Jazzkats- thumbs up or down

[Guest mgoetting]

For clean jazz how do these do? Which model for an archtop?

 

Thanks.

[jazzrat]

In the wilds of Idaho there is no opportunity to try stuff out but I looked long and hard at the JazzKat line

recently when I was in the market.

There are guys that rave about both as they are similar. In the end I tossed a coin and bought a Henriksen

based on a couple diferences that appealed to me.

 

1. The JazzKat has a typical tone control set up. Not one thing wrong with that but in the variety of places

I play, I thought that the equalizer setup the Henriksen has might offer better feedback control.

2. I was at the mercy of another's opinion but a player I respect told me he tried them side by side

and the tone of Henriksen was more complex and less boxy. YMMV.

 

I think I would have been happy with the JazzKat, who knows, but I am well pleased with the Henriksen.

It's my first *dedicated* jazz amp so I'm no expert but i like it alot.

 

I will say....the Henricksen replaces a Roland Cube 30. It makes me appreciate how nice the Cubes are for

the $. Knowing what I know now I might have saved some money and bought a Cube 80.

Maybe 90% of the amp for 50% of the money.

[barrymclark]

The cubes are something for sure!

[ingeneri]

I had the original 8" speaker Jazzkat and upgraded last year to the 2 10" Twinkat. I opted for these over the Henricksen since I was looking for a traditional sound as close to a tube amp as possible. The Twinkat (and it's single speaker cousin the Tomkat) actually has a preamp tube that effectively warms and compresses the sound. It's much darker than my Fender DRRI, but much lighter too (28 lbs for the Twinkat, 20 for the Tomkat and 23 for the original Jazzkat).

 

Here's a link where you can hear some bad Zoom H2 recordings of me on the old Jazzkat:

 

http://jazzguitarlife.ning.com/profile/MattIngeneri

 

I'm using the Jazzkat on Jeanine, It Could Happen to You, Little Chippie, and Watermelon Man. Since this is the HOC, the first two are on my Super Eagle, the latter are with my 575 modified with Lollar P-90s.