Roland BC-60 BluesCube 112 Combo

Well now...it has two indie channels, each with perfectly matched EQ. I mean the EQ on this amp is easier than the EQ on my Tech 21 Trademark 60 but sounds just as good and is just as versatile. Unlike the trademark 60 the amp is a breeze to dial in. It's also much louder and the channel layout is more traditional. The Rectiflex circuit does a good job of faking true tube sag, which is perfect for the blues and good for rock, too. Good presence.
Clean channel has three levels of crunch! What a feature. Overdrive channel has a boost switch that delivers hard rock tone. Very convincing tube tones in this amp. Nice reverb. Weighs about 50 pounds. MDF construction (ugh) but the cab is ruggedly built and doesn't rattle or moo with heavy bass. Not a lot of whiz-bang here, just the right tools for the job.

I bought this off E-Bay based on the reviews here. Now that I've had it for six months I can honestly say this is the amp I've been searching for, for a long time. I liked it with the original speaker but I like it even more with an Eminence Wizard installed and broken in. I love the clean channel on Crunch 2 when I play my Strats through it. With my Les Paul the overdrive channel cops that classic rock tone that Marshalls make. Kick in the boost switch and the amp flat out sings with the Les Paul. Zep, BTO, ZZ Top, Skynyard, Allman Brothers, Cream, etc. All that stuff comes through with convincing presence. Gawd...I LOVE it! Since I have had it and put in the Wizard speaker I have not really touched my Tech 21. In fact, I've decided to sell it! Not knocking the Tech 21 cuz it's a cool amp but it's really not as versatile and "live show" friendly as the Blues Cube.
Trust me on this: You won't find another amp that cops the tube tone like this one. I have a friend who owns Boogies and PRS guitars. He can afford the best so he buys the best. He's also a pretty damned good guitar player with a trained ear for tone. He jammed with me a few months ago and tried the BC 60. He was floored at the way the amp sounded and how dynamic it was with his PRS. He actually played it for a couple of hours before learning that it was a solid state amp. He had to look behind it to verify that there were no tubes. It really floored him.
For blues, classic 60s and 70s rock, hard rock and crunchy rhythm playing, this amp flat out produces the tone I was looking for. Engage the bright switch and pure Tele country is what you get, too. It really can do all styles except metal. Considering that I paid a mere 300 for it including shipping, I know I got a diamond for the price of a cubic zirconia! Yee Haw. And yes...it delivers the tone at all volume levels, including bedroom levels. That's something my old Fender tube amps could never do, which is why I bought the Tech 21 amp but this BC 60 blows it away for ease of use, volume and sweet bluesy tone.

Let me put it this way...I've owned, bought and sold a lot of gear over the years but the only stuff I kept forever was my BOSS and Roland gear. It just won't quit on you, period. I don't gig with a backup but maybe I'll keep the tech 21 as a lightweight backup? Hmmm there's a thought.

At 55 I've been playing the guitar since my teens. Joined my first band at 19 and have been playing steadily for many, many years. I've seen a lot of trends in equipment and in styles but everything goes back to the basic blues and rock progressions eventually, then emerges again as something else, morphing into yet another take on the basic blues bedrock. Nowadays I play Strats and Les Pauls straight into my BC 60. It's what I gig with and I ain't changing my story. I'll probably buy another one some day just to have one in case i wear this one out LOL. Too bad Roland quit this one. It's a dream come true for me to own one. Get one if you can.

On further review.....
Bought as a practice amp for my band. Blowout MF sale. 2004. Read these posts and have not looked back. This little solid state combo will TOUCH/NAIL on a vast array of tones. It's shortcomings are noted as far as no ability to channel switch on the go. A top notch rehersal amp, you can NOT blow it up. FX loop is nice with the wet/dry and the amp will just BOND with quality pedals. What I wish for is what Roland left out. Have you been reading? Listen to me. As far as solid state amps go, this is freaking amazing. Will it do everything? ARE YOU ON DRUGS? I really do know it is in your hands. If you play well with others, no loss here. I get AC/DC at room/rehersal levels with a one pedal. I leave this to you as this is ALL subjective. Had it for 2 years now. Honeymoon is over. I have to work with this amp 4 or 5 times a month. Do you hear me? Left in the practice room. Come in and hit it with what I'm fine tuning at home. I perform with a 66 Blackface Pro Reverb with an array of pedals for my style/sound. It works for me. The BC60 does too. Nicely! As far as playing out, if I wanted to play a small room, this would be my choice. Right now I need 212 even thru the PA.

This amp will not let you down on any level if you have any clue as to what it is capable of and what you ask of it. It has fantastic headroom and a nice crunch channel. That's the fly in the ointment. One or the other. I prefer the clean with a Boss FS-5L latching footswitch as my second channel. One more step and Roland cudda bin somebody. It will work with quality stomps as few solid state combos will. THIS little piece of work is amazing. Not noisy at all, unless your stomps are. Like I said, can't kill it. You can push it to...Subjective. We play RNR like Stones and Petty and we use Strats. Single coils. HOT. I use a Powerhouse Strat which IMHO is as good as it feels to you, and I have a keeper with the 12db boost I use sparingly. Maple is my fingerboard of choice. My other guitarist pushes an Ampeg Jet with a 112 cab and tonight he pulled out an older KOT pedal that was just about to blow my mind it sounded so good. Had to jump and bump the volume on my little BC60....Not showtime...but damn freaking good. We play live soon, gonna tune my BF to....

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE...
never leave home without it!
SO FAR SO GOOD!

I HAVE NO IDEA. THAT'S BECAUSE ROLAND PRODUCTS NEVER TOOK A DUMP ON ME.

OK...35 Years in various venues.69 Les Paul Custom; 2000 made in Mexico Powerhouse Strat; 65 SG; Two other Strat MIM....Line 6 Duoverb. Fender 66 Pro Reverb. Fender Frontman. Roland BC 60. Boatload of Quality Modded Stomps......Analogman..Keeley...Garmopat...and.....MY SECRET..

This amp can sound like anything - and the tone is so natural!

I play a PRS Santana SE, a Mexican Deluxe Players' Strat, and an Ibanez Artcore on this amp.

All of these sound great for any style of music on this amp! I will play ska, rock, punk, and just about anything else on this amp. It can easily sound like a tube amp.

I've had this for about 6 mo. so I don't quite know yet.

I've had no problems.

I own a Vox valvetronix, a Marshal JTM 60, and a Fender Blues Jr. also. This can sound just like any of these amps, although the Marshall does have a slightly sweeter tone.

If this amp were stolen - I would replace it any day.

Features have been listed by others. I must say that each feature, whether it's the bright switch, rectifier switch (very subtle) or pre-knob in the lead channel, has been well thought out and contributes to the many sounds this amp is capable of. As others have said it would have been swell if they had put the two crunch channels on a footswitch, or at least one. But you can use an overdrive pedal and get four levels of grit. I'm wondering if you can't use the loop effects out as a line out like on other amps. I haven't tried it so I can't say for certain. No cover available? Go to http://store.amplifiercovers.com/roland.html

Tons of good sounds. and very well weighted. By that I mean you can use the full sweep of the Pre lead control and still keep note articulation and warmth. With many other amps there is too much gain too soon. You're into total buzz at 1. boost switch adds mighty crunch for searing lead tones and big power chords. Add an OD pedal for mucho mid tone crunch or a metal pedal for scooped tones. Not that you can't do pretty well with the amp tones alone.

For the regular channel, again, the tone controls are very active and nicely centered. Good tone at low and moderate volumes with hot and gainy blues sounds at high volume with lots of sustain. Yes, this is a very warm amp, so warm that I can use the bright switch for glassy overtones that don't sound ice-picky or strident. And with a Fender Tele!

The three position gain switch is ingenious and makes you wonder why all clean channels don't have this option. Position one is very clean and gets stays prettty clean at high volume levels. Other SS amps sound strident and harsh at high volumes. This just gets thicker with more sustain. Great for country and surf. Crunch 1 is very nice and covers a lot of blues and rock ground. Crunch 2 is great for heavier sounds. Then the lead channel picks up from there. It's all very organic sounding, not overly processed like many SS amps and some pedals.

There is some noise at higher gains but pretty well contained. I can patch ALL my pedals to the effects loop with very little added noise. A real bonus! I couldn't do that with my last tube amp which sounded like Niagra Falls with any decent gain.

I'm writing this after only two days experience so I'm still on the honeymoon. My experience with Boss effects and a Boss digital recorder has been perfect.

I used support on my Boss 864 recorder. I needed some explanation and I got it pretty quickly on the phone. Very good reputation for quality and support.

I have to drop a point for dumb reverb switching (who does that?) but no crunch switching and no footswitch included. Other than that, this thing is awesome! Best solid state that I've ever played through and better than many tube amps. I haven't played it live so I reserve final judgment (thus the 9 rating). It wouldn't be the first amp that sonded great in the bedroom and not so good on the job.

It's too bad they stopped production. I'm guessing that the modeling Cube 60 can cover this ground and more--but does it sound as sweet and natural? Without A-Bing them, I can't say. But this looks better.

The features have been explained.

Hey fellow axeslingers, i found an awsome set up for my bc-60 1-12! I have always liked the f/x loop in this amp, and have a dan-echo hooked up to it, with a full on wet/dry mix, on a nice slapback mode.Well hell, one day i was putzin around and decided to hook up my aphex guitar x-citer to the loop, in chain with the dan-echo, might i add i took out the stock speaker and put in a v-30, boo--yaa! switched the x-citer on, instant fire breather! You have to play with the x-citer, to get what you want, but man it's worth it, and you will never shut it off! This setup makes the amp sound more punchy and articulate, and before i never used the boost mode in the lead channel, well i do now, it sounds so close to my old jcm-800 it's scary! In front of the amp i just use a boss od-3, and a boss super shifter for nice chorus settings, very impressive, try it!

No probs in 2 years of gigs.

This is an addendum to my review a while back, i have 7 amps and 4 guitars, 4 of my amps are no longer in production, the BC-60, the 3 tube amps i have no longer in production are an Orange AD-15, a Reverend Goblin 5/15, and a 1964 Gibson Skylark GA-5T, the rest are a couple of Cube-30's, and a Vox Pathfinder. I have a Reverend Slingshot Custom, a G@l Asat Classic Semi- Hollow, a '91 Gibson Les Paul Standard, and an Ibanez RT-450, with tone-zone and carvin pups.And i use all Monster and George L cords. Been playing 38 years, many of them pro, and i'm pushin 50 so my stack haulin days are over! Ha! But the BC-60 has a great tone out of the box, put an x-citer in your loop and see what happens! Good Luck!

Very versatile & moblie amp. Can be used at home for practice & can handle your typical gig setting EASILY. It is very loud, and handle loud volumes.
The only question mark here is switched reverb!
There are 2 channels
normal
lead
normal with 3 levels, (no distortion, with little distorion, dirty sound) and remeber this amp is VERY TOUCH SENSATIVE! that is just priceless.
Lead with 2 pre and post volume for amount of distortion, and a boost!

If you really want to bring out the pinch harmonics and get that hard rock/metal sound, just switch to lead turn on the boost.

That is why this amp is so versitile. Blues,jazz, rock, metal, etc.

No digital effects but if you want any kind of digial sound you are looking at a wrong amp. this amp is PURE TONE.

Just because of the switched reverb instead of switch boost for lead, i give it a 9/10. Otherwise this amp has it all.

After buying and selling many many amplifier, i finally found what I want.
Tone. thats what it comes down to. Plug any guitar in this amp, it will bring out the best. I even use it for my acoustic guitar and since this amp and Roland amps in general are known for the super clean sound, it works guitar.

Let me put it this way, this is a one of the best roland amps with once difference, EXCELLENT DISTORTION/OVERIDE.

Close your eyes and this amplifier is a Tube amp.

2 years no problems so far, havent been hit or anything but it has travelled.

Dont know, never had to call them or anything.

@ this value. THIS IS THE BEST AMPLIFIER.

If I had unlimited money I would probably buy a Mesa Boogie Amp.
Hell, I might just buy one of these BC-60 for its look though.

I bought my BC-60 in 1996 soon after it's debut. I spent $430 at MF an thought that a bargain as soon as I plugged in my Les Paul. 2 channels, 60 watts, 3 settings in Channel 1 - Clean, Crunch 1, and Crunch 2. I mainly use Clean and Crunch 1. If I want to really get "dirty", switching to Channel 2 is where I go with a foot-switch. No digital effects, but you don't need them with this amp. Just buy your pedals if you want specific sounds.

Wow! What can you say about this little beast. It sounds so different from any other SS amp out there. Channel 2 just stands out there in a field by itself. Talk about cutting through the mix in a group recording or live performance. And here's the best part - this amp is dead silent with no hum or incessant hiss that typically comes with other SS (or for that matter tube) amps.

Owned it for 9 years now and never a problem!!!!

Don't need it

I've been playing for over 35 years now and have played quite a few amps over the years. Forget any of the Fender or Marshall SS amps in comparison to this one. NO CONTEST. As for the newer modeling amps that are so prevalent now, I haven't really had much time to test. As I said before, how can you go wrong with the super silent Roland in the clean channel and add any pedal you want. My only question is why this puppy never made it originally. Looks like it is finding a 2nd life as a highly sought after used amp. Guys (and gals) our little secret is no longer a secret anymore!

Whew...I just finished reading ALL of the reviews for the BC 60. I think the features are pretty much covered. My favorites are the rectiflex switch and the boost switch. The BC 60 also has the best channel switching I've ever heard. It almost morphs real quick between channels. Well built and nice blonde tolex with brown grillecloth. Very retro.

Basically I agree with what others have said about the sound of this amp. I also compared these to the Trademark 60 amps and this one, while not as versatile overall, has the classic tones of the clean Fenders and overdriven Marshalls of old PLUS it's a very stage friendly amp that reacts real good to the pedal that I use. I have an old BOSS ME 5 pedal (BOSS=ROLAND) that I use for a little chorus, compression and clean boost. There's no need to use a distortion pedal with this amp becuz channel two has a better sound than most pedals. For that matter, so does channel one with the two overdrive settings.
This amp has the true sounds of the classic rock era. Naturally it has a great blues sound too. Basically old school classic rock had a more blues based sound so it should follow that the Blues Cube 60 should nail this, which it does.
I have an Epiphone SG (older model), a Gibson Les Paul Standard '74, an Ibanez h-s-h 90's shredder, a no-name Tele copy and a Jay Turser 335 clone. The Les Paul is my favorite with the Tele being a close second. All the above guitars sound good with the BC 60. By contrast only the Ibanez and the SG really shine through my Peavey SS amps. The Roland people did a good job on the warmth and touch dimensions.

I started in 1987. I do classic rock covers in a 4 piece band. For what we do the sound of the guitars has to be old school Fender and Marshall becuz those were the amps of the day for the most part. The BC 60 does these amps extremely well without the expense of tube refits and the weight of heavy tube combos. I would buy another one in a new york minute. Closest thing to the old school tube amp sound that I know of. Most guitarists could never pick it out of a crowd of tube amps...I know I couldn't do it!

The features are listed all over the place so I'm not gonna bother with those.

Musician's Friend must have gotten a bunch of these to close out because one recent day I was poking around their web site and saw it. Thought it looked interesting (didn't know squat about it) so I came here to read reviews. Then I went back to buy it the next morning(Based on all these great reviews) but . . . no more - all gone! So . . . I went to e-bay and got a used one. First, comments to the guy who likes his Vox better. I think you need to play with the BC-60 a little more. It took me awhile to get it figured out. I fell in love with this thing! I have a Fender Deville (4 10's - 60 scorching watts!). The DeVille is definately louder. In fact, in order to get that thing sounding right, I've got to damn near get thrown out of the neighborhood when I practice! The BC-60 can give you the sound at lower volumes. I really don't care for the distortion that the DeVille gives you. Instead, I love the sound that I can get with my Ibanez Tube Screamer into the clean channel. I also have a Line 6 AX2-212 with the updates. It's pretty nice but just flat doesn't have that warmth. There are some really neat sounds on it (the Rectifier stuff, Marshall, more - in fact, the Line 6 Clean with "Teeth" sounds awesum with the Les Paul. But the emulations of the Fender stuff is good but the Roland is soooo much warmer! As far as sound . . .

When I first got it, all I did was play my 50th Anniversary American Dlx. Strat through it. I had heard (and read in the manual) that it worked well with old-style single coil pickups so I didn't expect my Les Paul to sound right (the Les Paul doesn't sound as good on the DeVille). So I tried the Paul after awhile and WOW! Sounded like a kick-ass Marshall!

Here's what I really noticed on my Strats (I have 4 Strats - 2 of them have the new SMC Pickups with the S-1 switching). This amp totally enables the Strat to sound like it was intended to sound like(through real vintage Tube Amps)! ie: When you switch your pickup selector, you really, really notice and they sound like they are supposed to! Bridge - you've got John Fogerty's Swamp Rock Sound. Middle and Neck, is Stevie Ray! Actually, damn near everything I play sounds soooo much better! I actually impressed myself! It allows the tone that a good player has to come through. It gets clean when you're soft and growls when you dig in!

Another example . . . I was never that crazy about my S-1 switch. When I bought the Strats, I couldn't really see the value in it but I thought . . . maybe someday I'll tune in to it or something but I never really used it. So I'm jamming away with my Les Paul on the BC-60 - it was sounding incredible. Then . . I broke a string. So I grabbed one of the Dlx. Strats (I have two of those). For the basic Rock Rythm, it actually sounded lots better than the Paul on the Bridge pickup (not as muddy as the Paul as the Fender has that bell-like clean). But the leads were nowhere near as fat. So ... I switched to Crunch 2, pushed in my S-1 Switch and stayed on the Bridge PU - Wala! It sounded like my Les Paul! That's what that S-1 Switch is supposed to do! It's supposed to "dirty-it-up" a bit and make it sound more like a LP. I just never had an amp that made it sound good! Now I love the S-1 Switch. You can push that sucker in and it's almost like going to another channel. Again, I never go that same feel with my other amps.

Another example . . . I have never dialed in a good sound for Stevie Ray's, Love Struck. It was OK but not quite right. The BC-60 sounds just right. Like I said, everything you do just flat sounds better on this thing. I'm stoked with the sound!

I also have a Line 6 Pod-XT Live (Floor), VG-88, and more guitars - Tele, Tele Dlx., Gretch and more guitars. (I'm an X-Performer who used to be exlusively Acoustic Guitars and Vocals). I play anthing but Rap! Into Blues these days! So far, I've only tried the Tele on it and it also sounds really really killer! I do Slide as well and it sounds nice and fat on this amp! Plus, you don't really need the stomp boxes (unless you want some metal sounding stuff). The only stomp I think I'll need is my Line 6 EchoPark.

Anyway, I liked this thing so much (and I think it might be a Collector's piece (which is weird for a Solid State) that I just bought another one on e-bay. I got the 310 as I want to see what it sounds like and try to hook them up stereo with the Echo.

As echo'd in these reviews, Roland is pretty dependable. I'm a Roland Poster Child. I have a Roland set of V-Drums, Roland Hand-Sonic, VG-88, DR-880, DR-670, GI-10 Midi Controller, Super JV1080 with 4 Expansion Boards, had a GT-3 and a DR-3 but sold them and had more Roland stuff that I had sold awhile back. Knock on Guitar Wood, I have never had problem. Their stuff is pretty rock solid.

I've actually called them a couple times for varius things and have had good resonse.

I've been playing guitar for over 35 years (although I was a full on Acoustic Guy and I was very good). When I got back into electrics, I first scored the VG-88 and a Strat with the special pickup for triggering the Synths and VG-88 as it seemed to give me all the guitar sounds and amps all in one. But . . . the better I got, the more of a Tone-Snob that I became. Close to 30 Guitars, stomp boxes, Mulit-FX, and 4 amps Later . . .
I think that one of the previous reviewers stated it perfectly when he says that this little thing is one of the best kept secrets around (although not so secret anymore). This is the best sounding SS I've heard (although not nearly as versatile as my Line 6 with all the effects and such). Just as perviosly stated: If you want that old Fender/Marshall Tone in a SS - this is it!

Two channel solid state amp with reverb and efects loop. Comes with a single Vintage 12 speaker. No footsweitch included. Separate EQ on both channels.

Reading over the last 5-6 reviews will give you a good picture of the sounds this amp is capable of. I find it interesting that the review previous to mine sort of downs the BC 60 because his VOX digital amp blows it away. This is-in my opinion-a revelatory observation. If you love that pure digital, modeling tone then you would probably not appreciate the BC 60's more analog, old-school tones. No way the BC 60 could reproduce the digital, monolythic, non-dynamic tones that modellers get. I doubt very seriously that any of the modellers could cop the BC 60's tone, either. So...If you like the old-school Fender / Marshall tone then you'll like the BC 60. If you go for a more processed tone...get a modeler.
Personally....I LOVE the BC 60's vibe...very tubish in sound and feel.