Fender Twin VS Roland Cube

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

I'm in a amp tone quest and I messing with my Fender Twin Reverb 65 Reissue and from reading different post in the forum I realized that maybe I would be happier with a Roland Cube 80 than the twin. I really love the tone of the twin but don't like the noise and the weight of it.

The Roland seems to have the advantage of a light weight, no noise and a line out (a big advantage for live show).

Any thought about the tone of the Cube VS the Twin?

Thanks

[Tim Marcus]

no comparison. Two totally different animals.

The one thing they both have in common is that they are made in China.

[Howard Montgomery]

I do not believe the Fender Reissues are made in China.

What "noise" are you referring to? I have a Twin Custom 15 (same chassis) and it is dead quite.

[Bob Hoffnar]

I cannot imagine playing through a Roland Cube 80 on purpose. Zero personality with annoying EQ bumps and limitations. A perfectly dreadful crappy sounding amp.

I use the Fender reissue twin amps for rented back line sometimes. They get the job done but are such a poor shadow of what they are pretending to be. At least they are better than the "Steel King".

[Brad Bechtel]

So what would you recommend, Bob? I don't know if this is for lap steel or pedal steel, but I've been pretty happy with my Roland Cube 80x. It's loud, clean, quiet, and easy to move.
I stick with the default clean channel and don't mess much with the amp modeling, though.

[Doc Hall]

I'm with you, Brad. The Cube is a good amp.

[Earl Foote]

I have a Twin and a Cube 80XL. My Twin is actually a QuadReverb and I bought a Twin cabinet off the Forum and I switch the Innards back and forth from time to time. I have never really been totally at home with the Twin sound but there was a period years ago when I used one for guitar and steel, the two channels were nice to have. I just bought a Cube 80 XL a few weeks ago and I am happy with the sound / tone I am getting thus far with both guitar and steel. I even ordered the Voodooman switch so I can access the full functionality of the amp. I like the EQ on the Roland because it seems more active than most amps, the bass control actually dials in low end rather than simply cut it.

I get the feeling Bob doesn't like the Roland.

[Len Amaral]

The hernia factor is an issue with the twin. Buddy Emmons once commented he wished he could have the sound of a Fender with the punch of a Peavey.

[Tim Marcus]

the new Fenders are made in Mexico... with mostly Chinese parts inside. My bad.

[Tom Wolverton]

Jean , It appears you're becoming a "tone slut" like most of us. It's a lifelong thing, don-cha know? Just about the time you think you've found the "Holy Grail" amp, you'll go play a gig in some strange room were it doesn't work so well. It's like fishing, there are good days and bad days (gigs). But the more you do it, the better it gets ( or maybe you start not being so demanding on your tone). Who knows? But yes, tubes sound better (when done right). I'd rather play a tube amp over a Roland, but that's my personal bias. Eventually your tone-substance abuse problem will lead you to a high end amp. Maybe a Fox, Milkman, Little Walter, etc, etc. Like it did for me. Wives and girlfriends (spouses in general) usually don't understand. But we do. Welcome to the club. : )

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

Haha thats funny Tom and so true! I think I will just stay with the Twin for a while, and I have another amp, a boutique amp made by a great tech there in Quebec City that I like but I start to finding it not clean enough, its a Scene 55 http://pages.videotron.com/chuckele/en/index.html. I will just keep these 2 for now and experiment. Thanks

[Clyde Mattocks]

If you're not after sheer volume, disconnect one of the speakers in the Twin. It will give you amore focused sound. I find I can get a sound out of my Twin reissue that I am quite pleased with, although it is not my primary amp.

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

Hey good tips Clyde, I will try it when I will be at home in 2 weeks. I almost never put the higher than 5 on gigs so maybe it will sound better with one speaker. I like how the twin fill the entire room with the sound, do you still have this effect with just one speaker?

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

I do not believe the Fender Reissues are made in China.

What "noise" are you referring to? I have a Twin Custom 15 (same chassis) and it is dead quite.

Woward, its a kind of white noise that I always had with Fender amp. Not very loud but just a little annoying when practicing at home.

[Howard Montgomery]

I know the noise, just don't hear it in mine. Have you tried replacing one preamp tube at a time with a known quiet one and see if that makes any difference. May be one noisy preamp tube.

[Jean-Sebastien Gauthier]

I know the noise, just don't hear it in mine. Have you tried replacing one preamp tube at a time with a known quiet one and see if that makes any difference. May be one noisy preamp tube.

Ha ok I was thinking that it was normal, I will check the tubes, thanks.

[Brad Malone]

I have a list of 34 players that recently bought the Roland Cube 80XL amp. Out of the list of 34, 33 were very happy and one was not very pleased..those are pretty good odds. I think it is a great amp for Steel...Oh I forgot, I did not include myself on that list so that makes it 34 positive and one negative..well as the saying goes, you can't please everybody..LOL.

[Lee Baucum]

I cannot imagine playing through a Roland Cube 80 on purpose. Zero personality with annoying EQ bumps and limitations. A perfectly dreadful crappy sounding amp.

I use the Fender reissue twin amps for rented back line sometimes. They get the job done but are such a poor shadow of what they are pretending to be. At least they are better than the "Steel King".

I've had a Fender Steel King for years and love it. It sounds almost as good as my old Evans FET-500LV. I recently purchased a Roland Cube 80XL and am getting some great sounds out of it, too.

Different strokes...

[Bob Hoffnar]

I'm sorry if I sound too harsh.

[Lee Baucum]

No, No, No. As far as I'm concerned, no apology necessary and no harshness perceived! My point was, we all have different tastes and opinions. That was all.

Lee

[Earl Foote]

Its funny how a particular piece of gear can sound golden to one person and somebody else thinks it sounds like crap. I played a job one time and there was a Mesa Boogie amp on stage that belonged to another guitarist and he offered to let me use it. I know all Mesas can't possible sound as bad as that one did but if I had to base my opinion of them on that one amp, I would pass on those amps.

I find that my steel settings and guitar settings vary quite a bit on the Roland. I use an A-B switch to switch between the two. I plan on using the "solo" setting on the clean channel to save my heavier low end EQ for steel and then adjust the EQ knobs for the guitar on the other channel and use the various amp models.

[J J Harmon]

I have found that there an infinite # settings on modelling amps and that if you can keep the speaker clean and the amp is working properly that you can find a tone that you like but if you have just a straight tube amp with no reverb you don't have a lot of choices but you can get a good sound (same caviat of speaker and amp).

So then you add reverb and delay and compression and...

My question lately has been tube before ss amp or ss before tube amp?

So how about tube pre before Cube?

[Micky Byrne]

Count me in as one who loves the Cube. I in fact started the thread a few weeks ago. There is "NOTHING" wrong with anything made in China. China is a very wealthy country with amazing technology. Rolands used to be made in Japan, and you bet they would'nt have passed manufacturing over to China if an inferior product was to surface. Over 1 million Cubes have been made to date. As Brad said so many have got on to Cubes with only 1 negative person. Most of us myself included have had all the "Big" boys, all the various Peaveys, Evan's etc, and now are enjoying the Cube. Admittedly it takes a few days to sort out what modelling you want. It's a choice on the JC120 clean or the Black Face...I've settled on the Black Face. The controls are "sensitive" A slight twist will alter the tone, so take your time to experiment. I have 2 Cubes now. It's a wall of sound behind me....Good gear for sure

Micky Byrne U.K.

[Bob Hoffnar]

I know plenty of players way better than me that play through amps that are crappy sounding. I still love there playing and they have my full respect in every way. I might even come around to thinking there amps sound good someday.

As far as amps go the solid state and digital amps are like fluorescent light compared to the sunlight of a well made tube amp. The modeling amps are like fluorescent lights with different colored gels over them. More yellow or blue but still fluorescent.

The other thing is the experience of playing through the amp. Tube amps react to every nuance in a visceral way that other types of amps only poorly emulate at this point.

I am open to checking out all amps and welcome the time that they sound right to me. Like when pro tools HD came out. Its sounds pretty freakin good and certainly works better that analog.

[Brad Malone]

Yes Micky Byrne, even with the latest negative on the list we still have a 95% positive and 5% negative..that's an A+ where I come from. Your suggestion of 2 very quick pushes on the delay button is a very good one..I use it all the time and if they are not very quick the amp does not sound like I want it..thanks a million for that suggestion..I also use the black panel setting. I say it is the best $360 steel amp on the market and if anyone can find me a better steel amp for $360 of the same size and weight..I'll buy it.