Roland Blues Cube Artist 80 watt Combo Amplifier
Since the 2014 release of the Blues Cube amplifiers, Roland have been quietly changing the guitar world – turning traditional values on their head by producing a unique high-tech amplifier that delivers authentic vintage tone, feel and touch sensitivity comparable to the classic tube amplifier. With the fast rise in number of cheap tube amps, guitar players are often all too happy to rely on the 40-year old mantra of “tubes are best” – when in fact, technology has come a long, long way since.
The head-turning tone and response of the Blues Cube amplifiers has garnered outpouring admiration from top-name artists such as Don Felder, Robben Ford, Eric Johnson, Kirk Fletcher and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. These forward–thinking veterans realise the power and opportunity of combining old-world tone with cutting-edge technology. “I’ve been playing through tube amplifiers all my life….. It is incredibly close to vacuum tube technology…so to think that Roland has come up with something that is as convincing as this. It’s pretty impressive.” – Robben Ford “This is probably the best solid state guitar sound I’ve heard.” – Eric Johnson “This amp not only sounds like a vintage amplifier, but it WILL be a vintage amplifier.” – Jeff “Skunk” Baxter
The “beating heart” inside each Blues Cube amplifier is Roland’s Tube Logic technology. Tube Logic provides the user with authentic tube tone and touch response but with modern flexibility in a lightweight format.
The reinvented Blues Cube series launches the classic 1×12 combo amp into a new era, combining genuine tube sound and response with modern reliability and easy portability. Going far beyond modeling, Roland’s Tube Logic design philosophy starts with carefully reproducing the inner workings of the revered tweed-era tube amp in every way, from guitar input to speaker output.
Versatile clean and crunch channels can be used independently or combined for a complex range of tones, while variable output power modes let you dial in burning, full-throttle sound at any volume. Road-tested and fine-tuned with feedback from top players, the gig-ready Blues Cube delivers the sweet, magical tone and satisfying feel that makes a great guitar amp a highly expressive musical instrument.
• Performance-ready 80-watt combo guitar amplifier with authentic tube tone and touch response
• Tube Logic delivers the interactive tonal behaviours of famous fine-tuned vintage tube amps, including preamp and output tube distortion characteristics and power supply compression
• Independent Clean and Crunch channels, plus unique Dual Tone mode for blending channels to expand tonal possibilities
• Master volume, three-band EQ, and Presence control, plus Boost and Tone switches on each channel
• Four-way Power Control (0.5 W, 15 W, 45 W, Max) allows for cranked-amp tones at any volume
• Onboard high-quality reverb and tremolo effects with vintage sound character, plus effects loop for external devices
• Classic open-back design with custom 12-inch speaker and poplar cabinet for enhanced presence on stage
• Stylish, modern look with a vintage vibe
• Efficient, lightweight design provides easy portability without sacrificing tone quality
• USB output for high-quality direct recording to a computer
• Optional GA-FC Foot Controller for Channel Select, Dual Tone, and Tremolo/EFX Loop
Musical, Highly Responsive Amp Tones with Tube Logic Topology
Warm, bouncy, responsive, dynamic, elastic . . . these are all terms that guitarists use to describe the satisfying experience of playing their favourite tube amps.
Thanks to Roland’s Tube Logic, these words can be applied to the Blues Cube Artist as well. Dramatically evolved from the first-generation sound of the original Blues Cube amps from the ’90s, today’s Tube Logic accurately provides the complex, highly interactive behaviour of classic tube designs in meticulous detail, providing the magical “it” factor that takes a guitar amp from a simple sound system to a living, breathing musical instrument.
Great feel, distortion control with touch and volume, bloom, sparkle, power supply “sag,” and more—everything that players love about a finely tuned vintage tube amp is present in abundance with the Blues Cube.
A Performance-Ready Combo Amplifier for Pro Players
Ready for live playing, the Blues Cube Artist is equipped with 80-watts of power, plus a custom 12-inch speaker that’s been specially designed for maximum tonal response with Tube Logic. The open-back cabinet features poplar plywood construction, which offers acoustically vibrant tone for solo or group performances.
Clean, Crunch, and Dual Tone
The Blues Cube Artist has two independent channels—one voiced for cleaner tones, and the other for crunch. Each channel has its own Boost and Tone switches to shape the character. The Clean channel’s single volume control dials in natural tube fullness and bite as the volume is cranked, while the Crunch channel’s variable gain control provides a range of grit flavours from mild to aggressive.
With the press of a switch, the unique Dual Tone mode lets you blend both channels together for an endless array of rich tones. And just like a vintage tube amp, the Blues Cube loves stompboxes, allowing you to further shape your personal sound by hitting the amp’s front end with your favourite gain pedals.
Wide-Open Sound at Any Volume
Every tube-amp player knows that you really need to turn up the volume and push the output tubes to get the amp to sing at its best. The downside is that the sound simply becomes too loud for playing anywhere but the biggest stages—though that’s certainly never stopped guitarists from trying!
With Tube Logic, the Blues Cube authentically delivers the complex distortion characteristics of output tubes and their interaction with the output transformer, with the sound getting richer and the feel becoming more dynamically responsive as the overall volume is increased. But with the Blues Cube’s variable Power Control, you’re able to enjoy this musical, cranked-up tone while matching the volume to any situation, from recording to rehearsals to nightclub gigs and beyond.
Maintenance-Free and Easy on Your Back
With its modern approach, the Blues Cube eliminates two of the big drawbacks found in all tube amps powerful enough for stage playing—they’re extremely heavy, prone to vibration damage, and they require frequent tube replacement and other costly maintenance to keep them going strong.
In contrast, the Blues Cube is basically maintenance-free, and has been carefully designed to reduce weight in every area that doesn’t affect the tone. With the Blues Cube, you’re able to enjoy great tube sound at every gig, but with much easier load-in and no actual tubes to worry about!
Effects, Foot Control, and Direct Recording Via USB
The Blues Cube Artist features onboard reverb and tremolo, plus an effects loop for patching in any external effect that you like. 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.
And with the USB jack, it’s simple to capture the Blues Cube Artist’s rich tones directly into your favourite computer recording applications.
Roland Blues Cube Artist Specifications:
• Rated Power Output: 80 watts
• Nominal Input Level INPUT HIGH: -10 dBu (1 M ohm)
• Nominal Input Level INPUT LOW: 0 dBu
• Nominal Input Level EFX LOOP RETURN:-10 dBu
• Speaker: 1 x 12″ Custom Design Speaker
• Controls: POWER switch, DUAL TONE switch, CH SELECT switch
• CLEAN channel Controls: BOOST, TONE, VOLUME knob
• CRUNCH channel Controls: BOOST, TONE, GAIN, VOLUME
• EQUALIZER Controls: BASS, MIDDLE, TREBLE
• EFFECT Controls: TAP button, EFX LOOP button, TREMOLO, REVERB, PRESENCE, MASTER knob, POWER CONTROL
• POWER CONTROL settings: 0.5 W, 15 W, 45 W, MAX
• CLEAN Channel Indicators: BOOST, TONE,
• CRUNCH Channel Indicators: BOOST, TONE, TAP, EFFECT, POWER
• INPUT HIGH/LOW jack: 6.35mm (1/4″) phone type
• LINE OUT jack: 6.35mm (1/4″) phone type
• HEAD PHONES jack: Stereo 6.35mm (1/4″) phone type
• FOOT SWITCH (TIP: TREMOLO, RING: EFX LOOP) jack: 6.35mm (1/4″) TRS phone type
• FOOT SW (TIP: CH SELECT, RING: DUAL TONE) jack: 6.35mm (1/4″) TRS phone type
• FOOT SW (GA-FC) jack: 6.35mm (1/4″) TRS phone type
• EFX LOOP SEND jack: 6.35mm (1/4″) phone type
• EFX LOOP RETURN jack: 6.35mm (1/4″) phone type
• REC OUT port: USB type B
• AC IN jack
• Power Consumption: 68 W
• Accessories: Owner’s manual, Power cord, GA-FC sticker
• Options (sold separately): Footswitch (BOSS FS-5L, BOSS FS-6, BOSS FS-7), GA Foot Controller (GA-FC)
• Dimensions: W592 x D260 x H485mm (23-5/16″ x 10-1/4″ x 19-1/8″)
• Weight: 16 kg (35 lbs 5 oz)
* 0 dBu = 0.775 Vrms
