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First impressions:
1. Man this thing is small...
2. ... and light. You really can lift it with a finger.
3. Nice construction. Tolexed cab, bumper bars to protect the controls, lots of allen-head screws holding the back panel in place.
4. The included carry bag seems robust enough.
5. It comes with a 12 foot IEC power cord. Nice touch...
I first played my Koll DL Thinline #1 (humbuckers). I had the amp up on a stool a couple feet below ear level. The amp sounds fine with the EQ flat.
The Cub doesn't have a ton of volume. It sure as heck wouldn't keep up with most tube amps at rock 'n roll volumes. But volume and the ability to "cut through" a mix are not design goals for this kind of amp. Transparency is the rule, and the Cub has it.
Pushing the amp hard enough invokes the built-in limiter, which sounds OK as limiters go. I can tell when I'm pushing too hard and need to back off a bit, but the limiter's sound doesn't make me think "eeeew, I never want to hear that again..."
My first reaction was that the amp might be a bit understated on the treble, but I was more than 45 degrees off-axis at the time. Moving closer to on-axis balanced the treble nicely; it doesn't seem to get harsh even when fully on-axis.
The low-end response is smooth and full. You'd never guess by listening that this amp runs a pair of 5" speakers.
The EQ controls have a lot of range; a little goes a long way. The turnover points seem to work well with my guitar.
The size of the amp pushes all the controls into a very limited space on the back panel. It takes a bit of deftness to adjust the EQ. The EQ controls do have a detent at the center position, which I find very helpful.
Next I played my Koll DL Thinline #2 (P-90s). Again, great sound.
There are no effects built in to this amp. It has an FX loop.
The Kolls (which are constructed like a cross between a carved top/back archtop and a thinline semi-hollow) sound really good through this amp even without my reverb "crutch".
To add reverb I used a Digitech DigiVerb reverb pedal with the Cub. It works. Honestly, though, I like the sound of these guitars through the Cub enough to play without the reverb.
One anomaly that I haven't yet figured out is that running the reverb pedal in the FX loop seems to increase the volume of the amp. This doesn't happen when I put the pedal between the guitar and the amp.
Just to add a bit of perspective regarding the size of the amp: The Digitech pedal is the same size as the standard Boss pedals we all know and love. Four of these pedals on top of the amp (stacked two across by two deep) would only leave about an inch of the amp uncovered side-to-side and front-to-back.
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12-20-2008 05:05 PM
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so how do you see this working at a gig? with drums, bass ect?
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I won't know for certain for a while. I usually play solo. Much less often with my trio, which consists of a drummer, a cellist/bassist and me.
I'll hazard a guess, though, that the Cub will hold together just fine for a trio gig. The types of gigs we do are either intimate gigs in small rooms (restaurants, art galleries) or on stages where everything is mic'd or DI'd. In the former situations we tend to play pretty close to conversational volumes. On stage the Cub would be my monitor.
Let me add a bit more by way of comparison. I also have an AER Compact 60. My initial impression is that the Cub has less headroom than the Compact 60. On the other hand, the Cub has a more present sound than the Compact 60. The difference in headroom may be less significant if the Cub is EQ'd differently - that's something I've only begun to experiment with.
Most players are more familiar with the Roland Cube amps than any of these acoustic amps. I used to own a Cube 30X. The 30X is more of an electric-guitar amp. It has a lot of midrange energy and can seem quite loud since the ear is most sensitive to the midrange frequencies.
I played the Cube 30X with a rock drummer and it held together fine. I'm certain that the Cub would not be able to keep up at those volumes; I'm not so sure about the Compact 60. But these acoustic amps (the Cub and the Compact 60) have the transparency that really brings out the nuances of fingerstyle guitar playing.
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hey would you happen to know how this amp would work with a solid body electric?
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Very cool. Thanks for taking the time to write a detailed review. Wonder where you can go to test drive these babies? I wouldn't think the local Geek Center and Sam @ss would carry it.
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NSJ, I bought mine from SamAsh.com, so they just might stock it locally. (They had the best online price I found, BTW.)
Mfarkas, the Cub works fine with my solid body Kritz guitar (an interesting cross between a Strat and a Tele, with a lot of technical innovations). The amp really doesn't *add* anything to the sound of the guitar; you get out what you put in.
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Hi TDD-
Any updates on your perceptions of the Cub six months later? Do you still love it and use it? I am thinking about springing for one. I am sure others would be interested in an update, as well. Thanks.
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I still love the Cub.
I've played through the Cub in a jazz combo with horns, drums, electric bass, keys, vocalist, other guitars, etc. This was a recital for a jazz improv class I took. We played in a medium-sized hall to about 100 people. It was an attentive audience. (In other words, no significant background noise while we played, unlike the situation had we played in a club.) The Cub kept up fine in that situation, but it was at its limit. It would almost certainly not hold up in a combo with horns in a club situation. I still think that the Cub would hold up just fine in a trio situation (guitar, bass, drums) regardless of venue.
I received information from AAD regarding the volume boost when putting a pedal in the FX loop: it's an impedance issue. The loop is designed for use with the lower input impedance of rack gear. Ultimately it's a non-issue given that this is a clean amp. Stompboxes work just fine in front of the amp. If you have rack effects, run them in the loop.
The 11-pounds-and-change carry weight is still a joy!
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Thanks for the reply. They just came out with the Super Cub, which is bigger, but comes with a second channel. I found one already used online for a little more than the original Cub is selling new. I may regret this since the 11 lbs was a big attraction, but I took it, figuring I would never find another Super at that price again. I've been searching for a solid state for months, having tried a JazzKat, Acoustic Image, and Henriksen. My favorite of that batch was the Henriksen, but I find the Super Cub intriguing since it is set up to take both acoustics and electrics without having to add a tweeter or turn the tweeter off manually.
The only input I've seen on it is from Premier Magazine. They reviewed both Cubs in this month's issue and posted a video review, as well. The video is:
Anyway, hopefully, they followed the same quality design you describe on the original. Thanks again, and I will post some clips once I get it (although, I am still not that good as recording
).
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Has anyone played through both the CUB and the ZT Lunchbox? How about a comparison of these two 10 pounders?
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I was in a larger city this weekend (Vancouver), so I took the opportunity to check out some amps. Played two Phil Jones amps: the AG-300 and the 100 watt bass amp (the "suitcase"). I liked them both but I was hoping to try the AG-100, which they didn't have in stock. Based on all that I've read about it and how good the other two sounded, I ordered one. So now I just twiddle my thumbs until it arrives!
I had been considering buying a used Roland Cube 60, but I liked the Phil Jones amps better.
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yeah,great amp but i have this one guitar whom doesn't sound good with it,i guess it's because it's more an electric guitar instead of an acoustic one!
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Great amp. I was going to order one as a"throw in the car and go" amp, but the 300 is light enough. I am a huge Phil Jones fan, now. Enjoy it.
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That's true. Although you may want to try it with some pedals. Phill Jones calls it an "acoustic amp" and I'll mainly be using it with a carved archtop + floating pickup, going for that acoustic sound.
Originally Posted by Scolohofo
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I was surprised by how small the AG-300 was. I guess amps look bigger in photographs. And it weighs less than a Cube 60! Originally Posted by msr13
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this one is also for electric guitars,did you try? Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
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Yeah, I am really enamored with the big guy. I have now A/Bed it with an AI combo, a Jazzkat, and an AER compact 60 and greatly preferred it (I do recognize the psychological tendency to rationalize what you have as better-- so take my assessment with a grain of salt Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles
).
My acoustics are gorgeous sounding, and my electrics sound awesome, especially the El Rey and now the 175. For kicks and giggles, I do want to try it next to a Henriksen, but haven't had the opportunity, yet. Although not a unique feature, I do love the DI out. I can plug the amp directly into my H4n and record, while at the same time still hear the sounds out of the amp.
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I don't know which amp you are referring to here, but for each one: Originally Posted by Scolohofo
AG-300: fantastic amp, but I couldn't justify (to myself let alone to my wife) the additional cost. I'm still smarting from a root canal
Cube 60: I know someone who is trying to sell a used 60. There's nothing wrong with the Cube 60 in general, but I have feedback troubles with it and my archtop.
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New Amp Day! My AG-100 arrived today. I've uploaded a picture to show how small it is -- my guitar case dwarfs it.
The outside: It's red! I discovered the AG-100 (and AG-300) came in red, too, only from a random image that came up in Google. The Phil Jones web site doesn't mention this option. I like the red!
My initial impression (from the store as well) is that Phil Jones amps are high quality -- they don't cut corners. One thing I didn't realize about the AG-100 is that there is a recess in the bottom, shaped like an truncated cone, to help mount it on a PA stand (not included!).
The sound: transparent. As another review stated, you don't notice the sound at first because it just sounds like your guitar, louder. I thought my next purchase would be a reverb stomp box, because the AG-100 doesn't have a reverb effect, but now I think I don't need one. On some amps, reverb tempers a sterile sound, but this amp doesn't need it. The sign of good tone!
I'll write more later but now I want to play some more!
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I love the red. Great choice. As my Grandmother used to say, "Enjoy it in good health."
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Yes, but how would it look stacked on top of a Henriksen?
Seriously, congratulations - enjoy it!
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Just in case anyone was thinking of buying one ... Phil Jones has an online special offer:
* The AG-100 (with a nice padded gig bag)
* Free stand ($50 value)
* Free 12' instrument cable ($80 value (yikes!))
* Free shipping
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All for $565. Their usual online price for the AG-100 alone is $608.
You should still check out other stores prices, they are usually a better deal on the amp itself.
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I got mine w/gigbag but no socket for stand for $300 on a sam ash closeout.
The drawback is not the lack of effects, but the single input. I have to use a little mixer or preamp to have a mic for vocals along with guitar for my solo gigs. I haven't played it with a band situation yet, only solo stuff. There's not a lot of gain for a small amp, but quite a bit of clean headroom. I like to play through an ART tube MP for a bit of dirt and the phase switch that can prevent feedback from the odd acoustic resonance.
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I used my Cub to play with this drummer and bassist, twice. I really liked the sound with the Gibson Howard Roberts Custom (1st date)--like a clean, clear, acoustic archtop sound, very nice; 2nd time, I bought my Tele, which was ok, I suppose, for what it was. Not nearly as nice as the HR Custom, I have to say.
It really is a nice amp for acoustic guitars and for archtops. Sold bodies? Meh.
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I agree. It's an acoustic guitar amplifier. Originally Posted by NSJ
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