The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Hi fellow musicians,

    Just joined the forum and it's great to hear from your experience.
    Currently I am deciding to get a new combo SS amp. I play in jazzcombos and a jazz big band and a Blues Jr has served me well so far.

    Now I would like something more portable, but still with plenty of power so after looking around here I come to these options:

    Henriksen Jazzamp Ten
    Quilter Mach 2 HD
    Mambo 10

    I play a 175 and 335, enjoying the clean punchy fender sounds (Green, Benson).

    Please let me know about your experience with these amps, playing live. I am leaning towards the Henriksen at the moment.

    Greetings from Holland

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Henriksen and Mambo do one thing very well - the flat polytone jazz thing. The Quilter gets pretty close to that, but also can do Fender tones and all sorts of other tones. I've owned all 3 and currently only have the Quilter.

  4. #3
    That's great to hear from someone who owned them all. Do you have the 12 inch speaker Mach 2?
    I wonder how the Jazzamp Ten and Quilter compare in terms of power/volume. The Quilter has a bigger speaker, so maybe more capable with larger groups?

  5. #4

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    I actually have the 8" speaker. I chose that as I often take public transit to gigs. Even with the 8" speaker I've never had an issue with volume at any restaurant/bar gig, the thing is LOUD. For anything bigger than that, it has an extra 100 watts available when you plug an ext cab in (only ever used once for an outdoor gig and I didn't really need it), and a direct out for gigs with a PA.

  6. #5
    Thanks. I assume the Jazzamp 10 and Quilter would be quite similar in terms of volume (Henriksen 120w Quilter 100w). As I am used to the 12 inch speaker of my Blues Jr, the 10 inch speaker of the Henriksen might cut trough more when playing larger jazz groups/big band.

    I am around to try one somewhere.

  7. #6

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    Quilter 12" --great amp!

  8. #7

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    Marton,
    Seeing that you're in Europe, I'm assuming the Mambo would be the easiest to acquire and maybe least expensive option, right? If prices were equivalent, though, and you're interested in portable and giggable, I'd recommend the Henriksen "Blu," maybe with a clean boost if you want to make it greasier.

    [FWIW, I've owned Mambo, Quilter, and Henriksen amps along with my other tube amps. All excellent amps, and I've kept the Henriksen Blu the longest!]

    Marc

  9. #8

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    Has to be the Mambo.

    I love mine.

  10. #9
    That's good to hear. Yes, the Mambo is a little less expensive. The Blu is very wonderful too, I have tried it. But I feel the need for at least a 10 inch speaker for big band performances.
    I found a place to try the Jazzamp here, so I am looking forward to do that. I would have to order the Mambo first from UK. I guess the Jazzamp and Mambo would be quite similar. In your experience, which one of those has more power?

    Thanks!

  11. #10

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    New model Mambo; 250 w, and 500w with ext speaker. Both amps use the same speaker.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marton
    That's good to hear. Yes, the Mambo is a little less expensive. The Blu is very wonderful too, I have tried it. But I feel the need for at least a 10 inch speaker for big band performances.
    I found a place to try the Jazzamp here, so I am looking forward to do that. I would have to order the Mambo first from UK. I guess the Jazzamp and Mambo would be quite similar. In your experience, which one of those has more power?

    Thanks!
    I use a Blu for most gigs and add a 10 inch extension cabinet for gigs where I need extra headroom/sound dispersion. IMO, the Blu nails the classic Polytone sound with less weight and added reliability.

    I have never tried a Mambo and have heard good things. I demoed a Quilter in a store and was underwhelmed. If you want the Fender sound, get a Fender tube amp. If you want the Polytone sound get a Henriksen or Mambo.

  13. #12
    Thanks Franz! 250w from the Mambo 10 is a lot more than the 120w from the Jazzamp! You seem to be quite the Mambo expert on the forum here.

  14. #13
    @Stringswinger That is also a good solution for when more power is needed. The Henriksen definitely has that polytone punch

  15. #14

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    Franz1997 is an expert on Mambo amps for good reason
    on his recommendation I acquired a Mambo Cube (12' spkr)5 years ago, it is ultra reliable, on further recommendation
    I acquired a custom one-off mambo 2x 8 Speaker cab ( not easily portable)
    powered by an Evans AH200 head. Franz has said it is the best rig
    he has heard.
    However for portability Stringswinger's Blu (and add a 10" speaker) is a very
    good choice also, if you look up a recent video here of a live outdoor gig
    a JFG member posted of
    SS playing using the Blu.
    Last edited by silverfoxx; 06-25-2019 at 02:07 AM.

  16. #15
    Hi all. Just wanted to share an update. I decided to get a Mambo and have it for several weeks now.
    The Mambo is really great, with great sound, portability and power. I might post a demo later.

    I was also able to play the Henriksen Jazzamp Ten, but this Mambo does the jazzguitar cleans more justice IMHO. Would recommend it very much.

  17. #16

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    My best advice Quilter Aviator 1x8" used,since they are no longer made. Then add an extension cab for bigger venues if needed. Otherwise get the new Tone Block 202 and use various cabs.