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If I still lived in the US I'd probably just go with the Henriksen but in Canada, AER amps are a lot easier to find, both new and used. Right now there are both a used Alpha 40 and a used 60/4 Tommy Emanuel on Reverb from Canadian sellers. So who here is using an AER and how do you like them with an electric guitar?
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04-03-2023 10:20 AM
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I've never played one. Some people here really dislike them and I know some people who swear by them. You're going to get some mixed opinions and I predict people on this forum will favor the henriksen. The person I know who swears by them prefers a more scooped sound with their archtop vs the flat polytone sound. I think you can get scoop from the henriksen but it takes work to get it right.
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I had an AER Compact 60 and a Henriksen Blu 6 at the same time. I found that the Henriksen had a much warmer sound with a magnetic pickup. I have read that if you cut the "whizzer" cone off of the AER speaker, you can dial out the harshness/brightness, but then you reduce the value of the amp and it becomes unsuitable for piezo pickups (which is what the AER is designed for in the first place). I sold the AER and added a Bud 6 and Blu 10 to my arsenal (After falling in love with the Henriksen Class D amps, I also sold my Acoustic image Clarus as that amp had outlived it's usefulness to me with it's guitar unfriendly EQ). HTH
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BTW, if you have an older Henriksen or Polytone Peter Henriksen may be interested in a trade in discount arrangement.
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I truly hated the AER with humbuckers - and found an older generation Henriksen to be a lot better, specially after a few mods. But the AER works for Russel Malone and others... (and for Tommy Emanuel, but that's with a piezo/flattop)
The Henriksen would also be a softer transition from the Fender sound (which I believe is your current setup) than the AER.
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i have and sometimes use an
old Comp60 mk1
when i bought it
it was the only game in town
for small/light/ loud compo
Its serviceable for jazz with a
laminate jazz box with HB pus
Its fine not amazing
I haven’t used a Henn
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I've never owned either, but I've played through both several times. The AER sounds more like a PA, and the Henriksen sounds more like a guitar amp. I like the Henriksen better with magnetic pickups, and it's also smaller and lighter, so that's the way I'd lean. But I suspect that if you put some sort of amp-in-a-pedal in front of the AER (such as a SansAmp Blond/Joyo American Sound), that would "fix" the AER. FWIW, I've also played through the Bugera AC60, which is their knock-off of the AER Compact 60. I found it pretty much indistinguishable. If you want to experiment with that kind of sound, you can get one way cheaper (with all the Caveats that apply to quality/durability of Behringer/Bugera gear).
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I use AER compact XL.
It is great amp for nylon strings guitars-very clean and loud.
You can use it with electric guitars.
However, it is best to connect a multi-effect to it.
You have to experiment with this kind of amplifier.
AER has extreme clean sound.
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I agree with John’s assessment. The AERs I’ve played through have been what I call bland. Those who like them use terms like clean, pure, uncolored, honest, etc. They’re great for piezo and mic capsule pickups on acoustics, and they let good pedals do what they’re supposed to do. I don’t think they deliver a rich jazz tone from archtops with magnetic pickups, which my Blu does very very well.
But from what I hear in your playing, you’re probably not looking for classic amplified jazz guitar tone. Given your light touch and interest in effects, the AER is probably a great platform for you, Jim. The good news is that either one is easy to resell if you don’t like it.
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I tried an AER 60 years ago with my Ibanez GB15 (single humbucker) and did not like the result at all. Too harsh and way too much brightness for my taste.
Didn't have the chance to try the Henriksen.
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So how's a Henriksen for a Gibson carved top with floating pickup? (and which Henriksen?)
And better, worse, or about the same as a Fender?
Thanks.
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Any of the new Class D Henriksen's sound great with a carved top and a floater. But they do not sound like a Fender unless you put some pedals in between the Henriksen and the guitar. Oomph did a thread on doing that.
Originally Posted by Jazzjourney4Eva
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Martin Taylor use Aer amp with arch-tops guitars.
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Here's an AER mic'ed on stage with an archtop. Go to 55:20 to hear a guitar solo.
Upon hearing that clip, I think I agree with people that it's a little dull. However, I can see how, in a smaller room, with a loud acoustic/electric archtop it blends really nicely.
Below is the same guitar, same amp, same guitarist, incredible tone. The only difference is that it's a smaller venue so the mic captures the acoustic sound of the guitar more. In my opinion, the clip below is some of the nicest guitar tone I've heard.
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I heard Jack Wilkins at the Zinc Bar playing a Comins GCS-1 right into an AER Compact 60 and I liked the sound so much, I bought the same guitar. I didn't buy the same amp, I guess because the first time I tried one years ago in a store I wasn't all that impressed. Probably not an adequate trial.
I played several vintage D'Angelicos at Rudy's through a Bud. That's what he was using to demostrate the high end stuff.
Reg gets terrific tone from a Compact 60 with a couple of tricks.
Great sound from all.
But, I didn't have a chance to AB them.
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The AER is an acoustic amp, with a full range speaker. Sounds great with nylon and acoustic guitars, but it's very specific for jazz sound with archtops and 335s. It gives you an acoustic flavor, which works for many but not for all. For my Elferink for example i like it as much as any tube amp, if not more, it just fits the acoustic character of the guitar. For single coil guitars like a strat or tele, it really needs an amp simulation pedal to sound like an electric amp.
But it does work. Sometimes i use it on gigs for electric, especially if i play acoustic as well. Here is a recent (phone video) with a 339 straight into the Aer. Passable sound, and with my Gibson 335 (instead of this Epi 339) it sounds a lot better. It's a duet gig (sax is a guest), i play rhythm and loop it, and we need an acoustic amp cause the trumpet player sings through it, so i didn't bother to carry an extra amp and we both use one AER (cramped playing space next to a fireplace also!).
People don't get impressed by it because it's cheap, but the Bugera AC60 is a valid replacement for the AER, especially if you shop from Thomann (it's a Thomann brand). It costs one fifth the price of the AER, has been reliable for a number of gigging friends that use it, and sounds great. Nowadays i usually gig acoustics with it instead of the AER cause i like the reverb and the eq range better.
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My own AER is at least 25 years old and it's their first version of the "Acousticube" model which is still in production. This first edition was a joint effort with LAKEWOOD Guitars of Germany. I used this amp regularly for a few years with several electric archtops but only in low-volume situations and it performed fine - not really great but absolutely acceptable. The best combination by far was my Super-400 with a DeArmond 1100 pickup - that guitar plugged into the Cube was a winner. I have used newer AER amps but - as expected - they are specifically designed to be used with microphones and/or some sort of piezo/contact pickup and NOT really for use with magnetic pickups. I suspect the speaker in my old Cube plays a major role in it's special sonic behavior re mag. pickups .
When you aim for a classic, rotund and ploppy JAZZ guitar tone then put your money on a Henriksen. If not and you rather strive for a very clean and somewhat anemic (not meant in a negativ sense) tone then the small and very transportable AER models would be a good choice. They are certainly very well built, there is no hiss and the ins and outs allow for all sorts of signal flow.
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Hi Jim,
My only experience is with an AER 60/3
I bought it primarily for Acoustic and helping with the local Church.
It really is like a small PA with some basic effects. Not a ported box. Allows you to mount it up on a tripod which is handy to have it at ear level.
I sometimes rehearse with a singer and he plugs into the XLR and sings along on the dedicated channel. The EQ etc was optimised for use with Piezo pickup flat tops.
For Archtop it is OK however the overall EQ is bright given the PA nature of the speaker roll off and the Preamp. Being brighter it cuts over the boominess of the Organ or Piano. For an acoustic archtop its probably ace.
For solid body electric (when it was my only amp) and Strat (which was before my archtop) I placed a Tech21 blonde or ParaDI into the effects return. That sounded responsive. I did have to feed the amp with a 'treble reduced' signal though. Not really for any heavy dirt. I think its only a 8" speaker which has a built in tweeter.
Going clean it sounded like one would expect, plugging a guitar into a HIFI channel. As a pedal platform that may actually be perfect and you can have clean reverb trails for days!
I have no experience with the Hendriksens only to say the 6" Bud in Australia is clear A$250 (25%) more than the AER 60/3. The 10" bud is 50% more.That may not factor into many peoples equations. I don't personally have a need to switch as my clean headroom elec archtop needs are met other ways. (Bam200 into a 12" Toob)
One neat feature of the Hendriksen is the bluetooth connection. Not sure how practical that would be in a live performance setting but I simply use a Bluetooth speaker for practice against.
AER/3 has no Aux in.
Cheers
EMike
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For many years, he used only a DI into whatever house system a venue had. This is a direct quote from an interview by Dan Forte in Vintage Guitar: “I don’t use or even own an amp; I always DI.” I don’t know why he then started using Orange amps and, more recently, AER. Originally Posted by kris
Martin Taylor use Aer amp with arch-tops guitars.
His sound has changed over the years. It was a lot bigger when he used his stereo Yamaha archtop back in the ‘90s than it is now.
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AER-they also made amps for electric guitars but I don't think they do that anymore.
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I don't know the reason why he stopped playing Yamaha guitars.He had a very nice sound on the guitar, which had a humbucker and a piezo system. Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
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One thing is for sure.
AER - are amplifiers that do not break down quickly.
I've been using AER's for over 25 years and they're trouble free.
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I've decided to go in a completely different direction. I'll post an update when everything arrives.
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Chris has a great sounding L-7 as well. It projects loudly and he really gets the top moving with his pick attack. Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
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I have played AER Compact 60 Amps for a few years. They are easy to handle, light to carry and very durable. I still have them here, one is a Compact 60 Mobile which is heavier because of the built in batteries. They sound a bit PA-like, i prefer more power and projection in the midrange so now my Mambo 8" which seems to fit my archtops better gets much more playing time. I usually store one of the Compact 60s in the car to have a backup in case the Mambo would fail. If need more power on a gig i might run the Mambo and a Compact 60 parallel. Quality and design of the Aer is very good!
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