The Combo Club

[iagtrplyr]

Tonight’s Combo Club conversation is brought to you by Phil Jones Bass...

The PJB fan base is definitely growing ‘round these parts. Good for ya’ll!

Question for the club: has anyone shown up lately with a BOSS Katana bass combo? I recommended the club to a new owner of said amp and wondered if he stopped by. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around that combo and that’s never a good sign.

Otherwise, hi folks, great conversation.

 

[GonePlaid]

Tonight’s Combo Club conversation is brought to you by Phil Jones Bass...

The PJB fan base is definitely growing ‘round these parts. Good for ya’ll!

Question for the club: has anyone shown up lately with a BOSS Katana bass combo? I recommended the club to a new owner of said amp and wondered if he stopped by. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around that combo and that’s never a good sign.

Otherwise, hi folks, great conversation.

I liked what I read about them, but I gots all the combos I'll ever need.

 

[SoulReflection]

Tonight’s Combo Club conversation is brought to you by Phil Jones Bass...

The PJB fan base is definitely growing ‘round these parts. Good for ya’ll!

Question for the club: has anyone shown up lately with a BOSS Katana bass combo? I recommended the club to a new owner of said amp and wondered if he stopped by. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around that combo and that’s never a good sign.

Otherwise, hi folks, great conversation.

Looking into my crystal ball, I see a Katana in your future....

 

[alotabass]

Then it looks like @alotabass needs a Combo Club membership number!

Yes please

 

[iagtrplyr]

Looking into my crystal ball, I see a Katana in your future....

Hey SR! I dunno, I’m on the proverbial fence over them. On paper, they look like the Swiss Army knife of combos but they’re not universally praised and also have a weight issue. Maybe not for some, but I don’t own a single piece of gear that is even 60% of the weight of their 210.

While I think a Katana might work well in the studio, particularly the 110, it’s still an unknown commodity. Anyone else with a thought or opinion on these new models? Reviewers and owners alike are saying the 160-watt 210 is comparable to any 500-800 watt Class D amp! It uses a Class AB topology.

Thought the great CC would be the place to ask. Hey Miles, you’re nearing the magic 300. Keep going!

 

[GwenOnBass]

/agree
the 110 Katana could make for a nifty studio solution. Unable to discern if the amp's speaker can be defeated for recording.

That capability is a major bonus of the PJB BG-400 combo. And didn't know that, or appreciate that, until lockdown. And now I have a "studio".

 

[alotabass]

/agree
the 110 Katana could make for a nifty studio solution. Unable to discern if the amp's speaker can be defeated for recording.

That capability is a major bonus of the PJB BG-400 combo. And didn't know that, or appreciate that, until lockdown. And now I have a "studio".

The BG400 is a great kit as you say Its heavy but Phil sources top end components so I am ok with the weight knowing its a high quality piece of gear.

 

[WestyBassBob]

Hey SR! I dunno, I’m on the proverbial fence over them. On paper, they look like the Swiss Army knife of combos but they’re not universally praised and also have a weight issue. Maybe not for some, but I don’t own a single piece of gear that is even 60% of the weight of their 210.

While I think a Katana might work well in the studio, particularly the 110, it’s still an unknown commodity. Anyone else with a thought or opinion on these new models? Reviewers and owners alike are saying the 160-watt 210 is comparable to any 500-800 watt Class D amp! It uses a Class AB topology.

Thought the great CC would be the place to ask. Hey Miles, you’re nearing the magic 300. Keep going!

The fact that they are being pushed by every retailer all at once tells me they are just a low cost mass produced item. They don’t impress me. But if you’re looking for a practice or recording amp and you like the tone why spend more?

 

[GwenOnBass]

A Phil Jones BG-120 combo would be my perfect studio amp. Right now I'm pretty set for gear
LOL @ me

... it's kind of jury rigged but the little Ampeg BA108v2+ combo does "studio" work, too! I use its AUX IN for a metronome, and the Headphone Out to make a click track. And that's how the videos are synch'd

 

[iagtrplyr]

The fact that they are being pushed by every retailer all at once tells me they are just a low cost mass produced item. They don’t impress me. But if you’re looking for a practice or recording amp and you like the tone why spend more?

Yeah, I think the line got off to a rough start, first with some buyers complaining about unwanted distortion at low levels (something about having to keep the master volume either higher or lower compared to the channel volume to avoid the breakup), the ongoing debate about whether its Class AB watts are more powerful than the Darkside's Class D wattage, the weight issue, and kinda strong-armed PR campaign.

They might not be bad combos and that's why I think I'll wait to see some more opinions from owners. Either that or jump in headfirst and become one of those owners so I can warn or paint a rosy picture of my purchase. Right now, I'm thinking of the 110 that'll sit by my side for recording only.

Anyway, this club needs a new combo to check out!

 

[iagtrplyr]

/agree
the 110 Katana could make for a nifty studio solution. Unable to discern if the amp's speaker can be defeated for recording.

That capability is a major bonus of the PJB BG-400 combo. And didn't know that, or appreciate that, until lockdown. And now I have a "studio".

Good point, M, I'll have to check that out. I'd guess if you run out of the phones/recording jack it'll silence the speaker, but I would doubt that with the XLR output. I do like the fact that you can run it at 1 watt of power for those crazy times when you don't want your bass vibrating stuff around the room. I'd have to hear if the tone is still good though.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Turning the master off on the BG-400 defeats the speaker. The volume of the DI is unaffected. But I'm also getting a wet signal.

Maybe good, maybe not. The Foxy Voxy's Line Out is pre-EQ, which defeats the purpose of the NuTube

Funny thing about all this is I never considered recording until The Thing That's Going Around started

 

[alotabass]

Turning the master off on the BG-400 defeats the speaker. The volume of the DI is unaffected. But I'm also getting a wet signal.

Maybe good, maybe not. The Foxy Voxy's Line Out is pre-EQ, which defeats the purpose of the NuTube

Funny thing about all this is I never considered recording until The Thing That's Going Around started

When things started to shut down in March of 2020 the only musicians still working were the ones that had any type of means to record from home. Myself and the rest of the musicians in the world that wanted to continue to work made a mad dash to their local music stores to purchase whatever they needed to make recording from home work. The big problem was that inventory depleted fast and supply chain issues were the norm. I was already building my home studio and was about 70% there so when the shut down happened I didn't need very much to get myself going. Like yourself now I record from home all the time which is a good thing. Prior to the shutdown I traveled to where ever I needed to be to track my bass lines but now post pandemic I do it all from home.

 

[SoulReflection]

When things started to shut down in March of 2020 the only musicians still working were the ones that had any type of means to record from home. Myself and the rest of the musicians in the world that wanted to continue to working made a mad dash to their local music stores to purchase whatever they needed to make recording from home work. The big problem was that inventory depleted fast and supply chain issues were the norm. I was already building my home studio and was about 70% there so when the shut down happened I didn't need very much to get myself going. Like yourself now I record from home all the time which is a good thing. Prior to the shutdown I traveled to where ever I needed to be to track my bass lines but now post pandemic I do it all from home.

My home studio is the only thing that has kept me going, musically, due to the shut down, age and health issues. It is surprising how inexpensive it can be to start out but, TalkBass members can quickly change that if you let them .

 

[Greywoulf]

Well, am giving up on my rather exotic quest for a small lightweight bass combo with a speaker-out jack... Have decided instead to go for a more standard type of 1x8 practice combo. And I don't really want it for practice either, as I have my larger Ampeg home stuff for that. -What I'd mostly use it for would be at an acoustic garage jam, and also at a church performance with one acoustic guitarist, a tambourine player, and 3 to 4 folk singers.

IMO the PJB dbl 4 stuff is real nice, but a bit costly? (And very low to the ground for this bad back guy too...) I also seriously considered the Vox B50 bass combo, but some of the demos I've heard of it's sound have turned me off..
~So far, what is leading in my search is the Orange Crush 25W 108. ~I've heard lot's of good things about the Orange sound; it's not overly pricey, has a built-in tuner, and at 22lbs is a manageable size that's only a little over my 18lb limit. And I feel it's 25W sh be enough for my needs in this situation. Any other suggestions re 1x8 combos (and/or opinions re the Orange) will be greatly appreciated...

 

[alotabass]

My home studio is the only thing that has kept me going, musically, due to the shut down, age and health issues. It is surprising how inexpensive it can be to start out but, TalkBass members can quickly change that if you let them .

I lean on introvert so the lockdown and hunkering down at home wasn't as bad on me as it was for others however after 2 years even I needed to get out. But it did keep me going and was the best mental health therapy. Many others that didn't have an outlet had a very hard time coping and many others found that outlet due to the shutdown.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

Well, am giving up on my rather exotic quest for a small lightweight bass combo with a speaker-out jack... Have decided instead to go for a more standard type of 1x8 practice combo. And I don't really want it for practice either, as I have my larger Ampeg home stuff for that. -What I'd mostly use it for would be at an acoustic garage jam, and also at a church performance with one acoustic guitarist, a tambourine player, and 3 to 4 folk singers.

IMO the PJB dbl 4 stuff is real nice, but a bit costly? (And very low to the ground for this bad back guy too...) I also seriously considered the Vox B50 bass combo, but some of the demos I've heard of it's sound have turned me off..
~So far, what is leading in my search is the Orange Crush 25W 108. ~I've heard lot's of good things about the Orange sound; it's not overly pricey, has a built-in tuner, and at 22lbs is a manageable size that's only a little over my 18lb limit. And I feel it's 25W sh be enough for my needs in this situation. Any other suggestions re 1x8 combos (and/or opinions re the Orange) will be greatly appreciated...

The Vox VX50BA is a popular small combo around these parts. It also has a line out, but it is a transparent line out.

 

[GwenOnBass]

MarkBass Micro combos are pro, and have their share of combo club fans. This 60 watt combo has a speaker out and a balanced DI.

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[Miles_ONeal]

View attachment 4726735

@alotabass is now member #288! @iagtrplyr should be along soon with the secret handshake and (if you're the lucky winner) a free Hotblack Desiato Tax Evasion Planet Wrecker[tm] combo (approximately 200 terrawatts (sic). In the meantime, feel free to add your number to your TB signature!

Combo Club Membership | TalkBass.com

 

[Miles_ONeal]

/agree
the 110 Katana could make for a nifty studio solution. Unable to discern if the amp's speaker can be defeated for recording.

That capability is a major bonus of the PJB BG-400 combo. And didn't know that, or appreciate that, until lockdown. And now I have a "studio".

Hmmm. Quotes. Is that a stew-dio or a stŭd-io?