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.....and maybe an upright bass?
I'm referring to the original Roland 2 watt, single 5" speaker amp. I need something I can strap on the back of my bicycle, and one of these has turned up at a good price.
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03-15-2014 09:04 PM
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It'll work, but depending on the setting you choose, low notes might fart the speaker out.
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Clean settings only, which I believe corresponds to the "JC" and "Black Panel" models. My usual instruments are a Heritage "Les Paul" and an Ibanez Artcore AF 75.
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With my guitars, the blackface model facts out at higher volumes. The JC is fine.
My favorite jazz tones through the micro cube are actually clean settings on the vox model.
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+1
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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Another + 1 here. The blackface model seems to have a limiter built in and it's not very loud; the vox is the most usable, both in terms of tone and clean headroom. It'll work with a piano and bass in a quiet rehearsal setting in a small room, but not beyond that IMO. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
John
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If you can change the speaker with a higher efficiency slightly larger speaker (people have reported replacing with Jensen Mod speakers) without losing the price and hassle-free advantages, it might work better for performance. I had used a car stereo speaker for replacement years ago but although it did much better with loud bass notes, overall loudness did not increase (because car stereo speakers are usually not very efficient). Price not withstanding, you would be better off with one of the ZT lunchboxes.
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yes, i've often used the micro-cube when playing with an upright bassist (also in a trio with upright and (sane volume-wise) saxophonist...BTW the cube is a mighty THREE watts, not two
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Thanks a lot for the input. I actually briefly tried out the little amp in a kind of pawn shop, albeit with background ambience music - their "company policy" dictated that it could not be turned off!! I deliberately dug in on the lower register notes but couldn't properly hear what was happening there and, anyway, the guitar I borrowed in the shop was strung very light, with attendant string flap.
The Vox model, I assume, refers to the "Brit Combo" setting, but with gain set low?. This setting, or the one right next to it, gave up some amazing lead Blues tones.
I probably wouldn't bother with any speaker swapping and yes, a new Lunchbox Jr. would appear to be the ideal solution, but at 2-3 times the cost!
Ha, all I need to do now is find a sane sax player, then!
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Hello Peter C.
I'm only a member on this forum since yesterday and I read you play an Ibanez AF75. Next week I will have a look at it and probably choose between the AF75 BS and the AK95 DVS, one of the last available, which I don't know but seems to be a beautiful instrument with an excellent warm sound. Are you satisfied of your AF75? Thank you.
Sorry: forgot to add the important thing: intended to buy the Ibanez guitar together with a Roland Micro Cube. Does it offer enough jazzy sound with the JC function?
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I like the AF75 well enough. The neck tapers off quite a bit towards the headstock, but I've got used to it. What I did need to do was install a nut with wider string spacing, the original being too cramped for my fingers. D'Addario Chromes work well on this guitar, less so nickel plated roundwounds, IMO.
As I mentioned, I didn't get a proper chance to test the Micro Cube, but check out the comments above. I'll quite possibly go for it.
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Thank you very much for your information. I didn't react immediately yesterday because as a matter of facts I was out for the guitar all day. And just to update: I managed to put my hand on one of the last available AK95 Dark Violin Sunbursts and I'm very happy with it (for now). It is a beautiful instrument to see and its sound is like one can read in the reviews surprisingly good for its price. The finish looks also good. We'll see how it goes in the coming period. I live on Lake Garda in Italy, I'm Dutch, and I was lucky to find this piece near Milan. As you will probably know the model is out of production since last year. I bought also the Micro Cube GX, seems alright, but I have to learn how to use it.
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Forgot to tell: On this guitar D'Addario nickle wound strings 0.10 have been provided. I find them a little bit hard to play on this first day, but I haven't played in 25 years, because I preferred the tenor sax. So the guitar is new to me. You think it is better to choose flat wound chromes, I believe. Do they play a little bit easier? Thanks.
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Congtrats on your guitar. If you haven't played recently, your fingertips will be soft as a baby's, so any kind of (metal) string is going to feel hard. The Chromes actually have more tension than nickel roundwounds, but feel smoother. I believe they're available in 10 guage, so maybe start there.
I got the Micro Cube and first impression is that the Brit Combo is indeed maybe the most useful model. The Classic Stack also yielded some interesting tones with the gain low - it is LOUD! The JC model is pretty, but low notes seemed to lack definition. Anyway, definitely a good bit of kit and loud enough to work with an upright piano.
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I agree with what you are saying about the low notes. Nevertheless I like the JC and Black Panel enough to use them in my studio (not a music studio of course!). The other features like Classic Stack and all the distortion-types are secondary, not too interesting for me. The clean jazz sound while playing already satisfies my desire to make that kind of music. When I bought the guitar, the shop let me try it on a Fender Mustang amp, which obviously sounded better, but I accepted the difference. Actually in another shop a few month before they recommended me an Ibanez Wholetone (used, an occasion) which should be really great for jazz sound. I read some reviews on the internet and consider that amp when I will be a little bit used to the guitar. Meanwhile I will go for D'Addario's chromes, like you suggested. 0.10 or 0.11? Thank you again.
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I haven't really delved deeply enough as yet, but the classic Stack model with gain at min setting and guitar volume at maybe 50% retained good note definition with more "edge " than out-and-out distortion, which I rarely use.
11s will bring out the guitar's acoustic qualities better than 10s. A lot of players use 12s or 13s, self included.
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It sounds delicious when you are playing solo guitar in a quiet room, i.e., no clanking knives, forks, and folks telling jokes to each other. With a piano and bass...the Micro Cube is, IMO, a challenged amp--even on JC setting. You want a little more oomph, at that point. I play a ES175, which is much like your AF-75. I generally want something about the size and power of the old Roland Cube for the kind of venue you are talking about.
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Additional food for thought: a guy I sometimes play with runs his Micro Cube into the PA. It works well.
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Never played a micro cube but the cube 30 that lives at my band's practice space tends to muddy up in the low register at loud enough volumes to keep up with an upright piano. May be the stock speaker.
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Seems like I forgot to mention that this is for rehearsal use only, with the amp placed atop the piano if necessary!
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A Micro Cube lined out into a PA sounds surprisingly good. By itself, it's marginal, with the Brit Combo (VOX) model at minimum gain producing the loudest clean volume in my experience.
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To all of you, thank you ever so much. It is nice to read all that information given by people who love these instruments and their music. It helps me a lot to learn.
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Well, I've rehearsed with a cajón on a couple of occasions now and this little amp is a gem. I just leave it on the Brit Combo setting with gain set low and forget about it. It will gladly handle two or even three signals when I use a looper for arranging. Excellent tool!
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I recently jammed with a guy who had a Cube 30 and while it sounded great for single note stuff at lower volumes, it sounded terrible for all chording and at "horn" volumes even the single note stuff sounded pretty bad, to my ears anyway. Originally Posted by pantz
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I'm two months further now with my guitar and the amp. Meanwhile had the guitar given a good setup by a wellknown luthier here in Verona. Changed the strings for D'Addario flatwounds jazz 0.11, like Peter advised, and I'm satisfied. Through the Micro Cube GX I play it on the JC Clean position with gain around 2,5, volume open, high tones arounbd 5 and quite some reverb. Master on 5. Rest to minimum. The guitar (obviously) on the neck PU and the tones on approx. 3, so very low. For my taste the AK95 then sounds really sweet, especially on the higher frets. I love it.
I use only two functions, the other one is Black Panel with half reverb and effects on heavy octave. A great "old fashioned" sound for latin american feeling.
Sorry, it's only my opinion, you all are much more experienced and I agree immediately that the Fender amps and the Jazz Chorus will be beyond compare. They will come later, I promised myself.
Another thing about the guitars: I was wondering if anyone of you really heard a well set-up Ibanez Artcore jazz box and one of the excellent guitars like Gibson or others, both through the same good amplifier (no matter which one). Was the difference really heartbraking and drammatic, or maybe less than many people want to admitt? Of course I'm not talking about the models George Benson f.e. plays.
Just curiosity, nothing more.
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