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Topic: Microcube competition? |
Todd Weger
From:
Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 22 Jan 2006 1:17 pm |
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Arrrrrrrggggghhhhh!!!
Blast you, Ross! Now I'm going to HAVE to go and try one of these amps, based on your real-life situational report. Arrrrrrgggghhhh!
I really dig my MC for the small gatherings, and that ultra-convenient battery thing, using just 6 AA's, and last what seems like weeks.
BTW, for non-battery small amps, have you ever tried the little 8" speaker Crate VC-508? 5 watts of EL-84 class A power that, while a bit buzzy with the noise factor, has a great tone for old-time lapsteel sound.
Thanks for the report.
TJW
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Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Regal resonator (C6)
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Jon Light (deceased)
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 22 Jan 2006 1:39 pm
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| Gerald--have you yet been able to assess battery life? Or at least could you say "I've run it hard for {fill in the blank} hours and it is still going strong"? |
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Craig Stenseth
From:
Naperville, Illinois, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2006 2:09 pm
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Gerald,
Did you try it with (electric) bass?
Just wondering if you can get loud enough to play along with ukes or acoustic guitars in a jam situation, not necessarily on stage.
I know the MicroCube doesn't get very loud without the speaker distorting (and not in a good sounding way). |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2006 2:17 pm
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Have not tried it with either a electric bass or uke. I'm guessing the uke would be okay. I'd be scared of trashing the speaker with a bass. Battery life - I'm still on the original 6 C batteries with I'd say about 5 hours of playing time.
Once again, I still think the Microcube looks cooler. The Vox still looks cheap to me.
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association
[This message was edited by Gerald Ross on 22 January 2006 at 02:18 PM.] |
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Todd Weger
From:
Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 23 Jan 2006 6:39 am
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Running bass through any small wattage amp like these are will draw more energy than they can handle, not to mention eat more battery life, if it's a battery powered amp.
If you really want a battery powered bass amp for those AC-free jams, you might consider a Limo Bass Bus or for a little less power, and a lot less money, a Pignose Hog 30.
Caveat: I haven't tried either though, so I don't know how well they really work. |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2006 8:38 pm
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Answering Derrick Mau:
I played my Lanakai Tenor Uke with it's K&K "Big Shot" pickup tonight through the Vox for an hour or so and it sounded great. The K&K is a piezo type pickup, mounted under soundboard with a 1/4" endpin jack.
I got a rich, full tone, well about as rich and full as you can get with a uke. 
So, yes, it's a good amp for an amplified uke.
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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'
CEO, CIO, CFO - UkeTone Records
Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website
Board of Directors Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association
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Mike Fried
From:
Nashville, TN, USA
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Posted 25 Jan 2006 10:30 pm
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| I've used my MicroCube with my Kanile'a tenor uke that has a Baggs Element undersaddle pickup and it sounds great. |
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Derrick Mau
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2006 11:18 am
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| Thanks Gerald. |
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Todd Weger
From:
Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 15 Feb 2006 5:33 am
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Hey Mike -- did you install that Baggs Element yourself, or is this something a luthier would have to do? I've been thinking of putting in a Baggs "I-Beam" active in mine, but as I look at it, I begin to see how difficult that could be!
Thanks.
TJW
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Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Regal resonator (C6)
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Derrick Mau
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 15 Feb 2006 3:35 pm
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Hi Todd,
I tried using the MIC setting rigged with a SM-57 but too much feedback problems as you had suggested. It helped only a little when I turned the gain down, but I lost considerable volume.
My ukes sounded best with a mic'd SM-57 through a large Fender amp. It kept the natural tone of the uke which I was looking for.
I've been fiddling around with the new Vox DA-5 for two days now doing A/B comparisons against the Microcube for steel guitar. I could get the Vox's tone to sound comparable to the Microcube, but couldn't find a setting on the Vox that could surpass it in tone.
Yes, the Vox was louder than the Microcube if you're using at the 5 watt setting but the tone had too much presence and sounded more harsh. It sounded better and sweeter on the lowest watt selection.
The Vox is a good choice in my opinion if you're going to use this amp for other instruments as well as steel guitar.
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