Re: Phil Jones Briefcase for practice and recording?
Derek Tearne
> Does anyone have long-term experience with the Phil Jones Briefcase
> combo? I'm looking for a clean, flat practice amp that I can also use as
> DI for recording. I've heard good things about the PJB 5" Neodmium
> speakers, but I haven't heard whether they stand up to long-term use.
I have a Phil Jones Briefcase - it is serial number 00040 - so I have
had it for a while. I love it dearly. It has been very reliable (I have
had to replace the battery once but it hasn't let me down in live
performance)
It is, as far as I can tell, still the very best battery powered bass
amp available. If you need a battery powered amp look no further.
If you don't need battery power read to the end.
It sounds great, well as long as you don't use the compressor. And it's
loud enough for a fair amount of situations - certainly for practice.
Mine is pre neo-speakers and it ways an absolute ton for the size.
According to the PJB website they still use the pihrana B speakers (not
the neo's).
People lift the briefcase and ask me if it has black holes for magnets
it is so heavy.
Obviously neo speakers would be a big advantage in this combo.
It is good as a practice amp - it sounds great and isn't too heavy to
carry around the house. I was practicing on the deck in the summer sun
with mine yesterday.
Honestly, though, as a DI for recording I have other gear that I would
use in preference. As a whole it sounds great, but as a pre amp alone
I'm not so impressed. In fact I have a suspicion that the DI has
stopped working.
> For comparison I'm also looking at G-K and Mark Bass micro heads with a
> 1x10 or 1x12 for practice. I play jazz, classical, and world music.
I play similar kind of music. I also have an acoustic image ten2 which
outshines the PJB in pretty much every aspect except the battery powered
portability. The Markbass minimark is also louder, lighter, only a tiny
bit bigger and does everything the PJB does and perhaps slightly more -
and it looks almost identical.
I love my PJB, and would eventually buy another one if this one
dissapeared - purely because I love the idea of a battery powered bass
amp and need that feature almost often enough to justify the expense.
However, if you take battery power out of the equation, acoustic image
or mark bass both offer better, louder, lighter options.
--- Derek
--
Derek Tearne - de...@url.co.nz
Vitamin S: improvisation from New Zealand http://www.vitamin-s.co.nz/
d'Groove: 12 piece party/covers band http://www.dGroove.co.nz/
BW
> d'Groove: 12 piece party/covers bandhttp://www.dGroove.co.nz/
I've played the PJ unit, but it was only in a store, and a long time
ago. Hence, I can't offer any reliable opinion here except that the
battery aspect is very cool - if it's something you'd put to use.
However, I do feel that individual components almost always outshine a
combo in flexibility and portability. You didn't mention budget, so
assuming that's not a factor, I've heard wonderful things about
Acoustic Image (and Derek seems to support that; by the way, Derek,
was it really necessary to throw in our faces that you were sitting on
your deck in the sunshine? We'll collectively remember that in six
months. Nah.... we don't have that kind of memory. Who am I kidding?).
I'm shopping for a Markbass unit myself, but not for practice
situations. I like components because you can mix and match, even set
up a head in one spot and a speaker elsewhere. I do that on stage very
rarely. But at home, every room I ever play in has a speaker hidden
someplace and a head easily accessible. In my living room, for
instance, I have a head atop the piano, but the speaker is hidden
under the cat tower. When they're lounging around, that low B sure
shakes 'em up. No pun intended.....
Anyway, I don't know if this was helpful. So I'll leave it at Good
Morning.
Steve Freides
> I've heard wonderful things about
> Acoustic Image ... I like components because
> you can mix and match, even set up a head in
> one spot and a speaker elsewhere.
The AI stuff is really separates - there is an external cable connecting
the head the cabinet on the Ten2, and the head is removable, so you
could separate the two parts and/or mix and match to your heart's
content.
-S-
JoeSpareBedroom
news:shiv-3F2CF5.0...@5ad64b5e.bb.sky.com...
> Does anyone have long-term experience with the Phil Jones Briefcase
> combo? I'm looking for a clean, flat practice amp that I can also use as
> DI for recording. I've heard good things about the PJB 5" Neodmium
> speakers, but I haven't heard whether they stand up to long-term use.
>
> for practice/recording I don't need big cabinets.
>
> For comparison I'm also looking at G-K and Mark Bass micro heads with a
> 1x10 or 1x12 for practice. I play jazz, classical, and world music.
>
If the discussion leaves you with more ideas than you expected to digest,
add this to the mix:
http://www.roland.com/products/en/CUBE-100_BASS/
I love this amp. Absolutely love it. I really don't care about the special
effects at all. It's just a great amp, and the "super flat" pre-set does
exactly what it says. I have no experience with compression in any other
form, so I can't say whether the feature on this amp is fabulous or just
average, but it does work.
I never bought it for gigging, but I ended up discovering a couple of
smaller rooms where this seemed to sound better than my 2x10 Eden & Ampeg
B2R. This amp can be plenty loud if you need it to. Brought it to a couple
of auditions where people said "Dude, where's your main rig?" The amp put
their concerns to rest.
Derek Tearne
> (and Derek seems to support that; by the way, Derek,
> was it really necessary to throw in our faces that you were sitting on
> your deck in the sunshine?
Well, I'm sure it works just as well in the snow - not that I've seen
any snow for several years...
> I like components because you can mix and match, even set
> up a head in one spot and a speaker elsewhere. I do that on stage very
> rarely.
The great thing about the AI combos is that they are lighter than the
all tube heads people lug around. My favourite tube head was an orange
bass head. The re-released equivalent weights 25kg. The AI ten2 weighs
just over half that. The ampeg SVT is even heavier than the orange at
over 30kg.
And the amplifier in the newer AI combos slides out and can be used as a
separate head. It even has little rubber feet in an inset compartment
if you need them.
> But at home, every room I ever play in has a speaker hidden
> someplace and a head easily accessible. In my living room, for
> instance, I have a head atop the piano, but the speaker is hidden
> under the cat tower. When they're lounging around, that low B sure
> shakes 'em up.
Hidden speakers in every room is kind of a dream situation - but in the
absence of such luxury this is where the PJB comes in handy - I can use
it in any room in the house and even outside in the sun where there
isn't easy access to a power socket. I can also carry it in one hand
and the bass in the other.
The AI is just as portable but requires finding a power socket.
Briefcase goes anywhere - and seeing as it is lovely and sunny outside
again I think I'll take it out into the back garden.
--- Derek
--
Derek Tearne - de...@url.co.nz
Vitamin S: improvisation from New Zealand http://www.vitamin-s.co.nz/
BW
> d'Groove: 12 piece party/covers bandhttp://www.dGroove.co.nz/
Oh, Derek. Such sadistic behavior is usually reserved for other
members of this little group. I'm sure many of us will remind you of
the weather flip flop six months from now. I'm going to mark my
calendar.
(But enjoy your amp and deck)
Derek Tearne
> Oh, Derek. Such sadistic behavior is usually reserved for other
> members of this little group. I'm sure many of us will remind you of
> the weather flip flop six months from now. I'm going to mark my
> calendar.
Well, normally I wouldn't gloat, but it was a long, wet and miserable
winter, and today was just about as hot a day as we get here - might
even be a record breaker[1] Auckland never gets really hot, not like
continental hot - but it is a very very wet heat.
> (But enjoy your amp and deck)
I wasn't outside for long, too hot and I already got burned.
--- Derek
[1] Today was within a degree C of the max recorded by a local weather
station website - but other parts of auckland get hotter - so the
official temp may be a few degrees higher.
--
Derek Tearne - de...@url.co.nz
Vitamin S: improvisation from New Zealand http://www.vitamin-s.co.nz/