Great Little Steel Amp!

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 1 Oct 2005 6:00 am

Well, thanks to all of the MicroCube users on this board, I finally took out my little six-string to the local Sam Ash and tried one out. I was VERY impressed, and 10 minutes later, I was walking out the door with one.

I have to say, I didn't think I would, but I REALLY like the Brit Combo. I set the Gain very low, and Volume up, and it's got that older-fashioned sound that I love. I like the JC and Black Panel too, but the Brit Combo nails it for me. The reverb is suprisingly good, too.

My only complaint -- NO LINE OUT! Arrrrgggghhhh...

How hard would that be to put a pre-EQ line out that doens't defeat the speaker? Yeah, I can mic it, but now I need a mic/stand, when a simple cable would make life just, well... simpler! Arrrrrrrrgggghhh...

But, all-in-all, I really like it a lot. I'll mic it, and it will be great. The battery option is really a nice feature, too.

Thanks to all y'all for recommending it. It would be worth it at $225, but at $125, it's dang near stealing it.

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Todd James Weger/RD/RTD
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Chandler RH-4 Koa semi-hollow lapsteel (open G); Regal resonator (open D or G)

Andy Sandoval · Post by **Andy Sandoval** » 1 Oct 2005 6:16 am

I bought one about 4 days ago and really like it too. I use the JC Clean and get a real good tone with my new Ricky and I think the reverb and delay are great considerin what a small amp it is. The other effects are good too and fun to mess with but a little delay or reverb does it for me.

Gary Boyett · Post by **Gary Boyett** » 1 Oct 2005 7:45 am

I knew you would like it Todd. I use both the JC Clean and Brit Combo. This is great little amp and it travels very well.

I am sure someone will pitch in about the line out problem. Someone said it would be easy to add that jack to it.

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JCFSGC,RMSGC,HSGA member
Boyett's Glass Bars

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 1 Oct 2005 8:34 am

I've been thinking about doing that to my uCube.
I'll try to get to it this weekend and post the results.
Jay

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 1 Oct 2005 9:21 am

I've been thinking about doing that to my uCube. I'll try to get to it this weekend and post the results. Jay

Hey Jay - are you planning to just drill a dedicated line-out, or convert the current record out? Also, are you going to do it pre or post EQ?

Yes, please let us know how that works, and if so, what the procedure is. If it's not too hard to do, I'd definitely be interested in knowing how to do that.

Gary, yeah -- these little puppies are pretty darn cool. By the way, the '56 T8 still plays and sounds like million bucks! Don't know if you saw this, but here it is 'immortalized' in cartoon-land.

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Todd James Weger/RD/RTD
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Chandler RH-4 Koa semi-hollow lapsteel (open G); Regal resonator (open D or G)

Gary Boyett · Post by **Gary Boyett** » 1 Oct 2005 10:44 am

Wow, what a cool picture!

I Like the matching outfits!

Haole DOO-WOP!!

Gatta love it!

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JCFSGC,RMSGC,HSGA member
Boyett's Glass Bars

Kris Oka · Post by **Kris Oka** » 1 Oct 2005 1:22 pm

Hey Todd, glad you like the Roland MicroCube. I also use the Brit Combo with the same settings as you. My Microcube has a Rec Out / Phones output. Is this not a line out jack? As nice as the MicroCube is I am eyeing the Roland Cube 30. Same features with 30 watts out to 10 inch speaker. NO battery though.

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 2 Oct 2005 6:01 am

Todd,
I was just thinking of adding a mini toggle switch that bypasses the speaker mute function of the headphone/line out jack.
It should be pretty easy....one little hole, a switch, and two pieces of wire.....

Jay

P.S. As far as pre/post eq, that's is way too involved an operation without a schematic and some bench time. (and at this point, I have neither)
J

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 2 Oct 2005 6:06 am

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>I was just thinking of adding a mini toggle switch that bypasses the speaker mute function of the headphone/line out jack.
It should be pretty easy....one little hole, a switch, and two pieces of wire.....<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmmmmm... sounds like maybe even someone like ME could do that, as long as I knew the procedure. I've replaced pickups, jacks and switches before, and have a little experience with a soldering gun, so it could work.

Yes Jay -- please let us know how that goes, what type of switch, best place to drill in, etc.! That would be awesome.

Thanks.
TJW

Terry Farmer · Post by **Terry Farmer** » 2 Oct 2005 6:58 pm

I took my cube on a plane trip and when I got there the efx stay on all the time and stuck on one of the flanging modes. I don't know if it was the xray machine or the jostle that did it. Anyone else had this problem? I guess I'm going to have to send it back to Roland. ;o(

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 2 Oct 2005 7:22 pm

I took my MicroCube to Scotty's in St. Louis last month on Northwest Air. Packed it in my suitcase and checked my bag. When I got to my hotel I found that the TSA inspected my bag. Apparently it looked real fishy on the x-ray machine.

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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

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 3 Oct 2005 10:17 am

dear all,
You all know it does have a line out. It's the headphone out. And it does defeat the speaker unfortunately. But these things are not really loud enough sometimes to compete in a 4 piece combo anyway. So just line out to the PA and listen to the monitors. It's quite amazing. I've used it on stage now about 6 times, indoors and outdoors, I take it more than 50% of the time for gigs. Saves space in my little car.

btw, Gerald turned me on to the Crate Taxi battery amp a while ago. The last big outdoor gig, we borrowed two of those for monitors and they kicked butt for vocals. I'd like to try them for mains sometime.

So here's a wild hair, how about a PA that runs on batteries!!
- Roland MicroCube amps for steel, (uke and guitar perhaps)
- Crate Taxi's for mains and/or monitors
- Berringer battery powered mixer for mic inputs.
- bass is upright acoustic - no amp needed.

It's doable! We may get this going simply because we've been offered gigs many times where there is no power. Parks, Botanical gardens, mountain top weddings

Also perhaps a great way to build a PA for a band so that one person doesn't have to own it all. Everyone owns a relatively inexpensive piece of an infinately expandable PA system. If you needed more ooomph for mains, then you could always buy the big Mackie powered speakers and schlep them.

we have the technology

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Chris Kennison
Colorado

[This message was edited by seldomfed on 03 October 2005 at 11:21 AM.]

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 3 Oct 2005 11:05 am

Just taking a stab at it. Try plugging in a cord for line out into the headphone jack just halfway, first click. That may let you grab the line signal and not switch off the speaker. Works in similar situations sometimes. Let us know.

Brad

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 3 Oct 2005 11:46 am

Chris writes:
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>
Also perhaps a great way to build a PA for a band so that one person doesn't have to own it all. Everyone owns a relatively inexpensive piece of an infinately expandable PA system. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You've been living in college towns too long Chris. This sounds like food coops, non-profit organizations and socialistic joint ownership of property. Definitely not the American way (well, maybe the disposable batteries do).

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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 03 October 2005 at 12:47 PM.]

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 3 Oct 2005 11:56 am

At the risk of ruffling some feathers: I'm still puzzled by the fact that some of you guys would want to gig with this amp. I just can't for the life of me understand why you'd want to run a beautiful old Fender steel through one of those amps and be satisfied with it. Cheesy. It is a cool little amp for practicing or backyard jams, but a gig? To each his own, but I prefer tone. This amp doesn't have it, at least as far as stage standards go.

Do any of you remember the Rockman phenomenon of the 80s? Lots of folks made records with those things, and man, do they sound like crap now.

I should add that I used one on a gig 2 weeks --2 Western Swing tunes--direct into the PA. Bleccch! An otherwise great sounding steel sounded like crapola through it.[This message was edited by Mike Neer on 03 October 2005 at 12:59 PM.]

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 3 Oct 2005 12:03 pm

Gerald, I know, I just snapped, I'm sorry.

All the electronic stuff I like and use is designed by ODM's in Bangalor, made in China by Japanese companies, shipped to Best Buy or the Guitar Center on Greek owned container ships with French crews, using foreign oil. Somebody HELP me !!

But I DO play a Leo-made Fender Stringmaster.!

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Chris Kennison
Colorado www.book-em-danno.com

[This message was edited by seldomfed on 03 October 2005 at 01:17 PM.]

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 3 Oct 2005 12:17 pm

hi Mike,
I agree with you. It's not perfect tone. But it's not cheesy. A Farfisa organ is cheesy. It's not Fender tube tone by a long shot!

Perhaps I'll tire of this setup and take the Fender amp all the time again. But it's been a fun experiement to see how 'small' you can get.

I've been trying all these over the last 5 years or so:
Nashville 400
Nashville 112
Princeton
Supro (1952 tube)
Gibson GA5 ( 1950's Les Paul)
AER Compact 60
MicroCube

Of all these I prefer the Princeton or the AER. And I keep looking and experimenting. That's the key for me personally, just keep learning and trying new things. I'm sure a year from now it will be something different.

I have no feathers, I'm a flightless creature

chris

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Chris Kennison
Colorado www.book-em-danno.com

[This message was edited by seldomfed on 03 October 2005 at 01:28 PM.][This message was edited by seldomfed on 03 October 2005 at 01:29 PM.][This message was edited by seldomfed on 03 October 2005 at 01:49 PM.]

Gary Boyett · Post by **Gary Boyett** » 3 Oct 2005 1:00 pm

Chris,
To make life even easier why don't you try one of those cigarette pack amps and plug it into the PA? That way you can carry you amp in the shirt pocket of your facorite hawaiian shirt!

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JCFSGC,RMSGC,HSGA member
Boyett's Glass Bars

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 3 Oct 2005 2:11 pm

Chris:

Regarding the:

Princeton
Supro (1952 tube)
Gibson GA5 ( 1950's Les Paul)
AER Compact 6

Please bring above amps to Joliet (you can leave the Nashville's at home).

Thanks
Bill

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 3 Oct 2005 2:37 pm

Gary!
ya man, I've messed with the 'Smokey'. It's a kick to plug it into a 4x12 stack and watch people's reaction. But I quit 'smoking' , It's too dirty.

Bill, the other little tube guy I have that's fun is the Magnatone Movieola. Lunch box size. You want that one in Joliet too?

more rationalizations.... so I've been taking the microCube along as a backup amp. Someone on the forum gave me that idea. Good idea! Out here in Colo. the gigs are often 200+ miles from home and I have limited space in the car. My 'spearment started out as a proof-of-concept so I wouldn't have a 'poof-of-concept' at a gig!
I started using it this summer at a low-risk backyard luau. No poof. Then the addiction of low-weight and no power cord took over and I was hooked. But I'm in rehab now thanks to you all. I feel better already.

Thanks Brad - suggestion of a single click into the 1/4" stereo plug, seems it should work like a 'send' from inserts?, I'll try.

onward,
Chris

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Chris Kennison
Colorado
www.book-em-danno.com

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 3 Oct 2005 3:02 pm

Chris:

About the Moviola - been there, done that, sold it. Too noisy and wierd rattles from that metal housing.

Regarding the downsizing for gigs - I solved that one this summer by eliminating the amp altogether! I use a POD 2.0 using the Blackface Fender model with my both my Stringmaster and my Tele with an A/B switch direct to the PA. I was using my Deluxe Reverb on these gigs but after trying the POD, the DR stayed home. I really think the POD works great for this!

One of our guitarists uses a mic'd MicroCube with an Ovation for that "Big Island" sound.

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 3 Oct 2005 3:28 pm

It's an ...

... "thang"

Mike, you have been use to playin' these glorious wooden Epiphone amps for so long ... it's all Relative

I'll be bringing your ex "little Epi" ... a Fender Pro Junior ... and a Microcube ... to Joliet.

As well as my A25 & a truck load of various Dustpans ...

I want folks to A/B ... compare & contrast ... whatever

But mostly just to enjoy.

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Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield
[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 03 October 2005 at 04:51 PM.]

Richard Shatz · Post by **Richard Shatz** » 3 Oct 2005 3:49 pm

What Mike Neer said.

Dan Sawyer · Post by **Dan Sawyer** » 3 Oct 2005 4:03 pm

If the microcube isn't powerful enough (and it isn't for me) try the Cube 30 or the taxi. The problem with the Taxi is, no reverb.

Another option is Polytone mega brute; only 19 pounds and 80 watts rms! You simply can't get anything lighter and louder.

Acoustic Image makes some really powerful amp heads that are very lightweight and have digital reverb. These are pretty warm sounding.

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 3 Oct 2005 5:14 pm

Do any of you remember the Rockman phenomenon of the 80s? Lots of folks made records with those things, and man, do they sound like crap now. I should add that I used one on a gig 2 weeks --2 Western Swing tunes--direct into the PA. Bleccch! An otherwise great sounding steel sounded like crapola through it.

Mike -- I agree, except that I thought those Rockmans sounded like crap in the 80's, too, not just now!

But I have to say that 20 years later, the technology is about 200 years better, at least to me. I just got home from a gig where I mic'd the MicroCube to the rhythm guitarist's (it was just a duo gig) PA amp, which then went to the room's board, and their house system. WAAAAY less than ideal sound circumstances, to say the least.

My Stringmaster sounded not only passable, but actually quite good. My reverb settings gave me all the flexibility I needed with that, and I switched between the JC (for some Hawaiian), and Brit Combo (for Westernswing and for other Hawaiian tunes) all night. I also had to play some guitar, doing oldie R&R and rockabilly, and I used the Black Panel setting with delay for that. Not too bad, actually. Keep in mind this was a duo for people who's average age was about 65 (one couple there had been married 56 years). Large volume wasn't a real concern.

I didn't have to plug in, I got all the tones I needed for a wide variety of material, it sounded full and toneful, and it weighs seven pounds. Vintage tube amp in a sweet, solid wood cabinet, dripping with juicy tone? Nope, not by a long shot. But considering this gig (a GIANT RV center putting on some kind of luau thing whatever-the-hell-it-was), it was just right. I save taking out the old Princeton Reverb for gigs where I want that one great tone all night, which unfortunately aren't that many. We will use the PR at The Hukilau this coming weekend, though.

TJW

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Todd James Weger/RD/RTD
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, A6, B11); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Chandler RH-4 Koa semi-hollow lapsteel (open G); Regal resonator (open D or G)
[This message was edited by Todd Weger on 03 October 2005 at 06:15 PM.]