Henriksen Blu?

[joelf]

Well, instead, you had it delivered to your door, you were able to try it out in your house for hours, and then only had to ask for a return shipping label and send it back. Seems to me that’s just about perfect. And considering that these amps aren’t commonly found in stores, I’d say you got the best of everything.

Yeah, you're right. Sweet deal for sure...

[joelf]

wow thats crazy maybe yours is broken, also never heard of anyone complaining about the weight, wtf lol

I thought it heavy at first, but took that back after last night, when I carried it a ways and it was fine...

[joelf]

But if you want to do that, why not just go direct with a good DI box or sim / preamp pedal?

What's a DI box? And I never used a preamp pedal. That sounds like a good idea, thanks...

[joelf]

Or trying to climb up a ladder without rungs.

So, you want something with more power than the R33, that weighs less than the Bud 6.

I'm sorry I ever said anything about weight. I took it back, and will lift a heavy amp as needed for the sound.

I just wanted something more portable for certain gigs. I'm sorry the Bud didn't work for me but that's over and done with. I've already moved on.

We have to take chances sometimes, in all areas of life. This one worked out fine in the end, since I get a full refund. I'm glad you guys like your Buds, really...

[pingu]

Or , if you like the sound of a champion 100
But it's too heavy

Maybe a Champion 20 or 40
Also they're cheap as chips

I used a Champion 40 the other day
It sounded pretty good

[joelf]

Or , if you like the sound of a champion 100
But it's too heavy

Maybe a Champion 20 or 40
Also they're cheap as chips

Or go whole hog w/a Blues Deluxe, and keep the 100. Nothing like Fenders for me.

That's it! Keeping the Roland, as is. Maybe a smaller Fender 2-channel tube amp and def keeping the 100 for louder situations.

OK, thank you all again. I'm out...

[krusty]

Interesting that you describe the tone as thin. The 6” Bud and Blu have a down firing port. I used to put my Blu on a 2’x2’ sheet of plexi instead of on the carpet or raised on a chair. In this way, or on a hard floor, the down firing port makes it sound anything but thin. I’m curious if you tried it that way.

[Ukena]

I had the AC-60. I got it back when I only had acoustic guitars, and I used it with my Martin D-18 Authentic and my D-28 Authentic 1931 – both of which have gone to other homes, since I caught the archtop bug several years ago.

I needed an amp with two channels, since I accompanied my singing with the guitar. I didn't really like the AC-60 that much – it didn't do much for the sound of a K&K Pure Mini pickup, even with a K&K Pure XLR preamp. I sold the Roland to a friend.

When I found the Bud 6, it really made those dreads sound more like an acoustic guitar. And when I became obsessed with archtops, I still liked the Bud's sound.

Joel, it sounds like you really got your hopes up for the Bud from listening to us fanboys extol its virtues; I'm sorry that it ended up being a disappointment, especially since you were really expecting to like it. At least it sounds like it didn't cost you anything but time and dashed hopes. The hard part is that so much of getting the sound that is right for an individual is trial and error; no one else's experience can substitute for our own.

Good luck with your search!

[joelf]

No purchases for a while, though I have the Blues Deluxe on my radar now.

The thing to do is first to see if any gigs warrant a heavy amp like that. If I had something steady for decent $ it would pay for itself quick.

I was spoiled by the Fender tube amps I owned as a teen---you know, back in the Bronze Age. But no hurry for me at all...

[Alter]

Have you tried the Pro Junior? It's all tube, light and portable and great sounding. In this line of amps, i went Blues Deluxe > Blues Junior > Pro Junior IV and have been extremely happy with the little Pro Junior. Have played and heard it with a ton of guitars and archtops (used to carry it to a jam session where i was the house guitarist) and it never disappointed.

[joelf]

Have you tried the Pro Junior? It's all tube, light and portable and great sounding. In this line of amps, i went Blues Deluxe > Blues Junior > Pro Junior IV and have been extremely happy with the little Pro Junior. Have played and heard it with a ton of guitars and archtops (used to carry it to a jam session where i was the house guitarist) and it never disappointed.

Thanks.

Can it cut it w/loud drums or an organ group? That's my criterion, and the heck with weight. (I already have a light, portable amp I like, solid state and w/ 2 channels, for smaller things...)

[pingu]

i’ve got a mk1 green board blues jnr
same power stage but 12” speaker
it’s great amp but
not enough juice for an organ trio

so it’s a no from me ….

[Alter]

Yes, if you position it strategically. Here's videos where I play unmiked and the organ uses a Leslie cabinet. When playing lower volume jazz it's even more comfortable and cleaner sounding.

Nassia Gofa Quintet @ Orfeas Jun 2023 - YouTube

Hot Organic Trio @ Almagesti May 2023 - YouTube

Hot Organic Trio @ Louis 12/2019 - YouTube

For comparison, here's playing through the Princeton reverb (with an upgraded speaker for more headroom), also unmiked (and this band is much louder!):

Leventopoulos Organ Trio @ Louis Cafe 01/2020 - YouTube

[joelf]

Really naive question---especially for one of my vintage and years playing amplified guitar---but here goes, down and dirty:

What is 'headroom'? Clarity? Fullness? Cleanness at louder volume? All of the above?

Please advise...

[bluejaybill]

Really naive question---especially for one of my vintage and years playing amplified guitar---but here goes, down and dirty:

What is 'headroom'? Clarity? Fullness? Cleanness at louder volume? All of the above?

Please advise...

Someone will chime in with a more technical explanation, but for a guitarist's purposes, it refers to how loud an amp can go before it starts to distort.

For instance, as much as I love my BF Deluxe Reverb, in bygone days I felt it didn't have enough headroom for the bands I was playing with, ie it wouldn't stay clean enough at the volumes we were playing.

For jazz, many are looking for a fair amount of headroom for an archtop guitar. For fusion or rock, maybe not so much. Some jazz players like it somewhere in the middle; Julian Lage likes a bit of growl in his sound and prefers small tweed amps. A lot of folks like Fender amps near the edge, where they are nice and full but not quite over the line into distortion.

An example of an amp with headroom is a Fender Twin Reverb, or a really powerful solid state amp. The opposite is a Fender tweed Champ, or an amp with an OD channel.

Hope this non-technical explanation helps!

[joelf]

It does, and thanks...

[gitman]

One limiting factor is your own playing style : I personally have a rather strong attack and this in combination with a powerful humbucker and medium heavy strings on a rather bassy archtop guitar will crush most small-ish tube amps and low-powered speakers will fart out. I def. need a high- power amp with a sturdy speaker except when playing a solo or duo gig. My Bud6 delivers as does my Evans RE200. A Blackface Pro- Reverb would be nice to have but the good ones are gone , the available ones too expensive and I wouldn’t want to lug them around, worrying if they will hold up etc.
Lots of things to consider ….

[joelf]

I used the AC-33 today for the 1st time in ages. It lived in my trunk, and I had to buy new batteries (there's continual problems w/the power cord for some weird reason).

I played at a Christmas party, in a noisy room, using both channels, 1 for guitar, the other for a mic. It cut through like a MF! Even w/the gain up no distortion and total fullness and clarity of sound. I remember using the mic channel cut the guitar volume, but even that didn't happen. Both carried beautifully throughout the room, noise notwithstanding. And there was plenty of noise! Pulled the mic male out when I wanted to just play, and she was clear and vibrant as could be, with more than enough volume and such beauty of sound.

I'll keep this lived-in looking little amp til the day I die---one of the best investments I've ever made...

[pingu]

Yes, if you position it strategically. Here's videos where I play unmiked and the organ uses a Leslie cabinet. When playing lower volume jazz it's even more comfortable and cleaner sounding.

Nassia Gofa Quintet @ Orfeas Jun 2023 - YouTube

Hot Organic Trio @ Almagesti May 2023 - YouTube

Hot Organic Trio @ Louis 12/2019 - YouTube

For comparison, here's playing through the Princeton reverb (with an upgraded speaker for more headroom), also unmiked (and this band is much louder!):

Leventopoulos Organ Trio @ Louis Cafe 01/2020 - YouTube

I defer to your greater experience !

[Alter]

Small amps are not for everyone though. For me they have been an acquired experience. A bigger amp is more comfortable, you can place it anywhere and you'll still hear yourself fine, things can get very loud no problem, etc. A small amp needs work, plus it took me years of getting better control of live dynamics, being able to play without hearing myself very loud, controlling my pick input despite the energy of live playing (i practice with such a light touch that notes are muted, and still play too heavy live). Plus i 've come to prefer smaller amps and the kind of jazz sound that's a bit more alive, and wakes up if you hit the strings a bit harder.

The most difficult thing for small amps for me has been pop, funk gigs, where you need a 12'' speaker and a really loud and sometimes really clean sound. I had an all tube 40 watts 1x12 Alessandro amp for years that only weighted 33 pounds (about 15 kilos) that was great. But since i went back to Fenders, it's Pro Junior and Princeton reverb, very happy with them. Even my Marshall equivalent is a 20 watt studio head that together with a 1x12 cabinet can cut all sorts of gigs. And when i really want something portable, Zt Lunchbox it is!

Funniest thing is, all these years doing session work, whenever it was good paying and kind of high profile jobs i almost never used my amps. It was always club or concert/tour backline or straight into the PA (with a multi effect or analog sansamp boxes with a pedalboard). If you are using monitors, in ears, mixes you have to hear etc, you are not hearing the amp anyways, plus it is a burden to travel with your amp, much better with only guitars and a pedalboard or effect unit. My solution for the "anything can go wrong" scenario was always having a sansamp along with a stereo passive radial DI (for electric and acoustic/classical).

[joelf]

...always having a sansamp along with a stereo passive radial DI (for electric and acoustic/classical).

Again, I'm amazed how little of the terminology I know, lo these many years,

DI? Passive radial? Sansamp? I know not. Kindly elucidate.


I enjoyed your entire post, BTW...

[Tal_175]

Again, I'm amazed how little of the terminology I know, lo these many years,

DI? Passive radial? Sansamp? I know not. Kindly elucidate.


I enjoyed your entire post, BTW...

Here is some good info on DI's. They can be active (powered) or passive (unpowered). Active's are used with weak input signals (like direct from an instrument). If the input is a boosted signal (like from a powered pedal), passive is prefered:
What is a DI? - Radial Engineering.

[Alter]

DI is the little thing they use to get a mic or direct sound to the clubs PA system. Clubs often have poor quality ones, and at some point i just started bringing my own. This one is great, doesn't need power and can handle two guitars. ProD2 - Radial Engineering

If you go to play and the amp doesn't sound right, you can use an amp simulation pedal to go direct to the clubs system, and use one of their monitors to hear yourself. (Or just don't carry an amp at all to begin with). I used the tech 21 sansamp blonde, which sounds like a fender amp, and to my ears is much better than anything digital.
Blonde – Tech 21 NYC

But of course simulating an amp comes with a compromise, it is never 100% exact, and if you use a club monitor you have a soundman between you and your sound (which is a thing i try to avoid unless i know the person and gear). But i play a lot of gigs where getting the thing done is more important than having the 100% best tone, meaning you play a function, you carry a guitar and pedal only, setup in 2 minutes, all set play..

[John A.]

Again, I'm amazed how little of the terminology I know, lo these many years,

DI? Passive radial? Sansamp? I know not. Kindly elucidate.


I enjoyed your entire post, BTW...

DI = Direct Injection (aka, a "direct box"), used for converting the high impedance signal of a guitar into a low impedance signal that matches a mic preamp's input. Radial is a company that makes DI's (among other things).

SansAmp is a range of pedals made by a company called Tech 21 used for emulating the sound of an amp. The original one was one of the earliest devices that helped you get realistic sounds when recording direct or playing directly into a PA. They can get a range of clean and dirty sounds. I used one for recording for many years and as an overdrive pedal live. You can use one instead of a DI and get an amp-like tone. The range has expanded to a bunch of different variants on the original idea (such as the Blond pedal Alter refers to).

[joelf]

Coda:

I went to Michael Howell's gig last night. He was playing through a Bud. It sounded like Michael Howell, and he, myself and everyone there was pleased with the sound.

Maybe I was hasty in my initial reaction, but it's over and done with now---and I'm glad about one thing in this brief episode: Peter Henrikson and his company are class acts all the way. It's great and rare in capitalism when some product doesn't work out for you personally and the top man in the company handles the matter with sensitivity and understanding. Henriksen's try and return if unhappy policy shows nothing if not belief in the product coupled with the rare acceptance that it may not be for everyone.

Kudos...