AAD by Phil Jones CUB AG-100

Tiny 100 watt jazz acoustic guitar amp. 2 x 5 inch neodymium speakers.
3 band eq and a good range of in and outputs. No reverb etc but well thought out and functional.

Using Epiphone Emperor, Peerless Wizard and Gibson 335 in a swing trio (with violin and double bass). I bought it as a portable stage monitor/ guitar amp, it has a DI out to send to the mixing desk for PA sound. It has a good full-range transparent sound, with a surprising amount of bass and without the mid-range hump of a typical guitar amp. Ideal for acoustic guitar or archtop. Unfortunately it has very limited clean headroom, it's not loud enough for monitoring on stage and couldn't compete with a drummer, sax or trumpet etc. I went back to using a 5 watt valve amp on stage, much louder. The Cub got sent back.

Very well made, a quality piece of kit.

Didn't keep it long enough to find out

It has a big clear sound at low volume but the bottom line is it sounds great but don't expect anything louder than your average practice amp. It would not really be suitable for anything more than the quietest solo gig. Much quieter than an AER or most small "rock" guitar amps.

The AAD Cub AG-100 is a compact, lightweight clean guitar amplifier. How compact? How lightweight? How about half of a cubic foot (roughly 12 by 12 by 7 inches) and eleven and a half pounds?

The Cub comes with a 12-foot IEC power cord and a sturdy carrying case with shoulder strap. You can literally sling this amp over your shoulder, carry your guitar and still have a free hand.

Construction of the Cub seems robust. The cabinet is tolexed and protected by ample metal corner pieces. Bumper bars protect the rear-mounted controls. The rear panel is secured using ten allen-head screws. The connectors seem to be of reasonable quality. The standard-sized strap handle is unusually comfortable thanks to the extremely low weight of the amp.

The front of the Cub has a black grille cloth with a centrally-located "AAD by Phil Jones" logo.

All controls and connections are located on the rear of the amp. AC power enters via an IEC connector with an integrated fuse holder. The power supply works over a range of 100 to 240 volts without a voltage selector. The power switch illuminates when the Cub is powered and on.

The lower portion of the back panel is completed by an XLR DI with ground lift switch plus 1/4" jacks for tuner and line-level outputs. The DI and tuner output levels are unaffected by the volume control.

The upper portion of the back panel has a single 1/4" input for guitar, a pad switch, controls for volume and EQ, and FX loop send and return jacks.

I play my Koll DL Thinline guitars through the Cub. The Kolls are thinline instruments with carved top and back, bent solid wood sides and a "partial" center block that leaves the back free to vibrate. One of the Kolls has P-90s and a Bigsby, the other has humbuckers and a hardtail.

I play improvisational fingerstyle, drawing from a mix of jazz, classical, folk, and rock idioms. I get most of my expressiveness from how I approach the instrument. I use effects on rare occasions. Reverb is my most-often used effect.

The bass, middle and treble EQ controls are active; the response is flat when the controls are at their detented center position. They seem voiced well for guitar. The low EQ works well to compensate for amp placement. The mid EQ affects the higher fundamental frequencies; you'd use this to balance the "body" sound of the guitar. The treble EQ affects the presence frequencies. I've found that the amp sounds just fine at "normal" volumes when all of the EQ controls are set very close to their centered positions. When adjusting the EQ on the Cub a small change to a setting makes a significant difference.

While the Cub doesn't have a ton of volume, it's more than loud enough for coffee shop, restaurant and gallery gigs. At higher volumes it may be necessary to reduce the setting of the bass control in order to keep the amps from distorting. In larger rooms that have PA support, just run a line from the Cub's DI to the board and use the Cub for your personal monitor. I've started doing this because I like the consistency of the sound I get from the cub. Many stage monitors have uneven EQ in order to reduce vocal feedback.

The Cub is designed for transparency. Unlike a traditional guitar amp which focuses a lot of energy in the midrange to give the impression of loudness, the Cub is designed and voiced more for sound reinforcement. You hear exactly what you put in, with minimal coloration. This makes the Cub ideal for acoustic or jazz guitars. If you want distorted sounds the Cub is ideal for use with amp modeling pedals.

I've had this amp for a month. Nothing give the *appearance* that it might cause problems down the road. Construction seems solid. The roll bars to protect the controls are a nice touch.

I have had a couple of email exchanges with Phil Jones Pure Sound - one pre-sale, one post. Both exchanges were prompt and met my expectations for information provided.

I first picked up a guitar somewhere around 1967. I played from my teenage years through college, then took a break for about 20 years. I've been playing "seriously" since 1999.

In addition to the Koll guitars noted above I have a Kritz guitar (made in Belgium). I have a small collection of effect pedals. I have two other guitar amps: a Fender Jazz King and an AER Compact 60.

The Cub is a tremendous value. I'd certainly buy it again and have recommended it to others who need an excellent-sounding clean amp for low to moderate volumes.

Compared to the AER Compact 60, the Cub has a bit more midrange and low end while the Compact 60 has more volume and high-end presence.

By far the easy portability is the most compelling feature of the Cub.

The carrying bag is very convenient. I wish it had a slightly larger outer pouch.

One note about the Cub's effects loop: this is designed for the impedance and signal levels used by professional rack effects. Attempting to use a stomp-box effect in the loop will cause distortion. This is not a problem: stomp-box effects can be used between the guitar and amp.

This amp really doesn't have a whole lot of features, which is why I think it deserves a 10. It only has the features necessary to give a good sound and be useful to working musicians. There's a 3-band e.q., fx loop, tuner out, passive/active piezo switch, XLR out, and ground lift. No multi-fx, multi-channel business here. This amp is for making acoustic guitars louder, that's it. The best features are that it's 100 watts, it weighs 11.5 pounds, and comes with a case with a shoulder strap that makes it even easier to get it around.

I use a Takamine EAN10C, a Yamaha nylon-string with a soundhole mic and piezo bridge (I forget the model name) and and Ibanez AK95DHS. My favorite thing about this amp is that there's no super-bright tone or tweeters or any of that. There are two 5-inch speakers and that's it. For acoustic instruments, it is VERY natural sounding. The lack of tweeters allows you to tone down the obnoxious brightness and other horribleness you get with piezo systems. My Takamine and Yamaha sound perfect, and can warm the amp up even more for the Ibanez. I prefer a warmer, tubier, more old-school tone for jazz and this amp does it, but there's a seperation of tones in all those weird math problem jazz chords you usually can't get unless you brighten up the tone way too much. The speaker cabinet design also gives the amp a bit of natural reverb, so even though that's not available as a 'built in' effect, it's there. I also like that even though it's 100 watts, with the 2x5 speaker configuration it doesn't really move enough air to cause a lot of feedback, just good tone. It should also be known that this amp DOES NOT distort, unless there's something wrong with the speakers. . .

There's not much to say here, it works. It's dependable, unless there's a problem with the speakers. . .

The first one of these I got had a defect in the speakers and it sounded like a light fuzz pedal was on. I took it back where I got it and they sent it off to get fixed. I figured since I live in St. Louis (where Phil Jones is based) the problem would be easily fixed. After hearing nothing for more than a month and needing an amp for a gig, I went to the store and asked what the deal was, they said the amp was going to be replaced. They loaned me another one, and the a couple of weeks later they hadn't heard when the new shipment would be coming in, so they let me keep the loaner.

I've been playing for 15 years and I have too much gear. As far as buying it again, I had one stolen and bought it again. There was some speaker issue with the first one I had, it was replaced, the replacement was stolen, so I bought yet another one. So hopefully the third time's a charm. I still can't believe how good of a sound and how much of it you get from this little guy. And being able to show up for a gig with your amp slung over your shoulder and your guitar in hand is such a good feeling. Dragging equipment around sucks.

Bought new in Sept 2008 although this was old stock made in late 2006.
As other have said, this amp has no bells and whistles - which is why I bought it! I have spent too many years fiddling around with various tone and effects controls trying to find the right sound. With the Cub you just switch it on and hear your guitar. What a relief! Initially,I would have liked reverb and bought a reverb pedal to use with it but so far haven't found the need. With the Cub you can just rely on the natural liveliness of the instrument being played.
In my opinion, this amp is just for jazz archtops and acoustic guitars - both of which it does brilliantly.
It does have proper EQ though which allows tremendous control of your tone.
So a 10 for not having features!

Using it with an Epiphone Emperor Regent, Ibanez AK85 and an electro-classical. Works really well with all of them though you need to control the bass end with the Empeoror (big body archtop with floating pickup). Just need to sit a bit further away and place yourself strategically.

No amp noise that I can hear. The only time I have had distortion is when the amp is at 10 and I have over-energetically bashed out chord clusters on the bass strings.

It's amazing how these two little speakers can produce such a good bass response (better than the AER Compact I used to have) at the same time as a really crisp treble response.

Don't know how reliable it is yet though it seems very well designed. I have had the same company's Bass combo - BG150 - for some months which is gigged regularly. Lots of compliments on its sound also and absolutely no issues.

Two year warranty from date of purchase on this amp.Contacted the company in the States on purchasing the amp to find out its date of manufacture and to register warranty as the warranty card had been lost. Personal response received from Freda Jones (Phil's wife). Very friendly and helpful as was the UK distributor Synergy Distribution.

Been playing guitar for about 35 years - most styles apart from heavy rock.
Would certainly buy another (might anyway and use the two as a mini PA).
Love the light weight, the superb tone and the interest it always creates.
Have used tried Roland Cube 60, Polytone Minibrute II, AER Compact 60 and tried various others including the Henriksen Jazzamp. This beats the lot in my opinion. The AER is a close second though the CuB seems to have a more natural tone to me, with less harshness, and is just over half the weight of the AER as well as half the price.
They are just about impossible to get at the moment which indicates their popularity.
It's a tiny amp and although it's undistorted volume:weight ratio is astounding, it is really best suited for small or jazz or acoustic settings. For more volume just DI it or piggyback it into another Phil Jones amp.

No one will buy this amp for the features, as it has few of them. However, those it does have are well thought-out, and brilliantly executed. See the AAD website for the complete listing, but in short, for a pure, uneffected tone and many gigging, touring and recording options, this amp is high professional. The few frills are a tuner out, line out, effects loop and balanced DI. The greatest features are its incredibly small size, light weight, (11.5 lbs.) and amazing level of construction and attention to detail. The high-quality, full-range Neo-Power speakers are probably unmatched in their field. The active 3-band EQ makes achieving a pure tone, or slightly shaping your sound very easy, and more importantly, means you don't lose any signal as with a passive design. The power amp is soft-clipping for a more dynamic, organic and natural sound. Does headroom and surprising volume count as a feature? Look elsewhere for reverb, effects, multiple channels or other assorted nonsense that covers up true tone.

I've never given any product a 10 for sound quality before,in fact, it's rare I feel compelled to write a review. But this amp is too good to be kept a secret! I've owned a lot of amplification equipment in my search for a perfect tone, (and portability!) including Acoustic Image, Henrickson's JazzAmp, JazzKat, Raezer's Edge, Redstone, Leonard Cabs, and the ubiquitous Roland jazz, cube and acoustic series amps. And that's just the Solid State gear! All of those amps and cabs are excellent, all of them sound wonderful. And You can add a lot of vintage Fender, Ampeg, and Alessandro, Victoria, and on and on with the hand-wired boutique tube story to the list of once-owned gear... But back to the AAD Cub.
This is a truly amazing amplifier. I've never had such an experience of warmth with transparency, of clarity with an organic sense of dynamics, as in the AAD. In all honesty, it's right up there with Acoustic Image's fine gear, and on many levels even has many similar tonal traits as the Walter Woods amps that I have the priviledge to play through on the weekends. Of course, with it's size, small speakers and lower wattage, (though still a 100 watts is incredible for something of this size and weight,) there are differences in tone, but taking its lower volume into account, the tone stacks up incredibly well against the A.I., at over twice as much, and the W.W. at over 6 times the price. I get the definite sense that even if the amp cost two or three times more, that Phil Jones wouldn't have been able to improve things very noticebly, which means, for once, a company was honest in their advertising. Playing through the Benedetto/Tobias archtop, as I slowly turned on the guitar's volume, I had the eerie experience of not noticing the amp at all, until a significant amount of volume was added. I mean, the thing is just clear and clean as a bell, and incredibly loud for it's size.
Amps that are this warm, clear, organic, dynamic, loud, clean, and pure are few and far between, but at this price it's kind of insane. I feel ridiculous for having spent so much money for so many years on other, inferior, (in every way,) equipment.

The amp is the quietest piece of equipment I own: it's hard to even tell that it's on. The components and cabinetry are of incredibly high standards. I haven't owned the amplifier long enough to determine how well it will hold up after years of use, but after spending 10 years playing in clubs and traveling by van, taxi and subway, I feel like I know a solid piece of gear when I see it, (hear that, Polytone?)
I would be shocked if this amp had any non-abuse related problems.

I haven't talked to the company, but Joe Caruso at the Music Emporium is the best of the best as far as customer service and support. As of 10.23.07, he also has the lowest prices by far, and included the very well-crafted padded gigbag at no extra charge.

For it's ridiculous size and weight, and the incredible build quality from the cabinet, to the components, and even the padded gigbag, I'd have to say that this is easily the most amazing deal I've ever bought. After many years and thousands of dollars spent on amplification, I can say that for it's purpose as a portiable workhorse, this amp simply could not be any better in tone or quality.

High end audiophile technology finally comes to guitar amps. This sleek little amp has a dead quiet 100 watt power amp (class AB, not class D like Acoustic Image) and two 5" woofers that push the same amount of air as a single 8" like a Raezer's Edge NY8, JazzKat, or Redstone RS8. It's designed by Phil Jones who's internationally known for innovative high end audiophile products. For example his flagship home loudspeakers sell for about $175,000. He's also been a guitarist since childhood and understands what players need in an amp. The amp follows classic audiophile design rules: use a super clean amp with soft clipping and lots of headroom, a line array of small drivers with low mass/inertia and fast transients, and tune the cabinet very carefully for response linearity. It has no effects DSP, which makes sense to me -- most of us have already figured out what pedals we like and would keep using them anyway. It does have XLR DI out, line out, a send/return loop, a hi/lo input impedance switch, three excellent EQ controls, and a nice little gigbag. The only features missing for me are a stand bracket on the bottom, and a delay relay to silence the output when you power on or off.

The sound has stunning detail and a beautiful tonal balance for both acoustic (low impedance) and archtop (high impedance) applications. The acoustic tone with my OM is so natural that now I won't use anything else. The jazz tone with my L-5 archtop is so fat and gorgeous that I'm selling my reference amp, a '66 Blackface Princeton, which I thought I'd never do. As a jazz amp the AAD sounds better to me than the NY8, JazzKat or Redstone, and until now those have been the best of the best. And the AAD weighs less than 12 pounds with amp? And does acoustic just as well? At this price? Wow.

Don't know.

Don't know.

This is it for me. They're hard to find but worth looking for. Highest possible recommendation at any price, hard to believe at $500.

This little amp is a new 2006 model, made by the AAD company. This is a company owned by Phil Jones, an amp builder already famous for his highly respected and appreciated line of bass guitar amplifiers. The AAD company builds HI-FI, PA and Home Theater high quality loudspaker systems, and also this little amplifier, especially made for the jazz guitar and acoustic guitar amplification.
The amp has all the basic features: one input with a switch for two different gain levels, volume, treble, middle, bass, FX send and return, unbalanced and XLR balanced DI output, tuner out, ground lift, and can work with any voltage in the world without the need of a switch.
The amp looks really professional, very well enginereed and made, elegant, beautiful and smart looking. The best features to me are the tiny size 30 x 30 x 17 cm and the featherlike weight, under 5 kg, that makes this a dream for any guitarist tired to take to gigs beasts like the Twin or the Jazz Chorus 120... you know what I mean.
The declared power is 100 watt, and the two 5" little loudspeakers seems to stand this wattage without showing any breath shortage.

The tone remains 100% clean until the max loudness. The basic texture is round and full, warm, absolutely not dry and cold like many super clean transistors amps. Nevertheless, all the acoustic nuances come out clearly, no matter if from a jazz box with a magnetic floating pickup, or an acoustic with a transducer. The tone controls allow you to fine dial the sound as you like. There is no boominess, or annoying piercing trebles, everything sounds very very natural and enjoyable.
The loudness is more than fair for a quiet jazz gig, however if you need more meat just plug it into the main PA by the very handful DI connections. At first the loudness seems a bit weak, but this is because the volume control is really linear and progressive, not like most of the amplifiers on the market that give you the 90% of the volume within the first third of the rotation, to give the impression of a great power... then after that remain more or less the same.
No, really the loudness is more than enough, although It looks as if the 100 Watt are used mainly for headroom and dynamic rather than impressive loudness. If you need more volume, you have to turn the volume pot to 8 or 9, that's all.
To summarize: think to something round and warm as a Polytone but with MUCH MORE details and acousticity. A gorgeous tone to me. Sure Phil Jones is someone who know something about musical instruments tone and electronic devices.

Just bought! The amp arrived safe in a thickly padded box.

I wrote just once to the company to get som info, and Phil Jones's wife replied me quickly and thoroughly. They give me the impression of a serious company where the relation with customers is something important.

I'm a pro jazz player (http://blog.libero.it/marcovienna/), in my career I have owned many many amplifiers. Lately I use to play with a very good old Yamaha G-212 2 X 12 100 Watt big amp, the tone is fine but the problem is the size and, most of all, the weight... nearly 50 kg! I'm 48 and my back is beginning to ask me "why do I have to carry around all that weight!!!".
This amp is really a great great solution. Tiny, super light, with NO COMPROMISES is tone. I feel confident to recommend it to ANY jazz guitarist, or even acoustic guitarists. Yes, there are no internal effect but in case of need you can plug in it any effect you like... reverbs, digital amp modelling etc etc. But the classic jazz guitar tone is there, you'll be very happy with it: your back will thank you, your wife will thank you to get rid of those horrible fridge size devices you keep in your living room... and your listeners will thank you for your beautiful tone.