Off Topic: Looking For New Amp

[OU812]

I'm looking for a new amp because as of right now I don't have anything to play on I sold my Pod X3 for a good price and I just wasn't liking the sound at all. I'm looking for buy a nice 50watt tube amp in the future but in the mean time just want something small and portable. I sold off almost all my gear when I moved here to Prague so getting back on my feet so to speak.
I was looking at the Roland Cube 40XL as a possibility. Anyone have any experience with them or could offer some good alternatives in and around that price range and speaker size (10in but 12 would be great as well).

Thanks

[dav]

I'm looking for a new amp because as of right now I don't have anything to play on I sold my Pod X3 for a good price and I just wasn't liking the sound at all. I'm looking for buy a nice 50watt tube amp in the future but in the mean time just want something small and portable. I sold off almost all my gear when I moved here to Prague so getting back on my feet so to speak.
I was looking at the Roland Cube 40XL as a possibility. Anyone have any experience with them or could offer some good alternatives in and around that price range and speaker size (10in but 12 would be great as well).

Thanks

All depends if you search for a versatile amp or a "big balls" amp. in that two case you have veray good brand such as peavey with the valveking combo which are very good. there's the bogner alchemist which is not a lmot expensive too... in the near future, ibanez will relaese the TSA 30 combo, which will be a very good one , even if it is less versatile than the two previous ones, more bluesy...

[skerwo]

When you´re telling about the Roland Cube I think you like to have a versatile modeling combo. For that I hardly recommed you the Fender Mustang series, especially the Mustang III is a killer for its price. 100 watts, 12" speaker, enough power for gigging but also able to play quietly at home. For me the best sounding modeling amp I heard in the last years.

When you´re looking for small tube amps I would try the Hughes Kettner Tubemeister series. Small, easy transportable and affordable. Have a look at them!


Rainer

[kimonostereo]

When you´re telling about the Roland Cube I think you like to have a versatile modeling combo. For that I hardly recommed you the Fender Mustang series, especially the Mustang III is a killer for its price. 100 watts, 12" speaker, enough power for gigging but also able to play quietly at home. For me the best sounding modeling amp I heard in the last years.

Totally agree. Picked up a Fender Mustang III and love it for the versatility,but mostly for the fact I can play at bedroom volumes and still have a great tone. Yeah it's a modeling amp, but honestly it sounds great. I still love my all tube amps, but nont of them allow me to play at night and not wake the neigborhood.

Built-in FX are nice too.

[OU812]

Yea, looking for a damn modelling amp haha Its tough to find a good sounding one and I know the Cubes have a good reputation thats why I was looking at the 40XL. Just something to fiddle around on at home. I used to have a Class 5 and some great pedals but sold it all, even all my guitars except one

I'll check out the Fender Mustang III, thanks a lot!

[Ricman]

Hi mate

I have the Cube 40XL and absolutely love it. My circumstances are that I play/practice mainly at home, and once a month play with the house band in in Open Mike evening.

I did a fair amount of digging prior to purchase, and heard both the Mustang 2 and the cube.

The Mustang is great, but didn't feel as solid to me (the cube is a tank), and the dirty sounds weren't as good. Very nice cleans though. There are also a fair amount of unhappy customers whose Mustang have developed a nasty Hum...with no explanation or fix from Fender.....you'll find a lot of chat about this on the net...although as always the majority of customers may be happy and keep quiet.

The Looper on the Cube is great, and so easy to use, a real feather in the cap for the amp.

The cube also has the "Power Soak" button, basically an attenuator type thing..means you can play with saturated gain at low volume.

Hope this helps...I am very happy with the Cube.

[OU812]

Ricman, did you say you like the cleans on the Cube but not so much the dirty tones? or were the dirty tones in reference to the Mustang? I'm not looking for anything modern, more into the chorusy clean and then classic rock and up to early 80's metal.

[Ricman]

The Mustang does the Fender'y cleans better (and predictably I guess). The Cube does dirty stuff better, but it's clean channel is moddelled on the Roland Jazz Chorus, and I love it. My reference point would be Marillion - Sugar Mice (I'm showing my age there)....very clean and swirly, and mixed with the lovely chorus effect, delay and and plate reverb, it's a nicer clean sound to me than the Fender twin sound..but I may be in the minority here!!

And yes, I think the cube would better for the classic rock and 80s metal than the Mustang...

This may help...

The Ultimate Practice Amp Shootout - (PART ONE) - YouTube

Let me know if you need any more info.

[kimonostereo]

Hi mate

...The Mustang is great, but didn't feel as solid to me (the cube is a tank), and the dirty sounds weren't as good. Very nice cleans though. There are also a fair amount of unhappy customers whose Mustang have developed a nasty Hum...with no explanation or fix from Fender.....you'll find a lot of chat about this on the net...although as always the majority of customers may be happy and keep quiet.
...

Just FYI: The hum was eliminated via a software update.

I've owned both Cube and Mustang III and ended up keeping the Mustang. Also had a Cube 60 for a couple of years as a practice amp. I think at first I enjoyed the COSM amp models, but after a while I got bored of it.

Either way, you should probably try everything you can, with YOUR guitar at a local music shop before deciding. The hardest part with the Fender Mustang is that some of the presets are crap. You do have the option of downloading presets made by other users which is cool but probably no way to test this at the guitar shop.

[Ricman]

That's good to hear Kimono...hope yours is sorted. A mate of mine, and seemingly many others, has found the firmware update no use at all.

You are right though...one the Mustangs strengths is that it can store your exact preset..the Cube can't.

But, I have a had a couple of occasions where somebody as shouted "lets do a Stones song" ( or whatever). With the Cube I can dial in an amp, gain, effects and reverb sound within 5 seconds. May not be perfect but will be there or there abouts.

However, if you've got the Mustang all set up for a Stones song, you're laughing.

Kimono is spot on though.. take your guitar and decide what works best for you, I don't think either will be a bad buy.

[luv]

I saw that Fender has a new Super Champ XD out, that now utilizes the fuse software for deep editing of the preset "voices" via a pc. They also added tap tempo for the delay. It is a 15w tube amp with modeling, but is very simple to operate. The tone of the SCXD is great...great cleans and good dirt too....especially now that you can really fine tune it to your liking. I have a Mustang 1 just to kick around on at night (headphones) and it's ok, but feels like a toy (light and cheaply made). The fuse software is really cool though. I had a Super Champ XD a couple of years ago, and it fealt more like a real amp. The only downside, is that the Super Champ XD doesn't have a headphone out.

The combination of tubes with fully editable parameters in a small portable package (20ish pounds with a 10" speaker) would have me leaning in that direction, as long as you don't need a headphone out.

[TSHOW]

I use the cube 80XL...and love it for its size, reliability and sound..It is a work horse.I have used a cube every weekend for the last 3 yrs.....Even if you upgrade one day...the cube is great for practice....it also has a built in 80 second looper...lots of fun!!..Great clean tones, great blues tone, and nice rock tones too....Alex Hutchings does Roland Cube demos....on you tube...Also, click on my link in my signature and listen to my Axis Super Sport 2nd edit jam link...or any of my youtube videos,,I used the cube...Good luck!!!

[skerwo]

My Mustang III wasn´t noisy any time so maybe I was a lucky guy. The fendrish clean and crunch sounds are really amazing, for the classic rock thing I use the Supersonic model. When I think about it I only use Fender amp models but they´re really good. Don´t give too much attention on the factory presets they´re pretty terrible. But you can really tweak in for good sounds by starting with the different amp models.

The Mustang III replaced my small tube amp because it´s very good sounding, easy to use and very flexible. And you can practice at bedroom level.



Rainer

[Coffeemug]

Not too long ago I bought a Mustang I as a present for my cousin...had some time trying it and would buy one without hesitation (heck, that thing's cheaper than most pedals...!). If you need an amp to rehearse with a band or even play small venues l'd definitely recommend trying out a Mustang III...if you're only gonna use it at home the Mustang I will do the job and leave plenty of money left for that tube amp you desire in the long shot.

[Miqueas92]

This could help.
Roland Cube 40 XL Series Amps - Alex Hutchings @ Nevada Music UK - YouTube