Questions about the Roland Cube 60

[SepultuRick]

Hi, i have seen that a few of you own a Roland Cube 60. It seems a good choice for me because its small, it has decent built in fx, it has a couple of high gain amp models and most of all it seems to have decent tone for a solid state amp!

My questions are these.

Question 1) Are the high gain models any good?

Question 2) Is there an fx loop, say i wanted to add an overdrive pedal, could i do this?

Question 3) Can i only use the Boss FS-5L pedals to switch channels etc? Meaning are they the only brand and type of pedal i can use to do the job?

Question 4) how is the bottom end in high gain modes? i notice the amp doesn't come with a celestion speaker which i am used to. Is the custom speaker good? Can it do chunky rhythm playing? does it have a tight low end etc etc.

Oh yeah one more question....Is this amp loud enough to play with a drummer?

Thanks in advance for any replies




P.S i have actually gone and ordered one anyway now but your comments would still be appreciated. thanks

[Diego]

Re: Questions about the Roland Cube 60

1) Are the high gain models any good?

Well... at low volume, they sound a bit muffled unless you crank both presence and treble. I think the Roland Cube 15 or 30 will make you sound better along with your CDs... However, at high volumes, the high gain sounds are GREAT! The 12-inch speaker pushes a lot of power.

-The Marshall JMP sounds very fat and not too bright, what you'd expect.
-The Peavey 5150 has a deeper bass, the mids are more scooped (it cuts through anyway) and the highs are more present. It's HEAVY!
-The Mesa-Boogie... it sounds like a chainsaw to me. With mids cranked it's usable, but not my thing. I'm pretty sure it will please the fans of that kind of tone, though.

Conclusion: VERY convincing high-gain modes, that don't sound weak as you start cranking it.

2) Is there an fx loop, say i wanted to add an overdrive pedal, could i do this?

No FX loop, but why would you put an OD on the loop anyway?

3) Can i only use the Boss FS-5L pedals to switch channels etc? Meaning are they the only brand and type of pedal i can use to do the job?

I just bought a cheapo switch pedal for 10 bucks and it does the job.

4) how is the bottom end in high gain modes? i notice the amp doesn't come with a celestion speaker which i am used to. Is the custom speaker good? Can it do chunky rhythm playing? does it have a tight low end etc etc.

It has tons, TONS of bass. Seriously, any Cube owner will back me up on this. They put out much more bass than what you'd expect from their looks. I guess the cabinet design plays a big role on this. Yes, it will do chunky rhythm with the right guitar and the right pickups, and it will sound tight, not boomy. I like the speaker.

5) Oh yeah one more question....Is this amp loud enough to play with a drummer?

I jammed with a drummer and a bassist yesterday. The volume stood at 4, and we were pretty loud! I was perfectly heard, with great tone.



Sincerely, I can't see how somebody could go wrong with one of these amps.
I don't think there's a better amp for the price!
If you have any more doubts, just say so and I'll try to help you.

[SepultuRick]

Re: Questions about the Roland Cube 60

Hey thanks a lot for that reply. It was really helpful. I will let you know how i get on with the amp when it arrives in a few days. It should be with me on tuesday.

By the way the reason i was considering adding an overdrive pedal to the loop was to try and push the gain models a bit if it was necessary. But it seems i won't need to worry about that.

thanks again

[Diego]

Re: Questions about the Roland Cube 60

Good to know I was helpful. I hope to hear from you, you'll be as happy as I am, guaranteed!

Pushing the gain? The pickups in my Ibanez aren't exactly hot, and the Peavey and Mesa modes have gain for days. The Marshall has a bit less, and I could see using an OD pedal only if in desperate need of sustain... not likely.

Good luck!

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

Re: Questions about the Roland Cube 60

The Clean Channel (Roland Jazz Chorus 120 model) is superb too! Clean all the way to the roof. Put a distortion pedal in front of this, and you'll know you've been spoken to! Bass is tight, deep and righteous. Effects on board are nice. The Bassman model also is very cool. Responds well and realistically to a overdrive booster. You have chosen well. Enjoy. Your mates will be floored by the super-sound. I found the Rectifier model faily usefull for face melt stuff using single coils. With buckers it gets out of control.