Customer Reviews

Roland Micro Cube Combo Amp Red

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Plain and simple WOW!!!
This amp is really good for people who are just starting out and need a decent, affordable and quality amplifier.
It is small, light in weight, can fit your luggage easily when travelling( which I do a lot of), but above all,
IT CAN PERFORM!!!!

You can adjust it to your liking, choosing from variety of options;
No matter what style you want to play, chances are, that after you got to know your MicroCube better,
you will be able to set it up just the way you want.
It works on batteries as well!!(batteries not included)
Of course, it comes with a power cord and a carry strap.

I would recommend it to anyone that needs a small practice amp.

There are several types of practice amps. High end modlers (Line 6, G Dec, Vox VT) that can still run $400+ and are typically overloaded with features. The low end tubes (Fender Blues Junior, Bug V22, Peavey Valveking, etc). These typically are more stripped down (in features, not neccessarily quality). And then there are the micros. I always thought they were just a notch above toys, the sort of amps found in a prepackaged guitar set up from Wally World at Christmas.

Boy was I wrong...

I needed a portable amp for my son to take to and from practice after school. It was important to me that he could schlepp his own gear. He's not a big kid, so even 15lb. amps are pushing it(plus a gig bag and school back pack). That was initially what brought me to the Micro. Not sound or features, just the smallest possible amp for my little virtuoso. Turns out this is an AMAZING amp. The tone destroys the Line 6 and the features crush the Vox Pathfinder (6watt?) or Bug V12. And the Fender frontman - not even in the ballpark.

Each of the models are distinct. The cleans are sparkly (more trebly) and the high gain models are very articulate. Obviously this isn't a loud amp, but that's not all bad. You can get everything this amp has to offer at reasonable volumes. It also can be battery powered (the life is suprisingly long), includes a regular wall plug, headphone jack, built in tuning fork (which is kind of lame) and a series of onboard effects that can be run simultaneously. For example, I was able to crank up the delay and tremelo and pull off some Dick Dale surpher licks with suprising accuracy.

Don't let the size fool you. I honestly thought it was nothing more than a toy and I couldn't have been more wrong. There are several big websites and it's tough to find any negatives about this amp. Quality sounding and durable for a great price.

Oh - and the red - if you can find it - looks pretty sweet too.

Holiday gift to my son. He used it constantly all winter break. Great sound for the size. He really likes it.

There is a lot to like about the Roland Mini Cube. It's got a excellent modeling section to give you some nice amp sounds, whether you're playing blues, rock, or heavy metal. The effects are great - delay, tremolo, phase and flange. So if you're practicing at low volumes, this is perfect. And of course, it runs on batteries, which makes it an option for outside playing and busking.

But for me, I bought it to travel and perform at house concerts and small little outdoor gigs or busking. And the problem is: it is only 2.5 watts. It just doesn't have much volume in any kind of performance setting, even though all I am trying to do is accompany an acoustic guitar and voice. You can crank it, but the low end just distorts and lacks body and real tone. It sounds kind of tinny. I think that Roland could double the wattage, and use a nicer speaker, and produce a more professional product. Perhaps this is what the Cube Street is all about, but at $299, that model seems a little over priced.

Lastly, I think that the construction could be made more road worthy by recessing certain things (like the on off switch) so that not they are not subject to breakage when being thrown in the trunk of your car.

At this point, I have gone with the ZT Lunch Box amp, which is about the same size, but delivers enough sound (supposedly 200 watts, but it sounds more like 60 to me) to play with a full drum set. To be fair though, the ZT lacks the modeling and effects of the Roland amps, and does not run on batteries.