Any thoughts on Roland Cubes?

houseisland

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http://www.turretboards.com/
http://www.mojotone.com/amp-parts/amp-kits
https://tubedepot.com/products/tweed-5e3-vacuum-tube-amp-kit
https://taweber.powweb.com/store/kits.htm

This is just a hand full. There are more. Our forum member coastie has a plan for an awesome champ but that's a "from scratch" build. I love mine.

Very cool. These are not inexpensive, however. But they do look like great fun, and I would imagine there would be an enormous sense of pride, satisfaction and pleasure in powering up a successful build, something that would return everytime you plug in. I am certain that I will come back to this idea latter - the temptation is so great. And my amp builder/restorer/collector friend, who lives not so far away, could be prevailed upon for assistance.

But for the moment, I just want an amp that works and gives me a nice sound. I have a lot of work to do in getting my playing back to the non-embarrassing level it once was and would like to focus my efforts there, although I doubt the sincerity of my statement here - I am typing here and not practicing. Damn you guys for being so interesting!
 

mad dog

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No experience with Cubes. But since you're open to solid state, I can recommend an oldie. The Lab L-3. I sought one of these out, after really enjoying an L-5 2x12 years ago. Very light little amp. 60 watts, 1x12. Mine came to me with an upgrade speaker, an Emi GB12 I think. Never heard it properly until this week ... had used it a very low volume in practice situations. Finally gave it a proper test and was really impressed. With some clean boost and delay, master volume dialed back a little over half way, this little amp sounds beautiful. I liked the Quilter Aviator head, like this one even more. If you can find one, it's a great deal.
MD
 

houseisland

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No experience with Cubes. But since you're open to solid state, I can recommend an oldie. The Lab L-3. I sought one of these out, after really enjoying an L-5 2x12 years ago. Very light little amp. 60 watts, 1x12. Mine came to me with an upgrade speaker, an Emi GB12 I think. Never heard it properly until this week ... had used it a very low volume in practice situations. Finally gave it a proper test and was really impressed. With some clean boost and delay, master volume dialed back a little over half way, this little amp sounds beautiful. I liked the Quilter Aviator head, like this one even more. If you can find one, it's a great deal.
MD

Thanks. Another option. I don't think I have ever seen one of the Gibson/Norlin Line amps for sale here, though. I had never even heard of them until your recommendation.

Interestingly, my old friends who ended up doing the bar/club/roadhouse circuits of rural BC and Alberta in the 70s and 80s, never took their tube amps on these types of tours, at least not after the first experience of bouncing around in their tour buses on country roads. Solid state all the way. :tongue-new: Not that they preferred solid state.

I like tube amps, but they are generally more expensive to buy and maintain. However, old school ones with single layer PCBs are almost always repairable. New school SS amps with multilayer PCBs are often only repairable by replacing entire boards, and when the boards are not available..... :angel: they go to amp heaven.

I have been watching this 64 Gibson Mariner on CL, although it is a little out of my price range: http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/rds/msg/4739971106.html The relatively reasonable price must be because of the missing G. The amp now looks like a Norwegian playwright.

00m0m_fXVqHPtfSRA_600x450.jpg
250px-Henrik_Ibsen_by_Gustav_Borgen_NFB-19778_restored.jpg


I also need to drive out the valley to look at an Ibanez Whole Tone 80.
 
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D4 Racer

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I can't believe someone is mentioning a Roland Cube. And a Cube 60 at that! I've got one of these little orange ear manglers and for it's size is one of the loudest amps I've ever heard. No, I didn't mention tone. My ears are too mangled for that. But as a member of a three piece, sort of punk band in the late 80's we used this thing as our entire guitar amplification on several occasions. A lot of beer has been spilled on that cube and it still rocks. I was just cleaning up the pots last night. For a little dough, it's a lot of show. Got mine in a pawn shop almost 30 years ago. It's simple, just the way I like'em. Vol, mstr vol, treble, bass, reverb and overdrive knobs.
Find a deal, do it. You can resell it if you hate it.
 
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I am a bit of an amp dinosaur — a 1969 Traynor YBA-1 Bassmaster and a circa 1979 Burman and an assortment of beefy speaker cabs have been my two main forms of amplification for many years. But they're heavy and I'm getting old. About six months ago I went into my local guitar store to buy a new lead — and came home with a Roland Cub 40. It's not loud (clean) enough to use with my pop/rock'n'roll band (we don't mic up the backline) but it's proving a decent enough companion to the A150 in the little trio side project (guitar, double bass, vocals performing mostly 'standards') that has been taking shape recently. It weighs next to nothing, was very inexpensive and I generally keep it on the Roland Jazz Chorus setting.
 
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