Phil Jones Bass Briefcase Combo

We have a Phil Jones Briefcase Amp made in 2005 (ser. # 161). My wife and I bought it to travel to the UK with, and it fits in the overhead of every plane we flew on (including the sardine-can Regional Jets). We didn't need to get a road case for it. My wife and I both play electric upright through it at intimate gigs, and this amp really shines. We usually run XLR out to the house mix, and use the amp itself as a monitor. I have used it at jam sessions with rock quartets and it holds its own without distortion. I've also used an acoustic bass guitar through it playing with an unplugged group, and it works well there, too. When we played in England, the voltage is different, and we just flipped the voltage switch on the back and moved right along.

We play a Clevinger Bassic electric upright through it mostly, and I occasionally use a custom Carvin AC50F fretless. The amp sounds great with both of those instruments, and suits the kind of music we play very well. I have run the upright through the amp at full volume outdoors with no distortion. It could have a little more bottom end, but really, what do you expect from a portable amp with 5" speakers? You can boost the low end somewhat with the onboard EQ, and let the sound man bring some up in the house mix.

We have had zero problems with this amp, despite flying around the world and the U.S. with it. It once fell about three feet to a concrete platform while we were getting off the train in the U.K., and it doesn't appear to have had any effect on the amp.

Early on, we inadvertently plugged the "U" cord from the amp to the speaker into the pre-amp "out" and fried something in the amp head. I called the company, and Phil Jones himself answered the phone. He said that this hadn't been foreseen, but that several people had done just what we did. I removed the amp section from the case and sent it to him for repair. We were really in a rush to get it back for a European trip. He turned the repair around super-fast, and we only had to pay a minimal charge for the repair and for the shipping out and back. I understand that PJB has since modified the circuits so that if the plug was put in the wrong jack, it would have no effect.

I have been playing bass for 35 years; my wife for fifteen. We own a '74 Fender Precision (highly modified), a '94 Fender Jazz, a '97 Carvin 4-string electric fretless, an '04 Carvin custom AC50F fretless built to my specs, a Fender acoustic bass guitar, a Clevinger electric upright, and a Ludwik Kolba Czech upright. We have an SWR Workingman's 12 combo and a Carvin RL600 Red Line amp with Carvin15" cabinet. Plus enough guitars, effects, P.A., amps, and horns to open a sizeable retail music store. (When your annual Guitar Center expenditures reach 5 figures, you definitely have a problem with G.A.S.). The PJB amp was a godsend for travel, and it has done everything we expected of it.

Phil Jones Bass Briefcase amp, bought new in December 2006.

I use this for guitar!!

I play jazz guitar and have been using clean bass amps for years. Think about it: lots of headroom, no distortion, speakers that can handle lows with no problem and, recently, extended high frequencies too.

I thought the idea of this little amp was incredible - how convenient. The added factor of the battery operation really did it. PJB (or AAD) makes a version of the Briefcase, called the Cub, meant for acoustic strings - even smaller, but it doesn't run on a battery.

I put in the largest (12V / 9 Ahr) battery that would fit. At that, it was difficult to install and have confidence the wires weren't being crushed inside. There is one standard size of sealed lead-acid battery for this - it cost about $24 with shipping. I have never run out of power; I think it might last four hours or more.

The five band EQ is critical; I'm certain I couldn't get the sound I like without controlling the mid ranges. I don't use the compressor at all and when I tried it, it kind of "fuzzed out" at the end of the envelope.

The other funny thing about the amp is the power switch is upside-down: push it down to turn on the amp! Whatever...

I play archtop guitar through this. Also, I recently got a D'Aquisto (Aria) electric that is sort of like a single (neck) pickup Les Paul. It works great through the Briefcase. I play most casual gigs just on the battery (piano duo).

The sound is unbelievable (but believe!) on the bottom end. I don't think the highs are good enough for, say, a steel string guitar but it works fine for that smoky, liquid jazz tone.

I tried my Kubicki bass, a Mandocello, and a baritone guitar through this too. Absolutely stunning. It's hard to resolve those two little speakers making such a gorgeous sound!

The five band EQ allows me to compensate for different rooms and setups. I usually kill the mids and boost just a bit at the very bottom and some highs. I have run out of volume in some settings but using AC gets some more oomph out of it.

This amp is built very well. It is impressive how solid it is. Made in China, but the design leaves little to be desired. I added the battery which brought the total weight to about 24 pounds - making it heavier than it looks. I warn people when they offer to carry it!

The (extra cost) slip cover isn't holding up. I'll probably get a soft, padded cover made.

No amp problems in a year of use. I would only take something else to a gig if I needed more volume.

I emailed PJB before I bought this, and talked to them on the phone. I think it might have been Phil's wife. Really knowledgeable and helpful.
Also commend "The Perfect Bass" as they were enthusiastic about the product line and made the purchase an exceptional experience.

I have been at this for forty years (yikes!) and also played bass. I have a variety of acoustic guitars, mandolins, even tenor banjos. Think there's a pointy Strat thing in the closet too. I might use the Briefcase for a bass gig, but I have other amps (G-K) for that.

If I had to replace this, I would - what else in the whole world is like it?

To be the perfect (guitar) amp for me, I'd lose the compressor, the attenuator (active/passive switch) and see about better high end (above 10 KHz) from the speakers. Also would turn the power switch over!

Do not let the size of this amp (or the two 5 inch speakers) deter you from trying one.

If you're in a jazz ensemble - tell your guitar player too!

This little combo practice amp has a nice set of features for a practice amp including 5 band eq, switchable compression, potential for battery operation, and a DI output. It is rated at 100 watts and even though it has two inefficient small drivers in it, when I have driven a larger cabinet with the amp section, it doesn't seem to be pushing a lot of power. But the drivers in it are amazing, see sound quality...

If you place this amp on the floor in a corner as recommended in the manual, it sounds incredible. Not loud, but incredible. At moderate volume levels (for its size), the amp is super clean and produces the best sounding mids and highs that I have ever heard. And that is compared to products like Eden, Euphonic Audio, Ampeg, Bag End, Hartke, Demeter, Avatar and Trace Elliott. The low end is good as well when the amp is placed properly. If you take it off the floor and out of the corner, you will lose a lot of the low end but the mids and highs still sound great. If you crank it with an old J-bass, you actually get a nice grind sound that while probably not good for the amp, sounds really good. The only problem with cranking really loud (relative to it's overall volume) is some high end hiss that is fairly audible.

I haven't had any problems with it. In spite of the abuse I have put it through so far, it has held up well. And yes, I have gigged with it about 10 times. Always as a monitor with a signal running to the house.

I emailed Phil Jones a couple times before I purchased. He replied once with a very detailed note. The most negative comment from the email was on the power ratings of these drivers. Each driver is rated to handle 100 watts but he has designed his heads/cabs so that only about 50 watts will be sent to each driver. This is because the speakers can handle 100 watts of mid-range sound but not 100 watts of low range tone. I.E. 100 watts of a low B would probably blow a driver. He said that all companies rate their cabs this way. However, my Bag End was handling 500 watts of low notes just fine and it is only rated for 200 watts. Other companies like Acme are the same. Either way, the drivers produce studio quality sound and a cabinet with enough drivers will produce plenty of volume.

I have played for about 19 or 20 years. I have used a wide variety of equipment and recently sold a euphonic Audio Iamp 500 head and Bag end speakers. This doesn't replace those but it gives me a feel for what the other Phil Jones products will sound like. I love these drivers. I don't think that they are indestructable like some reviewers say but they have the best tone that I think a bass player can find. I plan on buying a 9B cab and running an amp that produces about half of the output that PJ states this cab can take. But I don't think I will buy one of his amps just because the high hiss that I have heard and the seemingly small amount of headroom from this little combo. The EA products are great but also produce a high hiss. I will probably look at Aguilar or Acoustic Image for a matching amp head.

Just picked this amp up today and it is unbelievable. I have a BSX Allegro that Dino made for me and I followed his recomendation for the Phil Jones amp. This thing kills. I was really apprehensive about laying out $600 for a 2X5 amp but it's well worth it. The sound is incredible. I play at low volume 90% of the time, normally along w/ LP's or with acoustic instruments and this amp cannot be beat by anything I am aware of. Features are exactly what are needed, nothing more. The compression seems to be especially good.

I have spent the day trying out several of my basses. With the Allegro it's great. The amp seems to add nothing and simply does what by definition an amp is supposed to do. I also have tried my Alembic fretless, and my 67 p-bass. The best sounding of all, at least to me, is my MIJ Precision AE fretless. These are really good instruments, way under appreciated. The amp seems dead silent and has amazing low end for the driver configuration. I have an Ampeg SVT100T, Ampeg Portaflex SB12, SVT140 w/ chorus, and an SVT300 w/ 8X10 and this amp is really good sounding and obviously portable. I will be getting a 12V battery tomorrow and start taking it camping and such. I have an old p-bass made out of various parts that will work great w/ acoustic guitars around a campfire. All in all a great piece, not cheap, but it appears to be made extremely well.

I have played bass for close to 40 years and this is really a cool thing. I only gave it a 9 overall as it does seem pretty pricy. I'm not complaining it just seems high. I would still buy another one.

Brand new Briefcase from Phil Jones Bass. Made in 2006, 100 watts MOSFET power, runs on either 110 AC, or 12 volt rechargable DC. Passive/Active switch, Volume, 5 band EQ, soft knee Compressor with on/off switch, headphone jack, 2 5" drivers, rear port, XLR balanced and 1/4" unbalanced outs, preamp out, can drive an extension speaker.

I was looking for an all around practice amp/recording amp/small gig amp to use with my Warrior Signature 5 string. I've got an Aguilar AG500 w/ Avatar 210 and 12, but for smaller coffee house style gigs, it's just too much to bring in, even when I move in half of it. The head unit rack w/head, drawer, tuner, and power supply weighs in at about 35 pounds, and the cabinets are 45 pounds each. This little powerhouse has enough guts to cover a small jazz combo gig, or a coffee house gig with an electronic drum kit.

My favorite frivolous feature is the ability to run it on a rechargable 12 volt battery. I like to go camping, and I never get to play around the campfire, because an acoustic bass doesn't have enough umph, and a standup is too bulky to carry around. This gives me the opportunity to go jam while camping, or on the street corner in town.

As I mentioned earlier, I use a Warrier Signature 5 string. It has a Bartolini 18 volt pickup system with 2 soapbars. I mainly play praise and worship tunes with my band, but am also an on call bassist locally for studio and session gigs that cover almost any style one can imagine. This little amp works quite well in the studio, as I can have it on with me in the control room and not worry about having the engineer turn it up in the mix for my taste.

The amp is very VERY clean, meaning that it basically takes the initial sound of your bass, and does nothing more than amplify that sound. If you've got a muddy bass, that's what you'll hear. If you have a clear sounding bass, you'll get all of it. The 5 band EQ does give you some very versatile tonal shaping ability, so you can really get the "mwah" out of your fretless, or give some definition to your upright. It also does a pretty decent job as an acoustic guitar amp as well, since the speakers are so responsive.

It's definately not an amp that you'd want to take on stage with a full rock band, but for smaller settings, it's perfect!

I haven't had it long enough to have any major difficulties with it, but it's built like a tank. 3/4 birch ply body, chromed steel corners, large rubber feet, well anchored handle, and the best part? PJB recessed all of the controls and plugs in the rear, so nothing's going to break off if it falls forward or backward!

PJB does warn in the manual that you don't want to leave it plugged in all the time if you have a battery in it. If you overcharge the battery, you run the risk of it blowing up, so I'm being extra careful to keep that from happening. The manual is quite comprehensive, so if you actually take the time to READ it, then you'll know exactly how to care for it.

I spoke to Freda Jones when I called, which I'm assuming is a family member of Phil. Very "mom and pop" style when I called. Not like a big grumpy company. That's the kind of people I really like to work with. She was willing to explain anything I had questions on, and totally worked with me to supply whatever my needs were. She took down my email address and phone number, and then not only called to let me know the Briefcase had shipped, but also emailed me the tracking number the same day. Definately top notch service!

I've been playing for 15 years, and have used several different brand name types of gear. These included Mesa Boogie, SWR, Line 6, Aguilar, Ampeg, Fender, Carvin, and Warrior. My current gear situation is as such: Pearson 8 space deep rack containing Aguilar AG500, Korg D1000 Tuner, Furman P80 Power Supply, Raxxess 2 space drawer, Core X2 cables. Avatar Kappa 2-10 cab, Avatar Delta LF 12 cab. Warrior Signature 5 String w/Bartolini pickup system. And NOW a Phil Jones Briefcase.

If the PJB were stolen, I'd replace it in a heartbeat. It's simply the finest small amp I've come across. I love the small configuration, the amount of features packed into such a small amp, and the ability to play anywhere with the battery installed.

After comparing it to other small rigs from SWR, Ampeg, Mesa, and Fender, it was the most comprehensively put together and technologically advanced small rig on the market.

I do wish that it had either a stow-away handle and wheels, or possibly a carry strap or two, just for ease of transport.

Phil Jones is turning heads with his approach to the science of bass playing technology. I suggest you check him out! www.philjonesbass.com

Just bought one of these, and my expectations were very high. So far, not disappointed. The amp has all the usual refinements. It's got an extremely hight quality "feel". All the fittings and fixtures feel like they belong on the dash-board of a Rolls Royce! My only gripe is that there's no input level indicator. The amp is perfect for pottering around in the living room, and of course for rehearsals. However, I'm gonna use it live as my back-line, and put it through the PA....can't wait!

I use a selection of Status Basses, I love the bright, pure sound. The Briefcase is a perfect accompaniment...very, very clean. I've never heard such a pure, clean and round sound from a combo of any price, let alone such a small one. Not for grunge-heads though!

Difficult to comment on reliability, becuase it's so new. Although I'm sure that something of this quality should be fine. Well put together and solid as a rock.

I've spoken to various members of PJB, including Phil himself. All seem extremely helpful and impartial.

I've always used the "big stuff" ie Trace Elliot, Ampeg etc. I've been using Ashdown for the last couple of years, all of which (in my opinion) are over-priced and over-rated. I don't mind paying strong money if I'm getting serious gear and good quality in return. I believe I've finally got it with the briefcase. Small is the new big!
Finding a supplier with stock is a bit difficult though, which is also a testimony to the desirability of the product. If you can find one, ignore it's size and take a leap of faith. You wont be disappointed.

Two 5 Inch PJB drivers, 100 watt soft clipping amp, 5 band graphic EQ, optical limiter, pre-amp output,balanced line out, headphone output, equiped with a 12 volt battery charger, works on a 12 volt battery(not included). Small light size.
I play R&B, funk, jazz, and for this it is great. Twenty year old Metalheads stay away! This is not for you. This is for us older cat's who can play and appreciate good sound detailing. Awesome sound for it's size.

I used it with both active and passive basses. This thing sounds great with both. You can get a wide range of tone with the EQ.
The B string is tight although it won't vibrate you off your seat.
It's loud and clear. It's quiet, no noise. It can make every bass you have sound great. You have to take a few moments to set it up but it's able to do that for you. It's very versatile. It's a little monster. When I'm playing I have to look at it to believe the sound that's coming out of this little box and 2- 5 inch speaker.
Phil Jones has taken bass amplification and reproduction to the next level. Awesome

I haven't had any problems

Great folks to deal with. Very responsive and quick

I've been playing for 30 years. This is a great new step in bass amplification. The small size is great too. I wish I could afford to get the 24 speaker cab with the 700 watt power amp. But I'm not playing in the large venues. But for smal venues this is the way to go. I'm going to purchase another one just in case I need a little extra umph and run to two together.
I've run this against my Genz Benz combo w/ 15in and I use a Hartke 2-10 cab with that. Tone wise the Briefcase has more detail to the tone. The 15 inch you can feel more.

Single Channel,100 watt 5 band graphic,balanced out, headphone jack, optical compressor, two 5 inch speakers, 110/220 ac or 12 volt dc powererd. I bought this amp to take to small gigs or practice to keep from hauling my main Trace Elliot Rig around and I have a feeling this will keep the Trace in storage. This does not sound like your normal practice rig!!! This is a great sounding amp and built with 1st class parts( Im also an eletronics tech).

Clear pure bass tone. I play a Musicman 5 string and it handles the B string nicely. It is not going to move air like my big 4ten rig( physics sets in) but this sounds cleaner and pure.I also play my acoustic guitar through it

I have been using this as my main bass amp and by the way it sounds great as an acoustic guitar amp also. This amp is very transparent.

I talked to Mr Jones personally when I placed the order and he was very helpful, not just trying to make a sale. The amp comes with a 2 year warranty.

Ive been playing for 25 years. I would highly recommend this amp,1st class setup, Thanks Mr Jones

Very small in size but not in sound though a bit more power would have been nicer. Phil jones, you've come up with a good thing here. Optical compressor that is realistically responsive. Extensive graphic eq that seems to be taylord for bass. One thing I did miss was some kind of level idicator to let you know if the input level was too high. I also found that there was a little bit of hum which was noticeable when the background level was low, also when the amp is left idol for say an hour, the fan seems to kick in and stay in until you switch the unit off for a little while.Having said that, the fan was pretty quiet and so this was not too much of a problem.However these are only minor gripes. I like to keep my gear in good condition and I would have liked my brief case to have been supplied with a protective rain cover along with some easily removable castors to aid transporting the unit around. I hope I can say whatch this space.

I play 4 & 6 string fretted and fretless electric basses and I also play The double bass (which was the main reason why I bought this amplifier). The brief case sounded awsome with all my instruments. Because the quality of the sound was so transparent, I tended to want to turn up the volume higher than I needed to, the sound was very deceiving. This proves that you can get a quality bass sound from a small box. Going home after a hard gig does not seem so painful either. Though the settings of the graphic eq is a personal thing, it would have been nice for the manual or the phil jones web site to have had details of typical settings for 'classic' sounds. I hope I can say whatch this space. This amp is no cheap toy. It realy does deliver.

I have not had the amp long enough to comment on its reliability however, so far so good.

So far customer support seems good. I called the company several times and they always rang back if I left a message.

I have been playing for over 25 years and I have had many rigs. For build quality and sound quality, this amplifier is the best I have heared for its portable size. Those 5" speakers do work. I would have liked to have received more goodies like rain cover, removable castors, eq settigs chart, lets see what the future holds.

Briefcase Combo Review
Purchased 5/20/04 direct from Phil Jones Bass

First of all, I should say I never buy musical equipment without
trying it out first, but this was an exception because my good friend
Dino Fiumara at BSX recommended I give this combo a shot after he
tried one recently at a NAMM show. Since Dino doesn't play any games
with his work (I love my Allegro Acoustic 4 string which he built for
me), I took his recommendation seriously.

For this review I used two instruments: A BSX Allegro Acoustic with
D'Addario Orchestra Helicore lights, Glasser bow and Pops rosin, and a
1983 Fender Precision bass with Seymour Duncan active pickup, and
Fender flatwound strings.

A few words about myself, I like clean deep bass. I've resorted
lately to going direct to the poweramp input of my MOSFET Ampeg B2R
and drive an Avatar CB112 (8 ohm 12" Eminence woofer with Foster
horn). I consider this my "normal rig" - it is a clean "hifi" sound.
How does the briefcase compare? It is not quite as loud (200W for the
Ampeg vs 100W for the Briefcase), but surprisingly, it is not that
much of a difference! I was sceptical about the two 5" speakers, but
no more. They handle the low E fine - much better than the 15" HEAVY
speaker I used to have which was very muddy. For arco work on my
electric upright, the Briefcase actually sounds better than my normal
rig. This was the most important part for me, as I was very
frustrated with my arco tone until now.

The tone of the Briefcase is very clear and clean, exactly how I like
it. I bought this mainly to play with my electric upright and it
is *perfect* for that. Nice and deep, and articulate. I was
surprised that it also worked well with my Fender P-Bass. I can say
unnoquivically this is the best sounding combo I have ever tried and
actually like it better than my current Ampeg/Avatar rig. Can it get
any sound you want? I'm not sure - it does have a lot of tone control,
but I usually do that at the instrument (I like preamps on my basses),
so I leave the eq flat. The response of this combo is incredible, it
is very transparent if you want it to be or colored if you diddle with
the eq. The compressor isn't my cup of tea. Oh it works fine, but I
like to get tone and dynamics via my fingers and playing lightly.

The choice of battery operation seemed strange to me, but I really
like the idea. I haven't tried it yet, but am looking forward to it.
I am suspicious that using an internal battery will change the tone of
the cabinet because it takes air volume out of the cabinet, but I
admit I haven't tried it.

It is light (28lbs), small (you won't believe the size) and sounds
incredible for four-string bass (I don't play 5-string, so I won't
comment). Construction of Briefcase: Incredible build quality. No
flaws I could see, polyfill used inside so when you tap on box you
don't get a "boxy sound" like so many cabinets I've used in the past.
I could see that obviously a lot of care went into the design of this
combo. Being an engineer myself, I ended up popping the hood on this
thing... let me assure you, Phil does NOT mess around - metal film
resistors, magnetically levitated fans (quiet) with a temperature
sensor to turn it on and off, no turn on thumps, massive torroidal
transformer that does NOT hum like other amps I've tried, knobs that
are secure, an internal metal chassis that completely encloses the
amplifier for great electromagnetic shielding, well thought out
features and placement of controls (love the recess to see the volume
and compression controls), oversized custom-made rubber feet as
opposed to metal feet, metal protected corners, great physical
balance, a filter in front of the air intake to prevent dust from
getting sucked into the chassis, THREE different fuses, 115 and
"overseas" voltage settings... I could go on and on.

Being an equipment hog, I hooked up the combo to a signal source to
test it. There is a