Roland BC-30 BluesCube

Not much for features. LOL. If you buy for tone then it will not disappoint. Channel volumes and master volume. Presence control. Works with a simple footswitch to change channels. Sensitive to guitarist's playing.

Too good to be true. Plenty loud. Both channels are good. Other people say you don't need pedals with it. True. You almost don't want to spoil it with a pedal. LOL. But it works real good with pedals if that's what you like.
I can't praise the tone of this amp enough. It doesn't need nothing added. Wow.

I always wanted a blues cube since they came out. When I saw this for sale I thought maybe I should wait for a BC 60 instead. I took a chance anyways and bought it. I'm so glad I did. It's the BEST amp i own overall. I own a few Fender tube amps-vintage and modern. They might have a slight edge in tone but the BC 30 is dependable, needs no maintenance and ALWAYS sounds great so its the best-overall-in my opinion.

I copied / pasted this from the next review. Sue me.

Solid State, thirty watts, 12" Roland Vintage 45 speaker, two channels-clean and overdrive, master volume, presence and mid/bass/treble. The eq is shared for both channels. TubeLogic circuit, nice cab in blonde with brownish grille and top mounted controls. Open back cab that weighs about 30 pounds. No reverb, no loop, no headphone jack.

Here's the moneymaker-how does it sound? I run Les Pauls and Strats directly into this amp. No pedals. Using the OD channel I can move from almost clean to roaring OD with my guitar volume. This amp reacts so well to guitar volume and oick attack that there is no need for pedals when I run it this way. On the other hand...if you want to use pedals the BC 30 reacts very well to pedals, so have at it. I have used BOSS overdrives, Metal Zone, chorus compressor, and delays, Digitech Bad Monkey, Fulltone OCD, MAXXON OD 808 and others. No problems-all sounded great. Personally, I use a guitar and a 10 foot cable with mine and I'm very happy.

This amp is the best solid state amp that I have ever played. It will fool even dyed in the wool tube snobs. I have played the BC 60 amps but they are not as good as the BC 30 in my opinion even though they have more features. Believe me, the BC 30 is the best of the whole Blues Cube line. Once you hear it, you'll forget about the lack of reverb, effects loop or whatever. I'm rating this amp as dead stock. It needs nothing to improve the sound. Nada. Roland could make a fortune by reissuing this amp with zero upgrades or changes. Seriously...it doesn't just sound good "for a solid state amp." It sounds great compared to any amp.

Roland = Good quality / built to last.

No Opinion.

I don't know how old mine is. I think they came out in the 80s. Never had any issues. I stand by my statement: BEST solid state amp I ever played through. If you get the chance to try one...you'll buy one.

I bought this a few years back as a practice amp, mainly because it came recommended and it was cheap. Mainly because it was cheap, to be honest. It quickly moved to the head of the class in my stable of amps despite its lack of features. Speaking of which: Solid State, thirty watts, 12" Roland Vintage 45 speaker, two channels-clean and overdrive, master volume, presence and mid/bass/treble. The eq is shared for both channels. TubeLogic circuit, nice cab in blonde with brownish grille and top mounted controls. Open back cab that weighs about 30 pounds. No reverb, no loop, no headphone jack.
It's quite loud for a 30 watt amp. The tone of this little amp is why it is so popular. Yes it is shy on features but once you plug in to it you will forget about features.
Clean is Fender-y. Overdrive is Plexi Marshall-y. Not for high gainers. Just sweeeeet tone, tone, tone.

Let me say something here; I know people will pump up their review to justify the purchase. I know that people post reviews after playing their "new" amp for all of 15 minutes. That ain't what I'm talking about. After three years I know this amp. After 35 years of playing in bands I think I know about good tone. So take this review with that in mind.
I'm using it with a Fat Strat and a Les Paul standard. The Strat is dead stock. The Les Paul is stock with 490 and 498 pickups. Both guitars kill with this amp. Even going straight in with no pedals this amp sounds real good. It's quiet but it hums with single coils just like all my amps.
The BC 30 likes pedals, too. I use a Tonebone classic, Barber Burn Unit (great pedal) and some BOSS pedals depending on my mood. Straight in is fine, too.
Honestly, it can compete with tube jobs-no problem. I realize a lot of people say "It sounds just like a tube amp." when describing their SS amps. I challenge anyone to take a soundcheck comparison test with a BC-30 and any tube amp of comparable size and wattage. It blows away my Blues Junior and kicks butt against a Crate Palomino V 32. Seriously.
I have heard and played the 60 watt Roland Blues Cube amps-112 and 3 x 10 versions. Love them, too. But IMHO the BC 30 is the best sounding of the BC line.

If it says Roland or Boss on it, you can count on it. Never had a single glitch with it, or any of my Roland/Boss stuff over the years.

The only problem with these is availability. Roland quit making them years ago. I got mine for 100 bucks in pristine, MINT condition. Just FYI Roland put the same "TubeLogic" circuit into their little 405 and 408 ministack amps. These go on ebay cheap and they are the next best thing to an authentic Blues Cube.
I would recommend the BC 30 to anyone wanting superior tone in a SS amp. I consider myself to be lucky to own one. I have a Fender Blues Junior, a Peavey Prowler, Vox AC 15 reissue, VOX pathfinder (great SS amp) and a Fender Princeton Reverb silver face. The BC 30 goes everywhere with me as a backup or as a main amp.
This amp will suit you to a "T" if you are in to classic rock, blues or hard rock.

I think the Blues Cubes were made in the 80s and 90s. Really I'm not sure. Not much on this amp feature wise but everything its got is good to go, baby! Plenty loud, good tone controls, presence control and bright switch. OD channel is good too. Compared to a Trademark 60 it makes the Trademark seem like a 25 dollar danelectro honeytone with a weak battery. The Trademark 60 has many more features but the BC 30 has features for the ears. It's louder, too.

Guitars are Les Paul standard and Epiphone Byrdland. Look, at one time or another I have owned the BC 60 1X12 and 3X10 models too. These have more features but the BC 30 kicks butt for overall tone. See all these guys comparing it to the Deluxe Reverb? And the BC 30 doesn't even have reverb! You'll get sick of hearing this as you read on: "THIS IS THE BEST SOLID STATE AMP IN THE WORLD!"

It beats the pants off at least half of the current crop of tube amps-probably more like 75% of current tube amps with a MSRP under a grand. Anyone who appreciates <<< SERIOUS >>> tone should get one. Remember folks...no reverb, no-name speaker, no separate EQ for each channel, no boutique anything and it still kicks the high priced tube amps to the curb and craps all over them!

Roland made it. That means it will be around for 100 years, assuming it is only terribly abused every day. Treated with respect it will survive for millenia.

Let's cut to the chase. If you've never heard one with a decent guitar then you really have no idea, so if you get the rare chance to pick one up, just do it. See all the comparisons with the Fender Deluxe Reverb amp? That should tell you something. There is nothing that approaches it in the solid state world. Few tube amps are this good.

Players who have used the best tube amps for decades could not tell this amp's sound from the ones they use. I'll guarantee that to be a true statement. There are hundreds of tube amps that don't get close to this.

I would never sell it unless I received an offer that would allow me to design and build another 30 watt tube amp with a reputable designer, using top shelf components ($50.00 capacitors, etc).

I already own three vintage Fender tube amps so I really am not motivated to ever sell this particular solid state amp to "upgrade" to a good tube amp. AS IF there is a solid state amp that is its equal.

Which amp gets the most play time of the 4 I own? Hands down it is the BC 30. If you pass up one of these you are crazy, no matter how many boutique amps you own.

Everything you need to produce dreamy sound in a solid, reliable, lightweight package. Some have knocked the shared eq. It's not a problem for me. If you are used to single channel Fenders and Marshalls from yesteryear, the shared eq shouldn't be an issue. I use pedals for my heavier stuff on the clean channel or in conjunction with the OD channel for a little more ooomph, when needed.
This amp's best feature is its tone. It will hold its own with most tube amps costing 3-4 times as much.

For classic rock and BLUES (DUH) it is the best sounding solid state amp on planet earth. I run teles, les pauls and strats through mine. The sound is beautiful. I use some pretty nice pedals with it and the amp responds very nicely. Fulltone, Barber and Tonebone all add to the natural sparkle and sweet tone. It's a classic truism: Boutique pedals will not make a crummy amp sound better. They will add to and enhance a good amp in a favorable way. I often run my guitars straight into the amp, too. You don't need pedals with this amp, but good pedals will shine with it.
There's a reason you don't see lots of these on ebay: Owners will not sell them! I would choose this over a Fender Deluxe or Blues Junior. I have a very nice Fender reissue Blues Deluxe amp too. The Roland Blues Cube isn't quite as rich sounding but it's close. Very, very close. It sounds better than my Blues Junior and is way more versatile and easier to operate.
I keep my guitar volumes at 9 or 10 with this amp. It doesn't sound as good with the guitar volume down like my tube amps. Who cares?
It's a simple amp. It's pretty loud and it sounds way too good. Roland doesn't make it anymore. They should reissue the whole line. Simply the best solid state amp for rock and blues and jazz or country. Roland Blues Cubes-There is no substitute in the solid state amp world.

No issues, ever.

I've been playing semi-pro since the late 80s. Gear includes several les pauls, telecasters and strats. Besides the Blues Cube I have the two Fenders I mentioned. I play classic 60s and 70s rock, blues, jazz and some modern rock. This amp knocked off the Blues Junior as my main gigging amp for small and medium sized venues. Not just because it's louder, which it isn't when miked up, but because it just sounds that much better. I'm not knocking the BJr. Great amp. I save my Blues Deluxe for outdoor venues or large halls but in a pinch I would use the Blues Cube with a SHURE SM 57. It always rides along when i take the Blues Deluxe, just in case of failure. I never bring a backup for the Blues Cube and I don't think I'll ever need to.
I paid 150 bucks for this and I would pay 300 for it if necessary because it is that good. Good luck finding one in good condition on the web. You would have to be very hard up or just stupid to let one of these go.

See below. It gets a 7 for shared eq.

This is a solid 10. I don't give to many out. The BC-30 earned it. I've owned mine for about 3 years and I have many amps, mostly tube, mostly 60's Fenders. I was reading the reviews for this amp after looking all over the net for a schematic for it and it's brother, the BC-60. I can't find any documents anywhere for these amps...anyway, I got to reading the reviews and so I pulled mine out because it's been a while since I last played it. I had forgotten how great it sounds, not just for a solid state amp, but just as a Guitar Amplifier, Period. I couldn't believe how great it sounded. I pulled out my Fender 1967 Deluxe Reverb and plugged it in side by side with the little Roland. I am blown away by the comparison. I have great tubes in the DR, and it is biased and tuned to perfection. And the BC-30 stood right up to it blow by blow. The Fender beats it out in complexity of tone, but all in all I can't give an amp a higher compliment. Roland, Roland, Roland...why oh why did you quit making this amp?

I have had zero issues with it. Controls are perfectly quiet, no hum, buzz, or other untoward crap comes out. Just tone.
I sure would like to find a schematic for these amps, cause if it breaks I want to be able to fix it.

I'll let you know. I ordered schematics or service manuals from the Roland web site a couple of hours ago. Stay tuned.

I've been playing for over 40 years and I've been studying electronics for as long. From a player's and an engineers point of view, they did a great job on these Blues Cubes (I also own the BC-60 1x12). If it did go away, I'd sure want another one. I love the way it sounds. The clean sounds stand right up there in blackface territory. The overdrive is good too, but the clean is where this amp does it for me.

The features are very limited...not even reverb, which would make a big difference. There's no speaker out, no effects loop and only a shared eq section...these features and more are part of the BC-60 models, so shame on me for being too eager on ebay.

What is lacking in features is certainly made up for in tone. This is a beautiful sounding amp. I have the 2x10" speaker model. The lead channel is a little thin and I find that the eq is very subtle, so it takes a bit to key in a great tone. The clean channel is pristine...clear, crisp and precise...it also handles pedals very well. I use the lead channel for bluesy stuff and handle heavier stuff with pedals run through the clean side. I'm a fan of solid state stuff and Roland really hit a homerun with this line...too bad it was discontinued...it's hard to find a good solid state non-modeling amp, but this may be the best I've heard...a little cabinet buzz here and there, but nothing serious.

Too soon to tell.

Doubt I'll ever use it.

I'm a tone nut who likes solid state amps and effects pedals, with that in mind, this amp allows you to really key in your own sound. It is very clean and pure...it will bring out the positives and negatives to your technique and your instrument. I really wish it had reverb, but I must say, it is a real solid player and is quite handsome with it's vintage look.

Thirty watts, 12" Greenback clone speaker, two channels that work with a footswitch, one set of EQ for both channels and a presence knob. Master volume. Weighs about 35 pounds and comes in a beige tolex with a brown grillcloth. Nice looking amp, sort of like the old tweed fender cabs. Discontinued by Roland. (DUMB decision, Roland.)
There are few features beyond the basics, not even a reverb. The best thing is the amp's tone which is good enough that you won't miss any other features.
I play Telecasters with neck humbuckers, neck P 90s and neck SC pickups, and overwould bridge pickups from GFS. My current band is into classic rock and classic oldies, plus a few modern tunes tossed in. I play it clean for most tunes. The BC 30 is perfect for those styles using the Telecaster guitars.

The sound without pedals is decidedly high quality old school rock and blues. The EQ is very responsive and the amp reacts to guitar volume changes. I can get a sparkley, early Beatles, AC 30 tone or a Fender clean and even a Roland JC-type clean for my oldies tunes-no problem. As for blues, cranking up the clean channel's volume and backing off the Master volume will give you the ability to control the slight breakup with the guitar volume and or the pickup selection. The overdrive channel is good for dirty blues and rock. You can also play with how hard you pick the strings to get clean and gritty tone. The preamp on this thing is sensitive and the BC 30 "almost" seems like a good tube amp. I say almost because it does not have the 3-D depth of my Fender tube amps. That's the only thing that's missing from the Blues Cube and i only hear the difference when i'm rehearsing alone. When rehearsing with the band or playing live, you really wouldn't notice this 3-D ambience is missing. I agree with the assertion that Roland's Blues Cube amps have a particular lock on the "sounds just like a tube amp" title. As a gigging amp, this one does me proud.
When I do coffeehouse gigs by myself, I use small Fender tube amps because there is a difference that is noticeable when playing solo in those venues. Call it a dynamics and depth thing but the sound of a Fender Blues Jr seems less fatiguing to my ears when playing solo with a drum machine.
I hardly ever use distortion pedals but I can get a nice crunch from the overdrive channel that resembles the Marshall type crunch. It rocks for straight ahead heavy blues solos and 70s classic rock solos. It's pretty sensitive to the guitar's volume. No good for shred or metal. There is no lag in the sound when changing channels but there is a sort of morph process that is very, very cool and eliminates the abruptness that some amps have with switching.

Never had a problem. Don't think I ever will.

I play Telecasters mostly because I love the clarity and sparkle. I have a Strat and a Les Paul too, but my Teles are by far my favorites. With the bright switch on the clean channel will give those Danny Gatton or Roy Buchanan sort of tones. The amp can be EQ'd for just about anything though.
Overdrive and distortion is the sort you would hear on classic rock records. It's not geared for 80s, 90s tones but a pedal could cure that.
I bought my Roland Blues Cubes after hearing a friend's band. He plays standard Strats and slide resos through one. I was blown away by the tone and clean power. Bought one on eBay and went back for another. These are very, very good amps and i would only use Roland Blues Cube amps for my solid state choice. They really nailed the tone of tube amps except for that elusive 3D quality. For me there is no substitue for what the BC 30 can do. It's the best of the solid staters, period.

Not much on the features side. Shared equalization on two channels. No reverb but it has a good presence circuit.

Ibanez guitars with sc and hum pickups...solid bodies, hardtails, shredders, jazz boxes. I have a boatlod of Ibanez guitars. I'm using a Boss ME 50 with the Blues cube as my practice rig at home. This amp has a very tubey sound and it is pretty loud too. Both channels rock pretty good. For a solid state amp it is the perfect size and has a tone that will leave you shaking your head. Sounds too good to be true.

Musicians Friend sold out their whole stock of these for $200 so I bought one. I'm very very glad I did. I'm another 35 year player...I hope that when today's young players reach their 50s they have such fine equipment to choose from. These are damned fine amps at any price. For 200 bucks it was the deal of the century. Get one.

Year it was made? Who knows? Here's a little amp with two channels and that's about it. It acts like a tube amp and sounds like one. That's the standout feature on this amp. You want a bunch of computers and lights and buttons then get a modeler. Modeling amps can make all kinds of sounds. When you get serious about actually PLAYING the guitar you'll get something like this.

I use Teles. This little amp brings out all the brightness and character of the Tele vibe. It is sensitive so you can get a little overdrive with the volume up and back off for a nice smooth clean. I almost never use the overdrive channel but it sounds fine to my ears. This is a player's amp. Even with the overdrive it is clear and bright. No good for metal but perfect for rock, blues, country, jazz or rockabilly. Not much variety but enough tone control to play almost any style with your guitar of choice. Get a modeler if you want a million sounds. Get one of these if you want THE SOUND...capice?

Roland and Boss are the tops in quality.

Simple. Get one. It's a Deluxe Reverb with solid state innards.

Pretty light on features. This is a basic solid-state 2 channel amp, with no reverb and no effects loop. It's designed to be a straightforward small gig amp, giving mainly blues tones or clean jazz rather than all-out rock. What it does, it does very well.

There are times when I miss having amp-based reverb, but this little amp makes you concentrate on what you play. I sometimes use this amp live for pub gigs, often miked up into the PA. Otherwise it's for rehearsals and at larger gigs I go direct with a POD 2 and no amp.

I use a Godin strat, a PRS soapbar, and a Yamaha AES. They all sound great through the BC30, but especially the Godin which totally nails the strat blues thing.

Not at all noisy (this is solid state although it gets close to tube sounds especially on the clean channel). Very good a crunch sounds where you can break up the clean channel with heavy picking, or control your sound with the guitar's volume.

Because this is only a 30 watt 1x12 it's hard to keep the clean channel from breaking up at high volumes. You're not going to keep up with an acoustic drummer going at full bash.

The 2nd channel can get pretty dirty in a typical Boss fashion if you want it. It's not a metal machine but will do classic rock very nicely.

Roland and Boss are the BMW of the music world. This stuff doesn't break often, and if it does, you get top-level support from them. After a couple of years the speaker in my BC-30 blew. It's a custom made Roland cone from California and Roland UK got me one within a couple of weeks. I considered using a Celestion Greenback or something instead, but figured the original had sounded great, so why change? Cost about #70 for the new one I think, and I've had about another 3 years out of it so far. One event in 5 years - not bad.
The little metal inserts to the amp knobs keep falling out, and I lost a couple. New knobs only a few quid from Roland UK - easy.

See above - top support.

Bought this one new from Soho Soundhouse when they were on special after being discontinued.

Would probably replace with another Roland amp if I needed to. Might get a different model as these are no longer made.

Found this baby on Ebay still with the tags still on it. It is brand new and I'm hoping to wear it out for years to come. Came with all of the manuals and a foot pedal. Pedal works well for switching between clean and dirty channels. This thing is loud. It's nice to find an amp though that has a resonable scale for the volume switch.

1 is quiet, 3 is louder, 5 is loud 7 is crazy loud, haven't gone any higher than that.

Basic Feature but everything you need (except reverb)

I have a Yamaha Pacifica 521 with a Dimarzio AirZone in the bridge and a Dimarzio PAF in the neck position. I have only just purchased this amp but have found that for Blues, Jazz or classic rock, it has many combinations. Others here have mentioned that they love the clean sound but don't like the dirty channel. I feel the same about the clean channel but I also love the dirty channel. It actually breaks up a low volumes and is solid state ! I've never heard that before on any other amp. I have 4 different amps and this one might just be the new king of the hill. I have a Fender Super 60 Tube amp that also sounds great but for smaller venues, it blows everyone out of the place. The BC-30 is just right ! I really love this amp.

I'm guessing that it will be bullet proof. It is solid state. Time will tell.

Roland seems pretty good. I have a GT-5 and they provided some information for me.

I'm just getting serious about my guitar playing over the last couple years but do gig weekly in church. Being a small venue, it will fill the bill nicely. I've been a serious musician (horn player) for about 35 years playing jazz/blues/rock and have played with tons of different guitar players and different rigs.

For what I'm doing, this is going to do the job nicely - Nice amp Roland. Why did you discontinue it ?

Really it doesn't have a lot of features. What it DOES have is great tone and great response.
The clean channel is fantastic. I sounds at least as good as any old Fender tube amp of equal power. The overdrive is good...not fantastic, but good enough to make me happy. No reverb, but don't let that get in the way of auditioning this amp because it is a diamond in the rough. Nice cabinet. Vintage Roland (Eminence) speaker handles 45 watts and is mucho excellent.

I use clean mostly but I sometimes get a little boost from the overdrive channel with the gain at 3, using an old Fender footswitch. Playing a Fender Stratocaster mostly but I sometimes borrow our bass player's PRS and noodle around. I was going to purchase the Peavey Classic 30 but the Roland absolutely blew it away in all categories. I also thought I had to have reverb but to tell you the truth this amp is so warm and sweet that i'm already over the no reverb thing. For 200 dollars from Musician's Friend this was the best deal I ever got on a damn fine amp.
My Strat is heavenly sounding through the clean channel. On the overdrive with gain on three it still sounds unmistakeably like a Strat. Turn up the gain and you can get into Hendrix, SRV territory pretty easily. Go higher still and you can get some real Marshall tones if you like that sort of thing. The PRS sounds better than the Strat on the overdrive channel. Seems to be better for humbucking pickups if you use a lot of gain. Compresses like a tube amp, too.
Good feel and response to picking. DAMN! This is an unbelievable amp for such a small solid state wanker. It's plenty loud too.

I'm a long-time player who started in the 60's. I live in Utah these days, not far from Digitech. I teach at the university here and jam on weekends with students at a local coffeehouse for fun. I have a Strat and the Blues Cube now but I have owned a lot of different Fenders over the years. For $200 bucks from Musician's Friend I feel this amp is a fantastic bargain. It sounds like a tube amp, acts like a tube amp and feels like one. I'll find another one on ebay and buy it as a spare! If you like old rock tones from the 60s and 70s then this is the one. It is perfect for me.

I just bought the roland bc-30 blues cube in germany - before I read all comments on this website - AND REALLY THIS is for the little money (about 80 $ !!!) the best amp I heard - about the features - an amp has to give clean sound first and the bc 30 is clean and so pretty loveley !!! After all - I dont miss any features on this amp - becaus what you play is what you hear - nothin more - nothing less - and this is the most important - I use the bc30 too connected together with a fender hotrod (1x12") fantastic sound couple - fender has to think about it !! Only with this small bc 30 (stereo panorama) the sound becomes magic !

I use two fine guitars - one fender strat usa and a taylor ce 914 -
the fender strat give full sounds for all kind of music - in combination with POD XT live pedal - you realize all your sound dreams - on the other hand - connect just the taylor directly to the bc 30 - without any effect - WONDERFUL HARMONICS - even the much more costful fender hotrod can't give this warm and full sound - really -
very nice and clean.

I see the high quality of the components and I'm shure this amp will working 100 years without any problem.

I bought it used for only 80 $ - repairing ? I dont think that this amp need some intervention and if - I'm shure that roland will give any help possible - as I've experience with other roland equipment - the assistance was fast and professional.

I'm playing more than 20 years with all kind of equipment - this amp give me full satisfaction - I use it to warm up my playing and in small clubs - here the bc 30 is better than the fender hotrod because he is smoother and give a full warm tone at a lower sound level! If stolen - I would buy next corner the same. I love his practical size and the sound - he goes anywhere with me not any problem to transport. I choose this amp because I know that roland make things allright - and I read the critics on this page - people says here - that this amp has a tube sound - IT IS TRUE - search for a tube amp for this price - no chance - THANKS TO ROLAND to make things like that for small budget but with a great TUBE SOUND !!! (its almost solid state ...)

FEATURES: This model is discontinued. I don't know when mine was produced, as I bought it second hand. It has channel switching, shared 3 band eq, pre and post on the dirt channel, bright on the clean. Master Volume. No reverb. Active presence. Weighs in at about 33 pounds. Nice cab-no rattles. Looks very retro-cool in tan tolex with the oxblood grille cloth. Mine has the Eminence-made-for-Roland Vintage 12-75 speaker, removed from my BC 60. The original speaker is essentially the same but with a lower power rating, which is to say it sounds great and is the PERFECT match for the amp. The Roland Vintage 12 speakers are modeled after the famous Celestion Greenback 25. The eq section is very lively. Channel switching is quick and has no annoying glitches or pops. Not an amp with a ton of whistles and bells but then a nice old Fender Deluxe is fairly bare-bones, too. Don?t hear too many players whine about it though!

SOUND: Without a doubt this is the best sounding solid state amp out there for warm cleans crunchy blues and old school, hard rock tones. I know it?s been said waaay too many times but here goes; IT REALLY DOES HAVE THE TUBE-TONE THING NAILED! I guess it?s the overall balance and warmth that makes it shine so well. No harshness on either channel. I would compare the clean to lower wattage Fenders and the overdrive to older Marshall amps from the plexi era. It is not an aggressive, modern sounding amp and it is not at all suited for metal. Forget about it! If you like solid cleans crunchy overdrives and nice harmonics then this is the amp to have unless you just absolutely have to have real tubes inside. Experienced players would have trouble picking this one out of a crowd of tube amps?no, really.
First and foremost this really is an old-school player?s amp. It can get some pretty heavy distortion going for hard rock but it does its best at slightly-to-crunchy overdriven and clean tones in my opinion. I use a Les Paul and the BC 30 seems to be made for humbucking PUPs. Single coils are just fine through it (I have a strat-syle Ibanez, too) but humbucking PUPs really match up to the BC 30 in a very, very pleasing way. By the way, it?s pretty loud and responds well to picking dynamics for a 30 watt solid state amp, too.
For boost I use the Digitech Screaming Blues pedal. It is perfect for this amp and it actually adds some depth, bite and clarity to an already fine sounding machine. Although I miss the lack of reverb, the BC 30 is so warm and fat with the Les Paul that I almost don?t feel I need it. Can?t say that about any other solid state amp I know of, can you?

RELIABILITY: I own a Roland BC 60 112 and some other BOSS equipment along with a micro-cube. Over the years the most serious problem I ever had was a loose solder joint in a BOSS pedal board. ROLAND / BOSS is renowned for their durable, tough-as-nails build quality. I pulled this amp out of the wood to inspect it before buying. Pretty typical of Roland products in general. Clean, well laid out circuit boards and an adequate power supply section. The cab is pretty stout and stable with big fat rubber feet. The original speaker has a smallish magnet, but it?s well made and it?s loud. This thing has a very impressive carrying strap too. Quality everywhere. About what you?d expect from Roland.

OVERALL RATING: I think it?s the best in its class to be honest. If you?ve ever tried the Tech 21 amps you have an idea of the kind of gain and tone the BC 30 has going for it, but it?s much simpler in its approach to achieving those kinds of sounds and way cheaper than the Trademark 60, which is a pretty good sounding amp too. To me, it?s kind of like a Fender Deluxe from the 70s. Although I own and gig with a Roland BC 60, I actually find myself playing through the BC 30 more often at home and at jams with friends. I also play smaller venues with it because it has that ?magic? that just makes you want to play and listen. It?s loud enough (about as loud as the BC 60 actually!) and it?s versatile enough to cover country, jazz, classic rock, hard rock and blues styles quite well in clubs, halls and smaller outdoor venues. Roland managed to balance the solid state reliability / low maintenance features with a great sounding amp / speaker combination in the Blues Cube line. No doubt in my mind it will be on the list of ?classic gear? for many years to come. I?d buy another one in a new-york minute if it were lost or stolen.

I never write reviews but this amp is worth bragging about.
Very basic bare bones amp with just a ton of character. I really miss having a direct out or headphone jack but when an amp sounds this good for such an affordable price...it's worth the sacrifice.
Oh yah, reverb would be nice too but don't we all want everything for nothing.

I use a Yamaha SL 550S and an Ibanez RS 140 (modified) which both sound amazing through this beige baby.
I play everything from Sabbath to George Benson and it covers all the bases. Put a pedal in front and it shines. I've played other amps with pedals and they make the amp sound artificial.
Hard to believe this is a SS amp with the warmth it delivers. Get the Boss foot pedal for switching between clean and dirt...it will make your life so much easier.

This amp stays in the studio so I can't comment on roadworthy reliabilty. If it is anything like other Roland products, there will be no issues. I also have a JC 77.

I'm sure I won't be calling them

Been playing awhile. Girlfriend at 16 taught me to play Cat Scratch Fever and The Zoo (Scorpions). I was sold. Got lots of toys but have finally found an amp that I will keep.
Most of my gear is Japanese made because Japanese rule with design and value (their work values are the best in the world). Sorry North America but when I'm spending my hard earned money, I look for the best possible deal (price and quality).
In my opinion, Peavey U.S.A is the only other company that gives us such great deals (price and quality).

Just the basics. One 12" speaker, Clean and O/D footswitchable channels, Bright channel switch, Clean channel volume control, Pre and Post volume controls for the O/D channel, 3 Band E.Q, Presence knob (which I love), and Master volume.
This is a real amp not a toy so don't expect Aux in and all that kind of stuff. Having said that, it still bothers me that it doesn't have an FX Loop and individual channel E.Q. I know that if it had all that the price would have been different but it would also make it the perfect amp.

I use it with an American Fender Strat.
I liked this amp from day number one. Very nice sounding and no noise problems at all.
After owning it for nearly a year, I love it even more now. Whenever I play with a different amp (even with some very good tube ones that I had the chance to get my hands on) I always get to appreciate even more what the Blues Cube has to offer. It does sound amazing at any volume level and you don't have to be always loud to get the good tones out of it.The clean channel is phenomenal. I would say that this is definately where this amp shines. Warm and clear sounding all the way up. From bedroom volume level practicing to full volume giging, the clean channel of the BC30 always delivers pure tone heaven.
The O/D channel does some things really well and some others not so well. It'not my favorite distortion, but the amps that have my favorite distortion don't have my favorite clean sound so....it's probably unreasonable to ask to have everything in one package. Maybe amp modelling would be able to offer us this option one day, but even then I will still use my Blues Cube a lot.
Another thing that I like about the Blues Cube is it's response to pedals and processors. I've tried different kinds of stuff in front of it and it always delivers. With the right chain of pedals or FX processor in front of it, you can go from cool jazz/funk rhythms and solo lines to total mayhem.
As far as power goes....if this amp is not loud enough for you,... you have to check out your hearing dude. At the end of the day this one goes beyond 11. It goes up to 12!

If I can depend on it? Well, what is there to break? This amp is built on an old school kind of philosophy where less is more. No tube maintenance either.

I have dealt with Roland regarding other products of them that I own.
They might not be a small "boutique" kind of amp manufacturers that you always get "Joe" on the phone to personaly answer all your questions, but I always had a positive experience dealing with them.

As I said already I wished it had an FX loop and individual channel E.Q's like it's big brother the BC60. I will probably install an FX Loop one day myself.
As far as sound goes this is a true plug and play and an amazing all around amp that you can use from practicing at home to giging and it will always sound great. Guitar on one hand the Blues Cube on the other and you're ready for your staight ahead jazz trio. Place your favorite FX chain in front of it and rock out!
I am still comparing it with whatever I get my hands on and it always keeps its place as one of my absolute favorites and beloved pieces of gear. It's a real workhorse.
When I'm in my studio recording I plug my guitar through a quite complicated, mostly digital (and unfortunately quite expensive) set up of preamp, souncards, computers, amps and cabinets modelling simulators, FX and the rest of the junk. Programability and the pre-sets etc that I can have using those devices, make this option the fastest and most reliable way to get all the different sounds I need to get on the hard disk. Most of the times, after I finish, I switch off everything and plug directly to the Blues Cube where I find heaven.

Made in 200?? Quite versatile -- clean channel has a nice grainy breakup to it, which I like quite a bit... not a sterile clean-tone like a JC120. Bright switch -- may as well call it a "shit" switch on any amp... will instantly make your tone suck!

Headphone jack? CD inputs? Are we looking for toy amps -- pro-gear amps do NOT have headphone jacks and CD inputs... get a nice, cheesy crate if that's what you want!

If you need reverb or an effects loop, try the BC-60... At this price-point, it just has the basics: two channels, shared eq, presence, bright "shit" switch. No external speaker out... doesn't really need one. Plenty of power for any gig!

I've played all types of guitars through this: Strats & Various HB equipped guitars. All my OD/distortion units work well with it: SM-9, SD1, DS1, Tubeman, TS9, and a few others...

I've played pretty much every style at one gig or another -- jazz, fusion, rock, metal, blues, disco, funk, R&B... The BC-30 works for them all, but you have to use your mind a bit and find the right outboard gear to compliment each style.

The clean channel, like I said earlier, breaks up a bit even at low volume -- which adds character and makes the amp sound better.

The distortion -- for some things its great, for others, not so great... just like anything else. The good news is that pretty much any OD/Dist/preamp works well through its clean channel.

Not at all a noisy amp! For what it is, it is amazing... the only solid state amp I've ever owned that I would consider recording with.

I own lots of Roland/Boss products and never an incident as far as function. If you gig alot, you will lose the little metal things on top of all the knobs -- they just fall off over time.

-1 for those damn knobs!

I've never dealt with them????

I've been playing for 30 years or so. I have a collection of tube amps in my studio -- they don't go to gigs... that's is why I have two BC-30s... Great gigging amps. They sound great and weigh in at 32 pounds! Put your favorite pedal(s) or processor in front of it and it can do many things well.

I would definitely buy it again! I love its tone, portability, and reliability. Nothing bad to say about it... I'm not crazy about its distortion, but that is so subjective -- I don't like a Soldano's distortion either... or a Matchless (eww!). That's why they make so many distortion pedals -- use what you like!!!

Very basic, but as others have said, functional.

The best combo ever. Forget Marshalls, Twins, Boogies, this is the best sound ever. You don't need reverb to mask the sounds of others and the presence is simply, to die for!!
This is the guitarists best kept secret ever.

It's Roland, it'll last longer than me.

Unknown, this thing is so sturdy.

If you have doubts about this thing, play it, leave it, go play somthing else, then come back to it after about a year. That's what I did. WOW!!! What a tone. Forget valves, tweeds, twins, mesas, this is where tone heaven exists. A Strat into a BC30 is the holy grail, like Les Paul to JCM.
If you can find one - buy it!!!!!

Made in early 1900's. has a volume, 2 gain volumes, 3 eq knobs, and presence and master volume

I use a gibson les paul special faded w/ this amp. this amp gives a voxy / orange amp sound to it. this is probably one of hte most versatile sounding solid state amps i have ever worked with. i currently own a vox ac30, and comoparing to the 2 amps, i have to say that the blues cube blew the ac30 away in sound. one thing thatyou have ot be careful about is the volume. keep the volume below 5 and you'll be okay. caue beyond that, it gives it a really distorted sound. the only thing i don't like about this amp is that it has no reverb. that's probably why i use both ac30 and this amp. but it's nothing a electro harmonix or a fender reverb unit couldn't fix.

This amp is great. it's never broken down on me. it's also very tough. i've enjoyed it very much

N/A

This amp is great for a low budget. using this amp, fender reverb unit, and an ac30, it's probably the best amp i've ever had. If you want to spend 200 (how much they sell it for on musicians friend), then you should add about an extra 100 bucks and get a holy grail or a digitech digital reverb. if you got that, you're good to go. best amp. GOOD JOB ROLAND. I'm actually not a big fan of roland amps either. =O

What, no reverb? I'm really kind of pissed about the lack of reverb and may still send it back to musiciansfriend. I just don't want to go to the trouble and doubt I'll find anything with as much sound for the money. Not many features. Simple, makes you rely on your playing, not alot of effects.

Clean channel is great, hefty and nice. Distortion has a little to be desired. I suspect I'll end up using a pedal. I have two g&l guitars, an older s-500 and a new blues boy semi hollow. They both sound great through it. I'd say the clean channel is this amps strong point.

n/a only had it since Feb. 2- 05

haven't had to use customer support.

I've played for over 20 years. I haven't had a lot of amps though. I've got a fender hot rod as my main amp. This amp is a home amp and is fine except for the lack or reverb.
I trust roland products.
It also looks pretty cool. It's plenty tall so you don't have to lean too far over to reach the knobs if you're sitting down to play. It's also quite light and easy to move around. Overall, I'd say this is a good sounding amp but be prepared to buy an external reverb unit and though it has distortion you may want a better distortion pedal too. It will probably last forever since there are so few features to break I guess.

Not many. It has a lead channel and a clean channel. It has presence. No reverb though. It is a solid state amp. It has 30 Watts of power...but it is plenty of power because it is almost equivilent to 30 Watts of tube power. With regards to this aspect it is not like other solid states...the thirty watts is plenty.

No headphone jack or effects loop.

I use a telecaster copy(american made) and a Godin Radiator. I use it in with a Adrenalinn synth filter/delay pedal. Well this is the best solid state I have owned. Clean all the way up to 12, which is uncommon for small solid states. It also can be competive with tube amps regarding volume, which is very uncommon for 30 Watt Solid States. Basically this amp is versitile, it sounds very good. It only gets a point off for no reverb.

I never use distortion on the amp.

I use it for loud post-rock and shoegazer music and it works quite well. I also use it for quiet indie pop.

As reliable as it gets.

It is a great, cheap, small, and versitile solid state amp. The best bang for your buck. Yeah it is not as good as its bigger BC-60 brother because of the lack of reverb, or its cousin the JC-120. But it is damn fine and one of the best solid state amps ever. I would buy it again in a second if I was not opting for the BC-60 in the future(the amp is that good that I want an upgrade as supposed to a tube amp). Basically Roland proves why they are the reigning kind of Solid States and do not even bother to make tube amps...thier solid state amps are simply the best ones out there. For $200 or under it is simply the best available.

BC-30 Blues Cube. Purchased Dec 2004. Musicians Friend as it was the only place I could find it. Sitting on my door step in 4 days, great service. A basic no frills amp. One jack in. Clean and Lead channel switchable. 12 inch speaker. No reverb but hardly notice it missing once you get rocking with this thing. Would like an extension speaker jack. Not sure about adding one as its an 8 ohm speaker now. Dont want to screw up anything by adding another 8 ohm speaker. But would be VERY interesting with a Mesa 12" speaker cabinet.

Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Stuido, also new. Play the regular blues, Hendrix, Clapton etc and maybe some mellow jazzy stuff. Clean channel will distort a bit when played hard. Dial back the guitar volume for a jazzier clean sound. I use a Boss FS-5L footswitch to go to the Lead distortion channel. LOTS of sustain and blues there. From slight to mega. You can dial in the Clean/Lead volumes to match or got louder when switched between the two. The amp did well in a small loud group setting along with a Fender, Mesa, and Marshall. I had the amp on about 8-9 and didnt get the guitar fully volumed. Could have easily however.

All my Boss/Roland stuff so far is great gear.

Never needed them
2 years on the amp. 5 years on the Speaker.

Played years ago in dives and bars. Got this for fun and jams. Took back a Blues Junior and ordered this. This is a bit larger and heavier than the Blues Jr. The Jrs a good amp but this blows it away. Dont bother to buy a distortion or Blues pedal with this amp. I added reverb and delay but had that stuff anyways. For a GOOD sounding balls out entry level amp for home practice at low volumes, and small clubs its the best 200 bucks you can spend. Read the other reviews for more details. Im very pleased over all with this amp. If it were crap would simply send it back.

Already covered below. Has everything I need, except reverb and a speaker jack. No biggie though.

WOW! I used this with a band last night, and with the volumes full up on the clean channel, and the bright switch engaged, I was able to cut through the mix with no mic on the amp. The tone was FANTASTIC! Very tubey, with a spongey feel. LOTS of low end for a 1x12 combo. It had plenty of crunch and sustain, and I was able to clean up the tone by rolling the guitars volume back - just like tubes do! It may have been even slightly too loud. It was jam night last night, with many other guitarists in attendance, and all were impressed with the sound of this amp. The amp held it's own with two other guitarists - one using a Laney LC30 class A tube amp. With the clean channels volume full up, it was PERFECT for any club gig. As Ralph Cramden said below - if you need more volume than this, you're TOO DAMNED LOUD!

Well, Lord Valve has been complaining about the cheap pots all over the internet, and mentioned something about the reverb in the BC60 model being a potential disaster. This doesn't have reverb, so not to worry. About the pots, well I'll just have to take extra care not to knock 'em around. Other than that, I can't see why this thing shouldn't last for decades. Even running full volume for hours, it never gets terribly hot, and I didn't encounter the intermittant thumping noise that others have mentioned. It rode in my trunk for a 10 hour drive the other day, and it's still working great. I intend to use this for small club gigs, without a back up amp, although I'll have an amp simulator in the gig bag. So if it does die on the job, I can still get through the gig.

Hope I don't have to find out.

I own about 9 or 10 amps (I've lost count). All of them tubes, except for three of them (Lab Series). My main amp is a silverface Pro Reverb from about 73. I know how tube amps are supposed to sound, and I'm only deaf in one ear - not both! This amp sounds so much like REAL TUBES that it's RIDICULOUS! It feels like tubes too! The price is dirt cheap, and all of the tube snobs STILL refuse to give this, or any other non-tube amp, the time of day. Solid State technology has come a LONNNNG way, and with the trend growing towards digital modeling amplifiers, the analog Solid State amps will just get cheaper (that's a good thing).

Mark my words - someday, when all guitar amps are either vintage tube designs, or digital modeling amps, these analog Solid State tube-pretender amps are going to disappear. When that happens, it may take 10 years or more, but eventually people will WAKE UP to the fact that these were GREAT amps with GREAT tones, and they will probably become the next collectors items. Include Tech 21 Trademarks, and Lab Series amps in that list.

I got this off of ebay. It came with a Celestion V12-60, which I'm sure is an upgrade from the original. I too would like to see reverb and an external speaker jack here, but I can live without it.

I'm using Telecasters. Mostly a 52 ReIssue. It makes a nice plug in and play kind of amp. It seems just about loud enough for gigging, if you crank it. If it doesn't cut through the band, then your band is just TOO DAMNED LOUD!!!

The clean channel is the real prize on this amp. It's warm and wonderful. As previously noted, when cranked, the clean channel will distort ever so subtly, and in a most ear-pleasing way. Unfortunately, it's just not quite enough for soloing, which brings us to......

The dirty channel. You know how a good lot of amps with dirty channels sound kind of nasally when using the dirty channel? Well this is no different, but it's nowhere near as bad as most. It's actually quite usable. The distortion is smooth. I don't understand why anyone would need any more distortion than this amp offers. It's WAY too much for my tastes. It is smooooooth though. You have to keep the presence control back otherwise it gets raspy.

I've been reading up on these for a long long time before deciding to go for one, and I've never heard of anyone having a problem with them.

Never dealt with them.

I have lots of amps. All tube, except for my Lab Series L5. I wanted something lightweight and decent sounding for small gigs and jams, when I don't want to pull out my tube amps. Every amp I have was either too big and heavy, or too small (Champs). I wanted something that didn't need to be miked up, yet not be too loud. The BC30 has lots of low end chunk for it's size.

I can grab the guitar with one hand, and the BC30 in the other and head into the club without having to make a return trip to the car. I'm very happy with my purchase!