Cube 30, 60, or 80?

Dutchbopper · 11-22-2020, 07:58 AM

I am in the market for a used Roland Cube amp. I do not like my Katana 50 which will have to go.

Question. I like the sound of the Cube 20x I have borrowed. Do the Cube 30, 60 and 80 have the same type of sound as the 20x (that I really like)? Or do the bigger speakers of the 30, 60 and 80 change the character of the sound a lot? I will have to buy one online so without playing it.

DB

**blackcat** · 11-22-2020, 08:09 AM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

I am in the market for a used Roland Cube amp. I do not like my Katana 50 which will have to go.

Question. I like the sound of the Cube 20x I have borrowed. Do the Cube 30, 60 and 80 have the same type of sound as the 20x (that I really like)? Or do the bigger speakers of the 30, 60 and 80 change the character of the sound a lot? I will have to buy one online so without playing it.

DB

Sold my 60 last year Dick - big mistake. Had convinced myself that the minor, but constant hiss was a major problem - it wasn't in fact. 30 and 60 completely different sound ( speakers? ). Not sure about the 80. Still some bargains to be had. What don't you like about the Katana? I seem to remember you liking it a lot when they first came out.

DNA

**Gitterbug** · 11-22-2020, 08:24 AM

60 is the original. Right size for everything. Clean channel and Blackface voicing both fine for jazz. Effects (chorus, tremolo etc.) ok for occasional surprise touches.

Dutchbopper · 11-22-2020, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by blackcat

Sold my 60 last year Dick - big mistake. Had convinced myself that the minor, but constant hiss was a major problem - it wasn't in fact. 30 and 60 completely different sound ( speakers? ). Not sure about the 80. Still some bargains to be had. What don't you like about the Katana? I seem to remember you liking it a lot when they first came out. DNA

True. Must have been reducing my buyer's cognitive dissonance. But later I found the Katana sounding cheap. Boxy and trebly. The Cube20X I borrowed sounds much nicer.

DB

**medblues** · 11-22-2020, 08:48 AM

I have read so many differing and contradicting opinions comparing different size and versions of Cubes. I highly doubt that they change the preamp and modeling parts of the circuit so most likely it's the power amp modules and the speakers/cabs that drives the differences (in addition to personal biases).

If I were you, I would buy 3-4 of them online and do the comparisons myself, since they don't cost much this is feasible. Ultimately, it will save you time.

**djg** · 11-22-2020, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

I am in the market for a used Roland Cube amp. I do not like my Katana 50 which will have to go.

Question. I like the sound of the Cube 20x I have borrowed. Do the Cube 30, 60 and 80 have the same type of sound as the 20x (that I really like)? Or do the bigger speakers of the 30, 60 and 80 change the character of the sound a lot? I will have to buy one online so without playing it.

DB

yeah, the katana is just not very good. have you considered a used yamaha g50ii?

Yamaha G100 and Yamaha G50 amps

Dutchbopper · 11-22-2020, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by djg

yeah, the katana is just not very good. have you considered a used yamaha g50ii?

Yamaha G100 and Yamaha G50 amps

No, but I will now thanks!

DB

**MHoranzy** · 11-22-2020, 09:05 AM

I currently own a 40 and an 80. They’re both great, but the clean tones are quite different. Now the speaker sizes are also different (10 vs 12) which I think accounts for most of the difference. I can’t tell you which is better, but I can tell you the 40 tops out at a volume that can’t keep up with some of the drummers I gig with. That’s why I bought the 80. It can bury any drummer. But it’s also 12 pounds heavier...

**teeps** · 11-22-2020, 11:27 AM

I never owned neither the Cube 60 nor the Katana 50. So you can safely disregard my post.

AFIK one major difference between the two is the principle of the enclosure. Katana is open, Cube is closed. This affects the perceived sound, especially in the near field, and efficiency. What works well in a band setting may also be different from what is needed for noodling around at home. Both amps will benefit from being lifted off the floor.

**pingu** · 11-22-2020, 01:11 PM

FWIW
I once played a jam with a Cube 30 10" which sounded good

**teeps** · 11-22-2020, 05:36 PM

When I looked (seriously) for a lightweight amplifier to replace my old setup (Selmer 50W and a JBL K130 in a generosly sized ported enclosure made of 18mm plywood

) the Cube 60 was in top 3. I settled on a Redstripe Bandit which has nice cleans and offers what I need (volume/tone control and reverb). The Cube 60 has many fans.

**Peter C** · 11-22-2020, 06:00 PM

I wouldn't overthink it. If it's for playing at home, you say you already like the 20. For gigging, both the 60 or 80 (I have the GX) would work out great.

**gitman** · 11-22-2020, 06:22 PM

The first issue orange Cube 60 (with the original speaker) from the mid/late 80's is a very good (clean) sounding amp at low to medium volume levels. The trannies in these amps were all on the small side so there is a definite limit to their power handling capacity
i.e. the transients will start to buzz and the bass will fart out. The build quaility is very good though and most stand the test of time - IF you can find one still in good nick .....

**wzpgsr** · 11-22-2020, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

No, but I will now thanks!

DB

mkii series is great. I’ve owned one of each. I preferred the 50 for some reason. One word of caution: these amps are old and both of mine had pot issues. Some of the pots were really odd birds and hard to find proper replacements.

**fasteddie** · 11-22-2020, 07:34 PM

I never compared the different Roland Cubes. I have a Cube 80XL. I really like it. I play at home mostly so I really didn’t need the extra wattage. I went with the 80 XL because I prefer 12” speakers over 10” speakers for guitar.

I prefer tube amps but for a good clean jazz tone my Cube does a really nice job.

**Cunamara** · 11-22-2020, 10:47 PM

If you like the 20 for home use, I would suggest probably going with that. ISTR you have other very good amps to gig with. I have the Cube 60 which sounded great at gigs, plenty loud for bars and small clubs without reinforcement, but not quite my favorite amp at home (that is actually my tweed Deluxe).

**Gitfiddler** · 11-22-2020, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by Dutchbopper

I am in the market for a used Roland Cube amp. I do not like my Katana 50 which will have to go.

Question. I like the sound of the Cube 20x I have borrowed. Do the Cube 30, 60 and 80 have the same type of sound as the 20x (that I really like)? Or do the bigger speakers of the 30, 60 and 80 change the character of the sound a lot? I will have to buy one online so without playing it.

DB

Back in the 80's I had one of the orange covered Cube 60s. It sounded good then, and is still in use by a buddy of mine who I sold it to many years ago. Back when gigs were a thing I got a used Cube 80GX for band rehearsals and as a back up rig. Sounds great for its intended purpose and has great onboard effects. The best news is that they are dirt cheap on the used market. Finally, keep in mind that there are two 80 watt models, XL and the slightly improved GX. The XL has an extension speaker out and the GX does not.

**Cordalis** · 11-22-2020, 11:08 PM

To me the cube 60 Orange is the best - instant jazz sound enough for home or gig, driven a good speaker. Robust and lightweight.

**arielcee** · 11-23-2020, 01:57 AM

I can't compare all three, I once owned a cube 60 cosm for two days. Just didn't do it for me. I have an Orange cube 60 and it's pretty good. Orange cube 40 sounded quite nice though, I sold it to my friend. Almost like that one the best.

**blackcat** · 11-23-2020, 11:47 AM

One thing I forgot to mention Dick and that is to watch out for the plastic input jack. Common to 20, 30, 40 and 60 models - not sure about the 80 or those with an X suffix. These are of monobloc construction ( 'design by accountancy' ie spoil a brilliant product be attempting to save pence on a detail ), but worse than that the hexagonal retaining nut is plastic - and breaks. A problem recognized by Roland who became used to shipping out spares by the bucket load. I changed mine to metal and soldered a regular jack component to the board.

Just a thought.

David