Roland Cube Club (all models)

Welcome Cube owners!

From the Micro Cube To the Cube 80 XL, the old Blues Cube to future Cubes....

This is the place to discuss Roland Cubes!

Your favorite settings, where you've played them, what you have recorded with them... anything!



I recently bought a Cube 40XL, but owned a Cube 30 years ago. I bought it not just because of the good tones and sounds I can get out it, but also for it's high standard of reliability and durability.

Join in! :grin:

MkncQNJtlQ0

I have a Cube 80X. I find it to be a versatile amp that is easy to transport and to get a wide variety of tones. I use the more sedate amp models like the DLX Combo, Black Panel and Tweed on low gain settings. The digital effects are pretty good for built in ones.

I like the dynamics of this amp where it is sensitive to one's attack, similar to a valve amp. It suits solid body, hollow and semi hollow and acoustic guitars. The line out for recording works well into my Novation Nio 2/4 interface.

When I bought this amp I also had it in mind to get a Laney Cub 15R as a smaller dimensioned, light valve amp that would be easier to carry. I'm not so sure that I need one at the moment as the Cube does such a good job.

My Micro Cube is an amazing little amp. Great for small settings. Amazing how loud it can be. Battery life is really long for AAs. I use rechargables. Good busking amp.

hey Swee tone
Im in...lol.this thing as been doing great for me and as cured my amp GAZ ;0)
http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac73/flag72/DSC05472.jpg

I have both a Cube 30 and an old Cube 60.

I'm in...Roland Bass Cube CB-30, it's a great 'bass' practice amp that will play loud enough to shake the windows, and annoy the next door neighbors, headphone jack-included!

I grabbed a Micro Cube, for dragging all over the house and out on the porch. Amazingly big and rich sound for a tiny amp.

I am currently using a Cube 60 as my church-gig amp. It is very versatile and easy to move - something that becomes increasingly important as I age!

I'm in! Just picked up a Cube 80X a short while ago and so far have been very pleased with it. Nice variety of tones and effects and of course, that great Roland clean sound.
It's a keeper.

I bought myself a Cube Street for Christmas. I love that little thing. I call it my JC-5 because of the stereo chorus. I use it as a mini PA/acoustic amp at church and I drag it all over the house for practice. The Cube Street is probably my favorite advancement in guitar technology since the Boss DD2.

I have a BC-30. I like it very much. I may still be selling it soon however. I really want another Deluxe or Vibrolux. So therefore, pretty much every amp I own except my Blues Jr. will have to go.

At present I have a modern Cube 60 (my main gigging amp), a Cube 20X, a BC-60 Blues Cube 1 x 12 and a (COSM) Bass Cube 100. Not long ago I very reluctantly sold my 3 x 10 Blues Cube (needed the space) and many years ago I had one of the orange 100-watt cubes from the original series - still regret parting with that one. Seriously great amps, all of them. My best buddy, a pro player, has a Cube 60 too, and also a Micro Cube, with which he and I are both extremely impressed.

I love my Street Cube,, awesome little amp / small PA.. I use it mostly for Acoustic Guitar and a Vocal Mic as a small PA.. it sounds much bigger then it looks and much bigger then the wattage specs.. and battery powered is a giant plus ....

I've had my Cube 30 for 7 years now - incredible amp for its physical size. I need to look at the new series though to see what the 12" speaker sounds like in the higher-end models. Just curious....

Here's a pic of my set-up with my '68 Tele.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/togman/Guitar/DSCF0088.jpg

Nice little rig there T! What's the little board there?
You might want to take the 40XL for a test drive too! I'm loving it!

Nice little rig there T! What's the little board there?


The two small footswiches are for turning the effects on/off and switching channels.

I have a cube 60 that I got for Jazz....great for so much more. Loves my pedalboard and is portable .........and really, has there ever been a quieter and tougher amp produced?

My son and I use a microcube, it's great. I keep it on the screen porch sometimes and it's great to bring almost anywhere. I want a bass cube next.

I have a Micro Cube with the single speaker, I like it, lots of fun. Goes forever on a set of batteries, which is good because I can't find my wall plug.

Cube 30 here. I am a big fan of these amps. Loud enough to gig with and once the drummer starts, nobody knows it's not a tube amp.

The micro cube owners will find this interesting. This guy opened it up and changed it a bit.

http://www.lojeck.com/brian/MicroCubeRepair.html

...My best buddy, a pro player, has a Cube 60 too, and also a Micro Cube, with which he and I are both extremely impressed.

Silly me; checking out other posts I see I got it wrong - what my friend has is in fact a Mobile Cube - size of a transistor radio, 2 x 4" speakers, bloody terrific sounds, surprisingly high attainable volume and at least 15 hours of use from 6 AA cells. Superb.

I am on the hunt for a COSM Roland Cube 60.

My target : $150 or less.

I'm thinking with the CL around here it should only take a week or two...

Blues cube with 3 10's . Won't sell mine!

Had my Micro Cube for about a year now. Bought it used and it's rolled around in the trunk of my car for a bit. Thing is bullet proof as far as I'm concerned. I play it with the tone and volume about noonish and a very little 'verb. Nice little practice amp for at work. And yes I've been told to turn it down.

Blues cube with 3 10's . Won't sell mine!

Wish I hadn't had to sell mine, either, but I needed the space (see earlier post) - or so my dear lady wife informed me (PW? Moi?). However, I also have the 1 x 12 version and that's not going anywhere except sometimes to my gigs and back home again.

Yeah, +1 on the new gen Cube 60, although I wish I had known about the 80w coming out. Very versatile, good sounding amp. I use it for rehearsal all the time and we've got a loud drummer ! Also, when I'm playing at church, I grab a Tele, a cord, and my Cube 60 - I'm good to go. Very happy, although still on the hunt for a cheap 80w. I think they have a loop function. Regards.

I used to have a greyish Cube40 in the early '90s.
It was ok, but not as good as the orange series.
I now own a Microcube, and like it for what it is. With all of my guitars I can dial in something useable. With single coils the classic with no gain give a fantastic, just on the verge of breaking up sound. With my steiny and dual EMG 85's this setting is unusable, but the JC setting sounds beautiful.An active EMG tele is perfect with the british setting with no gain....
Even my fretless bass sounds well on JC and a tad of chorus and delay.
The overdrive and distortion settings are getting mushier the more I dial in.
But it is a fun tool to have. The portability, the battery life, the ruggednes all would make it worth to own, even if only fart-sounds would come out of the speaker.

I have an old Cube 20. Heavy for its size. Reverb does not work, very clean jazzy sounding amp.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x119/Astrochimp_photo/Guitars/DSCN0723.jpg

Shot of rear- http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x119/Astrochimp_photo/Guitars/DSCN0722.jpg

I got a Cube 40XL last Christmas, very pleased with it. I mainly play it on the clean channel (modeled after the JC-120) or on the Tweed setting, usually no FX except just enough overdrive to start breaking up. I sit there and play Badfinger's No Matter What over and over again because it sounds so cool through my tele and this amp.

Small, light, sounds great - what's not to like?

Cube60 owner here.

I lika da cubes!

I only have a microCube.
I love it for what it is - and more.
The COSM modelling is actually really good - for the purpose intended.
Cranked Marshall(ish) tones at volumes barely louder than unplugged is good fun (and a Godsend ;) )

And she run for days on batteries. yaya! - Spontaneous Tele fun with a cold beer at the bottom of the garden!

I would really - really - like to make some kind of extension cab with an 8" or 10" speaker.
I gather the tiny internal stock is a 4ohm (hmmm..!) custom 'full range' job.

Anyone ever made an extension cab for a MicroCube? - and if so was it worth it and what did you use?!
(I know there is a line-out, but it doesn't really sound quite the same - I'd just like to try a bigger speaker)

Edit:
I since followed the link in Swee Tone's post above, different project, but that has at least given me an idea for how to go about thinking about an extension cab.

I have had a microcube for years, both my son and I use it all the time. I just got a bass cube. It is very cool for low volume work. I play it with my kala u-bass.....

delete post

Cube 80X and Microcube owner here.

I have a microcube and I'd love to get a cube 40xl.

Microcube!

I can get the Cube 40xl to sound almost identical to the Bugera Vintage 5 tube amp by using the brit combo model.
This amp is amazingly touch sensitive, just a wonderful sounding amp.

Here's a pic:

http://i569.photobucket.com/albums/ss135/swee_tone/SAM_0834.jpg

how is that cube 40xl for volume ?

Plenty loud enough to jam with.
The interesting thing is that the louder it gets, the better it sounds, same as a tube amp. Many other solid state or digital amps I have tried sound worse as the volume increases, with the exception of the Trademark 60.
With the power squeezer button, it sounds wonderful and full at bedroom levels.
This really is a wonderful little amp. I just wish it looked a little more like a piece of nice furniture, with a nice grill cloth or something lol
Put this in an old Blues Cube cab and you would have the ultimate Cube.

street cube here...Ilove the thing...got it for small coffee house gig...plug in guitar and mic and youre set love low effort setups.!!!!:mrgreen:

Cube 60 here and I love it. Put a Dunlop Wah in front and away you go! Loves pedals too.

I haven't used anything but Cubes (60s and 80s) for the last 4 years.
Light, loud, extremely versatile, cheap, dependable, and replaceable.
What's not to like?

I've been converted to the dark side! :razz: I currently own a Cube 60, Cube 30, and a MicroCube.

I actually have two Cube 60's, run 'em in stereo, they sound amazing. The Microcube is great for banging around town. The Cube 30 is my home practice amp.

I haven't sold my tube amps yet, but I haven't used them in over a year...

Friend of mine recently got a Cube 40XL, he loves it. I want one of those too!


I haven't used anything but Cubes (60s and 80s) for the last 4 years.
Light, loud, extremely versatile, cheap, dependable, and replaceable.
What's not to like?

Still haven't had the pleasure of checking out the 80... Seems some folks prefer their 60's. What's your take on the difference between them?

Still haven't had the pleasure of checking out the 80... Seems some folks prefer their 60's. What's your take on the difference between them?

The main difference is in the eq settings, where on the 80 it starts at 0 and then you move your way up. It's a bit confusing at first so many folks dismiss the 80 as bad sounding when they try it with same settings as their 60.

Hi all
I stumbled onto a used Cube 30, liked it in the store and even more at home! Really so many tones for a light portable amp. I was really impressed with the sound quality out of the headphone/out line. I run the sound system at our church and we often use this into the board- sounds great.
I also have a 30xl at home, I have other amps but really like using these!

I've had a cube 60 and 30, they were both great.

Imo the only cubes worth owning is the old brown tolex models that Bickert used. I've played through them many times and they sound great. i owned an 80x for a month or two, but got rid of it as there is a noise gate that is always on that takes effect shortly after you play a note. As soon as you add a pedal in front of the amp the annoying and unnatural sounds caused by the noise gate are greatly augmented. This was a deal breaker for me.

Imo the only cubes worth owning is the old brown tolex models that Bickert used. i owned an 80x for a month or two, but got rid of it

Sorry but this is an amp owners club, see ya.

Hello.
I don't know if this the right place where to ask, in case forgive me.

I tried a cube40xl and I have been impressed. Here where I live is not yet available in the shops, but I hope it will be soon. My question is this:

How this amp take stompboxes (no fancy or boutique just simple and plain Boss) or multiefx like boss m-70 or line 6 m-9?

Thanks

Hello.
I don't know if this the right place where to ask, in case forgive me.

I tried a cube40xl and I have been impressed. Here where I live is not yet available in the shops, but I hope it will be soon. My question is this:

How this amp take stompboxes (no fancy or boutique just simple and plain Boss) or multiefx like boss m-70 or line 6 m-9?

Thanks

In my experience the Cubes all respond very well indeed to all kinds of outboard effects, especially on the "JC Clean" channel. I don't think you'll have any problems at all.

like Tony474 said it take's pedal well on the J.C. clean channel,I have the roland cube 60 and it is awsome but on other channel some time it's not 100%, but then again those are effect channel if you di decide to buy one you wont regret it believe me ;0)

Thanks guys for the info. I had the opportunity to play several times with a jc120 and my pedals and I had the best Sound in my life. Unfortunately I cannot buy a jc120. If I can get a similar result with the jc channel of the cube xl I will be very happy!!! Plus I like the idea that for a jam or the rehearsal o cam take with me only the amp leaving at home the effects

Thanks

Sorry but this is an amp owners club, see ya.

I think it's a fair and legitimate concern to any potential buyers and I think it's also fair for me to comment on cubes considering I have owned a 60, 80x, and have been loaned a 30x as well as one of the brown tolex models. They are great little amps for the price and I don't think you can find a better practice amp for that cheap but I just don't care for the noise gate. But then again that's just me.

I think it's a fair and legitimate concern to any potential buyers and I think it's also fair for me to comment on cubes...

I'll ask you to forgive my comment if it sounded rude, my concern was that we keep the Cube club a place where people could feel good about buying and playing this great amp.
That is a legitamite concern for some people, you are right.

Something else I have notices with my Cube.
The COSM effects / models are really quite dynamic.

They respond to picking dynamics, and the OD/Dist models clean up massivlely if you roll the guitar vol back.

I had not expected that! - really quite something.

I think someone mentioned the 'Brit Combo' (ACxx modelling) not being the most 'successful'. I've heard the same said elsewhere. Fair enough.

Oddly though, it is my absolute favourite! I dont worry whether it is wholly 'accurate ACxx sound' - its in the ball-park IMO, but its a great Voxy sound. Admittedly a bit middy.

The 'trick' with the Brit Combo model is to select it before/without listening to any of the other models first, and just go for it!
(A/B'd against some of the bright models it will sound middy and flat - at first - and that can be off-putting). IMHO!

For the same reason that TS-808 / TS-9 may often sound 'cardboard-y' in an A/B test, but will sound great if you dont A/B it - just plug it in, go for it, and use it for what it does.

I have microcube and brit combo is my favorite model.

I have microcube and brit combo is my favorite model.

:cool:

Cool - that sounds like an introduction at a meeting for the 'MCA' (Micro Cubes Anonymous ;) )

Would make a good slogan t-shirt too :grin:

I'll ask you to forgive my comment if it sounded rude, my concern was that we keep the Cube club a place where people could feel good about buying and playing this great amp.
That is a legitamite concern for some people, you are right.

That's also a fair comment, and I'm seriously considering buying a Cube 60 new for use as a backup as you can't beat the JC120 model for cheap jazz cleans.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/amp-central-station/285557-compared-my-cube-40xl-my-1964-gibson-ga5-today.html

Just picked up the 40XL. Love it.

I love my cube 30. It has been used and abused gigging and practising for 5 or 6 years and never a problem. Love the JC120 channel.

I have a Roland Cube 30 that I bought used, of undetermined age. I like the overall concept of the amp (small, light, powerful, built tough, etc...) but next to my Vox Pathfinder 15R, I can't get as good of tone.

Nonetheless, I want to buy a bigger Roland Cube for playing with a band.

How much has the tone improved with the newer XL models?

Ive got a Cube 30 on the way, that I got off the 'bay at a good price.

Hopefully it'll arrive before Tuesday night so I can use it in anger at a rehearsal.

Was tempted by the Pathfinder, but Rolands reliability reputation, the 10" speaker and the extra 15 watts for the same price won me over.

Lets hope it delivers............

Actually-- since posting this, I spent some more time with the amp and have been getting some good tones and really having fun with it.

The blackface option with the gain at about 2:30 produces very nice blues tones, albeit a little on the Jazzy side.

Flick it over to the "classic stack" and you've got an instant Jimmy Page sound.

I bought myself a Cube Street for Christmas. I love that little thing. I call it my JC-5 because of the stereo chorus. I use it as a mini PA/acoustic amp at church and I drag it all over the house for practice. The Cube Street is probably my favorite advancement in guitar technology since the Boss DD2.

I have owned Cube 60 in the past, and presently have the "Mobile Cube," and the "Street" Cube models.

These things are a gas.

I have actually played quiet restaurant jobs with them in a jazz quintet. In fact tonight I'll be using the Street Cube in a bar&grill quiet jazz gig with our quintet "Jazz_A," with my G.E. Smith Tele. Lots of Showtunes and standards with vocals, plus we get to also play some straight ahead jazz tunes like "Joy Spring," "Take Five," "Road Song," etc etc.
Fortunately the drummer is very light touched.

I sure don't mind walking in and setting up in one minute, while the rest of the guys scramble for extensions and outlets! I use rechargable batteries and they last about four hours between charges (our gigs are usually about 2&1/2 hrs).

I usually run the Street Cube on the "Instrument" setting, as it compresses less and has a nice "small tweed" sound. Works great!:cool:

I also have a Polytone amp, and a Boogie Mark-IV, but really prefer using the Street Cube for most jobs if I can get away with it. They're so light to schlep!

I have even used the "Mobile Cube" a couple of times for some of our drummerless coffee house gigs, but then I got the Street Cube which has more bass, not that I need much.

Around the house I use all the other settings and rock out, which drives the dogs from whatever room I'm in.:twisted:

Cube 60 in the house. I feel fairly confident I can gig with this amp. I've been in the habit the past few years of using my amp on a wedge in front of me to act as a stage monitor for my guitar. Sound guys love it. I've been switching between the JC and the Blackface model. Seems to sound fine with any guitar I use.

I'll keep my tube amps for studio and home practice, but I think the cube has earned a spot on stage with me.

Cube 30 arrived yesterday, and I did a rehearsal with it last night.

Delivered the goods even in a 9 piece with a drummer.

Love the Brit combo setting too,

Nice portable, light, nice sounding little amp IMO

Cube 30 arrived yesterday, and I did a rehearsal with it last night.

Delivered the goods even in a 9 piece with a drummer.

Love the Brit combo setting too,

Nice portable, light, nice sounding little amp IMO

I had the opposite experience. Last night, I hosted a jam session, at one of those rehearsal spaces. 5 guitars (including myself) and one bass player. (Yes, it was chaotic).

I brought the Cube 30 and couldn't hear myself, even though I was sitting pretty much right in front of the amp.

It's a great amp for the house, though. I love it, and I'll be ordering the 80XL, later today.

My Cube is a bit "directional" so sometimes you lose yourself a bit.

I play in a band with 4 horns, bass, drums, keys vocals, and myself, and I didnt have my amp up that loud at all.

Mind you I recently did a practice and a gig with this band using a Vox DA5, (mind you it was lined out for the gig)

Our band does actually have a bit of space in the arrangements of the songs we do, so unless we are all playing flat out, a Tele or other single coil guitar seems to cut through our mix pretty well.

I find using the tone controls on the amp pretty much maxed, apart from the bass seems to make me come through louder.

I was messing around with it at home last night, and even the effects are OK, unlike the ones on the DA5 which a few of them are a bit silly.

And the JC Clean channel is pretty nice too, for getting some nice African sounding guitar.

After all for a while the JC120 was the amp of choice for the likes of the Bhundu Boys, and others

I've got an 80x. I was rehearsing with a rock covers band at the time and fancied something with a variety of sounds. I switched between clean, DLX and Classic Stack with the odd bit of phaser. I think it sounds okay, but I'm no amp tone expert. Not used many tube/valve amps.

I made myself a 4-way footswitch so I could use the looper. That's one of the reasons I went for the 80x rather than the 60, plus a friend got me a discount on a new one.

Picked up a 30x for short $$ over the weekend..
I was thinking along the lines of "Small JC combo could be useful for some jazz & reggae stuff"

After playing it a bit I can see ALOT of uses for this.

Good amps can stay in the studio now..I really cant see lugging the AC-15 or Marshall to a bar gig where some fool will do god knows what to them; just so I can make $25 or so.

Same with my pedals..I don't use many so dialing in a few effects is not a problem.

Amp in one hand guitar in another.. load in/out just got alot easier.

Really only need one guitar I plugged in a inexpensive 'super strat' and got killer tones in a variety of styles. So the "highend" & vintage stuff is for real paydays now.

There are some amps I don't own..this is close enough for most of my needs.

The other house in my duplex in occupied again, family has a young kid with another on the way..the power squeezer is going to come in handy.

I could and someday down the road probably will just get buy with this amp.
Down sizing looms on the horizon & one of the roadblocks was finding an affordable versitle yet professional amp with decent build quaility I spent a good bit of time this spring with all the new budget modelers (Mustang, Vyper, SCXD Line 6 etc..) all had some shortcoming and none seemed like something I could gig with regulary.
Got a Cube..problem solved.

Drawbacks..the footswitching seems needlessly complicated (two switches?) anyone tried a non Boss latching switch?
The Brit Combo model is quite bad..perhaps it's not a Vox at all but a Watkins or something..
Seriously I get more 'Voxy" tones out of the classic stack setting with the drive & guitar rolled back.

I really like my 30, but I have a hard time seeing how you could gig with it in a bar? Are you planning on mic-ing it? I've got an 80XL on order, I found used online through Guitar Center, for $279, but it hasn't arrived yet. Also found a Roland Cube Bass 100 for my wife, which arrived today. (Kind of surprised that a couple of the amp models really don't seem very loud, even with the volume cranked).

Or ... maybe I'm just getting old and loosing my hearing??

Also found a Roland Cube Bass 100 for my wife, which arrived today. (Kind of surprised that a couple of the amp models really don't seem very loud, even with the volume cranked).

Or ... maybe I'm just getting old and loosing my hearing??

I like my Bass Cube 100 so much that I sold my other two bass amps. Remarkable little beastie with a huge sound for such a physically small unit, much louder than the supposedly 250-watt Ampeg Portabass I had before and more than adequate for the few bass gigs I occasionally do. The bass player in my regular band uses one too, as do a couple of my other pals as well.

I'm surprised at your comment about volume - in conjunction with my Ibanez Blazer BL-700NT bass (basically a Precision clone), I generally use the "Session" model with the "Shape" button in, and I've never needed to turn the amp up even halfway. Oh well, diff'rent strokes...

...the footswitching seems needlessly complicated (two switches?) anyone tried a non Boss latching switch?

IME any old non-latching foot-switch will work for either of the two functions - channel change and effects on/off. You can use latching switches but because of the nature of the switching circuit (I think I've heard it described as a "flip-flop") you have to depress them twice each time. It seems the switching operates on the "break" rather than the "make".

Thanks for the footswitch info..
Will probably see how it goes without the switch..or wait for some Boss switches to turn up 2nd hand,otherwise the switches & cables will cost me all most as much as the amp!

Volume wise this thing seems plenty loud, however I play in a solo/duo situation 99% of the time, we are basicaly just one part of what goes on in the place, not a "tonight we have a band" and some dude is on a 1/2 stack, lol.
For bigger gigs I would just mike it or if it was a more serious situation take a "proper "amp..but those situations appeal less & less.

The Boss switches are expensive if you don't need all they do (LEDs, latched/non-latch). For my 80x I uses a 2-way latching unit I already had and made a 4-way with one un-latched for the looper. I don't have any LEDs on the switches, but I could easily add some.

If you hunt around ebay you could probably find a footswitch you could use. Even if you have to change the actual switches those are not expensive.

I found this 80x switch for sale. Even with a cable included it's half the price of the Boss switches you would need.

http://www.brightonion.co.uk/products/Cube-80X-Footswitch.html

I have a couple of switches I can try, but I think I can make it fly with out one..Like I said my gigs are pretty laid back, what is a little knob turning amongst friends? ;-)
I think I've got the Brit Combo sussed..it took some figuring but I found something that sounds OK..it's still not as accurate as the others but it's reasonable.

Love my Roland 80XL. I have had it since Christmas and its JC clean is super warm.
The effects are good and the Looper really helps but I wish it was longer than 90 seconds. But everything about the amp is right on target......

got an 80's model

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u234/slyzspyz/IMG_0115.jpg
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u234/slyzspyz/IMG_0117.jpg
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u234/slyzspyz/IMG_0116.jpg
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u234/slyzspyz/IMG_0118.jpg

I'll use it on jazz gigs, especially if I'm mic'd

I have a BC-30. I like it very much. I may still be selling it soon however. I really want another Deluxe or Vibrolux. So therefore, pretty much every amp I own except my Blues Jr. will have to go.

I posted the above back in April...and frankly I've kindled a newfound love for this amp. I've been using it more and more, and at this point, I guess I'm keeping it.

Cube20X.

Handy little thing. My vacation amp. More than just a practice amp.

Cube20X.

Handy little thing. My vacation amp. More than just a practice amp.

I've got one of these as well, in addition to my Cube 60 and BC-60 Blues Cube 1x12 (wish I'd been able to keep my 3x10 too). As you say, certainly more than just a practice amp; in fact I've gigged it just the once as an experiment in a quietish social club and it coped reasonably adequately.

However, I do find that its tonal gamut is much more restricted than that of the Cube 60 - pretty middly, a decent "bark", but without a great deal of either top or bottom available. Still fairly good standing alone but, to me at least, found wanting compared with its bigger brother.

It's Christmas in September. I just got my 40xl at the office today.

Labor Day weekend will be fun. Now, all I need is footswitches and an a/b switch to go between scxd and 40xl.

I'm extremely tempted - I've been wanting something smaller to practice on, and have had my eye on a Blues Jr, but is this thing worth it?! Stupid deal of the day!

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid/?_requestid=21444

The Cube 80X for that price is absolutely worth it. It is the superseded model replaced by the 80XL which has a longer loop time and additional amp model but it is still an excellent amp.

I have an old Cube 60, made between '79 and '84 I have been told (orange tolex). Fixed the scratchy pots with some electronics cleaner. Great clean sound and usable OD too. Loud!

I also have a Micro-Cube in the living room both for guitar (it sounds good) and for the kids to sing on (they really dig delay and reverb :) )

I really like my 30, but I have a hard time seeing how you could gig with it in a bar?

Well I gig with mine in a 9 piece soul band and its loud enough for the gigs we play.

I use the JC Clean setting mostly, with a switch to the Brit Combo for a bit of crunch on certain songs.

Maybe Ive got a louder one, but mine seems to cut through.

Absolutley love my 80 XL. you can get any sound you want from that thing. Mostly use the JC channel but really dig the Blackface. i was seriously considering selling my Deluxe Reverb reissue and getting another Cube 80XL and use both of them together :-)

Microcube here for my at-home and practice amp - sounds really great.

I also recently picked up a Micro-Cube. Nice for practice, outdoor busking and songwriting sessions, especially when playing with an acoustic or piano and portability is important.

I've had a Micro Cube in the bedroom for several years. Fun little rig, batteries seem to last 4ever. I was in a local music store a few years back before Christmas and was checking out a tele thru one. 4 different people stopped and inquired about it and ended up buying one. The owner was pleased.

Also have an older Orange Cube 40. I was looking around for a Solid State amp to take to jams during the winter and not worry about tubes. Same music shop got one in about an hour before I showed up, and I walked out with it for $50. Very nice sounding little amp. I just spent the last 2 months with it and a 50's Classic Tele at a cabin on a lake. Really enjoyed playing thru it. Fits the bill for my needs.

OK...I'm a very weak person....what can I say.
Last week Musician'spal had their "Stupid Deal of the Day" for a new Roland Cube 80x and before I knew it I had clicked on "send" and it was on it's way.
The box arrived yesterday and I proceeded to set it up right along side my
5+ year old Roland Cube 60. The 60 has given me zero problems and sounds great in any setting I use it.....jazz trio...big band....musical orchestra pit...you name it. So I thought while I can still afford to :shock: I would purchase the 80x new for $219 shipped.

I read all that I could about the 80x and how it compared to the 60. Some were spot on...some not so much. The effects do seem more refined in the 80x. The chorus is more "shimmering" and I like the spring/modern reverb choices. The looper I could take or leave. And unlike the Cube 60, I like the fact that I can have reverb AND delay on at the same time. I use very little reverb anyway so it's nice just to kick in the delay when needed. And the 80x delay is more fine-tunable as well. OK....here's what I would like to ask the Amp Owners Club about the 80x.:?:

Side by side the Cube 60 sounds more powerful than the Cube 80x. :shock:
I was hoping for just a bit more headroom on the JC clean and the Black Face amp sounds. I did take the time to tweak the EQ like some have suggested and started at ZERO on BASS, MID, Treble, Pres. and raise them slowly until Tonal Bliss was achieved. And those setting were differnt for differnt amp mods. I just felt that if I were A/B-ing the two amps for the first time I would chose the Cube 60 right away. The 80x by itself was great...but the 60 was warmer....louder....better?

The 80x has two small slot ports at the top in the front... above the 12" speaker. If I drilled one....or....two....ports below the 80x speaker (same size ports as the Cube 60) what difference in sound and tone should I experience? I know sometimes it's all in the "ear" of the beholder but would love any of your feedback should you care to share.
I'll probably keep the 80x but would like to somehow feel better about the purchase. Oh, by the way. My wife came home while I was playing both amps and she didn't even notice that I had "cloned" the Roland. Even after telling her she was fine with it. Then she went on line and bought $200 worth of shoes....:shock:....just kidding.

So what say you? ? ? ? ? Should I Drill Baby Drill ? ? ? Or leave well enough alone? Thanks in advance.

One possibility might be to swap the chassis temporarily so that you could hear what the 80X sounds like in the 60's circular-ported cabinet. The only obstacle - provided they are the same size - may be the sticky stuff they use to prevent rattles, but with a bit of care I should think this can be dealt with. Mind you, it occurs to me that warranty issues could arise. Anyone who knows of other problems with this idea, please chime in.

Do you think the speaker needs to be broken in first, too?

I wouldn't drill holes in my brand new amp, but that's my personal preference.

It is what it is, I would say that if you aren't completely happy, return it.

I'm amazed by how many have said the 60 sounds better, I wonder on the reasons why...
I was skeptical at first, but now I really believe it to be true.
Too bad really.

I'm amazed by how many have said the 60 sounds better...

I can't say myself whether it does or doesn't, as I haven't actually played through the later 80 models - having been put off by certain comments when the 80X first came out. All I know is that the COSM Cube 60 sounds bloody terrific. As I've pointed out umpteen times before, I originally bought it just for fun and soon came to be using it for very nearly all my guitar gigs; that's 100 a year or more.

BTW Tony is your Cube 60 100% stock= speaker ;0)

Got a '80's model
Those things are a tough as old boots, I had a beat up 20 watt one years ago that only had ONE spring left in the "verb tank & it still sounded killer. I remember someone in the Netherlands posting about having one fly off his bike & land in a canal..after fishing it out & letting it dry it still worked!!
I taught at a local school that had the KB version, it looked like it had been drug behind a car for oh say 500 miles..still worked & sounded fine.

BTW Tony is your Cube 60 100% stock= speaker ;0)

Hi, Daniel. Yes, 100% stock.

Thanks for all your comments. I'm gonna work with this little cube for awhile and put it through its paces. :wink:
Will do no mods for right now. I may try and somehow do a "hook up" where the Cube 80x is running the Cube 60's speaker cabinet. That way I can see if the two bottom ports make a difference. Of course I have to take into consideration that the 60's speaker is 5+ years old....and the Cube 80's speaker is from a new production line of speakers. :shock:

Please...if you have anything to add that might come to mind go ahead and share. That's what's so great about forums like this one. We can all learn from each other. Now, can anyone tell me how to play an Aminor7b5+9 chord?........ :shock: Just kiddin'.
Thanks

Now, can anyone tell me how to play an Aminor7b5+9 chord?...

Ah, that one. Now let me see... (Plays around on guitar for several minutes...) No. :lol:

Edit: Actually, there is a way. Play an open A minor shape but move it up 3 frets so you're playing open A plus G, C and D# (aka E-flat). Then add a B on the 1st string with the 4th finger (pinky) at the 7th fret. This would be an inversion of Am7b5+9. Though why on Earth you'd want to play it is another matter! :wink:

I'm going to have to check my 40XL for portholes because it sounds amazing. I'm thinking the cosm modelling is not the issue.
The louder you turn it up the more amazing it sounds too, unlike many modelling or SS amps.

I'm not even going to attempt that chord!:smile:

This would be an inversion of Am7b5+9. Though why on Earth you'd want to play it is another matter!

LOL

I'm going to have to check my 40XL for portholes because it sounds amazing. I'm thinking the cosm modelling is not the issue.
The louder you turn it up the more amazing it sounds too, unlike many modelling or SS amps.

I'm not even going to attempt that chord!:smile:


I wonder who made the speaker for the 40xl. I just got through practicing for a bit and noticed it's capable of a little bit of "thump."

Too bad the 40xl doesn't have an external cabinet out. It would be interesting to hear it through a 2x12 or a 1x15 cab. I don't want to void my warranty... yet.

There's a clean-looking 3x10 Blues Cube 60 going for $300 OBO locally. Is that a good price?

There's a clean-looking 3x10 Blues Cube 60 going for $300 OBO locally. Is that a good price?

Sounds pretty reasonable to me if it's in good condition and functioning correctly. Brilliant amp, if a little on the large side. Wish I hadn't had to sell mine, but with all my other amps (including the 1 x 12 Blues Cube) space was the issue. BTW, the BC-60 3 x 10 actually puts out 75 watts into 5.33 ohms.

I wonder who made the speaker for the 40xl.

A friend of mine who I have jammed with reads here and has been following this thread. He owns a Cube 40XL as well. Anyways, this morning he forwarded me this email to Roland...



"Hi, I am considering the purchase of the Cube 80XL. I already own the 40XL. Many of the guitar forums, especially the worldwide "TDPRI", are saying they (Cube 80XL) sound inferior to the Cube 60 despite the new eq adjusting you have to do on it.
I realise the eq must be played with a bit to preference.

Can you tell me please if the speaker is different? Has there been changes to the COSM modelling on the new XL versions from the previous Cubes?
Any changes/ info you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks much"




"Greetings / Salutations!,

These specifications are not published, however as guitar and amplifier tone is so subjective and greatly affected by personal taste, it's natural that there will be players who prefer one amp over another.

We suggest that the best opinion in this case is yours. All our Roland CUBE dealers would be happy to let you check out the new CUBE-80XL, and you may be able to find a CUBE-60 in stock to do your own direct comparison.

As BOSS and Amplifier product manager at Roland Canada, I have played all our CUBE series amps extensively, and I love the tone of the CUBE-80XL. In my set-up, I use the CUBE-80XL with an 8-ohm extension cabinet as this provides 100-watts of power.

Best Regards / Sincèrement vôtre,
Roland Canada"

There's a clean-looking 3x10 Blues Cube 60 going for $300 OBO locally. Is that a good price?
Offer 225 and see if he moves. They are occasionally on *bay and have sold in a range of 250 to 325. I don't know what drives the 75$ spread.

In my set-up, I use the CUBE-80XL with an 8-ohm extension cabinet as this provides 100-watts of power.

Best Regards / Sincèrement vôtre,
Roland Canada"[/I]

I'm not clear on how adding the extension cab increases the wattage. I belive it might drop the overall load to 4 ohms thereby increasing the the volume some. But not the wattage.

Beyond that, it's cool that he responded at all.

I'm not clear on how adding the extension cab increases the wattage. I belive it might drop the overall load to 4 ohms thereby increasing the the volume some. But not the wattage.

Beyond that, it's cool that he responded at all.

I thought the watts increased as the load dropped for SS (but not tube) amps. Take the Acoustic Image Clarus+ (http://www.acousticimg.com/#/clarus_plus/specs) head, for example:

450 watts @ 8 ohms
800 watts @ 4 ohms
1,000 watts @ 2 ohms

Take the Acoustic Image Clarus+ (http://www.acousticimg.com/#/clarus_plus/specs) head, for example:

450 watts @ 8 ohms
800 watts @ 4 ohms
1,000 watts @ 2 ohms

You're right--

I had overlooked that. I know I've seen ratings posted that way for class D amplification.

What class of amps are the XL series? Later, after my warranty is down I would entertain adding an external speaker output to a single 15" rated at 4 ohms if I knew that the amp could handle the reduced resistance.

Offer 225 and see if he moves. They are occasionally on *bay and have sold in a range of 250 to 325. I don't know what drives the 75$ spread.

Supply, demand and the buyer's willingness to pay, I'd guess. When I was very reluctantly constrained to sell my BC-60 3x10 via the UK Bay, it fetched £221, which at present is about $354 US - I don't know the current Canadian dollar rate. This was a bit more than I'd paid for it a couple of years previously, but that was in the same general ballpark as well.

So, given that prices are generally a little lower overall on the left side of the pond, I still reckon $300CDN is very reasonable, though of course if it can be bought for less, better still.

Choices choices! So many choices in affordable ss amps.

I was leaning towards a vox pathfinder, but I wanted something loud enough to take into a club setting.

I spotted a clean used cube 60 and got it for just under $200. Maybe I could have found one cheaper but I am not going to fret over pennies. I am just going to learn how to operate this to get the sounds out of it I want.

So far, so good! I love this baby!

So the question I now have is this: how can I determine the year it was made?

Ser# CV22099

I assume it was made in '99. Am I correct?

...how can I determine the year it was made?

Ser# CV22099

I assume it was made in '99. Am I correct?

Can't have been made that long ago - the model is much more recent than that. I think it appeared in 2006 and was superseded by the Cube 80X about three years later. Opinion is divided, but a great many players seem to think the 60 is a better-sounding amp, albeit with fewer toys. I love mine and gig it nearly all the time.

Loving my 40xl! But...

The grille buzzes when I play E with the heavy octave on at non "power squeezer" volumes and volume is at about 12 to 1 o'clock. I figured out where the buzz comes from -- the Roland logo. The grill beings to resonate and the logo is tapping the metal grille at that frequency.

I don't want to send the amp all the way back to Sweetwater. In a little research it appears that I'm not the only person who experiences the buzz (no seventies jokes please).

So, I will be applying a simple solution by attaching black "craft" foam on the back of the logo, neoprene o-rings on all the grille screws and a little black craft foam on all the edges of the grille (very subtely).

I'm guessing this will void the warranty. Oh well.

I haven't had that problem with mine even cranked at full volume.

Bob, you could just take the "R" logo off , at least until the warranty runs out? It's not like it adds any extra to the looks of the unit anyways... just an idea...

Bob, you could just take the "R" logo off , at least until the warranty runs out? It's not like it adds any extra to the looks of the unit anyways... just an idea...

I know it's silly but, I'm proud of my Roland Logo!

True be told, I'll probably do that (take the badge off) and put it in my guitar tool box for safe keeping.

Interesting note though, the Cube 40xl is the first amp my wife has actually commented on as far as quality of tone. She stopped in the garage Friday night and wanted to hear it - as long as I had the power squeezer on. ;')

She said "sounds sweet."

OK... I've had the 80x now for about 2 weeks. I've played it side by side with my Cube 60. If I had to pick one to rescue from the burning stage...well, I'd leave both of them and just grab my guitar...But if I had to choose I'd take the 60. Nothing wrong with the 80x...I'm just more in my comfort zone with the 60. The 80x holds it's own on a gig. But I have a question for you all regarding the looper on the 80x.

When I use the looper with either the button on the main panel or a Boss FS6 pedal it works just fine. When I tap it twice...it stops like it's supposed to. But the only way I can clear it out to begin a completely new loop... I have to turn off the amp and then back on. Basically a reboot. Is that correct?
Is that normal? The looper on my Boss ME70 isn't the same. When I tap it twice it erases the loop and I can start anew.
Any insight would be appreciated.

The looper on my Boss ME70 isn't the same.

Hi!

I am considering to buy a cub 40 or 80 xl and I would like to know how the me70 (that I own and love) sounds in this kind of amp. Do you use it in the amp input? What do you think? Sorry that I cannot reply to your question but I see you have these amps and the boss unit so I ask.
Thanks

But I have a question for you all regarding the looper on the 80x.

When I use the looper with either the button on the main panel or a Boss FS6 pedal it works just fine. When I tap it twice...it stops like it's supposed to. But the only way I can clear it out to begin a completely new loop... I have to turn off the amp and then back on. Basically a reboot. Is that correct?
Is that normal? The looper on my Boss ME70 isn't the same. When I tap it twice it erases the loop and I can start anew.
Any insight would be appreciated.

pg 14 of the manual says to hold down the tap button for 2 or more seconds to erase the loop.

pg 14 of the manual says to hold down the tap button for 2 or more seconds to erase the loop.

I Thought I had tried that...but I'll give it another shot.
Thanks.....:lol:

I have an older Cube 30....great bedroom amp. Used it at a BBQ gig the other day, sounded great.

From another post on this site I found this page on Cube settings for the 80X.

I imagine it may be close for other cubes. The translation from German follows and then the link:


SOUNDS OF HEROES - CUBE-80X

Here are a few hints on setting the "Sounds of the Heroes":

The figures given in the table correspond to the small hands of a clock.

examples:
10 = 10.00 clock
15.5 = 15.30 clock

Each guitar has a different starting level.
If you have a guitar with high output level (Les Paul guitar with active pickups):
Please have the extra gain in some sounds turn down anything.
In the clean sounds it could otherwise use a little adjustment.

The final volume is actually variable. It is set at at the "upper room volume."
This control has no influence on the sound, so you can adjust it according to your volume requirements.

These settings are of course only approximations of the original sound, and actually make out only about 50 percent of the sound.
The other 50 percent come from the fingers of the guitarist, and that's a good thing!
In this sense, a lot of fun especially during setting up and during playing.


http://www.soundsderhelden.de/download/SDH-Cube-80X.pdf

There it is. Hopefully it works well. Thanks to the original poster for posting this link in another thread.

Hi guys. I'm a fairly new member here, and I'm not a Cube owner (yet ?), but thought this would be the best place to ask a couple of questions about them.

I haven't seen any of the apparent favoured Cube 60's around for sale locally (I'm in New Zealand), and shipping any amp costs a fortune - and lots of eBay sellers simply don't want the hassle of shipping internationally.

I'm left pretty much with a choice of either a 40XL or an 80XL. (I don't want to go lower than the 40).
I got to play through a 40XL at a local guitar shop the other day, but only briefly. I was really impressed with the sounds I got from this amp. I had never played through a Cube ever before, and can see why so many people here are enthusiastic about them. Great tone out of a little box !!

What is the verdict on the 80XL ? Some people seem to like it, and others definitely don't by the sound of things. It was the one I had in mind, simply for the 12" speaker, and a few more bells & whistles. However, if the new 80XL isn't that great, I may consider the 40XL.

Any helpful input from owners or users of either amp, would be gratefully received.
Cheers,
Grant.

Hi guys. I'm a fairly new member here, and I'm not a Cube owner (yet ?), but thought this would be the best place to ask a couple of questions about them.

I haven't seen any of the apparent favoured Cube 60's around for sale locally (I'm in New Zealand), and shipping any amp costs a fortune - and lots of eBay sellers simply don't want the hassle of shipping internationally.

I'm left pretty much with a choice of either a 40XL or an 80XL. (I don't want to go lower than the 40).
I got to play through a 40XL at a local guitar shop the other day, but only briefly. I was really impressed with the sounds I got from this amp. I had never played through a Cube ever before, and can see why so many people here are enthusiastic about them. Great tone out of a little box !!

What is the verdict on the 80XL ? Some people seem to like it, and others definitely don't by the sound of things. It was the one I had in mind, simply for the 12" speaker, and a few more bells & whistles. However, if the new 80XL isn't that great, I may consider the 40XL.

Any helpful input from owners or users of either amp, would be gratefully received.
Cheers,
Grant.
If you can be patient search you local ebay or ebay u.s.a. to find the cube 60 some one will ship to you in Zland.:wink:

I've owned two Cube 15s, sold one, missed it, bought another one.

Wouldn't mind upgrading to a 20 or 30 xl.

If you can be patient search you local ebay or ebay u.s.a. to find the cube 60 some one will ship to you in Zland.:wink:

Probably unnecessary to say, but a USA/Canadian model wouldn't be of the right mains voltage for NZ. If you really want to check out a Cube 60, I'd agree in suggesting patience - there are bound to be more than a few in New Zealand and one may come up for sale sooner or later. I use mine a whole lot (as I said in the other thread) and it's excellent, but I still reckon the TM60's a more "grown-up" amp.

However, none of the above answers your question about the 80XL model, of which sadly I have no personal experience.

Probably unnecessary to say, but a USA/Canadian model wouldn't be of the right mains voltage for NZ. If you really want to check out a Cube 60, I'd agree in suggesting patience - there are bound to be more than a few in New Zealand and one may come up for sale sooner or later. I use mine a whole lot (as I said in the other thread) and it's excellent, but I still reckon the TM60's a more "grown-up" amp.

However, none of the above answers your question about the 80XL model, of which sadly I have no personal experience.

Thanks Tony. No the Cube wouldn't be a "replacement" for a TM60 . . :wink:
We don't have a "local" eBay as such, but another auction website called Trademe. It's very similar, and I have bought and sold lots of gear via Trademe.

However, the Cube 60 is not one that comes up - so far - that I have seen. There are other Cubes, and battery Cubes, but the 60 is a very rare commodity.
I'll keep my eye out for one though.

If you can be patient search you local ebay or ebay u.s.a. to find the cube 60 some one will ship to you in Zland.:wink:

Thanks flag72. I will keep my eyes open on eBay, but as Tony has pointed out, the voltage difference that you have in Canada / USA market is different to New Zealand. I hadn't considered that.

Incidentally, your Canadian Rugby team is playing some very good Rugby down here at the World Cup. They are based in my home town (or very close), and them, and their supporters have been popular visitors here.

Worth bearing in mind that, good as the Cube 60 it is, it doesn't have quite as many "toys" as the later models - no looper, tuner or "power squeezer", for example, and the reverb or delay options are just a bit limited and mutually exclusive. But superb voicing of all the available sounds and pretty decent volume and clean headroom too.

Worth bearing in mind that, good as the Cube 60 it is, it doesn't have quite as many "toys" as the later models - no looper, tuner or "power squeezer", for example, and the reverb or delay options are just a bit limited and mutually exclusive. But superb voicing of all the available sounds and pretty decent volume and clean headroom too.

Oh ok, I didn't know that. Certainly the "toys" on the 40XL added to it's appeal.
However, what I liked most of all, was the really good clean sound of the JC model. The plate reverb was good too.
I thought it may be a way to approximate a nice JC120 Chorus - in a small package.
I'm looking forward to trying more Cubes out.

I've posted a few times in this thread about my 40XL. I would choose it over the Mutang if I had to choose one or the other. I've also owned the Trademark 60 and Trademark 10, and while they are excellent, I would not class the Cubes as inferior or less "grown up". That's silly!
The Cube has just as good as sounds and durabilty as the Tech 21 IMO and has some effects like delay, and tuner , that most of us use occasionally.
I would like to give the 80XL a chance one day, i've heard the negative reviews in comparison to the 60, but I think I'd like to see for myself.
The internet has all kinds of reviews/ claims from people with different tastes/ styles, so I think it's up to each one to see if it fits them.
These are awesome peices of gear, used for pro gigging and recording. So is the Tech 21 at almost double the price. I'd love to own everything! LOL

I've posted a few times in this thread about my 40XL. I would choose it over the Mutang if I had to choose one or the other. I've also owned the Trademark 60 and Trademark 10, and while they are excellent, I would not class the Cubes as inferior or less "grown up". That's silly!
The Cube has just as good as sounds and durabilty as the Tech 21 IMO and has some effects like delay, and tuner , that most of us use occasionally.
I would like to give the 80XL a chance one day, i've heard the negative reviews in comparison to the 60, but I think I'd like to see for myself.
The internet has all kinds of reviews/ claims from people with different tastes/ styles, so I think it's up to each one to see if it fits them.
These are awesome peices of gear, used for pro gigging and recording. So is the Tech 21 at almost double the price. I'd love to own everything! LOL

I certainly enjoyed what little time I spent playing the 40XL the other day. I agree. They are a great sounding little amp.
I'm not about to choose a Cube - over a "Mutang" lol :razz: (sorry). I have a Mustang 3 coming my way in a few days.
I am looking at getting another amp as well, and a TM60 is one choice I will probably make, but I would like to have a small amp to easily take around the place with me, that has "bells & whistles", and sounds really good. The 40XL might fit the bill perfectly. I'm keen to try the 80XL though. Apart from the extra power, it does have a couple of extra "whistles" that the 40XL doesn't have (mind you - it doesn't have the power squeeze I believe?)

I have mentioned somewhere else on this website, that I have been playing guitar for over 47 years now, and only very recently got introduced to the Cube amps . . . and that has been from reading posts from guys like you, on this website.
I'm very glad I read about them, and for the valuable information written here. They are a very special little amp!
Cheers,
Grant.

PS. . . I just noticed that your 'post number' was 666. Do write to someone else . . . !! :lol:

post 667 now!

Glad you have a Mustang coming, you're going to like it.
After reading this thread this morning, I pulled out my Cube and Epi Dot, it sounds gorgeous.

There are dozens of great amps, tube or solid state. I'm thinking of buying a Mustang 3 or aTrademark 60 (again, as I foolishly sold it during a bad time)myself. I have 2 tube amps presently, a 1963 Gibson and a 1977 Garnet. They are all wonderful.

However, what I liked most of all, was the really good clean sound of the JC model.

Definitely one of the Cube 60's major strengths and seemingly applicable to other models too. I tend not to bother with the on-board effects apart from a touch of reverb, but just to use my pedalboard into the JC Clean channel, do the gig and go home smiling.

But the great thing about the Cube is its full-size sound from a physically small unit. Many of my jobs are sufficiently restricted in space as to make even the TM60 or another "full-size" 1 x 12 combo too big for comfort and that's where the Cube comes into its own.

Hi

I think that 2 features of the 80xl are very useful. The external cabinet output and the 2 line out, one is like in the 40xl that mute the speaker and double as headphone out. The other line out doesn't mute the speaker ad it is useful when you play live and you want to use the amp as monitor to listen to yourself on the stage ad go to the PA with the line signal without microphone.

As far as I know many reviews state the superiority of the cube 60 on the old 80x but actually I think Roland solved the problem of the tone stack of the 80x in the new 80xl

Ciao

post 667 now!

Glad you have a Mustang coming, you're going to like it.
After reading this thread this morning, I pulled out my Cube and Epi Dot, it sounds gorgeous.

There are dozens of great amps, tube or solid state. I'm thinking of buying a Mustang 3 or aTrademark 60 (again, as I foolishly sold it during a bad time)myself. I have 2 tube amps presently, a 1963 Gibson and a 1977 Garnet. They are all wonderful.

Yeah I think the Mustang 3 is going to be a lot of fun! I'll kick around with that for a while, and decide if I want a Cube or the TM60 . . . or both !! lol. :razz:

I now have no tube amps, and no regrets about that situation. As long as it sounds good . . . "it sounds good" !! Tubes require replacement, and can be a bit "iffy" at times. I'm over that. SS will now be how I go, and it's quite a refreshing choice, especially with all the good SS gear available now.

Which do you think you will get ? The modelling amp Mustang, or the tone monster TM60 ? Either way, you can't loose I would think.
Have fun with you decision making.

Definitely one of the Cube 60's major strengths and seemingly applicable to other models too. I tend not to bother with the on-board effects apart from a touch of reverb, but just to use my pedalboard into the JC Clean channel, do the gig and go home smiling.

But the great thing about the Cube is its full-size sound from a physically small unit. Many of my jobs are sufficiently restricted in space as to make even the TM60 or another "full-size" 1 x 12 combo too big for comfort and that's where the Cube comes into its own.

That's how I see the value of the Cube amps Tony. That great JC sound, and in a small box. Very easy to take anywhere - with one hand !! :grin:
I kind of like the plate reverb I tried on the 40XL the other day. It was a bit different from just having the usual spring available on most amps. I realize that Cube has both.

I may have the opportunity to pick up a second hand TM60, and a new Cube 40XL . . . and a guitar I have always been keen to get my hands on . . . one of Trev Wilkinson's Vintage L.P. Lemon drop's. I love that Peter Green middle tone. I have a Vintage Strat V6 icon, and simply love that guitar. Trev designs nice guitars!

I will have to take something for this G.A.S. problem . . . . MMmmm ... :mrgreen:

Hi

I think that 2 features of the 80xl are very useful. The external cabinet output and the 2 line out, one is like in the 40xl that mute the speaker and double as headphone out. The other line out doesn't mute the speaker ad it is useful when you play live and you want to use the amp as monitor to listen to yourself on the stage ad go to the PA with the line signal without microphone.

As far as I know many reviews state the superiority of the cube 60 on the old 80x but actually I think Roland solved the problem of the tone stack of the 80x in the new 80xl


Ciao

I think you are right. The demo's I have heard on Youtube for the 80XL, have been great!
I haven't got anything to measure them against, as far as Cube's go, but I thought they sounded pretty good. Certainly the 40XL I tried the other day had beautiful tone.

The other features I was thinking of was the extra Fender style amp model,(can't remember off hand, which one it is . .) and the presence control. They are extras that the 40XL hasn't got.
That's a lot, packed into a small and tuff and very portable little package!
Cheers,
Grant.

Now you mention it, the voiced line out is indeed another handy feature of the bigger Cubes and also the TM60. I've used it sometimes, not so much in my case for additional volume but more to spread the sound out through the PA in certain rooms where this was desirable. The Presence control is effective and so too is the seldom-used-but-available-if-needed Bright switch on the JC Clean channel.

All the same, Grant, from what you describe as your own requirements I'm not sure you'd need all of these facilities in your Cube, so in your shoes I might just be tempted to settle for the 40XL as a complement to the TM60.

I now have no tube amps, and no regrets about that situation. As long as it sounds good . . . "it sounds good" !! Tubes require replacement, and can be a bit "iffy" at times. I'm over that. SS will now be how I go, and it's quite a refreshing choice, especially with all the good SS gear available now.

Which do you think you will get ? The modelling amp Mustang, or the tone monster TM60 ? Either way, you can't loose I would think.
Have fun with you decision making.


I agree with you 100% on the tube thing! In fact, I can get my Cube to sound 98% like the other 2 tube amps I have!

Not sure on decisions yet, but will let you know. I'm curious after the hype on these Mustangs fades a bit if people will still talk about them. Keep us updated ok Grant?
As far as the extra amp model on the 80XL over the 40XL... I tried it out at the store the other day, and by uping the midrange and gain on the Blackpanel model, I was able to get very close to the sound of the (Dlx) model. So I dont really think I am missing it with the 40XL. The prescence knob would be nice, but I think I have found good tones without it.
I mostly use the the Tweed model 95% of the time, adjusting the gain levels. That is the best to my ears, I just love it.
Again, keep us updated on your decisions/ thoughts!

I was jammin' my micro-cube last night, while watching the game. I hooked my phone up to the aux port, and jammed to my favorite tunes.

I agree with you 100% on the tube thing! In fact, I can get my Cube to sound 98% like the other 2 tube amps I have!

Not sure on decisions yet, but will let you know. I'm curious after the hype on these Mustangs fades a bit if people will still talk about them. Keep us updated ok Grant?
As far as the extra amp model on the 80XL over the 40XL... I tried it out at the store the other day, and by uping the midrange and gain on the Blackpanel model, I was able to get very close to the sound of the (Dlx) model. So I dont really think I am missing it with the 40XL. The prescence knob would be nice, but I think I have found good tones without it.
I mostly use the the Tweed model 95% of the time, adjusting the gain levels. That is the best to my ears, I just love it.
Again, keep us updated on your decisions/ thoughts!

The more I play the TM60 and the Cube 40XL i have on loan, the more I think that those two amps cover a whole lot of territory between them. If I were in your shoes, I would probably get the TM60 (+ maybe a Mustang ll for fun). :razz:

The more I play the TM60 and the Cube 40XL i have on loan, the more I think that those two amps cover a whole lot of territory between them. If I were in your shoes, I would probably get the TM60 (+ maybe a Mustang ll for fun). :razz:
Yea, I was thinking the same thing! Only limited room here, my wife will not be pleased (haaaa!) if I fill this place with too many more amps!
I'm trying to decide what to do here. If only gas would quit!:lol:

I'm trying to decide whether to get another Cube (as in 80XL) , a Trademark 60, or a Mustang 3 to run in stereo with the Cube 40XL.. I know... it's all over the map, but that's gas!
The Trademark is more than I want to spend though at this time.
I know... spend more now to spend less later...
Not totally convinced on the Mustang sounds / quality... and the 80XL seems like it may be redundant....
Maybe I should just be happy with what I have, after all I hardly jam now and play at home anyways.
Apoligies for going on... lol
Can you give any more thoughts on the sound comparison between the Cube and Tech 21?

I've been a little disappointed with the 80XL. I love the Cube-30 and continue to play it. I thought the 80XL would be even better-- but it's strange: I don't feel like I can get as good of tone from the 80xl. Maybe i need to turn it up, more?

I've been a little disappointed with the 80XL. I love the Cube-30 and continue to play it. I thought the 80XL would be even better-- but it's strange: I don't feel like I can get as good of tone from the 80xl. Maybe i need to turn it up, more?
I think that's the key to these Cubes, they are made to sound better as they get louder!
One thing I was reading , was the 80X tonestack was set to have more midrange than the 60.
They changed this for the 80XL.
Apparently the lack of large ports in the 80 compared to the 60 was so the speaker wouldn't blow. The speaker is supposed to be the same as they used in the 60.
Not sure how true this is, it's off other discussion forums...

maybe try this:

c4t9oC57osU

Yeah, I've tried that. That was actually the first thing I did when I got the amp. In all honesty, I need to spend more time messing around with it. I kinda felt the same way about the 30 when I got it, and then something just "clicked."

I think that's the key to these Cubes, they are made to sound better as they get louder!
One thing I was reading , was the 80X tonestack was set to have more midrange than the 60.
They changed this for the 80XL.
Apparently the lack of large ports in the 80 compared to the 60 was so the speaker wouldn't blow. The speaker is supposed to be the same as they used in the 60.
Not sure how true this is, it's off other discussion forums...

maybe try this:

c4t9oC57osU

Yea, I was thinking the same thing! Only limited room here, my wife will not be pleased (haaaa!) if I fill this place with too many more amps!
I'm trying to decide what to do here. If only gas would quit!:lol:

I'm trying to decide whether to get another Cube (as in 80XL) , a Trademark 60, or a Mustang 3 to run in stereo with the Cube 40XL.. I know... it's all over the map, but that's gas!
The Trademark is more than I want to spend though at this time.
I know... spend more now to spend less later...
Not totally convinced on the Mustang sounds / quality... and the 80XL seems like it may be redundant....
Maybe I should just be happy with what I have, after all I hardly jam now and play at home anyways.
Apoligies for going on... lol
Can you give any more thoughts on the sound comparison between the Cube and Tech 21?

There are a variety of solutions to GAS, but having it for too long, can be dangerous to your health !! :lol:
And lets face it . . . . generally, . . . wives just don't understand !!

Given that you already have a fine 40XL, my choice would be for the TM60. I just see the TM60, as more of your 'straight amp', where your Cube is your modeller. I think to run them in stereo would be great.
Depending on your taste in music, you could set the TM60 up to have a fairly distinctive tone - like maybe a slightly overdriven Fender Blackface, and the Cube to a JC Clean ?

The possibilities are endless, especially with all the channels, the solo setting on the Cube, and boost on the TM60 - you could have loads of fun! Think of all the possible combinations you could run between those two amps !
You can certainly get a huge variation in sounds between those two amps, and I really don't think that one, would make the other redundant.


I don't think I have helped at all !! lol :lol:
Maybe build on an extra room, buy all the amps you "need" . . . and be in the dog box for some time to come . . . MMMmmmm choices . . . . :confused: :razz: :shock: :lol:

Tell you what, I used my Cube 20X for a small pub gig this evening and it actually coped quite well. I even got asked by our lady singer to turn down - a not uncommon occurrence, but with a 20-watt 8-inch amp? The little beastie didn't even need to be turned too far up; certainly nowhere near full. I had the Cube 60 in the car as usual, but didn't need to use it. Score one for the little guy!

Tell you what, I used my Cube 20X for a small pub gig this evening and it actually coped quite well. I even got asked by our lady singer to turn down - a not uncommon occurrence, but with a 20-watt 8-inch amp? The little beastie didn't even need to be turned too far up; certainly nowhere near full. I had the Cube 60 in the car as usual, but didn't need to use it. Score one for the little guy!

Amazing !! I know the 40XL is loud . . . and so do my neighbours now . . .
I cranked that full throttle to see how loud it would go yesterday, and was very surprised . . . (as were my neighbours, no doubt !)

But an X20 - in a pub with a singer, and you being told you're giving it too much wellie . . . nice one !! lol :lol:

and BTW . . . what are you doing up at this hour ?? Can't sleep ? :lol:

But an X20 - in a pub with a singer, and you being told you're giving it too much wellie . . . nice one !! lol :lol:

Well, it is our dear lady guv'nor we're talking about here - still doesn't quite grasp the idea of projection and that the guitar may sound loud here, but it's out front, vying for audibility with the vocal PA and all the rest of it, where it counts. Oh well - I get paid anyway...

and BTW . . . what are you doing up at this hour ?? Can't sleep ? :lol:

Nah - slightly late gig and I usually have a snack and a cuppa when I get in, which was less than an hour ago as I write at 0233 BST. Hitting the sack imminently.

Well . . . I guess I am now 'officially' a Cube Club Member . . . I have just bought a 40XL and an 80XL.
Not sure how much play my TM60 is going to get now . . . :shock: :grin:

I'm VERY impressed with Cube's . . . needless to say.

Well . . . I guess I am now 'officially' a Cube Club Member . . . I have just bought a 40XL and an 80XL.
Not sure how much play my TM60 is going to get now . . . :shock: :grin:

I'm VERY impressed with Cube's . . . needless to say.Congrats!

I actually owned a TM60 for a while but I ended up selling it.

I still have a couple of Cube 60's.

I just bought another Cube 80XL, for home use.
My other one "lives" in my cars trunk when its not "at work".
I also bought a Bass Cube 120, and I'm lovin' it too.
Great sounding, bullet-proof stuff.

Not sure how much play my TM60 is going to get now . . . :shock: :grin:

I actually owned a TM60 for a while but I ended up selling it.

I still have a couple of Cube 60's.

Interesting. I also love my Cube 60 and, as well-documented here, gig it most of the time. Yet I still find my TM60 (with speaker upgrade) just that little bit more characterful and satisfying. Diff'rent strokes...

Congrats!

I actually owned a TM60 for a while but I ended up selling it.

I still have a couple of Cube 60's.

Thanks. I had thought about selling my TM60, but have only recently got it, and intend to persevere with it, as it is a quality amp.

The two Cubes are just so much fun to play, and both have great tones. I don't why it has taken me so long - to find these amps to enjoy.

I know I had looked at them in the past, in music stores, and thought that they looked 'insignificant' because of their size, and that they weren't valve amps . . . and simply passed them by.

Ignorance and snobbery . . . neither attitude - (or trait ?), are very helpful.

I'm now pretty much a convert to the "Dark Side" of electronic wizardry, and shunning the glowing light of glass tubes . . . (does evil laugh . . scurrying away towards music room) Haha . . . :twisted: :lol:

I just bought another Cube 80XL, for home use.
My other one "lives" in my cars trunk when its not "at work".
I also bought a Bass Cube 120, and I'm lovin' it too.
Great sounding, bullet-proof stuff.

You can NEVER have toooooo many Cubes . . . although, 'her-in-doors' . . doesn't seem to grasp that salient point . . . yet . . ?

And yeah . . . I think once a cube becomes totally 'toast', they could be loaded on board B52's, and used to bomb bad people . . ., as they would totally destroy anything they hit . . . :shock: :razz: :lol: :twisted: :roll:

I have a Roland Cube15 that I bought new in 2003. This is without a doubt the strangest amp I own. It is loud as hell for 15 watts. Much louder than my Fender Frontman 25R with an upgraded Eminence speaker. The Fender has a 10" speaker the Roland 8" which doesn't make any sense. When you think Roland you think Roland JC120 if your over 40 years old. Great clean amp, lousy dirty amp. The Cube 15 is the opposite. The clean channel which is modeled after the JC120 sounds dull. Not really a good clean channel at all. The OD side of the amp has 4 OD settings. They all sound good but not great playing power chords except for the highest setting called Metal Stack which sounds really cheesy. What is amazing about this amp are the 3 OD channels on the drive side when playing lead. The Overdrive, Distortion, and Metal settings are awesome when you are playing lead. They sound 100% tube. I mean they sound great. I mean they sound studio great. Yet the clean sound is weak and the heaviest OD sucks. This just does not make sense. Here's a shot of my Cube sitting on top of my Peavy Bandit. I think I painted the grill black a long time ago but I'm not sure. I think it came chrome. I would not hesitate to buy this amp again for $100 bucks just to solo on.

Love my 60, but would like more control over the tremolo, is it better on the 80xl than it is on the 60?

I own a Cube 100 my buddy gave me for helping him move.
I use it with my drum machine. It's built like a tank.

I have had a Cube 30 for about 6 years and a Microcube for about a year (bought it after buying my son one for practice). Love 'em both but want a Vox 4tv next.

Hey Guys. I just bought a Cube 80XL this weekend and really like it.

The one issue that I have is that when you're playing and the noise gate is not engaged, there is a background noise that sounds like rustling plastic grocery sacks. Has anyone else noticed or solved this issue?

Hey Guys. I just bought a Cube 80XL this weekend and really like it.

The one issue that I have is that when you're playing and the noise gate is not engaged, there is a background noise that sounds like rustling plastic grocery sacks. Has anyone else noticed or solved this issue?

Can't say I've heard that with my 80XL yet . . . ? Is your guitar cable alright ?
I've got a 40XL as well, and haven't had noise problems. It will be interesting to know if anyone else has the same problem ?

The noise in no way drowns out the principle notes I'm playing, and the tone of the notes I'm playing is great, but there is a noticeable hiss or something in the background of those notes. Anyone?

I had a simillar problem with my cube 60 ,turned out my strings/bridge wasn,t earthed on my semi accoustic 175 .

I have a new 40xl. I would err on the side of the guitar cable I have one of the low end Monster cables and I thought it was quiet. But discovered woth the 40xl that i was getting 60 cycle noise. I later tried a Hosa REAN cable, much quieter! And cheaper.

I think the cubes aren't shielded well. Where the Fender SCXD is nicely shielded so My Monster cable was not picking up as much noise on that amp.

FYI, Best Buy is clearing out some of the older cubes. Picking up a 20x today. $100 vs $150 for the XL.

Hey Guys. I just bought a Cube 80XL this weekend and really like it.

The one issue that I have is that when you're playing and the noise gate is not engaged, there is a background noise that sounds like rustling plastic grocery sacks. Has anyone else noticed or solved this issue?


Time to change the tubes :shock:...seriously I have an older Cube 30 and it sometimes does a similar thing, a bit of hiss or noise but not loud or defined enough to even describe.

FYI, Best Buy is clearing out some of the older cubes. Picking up a 20x today. $100 vs $150 for the XL.

The discontinued Cube20X is the only one with the rather nice Tube Drive model.

It lacks the "Extreme" model of the XL, which imo is a big plus in its favour, if you want that, just add a pedal. Roland shooting itself in the foot.

Cute little amp, goes anywhere.

Jeff - didn't you do a mod to your 20X to instal a proper earth? Mine has the standard 2-core mains lead, of which I'm slightly suspicious, despite so-called double-insulation...

Jeff - didn't you do a mod to your 20X to instal a proper earth? Mine has the standard 2-core mains lead, of which I'm slightly suspicious, despite so-called double-insulation...

Yes.

May I shout a big WARNING about this, and ask you to check your amps
.
You should routinely give all your amps a Portable Appliance Test (PAT) anyway, because you are connecting yourself to them.

The outer of the jack is connected to the chassis. So I believe, without checking, is the headphone/line-out. This constitutes an exposed chassis. By rights then, this is not "double insulated" and must be earthed for safety and by law.
I was rather shocked to find this when I PAT tested it, and I am surprised it passed inspection for sale of electrical goods.

What I did was open up the chassis and run a new 3-wire cable in and connect the earth wire to the chassis ground point - yes! it has one, for the transformer
It was as if they had forgotten to use a 3-wire mains cable.

Whilst I was in there I also gave it another 1/4-in stereo jack socket line-out for recording that does not shut off the speaker - running from the back of the existing headphone socket, but without the switching. I do have the circuit diagram.

Hi all,
I'm thinking of picking up a Cube 30x or a 40xl very soon, and I'm wondering
how many footswitches am I going to need to operate this amp without switching everything by hand ?

thanks

Hi all,
I'm thinking of picking up a Cube 30x or a 40xl very soon, and I'm wondering
how many footswitches am I going to need to operate this amp without switching everything by hand ?

thanks

In order to do everything you'll need three footwitches, seemingly dual ones with the 40XL, but you can of course choose to footswitch some functions and control others by hand. Here's a pic of the back of a 40XL:

http://www.roland.com/products/en/image_closeup.cfm?imgsrc=..%2Fen%2FCUBE-40XL%2F..%2FCUBE-40XL%2Fimages%2Fimage_04_L.jpg&alt=IMAGE%20GALLERY%20%3A%20CLOSE%20UP&title=Roland%20CUBE-40XL%20Guitar%20Amplifier%20%3A%3A%20Products%20%3 A%3A%20Roland

...and as you can see it's not a simple arrangement. Not the cheapest to organise fully, either, I'd guess.

Personally, with my Cubes 60 and 20X I just use external effects and don't bother with footswitching at all.

Hi all,
I'm thinking of picking up a Cube 30x or a 40xl very soon, and I'm wondering
how many footswitches am I going to need to operate this amp without switching everything by hand ?

thanks

I have ordered, and am just waiting to receive one of these footswitches by Voodooman. I had read about them on this forum, and they seem like a good way to go, rather than having three footswitches to worry about - and take up room.
http://voodoomanswitches.com/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,446/category_id,13/manufacturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,1/

It works out a lot cheaper for me to buy one of these, than three separate Roland footswitches - at least here in New Zealand. It may be different in USA price wise.
Good luck. The 40XL's are great amps.

What I did was open up the chassis and run a new 3-wire cable in and connect the earth wire to the chassis ground point - yes! it has one, for the transformer
It was as if they had forgotten to use a 3-wire mains cable.

Whilst I was in there I also gave it another 1/4-in stereo jack socket line-out for recording that does not shut off the speaker - running from the back of the existing headphone socket, but without the switching. I do have the circuit diagram.

Can you share the circuit diagram? Would that violate forum rules? I don't know if the info is proprietary or not.

Can you share the circuit diagram? Would that violate forum rules? I don't know if the info is proprietary or not.

I googled it, but cannot remember where. It's a generic Cube circuit but good enough for what I needed.
What I was implying was not to perform surgery without a diagram.
Size limitations dictate what we can upload here will be too low-res to be usable.

re the footswitch.
I made one - I'm going by memory and it was a few years ago.
This FS for the Cube20X switches
Button 1) channels i.e. preset 1 / preset 2
Button 2) FX on/off
This uses a stereo jack, tip/ring/sleeve detail in users manual
BUT the switches are intermittent make-contact and release, not on/off, not the normal FS switch.

Our house did burn not too long ago, so we are temporarily living in an apartment while waiting for its reconstruction. So it's the reason I went to get a Cube 40XL.

I wanted something to play quietly, I really like it. I haven't got the chance to push it yet beyond bedroom level, really low level even with power squeezer on, since I can ear the other people talking in the upper apartment ;-(.

I can say that at this level the JC Clean is really nice, BlackFace and Tweed are sweet with single coil and Metal with Humbuckers is nice. The delay and the 2 different reverbs are quite useful, I haven't really used the other modulation effects up to now.

I just got a Cube 80XL and an older Cube 15. They are great amps, especially for the price! Albeit I haven't gigged the 80XL yet, I have a feeling I might finally be able to do gigs without pedals, which I view as a plus. The Cube 15 sounds great with my Boss FDR-1 in front of it, too.

I bought a Cube 15 two weeks ago, for £20. Sat in at a friend's pub gig last night and ran my Supro lapsteel through the overdrive channel......

Plenty loud enough and gave a respectably dirty blues tone. Crazy bargain:-)

I just got a Cube 80XL and an older Cube 15. They are great amps, especially for the price! Albeit I haven't gigged the 80XL yet, I have a feeling I might finally be able to do gigs without pedals, which I view as a plus. The Cube 15 sounds great with my Boss FDR-1 in front of it, too.

Mate the 80XL will be plenty loud enough for any pub or smaller venue gigs, without a PA. I find the inbuilt effects like the delay and reverb in particular, to be very useful.
I have both a 40XL and the 80XL and those combined with my Tech21 TM60, cover all my amp needs. I am blown away by the quality of sounds from the little Cubes. They are amazing amps.

Given that this is a Cube thread within a Tele Forum this is probably the best place to solicit an opinion on this question. I'll appreciate your feeback guys and ask for more info if you need.

Two of my Tele's are equipt with CS Nocaster pickups. The CS 51 Nocaster is basically stock and the "Nashcaster" has a 4-way switch. So you're all probably familiar with the basic tone of those pups and the effect of the series position in the 4-way.

After a few years "out of the box" I'm back to playing again and rebuilding an equipment stable. I picked up a Fender Harvard Reverb II, 50w, 1x10" in a pawn shop for a song and it's a great little amp. Very typical clean Fender tone, tank reverb, master volume + gain and not bad sounding for a SS when pushed. My only issue with it is that it might be a little thin sounding for live gigs but great at home or in the studio.

The NC pups are very clear and chimey but might benefit from a bit more roundness out of an amp than this Harvard 1x10" can provide. I'm looking to be able to round out the tone without losing that clarity. Add a little beef and smoothness without using the series position which darkens the tone more than I like for some rhythm and riff stuff I do.

I'm thinking about a Cube and wondering how some of you feel about the 80w 1x12" vs the 40w 1x10". Do those of you playing Tele's tend to prefer the 12" speaker or does the 10" provide enough roundness and boost in the mids in this particular amp. Are there any other factors that would push you more towards one or the other. I'm more a riff and fill player than a soloist so huge volume isn't a big factor. This Harvard is loud enough to handle gigs (mic'd if needed) but just not the sound I'm looking for. Just looking for feeback from players who have experience with this guitar amp combination.

Thanks for the help guys.

I'm thinking about a Cube and wondering how some of you feel about the 80w 1x12" vs the 40w 1x10". Do those of you playing Tele's tend to prefer the 12" speaker or does the 10" provide enough roundness and boost in the mids in this particular amp. Are there any other factors that would push you more towards one or the other. I'm more a riff and fill player than a soloist so huge volume isn't a big factor. This Harvard is loud enough to handle gigs (mic'd if needed) but just not the sound I'm looking for. Just looking for feeback from players who have experience with this guitar amp combination.

Thanks for the help guys.

I don't have the exact same guitars and pickups as you mention and I haven't yet had personal experience of the latest Cube XL models. However, I do own four Teles with a variety of pickups - an AV62RI Custom, a Japanese '52 with Fender USA OVs, an ESP 400-series with Tonerider Hot Classics and a 4-way switch and a Squier CV50 with (reputedly) its own variety of the same Toneriders. My Cube guitar amps are a 60 and a 20X.

One of the first things I noticed about the Cube 60 when I got it was the midrange definition on the "JC Clean" channel. Not only is there more than adequate bottom end in this small 1x12 combo, but also that midrange enables the little beastie to punch above its weight in projecting the sound through a mix without having to resort to ear-splitting volume (of which plenty is nevertheless available). The EQ controls are very flexible and it's easy to dial in your preferred balance of tonality.

Over in the "Lead" section, the "Tweed" voice provides even more midrange and if desired can be kept clean by setting the gain low and controlling the level with the volume knob. A useful alternative in some circumstances. On the other hand, personally I find the "Black Panel" setting a bit too bright and scooped for my taste.

The little 8" Cube 20X understandably doesn't have the tonal flexibility of the bigger amp, neither at the bottom nor, perhaps surprisingly, at the top. But it too has a very healthy dollop of midrange, projects well and is quite loud enough for me to be entirely happy to use it on smaller gigs where really serious volume isn't required.

This still doesn't exactly address your questions about the current 12" and 10" Cubes, but I suggest that the inherent character of the Cube range is present in the newer amps and I would guess that even the 10" Cube 40XL would not disappoint you.

However, our New Zealand friend Grant R has both the 80XL and the 40XL, so perhaps he'll also chime in with his own views.

Thanks Tony. I'll try to flag Grant R down and get an opinion from him as well. I appreciate your feeback.

Guess I'll be joining y'all in this Roland Club. Just ordered a 40xl after playing on a friends Cube 30 and also playing my Tele through one of his 12" cabs. While I loved the smoothness of the 12" it just seems to take too much character away from my Nocasters.

The jazzier and bluesier tone is nice but that sparkle and chimey nature of those pups is diminished too much for my taste. The closed back 10" seems to get me where I want tonewise I just wish Roland had added a line out for the little beast.

Mic'ing is easy enough but it would also be nice to have the option of going direct when you wanted a quicker setup or in the studio. I would gladly have paid the few bucks more that may have added to the cost. I'll have a better opinion to offer after I've played it for a month or so. Should get here in a few days.

I just wish Roland had added a line out for the little beast...Mic'ing is easy enough but it would also be nice to have the option of going direct when you wanted a quicker setup or in the studio.

True, the line out featured on the bigger model is absent from the 40XL, but for studio recording you still have the headphone/recording stereo jack socket. It mutes the amp's own speaker output but you'd presumably have cans or studio monitors fed from the desk with which to hear the sounds.

I've had my single speaker Microcube for a couple of years. It lives in my living room and is currently my only amp-(apart from a surprisingly good-sounding Danelectro Honeytone, in surf green:grin:). I prefer the 'Classic Stack' setting with just a bit of gain for break-up, and the 'Black Panel' gets used a lot too.
Previously owned a COSM 60 and many years ago a 40. Was it blue? I really should get another 'big' Roland, they're great amps.

Hey Guys. I just bought a Cube 80XL this weekend and really like it.

The one issue that I have is that when you're playing and the noise gate is not engaged, there is a background noise that sounds like rustling plastic grocery sacks. Has anyone else noticed or solved this issue?

Maybe Roland modelled valve 'rustle' for added authenticity:cool:

Picked up a 40xl with the intention of using it for casino work because of the easy load-in load-out. With all the slot machine noise I figured it would sound good enough. Was pretty shocked the first time I used it @ rehearsal, sounds really good. Won't have to take my heavier and more expensive HRD out of the house very much at all. Still using my pedal board with mxr phase, flange, overdrive, dist, delay and cry baby wah. Sounds better imo. My change to the internal effects when I get lazy.

This is just out of curiosity, since what can be heard is much more significant than some numbers on a piece of paper. But if you look at the specs for the Cube models, Roland quote what they call a "rated power output" as distinct from a "Watts RMS" figure. For example, my Cube 20X has a "rated output" of 20W but its power consumption is given as 24W. Similarly, the Cube 40XL is quoted at 40W rated output and 46W power consumption. Best of all my Cube 60 specs say 60W rated output for 60W power consumption.

This last example indicates 100% efficiency, which is clearly bollocks unless Roland has managed to revise the laws of physics. Now, as I said it doesn't really matter a bit since the Cubes are good and loud anyway, but can anybody (Jeff?) provide any insight into how Roland can arrive at these figures and what the true RMS signal voltage, hence power output, at the onset of clipping is likely to be for one model or another?

True, the line out featured on the bigger model is absent from the 40XL, but for studio recording you still have the headphone/recording stereo jack socket. It mutes the amp's own speaker output but you'd presumably have cans or studio monitors fed from the desk with which to hear the sounds.

Yeah, and therein lies the problem of both mic'ing and running a direct line simultaneously as I've often done. It would have been nice if they'd just installed an on/off switch for the speaker like my Harvard instead of an internal kill switch for the speaker once the headphone jack is used.

It still appears to me that leaving these features off wasn't an oversight as much as a marketing strategy to move buyers up to the 80xl. What's annoying is not needing that extra power or the 12" speaker but missing out on a key feature like a simple line out and an on off switch. With all of the effects and COSM models what I'm suggesting is pretty simple.

If the little beast didn't sound so great I'd be really pissed, LOL. :mrgreen:

The 40xl arrived today and I'm impressed, very impressed. I love the way it sounds and the amp models nail those sounds pretty well. If I ever get AAS again it would probably be for a Vibrolux just to have a great Fender Tube Amp again but there very little I can see myself doing anymore that this little amp won't cover stand alone or mic'd.

I was surprised at the volume too. Some amps advertise 40w - 50w but don't have anywhere near enough headroom to reach that and retain their basic character. Not this guy. Loud or soft it's all the same. It's a damn fine amp for $200 that's all I'll say. When my "tone king" friend the recording engineer said I would love the way my Nocaster sounds through it he absolutely knew what he was talking about. NAD is a blast.

Hey guys, great thread; I've read every post and have been sold on the Cube.

I am looking at buying a Cube 40xl or 80xl within the next week. I will only be using it at home, as I am a hobbyist and will not be gigging. I have noticed that a lot of people who recommend the 40xl validate their recommendation by saying that the 40xl is "enough" for their purposes, considering that the 80xl costs more.

My question for everyone is as follows: assuming that they were BOTH the same price, which model would you recommend for home use, and why? (12" is too boomy, 10" is too thin, etc, etc.) Imagine that you went to your local shop and were told that they both cost 100 bucks, new... but you could only buy one... (hey, we can dream, right?)

My question for everyone is as follows: assuming that they were BOTH the same price, which model would you recommend for home use, and why? (12" is too boomy, 10" is too thin, etc, etc.) Imagine that you went to your local shop and were told that they both cost 100 bucks, new... but you could only buy one... (hey, we can dream, right?)

Get the 40xl for home. Play the hell out of it. The Speaker is good. Although, if you want to experiment, there are better speakers that it could be replaced with at a later time. You won't feel a lack of tone from the amp as the stock setup. The price is excellent. You will want footswitches.

If you find that you want to gig with it, Mic it. Sure SM57 would be the mic for the job.

These amps are amazingly portable and stow-able.

Suggested accessories :

http://voodoomanswitches.com/ (http://voodoomanswitches.com/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,688/category_id,13/manufacturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,1/)

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AMP150/

http://www.bscovers.com/commerce.cgi?cart_id=&product=Amp_Covers!Roland&pid=717


Have fun with it!

Hey guys, great thread; I've read every post and have been sold on the Cube.

I am looking at buying a Cube 40xl or 80xl within the next week. I will only be using it at home, as I am a hobbyist and will not be gigging. I have noticed that a lot of people who recommend the 40xl validate their recommendation by saying that the 40xl is "enough" for their purposes, considering that the 80xl costs more.

My question for everyone is as follows: assuming that they were BOTH the same price, which model would you recommend for home use, and why? (12" is too boomy, 10" is too thin, etc, etc.) Imagine that you went to your local shop and were told that they both cost 100 bucks, new... but you could only buy one... (hey, we can dream, right?)

Even at the same price I would still opt for the 40xl for the way you plan to use it. The only things it really lacks to make it better for gigging or recording is a line out. Considering the fact that you won't need that for home use that won't be a factor. Mic'ing it with a condenser mike in the studio of an SM57 on a gig will take you all the way to where you need to go if you ever do any of that in the future. Otherwise for $200 you'd be good to go.

This amp with a 10" is definitely not too thin. Nocasters are probably capable of more twang than any other pickup Fender makes and this amp can tame them down to a very nice bluesy middle with no problems and still open up the twang when you want it. It also has plenty of kick to it. Playing at home I doubt you'll be up much past the 9 or 10 o'clock position on the volume.

You'll eventually want to get some foot pedals to control the effects, looper and channel switching but they're more of a convenience than a necessity for home play. On a gig they're critical unless you stay pretty much with one setting most of the night. You couldn't go wrong with either amp but IMHO the 80xl is probably far more than you'll need.

Just wondering if anyone has found other footswitches that will work with the Cubes besides the BOSS FS-6's.?

My question for everyone is as follows: assuming that they were BOTH the same price, which model would you recommend for home use, and why? (12" is too boomy, 10" is too thin, etc, etc.) Imagine that you went to your local shop and were told that they both cost 100 bucks, new... but you could only buy one... (hey, we can dream, right?)

In the purely theoretical case you describe, I'd go for the 80XL. Even if you're never going to gig it and may not need the additional power, it still has potentially useful extra features such as a presence control (very effective, at least on my older Cube 60 model), a bright switch on the JC Clean channel, one more amp model in the lead section (meant to simulate a Deluxe Reverb), the line out feature we've discussed and an extension speaker socket too.

For the same money it would be a no-brainer in my view. However, in the real world, for your own particular purposes, you may consider the difference in price more than the extra goodies are worth to you as an individual user. In that case I'm certain that the smaller 40XL would not fail to delight you.

Thanks for the responses guys.

I should quantify my post by saying that I will pretty much exclusively be using the high gain channels as old wrist injury (I stopped playing for 10 years) has me restricted primarily to power chords. I attempted to get back into guitar playing many times, but swelling of my hand and wrist prevented me. Once I realized that I mostly enjoy playing mainly power chords songs (Greenday-esque) I decided to grab my axe and have fun on the couch (no pun intended).

I A-B'd a 40xl with a 80x at a local shop, and found that the 40xl was a "little fuller". However, they didn't have any 80xls in to do a true comparison. They will be in within the next week or so and then I'll be picking one up.

I have to say, however, that I have played a LOT of modelling amps recently (Fender, Line 6, Vox, etc.) and have personally favored the cube by a clear mile. (guy at the music shop pretty much asked me to leave while comparing the amps, as he thought I was disturbing the customers lol),

newfiesig

I've always had trouble finding comparisons that don't take price as a consideration. My father was asking my advice yesterday between two different computer routers; one 60 dollars, the other 100. I told him first to decide on which one he would rather, given the same price. If it was the 60 dollar one; no brainer. If it was the 100 dollar one, as yourself how much that 40 dollars would be worth considering you will be using the router for 2-3 years and rely on it for your network connection all across your house. Food for though.

Sorry for the rant... maybe I should post on a philosophy forum ;)

Sorry for the rant... maybe I should post on a philosophy forum ;)

Not at all; you're absolutely right. Not long ago I commented on a member's dilemma as to whether to buy a used Cube 60 privately or spend a little more on a new one being sold by a retailer as an end-of line run-out. My advice, for what it was worth, included a perspective on how much the extra cost amounted to when seen in the context of the projected duration of ownership. I suggested that it didn't amount to much at all to pay for the peace of mind of owning something that hadn't possibly been abused by a previous owner and was covered by a guarantee.

It's not exactly the same as choosing between two different models, but the general principle's the same - other things being equal, what's a few dozen bucks worth when divided by the length of time you'll be keeping the amp? An old saying could be relevant here: "Buy cheap, buy twice".

Ultimately only you can decide which Cube will better suit your needs. But as you point out, price alone is far from the only parameter to consider.

Which cube to get??? Locally I have found the cube 60 and a cube 20X. This would be for in house playing only so good tone at low volume is a good thing...
I tried the 15x model and I think it did not have reverb, I did not care for it.
Thanks

I would go for the 60, reason being: If you should decide to play with a couple of people in the future, you've still got that option. And you can find used ones for relatively cheap.

I agree with CostaRicaJones. I have both and, while the 20X is nice enough and does have the on-board effects, the overall tonality will be much like the 15X's. The 60 has a much better selection of voices, more responsive and variable EQ, more facilities and it sounds equally good at bedroom or gig volumes. What it doesn't have is the auxiliary input for pre-recorded backing tracks or other material, the "Power Squeezer" feature or a built-in tuner. But the quality of sound and versatility of the bigger Cube more than make up for that.

Are the 60's powerful enough for gigging? I played a Cube recently and really liked it.

Are the 60's powerful enough for gigging? I played a Cube recently and really liked it.

Absolutely. I do it all the time, and if you need it the amp has a voiced line out so it can be slaved up through the PA. I rarely if ever find that's necessary, but it's nice to know it's there.

Whats a decent price on the Cube 60 then? actually had an old cube 60 the old orange covered model. The clean was great, reverb did not work and the distortion did not work.
Should have left well enough alone. I tried to fix the distortion part and literally smoked it...It did sound very full sounding like a much bigger amp.

Whats a decent price on the Cube 60 then? actually had an old cube 60 the old orange covered model. The clean was great, reverb did not work and the distortion did not work.
Should have left well enough alone. I tried to fix the distortion part and literally smoked it...It did sound very full sounding like a much bigger amp.

The old orange-covered Cubes were very good in their day but the current COSM models are quite different and even better and more versatile. I'm not in a position to comment on used prices in the USA but if you check out completed listings on eBay it should give you some kind of idea of what you might expect to pay for one.

New question -- is it possible for the cube 40 to drive a 4ohm cabinet? Would there be any issues with the output transformer? I'm thinking of a 2x12 cabinet.

New question -- is it possible for the cube 40 to drive a 4ohm cabinet? Would there be any issues with the output transformer? I'm thinking of a 2x12 cabinet.

It hasn't got an output transformer as it's solid state. But I'd hesitate to connect a 4-ohm load to the back end, even with the internal speaker disconnected. To make sure, measure the DC resistance of the internal speaker. If it reads around 3 ohms you should be OK, but if it's 6 ohms or more the power stage is designed to see a minimum impedance of 8 ohms. Going below this will risk overheating and damage to the power transistors.

You could always wire the two 8-ohm speakers in the cab in series to give you 16 ohms impedance. This should be safe enough, though it will drop the amp's output power a bit. But leave the internal speaker disconnected.

It hasn't got an output transformer as it's solid state. But I'd hesitate to connect a 4-ohm load to the back end, even with the internal speaker disconnected. To make sure, measure the DC resistance of the internal speaker. If it reads around 3 ohms you should be OK, but if it's 6 ohms or more the power stage is designed to see a minimum impedance of 8 ohms. Going below this will risk overheating and damage to the power transistors.

You could always wire the two 8-ohm speakers in the cab in series to give you 16 ohms impedance. This should be safe enough, though it will drop the amp's output power a bit. But leave the internal speaker disconnected.

Or, I could build (or alter) a cabinet with two 16 Ohm speakers to get an 8 Ohm load.

I was hoping for a power increase based on the lower load. 8 Ohms would be fine if that is what the current speaker is.

I had actually considered just using one 15" speaker at 8 ohms. But two twelves will displace more air and give a rounder bottom. Rounder bottom is good.

;')

Rounder bottom is good.

;')

You certainly won't hear me arguing with that... :wink:

You certainly won't hear me arguing with that... :wink:

Agreed .

For all Cube owners, I found this, this morning, no I don't speak German, but was able to figure it out.

On that page you can find different tone settings for almost all Cubes models in pdf format.

Find your model and click on the red mark.

http://www.soundsderhelden.de/soundsderhelden.html

I haven't got the chance to try them yet, so I don't know how accurate they are, but I guess they should be close enough. :wink:

Over the Holidays I got a gift card for Guitar Center from my employees. Not really knowing what I wanted to get I went to the store and started checking different things and stumbled on the Micro Cube. After messing around with it I ended up getting it for nearly nothing after using the gift card and the coupon they had for the holiday. Tonight I actually got to use it at a gig. I'm running the record out to a powered PA speaker I have and I used it tonight with my band, (rock and country) and it sounded fantastic. The added effects were a big plus.

I've also tried it through my California Blonde amp with the horn off and wow, what a sound. Now I have a great portable battery powered amp that I can also gig with. And I absolutely am hooked on the JC Clean. I can't wait to busk with it. What a great tone from such a tiny amp.

Which cube to get??? Locally I have found the cube 60 and a cube 20X. This would be for in house playing only so good tone at low volume is a good thing...
I tried the 15x model and I think it did not have reverb, I did not care for it.
Thanks

I considered both the 15X and the 20X, and got the 20X for the extra bells and whistles. The now-discontinued Cube20X is the only one with the "Tube Drive" setting. It is perfectly capable of supporting a band in practice mode - you do not need 60 watts, that's a stage amp.

Re speakers - I have added a Ext Cab socket to mine, it shuts off the internal and it is for 4ohm.
Note - the DC resistance of an 8ohm speaker is about 6ohm, and the DC resistance of a 4ohm speaker is about 3ohm.

Does anyone else gig with a Micro Cube? I've been gigging mine quite a bit and last night I was playing and ran the record out to the PA. No matter what I did I was getting a distorted sound out of the PA and couldn't get a good tone. This is the first time I've run into this problem. I decided to try putting a mic in front of the amp and running it to the PA. No distorting, I like the sound better, I think and it gives me a bit of a monitor for the guitar. Has anyone else put a mic in front of a Micro Cube for gigging and do you like it?

I am liking this Micro Cube more and more as I use it. Very portable, light weight and so far I haven't really run into a problem using it. I'd like to have some other input from others who have tried/try this. Thanks,

I have been using the Micro Cube for 5 years as a practice amp at home and really enjoy it. The two models I use the most are the "Brit Combo" and the "Classic Stack." I decided to add the Cube 20X after reading lots of reviews about it. I use it for home use, but after seeing the video (below), and how it was also used live through two powered speakers, I realized that I made the right choice in getting the 20X. The video features the "Tube Drive" model only and I guess it was dropped on the Cube 20XL. I like the "Overdrive" model on the 20X. You do have to spend some time getting to know how to tweak the the Gain and Volume as well as the E.Q. section. It sounds great to me with both single coils on a Strat and humbuckers on a Les Paul Classic. If there are any drawbacks to this amp, it might be that the speaker seems directional, hence the player in the video chose two powered speakers to play it live.

Check this fellow out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2BMLWR27OE&list=UUMEaKRafZHSBl6dYylblWRQ&index=9&feature=plcp

Classicplayer

I too have a Cube 20X. Nice, but I do find the EQ much more restricted in effect than that of the Cube 60 - no real top or bottom to be heard. All the same, it's a handy small amp for practice or rehearsal in our singer's living room and it's even coped, without external assistance, with a couple of gigs in restricted-volume environments.

Ideally the Cube 20X should be modified to have a 3-core mains cable with a proper chassis earth (ground) connection, which it lacks as stock, making it less than 100% electrically safe. Not hard to do; locate and check out jefrs's post on this matter.

Tony,

If the 20X were plugged into an electrical strip with a 3-prong plug, would that work? I also noticed something about the eq section on the 20X. I think there is plenty enough range in the eq, but what I've noted is that just making a slight tweak will change the tone noticeably. That is why I wrote that you have to take some time tweaking and listening carefully. I actually have to write down my favorites settings the models. Right now I use the Tube Drive and Overdrive most of the time, but I've have been interested in the Metal Stack one also.

I contacted Roland about the 20X's models and the fact that they were not labeled with "clues" as to the actual amp modeled i.e. "Brit Combo", "Black Face", etc. Their reply was only to say that the amp models on the 20X were proprietary Roland COSM models. Very helpful, don't you think?

Classicplayer


Classicplayer

Tony,

If the 20X were plugged into an electrical strip with a 3-prong plug, would that work?

Afraid not. There would still be no electrical continuity between the chassis and earth (ground). Have a good look at post 172 on page 5 of this thread, in which jefrs describes the situation and what he did about it. NB: I seem to recall reading that as well as different voltage there are other variances between British and American mains wiring and power supply but in this case the principle is the same.

I also noticed something about the eq section on the 20X. I think there is plenty enough range in the eq, but what I've noted is that just making a slight tweak will change the tone noticeably. That is why I wrote that you have to take some time tweaking and listening carefully. I actually have to write down my favorites settings the models. Right now I use the Tube Drive and Overdrive most of the time, but I've have been interested in the Metal Stack one also.

I contacted Roland about the 20X's models and the fact that they were not labeled with "clues" as to the actual amp modeled i.e. "Brit Combo", "Black Face", etc. Their reply was only to say that the amp models on the 20X were proprietary Roland COSM models. Very helpful, don't you think?

I think it's probably true for any amp that it can take a little time initially to find your optimum settings, but as you say, once they're established it's easy to find them on a subsequent occasion. As regards the names of the models, I believe that the ones in the 20X are generic and possibly not as sophisticated as the ones in the bigger Cubes. Still, what's in a name? I tend to use mainly the clean channel anyway, but the "Tube Drive" is nice sometimes. Mostly I think it's a question of finding a voice that suits your needs at the time and that it doesn't matter so much whether it's notionally purporting to emulate this amp or that. It seems to me that Roland weren't being deliberately unhelpful; rather that there's no cut-and-dried answer to your question.

Thanks Tony.

I have a tech who's shop is near me. I'm going to have him take a look at converting the 20X to 3-prong plug. I imagine on models shipped to the UK and elsewhere where there is 220 voltage, it would be a major concern. Over here we have 110 or so, and that still can produce a surprise when one goes one on one with it. I will check the recommended link out that you gave us.

Classicplayer

Just picked up a 15x on ebay. $64.98 including shipping. Will be for home use and hopefully will be able to run my POD through it for reverb, etc. I'm also interested in how well it will match up for some harp playing.

Tony,

If the 20X were plugged into an electrical strip with a 3-prong plug, would that work? I also noticed something about the eq section on the 20X. I think there is plenty enough range in the eq, but what I've noted is that just making a slight tweak will change the tone noticeably. That is why I wrote that you have to take some time tweaking and listening carefully. I actually have to write down my favorites settings the models. Right now I use the Tube Drive and Overdrive most of the time, but I've have been interested in the Metal Stack one also.

I contacted Roland about the 20X's models and the fact that they were not labeled with "clues" as to the actual amp modeled i.e. "Brit Combo", "Black Face", etc. Their reply was only to say that the amp models on the 20X were proprietary Roland COSM models. Very helpful, don't you think?

Classicplayer


Classicplayer

Let's see I think there may be something in the manual but this should be close but this is for a 40xl. Don't know if a 20xl has all these models. The Extreme and Dyna Amp are Roland originals.

Brit Combo = Vox AC30
Black Face = Fender Twin Reverb
Tweed = Bassman 4X10
Classic = Marshall JMP
Metal Stack= Peavy EVH 5150
R-Fier = Mesa Boogie Rectifier
Extreme = High Gain Amp
Dyna Amp = Sensitive to Pick Attack/Dynamics

Dlx Combo = Fender Deluxe (Cube 80xl only)

For all Cube owners, I found this, this morning, no I don't speak German, but was able to figure it out.

On that page you can find different tone settings for almost all Cubes models in pdf format.

Find your model and click on the red mark.

http://www.soundsderhelden.de/soundsderhelden.html

I haven't got the chance to try them yet, so I don't know how accurate they are, but I guess they should be close enough. :wink:

Anyone able top print this from the PDF file. Looks like the print option is turned off.

Don't know if a 20xl has all these models...

No, it hasn't. It has a more limited selection of its own. That was the whole point of the question.

Speaking of the 20X, I gigged mine again last night and was once more pleasantly surprised at how well the little fella coped with the situation. As usual the Cube 60 was in the car but was able to take the night off as its little brother did its stuff.

Tony,

What is your setup like when you gig the 20X? Small club? Outdoors? Miked?
line out to a P.A. system? I'm impressed with my Cube 20X (different models than the XL). The models it has are "acoustic", "overdrive", "distortion", "metal", "metal stack", and "tube drive". The Tube Drive model is the best of the lot. Cube 20XL replaced the 20X and has different models. Roland has done a good job in eliminating some of the digital aspects of the sound. It is still present, but I'm able to e.q. the amp to "disguise" it pretty much. If I were to gig or play out, I'd try and find another 20X just for that "Tube Drive" model, and then run them together. If Roland can produce future COSM modeling as good as that "Tube Drive" model, then I'd say the modeling future looks bright.

Classicplayer

Four-piece band, small-to-medium West London pub, no actual stage, amp on a table behind me, just as it stood and not miked, Telecaster into Dynacomp into Zoom G3 into clean channel, volume between 12 and 1 o'clock, drummer moderately restrained... (The Zoom is set up with my own carefully-edited patches, but the amp has worked just as well with my pedalboard instead.) As described it worked a treat in that place; however, it wouldn't be enough for some of the bigger, noisier places we play at.

I agree regarding the "Tube Drive" model, though for my purposes I tend to leave the models on that side alone when at work and just occasionally use them for fun indoors.

I've had a MicroCube for years, actually I gave it to one of my sons, some cool tones in that little amp , though IMO the speaker is a bit weak.

I just got a Cube 80XL last Friday and used it at a rehearsal that night.
I'm pretty impressed, the clean tones are much better than I expected , the JC clean sounded very good and I was able to get some nice clean tones from the other models too.
The onboard effects are very good, I think I will have to check into one of the 6 button footswitches on eBay.
I was able to get some righteous OD tones using the Tweed model with the gain cranked and the Classic (Marshall) model sounds great too.
I like the DLX combo model a lot too, I think I prefer it over the other Fender (Twin) model.

I'm using a Roland Ready Strat, I replaced the stock pickups with the Lace Hot Gold hot bridge set. Running the guitar pickups into the amp and the GR55synth output into the Aux input on the back of the Cube 80.

It sounds great, small easy to transport package and definately loud enough to gig with. I may try an ext cabinet in the future and / or run a line out to the PA.

I got mine new for $341 shipped, you can't buy a used Fender Champ for that!
And this will do a LOT more than a Champ, I've had them.

I still LOVE tube amps, but the vintage ones can be tempermental, this is the first SS amp that I've bought new in about 26 years, and I think it will be a "keeper".

They are a great amp Ringo. I have the 40XL, and use that in stereo with a Mustang IV, and together they sound brilliant. I'm only playing at home, and don't need volume, but the twin speakers in the Mustang IV and stereo effects sound great IMHO.

Just like Tony has, I recently got a Zoom G3, and use that through the (JC120) Clean channel on my 40XL, and use it set up - so far - mainly as a Vox AC30 amp, with a Governor OD set with a bit of drive, and Tape echo on the other pedal. I use Reverb on the 40XL. On the M IV, I have been using a Twin reverb set up with a bit of delay.
Switching between the two amp, or having them both on together, gives some amazing sounds for what I enjoy playing . . . mainly the Blues / Jazz stuff.
At this point, I'm in sonic heaven !! lol :-)). The Roland Cubes are great amps. I can't recommend them highly enough, and I have used tube amps for years as well.
I don't own one now, and I'm very happy with what I have.
Enjoy your 80XL.

This has been around for a year so I don't remember if I joined but I have a Cube 60 that I just love.

Does anyone familiar with Roland Cubes know if Roland will be introducing any
new Cube models? The 20X, although still available online, has been upgraded not too long ago, to the 20XL and the 40 watt model also. I can only believe that their COSM models will get even better in the future.

I really have come to appreciate the Cube 20X's "Tube Drive" model on that particular amp, but I'm sure I could warm up to other models that Roland has put on their line of amps.

Classicplayer

Just picked up a 15x on ebay. $64.98 including shipping. Will be for home use and hopefully will be able to run my POD through it for reverb, etc. I'm also interested in how well it will match up for some harp playing.

Finally was able to take a little time to put this amp through the paces. Used a delay pedal to add a little depth. I was really digging the clean channel and was able to find a few good sounds on the overdrive and distortion channels (I'm not a metal guy so the two heavier channels won't get used).

Overall, I was pleased with the amp but when my wife told me, "that thing is loud" it really made my day:mrgreen:

adeiderich, that's a good price! Give us a report back on what your impressions of the Cube 15X are after you've played it for while. One thing I've learned with the cleaner models on the Cube is that if I roll the treble back some, I can get some convincing clean Jazz tones which to me, make the Cube 20X that I have, a real keeper amp. I have not tried recording or putting it into a P.A. as yet, but I'd like to hear owners' experiences doing either or both of those.

Classicplayer

Hello All, I just bought a Cube Street and really love it. One slight problem though..I want to monitor the mix when playing, using my in ear monitors, but when I plug into the headphone jack, the speakers turn off. I've looked at the jack from the inside hoping I could see what is happening, but it's sealed. Does anyone know of a workaround? I don't want to take the board out and start experimenting..My luck..I'd blow the thing up..Thanks for your thoughts..

OK, I figured it out. I found the Jalco 1/4 inch jack socket schematic. I had to remove the board and underneath, took short pieces of wire and soldered pin 4 to 5 and pin 7 to 8. This overrides the switch and you get sound at the speaker and the headphones. Now all I need is a volume control for the IEM's and I'm set to go. FYI.

O
I
8 7 4 5
I^I I^I

I I

adeiderich, that's a good price! Give us a report back on what your impressions of the Cube 15X are after you've played it for while. One thing I've learned with the cleaner models on the Cube is that if I roll the treble back some, I can get some convincing clean Jazz tones which to me, make the Cube 20X that I have, a real keeper amp. I have not tried recording or putting it into a P.A. as yet, but I'd like to hear owners' experiences doing either or both of those.

Classicplayer

Got a chance to play a little more over the weekend. I ran my guitars (Strat & Tele) through a delay to add a little depth (the 15x doesn't have reverb). Still impressed. Hooked up my Boss looper and had some fun. I was able to get some nice clean sounds and was able to utilize the volume and tone controls on my guitar to get a wide variety of tones. I was able to dial up some nice tight growls using the overdrive and distortion channels. Still looking to find a pedal combination to get that sag/tweed overdriven sound but it's a cool little amp. I'll keep it, for now:cool:

regarding - Earthing the Cube20X

The Roland Cube20X is marked as "double insulated" and at least the 220/240VAC UK model has no earth connection. Nota bene - an appliance is only allowed to be "double insulated" and have no earth if it is impossible to touch any part of the chassis - but your guitar is electrically connected to the chassis - therefore it is not "double insulated" and must be earthed. I have no idea if either Roland or the Trading Standards people are aware of this.

Solution is to fit a 3-wire earthed lead, and to connect that earth to the chassis ground point (which it does have).

Note - the circuit diagrams I have for the earlier Cube20 only show the 100VAC Japanese model without an earth, all others show an earth connection. I have no idea why this is. The earth is a safety feature. I have added one to mine, easy job, no problems.

I absolutely endorse the above post from jefrs and I'm about to carry out the 3-wire mains lead mod that he has already done. (Jeff - PM sent as requested re the circuit diagram.)

Tony, circuit diagram as above, it's all I have. Cube40 is similar. Note it is /not/ the Cube20X. J

The Cube 40xl owner's manual has 6 sample settings to achieve various tones and sounds (eg. Loud Metal, Rockabilly Slap). Is anyone aware of other sample settings that people use or have developed themselves?

The Cube 40xl owner's manual has 6 sample settings to achieve various tones and sounds (eg. Loud Metal, Rockabilly Slap). Is anyone aware of other sample settings that people use or have developed themselves?

Here is a list for various settings (link to pdf file, it's in German, but if I got it right these were made for a single coil guitar), I'm not sure how accurate they are, I set mine for my own tones.

http://www.soundsderhelden.de/download/SDH-CUBE-40XL.pdf

I don't have the 40XL but I used some of the settings that are shown for the 20X Cube. It seems to me that the gain and volume settings might be for playing live at a gig, or a very large room. They didn't work for me in a home practice situation. I found my own settings worked better. However, I really only use the "Tube Drive" model on the 20X with a stock Strat and a Les Paul.
I'd share those settings with anyone interested in the Cube 20X.

Classicplayer

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f23/guitrr/Gigs/OMKanewithGrosh-1.jpg

Here is a list for various settings (link to pdf file, it's in German, but if I got it right these were made for a single coil guitar), I'm not sure how accurate they are, I set mine for my own tones.

http://www.soundsderhelden.de/download/SDH-CUBE-40XL.pdf

Michel347,

Thanks, that is exactly what I was looking for. The intro/explanation is in German but the chart itself is in English so it is understandable.

guitrr,

What model cube is that behind you? The 40XL?


Classicplayer

re - amp settings, I just turn the knob to an appropriate amp model i.e. Tube Drive is the appropriate amp model, and then twiddle the other knobs just as you would any other amp to dial it in. The JC Clean is useful too but doesn't have its own eq.

The Cube takes pedals well which are better than the built in FX, so I use the reverb as you would a spring tank, and switch FX and channels with a simple home made foot switch (two foot buttons intermittent push-to-make, tip to sleeve and ring to sleeve)

The German PDF is an interesting read (it's been doing the rounds for a while), if you set it like zis you will sound like famous person X. Really? - erm, no.

A few more hours this weekend on the 15X. Keeps getting better every time I plug in. Added bonus....... plug in a mic and blew some harp on the distortion channel. Wow! What an easy change over. Just dialed down the treble some and let 'er rip. I've tried to do that with my Line 6 and still can't dial it in. It is definitely the most versatile of the 4 amps I currently own!

adeiderich,

Glad your enjoying the 15X. I think you'd also like the Cube 20X, which is what I have been using around the house lately. This week I have been experimenting with an American Standard Strat (stock) which I've been neglecting to play for the past couple of years. It sounds really decent on the Tube Drive model. I've dialed in perhaps more bass than most folks use with a Strat and it makes chords come alive.

This got me to thinking that I might like to use 2 Cube 20Xs side by side for better dispersion. The 8" speaker is directional IMHO. so running two might solve that problem. My question is, would it be better run two amps with a splitter box, or slave the second amp, if that can be done.

Classicplayer

I just discovered this subforum now. I recently tried to post some questions about the Cube elsewhere but I didn't get many replies. Perhaps this is the right place to post them.

I am a happy owner of a Cube40xl. I'm really happy with the tone I'm getting. I'm using a modded SX tele with a PAF in the neck pos. Alltogether a cheap setup but it sounds great.

My questions are:

1) I found a really cheap generic sustain pedal that I would like to use with the looper. This should work right? It has a switch for changing POLARITY. Just wondering... If I connect it with a wrong polarity could this RUIN the amp somehow? Or will it simply not work?

2) Is it posible to get sound from the builtin speaker and at the same time use the headphone output? Currently when I connect my headphones it silences the speaker (off course), but for recording purposes it would be VERY useful if I could do the other too...