Is a wall necessary for Phil Jones bass amps?

[masterforrest]

I've seen the reviews on youtube and really like the Phil Jones products, but I notice how the sound isn't as good when the amp is moved further away from the wall. About a third of my jazz gigs do not have a wall available.

So what do Phil Jones amp users do? Is your amp still feasible without a wall?

[MrSidecar]

I'd say it's not per se bad without a wall. There are rooms where it actually helped moving it a little off the wall, or even on a chair (!), at least for my tastes. I'm talking Flightcase now, I don't know about neither the bigger nor the smaller units. Still haven't got my own, but that's what I remember form thorough testing.

Best

Sidecar

[Chris Fitzgerald]

The beauty of the PJB Flightcase amps for DB is that you can basically set them completely flat and they sound great. The one issue that you need to deal with with them is the low bass response. Near a wall, it can be a bit overbearing, so it may have to be dialed back a bit. Out in the middle of a stage, I sometimes need to dial it back in. Other than that, it's the easiest amp to find a sound on I know of.

[hensonbass]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

The beauty of the PJB Flightcase amps for DB is that you can basically set them completely flat and they sound great. The one issue that you need to deal with with them is the low bass response. Near a wall, it can be a bit overbearing, so it may have to be dialed back a bit. Out in the middle of a stage, I sometimes need to dial it back in. Other than that, it's the easiest amp to find a sound on I know of.

+1 My super flightcase is the best combo amp I've owned for DB too.

[TimmyP]

There will always be a "hole" or "notch" in the output of a cabinet that is related directly to the distance from the cabinet to the floor, wall(s), and ceiling. For instance 5' will cancel right about the open A string (55Hz), 7' right about the open E (41.2Hz). There's a chart here: http://www.padrick.net/LiveSound/CancellationMode.htm