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Topic: Roland Cube (15W) |
Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Posted 5 May 2007 11:29 am |
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Dear folks,
I have a Roland Microcube which actually sounds really good with my National New Yorker. The only problem is the bass - I guess the speaker is too small to handle this. I saw that a local guitar shop is flogging its bigger brother - the 15W Roland Cube - for only £39 (about $80), which is a real bargain. Has anyone tried this one? Would it have the same sound quality as the Microcube but presumably a bigger speaker that would handle the low frequencies a bit better?
I'm looking for something in between the handy little Microcube and my heavy 100W Marshall amp.
Cheers,
Fred
_________________
www.fredrikkinbom.com - New lap steel album out now - listen here: fredrikkinbom.bandcamp.com/album/songs-for-lap-steel-and-harmonium |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 5 May 2007 1:00 pm
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| I got the Cube 60 with the different amps samples. Nice. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 5 May 2007 1:39 pm
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Hi Fred,
If you want to stay with a battery powered amp I would suggest the Vox DA-5. Same price as the Roland, similar effects but more watts (5 watts) and a 6.5" speaker as compared to the 4.5" on the Roland. The bigger speaker handles the bass tones much nicer.
For bigger gigs I to use a Roland Cube 60. I also heard that Jeff Au Hoy is curently using a Roland Cube 30 for gigs. The Rolands are built like tanks and have a decent tone.
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Posted 5 May 2007 1:57 pm
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Thanks for the input Bill and Gerald!
They are selling this Cube 15 at almost half price as it seems to have been replaced by the "Cube 15X" (with some sort of gain level boost at low volumes), so I thought it might be worth getting one at this low price. Do you think the speaker size on the 15W version would be a significant improvement from the Microcube when it comes to clean bass tone, or would it be necessary to step higher up the cube-chain?
Cheers,
Fred
_________________
www.fredrikkinbom.com - New lap steel album out now - listen here: fredrikkinbom.bandcamp.com/album/songs-for-lap-steel-and-harmonium |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 5 May 2007 2:34 pm
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Gerald states: "The Rolands are built like tanks and have a decent tone"._____________________________________________________
Very true. Rolands are made in China and have "quality" built all through them. I have the 30 watt model...a really rugged reliable amp, light weight. I use the "tweed" tone setting which is just right for the Hawaiian sound I prefer. 
http://www3.telus.net/public/lake_r/ |
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Curt Langston
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Posted 5 May 2007 4:35 pm
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Gerald says:
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| The bigger speaker handles the bass tones much nicer. |
I respectfully disagree..............
I tried them both, and the Micro-Cube was way out in front.......
Just my 2 cents! |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 5 May 2007 5:12 pm
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I use my Vox DA-5 for lap steel, ukulele and archtop guitar. The Microcube did well for the steel and the uke but turned into a buzz box for the archtop. The speaker crapped out on the low notes.
IMHO the Microcube is worthless for a guitar unless it's a solid body used in a rock or blues setting.
_________________
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
A UkeTone Recording Artist
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Hawaiian Steel Guitar/Ukulele Website |
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Gary Boyett
From:
Colorado/ Lives in Arizona
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Posted 6 May 2007 3:45 am
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| Fred, If I remember the 15 does not have reverb. The 20 does. If you can live without that it sounds like a good deal. |
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Fred Kinbom
From:
Berlin, Germany, via Stockholm, Sweden.
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Todd Weger
From:
Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 6 May 2007 5:56 am VOX Pathfinder 15R
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Fred -- I bought one of these for under $120 about two monnths ago, and I totally LOVE it!
http://www.zzounds.com/item--VOXV9168R
Take your lap steel with you down to a music shop near you that carries these, and try one out. You can get any amount of 'grit' (if that's what you want) into your tone at about any volume. It's only 15 watts, but they're pretty full soundng watts. Here's part of the blurb:
With the classic good looks of its bigger brothers, the new 15-Watt, 1 x 8 in. Pathfinder 15 combo packs a profusion of Vox style and sound into a highly compact and affordable package. Like other family members, it sports typical Vox characteristics like basket-weave vinyl, diamond grille cloth, white piping, gold beading and, of course, "chicken head" pointer knobs.
Performance Control
The Pathfinder 15 houses a wonderful sounding, vintage Tremolo effect and is extremely versatile when it comes to tone. Its distinctive, maroon colored top panel features a Gain Boost switch plus controls for Volume, Gain, Treble, Bass, Tremolo Speed and Tremolo Depth. Both the Gain Boost and the built-in Tremolo are footswitchable via an optional Vox VFS2 dual footswitch, offering you even more performance power.
Bulldog Speakers and More
The Pathfinder 15 produces 15 watts of power that drives a specially voiced 8 in. Vox Bulldog speaker. In addition to a Headphone output that mutes the internal speaker for "silent" practice, the rear panel also has a specially filtered Line Out jack for recording/live work and an External Speaker output as well.
The Pathfinder 15R is identical to the Pathfinder 15 but also features an onboard Spring Reverb system with a Reverb control that adjusts the level of the effect.
The reverb isn't the best I've ever heard, to be sure, but it IS reverb, and sometimes a little bit is nice, depending on the tune. This is one of the 'tubey-est' sounding SS amps I've ever heard, and using the line-out into the PA, my guitarist (using a Heritage jazzbox) was very blown away by the tone.
TJW
_________________
Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, E13, A6); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Custom-made 25" aluminum cast "fry pan" with vintage Ricky p'up (C6); 1938 Epiphone Electar (A6); 1953 Oahu Tonemaster; assorted ukuleles; upright bass |
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Bob Watson
From:
Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
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Posted 6 May 2007 1:35 pm
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| I have been using a Roland Cube 60 with my P/P Emmons with a C&W band I play with and I like it as much as my Peavey LTD. I use the "Black Panel" setting which is a Blackface Fender Twin amp model. We play a lot of American Legions and Eagles clubs and I have plenty of headroom. Sounds great on both necks. Weighs 32 lbs ! |
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