Roland Microcube Bass Rx

[rahock]

A buddy presented me with a little gift the other day(what a guy). He handed me a box with a brand new little 5 watt Roland bass amp in it.
This thing is really a gas It has 4 4" speakers and it runs on AC power or 6 AA batteries, all the electronics that all their big amps have including B-15, SVT ,Bassman , Acoustic 360 and a few other sounds. It has a  gain , 3 band EQ, flanger, Twah, reverb and a drum machine /metronome with about a million settings.
Most of this stuff I'll never use, but it sure is neat.
The big thing is the sound, It is suprisingly strong for a 5 watt amp and the tone is absolutely great. I never had a little baby amp like this and I'm really getting a kick out of it . I love it with my Olympia ABG. Plenty of juice to cut through a half dozen  unplugged acoustic guitars , harmonica and a percussion toy or two. It makes for a nice practice amp with my P basses too, but it is a really sweet acomplice for an electric/acoustic bass.

I played around with the line out, using the Roland pre amp and running through a 400 watt amp and then I tried it through the PA too. Very Nice.
Anyone in the market for a micro sized amp should give one of these things a good look

Rick

[rahock]

Am I the only SOB on the planet who owns one of these things??
I thought this would be a huge thread with a bunch of people talking about how they love their little baby Roland.
I am really impressed with this thing. Has anyone else even seen or tried one?
Anyone with an electric ABG should give one of these a try.

Rick

[nofi]

i saw those and they look pretty cool. however i have the hog 30 so i really don't need another small amp, tempting as it is. half a dozen guitars! at this point in my life i don't even know six guitar players anymore.

i don't think there are many abg /small amp guys around here rick. however, if it said gibson...

just found a bunch of demo videos on you tube . this amp is VERY impressive. i had to turn it off fearing the onset of gas.

[Dave W]

It looks nice and it has a lot of features that most small practice-size amps don't have. Still, do you need all that in a practice amp? For a $229 street price, I can't imagine a big market for it.

[ramone57]

i don't think there are many abg /small amp guys around here rick. however, if it said gibson...

I love my cheapie abg but I only play it at home.  the output is uneven when I plug in, so it's strictly acoustic for me.  it's great for late night playing, sitting out on the deck or just picking it up at any time.  I play as much or maybe even more than my other basses.
as far as small amps go, I got at 10w Crate for my birthday and it's ok.  I don't know if I would've bought it myself but it's good enough for low volume playing in the family room.  everything I've read about the Roland has been overwhelmingly positive

[rahock]

I never saw much use for an amp this size before, although I played a little Peavy mico cube and was somewhat impressed. I probably never would have bought such a thing myself, but getting one for a gift was sure nice. This thing is suprisingly loud and the full rich bottom is absolutely amazing in such a small package. It sounds soooo nice with a lot of bass on the EQ on the Olympia ABG. It gets more dark bottom end than I've seen on any little amp..........and a lot of big ones .

Of all the settings on it , the Bassman my favorite. This is kind of odd because it's probably my least favorite of all the amps it emulates. I'm not a big effects user either , but the flanger is pretty neat for solos and jazzy fusion stuff. It also works really well using the line out and running through a PA.
You've gotta give one of these things a try, it turned out to be a whole lot more than I expected .

Thanks for the responses
Rick

[Nocturnal]

The guy that owns the local shop that I hang out in demo-ed it to me one day. It does sound pretty cool and had tons of features. If I needed another small practice amp I'd consider it. He also thought that as cool as it was, the price was going to keep most people from buying it.

[Pilgrim]

I played a Roland Micro-Bass Cube last weekend at a jam.  It had lots of effects (I didn't use any at the jam) 100W, 12" speaker, and it was incredibly portable.  It sounded GREAT!!  I would love to have one but I also have a 1980's Bassman 120 Combo with a single 15.  It's about three times the size and is therefore much harder to move around, but it really provides a similar function...without being as portable.

Maybe I'll get a shot at one on Ebay some day and sell the Bassman combo.

[rahock]

I got to do a jam session on the single 12 model also. I was very impressed with that one too. I've got a guitar player who has several Roland amps including the 60 watt , 30 watt and 120 watt Jazz chorus guitar amps as well as the 100 watt bass amp. He's the one who bought me the little 5 watt microcube .
I'm very impressed with Rolands electronics, overall sound and dependability. For a guitar player all the emulation and effects are a much bigger deal than they would be for most bass players . Guitar and bass players who are anti-solid state may change their minds after giving some of the Roland stuff a listen.
Currently he is playing a Bruno boutique tube amp with 40-45 watts (huge watts) and I will admit, I think it sounds a bit better (warmer would be the better word here) than the Roland stuff . But the Roland stuff is easier to control when you take the volume up and down. Their stuff is not really not much of a comprimise for a tube lover.

Rick

[nofi]

hey rick, you actually plug in your olympia to practice? btw i just put some light gauge ghs bronzes on mine to give the neck a rest.

[rahock]

hey rick, you actually plug in your olympia to practice? btw i just put some light gauge ghs bronzes on mine to give the neck a rest.

Oh yeah, plugged in is really the only way to get anything out of those LaBella tapes (which are now close to three years old and still souding just fine)
Rick

[Pilgrim]

Oh yeah, plugged in is really the only way to get anything out of those LaBella tapes (which are now close to three years old and still souding just fine)
Rick

I have an Applause AE-40 short scale and I put D'Addario Chromes on it.  Nice sound, and loud enough to practice with - even with a couple of acoustic guitars - without amplification.

In this pic, it still had the original phosphor rounds on it.

[Chris P.]

I want the Vox Amplug Bass! It's like a pocket size AC100:)

And I'm waiting for the new 300W all tubes 4x12 BassCube.

[rahock]

I have an Applause AE-40 short scale and I put D'Addario Chromes on it.  Nice sound, and loud enough to practice with - even with a couple of acoustic guitars - without amplification.

In this pic, it still had the original phosphor rounds on it.

I almost did a set of D'addario Chromes on my Olympia . I've got a set on my 70 P and my 51 P RI and I like them a lot.
Nofi, talked me in to the La'bella tapes and I have no regrets at all. I lost a bit of unplugged volume, but plugged in they produce the warmest, woody sound I think you can get. I've also got an Earthwood with bronze rounds for the unplugged stuff and it has pretty much spoiled me for unplugged volume and tone. I just don't like to take it out of the house too much.
Rick

[Dave W]

FYI, LaBella Tapewounds are 40-98 roundwounds underneath that nylon outer wrapping.