The amp sounds great. A true sleeper for me that I never would have considered. I appreciate your content immensely and decided to join with what I could give. Thanks, Shane!
I plug my Kemper into the effects return of my Blues Cube Artist. I put pedals before and after the Kemper. It sounds effing incredible! Keep the Artist's presence and master volume around 11 o'clock and the reverb level around 9 o'clock. Variable wattage. What a rig!
Yep, loads of volume even on the 0.5w setting! Have been playing one of these for over a year and it's the 'clean' channel that really hits the button especially with a bit of added 'boost' . Great playing.
It's a great amp. I've used it for many gigs, getting good comments from other guitarists and house sound people on the sound and tones. At the 45 and 80W settings there's a lot of dynamics to it. The ability to switch channels and boost options from the footswitch is great live. It gives you the ability to switch between clean, clean-at-the-edge of breakup, crunchy rhythm to full on lead. Hardly any pedals needed with a versatile guitar like an HSS strat or similar to cover a wide range of music. I play it stock, no tone capsule, as well.
Shane, I met MR Peavey at the Factory in Mississippi USA back in the late 70s He was a real nice man . Your Peavy talk is a lost language here in the states . Sorely missed. Had a tube powered Peavey Classic 212 that was bullet proof and sounded awesome wish I kept it .
It’s a great amp. Lightweight. Bullet proof. Sounds good. Good value. It won’t be the best sounding amp you have ever heard in isolation, but in a live environment the listener WILL NOT hear a difference. Same goes for the Nextone series.
I can dig this. OK, the silver cube 30 i had wasn't great but fired up a Blues Cube at a shop. This is like 15 years ago. Trying to dial it in and some kids (20's) walk in. Leader, "That sounds like s...." and starts to walk away. Find an over drive setting that ripped. He starts back, i set the guitar down and his buddies showed him the door. Could have been ugly. man, Roland Cube 40, why i have a second G400. Mesa DynaWatt didn't get it. Roland did in less than a minute. One of my fave guitars. Oh, i have a first gen Micro Cube. Great sounding little amp.
I have a Roland Blues Cube Artist 1 x 12 fitted with a New York Blues Capsule. I really like the amp (and I do own Tube amps from the usual suspects - Fender, Marshall, Vox).
Great stuff as usual Shane thank you 👍👏👏. I’ve used a BCA for years ( I am a blues man ) something I’ve found with these great amps & the way to get THE best tone is to turn it to the 80 watt setting & set the master to taste. Don’t Fanny about with the lower 15,45 etc they never sound as good as the 80 watt.
@@intheblues the BC sounds great. I got one difficult question. If you had a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue and a Blues Cube Stage and you have two speakers for an upgrade (Celestion Creamback G12M-65 and Eminence Swamp Thang). What were your favorite combinations? Greetings and thanks for the great content!
Great video and playing as always Shane. Roland cube amps have never been my thing but i'm surprised by how this one sounds. It would also be great to hear it as a pedal platform if you ever get a chance.
The Tour head never took off sales wise the same way as the Artist did. I think Roland overpriced them new. I am debating whether or not to buy a used Tour Head and Roland 4 x 10 cab, and was therefore interested to see your positive comments about it.
Update - I found a second hand Tour Head and 4 x 10 cabinet in perfect condition for a very low price (and 3 months guarantee) so I bought them. Glad I did. I have an Ultimate BluesTone Capsule in the Tour Head, and a New York Blues Tone Capsule in my existing Artist 1 x 12.
@@craigthomson3621 How are you liking the Tour and especially that Cab. I'm becoming kind of a Blues Cube collector of sorts and would love to grab one. I have managed to collect all Tone Capsules save the Sparkle Clean which I will be picking up very soon. I honestly love all of the TCs so far. It makes me want to build a Cab / Speaker collection to pair with each of the TCs Channels etc...
Chris, I am very happy with the Tour Head and the Blues Cube 4x10 cab. They were overpriced new, but secondhand they are a bargain. It will be interesting to see if Roland/Boss update the Blues Cube speakers for the next generation of products (Waza Craft variants maybe).
Great vid as always Shane. There is a big Roland amp in local practice studio, but I always plug into the Marshal or Vox. Will try it out next time I go.
I've heard only good things about this amp from people who have them. Until I can get one I'm happy with my Katana and the Sneaky Amps & Dumble Amps installed.
@@brandonlesko3126 It's much more expensive than the Katana though.. I'd stick with that, i'm sure the sound difference is minimal.. I personally didn't like the Mk2 when i tried it, didn't like how it sounded... But maybe someday i'll give it another go. I got the Vox Vt40x instead!
Great video. I've got a Nextone Artist which I think is similar in terms of plug n play. I've got a katana but only really use it as a pedal platform clean channel
is it loud enough for a small venue? We are loud enough to not be able to hear eachother talk, we do have a PA system, but i'd still like to hear myself through the amp
Great video, cheers. For the blues/low gain tones, what sounds more natural (closest to a tube amp) to you...the Roland Blues Cube Artist or a Gen 3 Katana 100/50? I don't play high gain. Thanks in advance, love the channel.
I think about 20W Plexi head + cab or some Blues cube. Marshall sound is something I love so much but blues cube is much cheaper and has headphones connection also. It would be great to see your review of that Marshal SV20H AND SV20C to be honest :]
Thanks for watching, check it out here: ►Sky Music - alnk.to/6mJNtOp ►Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/b3GOvv ►Thomann - bit.ly/33G9EiH (Affiliate links) 0:00 - Blues Cube Overview 1:33 - My Setup (Epiphone Guitar) 3:47 - How it felt to play (vs Katana/Bandit)
It boils down to whether you want to give up tubes and go solid state. From my experience having had all the amps mentioned- in a band mix the HRD has a slightly fatter (not louder) clean channel, but the BC Artist is a perfect alternative for a Blues Dlx reissue. I actually now have the smaller Blues Cube Stage, and it is ideal especially if you mike up your amp live.
I have a BCA but played frequently through a Hot Rod Deluxe and DeVille in my old practice space. I like the clean sound on the Fenders a little bit more, but otherwise think the BCA is better in every regard. The crunch channels on the Fender Hot Rods are pretty bad, while the BCA's is great. BCA sounds great at low volume too. Getting low volume out of a Fender amp is pretty hard to do at all.
It’s a lot like a British amp from the 80’s, The Sessionette by Award Session. A high quality 75 watt solid state amp with 2 channels that could also be blended to create a 3rd channel! I had one of these and when gigging would regularly get comments like “wow, what the hell is that? Sounds better than my Marshall, Vox etc!” Came standard with a Celestion speaker and 2 way foot switch, with the 3 way being a later optional extra! Back in the day were said to be used by the likes of :- Eric Clapton who apparently recorded his “August” album with one, Mick Ralphs of Bad Company and Texas, Tony Hicks of the Hollies and many more! Award Session are still around doing repairs and upgrades to the old amps which have bit of a cult following, (I still have 2) as well as offering new amps updated for the 2020’s! Seems like someone at Boss/Roland got their hands on one of these old amps!🤔
These are pretty expensive I think? I saw a used one at the shop for around $649 USD. I’ve never spent more than $399 for a tube/valve amp. But, I buy em used usually. Peavey delta blues, Classic 20, classic 30, fender pro Junior, super champ Xd and the like. My 90’s red stripe bandit was $200 and mint. So, now that I think about it you are 100% correct in your comment my friend! 🤔🧐🤘
Great vid Shane, and nice jam too with all the other lads! I've been considering these amps as well as the Fender Tone Master Twin reverb. What do you reckon as to a comparison? How would they weigh in against each other, especially tone wise and tube like feel when digging in? May be a good idea for another video seeings they aim to do a similar thing?! Cheers.
Both sre great. TM has more headroom. BC Artist more bluesy breakup. Both loud as hell. Ultimate Blues tone capsule makes the BC sound like my old tube Twin. I demo'd both and bought the BC 212. Can't go wrong with either.
@@williamharvey9164 Thanks for the info William, much appreciated. It does concur with what I've heard from others. Fender gets you the cleans but maybe still need a pedal for the gain. Funny out of all the tone capsules for the BC I heard demos of, I thought the NY Blues sounded the best. Cheers.
@@williamharvey9164 NY Blues capsule is a Vox AC30 emulation. Especially on the crunch mode where it is a more flexible version of the AC30 top boost channel. Ultimate blues is Super Reverb, Robben Ford capsule is more tweed twin like (I haven't seen or even played a dumble ods).
Most of the different amp models on modeling amps simply have more gain, which is kind of stupid, since that is what the gain knob is for on an amp. But the gain only goes so far, and then you have to switch amps. the idea that we really want slightly different EQ's in all these different amps is probably ridiculous. Give me an eq before and after the amp and be done with it.
Kat owner plus Blues Cube. You get what you pay for. The Blues Cube has a better amp like feel than the Kat.... and you would expect that for nearly 3x the price.
@@fastacesus8499 and they're the only SS analog or digital that give a more traditional amp feel for me. Even the Fender Tonemaster suffers from the compression and stiffness of its class D power amp (too few modern SS amp makers go for class A/B), the often lauded Peavey Bandit falls apart in feel above low-medium gain (again imo), and I could never get the Boss Nextone Special I tried (which I thought would be equivalent in quality to the Blues Cubes) to have the sag and bloom I get out of my BC Artist. I really hope Roland releases a new version one day, with the more annoying quirks fixed and more modern DI options (like on the Nextone Special or Tonemasters). I would almost prefer it to work more like a true Tweed amp sometimes, with the interactive volume controls and the channel jumping maybe set up in a more modern fashion. The dual tone function and the too Marshall-sounding gain channel just don't fit with the Bassman by which they were inspired.
Roland must be miffed....showcasing their amp with an Epi? Making the amp work hard, ain't ya? Why not go with a Walmart FirstAct guitar to really make the point? Kidding...have Epi's, love Epi's, am a fellow lefty...and have (and play daily) a Blues Cube Hot.
The amp sounds great. A true sleeper for me that I never would have considered. I appreciate your content immensely and decided to join with what I could give. Thanks, Shane!
I plug my Kemper into the effects return of my Blues Cube Artist. I put pedals before and after the Kemper. It sounds effing incredible! Keep the Artist's presence and master volume around 11 o'clock and the reverb level around 9 o'clock. Variable wattage. What a rig!
Yep, loads of volume even on the 0.5w setting! Have been playing one of these for over a year and it's the 'clean' channel that really hits the button especially with a bit of added 'boost' . Great playing.
You already did recommend this amp 2 years ago and I'm extremely happy with it even though I have a Fender deluxe reverb I still use them about 50/50
It's a great amp. I've used it for many gigs, getting good comments from other guitarists and house sound people on the sound and tones. At the 45 and 80W settings there's a lot of dynamics to it. The ability to switch channels and boost options from the footswitch is great live. It gives you the ability to switch between clean, clean-at-the-edge of breakup, crunchy rhythm to full on lead. Hardly any pedals needed with a versatile guitar like an HSS strat or similar to cover a wide range of music. I play it stock, no tone capsule, as well.
Run mine forever on the 15 watt setting but you post has given me a nudge to give the 45 watt setting a go at the gig on Saturday.
Brother Shane, I admire your work, thank you. Greetings from Tanzania
Shane, I met MR Peavey at the Factory in Mississippi USA back in the late 70s He was a real nice man . Your Peavy talk is a lost language here in the states . Sorely missed. Had a tube powered Peavey Classic 212 that was bullet proof and sounded awesome wish I kept it .
It’s a great amp. Lightweight. Bullet proof. Sounds good. Good value.
It won’t be the best sounding amp you have ever heard in isolation, but in a live environment the listener WILL NOT hear a difference.
Same goes for the Nextone series.
sounds solid!
What are you doing here, sweet Thursday??
Killer amps. I have the blues cube hot and an artist and they are all I need.
Thanks for the video
I can dig this.
OK, the silver cube 30 i had wasn't great but fired up a Blues Cube at a shop.
This is like 15 years ago.
Trying to dial it in and some kids (20's) walk in. Leader, "That sounds like s...." and starts to walk away.
Find an over drive setting that ripped. He starts back, i set the guitar down and his buddies showed him the door.
Could have been ugly.
man, Roland Cube 40, why i have a second G400. Mesa DynaWatt didn't get it. Roland did in less than a minute.
One of my fave guitars.
Oh, i have a first gen Micro Cube. Great sounding little amp.
Killer chops on this one Shane!
One of my favorite amps of all time I have the 2x12 with 3 capsules it's great
Dang Shane you read my mind. I've been looking at this amp for a couple months. Nice video as always...
I have a Roland Blues Cube Artist 1 x 12 fitted with a New York Blues Capsule. I really like the amp (and I do own Tube amps from the usual suspects - Fender, Marshall, Vox).
Hi, Craig. That’s also my rig. What is your favorite settings of your BCA?
@@RobSmithL5 usually have it on dual tone, with clean and gain volumes on 5 and Master volume on 7, Treble and Bass at noon, and Presence on 8.
Definitely a cool solid state amp with killer tones! Shane you had that LP singing!!🎸🎸👍🏾🤙🏾🤙🏾
Great stuff as usual Shane thank you 👍👏👏. I’ve used a BCA for years ( I am a blues man ) something I’ve found with these great amps & the way to get THE best tone is to turn it to the 80 watt setting & set the master to taste. Don’t Fanny about with the lower 15,45 etc they never sound as good as the 80 watt.
Far out Shane! You're wailing on that epi! Really feeling it ❤️
Love this spotlight idea - a review at home and a review at a live setting! What a magnificent amp with a great lead!
Thank you kindly!
@@intheblues the BC sounds great.
I got one difficult question.
If you had a Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue and a Blues Cube Stage and you have two speakers for an upgrade (Celestion Creamback G12M-65 and Eminence Swamp Thang). What were your favorite combinations?
Greetings and thanks for the great content!
Gigging mine since 2017...
I'm so sick of the poor reliability of all my tube amps I'm ready to give one of these a try. It sounded great !
Yep go for it or if you want as close as possible to tube Orange Super Crush 100
Great video and playing as always Shane. Roland cube amps have never been my thing but i'm surprised by how this one sounds. It would also be great to hear it as a pedal platform if you ever get a chance.
good GOD that's sounding fantastic!!
What a killer tone!! Great video Shane! I really enjoy this series!
Love all things Blues Cube!
Would love to see a review of the Tour Head.
I’ve owned one for two months and it’s amazing. Would love to hear your take
The Tour head never took off sales wise the same way as the Artist did. I think Roland overpriced them new. I am debating whether or not to buy a used Tour Head and Roland 4 x 10 cab, and was therefore interested to see your positive comments about it.
Update - I found a second hand Tour Head and 4 x 10 cabinet in perfect condition for a very low price (and 3 months guarantee) so I bought them. Glad I did. I have an Ultimate BluesTone Capsule in the Tour Head, and a New York Blues Tone Capsule in my existing Artist 1 x 12.
@@craigthomson3621 How are you liking the Tour and especially that Cab. I'm becoming kind of a Blues Cube collector of sorts and would love to grab one.
I have managed to collect all Tone Capsules save the Sparkle Clean which I will be picking up very soon.
I honestly love all of the TCs so far. It makes me want to build a Cab / Speaker collection to pair with each of the TCs Channels etc...
Chris, I am very happy with the Tour Head and the Blues Cube 4x10 cab. They were overpriced new, but secondhand they are a bargain. It will be interesting to see if Roland/Boss update the Blues Cube speakers for the next generation of products (Waza Craft variants maybe).
I would like you to compare the Katana to the Nextone to the Blues Cube and hear your personal opinion.
Great playing Shane. sounds awesome
Awesome tone and awesome playing! Sounded like a Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton duo.
Great vid as always Shane. There is a big Roland amp in local practice studio, but I always plug into the Marshal or Vox. Will try it out next time I go.
That sounded damn good.
Shane--Blues Cube or Nextone--which do you prefer?
I dare anyone to tell the difference between this beast and a comparable tube amp.. Roland really did it with this one imo
I've heard only good things about this amp from people who have them.
Until I can get one I'm happy with my Katana and the Sneaky Amps & Dumble Amps installed.
@@brandonlesko3126 It's much more expensive than the Katana though.. I'd stick with that, i'm sure the sound difference is minimal.. I personally didn't like the Mk2 when i tried it, didn't like how it sounded... But maybe someday i'll give it another go. I got the Vox Vt40x instead!
Love my Blues Cube Hot.
Fantastic Amp. All the Blues Cubes are Fantastic 😃👍
Try it with the Robben Ford tone capsule.
Nice review Shane.
Thinking of buying one tomorrow.
I agree, I’ve got three of them 😜 2 hot versions ( one blonde and one el84 version ) and a stage . I love m, I’m a real tube logic snob 🤣
Great video. I've got a Nextone Artist which I think is similar in terms of plug n play. I've got a katana but only really use it as a pedal platform clean channel
Great vid and amazing playing!!!!
Think it makes a decent pedal platform? I’m a gain stacker, subtle increases for versatility.
Anybody know how the effects loop sounds on this? Is it buffered? Thanks!
its great but your playing does the job all day , incredible skill Shane
Thanks, Lee!
Nice tip of the hat to Led Zep - Since I've Been Loving You there 👍
If you had to choose between the Blues Cube Artist and the Fender Bassbreaker 30r which would you choose ?
Trying to decide between this and the vox ac30s1
You and the doc👍🎸luv it!
Allow Robin Trower to play this amp with his guitar .... that would be the definitive test .
Does it take a multi-effects unit in the fx-loop well?
is it loud enough for a small venue? We are loud enough to not be able to hear eachother talk, we do have a PA system, but i'd still like to hear myself through the amp
"No pedals or anything, just the guitar and the amp"...
A wah magicaly enters to the mix!
Lol. I think he mostly meant Overdrives but that's funny
Ah yeah I meant overdrive pedals 🤣
It screams BLUES!! \m/
Hi Shane. Thanks for the review. Can I ask your thoughts on the BCA vs Nextone Artist. Do you have a preference? Thanks!
Great video, cheers. For the blues/low gain tones, what sounds more natural (closest to a tube amp) to you...the Roland Blues Cube Artist or a Gen 3 Katana 100/50? I don't play high gain. Thanks in advance, love the channel.
I think about 20W Plexi head + cab or some Blues cube. Marshall sound is something I love so much but blues cube is much cheaper and has headphones connection also. It would be great to see your review of that Marshal SV20H AND SV20C to be honest :]
how about a serious review , out of the box setup, of the Fender made EVH Wolfgang Special ?
sounds like my kind of amp in every way
You should try the DV marks I put mine into a 2 x 12 great
Blues Cubes sound fantastic!
Thanks for watching, check it out here:
►Sky Music - alnk.to/6mJNtOp
►Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/b3GOvv
►Thomann - bit.ly/33G9EiH
(Affiliate links)
0:00 - Blues Cube Overview
1:33 - My Setup (Epiphone Guitar)
3:47 - How it felt to play (vs Katana/Bandit)
The crunch channel seems to hum like crazy...true?
Do you prefer the blues cube to the bandit now?
Sounds great! Shane, how do you think it stacks up against a Hot Rod Deluxe or Blues Deluxe Reissue? They are about the same money here in the States.
I was just going to ask the same question. I'm Interested in Shane's opinion.
It boils down to whether you want to give up tubes and go solid state. From my experience having had all the amps mentioned- in a band mix the HRD has a slightly fatter (not louder) clean channel, but the BC Artist is a perfect alternative for a Blues Dlx reissue. I actually now have the smaller Blues Cube Stage, and it is ideal especially if you mike up your amp live.
I have a BCA but played frequently through a Hot Rod Deluxe and DeVille in my old practice space. I like the clean sound on the Fenders a little bit more, but otherwise think the BCA is better in every regard. The crunch channels on the Fender Hot Rods are pretty bad, while the BCA's is great. BCA sounds great at low volume too. Getting low volume out of a Fender amp is pretty hard to do at all.
It’s a lot like a British amp from the 80’s, The Sessionette by Award Session.
A high quality 75 watt solid state amp with 2 channels that could also be blended to create a 3rd channel!
I had one of these and when gigging would regularly get comments like “wow, what the hell is that? Sounds better than my Marshall, Vox etc!”
Came standard with a Celestion speaker and 2 way foot switch, with the 3 way being a later optional extra!
Back in the day were said to be used by the likes of :- Eric Clapton who apparently recorded his “August” album with one, Mick Ralphs of Bad Company and Texas, Tony Hicks of the Hollies and many more!
Award Session are still around doing repairs and upgrades to the old amps which have bit of a cult following, (I still have 2) as well as offering new amps updated for the 2020’s!
Seems like someone at Boss/Roland got their hands on one of these old amps!🤔
he used also a wah-wah pedal in this video.
Sounds great, seems like a great working mans amp. But I have to ask - what is that bass Dr. Ric is playing?
Looks like a 60s RI Jazz bass!
It's actually the new Fender bass. I believed it's the Fender 70s bass.
Sounds great it just goes to show you don’t need an expensive guitar and expensive tube amp
These are pretty expensive I think? I saw a used one at the shop for around $649 USD. I’ve never spent more than $399 for a tube/valve amp. But, I buy em used usually. Peavey delta blues, Classic 20, classic 30, fender pro Junior, super champ Xd and the like. My 90’s red stripe bandit was $200 and mint. So, now that I think about it you are 100% correct in your comment my friend! 🤔🧐🤘
@@benlogan430 I have a USA made Peavey Classic 50 2x12, and a Delta Blues 115. I love those amps.
is this a modelling amp? it sounds better than any tube amp ive heard..
@@epektasis242 it sounds amaizing!
Great vid Shane, and nice jam too with all the other lads! I've been considering these amps as well as the Fender Tone Master Twin reverb. What do you reckon as to a comparison? How would they weigh in against each other, especially tone wise and tube like feel when digging in? May be a good idea for another video seeings they aim to do a similar thing?! Cheers.
Both sre great. TM has more headroom. BC Artist more bluesy breakup. Both loud as hell. Ultimate Blues tone capsule makes the BC sound like my old tube Twin. I demo'd both and bought the BC 212. Can't go wrong with either.
@@williamharvey9164 Thanks for the info William, much appreciated. It does concur with what I've heard from others. Fender gets you the cleans but maybe still need a pedal for the gain. Funny out of all the tone capsules for the BC I heard demos of, I thought the NY Blues sounded the best. Cheers.
@@williamharvey9164 NY Blues capsule is a Vox AC30 emulation. Especially on the crunch mode where it is a more flexible version of the AC30 top boost channel. Ultimate blues is Super Reverb, Robben Ford capsule is more tweed twin like (I haven't seen or even played a dumble ods).
Cool amp!
Most of the different amp models on modeling amps simply have more gain, which is kind of stupid, since that is what the gain knob is for on an amp. But the gain only goes so far, and then you have to switch amps. the idea that we really want slightly different EQ's in all these different amps is probably ridiculous. Give me an eq before and after the amp and be done with it.
Jazz Hands!
Sounds good but not sure its worth 5x the price of a Peavey Red Stripe Bandit.
Nice.
If I were forced to have a solid state amp, this would be the one.
You poor thing! Imagine being forced to play an awesome amp.
Very nice video Shane! I wish this amp had chicken knobs though!
Incomplete, where’s the Stratocaster.
Cuts through alright. Maybe a bit to much.
Someone is a Jimmy Page fan! Lol👍🙏
IMO, you can get these sounds and more to a boss katana. Maybe its just me.
Kat owner plus Blues Cube. You get what you pay for. The Blues Cube has a better amp like feel than the Kat.... and you would expect that for nearly 3x the price.
@@fastacesus8499 and they're the only SS analog or digital that give a more traditional amp feel for me. Even the Fender Tonemaster suffers from the compression and stiffness of its class D power amp (too few modern SS amp makers go for class A/B), the often lauded Peavey Bandit falls apart in feel above low-medium gain (again imo), and I could never get the Boss Nextone Special I tried (which I thought would be equivalent in quality to the Blues Cubes) to have the sag and bloom I get out of my BC Artist.
I really hope Roland releases a new version one day, with the more annoying quirks fixed and more modern DI options (like on the Nextone Special or Tonemasters). I would almost prefer it to work more like a true Tweed amp sometimes, with the interactive volume controls and the channel jumping maybe set up in a more modern fashion. The dual tone function and the too Marshall-sounding gain channel just don't fit with the Bassman by which they were inspired.
Roland must be miffed....showcasing their amp with an Epi? Making the amp work hard, ain't ya? Why not go with a Walmart FirstAct guitar to really make the point? Kidding...have Epi's, love Epi's, am a fellow lefty...and have (and play daily) a Blues Cube Hot.
They are impressive amps, but pricy
nononoooooo! It sounds the same a fake tubes have always sounded.
What?
That sounded damn good