| Author | Message | ||
| dannobasso
Senior Member Username: dannobasso Post Number: 1392 Registered: 3-2004 |
Spent a good few hours with Mike Albronda of Phil Jones Bass this evening. Got to try out a lot of amps and cabs with my 10er, my Status and some basses Mike had at the showroom. Clean, loud, accurate with impressive attack with the sound of your bass, not colored like some amps do. Put a deposit down on a Roadcase BG 800 and looking forward to bringing it home in a while. Mike and I talked shop and he demonstrated his amazing funk and slap chops! If you are a gigging player and would like a great sounding compact rig, check out Phil Jones gear. www.philjonesbass.com  | ||
| hieronymous
Senior Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 960 Registered: 1-2005 |
That looks very cool! I have the Suitcase, but that Roadcase looks incredible, I bet it sounds great! | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 2593 Registered: 6-2002 |
i have the briefcase one and that is wonderful. I've sent some you tube clips of that road case and would like to try one out but not seen one around the uk to try. | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 2594 Registered: 6-2002 |
i have the briefcase one and that is wonderful. I've sent some you tube clips of that road case and would like to try one out but not seen one around the UK to try. | ||
| growlypants
New Username: growlypants Post Number: 7 Registered: 3-2011 |
Yea, I bought the Bass Cub in March, and really like it a lot. That Roadcase does look incredible! | ||
| redcloud
Junior Username: redcloud Post Number: 50 Registered: 5-2011 |
Anyone with experience with the "6 pack" model? | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 4950 Registered: 7-2004 |
I've got the Phil Jones AAD "Cub" acoustic guitar amp. Wonderful little piece of gear. Bill, tgo | ||
| karl
Intermediate Member Username: karl Post Number: 194 Registered: 7-2002 |
Hi redcloud, I used to have the Phil Jones Six Pak, and I added a 9B to that. Absolutely fantastic gear - clean, loud and very punchy. I've never heard another amp and cab combo that could hit you in the gut like that at distance. And it's a very focussed sound - the lack of rumble and mud onstage made it a delight to use in a live situation. It's very solidly built, too, and while that is obviously a very good thing, for me it was ultimately the reason I chose to move it on. This gear is heavy! Neither the Six Pak nor the 9B uses neos - every one of those little speakers used a real ceramic magnet - so it weighed a ton! It just wasn't practical in my situation, and I also missed the 'airiness' in the sound that you get with a tweeter, so I moved back to more traditional amps and cabs. But I wouldn't hesitate to recommend PJB and the Six Pak to anyone. I also had the pleasure of meeting Phil in person at the Frankfurt Musikmesse a few years ago, and he's a lovely chap, a real connoisseur of bass and absolutely dedicated to building the best bass amps in the world. | ||
| tubeperson
Advanced Member Username: tubeperson Post Number: 214 Registered: 5-2005 |
I have several of their products. I use a briefcase for practice at home, and a sixpack, and a suitecase with 4B extension cabinet (I have two 4B cabs) out and about. The sixpack does weigh a ton, but it really throws your sound outward into the venue you play in. In that regard, it reminds me of my old Kustom 18" cabinet from the 70's. The sixpack has a very punchy sound, think Verdine White live with his Yamaha bass and amplification. Since Mr. Jones is a bass player, (string bass and electric) he does dsign these to be an audiophile type product. Some people criticise the made in "China Syndrome", but these folks would be very surprised to see how much high end electronics is made there. Fortunately, the six pack does have wheels and a gyroscoping handle to move its massvie self around. The suitcae is another matte, and look for the old Ampeg B-15 dolly to help! Users include Bob Babbitt, as seen on American Idol, and Kyle Wastwood, son of Clint. Both used to appear in Phil Jones ads in magazines. The last time I checked, Kyle still uses his, and Bob Babbitt's appearance speaks for itself. You may need other rigs for other applioations, such as a lightweight set up, but I am throughly enjoying my Phil Jones gear weight and all. I am looking for a deal on a gently used six pack as a backup as we speak. The new Roadhouse looks really good, and I hope to audition it soon. Now if I could jsut find some more playing chops!!!!! | ||
| xlrogue6
Intermediate Member Username: xlrogue6 Post Number: 190 Registered: 8-2002 |
Love the sound of the PJ stuff, but I just can't bring myself to lug it around. Wheels and handles are fine until you get to the stairs or the liftover into the vehicle. All I need is roadies--but mine seem to be trapped in another dimension. | ||
| hb3
Senior Member Username: hb3 Post Number: 660 Registered: 2-2005 |
I agree. That Roadcase thing is only 74 lbs, though. And it should really win a design award -- very "art deco." | ||
| tubeperson
Advanced Member Username: tubeperson Post Number: 215 Registered: 5-2005 |
Just do what landscapers do, and keep some wood runners (4 X 8 boards) to run the amp into the back of your vehicle. | ||
| xlrogue6
Intermediate Member Username: xlrogue6 Post Number: 191 Registered: 8-2002 |
In my world, "74 lbs." is usually preceded by profanity, not "only"--but that's just me. | ||
| redcloud
Member Username: redcloud Post Number: 55 Registered: 5-2011 |
I have it on good authority that the "6 pack" is no longer going to be made due to the success of the "Roadcase BG-800" I did quite a lot of internet investigation and have concluded that The PJB RC BG-800 is among (and probably) the best combo out there. I am also (by Thursday end of day) going to be a new proud owner of one too. Thanks out to dannobasso for the link up with Mike from PJB. Scott | ||
| lmiwa
Advanced Member Username: lmiwa Post Number: 323 Registered: 2-2008 |
I absolutely love my 8T/16B cabinets, but they don't ever get moved! I'd be looking for a much smaller PJB combo if I had to haul it around. | ||
| hb3
Senior Member Username: hb3 Post Number: 661 Registered: 2-2005 |
Lol, Kent, you're probably right. I'm spoiled by my Genz Benz combo. | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 2080 Registered: 5-2009 |
I tried a PJ suitcase once. Nice sounding but I already have 2 little GK amps for small units, the MB150E and the older version 200MB. I just installed new GK OEM speaker replacements in them about a year ago. I would have liked getting to try a PJ "6PACK". | ||
| jcdlc72
Intermediate Member Username: jcdlc72 Post Number: 117 Registered: 11-2009 |
Been loving my 200MB for so long... love its tone shaping and connectivity possibilities, nice comp and chorus. However, I've been curious... how would you compare it to the newer MB150? | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 2081 Registered: 5-2009 |
Hello Juan, I had to replace BOTH of the OEM speakers in the 200 MB and the newer MB 150E because of the foam speaker surround deterioration in both units and after having read the various BASS PLAYER blogs and searching the internet with other persons experiences I was convinced to replace both units with GK originals . Access to the front mounted MB150E speaker was VERY easy and I was able to do that very intuitively without any obstacles in the way . This was NOT at all the case with my 200MB ! I remember that after very careful inspection of the 200MB that it was required to disassemble the enclosure to replace the speaker. EVEN after disassembly the GK OEM replacement need to be carefully guided in. Take special care if your unit has the power transformer in the bottom of the chassis. During reassembly it is important to reseal the metal chassis the same way with caulk sealant or it will rattle. Replacement of the speaker in the GK 200MB is MUCH more of a big job then in the MB150E , even for a seasoned tech. Other persons experiences will confirm this as well. Sound wise they both sound great . I might venture to write that the 200MB has a slightly warmer sound, however the input stage is more easily overdriven with an Alembic Series I or II instrument then the MB150E because the MB150E has a -10 dB input pad . The EQ section in the MB150E is also a bit more flexible. the MB150E also has a little more output power. ALL IN ALL I love them both but I hope that I will NOT have to replace the speaker in the 200MB for a long time , the foam surround on the original lasted close to 20 years maybe. I would have replaced it with an accordion edge type or a butyl rubber surround type but others have done this already not everyone has like the results in sound. I decided to replace with identical parameters . I completely agree with you about the tone shaping and connectivity of the 200MB . If you acquire a MB150E you will experience even more of the same and an easy to replace speaker. The input pad will work well with your Alembic Series I/II electronics. Sonic Regards ___ Wolf | ||
| jcdlc72
Intermediate Member Username: jcdlc72 Post Number: 118 Registered: 11-2009 |
Dear Wolf: Thanks for the update!. Unfortunately, I've already had to replace my 200MB's speaker. Twice in fact, because the first time I replaced it by an accordion-type cone edge one, and also disliked the result. I ended talking to a music student of mine, who also happens to be a wonderful speaker repair guy. So he completely rebuilt the OEM speaker (which, as I've found out on the internet, happens to be a Pyle Pro, same case on GK's ML250 guitar amp -same series, even same year!-, which I also own and love) taking extra care of using the best materials around, and it ended sounding fine. Then I had some trouble with a faulty external speaker cable (I like to use it, for mid-smaller venues, in 4ohm with a custom external, Eden loaded 1x10" front slot- vented cab), and blew up something in the circuit. Again, found the schematics and took it to a repair guy who gave it to me working as a breeze... except for the caulk sealing, which was all gone, so it rattled all the way. AGAIN... had to disassemble it, and reseal every corner -I used silicone for this-, and voilá!. A nice tip: The 200MB has a rubber stop that screws unto the back panel and presses against the speaker's magnet. Mine shrunk a little, and changed the sound a little bit, so applying silicone to both ends of the rubber stop helped a lot. It's a bliss to know the 150 has the speaker front-mounted!. I'll make sure to get ahold of one whenever I can, since the time I spent with my 200MB in repair shop, I really missed it a lot (have other rigs to work with, but are either too heavy, too big, or too complicated for what I like to do with the 200MB). However.. . I laid my eyes and my ears on one of those newer SWR Headlite amps, and yummmmm...! Maybe one of those, with the lightest of my 2x10" cabs -certainly NOT my MesaBoogie RoadReady, which sounds delightful but weighs A TON!- or the Eden-loaded 1x10" would make one of my small venue jazz gigs a dream... :P Just have to set some dough apart ;). Anyone using one of those? JC | ||
| dannobasso
Senior Member Username: dannobasso Post Number: 1399 Registered: 3-2004 |
My trip to the Phil Jones showroom with the 10 string.  |
