Phil Jones BG-120 Bass Combo

As a player who prefers an old-school, midrange-focused bass tone (short scale instruments, flatwound feel, strong note definition rather than deep sub-lows), I found the Phil Jones Bass BG-120 Bass Combo Amp to be an excellent match—within its intended use. Tested with short-scale hollowbody and Precision-style basses with a naturally mid-forward response.
With double bass and vintage-leaning electric basses, the amp delivers outstanding clarity and transparency. It doesn’t impose much of its own character, so you really hear the natural voice of the instrument. In smaller ensembles, this translates to a very articulate, “in-the-mix” sound where every note is clearly defined without excessive low-end buildup.
In more demanding settings—such as playing with loud drums and woodwinds—the amp reaches its limits. At around 65–70% on the signal and volume controls, the speakers begin to compress, and the bass can lose some presence in the mix.
This is less a flaw and more a matter of headroom and intended application. The BG-120 excels in smaller, quieter ensembles and works very well as a personal monitor. For full-band rehearsals or gigs with higher volume levels, it performs best when supported by a PA system or extension cabinets.
In short: for players chasing a vintage, articulate bass tone, this amp is a superb choice in the right context. It’s not designed to be a high-volume workhorse, but within its range, it sounds exceptionally natural and musical.

After I moved to Europe I needed a bass combo that I can take by bike and public transport. I'm a jazz musician, and this replaces my GK MB150-S which I used in the US for many years (and transported by car).

The sound is terrific with all my electric basses. The volume is more than adequate for jazz gigs. I recently played with a rock band with a loud drummer and had plenty of volume with the master just past noon (though the sound wasn't quite as clear when cranked). The size and weight are practical for the bike or a long walk, and the soft case is a perfect fit.

The one negative I have is with the EQ. I've found it's OK for making small adjustments to compensate for the room, but I've not had any success using it to shape my bass tone (e.g., to notch out a frequency or to highlight the growl of my fretless).

Wasn't sure what to expect with the bass cub pro and foolishly hadn't tried one in a store. However my fears were allayed when I plugged in as this little box punches well above its weight.

From the build quality to the finishing details, this has been very well thought out and designed to perfection by the good people at PJB. I love that it can extend to an additional small cab and I personally use it like that for band rehearsals etc. The sound is great and can go from thumb slapping funky to low and crisp in the twist of a few dials.

Well done PJB I'll be using this for some time to come

PROs:

1. Größe:
der kompakteste Basscombo den ich in dieser Leistungsklasse gefunden habe. Leicht und einfach zu transportieren, was ideal für Musiker ist, die häufig unterwegs sind.

2. Leistungsstarker Klang:
die zwei 5“ Speaker brettern mit 240 Watt an 4 Ohm gewaltig über kleinere Stages. Obwohl der flugzeugtauglichen Koffergröße liefert der BG-120 einen beeindruckenden und kraftvollen Bassklang.

3. Robuste Konstruktion:
das Gehäuse ist solide gebaut und widerstandsfähig gegen Stöße und Stürze.

4. Anschlussmöglichkeiten:
der Combo bietet 2 Anschlüsse, um div. Instrumente und Audioquellen anzuschließen. Die Verstärkungstechnologie von Phil Jones sorgt für eine klare und präzise Wiedergabe des Eingangssignals. Ich traue mir sogar zu das Teil als Akustik Amp für eine Westerngitarre zu verwenden.

CONs:

1. keine Effekte:
mal abgesehen des 5Band Equalizers, würden hier sehr gut noch Kompressor, Limette und gegebenenfalls ein Stimmgerät mit rein passen.

2. Preis:
für ein in China produziert das Gerät ein sehr stolzer Preis

3. Mobilität Stromversorgung:
mit einem integrierten Akku würde der Amp der Preisklasse gerecht und dem Zeitgeist entsprechen insbesondere bei mobilen Devices.

FAZIT:
TOP ZUFRIEDENER KUNDE für meine Anwendung perfekt.