PJB M300 amp & 6B cab

[franzbassist]

If you’ve read my review of the PJB “Cub” combo, you’ll know how impressed I was with the versatility and build quality of it. Well, I guess the real proof of this is that I have now sold on my Demeter preamp, Peavey IPR1600 digital poweramp and Euphonic Audio 1x12 and 2x10 cabs and replaced it with the PJB M-300 head and, for now, a single 6B cab.

Before we look at the rig, if that is the right way to describe a setup that’s little bigger than a typical 2x10 cabinet, it’s worth taking a moment to consider what my needs are in terms of live sound. First of all, I like clean, uncoloured sound, and the PJB seems to do that perfectly. I am also a convert to two channel amps, given that I play at least one electric and my EUB at every gig, in order to minimize floor clutter and the need for any sort of switching device. I am also playing in a band that isn’t that loud (the guitarists play acoustics and go straight to the PA without backline), so the Peavey power amp really was overkill; this new PJB setup is all about quality of tone.

[b]BUILD QUALITY[/b]
First off, I was never a great fan of the PJB cosmetics, as I found them a bit too old school and giving off a real whiff of over-engineered Britishness. However, I have clearly mellowed a great deal! While the aesthetics may not be for everyone, it’s clear that Phil really cares about the build quality, as just like the Cub combo the M-300 and 6B are really well made, with many parts custom manufactured “in house”. Buffalo tolex covering, chromed corner protectors, brushed black metal parts all give a quiet, understated vibe, and the luggage handle and wheels on the cabinet make it an absolute breeze to move about.

[b]M-300 Amplifier[/b]
The power section is 250/350/450 watts at 8/4/2 ohms (why PJB can’t give their amps names that associate with the power output is beyond me) respectively, so with the 6B I’m getting around 300 watts. At 29lbs, 16” wide, 6” tall and 14” deep it’s a heavy and quite bulky amp when compared to many others, but much of that is taken up by the substantial sleeve it lives in (while it’s easy to take it out of the sleeve there is little point, as it can’t be racked). The strap handle on the top is fine and it’s an easy enough lift, but I can’t help thinking a handle on the side would have made more sense.

I can’t get inside the amp as it has stickers to prevent unauthorised access, but if you read any of the reviews (Tom Bowlus’ for [url="http://www.philjonespuresound.com/about/reviews/387.pdf"]Bass Gear Magazine[/url] is especially good) you’ll see that the material, components and construction are top notch.



[b]Front Panel[/b]
As already noted, this is a two channel amp. Each channel has a passive, high sensitivity (200mV) input and low sensitivity (500mV) input, so you can optimize the input signal from your bass. The input level control, where high noon or “0” is unity gain (i.e. the actual output of your bass) can then fine tune the gain by +/- 10dB to get a precise match between bass and amp. A red “overload” LED on each channel lets you know if things are getting too tasty. Each channel has a five band graphic, of which more detail later.

After the inputs and eq, the front panel has a defeatable limiter that operates to a compression ratio is 3dB to 1, and has a blue LED that will light up when the signal is being compressed (the LEDs intensity will vary according to how hard the instrument is played and how the threshold is adjusted). Following this is the master volume control, a ¼” headphones out jack (speakers automatically cut off is this is used), a tuner out jack, and FX send and return jacks. The front panel is topped off by a big blue power on/off led and an old school power switch.



[b]Back Panel[/b]
Around the back we have all the usual features you’d expect to find, as well as a couple you wouldn’t. So, to start with the usual features….

A fused plug socket to connect to the power supply, which has a switchable voltage selector so the amp can run on either 110-115volt or 220-240volt AC power. This is followed by two parallel Speakon speaker inputs and an XLR DI out with ground lift. There are also two pre-amp out jacks for driving a second amplifier, powered cab or tuner. The master volume controls the level out of these jack sockets, and each output is independent of the other, so a faulty cable connected to one will not affect the other.

The more unusual features are a spare fuse holder, situated above the actual fuse holder, which is a nice touch, and a IEC power output socket which could provide power to an effects unit or perhaps a powered cab.

[b]6B Cabinet[/b]
As already mentioned, this cab is only a little bigger than your average 2x10, but as he depth is at the back, it doesn’t seem that noticeable at all. The speaker complement is 6 x PJB NeoPower Type A 5" drivers, rated at 300 Watts handling and with an impedance of 6 ohms. There is a single Speakon input and a Speakon “link” output to daisy chain a second cab. The cab’s diminutive dimensions are 16” wide, 23” tall and 18” deep, and the weight is a very manageable 46lbs. As I said, the single grab handle at the top is augmented by the kick bar, wheels and retractable trolley handle, so moving it couldn’t be easier. My only complaint would be the mesh cover; personally, I’d much rather see metal.

[b]SOUNDS[/b]
As I’ve only had the rig for two weeks, it’s a little early to give a “real world” review of what it can and cannot do. However, my first impressions are as follows…

First of all, just like the Cub combo, the amp is whisper quiet when turned on; even with the master volume up full there is barely any hiss to be heard. This is partly due to the fact that the fan only turns on when the heat sink temperature reaches 75C, but it really is quite amazing how quiet these amps are (in a good way).

With everything set flat, you get a very honest reproduction of the inherent sound of the bass; it really does reproduce the natural sound of the instrument superbly. That said, the eq frequencies are chosen really well if you do need to tweak; the 50Hz and 160Hz sliders focus on the BEA and DGC strings respectively, but the 630Hz slider is my favourite as it really adds a pleasing “bite” to finger style. To my ears, the 2.5K and 12K sliders have less impact on the sound, but this could be due to the fact that there is no tweeter in the cab, as the 5” drivers give a much more natural sheen to the top end, or perhaps my hearing is just shot in the upper registers!

The limiter is very usable right across a full turn of the knob. It never gets out of hand or unpleasant and, much like the eq, just seems really well voiced.

The master volume is a linear pot and can be used the whole way around (i.e. noon is 50% of the available power), which is useful to show how much juice you have left. This was quite disconcerting at first, but in actual fact it makes loads more sense than only ever using maybe half of the volume knob!

The most amazing aspect of this amp is when you turn it up and actually hear how it fills a room. Standing right in front of the rig you really don’t think it’s very loud, especially as you really need to turn the amp up to at least 10 o’clock before you really get much volume out of it, but the amazing thing is the bass fills the room in such a natural way it’s not directional like a lot of rigs are. This makes the amp appear underpowered, but as I walked around the room I realized the volume appeared the same almost everywhere I stood.







[b]CONCLUSION[/b]
This rig exudes quality, and everything about it seems to have a subtle, understated functionality that I just think is terrific. The tone really is wonderful, and I love how the bass fills the room in such a natural way. I can see why so many upright, acoustic and hollowbody players rave about PJB. Yes, the aesthetics may not be for everyone, but I think the sound more than makes up for it.

Cheers

Gareth

Edited September 23, 2010 by walbassist

[derrenleepoole]

Great review mate, I love PJB stuff also and that setup looks superb.

[Jesso]

I'd love to see a bass beside the rig for some context so we could get an idea of the actual size.... super looking rig.

[basswesty]

i had two of these, both failed me, once on stage!
Got rid in the end which was a shame as I think it was the best sounding amp I have ever had.

[dmccombe7]

Great review but i just can't get used to the idea of 5" speakers and tiny cabinets.
Have looked at the gear in local shop and it looks seriously old school well built.

Maybe give them another look.
Have you any idea how the amps sound with different manufacturers speakers. I have various Bergantino cabs.

Dave

[bumnote]

I have been using an m500 with a 8b neo for coming up for three years and its great. Dont be put off by the fact its 5 in speakers it is designed for the job and they go low. I have had people coming up and saying they dont beleive how well it sounds.
Put it into perspective though, I think the 8 b is rated as similar to a 2x10 so It wont fill the Royal Albert Hall but I expect the 24 b will
I have given it some serious wellie on occasions and it just takes it. Some people are put off by the fact the vol knob does need to be turned up because it will give more the more you turn it up. I sometimes use it with and an extension 4x5 for a bit more.
I have never tried with a non phil jones.cab.
That nice Mr Andy Milner at PMT will look after you if you want one I expect, he did me

[ezbass]

Great review with really good, meaningful pictures, BGM take note.

I'm also a recent Phil Jones convert, I thought the only time I'd ever change my rig would be if the head blew up or the cab failed, but like Gareth I got a Cub and was lured into the PJB vortex, and very happy I am about it.

[jazzyvee]

Great review Walbassist, Ive just bought one tor using with my alembic bass. Generally I use a mesa boogie walkabout for most of my gigs. I have a backup/spare, peavey Tour 450, that I bought in a hurry when the mesa was out of action for a while, However i find it less clean sounding than the mesa boogie and now i have the mesa back i can put it up for sale and replace it with the PJB M300. I have a PJB Briefcase that I use mainly at home, small gigs or rehearsals in small places and I'm really impressed with the sound so looking forward to getting my mitts on the m-300