Brace Yourself... NAD

Wazmeister

Gents.

We are potentially looking at revolution here. Seriously.

Now, remember my caveats right at the start of this thread. Home use etc etc.

But I own a Carr Rambler, and Lazy J 20.

I've owned amongst others;

- Matchless Lightning

- Couple of Redplates

- Various Carrs

- Magnatone

- Tone King

Etc etc

And I'm eulogising about a digital, solid state Roland Blues Cube ?!?!?!?!

Incredible.

MatthewShreddery

Nothing shocking really mate, valve amps suck at home volume. I've always preferred solid state at home.

BintyTwanger77

This is like hearing Father Xmas doesn't exist....

dindude

Maybe it was your ears all along Waz, i won't believe you until you've tried a Marshall MG10 and declared it as being shit.

Wazmeister

BintyTwanger77 said:

This is like hearing Father Xmas doesn't exist....

WHAAAAAT ??????

BintyTwanger77

Wazmeister;1091388" said:

BintyTwanger77 said:

This is like hearing Father Xmas doesn't exist....





WHAAAAAT ??????

Oops...awkward.

Can the clean channel be dialled up to be used with buckets of clean headroom like the JC, as well as responding like a pushed valve amp?

tone1

I like the look of the Artist or Stage models but the Hot version has a 5 watt setting which seems better for home...? Waz?
I think the bigger models go from 15w down to 1/4 w

Wazmeister

tone1 said:

I like the look of the Artist or Stage models but the Hot version has a 5 watt setting which seems better for home...? Waz?
I think the bigger models go from 15w down yo 1/4 w

Yes mate, mine is 80w (although like the Yamaha I feel that these are 'quieter' wattages) and goes

0.5 W, 15 W, 45 W, MAX

brownovich

Yep, ive got the Stage 60 version and it sounds bloody brilliant, especially thru headphones and for DI'ing. Recently depped for a funk band which is a bit different from my usual tone but it did a grand job in rehersal! Great for home practice too. Only slight downside is that the drive tone is great at low volumes and thru phones but sounds a bit fizzy at higher volumes to me. Still, this could probably be remided with a good drive pedal, as the clean tone is spanking.

firepaulmusic

Interesting, but is the 2x12 over a grand?

BBBlues

I just had to check its not the first of April! I shan't accept this hiprociy. I know a good priest.

ICBM

Wazmeister said:

Yes mate, mine is 80w (although like the Yamaha I feel that these are 'quieter' wattages)

That's because, given that the power consumption is listed as 68W, the 80W output power is bullshit. It can't be any more than about 40W at best.

This is something that really annoys me - and it reinforces the idea that solid-state is inferior, by not being as loud as valve. Given that the solid-state power section can't be overdriven - or it will immediately destroy the modelled valve-like sound - and which is one of the things that gives valve amps their advantage, because an overdriven valve amp can put out up to twice its clean power - I'd be surprised if the Roland is actually any louder than a decent 20W valve amp, for fully distorted sounds… although it might be closer to a 40-watter for cleans.

There's really no excuse for lying about power output like this - with solid-state it's very easy to add more *genuine* power if you need it.

The Yamaha is even worse, it claims 100W output from 60W input.

Even if at modern band levels you don't actually *need* more than the volume of a cranked 20W valve amp, that isn't the point.

RMJ

Sell yer expensive amps then......

:P

My tone king falcon with pedalboard sounds immense at low volumes. I have the attenuator all the way down admittedly.

Bug fan of trannies. Wish I never sold ny peavey studio pro.

Wazmeister

RMJ said:

Sell yer expensive amps then......

:P

My tone king falcon with pedalboard sounds immense at low volumes. I have the attenuator all the way down admittedly.

Bug fan of trannies. Wish I never sold ny peavey studio pro.

It may yet come mate !

By the way, I LOVE the Falcon

ThePrettyDamned

I'm not hugely surprised. I love loads of distortion boxes, particularly rats, df-2, ds-2 and others, yet one of the best all rounders for most gain levels and super responsive drive is the boss da-2 adaptive distortion, which is digital.

It's fantastic and can do totally transparent (ie can't tell any difference from on and off) through to roaring gain (more jcm800 than 6505!), clipped cleans, fat rhythm... Very versatile and properly excellent.

If the blues cube uses similar ish technology but newer, there is no reason it can't be good.

ThePrettyDamned

Oh, happy nad!

Wazmeister

I've just had a quick play to see why this amp works so well...

Compared it to the Rambler.

Now, really 'clean' cleans are much better on the Rambler, as you would expect.

But on the Roland BC clean channel, you can roll up the volume (noon) and drop the master; nothing unusual there, but it is quite finely tuned and a small turn (of any knob) can change the tone. Then drop the wattage to say, 45w and bingo, sweet spot.

Very quickly I could dial in that almost clipped clean, if you know what I mean... with a hint of hair and that bloom.

I think in summary, I've never found an amp so easy to dial and find i.) the sound in my head ii.) the sweet spot.

BintyTwanger77

@Wazmeister Mate... yes. Absolutely, yes, and the shop I passed only had the Blues Cube Hot... BUT... I completely get what you mean. For that price?

The fact that a small light solid state amp than sound that close to a Fender valve amp...at that price?!! Mind-blowing. It sounds so f***ing good.

The unhairy cleans are beautiful as well, and the added boost? Wow. More wow. I have a '65 DRRI, which I adore, and this wee box is rivalling THAT? Again, mind blowing. I was still looking for tubes hidden away, I didn't believe it.

I have to try the Artist and the Stage now. If you want a tube amp but you don't want to get beer spelled on your beloved £1k+ amp...get this.

ruoma

The vox pathfinder 15 is another one of those amazing solid state amps! I might look into this after getting my goodsell super 17

ICBM

BintyTwanger77 said:

If you want a tube amp but you don't want to get beer spelled on your beloved £1k+ amp...get this.

Except that it's unfortunately stupidly designed with the controls on the top, so spilling beer on this one is a really bad idea...