Roland BC-60 BluesCube 310 Combo

I believe this amp was made in 1994-95. My commitment to music has increased only recently so in terms of my "style", that is still developing. I explore Indy rock and Progressive blues for the most part. I don't mind getting cheesy on occasion but I am definitely not into faster, aggressive metal or Industrial techno and growling/screaming to a chainsaw-like din.
The two-channel BC-60 310 is not the most versatile in my view, BUT individual pedals and processors can be a big factor here.The effects loop is a good option that controls feedback with my V-amp Pro. I think that the general character of the amp does not change that much even with plenty of fiddling - this is not to say that you cannot get a different range of sounds just don't expect night & day. With the digital technology available, people have crazy expectations in this regard IMO.
This is a "no frills" amp. If you want a preamp XLR out, headphone jack, tremolo, etc, you can forget it. This may partially be a result of the considerable weight already evident here and the tube simulation electronics which constitute the selling point that Roland used here. The spring reverb is a little mushy but this could be because I switched out the 3 10" speakers for one 12.
My BC-60 is used and the footswitch did not come with it. This is a good argument for a second (parallel) input but that option is missing. I find the crunch dial pretty overdone, but I am into cleaner, slightly overdriven tones and the pre-volume (gain) on the lead channel will get you all the dirt you need.
I have never used this amp for a gig, but I would not hesitate. The rating for the 3 speakers together is 75 watts RMS. I don't put the master volume above 4, lest the neighbors get an unwanted massage. The power is more than adequate for a bar gig IMO.

I have a strat copy with a Steve's special in the bridge and a Japanese 70's soapbar in the neck. I also have a double cutaway American Gibson with P-90s in it. I have other guitars but I match those with my other amps. This amp sounded pretty good with a 70's (Japanese)Penco Les Paul custom that I sold off. I tend to go in for a retro-ish pure tone: heavier rockabilly, mid tempo rock, complex riffing. This amp lives up to the blues in the moniker, and definitely increases sustain. A mellower rounding is present when the tube simulation is engaged.
If you pump the pre-volume, it gets somewhat noisy, but if you patch your effects in, the noise is pretty minimal. I am not keen on 10" speakers so I swapped them for a Celestion GP12-80. It delivers 80 watts of deeper tone. This opened up the amp for me and I get harmonic overtones and crunchy goodness that the earlier speaker configuration did not provide. The distortion is part of the package with this amp and if you want "bell tones", you should probably look at something else. Mellow "wall-of-sound" rhythms are easy to dial into this amp, and less delicate jazz is possible. The lead channel can give you edgy distortion, but with a Gibson, you may have some trouble pushing highs.

I think this amp is reliable and I have two other Rolands so I tend to count on them in general. For the money, I think you are doing pretty well. It's never broken down. The speaker clips made it easy to change the speaker but sawing the 3/4" plywood baffle board will be a pain. Yes, the caps fall off the knob tops because of lousy gluing. This is solid state, so you can rest easier. The amp looks quite good, but the weight is nothing to sneeze at.

I've never called Roland. No need to. Technically, I cannot rate their CS. Although if you ask me, the best CS is a product that does not require any.

I've been playing for about 20 years with patches of indolence thrown in there. If this amp was lost or stolen, I would definitely consider replacing it. This is a good general/jamming amp. The fidelity of Roland amps, makes them good for sound applications that they were not originally designed for. I have two tube amps (Aims VT-105, and a custom Fender Princeton-based amp) and they both have big problems now, which is why a reliable solid state like this is a good idea. The quieter range of this amp make recording with my firepod fairly easy. I think with the addition of a headphone jack, a direct out, and better tone controls, this could generate some rabid fans if re-released into the market.

I bought this amp brand new, so I've had it for some years now. I think I paid around $400 for it. At the time I was looking for a reliable and compact, mid priced amp with channel switching options and an effects loop. So, this amp fit the bill, and I was impressed with the sound you could get out of this thing, being solid state. In fact, this is the best non tube, tube tone I've ever heard or played through. It has enough features for just about anyone, the only 2 things I would have liked to have seen, would be a speaker output jack, but that is no biggy and a sturdier, plywood cabinet.

I have found my "Voodoo Tone" with this amp. It took some time to find, but with the right set-up, its there. Actually, the cabinet was fractured by loading and unloading from a gig. I wasn't too surprised about that because it was made from particle board, but I was still disappointed. But, if that hadn't of happened, I might not have found my tone. So, I cut the top off of the cabinet and made a head version. I have the stock speakers still, but I don't use them now.

I just happened to have an old Traynor YGM-3 loaded with an Electro-Voice EVM12L, so I just ran the Roland through the Traynor cab and "Presto!" The EV really brings out the roundness of tone that is available from the Roland, very Bassman-like. I use this setup with a strat loaded with EMG SA's, and I can voodoo it up all day. With some minor tone adjustments on either channel, you can dial in Jimi tones, the tube screamer tones, SRV, etc. By using your guit's volume and tone, you can really clean things up a lot and that just adds to the tonal palette.

I play a lot of rock, funk, blues, jazz style music and this setup allows me to do that well. Sure, I have various other amps, Carvin Legacy, Traynor, Peavey Duel 212, Mesa, and all of these are great and shine on their own, but when I want that immediate voodoo satisfaction, I use my emg loaded strat, plug into the Roland and find it.

As mentioned by a few here, the knobs aren't of high quality. And of course, the cabinet is cheap particle board. But, I'd feel safe playing a gig without a backup, just bring some extra fuses... and of course I could use my Mesa V-twin pedal if I were in a pinch. The only electrical problem I've ever had is a blown fuse, and that's it.

Never contacted them, but I hear they're great.

I've been playing for 16 years, I own various tube amps as mentioned above, pedals galore, guitars galore. If my amp were stolen or lost, I'd cry, I'd hold a memorial service for it, and would definitely be on the look out for another.

I love the simple of it- I plug in and my tone is there, without any pedals. I don't hate anything about it.

2 switching channels, 3-10" spkrs, solid state.
60 watts, nice vintage look, sturdy cabinet,
very shoddy hardware.

clean, semi-clean, and fuzzy. fair variety of tones.
My take....after playing over 30 years with Marshalls,
Fenders, Vox, Silvertone, etc, I'd say this amp is a bit
disappointing when you adjust a tone control. Its kinda
like an old Marshall(but different), when you turn a bass or mid, you almost wonder if the knob is even hooked up. Unlike say a Twin, you KNOW
those knobs work because of their wide response.
Also, I don't care for frequencies that they do adjust.
Treble too high, mid too low, bass too high.
At low level this amp sounds quite nice. At high volume
the sag is sooooo overdone, you almost have to wait a second to hear the note come out. Its actually irritating. Mid volume you'll be fine,
and wont blow the speakers like I did. Me, when I play a loud chord,
I want the amp to be able to deliver a knock out punch, this amp
has a bit of trouble with that. The only circuit that that can do this is a 60's or 70's Marshall

Electronically the amp seems quite reliable, but the hardware
is crap. The gold covers on the knobs all have fallen off.
(poor glue?) Also, the input jack is cheap plastic.
Forget replacing it with a metal switchcraft part, you
have to use the official Roland piece-o-crap, because the
amp is made that way. A slight tug and the nut and plastic sleeve
breaks right off.

Roland customer support is among the best.
I just wish I didn't hve to use it.

I've been playing lamost 40 years.
Fender, Marshall, Vox, Peavey, Roland, Kendrick.
I like the look(vintage) of this amp, and I think the
3-10 combo is an excellent speaker set.
If it were stolen I would get another one.
For the price, its affordable for an old fart like myself,
and still sounds ok at lower levels. A good amp to
bang around with and not get too hung up about getting
damaged. I've stopped dragging my Fenders and Marhalls
around, this had to stop when my Twin fell out of the
car. (:(

FINALLY there is a solid state instrument amplifier with all the attributes of the BEST tube designs and it's the Roland BC 60, 310. I have owned the BC 60 112 and the BC 30 112 too. All are fine instrument amplifiers. I sold my BC 60 112 because I prefer the sonic projection associated with the smaller, tighter 10" cone. I still own the BC 30 112 and use it as my practice amp. I highly recommend it as well. With respect to the features of the BC 60 310 they include a lively EQ section for each channel, active presence and a unique rectifex circuit that emulates sag in the power section. In general the amp is incredibly responsive to signal strength at the input. Speaker design is a dead perfect match for the output stage. Really, this design so closely emulates tube character and tone that it is absolutely uncanny.
Having tried the "also ran" Trademark 60, I find that the Roland products produce a much more pure tone as found in the superior tube designs, especially with respect to the pleasing harmonic overtones that track notes, chords and pinch harmonics, seemingly at will. While the Trademark amps are noted for their stellar direct-to-console qualities, which are commendable, I finf that the BC 60 310 beats the direct interface with an inexpensive SM 57 on the cone. Perhaps not as convenient a configuration but tone-wise it's hands down Roland.
Power wise, it has plenty of reserve on tap for all styles of playing except the really hard stuff. In other words, its power / gain / volume parameters appeal to actual players of the guitar, rather than the ubiquitous brutal noise purveyors of the MTV set.

I'm a tele player, for the same reasons as the previous reviewer. The pure tone of the Tele combined with the tonal engine of the BC 60 310 is a thing of true sonic beauty and a chimey clarity is what you get on the clean channel. Although I use the clean channel most often I also have a true appreciation for the overdrive channel, which produces the classic richness of the Fender Bassman.
The BC 60 310 responds well to pedals. In essence, it reacts in identical fashion to tube designs. Very sensitive preamp with excellent control of gain structure.

Well...it DOES say Roland on the nameplate.

My first band was in high school...back in 1968. I've played steadily ever since. Having owned or rented just about everything over the years I'm way past nameplates. Trust me on this: The Roland BC 60 310 is a superior product in every respect. Great tone, plenty of power, rugged construction and outstanding reliability. At twice what I paid for this machine I would consider it a wonderful bargain. Highest praise for this amplifier.

1990s amp features as listed elsewhere. I owned this amp around 1 yr ago sold it and bought it back because all the amps I've had since couldnt sound as good as this one including Marshall valve state and Fender

I play blues through a tele with 52 reisue pickups in and couldnt be happier with sounds you can get from this set up every thing from SRV Clapton and Buddy Guy. Very quiet in operation with the ability to cover all but Death Metal and who wants to play that crap anyway

Thia amp has been all over Australia kept in Garages neglected and abused by previous owners and still works perfectly with no pot crackle

No dealings with Roland but there stuff seems well built

I play teles because I love the way they improve your playing and force you to become less sloppy.
Ive been playing for 40yrs and have owned just about every valve and ss amp by Marshall/Fender /HH /Bird the list goes on
This amp is a real sleeper better than a lot of tube amps and if you can pick one up for the money they go for S/H do it you will be amazed.
The only draw back is the weight at 60lbs pretty heavy which was why I sold it in the first place, but the tone more than makes up for the pain of lugging it around.
You wont lose this and if anyone is stupid enough to steal it you will easily catch up to them as they struggle up the road.
Would buy again maybe the 1x12 as its lighter

Very impressive channel switching, sort of morphs from one to the other, the smoothiest I ever had.
Very enjoyable parallel effects loop, doesn't suck any tone at all. I use a boss dd2 delay pedal set full wet and the cube's fx control works wonderful.
No footswitchable boost, I'd have this over the footswitchable reverb anytime.
No noisefloor at all, very low power consumption(90w!), master volume&presence a bless.
Selectable "valve"rectifier is way impressive when playing louder, it's spooky how tubesque the amp then becomes.
Three preamp characteristics on channel one doesn't leave any ground for wishes, and you still have the second channel with boost option. The perfect blues&heavy blues&beyond amp.
And the whole thing is very well put together, quality is what Roland wanted us to have.

I have a bassman reissue, and bought this Bluescube out of curiosity (and it was so cheap!).
Now my bassman rests in its ampcase...
Basically you can have the bassman tone with the Roland, especially at medium volume levels. It is that good, another reviewer did the same experience as me.
But: the Roland can do so much more, and so much better. The overdriven tones are fabulous, very guitar-responsive, thick and defined, with that higher gain substance the bassman can only dream of.
The reverb is way enjoyable too, well tuned.

I really love the fact that every time I switch the amp on, I always get the tone I remembered having last time. No tubes doing whatever they like. And at low volume levels it sounds much the same as when turned very up.
And it gives you that very nice whack in your back, more so than the bassman. In fact playing loud with the Roland is way fun, the bassman gets on the knees after a while (tubes or transformer-related I think).
The speakers (16ohms each) must be very good, it seems they are cloned after the greenbacks. I had a 4x12 greenbacks-loaded marshall box, it didn't sound half as good as these 10 inchers Roland uses.

Very sturdy. Hey it weights 59lbs!
No rattling noises so far, the amp doesn't even get warm, it seems quality parts are used.
And Roland doesn't make ****.
As another reviewer said, this is not a Behringer construction project... (I own a vox vr30r, how poorly engineered and done the thing is!)
For me, reliability is in the tone you get from one time to another too. And this is where this amp outshines its tube brothers. You can count on the good tones no matter what (weather, rough handling 'til the stage and after, and so on).
In the very long run, I may have problems finding the right parts if anything were to go wrong, while I feel I will always find parts for my bassman (hey, it is there since '59!).

I am soo happy to have bought this gem!
My bassman can rest now, it's an icon after all.
The Roland Bluesking (as I name it) is the best thing that ever came to me amp-wise.
Makes me play 'til the doctor comes!
Heavy and big, but not that much comparing to the bassman or any matchless/mesa/rivera/twin.
Go get one if you can, you won't regret it.

See the rest for a more in depth look at features. My favorites are the three levels of crunch on the clean channel, the excellent effects loop and the tight sound of the 3 vintage 10" speakers. Yes..it is a bit heavy!

I'm using a Les Paul with burstbuckers. On the clean channel the LP drives it into a bit of breakup when the crunch is set to no crunch. Amazingly, the breakup is nearly identical in sound and feel to that of a good tube amp. Also amazing is the way this amp cleans up when you roll back the guitar volume. It retains enough sparkle and volume to please old school players who have always relied upon guitar volume to control overdrive, rather than a pedal. But if you want to use a pedal to get your overdrive you won't be disappointed with the way this amp takes pedals before the input. With a BD 2 or a Bad Monkey (both are inexpensive, off the shelf pedals) the amp the can be goosed into overdrive, even when the crunch is set to no crunch. I don't use anything up front but placing a delay / chorus pedal in the loop yields really great effects. The loop can be adjusted to blend the effects with the dry signal. The reverb is pretty good. If a good off the shelf tube amp is a 10, then this thing rates a solid 9. Even guys I know who are admitted tube snobs change their tune when they plug into this amp. IMHO this is the best sounding SS amp ever made.

Like a truck. Solid and heavy.

I've owned this for a little over 1 year. I've gigged with it. I've been playing since 1969. Let me tell you I've owned lots of medium to high power tube amps through the years. To my ears this amp posesses most of the attributes of tube amps. I also owned the BC 60 112 for a while before I traded up to the 310 version and i highly recommend either for serious players who like that old school tube amp tone but don't want to spend all that dough to own and maintain one. Try the BC 60 112 or 310 if you can find one. This is a real gem and a fantastic value at used prices.

Thumbs up for the BC 60-310! It has all the features that an experienced player could ever want...namely great tone, more great tone and (dare I mention it?) GREAT TONE! The other BEST feature? No tubes to fuss with or buy annually. Reliability mates...it's a beautiful thing!
Yes it's got the nice equalization and the channel switching and the reverb and the rectiflex thing...so what? Did I mention GREAT TONE?

Main guitar is a Les Paul Standard. Bandmates and other players agree: this one is tits up. If you like the raw, tasty sound of guitar and amp-a very organic, warm, touch sensitive, notes singing, rich, harmonic sound -with minimal influences (reverb?) on that sweet, beautiful tone pallet you dream about in your own head then by all means get one of these. No further need for pedals, effects or anything else you might have tried in your tone quest. What you're looking for-assuming you know something about GREAT TONE-lives within the mojo those Roland engineers packed into this amplifier. It's not meant for metal...it's meant for beautiful expressive voyages across the fretboard. Your fingers will do wonderful things for your ears. Heavenly tones, well mannered.
Distortion is of the Marshall-crunch variety...quite articulate and CRUNCHY, without the fizz / fuzz / mushshiness of the also rans. This is tone for those who love tone, period. Not a bad sound to be found. Loud as hell without harshness. In a word...PERFECT.

Roland is synonomous with quality. No worries.

This year makes 41 for me...but only serious since the late 80s. This is the tone I've been looking for at a price I can afford. No...it's not a "to die for / boutique-type / multi thousand dollar" snob pleaser...but for those of us who need THAT SOUND to be happy, fulfilled rock/blues/jazz players...it's DA BOMB!
One hell of a classic. More than fantastic...it's amazing!

Won't go into too much detail here, as others have already done that. 2 channels, lots of knobs, reverb, presence, effects loop. 3 10" speakers. Most interesting features are the "Crunch" control (more about this in sound) and the "Rectifex" control which allows you to select a diode or tube rectifier emulation. Since I bought this as a back-up for my Bassman, the number of knobs is a bit trying at first and the labels are hard to read on stage. But, once you get used to where everything is it's no big deal. Still tweaking... I haven't decided if it's best to run my pedal board through the effects loop or in line yet. The only drawback is the weight of the amp... it's gotta be close to 60 pounds.

I use this with Strats. My main guitar is a 2004? Deluxe Strat. I run this through a pedal board with an assortment of pedals. This is a very versatile amp. I perform with 2 different groups and am required to play blues, rock, jazz, pop, motown, funk... basically anything except for metal. This amp handles all these style well. I was able to dial tone that was comparable to my Bassman in about 30 minutes. WARNING! If you are used to tube amps, you will most likely find the "normal" setting on the crunch control too brittle and sterile (at least with Strats). The solution for me was to change that setting to "crunch 1". This will give you a bit of dirt, like a tube amp being pushed a tad, and warm the tone up a lot. I was totally blown away by the warmth of this amp! I have had several people (my bandmates among them) tell me that they couldn't tell the difference between the Blues Cube and the Bassman! Roland really got it right with this one. I can't believe they no longer produce them. I have some issues with my clean boost not boosting very much anymore, but that may be due to not using the pedal board through the effects loop. I am still learning what set up is the best for me.

I have only owned the amp for a few weeks, but it seems solid. The reason I bought it rather than another tube amp was so that I knew my back-up amp wou;d work if the Bassman were to crap out. As it is solid state, I can't imagine having any problems with it. Still, since it is so new to me, I'll not pick a rating on this one.

Haven't ever dealt with Roland...

I've been playing for 20 years and have always been a bit of a "tone-nazi". When it came time to get a back-up amp and get the bassman in the shop, I wanted to search out this amp. I remembered it from when I was working in a music store back in the early 90's. I was very impressed with the warmth of theses amps back then and decided it would be a suitable back-up. I was not disappointed! The value here is just amazing. I would definitely search high and low for another if I had to.

I'm not sure the year, but I'm assuming it's a 2004 bought new from sweetwater.com. It has some great features including two channels; Channel one has a clean setting as well as two crunch tones and a bright switch. Pre and Post gain volume on lead channel with a boost feature. Master presence and best of all, master volume. 3 10" speakers, blonde tolex covering. I use this amp for playing at home. Also, has a "rectifex" switch that emulates a tube or solid-state rectifier. Versatile tones from a classic overdrive to high gain.

I play strats exclusively ( 2 american series and two mexican strats). I play primarily rock and blues and this fits my style very well, and is also excellent for home use due to the master volume.

This amp has little noise to it, and the tones are fabulous. This amp is the best solid-state I've ever owned, and I'm not exaggerating saying that this amp sounds better than some tube amps that I've owned (Fenders and Peaveys). A previous post described this amp as the best kept secret out there. I couldn't agree more.

Channel one delivers some great clean tones, and the crunch settings are great for blues or dirty rhythm playing. With the bright switch on, the tones are glassy clean and matches the clean tone on a Fender. With the bright switch off, this amp reminds me alot of the Fender Blues Deville and Hot Rod Deville that I owned.

The lead tones are amazingly good, sounding very tube like. I like both rectifex settings, and this amp responds well to different picking attacks. Definitely THE best amp I have owned.

Other than some effects and a Boss ME-50, I've never owned a Roland product before. This is a solid damp, built better than my Fender Stage 1600. It's a heavy amp for a solid state (about 60-65 pounds). It's solid as hell.

Overall, I have to say this is one great amp that i would highly recommend to anyone who plays rock, blues, jazz, or country. It has an excellent top end, and with the 3 10" speakers, I'm surprised at the balls the bass end has. This amp is much better than my Line 6 Flextone III and my Fender stage 1600. The only thing I hate is that I wish it came with a footswitch.

I've been playing now for 35 years, and by far this amp is the best I've owned. Definitely a sleeper.

Bought the amp in "new in the box" condition on EBAY for $360. Yes, every once in awhile even "I" can catch a break! Basic two-channel but with extra buttons like the "crunch" knob, boost button etc. Plenty versatile. Heck...when I started playing in '71 almost all the amps were one channel with "maybe" a second channel with less features. This amp is pretty heavy at 60 lbs but then it does have 3 speakers in it and it's a very solid cabinet. This is NOT a Behringer contruction project.

All I can say is after a few months I believe this amp to be the best I've ever played through. In 33 years I've had everything from crappy Jordan solid states to an Ampeg V-4 to Musicman RD-50 to a new Fender Cyberchamp. This amp toasts 'em all in my opine. The three 10" speakers give you that nice "whack" in your back that let's you know you're in charge onstage. The reverb is pleasant if not quite Fenderesque. You could actually play a gig with just this amp, a cord and your guitar and people would dig your sound. It's plenty loud. The club I play in Nashville is a medium-sized room that holds maybe 250 folks and I turn the master level to about 4 onstage and it's pert darn loud. I've turned it up all the way at home and I will say that "8" is not twice as loud as "4" is....there's an exponential curve as you turn it up. Let's just say that unless you're 30 feet from this amp it should be loud enough for anyone who doesn't play for U2. This amp comes closer to actual "tube" sound than any other I've tried but still has it's own voicing and character. I also own a Behringer Blue Devil with their "virtube" technology and a new Fender Cyberchamp with their "tube" voodoo. Both of those amps still sound transistor to me but not the Blues Cube....you can dial in that nice warmth and fuzziness if you need it.

no problemo with mine so far....even the gold knob tops are staying on. I bought a ATA case on EBAY for mine 'cause I like it that much I don't want to bang the mofo around taking it to the gig. It appears to be well constructed. I had to put a jumper box in to separate the speaker to amplifier connection because I use a talk box and the cabinet is very solid with a nice tolex covering.

3-year warranty. Never dealt with Roland before so I can't give any reports on how they work with people.

Been playing 33 years....rock, blues, country I would defnitely buy another to replace this one. The only thing I would do to improve the amp is offer a tremelo. Us oldtimers dig tremelo!!!! If you want a real amp and not some toy combo claiming to sound like a Fender Bassman then I'd check these amps out...you won't be sorry if you get one. Of course...there's also a single 12" speaker version if you can't handle the 60 lbs of this bugger.

you can find the features elswhere including other people's reviews.

i think the main questions everyone wants answered is "Is this as good as, better, or worse than a tube amp?" Well it obviously depends on the amp you're comparing it to. Even then there is no definite answer.
I own the bluescube in addition to a Traynor YCV-80 Custom Valve amp (look at musiciansfriend.com to see details) and used to own a Marshall AVT-50 (really not a very good amp, the blues cube is better than this one in every aspect without question). The Traynor series is about on level with the fender hotrod series, quality-wise. Traynors have a far better distortion channel though.
I have played many diferent high quality amps, marshalls (not the AVTs) Fenders Tubes (not the hotrods) and mesa/boogies. The blues cube comes close to these but in the end just can't quite fill their shoes in most catagories. But how does the traymor stack up to lower quality tube amps like my Traynor or the fender hotrods? The "Cube" may be lacking in some the subtleties that give tube amps their charater such as complex harmonics or individal note articulation when playing chords. But it does make up for these shortcomings.
1)The blues cube is very warm sounding both the clean and overdrive. It is has a nice tight bass to it. 2) It has "punch". It has that kind of hot gutsy sound usually found in tube amps It makes my Traynor just sound kind of dull.
So could a seasoned longtime tube using pro spot this as a solid-state? possibly. Could an audience? most likely not.
Some other notes: This does have enough disortion to get a metal sound but won't sound very good doing it. The spring reverb is not quite fender quality, but its just as good as most other onboard spring reverbs.
If you have a chance TRY IT OUT. dont just buy this based on harmony central reviews. You tube freaks, even if you dont want to buy it, will be quite suprised.
If ten is completely perfect i give it a nine for the price (but really its higher than nine)

no idea

dont know

a very good addition to my equipment. would be the PERFECT amp for starting out, though ive been playing about 6 years.

I have made a modification to my BC60 112 amp to allow boost to be footswitched (see my review for that amp). Here is the website for those that are interested:

http://bcsixty.tripod.com/

It may be different for the 310, but maybe not.

I'll leave the features alone because they are listed many times in other reviews here...I gave it a 7 due to the lack of boost footswitch and the fact that you have to buy the channel switching one....and c'mon...a footswitch for reverb????

I use an Epi Les Paul with a Duncan 59 Neck and JB bridge...pretty standard...and the amp sound great...like the best tube amp I've owned...except of course it's SS...
It really does respond to your pick....much better than I'd hoped...
The tone shaping controls actually work and both channels really do their job....I just got rid of a really good sounding Fender Hot Rod and this sounds like more of a tube amp than that did!

I don't have any idea yet..IT BETTER NOT BREAK!

I've heard some baaaaad stories about Roland but I've never dealt with them...

This amp is about as good as it gets without spending 2000 on a boogie or something...it will definitely kick butt on the lower end tube amps....sound wise...I like the 3 10" speakers...keeps the mud factor in check....

I have this thing for i think a year or so.
so it's not that i'm blinded because i just baught it!
I bought this amp because it's very versatile, I don't use effects i play straight from my '93 usa strat. on this amp. I mostly play Blues some rock and some ballads.
it has 2 channels the clean and the distorted, both of them have the standard things bass,middle,treble, you can put presence and reverb on both of the channels. for the Reverb and channel switching you can put an on/off switch to it, you can give the amp al little more bright by pressing the bright button, and there is an fx loop, what you can easily change (by pressing a button)in line out or line in.
and of course the tube simulater, and the knob for crunch (you can crunch the clean channel by a 3 step knob. and on the overdrive channel is a button to give a little bit more boost to the channel

What can i say, it sounds beautiful, for almost any style (not for the real heavy metal -> buy a pedal,).
you can get a very warm and creamy sound out of it, this is the sound i like the most.
like i said there is a tube simulater on it, what gives a perfect sound just like an old tube amp. i think better as the marshall jtm-610 310 combo that the other guitarist of the band uses.
you can use the crunch button to play with a little bit of overdrive,
i use it for som hendrix and some srv stuff.
the overdrive channel what can i say, i don't use it much, it is perfect for the classic rock thing and some old rock.

my first impression wasn't good because, i had one with a manifacture mistake, I coudn't get this thing all the way clean, so i went back and they give me a new one which sounded good and still sound good, it never gives me any problem.

like i said by reliability,
i went back to the shop and they gave me a new one right away.

I play for i think 3 years now and it's a perfect amp, for beginners and prof. because it isn't expensive.
If it was stolen i baught a new new one the next day.

oh btw, it's very very heavy, that's the only thing about it that i don't like

I'll start the review by saying two things. One is I've had this amp for a few years so the honeymoon syndrome that I read in other reviews isn't here. Second I've been playing over twenty years on and off so I've heard enough amps. This is a two channel with the typical clean and dirty channels. Controls are top mounted instead of on the cabinet face. Solid state with three Roland ten inch speakers. Channel switching / reverb jack which would require second pedal or y plug from a/b pedal / and effects loop. Reverb of course. Cabinet had nice tweed covering and is square instead of the typical rectangular shape. This amp can be seen on the Roland website although it appears they may have discontinued it.

This amp has had Stats and Pauls plugged in along with everything in between. You won't do the metal thing with it. Get a pedal for that. It will cover all other styles fine with a voice that leans twoards blues or jazz. It has a very true sound and covers clean to crunch fine. I said goodbye to a Marshall Valvestate 100 combo after
having this amp a couple years. You won't get the Marshall sound out of this amp. On the other hand the Roland covers everything else better. The Marshall didn't have the vibe of this amp. It has good lows and highs when needed. This amp has the muscle to work in a band setting without problem.

It's made by Roland. This company is known for it's quality products.
I had the same problem as another review with the gold caps on the control knobs being loose. Super glue cured it. Like Boss pedals are known for this amp is a workhorse. Several years and miles later this amp is still ticking. Made in America!

Never needed customer support.

If your new to guitar take a tip. Put the money in the amp instead of the guitar. I'd rather have a cheap guitar through a Marshall stack than a Les Paul though a cheap amp. If I ever need to replace I may look at the other Blues Cube models. This thing is the largest and heavy model of the Roland BC amps. A strong back needed to carry this one around.

You can look at the previous reviews to find out what it has, altough I am one of those guys who always tries to find one thing better with more options and I think I have met my match.
I give this amp a 9 because I would like to be able to have a foot switch to hit the lead channel boost for leads. Other than that You are not going to find another amp this versitale.

I am writing this review because of one of the reviews I read about 5 before mine. the reviewer said that it is good for blues and jazz although it is not good for heavy metal, and he gave it a low rating. I would like to defend the BC 60. The reason this idiot could not get heavy metal tones out of this amp is beacause he is using a mexican strat with single coils pickups. I have one of those also, and I don't try to play that type of music with that guitar, I change guitars and play through my Gibson Les Paul. Do you see any heavy meatal guys playing through single coils? I don't think so. If I were you I would not listen to that guy who knows nothting about sound. I agree with one of the previous reviewers, this is one of the best kept secrets.

I just got back from testing a 1962 blonde fender twin customized, and the price tag was 2800.00. I have to tell you when I was there I thought what an amazing amp, although when I got home and played through my BC-60. I was amzed at how good the BC sounded compared to the Twin, and with the BC you can do every style of music with out pedals,not just a clean blues tone.

the lead channel offers so many tonal verities it is unreal. it has a pre and post volume. when you play with this you can go from heavy grunge to light distorted blues leads. it is truely amazing.

If you look up records in the music industry, roland is only second to Mackie for returns and reliablity in their products. I use this amp as my main amp on stage and never even think about taking a back up. I gave up a long time ago (when I bought this amp) in dealing with tubes. I get that tube sound with this and not the hassle.

Not sure have not had to use them.

I would definatly get another one of these amps if stolen. I am always looking for a new amp. I am the type who thinks there is always something better out there. Well I can tell you, In this price range and higher I have not found anything that I would replace it with yet. If you come accross one of these get it, you will not be disipointed.

I will keep this review simple, hehehe.

Thumbs up to a reviewer before to to call this "maybe the best kept secret in guitar amps". That is exactly what describes it.

Okay I've been using this for half a year now. I play all styles of music ranging from soft blues to heavy metal.

This guitar has 2 channels, clean and lead, both with a universal EQ which is excellent i.m.h.o. Comes with effects loop, external channel switching, crunch option, tube rectifix (thumbs up for its amazing similarity to the real thing). Easy to use, reliable, versatile.

Solid state open back very heavy to carry amp, but very strong as well. 3 vintage sound speakers 10 inch each. 65 watts, although the output seems 85 for some reason, I wouldn't mind :) Seriously, I've played amps as small as lunchboxes and as awesome as Mesa Boogie road king, mark2, etc, and nearly anything in between. I love to try amps like these that are just a little less known.

God it's cheap, and I don't mean the sound, I mean the pricetag! I like to compare this to that Ibanez Jem7D guitar: "Good luck finding something that costs a couple of hundred dollars more and sounds as good as this" Bang for your buck.

Guitars:

Ibanez Jem7d, Jem7vwh (both awesome guitars), EB Music Man JP6, Fender American Strat.

It seems that every time I go to a big guitar store and try a new guitar, they set me up with some fender/marshall thing that just doesn't seem to monitor correctly. Don't get me wrong, I know that there are many people that find many uses for these amps, but a 600/700 dollar Fender or Marshall doesn't even come close to this Roland! It gives you exactly what you put into it, like all good ol' vintage amps do. Not suited for heavy metal? Nope. Not by itself. But: Run any effect you desire to give you your favourite metal tone, and trust this amp to spit out exactly the sound you put into it. That's the bit I love most.

I use either this or a Mesa to test new gear cause they both share that god given clarity and presence mastery. No muffling away and reshaping of tones like almost any Fender and Marshall under 800 bucks seems to do.

See the beauty is setting this amp to clean and then running a desired pre-amp for distortions. The clean of this amp is great, very great. Although Mesa's is (even) better, it's the same direction of sound.

Oh, I forgot to mention, there's Reverb on it and you'll know it, cause that sounds really nice too.

I'm not trying to praise this amp to heaven as it is not a $4000 mesa, but for this money, it's just a fantastic deal that you should take the time to check out. Especially if you are looking for a great backup amp.

It's a lower quality than mesa's, but it's certainly in the right direction of a great sound. Plus, no trademark tone reshaping like every damn Marshall does. I hate it when I hear a company instead of my guitar.

The 10 I give here is not an overall, it's a comparison to price/quality ratio. Compared to the finest, I'd go for 8 or maaaaaaybe 9. It may not be perfect, but it's never a *bad* amp, no matter what you compare it to.

It's very strong and has no tubes which obviously reduces the odds of having it crap out by unloading it and breaking a tube. Or worse - having a tube crap out during a gig. It is very heavy though but the reliability kind of makes up for it. One of the little gold-ish knob covers came off though cause it wasn't glued very well and that just aint rite :)

A 9 here.

Never had to deal with.

The original price was 550 euro but the guys I bought it from got them by masses, making them very cheap for obvious reasons. Even cheaper, man, aside from the Jem7dBK that was the best bargain I've seen so far.

Anyway, as I said, it's not a Mesa, but for even twice its price it's nearly impossible to find an amp that is seriously better. Go see for yourself.

Oh my God. I wouldn't even know where to begin. First of all, i can't believe that some guy actually submitted a Negative review about this baby but then again, to each his own. I play blues and rock usually in a kind of mixed style and this thing offers EVERY bit of sound versatility that I could ask for in an amp, and that is not even considering the extremely low price. And yes, mexican strats do seem to sound very satisfying on this. But then again, you're either doing something seriously wrong or you're using a very low quality guitar if there actually comes a bad sound out of this.

It comes with 2 channels, a normal and a lead. The normal channel has an option Crunch switch which can be set to off-1-2, accompanied by a volume switch. Both channels have bass/midtone/trebble options.
The Lead channel has pre- and post volume switches for the distortion and a "boost" switch. It also contains a reverb, a presence, and ofcourse a switch for Roland's Tube Logic technology. It has 2 foot switch options for channel select and reverb. It also comes with an adjustable send/receive for an effects pedal or an amp lineup.

It has 3 "vintage-sound" speakers in it which, contrary to the other reviewer's statement, can sound as powerful as you like them to.

As mentioned above I use a salsacaster with this (mexican strat) and this thing just sounds great with single coils. Clean is like Wow. Go a little easy on the trebble and hit the tube tech switch, add a little reverb and Warm and Creamy are the first words that go through your head. If you want it sharper, fine. The tonal quality is simply great and very versatile on this. Before I bought it I put it right next to Fender and Marshall amps that were at LEAST twice as expensive and for some reason none of them picked up the mood better than this one. I know that quality isn't always related to the money you pay, but I doubt I've been this convinced before. The tube technology sounds better than some of the most expensive real tube amps out there, Plus it saves you the trouble of replacing broken tubes. As for noisyness, this one simply isn't noisy. The sound range is pretty versatile, including the distortions, but for the unnatural heavy distortions you'd have to buy a pedal. This amp's lead is mostly for quality rock, including that with some very serious kick, but not the kind of distortions that drown themselves. And to top it off, I love it how some people look for typical Nirvana-like distortions in a pedal simply cause their expensive trendy amp can't do them, but since the lead EQ's on this have very significant influences, I can get close to many popular quality sounds. I just love it.

It's solid. No loose bolts and parts, and it looks pretty sturdy. I only have it for some months but I know people who've used it for many years including gigs and never had serious damage so I doubt it's unreliable. I wouldn't use a backup, neither do I know anybody that does.

Never had to deal with them. I'm not sure about the support on this one since Roland doesn't pay much attention to this model on their site, but Roland does have a very respectable service. I would expect the same for this one.

If it were stolen, I'd buy it again, and again. I like other amps too for sound and style variation's sake but I'd surely hang on to this one. It's pretty heavy and big and that is the only thing that's in the way but also logical. It was originally 520 dollars or something which is still a sweet price for this, but I got a major discount at a local store. Such a quality amp and I don't even feel lighter. This is great.

It's a really versatile combo that does it all for me. 2 channel with a couple of distortion settings for the clean channel and a boost switch on the distortion side. Good effects loop, 3 10" vintage speakers. No speaker out, which bothers me, I'd like to be able to hook a 2x12 to this. Also, lots of stuff isn't footswitchable, which can be a pain to get the full versatility of this amp live.

Lately I'm playing a '63 SG with p-90's and '56 LP also with p-90's. I play mostly kind of cleaned up punk emo stuff, but also some funk/blues. This does it all. The clean channel is satisfactory, but the distortion channel really sings. It delivers a beautiful warm creamy sound for leads and really nice tight low end. Definitely enough crunch and fat mid range for modern pop punk. Thrash/grind core guys should probably look elsewhere though. The amp is sensitive to how you play and it never drowns out the natural tone/vibe of the guitar, which is something you won't find for an amp of this price. I've been looking for a head/cab amp (for larger gigs) and the closest I've come is the bogner shiva at like 4x the price. I can't express how happy I am with this amp.

I've lugged this thing all over the place and it's built like a tank and weighs like it. Put some casters on if you'll be moving it a lot.

For the price, you can't beat this amp. It sounds fantastic, is sturdy, looks cool. I've been playing everything to try and find something larger and except for the bogner, I haven't come close. I want warm, creamy distortion, no fuzz or dirt. This amp delivers that. I've been playing for 15 years or so and have been thru marshall after marshall and got fed up. This replaced my last marshall. I'm gonna get the bogner but this will be a permanent part of my collection.

Let's see. Pretty much the usual fare, single input, two switchable channels, spring reverb, tan tolex wrap, 3/10's. All this was covered previously. There are limitations to this amp, but it is, after all, called the "Blues Cube", not the "Jazz Cube" or the "Death-Metal Cube." It's in the soul and the technique. This is just the raw materials. Not much to hide behind. You better know your chops. For the blues, it is more than adequate. It's not a Fender. What more can I say.

I use this amp primarily with an Ibanez AS-120, a 335 clone with sweet Super 58 pick-ups. Some reviewer mentioned that his Ibanez As model was the first guitar that really made the "cube" come to life. I must hardily concur. The sweet tones I've been able to coax from this combination (with much experimentation of course) rival some of the best I've ever been able to produce. From a Rick Derringer soul blast to a Santana sustain that would make a rock cry. It responds well to string dynamics and technique. It does not however produce a sound that improves with volume added. I'd have to say it peaks at about 75% power, after that it can rattle like a 64 Rambler on the Autobahn. But I love her and the nice tight sound the tens give me. I do actually have no problem getting plenty of bottom out of it too. I've read many review by people with single coil set-ups, and would expect a knock about bottom from them, but the guy with the Heritage?
I don't know much about the Heritage other than that it's also a 335 clone. I like the sounds I get with this amp. After all, this is about opinions, nothing more.

Been a trooper. A heavy trooper though.

No experience with customer support with all my Roland and Boss stuff. It's all still working.

Been playing over thirty years. Too much accumulated stuff to list. Lots of Ibanez stuff, Gibson Blues King Electro, Peavy E-coustic, Gr-09, Roland CR-1000 drum machine, etc. If it were lost (how do you lose an amp?) or stolen, I'd slowly walk and overtake the thief who would be severly crippled from running with this monster. I love the blues sounds I get from this thing. Sadly, it's just a tease since there are no tube elves living inside. This is a great sounding amp for the price, and dependable. I can live with the rest.

Faitly limiting, single channel amp which is best suited for a practice amp. Has reverb and Chorus, they sound o.k.

I play a Mexican Fender strat through this thing and the sound is average. It is great for jazz but limited in a lot of other ways (rock, heavy metal) Overall the reverb is ok.

I've owned it for 14 years so far it has never given me any problems. This thing is Japanese made, although a lot of people refer to Japanese products as "Jap Crap" it has served me well over the years.

Nice practice amp, does it's job well. Could be a little more versitile, ut it has a good Bluesy sound.

Dual channel 60-watt combo amp with a single 12" speaker. Purchased in February 2000. Includes two switchable channels (normal and lead), spring reverb, effects loop, and a special tube emulation circuit, designed to capture the type of guitar sounds produced by classic valve amps of the 50s and 60s.
The normal channel has the tube emulation circuit, controlled by a "crunch" knob (1, 2 or off) and the lead channel has both a boost button for heavy overdrive as well as pre and post level controls, which let you dial in more subtle amounts of drive and effectively balance the relative volume levels between the two channels. Each channel has three tone controls, and a presence control is also mounted downstream at the power amp side. A master volume controls the overall gain for both channels.
The amp is covered in old-style tan tolex, with a dark brown grill cloth, and the controls are on top, not on the front. It has a very pleasing, classic tube amp look, and at 42 lbs is light enough to carry around one-handed.

I'm playing a Telecaster through this, and it produces a very listenable sound. The normal channel has all the brightness and sparkle a single-coil guitar needs, and the 12-inch speaker is capable of a strong and full bass response, much warmer and more natural that I've had before using dual 10s.
I prefer the normal channel with the tube rectifier switched in and the crunch on 1. At this setting my Tele shimmers and sparkles at normal playing and yet just begins to dirty up as I attack the strings a little harder or power down on full chords. It is very sensitive to how you play, as it should be. It is able to go pretty loud on overall gain without fuzzing out, unless of course that is how you have set it.
The lead channel is a little too artificial in its distortion for my tastes, although I have been able to dial in a more subdued overdrive that isn't bad. The boost switch puts in way too much fakey overdrive, so I leave it off and just dial in some pre gain until it sounds right, then use the post gain to set the volume relative to the normal channel so it boosts a little hotter when I switch it to lead. I have the bass and treble boosted and the mid rolled back on the normal channel, which is a classic Tele setting, and then add more mids to the lead channel for a thicker overdrive sound.

I've only had this for a couple of months, bit it seems quite rugged and solidly built.

No company or factory contact yet. I was surprised that Roland pretty much ignores this model on its website. Perhaps because its an older design and they are pushing the newer stuff? Or maybe, since they make and sell so many high-end electronic products they can afford to not worry too much about a cheapo little combo amp.

I've been playing since the 60s, and I am very pleased with this little amp. No tubes to replace all the time, a nice overall sound, and not to big or heavy for my aging back. I would get another again, especially at the discounted price (thank you zzounds).
I compared it to similar priced Fenders and liked the sound better, and their older tube amps sound good, but aren't as versatile.
My only complaints:
Two separate jacks for reverb and channel switching need two switches, or a dual switch with a y-adaptor...and no switch is included.
No cover available, so I'll have to make my own.
No footswitch jack for the effects loop, but most effects units have their own, so that's not such a problem.
I love the sounds with my Tele. Overall, I think it's one of the best buys out there right now in combo amps.

60 watts, 3 ten inch "vintage-voiced" speakers, two channels (clean and overdrive) with separate 3 band eq, clean channel also has two overdrive cruch settings, reverb, presence, effects loop, blonde covering.

I have been playing a tex/mex strat with dimarzio virtual vintage single coils though it. It suits my style of music very well (blues and classic rock). The amp is overall very quite. I used it playing everything (SRV,Clapton, Cream, Hendrix, BB, Etc....). The two crunch settings on the clean channel are great. They really help nail some sweet rythm sounds. I even used the crunch two setting for a lot of SRV lead stuff (with the treble on 2 adn the presence on 8!!). Very versatile amp. Sounds great on blues adn rock, but also does country, and jazz very well too. If you crank to gain on the lead channel and mess with the eq you can really get some heavy sounds!!!For the most part the amp really does sound like a tube amp (roland's tube logic technology). The lead channel sounds a little thin sometimes when really cranked, but adjusting the eq (cranking the mids) seems to help a lot!

Very reliable no problems in two years of playing and three months of pretty heavy gigging.

I have been playing for about 5 years. I also owned a marshall vs65r and a fender princeton ultimate chorus. This amp does that tube emulation thing better!! I love the sound, and especially the look. That blonde covering gives it such a classic look. If it were stolen I might buy it again if I could also hire someone to carry it. It is rather heavy, but oh well!

60 watts, 3 ten inch "vintage-voiced" speakers, two channels (clean and overdrive) with separate 3 band eq, clean channel also has two overdrive cruch settings, reverb, presence, effects loop, blonde covering.

I have been playing a tex/mex strat with dimarzio virtual vintage single coils though it. It suits my style of music very well (blues and classic rock). The amp is overall very quite. I used it playing everything (SRV,Clapton, Cream, Hendrix, BB, Etc....). The two crunch settings on the clean channel are great. They really help nail some sweet rythm sounds. I even used the crunch two setting for a lot of SRV lead stuff (with the treble on 2 adn the presence on 8!!). Very versatile amp. Sounds great on blues adn rock, but also does country, and jazz very well too. If you crank to gain on the lead channel and mess with the eq you can really get some heavy sounds!!!For the most part the amp really does sound like a tube amp (roland's tube logic technology). The lead channel sounds a little thin sometimes when really cranked, but adjusting the eq (cranking the mids) seems to help a lot!

Very reliable no problems in two years of playing and three months of pretty heavy gigging.

I have been playing for about 5 years. I also owned a marshall vs65r and a fender princeton ultimate chorus. This amp does that tube emulation thing better!! I love the sound, and especially the look. That blonde covering gives it such a classic look. If it were stolen I might buy it again if I could also hire someone to carry it. It is rather heavy, but oh well!