Boss amps?! :/

MattG

So these just popped up on my timeline, what do you guys think could they be any good?

http://cmstest.roland.co.uk/assets/images/products/gallery/blues_cube_artist_angle_gal.jpg

or just a dressed up less versatile cube?

http://www.roland.co.uk/products/productdetails.aspx?p=1327&c=57

digitalscream

MattG said:

or just a dressed up less versatile cube?

This, I think. If it was something completely new, why call it a "xxxxCube"?

ThePrettyDamned

I love how they've just gone on any 'boutique' amp thread on the gear page, and taken their favourite words for the blurb.

thecolourbox

Good god that's ugly. Looks like the guitar amp equivalent of those plastic fruit and veg they put in the display counters in cafes

MattG

ThePrettyDamned said:

I love how they've just gone on any 'boutique' amp thread on the gear page, and taken their favourite words for the blurb.

Or at least they've tried too, maybe they should have spent more time on here than on the others and maybe they would have come up with a more appealing product!

although this made me chuckle "plywood construction, which offers acoustically vibrant tone for solo or group performances"

Lev

I agree it looks hideous, they should have made it in black. However from a spec point of view I think it has potential. A loud, clean, light, maintenance free, giggable amp with an FX loop should interest the home/weekend cover band player. It all depends on how it sounds and how much it costs really.

ThePrettyDamned

Lev said:

I agree it looks hideous, they should have made it in black. However from a spec point of view I think it has potential. A loud, clean, light, maintenance free, giggable amp with an FX loop should interest the home/weekend cover band player. It all depends on how it sounds and how much it costs really.

Agreed.

And how much 'bloom' there is

I don't think it's that ugly... 

EricTheWeary

60w with slightly fewer tricks $800, the 80w $1100 according to my googling.

EricTheWeary

I think they look fine, a control panel that doesn't look like a Boss pedal shoved in a hole would be better though.
I'd be interested in hearing them and interested in a better street price. For me a digital amp that isn't all about 350 presets or metal tonez is a good thing.

equalsql

thecolourbox said:

Good god that's ugly. Looks like the guitar amp equivalent of those plastic fruit and veg they put in the display counters in cafes

You ain't joking @thecolourbox, It looks like it's made out of rubber. I've never seen quite such an insipid Tolex finish before.

Lev

EricTheWeary said:

60w with slightly fewer tricks $800, the 80w $1100 according to my googling.

+£80 for the foot switch = way too expensive! The fact is that most guitarists are attracted to valves so pitching this at a similar price point to the Hot Rod/Blues Deluxe makes it a very hard sell. 

benmurray85

I actually like the styling! But at that price it's way out of touch. Boss yet again proving they have no idea what the average guy wants

EricTheWeary

Those last Roland amps had some nice user friendly features but ugly to the highest degree. They got sold off quite cheap in the end and looks like Roland have given up on trying to make it's amps look modern.
I agree with @Lev if these hit the shops at the same price as a Fender HRD - and it is hard not to see these as digital HRD's- then it is hard to see how they will sell.

MattG

hmmm these arent just at HRD money but laney VC/LC and peavey classic money BIG MISTAKE!

EricTheWeary

Dolphin have the 60w on pre order for £439. If that included the foot switch super but taking it over £500 would produce a sharp intake of breath.

Lev

EricTheWeary said:

Dolphin have the 60w on pre order for £439. If that included the foot switch super but taking it over £500 would produce a sharp intake of breath.

From the description:"The rear panel has jacks for connecting an optional footswitch such as the GA-FC Foot Controller, which provides remote switching for channel selection, Dual Tone mode, and on/off for the built-in effects and effects loop".

I'm thinking the foot switch is not included - the GA-FC is £85.

Heartfeltdawn

Solid state geeks out there will remember the original Roland Blues Cube.

http://www.rolandus.com/products/details/247

By the sound of it, this is a relaunched version of that. The tap and reverb will probably be digital, thus saving on the Accutronics reverb that was in the original BC. 

frankus

digitalscream said:

MattG said:

or just a dressed up less versatile cube?

This, I think. If it was something completely new, why call it a "xxxxCube"?

Cos they've been making "cube" amps long enough for them to be a recognised Marque?

My Dad's old Orange Roland Cube 30 is burned into my memory as a really nice transparent amp

Jalapeno

I like it.

It's a tad on the pricey side.

They should have gone the whole hog with Tweed or stuck with black IMHO

Let the speaker swapping begin !!!!!

Dave_Mc

ThePrettyDamned said:

I love how they've just gone on any 'boutique' amp thread on the gear page, and taken their favourite words for the blurb.

LOL

I didn't see bloom, chirp or swirl mentioned, though

(Reads further) Ah you already mentioned bloom. Nice work. )

I thought the cosmetics were alright. )

monquixote

I actually think it could be very good, kind of like an updated Tech21 Trademark60. 

It doesn't say anywhere that it's digital so given that it doesn't have various channel mode it might just be a decent solid state amp with digital trem and reverb which would be brilliant as a gigging machine. 

Regardless of valves a decent chassis, speaker and jacks, pots, transformers etc costs money regardless of if it's valve or not so you have to expect it to be in the sort of ballpark that it costs or it would just end up being some shitty Spider type thing.

A light, ultra reliable, giggable amp with good cleans and crunch and decent trem and reverb that has a speaker emulated line out would be a perfect gig machine for me. If as I suspect they end up being pennies secondhand I could imagine getting one.