Roland MicroCube Combo

Great features - lots of cool amp models using roland's cosm simulations. includes reverb/delay and chorus/flange/phaser/trem. Gain, volume & tone. I'd say there are a lot of features for the $$

I've been using this amp for about 6 months - I try and wait at least that long to write a review.
This amp sounds absolutely excellent so long as you keep the volume fairly low. Another reviewer wrote that it is fine from 4 and under and I would say that is correct.
I took it to practise with a friend (just two guitars) and I made a big mistake taking it. By itself, it sounds really warm and full - again at low volume. Playing with someone else using a Fender champ, and suddenly my Micro sounded really really thin and had no umph at all. AND, by turning it up, it seems that I have now damaged either the speaker or the circuit because even at low volume certain bass frequencies break up to an unlistenable degree.
So, the lesson here - use it for a solo practise amp and never turn it up beyond 1/2 way and you'll be happy. I am offering my rating based on that scenario.

Because of the above mentioned problem which has yet to be resolved, I think the reliability is of some concern. But all the knobs feel sturdy and the jack is good and tight. It would have been better if the knobs sat just a little below the recessed edge of the top - as it is, they are just a hair above which leaves them susceptible to damage - but not bad at all.

Use it as a solo pracise amp and it's a 10 and I highly recommend. If you are looking for it to be a bit more multi-purpose to bring to a friend's house to jam (even if just a guitar duo or quiet practise) and it's the wrong amp.

Seems pretty good for the price/size.....effects all sound pretty good.

Sounds good enough for practice....maybe even try recording with it....

Only had couple of days

Haven't needed them

Been playing for a while and I was just looking for a little practice amp that I can take with me wherever I go...vacation, hanging out, top of a mountain etc..something that didn't need to be plugged in or need to carry around stomp boxes or floor processor. I think that this isn't a bad little amp for what i want it to do. Its small enough (i think) to take on your carry on when flying too...the only real complaint that I have about it is that I wish the power button was on the top of it and not the back....come to think of it all of the controls/aux input should be on the top....oh yeah, the "micro cube" sticker on the front grill looks cheap, stupid and detracts from the amp....I peeled it off....I suggest you do the same!

My little pignose went "toast" .. I went to replace it and the shop that once carried Pig has discontinued in favor of the Micro-Cube. The musician below does have a valid point about the Pignose by comparison but I did have good luck with the pignose miking it for gigs, it suited nicely what my deal is which is early electric.. from earliest Muddy up and including Early B.B. King, but with that said, this amp reminds me of a fool size amp that got shrunk leaving a fairly big and rich sound. Surprising rich tone or hollow distortion which is what I enjoyed about the pig but this takes sonics to a new level, but also gives the pig sound. (smallest)
If I was manufacturing this amp I would have put a handle of some sort or scoops on the side, but they have a shoulder strap which attaches on either side of the amp. has a rather generic ac/dc (9v) adapter but at least it comes with the cube. I use an acid battery from Rack Shack (12v) with 12-9 adapter (a quality adapter) wish these companies would just up the voltage to 12 volts so a pure 12 volt source could be used.. maybe I'm ignorant to the magic of 9 volts being the standard on most of these small amps but I don't know that there is any benifit. The power source is a big deal. The speaker moves around alot of air, I can feel it pushing through the switch cut outs.. Thats not a complaint just a fact, speaker moves a lot of air, and I would say in a fair quick manner which is good for tone which this has. Also the "amp modeling" reminds me of the Danelectro Daddy O' which also isn't bad but thats what it reminds me of. The effects are decent, for what I do, only the reverb and or some tremolo.. AND they are on 2 seperate controls, you can actually blend.. pretty handy.. the tuning tone is well thought out giving one the option of tuning on the money or flat/sharp, simple idea but for someone like me that plays in open tunings its a nice touch.

Great sounding little amp that sounds or can sound bigger than it looks. The cavity and speaker design must have been formulated.. It is no overstatement as others below have pointed out that this cube is a gooding sounding amp, even has bounce and swirl, its no tube amp, but I have have and still have many and this can nail an old relic with a tube rectifier and it almost sounds like it gets some sag. Reverb surprised me right away and the tremelo is not too far off from an old fender.. kinda. Very usable however mixed with a smidgen of reverb, I have to admit it is a big little bang for the buck. The distortion has wide variety from one end to the other. But make no mistake, this is a little amp, a cheap amp, but well made, well thought out and each guitar I own (many) actually sound like a different guitar with the personality I'm use to with a high end amp. Noise is according to pick-ups and surroundings but with no 1/4 inch stuck in it, its very quiet at volume.

Well made .. not thrill with adapter that comes with it but I don't use, and it could be I'm being petty. Its a great box, doesn't look or feel like a toy, which includes controlls.

Glad I got this amp instaed of pig but I'm also glad you can dial in the pig sound which I always found great for some things not so great for others, this amps covers all guitars of mine and material as well as a dobro with pup. Its about the size of a heavy duty car battery but weight is not an issue. Check it out, its one little package you'll be glad to show off..

The features on this amp are easily found in this forum as well as the Roland site.

First off I want to say that this is simply the best portable guitar amp in the world. Pignose was the standard but the Micro Cube makes the Pignose into a novelty item in comparison.

Features that could improve this already impressive amp would in some cases make it a different product with a different price point but so what?manufactures are always looking for more shelf space and why could there not be a Micro Cube ?Deluxe?

Here it goes:

2 channels with each channel containing ANY of the sounds that are already present in the one channel version. Foot switch able.

Built in MP3 player with a USB port to input practice/play along songs. Controls (Volume, song selection) would be right on the top with the rest of the controls.

A ?TAP? feature that many delay?s have which allows you to set the delay time to the beat of the song.

An upgraded tuner that shows the note and left and right arrows.

Change the power switch so that it is on the top and not so easily turned off nor so hard to find.

As the features for this ?First edition? Micro Cube does have nice features I would give it a 10 already. I just hope Roland can see that this amp has a lot a room to grow.

One feature that really is nice is that it is powered by 6 AA batteries. This amp does NOT eat the batteries. Put some Alkaline in it and they will last like the Eveready Bunny. If I played good enough I would set this amp up on the street and make some money.

This amp sound very good. Since I am not a professional player I really do not need a large amp. I used to think (and rightly so) that you needed a 10-20-30 watt amp to get a nice sound. This amp makes that a thing of the past. This amp is a tone monster and considering how small the speaker is this is a killer amp.

I use all of the amp models since they are all very good. I have never owned any of these amps so I do not know if they sound like the models that they are supposed to sound like?but they all sound fantastic.

I use the delay and Reverb only (set and forget) and have left the modulation stuff alone since I am a recovering knob-turner who needs to keep his hands on the guitar more.

The only sound that this amp will have a hard time with is low notes from a high volume humbucker. It does low notes pretty well at low volumes but understandably cannot do what an 8-10-12 inch speaker can do.

It looks to be constructed in a way that will stand up to use and some abuse. The inside circuitry looks clean and all loose wires are secured from bouncing around.

I have never contacted Roland for customer service so I do not know if it will be good or bad. I would think it is good but now-a-days there are big name companies that provide service that makes me wonder how they are still in business.

The best technical support is to build a good and reliable product and this amp appears to be just that.

I mostly play my Fender American made Telecaster installed with Fender Texas Tone custom Shop pickups and a 4-way pickup selector. I also play my Gretch Korean made Les Paul copy with Seymour Duncan JB/bridge and Jazz/neck wired for coil tapping and paralleling. I have been playing Blues and Rock off and on now for 30 years as a hobby.

If this amp were ever lost to theft or destruction I would get another as soon as I could (we are talking hours). If Roland went out of business I would grab up a couple of extras ASAP.

Try this amp out if you are looking for a really nice tone both for clean and distored and you want it to be at a low volume and/or portable.

2005, I needed an amp to practice at home without annoying the neighbours. I play blues, learning jazz and blues based rock.

Has just the right amount of power for it's purpose.

Play Les Paul Classic, Clapton Strat, Tele. Suits the style great. I have to say I was amazed when i turned it on and plugged it in. Much more depth than I expected and fills a small roome to a nice level for home practice. The variety is good, only use one or two of the amp models, but they do it for me! Fantastice!

I expect so!

Never used it. 12 month warranty.

Been playing a while, have a fender blues junior and marshall 30dfx, this is the defacto for home practice unless I know my neighbours are away!

Love the quality of tone for such a small unit. Go out and buy one, it is money well spent! Just cannot criticise for size and cost.

This is a new 2005 amp. Very versatile. I play blues, rock and whatever fits my fancy at the moment. I wish it had two channels but for the money...what the hell. You can read the features in the other reviews. I can't believe the power this little unit has.

I was looking for small amp I could bring to work and practice with. (I work nights and this isn't a problem) It's a great job. I found good reviews on this site and Harmony's forums. The price was right at $125. delivered from Zzound. Everyone here at work and anyone I've shown it too wants one.

I have a American Standard Tele, A mini Strat (Squire), Stellar Mercury 004 (with lots of work done to it) and a couple others I have tried with this amp.

It can be a bit to set up with the archtop hollow body but it truly sounds great with all the guitars. The clean channel sounds excellent with the Tele and the little Strat. a little muddy (maybe not the word I'm looking for) with the archtop. I'm still experimenting with settings but most of the time I'm running the guitar volume full bore and adjusting the volume on the amp.

Distortion is great with all the guitars.

Can't really say on reliability, only had it a couple weeks.

Don't know

Overall I think it's one of my best buys. I've been playing a long time. If lost or stolen, I'd get another. I love it's size, It's sound, the fact that it will run on batteries. There's nothing to hate. I compared it to Pignose. They aren't in the same ball park. 2 channels would be nice.

Do you know what year the amp was made in?
2005

Is the amp versatile enough for you and the styles of music you play?
It's Just awesome for what it is! Sweeeet!

What are those styles?
Blues and Old Rock

How many channels? Does it have channel switching? Effects loops?
One Channel no waiting!

Headphone jack?
Yes a HeadPhone Jack/Lineout Combo

What features do you wish it had? Why? Are there features you never use?
A better Chorus (IMO) and power button on top would be nice.

Where do you use this amp? Does it have enough power for you?
In Home use mainly to jam with CD backings and halfway up is more then enough power. Some outside porch playing is fun now too!

Feel free to enter any other features (stereo, tube or solid state, etc.).
Battery power.. nice feature for taking it along anywhere, built like a tank the size of a battery. Sweeeet!

I bought this little gem a month or so ago from Musiciansfriend.com and have not passed a day yet of playing through it. It just sounds Sweeeeet! The Reverb and delay I use but the Chorus I do not, it has a bit to much depth for me personally. I really like the sound of the black face and the JC, the acoustic is workable and the rest are there for some purpose I have yet to decide on.. I like old rock and blues so this might be the reason. The other features are nice effects/toys..but I do not use them. I play Fenders and numerous copy's of LP's through it and they all sound good. Even the OE-30 I bought sounds lush comming through it. I run a bad monkey(check this out awesome tube like overdrive for around 40 bucks) and old DOD Ice Box Chorus (Under rated Chorus IMO) through it and the sounds through a headset just sound awesome for such a little amp. Through the speaker it has a very good sound, which compares to anything in it's size out there IMHO. Loud enough? you bet it is! In a home cranked halfway up, just jamming with a CD will be all the volume you will ever need . The design is excellent and well thought out. Think of a car battery and you have the size right and the strength it seems to have. All controls are on the top back side making it easy to point it at your audience and jam away..Although the power button is located on the back and can get cumbersome at times trying to locate it without looking. The AC cord is usually plugged in for mine but I have tried the battery option and jammed all nite. Either way this amp is pretty quiet till your past the 5 mark on gain and volume at which point some noise does come through but just slightly. The Line out to record to computer/4 track etc is not the best there is.. loses something which I can't figure out yet..Mic'ed is fine though so no biggie to me as I already had that setup. You could not go wrong getting this as a first or extra amp.. Roland is making an excellent product here that should last a lifetime. Its just plain Sweeeeeet!

Can you depend on it? Would you use it on a gig without a backup?
It's not for gigging (well, maybe mic'ed or run it through something with more power) but I would depend on it.. it's very solid!

Has the amp ever broken down? Because of neglect of regular servicing (as in tubes), or just plain neglect?

Only a few months old.. to new to tell, but it's a Roland!

If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?

Have not dealt with them.. NO Opinion.

How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
I been playing on and off for 30 plus years. Hobby not pro.. many fenders and LP copies.. a 335 copy etc etc

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
I would replace this in a minute.

what do you love about it? What do you hate?
Size and weight with the battery backup is a major plus. Only thing I hate about it, was not getting one sooner.

Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?
Compared to pocket rockets etc.. this is small enough for me and has the option of not using headphones.

Anything you wish it had?
Would like to add... GET one if your thinking portable or if you want a great amp with features for house jaming..it's all there in one nice Sweeeeeet little box
Anything else you'd like to share?

I bought a Roland Microcube a while ago and I am crazy about it.
I intended to use it for traveling and stuff, but it has become one of my best liked practice amps. And it's portable too!

Guess what? I even started a yohoo user group about this little devil, check: http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Roland_Microcube/

Suitable for all styles: from jazz, blues to metal. Tanx to the COSM modeling you can choose your sound. I play one week only bluesy stuff, but maybe the next week I will only rip metal riffs. With this little devil, that's no problem!
Keep in mind that it is a 5 inch speaker, so you want gig in a stadium with it.

It's a BOSS!

No problem encountered.

Fine fine fine!
For versatile bedroom rockers like me, it is a excellent product. For the money (109 euro) it is worth every cent. It has really surprised me. 10+

Features are pretty well covered ..losts of bang for the buck.
You can pretty much nail any sound with this little guy
Mostly used for practice, need to dig out my multi track and try it for recording ;should be cool.
Speaker out would be nice, if a Smokey can drive a cab this sure could.

The sounds are VERY authentic, sounds best thru phones, bass notes are a bit farty on the clean models. Effects are limited by single knobs, but usable.

Seems well made, could be used as pre amp to gig thru the PA

Good web site, picked up the manual there.

Cool concept, very usefull, nice intro to modeling; a bit better speaker would help , but hey, it's cheep and cheerful.

I'm the guy who's coming up with mods for this amp.

This amp is a wonder! Inside this little 2 watt beauty is not only a 2 watt amplifier, DSP effects but all is controlled by it's own CPU!

So far, I've added a speaker out, and a footswitch jack that allows me to switch between the Vox, Marshall and Mesa Dual Rectifier models. I chose those three because they are close enough in volume to be useful.

The CPU has a 7 pin pad that the service manual calls "for ONBOARD PROGRAM". Hopefully someday I'll meet a computer wiz that can tell me how to access this. There is also another 3 pin pad that is called "for DSP Edit." This might just take a pot...I'm not sure. It might be a midi port. I'll experiment with this.

It is also possible to mod this to be able to use the internal power amp even when using the headphones/record out. Stock, plugging into the REC OUT/PHONES turns off the power amp.

It also looks like it would be easy to add footswitchs to the modulation and delay effects.

I'm having a ball with this amp. The AC30 model is great!

I may put in a 20 watt power amp chip.

I use:

A Les Paul Standard, with stock pickups and a Christian acoustic bridge pickup.

A heavily modded '68 Tele with a Duncan Hot Rails in the bridge, a Duncan Classic Strat Stack in the middle and a Lace Sensor Tele pickup in the neck, along with series/parallel switches for the Duncans and a Fishman Power Bridge.

A Westone with a Fishman power bridge tremelo, Duncan Trembucker and two EMG passive humbucking strat pickups.

An old Harmony with tremelo and two experimental PJ Marx humbuckers that never made it to market. In parallel they have a Gretch vibe.

A 12 string I made out of a 70's Epiphone acoustic bolt on neck, maple body, EMG pickups, a Hot Rails in the middle and a Christian acoustic bridge.

This amp is just great! The only criticism is that the models are different volumes. I hope to crack the CPU someday and remedy this.

I break it...I fix it...I don't need no stinking repair department!

It has held up to my rewiring...that's saying alot.

Roland/Boss has been great. I bought the service manual, and when I called about the schematic being unreadable, they e-mailed me the manual on pdf.

I void the warranty of anything I buy with the first hour of ownership.

I've been playing since I was 14 in 1960 something or other...(the use of non-prescription, recreational pharmacuticals may have altered my memory.)

If lost or stolen, I'd use my GPS system to locate the amp, and would not only recover it in short order, but will reward the thief with his/her choice of a 9mm hollowpoint, or a .45 slug through the palm of their left hand. (My sweetheart just bought me a nice .45 Ruger Vacquero...a cowboy style pistol.) Thieves have to be taught a lesson.

Don't you all agree?

This amp is unlike all other practice amps, be they current or old designs. This computer controlled wonder ain't your mommie's Pignose!

Roland could have used a LITTLE more power. But for 2 watts it's absolutely great. We have a Pignose, and the venerable Pignose is old news.