Polytone amp vs Henriksen amp

[archtopdream63]

what’s your preference?
poly or henriksen?

[Stringswinger]

I have a Polytone and a Henriksen in my arsenal. The new class D Henriksens may be the best jazz guitar amps ever IMO. I may sell my Polytone and my AER to fund another Henriksen.

[Gitpicker]

+1 SS

I am a former Polytone owner, and a current Henriksen owner. The Polytones were great for the time in their day but the new modern class-D Henriksens are just out of this world. I can rave about them all day on here but if you can try one out in person, your ears will tell you all you need to know.

For reference, I play Gibsons (L5 and Super 400) and various Eastman jazz boxes through my Henriksen Blu, and they all sound just fantastic. My aim is fat, thick traditional bebop jazz guitar tone. I couldn't be happier with my Blu.

Good luck!

[Gitterbug]

Following the Crate Powerblock flop, my Odyssey into lightweight amps got serious in 2007 with a first-generation Henriksen Convertible. That model because I was already thinking of making my own cabs (soon 200 made since 2017.) A Fender SCXD replaced it for a period, while the direction Henriksen took with their 2nd generation was hard to understand. Overall, I've owned 20 ClassD and hybrid micro amps from 13 manufacturers. The number would certainly be one up or perhaps have stopped growing if Henriksen offered a small head of the Blu or Bud caliber, at a reasonable price. The Forte head is too bulky and way too expensive.

[Alter]

Can't really say i would go with either over say, Dv Marks or Quilters. I 've played Polytones, they have their sound, but i would worry about using a solid state amp that old.. I also had a Henriksen for years, i think they are great amps, but i too find their pricing way overpriced, wasn't like that with their early models.

Generally, there are of course differences between all these current brands of portable solid state amps, but, having owned or tried most of them, i'd say they all work, you can gig or enjoy good sound at home with any of them, and it 's mostly a matter of preference rather than one being better than another. And balancing features, cost and portability for your use of an amp.

My solid state amp of choice was a Zt Lunchbox, weights next to nothing, cheap, and i can play any type of gig with it, any type of guitar. For heavier, tubes.. plus an Aer for acoustics.

[6stringjazz]

Just got the Henriksen Forte head, sounds great! Better than the Blu to me and way better than the Polytone I had.

[Greentone]

This is not as easy to call as you might imagine. From the 70s-90s, I definitely would have (and did) purchased Polytone amps for jazz (guitar or bass). They were the small, convenient combo amps of choice among pros.

These days, I judge that Henriksen has largely inherited the amp market that opened up by the closing of Polytone after its founder's death. I would not hesitate for an instant to purchase a Henriksen Blu or Bud as a go to guitar amp for a small jazz group.

However, if you are looking for a great used jazz combo amp for small money, generally $300-$400 will get you a Polytone MiniBrute that is in good working order.

So it comes down to: (1) do you have $1,000 to spend on a great, modern jazz amp, or (2) do you have, say, $350 to spend on a second-hand, classic jazz amp?

[deacon Mark]

What can you get a Henriksen for? I am thinking possible for decent price of getting one and selling my Polytone Baby Tarus as just not as good but certainly cheaper.

[Greentone]

Depends on which model Henriksen. You can buy a second-hand Jazz 10 or Jazz 12 for about $500-650, IIRC. These are very good amps.

Then, again, The Jazz Baltica concert where Joe Pass uses a Baby Taurus sounds awfully good, IMO. (Maybe Pass' best live recorded sound)

If, OTOH, you want a Henriksen Blu or Henriksen Bud, currently the "favorite" models, you are going to have to part with more like $900-$1,100.

[losaltosjoe]

This is not as easy to call as you might imagine. From the 70s-90s, I definitely would have (and did) purchased Polytone amps for jazz (guitar or bass). They were the small, convenient combo amps of choice among pros.

These days, I judge that Henriksen has largely inherited the amp market that opened up by the closing of Polytone after its founder's death. I would not hesitate for an instant to purchase a Henriksen Blu or Bud as a go to guitar amp for a small jazz group.

However, if you are looking for a great used jazz combo amp for small money, generally $300-$400 will get you a Polytone MiniBrute that is in good working order.

So it comes down to: (1) do you have $1,000 to spend on a great, modern jazz amp, or (2) do you have, say, $350 to spend on a second-hand, classic jazz amp?

If you fall into the second category, that is, "looking for a great used jazz combo amp for small money, generally $300-$400 will get you a Polytone MiniBrute that is in good working order." I may be able to help.

Polytone Mini Brute 1 ($325/Offer)

[Stringswinger]

Depends on which model Henriksen. You can buy a second-hand Jazz 10 or Jazz 12 for about $500-650, IIRC. These are very good amps.

Then, again, The Jazz Baltica concert where Joe Pass uses a Baby Taurus sounds awfully good, IMO. (Maybe Pass' best live recorded sound)

If, OTOH, you want a Henriksen Blu or Henriksen Bud, currently the "favorite" models, you are going to have to part with more like $900-$1,100.

Having owned one of the earlier Henriksens as well as a new Blu, I have to say the new Class D models now being built (and they are the only solid state models being built at this time), are a huge step forward. Henriksen has entered Acoustic Image/Walter Woods territory with some amazing combos for jazz guitarists that exceed that which has come before. Since they are new, finding a used one or a deal will be tough and yes they are expensive. For us Pro's, who can write them off as a tax expense (I section 179ed mine) and who really can benefit from these amazing amps (which are built using very high quality components), I do not believe anything better exists on the market. For a hobbyist, they may be too expensive.

Polytones are cheap used, but they are all getting old and may need work at any moment. Doing a $250 repair on an amp worth $300 will not feel "smart". And doing gigs with an inherently unreliable amp may not be too smart either, even if they are "almost free" hobbyist gigs. I have an 11 year old Polytone (the last one I bought, near the end of their production) and while I am not very concerned about reliability, my Henriksen Blu goes to many more gigs than does the Polytone. As I wrote in a post above, my Polytone may go away next year to help fund another Henriksen (The Bud 10 is giving me some serious AAS!)

[Greco]

For a hobbyist, they may be too expensive.

There is a large voice in my head that keeps shouting "You only live once...stupid"

Why does the voice always have to add the "stupid" comment / adjective?

[Fred98]

Having owned one of the earlier Henriksens as well as a new Blu, I have to say the new Class D models now being built (and they are the only solid state models being built at this time), are a huge step forward. Henriksen has entered Acoustic Image/Walter Woods territory with some amazing combos for jazz guitarists that exceed that which has come before. Since they are new, finding a used one or a deal will be tough and yes they are expensive. For us Pro's, who can write them off as a tax expense (I section 179ed mine) and who really can benefit from these amazing amps (which are built using very high quality components), I do not believe anything better exists on the market. For a hobbyist, they may be too expensive.

Polytones are cheap used, but they are all getting old and may need work at any moment. Doing a $250 repair on an amp worth $300 will not feel "smart". And doing gigs with an inherently unreliable amp may not be too smart either, even if they are "almost free" hobbyist gigs. I have an 11 year old Polytone (the last one I bought, near the end of their production) and while I am not very concerned about reliability, my Henriksen Blu goes to many more gigs than does the Polytone. As I wrote in a post above, my Polytone may go away next year to help fund another Henriksen (The Bud 10 is giving me some serious AAS!)

What do you mean by "(and they are the only solid state models being built at this time)"?
Besides, f.ex Mambo and Lundgaard (Europe) have been building amazing combos (and heads) using class D power amps for close to a decade. This is only a huge step forward for Henriksen and the only amps, depending on taste and needs, they exceed... are the Henriksen amps... which came before.
edit. and clearly, of cause, they exceed old broken and unreliable or worn out dying amps.

[Greentone]

I believe that he means only ones being built by Henriksen at this time.

[Franz 1997]

For us Pro's, who can write them off as a tax expense (I section 179ed mine) and who really can benefit from these amazing amps (which are built using very high quality components), I do not believe anything better exists on the market. For a hobbyist, they may be too expensive.

If by 'hobbyist" you mean someone with a non-musical day job, and "pro" someone who lives solely on music-related earnings, I'd have thought it was the other way round.

[rabbit]

There is a large voice in my head that keeps shouting "You only live once...stupid"

Why does the voice always have to add the "stupid" comment / adjective?

My "voice" addresses me by name as in "Hey, Stupid, you only live once!"

[Stringswinger]

If by 'hobbyist" you mean someone with a non-musical day job, and "pro" someone who lives solely on music-related earnings, I'd have thought it was the other way round.

You may have a point there as a lot of high end musical stuff is too expensive for working musicians and is mainly being bought by Collectors/hobbyists.

But those of us who do this for a living do get the tax deduction which makes it not as expensive.

[Gitterbug]

You may have a point there as a lot of high end musical stuff is too expensive for working musicians and is mainly being bought by Collectors/hobbyists.

But those of us who do this for a living do get the tax deduction which makes it not as expensive.

I often bump into pros - wannabe or real - for whom $ 300 is excessive. They just don't have enough taxable revenue to benefit from deductions. And they have families to feed. It takes special talent, training from childhood and a lot of hard work to become a pro athlete. The same goes for musicians, so is there any justice in that six-, even seven-digit fees are common in sports but so rare in music? And those making serious money are mainly rock stars, who may know all three chords. Sorry if this the subject of a sticky thread elsewhere on the Forum. It should be.

[sgosnell]

As always, supply and demand.

[Fred98]

I believe that he means only ones being built by Henriksen at this time.

Its a solid state amp building company, so its obvious at this and anytime what the ones being built are.
” The new Class D models” - its just, they are, according to Henriksen, the same preamp as in the previous models, just a different poweramp so the new amps are the same as always.
Anyway, the Blu does sound great, the preamp voicing seems to work great with the 6.5” speaker.

[archtopdream63]

Depends on which model Henriksen. You can buy a second-hand Jazz 10 or Jazz 12 for about $500-650, IIRC. These are very good amps.

Then, again, The Jazz Baltica concert where Joe Pass uses a Baby Taurus sounds awfully good, IMO. (Maybe Pass' best live recorded sound)

If, OTOH, you want a Henriksen Blu or Henriksen Bud, currently the "favorite" models, you are going to have to part with more like $900-$1,100.

super overpriced

[Longways to Go]

I have a Henriksen 110ER and a Polytone Minibrute with a 12" speaker.
I've had both amps for a number of years now. I rely on my Henriksen, while my bass player likes to play my old Polytone when we are practicing. I have found the Henriksen to be super solid & reliable -- it's my go-to gig amp. The Polytone is more of a "glad you are still working" situation. As far as sound goes, I still lean toward a tube amp.

On this thread, my vote goes to Henriksen.
It might be a different story if Polytone was still a company making amps.

I don't get the dissing on older Henriksen amps.
They all sound good. I don't even hate the reverb!

[Franz 1997]

[QUOTE

I don't get the dissing on older Henriksen amps.
They all sound good. I don't even hate the reverb![/QUOTE]

I'm not sure it's really dissing, it's just that the amps really have got a lot better. I imported one of the very earliest models to the UK, and no doubt it was a good amp. But there were some electrical gremlins that had to be worked out, and Bud and Peter Hendriksen were super helpful in doing that. Bud had initially tried to accomodate the amp's design to older club power supply circuits with no electrical grounding, and that caused some issues. The first model was felt to be a little underpowered @ 60W, so the move to 120W was a natural evolution- many quality amps such as AI have evolved similarly. ( not to mention the big F..). But the other factor was that Bud hated the idea of reverb, although he eventually gave in to market demand with a very, very basic reverb module ( a 'protest' reverb) which has now also evolved . The basic USP of the Hendriksen amp has been there all the time - the 5- band ( maybe it's 6 now) equaliser.

[Greco]

The basic USP of the Hendriksen amp has been there all the time - the 5- band ( maybe it's 6 now) equaliser.

Live and learn...
The unique selling proposition (USP) is the factor or benefit that makes your product different—stand out—from other equivalent products on the market. ... If you offer a service rather than a product you may determine your USP is that you will go to the client rather than them coming to your office.

[archtopdream63]

1100$ for a new 6” speaker henriksen is out of market.
There are better solid state at better price today.