Roland Cube 60 First Gig!

[ChickenKiller]

I got to wanting a Roland Cube 60 cause of tdpri induced reasons...so a few months ago I found a Cube 60 used for $150 from a College student and when I got it, it is in stellar shape! like new. (just tired of dealing with tube rattle, and 3000 pound amps)

Well, I got a call a couple weeks ago to play for my former WL, I had to learn 2 new songs, get dressed, pick up an acoustic player, then drive an hour and half, and I had about 45 minutes to get ready to leave.

Well I have not messed with the Cube much at all, so when I got to the Acoustic guy's house I put it on Blackface setting and got a clean gritty sound then I put my tubescreamer type homemade pedal infront of it and dialed in an overdriven sound, learned the 2 songs real quick and out the door. (Playing a Tele HH FMT)

When I got there I turned up to sound man's pleasing (he likes guitars!!) and I had to monkey around with the gain and volume some and adjust the bass a bit, but man this little amp SURPRISED ME IN A GOOD WAY! I set it up on a cushioned chair and leaned it back some and I did not have to mic it or anything, it was a room that held 400, and about 100 ppl were there. I wasn't even up to half volume, we had a drummer, keys, and acoustic and I was plenty plenty loud!

My fist solid state performance in a LONG time!

You guys talked me into buying one of these, I owe yall a thumbs up!

 

[soulman969]

Glad you discovered one of the hidden gems of the amp world brother. Rolands SS amps bow to nothing.....well maybe a 100w Marshall Stack, but even then I just played an outdoor gig with the other guitarists playing Marshall stacks and at 6-7 on the master of my BC 60 they still weren't burying me into oblivion.

They are amazingly loud and full sounding for their size and with that closed back you can set the latter day Cubes up anywhere. The cleans are as good or better than you can get from any amp made and they take pedals extremely well. Even the Fender, Vox, and Marshall COSM models are a fair representation of those amps although I tend to use the Dyna Comp setting for my Lead Channel most of the time or the Tweed Bassman.

I'm just hoping they stay largely undiscovered and less popular because they are SS. It keeps the price of used ones very reasonable. You paid $150 for a used Cube 60 that to me (less a few features) is every bit as good a gigging amp as a new 80xl that goes for $350-$400. Even the 40xl at $225-$250 will get the job done at smaller gigs or mic'd for bigger ones.

I can pair that one with my Bugera v5 and have plenty of juice for any gig I play or pair it with my BC 60 and I get a great stereo pair. Congrats on your find. Your back is gonna love you too. I'm done hauling anything over 50lbs these days and that one is about half that.

 

[ChickenKiller]

...snip... Dyna Comp setting for my Lead Channel most of the time or the Tweed Bassman....

What gain/volume setting and how do you use the Dyna Comp? I have monkyed with it to no profit, but I Love the concept.

I liked the Black Face, not messed much with the Tweed. I just don't have time to mess with my stuff anymore grrr.

 

[soulman969]

What gain/volume setting and how do you use the Dyna Comp? I have monkyed with it to no profit, but I Love the concept.

I liked the Black Face, not messed much with the Tweed. I just don't have time to mess with my stuff anymore grrr.

I don't play with high gain settings so with the Tweed or the Dyna Comp settings I'm usually anywhere from 9 o'clock to 11 o'clock on the gain and volume to suit wherever I'm playing it. Here's how the Dyna Comp is supposed to work.

The Dyna Comp is designed to act somewhat like a tube amp, like say a Fender Deluxe, because unlike most ss amps it responds to guitar volume and pick attack. The suggested method for setting it up is to run the guitar volume wide open and adjust the gain to whatever level of OD you want. Now roll back the guitar volume and it cleans up and it will also respond to harder or lighter pick attack like a tube amp.

Although I have the FS-6 footswitch I don't really use the solo setting for either though. I have a clean boost pedal on my board and I prefer to use that. The high gain models are interesting to play around with but I don't find them useful for doing gigs or in rehearsals.

 

[slippin slider]

Congrats on your sucessful gig and your sucessful purchase.
It feels really good to hear a story with a happy ending now daze.
I just want one thing clearifed if you will indulge me.

Did you really say that a SS amp sounded good? It had no tubes?
And you say that it sounded good. Its small/compact , and keeps up with a band live?
I need to go lay down. I am having a massive case of conceptual dissonance.
Good for you.

 

[ChickenKiller]

Congrats on your sucessful gig and your sucessful purchase.
It feels really good to hear a story with a happy ending now daze.
I just want one thing clearifed if you will indulge me.

Did you really say that a SS amp sounded good? It had no tubes?
And you say that it sounded good. Its small/compact , and keeps up with a band live?
I need to go lay down. I am having a massive case of conceptual dissonance.
Good for you.

Ha ha , yeah I said it was a SS amp that sounded good, no tubes, it is very good small/compact amp, and it was plenty loud with a drummer, piano, and other guitar. ha ha

 

[soulman969]

Congrats on your sucessful gig and your sucessful purchase.
It feels really good to hear a story with a happy ending now daze.
I just want one thing clearifed if you will indulge me.

Did you really say that a SS amp sounded good? It had no tubes?
And you say that it sounded good. Its small/compact , and keeps up with a band live?
I need to go lay down. I am having a massive case of conceptual dissonance.
Good for you.

LOL, if you really want to fool folks into believing one is a tube amp the old analog Blues Cube 60 actually looks more like a tube amp, is about the size of a Deluxe Reverb or a Classic 30, and also sounds deceptively like a tube amp. Roland's amps are very underappreciated by the masses.

 

[teleforumnoob]

My bandmate has one. Love the JC clean on that thing.

 

[brookdalebill]

What's not to like?

 

[Shango66]

I had a similar exp with my cube 40.
Playing a gig in someone's lounge room that's been cleared of furniture for a dance floor.
Do I need a large tube amp for that?
I like the British voiced vox setting.
Great amps!

 

[michar]

Not to hijack the thread, but a quick Q for those 40XL or 80XL owners out there (and maybe applies to the 60 as well).

My lead channel, on "Black Panel", sounds much quieter than the other amps modeled. Is it the same with yours?

Thanks in advance!

 

[soulman969]

Not to hijack the thread, but a quick Q for those 40XL or 80XL owners out there (and maybe applies to the 60 as well).

My lead channel, on "Black Panel", sounds much quieter than the other amps modeled. Is it the same with yours?

Thanks in advance!

Yes. It's a lower gain stetting modeled after a Twin Reverb. Pour on the volume and the gain and it stays clean all the way up the way a Twin will.

 

[bluescaster72]

I play a 80XL on the JC channel with a little tremolo at Church and it really does a nice job . Also Use it at blues clubs as well.. It really is an incredible amp once you know how to dial in the sounds.

 

[Bartholomew3]

I have tube amps and also a Cube 60 COSM.

It's more about the "feel" of the amp rather than the sound. Plus many tube amps are "thicker" sounding than SS.

To me the tube amps feel better and I play better when I feel it more...ymmv.

Have had a few pretty good nights with the Cube 60 also and it's nice to never think about tube replacement.

 

[michar]

Thanks soulman969 - I thought that might be the case. It makes quick switches between amp types a little bit inconvenient...hardly something I do often. In fact I'd had the thing for months, and just now switched it *out* of rectifier mode for the first time...

 

[Mike Eskimo]

Yeah - the amp selector knob is kind of like a gain knob in itself (going from the acoustic sim on the left to the hellfire and damnation one on the right).

I mainly use the Tweed setting w/ no gain but I played my umpteenth gig w/ my Cube 60 this past weekend and I'm really going to experiment more w/ the Blackface setting using a clean boost and keep trying the hardest to use out of all - the Vox model.

Have never been able to get that particular one to sound good.

Love the tweed setting though w/ a Tele and actually did an A/B test between that and my bandmate's '59 Tremolux. Essential character is very similar.

Congrats on the amp Chickenkiller - $150 is great.

If I saw one for that price I'd grab it - and I already own one !

 

[Hiker]

Is there more than one version of the OP's 60 watt amp? I've wanted one for awhile!

 

[Mike Eskimo]

^^^^

There are other Cube 60's but this is the one you want :

http://www.rolandus.com/products/details/640

 

[garytelecastor]

I am so glad that you had a chance to find a 60. They are getting rare. I have used mine since approx 06 for every kind of gig imaginable. It has covered them all with nothing but grace.
Last weekend we were at a gig for the 100th Anniversary of an Opera House. I actually never got the amp above 3 on the volume. Of course we go through the PA but the amp is just so player friendly.
I kind of get a giggle when I hear people talk about how SS is junk and if you want warm tone you need tubes. I run my compressor and a Barber Tone Press for boost and the amp just fills the space.
One other thing you might like to try, if it's possible, is to run the amp through a 4X4 cab.
You will be knocked off your feet.
I have recently bought a Mustang 2 III and I am going to try that for a couple of gigs, so the Roland will stay in the Band trailer.
But I am definitely going for a Cube 80 if the 'Stang doesn't work out.
At the end of the night I need just a little more push.
Congratulations on the amp, and at $150 you really got a great deal.

 

[garytelecastor]

Is there more than one version of the OP's 60 watt amp? I've wanted one for awhile!

Have you thought of the 80? It has a few more features and is a tad bit louder than the 60.
Of course, it couldn't hurt to have both.