Solo gig = Henriksen. In a Band - with Bass & Drums = Fender (no comparison). It will cut-thru-the mix, and occupy less of the same EQ-Space in relationship to the bass. Great tones & playing brother. oNe LovE from NYC
The Thumb -Wes. 😎. Sounds great! I'm preferring the Henriksen. I have a Henriksen Bud with the 6.5 inch speaker. I guess I've had it for at least 6 years, around 500 gigs. Always sounds great. Has been a great investment.
@@AlexNaumanMusic Thanks Alex , It will be a while before I can return to the UK to get one but I have heard a few very fine guitar players using this and it always just sounds great and that's just perfect for me. :D
@peter david Thanks for that information. I am was thinking seriously of buying the Henriksen Jazz Amp 10 or blu 10 (seems to be same amp?)would be extremely disappointed after spending a grand if the amp suffered from hum. Ground hum can be very annoying and just like you I have experienced this problem in the past. I know a little about electronics and have in the past enter the maize of earth loops and hum etc and it does take awful lot of investing to find a solution. Think I might just make do with my AER Compact 60.
First off, wonderful playing! As to the amps: if you’re demonstrating that the Henriksen has a wider tonal range then cool. But if you’re asking which sounds better as currently set, then the Fender. It has good fullness in tonal ranges that don’t step on other instruments, and has more clarity.
Valuable comparison. Henriksen is like the new Polytone, mid-focused, round, bouncy tone. Some argue they are one trick ponies, mainly great for classic jazz guitar, which won't matter if that is your genre. The Princeton is of course brighter but not too bright, with what I call more 'sting' in the attack, maybe a little more clarity. I play a mix of jazz and instrumental arrangements of classic rock and pop so the Princeton would be more versatile for me. Agree it is more about personal preference than whether one is better. These days, between the two, my ears gravitate more towards the Princeton, it just sounds fresher to me. I have to say for a solid state amp, I really love the sound of my Roland JC-40. Both an Elite Tele and a PRS Core sound so good on that amp with nothing more than a touch of reverb, and dialing back the guitar tone just a little gives you a great classic jazz guitar tone.
I think there is a problem with mic on Henriksen. Since the amp has mid speaker and a tweeter but the mic is only on the main speaker. i think this would help explain why treble is missing on the Henriksen demo.
I like the Henriksen more full warm tones to my ear the Princeton is not louder its lil more thin bright up to the sound yer going for both fantastic amps thank u
I done the Princeton thing but always felt it lacked clean headroom especially in a band sense, fine for solo. I have a DV Mark Jazz that I like and for the $$ can’t complain. I think you will find difference in speaker quality as well.
Merci pour cette comparaison et bravo pour la qualité de votre jeu ! Je préfère le Henriksen pour sa sonorité sombre qui va si bien dans un registre jazz classique Le son du Fender est peut-être un peu trop brillant dans cet exemple, mais avec des sonorités plus complexes Ce sont deux très bons amplis pour le jazz Personnellement, j'aime également les amplis Quilter dans ce registre
More life in the Princeton. One hack folks have been doing with Princeton's for years for more stage volume. Remove the factory speaker and set it aside.Then get a JBL, or a super efficient Weber, or Jensen Neo or Eminence you can get TWICE the stage volume with a speaker that is just 3db more efficient than the stock speaker.
the Henriksen has a richer more complex tone, darker for sure, but I think its the way the tone controls are set, I've always thought those fenders are brighter just because IDK
For me the chords seemed to be more together with the Henriksen; with the Princeton they seem to fall a bit apart. I guess one could tease out more presence out of the Henriksen; and of course we hear actually how the single mic hears the amp in the position it is placed into... Great work and fantastic playing. Thanks for doing that.
Hello Alex. I'm a little bit confused but does a accoustic amp not have a buzz compared to a transistor/tube amp? I like to play jazzy/ Bossanova music. Not in a band/on stage but just at home.
Great demo, thanks for sharing this. You're right, they both sound good, but depends on what you want to hear. The Hendriksen sounds like it chokes off the highs more, but I noticed you had the highs on the Henriksen rolled back and the bass boosted. The Princeton lets the highs come through without sounding twangy, scratchy, or tinny, a very well-behaved voice. I have a Vibrolux, not a Princeton, but they are cousins. Fender amps are voiced rather bright for my taste. I have an Eastman AR910-CE and find the pickup to be very bright so I roll the treble on amps almost all the way down. I used the Vibrolux for playing blues with a Tele and an ES-335 but I haven't used it for jazz. I have a Henriksen Jazz Amp 310 and really like it. It has a five-section EQ vs. treble & bass on the Fender, and it is more voiced for jazz. I am able to dial in exactly the tone I want. What does it say on your headstock? It doesn't look like "Gibson" but the truss rod cover says Custom L-5.
Thanks for watching! Great insights too. Someday I will get a Vibrolux too; incredible amps! As for the guitar itself, it is indeed a Gibson. It's an interesting guitar! This is a 1941 Gibson L5. The logo is the last year of the pre-war script!!!! The pickups and electronics were added at some point in the early 60s by Gibson. (neck pickup is an original PAF!!!) The people at Gibson told me that they did many of these "conversions" on acoustic arch tops at the time.
This is the best solid state sound I heard in ages, and when compared to the Princeton it still sounds dead and lifeless to me. Going to try a 65 Twin Reverb with my 9-string next week, hoping it will be a nice choice for oldschool and modern requirements in combination. Desperately need an amp which just keeps me practicing so I can play as you do. Also gong to try a Fender ACB 50, in case the Twin Reverb will have issues dealing with the extended range of my 9-string, a Schecter Damien Platinum 9. So far the neck pickup with the tone dialed all back sounds very good for jazz ambitions, but it’s hard to find a guitar tube amp which suits my mixed ambition of jazz and modern metal.
You should check out a fender Pro with a 15” speaker!! Or a lot of steel players back in the day would modify super reverbs and take out the four 10” speakers and replace with one 15” speaker to really beef up the low end. Those would absolutely SLAP for an 8 or 9 string!!!
Thanks for checking it out!! My L5 is a 1941 L5… started its life as an acoustic archtop (no pickups at that time and also no cutaway!!) and then around 1961 Gibson started making what they called “conversion” guitars where they would take old archtops and fit them with modern pickups and possibly add cutaways to the original instruments. So this is one of those. Work was done at the Gibson factory and has original PAF pickups. Pretty cool history!
@AlexNaumanMusic It's a beautiful instrument. Congratulations! And I love some details, like that bracket shape at the end of the fretboard, the old logo. And it sounds (and you make it sound) amazing.
Great playing, but as a meaningful comparison of the two amps it is very limited. For such a comparison to suggest which amp is preferable you will need to cycle through all of the available settings to demonstrate each amps tonal range. Each amp had its moments based on the settings you chose, but I suspect each is capable of producing a wide range of tones, perhaps with the Henriksen being more versatile due to the more expansive EQ. Again, great playing!
Can't pick a favourite. Both those amps sound great to my ear, today. I think the Henrickson suits that guitar a little better, but who wouldn't want a Fender Princeton with its reverb and tremolo?
Based on this video, I prefer the Fender Princeton. But I might be biased. I play through a Fender Twin (Tonemaster - 33 lbs). So it’s what I’m used to hearing.
Very nice playing! I'll have to keep an eye out for an "Alex Nauman album". Thank you for doing this demo. As for the amps, Fender all the way for me. Crisp, clear, dark but with that classic "chime". The Henriksen came off too muddy to me.
First of all I really enjoyed Mr. Nauman's playing. Thank you. The best way to do these comparisons is to scroll down so you don't see which amp is which. Use your ears and not your eyes. When I did that that Princeton won hands down. More open, musical, could hear the harmonics that the Henriksen is missing, more dynamic and articulate. The Henriksen sounds constrained, darker, lacking harmonics especially from the upper mids on up and generally less musical than the Princeton.
henriksen is a fantastic amplifier. I purchased it a few months back because I wanted an amp that was comparable to a Polytone. It actually exceeded my expectations. Nevertheless, I am selling it because I have no further use for its volume or ease of transportation since I'm not gigging.
I own A DV Mark jazz combo (12”) and It’s good for jazz and blues and it’s great to take around because of its so lite.however I’m not completely happy with it.first the Eq raises the volume and that’s weird..secondly, it’s sounds a bit boxy sometimes, definitely when compared to my fender hot rod deluxe 40w tube amp (that weighs a ton haha)
Dont know if it’s psychological- but just can’t enjoy any closed back amp for jazz. My JC 60 seems to be a good compromise . I like my polytone- but it just doesn’t breath notes as well. Nice playing. Thanks.
First, what I like about your playing is that you are making good jazz music that represents the pieces well (too many TH-cam demos are with players who are trying to show of themselves--you showcase the music nicely). Second, The Princeton sounds a bit more open and clear across all notes and pitches to me, whereas the the Henriksen is darker and seems to favor the low to midrange notes more. The L-5 has a rich, heavy tone anyway so maybe the Princeton helps it sound more lively. I have the Henriksen 312 and have been considering the Princeton to pair with my Sadowsky ss-15 so this helps. My question for you is what does each amp FEEL like in the the room. Some amps are directional, others are almost stereo-like. What does the music from each amp feel like to you? Thanks. Tom
Hey Tom! Thanks for watching and your kind words! The Henriksen definitely has a more “direct” sound in the room and the Princeton a bit more of the “open” kind of sound. I think because of the closed back/open back properties of each. The Henriksen can be much louder however! Hope that helps. Thanks again 🙏🙏
I liked both. Picking one would require factoring the set list, room, solo or combo, and how far I had to carry the amp. The playing is nice. The Princeton might favor jazz prior to 1968 or so. I associate the Henriksen with a smooth cool solo sound that follows that 1968 time line.
Both amps sound great, but for a trad jazz tone I prefer the fatter, darker sound of the Henriksen. You could lower the treble on the Princeton to get it darker, and that might change everything.
Hey Jeff! Thanks for checking out the vid! Slowly turning into a tone snob here haha. Overall, I agree... the Henriksen has that classic super dark Pat Martino tone which I absolutely LOVE. But the Princeton has it's own vibe too. Sounds/feels a lot like early Wes Montgomery tone to my ears which is fun to explore. Of course the Princeton is unbelievable with just the Tele plugged straight in too!
@@AlexNaumanMusic check out Pat Kelly. He’s a terrific Los Ángeles guitarist who uses a Borys guitar into a tube amp - Matchless I think. I’d pit his tone against anyone out there.
This is a really nice head to head demo! Great playing!! I think both amps sound great for jazz but think the Princeton would really sound great for blues/rock. For the Rhythm and Fast Chord sections, the amps weren't as differentiated to my ear as they were for single note playing. I am guessing your pickup is a humbucker? If so, I am wondering how the Henriksen would sound with a single coil pickup on an archtop.
Thanks for watching! The archtop is indeed a humbucker pickup. (original PAF!!!) I can tell you that I do not really dig the sound of my telecaster (single coil) through the Henriksen, it's kind of flat and underwhelming.
It also looks like the EQ is set darker on the setting shown in the video. That generally makes sense for jazz, but I find that I need to turn up the higher frequencies on solid state amps. Increasing that 7.2kHz (Presence) might make a big difference when comparing with the Princeton.
Hi Alan! Thanks for watching! Sorry for the slow response, I've been out of town for a week. For studio stuff, it all depends on what kind of music or sound I'm going for. If I'm playing my telecaster I would tend to lean more towards the Princeton. For more straight ahead jazz stuff on a big arch top, the Henriksen is my go-to! Cheers!
I like the Henrikson of course, but tube amps imho offer more dynamic coloration which promotes more emotional vibe when performing...inspiration comes from the ability to express yourself in nuanced ways and I have always felt tubes do this better. Either way, you sound wonderful so the decision is personal to the performer
i preferred the Henrikson, it sounded fuller and rounder, while I found the Princeton to be thinner and the tones to not be jazzlike to my ears. Just my opinion!
On the test the Henricksen sounds fat and muddy. I play on a Henricksen jazz amp frecuently at my guitar teacher's place AND thats not its sound signature. It has a sweet,, detailed AND extended treble. The eq with the treble AND presence rolled off as many jazz players prefer, its influencing the outcome.
Fender is definitely brighter with more definition, Hendrickson sounded muddy. Comments about volume and headroom we’re not apparent from the demo. Maybe a 15 W Princeton with a 12 inch would be a better comparison, or a fender deluxe.
I bet if your goal was to see how close alike these 2 amps could sound, you could play with the tone controls on both amps and get to the point that they sounded essentially the same. Most people don't appreciate that for clean sound, tonal balance is the main difference between amps. Also, for clean tone, most of the tube vs. solid state issues disappear. Of course, as the poster points out, the Princeton amp can't put out the volume level that the Henriksen is capable of.
Just my 2 cents but...in comparing the two the type of Mic and placement significantly colored the test. A 10" speaker open back cab VS a 12" speaker closed back. The brighter transients on the Fender show up on small speakers as thinner. Also, the henriksen, (at least the current versions) are 2 channel amps with separate reverbs,separate FX loops, separate eq's and a real working DI for recording. It is hard to see but it looks like you are using an SM-58 and close mic'ing? or something close to that? A more realistic and balanced comparison would be using a ribbon Mic like a Royer to get a more accurate response picture. In my ears the Henriksen is always a bettera nd more consistent performer for live and recording. Thanks for taking the time to make this!
@@AlexNaumanMusic That was a great demonstration.....just a pleasure to hear! Henriksen sounded beautiful. Is the HENRIKSEN much heavier or is it the converse? It’s probably bulkier, that’s evident.
They both sound great. Well I own a Princeton, Vibrolux and a Roland Cube 40. Roland is the lightest and sounds good. Fender Vibrolux sounds great but well over 40 lbs. I guess that leaves the Princeton.
An amp should amplify and support the acoustic qualities of an instrument. I've got a Henriksen jazzamp 110ER and I don't like it too much. Too muddy, bad string separation, no real sparkle. My DV Mark "Little Jazz" sounds much nicer in all aspects. It could have some more power. The Henriksen might produce some "classic" sounds, yes. But that does not say too much. Look at the sound of Wes Montgomery. It was distinctive and never muddy.
Came for the amp demo- stayed for the playing! Lots of humility and respect for the music in your playing man, your the real deal.
Solo gig = Henriksen. In a Band - with Bass & Drums = Fender (no comparison). It will cut-thru-the mix, and occupy less of the same EQ-Space in relationship to the bass. Great tones & playing brother. oNe LovE from NYC
Good call! Thanks for watching! 🙏🤘🤘
Both sound good. Really depends on if you want that hint of 'twang' from the Fender or the more rounded tone of the H.
Alex you man those amp spit out their guts.Hats off too because you played the unmatchable Wes Montgomery
The Thumb -Wes. 😎. Sounds great! I'm preferring the Henriksen. I have a Henriksen Bud with the 6.5 inch speaker. I guess I've had it for at least 6 years, around 500 gigs. Always sounds great. Has been a great investment.
Mostly prefer the clarity and openness of the Princeton. But once or twice I liked the fatness of the henriksen.
That Henriksen sounds superb. definitely my next amp.
Go for it! Incredible amps and I can personally say their support and warranty work are second to none. Great company!
@@AlexNaumanMusic Thanks Alex , It will be a while before I can return to the UK to get one but I have heard a few very fine guitar players using this and it always just sounds great and that's just perfect for me. :D
@peter david Are You saying that the Henriksen suffers from ground hum?
@peter david Thanks for that information. I am was thinking seriously of buying the Henriksen Jazz Amp 10 or blu 10 (seems to be same amp?)would be extremely disappointed after spending a grand if the amp suffered from hum. Ground hum can be very annoying and just like you I have experienced this problem in the past. I know a little about electronics and have in the past enter the maize of earth loops and hum etc and it does take awful lot of investing to find a solution. Think I might just make do with my AER Compact 60.
Lovely jazz tone melts my heart. Adore that tone ❤
🙏thanks for the kind words!! Cheers!
Congrats for your wonderful playing! I think the princenton sounds more bright& opened and the Henrisken sounds more "closed" and with more middle
Thank you for the kind words! I agree
First off, wonderful playing! As to the amps: if you’re demonstrating that the Henriksen has a wider tonal range then cool. But if you’re asking which sounds better as currently set, then the Fender. It has good fullness in tonal ranges that don’t step on other instruments, and has more clarity.
Valuable comparison. Henriksen is like the new Polytone, mid-focused, round, bouncy tone. Some argue they are one trick ponies, mainly great for classic jazz guitar, which won't matter if that is your genre. The Princeton is of course brighter but not too bright, with what I call more 'sting' in the attack, maybe a little more clarity. I play a mix of jazz and instrumental arrangements of classic rock and pop so the Princeton would be more versatile for me. Agree it is more about personal preference than whether one is better. These days, between the two, my ears gravitate more towards the Princeton, it just sounds fresher to me. I have to say for a solid state amp, I really love the sound of my Roland JC-40. Both an Elite Tele and a PRS Core sound so good on that amp with nothing more than a touch of reverb, and dialing back the guitar tone just a little gives you a great classic jazz guitar tone.
Amp selection doesn't matter if you play that well. Bravo, very professional ;)
Thanks for the kind words! 🙏🙏🤘 Cheers!
Just been looking at a Princeton Reverb gor jazz, but now I think I'm preferring the sound of the Henricksen, thanks for the video.
Henriksen absolutely kills with archtops/semi hollows, but Princeton wins with solid bodies
I think there is a problem with mic on Henriksen. Since the amp has mid speaker and a tweeter but the mic is only on the main speaker. i think this would help explain why treble is missing on the Henriksen demo.
The Henriksen sounds just a little better. The new 10 bud sounds really better . Your playing is spot on.
Thank you, the Princeton sounds clearer to my ear. The Heniksen is a little too dark. Great playing!
The 68 Princeton cuts perfectly, and the sound is very detailed. The henriksen is instant classic jazz sound, great for gigs and traveling.
Both awesome in their own right!
Great tones and playing. I loved your jazz blues!
Great sound, great player, great guitar, great Henriksen !!!!
Thanks so much!! Made my day! 🙏🙏
Love your playing, good sir 🙏🏼
Thank you!! Made my day! Cheers, friend
I like the Henriksen more full warm tones to my ear the Princeton is not louder its lil more thin bright up to the sound yer going for both fantastic amps thank u
I done the Princeton thing but always felt it lacked clean headroom especially in a band sense, fine for solo. I have a DV Mark Jazz that I like and for the $$ can’t complain. I think you will find difference in speaker quality as well.
Merci pour cette comparaison et bravo pour la qualité de votre jeu !
Je préfère le Henriksen pour sa sonorité sombre qui va si bien dans un registre jazz classique
Le son du Fender est peut-être un peu trop brillant dans cet exemple, mais avec des sonorités plus complexes
Ce sont deux très bons amplis pour le jazz
Personnellement, j'aime également les amplis Quilter dans ce registre
My favourite is that guitar! The choice of amp is a minor detail with a beautiful vintage L5 like yours. It sounds fantastic.
Excellent playing.
Thanks!! 🙏
Thanks for this! Much appreciated
So glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching and subscribing!!! Cheers!
Really Great Job Man ❤
Thank you!! 🙏
That feeling when makes you loop those 3 sec over and over and over !. 2:16
More life in the Princeton. One hack folks have been doing with Princeton's for years for more stage volume. Remove the factory speaker and set it aside.Then get a JBL, or a super efficient Weber, or Jensen Neo or Eminence you can get TWICE the stage volume with a speaker that is just 3db more efficient than the stock speaker.
Both amps sound great. Would have been great if you tried matching the brightness of the Princeton on the Henriksen.
the Henriksen has a richer more complex tone, darker for sure, but I think its the way the tone controls are set, I've always thought those fenders are brighter just because IDK
Both in stereo might be a good blend?
That’s what I’m using currently and it’s great!
Beautiful playing.
Both sound awesome, but that's in your fingers 👍
🙏 thank you! 🙏
For me the chords seemed to be more together with the Henriksen; with the Princeton they seem to fall a bit apart. I guess one could tease out more presence out of the Henriksen; and of course we hear actually how the single mic hears the amp in the position it is placed into... Great work and fantastic playing. Thanks for doing that.
The Fender sounds more open and organic to me but the Henriksen sounds nice to in its own way. The player is also very good.
Awesome vid Alex!
Thank you! cheers!
Hello Alex. I'm a little bit confused but does a accoustic amp not have a buzz compared to a transistor/tube amp? I like to play jazzy/ Bossanova music. Not in a band/on stage but just at home.
Great demo, thanks for sharing this. You're right, they both sound good, but depends on what you want to hear. The Hendriksen sounds like it chokes off the highs more, but I noticed you had the highs on the Henriksen rolled back and the bass boosted. The Princeton lets the highs come through without sounding twangy, scratchy, or tinny, a very well-behaved voice.
I have a Vibrolux, not a Princeton, but they are cousins. Fender amps are voiced rather bright for my taste. I have an Eastman AR910-CE and find the pickup to be very bright so I roll the treble on amps almost all the way down. I used the Vibrolux for playing blues with a Tele and an ES-335 but I haven't used it for jazz. I have a Henriksen Jazz Amp 310 and really like it. It has a five-section EQ vs. treble & bass on the Fender, and it is more voiced for jazz. I am able to dial in exactly the tone I want.
What does it say on your headstock? It doesn't look like "Gibson" but the truss rod cover says Custom L-5.
Thanks for watching! Great insights too. Someday I will get a Vibrolux too; incredible amps!
As for the guitar itself, it is indeed a Gibson. It's an interesting guitar! This is a 1941 Gibson L5. The logo is the last year of the pre-war script!!!! The pickups and electronics were added at some point in the early 60s by Gibson. (neck pickup is an original PAF!!!) The people at Gibson told me that they did many of these "conversions" on acoustic arch tops at the time.
@@AlexNaumanMusic Wow. Looks as clean as my 2002 L5. haha.
Personally, I lean toward the Henriksen. But I *really* like that guitar and your playing!
Thanks!! 🙏
The Princeton all day long. You can always turn down the treble on the guitar and/or the Princeton to get a darker tone.
Kinda looks like a Polytone
Fun performance!
Cheers!
You have the best guitar and the best amps. This is where we all want to be.
Thank you!!! 🙏 it’s been a long journey!
This is the best solid state sound I heard in ages, and when compared to the Princeton it still sounds dead and lifeless to me. Going to try a 65 Twin Reverb with my 9-string next week, hoping it will be a nice choice for oldschool and modern requirements in combination. Desperately need an amp which just keeps me practicing so I can play as you do. Also gong to try a Fender ACB 50, in case the Twin Reverb will have issues dealing with the extended range of my 9-string, a Schecter Damien Platinum 9. So far the neck pickup with the tone dialed all back sounds very good for jazz ambitions, but it’s hard to find a guitar tube amp which suits my mixed ambition of jazz and modern metal.
You should check out a fender Pro with a 15” speaker!! Or a lot of steel players back in the day would modify super reverbs and take out the four 10” speakers and replace with one 15” speaker to really beef up the low end. Those would absolutely SLAP for an 8 or 9 string!!!
i am surprised the Henriksen is heavier. both for this demo sounded great. 1 question what case do you recommend for that L5?
I don’t really have a specific case recommendation but the one I have is a Gibson case from the 1990s. It has that bright pink lining. It’s great!
I find it hard to control the bass on a Princeton Reverb, does the Henriksen have a tighter bass?
Great demo. Would be great to hear this comparison with some other guitars.
Really liked the Princeton.
I see that polytone! Don't tease us. Polytone vs Henriksen vs Princeton! Great video
Ahhhh!!! Good eye!! I'll bust it out for a future video. It's a 15" speaker!!
Hey Alex, did you ever do a polytone video? Id love to hear compared with your other amps
Hey, great video. Quite helpful. I guess I would go for the Princeton. I'm confused by the shape of your L5 which looks like an ES175.
Thanks for checking it out!! My L5 is a 1941 L5… started its life as an acoustic archtop (no pickups at that time and also no cutaway!!) and then around 1961 Gibson started making what they called “conversion” guitars where they would take old archtops and fit them with modern pickups and possibly add cutaways to the original instruments. So this is one of those. Work was done at the Gibson factory and has original PAF pickups. Pretty cool history!
@AlexNaumanMusic It's a beautiful instrument. Congratulations! And I love some details, like that bracket shape at the end of the fretboard, the old logo. And it sounds (and you make it sound) amazing.
Great playing, but as a meaningful comparison of the two amps it is very limited. For such a comparison to suggest which amp is preferable you will need to cycle through all of the available settings to demonstrate each amps tonal range. Each amp had its moments based on the settings you chose, but I suspect each is capable of producing a wide range of tones, perhaps with the Henriksen being more versatile due to the more expansive EQ. Again, great playing!
Could you gig on the Princeton?
I play jazz through a Henriksen Jazzman and IMO it is outstanding for straight jazz with an archtop. But my Tele sounds terrible through it.
yeah, the tele/henriksen combo isn't my fav either haha!!
I heard a friend play a tele with the Henriksen at a gig and it sounded very nice..but he might’ve had a humbucker on the tele.
Which one works better for you when playing chord melody at bar room volume levels?
Vielen Dank für das Video!
Thank you for watching!! Cheers!
Can't pick a favourite. Both those amps sound great to my ear, today. I think the Henrickson suits that guitar a little better, but who wouldn't want a Fender Princeton with its reverb and tremolo?
Based on this video, I prefer the Fender Princeton. But I might be biased. I play through a Fender Twin (Tonemaster - 33 lbs). So it’s what I’m used to hearing.
Twin For The Win!! (My main gigging amp too… 1969 silverface!)
I like the new lights!
Very nice playing! I'll have to keep an eye out for an "Alex Nauman album". Thank you for doing this demo.
As for the amps, Fender all the way for me. Crisp, clear, dark but with that classic "chime". The Henriksen came off too muddy to me.
First of all I really enjoyed Mr. Nauman's playing. Thank you. The best way to do these comparisons is to scroll down so you don't see which amp is which. Use your ears and not your eyes. When I did that that Princeton won hands down. More open, musical, could hear the harmonics that the Henriksen is missing, more dynamic and articulate. The Henriksen sounds constrained, darker, lacking harmonics especially from the upper mids on up and generally less musical than the Princeton.
henriksen is a fantastic amplifier. I purchased it a few months back because I wanted an amp that was comparable to a Polytone. It actually exceeded my expectations. Nevertheless, I am selling it because I have no further use for its volume or ease of transportation since I'm not gigging.
Nice playing. Would have been nice to hear them w flat EQ though.
Henrikson by a mile for me- I go for that classic fat darker sound. Just got a Dv mark jazz 12 that Im happy with
I own A DV Mark jazz combo (12”) and It’s good for jazz and blues and it’s great to take around because of its so lite.however I’m not completely happy with it.first the Eq raises the volume and that’s weird..secondly, it’s sounds a bit boxy sometimes, definitely when compared to my fender hot rod deluxe 40w tube amp (that weighs a ton haha)
Henriksen now makes 10 and 12 inch speaker versions. One and two channel options.
Ahhhh!!! glad to hear that! I wondered why they didn't have a 12" for a while? Thanks for watching!
Dont know if it’s psychological- but just can’t enjoy any closed back amp for jazz. My JC 60 seems to be a good compromise . I like my polytone- but it just doesn’t breath notes as well. Nice playing. Thanks.
First, what I like about your playing is that you are making good jazz music that represents the pieces well (too many TH-cam demos are with players who are trying to show of themselves--you showcase the music nicely). Second, The Princeton sounds a bit more open and clear across all notes and pitches to me, whereas the the Henriksen is darker and seems to favor the low to midrange notes more. The L-5 has a rich, heavy tone anyway so maybe the Princeton helps it sound more lively. I have the Henriksen 312 and have been considering the Princeton to pair with my Sadowsky ss-15 so this helps. My question for you is what does each amp FEEL like in the the room. Some amps are directional, others are almost stereo-like. What does the music from each amp feel like to you? Thanks. Tom
Hey Tom! Thanks for watching and your kind words! The Henriksen definitely has a more “direct” sound in the room and the Princeton a bit more of the “open” kind of sound. I think because of the closed back/open back properties of each. The Henriksen can be much louder however! Hope that helps. Thanks again 🙏🙏
I liked both. Picking one would require factoring the set list, room, solo or combo, and how far I had to carry the amp. The playing is nice. The Princeton might favor jazz prior to 1968 or so. I associate the Henriksen with a smooth cool solo sound that follows that 1968 time line.
Prelude to a Kiss! Beautiful playing. Thank you for this demo.
Thank you too! Appreciate that!
Both amps sound great, but for a trad jazz tone I prefer the fatter, darker sound of the Henriksen. You could lower the treble on the Princeton to get it darker, and that might change everything.
Hey Jeff! Thanks for checking out the vid! Slowly turning into a tone snob here haha. Overall, I agree... the Henriksen has that classic super dark Pat Martino tone which I absolutely LOVE. But the Princeton has it's own vibe too. Sounds/feels a lot like early Wes Montgomery tone to my ears which is fun to explore. Of course the Princeton is unbelievable with just the Tele plugged straight in too!
Me too
@@AlexNaumanMusic check out Pat Kelly. He’s a terrific Los Ángeles guitarist who uses a Borys guitar into a tube amp - Matchless I think. I’d pit his tone against anyone out there.
I went to school with Pat Kelly even though he would not remember me. He is one of the good guys and a great player.
Both almost the same. Beautiful sound. Prefer to choose Henriksen because it is easy to carry it. Basically I love Fender amp.
This is a really nice head to head demo! Great playing!! I think both amps sound great for jazz but think the Princeton would really sound great for blues/rock. For the Rhythm and Fast Chord sections, the amps weren't as differentiated to my ear as they were for single note playing. I am guessing your pickup is a humbucker? If so, I am wondering how the Henriksen would sound with a single coil pickup on an archtop.
Thanks for watching! The archtop is indeed a humbucker pickup. (original PAF!!!) I can tell you that I do not really dig the sound of my telecaster (single coil) through the Henriksen, it's kind of flat and underwhelming.
It also looks like the EQ is set darker on the setting shown in the video. That generally makes sense for jazz, but I find that I need to turn up the higher frequencies on solid state amps. Increasing that 7.2kHz (Presence) might make a big difference when comparing with the Princeton.
Which one do you prefer for studio recording?
Hi Alan! Thanks for watching! Sorry for the slow response, I've been out of town for a week. For studio stuff, it all depends on what kind of music or sound I'm going for. If I'm playing my telecaster I would tend to lean more towards the Princeton. For more straight ahead jazz stuff on a big arch top, the Henriksen is my go-to! Cheers!
I like the Henrikson of course, but tube amps imho offer more dynamic coloration which promotes more emotional vibe when performing...inspiration comes from the ability to express yourself in nuanced ways and I have always felt tubes do this better. Either way, you sound wonderful so the decision is personal to the performer
You could play an L5 through a cardboard box and it would sound amazing😁
It's true! :)
Came for the amp comparison. Stayed for the playing.
no question, henriksen.-) thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching Lorenzo!! Made my day! Cheers!
@@AlexNaumanMusic its my pleasure alex!
i preferred the Henrikson, it sounded fuller and rounder, while I found the Princeton to be thinner and the tones to not be jazzlike to my ears. Just my opinion!
better comparison would be the deluxe reverb tone master which has about the same weight as this henriksen
The Fender's high's "ice pick" my ears a little.
On the test the Henricksen sounds fat and muddy. I play on a Henricksen jazz amp frecuently at my guitar teacher's place AND thats not its sound signature. It has a sweet,, detailed AND extended treble. The eq with the treble AND presence rolled off as many
jazz players prefer, its influencing the outcome.
I came expecting to love the Jazzman...Fender won the battle for my ears.
The tube amp clearly has a warmth missing from the solid state...
Fender is definitely brighter with more definition, Hendrickson sounded muddy. Comments about volume and headroom we’re not apparent from the demo. Maybe a 15 W Princeton with a 12 inch would be a better comparison, or a fender deluxe.
Thanks for checking it out! I was thinking of doing another test with a Fender deluxe too, since the speaker would be more similar
Henriksen is the tone I'll go for. Fender sounds too thin and weak. Though it could probably be EQ'd.
L'ampli Henriksen ha un suono molto caldo, davvero bello. Il Fender è più versatile, credo. Bravo.
henricksen is the right amp for jazz but maybe you should try the hot rod George Benson
I have wanted to try one of those!!! Never seen one in person!
I bet if your goal was to see how close alike these 2 amps could sound, you could play with the tone controls on both amps and get to the point that they sounded essentially the same. Most people don't appreciate that for clean sound, tonal balance is the main difference between amps. Also, for clean tone, most of the tube vs. solid state issues disappear. Of course, as the poster points out, the Princeton amp can't put out the volume level that the Henriksen is capable of.
For a practice amp, I like my Yamaha thr10
Princeton wins in this comparison 👍
Sound way more open … but that can also differ if you are in the room with it.
Just my 2 cents but...in comparing the two the type of Mic and placement significantly colored the test. A 10" speaker open back cab VS a 12" speaker closed back. The brighter transients on the Fender show up on small speakers as thinner. Also, the henriksen, (at least the current versions) are 2 channel amps with separate reverbs,separate FX loops, separate eq's and a real working DI for recording. It is hard to see but it looks like you are using an SM-58 and close mic'ing? or something close to that? A more realistic and balanced comparison would be using a ribbon Mic like a Royer to get a more accurate response picture. In my ears the Henriksen is always a bettera nd more consistent performer for live and recording. Thanks for taking the time to make this!
Princeton is better to me. But how much heavier is it, lol?
Actually, the Henriksen is MUCH heavier!!
@@AlexNaumanMusic That was a great demonstration.....just a pleasure to hear! Henriksen sounded beautiful. Is the HENRIKSEN much heavier or is it the converse? It’s probably bulkier, that’s evident.
I see that you are right, Alex! This demo really helped me. Thanks. Henriksen it’ll be.
@@johnconnors4754 Awesome! Glad I could help! It's quite a bit heavier but at the end of the day it's still manageable. You're going to love it!
Both good ,pick the henriksen thou
Princeton Reverb by a mile for me.
Both are nice. But the Princeton just sounds richer to me.
Tough to really judge over the net. I personally like the Princeton based on these song samples, again, the net....??? Thanks!
Thanks for watching! I understand completely. Good headphones might help a bit.
Comping with henriksen and solos with fender
They both sound great. Well I own a Princeton, Vibrolux and a Roland Cube 40. Roland is the lightest and sounds good. Fender Vibrolux sounds great but well over 40 lbs. I guess that leaves the Princeton.
Just toss a bath towel over the Reverb and it will sound like the Henriksen ;-) You're a very fine jazzman, Sir!
Fender sounds fuller. I'll take the Fender!
Henriken by far.
An amp should amplify and support the acoustic qualities of an instrument.
I've got a Henriksen jazzamp 110ER and I don't like it too much. Too muddy, bad string separation, no real sparkle.
My DV Mark "Little Jazz" sounds much nicer in all aspects. It could have some more power.
The Henriksen might produce some "classic" sounds, yes. But that does not say too much.
Look at the sound of Wes Montgomery. It was distinctive and never muddy.