Phil Jones Bass Briefcase

This review will be about the PJBB as a an upright double bass amplifier.
It is portable(6 1/2"W, 14 1/2"H, 15 3/4 D). At 28lbs., it can stand to lose a few pounds for its size. But it has a good "toss it in the trunk" vibe as it seems well made and durable. Also good for the subway!
A compressor which I don't use(doesn't seem necessary for the upright).
Graphic EQ-5 Band-50,160,630,2.5K,10K, +/- 18dB.
It would be nice if the separate power cord could be stored with the unit, but that is a quibble.

I am using a Christopher hybrid bass with a Shertler Stat-B pickup. For comparisons sake I will compare the PJBB to an SWR Workingmans 12, which I was using prior. The sound of the PJBB is warm and clear, but, make no mistake, it is not as clear and "hi-fi" as the SWR. The PJBB tends to round out the fretboard and string noise, which does come out of the SWR. Yes, this amp colors the sound, but it is a very nice, musical, smooth, warm, round tone. It is not "The sound of my bass only louder", but it is still very musical- sort of like the early GK amp heads(good). Its best feature is its BIG sound and its projection. You will be heard in the audience and you will hear yourself on stage. It is loud and powerful enough for small to medium venues playing JAZZ.

Seems very Solid. I have only had it for 2 months. The workmanship seems meticulous. They are assembled in China.

I ordered the dust cover for $9.50 from the Phil Jones website and received it within 5 days.

I would say that the value for this is pretty good at $6oo. I mean you could get an Acoustic Image Contra, or the Euphonic 300 with Wizzy 10( around $1000, and I really thought about it), but this amp is less expensive and really does the job.
So, all in all, a portable good sounding combo amp that won't set you back $1K. From what you get for your $600 bucks, and the low price of the dust cover, I think Phil Jones is trying to give us musician bass players a break. I, for one, can certainly use it.
I hope this helps you make your choice.

What looks like a sleek little practice amp is in fact a nifty high-quality and highly portable serious piece of equipment. It features a 100W amp into the 4ohm load of 2 pirana 5" speakers wired in parallel. The amp features a 5 band eq, a 3:1 compression with variable threshold and an "active" switch. All that in a briefcase size that is truly light and very compact. There is a special room for a battery as well as a 12V car cigarette lighter power cable: very smart indeed ! Only annoying detail: there's no smart storing place for the power cables: you have to carry them separately !

It's amazing how good this little thing sounds: the tone of the bass guitar is reproduced with high fidelity and amazing clarity, yet delivering an involving & exciting full tone with crystal-clear overtones. The power might seem a bit limited, but all of the 100W are there, with astounding deep-reaching bass frequencies that are furthermore enhanced if orientating the back of the cabinet towards a corner. Any of the eq setting sounds really good and some sonic details are really shining out in comparison to other nice amps I have tried, without having any horn-tweeter annoying hiss or harshness. Any of my basses do sound fantastic on this little thing: from the flatwound vintage to the active modern ones: Awesome !
One thing about the compression though: it would have perhaps been nice to have a bit more versatility on this feature - but OK - it's already very nice to have it altogether.

It sure looks very well and solidly built. Wait and see...

I sent an e-mail a few days ago, but they didn't reply yet.

Very very nice indeed. The price is not really cheap though, but seems adequate given the high quality and portability.