JHS Punchline

[Parzival]

Just figured inquiring TalkBass minds would want to know

You da man!

Really, this week I finished my last try on multis and ordered 3 pedals I’ve had before. I know they sound great and after years, I know what I’m looking for. Feels good to be in this place.


Problem is I know soon something new and super cool will come out. Oh well.

 

[saltymonkey]

Here is mine. It's a Pedaltrain Nano powered by a CIOKS Hi5.
View attachment 7078999

Do you run this into the input of your B-700 or just use it for FOH/ampless gigs?

 

[kazuhank]

Do you run this into the input of your B-700 or just use it for FOH/ampless gigs?

All of the above. I have run it into my Benson, direct to FOH, and also both simultaneously. One of my favorite applications over the summer festival season was running the DI out to FOH, and then the 1/4 back into whatever lifeless bass amp was backlined on the stage. That way, FOH was getting the sweetness of the Punchline, and the backline was getting warmed up in the same way for my stage signal.

When I run it into my Benson B-700 I tend to turn off the amp sim and use the Benson’s DI which is great. There’s nothing wrong with the punchline’s DI, but the Benson’s is great and I’m still getting the EQ et. al. from the Punchline. My Benson Gnostic doesn’t have a DI, so then I use the Punchline’s DI.

All to say, there are lots of options but the Punchline works in all of them.

 

[saltymonkey]

Thank you. I guess it also expands the basic EQ in the Benson. I'm interested in that amp and also have a Punchline.

 

[musicman556]

Welp. I bought another Punchline with the current Sweetwater $375 deal. I love this thing more and more every time I play it. It is now an integral part of "my sound" both in my rock covers band and at church/worship bass.

I'm going to leave Punchline #2 on the pedalboard I made to leave at church where I rotate with another dude who is learning bass and gear, and now I'll have a backup in case one ever goes down.

 

[HeavyDuty]

So watch - after this special run is gone, they will rerelease it slightly different with a newly added irresistible feature, like a quality tuner.

 

[Lovep]

So watch - after this special run is gone, they will rerelease it slightly different with a newly added irresistible feature, like a quality tuner.

I think the manufacturer mentioned in a video that he could see himself breaking the pedal up into separate pedals. I could see the improvements coming with those new pedals…whenever they emerge.

I could also see them having the ability to download other amp sims in a newer version. This would require USB or Bluetooth—either way it would not be for me.

 

[Lovep]

I just received mine a few hours ago. I have been playing around and my initial impressions are good.

One quirk, is that one of the knobs was not tight and wouldn't rotate the dial. Simple fix, but a negative for their quality department.

This is the first pedal with a DI where the XLR DI signal is hotter than the 1/4 output signal. Weird, but ok. The manual states the DI is instrument level whereas the 1/4 output is "mono pedal output" level.

There is a trebly-tinny sound in the EQ that is hard to EQ out. It kinda reminds me of the SansAMP in the mid to higher frequencies.

The compressor reminds me of the Keeley Bassists--almost exactly.

The amp sim is nice and really opens up more sonic possibilities, although with only one sim--it is limited. The presence knob definetely helps.

I am still getting to know the drive circuit. It doesn't seem too harsh or noisy.

 

[nixdad]

I just received mine a few hours ago. I have been playing around and my initial impressions are good.

One quirk, is that one of the knobs was not tight and wouldn't rotate the dial. Simple fix, but a negative for their quality department.

This is the first pedal with a DI where the XLR DI signal is hotter than the 1/4 output signal. Weird, but ok. The manual states the DI is instrument level whereas the 1/4 output is "mono pedal output" level.

There is a trebly-tinny sound in the EQ that is hard to EQ out. It kinda reminds me of the SansAMP in the mid to higher frequencies.

The compressor reminds me of the Keeley Bassists--almost exactly.

The amp sim is nice and really opens up more sonic possibilities, although with only one sim--it is limited. The presence knob definetely helps.

I am still getting to know the drive circuit. It doesn't seem too harsh or noisy.

Congrats on your acquisition!
A few points to share:
- The knob issue is indeed any easy fix, and sounds like an outlier. All of the knobs on mine were snug before I switched them out.
- The D.I. works great. Looking forward to hearing more from you about this.
- Trebly-tinny sound in EQ: That's odd. By chance, is the Presence control on your Amp-Sim cranked?

I take it by your TB name you're a P-Bass player, but I don't want to assume.
What type of bass are you using, and is it strung with flats or rounds?

 

[Lovep]

Congrats on your acquisition!
A few points to share:
- The knob issue is indeed any easy fix, and sounds like an outlier. All of the knobs on mine were snug before I switched them out.
- The D.I. works great. Looking forward to hearing more from you about this.
- Trebly-tinny sound in EQ: That's odd. By chance, is the Presence control on your Amp-Sim cranked?

I take it by your TB name you're a P-Bass player, but I don't want to assume.
What type of bass are you using, and is it strung with flats or rounds?

Actually my name is Pat Love. I do have a PJ5 (Mike Lull)--my only bass. Strung with TI flats.

Im still playing with the pedal, and I am blown! It is really really nice. I think I just needed more time with it.

Turning up mids (1 o'clock), down the bass (10 o'clock) and treble flat on the EQ works great for me. I also have the presence at 2 o'clock. I think I had it too high at first.

The DI signal is phenomenal!

Once you unscrew the feet, the bottom plate comes off, so attaching velcro is difficult. Do you guys take the feet off when on your pedalboard??

 

[nixdad]

Actually my name is Pat Love. I do have a PJ5 (Mike Lull)--my only bass. Strung with TI flats.

Im still playing with the pedal, and I am blown! It is really really nice. I think I just needed more time with it.

Turning up mids (1 o'clock), down the bass (10 o'clock) and treble flat on the EQ works great for me. I also have the presence at 2 o'clock. I think I had it too high at first.

The DI signal is phenomenal!

Once you unscrew the feet, the bottom plate comes off, so attaching velcro is difficult. Do you guys take the feet off when on your pedalboard??
View attachment 7081442

Hey Pat -
Nice to meet you! I have no doubt your Mike Lull PJ5 is phenomenal, and congrats on being a fellow TI flats lover (I've been using TI's for the past 10 years and have them on multiple basses, including my primary semi-acoustic Rics.) I dig your pedalboard as well.

Yeah, the Punchline has been a game changer for me. Five of my buddies and my son have all invested in the Punchline since as well, so there are MANY happy users that I'm aware of. It took me all of 5 minutes to dial this in, and I haven't changed my settings since. I've played both indoor and multiple outdoor gigs with it since summertime. I'm incredibly satisfied with how my tone sounds onstage, and have never received so many compliments about my tone through the P.A. (ours, OR through a much larger system.)

Yes - I believe most of us (including me) have removed the feet before attaching to our pedalboards. I only use a PedalTrain Nano+, so I've used velcro over the past several months. However, due to the weight of the Punchline I'm going to switch to securing it with black zip ties (as a buddy of mine has done,) as the weight has proven to be too heavy for velcro.

I also like where you have the Punchline in your signal chain. Up until now my chain has been tuner/Punchline/fuzz (which I only use on occasion,) but the fuzz doesn't behave well in this position. I'm going to move my fuzz into the 2nd position so that the Punchline is last, so hopefully I can get everything to play nice after that. I agree with you that the Drive is VERY useful (even when cranked) and can get close to the fuzz tone I need if necessary. I keep the Drive "on" but use just a smidge to fatten out my tone as I primarily plan clean for my gig.

A few other things which should help:
- Glow dots will help you save your settings when knobs get moved in transit.

- A bunch of us have recently switched our knobs. These come in multiple colors and are easier to see than the stock black ones.

Let me know if you need any links - I'll be glad to provide.

Good Luck, and keep us up to date with your progress!
Chris

 

[nixdad]

Hey Pat -
Nice to meet you! I have no doubt your Mike Lull PJ5 is phenomenal, and congrats on being a fellow TI flats lover (I've been using TI's for the past 10 years and have them on multiple basses, including my primary semi-acoustic Rics.) I dig your pedalboard as well.

Yeah, the Punchline has been a game changer for me. Five of my buddies and my son have all invested in the Punchline since as well, so there are MANY happy users that I'm aware of. It took me all of 5 minutes to dial this in, and I haven't changed my settings since. I've played both indoor and multiple outdoor gigs with it since summertime. I'm incredibly satisfied with how my tone sounds onstage, and have never received so many compliments about my tone through the P.A. (ours, OR through a much larger system.)

Yes - I believe most of us (including me) have removed the feet before attaching to our pedalboards. I only use a PedalTrain Nano+, so I've used velcro over the past several months. However, due to the weight of the Punchline I'm going to switch to securing it with black zip ties (as a buddy of mine has done,) as the weight has proven to be too heavy for velcro.

I also like where you have the Punchline in your signal chain. Up until now my chain has been tuner/Punchline/fuzz (which I only use on occasion,) but the fuzz doesn't behave well in this position. I'm going to move my fuzz into the 2nd position so that the Punchline is last, so hopefully I can get everything to play nice after that. I agree with you that the Drive is VERY useful (even when cranked) and can get close to the fuzz tone I need if necessary. I keep the Drive "on" but use just a smidge to fatten out my tone as I primarily plan clean for my gig.

A few other things which should help:
- Glow dots will help you save your settings when knobs get moved in transit.
View attachment 7081540

- A bunch of us have recently switched our knobs. These come in multiple colors and are easier to see than the stock black ones.
View attachment 7081541

Let me know if you need any links - I'll be glad to provide.

Good Luck, and keep us up to date with your progress!
Chris

Pat - Correction, my buddy secures his Punchline to his board with a short BUNGEE cable which will not damage the pedal. He moves his between a few different pedalboards so he needs to be able to remove it easily. I don't need to remove mine, but will be trying the bungee as I don't want to mar my pedal.

 

[Parzival]

When you take the feet off, just take the screws out of the feet and use them to screw the plate back on.

 

[nixdad]

When you take the feet off, just take the screws out of the feet and use them to screw the plate back on.

+1. Good catch!

 

[Lovep]

When you take the feet off, just take the screws out of the feet and use them to screw the plate back on.

I will do this tonight.

Although, I wish they were flat head screws. Once you take the feet off, the pedal still rests on the screw heads. I will have to put velcro around the screws and cut out the velcro around the screw. I want as much surface area to contact the pedalboard as possible.

 

[Joshua Gerry]

Sweetwater says it shows up today, as well as my new-to-me pedal board & power supply c/o another TB’r. Very excited by the experiences everyone seems to have had with this pedal in this thread. Hoping it delivers what I’m seeking. Reviews incoming after I get to spend a little quality time.

 

[nixdad]

Sweetwater says it shows up today, as well as my new-to-me pedal board & power supply c/o another TB’r. Very excited by the experiences everyone seems to have had with this pedal in this thread. Hoping it delivers what I’m seeking. Reviews incoming after I get to spend a little quality time.

Looking forward to hearing about your experiences, Joshua.

 

[mikesjam]

Hey Pat -
Nice to meet you! I have no doubt your Mike Lull PJ5 is phenomenal, and congrats on being a fellow TI flats lover (I've been using TI's for the past 10 years and have them on multiple basses, including my primary semi-acoustic Rics.) I dig your pedalboard as well.

Yeah, the Punchline has been a game changer for me. Five of my buddies and my son have all invested in the Punchline since as well, so there are MANY happy users that I'm aware of. It took me all of 5 minutes to dial this in, and I haven't changed my settings since. I've played both indoor and multiple outdoor gigs with it since summertime. I'm incredibly satisfied with how my tone sounds onstage, and have never received so many compliments about my tone through the P.A. (ours, OR through a much larger system.)

Yes - I believe most of us (including me) have removed the feet before attaching to our pedalboards. I only use a PedalTrain Nano+, so I've used velcro over the past several months. However, due to the weight of the Punchline I'm going to switch to securing it with black zip ties (as a buddy of mine has done,) as the weight has proven to be too heavy for velcro.

I also like where you have the Punchline in your signal chain. Up until now my chain has been tuner/Punchline/fuzz (which I only use on occasion,) but the fuzz doesn't behave well in this position. I'm going to move my fuzz into the 2nd position so that the Punchline is last, so hopefully I can get everything to play nice after that. I agree with you that the Drive is VERY useful (even when cranked) and can get close to the fuzz tone I need if necessary. I keep the Drive "on" but use just a smidge to fatten out my tone as I primarily plan clean for my gig.

A few other things which should help:
- Glow dots will help you save your settings when knobs get moved in transit.
View attachment 7081540

- A bunch of us have recently switched our knobs. These come in multiple colors and are easier to see than the stock black ones.
View attachment 7081541

Let me know if you need any links - I'll be glad to provide.

Good Luck, and keep us up to date with your progress!
Chris

Chris, where did you get those white knobs from? I like the look of them way better and honestly don’t know what they were thinking with the stock knobs. I need a flashlight to see what I’m doing. The pedal is my dream tone otherwise though…amp sim is nice and hefty!

 

[nixdad]

Chris, where did you get those white knobs from? I like the look of them way better and honestly don’t know what they were thinking with the stock knobs. I need a flashlight to see what I’m doing. The pedal is my dream tone otherwise though!

Hi Mike -
I'm glad you're enjoying your Punchline!

I ordered the white knobs from Tayda in Singapore. When I ordered mine, they were shipped very quickly and I received them within 2 weeks. However, check current stock. BTW, they offer multiple colors.

Davies 1510 Clone White Knob

Get It Fast - Same Day Shipping

www.taydaelectronics.com

Similar knobs appear to be available on Amazon, but I suggest checking the details to make sure they'll fit as expected.

Here is the link if you're interested in the glow dots:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CXLZG5JK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Chris

 

[Joshua Gerry]

Ok so got it set up and first impressions are definitely very positive, immediately very easy to get great tones. I am noticing some pretty obvious noise that I will need to trouble shoot. Seems to be quiet until strings are touched, touching the control plate with my finger pretty much quiets it. I am hoping this is a me issue or a shielding issue possibly or maybe a wire or ambient electrical noise but it would not be good for recording, it is also going through my HX Stomp into my headphones & GK 112 MBII so I have some variables to go through. Would love any insight on troubleshooting the noise or if anyone else had a noise issue what they did. Otherwise just very excited to dig in this weekend, I’m immediately impressed with what it appears to be able to do.