The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Okay, I know it's been asked before, but I'm asking again for some updated replies 'cause I'm getting serious about buying one and want to get it right. MicroPro 8" vs. the Blu. The reviews for both are generally highly positive and they're priced about the same. For anyone who's had experience with both, which has the better clean w/reverb tone for archtops? I know the Quilter is more versatile, but don't care about all the extra features. Might naturally gravitate toward the simplicity of the Henriksen, but asking about clean tone only - and as we all know, it's purely subjective, but interested in others' learned opinions who have tried both. Thanks very much.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by ffej
    Okay, I know it's been asked before, but I'm asking again for some updated replies 'cause I'm getting serious about buying one and want to get it right. MicroPro 8" vs. the Blu. The reviews for both are generally highly positive and they're priced about the same. For anyone who's had experience with both, which has the better clean w/reverb tone for archtops? I know the Quilter is more versatile, but don't care about all the extra features. Might naturally gravitate toward the simplicity of the Henriksen, but asking about clean tone only - and as we all know, it's purely subjective, but interested in others' learned opinions who have tried both. Thanks very much.
    I have a MicroPro 12, and a Bud, so I guess that's close. The Henriksen is a flatter, squeaky clean amp, more like a mini-pa. It even sounds great with electric steel-strings and nylons. The Quilter is a little more "tubey," but still very clean and chimey, as long as you have it on the clean setting. I would say despite the power ratings, the Quilter *probably* can get louder and still be clean.

    One thing to keep in mind is that the Henriksen is VERY placement-finicky. On the floor, tilted, flat, near a wall, on a stand or stool, it will sound VERY different in those placements.

  4. #3

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    The Quilter will sound "Fendery" and the Henriksen will not. If your idea of "good amp" runs toward the "Fender" sound, you are going to want to go with a Quilter. If your idea of "good amp" runs more in the direction of an uncolored amplifying device that has fairly considerable control over EQ, but tends toward the flat, Ampeg-ish end of the spectrum, your amp is going to be the Henriksen, IMO.

  5. #4

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    A couple things: I like the Aviator over the Micro; I like the Blu over the Aviator.

    All, however, are great amps!

  6. #5

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    Quilter 12"... as all above has said, Quilter plus Sparkle!~

  7. #6

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    Henriksen all the way.

    I had an Aviator 8 and it was fine enough but I sold it.
    Meanwhile, my good old Henriksen 110ER stays around and it still gets the job done in a great way.

    If I was shopping today it would be the BLU.

  8. #7

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    I also prefer the Aviator to MP version. I owned both versions.

  9. #8
    Thanks for all the comments. Really appreciated. Tilting Blu.

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by jads57
    I also prefer the Aviator to MP version. I owned both versions.
    In what way? I am looking for a backup 8" Quilter, might considering an Av instead of the MP.

  11. #10

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    Don't think that you can go wrong with the Blu, these days.

  12. #11

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    I use a quilter micro block. It sounds like a pretty close duplication of a fender tube amp. I'm very happy with it I've been using it for years. I have no idea about the henriksen

  13. #12

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    Does a Fender Princeton or Deluxe Reverb trump both, or is that the wrong way of looking at it. Rich Severson gets super rich jazz tones through his Quilter, and it makes me wonder if I am missing something in the way of reaching a similar tone through two different Fenders.

  14. #13

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    They are both fine amps. I prefer the Henriksen BLU for no reason other than I like supporting Henriksen.

  15. #14

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    I have a Bud from a couple of years ago before the models spawned and proliferated. It's an extremely clean amp - as someone else said it's a mini-PA system. It doesn't distort to any guitar-recognized degree. Sounds great with a Heritage Sweet 16, Gibson ES335, Squier Protone Fat Tele, and piezo acoustic guitar Ovation Elite. But it sounds great in a very clean contemporary way, not in a recorded in a New York City jazz club in 1968 sort of way. The amp's sound depends greatly on placement - it should be on the floor a few feet from the wall for the best result.

    At the time that I bought the Bud I was also able to audition a Quilter Aviator. The Quilter sounded very much like a Fender. I can get close to a Fender with the Bud by using a Joyo American Sound. I had a Peavey Bandit red stripe at the time (still do) and the Quilter clean wasn't different enough from the Bandit clean for me to have both, so I bought the Bud.

    So it depends what you're looking for: squeaky clean native sound but will accept effects to grow hair, I'd go with Henriksen. Fendery, with no ability to get PA-system clean, the Quilter is very, very good.

  16. #15

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    Has anyone tried the Blu Ten vs the old version namely 110ER ? Is there a noticeable difference/improvement in the sound?

  17. #16

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    I loved the henriksen when I got mine (when I got it I had played polytone, acoustic image/raezers edge, rivera - over long years)

    it seemed to me to perfect the polytone approach

    then I heard an Evans and the henriksen (jazz 10 or something - no tweeter) suddenly sounded like it had a blanket over it

    I find that my quilter micro pro 8 competes bravely against my Evans RE300 (latest model - not sure about the numbers) - but loses in the end.

    but the quilter does 'traditional fender - or general tube - guitar amp' (in fact it does six subtly modified versions or voicings of this trad. tube amp sound - all useable) and the Evans does not.

    I would prefer the quilter over the henriksen. I have no particular interest in a tube sound - it's just that the quilter sounds fab. (you don't need to worry about it sounding too 'bright' or 'shrill' - it has a 'hi-cut' which gets the sound of brighter/less bright speakers and works brilliantly. also a tone control on the reverb. it's fresher - but not necessarily brighter.)

  18. #17

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    Apples to oranges? No. Clementines to mandarines? More like it. I don't think you can categorize one amp brand as superior to another from the personal experience of you have from one or two products. Both makers are great and getting better. Henriksen has found a groove with the Blu/Bud family. Alas, pricing and availability exclude potential users, including pro musicians on a shoestring, and anybody outside the US. Quilters are generally more affordable and available e.g. from Thomann. More resources, more new products. Speaking of resources: why stick to one brand if you can afford both? My amps-and-cabs Odyssey started with Henriksen. Lately, there's been more leaning towards Quilter. But for traditional jazz tone, I'd stir the pot by adding two other names: DV Mark (for Micro 50/60) and TC Electronic (for BAM200). A broth spoiled?

  19. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jazz_175
    Has anyone tried the Blu Ten vs the old version namely 110ER ? Is there a noticeable difference/improvement in the sound?
    Yes, I have owned both and IMO the Blu 10 is a big improvement over the original 110. It has more available headroom and, for lack of a better description, more dimension to the sound.

  20. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark M.
    Yes, I have owned both and IMO the Blu 10 is a big improvement over the original 110. It has more available headroom and, for lack of a better description, more dimension to the sound.
    I own a Blu 10 and years back, a friend lent me a 110 for a gig. Henriksen has improved quite a bit over the years. The Blu 10 is a way better amp for jazz guitar.

  21. #20

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    you might also check out the Raezer's Edge Luna.

    https://www.raezers-edge.com/product...iers/#ampheads

  22. #21

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    Nice observations since my post from a few days ago, which is extending the conversation, thank you. All I know is that I'm not getting the sound that Rich Severson is getting through his site--he posts live each week, with the Quilter behind him, and I'm playing an L-5 through A Princeton or Deluxe Reverb. Maybe it's his Heritage guitar line up! I don't really need a 3rd amp, but I love the sound he's getting. It's probably time to test a Quilter. Actually, the best tone I am hearing through the archtop, and even a Heritage 535, is through the Waza Air / Boss head set.


    Last edited by tomvwash; 04-22-2021 at 08:31 PM.

  23. #22

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    Also, another decision;
    Mary Ann or Ginger?
    Betty or Wilma?

  24. #23

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    I haven't played a quilter, but I really, really like my blu6. The formfactor, the weight, the integrated design and the gigbag make this a nobrainer package. If you want a classic fender sound, it might not be the best choice though. It seems rather flat eq-wise (sound has a certain depth though).

    Also the bluetooth function is pure gold.

  25. #24

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    Mary Ann, Betty (and Bailey, FWIW).

    Quilter vs. Henricksen? I prefer Fender tweed to brown/black/silverface, Polytone to AI for me (although I've heard others sound great on amps I don't like, so that may just be limitations in my skills and technique). I don't strongly prefer tubes or solid state. Some amps are too clean and characterless and I do not want to have to put pedals and EQs in front of the amp to get a good sound. I want to use a guitar, a cord and an amp (although reverb pedal is OK if the amp doesn't have reverb).

    I've never played through a Quilter or Henricksen but Rich Severson sounds absolutely great with the Quilter (at least on YouTube). I'd be inclined in that direction, myself. I've also rarely liked playing through anything other than a 12" speaker (my Baby Taurus is the exception, otherwise smaller speakers usually sound boxy to me). So I'd theoretically be inclined towards the Quilter, if I was looking to replace my tweed Deluxe and Baby Taurus.

  26. #25

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    I have both, and I like both.