Roland Micro Cube - Pretty cool "toy!"

Frank Estes · Post by **Frank Estes** » 4 May 2005 6:22 am

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/demos/480196/index.html

Check out the video demos on the link above. The little amp runs on 6 AA batteries or an included power adapter. I bought it because there was some talk that my wife may sing for a group of kids with me playing acoustic. I did not want to buy an acoustic-electric since I have plenty of electric guitars in the stable. So, this is the answer and the acoustic amp simulation is not bad.

It weighs about 7 lbs and you can strap it onto your shoulder--very portable. They claim the battery life is 20 hours.

The built-in effects are Boss effects, I believe and perhaps I missed the news that Roland owns Boss??

Anyway, I found one on Ebay for under $100.

I played my push-pull through it last night with only the Zoom 505 between my steel and the amp using just reverb on the Zoom and I could not believe how good it sounded with little 5 inch speaker. The JC (Roland Jazz Chorus) amp model seemed to sound the best.

I am not saying one should gig with it, but what a fun little "toy" that is pretty impressive and if called on to do acoustic backup, I will use one of my electric guitars and this little gem.

Check it out!

------------------
<A HREF="http://frankestesmba.com/" TARGET=_blank>Frank Estes
1978 Emmons D-10 8+7 #2441D
1968 Emmons D-10 8+4 #1234D</A>

D Schubert · Post by **D Schubert** » 4 May 2005 6:58 am

Last Saturday, I picked up a new one at the local music store for a $109 blowout price. Have played Telecaster, Supro Lap Steel, and S-10 P/P through it so far.

The "jazz chorus" and "blackface" amp settings suit me best, the others have too much overdrive for me (but you might love it). There is enough clean volume to play along with another acoustic guitar or two, but that's about it. Controls for effects are easy and intuitive.

I also ran a line from the "record out" into a Fender Deluxe Reverb...need to experiment more but this may turn out to be a great little pre-amp/effects box as well.

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 4 May 2005 7:22 am

I run the rec out on mine to the input of my Carvin Vintage 33 tube amp at practice. I play electric sitar, fretless guitar and hammered 12 string through it.
Works great!
Also great for living room jams, outdoor in the woods jams...runs a long time on the 6 double A's....

Jay

Kevin Mincke · Post by **Kevin Mincke** » 4 May 2005 1:07 pm

Yep, me too!

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 4 May 2005 2:38 pm

This thing is more than a toy, that's for sure.
I havn't found anything that doesn't sound at least 'good' thru it.

Mic'd thru a club's karaoke system is a winner, or slaved/pre amped as mentioned.

It ain't perfect or the ultimate, but it's close, and definitely fun fun fun.

The perfect stocking stuffer for Christmas in July![This message was edited by Ron Whitfield on 04 May 2005 at 03:42 PM.]

Paul Arntson · Post by **Paul Arntson** » 4 May 2005 7:59 pm

I love mine. I bought it while on vacation last summer in California. I wanted something other than headphones for my lap steel.
The only time I haven't liked it is with my Magnatone Lyric D8 going thru a compressor. The compressor interacts somehow with the input (which has a non-defeatable noise gate it sounds like) and there was some distortion I couldn't get rid of.
Other than that it has been great. And the batteries really do last as long as they say!

George Rozak · Post by **George Rozak** » 4 May 2005 8:50 pm

I got one of these 4 or 5 months ago, primarily for lap steel, but it's a great practice amp for pedal steel too. It has an input for a play along CD & a headphone jack. If I want a little more power I patch it into a Stewart 100B (only 5 or 6 pounds) connected to a 10" Eminence BP-102 bass speaker/enclosure that I picked up awhile back. It's still a lightweight practice rig with power to spare. I've also tried it with a PX-300 & it sounded pretty good that way too.

------------------
Sho-Bud: Professional & Fingertip

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 5 May 2005 2:40 pm

it's excellent for jams where you mostly have ukes, and acoustic guitars and upright bass! (no drums and steel is the only elec. instrument) If you don't have one , you're missing some big fun!

------------------
Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"Listen Sooner"
www.book-em-danno.com
www.seldomfed.com

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 6 May 2005 4:56 am

I have one and love it but wish it had a more beefy speaker.

Suprisingly my Bakelite Rick sounds great through it but my Archtop Electric/Acoustic guitar overdrives the speaker. I would of thought it would be the other way around.

------------------
Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 6 May 2005 3:32 pm

Gerald, stuff some hamburger in there

------------------
Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"Listen Sooner"
www.book-em-danno.com
www.seldomfed.com

Richard Cooper · Post by **Richard Cooper** » 7 May 2005 7:44 am

I got two new ones for $99 each at Guitar Center.
I can fit both of them plus my volume pedal, tuner
and cords in a medium size nylon bag. I got a cheap
folding keyboard seat at Walmart. I can carry all of it
plus my Williams S10 in one easy trip. You will be surprised
how two of them sound together, and no electric power
needed. I'm loving it!

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 7 May 2005 1:14 pm

Will Ray has a column in GP Magazine. Last month he acquired one of these amps and gave it a positive rating.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 7 May 2005 2:46 pm

A nifty little amp. I got mine on Ebay for $80 bucks. It has surprisingly good tone and quite a lot of tonal versatility for a small practice amp. You can get warm, overdriven, and even some useable setting for surf music all at living room volume. Great product.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 8 May 2005 1:38 am

OK I've got to dissent from this love fest. I read all the great reviews so I went down to my local music emporium and tried one of these. It was OK, but nothing like my old Oahu 15 watt tube amp, which is really about the same weight. If I really needed battery power, I'd probably buy one of these, but non of the built in amp models really impressed me.

Terje Larson · Post by **Terje Larson** » 10 May 2005 10:50 am

This is a great street amp. One of the best to come in years. I have played in the streets for over 10 years (not steel guitar but anyway) and this amp is as good as they get. Sure, there are better sounding street amps but not in this price range and not this small. And those two things mean a lot for street players, sometimes more than the sound.

But this amp sounds pretty damn good compared to almost anything that runs on batteries, it's beaten only by the Maxi Mouse, the Crate Limo and the A.E.R. Compact Mobile, but then the two latter are 40 to 50 watt amps that cost at least five times as much as Micro Cube does and weigh ten times as much.

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 11 May 2005 6:27 pm

Well...with the way my "career" has been going I'll be in the streets pretty soon so I better check one of these out!!!

[This message was edited by Garry Vanderlinde on 11 May 2005 at 07:28 PM.]