Rocking-up a Blues Cube Artist?

Snags

Considering options here, but basically know next to nothing about the kind of differences things like a speaker swap can make, so looking for advice from the wise, or just the opinionated.

I've got Blues Cube Artist, and it's fine for what it does, particularly on the clean channel. For light blues-rock, little bit of grit and so on I like it. It's also handy as a fairly clean base for adding effects to in a P&W setting (although a conventional one, not the poncy warehouse lightshow Strymon-enabled stuff ). It has also passed muster at various jams, gigs and fun studio sessions.

But ... I'm in a new project which is a bit more raucous, a bit more growly. And whatever I do the BCA sounds a bit thin and fizzy in that context.

It would be handy to be able to use it - output switchable combo is much easier for rehearsals than heads, cabs blah blah blah which are my other options. But blow all point if it's not producing the right kind of grunt.

At the moment it's just got the stock speaker in, which I gather doesn't get a lot of love. Is there any mileage in changing that out, or do I just park it under a desk and bring it out for more civilized duties (or flog it to help pay for some of the other bits I've accidentally acquired in the last few weeks!)?

darthed1981

What about a dirty gritty pedal of filth?

I've got my "Wild Fro" you can try if you are bringing it on Sunday?

Alternately a Blackstar HT pedal - Blackstars always sound dark and mean.

Snags

Pedals don't really get it there - I've got assorted dirt pedals, and an HXFX which I've spent ages tweaking patches for. Whatever I try doesn't sound quite right for the current application - it's just not open and throaty enough.

Hence wondering whether a speaker change would help, or whether it's simply the wrong tool for this particular job.

Don't get me wrong, it can sound just fine with pedals (it's what I've used at Huddersfield the last two times, and generally at River City). But not for what I want for this, which is easily achievable with either the Jet City or Lionheart on-board gain.

Winny_Pooh

Try it into the jet city or lionheart cab

Snags

@Winny_Pooh ; No speaker/cab out, just FX loop and line out for recording. I'm assuming line out is not going to be a roaring success into a cab?

exocet

Snags said:

@Winny_Pooh ; No speaker/cab out, just FX loop and line out for recording. I'm assuming line out is not going to be a roaring success into a cab?

No, you would have to extend the existing speaker wires (you could either extend existing wires in Parallel with current speaker or disconnect the current speaker completely).

I have  BCA but don't require really dirty tones - I have never experimented with the speaker - I'm not clear on whether it's designed to be somewhat "neutral" in tone or whether it's a straight up "guitar speaker".