The amp to demonstrate the D'Angelico's at Rudy's

**rpjazzguitar** · 04-11-2019, 10:36 PM

Upstairs at Rudy's is a display of some of the world's great archtop guitars.

The amp they used today to demo them was the Blu. Same as last year.

Salesman said that it has less coloration than the Fender they had there (may have been a Deluxe).

Seems to me, that's quite an endorsement.

By the way, hello to Mark M who I ran into up there.

**Stringswinger** · 04-12-2019, 12:53 AM

I'll endorse the Blu (and I paid for mine). Since getting my Blu, it has become my main gigging amp. May well be the best amp I have ever had for jazz guitar.

Henriksen has hit a home run with the Blu.

**Hammertone** · 04-12-2019, 03:29 AM

Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar

Upstairs at Rudy's is a display of some of the world's great archtop guitars.
The amp they used today to demo them was the Blu. Same as last year.
Salesman said that it has less coloration than the Fender they had there (may have been a Deluxe).
Seems to me, that's quite an endorsement. ...

Saleman is full of crap. They just don't want to haul a Fender Twin up that shitty staircase. Makes perfect sense to use a Blu.

**Stringswinger** · 04-12-2019, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by Hammertone

Saleman is full of crap. They just don't want to haul a Fender Twin up that shitty staircase. Makes perfect sense to use a Blu.

I would not want to haul a Twin 5 feet, let alone up some stairs. That said, Fender amps do color the sound. With a dedicated electric guitar like a Super 400CES, a Twin would be a great choice. With a carved , all acoustic DA , a neutral sounding amp like the Blu is the better sounding choice.

**Cunamara** · 04-12-2019, 04:57 PM

Plus as a sales technique it works in the other direction: using a vintage D'Angelico to promote sales of Henriksen Blu amps. You play a fabulous guitar through a nice amp and you come back down that crappy staircase thinking "jeez, that was a really great amp- I should get one of those!" even if you don't buy the guitar, you may very well walk out the door with an amp. Those folks at Rudy's aren't half clever.

**rpjazzguitar** · 04-12-2019, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

I'll endorse the Blu (and I paid for mine). Since getting my Blu, it has become my main gigging amp. May well be the best amp I have ever had for jazz guitar.

Henriksen has hit a home run with the Blu.

They had several amps up there. There was a Bud next to the Blu, but they used the Blu to demo the guitars when I was there this year. Last year, it might have been the Bud (not sure if the Blu had come out yet).

I understand the Blu and Bud are not quite the same amp. That is, the Blu is not simply one channel of the Bud, but, rather, there are some engineering differences. That said, I know of great players using both.

**John A.** · 04-12-2019, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by Cunamara

Plus as a sales technique it works in the other direction: using a vintage D'Angelico to promote sales of Henriksen Blu amps. You play a fabulous guitar through a nice amp and you come back down that crappy staircase thinking "jeez, that was a really great amp- I should get one of those!" even if you don't buy the guitar, you may very well walk out the door with an amp. Those folks at Rudy's aren't half clever.

I think it's more likely a matter of them understanding that Henriksens are a known quantity among jazz players, and are thus a good amp to have out on that particular floor, plus the Blu and Bud models don't take up much room. I kind of doubt they're using vintage D'Angelicos as bait to buy amps.

John

**Jim Soloway** · 04-12-2019, 05:22 PM

I think the Blu and the Bud would be wonderful amps for demoing high end arch tops. They sound great. They're reasonably flat and at low volume they give you a great mix of amp and guitar. Nice symbiotic sales set up.

**Stringswinger** · 04-12-2019, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar

They had several amps up there. There was a Bud next to the Blu, but they used the Blu to demo the guitars when I was there this year. Last year, it might have been the Bud (not sure if the Blu had come out yet).

I understand the Blu and Bud are not quite the same amp. That is, the Blu is not simply one channel of the Bud, but, rather, there are some engineering differences. That said, I know of great players using both.

I think the Blu is a newer amp technology than the Bud. I chose the Blu over the Bud for the lighter weight and newer technology. I have heard that the Blu is a bit "warmer" in tone, but I have not done a side by side comparison. I have used the Bluetooth technology in my Blu to play break music from my Android phone. Very easy and convenient.

Having a second channel is useful though.....when they bring the Blu Technology to the Bud. Watch out!

**Hammertone** · 04-12-2019, 07:55 PM

As I was saying:

**Jazzstdnt** · 04-12-2019, 09:44 PM

Goodness, the next time I go to NYC I need to stop by there (just to look, honey).

**Mark M.** · 04-13-2019, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by rpjazzguitar

Upstairs at Rudy's is a display of some of the world's great archtop guitars.

The amp they used today to demo them was the Blu. Same as last year.

Salesman said that it has less coloration than the Fender they had there (may have been a Deluxe).

Seems to me, that's quite an endorsement.

By the way, hello to Mark M who I ran into up there.

That was a fun afternoon, Rick. I was also surprised by the big sound of that little amp. That evening, I caught Peter Bernstein and Ed Cherry at The Bar Next Door, and they were each using a Henriksen Blu as well. I’m very tempted to get one.

**rpjazzguitar** · 04-13-2019, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by Mark M.

That was a fun afternoon, Rick. I was also surprised by the big sound of that little amp. That evening, I caught Peter Bernstein and Ed Cherry at The Bar Next Door, and they were each using a Henriksen Blu as well. I’m very tempted to get one.

It sounded fine.

I recently bought a DV Mark Little Jazz. There's a thread on here someplace which compares it to the Henriksen and, reportedly, it fared well. I mention it because there is a big price difference. I'm happy with it, but I'm not an archtop player. Apparently, the Blu may be particularly good for archtops.

The LJ weighs 3 lbs more (not based on the ads, but based on a post from Stringswinger who, hopefully, I'm quoting correctly).

The fact that pro players use it is important. I would note though that, in NYC, they may be traveling to gigs by subway. That usually requires climbing stairs. So, light weight and small size may be more important to them than to us country bumpkins.

I am reminded that the Seasons Guitar Quartet (Koonse, Pinheiro, Lage and Wilson) all played Lunchbox amps on a tour. I'd venture a guess that they made portability more important than sound quality.

**grahambop** · 04-13-2019, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by Hammertone

As I was saying:

I doubt those stairs would support the weight of a Fender Twin.

**Longways to Go** · 04-13-2019, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by grahambop

I doubt those stairs would support the weight of a Fender Twin.

plenty of old fat guitar players with $$$$ who weigh more than a Twin !!!

**sgosnell** · 04-14-2019, 09:31 AM

The weight of a fat old guitar player and a twin combined, while he's carrying both it and his wallet, involves a large amount of mass.

**patshep** · 04-14-2019, 10:01 AM

I like color in my sound, monochrome is boring
I'm also not into the same tone a lot of jazz guitarists like, that being said, the bud and blu just don't sound good in the demos i've heard, but for a nyc gigging musician, i'd love to test one out