Seeking jazz tones with old Cube 30

[staylor]

I'm an experienced player, but new member with an old question. My Roland Cube 30 is probably nearing 20 years old, so it's pretty basic. Now that I'm beginning to explore fingerstyle jazz on my Strat, I'm interested in how I might get something resembling a warm, traditional jazz tone out of this combination, even if that's not the ideal guitar for the job.

I'll appreciate any advice on settings and pedals, please. Thanks!

[bloos66]

If you happen to have this one - Roland - CUBE 30 | Guitar Amplifier - then you are all set for great jazz tones - either use the JC Clean channel with a bit of reverb/chorus, or the Black Panel and Tweed. I've been using the 30x for many years and especially love the Tweed channel with a Tele.

It's a great amp - but the JC Clean is apparently based on the Roland JC120 which - in general terms - should get you close to a good jazz tone.... your strat will be very versatile, you may have to find the pickup combination/setting that you are most happy with. Trust your ears ...

[oldane]

IMHO you dont need any pedals - except maybe an EQ if you are into the finest nuances of the tone. On the strat, block the tremolo, put on a set of medium (or heavier) flatwounds, set the action higher than super low to let the strings vibrate freely without slap and use the neck PU. Adjust the amp EQ to taste. I won't recommend any specific settings, since jazz guitarists taste are all over the place from the darkest Jim Hall to the brightest Tiny Grimes. With such a setup, your Strat won't deliver just a resemblance of a "warm, traditional jazz tone". It will deliver the real thing, and nobody in an audience will hear it as anything else. Pick over or near the neck PU. That way you can set the amp/guitar/EQ pretty bright and get get good definition and projection while still preserving a lot of warmth.

As for the amp, I have a Cube 40 from the 1980s. It became more "jazzy" sounding when I replaced the stock speaker (10") with an Eminence Lil' Buddy (hemp cone). It's a direct swap which takes about 5 minutes - no need for surgery. However, I don't know if you Cube 30 has a 10" or 8" speaker. If it's 8", the Lil' Buddy won't fit.

[Greentone]

1st, make sure you have .11 gauge strings or heavier on your Strat. TI Jazz Swing flats will give you a great jazz sound with the Strat.

[citizenk74]

I'm an experienced player, but new member with an old question. My Roland Cube 30 is probably nearing 20 years old, so it's pretty basic. Now that I'm beginning to explore fingerstyle jazz on my Strat, I'm interested in how I might get something resembling a warm, traditional jazz tone out of this combination, even if that's not the ideal guitar for the job.

I'll appreciate any advice on settings and pedals, please. Thanks!

[mr. beaumont]

For clarity, it is a modeling amp Cube, right?

If so, the hidden secret of the modeling Roland Cubes is to use the British Combo (Vox) setting, Set the gain so that the hardest notes you hit have just a little bit of grit, then run your volume on the guitar a little shy of full open if you want clean (or just use the sound with the grit, because that sounds great too)

[christianm77]

The blackface sim is IMO absolutely fine for jazz.

if you can’t get a jazz tone out of it, it may not be the amp that’s the problem.

The strat is probably the hardest commonly available guitar style to get an old school jazz tone on, at least in my experience.

Try restringing with flatwounds? You might need to block off the trem. Also, make sure you are picking over the neck pickup. Very important.

[Cunamara]

So... with the COSM cubes, all the settings seem to work for jazz.

[rsclosson]

When I had one, I also set the mid very high. After that I dialed in the bass and treble to taste. A touch of reverb and it sounded great.

[staylor]

Thank you all so much for so many good suggestions!

Heavier strings is a great idea, along with the reminders about playing over the neck pickup. Your experience shows the guitar and amp are up to the job, so I need to work on my expectations and technique on electric guitar. I play acoustic instruments most of the time, so electric guitar feels like a whole 'nother world--but if I'm consistent with it, it sure forces me to clean up my playing and get more articulate.

Thank you for reassuring me that my gear isn't the problem...but now I have no one else to blame but me!

I couldn't have asked for a nicer welcome with all those great ideas to keep me busy over the weekend. Thanks again.

[Cunamara]

So... with the COSM cubes, all the settings seem to work for jazz.

to be a little more serious, I find the clean channel is just a little too "JC120" in terms of being a little bit cool rather than warm sounding. I like the tweed channel (mine is a cube 60 rather than 30, however) and I tend to use it with the gain on the channel low and then the overall volume for the amp higher. That provides some clean headroom. As you bring the gain up on those modeling settings, you tend to bring in a little more distortion. It can sound pretty organic if you're looking for just a little bit of edge on the notes.


I have used mine for many gigs. The difference between a solid-state/modeling amp and a tube amp are really impossible to hear when you're playing with other instruments in a combo. The nuances get buried. In my living room, however, I do clearly notice the difference between this and my tweed Deluxe.

[Longways to Go]

All kinds of great jazz tones in a Roland Cube. I think the strat is more limiting.
They pretty much always sound like a strat. Not a bad thing, but they do have a certain sonic identity.

[staylor]

Thanks to all again. I continue trying out recommendations made here and tweaking from there, which as been a great way to get reacquainted with amp and guitar I don't really play all that often--until recently.