At age 17, on being branded a disruptive influence, I was kicked out of "normal" school and moved into what was then known as The Transition to Work class.
The rough idea behind "Transition" (as we called it) was you'd spend 4 days of the 6-day school timetable out in the community doing work experience for free, then the other two days would be mostly learning how to cook and balance a cheque-book.
The Transition kids were generally looked down upon by the rest of the school as being no-good losers who'd never amount to anything. Ironically, the reality was most of us got a significant head-start on the rest of the students when it came to entering real life, making our own money and becoming well-rounded, productive members of society.
School's not for everyone.
Long story short, when I was asked what I'd like to do for a job, I said, "I'd like to be a musician, please."
As a result, I ended up playing in bars and cafes at night and sleeping all day. Perhaps the best outcome for all involved.
Then, once school really ended, I busked for 4 hours a day on the main street in Hamilton, making roughly what I would have if I'd gone on the dole.
Jump forward to today; How'd my career as a rock star turn out? Maybe i just didn't have the right gear...
The JBL BandBox Solo won't necessarily earn you instant stardom, but it'll definitely help you practice to get there.
For a while now I've noticed certain JBL speakers lean in to being used by singers, guitarists and other musos as an economical alternative to more specialised amps, head-units and P.A.s.
I've seen (and heard) buskers playing through JBLs on the street and I've been involved in a few torrid karaoke sessions, thanks to JBL devices, at various parties.Some JBL speakers even have their own built-in light shows and come paired with their own wireless mics.
But the BandBox Solo is the first JBL I've tried that's been specifically designed with bedroom musicians in mind and I have to say, from this very amateur strummer's point of view, they've nailed a lot of what they set out to do.
My first impression was confusion around how small the BandBox Solo is. Did I get the wrong idea about what this was supposed to be for? Surely you wouldn't be able to shred or wail very convincingly out of a speaker as tiny as that?
And I wasn't disappointed.
By the time I'd turned my guitar pick-ups all the way up, I only really needed to set the BandBox Solo's volume to about half before I was belting out some seriously crunchy rhythm guitar riffs. Oh yeah, this review was definitely going to be a good time.
There's only one 1/4 inch input on the side of the BandBox Solo, so you have to decide if you're practicing singing or guitar as your main thing. There is also a built-in mic nestled amongst the controls on top, which will provide passable practice quality if you decide to use Singer/Guitarist mode.
You'll find a 3.5mm stereo mini-jack output on the back, along with a slightly confusing USB-C port which we'll cover off shortly.
Above these you'll find a simple LED display that uses white dots on a black background to show you everything from volume levels to which guitar effect you've selected. Although this display style seems somewhat rudimentary at first, I soon realised it was masterfully effective - especially in potentially dim situations like being backstage before the curtain goes up.
The final piece of this comprehensive practice puzzle is the JBL One app, which enables you to do a much deeper dive into the BandBox Solo's features and settings. Obviously, the app's interface is more helpfully laid out, although the majority of functions can be accessed by both your phone and the speaker's physical controls.
Weirdly, in stark contrast, you can stream whatever song you're working on via Bluetooth 5.4, and this is where the fun truly begins.
A press of the STEM AI button brings up a three channel display; Guitar, Vocals and Others. You can then cut out any of these or reduce them to 50%. So... If you're trying to learn a particular solo, you could take away the vocals, bass and drums and just play along with the remaining guitar until you get it right.
Once you've mastered it, you can swap everything around, muting the original guitar track and playing along with rest of the band, effectively replacing their guitarist. Or lead singer, if you've chosen to plug in a mic instead. Instant karaoke.
Sounds simple and it truly is.
What really blew me away was the choice of built-in effects to choose from - dozens of options ranging from simple, bluesy reverb to full-on stadium metal distortion. In fact, the options are infinite, as you can customise each preset effect using the on-screen display of virtual pedals, creating and saving your own as you wish.
Teenage me would have paid thousands for a range of effect pedals like this.
Instead, the BandBox Solo costs just NZ$449.95.
So it's a surprisingly powerful practice amp. It features an infinite selection of virtual effects pedals. And it gives you the ability to remove guitar, vocals or rhythm section from any track you play through it.
But wait...
None of this'll sound any good if you're out of tune. Yes, there's a digital tuner built in.
But it can be hard to stay in time when you practice by yourself. Yes, there's a metronome built in.
It'd be good to just play with drums and nothing else. Yes, there's a drum machine built in.
Looper? Yes, yes, yes. With infinite overdubs. Built in.
So not only is this an essential practice tool, it's potentially a supremely versatile pre-amp for your live performances as well. Remember, you can output to other devices via USB-C or stereo AUX cable. That means straight into a P.A. system on stage or a sound desk or P.C. for recording.
Or just into a pair of headphones so you don't bother anyone else in the house.
Like I say; little box. Big, big fun.
Click here for more information and pricing on the JBL BandBox Solo.
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