Henriksen 310

**Bluegrass Bill Ward** · 03-17-2018, 01:07 AM

Hi Folks,

I recently purchased a Henriksen Jazz amp, the 310, 3^rd generation model to use with my Heritage Johnny Smith Archtop I purchased about 6 months ago. Ever since buying the guitar I have been searching for the right strings, the right pickup and right amp to get the sound I felt was not quite right. I am still not there but thought I would share this recording with my new amp.

My guitar is a 97 Heritage Johnny Smith Archtop. Since buying it I had the; pickup replaced with a Kent Armstrong “Johnny Smith” Pup. These strings for this recording are TI jazz Bebob, strings medium gage, .012 E string.. I am not happy with the high strings, E and B tones. I am not an experienced jazz or amp person having gotten enthused about learning and playing jazz only a couple years ago. Does anything jump out at you that says something about how my amp settings need to be changed?

Oh yes, “and some more”

If you go to the “For Sale” topic you will see what I am in desperate need of now for this guitar. Maybe you can help me.

Thanks folks,

Bill

**skiboyny** · 03-17-2018, 08:37 AM

It sounds as it should to me. The amp I've not personally played thru but it sounds like the many videos I've heard. (same personality) Don't know what your looking for in the E and B string but you could try changing your pick. Go to 13-17 if you want a fatter louder tone. Top notch equipment there should take you where ever you want to go. Good luck finding the screws for your tailpiece. I know how unsettling that can be.

**Greentone** · 03-17-2018, 09:39 AM

I agree. The guitar (beauty), strings, and Henriksen JazzAmp all sound good, to me. You get the electro-acoustic quality out of that guitar/amp in spades.

Enjoy.

**Bluegrass Bill Ward** · 03-17-2018, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by skiboyny

It sounds as it should to me. The amp I've not personally played thru but it sounds like the many videos I've heard. (same personality) Don't know what your looking for in the E and B string but you could try changing your pick. Go to 13-17 if you want a fatter louder tone. Top notch equipment there should take you where ever you want to go. Good luck finding the screws for your tailpiece. I know how unsettling that can be.

Thank you for your suggestions and kind words! That is encouraging. I will try those suggestions. Sometimes we are our own worst critics. Maybe I have bee overthinking my sound.

**Bluegrass Bill Ward** · 03-17-2018, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Greentone

I agree. The guitar (beauty), strings, and Henriksen JazzAmp all sound good, to me. You get the electro-acoustic quality out of that guitar/amp in spades.

Enjoy.

Thank you Greentone, that is very encouraging to me!

**Stringswinger** · 03-17-2018, 10:58 AM

Bill, as I indicated in my email to you, you might want to turn the treble down at the amp. On guitars that do not have a tone knob, that is the only way to keep those unwound strings dark.

Most jazz guitarists use a tone knob to cut highs. It is part of the tradition.

**joe2758** · 03-17-2018, 11:06 AM

sounds great! i also recently purchased a 310; wonderful amp!

**morroben** · 03-17-2018, 12:03 PM

Does that amp have a tweeter? You might try turning that off, if you haven't already.

Regarding the B and E strings, can you identify whether it's the amplified sound or acoustic sound that's bothering you? That's one of the problems I've had with archtops over the years...at 'bedroom' levels it can be hard to separate those two sounds.

Does it have a headphone jack? If so, does it sound better or worse through that than in the room?

**Max405** · 03-17-2018, 12:27 PM

Really nice job Bill. And thank you for sharing that.
It’s incredible how your guitar sounds so acoustic. Even with the KA Johnny Smith style pickup, your guitar amplifies out more acoustically than the usual magnetic sound. I love it.
Bill, I am loving how you are having such fun. Don’t stop.
Joe D

**Bluegrass Bill Ward** · 03-17-2018, 05:22 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

Bill, as I indicated in my email to you, you might want to turn the treble down at the amp. On guitars that do not have a tone knob, that is the only way to keep those unwound strings dark.

Most jazz guitarists use a tone knob to cut highs. It is part of the tradition.

Thanks Marc for your comments here and in your e-mail as well!

Bill

**Bluegrass Bill Ward** · 03-17-2018, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by joe2758

sounds great! i also recently purchased a 310; wonderful amp!

Thanks Joe, I look forward to checking out your youtube channel!

**Bluegrass Bill Ward** · 03-17-2018, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by Max405

Really nice job Bill. And thank you for sharing that.
It’s incredible how your guitar sounds so acoustic. Even with the KA Johnny Smith style pickup, your guitar amplifies out more acoustically than the usual magnetic sound. I love it.
Bill, I am loving how you are having such fun. Don’t stop.
Joe D

Thank you Joe for your kind words and encouragement! I am really having fun trying to play this kind of music. I only wish I had tackled jazz 40 years ago when I first started playing guitar.

FYI, Following is a sample of the kind of music I have played for most of my life. It was our groups desire to add Jazz standards to our music a couple years ago that started me down this path.

Bill

**vinnyv1k** · 03-18-2018, 12:42 PM

Bill I am a big Henriksen fan. I have a similar guitar. A L5P/BJB. Try a set of TI 12 Swing Flats. It will tone down the brightness but still give you a rich and beautiful tone.

**Stringswinger** · 03-18-2018, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by vinnyv1k

Bill I am a big Henriksen fan. I have a similar guitar. A L5P/BJB. Try a set of TI 12 Swing Flats. It will tone down the brightness but still give you a rich and beautiful tone.

Vinny, are not the plain strings the same on the TI flats as the rounds? Bill is OK with the wound string tone, but not the plain string tone. I think darkening the tone on the amp (and making sure that the tweeter is off!) will get him to the promised land. IIRC, his guitar does not have a tone knob on the pickguard.

**Ren** · 03-18-2018, 01:18 PM

As Vinny has pointed out in a different thread, rolling down the volume on the guitar may also mellow out the tone.

**Stringswinger** · 03-18-2018, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by Ren

As Vinny has pointed out in a different thread, rolling down the volume on the guitar may also mellow out the tone.

Excellent point. Most pots do a treble bleed when turned down.

**vinnyv1k** · 03-18-2018, 01:41 PM

I don't use bebops but if they use the same bronze E&B I alway replace those 2 with corrosion proof Elixirs. The Elixirs sound so much better IMO. Takes away that brassy sound. I don't like bronze strings. Too bright for me.

**Bluegrass Bill Ward** · 03-18-2018, 03:51 PM

Thanks again everybody for the comments. There are lots of great "nuggets of information" for me in this thread.

The tone control knob, what exactly does it do or how is it used on Guitars that have them? It obviously is not a standard item included with all archtops, most notably mine. Why is it not a standard feature for a guitar like mine and what is the downside of not having it?

Thanks!

Bill

**joe2758** · 03-18-2018, 04:31 PM

I have the same amp guys, and I can’t tell the difference between the tweeter on or off. what is it supposed to theoretically do? All i know is something with the highs. either way my favorite amp

**joe2758** · 03-18-2018, 04:33 PM

I’m curious about the tone nob too, Bill! I have one, and can hear the difference...but id like to know what is actually happening. i leave mine rolled off. seems to me, Bill, if you don’t have one it is the same as having it rolled off. icould easily be wrong

**Stringswinger** · 03-19-2018, 01:38 AM

Here is the thing guys, a tone knob is a pot attached to a capacitor. When you turn the pot, it adds capacitance to the signal which cuts highs. Different value pots and different value caps will result in different tone (some guys claim that different brands pots and caps sound different as well).

You can easily have a tech add a tone pot to any guitar that does not have one. You can use the EQ of the amp in lieu of a tone knob with pretty good results, but it is nice to be able to make minute adjustments with a tone knob on the fly.

Bill I would add a tone pot to your guitar. IMO, it would be an upgrade.

**joe2758** · 03-19-2018, 06:33 AM

Hey Stringswinger, so i was wrong? My tone knob turned up is actually the natural sound, and I am actually putting it to work by rolling it off to cut highs?

**skiboyny** · 03-19-2018, 09:20 AM

It can be a bit confusing unless you understand the electronics of it all. Without getting in to that (which isn't particularly difficult) Your tone control on 10 is no tone roll off. The actual sound of your pickup. As you decrease the tone control it begins to roll off the highs.

Originally Posted by joe2758

Hey Stringswinger, so i was wrong? My tone knob turned up is actually the natural sound, and I am actually putting it to work by rolling it off to cut highs?

**Chazmo** · 03-19-2018, 11:03 AM

Hi Bill, congratulations on playing a great guitar and taking up jazz. Sounds great.

A lot of jazz guitars with floating pickups have only a volume knob, no tone control. Players of archtops with a floating pickup usually want the acoustic properties of the guitar to shine through, as opposed to guitars with set in pickups like L-5 CESs and ES-175s that are more electric sounding. Your guitar has that acoustic tone in spades, as evidenced from your video. As Stringswinger says, it's nice to be able to adjust tone on the fly, but not necessarily essential. Unlike rock or fusion players, many jazz guitarists have only one sound they go for. Adjust it once at the beginning of the gig or playing session and leave it. The adjusting can be done at the amp.

I have a Godin acoustic archtop with no volume or tone controls. The original owner of the guitar wired the pickup straight through to the jack and sound of the pickup itself is what you hear through the amp. That's okay because the pickup is a vey nice and jazzy sounding (it's a Bartolini 5J Johnny Smith-style). Because I embrace the acoustic tone of this guitar, I usually have the amp EQ pretty much flat (controls at 12 o'clock), but I can cut or boost bass, mids, or treble as required for the venue. EQing is a whole 'nother subject.

**Bluegrass Bill Ward** · 03-19-2018, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by skiboyny

It can be a bit confusing unless you understand the electronics of it all. Without getting in to that (which isn't particularly difficult) Your tone control on 10 is no tone roll off. The actual sound of your pickup. As you decrease the tone control it begins to roll off the highs.

Many thanks for that explanation of how the tone control works, it can't get any clearer than that!

Bill