• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

JHS Punchline

#521
T McClure said:
With it being a sweetwater exclusive, there may have been some limits on how they could list it.
Click to expand...
I guess that hadn't occurred to me, thanks. Still seems weird, and I feel like they'd want it listed somewhere. Does this make it more "boutique" this way? not that it matters, I got mine to use it because I like it. Pedal design and manufacturing obviously has a lot of nuances I don't even have a clue about :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: nixdad
#522
Aric Bjorn said:
Out of curiousity, I was just browsing the JHS website to look at all the other pedals they make, and discontinued pedals too, and nowhere in there did I see the Punchline, at all. Searching for Punchline also found nothing. Do I have a blind spot or did they forget to list it themselves?

jhspedals.info

DISCONTINUED & RARE

Guitar Effects Pedals made in Kansas City USA.
jhspedals.info jhspedals.info
Click to expand...

T McClure said:
With it being a sweetwater exclusive, there may have been some limits on how they could list it.
Click to expand...
This. It appears JHS only lists pedals they sell themselves or they make available through multiple dealers, not dealer exclusives.

I'm sure it's no difference than the Jaco Pastorius Signature basses and James Jamerson Tribute basses that we commissioned exclusively through the Fender Custom Shop in '90-'91 when I managed The Bass Centre in L.A. Although these basses have been mentioned in books about Fender basses over the past few decades, it wouldn't surprise me if there's no official record at Fender concerning their production.
 
#524
I just got one preowned. Unluckily it didn‘t come with a manual. Not that I don‘t feel able to use it without one but I would be interested to learn what they write about it in the manual. Would anyone be so kind to send me a copy of the manual? Thank you very much.
 
#526
uva said:
I just got one preowned. Unluckily it didn't come with a manual. Not that I don't feel able to use it without one but I would be interested to learn what they write about it in the manual. Would anyone be so kind to send me a copy of the manual? Thank you very much.
Click to expand...
I snapped a pic with my phone for you, and whoever else might want it
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20250325_160336078~2.jpg
    PXL_20250325_160336078~2.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 22
  • PXL_20250325_160356171~2.jpg
    PXL_20250325_160356171~2.jpg
    1.6 MB · Views: 24
  • Like
Reactions: HeavyDuty
#530
EricPete86 said:
New to the site, but very interested in getting a Punchline. Has anyone played one with active pickups yet? I have a Japanese Geddy Lee JBass with EMGs and was hoping it sounded as good as it does with passives. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I have a parts jazz bass with EMGs that's strung with La Bella DTFs, I absolutely love the fat old-school tone I can get through my Punchline. it makes a bass that's 15 years old sound like it's 60! 🙂
 
#532
I’m still really enjoying mine, I unsuccessfully tried to pickup a 2nd recently (which might be for the best).

The size is a bit of a killer for me, especially since I’m not stepping on it.

Anyway long story short I took it to a studio and had them make me an IR (with and without the compressor on, I know I know compression doesn’t work in an IR but any tonal changes it’s making will be captured).

I run the eq flat, if anything there is a slight cut on everything. Slight push on the presence and gain on the amp sim.

But I think for me the magic is the amp sim with the analog cab sim. It just sounds great. The compressor is nice to have on to control me getting a little wild live but rarely am I seeing the light come on from my playing. Then eq as shown is cut slightly.

Annnnnnnyway, I had the studio create the IR for me and then I’ve loaded that into a Darkglass Element. So whilst the Punchline is very much my primary rig, I have 90/95% of that sound in a small di that I can use as a practice amp and audio interface (along with a bunch of other stuff). It also gives me a nice little backup for the Punchline.

So what might interest some folk is I sent the IR to a friend and he reviewed what it was doing to my signal and said that the eq is curve is pretty much what a fender bassman would be doing. Now I don’t know enough of these things to get into a debate about this and what era Bassman and if some other fender amp would be more accurate etc. But it makes sense, Carol Kaye was generally using Fender combos in the studio. So if you love the amp sim, it’s a Fender Bassman Topology and then I’m not really sure what the analog cab sim they’ve modelled is but I’ve got pretty close with an IR 😅

Blue line is the amp sim (but eq is always on), red line is with the compressor engaged (which, yes it won’t be compressing but if it’s changing the tone I’ve tried to capture the tone and I think the pedal responds to this change in gain downstream).

So this makes things like the Shiftline Olympic and Origin Bassrig 64 Black Panel more appealing to me.

I’ve also gone down a rabbit hole with the Quad Cortex (sent it back) and a Tonex one (sending it back) but created captures on both of those platforms which will be floating around for anyone interested. I haven’t dived into the Tonex version yet but so far the simple IR has been the best and closest to my needs.
 

Attachments

  • PHOTO-2025-03-19-17-07-30.jpeg
    PHOTO-2025-03-19-17-07-30.jpeg
    1.2 MB · Views: 21
  • PHOTO-2025-03-19-17-08-27.jpeg
    PHOTO-2025-03-19-17-08-27.jpeg
    677.5 KB · Views: 21
  • IMG_3089.jpeg
    IMG_3089.jpeg
    519.1 KB · Views: 16
  • IMG_3090.jpeg
    IMG_3090.jpeg
    519.2 KB · Views: 16
  • Like
Reactions: DerekGedalecia, fretless714, EricPete86 and 2 others
#538
I saw a used Punchline in a store yesterday and ended up reading all 27 pages of this thread.

I’ve been considering an HX Stomp but the thought of programming that thing turns me off. I’m more of a “turn a couple knobs and go” kinda guy.

My main bass is a Jazz, which is mid-scooped. The Punchline is mid-scooped. Two scoops is great for ice cream, but for a DI? Is anyone using this with a Jazz?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: andare
#539
OlyWhite said:
I saw a used Punchline in a store yesterday and ended up reading all 27 pages of this thread.

I've been considering an HX Stomp but the thought of programming that thing turns me off. I'm more of a "turn a couple knobs and go" kinda guy.

My main bass is a Jazz, which is mid-scooped. The Punchline is mid-scooped. Two scoops is great for ice cream, but for a DI? Is anyone using this with a Jazz?
Click to expand...

That is a good question. I actually have not played a Jazz through my Punchline now that I think about it. I use the Punchline on a board for ampless gigs and I have only ever used my passive PJ basses with it. My Jazz basses are active so I don't bring them with the Punchline because they don't need the EQ. I may get mine out Tuesday for band rehearsal and put one of my Jazz basses in passive mode and I'll let you know.
 
  • Like
Reactions: needmorebasss and OlyWhite
#540
OlyWhite said:
I saw a used Punchline in a store yesterday and ended up reading all 27 pages of this thread.

I've been considering an HX Stomp but the thought of programming that thing turns me off. I'm more of a "turn a couple knobs and go" kinda guy.

My main bass is a Jazz, which is mid-scooped. The Punchline is mid-scooped. Two scoops is great for ice cream, but for a DI? Is anyone using this with a Jazz?
Click to expand...

It’s scooped at 1 specific frequency in the graphs I posted with the bass, mid and treble all flat. That’s not to say the unit is still scooped if you boost the mids, cut the bass or any number of combinations that are possible with the pedal.

Really you just have to try it and decide if you do or don’t like the pedal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Texican and OlyWhite

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back