bassriff Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Hi all I have read a lot about the PJB Cub 100 from Phil Jones Bass http://pjbworld.com/product_basscub_top.html and it sounds incredible that a manufacturer can pack that much sound into such a tiny combo (albeit for a lot of money!) I 'need' it for... 1) Small (church) gigs where I need a DI and a small monitor. 2) Taking round to people's houses and small pubs for jamming and 'acoustic' gigs (with my Kala U-Bass). 3) Holidays (again with the Kala and to play music from my phone) 4) Use as a portable PA for parties, youth groups etc. Would welcome any personal experience. Can a tiny amp with 5" drivers really handle the B string on my SR905?? Are there other super tiny multi channel combos out there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBod Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Yes it will work, but only to a low level. I had one and enjoyed it (great as a powered hi fi for holidays) but it could only do the smallest of tiny venues as an amp. Any significant background noise and it struggled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgie Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I have a PJB Flightcase. Really like the sound I get from it. Not the loudest combo though (150watts) and 4 x 5 drivers. The Cub is only 100 watts, but I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be much difference in the volume. Funny enough the Cub was the first on my list, but a the flightcase came up for sale on here so I bought that instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 [quote name='gadgie' timestamp='1416917176' post='2614946'] I have a PJB Flightcase. Really like the sound I get from it. Not the loudest combo though (150watts) and 4 x 5 drivers. The Cub is only 100 watts, but I'm pretty sure there wouldn't be much difference in the volume. Funny enough the Cub was the first on my list, but a the flightcase came up for sale on here so I bought that instead. [/quote] Having owned a cub at the same time as flightcase (albeit a super-flightcase) there was a fairly big difference. Also be aware that the few cubs I've owned have had a noticible hiss. Some people either don't notice or aren't bothered, but it annoyed me and would be worth bearing in mind. The super flightcase is silent and sounds awesome so its a keeper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgie Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 [quote name='Legion' timestamp='1416917954' post='2614956'] Having owned a cub at the same time as flightcase (albeit a super-flightcase) there was a fairly big difference. Also be aware that the few cubs I've owned have had a noticible hiss. Some people either don't notice or aren't bothered, but it annoyed me and would be worth bearing in mind. The super flightcase is silent and sounds awesome so its a keeper [/quote] Ok, I stand corrected. sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Small PJB boxes, low output levels and hiss are in my opinion a fact of life. I had a Markbass 1x8 box that was about half the size of the cub but twice as loud and sounded much better with bass to my ear. The only PJB stuff that has worked for me in gig terms has been the larger boxes, but they tend to be both prohibitively heavy and expensive. In fact, I got rid of all my PJB on the basis of weight alone - if I'm going to lug that much weight to a gig it's going to need to be justified by several large tubes and the ability to wobble lower limbs. PJB gear is very very high quality in so many respects. But.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 The smaller you go the less bass frequencies the cab can handle and the thinner you'll sound on a gig. The smallest rig I'll use is a 112 and a D class amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I've not had any hiss issues with mine, but due the über small cabinet it doesn't really poke out what I would expect from 100w. However, that's not what I bought it for (as a home practice, small rehearsal amp) at which it excels. What happened was that I fell in love with the clarity in tone which led to me purchasing a PJB300 powered cab with the Cub being the head. If at any venue the drummer is having trouble hearing me, I can just rotate the Cub and give him a personal monitor or off course I can angle it for my own needs if required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I've tested a Cub at rehearsal volumes and it was surprisingly OK. Our line-up when we're learning new material is usually a Roland electronic kit (with 'proper' cymbals) into a 300w powered monitor, lead guitar into 15w Roland practice amp, rhythm guitar into 30w Vox modelling combo, keys & 3 sets of vox into a pair of small 500w PA powered monitor cabs. The Cub will handle this setup if raised off the floor so it's a bit closer to me. Requires master volume at around 15:00 and some bass & mids boost & bit of tweaking to make sure it isn't breaking up. It's Ok as my personal monitor and the band aren't struggling to hear me. We have toyed with running a DI out into the PA but haven't really needed it. This would definitely be required for gigging though. I couldn't use it in this band for loud gigs as the two guitars are pretty loud but I think it would be Ok for smaller acoustic type gigs when used as a monitor with PA support. Of course it isn't designed as an out & out gigging amp so using it like this is a tough test. It does make a bass sound like a bass though and a lot of rehearsal type combos don't achieve that very well. I also like the fact that it's got an aux in and headphone out. I've used it both with & without headphones to learn new stuff and for practicing - nice simple solution to this & a doddle to balance straight from my iPhone. Again, lots of amps can do this but the Cub tone is very nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgie Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I forgot mention I have the powered cab as well. I used them at a gig last week and although it didn;t seem to be blasting out and rattling my trouser legs, the GF did say that the bass sound was really nice and clear in the mix. So I guess that's what it needs to be at the end of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassriff Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 Really great input, thanks guys. I don't plan to use it for gigs as I have my GB Streamliner/Vanderkley setup. Sounds like it might do what I need for practice, 'acoustic' gigs, DI with built in monitor and powered HiFi. Should be able to walk to practices with this and the U-Bass! I am going to BassGear in Twyford to try it out. Will let you know how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonic_Groove Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1416918567' post='2614963'] Small PJB boxes, low output levels and hiss are in my opinion a fact of life. I had a Markbass 1x8 box that was about half the size of the cub but twice as loud and sounded much better with bass to my ear. The only PJB stuff that has worked for me in gig terms has been the larger boxes, but they tend to be both prohibitively heavy and expensive. In fact, I got rid of all my PJB on the basis of weight alone - if I'm going to lug that much weight to a gig it's going to need to be justified by several large tubes and the ability to wobble lower limbs. PJB gear is very very high quality in so many respects. But.... [/quote] Beedster: Was that the Micromark 801? Anyone: Know if Phil Jones solved the high-pitch noise on 240v ?? Brendan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 [quote name='Sonic_Groove' timestamp='1439893283' post='2846476'] Anyone: Know if Phil Jones solved the high-pitch noise on 240v ?? Brendan [/quote] I gather the double four is fixed (by a different model of external PSU) but the cub still seems to have the same internal PSU and is still prone. I really want a cub but all the ones I've tried have had the whistling noise which is very frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 [quote name='Sonic_Groove' timestamp='1439893283' post='2846476'] Beedster: Was that the Micromark 801? Anyone: Know if Phil Jones solved the high-pitch noise on 240v ?? Brendan [/quote] Yes, the 801, lovely little thing. Re PJB, I still have a Briefcase but whilst I love the tone, and whilst there are no high pitched noises, I've just bought a PB-300 as the Briefcase simply doesn't cut it for gigs, even those without a drummer ( and were a quiet band anyway). I'm sincerely hoping there are no high pitched noises with the 300! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1439926554' post='2846870'] Yes, the 801, lovely little thing. Re PJB, I still have a Briefcase but whilst I love the tone, and whilst there are no high pitched noises, I've just bought a PB-300 as the Briefcase simply doesn't cut it for gigs, even those without a drummer ( and were a quiet band anyway). I'm sincerely hoping there are no high pitched noises with the 300! [/quote]I've had no spurious noises from my Cub, Buddy or 300, I think you'll be golden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I've been using a PJB Double Four for the last couple of months, it's my only amp. It's silent, no hiss, or whistling. It copes perfectly with a low B string, it actually sounds like a bass amp, if you know what I mean. There's no lack of bassiness. I use an ebow and a lot of effects for my stuff, and it copes perfectly with that. I only play my own stuff, or jazz. The jazz gigs range from a 3 piece, to a 5 piece with vocals. I did an outside gig at a garden party on Saturday afternoon. The rest of the band - keys and vocals were through a PA, I could have used the PA too, it has a line-out, but we decided that wasn't necessary. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is amazed by it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 [quote name='ambient' timestamp='1439936927' post='2847004'] I've been using a PJB Double Four for the last couple of months, it's my only amp. It's silent, no hiss, or whistling. It copes perfectly with a low B string, it actually sounds like a bass amp, if you know what I mean. There's no lack of bassiness. I use an ebow and a lot of effects for my stuff, and it copes perfectly with that. I only play my own stuff, or jazz. The jazz gigs range from a 3 piece, to a 5 piece with vocals. I did an outside gig at a garden party on Saturday afternoon. The rest of the band - keys and vocals were through a PA, I could have used the PA too, it has a line-out, but we decided that wasn't necessary. Everyone, and I mean everyone, is amazed by it. [/quote] I probably depends on genre as much as anything. I love the tone and clarity of my PJB gear, it's just that to get anything close to what I would describe as 'bass' I need to go to at least 250w in PJB terms. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking PJB gear at all, I've got loads of it, but the Briefcase and the Flightcase at 100w and 150w respectively do not cut it in anything other than a very quiet room. And it's not just about the band, it's about the ambient noise also, I've sound-checked with a Flightcase and found it fine only to find that when the room fills up it isn't, neither for me or the audience. I do think there are things that can be done with positioning/height and EQ, so that if the Briefcase were my only option I could make it work better than it does, but none of these are ideal if there are options. Are people amazed by Phil Jones gear? Generally yes, I find that also, the quality of the sound for the size is always going to impress. It's just the quantity of the sound that can be lacking in comparison with other gear rated at similar power output (yes I know there is no reliable measure of this but you know what I mean........) Bottom line, if it works for you, that's the only measure and opinion that matters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1439968003' post='2847058'] I probably depends on genre as much as anything. I love the tone and clarity of my PJB gear, it's just that to get anything close to what I would describe as 'bass' I need to go to at least 250w in PJB terms. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking PJB gear at all, I've got loads of it, but the Briefcase and the Flightcase at 100w and 150w respectively do not cut it in anything other than a very quiet room. And it's not just about the band, it's about the ambient noise also, I've sound-checked with a Flightcase and found it fine only to find that when the room fills up it isn't, neither for me or the audience. [/quote] Flightcase on top of a PB300 - now you're talking! Slightly OT (massively OT); Chris, am I right in thinking that you're using a Rob Allen without the nylon wrapped flat wounds? If so, which ones are you using and how do you find it affected the tone? If I'm wrong, oops! Sorry for the derail. Edited August 19, 2015 by ezbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1439968003' post='2847058'] I probably depends on genre as much as anything. I love the tone and clarity of my PJB gear, it's just that to get anything close to what I would describe as 'bass' I need to go to at least 250w in PJB terms. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking PJB gear at all, I've got loads of it, but the Briefcase and the Flightcase at 100w and 150w respectively do not cut it in anything other than a very quiet room. And it's not just about the band, it's about the ambient noise also, I've sound-checked with a Flightcase and found it fine only to find that when the room fills up it isn't, neither for me or the audience. I do think there are things that can be done with positioning/height and EQ, so that if the Briefcase were my only option I could make it work better than it does, but none of these are ideal if there are options. Are people amazed by Phil Jones gear? Generally yes, I find that also, the quality of the sound for the size is always going to impress. It's just the quantity of the sound that can be lacking in comparison with other gear rated at similar power output (yes I know there is no reliable measure of this but you know what I mean........) Bottom line, if it works for you, that's the only measure and opinion that matters [/quote] You're absolutely right, it works fine with what I do. There's also the size thing. Saturday I had my bass in it's gig bag on my back. The double four in its bag on my trolley with my stool and music stand, meaning I could go to my gig by train, then walk from the station. I would love to try thieir bigger amps though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mingsta Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 I've got a PJB cub in red - gorgeous amp. I think it should be a very good for your requirements as I use it for the same. I use it as a monitor for gigs and its loud enough for this duty, though I have to crank it up to 80% max. It sounds much nicer at low volume than a big rig, so a good one for home practice and low volume rehearsals with bandmates. The 2 inputs and aux in mean that you can have bass, guitar + backing track or e-drums. Sound wise, its clean and tight. Not massively bassy, but tight and musical sounding. It can handle a 5-string fine, as in you will hear the notes clearly and it wont fart out, just don't expect it to flap your trousers. Its not massively loud, but would be fine for an acoustic or low volume café/restaurant gig. For me its a keeper, I'd use the Cub for most day to day musical activities (practice, rehearsal etc) and only bring out the big rig for gigs. You'd definitely need another rig for gigs as its nowhere near loud enough for a rock band etc. Or you could buy the powered extension cabinet. Just be aware that I don't think those 5" drivers are particularly efficient, so that 250 watts on thepowered extension cab might not get you massively loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 [quote name='mingsta' timestamp='1440436224' post='2850722']Or you could buy the powered extension cabinet. Just be aware that I don't think those 5" drivers are particularly efficient, so that 250 watts on thepowered extension cab might not get you massively loud. [/quote]My PB300 keeps up with with my current 5 piece just using a Bass Buddy to power it (I do also use the Cub as a head too occasionally), the band aren't hugely loud, but they're not quiet either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1439971455' post='2847093'] Flightcase on top of a PB300 - now you're talking! Slightly OT (massively OT); Chris, am I right in thinking that you're using a Rob Allen without the nylon wrapped flat wounds? If so, which ones are you using and how do you find it affected the tone? If I'm wrong, oops! Sorry for the derail. [/quote] No, that's not me I'm afraid, might be Jason (Legion)? [quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1440447010' post='2850881'] My PB300 keeps up with with my current 5 piece just using a Bass Buddy to power it (I do also use the Cub as a head too occasionally), the band aren't hugely loud, but they're not quiet either. [/quote] Yes, as I've said above, the big PJBs are plenty loud enough, and the PB300 is one of the lighter big boxes as well. OK, it's not SVT loud, but with the correct EQ you'd have no trouble playing with even a loud drummer and for pub gigs/small stages it does the job just fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 [quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1440484901' post='2851087'] No, that's not me I'm afraid, might be Jason (Legion)? [/quote] Not me either - although I was using a Rob Allen and it certainly sounded best through my (your old) Super Flightcase, I never tried anything other than Labella Nylons on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Thanks guys, I may have to start a new thread to find the member. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.