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Double Bass Phil Jones Double Four

G

gerry grable

Nov 9, 2010
1,295
465
#1
This past Friday, as I was setting up my wife's sound system, I spoke with the bassist/leader of the gig. He had an old Kay with new ($400) gut strings--strung kind of high for me. He had a pick-up, that he said was a Realist ( mine is copper foil) attached with black plastic c-clamps to the E leg of an shiny new bridge-- w/out adjusters. I was surprised when he plugged in to what I first thought was his black lunch pail --a Phil Jones Double Four. When he said it was his amp, I asked, "And where the hell's the rest of it? and then, "How's it sound?" He said, "That's it" and "I don't know; I haven't tried it." Yikes!
I didn't stay to hear the whole group-- vocals, new Yamaha baby grand (acoustic) and drums. When I returned to pack up, the bassist said he didn't like it. "It doesn't sound bassy," and that he was going to send it back. My wife said it was pretty noisy crowd, and she couldn't hear him very well. I suggested he first try it out at home and fool around with the controls and settings. And also, I wondered if it was possibly a pre-amp, or if it needed a external speaker of some kind?
Any of our guys know this amp?
 
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#3
Pat Harris said:
There's no way the Double Four is going to carry a gig with a full band in a loud room without a PA for reinforcement. At best, the next step up, the Bass Cub is good for a little stage monitor on low volume gigs.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I thought as much, but you never know with the advances in technology. I'll have to check out the Bass Cub.
I personally use a GK (I always get this wrong) 200mb or mb200?
 
#5
I have one - I don't like it for upright without some kind of preamp in front of it. A Fishman BII works well with it. There's another post on this forum with more details.
 
#6
Well, I just tried my first PJB Double Four this week and was amazed!
I'm working a duo gig at the end of an elongated room playing dinner music along with a grand piano and needed just a little more volume than my 7/8 5 string bass had. As space is a concern I opted to try the Double Four instead of my AI Ten2.
I was amazed at how well and natural the sound is. Even with my lo B! I'm hooked! This amp is great in this environment and takes up almost no space at all.
My only complaint would be about having the external power transformer. Moving equipment around allows for things like this to easily get misplaced, and it won't work without it. They should make it about one inch bigger and have this transformer internal. This way it could use the universal power chord, which can be obtained just about anywhere when you forget to take it out on the gig.
My piano player says that he can hear me better than in other locations when I used a different amp. I'm using the PJB 2X4 on flat response (just like I set my Ten2) and it gives me a surprisingly natural sound, and takes absolutely no floor space.
I've got a gig next week with a 4 horn (+ rhythm) group. We'll see what happens then.
 
#7
I have a K&K Bass Max (single transducer, bass side wing) and a PJ Double Four - not enough gain for me.

Anyone care to recommend a preamp or otherwise tell me what I ought to do here?

Thanks.

-S-
 
#8
I don't have a double four, but with the other PJB amps I do have, the answer is to drive the input section to just before clipping and adjust the master from there. On most of the amps, the limiter will tell you when you're getting there (when the little blue light lights up every once in a while). Since the double four doesn't seem to have that feature, you'll have to set it to where the input section clips and then back off slightly, then your master volume is your true volume. Most people would also use a high pass filter for more control of the upper end of their amp's volume range, but you've been around long enough to know that drill.
 
#9
Well, I'm still using my Double Four three nights a week and I love it! However, this is used in a small room where the duo plays. In fact, I could almost do to gig accoustically; however, I don't have my strings up very high, so the amp does help.
When I play other rooms I use my AI Ten2 and, when with a big band, I add an extra speaker.
Again, the Double Four is great for small rooms when only slightly more than accoustic is required.
 

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