The Steel Guitar Forum

Good to see you posting Gus. I'm off to my holiday home in Bideford for two weeks next month, and you are welcome to pop down for a jam one day if you are interested. I'm about an hour from Cullompton.

Micky contacted me a few months back to ask about my opinion of the 80XL as he knew I already had one. It is the price (as well as the sound) that gets me. I actually paid more in import duty getting my Webb amp over here than I paid for the Cube. It's a real bargain.

Billy Murdoch from Glasgow is another UK player who has bought the 80XL and is delighted with it. In fact I don't know anyone this side of the pond who owns one and is less than chuffed with it.

Why couldn't they have brought the Cubes out back in the 70's when we were all breaking our backs carrying very heavy steels and valve amps around with us.

I will never sell my beloved Webb amp, but I can't see me ever taking any of my Peavey amps out on gigs ever again now since getting the Roland.

Hi Ken- Hope you are OK after the ticker scare?
The thing that put me onto the Cubes in general was when I was working with Val Doonican, his MD Roger Richards (loverly bloke and talented musician) used two cubes, I think they were the old 80's which had no real effects on. He played
keyboards through them, with great results, this was in the late 70's/early 80's.
They were then silver in colour,and still very light to carry. So during the years since they have added all the effects we need, I wonder if the speakers have changed? I will ask him if he still has them- you never know, he's not exactly tight,but hangs onto things! Hah!
Maybe we can meet up when you are down this way- you are very welcome here,
or we can visit at Bideford, give me a call - Gus.

just wanted to say after hearing such praise for the 80xl i tried a cube 40xl.
i gig with it weekly at a small club jam session i host, as well as using it with a classic cash/country band that i double on with a tele.
for the volume levels i prefer (i don't think high volumes serves the band or the club)it has held up well and it's light weight and portability have made me a fan.
i also found a cube 60 to use for larger gigs, but so far have had little use for it. the 40xl is doing a fine job for me.
i use plate reverb set at about 3 o'clock, delay at about 8 o'clock with a quick double tap on the tempo button. within quieter contexts i use jc clean or my preferred channel the brit (vox) combo gain at 11 o'clock master to suit band volume.
i set the third lead channel in memory with dyna-amp with a somewhat extreme gain setting and the master turned back to get a saturated sustaining woman tone for more aggressive duanne allman, robert randolph or pink floyd kinds of sounds.

because i double, sing and often mix the sound i like using the onboard effects...
the fewer things i have to set up the happier i am ESPECIALLY since i like the way it sounds!
not perfect, but for me a great compromise between tone, versatility, portability in my situation.

my back thanks you guys and roland!