What's the deal with the Janglebox?

[personatech]

Well, I grabbed myself a Janglebox. My signal chain is Rick 4001 / G&L L2000 --> Boss TU-2 Tuner --> Janglebox --> Ashdown ABM500 head / Acme Low B2 Series II cab. Other effects have been removed from the chain.

I'd hoped it'd provide a bit more punch, grind, and clarity to my 4001, but instead it produces a rather strange swell in signal (I can watch the Ashdown's VU meter dip significantly, then slowly rise back up to its previous signal level). It's also a bit noisier than the BBE OptoStomp I had been using, with the exception of the Dark setting which squashes the highs too much for my taste.

So.... before I do anything rash with the Jbox, I have a few questions:

1) 4001/4003 players - what are your Janglebox settings?
2) Do you experience the same kind of signal swell with your bass? Is this indicative of a malfunction of some sort? I purchased the unit used.
3) Is this a compressor that, by design, is somehow better suited for guitar than bass?

Any other comments about the Janglebox would also be appreciated.

Tom

[jps]

I think the JB is intended more for those skinny string thingys.

[drumbob]

The basic purpose of the JB is to approximate the six-string sound of The Byrds, Beatles, Searchers and other sixties bands. I have never heard of any bass players using compression, and I have certainly never worked with any. No offense intended, but are you sure you want a compressor?

[jps]

Compressors are very common in the bass world, just not the JB. I myself have an Aphex Punch Factory and in the past I had a couple of their 661 Expressors. IIRC the JB was expressly designed to get the Byrds sounds from Rick guitars, not basses.

[personatech]

I know of few bassists who *don't* use at least *some* compression, although we usually are satisfied with just a subtle effect.

I had contacted the Janglebox people about using the pedal with a bass and Steve had this to say:

Thank you for your interest in JangleBox. As I’m not a bass player, the best way I can attempt to answer you is to provide some anecdotal references from JB users who do play bass.

Comments to us have ranged from how the ‘Dark’ setting accentuates the bass to how the ‘Bright’ setting gives it more definition. All feedback has been very positive. A friend of mine loves how his JangleBox sounds with his Rickenbacker 4003. He especially likes how much gain it provides in the signal path.

I wouldn't let the clips on our web site be the primary determinant when evaluating how JangleBox might sound with a bass. Several of those clips have an almost exaggerated brightness from the treble boost and how they were EQ'd. JangleBox's Normal setting will provide all the shimmer and sustain without losing any low end.

I’m not sure why JangleBox would not be a good bass compressor. According to our technicians, the in/out caps are large enough values for bass frequencies. The EQ settings obviously are a matter of personal taste--some guys like the Bright setting for bass, others have said it's unusable for them. All the bass players who have contacted us have like both the Dark and Normal settings.

I also found a webpage full of compression effect reviews for bassists, including one for the Janglebox. The author's take was that it had some great tones but was a bit noisy, yet Steve later pointed me to a Guitar Player review that remarked about how *quiet* the pedal was <shrugs>.

I do like the added gain (far stronger than the Optostomp) but the Dark setting seems to flatten the highs while Bright is too trebly for my tastes. I'll see if I can't kill the swell effect somehow by adjusting the Attack. MIght pop a new battery in it to see if that has any effect as well. I'm going to play with it a bit more before giving up. I'd really like to keep the pedal as I'm hoping to pick up guitar as well.

[jps]

From your description of the sound swelling, you may have the attack set too fast. What is it that you are trying to get from a compressor?

[personatech]

I use compression for added sustain and clarity - really don't know how to describe it but I like how it sounds. I'm thinking you're right - I need to work more to find the "sweet spot". I'm just a bit surprised - every other compressor I've used I've been able to quickly dial in a good tone. This one seems to call for more work, but I'm hoping in the end it'll be worth it.

[jps]

As far as I know, the JB is not designed to be nuetral in tonality, if what you are looking for is transparency you might want to check out the Punch Factory.

[jimd]

I have also tried a JB with my ABM 500. I didn't like the results. The amp sounds fine to me without anything. Just turn it up and add gain for more drive. I run mine through a pair of Bergintino 12's.

[markophonic]

I suggest you sell it yo me....really cheap!

[shamustwin]

I like mine.
Haven't used it on bass though.