Henriksen The Bud Versus Fender Princeton Rever Reissue. Test guitar is Danocaster Freakin era Tele, (ash/maple) with Budz Danocaster custom wound PUs, Nocaster sized neck.
This is a really cool demo. Every review of the Bud I read says it is not good for solid body guitars but in this case you made it sound really good. I know that it is very different than the Princeton and that most folks prefer the Fender sound but I am really impressed with the tone coming out of the Bud. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Now that is a good comparison. The difference just listening to it from my laptop with a cheap speakers is like night and day and Fender is head and shoulder better. As soon as the guitar is plugged into the fender the sound opens up and has more depth and clarity. The Bud sounds much more compressed, little bit muddy specially on low end frequencies and does not have the articulation of the fender. There has been so much hype about the BUD and now i realize is just a marketing scheme than being the truth and BUD costs more than the Fender. These BUD Amps are sold in the range of $1000 to over $1800.00
I bought a new Princeton In 1972, out of high school. Thousand of dollars and no telling how many amps. I'm back to the Princeton. It was all I ever needed. The old Blackface with out reverb, weight is 26 pounds. and sound great with my archtops guitars.
Seems like a lot of people here are missing the point. That Princeton reissue is one of the nicest sounding mass production (circuit-board) amps on the market. It is a favorite of many great and famous players. Outside of boutique or custom jobs it's pretty much a reference point for low watt amps in terms of tone. So any small amp SHOULD be compared to it and I'm happy Gary Roberts tested the Bud against this fairly unimpeachable standard represented by the PR. So yeah, duh, the Princeton sounds 'better' in many ways. That said, it's bigger and heavier, less reliable, not nearly as modern in terms of the tech. It also, for me as a jazz player, doesn't have the clean headroom that this 135 watt Bud does. So these are factors. As has been pointed out, someone like me might have to walk two blocks and up stairs with a guitar and an amp. So the Bud, if it has professional sound and warmth etc. it would be an amazing replacement for the old Polytone Mini-Brute etc. in terms of portability, sound quality, headroom, etc. So let me hear it against one of the best sounding production line tube amps out there! And my ears certainly hear the difference but I'm saying when the Bud is compared to this PR, something that won't happen on a gig with an A/B switch and questioning which sound the audience likes better, this amp sounds absolutely great. Anyone who expected it to exceed or even match the sound of the Princeton is way off. But it still sounds damn good! Thanks again for the video.
99.9 % of people who attend a gig to hear a band play, never pay attention to the amps' sound, so I'd have a Princeton to play and record at home and a Henriksen for gigs.
I bought the Princeton Reverb '64 Custom reissue. The Princeton sings like only a tube amp can. Great amp! I'll keep my Bud 6 and the Princeton. They both serve different purposes very well, and are a nice combination of amps to own if you only need two small amps. The Bud 6 is better for travelling. It's smaller, lighter, solidly built, less prone to damage, and doesn't need tube replacement or other maintenance. And it has separate EQs for guitar and microphone which the Princeton doesn't have. But if I had to choose one amp solely for guitar that I don't need to lug in and out of cars frequently and potentially drop on pavement, I'd choose the Princeton Reverb Custom '64 reissue. It sounds better.
You can't go wrong with either of these guys. The Princeton has that Fender shimmer. The Bud has a finished studio quality to the sound. Both similarly priced professional sounding amps. Different flavor but all things considered not much of a difference in overall quality level. Great playing as well. Thanks.
Anything small is a trade off. My first gigging amp was a Polytone Minibrute. Without an external cabinet, it was a compromise. But going direct or through an external cabinet was remarkable. It was definitely adequate for most gigs. I think the Bud is the same way. The only difference is the Fender amp has more frequency response/bandwidth. Still does not take much away from the Bud. Thanks for the demo!!!
Thanks, Gary for the video. I have both of these amps and have gigged with them regularly. The Bud is the no question go-to amp for acoustic gigs. I was using the AER combo 60 till I heard the Bud. When I play with Bud in a band setting I line out to a powered speaker or PA it sounds really great. I do get the Bud off the floor for a better sound. The Fender is just a great all-around amp period. The choice of what amp I used on a certain gig is based more on what I feel like carrying that day and the number of trips from the car to the venue. I personally can't say one is better than another it's just different. It's nice to have an option.
A picike kombónak (BUD) ijesztően hitvány hangja van a nagymúltú Princetonhoz hasonlítva. Nem is foglalkoznék vele, ha nem fájna a derekam, de mostanában minden deka számít amit cipelni kell. Thanks for the Video! ♥
I love them both for different reasons. The Princeton sound better over all to my ears. I still want the Henriksen as a add on to my collection. ( Nice review.)
its all about getting the best sound with what you got..... Pat metheny uses solid state amps and he sounds just fine to me. charlie christian didn't have to many choices but he sounded great too!
Nice playing. Helpful comparison. Still funny how people say on thing is better than the other. The one the gives you -your sound is the best amp. If you are a good player and pay attention to all the variables in making a sound-you can almost get exactly your sound- from any amp
Seems to me the Bud is significantly more tailored for jazz. The size and weight make it a far easier for the giving musician. The Fender is a general purpose amp but not as portable.
Henriksen sounds like how it looks...small. Of course the midrange and highs cut through, but that is the current typical trendy solid state amp, (used ot be AER?). It's compact and easy to gig with. I am all about Tubes and point to point wiring, especially vintage affordable, ($100) 1940's amplifiers. But my favorite amp a custom designed head, (5-8 watts), based on a Princenton circuit, that was modified. This head fits in the palm of my hand and has a 12ax7 and one 6L6. It's basically a monitor when I perform on a stage or used with any size speaker(s) for a casual session. A professional musician and music store owner told me a solid state amp if played professionally will last only 5 years. I am a singer musician, (guitar flute percussion and drummer). I am also a sound enginer and hi end audiophile, (all tubes). The amplifier designer used my ears to modify the circuit.
Bud sounds compressed to my ears. Smaller and less lush but definitely smooth. Sounds as though the volumes were not equal either. As soon as you put the rhythm track into the Bud the volume nose dived. Also the Princeton’s upper frequencies are lush and pop out. The Bud smooths things over. Tubes get worn and have to be replaced. You can’t really run a vocal mic thru it at the same time and enjoy the results but for less money I am choosing the P every time for the style you are playing with a Tele. With a archtop and Standard tune? Maybe a different story. But you Sold the Princeton with this video. Thanks
I got a PR (almost new) with the western tolex and 12" speaker I love. I still use my Polytones mostly with my full hollows (ES175, ect) and the PR with the ES135 and like semihollows. I'm curious how The Bud compares to my AER Compact 60 that I use when I need a really lightweight amp, it weighs 18 lbs. I've also got a Tonemaster Twin (33 lbs) and looking for a Tonemaster Deluxe Reverb (23 lbs) if I can find a deal on a used one. My TM Twin sounds almost as good (slightly different) then my RI Twin and early 70s Twin which also sound a little different from each other. Getting too old to lug them around though. The modern Princeton Reverbs are great amps, plug in and play. Mines a keeper. I'm wondering when (and if) they'll be a updated Tonemaster, but they're great as they are. Maybe a few more modern features.
Im shopping for a Bud...but the Princeton smokes the bud in this demo. The value of the bud is size I guess and a very nice usable tone...but if I could carry the fender, I would prefer it's tone.
I agree on this, but it's hard to beat the size and weight of the Bud. 13lbs VS 42lbs, and for me, Singer, Songwriter and jazz standards - I'll go with the Bud
I was seriously considering The Bud amp... never got to try one, but after playing a '65 FSR Princeton (Reissue wheat colour...cool retro look) with the Cannibis Rex speaket I looked no further! The Bud sounds very good but is not even in the same league as my Princeton!
The Bud sounds good, except that you always hear the smallness of the speaker. That amp with a 12” speaker would be better. The Princeton, otoh, has both depth and clarity.
I agree. If you don't compare, the "Bud" Is remarkable, but it is outclassed by the Princeton. Some of the tonal difference is Tubes versus Solid state. Its not just the speaker size IMO.
Hey, great video ! i just wanted to ask you a question cos i finally got a bud six and its sound is incredible but it makes a bit of noise when i turn the bluetooth on, i just wanted to know if you also have this noise on bluetooth?!
i guess you've had a while to practice that From The Beginning piece ... nice demo , I still really want a Princeton... i bought a lot of amps trying to figure that out ... it wasn't till i accidentally found the Mustang Digital modeling amps that I kept dialing in Princeton amps and then started looking into them ... crap , i could have saved a ton of money by just getting one in the first place ... thanks, SpaceAge / Dan Rose
Ive been playing, trading & buying guitars and amps for 40 years. I've owned most every amp from every major brand. I still love to find, buy and trade guitars & amp. This may have been said but there isn't an amp thats it's quality replaces old fashioned practice, having a concept of theory, appropriateness of scale and phrasing. It's just that simple. Having said that, I admit I love the uniqueness of different amps. When it come to my all time favorite I have to say it's always been a Princeton. It works for everything I do. When it comes to selling and trading, I've never had a problem with a Fender. I learned a long time ago always buy used and what I can easily trade or sell. If you can do that with a Henrikson that's cool.
I never did buy the Henricksen. It was a demo and I enjoyed the opportunity, but I am using a Princeton Reverb and it has that 'classic voice' that works.
Fender amps hold their value very well but you’d be surprised that the Bud is just as good if not a better investment! They are very rare to find used, and the few ones I’ve seen were fetching for $950-$1000 and the amp new is $1100. You certainly can’t go wrong with either amp, that’s why I have both ;) well a Tyler JT14 which is a boutique version of the Fender Princeton Reverb Great amp too! Thanks for the video comparison!
Dog at 2:10, 4:33, and 6:00. Maybe he heard the noodling and got hungry for noodles. Can’t hear much of a comparison between the two amps except volume and presence both seem a little more powerful from the much bigger amp. Damn I’m in the mood for some noodles. An endless stream of noodles over one minor chord would be tasty right now dad.
the Fender is with light years before the henriksen ... both are not comparable, sound from two different worlds .... but the henriksen is also very good, the size is its advantage
Both nice amps. Princeton sounds more natural. Bud sounds more studio. I have a Bud 6 and and a '66 Fender Vibrolux tube amp. The Vibrolux sounds great, good and loud, but it's heavy. I'll probably get a '64 Princeton Reverb reissue for tube tone and portability.
Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. I definitely recommend the 64 Handwired Princeton Reverb. Pricey but wonderful sounding. I can't imagine carting around a Vibrolux to my gigs. But I play quieter and smaller shows these days.
I had an upgraded output transformer in there and also a Celestion Gold 10" Speaker which is very efficient. So that amp stays cleaner at a louder volume. I also was playing with a light attack.
Nice playing - put me in a nice space. Fender has better tone. Bud would be a great size for traveling and easy to use. I use a vintage Tele, and several Martins so would want to try the Bud with them before buying.
Hi Dan, Thank you. I agree the Fender Princeton Reverb tone is better. I find it richer, sweeter, fuller. The Bud is almost a small mini-PA. The Bud may be a great tool for a guitar its playing both acoustic and electric where the focus of the electric is on cleaner, jazzier sounds.
Nice YT but I recommend making a live comparison if you really want to compare the 2 amps. For decades I had an old Fender Vibrolux silver-face and a Princeton-blackface. I learned guitar in the early 60's playing surf music and later played many different kinds of rock with the vibrolux. But now i'm just an old fart that still plays gigs and got too old to be lugging 45 pounds around. Now I have a bud 6 and a bud 10 that I use for solo acoustic guitar/vocal gigs. Their sound is great. I use the 10 for local gigs because of the rich low end but throw the 6 in a suitcase when I fly to gigs. Even the 6 has good low end if the eq is adjusted and the amp is placed on a hard floor (down firing bass). Still love the Fender sound but the Bud 6 and 10 are awesome too. It just depends on what you use them for and how you adjust them. Take it from an old fart.
Thanks for the "real talk". Truly valid. I have also come to realize that comparisons sometimes lead one piece of gear to be dismissed side-by-side, when it actually acquits itself admirably as a useful tool in a live situation. Comparisons can be taken with a grain of salt. I do prefer the Princeton for my electric guitar, but wind up plugging in my PRS 594 semi hollow into my Bose L1 compact at solo shows where I use both acoustic and electric. No, the PRS doesn't sound nearly as involving through the Bose, but it works for my shows. The audience just hears a pleasing sound. It's only "Me" who knows there is a difference.
I basically see the Bud as a super small PA speaker with its tweeter and all. So it's very good and capable, but for the most classic tone its the Princeton Reverb for me all day.
I could never get a Princeton to work as a clean amp for me, though I do like Fender Amps. I prefer at least 40 amp rating on a tube amp for clean warm tones without breakup. Need some power when playing with flesh vs. pick
I find The Bud very impressive. Quite a usable, musical offering that is gig worthy in a super small package.Ultimately, when I compare, I prefer that added sparkle and dimension that the bigger Fender Princeton Reverb offers. But it cannot compete with the convenience and size of the Bud. I LOVE the Reverb on the Bud. It is truly wonderful. An added bonus is the Bud has dual input jacks that allow an XLR Mic input on both channels. Also, the second channel has a bright switch that I forgot to try. All in all, the Bud is a tiny Tour De Force!
Thanks for the input. I looked at one prior and ended up with the Schertler Jam 100. It too has a small footprint excellent sound and 4 channels. So far it's a cool tool. I already have a Deluxe Reverb and 2 Twin Reverbs. Always loved the Princeton. Ps, I love what you are doing on this clip. Great playing.
Thanks. Damn guitar was out of tune at first. The Bud sounds a bit warmer and muffled after starting on the Princeton Reverb. But then my ears acclimate and it sounds jazzy and fine. I could probably clean it up a bit with more treble and presence.
I guess I'm biased for tube amps. As soon as you switched over, I could hear the immediate difference. I'll stick with my Princeton Reverb. Tubes are the only way to go for me.
The guitarist in my band is a studied jazz guitarist. He has an amazing Sadowsky Jazz guitar and other Hollowbody guitars that excel at Jazz. He uses a Princeton Reverb for everything. I absolutely think the clarity and sweetness of a Princeton would be great. I am a fan of the versions with 12" Speakers, but even the stock 10" version is great.
bud is made for archtop jazz guitar,on 012or 013 strings ,Or AC guitar +Mic.some one who need a clean room not overdrive old school sound. This is not seem thing.
I dont honestly remember. Judging from the size next to the Princeton I would say its the 6. But you might want to form your own conclusion. I didn't buy it after all. It was a demo and I decided to stick with the Princeton Reverb.
Henriksen has a more viable overall eq. The harshness of the high end transients coming off the Fender is why people in the front row wince and complain. The small footprint and eq of the henriksen sounded much better and useable to me.
Who in the front row "winces and complains" about a Princeton Reverb? You do know that this amp has been around for over a half-century, and has done pretty well for itself in that time? You do know that the uploader was obviously trying to make the Princeton sound less bassy (not a bassy amp to begin with), and the Henriksen sound more so by placing the bottom-ported Henriksen on shag carpet and tilting the Princeton up? Maybe you don't.
@@profd65 (I have to wonder if you maybe have stock in Fender to be so concerned over my expressed opinion, keyword "opinion", lol. I will take a Henriksen for a Recording session or jazz session/gig over a small Fender amp any day of the week.) I own both of these amps and many more amps including Suhrs, Bogners, DV Mark, Ceriatone, Fender, Fuchs, also Line6 Helix, etc.... The Henriksen is smaller, lighter, more versatile, able to set up 2 guitars with independent reverb and FX loops, sounds better, has better/more user friendly EQ and is IN MY OPINION, a better designed amp and better sounding amp than a princeton or a Deluxe, this opinion is shared by many other good players. Do you own one? I have used this amp for literally every style of music both Live and in The Studio, from jazz to Fusion to world music and modern Blues, and It is an amazing pedal platform with many great features. If you don't play the amp then why do you choose to so strongly critique it without the experience of having used it? It is an amazing piece of design and functionality that plays and feels great and sounds great and surprises me as I never thought I would own a SS amp and use one so much.
Sorry, the fender sounds way better, unless and until technology advances a 12 “ speaker (especially a celestian gold) will always sound better than a a speaker half it’s diameter
Agreed. A 6” speaker has only one quarter the surface area of a 12” speaker. The 12” cannot help but be more open and more articulate, and have more linear bass response.
In this demo, he was obviously trying to help the Henriksen sound more bassy, and the Princeton (not a bassy amp to begin with) less so: he also tilted the Princeton up, which lessens the bass. Be happy he didn't compare the overdriven tone of the two amps; I'm sure the Henriksen would have gotten slaughtered.
Sorry buddies, but this video demo does not accurately represent the Bud amp. I know, because I own one, as well as a Fender Twin reverb and other tube amps. I've played my G&L and Peavey guitars through it as well as my acoustic guitars and get a varied tone from dark as demonstrated here to a bright sound. It's all about your EQ and pickup selection.,
iv'e played, guitar, bass, 40 yrs.,, part of the important issue, is to not spend, 1,100.00, on an amplifier !,, when one can get a fender, blues junior, for 200.00, used, why would one spend the money, for something, with a 6" speaker. ?,, 12", speaker, makes all the difference, for any guitar!,, 2 , 12",, speakers, even better!, i cant see a small speaker, ( regardless of amp features, ), equal the tone , presence, of a larger cone!,, tube sound, plus touch sensitivity, will still cream these small solid state amps, i'm sorry, jazz , rock, etc.!, too much money, for a small amp!, good playing, though, it sounds great!,
You can plug the Henriksen into a 12” extension speaker - viola. The Henriksen is a jazz amp so if you’re gigging in a city (ie where jazz is mostly played) and taking public transport why mess with the size and weight of a tube amp? Solid state for me please
Funny thing here is your juvenile condescending post failed to discern it was a Danocaster Tele. Judging by your RU-vid name you may be a jazz box player. L5. Good for you. I only own fenders or single coil fender clones at that time. There are nice people in the world. You might try being one of them sometime.
To my ear the Henrikson sounds muffled, flat, one dimensional, lacking harmonics, not a lot of depth nor articulation, transistor. Whereas the the Princeton sounds alive, has depth, articulation, can hear the harmonics, clarity, bigger, clearer, more musical.
I'm sorry: the Henriksen amps seem like just a bunch of hype to me. Their clean tone is decent, but the clean tone of almost every solid state amp is decent. And Henriksens (probably because they're "jazz amps") are never required to do doing anything in demonstrations but produce clean tones, quite often with semi-hollow body or acoustic guitars, which is the wimpiest challenge you could give a solid state amp. I like the smaller size and weight of solid state amps, and the fact that there's no tubes to break or replace, but there are SS amps that offer that for a lot less money than the Bud.
From my understanding the benefit of the Henriksen line is that you get a very small amp with a lot of power. That thing is packing 120 watts, which I’ve never seen in a solid state amp that size before. For a lot of people(especially jazz musicians who often gig in the city) that’s a huge benefit. I don’t think it sounds quite as good as a Fender tube amp, but it can definitely go “louder for lighter,” if you will ;)
My final decision is the Henriksen is overpriced crap! The amplifier board is probably less that $20 built from China! Rest of the materials are dirt cheap as well!!
After about 45 years of playing all kinds of guitars through all kinds of amps I've treated myself to a Princeton reverb custom hand wired and I have to say hands down it's the most beautiful sounding amp I've ever experienced. Other amps I hear with my ears, but with this Princeton each note I play penetrates my brain and soul.. for the first time ever I can actually play very slowly because each individual note now satisfies rather than seeking millions of notes. Sadly the one I bought after week start to producing some insane hiss and crackle so I have to return it for a replacement. ru-vid.comleNddVS_6ZQ
