Roland Cube-80X

Loads to play with! All listed on the Roland website.

It appears that this amp has a very unconventional eq set up which is causing problems for some people.

Check this guy out on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK8pnPbP4QI

His settings are classic stack: gain 2 - bass 0 - mid 10 - high 5 - pres 5 - vol??? 2. The bass is basically off which gives you an idea what I'm talking about but it still sounds great!

Got the 60 and loads of Boss stuff and it seems pretty reliable.

Never had to deal with them to date.

I want one!

Th Cube 80x is very verstile for my needs which vary from jazz, blues, country, pop and overall find the quality very good. Certainly it is not a JC-120, Henrieksen or equivalent but on quality to price - certainly spot on.

I find that in tweaking the settings that can get pretty much same sounds as those artists am trying to emulate so overall very satisfied. Further, the amp is very quiet ie no hissing. Also, found a guide to help in further settings on the German Roland by doing a google search. The site is http://www.rolandmusik.de/produkte/CUBE-80X/index.php and just look at downloads. I do not read german but can easily understand the matrix of settings so maybe useful for others.

Seems very dependable and is very solid so should do the trick for most gigs.

Have not needed to contact customer service for any issues.

Overall, the Roland Cube 80x seems to be spot on - at least for my requirements which is to have authentic tone and good volume, quiet and not too bulky for movements. For the jazz or blues melodies, the sounds are good - again it is not a henrieksen but believe it is exactly what I was looking for in a good price range.

Update for my previous post just below.
There is a trick to this amp which is very important to understand if you wish to get the best out of it.

The tone controls are much much different than the Cube60, even for the same amp models. You can't just copy the Cube60 settings and expect it to be the same on the Cube80x...it won't. The tone controls work in a different way than the Cube60...or any amplifiers I've ever used. Normally you set the different tone controls on an amp somewhere between 5 and 10 (half to full on) and each one just influences itself. You set the bass, then the mids, then the treble. Easy.
With the Cube80x you need to roll everything right off...to 0...and then creep them up VERY slowly. The 'right' setting may well be somewhere around 1 or 2, and even a tiny turn further 'loses' it. And how one knob is set affects how the other ones work. Set the bass low and the mids control works one way...set the bass higher and you get a different 'sweep' on the mids. This gives you an enormous range of control over the tone of each model, and when you do find the 'best' sound you may find you have a pretty strange EQ arrangement compared to other amps. You just have to take the time to find it.
I'm still experimenting, but the best setting for the Blackface model seems to be bass and mids both down around 2 and treble at 4. The DeluxeCombo model seems to like the bass right off at 0 and the mids and treble way up near full. And so on.
Also, the way the gain control affects the sound varies from model to model, and can be an important part of getting the right sound. The Blackface model needs a lot.
I've not sussed the high gain models yet, but I've not really tried. Not my thing.

It's a strange way to design an amp since it's a bit awkward, and you may not find it possible to channel switch unless you happen to find an amp model that shares a good EQ setup with the JC Clean, but the point is, you CAN get some incredibly good sounds out of this amp on several of the models. Gig-worthy sounds that 'feel' right.

I'm getting more and more pleased that I bought this amp.

Features already mentioned below, COSM and such similar to Cube 60 with addition of silly little 3-LED "tuner" that's too limiting in range to easily tune with, more of an annoyance than anything. Better reverb control otherwise no grand "next generation" updates here. Was really hoping for more, not just a Cube 60 with a few more watts in a bigger box.

I can't believe the reviewers here that gave this a "10" ...are you kidding!? What are you comparing this rating against? A '63 Vibroverb? A Boogie MK IV? A $10,000 Dumble? "10" is the highest possible rating, the supreme height of tone, nothing could be better. C'mon!! And this isn't a "cost/value" thing, the question is simply asking about Sound Quality. Sure, it's a transistor COSM amp but I for one was VERY disappointed in the Cube 80's sound. With all the hype I was expecting it to sound at least way better than the Cube 60, but this amp's tone is going the wrong way. NOTICABLY poorer in sound quality to the Cube 60. The clean channel especially sounds thinner and tinnier than the Cube 60 and absolutely transistor-junky compared to their venerable JC120... Channel 2 FX and COSM basically same as Cube 60, no real improvements, same old technology 10 years later. Believe me I wasn't expecting it to sound like a '59 Fender Deluxe either, apples to oranges, but regardless a Big disapointment. If I give the old Cube 60 an 8, this is a 3.

Both the volume and gain knobs on my 3-year old Cube 60 suddenly quit working one day, hence my reason for buying a Cube 80. Can't comment on reliability on the Cube 80 'cause I returned it to the store after two weeks. I really did give it a good try, played it steady for two weeks, brought it to a couple different rehearsals, just wasn't happening on any level. NOTICABLY poorer in sound quality to the Cube 60.

Roland, what happened? You had a great opportunity here to regrab a huge share of the market with this new "high watt/small package concept" amp but totally dropped the ball. Did all the components get dumbed down to even cheaper made parts (I've heard the speaker is a downgrade from Cube 60)? Was really quite flabbergasted how this new Roland amp - touted as the "latest/greatest Roland modeling amp yet" could have landed so squarely in the junkheap of worst sounding transistor amps - for over $400! Better off finding a used Cube 60 on Craigslist!

Brand new 2009 digital modeling amp. 2 channels, Jazz Chorus clean and a variety of amp models in the second. Several other 'features' including a useless tuner and a solo button you can preset. Built in effects that sound pretty nice.
Plenty of power.

I got this to replace the Cube60 I've had for several years. The Cube60 has a great plug-in-and-play clean sound on the JC setting and the Blackface setting...I basically ignored the rest of the amp other than a bit of delay now and then. But there was a sort of roughness to the sound on the treble/upper mids when I'd 'dig in' a bit. I saw this Cube80x in a shop last week and I gave it a go. Immediately I could tell that the JC setting was not the same as the Cube60's, but I was able to dial in some good sounds...and that high-end roughness wasn't there.
Got it home and did some A/Bing, and a couple of gigs, and there pros and cons.

Cons...
Heavier. Onboard tuner totally useless. JC channel no longer usable (sounds cheap and tranny now). Blackface setting not as good either. High gain settings are complete crap compared to the Cube60.

Pros...
Has a solo button you can preset. There is more control over the delay, and it's separate from the reverb. There is a new Deluxe amp model which can be dialed in to a wonderfully useable all-round sound. The Tweed model is also much better. The high end 'roughness' is gone and when dialed in to a good sound there is a nice touch-sensitive tube-like smoothness right across the tonal spectrum.

Seems very solid.

?

Played since 1969 and I've gigged extensively in a variety of bands. I also own a Fender Blues Junior and a Fame GTA-15 15w tube amp and I tend to use them miced into the PA for gigs. Done so for years.

The Cube60 this is replacing was a great little amp for home playing and also for low volume gigs. I'd just find one nice clean setting and use that. I was content with it for that purpose but I did find that transistor-like breakup on the treble a bit off putting.
This Cube80x in some ways is a worse amp than the Cube60. Pity they bolloxed that nice JC sound. The 'metal' settings are a joke compared to the Cube60, but as I don't use them anyway I don't care. But the Deluxe and Tweed settings are an improvement on anything the Cube60 has and can be dialed in to some sounds that on their own make it worth buying the amp for alone. And there's the improved delay control as well. Last night I plugged straight in with a Tokai 335 copy and played a fairly loud gig going from ballads to country to blues to old rock and roll...and it 'felt' good the way a nice little tube amp does. That upper-mid/treble grittiness is gone and lead tones 'sing'.

So rating it on the basis of the whole amp that they designed and are advertising it as...I'd give it a 4 or 5.

But if I'd come across an amp of any sort for 365 euro (it was on special) that only gave me either of the 2 settings I do like...the Deluxe and the Tweed....and did nothing else, I'd be very pleased and think myself lucky. And give it a 10.

So I'll split the difference.

This amp is very versitile! I play rock,country,jazz and classical. I really don't understand why some of these people can not get a good sound out of this. I'm a player and I can get a decent sound out of almost any amp. I can get great sounds out of this amp. It has two channels and a solo section. I use this amp to practice alone, record, and to play gigs. This amp has plenty of power, if not I'll mic it, run it direct, or add an extention cab.

I use two Fender strats (one with single coils, another with two humbuckers, a Dimarzio Tone Zone and a Air Norton), two Gibson Les Pauls with Seymour Duncans, and three Ibanez RG 550s. This works for all music styles and sounds. I'm mainly a rock player and all of the sounds work great for that. I think if people listen with their ears they will find great sounds in this amp. I think a lot of guitarist listen with their eyes. Also price does not alway equal quality. I paid three times as much for a Gibson Les Paul Custom and later bought a Reissue of an Ibanez RG 550 and the build quilty, playablity, and sound is better than the Gibson. I see people playing out all of the time with Mesa and Marshall half stacks that sound like crap. I'm not knocking Mesa or Marshall,they are great companies. And I have a couple of Marshall heads. Anyways, my point is listen with your ears.

Only had it a couple of months.

Have not dealt with the company

I've been playing for 20 years. I own seven guitars (listed above). I also have a Marshall JCM 800 and non-master volume Marhall (both 50 watts). A marshall 4x12 with vintage 30s.If it were stolen I would definitly buy it again. I love everything about it. But I also love my other amps. This amp is great because it's versitile. It has a lot of amp models, effects, plenty of volume, very portable and sounds great. Even though I love my Marshalls and they sound great I can not play them at 3:00am. This Roland Cube sounds just as good as the Marshalls but different. I did not say it sounds just like the Marshalls! But just as good.

People have already mentioned it. 80W modelling amp, 12 inch speaker. Pretty much capable of doing anything.

I play jazz, and I chose to get this amp after using the Cube 60 (which has been discontinued!). So I got this, the Cube 80. In the shop it sounded decent (it's a pretty noisy place), but after taking one home and plugging in my ES 335 copy, I was disappointed. The JC Clean channel has this horrid "rumble" sort of a noise when chords are being played (I do a lot of chord melody). Not a nice sound at all. This was less noticeable on the "Blackface" setting, but it was still there. I do admit I am very fussy with my sound, but I could not tolerate this in an amp that cost this much. It COULD sound good, but for some reason (perhaps ****** speaker) it sounds crap.

It's well made. I can't imagine anything going wrong.

Have not dealt with Roland personally.

This amp is capable of being incredible. The Roland Cube 60 is a great amp. The Cube 80 is not. It sounds muddy and boomy, and the JC setting sounds nothing remotely like a Jazz Chorus. Perhaps ripping out the speaker and putting a better one in would help, but I was not going to do that when the amp already cost a fair bit of money.

80-watt output into a high 12" speaker - Incredibly loud for such a small package.
10 COSM?? amp models - Typical Roland, makers of the industry standard Boss pedals, great variety of tones you can actually use.
Two channels: Clean and Lead plus SOLO memory function - Like having 3 channels
Spring Reverb modeling for vintage reverb sounds - one of the best I've heard.
Built in Looper - like their industry standard RC-2
chromatic tuner - not very easy to use or accurate. Surprising since their tuning pedal is also a standard in the industry.
Aux input for connecting MP-3 players or other audio sources

I play blues, rock and jazz. I'm not sure about the other reviewers but with tweaking I'm able to get amazing sounds. I've had guitar players stop me at gigs and want to know what kind of pedals I'm using and can't believe I use only a Boss CS-3 compressor. They also are surprised when I tell them I'm not running through the P.A. In small clubs I turn it around and crank it up and it just screams, in a warm tubish way.

It's a Roland. These things are tanks.

I've actually used them - they get back to you via email in a day or two and have been helpful.

I've been playing 30 years, toured with major names, and done studio gigs. I still play professionally with rock and jazz bands. I think some of the kids and metal players might be disappointed with this amp but for rock, blues and jazz you wont find a better deal in a small package.

Packed w features as previously stated, 70% of which I'd never use for live performance. Among biggest disappointments: 1) The new built-in tuner - what a joke! Tuner only has 3 LEDs - one middle green with a red on each side - not enough range for anything near easy tuning - especially on stage. 2) Non-user-friendly for live performance: This new Roland still requires seperate cables for all footswitching options, thus requiring a rat's nest of cables going to several footswitches, what a mess, why doesn't Roland just design a dedicated one-cable 4+ button footswitch (like Carvin, Line 6, etc) to make it easy to fully utilize this amp? Continued dumb/lazy design by Roland. 3) With trend toward smaller/louder/more portable amps, Roland should have designed new cab to be smaller rather than bigger than the Cube 60 (ala JazzAmp, Line 6 LowDown, etc). Another example of Roland's Wrong Way Engineering.

Now here's the REAL disapointment. I've been playing 25+ years, among amp arsenal I have an old Roland JC120 and a newer Cube 60, I was psyched to sell both and "upgrade" to the new Cube 80...but what happened to the tone?! Did Roland downgrade the speaker and/or electronics? Rather than the higher watts (compared to Cube 60) adding cutting power the clean channel sounds hollow, dull and formless. I'd brought it to my community big band rehearsal thinking it would give me an added fullness boost - only to have the band director ask me to turn up (something that's never happened before believe me!) as I wasn't cutting through at all. Even with lots of tweaking, cranking the presence, etc, I could not get any kind of focused clean sound out of it. A great disappointment. The Cube 60 sounds WAY better. No big improvements on modeling channel tones from Cube 60, either.

I would not recommend this amp - it is not an improvement over the Cube 60 - the extra 20 watts don't seem to do much other than water down the sound quality, the JC clean channel especially dull hollow and unfocused, the new features ala "onboard tuner" and "looper" basically gimmicks (although seperate Reverb control IS nice), plus heavier and wider than Cube 60. I've sent my Cube 80x back and and am keeping the Cube 60...no, actually I'm also selling the Cube 60...I've had it with all this poorly designed Roland junk until they come up with an integrated footswitch system that allows a gigging musician to easily access the channels and FX w/o the pile of seperate cables and footswitches now required.

External input for MP3 player, plus the looper. Has footswitch. Will take an acoustic guitar as well.

I've had Roland Cube Keyboard amps for 20 years. They're utterly bulletproof and I see no reason this one wouldn't be.

I bought this as a first amp as a beginner guitarist - I've a Strat and a used P-38, plus an Ovation Acoustic/Electric.

The clean tones are marvelous, and the dirty ones are just fine for my beginning stages. They aren't great, though. Metalheads and people looking for tube-like crunch will be disappointed. I was down to this and a Vox VT30, but went with this one for the extra features it offered. I don't really have a style because I'm still struggling with a lot of basics, but I do love the way it sounds. All in all, it's a lot of fun for a newbie. When I progress and develop more as a guitarist, I'll probably step up to something nicer. That said, it's definitely a keeper.

Hello, I just bought the 2009 Roland Cube-80X and am THRILLED with it!! I did see the Demarco video and was very impressed and went to a music store to try one out soon after. At the store, I immediately dialed in the Rectifier model and was in heaven. Great tone with warmth!! I decided to buy it within a minute. Since bringing it home, I have been messing with the different sounds and now love the sound of many of the models. I have never played Fender amps, however the models on the Cube-80X will be awesome to use when playing blues in cover bands. The acoustic modeler sounds great for mellow sounds & funk!

The amp does have channel switching and a cheap pedal works fine. There isn't a need to buy 3 of the Boss FS-6 pedals. I think 1 pedal for the looping / delay may be all that is needed. Cheapies can cover the other 2.

The only feature that I can think that I wish this amp has is an equalizer for each channel.

Enough power for sure + it will have mic on it in clubs.

I have played in clubs for many years and have used Marshalls, Peavey, Mesa Boogie and Ampeg amps. While these were great sounding amps, they were also heavier than sin! I am female and 46 years old with back problems. My requirement was to find a lightweight amp if I intend to keep playing guitar in public.

Initially I tried it with an Ibanez RG-750 and the amp played like a rockin heavy metal dream amp! The Rectifier tone again :). Plus the lead channel with the delays on the solos is just fantastic and inspiring.

Now, I have been using my American made Fat Strat with the amp and am VERY pleased. The warmth of the strat results in some very sweet clean tones. Am thinking of putting a compressor in front of the amp to get some extra spank.

Have not played the clean channel really loud yet, therefore don't know if it will distort, however have played at the volume that is needed in a club when using a mic and the sound was fine.

I have always played tube amps before this and had my eye on a Mesa Boogie Express 5:25. While I do love the clean spank that the Boogie has, I don't know if it is worth almost an extra $1000 to get that tone. For the $399 that the Cube-80X was, I can compromise.

Yes, I would depend on it, however I ALWAYS bring a backup amp to gigs. People that brag and say that they don't bring backups, are gambling on their luck. Eventually an amp will act up at a gig. However, while I have always played tube amps in the past, I like the fact that this amp is solid state. I don't think that I will have to worry about every little bump with this amp. Tube amps always have me worried when transporting.

I own Roland GR-30 guitar synth gear + the Roland sound modules. Roland is the top dog and I have no worries about the quality of their equipment.

Warranty for this amp is 1 year. I doubt if I will need it as my other Roland gear works fine and it is many years old.

Have never had to call Roland.

I have been playing guitar over 25 years. Have played professionally in many bands around Minneapolis, MN. If the amp were lost or stolen, I would collect my insurance check and buy another Cube-80X the next day.

I love the tone, weight, price and versatility.

It was this amp or the Mesa Boogie Express 5:25. The Boogie still was a little too heavy and quite expensive. If I come across a used Boogie Express at a better price, I'd get that and also use this amp too. It would depend on what type of gig I was playing I guess.

I love so much about this amp. If there was one thing that I wish it had, it would be a good tremolo sound. Otherwise the chorus, flange, delay and reverb are fine for local gigging. No need to carry extra effects with this amp. But an effects loop would have been nice :)

Thank you Roland!! I love the products that you make. For me, my love affair with your company started when I purchased the Roland GR-30. That piece of gear opened up music worlds, that I only could dream of!!

80-watt output into a 12" speaker, 10 COSM?? amp models including new DLX Combo model,two channels: Clean and Lead plus new SOLO memory function, new Spring Reverb, Looper, built in chromatic tuner and Aux input

Huge dissapointment, I mean HUGE! I already have Cube-60 (have had also Cube-30)and I was so stocked to get my hands on this one, the youtube demo was so sweet sounding. In my opionion Cube-60 beats this one 100-0, you can??t even compare these two, not at least in gain settings. This amp sounds so weak in lead channel. I put exactly same settings for the two amp (lead channel, r-fier-mode) and 60 is so much better. To my style of music (mostly metal) the amp has to have "balls" and 60 has and 80 doesn??t. In clean channel I must say 80 sounds better. The fact that you can no use delay and reverb at the same time is huge plus.

Built like a tank, never have had any problems with the 60 so I assume there shouldn??t be any problems with the 80 either.

I must take my hat of to my local dealer who was so kind to give me this amp for a test for weekend. By playing side by side this amp and the 60 I avoided making a big mistake by switching 60 to this amp.

I bought this amp. for it's "clean" channel. Roland amps, in general, have a solid (good) reputation in jazz circles, and I was very please to find that I could dial in a beautiful, dark, clean sound immediately after powering it up.

This amp. has a ton features: 1) 3 channels: clean, lead, and "solo"; all foot-switchable; 2) lots of different amp. models which range from the clean (JC-120) to brain-piercing dirty; 3) a good selection of effects (all from the digital domain): two kinds of reverb (spring and plate), delay, chorus, flanger, etc.; 4) a looper function with up to 40 seconds of recording time; and 5) and integral tuner. There's a lot more here than I'll ever use, but I'm pleased to have such an arsenal at my disposal.

While some of the amp. models are very good, some of them leave me mumbling "Meh" to myself. Of course, I didn't buy this amp. for it's pyrotechnics--I bought it for it's clean channel, and in that regard I couldn't be more pleased. The effects are decent enough and certainly good enough for a starter amp. All I'll use is a bit of spring reverb (very very little) and it sounds pretty good. It's not a real spring reverb to my ears, but close enough.

The Cube is whisper quiet. Even at full volume, you can barely hear any hiss at all. The clean channel acts like a reference amp and reproduces the sounds of my guitars very precisely, and I can color the sounds well with the built-in EQ. The sounds scale well at higher volumes and I think this amp will hold its own in the kind of venues I'll play in.

Too early to say, but if my Cube follows its predecessors, I'm expecting to have this amp. for a very long time. It appears to be solidly built, so time will tell.

I looked at a lot of amplifiers before settling on the Roland Cube-80x. I'd set out to buy its predecessor, the Cube 60, but that amp. has been discontinued and the Cube-80x is the replacement model. I don't think I would have considered Roland, but after reading numerous positive reviews and learning that their amps are extremely popular in jazz circles--that coupled with the amazing price point of $399--I couldn't resist. I would love to have a really good tube amp (e.g., and Kingsley or something similar) someday--but I'm very happy with my choice for now.

Powerful 80-watt output into a high performance 12" speaker,
10 COSM?? amp models including new DLX Combo model,
Two channels: Clean and Lead plus new SOLO memory function,
New Spring Reverb modeling for vintage reverb sounds,
Easy to use Looper for unique live performance,
Convenient built in chromatic tuner,
Aux input for connecting MP-3 players or other audio sources,

I was very disappointed with this amp. I had such high expectations. Like a lot of people,I saw the demo that Johnny DeMarco did on You Tube.
That sold me. I couldn't wait to get one. I already have a Cube 30 and I love it. Unfortunately,for whatever reason,it just doesn't sound good. It has all the bells and whistles,but as far as tone goes,it's not there. Maybe for a beginner or someone who's not really picky about their tone might like it. But if you're like me,and you're very picky about your tone,don't get this amp. I wasn't expecting a lot from the COSM amp models anyway. It was the legendary JC-120 clean channel I couldn't wait to hear. It's not there. My Cube 30 sounds better. I'm thinking it's probably the cheap *** speaker they have in there. But addition to that,is the size of the amp itself. I think even if you switched out the speaker,it still wouldn't sound good. It's not big enough of a cabinet. All in all,it just confirms the #1 rule regarding tone; it's in your fingers. This amp is a perfect example of that. To hear Johnny DeMarco playing it made me want it. Hell,he could play through a Pignose and make it sound amazing!

I didn't own it long enough. But if it's built like my Cube 30,it should
last a long time.

Like I said previously,if you're not picky about your tone,or you're just starting out,this would be a good amp to have. You could do worse for $400.00 I suppose.