I'm looking at purchasing one of these to use in a live situation. Does anybody actually own and use one of these amps? Any feedback be appreciated.
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Phil Jones Bass Cub
- Thread starter 1954bassman
- Start date
Not a whole lot of talk about them, but there's some decent reading here...
http://www.talkbass.com/search/1502784/?q=cub&t=post&o=relevance&g=1&c[title_only]=1&c[node]=15
http://www.talkbass.com/search/1502784/?q=cub&t=post&o=relevance&g=1&c[title_only]=1&c[node]=15
I hope i'm able to provide a clear enough description. I've used one for about 8 months which i sold recently. Extremely portable and transparent yet organic and clear. Has great features - 2 channels, 3 band eq, aux in, headphones out, adjustable limiter, etc. It's great for home practice, as an instructional aid, acoustic jams and is a decent monitor when hooked up to the PA via line or XLR out for low volume gigs. Also makes for a good traveller since it is auto voltage switching.
There are a few powered cab models that pair up with it and other models within the PJB line to bump up the power for medium to high volume gigs, although rather costly.
All that being said, it is tiny and can be pushed to it's limits fairly easily. It's not a loud 100W combo, possibly due to size limitations. It's more about representation of sound quality. If you only use it for the mentioned purpose and don't need much power, it's fine but if you want a small package that packs a lot of punch than forget it. I have a Markbass Mini CMD 121P too which is a real powerhouse in comparison but serves a wider purpose and does cost a fair bit more but is slightly more than twice the size and weight.
If size absolutely matters, nothing beats the size per watt of the PJB Bass Cub and Double Four. Otherwise, within that price margin and with more power there're Fender Rumble V3s, GK and TC Electronic combos. There's also the 100w Peavey combo at a much lower price point, while still remaining compact. Hope this helps.
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Well, I pulled the trigger, and ordered one from Zzounds. Got it Tuesday. So here is my quick review:
Pros: small and light-weight. classy look. Included gig bag is very nice. Power cord and ipad cord included. No problem handling a low B on my EBMM Sterling 5 or Epipy el Capitan. Simply control layout. Very easy the transport to a gig.
Cons: Not really a killer tone. Very quiet for a 100 watt amp. Amp kind of has a dull sound, lacks full bass tone, but sounds okay. Honestly, I did not expect huge bottom, but I did expect great tone for the price this amp. I played a small party with a banjo, fiddle and a couple acoustic guitars. No Martins or Gibson Mastertones, and no vocal mics. It was all the Cub could do to keep up. It did stay clean, and like I said, the sound was okay.
The last time I played in this same setting, I used my SWR Workingmans 15, and tone-wise, there is no comparison whatsoever. I also have a GK MB200 that is not much larger or heavier that eats the Cub for lunch.
Bottom line, a nice looking amp, and in theory a wonderchild. But at almost $600 for a Chinese amp that struggles to keep up in an acoustic setting with no PA for vocals, I'll pass.
Pros: small and light-weight. classy look. Included gig bag is very nice. Power cord and ipad cord included. No problem handling a low B on my EBMM Sterling 5 or Epipy el Capitan. Simply control layout. Very easy the transport to a gig.
Cons: Not really a killer tone. Very quiet for a 100 watt amp. Amp kind of has a dull sound, lacks full bass tone, but sounds okay. Honestly, I did not expect huge bottom, but I did expect great tone for the price this amp. I played a small party with a banjo, fiddle and a couple acoustic guitars. No Martins or Gibson Mastertones, and no vocal mics. It was all the Cub could do to keep up. It did stay clean, and like I said, the sound was okay.
The last time I played in this same setting, I used my SWR Workingmans 15, and tone-wise, there is no comparison whatsoever. I also have a GK MB200 that is not much larger or heavier that eats the Cub for lunch.
Bottom line, a nice looking amp, and in theory a wonderchild. But at almost $600 for a Chinese amp that struggles to keep up in an acoustic setting with no PA for vocals, I'll pass.
As i had previously mentioned, it isn't a loud 100W amp but i can't imagine it isn't loud enough for that application. Are you sure you had it set up right?
The gain control should be set to clipping than pulled back a hair and the limiter is off at full clockwise position so pull it back counter-clockwise gradually to taste. Having the cub near a wall or in a corner helps amplify the lows.
With all that i am pretty sure you should be able to get more volume than you described. Tonally it is really transparent so perhaps if you are used to the hifi tones of a GK or SWR it would sound lackluster. If you wanted more hifi than the briefcase would have been more suitable although you may still think it doesn't have the punch you are used to.
It isn't very fair comparing the Cub to much larger and perhaps heavier amps of higher wattage either. My Markbass 12" combo would eat up both the SWR and GK in the SPL arena but it's just a different class of amp power wise.
All in all i agree it has it's limitations and isn't cheap in the price-per-watt market but you're basically paying for portability and transparency. Not cheap options. I am guessing the Cub does not fit your SPL needs so perhaps, as I had mentioned previously, Fender Rumble V3, GK, TC electronic, etc.
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Yeah it was worth a try and I thank you for your good advice and I appreciate it it . You are probably right about the tone I'm used to getting from my other
I'm going to Guitar Center tomorrow I'm hoping to have one of those Mark bass amps in stock that I can try out on the floor
No problem. Happy to help when i can. I've tried the Fender Rumble V3 100w and 200w. They are mid sized but very light weight. Very good value for money if you are chasing old-school clean and dirt tones. Reasonably loud too. They aren't hifi. Sounds round and sweet.
The Markbass Mini CMD 121P(12" combo) is small and has a warm, clean tone. VPF and VLE filters are great for going from old-school round to modern scoop. Very loud especially for the size being 300W@8 ohms and full 500W with ext. 8ohm cab. The Mini CMD 151P(15" combo) is a little larger and heavier but is louder and fuller at the same power rating. Both are great but not cheap.
The Markbass Mini CMD 121P(12" combo) is small and has a warm, clean tone. VPF and VLE filters are great for going from old-school round to modern scoop. Very loud especially for the size being 300W@8 ohms and full 500W with ext. 8ohm cab. The Mini CMD 151P(15" combo) is a little larger and heavier but is louder and fuller at the same power rating. Both are great but not cheap.
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I own a Bass Cub and my band loves it. They can hear the bass very well. It's a HiFi amp, not a loud amp. It provides a clear but quiet sound. I use it with DB and a P-bass in small venues witthout any reinforcement and it cuts through two saxes, piano, guitar and drums (the drummer plays softly though).
The keyword is "cut", IMHO. The amp doesn't move much air, but the sound is very clear and audible through the whole band.
If the drummer plays loud or you are going to play in medium (>200 people) venues, you'll need more power.
The keyword is "cut", IMHO. The amp doesn't move much air, but the sound is very clear and audible through the whole band.
If the drummer plays loud or you are going to play in medium (>200 people) venues, you'll need more power.
To the OP, the short answer to your question is..it depends.
I own a Cub and have used it mainly with acoustic upright for jazz in restaurants - think background dinner jazz, not foreground dinner or performance oriented jazz. The 100 watts does great and cuts through with clear tone even with a tenor sax and a drummer that uses dynamics (read that as gets LOUD at times). IMHO the Cub is not a club/bar amp, not even suited for stage monitoring for loud performances as it will get lost too quickly on stage and you will fight to hear yourself all night.
That said, for what it is, the Cub is a great practice amp and a great lower volume performance amp. When the music starts to drown out the crowd's conversation and their volume rises, the Cub begins to fade towards the background which sometimes isn't necessarily a bad thing. Get loud and the Cub get's lost and more power is needed. From darrenmt's post, he has the setup spot on too and is pretty much how I set up my Cub. The Cub couples to the floor, walls and corners to accentuate bass frequencies and sound larger than it really is. However, on an open stage with no walls - and a loud crowd - the Cub sounds small.
What I don't know is whether PJB's PB-100 powered cabinet would fill the gap between a Cub alone and a much more powerful rig. Price seems high for what it is, but it may pair with the Cub great. I previously had one of the original suitcase models from PJB. Great tone, but often too much power for quiet gigs and not enough power for larger stuff. The suitcase sounded great at mid volume but not great at either very low or very high volume. Adding a 4B cabinet didn't do that much for the combo either - again, sounded great up close at mid volume, but did not sound great at low volume when close or at high volume when farther away. I'm thinking that the BP-100 will be too similar to the PJB suitcase and I will have invested 500 bones into something that I really won't use - which is why I'm holding off on getting one.
FWIW and IMHO, I've found that the Cub sounds great at low, medium and higher volume and the SPL doesn't get out of control for either formal or casual dinner gigs and for a wide range of audience sizes that want "background" music. I will continue to use my Cub in this way until something smaller and much louder comes along. For loud stuff and after selling my Aggies (GS112 & GS112NT), a few basses and a couple of amps, I'm moving towards a Tecamp Puma 900 and a Barefaced Big Baby II for both URB and for EBG. Pricey, but tone for days and it works very well with both upright and slab at mid and crazy loud SPL. Between the Cub and the Puma/BB2, I think I'm set for a bit. And, I will keep my Cub for the small stuff. There's nothing like rolling into a gig with my upright electric and my Cub over my shoulder. Sounds great, low weight, one trip and I'm set up and playing in less than five minutes. Not much to not like about that.
John
I own a Cub and have used it mainly with acoustic upright for jazz in restaurants - think background dinner jazz, not foreground dinner or performance oriented jazz. The 100 watts does great and cuts through with clear tone even with a tenor sax and a drummer that uses dynamics (read that as gets LOUD at times). IMHO the Cub is not a club/bar amp, not even suited for stage monitoring for loud performances as it will get lost too quickly on stage and you will fight to hear yourself all night.
That said, for what it is, the Cub is a great practice amp and a great lower volume performance amp. When the music starts to drown out the crowd's conversation and their volume rises, the Cub begins to fade towards the background which sometimes isn't necessarily a bad thing. Get loud and the Cub get's lost and more power is needed. From darrenmt's post, he has the setup spot on too and is pretty much how I set up my Cub. The Cub couples to the floor, walls and corners to accentuate bass frequencies and sound larger than it really is. However, on an open stage with no walls - and a loud crowd - the Cub sounds small.
What I don't know is whether PJB's PB-100 powered cabinet would fill the gap between a Cub alone and a much more powerful rig. Price seems high for what it is, but it may pair with the Cub great. I previously had one of the original suitcase models from PJB. Great tone, but often too much power for quiet gigs and not enough power for larger stuff. The suitcase sounded great at mid volume but not great at either very low or very high volume. Adding a 4B cabinet didn't do that much for the combo either - again, sounded great up close at mid volume, but did not sound great at low volume when close or at high volume when farther away. I'm thinking that the BP-100 will be too similar to the PJB suitcase and I will have invested 500 bones into something that I really won't use - which is why I'm holding off on getting one.
FWIW and IMHO, I've found that the Cub sounds great at low, medium and higher volume and the SPL doesn't get out of control for either formal or casual dinner gigs and for a wide range of audience sizes that want "background" music. I will continue to use my Cub in this way until something smaller and much louder comes along. For loud stuff and after selling my Aggies (GS112 & GS112NT), a few basses and a couple of amps, I'm moving towards a Tecamp Puma 900 and a Barefaced Big Baby II for both URB and for EBG. Pricey, but tone for days and it works very well with both upright and slab at mid and crazy loud SPL. Between the Cub and the Puma/BB2, I think I'm set for a bit. And, I will keep my Cub for the small stuff. There's nothing like rolling into a gig with my upright electric and my Cub over my shoulder. Sounds great, low weight, one trip and I'm set up and playing in less than five minutes. Not much to not like about that.
John
Well, I did make it to Guitar Center a couple weeks back, and I left with a MarkBass MicroMark 801. I can't really say enough good about the MarkBass. Roughly the same size and weight as the PJB Cub, slightly cheaper (especially with the 15% off Labor Day sale) - and a much, much better amp than the Cub. After trying the PJB and the MarkBass - with no pre-conceived idea on which to buy, there was honestly no comparison. The MarkBass wins on tone, volume, and ease of set-up. The MB handles the low "B" on my EBMM Sterling quite well, whereas the same note on the PJB was barely audible. The PJB only beats the MB on total number of controls, but both are very flexible tone-wise, with the win again going to MB. Looks are subjective, but here the nod goes to PJB. Overall construction was pretty even. Use any fancy adjective you want to describe the Phil Jones tone, in the real world of bass-playing the MarkBass sounds like a real bass amp, and smokes the PJB in real life playing.
So I sent the PJB back, and sold my GK MB150S-III, and had money left over. I got what I wanted; a great sounding, 12# amp. Now I just need a gig bag for it Any suggestions here? Studio Slips bag/cover is @ $100.
So I sent the PJB back, and sold my GK MB150S-III, and had money left over. I got what I wanted; a great sounding, 12# amp. Now I just need a gig bag for it Any suggestions here? Studio Slips bag/cover is @ $100.
I agree I have just taken delivery of a new one and after 3 hours I cant find any tone that is acceptable. If I use my Takamine TB10 I can bet a reasonable sound, not good but reasonable.. My Breedloves just sound dull and muffled.. I normally use an AER Cube and I was hoping for something similar in tone, without th epower and the weight.. I will keep looking..
