Is there anything like a Roland Microcube/Vox Mini3 but for bass?

Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
Hi everyone,

I've had a Vox Mini3 for a while that I enjoy using when learning songs etc. on my laptop, and it hit me that something similar but for bass might be worth considering.

I'm struggling to find anything along the same lines (small, range of tones (ideally modelling and some fx), cheapish (under £100 ideally), sounds pretty good considering how small it is) for bass, though. There's a bass microcube RX but it's actually quite big and is pretty expensive (~£200). Artec does a Cubix which on paper is what I want but I'm a bit wary of Artec stuff- I'm, er, not convinced it's much good and the (few) clips I've heard kind of backed that up.

Vox does the RhythmVox Bass but I'm concerned it's maybe too small to sound that great.

There's that Hotone mini amp which was mentioned in another thread recently but it's pretty expensive, especially if it's a (cute) gimmick.

Another option might be the most basic practice amps from Laney, Warwick, Hartke etc. since they might be small enough but again not sure how good the sound quality would be (since the reason they're small is the small speaker, not to mention being the most basic model they're probably not that amazing anyway). And they seem pretty basic in terms of features.

Another sort of more leftfield option might be a Peavey Vypyr VIP1 or 2- they're a bit bigger but can be used for guitar as well so from that point of view it mightn't need to be as small (plus with the bigger speaker it'd likely sound better than my Mini3 for guitar). But if the bass tones are almost an afterthought that might be a silly idea. If the bass tones are good, though, it might be the frontrunner. The idea of something which can be used for both (plus for acoustic, if I ever get an electroacoustic :)) ) sounds good on paper, but if all the tones are mediocre as a result, that's obviously not so good.

Any ideas? Anything I'm missing? Thanks for your help :)
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Comments

  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    edited January 2015
    Laney RB1 .. http://www.gak.co.uk/en/laney-rb1/3809?gclid=CMSi1uaLhMMCFfMZtAodbkYAcg

    I have an old Laney practice bass amp and it sounds great.

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12645
    If you can find one, a s/h Line6 Lowdown 110 is a nice little amp with lots of options. Sadly discontinued, but I really liked mine.
    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    How about a Roland Cube 10GX .... nice video ..



    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • RichardjRichardj Frets: 1538
    It costs a bit more but how about one of these - http://www.roland.co.uk/products/productdetails.aspx?p=940&c=425

    I have the guitar version and it is a great little bit of kit.
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    Thanks guys :)

    The Laney's maybe a little big and basic? Not sure.

    On another forum that Line 6 was recommended too. I'll keep an eye out, but I'd really prefer new generally.

    Can you run a bass into a regular guitar Cube? I was thinking that if I was ok chancing it I could just do that with my Mini3 that I already have. Though I'm a bit scared of breaking it :))

    How about the Peavey Vypyr VIP idea? There are some good deals on them at the moment (£130 for the VIP2), and something that works for everything sounds like it might be a good idea... as long as it isn't a jack of all trades, master of none, kind of thing. I think I'm sort of veering towards it, but maybe that's silly...
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  • RichardjRichardj Frets: 1538
    I tried one for a bit and it does sound OK.  My issue was that it is a bit complicated if you aren't a teenager (old person alert!) and some of the sounds aren't that true to what they claim.
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    edited January 2015
    Sorry, you posted above as I was posting and I missed it. :)) Thanks for the info :)

    Yeah the Microcube RX Bass is probably worth considering. Just as you said, it's pretty expensive (£200 is getting towards serious money for something that's just really for a bit of fun). And it's also not actually all that small. If they did a regular micro cube bass version at the same price and size as the regular microcube (around £100) I'd be all over it. :(

    And yeah I'm not a teenager any more (despite to all intents and purposes still acting like one >:D< ), but I think I could probably handle it. In fact I think you can plug into your computer through it as well, which'd be handy as I don't have any way to connect to a laptop at the moment. Subtract the cost of a computer interface (I'm guessing at least £25-£30?) from the Vypyr's price and it starts to look like pretty decent value.

    But I could be wrong. :)) I'm well aware I've kind of crossed that dangerous line where I more or less want it and unless someone tells me something really bad about it I've near enough already made up my mind. The old pre-purchase-i-already-want-to-make-rationalisation...
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    Sorry to bump this again but I've possibly gone off the Vypyr idea a bit. As someone pointed out on another forum (and which I already sort of suspected), an amp aimed at both guitar and bass mightn't sound so great for bass.

    I've come across the Peavey Max 126 (not sure how I missed it before). It's pretty small and cheap, and while it doesn't have a ton of features, it seems to have a bit more than most of the smallest practice amps. Any thoughts on that one?
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    The Yamaha THR10 also does bass. 

    Or you could buy the Tech21 VT Bass pedal and run it into some full range speakers.
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    Thanks :)

    The THR10 seems pretty dear, though. Any prices I've seen have been £200+. :(

    Don't have full-range speakers, as least as far as I'm aware :))
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  • strtdvstrtdv Frets: 2356
    There's a thr10c which also has the bass mode for £175 delivered in the classifieds at the mo
    Robot Lords of Tokyo, SMILE TASTE KITTENS!
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    Thanks. That's still a bit more than I want to spend really. :(
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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 23941
    Find a used Roland Bass Cube 30.

    It's only little but I gig mine with various woodwind players all the time. Great little amp.

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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7671
    +1 for the Cube 30 - I've used them as my workshop amp for almost the whole time I've been fixing guitars and never had a failure, despite being switched on and off repeatedly and intermittently covered in dust.

    They sound good too !
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    ^ Thanks :)
    Find a used Roland Bass Cube 30.

    It's only little but I gig mine with various woodwind players all the time. Great little amp.

    Thanks. How little? I'm talking (ideally) microcube size, unfortunately.

    (what does tagged mean? :)) )
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  • JeremiahJeremiah Frets: 631
    I'd guess that because of the lower frequencies involved, it's even harder to make bass sound good with small speakers in small boxes than it is for guitar, which may be why there aren't really as many options out there.
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  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 23941
    It went for £62

    Farkin Nora that's a bargain!
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  • Paul_CPaul_C Frets: 7671
    Jeremiah said:
    I'd guess that because of the lower frequencies involved, it's even harder to make bass sound good with small speakers in small boxes than it is for guitar, which may be why there aren't really as many options out there.
    very true, I'm sure that there's a cut off point where you'd be better off with headphones.
    "I'll probably be in the bins at Newport Pagnell services."  fretmeister
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  • Dave_McDave_Mc Frets: 2328
    edited January 2015
    Thanks guys :)

    ^ It'd have to be pretty bad for it to be worse for me than headphones. I really don't like using headphones. :))

    That little Peavey is the frontrunner at the moment I think. No massive rush, though, anywhere which has it at a decent price and with a decent postage cost to NI is out of stock. Gear4Music says it's back in March. So that's plenty of time to think and possibly change my mind. :))
    Jeremiah said:
    I'd guess that because of the lower frequencies involved, it's even harder to make bass sound good with small speakers in small boxes than it is for guitar, which may be why there aren't really as many options out there.
    Yeah that's what I was sort of wondering.
    It went for £62

    Farkin Nora that's a bargain!
    Yeah it had finished by the time I clicked the link yesterday :))
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  • I just picked up a second hand roland bass cube for £100, great bit of kit and worth keeping an eye out for.
    got mine at cash generator.
    everything the micro cube has plus drum patterns to play along with.

    Sounds sweet.
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