Double Bass AI Coda or PJB Superflightcase or Something else?

[Harry Monkley]

Fortune is simultaneously smiling upon me and kicking me in the nuts - despite being a DB newbie, I'm getting offers of work, but I don't have a suitable amp(currently making do with a rather muddy sounding and heavy as a small planet elderly ashdown slab combo), and can't audition anything in person because DB amplification is very specialised and no-one is holding stock that I can access in person let alone make side by side comparisons.

The AI pre-amps have lots of DB friendly features, and the scope to use the head with a bigger cab in louder situations and the PJB has the upward firing speakers that should make hearing myself easier, and can be expanded with pjb active cabs.

Both are expensive, and have a very limited audience for re-sale if I'm not happy - hopefully there are gearaholics on here that have had experience with both amps and could share some realworld experience. There doesn't seem to be much discussion on the most recent AI amps (the ones with 4 band EQ and 600w power module) on here and very little about the PJB superflightcase - most of the threads making heavy mention of either are quite old.

At the moment, the gigs are smaller acoustic setting, jazz/folk/bluegrass, but I've already been approached about upscaling a busy duo to a larger function band format, so I'm somewhat anxious about investing in the right tools for the job - my impressions from my research is that AI would be the safer pick buying sight unseen&unheard, but I thought it worth consulting the collective conciousness of the pros on here with much more realworld experience before taking the plunge.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to reply.

 

[TroyK]

Yeah, I remember the attention that suddenly was upon me when I first owned a doublebass. Tough paradox.

I also remember having an Ashdown rig. A cheap and easy first step is a piezo buffering pre-amp between your bass and your current rig. It will produce a much better response. Might be a good bridge to a longer term solution, you didn't say what your cab was, but maybe a single 10" or 12" cab under your current head.

I owned a AI combo for a while. It is a very good amp, but I found it to be somewhat one diminisional and while it was sublimely good in some situations, it wasn't ideal in many. A good deal on a GK MB combo is a very, very good solution and will be a lot cheaper, especially used and will always be liquid and worth what you paid for it.

I settled with Euphonic Audio gear and never, ever think about amplification any more. Totally, 100% happy with it for everything I need. I haven't tried the Phil Jones stuff, though it's intriguing. I feel much like you do, it might be amazing or might not be to my liking, but it's very expensive and nichie and would be hard to move if I wanted to.

I wouldn't over-think it or over-invest right now. You will not likely fall into your perfect solution at this point. How you play, what sound you're going for and what and where your gigs will be in a few years might surprise you, I know it did with me when I was where you describe.

Welcome and good luck!

 

[shwashwa]

get a nice preamp piezo buffer with a HPF and you can use any amp you want. i have AI, walter woods, but im getting the best tone out of a 50 watt all tube head right now. its awesome

 

[james condino]

1) let your gigs pay for your equipment
2) Go for separate head and cabs, that way you can mix and match.
3) go for more power over less. Less makes noise, more floods the room with thick lush low end.
4) there are plenty of high priced new options, but the used market has a ton of great deals for fair prices.
5) try it before you buy it.
6) once you get to a certain minimal point, you and the two bass players in the audience will be the only folks who notice the difference between your $500 head and the $2700 one!

 

[TroyK]

...
6) once you get to a certain minimal point, you and the two bass players in the audience will be the only folks who notice the difference between your $500 head and the $2700 one!

Oh how I hate it when there are bass players in the audience...

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I still use the PJB combos exclusively these days and love them dearly. But you have to realize that like basses, each amplifier has a voice that will sound different with each player playing it. If I hand my bass to another player, it will sound like that player more than it will sound like my bass. The same is true for amplifiers.

The good news is that there are a ton of great options out there right now, probably more than ever before. With a high pass filter such as the fDeck HFPre, I can get a good sound out of many current amps, including cheaper models like the new Fender Rumble combos. It's easy to obsess over gear, but once you get the basics covered it's always a game of limited returns, and in the end it's how you speak through your instrument that really matters.

 

[Harry Monkley]

I already have an fdeck pre, and I commited myself to playing with other people in as many situations as possible without an amp from the start, so although I have much to learn and room for improvement, I can pull a reasonably decent sound. I've been scouring the used market for months, but as I live a loooong way from London and the south pickings are slim to non-existant (basically the bulk of used amplification hitting the market in reasonable driving distance is similarly old,heavy, bulky and geared towards slab players playing rock - trace elliot/ashdown/hartke).

Aside from considerations of sound quality, I need my physical energy to play the instrument, rather than wasting it hauling equipment as the quality of my acoustic output drops off with physical fatigue.

 

[Jay Corwin]

I would recommend steering clear of anything that costs an arm and a leg to start. AI does make some nice stuff, but IME it's not worth the extra money. I had one of the smaller combos, and it sounded great at lower volumes. However the down firing woofer and tiny directional driver made it impractical for gigging. I could rarely get it in a good spot to use for personal monitoring.

There are a lot of good, cheap options with high output on the market today. Give yourself a break and buy something in this category before going hi-fi. You might even find that you like the voicing of some "cheap" brand for your bass/pickup.

 

[brianrost]

I have a Coda and Contra, plus a Ten2 extension...all series III. I also auditioned a friend's PJB Suitcase for a few weeks. For reference, my other gig rig is a Walter Woods head and Bergantino HT112 cabinets. I love that rig but was after something more compact for my DB only gigs.

My take with PJB was the tone was good but the Suitcase just wasn't loud enough to be a gigging amp in my opinion. I would hope the Super Flightcase with more wattage and more drivers would rectify that.

The AI amps I love as long as I don't have to really crank, then they start sounding boxy. Does the PJB have a HPF? That to me is one of the secret weapons of the AI preamp. I like the down firing woofers which really spreads the low end around the stage.

I bought all my AI gear used, saved at least 50% off list on each one.