Henriksen Bud 6 mini review

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Thanks Jack. I played through BF Twins the last 25 yrs in organ trios, but recently switched back to BF Vibrolux Reverbs. What would be your choice for that genre. And can they be used w out micing?

One Thursday night when you have the time, bring your L5 to the club and I'll bring my Blu 6 for you to try and compare side by side with our Vibrolux. I'll play the Hammond and use the Princeton with my archtop. With George on bass and Bill on drums, we'll find out how good the Henriksen is. I used it there unmiked the first week I got it, just to see how it would do. Not only did no one notice that I wasn't coming through the house system, but several people commented on how good my guitar sounded.

Add the fact that it weighs less than your guitar in its case and I think you'll find it to be a worthy accomplice

[jzucker]

I discovered something else recently too that has improved my already good experience with this amp. One thing about a closed back cab with such a small speaker is that the sound appears to come from one small area and when you are practicing, I have found that you need to stand or get a little ways away from the amp to experience its best sound. So, yesterday, I pointed the amp 90 degrees away from me and WHAT A DIFFERENCE. It sounds so much better in a small practice space using it like that!

[omphalopsychos]

FYI if anyone is looking for a 1-channel Blu 6, I just listed mine here in the for-sale section. $800 shipped to continental US.

[jzucker]

FYI if anyone is looking for a 1-channel Blu 6, I just listed mine here in the for-sale section. $800 shipped to continental US.

what vintage is your amp?

[rpjazzguitar]

I discovered something else recently too that has improved my already good experience with this amp. One thing about a closed back cab with such a small speaker is that the sound appears to come from one small area and when you are practicing, I have found that you need to stand or get a little ways away from the amp to experience its best sound. So, yesterday, I pointed the amp 90 degrees away from me and WHAT A DIFFERENCE. It sounds so much better in a small practice space using it like that!

To hijack the thread a little bit ...

I've been playing a regular gig in a storefront sized restaurant with the band squeezed into a small area. The LJ is plenty loud enough for this gig, because we make a point of not making conversation impossible at the tables and bar.

We record the gigs for critiquing them later. Although I set up the same way every time the sound of the guitar is noticeably (and sometimes annoyingly) different on different nights. Sometimes I really like it and sometimes it sounds dull, or perhaps harsh.

I haven't figured it out yet. One possibility is that the tone pot on the Comins GCS-1 does most of its work in a very small part of the rotation and I'm not getting it right on the money every time. That's why I asked the question, in another post, about using a chicken head knob. Another possibility may be a subtle difference in the volume pot of the LJ, although I try to get it at one o'clock every time.

One of my big bands plays in a huge room with a hard tile floor and high ceilings. I put the LJ on the floor pointing this way or that and no matter what I do, I get a good sound.

So, now coming finally to making a point -- of all the variables, known or suspected, I'm having trouble thinking that "which amp to use" is the biggest issue.

If anybody knows what kind of pot to use in the Comins for a tone control with a more linear response, please post!

[omphalopsychos]

what vintage is your amp?

I believe it's 2019. It's the same as the current circuit but it used to have a blue baffle cover instead of the black ones they use now. Otherwise completely identical.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

That gain control on the Bud... is it just to handle input level or can you also get some overdrive that way? (I thought this was entirely a clean amp.)

[jzucker]

That gain control on the Bud... is it just to handle input level or can you also get some overdrive that way? (I thought this was entirely a clean amp.)

It's not for overdrive. It's more to compensate and (manually) normalize various input levels depending on whether you are inputting line level, strat pickups, humbuckers, active pickups, etc...I do notice a more singing quality with my tele and sa2200 with the gain maxed but there is no overdrive present

[omphalopsychos]

Yeah the gain is totally clean but it interacts with the bright switch. This is probably what you’re hearing Jack.

From the online manual:

BRIGHT SWITCH
Channel 2 has a bright switch. When turned on, the bright switch increases the higher frequencies of the signal before going to the EQ. Note: If the input gain is set to 9:00 or below, the bright switch will have little effect.

[omphalopsychos]

Jack I'd be interested to compare settings. It sounds like we come from similar tonal preferences. I'm trying to get a good "clean Fender tube amp" sound out of this, and this is where I am landing. I adjust the low mids to the guitar, but what I'm finding is that compared to a fender, the henriksen has more high mids and significantly less presence than a traditional clean fender amp (both bf and tweed). I know it's not due to the preamp based on listening to the henriksen fx send through another amp. I think part of the reason the henriksen sounds the way it does is because the eminence beta speaker has very flat response through the mids compared to a Jensen and the highs taper off at a lower frequency compared to a jensen. So I make the following EQ adjustments:
- Bright switch on
- High mids down
- Presence up

[sm80808]

do you guys use the DI to FOH on the Bud or Superblock?

[vinnyv1k]

Like I said I have a Blu6, Blu10, and a 312. The 6 really defies science for its size and weight. I absolutely love it.
They stopped making the 12 but Peter said he is going to bring it back.
If you love thunk and want an amp that is a Twin Reverb killer that weighs less than half the weight, check out a 12. A great amp for bass too. Actually, it was originally designed for bass. Kind of like a Fender Bassman actually became an even greater guitar amp.

[jazzgtrl4]

Understanding the size differences in the speakers, how does the Bud 6 compare to the Forte?

they are totally diff animals..the Forte is more like a Fender Deluxe reverb in size but with the volume and headroom of a Twin. it can get loud...! HAs the 12Ax7 tube in there circuit as well.

[rob taft]

they are totally diff animals..the Forte is more like a Fender Deluxe reverb in size but with the volume and headroom of a Twin. it can get loud...! HAs the 12Ax7 tube in there circuit as well.

Thanks I own the Forte head that I pair with a closed box 12" speaker cab with a cross over tweeter. I'm looking for a small Amp for portability purposes and since you owned both the Bud 6 and Forte, I was interested in any tonal differences.

[Gitterbug]

My posts sometimes mark the end of a thread. Risking that, I want to thank the OP for initiating this one. There's far too little attention to amps and speakers here, given their importance. What Henriksen is doing deserves our unqualified praise. If they had gone straight from 1st gen. to Buds and Blus, I might have stopped developing Toobs and Metros on time (to my wife's great relief.) That Quilter has joined in, pushing the envelope, is equally commendable. A cross between the Bud head and Quilter Superblock would be sheer bliss.

[sm80808]

The Superblock/Toob Metro solution seems pretty great.

It would be interesting to hear a side by side comparison with the Bud.

I don't think I have come across videos of either setup utilizing the DI.

[omphalopsychos]

Check out these tiny rigs. All that's missing is a guitar and cable. FYI I have played them against my 5e3 clone and with this pedal in the loop I get remarkably close, especially with the Bud 10". If octal tubes are your sound, all you need to do is replace the Modele B with a Jr Barnyard or a JJ 150.

[sm80808]

Check out these tiny rigs. All that's missing is a guitar and cable. FYI I have played them against my 5e3 clone and with this pedal in the loop I get remarkably close, especially with the Bud 10". If octal tubes are your sound, all you need to do is replace the Modele B with a Jr Barnyard or a JJ 150.

I checked out your youtube. Is that your setup for your videos? Great tone and playing.

[omphalopsychos]

I haven't recorded anything with this setup yet, but I will do so. I've been promising some friends a demo of the Henriksen rig since I haven't shut up about it lol.

[Woody Sound]

Check out these tiny rigs. All that's missing is a guitar and cable. FYI I have played them against my 5e3 clone and with this pedal in the loop I get remarkably close, especially with the Bud 10". If octal tubes are your sound, all you need to do is replace the Modele B with a Jr Barnyard or a JJ 150.

What kind of power supply is in that little velcro pouch?

[sgosnell]

I don't know what he's using, but I use one of these: DaierTek 3pcs 9V Battery Holder with ON Off Switch Cover Lead Wires 9 Volt Ba... | eBay

I reverse the polarity, connecting a standard plug, and use rechargeable 9V lithium batteries.

[omphalopsychos]

It’s just a velcro pouch with a carbon zinc 9v battery.


Amazon.com

Amazon.com

[jzucker]

do you guys use the DI to FOH on the Bud or Superblock?

You mean the DO? It has an XLR line out on it. I have not used that yet.

[jzucker]

here are my settings. channel 1 for acoustic, channel 2 for my 175. I keep the reverb up really high in my small practice room. Wouldn't do that on a gig.

Jack I'd be interested to compare settings. It sounds like we come from similar tonal preferences. I'm trying to get a good "clean Fender tube amp" sound out of this, and this is where I am landing. I adjust the low mids to the guitar, but what I'm finding is that compared to a fender, the henriksen has more high mids and significantly less presence than a traditional clean fender amp (both bf and tweed). I know it's not due to the preamp based on listening to the henriksen fx send through another amp. I think part of the reason the henriksen sounds the way it does is because the eminence beta speaker has very flat response through the mids compared to a Jensen and the highs taper off at a lower frequency compared to a jensen. So I make the following EQ adjustments:
- Bright switch on
- High mids down
- Presence up

[Stringswinger]

Oomph, you like a brighter sound than I do (with scooped mids and some breakup). JZ, you like a darker, wetter sound than I do. On my Bud 6, I keep the gain at 3 O-clock, the volume and all the EQ controls at 12 O-Clock and the reverb at 9 O-clock. I then use the volume and tone knobs on the guitar to adjust to the room.