Any Blues Cube Hot owners?

BRISTOL86

I'm a bedroom only player (not likely to change any time soon) but I have a fancy for something more akin to a traditional amp than my THR10. I know it's not a proper valve amp but at least it looks like one!!

I was looking at the Blues Cube Hot as it seems that with the ability to switch down to 5W and 0.5W it might be a bit more suited to someone who plays in a small volume and can't crank up to 11 very often, if at all....

My worry is that given its not exactly cheap - whether it's always going to be lacking something at bedroom volumes? Would it be a significant step up from the Yamaha?

Anyone that's used one as a home/practice amp able to weigh in?

Arktik83

I had a blues cube hot recently and it's a great piece of kit if you're in to that kind of blues junior style sound.  They can get hella loud if required.  

They'll definitely sound bigger and more full than a THR10 because it's a12" speaker.  The 0.5 watt will definitely outshout a THR10 and the 5 watt is great too.  

They can sound a little sterile without the reverb and as there's no valves it's not going to "warm up" and sound a little sweeter and It can sound a little boxy tbh.  

If I had my time again I would probably go for the next one up which is the stage, I owned the stage up until I got my Carr Mercury and that was the only thing that made me get rid which even 2nd hand was twice the price of the BC Stage.

I would honestly go and try one or buy from Amazon where they have a really good returns policy so you can have a really good go and see if it's the tone for you.  I'm sure they would make a great pedal platform.

BRISTOL86

Arktik83 said:

I had a blues cube hot recently and it's a great piece of kit if you're in to that kind of blues junior style sound.  They can get hella loud if required.  

They'll definitely sound bigger and more full than a THR10 because it's a12" speaker.  The 0.5 watt will definitely outshout a THR10 and the 5 watt is great too.  

They can sound a little sterile without the reverb and as there's no valves it's not going to "warm up" and sound a little sweeter and It can sound a little boxy tbh.  

If I had my time again I would probably go for the next one up which is the stage, I owned the stage up until I got my Carr Mercury and that was the only thing that made me get rid which even 2nd hand was twice the price of the BC Stage.

I would honestly go and try one or buy from Amazon where they have a really good returns policy so you can have a really good go and see if it's the tone for you.  I'm sure they would make a great pedal platform.

Thanks @Arktik83  !

I love me some reverb so I'd pretty much always be using it to be honest! I've read lots of reviews etc, to be honest I just want to feel like I'm plugging into a real amp, do you know what I mean? As much of a psychological thing as anything else. 

The THR seems to hold its value well used so it's not too pricey to trade up. Might pop down to PMT on the weekend and play one. My main worry was that I'd have to dial it down so much to be able to use it in a bedroom that it wasn't worth bothering with, but from a video I found on YT it says that the tone will stay exactly the same whether you have it at 30W, 15W, 5W and 0.5W so you can adjust the output to suit the environment without losing that tone. 

I play mostly clean too so I imagine I won't have issues with how low I'd need to have the volume at times. 

Arktik83

Yeah, you definitely do not lose your dialled in tone if you drop down to the lower wattage, they attenuate super well compared to a valve amp.  Of course you have less head room on the lower wattages but you could easily dial in a good tone on the 5 watt setting and hit the front end with an overdrive pedal or use the boost on the amp, it doesn't suddenly make the amp super loud.  It's very flexible in that regard.

I had a blues cube hot first off when they first came out and ended up getting a stage, both moved on because I'm always moving things on and then I bought a hot again recently but ended up sending it back.  

I would try a hot against a stage if you can and see if there is a difference or maybe it's just my memory playing tricks on me!  Don't get me wrong, it is a really big upgrade on the THR10 especially the clean tone.  With regards to the price, it is more like a "grown up" amp because you could take your hot if you bought one to a gig or a jam and flick it over to 15/30 watts and it'd perform quite admirably.

Good luck

BRISTOL86

Arktik83 said:

Yeah, you definitely do not lose your dialled in tone if you drop down to the lower wattage, they attenuate super well compared to a valve amp.  Of course you have less head room on the lower wattages but you could easily dial in a good tone on the 5 watt setting and hit the front end with an overdrive pedal or use the boost on the amp, it doesn't suddenly make the amp super loud.  It's very flexible in that regard.

I had a blues cube hot first off when they first came out and ended up getting a stage, both moved on because I'm always moving things on and then I bought a hot again recently but ended up sending it back.  

I would try a hot against a stage if you can and see if there is a difference or maybe it's just my memory playing tricks on me!  Don't get me wrong, it is a really big upgrade on the THR10 especially the clean tone.  With regards to the price, it is more like a "grown up" amp because you could take your hot if you bought one to a gig or a jam and flick it over to 15/30 watts and it'd perform quite admirably.

Good luck

Thanks man, that's super helpful. I'm pushing the budget as it is so I think I'll go for the Hot rather than Stage, smaller footprint too which is good as my space is a bit limited!

koss59

I'm a valve amp snob and never plug into one at home since buying my Blues Cube. I also have a THR for heavy tones but for regular stuff I love the Roland. For me it's better at home than a valve amp as it has less dymanic range so much easier to control, it does however feel like a valve amp though.
I also gig mine and will be doing twice this weekend.

BRISTOL86

koss59 said:

I'm a valve amp snob and never plug into one at home since buying my Blues Cube. I also have a THR for heavy tones but for regular stuff I love the Roland. For me it's better at home than a valve amp as it has less dymanic range so much easier to control, it does however feel like a valve amp though.
I also gig mine and will be doing twice this weekend.

That's very much what I want to hear, thanks! I'm basically after something that feels like a valve amp without the volume!! 

koss59

Yep it'll do that! Takes pedals great too!

penguinpaul

I've got the next size up, the stage, and it's excellent. My 68 Custom Princeton Reverb doesn't get a lot of use these days. And for rehearsals and gigging, the Blues Cube also is my go to choice.
It's got the best bedroom volume sounds from any amp I've owned.
Can't fault it - also, the ability to have the tone capsules is good. I have the ultimate blues module which mods it slightly from the tweed side of things, to the blackface side.

BRISTOL86

penguinpaul said:

I've got the next size up, the stage, and it's excellent. My 68 Custom Princeton Reverb doesn't get a lot of use these days. And for rehearsals and gigging, the Blues Cube also is my go to choice.
It's got the best bedroom volume sounds from any amp I've owned.
Can't fault it - also, the ability to have the tone capsules is good. I have the ultimate blues module which mods it slightly from the tweed side of things, to the blackface side.

Fab, thanks!

Just need to choose a colour now!!!

olafgarten

I prefer the Stage as well, I think the 2 channels gives a lot more versatility and it has a mode where you can run both channels at the same time which really fattens up the sound.

BRISTOL86

Thanks Olaf

fields5069

Funnily enough, I've had an Artist and a Hot, and I preferred the Hot, I think because it was as simple as I am. Turn it on, turn it up, add Telecaster for a delicious "braaaaannng!". I didn't like the more tweed-ish sound of the Artist, I particularly wasn't that keen on the mids of the crunch channel. It's still a great amp though.

BRISTOL86

fields5069 said:

Funnily enough, I've had an Artist and a Hot, and I preferred the Hot, I think because it was as simple as I am. Turn it on, turn it up, add Telecaster for a delicious "braaaaannng!". I didn't like the more tweed-ish sound of the Artist, I particularly wasn't that keen on the mids of the crunch channel. It's still a great amp though.

Absolutely 100% what I'm looking for! But you mistakenly said Tele instead of Strat  

penguinpaul

BRISTOL86 said:

penguinpaul said:

I've got the next size up, the stage, and it's excellent. My 68 Custom Princeton Reverb doesn't get a lot of use these days. And for rehearsals and gigging, the Blues Cube also is my go to choice.
It's got the best bedroom volume sounds from any amp I've owned.
Can't fault it - also, the ability to have the tone capsules is good. I have the ultimate blues module which mods it slightly from the tweed side of things, to the blackface side.

Fab, thanks!

Just need to choose a colour now!!!

Blonde!! Looks great everywhere... at home.. on stage.. Looks expensive and boutique

fields5069

penguinpaul said:

BRISTOL86 said:

penguinpaul said:

I've got the next size up, the stage, and it's excellent. My 68 Custom Princeton Reverb doesn't get a lot of use these days. And for rehearsals and gigging, the Blues Cube also is my go to choice.
It's got the best bedroom volume sounds from any amp I've owned.
Can't fault it - also, the ability to have the tone capsules is good. I have the ultimate blues module which mods it slightly from the tweed side of things, to the blackface side.

Fab, thanks!

Just need to choose a colour now!!!

Blonde!! Looks great everywhere... at home.. on stage.. Looks expensive and boutique

Unless it gets grubby, and you can see the joins in the tolex as you can on my soon-to-depart Artist!

BRISTOL86

penguinpaul said:

BRISTOL86 said:

penguinpaul said:

I've got the next size up, the stage, and it's excellent. My 68 Custom Princeton Reverb doesn't get a lot of use these days. And for rehearsals and gigging, the Blues Cube also is my go to choice.
It's got the best bedroom volume sounds from any amp I've owned.
Can't fault it - also, the ability to have the tone capsules is good. I have the ultimate blues module which mods it slightly from the tweed side of things, to the blackface side.

Fab, thanks!

Just need to choose a colour now!!!

Blonde!! Looks great everywhere... at home.. on stage.. Looks expensive and boutique

I know but at £80 more than the B Stock black one I found which has a small cosmetic mark on it, hard to justify when I'm breaking the budget as it is!!

penguinpaul

I've had mine for a year and a half now, and it still looks almost pristine, despite having been gigged. I'm just careful with loading and unloading, haven't got a case or anything for it.
But £80 is quite a difference!

BRISTOL86

penguinpaul said:

I've had mine for a year and a half now, and it still looks almost pristine, despite having been gigged. I'm just careful with loading and unloading, haven't got a case or anything for it.
But £80 is quite a difference!

Part of me says given that this will be my only guitar and amp, £80 is nothing to get exactly what I want. The other part of me is a tight bastard!

penguinpaul

Personally I think the blonde looks great anywhere (see video below in Eric Johnson's studio!), but the black still looks smart - just a different look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz9y8yCLYWQ

SimonC

BRISTOL86 said:

Part of me says given that this will be my only guitar and amp, £80 is nothing to get exactly what I want. The other part of me is a tight bastard!

A few Blues Cubes appearing on gumtree over the last few days @BRISTOL86 , (around £350 for a Stage) mostly oop north though, I assume you are in er Bristol?