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Double Bass Phil Jones BG 100 Bass Cub

Greg Clinkingbeard

Greg Clinkingbeard

Commercial User
Apr 4, 2005
4,627
2,339
Kansas City area
Disclosures
Black Dog Bass Works
#1
I know these hit the street over a decade ago and a search here delivers pages of classified ads, but I just picked one up.
The good: The thing is tiny and weighs about 14lbs. It sounds very natural, if a bit light on the low end. My bass and Lifeline pickup can be amplified to about double the acoustic volume with a full, warm tone which should be more than adequate for duo gigs in the right room. Compared to an AI combo at the gain setting I use on ‘barely need an amp’ gigs, the CUB can definitely go louder. I like that.
The Bad: It is pretty limited in application, and I can’t imagine it working with a drummer or in loud rooms. When in runs out of steam it sounds terrible. For those that aren’t aware, this older version is a two channel amp with the top channel having a combination XLR and 1/4” jack. It handles my P bass just fine but not a piezo pickup. So I use channel B.

The newer BG-120 Bass Cub Pro is reported to be more powerful, has a single channel with four band EQ but weighs about 3# more. I have the AI, GK MB150 and a few other cabinets and heads with no desire to cull the herd. This little CUB might just make life a bit easier.
 

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#2
I appreciate these reviews and posts about small, light weight combo amps. Someday I'll need to replace mine and it's nice to see there are some good options.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I've gotten spoiled using a battery powered combo amp. It's going to be hard for me to replace it with something I have to plug in. But I'd love to have 2 bass channels to play with. :D
 
#3
I’ve learned that there is really no single amp that is best for all situations. For example, I’m doing a trio gig tonight in a room I haven’t worked in in over a year. The drummer prefers my GK 150 and it would get the call anyway as I know I can make it work in most situations. It’s overkill for a duo gig with a long schlep.
 
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#4
I bought your exact amp 2 or 3 months ago. I have used an MB 150 for a lot of years, which cut out the last 2 gigs I used it so don’t trust it right now.

I have done 3 or 4 gigs with the cub and it has performed flawlessly! All of those gigs but 1 were with an acoustic bluegrass band with all instruments miked and me in acoustic upright with a pickup. This amp is perfect for this.

I did a classic country outdoor for about 50 people with everything running through amps and unmiked drums. The Cub kept up with the volume about 1/2 way. This was not a loud gig and the drummer did not play loud.

Overall I am very pleased with this amp!
 
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#8
Matt Power said:
I just picked up a minty MB150S. Crazy clean. Sounds great!
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It’s my standard. Some people complain that it can sound unnatural but I believe with a good bass and the right pickup it can sound very good. Most importantly, the EQ is very effective and they are workhorses. I’ll try the Bass Cub this weekend.
 
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#9
In all my years of playing this is possibly the most beautiful sound I’ve gotten. Quiet restaurant gig with a piano. This has very little low end but with the bass knob at 10 it sounds very natural. It’s got plenty of volume in this room too. Very happy with this.
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#10
I use the bass cub when I play with a piano player on a 6' grand and a sane drummer. It sounds great and so natural that I don't realize that it's there until I forget to turn it on and end up beating the stuffing out of my fingers trying to be heard. Throw in too much coffee for the drummer and a tenor player, and you'll need an extension speaker.
 
#12
The piano player told me he didn’t hear anything out of the amp but then agreed that it was working. The tone was so much like that of the bass that he couldn’t hear the ‘AMP’.

Extension speaker? I’m a bit confused because there isn’t a speaker output jack. Help.
 
#16
dc-upright said:
I bought your exact amp 2 or 3 months ago. I have used an MB 150 for a lot of years, which cut out the last 2 gigs I used it so don’t trust it right now.

I have done 3 or 4 gigs with the cub and it has performed flawlessly! All of those gigs but 1 were with an acoustic bluegrass band with all instruments miked and me in acoustic upright with a pickup. This amp is perfect for this.

I did a classic country outdoor for about 50 people with everything running through amps and unmiked drums. The Cub kept up with the volume about 1/2 way. This was not a loud gig and the drummer did not play loud.

Overall I am very pleased with this amp!
Click to expand...
Have a tech clean out your GK. In the interim, make sure all jacks are clean. A notorious culprit is the effects loops on old GKs. If those jacks get dirty sometimes it will cut out. Headphone jack, too.
 
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#17
dylanjohnson said:
Have a tech clean out your GK. In the interim, make sure all jacks are clean. A notorious culprit is the effects loops on old GKs. If those jacks get dirty sometimes it will cut out. Headphone jack, too.
Click to expand...
It might help to have a short TS-cable with you. That way you can bridge the effect loop with this cable if the bypass contacts are dirty.
 
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