Roland MicroCube Combo

This model is new for 2005 and is dubbed "The Ultimate Practice Amp". This amp's main attraction is that it can model 6 different amps, Acoustic simulation, JC Clean, Black Panel(Twin),Brit Combo (AC 30TB), Classic Stack (Plexi)and R-fier Stack (Mesa). I don't know how close it comes but I've found every one to be useful.The amp also has Chorus, Flanger, Phazer and Tremolo, of which you can use only one at a timesince they share the same selection knob. The rate/speed is variable by the same knob's rotation. It also features a Delay/Reverb selection/intensity Knob. Dial in Black Panel with Tremolo and Reverb and you can nail The Door's "Riders on the Storm" sound.This unit is extremely versatile, especially for a practise amp. Gain, Volume and Tone round out the rest of the controls.The amp has a Record Out/Headphone jack and an input jack for your favourite play-a-long-device. Did I mention that it is ac/dc ? Yes it is portable as well. It is powered with a Wallwart(which is supplied) or six AA cells.

I'm using a modified Fender Squire Series Tele, modded into an Esquire with a Bigsby which is counter-sunk 5/16's into the body. I also play a early 70's Strat, modded into a fat strat setup, a Dimarsio Super Distortion Humbucker installed (slanted like the single coil it replaced) at the bridge. These guitars and the Micro cube can get any sound I want and more. I play mainly classic rock only it wasn't "Classic" when I started playing it. I got my first guitar (acoustic) in 1964, I was six. I've owned many guitars and amps since then but I wish I had had this amp when I was a teenager.
I've only ever owned tube amps of any and every kind, this my first transistor...it won't be my last. The sounds out of this are really great...I don't usually gush...

It is brand spankin' new so this too early to apply...but it is a Roland product and if their Boss line is any indication then I'll be playing this one in the "Old Folk's Home".

I have never had to deal with Roland, as their products have never failed me. Ever!!

So...I've been playing 41yrs. and seriously for thirty of those years. I've owned or at least played on everything out there. Been in several bands of various types...and I have a good ear for tone.
If lost or stolen...I'd replace it in a heart beat...I'll probably get another anyways. What's to hate...it jumps through all of my hoops flawlessly. The best practise amp I've ever owned and one of the best amps period.

This is a response to the below post. I too, had the same problem with my MicroCube when I first got it. I was really disipointed until I started posting on different forums and got some really good answers about the Cube.

1. It's very bass heavy and thus you get speaker breakup with the tone control set anywhere below 7 on any amp model.
3. For any clean sound, turn down the gain to 1 or 2, never higher.
2. The Fender(3 on the amp dial) is useless because of the bass response. You can't really clean this one up.
3. The first three amp models (Acoustic, JC120 and Fender) have a much lower default volumne than the last three models (Vox, Marshall and Mesa)
4. There is a dramatic difference between which pickups you use.
5. You can get really good, any pretty loud, cleans with both the Vox and Marshall settings if you turn the gain to 1, set the tone to 8 or 9 and volumne to 7 or 8.
6. Reverb is very good while the other effects are just ok.
7. Remember this is just two watts going into a 5" speaker.
8. I own both the Trademark 10 and a Vox Pathfinder 15R and you're right, The Cube doesn't compare, but in my opinion it's not supposed to. The Cube is a small portable little amp that you can go to the beach with or a picnic or as I do play it on my boat. It's got a really high fun factor and for what it is, a pretty good sound.

I'm sorry to go against the unanimity on the Micro-Cube, but I feel I must write this short review to prevent anyone that likes a clean sound from ever considering buying it. I tried A LOT of them and all had a loud buzz whenever I played a bass string that irritated me so much that I returned two of them, tried three or four more in two different stores with different guitars and finally gave up trying to own one. I guess all the people that rave about this tiny amp like to play with distortion, which compresses the sound and makes this serious flaw less noticeable. If you're into jazz or simply like a clean sound, this amp is NOT for you.
The sales people that I met think (and they are probably right) that this is a cheap amp (almost a toy) made for people (they said: kids) that are into rock with distorted sounds and that it really doesn't address other publics (rehearsals with bandmates playing acoustic instruments, good quality practice amp). I'm sorry to be so negative, but the rave reviews on this page led me to think that I was trying a faulty series. I waited 6 months and today tried another that had just arrived: it's the same thing. I gave up.

I phoned Roland (here in Portugal), and they were very friendly. They suggested that the music shop took one of the amps to their repair shop. I passed that information on to them, but I'm not sure if they did it. I must say that I got the impression that the sales people thought it was not worth the bother.

I am 45, been playing since 13, but I don't qualify as a good player.
I only own small amps (Peavey Studio Pro 20w, Tech 21 Trademark 10), so it's not a matter of high expectations for a small amp. I wanted to use the Micro-Cupe with my Steinberger Spirit GT.
Roland should be ashamed to put such a low quality product in the market, even if it's so cheap. However, if you only like distortion, it may be right for you. But please let's not use the words 'good sound'.

My roland micro cube along with all of them were made in 2005, as far as I know. The little cube is amazingly versatile and fun to play with. Through its stock speaker it isnt to entertaining after awhile although suprisingly loud, the little speaker just cant express the tone its models offer too well. However as suggested in the manual it does do a much better job using the lineout through good phones, or even straight into another amps input as I tried with my pro jr . Of its 6 modeling options, 7 if you count the mic pre which I havent tried at all, I really like the vox model alot and find myself there almost exclusively now when I play through in the a.m. hours. As for its features Id say its got all Id want and then some considering its use.I like dabbling a bit with the effects it has, except the tremolo didnt seem to create any vibe with me, now that Ive got done playing around with it and settled it into what I mostly got it for; a headphone amp, I just leave it on the vox or twin model with the delay turned on just enough to come on and the gain usually left at 3'oclock, on the vox I keep the tone before 12'oclock and turn up to around 3'oclock on the twin. The vox really is bright and has a real good sound and the twin really gets me into a bouncing groove, good vibe. I mostly use this amp while Im laying in bed at night playing through head phones.As for the power, yes its louder than it needs to be for what it is.

I mostly play my standard strat through it, blues, rock, a little funk and even a little folky stuff. It suits me well for what it is intended. The unit is not noisy at all and it can give you any sound or style of music you want to play through it. Yes the gain knob is active with its clean amp models so you can get a desireable edge if you want. Ive never turned the volume past 1'oclock and it didnt cause any negative distortion on clean settings, I dont feel the need to go past 1 on the volume, actually its just right between 10 and 1'oclock. As for its distortion, the rectifier model has more than I want or like, so I guess you could say its pretty brutal. As for sound the only thing I noticed was it was better with 9's or 10's than my strat with 11's, that was a little too heavy handed for the clean models especially.

The little thing appears to be able to handle a tumble down the deck steps... we'll have to wait and see.

Ive never dealt with the company and doubt there will ever be a need too.

Ive been playing overall about 7 years. If this little amp were lost or stolen I doubt that I would replace it with another one. I like it, but it would be a little pricey to rebuy for what I use it for. Id probaly get one of those little mini twins or whatever for about $40.00. I played through one of those a couple of weeks ago, it might have just been the novelty of the thing, but it sounded pretty tough for alittle bedside or porchpicken amp. Id like to have one sitting on my desk anyway. Anyway, I got the the micro cube for night time, take anywhere playing and I like everything about it for "WHAT IT IS ".

For the money, size and it's intended use this amp has just about every feature you could want and then some. Built in effects which give you a taste of what you can expect in higher priced pedals or rack-units. What I mean by this is that the flanger, phaser, tremelo and chorus are good but by no means top notch and you shouldn't expect them to be. The delay is the same, good but by no means exceptional. The reverb is very good. A headphone/line out and aux in for your cd or ipod. The tuning fork is good for those that have a good ear. I don't so I use a regular inline tuner. And last but certainly not least, it runs on batteries. I've used mine on batteries for over 12 hours now and it sounds great.

You have to remember that this little guy has a five inch speaker and is rated at 2 watts. You are not going to get a booming bass response and fill a concert hall with rich sounds, although I have mic'ed mine through a PA and it does sound good. It has six amp models, four of which sound really good to me a a couple that are marginal. You really have to play with the gain, tone and volumne pots to dial in your sound. Remember, this is a small, portable practice amp. It's not going to give you the feel and sound of a Two-Rock through a 4-12.

Built very well. Roland/Boss makes a good product. I haven't had a failure with any of their gear.

Haven't had to use them.

In it's catagory it has no competition. Very good sounds, portable, and most of all, a real fun amp. I have been playing for too many years to mention and have some really high end instruments and amps. I got this little guy to practice with and take on my boat. As I stated before, for it's intended purpose, it can't be beat.

acoustic simulator, 2 clean channels, 2 overdrive chanells 1 ditortion channel, tone knob, 6FX (2 simultansoly) gain knob, volume knob aux input rec out/headphones. would have been better with 3 band equalizer but still awesome

i play a yamaha strat with 2 singles and 1 humbucker. you can get so many sounds out of this amp it is awesome. the clean chaneels are really good and when gain is on 10 u get really good crunch. the overdrive is good but the distortion is limited. so i use a boss ds-1 through the clean chaneel and is really good joe satriani style sound with a wah pedal as well. the clean channel doesnt distort at high volumes which is good as well. it suits every music style.

i broke the input and gain knob by doing a rock star jump with a lead to short for me which was on my shelf. but otherwise its all good. wouldnt gig with it cuz its too soft. buty i would if had a pa system

never dealed with them

great amp no matter wat u play

I purchased this gem on a search for a portable amp I can bring with me on vacations and travel. I had the legendary Pignose in mind. When I read about the features the Micro Cube had ( reverb, delay, chorus, flange, phaser and tremolo ) and the amp simulators, I had to consider this little amp. I read the reviews here on harmony-central and my interest peaked even more. I picked the Micro Cube up at my local Guitar Center, and I'm very happy to have found this gem. It's half the price I paid for my Fulltone Fulldrive. Wow.

I play a PRS Artist III and a Strat Plus with Texas Specials. For amps, I own a Mesa Boogie Mark IV, a vintage JCM 800 head from 1981 and a 1965 Fender blackface Bassman. My styles range from blues, jazz, metal, alternative, classic, punk, funk and more. I can get every tone I need from this little thing. The acoustic and Jazz Chorus are super clean. Clean enough for jazz especially with the tone down on my guitar. The Distortion ( British and Rectifier ) is brutal enough for anything from Judas Priest and the Scorpions to Nu-Metal. For a $125 amp that can tote along with me on travel, I have to give this a 10.

It's made by Roland ( Boss ). Everything they make can survive a holocaust. This seems to be made as sturdy as their pedals.

Never had to contact Boss or Roland.

I have been playing for 21 years. I have studied music theory, played in countless bands ( jazz, blues, metal, alternative ), been on the radio, ect. I have spent well over 20 grand on music gear. When I find something that cost less than most guitar pedals I own and produces this much tone that I can fit in my suitcase, I'm estatic! It's great for the beginner- pro. It's perfect for anyone that needs a good versatile practice/performing amp for apartment living, living room, hotel, limo, park, campfires, picnics, you name it. Takes batteries or ac adapter. You can't beat this. If I lost this little amp, I would simply buy another. It's refreshing to not have to spend over a grand to put a smile on your face.

Already covered below, I won't waste your time. I will say that for $125, I can't believe how packed it is. Seperate bass and treble would be nice, though.

I play LP's, Strats, Teles, Flying V's and a Danelectro U-2 RI thru this. It's really versatile, but my favorite sound is probably a Strat with the Brit OD model. Really cool. This amp spends most of it's time in my suitcase since I travel a lot in my work, and I always take a guitar and this amp with me. I've already drank my fill in the bars, and chased my share of women; besides, I'm married with kid and dog...you get the picture, and it's this: I'd rather spend my time practicing in my hotel room when I'm on the road working than anything else. This amp gives me a ton of sounds in a tiny package that's just a great value. Nice cleans to (for a 5 inch speaker at 2 watts) outrageous distortion. I hate Harmony Central Reviewers that give nothing but 10's. But you gotta realize that I've spent tens of thousands of dollars over a 37 year stretch chasing tonal nirvana. And so this is a $125 TEN. For what it is.

I won't gig with this, I've got a studio full of classic tube amps at home for the stage. BUT, this is built very well, and so far, it's travelled the country in my suitcase probably 8 times and it's cranking along just fine. You know the abuse that checked luggage gets on the airlines? My suitcase is 2 years old, cost as much as this amp did, and it's being held together with duct tape. It's a reliable amp.

I have a closet full of Boss pedals, a GT-8 processor, and this amp. Never had a lick of trouble with any of it. Never had to call Boss or Roland.

No guitarist should be without one of these. Buy one today.

First off--this is a practice amp, so with that in mind, yeah--it's a 10. This little guy has a ton of features stuffed into a block about the size of a car battery. It doesn't have a lot of power or move a lot of air, but it really isn't meant to do that.

I have to tell this story--About a month ago, I was asked at the last minute to sit in as a guest of a popular local hippy band at a large outdoor concert. I was happy to oblige, but all I had in the truck was a Tele and the Microcube. And a 20' ProCo. Eh.
While the band and the techs were setting up, I positioned the little amp on one of the FOH speakers as a monitor. One of the techs gave me a SM57 and a boom for my amp, not really paying any attention to what I was rigging up. I set the controls to the Marshall model with a little slap. Gain at about 11 and volume around 1:00. Did the sound check-- The sound man added some bass to fatten up the tone and that was it.
During the show, I was standing next to a guy playing a strat thru a 2203 half stack and we heard each other just fine thru the monitors. We did a two hour set of Little Feat, Grateful Dead, Byrds, and their originals, and capped it off with Hendrix's Little Wing--I boosted the Chorus and it sounded GOOD.
After the show, a got a lot of nice compliments from musicians and folks in the crowd--but what really got me was the sound man--He came down straight from the board right up to me and said-"what in the hell are you PLAYING thru?" I pointed to the micro cube and he could not believe it. I smile whenever I think about the look on his face.
I'm not telling anybody to sell their rig and buy one of these for gigs--I still have my stuff--all I'm saying is that it can be done. Having a good sound man is always a plus--he consistantly had me where I needed to be in every song, so credit where credit is due.

I think I can depend on it for rehearsal and practice. Since that show, I've been rehearsing with a new band and just bring the microcube--we mic everything at rehearsal, and it does just fine. For shows, I'll be bringing and amp and a pedalboard.

NA

I've been playing 35 years, some of them professionally.
Other equipment I use include 3 Strats, the Tele, a Taylor, 2 Soldanos (SLO100 & HR50), a Bogner 412, a Marshall 412, Fulltone, Barber, & Teese pedals.
This little amp is a great value. I have no hesitation recommending it to anyone for a practice amp. And it turns out to be a pretty good emergency amp.

Bought newone in the summer of 2004.

As well known, it has several amp simulation and concentrated effects.

Manual is simple. In fact you will understand everything without seeing it. It's simple.
Two different sizes of headphone jacks and AUX IN are good features.

Generally light, small and most of all I can play outside without any electrical extensions. Around 20 hours with 6 AAA batteries....Very nice feature!!
Make some gig with friends and even in a picnic amp for music and dance.
Very versatile if you consider not only playing guitar but also for another things...

I use Fender strat and tele and play classic rocks such as Deep Purple, Led Zepplin, Hendrix, Malmsteen and some of 70' and 80's metal.

Amp simulations are quite good compare to the price.
Especially, the VOX one with 75% of gain and tone. Also with 50% of reverb. This is only a tone I found for stand alone.
Blackpanel amp is also good since its Fender like...
Marshall amp has quite good middle range while become crap in high gain.
Moreover, match with external effects (overdrive etc) Marshall amp with almost ZERO gain makes very nice tone.
Mesa amp is....just a noise.

In beginning, you will have fun with FX effects and soon you will found only reverb is useful. If reverb and delay can role simultaneously it will be better.

Two most defects I suggested are;
First, it makes totally different sound when using headphones or lineout. Manual says, using headphone makes better sound than speaker....REALLY?? With headphone, it sounds like a saw.
Second, you can not do something with only a single tone nobe. No middle, no high and low.

It will be fun if make a gig only with microcube.
It's just a small amp for the practice.

Very dur.
Never broken. Maybe name value of Roland.

1 year warranty but never demanded.

I played electric guitar for about 20 years.
With low budget and for the practice, this amp is perfect unless you are not looking for a great sound.
If I stolen or lost this one...well...I'll forget it and will find some other practice amp.