maybe more 'tubey', whatever you want to call it. But adds weight...so my amp is around 33 lbs I think. Mine has the original Henriksen electronics without the input gain control and the older reverb, all of which suits me just fine as I do all my 'real' playing through one guitar (Andersen lam Vanguard) and I only use a touch of reverb or sometimes none at all.
I really like the "open back" design since it allows me to put the amp in the middle of a stage, usually close to the drummer's high hat stand, and still be clearly heard by everyone, including the bass player in the back corner. I was basically looking for open-back and SS with decent EQ - this amp has all those things.
I like it. The only time I thought it was maybe MAYBE not big enough was at an outdoor big band concert, but I'll be damned if when I saw a video of the concert the guitar wasn't too freakin loud! So seems to me this is all the amp anyone would ever need.
My other main amp is a Mambo 8 Wedge which is perfect for smaller/medium venues, sitting in (and getting my arse handed to me...), etc.
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That sounds encouraging JD. I think my problem with SS amps is I've never owned an Evans or Polytone amp so I've zero frame of sound reference for reportedly good SS "jazz" amps.
I bought the 110 after owning a Heritage Patriot. Sold the Patriot thinking it's too big for the room. Realized later I only needed to turn the volume down...duh!
Found the 110 a pale imitation. Bought two twins the latter with a pair of blue Webers. And then settled on the Headstrong Verbrovibe with an Alninco and a Blue ceramic. I've had no SS amp curiosity until reading recent forum posts. Proof that the less one reads the gear page the better for their wallet?
Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco
Last edited by 2bornot2bop; 08-22-2016 at 03:37 PM.
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I remember when the Henriksens released that amp. It looks really great. Because it's a Jazzamp 110 it should sound great, too.
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That might explain why I could not find this amp on the Henriksen web site ... Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
I have had a Henriksen for a few years and really enjoy it .....
I've been having too much fun lately with my Mustang III .... but I need to dig out the Henriksen and try it with the S400
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Oh no, please don't say it's a 110! Originally Posted by Greentone
That just killed my anticipation. My motivation for acquiring the Alfresco was that it had the 312 electronics and a 12" speaker...Okay, I should receive the amp as if I never owned a 110. Nothing against the 110...it was a fine sounding amp, UNTIL I heard the cleans of my first twin...the twin ruined me against the 110.
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I think the Alfresco is a 12"
Keep in mind Henriksen amps are extremely focused. I played an outdoor party with the 112 this year. I put the amp in front of me. I flat out could not hear myself.
One of the benefits of an open back is it will disperse sound in 2 directions out the front and out the back. That should give it more of a broad "surround" sound quality, in my opinion.
Its almost the perfect name for that amp..
JD
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I see what you did there...very diplomatic JD. You didn't want 2b to feel bad for buying the wrong amp and you appealed to his audio sensibilities with a term like "surround sound." Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco
Thanks JD! You big hearted dude you!
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I dig the gator skin. Very cool. I have a new 312 arriving on Wednesday. Boring black though.
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I was seriously considering one of these, the open-back cabinet appeals to me. But I found a NOS 2 channel Henriksen with the 110 extension cabinet. I also have a Mojotone pine cabinet with a 12" Cannabis Rex that sounds a bit honky with the Henriksen. I was thinking of trying a 12" Eminence Beta for a fuller sound than the 10", but if yours sounds good with the Weber maybe I'll try that instead (or maybe both).
I'd like the 110 better if the tweeter had a level control.
Let us know how it sounds.
Thanks
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anyone got a photo of that open back? Sound Island has no rear photo
Henriksen JazzAmp | ALFRESCO Custom Jazz Guitar Amp Open Back 1x12 | SOUNDISLANDMUSIC.COM
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Greg,
My bad. The amp has a 12. AND...the 312 electronics. I was simply wrong. I recalled the wrong facts about the amp from when I was reading about it last year. (Happens when you hit 60, I'm afraid.)
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Here you go TM...straight from the camera to you...okay and everyone else on the net Originally Posted by tucson matt
That mini Toroidal transformer reminds me more of an audio amp! No CLASS D amplification here!
The amp doesn't appear much larger than the 110 I once owned.
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So how does it sound Greg? Does the open back make a huge difference?
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Hi Jim. As I mentioned earlier, I was a skeptic...I wasn't expecting much from this small SS amp. Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
It's nothing like my previous 110. It's got a very musical, clean, and "open" sound. It's got engaging warmth, which for me personally has been the kiss of death for any solid state audio electronics I've owned.
First impressions sound like the collaboration between Sound Island and Henriksen achieved what their ad copy suggests they set out to do. Build a warm, dare I say it "almost" tube sounding amplifier.
My downside is I've no frame of reference for Polytone or Evans amps to compare this amp to. I wish I had some other SS amp experience to better evaluate this amp.
This amp arrived with the Weber TONECLVT speaker.
At any rate, I'm impressed, and I'm not easily impressed. I need to put the amp through some higher volume paces, and some acoustic archtops as well, to see how it interacts with the room. I'm sitting barely 6 fit from the amp, and I've yet to experience any feedback with the amp. I can't do that with my twin variant at the volume I'm at thus far.
I don't know...I might have to keep this amp...it sounds that good. Nothing like anything I've previously heard from Henriksen. My criticism of their 110 was that it sounded congested and closed in...not so with this amp. Can an open back, different electronics, and a 12" speaker make that much of a difference in a similar sized cabinet? Perhaps so.
edit - then again what I could be hearing is the difference made with the $500 audiophile power cord connecting the amp through a clean 20 amp house circuit that's only used for audio gear
Last edited by 2bornot2bop; 08-25-2016 at 08:14 PM.
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2B,
I was hoping it was gonna be exactly what you said it is.
Henriksen has the Solid State circuitry down to a science. Even the closed cabinets are impressive and somewhat tube like. I dreamed that your amp would solve the problem with that amp being uber-focused. If the open back brings a bit of fullness to the sound, then it sounds like it was mission accomplished.
And once again, its a BEAUTIFUL amp to look at.
Im happy for you bro!
Joe D.
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i'm curious about this: what would make one amp more feedback prone than another? I would think that would be mainly a function of the guitar (and pickup), and it's positioning, and to a less extent the EQ of the amp. Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
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Frequency emphasis and projection pattern. Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
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Projection pattern -- like some amps are more "beamy"? Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
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Pretty much plus a larger opening the back with two speakers is going create a lot of ambient sound, a taller cabinet is going project sound on a vertically higher level, etc.
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You called it from the outset bro...once again it pays to try to keep an open mind. Although I've been very curious about the Evans RE300 as well. The difference was $400...so I brought the used Alfresco in instead. But only because I've acquired 3 guitars and now an amp in a matter of weeks Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco
I wish I could afford your beautiful D'Angelico! I'd buy that guitar in a heartbeat! I'm surprised it's still for sale...that's a steal!
edit - For anyone interested the amps tone sample on the Sound Island website couldn't be a more accurate reflection of the Alfresco.
Last edited by 2bornot2bop; 08-25-2016 at 06:33 PM.
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I just spoke to Michael of SI. As does this amp, apparently the most current Alfresco amps feature the relatively new Weber CLVT "Black Shuck" speaker. Although originally designed with Metal players in mind, after Weber's suggestion a trial commenced and Michael found the speaker to be an excellent choice for jazz guitar as well. Who'd have thought it.
Last edited by 2bornot2bop; 08-25-2016 at 08:34 PM.
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Cut a hole in the back in the back of the Henriksen I gave you. Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco
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