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Jule Amps Monique part 5

#401
nostatic said:
^^^ (except I don't have the second rack unit)

I told Jule last night that if it wasn't for the dove cage form factor, I likely never would have noticed Monique and wouldn't have checked it out. Of course this is a case where the beauty is far deeper than the skin, but the aesthetic caused me to take notice. After all, who needs an all-tube preamp/DI? Turns out evidently I do :D
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I do. But I sort of knew that before I had my Monique. Although, if it didn't come in 'black box' form, I would not have ever purchased one. The design is very attractive but not at all functional for me. We're exactly the same but completely different.
 
#402
nostatic said:
Jule mentioned the KT120s and that might be the hot ticket but at some point weight starts to become an issue. My hunch is that the 40W is loud enough for my jazz gigs, and certainly would work in an "unplugged" type situation. With a loud drummer - we'll see. It also feels a bit different than Minnie, and you can push thing into clipping a couple of different ways though that can be a feature rather than a bug. I'll know more once I get it onto the bandstand as well as more hours in the studio.
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I briefly had a 20-watt all tube amp and it was OK for inside jazz gigs on the quieter side, except once we were playing outside at a winery next to a highway and the road noise drowned me out. Good thing I had a more powerful backup amp or the gig would have been a wash out. The 40-watter might make it OK provided there is no extraneous noise competition like I had.
 
#403
nostatic said:
Jule mentioned the KT120s and that might be the hot ticket but at some point weight starts to become an issue. My hunch is that the 40W is loud enough for my jazz gigs, and certainly would work in an "unplugged" type situation. With a loud drummer - we'll see. It also feels a bit different than Minnie, and you can push thing into clipping a couple of different ways though that can be a feature rather than a bug. I'll know more once I get it onto the bandstand as well as more hours in the studio.
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cool. very curious to hear the results. my rationale was that I toted a 70lbs. 400 watt tube amp around for years, and loved everything about it except the weight, and the fact that it had more power than I could ever really use. Live, my master volume never went above 4 without the rest of the band freaking out. Since I love the way Monique affects my sound and you only really need a pair of those KT120s to get about 150 watts, I could maybe get away with some lighter trannies. I told Jule if he could get it between 30-45lbs. I'm all in. Would love to leave it in my bands studio upstate and use it on gigs with them, while keeping my Mo/Minnie rig at my spot for local stuff, touring, and home playing....I've been trying to throw money at Jule for months to make it for me but I know he's super busy to start a whole new project. I just think they'd sell really well given the popularity of the Monique....lot of all tube guys would really dig it I think, especially at that weight....
 
#405
bThumper38 said:
I'll be at the Namm tomorrow, I'm gonna have to check this out, I'm ready to order a Monique, but it would be nice to confirm with my ears before I order one.
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Is it possible to hear much on the NAMM trade show floor? Most of the big shows I've attended are so loud you can barely carry on a conversation. Never been to NAMM.
 
#407
nostatic said:
^^^ (except I don't have the second rack unit)



I told Jule last night that if it wasn't for the dove cage form factor, I likely never would have noticed Monique and wouldn't have checked it out. Of course this is a case where the beauty is far deeper than the skin, but the aesthetic caused me to take notice. After all, who needs an all-tube preamp/DI? Turns out evidently I do :D
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Evidently many of us do! ;)
 
#411
nostatic said:
NAMM is about the worst place to demo anything. Only good for touching things and meeting people, not listening.
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Yes it's not the greatest place to demo but It also really depends where the booth is situated and what time you go. When I worked at mesa, our booth was next to Lexicon. So checking out our equipment was not a problem, but I can't say the same for Lexicon. They were not happy with us. But it's hard to tell people like Schon, Dimeola, and Dave Larue, to turn it down.

I would suggest getting there as soon as it opens. That would be your best chance to demo. Since you missed yesterday, I would go Sunday morning. That used to be the lightest morning since everyone was out partying the night before.
 
#412
I also forgot to mention Sunday is a great day to get deals. Some of the vendors do not want to pack up the items and shipping back or take them back with them. So many times they will sell items at a discounted price even if they're new. So I would definitely recommend checking everything out on Sunday as well.
 
#413
Ukiah Bass said:
Is it possible to hear much on the NAMM trade show floor? Most of the big shows I've attended are so loud you can barely carry on a conversation. Never been to NAMM.
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Depends on the time and day. I showed up very early on Saturday morning a couple NAMM's ago, and literally had the TecAmp booth to myself (they weren't even there... they just left a jazz bass and all the amps on, with a sign that said 'enjoy'). I was also able to try a few other things at reasonably loud levels without much ambient noise to interfere.

That being said, in the full crush of late morning and early afternoon on Thursday and Friday, it is more about 'touching and seeing' than anything else. Nice place to try basses for neck feel, quality, etc. I completely avoid Sunday. Many vendors are partially packed up, and they also let the rabble in!

Some vendors, like Aguilar and GK, have a soundproof 'listening booth' set up so you can crank a bit and not attract the 'NAMM police' for sound level violations.
 
#414
True some vendors start packing up some stuff. But as I said, that is when you can get a great deal on an item and get some quiet time.

Saturday is all about the hoopla and the celebrities. Don't Get me wrong, it is fun, but It can be difficult to demo items on that day because you obviously cannot compete with celebrity musicians. Everybody wants them at their booth because it brings attention to their booth.
 
#415
maisbass said:
True some vendors start packing up some stuff. But as I said, that is when you can get a great deal on an item and get some quiet time.

Saturday is all about the hoopla and the celebrities. Don't Get me wrong, it is fun, but It can be difficult to demo items on that day because you obviously cannot compete with celebrity musicians. Everybody wants them at their booth because it brings attention to their booth.
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+1 the key to Saturday is EARLY. Hard partying on Friday night results in a later start for many. I got there right when the doors opened, and I basically had the place to myself. It was strange, given the craziness of Friday. +1 that by around 11 the 'slapity tapity hell' starts (both bass and guitar) and it becomes more of a circus!
 
#416
KJung said:
+1 the key to Saturday is EARLY. Hard partying on Friday night results in a later start for many. I got there right when the doors opened, and I basically had the place to myself. It was strange, given the craziness of Friday. +1 that by around 11 the 'slapity tapity hell' starts (both bass and guitar) and it becomes more of a circus!
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So true! Lol!

Btw Ken, my Nordy VP5 is arriving today. I have always been a J guy like you were, but wanted to add VP5 to my arsenal. I'm going to test it in combat tomorrow with my Monique/Minnie/Baer setup. :)
 
#417
maisbass said:
So true! Lol!

Btw Ken, my Nordy VP5 is arriving today. I have always been a J guy like you were, but wanted to add VP5 to my arsenal. I'm going to test it in combat tomorrow with my Monique/Minnie/Baer setup. :)
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Wonderful. That is the only bass I still own at this point! Wonderful 'modern' take on a P, and the open top end sounds GREAT with the Baer and very nice with the Monique also. Hope you dig it. It is almost like having a PJ without any of the negatives of that build (the mismatch in pickup output in some executions, etc.). It sounds like a P, but has a more open low end and more 'usable' top end than a more classic P, that can get quite ganky up there.

That NP5 pickup is relatively hot, and it would overdrive the Monique a bit, even when set 'active'. But the overdrive was pleasant, subtle and natural, and make that P sound quite nice. Given the passive design and the nice extended treble of the P5, the sensitivity control really had a nice, meaningful impact... going from 'warm and clean' to a nice, natural, bright 'crunch' up top.
 
#418
bclark812008 said:
I've been wondering this too. I see a lot of the Monique players start with a rackmount or tardis, but eventually most go to the dovecage/bamboo Monique with a separate Minnie.

I see the ease of the De-Monique, but if the Dovecage and minnie sounds significantly different/better then I can see the intrigue.

I honestly think the dovecage/Minnie is a classy looking setup!!
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I like the convenience of pre- and power-amps in one chassis, but prefer a rig with a footprint small enough to fit on top of my diminutive Crazy8 or Crazy88. Too bad the pair has a combined impedance of less than 4 Ohms; less than the Minnie D can safely provide.
 
#419
KJung said:
Wonderful. That is the only bass I still own at this point! Wonderful 'modern' take on a P, and the open top end sounds GREAT with the Baer and very nice with the Monique also. Hope you dig it. It is almost like having a PJ without any of the negatives of that build (the mismatch in pickup output in some executions, etc.). It sounds like a P, but has a more open low end and more 'usable' top end than a more classic P, that can get quite ganky up there.

That NP5 pickup is relatively hot, and it would overdrive the Monique a bit, even when set 'active'. But the overdrive was pleasant, subtle and natural, and make that P sound quite nice. Given the passive design and the nice extended treble of the P5, the sensitivity control really had a nice, meaningful impact... going from 'warm and clean' to a nice, natural, bright 'crunch' up top.
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I will keep that in mind. Cant wait to check it out.
 

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