Phil Jones BG-400 and C4 Lite Cab

[AnalogBomb]

Hello fellow low Enders!

Im after some advice if possible. I’ve got the opportunity to get hold of the Phil Jones rig above. Now, I currently have a MarkBass TT500 with 104hf cab; great rig, but just a bit big for what I need. 

I still need power but in a smaller, more compact package.

I’m interested to know peoples thoughts on the PJB gear and if folk have owned and used them. I normally do small to medium gigs and the occasional festival, at which I only use the amp for monitoring and let the PA do the work. Im just conscious that I don’t want to trade a super powerful rig for something that won’t cut it. With the cab, the rig will push out 500w, albeit with 8 smaller drivers.

Any help/advice is appreciated.

AB

[Dan Dare]

I think, in view of your comment that you "still need power" and the fact that you are using a MB 104, that it will not have enough grunt for you. Clarity and tone, yes, but there is a limit to how much air four 5 inch drivers can shift, even with Mr Jones's clever porting and solidly built cabs. I have two PJB C4s, which are fine for a small/medium sized job. I add a 4B if I need to make more noise. Even then, it doesn't quite have the weight of sound of my old Epifani 310 (with the same head), although the sound is first class and, being small, the PJs are much more easily portable.

[ezbass]

I use a PJ Flightcase and a PB300 and it works fine for me in medium sized pub and club gigs. Tone-wise, I find PJB gear to be very clean and clear and accurately reproduces what you put into it (it certainly showed up some poor technique when I first bought the PB300 - now addressed). I'm currently playing with my Tech21 VTDI pre-amp on all the time to add a little grit and SVT type tone (which I have received some very nice compliments about). I have also previously used the PB300 with a PJ Cub and Bass Buddy which worked OK, but I find adding the extra speakers make a significant difference (I now have 10 x 5", with 2 of the speakers upwards firing from the Flightcase) in the way it 'feels' onstage. In terms of output, I run the PB300 at 12 o'clock with the Flightcase at about 1, any more than this would be too much for my different bands (they aren't loud, but neither are they quiet). Hope this helps.

 

EDIT: Previous to this I was running a Mark Bass LMll into a Schroeder 2x12.

Edited April 29, 2018 by ezbass

[AnalogBomb]

Thanks all. Interesting and valued input. 

[jembullo]

I've been using this exact rig now since October last year. I'm playing your normal size pub venues and I find that the mini stack is more than enough to cope with my hard hitting drummer and guitarist. Not yet had to DI into the P.A. I love the form factor, so easy to carry and stash in the car. Don't be fooled by the little speakers, this thing can deliver some serious low end, not the kind of low end from say a 4x10 or a couple of 12's but a really punchy articulate thump. As the other post said, it is very clean and might take a bit of getting used to, and it likes a lot of power thrown at it before it gets loud, but for me so far so good, I'm loving mine and the build quality seems excellent. I can throw you a few sound clips in a live context if you want a better idea of how it sits in a mix, just let me know, I have loads.