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JazzKat Amps

 
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Fajah



Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 9
Location: Toronto

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:07 pm    Post subject: JazzKat Amps Reply with quote

Hi,

I have a growing interest in JazzKat Amps. The Twefth Fret here in Toronto carries them, and I plan to go over and try one out one of these days. Until then, I'm interested in whether anyone has tried these amps out using a solid body electric. I've read many opinions with archtops.

Thanks in advance,

Lawrie
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Mr. Lawrie Mann: Toronto, Canada

Guitar Gear:
1968 Raven Semi Hollow
1970 Ovation Balladeer
SX STL-50
Roland Cube 60
Roland Microcube

Bass Gear:
SX SJB-75
Douglas WEB-846 Fretless
Markbass LMII
Bergantino AE112 Cab
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woland99



Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 155
Location: Austin, TX

PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 5:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There were many messages regarding JazzKats on RMMGJ NG
(rec.music.makers.guitar.jazz). Personally I am NOT sold on
idea of 8" speaker - especially for playing solo. Not sure if they
can drive extension speaker. Plus they are quite pricey.
I was investigating Henriksen amp instead:
http://www.jazzamp.com/
I posted a query on RMMGJ and had few people with archtops
(even 7 strings) responding positively. Henriksen 10" is under
$700 and is lighter than JazKat. On a downside it has no reverb.

I aready have Polytone MB IV so getting new amp was not really
a priority - esp. after I bought cheap Yamaha G100-212 - very very
clean and loud amp (grab one if you have a chance - I bought one
in mint condition for mere $150). I could split signal into Polytone
(which tends to be darker) and G100 (which is somewhat bright but
has parametric EQ so you can dial out ice-picks) and get prett versatile
loud clean tone.

Then used and cheap Evans Custom (older 150W version) fell on my
lap and NEVER looked back. That amp is like day and night compared
to pretty much everything I played thru - including 45W boutique tube
310 combo I used to have. At least as far as clean tone - which is all
that matters to me.

JT
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Fajah



Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 9
Location: Toronto

PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for replying. I've read many posts over at RMMGJ about the JazKats, and how it stacks up to other boutique brands. You're right in that all the opinions are based on the sound/tone achieved when an archtop is plugged. However, having owned an archtop for a couple of years, my preference is still a solid body. But's that's another story Smile

The Henriksen amp you mentioned looks interesting as well, and I believe The Twefth Fret carries them too. I may have a chance to get to the store today with my Godin in hand to try them out, and I will certainly post my thoughts.

Since most of my jazz guitar playing is in my home studio, playing through my Peavey Max 110 bass amp with a Behringer reverb pedal attached has served it's purpose so far. Haven't jammed (with the Peavey) with a full complement of instruments to compete with yet, but it will be my basis for comparison when it comes to tone.

I'm playing the bass at all my jam sessions at the moment, but again, that's another story.

Lawrie
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Mr. Lawrie Mann: Toronto, Canada

Guitar Gear:
1968 Raven Semi Hollow
1970 Ovation Balladeer
SX STL-50
Roland Cube 60
Roland Microcube

Bass Gear:
SX SJB-75
Douglas WEB-846 Fretless
Markbass LMII
Bergantino AE112 Cab
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Dave Illig



Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 67
Location: Houston, TX

PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Personally I am NOT sold on
idea of 8" speaker - especially for playing solo.


Have you played one?? I did a gig Thursday with mine and the comments on my good tone were none stop. Several guitarists were so impressed with the small size and big sound they wanted information so they could check it out. I too was very skeptical of an 8" speaker until I played it. I am very happy with it. I don't know how they did it, but that little speaker is giving me the warm jazz sound I want. Great tone and it has a line out so I can use the club sound system when we play at big clubs like the Red Cat.

Dave
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Dave Illig



Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 67
Location: Houston, TX

PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:42 pm    Post subject: Re: JazzKat Amps Reply with quote

Quote:
I have a growing interest in JazzKat Amps. The Twefth Fret here in Toronto carries them, and I plan to go over and try one out one of these days. Until then, I'm interested in whether anyone has tried these amps out using a solid body electric.


I don't know, this tone thing is so personal. Are you looking for a warm jazz sound with your solid body? I run two guitars through it when I am working with Brian. It has a second channel that is tweaked much different. I get a good jazz tone with my solid body a Fender Esprit with humbuckers, but since I have an archtop, I don't use it that way.

I run the archtop through the top channel and the solid body through the second channel. When we do a funk or R&B tune I use the solid body. The second channel is much brighter and has some punch.

Of course on the straight ahead jazz gigs I just use the hollow body.

Dave
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woland99



Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 155
Location: Austin, TX

PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fajah wrote:
The Henriksen amp you mentioned looks interesting as well, and I believe The Twefth Fret carries them too. I may have a chance to get to the store today with my Godin in hand to try them out, and I will certainly post my thoughts.


In case you missed that on RMMGJ NG I repost one of reviews of
Henriksen JazzAmp I got from Mike Oria. Also check Harmony Central
review: http://tinyurl.com/yp8kx6
At that point I was also considering getting Fender Jazzmaster Ultralight:
http://fender.com/products/search.php?partno=2277700000
it seemed to have some positive reviews.

JT

PS. I like your jamtracks! would you consider making some of those
available for download if/when Brian adds the Files section to this forum?
==========================================
I mentioned before that I am a 7-string player who purchased the 10"
JazzAmp recently. It is a great sounding amp and compliments my
guitar nicely. Nevertheless, I became curious about the 12" JazzAmp,
especially after reading posts in this thread, and through a favorable
series of circumstances, I presently have both the 10" and the 12" in
my possession, sitting side by side for close comparison.

While a 6-string player would likely be most satisfied with the 10"
JazzAmp, I might argue that the superior low frequency reproduction of
the 12" JazzAmp may appeal to the gigging 7-stringer. The lowest
notes of the low A string ring clearly and full, just like a bass.
The added headroom is quite noticable with the larger amp, and would
be able to handle any conceivable jazz gig without breaking up. Of
course, the 12" amp has a larger cabinet and weighs 9 lbs more, so the
improved fidelity is not without some tradeoff. Still, I believe this
12" JazzAmp is only slightly heavier than a Polytone Megabrute II -
not bad!

Dave S commented that the improved clarity of the 12" JazzAmp may
subtract some of the low mids, or "warmth", from the sound. I can
understand his suggestion, in that the 10" amp has a little more
natural "rounding", presumably due to the smaller speaker and cabinet
dimensions. This is true when both amps are given the same eQ
settings. However, any lack of warmth is very easily corrected with a
couple of slight knob tweaks on the 12" amp. Comparing both amps side
by side, I cannot create a situation in which the 12" JazzAmp will not
match the warmth and low mids of the 10". On the contrary, I believe
the 12" amp has even more warmth. I have decided to keep the 12"
JazzAmp for my 7-string playing.

Regarding the reverb comments which come up in the recent discussions
of these amps ("why no reverb?"), I'll admit, I have always held the
opinion that a little reverb is a necessity. Yet, I find no urge to
apply any to these amps at all; they certainly need no further
embellishment to make them sound "bigger" or more spacious. In fact,
I ran my digital reverb unit into the amp and still preferred the
unaffected sound.

The Henriksen JazzAmps sound great with my carved top guitars, but, I
find they REALLY shine with my 16" laminate guitar with built-in
humbucker. Wow, what a match! I also wish I could try Jim Soloway's
Swan 7 again, through this amp; my hunch is it would sound terrific.

Lastly, my dealings with both Bud and Peter have been most enjoyable.
They are committed to satisfying their customers, and they stand
behind their product 100%. Thanks guys.

I've found my tone with this amp.
============================================
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Fajah



Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 9
Location: Toronto

PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 12:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess I'll reply to both Dave and JT here, since I did manage to get to The Twelfth Fret yesterday to try some amps out for a couple of hours.

Quote:
I don't know, this tone thing is so personal. Are you looking for a warm jazz sound with your solid body?


Dave, you happen to be correct. Tone is in the ears of the beholder, and it is a personal thing. There's no question in my mind that the tonal quality of an archtop is distinctly different from that of a solid body. I love playing both jazz and blues, so when it came to an electric guitar purchase, I wanted something that was versatile. My Godin fit the bill, so much so, that I ended up selling my archtop because I just never played it. I can dial in a nice warm jazz tone, as well as produce a deep crunchy sound for blues leads. So my goal right now, is to marry it with an amp that is light in weight, can deliver a deep clean tone for jazz, have some effects for blues playing (although not a high priority, for I can add pedals), and have enough power to jam with if need be. I had decided not to go tube. I don't want the maintenance or the weight, although the tone through a tube amp is generally lovely. Having said all this, I decided to give some of the "boutique" brands a go. I aslo brought a friend of mine with me to the store so I could get a second opinion.

I tried the Henriksen (as suggested by JT), JazzKat, and then a Polytone. Didn't like the Polytone at all. I liked both the JazzKat and the Henriksen. I favoured the tone of the Henriksen. It was a bit deeper as compared to the JazzKat. The JazzKat seemed a bit more "mid-rangey" , but I liked the JazzKat's versatility, weight, and the fact that is has reverb. But in the end, both amps really didn't do enough for me to part with close to $1000.00 to buy one or the other.

While I was in the room playing, there were other amps to plug into as well. I tried the Roland Cube 30 and Cube 60. I've played through a Cube 30 many times, so I was familier with it, but never tried the Cube 60. I really liked this amp. I found the JC Clean channel to be very nice for jazz, and of course, there's a meriad of effects to choose from for blues etc. The amp weighs in at just over 30 lbs., so it's not too heavy. With a footswitch, it retails for $550 CDN which is almost half the price of the JazzKat and Henriksen.

Lastly, I was going to try the amps with an archtop just for sport, but ran out of time. But if I were to plunk down some cash today for an amp, the Cube 60 would be my choice at the moment.

Quote:
PS. I like your jamtracks! would you consider making some of those available for download if/when Brian adds the Files section to this forum?


JT..... I'm glad you like my jam tracks. It would be my pleasure to make them available for download when the site allows. I also have the basic chord changes (and lyrics) for almost all of the tunes, which could easily be included. Since they're all in midi format, I would suggest a link to www.vanbasco.com for the free player I use. This will allow players to mute some of the intruments, change the tempo, and the key if need be.

Thanks for the help guys,

Lawrie
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Mr. Lawrie Mann: Toronto, Canada

Guitar Gear:
1968 Raven Semi Hollow
1970 Ovation Balladeer
SX STL-50
Roland Cube 60
Roland Microcube

Bass Gear:
SX SJB-75
Douglas WEB-846 Fretless
Markbass LMII
Bergantino AE112 Cab
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aiq



Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 4:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am using a JazzKat in a rehearsal trio (drums, guitar, and electric bass) and it is more than filling the bill.

The rest of the chain is an Epiphone JP emporer II (mods: Gibson BurstBucker in neck position, tuneomatic type bridge saddle, cello tailpiece), w/Boss compressor and delay - very light on the effects, more for seasoning than effect.

Plenty of headroom, nice tone. I would describe channel 2 as "drier".

the hendrison looks fine, but as to price...I paid $700 for my JK.

I heard too much about Polytone being breako...but many love them.

In short, I'm very satisfied with the JazzKat.
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woland99



Joined: 31 Mar 2007
Posts: 155
Location: Austin, TX

PostPosted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

aiq wrote:
I am using a JazzKat in a rehearsal trio (drums, guitar, and electric bass) and it is more than filling the bill.


In a band context amp that cuts thru may be preferable - so I can believe
that JazzKat with 8" speaker may sound OK. But when I play at home
I want to hear some bass. I think 10" (or preferable 210) would be a
reasonable compromise - my Evans amp has extension cab so it is
sortta like 210.
I also have Yamaha G100 212 - go it for $150 - in almost mint condition -
spent about 40 bucks on fixing reverb jacks and rattling handle bolt (the
whole chassis had to pulled out for that). I never had a chance to play it
with a band ban but I bet it would do fine - it can be Fendery glassy clean
if you want. It has fairly even tone - no midrange hump (altho you can
create one if you want with parametric EQ) - friend played 7 string
archtop thru it and it sounded fantastic.

aiq wrote:

I heard too much about Polytone being breako...but many love them.


I have Polytone MB IV. Never had a single problem with it - as far as
reliability goes. But with 15" speaker - it is too bassy with some guitars
you almost sound like a bass player when you crank it up.
As far as tone - it takes away big part of you attack - it is easy to get
decent jazz tone on it but I prefer amp that is more exact (like Evans or
Yamaha) and adjust my picking technique.
I want to add a separate speaker jack to my Polytone to mute the main
speaker - then run it via direct box with speaker simulation and to mixer
for recording.

JT
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haowens2



Joined: 30 Apr 2007
Posts: 5
Location: Athens Georgia

PostPosted: Tue May 08, 2007 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I own an Evans AE100 that has an 8 inch speaker. It has plenty of volume and works well in solo our group playing situations.
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masanfe



Joined: 08 Apr 2007
Posts: 13
Location: Barcelona, Spain

PostPosted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 12:54 pm    Post subject: Jazzkat- Phatcat Reply with quote

I play a Phatcat that sounds great and can be very loud, light and compact. Includes some basics effects very practical. Can also add a valv preamp circuit. In summary GREAT

I have used Polytone mini brute IV good but very specific sound
Mesa Boogie Mark IV very loud but to concentrated on mid tones, very heavy
Roland JC 120 very good but too big and heavy
Groove tubes did not like. Only distorsion sounds.
Gibson Discoverer GA 8T Tremolo ( 1960) lack of bass.
Fenton Weill in the 60's lousy

I now use also a Yamaha DG 60 for back up and stereo. Grat amp also
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