Roland Cube

I did a lot of research before buying this amp and on paper it looks great, very versatile, effects built in with a looper but it’s completely flawed by a constant hissing (ssshhhhhh) noise from both the speaker and headphones/direct out, even with nothing plugged in. This makes using the amp intolerable and it’s completely useless for recording purposes. Avoid.

I have both a Roland Cube 20X and an 80X, which I acquired after playing a few months on the 20X both are handy bits of kit. The 20X is a good beginner/practice amp with some limited built in effects/reverb and a few amp models in addition to a clean channel - handy features for beginners are a mini jack input for playing backing tracks or general songs from your iPod/laptop to play along to, and also a button to attenuate output for quiet practice. The 80X is a bit meatier - more effects and models, expansion for an extension cab and direct out, plus also has a basic looping functionality, controllable by footswitch or on the amp itself. 80X is more suitable to reheasal or gigs in small venues if you have a limited budget, but still want useful sound and a bigger output. The Rolands are extremely well built and much more reliable than similar feature heavy modelling amps such as line 6 and others of their ilk. If you want a good, reliable budget amp, look no further. In case you're concerned that Roland just "do" keyboards, remember that their effects pedals range is Boss - 'nuff said!

Roland Cube - Very standard, simple, average amp. Would reccommend strongly for price - it gives you a good clean neutral tone to play with using effects etc; also its very sturdy and quite portable. I have old ones; (not the X series) and therefore there is no hissing sound which many of you have found - this is the auto compression which when you play a quiet note it increases the volume. I'm glad i got the old ones.

This could be an extremely good amp. I bought mine to use with a epiphone les paul custom. When I tried it out the hissing was apparent straight away. I did as your other reviewer and tried other guitars without success. I returned it to Roland who checked it out and said it hadn't a fault. If I had bought it locally I would have returned it for a refund. The Roland cube 30 hasn't the same problem. I've tested it ,as our other band guitarist uses one, which was the main reason for buying the more powerful unit. I guess you really can't get a quart from a pint pot!

I bought the Roland Cube amp for practicing on the move, never expecting that a one-watt battery amp would be capable of more. However, I used this amp for an impromptu performance at a social gathering of over sixty people in a small hall and it did a great job.

Roland Cube - Annoying hissing sound when a note is played. Soundman noticed it right off. Tried switching outlets, power cords, instrument cords, even a differemt guitar (used Fender Tele and Gibson HR Fusion), changed channels. Tried running line out direct to the board, rather than mic - no difference. Called Roland (non toll free line). They suggested what I already tried. If it wasn't for this, it would be the ideal amp. Figures!