Monique

[morrow]

I've been looking through classifieds for some years now , and one thing I've been looking for is the Monique Pre by Jule. Preferably with the bird cage top. I was on the hunt last year but nothing panned out , just before Christmas one popped up in California , but it instantly sold.
One popped up last night , but I didn't see it until this morning. The seller was limiting sales to the continental US. And once again I thought maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask.
Should be in the post tomorrow on the way to Nova Scotia.

I'm excited! I've been on the hunt for one for ages.

[Dave W]

Never heard of it, but I hope it sounds as good as it looks. Congrats.

[morrow]

I have a tracking number , she's underway.

Hard to believe I won't be thumbing through the classifieds looking for one any more.

[Pilgrim]

Very stylish.  Hope it sounds great.

[Rob]

I'm with everyonr ekse.  We need a sound check when you get it..
Congrats!

[Psycho Bass Guy]

I'm super curious about this preamp! It's nice to see something different than the plethora of Ampeg or Fender clones out there.

[morrow]

I first heard of them some years back , and the reviews were completely over the top. There seemed to be magic there. Jule builds them himself , just a one man shop , straight old fashioned point to point wiring with the best components he can source. He wanted to build something that was relatively light and small and give you that tube response. Something musicians could play with.

Here's an interview

I simply hope I'll find the joy many of his customers have. For the time being I plan to use my Bergantino Forte as the back end and run it through the effect send loop. I may pick up a power brick like a Demeter some time later. We'll see how it goes ...

I actually got an email from Jule today after mentioning in a TB thread that one was on the way here! Made my day.

[gearHed289]

That is quite a cool looking little rig! Bet it sounds great.

[morrow]

Monique arrived this morning And I've been totally nerding out. I have a practice nook at the in-laws and usually have several amps there. My regular practice rig there recently has been a Darkglass e500 and. Phil Jones C2 cab. There's also a GK MB200 head and an ancient MB150 combo that just returned from a service call.
Monique seems to prefer the GKs to the Darkglass. I had to go into the front I plug of the MB200 , but on the other two I used the effect return path and bypassed the tone stacks altogether.
And then got home and plugged Monique into the Berg stuff I'd usually gig with.
Wow! Bypassed the tone stack on the Forte , my nerd was losing it.
Very subtle , and yet very present. There is magic in that sensitivity knob all right. I was using my Jr and HiFlier for the first tests , the Jr has some slightly warmed up rounds , the Hi Flier has chrome flats.
Today is Blue Monday.
Very grey day , rain here in Halifax. The lawns are still green.
And I'm really digging Monique.

[morrow]

I took Monique out to the old neighbourhood dive this weekend to hear how she'd act at room level. I paired her with my Bergantino Forte , which is a very simple , stripped down , modern hifi amp. I went in through the effects loop so I totally bypassed the front end of the Berg.
Sounded like a 700 watt B15. Nice buttery tube warmth, fat. Now the Monique tone stack is quite different from the Berg. Where the four band Berg stack is almost surgically precise , the pots on Monique are much thicker and broader. And there is magic in the sensitivity knob. The notes bloom but have a quick response.
My Berg was sounding like a big tube amp with Monique , and that was exactly what I was hoping it might do.
So far so good. At practice volume the difference is subtle. Not so subtle at room volume.

[Dave W]

Sounds like a winner.

[Chris P.]

A Dutch store is befriended with the company and there were many sold in The Netherlands. I heard a pre + power in one hiusing last weekend: truly amazing. Some big pro Dutch players use 'm.

[morrow]

Jule has sold quite a few in Europe. He's been putting them out for about fifteen years now.
He's just a little one man shop but he's been busy.

I've been dragging Monique and the Forte out for a couple of weeks of rehearsals and gigs now , and love what she does. I'm a believer. I'll probably pick up something like a Demeter Minnie to use as a dedicated back end for Monique , but for the time being the Forte does work beautifully.

I'm no big pro , and usually just play the mid sized bars in town. Most of the time there are just vocals in the PA so my amp is what people will hear in the room. We're used to quickly achieving a nice stage mix. And I drive the gear downtown , set it up , play , and lug it all home. I do that every weekend. So I like modern lightweight cabs and power , and Monique works well with that. I've been aiming for a very traditional , old school bass thump and Monique delivers with absolute authority , warmth and gorgeous tone.

Funny how fast everything can change when you think everything is settled.