Cube 15 Review

This compact guitar amp offers a two-channel design with four different overdrive and distortion sounds, an active 3-band EQ, an Auxiliary input and Recording/Headphone output.

Features:	8.2
Sound:	8.7
Reliability:	9.3
Impression:	8.8
Overall rating:	8.8
Users rating:	7.6
Comments:	22

overall: 10

Featured review by: nott^^, on march 18, 2004

Price paid: $ 151.2

Purchased from: Musifex

Features: This amp is one hell of an athlete. It is a 2 way channel 15 W amplifier, but it sounds like a much powerful one. It has 4 pedals integrated in itself, which are chosen by a simple button, allowing the user to select which one of the 4 (overdrive, distortion, metal and metal stack) It's got a channel selector, treble, bass and middle control. It's got a headphone jack and aux-in jack as well. // 10

Sound: I play a Fender Squier stratocaster, no big deal, but the sound still amazes me. It suits perfectly my style of playing since i like to play metal, and fortunately, this amp provides with 2 great pedal distortion, which are available sold separately. One of them is the ME-50, so just take a look at the money you're not spending. The only bad thing is that it could have 2/3 more effects, but hey, 120 eur for this baby!...

The clean channel sounds very good for a 15W amp. I usually play in a Marshall 65W (I think its VSR, whatever) linked to a boss gt-5 and I can tell you this - the combination of these two vs the metal/metal stack distortion derived from this amp doesn't make so much difference. Trust me. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Very sturdy indeed. I can't figure out a better amp for starters. I have this amp for about one month and it's always been there, just waiting to be played, and played, and played... // 10

Impression: If you are a starter, or just need a practice amp, go for this one. For this price you couldn't ask for better. Overall, it's an excellent amp, with great sound just waiting for you to play it till it's WW3 or something like that. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on march 31, 2006

Price paid: $ 164.7

Purchased from: Sound Control Glasgow

Features: I bought this amp just when it was brought out, as an alternative to the Peavey rage. I can't say I regret it. The built in effects are excellent and between the four of them and the EQ and gain controls you can get any sound you want out of it, with any level of distortion or clean you want. Also I find the aux. in very useful for me to plug my ipod into and play along to! The out as well is handy for a beginner to plug his headphones into, and since I have used it as an output for recording. The only feature that I was dissapointed with was the lack of channel footswitch, especially as I was sold it with this feature, although I believe that it is the Cube 30 which has this feature. Because of this I am marking it 9. // 9

Sound: I first started playing heavy metal into it, and the sounds I could get were amazing, you can't sound bad using this amp. Seriously, I'm not kidding, I first played a really awful les paul copy through it and it made it sound like the real deal. I have since started to play indie and soft rock, playing a Fender telecaster custom, the '72 original for anyone interested, and it still makes it sound amazing. I love the way you can set the distortion so that it sounds clean until you batter the strings and then the distortion comes through, as I found this hard to set up on other amps. Honestly it makes anything sound amazing. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Cannot fault it here either. It is a really well made box. It can't be damaged. It's made of hard plastic and the back it enclosed meaning you can't damage the speaker. The hard metal mesh on the front also protects it well as opposed to the fabric cover some manufacturers use. I have never had this amp break down on me. Plus it is comfy to sit on when no seats are avaliable! // 10

Impression: I have been playing for a good 5/6 years now and this amp has been with me for a good chunk of it, value for money is an understatement here. It has grown with me during my development as a guitarist. Would recommend this to anyone of any skill level. // 10

overall: 8.5

Reviewed by: flame843, on september 12, 2005

Price paid: $ 125

Purchased from: Pittsburgh Guitars

Features: This amp is fine for the styles I play (hard rock, metal, sometimes blues). It has two channels - clean and lead. The clean channel has a volume knob, and the lead channel has volume and gain knobs. Lead has four settings - overdrive, distortion, metal, and metal stack. Of course, it has the standard EQ knobs (bass, mid, treble). There is a recording/out jack, as well as an auxilary in jack (primarily used for hooking up a CD player to the amp). I wish it had reverb, but I have a Digitech RP-80, so I can get reverb from that (not as good as real amp reverb, but it's all right). // 8

Sound: I am using an ESP LTD Viper-50 with standard ESP humbuckers, and occasionally I use a Fender American Standard Stratocaster. The amp is great clean, easpescially with the strat. It doesn't sound digitized, there's no distortion at high volumes, and the tone has great depth. However, the lead channel is a bit bland. Overdrive is all right if you only need a little distortion. I don't really use the distortion setting, because it's really just a middle ground between metal and overdrive, and the sound isn't much different from overdrive (when on lower gain) or metal (when on higher gain). The metal channel is pretty cool. It is a sort of bassy distortion with good sustain, a crunchy sound on low gain, and a darker, metal sound on high gain. Metal stack is really just a version of metal with more treble that sounds better for soloing, thoguh on lower gains, it sounds kind of boring. I've found this is a good setting for a Randy Rhoads-style tone. An annoying feature of the lead channel is that it doesn't have the depth that the clean channel does. The ditortions are all a bit flat, and you can't really get a crushing, pummeling tone out of them (often, I use the DigiTech RP80 I mentioned earlier for more brutal sounds). On all settings, there is some buzz, espescially on higher volumes. // 8

Reliability & Durability: It seems fairly sturdy for its size, although Iwouldn't play it in a live setting unless the place I was playing in was very small and carried sound extremely well. The amp has never broken down. // 10

Impression: This amp is good for rock, metal, and blues. I have been playing for a little over a year, and as I mentioned, I use an ESP LTD Viper-50, an American standard Stratocaster, and a Digitech RP-80 pedal. I have no regrets in buying this product, as the price was good, and it's a great practice amp. If it were lost or stolen, I'd practice on my Sunn 100W Beta Lead (which I hate to do, because it's really old and not very good anymore), and I'd probably buy a louder amp that's better for live playing (Mesa Double Rectifier). However, like I said, the Roland Cube 15 is good for practicing on, and I like it alot. // 8

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: Amer91, on june 05, 2009

Price paid: $ 150

Features: I purchased this amp when I first started playing electric guitar, which was around 4 or 5 years ago. It's a solid state amp with 2 channels, the first is clean and the second is distorted. The distortion channel has 4 different types of distortion and they are: 1-Overdrive, which is a subtle type of distortion. 2-Distortion, slightly heavier. 3- Metal, I use this for rhythm. 4-Metal Stack, the heaviest one. The clean channel has a volume knob, and the Drive channel has a volume and a gain knob. Both channels share a 3-band equalizer (Bass, treble, middle). There's no effects loop in this amp, and channel switching can only be done by pressing the button that selects the channel. There's no pedal that can control that. I use amp this amp for practice and jamming with other musicians, but I don't gig with it because it's only 15 watts. // 7

Sound: I was using it with an Ibanez RG370DX guitar but now I sold that guitar, and I'm using a Yamaha ERG 121. The amp is ok for some of the styles like blues, jazz, and funk but it's not all that great for shredding. The distortion channel is amazing for rhythm work, and covering songs by Metallica and Iron Maiden, but when it comes to playing stuff like Dream Theater, Buckethead, Satriani....the amp doesn't really give you what you want for shredding. It's not noisy at all and it only causes feedback when you're using the Drive channel wit the volume all the way up. The amp is very flexible and can be used for a variety of styles, especially when you need brutal distortion tones for rythm work, but it's not all that great for shredding. I just doesn't do well in that area, but luckily, I've got my Line6 POD XT Live, which I rely on for getting my tones. Before getting it, I used the amp's Drive channel, but now I keep the amp on the clean channel and use the pedal's distortion models for everything. I almost never use the Drive channel unless I don't have my pedal with me. With the pedal, the amp sounds great, and can really get loud! Almost loud enough to let you Jam with a drummer! // 8

Reliability & Durability: I have dropped the amp from my desk several times, and nothing has happened to it! It never brakes and doesn't really need any maintenance because it's a solid state amplifier. It can really handle a beating! It can't really be used for gigs, because it's only 15 watts, but if it were louder (say 60 watts) then I would gig with it without backup. It's very sturdy. // 10

Impression: In general it's a great practice amp for everyone. It's versatile, reliable, and loud enough for jamming with musicians, but not gigging. The distortion tones are great, and quite diverse and great for everything from Jazz to Death Metal riffing, but not really suitable for shredding. If my amp got stolen I would by the exact same amp because it's got everything I need in an amp. I don't like amps with too many effects in them, for the effects I use my Line 6 POD XT Live, which does the job pretty well. I love that it's straightforward, and bullshit-free. I only wish the distortion channel was more suitable for shredding. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on january 07, 2005

Price paid: $ 158

Purchased from: noteworthy music

Features: This thing is pretty sweet. I wasn't sure at first, but after I played around with it in the store, I found it had huge sound. I like the distortion (there are four, metal stack, metal, distortion and overdrive) thogh I find that with my Epiphone les paul, it tends to pick up a lot of pick flicks, which sounds kinda choppy. Also, the metal stack distortion sucks (if you want to sound like a stack, then buy a stack). It has a headphone and auxilary input for cd players. // 8

Sound: I play a lot of different styles, from clean stuff like Classical Gas and heavy stuff like Black Label Society. I find that it sounds great on both. The amp has a bit of buzz, but its pretty quiet. The distortion can get pretty damn heavy, but it sounds kick ass when you are tapping on full gain. I find that when I am writing material, I can always get a perfect setting, because its pretty versatile. // 10

Reliability & Durability: As far as durability goes, this thing is built like a tank, except for the crappy fake metal speaker cover, which I could kick through without trying. I've had it for about a month, and its worked like a charm. I haven't used it at a gig yet, but even though it's really small, it puts out a lot of noise. // 10

Impression: I mostly play my own stuff and as I said before, it works perfectly with all musical styles. I've only been playing for about a year, but I found that it helped me to learn new music styles because I could replicate other songs well. I own an Epiphone Les Paul and a Dunlop Original Crybaby Wah, and this amp is a good match for both. If some asshole stole this thing, I would definitely buy another one, because it sounds awesome. Thats pretty much all I have to say about it, except that I recommend it strongly. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on september 06, 2005

Price paid: $ 226.8

Purchased from: Local Shop

Features: it was made in 2003 (I think). It very loud for such a little thing. you get a clean channel and a channel with 4 kinds of distortion (overdrive distortion, metal and metal stack). The clean channel is just amazing and the distortion sounds really good too. // 8

Sound: It's not only loud it sounds really good too. the distortion is good. you can play about any kind of music but you'll need a distortion pedal for extreme distortion. I use it with a strat copy and it sounds good. There's almost no noise on this one, not even on high volume levels. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I played a small gig with it and survived. I mostly use it for rehearsing. I trust it completely. It hasn't broken down yet and it has fallen alot. // 10

Impression: This is a great practise amp or a good amp for beginners with a wonderful clean channel and 4 kinds of great distortion. It's loud without any unwanted noises. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: ibryant0915, on november 21, 2005

Purchased from: Musician

Features: Extremely versatile amp! For $95 this thing should be crowned king of the amps. This little baby is said to be 15-watt but you'll swear on your life that it's got more! For $95 I don't wish it had ANY other features, it's got what it needs and much more. I frequently use every feature it has to offer (headphone, all 4 lead modes, AUX In, etc). I use this amp in my room as a practice amp and an amp to show off to my friends. Absolutely has enough power. Once, I turned it on full gain, and full volume, and I couldn't hear for like three days. Great amp. // 10

Sound: I'm currently using it with an Ibanez GRX20 (5-way pickup and dual humbuckers). Suits my music style very well, which is metal riffs and classic rock solos. Noisy in the good way, yes. Noisy in the bad way, no. By this I mean it's a loud SOB when you wanna crank it up, but it has virtually no static or fuzz (with a top of the line cable). Like I said above, it provides metal (sounds like Black Sabbath), metal stack (the beginning of Workin' Man by Rush comes to mind), distortion (standard distortion), and overdrive (like many classic rock solos). The clean channel is never distorted at high volumes and always sounds identical to all other volume levels. The distortion is as brutal as you want it to be. Like brutal? Turn up the gain! Don't? Then turn it down and it wont be brutal. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Seems reliable to me, hasn't broke and yes, I would go to a gig w/o a backup. Amp has never broken down. Once I thought it was broken but just turns out that my newly acquired cable (made by American Cable Co) was a piece of shit (don't buy that cable). // 10

Impression: I play anything from the deep, high gain sounds of Metallica, to the high-pitched, mild sounds of good old Lynyrd Skynyrd. I've been playing just a little while and this amp has been everything I've wanted it to be. It's an amazing amp for the price and all beginners should get the Roland Cube 15. In fact this could even be an upgrade (for someone with a Squier of the same price). What I love is how so many different sounds can come out of this 12"x12" amp with a 8" tall speaker. Needs absolutely nothing more! Get this amp! Undoubtedly the best 15-watt around! // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on april 23, 2004

Purchased from: World Music Nashville

Features: The Cube 15 is awesome, it has 4 distortions Metal, metal stack, distortion, and overdrive. It has a headphone jack and a Aux in jack for cd players, and a Equilizer. This small amp can rock the house, it's Loud! // 8

Sound: I use a Fender strat squire and it has a great sound distortion has little feedback sounds great. Distortions sound fairly good, it's easy to get sounds like Metallica - "Enter Sandman", Switchfoot - "Meant to live", and Three days grace - "I hate everything about you". // 8

Reliability & Durability: it was built by roland/boss so its reliable i have sat on it before and it works like new i would defenitly use it without a backup. // 8

Impression: i like to play metal and hard rock its got what it takes it doesnt look cool on the outside but on the inside it rocks. i would buy it again, the distortions are my favorite feature. // 10

overall: 2

Reviewed by: deathbat411, on october 27, 2006

Price paid: $ 50

Purchased from: Great Lakes Music

Features: This amp features five amp models: clean, overdrive, distoriton, metal, and metal stack. The Cube-15 has no effects. It does have bass, treble, and mid controls, which suprised me for such a crappy amp. If I was actually to get some good effects I would have to buy like 8 pedals. // 3

Sound: I use a Cort guitar and Peavey Predator with this Roland Cube-15. It doesn't support my music style which is metal and punk because it sucks too much. On max volume you can't even hear it at my bedroom door. The clean setting is the only thing that doesn't sound like complete crap, but I don't even use it. The distortion on this amp is worst distortion ever. It sounds more like static than distortion. It isn't brutal distortion either, it's puny wimp wussy distortion. // 1

Reliability & Durability: You might not believe this, but the amp actually works most of the time. I've never used it in a gig, which I'm thankful for, because people would "boo!" me off, and throw things at me, and call me nasty names, and make fun of me for the rest of my life. I don't abuse it. but I wouldn't mind chucking it down my staircase to see if it would break or not. // 3

Impression: I play metal and punk so this is about the worst amp I could possibly use. I've been playing for a year and a half and this amp is not even worthy of being a practice amp. If someone stole my amp I would find them and laugh in their face because now they have the crapiest amp in the world. Even those little Marshall handheld Stacks are better than this. There is nothing I like about this amp. I simply hate the whole thing. The only other amp I could compare a Roland Cube 15 to is a horrible, dollar store toy amp, something you'd plug your plastic Barbie guitar into. So anyone that's looking into buying a Roland Cube-15, don't, you'd be better off setting that 50 dollars on fire than to buy this piece of crap. // 1

overall: 7.8

Reviewed by: stm22, on september 30, 2006

Price paid: $ 157.5

Features: This is one good amplifier for it's price. I play a lot of rock and metal and it has handled everything with ease. It has two channels, clean and "lead". Lead has "overdrive", "distortion", "metal" and "metal stack". I personally don't think the effects are all that great. "Metal stack" has a nice crunchy sound, but still isn't near as good as a real pedal. Especially on higher tones it becomes unenjoyable to listen to. Furthermore it has no extra effects. At the top there's a headphone jack and a line-in jack. I use this amp in my bedroom. Only a quarter twist of the volume-knob is enough to get neighbours complaining, so yes it has enough power. // 5

Sound: I play a standard Stagg guitar, which aren't excellent for metal but still sounds really nice. I own a DigiTech RG40 multi-effects pedal for my effects, because the effects on the amp itself are insufficiant. Without the noise-gate on the DigiTech there is a constant buzz, on both clean and distortion. This is totally caused by the guitar, though. I have tried loud volumes and it does handle it well, no weird noises. The effect on the amp isn't very brutal, but the DigiTech can make very agressive sounds. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I believe I depend well on it. For what I use it for it has always sufficed. It hasn't broken down in the 2 months I've had it. For a small gig I probably would use it, but I don't know if it would last a whole night. It's hard to tell whether other not it would have enough volume, that depends on the size and accoustics. // 9

Impression: This amp matches very well with what I play and I am very content with it. I have been playing for a little over 3 months and own a DigiTech RG40 next to it, for the effects. If it were lost or stolen I would get the same one again, just for the good price/quality ratio and the loud volume it can make. // 8

overall: 7

Reviewed by: HillcrestAvenue, on november 25, 2006

Purchased from: Mojo's Music

Features: I don't know what year the amp was made. It has 4 different kinds of distortion. It also has mid, treble, and bass knobs. It has an effects loops. I wish it had some effects like reverb or flanger. Some things I don't use really are the 3 of 4 distortions. I use this amp in my room. It has enough power for my house but deffinatly not for a band practice or a show. It's only 15 watts. // 7

Sound: I am using an ESP LTD F50 and it sounds fine. It sounds fine for my music style. I play punkish music and one of the distortions is pretty good for it. It doesn't have a very good clean sound. It doesn't have a lot of feedback which is good and bad becuase I when I want feedback it doesn't happen. The clean channel gets distorted really bad when you get past the half way mark. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I probably couldn't depend on it when playing Live somewhere because it isn't live enough at all and if I needed to use a lot of clean it wouldn't sound good at all. I would prabably bring a back-up amp (a louder one). The amp has never broken down at all. But yeah I would never use this amp at any show or a band practice. // 6

Impression: I play punkish music. This amp is fine for that style of music. I've been playing for 3 years. I also use an Epiphone, ESP, and a Fender. I wished I could, of had a louder amp before. If it were broken I would prabably buy it again because I need a practice amp and that one is so cheap. I love this amp because of the distortion sound. I hate it because it is not loud enough and the clean sucks. I played a Crate and this Roland sucks compared to it. But like I said it's fine for a practice amp. // 7

Reviewed by: unregistered, on june 05, 2009

Price paid: A$ 200

Features: When I first bought the amp, I wasn't expecting much in the features department considering how cheap it was. But I was surprised. It has two-channels. The second channel has four-settings in it: Overdrive, Distortion, Metal and Metal Stack. All of which are good for a variety of sounds.

It also comes with an Aux Input and an input for headphones/ recording. For it's size, it is extremely good and versatile. // 9

Sound: Right now I'm just using cheaper guitars. At the moment I'm playing a cheap knock off strat at the moment, but the amp still makes it sound good. It has a pretty good clean tone to it, but I have found that the clean channel tends to break up at higher volumes. The distortion settings are really good. I find myself using Metal Stack the most, it has a really bright distortion to it. Really good for hard rock or metal songs. I've found that Distortion and Overdrive on this are best used if you just need a more controlled distortion or more of a fuzz-tone.

I play mostly a combination of rock, grunge, punk and metal riffs through it and it sounds great. It can also go surprisingly loud for a 15-watt amp. I also run a DigiTech RP200A through the clean channel and it still sounds great. No problems with the sound. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I've had this amp for about two-years now, and I've never had any problems with it. I do take good care of it though, but it's still a very sturdy and reliable little amp. I haven't gigged with it, however it could be used as a backup depending on the venue. I would only gig with it in smaller clubs/ bars, and it would probably have to be miked through the PA, but for smaller showers I think it's still capable. // 10

Impression: I don't think the style of music you play really makes a difference with this amp as it can handle both distortion and clean tones quite well. I admittedly did buy this on a whim and didn't really get a lot of info on it before buying, mostly because it was on a clearance sale and I desparately needed a new amp. Before this I was using a poor quality Gorilla amp that wasn't really designed for the style of music I wanted to play through it. But the Roland made up for it and is great as a practice amp. If it were stolen or lost, I'd probably replace it, or even look at getting the model up from it.

Overall, I'd say it is an extremely versatile practice amp with a great sound. I'd recommend it primarily to beginners, but it should still satisfy veteran guitarists Who are just looking for a small cheap alternative to practice on. Although I believe that it can still be gigged with, it just doesn't really have the firepower that a larger amp does.

So yes, in closing, if you're looking for a good quality practice amp but are a little tight on cash, then the Cube-15 is the way to go. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 21, 2007

Price paid: $ 137.34

Purchased from: Lemca Instruments

Features: This amp was made for metal. The four-way Switch which has overdrive, distortion, metal and metal stack gives it away. It has two channels clean and lead with 4 already mentioned settings. It has no effects built in. It does have an auxiliary input and a headphone jack which is great especially if you have old people as your neighbours or do not have a proper basement. Obviously it has an equaliser with bass, middle and treble knobs. This is definitely a practice amp, however it has enough power to be played at maybe a smaller party at a friends house. At home even with headphones I play on 1/10 of the volume. When practicing with my friends I turn it up to 1/4 or 1/3 of the volume and I already have neighbours knocking at my door even though the walls are quite thick. // 10

Sound: I use a Cort X-6 guitar with it and I play mostly metal on it. Ranging from Metallica to Behemoth and the sound is always fitting to what I want to play. This is a great practice amp for metal players considering it has four distortion settings which is great. On maximum gain and maximum volume the amount of background noise is quite small. The clean channel is distorted at higher volumes, but not too much. You can make as many sounds as the equaliser lets you. Obviously you have a bigger variety when on the lead channel. // 10

Reliability & Durability: It's not big enough for a gig, but for a smaller party you can definitely use it without backup. It's quite reliable and definitely looks sturdy. This thing should last for years. It works perfectly for me. No wonder the store I bought it in had a whole pile of these. // 10

Impression: This amplifier is perfect for metal practice. When I was choosing an amp I also considered the Line 6 Spider, Vox Velvatronix, Marshall MG. Out of all these the Roland was the cheapest and by far the best if you want to play metal. I discarded the Line 6 for it's crap digital sound though the bigger (75W+) Line 6 were better. Vox for not being good enough for metal and the Marshall for the price even though it had smaller capabilities than the Roland. I definitely wasn't willing to pay a higher price just to have Marshall written on my amp. If it were stolen I would buy it again perhaps a bigger one this time (20 or the 30). There's nothing more you would want on it for a practice amp so I give it a strong 10. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: JL Sevenfold, on june 18, 2007

Purchased from: Offbeat Music (Lake Zurich, IL)

Features: This is my first amp, so I'm not sure how it really compares to other amps, but I like it. It is highly versatile for playing rock music, with 1 clean channel and 4 levels of distortion channels. The clean and distortion sides have seperate volume controls, so switching between the two is flawless. It comes with a headphone jack for when you need to but don't want to keep the noise down, and a highly convenient Auxiliary Input that allows you to hook up any audio player (CD player, cassette player, Ipod (or Iconform), or any other mP3 player) into the amp, using the amp as a speaker. There are no effects, which would have been cool, but since this is my first amp and not used for playing gigs it doesn't really matter. There are no unnessecary features, but I don't really use the 3 lighter levels of distortion, but that's really because the fourth level sounds so good. I use this amp for playing in my room, and I only have to put the volume at like 3 for it to be loud. There isn't a flaw in the features of this amp. // 10

Sound: The guitar I'm using with the amp is a Schecter Omen 6, with I think stock pickups but then again I barely know guitar terms so I might be wrong. I play all kinds of rock, but mostly heavier bands like Rage, Powerman 5000, and SOAD, and the amp's "metal stack" setting for distortion (highest setting) delivers an awesome sound, and I have never heard the amp feed back. This amp can easily get loud, but I've never put it past three or so because I'm just playing in my room. Since it was my first amp, I wasn't worried about effects, and there are none. However, like I said before there are 4 distortion and 1 clean channels, so it can still offer a good range of sound. The clean channel has sounded perfect when I've used it, and the distortion is so good it makes me want to play whenever I hear it. Overall, awesome sound quality, especially for an amp that's barely over a hundred dollars. // 10

Reliability & Durability: The amp has never broken down or lost a bit of it's sound, but I've only had it for a month or so, so as for long term durability I wouldn't know. I wouldn't be using this in a gig because it is such a small amp, but I wouldn't hesitate to use it if it were loud enough. I think this amp will be around for awhile. // 10

Impression: This is definetly a good amp if you are a beginning rock guitarist, because not only does it sound very impressive but it is not very expensive at all. I've been playing with this amp for about a month with a good quality guitar, and playing guitar for almost seven months, and this is a perfect fit. There is nothing I really wish I would have asked about before buying, as this amp is simple and easy to use. If this amp ever broke or got stolen or something, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one of these, unless I was ready to upgrade to a louder amp or one with effects. My favorite part about this amp is the awesome sound I can get out of it, and how mind-numbingly easy it is to Switch channels either by pushing a button or turning a knob. I picked this amp because Brian (the guy Who sold me the amp) told me this was the amp to get for simple practicing, and he was definetly right. The only thing I would add to it would be effects, but A) I wasn't necessarily looking for an amp with effects in the first place, and B) I can just go buy some pedals. Overall, this amp rules. // 10

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: jimm, on january 27, 2006

Purchased from: musiciansfriend.com

Features: This amp actually is 18 watts, instead of 15, as I thoguht for a long time. It has two channels and an auxilary input, although there is no jack for a footswitch, so what I ended up doing was running an A/B switch into the main input and auxilary input. The channels both share EQ, but for $100, what do you expect? It's really a very simple amp, just a volume control on the clean channel and distortion type, gain, and volume on the lead channel, and global 3-band EQ. This amp is actually pretty loud, but on gigs I usually have to mic it into the PA system (I'm pretty cheap). It has a headphone jack that doubles as a recording out, and all knobs are on the top (cool). Another mentionable feature is the metal grill and extra bass speakers in the corners. I just wish it had some sort of reverb on the clean channel, the cleans are way too dry for me. // 8

Sound: I mostly use this with a Mexican Fender Standard Strat (cheap pickups) and it seems to suit that guitar. I have also used it with a gibson les paul, and it sounds great with that, too. The amp has a clean channel and 4 distortion modes (overdrive, distortion, metal, and metal stack), selectable by a knob. "Overdrive" seems to be muddy with both guitars, and lacks definition. "Distortion" basically sounds like a boss DS-1 (Roland does make boss). "Metal" and "metal stack" pretty much sound the same (think boss metal zone, crushing metal) except metal stack seems to have increased upper-range frequincies. I use metal stack for everything from classic rock tunes to slayer and metallica. It sounds great for leads and has a unique palm-muting tone, not dark. I will admit that the lead channel is pretty noisy, but if you play constantly, you can't hear it. I have found no way to get any distortion at all out of the clean channel, at any volume. As mentioned above, the clean channel is very dry. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I could answer this section in one word: military-grade (two words). The metal grill and tough sides are very durable, and the control panel is also metal. All held together very good, the only thing is the plastic (not metal) nuts around the input jack. I cracked one of those, causing the jack to rattle, but not affecting performance. And did I mention the power cord? I've seen amps with little 3-foot cords, but this one has to be at least 9 feet long. Don't worry, there's prongs to coil it on on the closed back. // 9

Impression: I play speed metal and most kinds of rock (like Avenged Sevenfold, Slayer, Metallica, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and while I cant get exact sounds of the artists, I definitely like the tones that come out of "metal stack." I run a Fender Mexican Strat, to a Dunlop CryBaby, to a Dan-O Flanger, to a Behringer A/B/Y box. Out 1 on the A/B box goes to a Boss Super Chorus, to a Digiwech RP80, and to the auxillary input of this amp. Out 2 goes direct to the min in of this amp, set on metal stack. I wish I had asked about a footswitch jack, but the A/B box works fine. If it was stolen, I would probably not buy again, but only because now I am obsessed with the idea of a high-powered tube halfstack. My favorite feature must be the distortion, but I hate the noise I get from it. The only things I wish it had were a footswitch jack and reverb. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on december 06, 2005

Purchased from: Sound Control

Features: Solid state 15 watt practice amp with two channels and EQ. Also includes handy line out/headphone jack and auxillary input so you can play along with a CD player etc. The first channel is the clean channel, pretty straight forward, volume and treb, mid, bass. The second channel is for 'lead' and gives four modelled 'lead' voices, overdrive, distortion, metal and metal stack, You can adjust the gain and volume as well as the EQ for each 'voice'. 8" speaker and 15 watts, for such a small amp, this thing sounds immensley loud, but more of that later. // 8

Sound: I mostly play classic rock, southern rock, blues and some heavy metal. I use a Epiphone Les Paul 'Classic'. I bought this amp for my little brother, he is just starting ot play guitar nad uses my old Washburn 'super-strat' type guitar with two single coils and a humbucker on the bridge. The clean channle on this amp is pretty much a standard clean channel. You can adjust the EQ to suit. With my Les Paul I can get tones ranging from a nice 'jangle' on the bridge pick up with the treb notched up a little to a deep bluesy tone on the neck pup. Its all pretty standard stuff, but I was impressed by the loud volumes the amp can achieve without naturally distorting. However, swtich channels and your in business. All four of the 'lead voices' give a good variety of lead sounds. The metal and metal stack do as you would imagine, give sounds ranging from an insane 'Zack Attack' wild metal solo sounds, to a more maniagable but equally heavy thrashing type sound. Not really my cup of tea, but both settings sounded good and if I played more metal would suit me fine. The 'distortion' tone gives a good range of standard rock sounds, again going from more subtle classic rock type noise to Pete Townshend, windmilling, amp blowing the wind back in your face type rock noise. The 'Overdrive' setting is where this little amp shines. It gives the perfect range of bluesy rock tones up to awesome classic rock tones ala Angus Young sound. This amp really impressed me with the volume it can achieve and the amount of 'punch' it gives. On the overdrive setting with the volume cranked up, it sounds as good as my 30watt Vox. For £65, I can't believe what a great sounding amp this it. Apart from the great sounds you can make with it, another important point is that this amp doesn't buzz or hum annoyingly like some amps. When you're not playing it is more or less silent, sign of a good amp. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This little box is solidily built. Obviously it is just for bedroom use etc, but it is still build like a brick outhouse. I can imagine knocking this over etc and not having to woorry about damaging it. The knobs all turn with a reassuring firmness, showing the quality of the parts and build. As an added bonus, the amp came with a free 3 year warranty. For £65! Brilliant. // 10

Impression: I bought this amp for my little brother as his first electric guitar amplifier. If I was starting out again, I would definately get one of these. The value for money is incredible. For 15 watts it can achieve volume enough to jam with friends (but not to gig). The range of tones it produces makes it versatile, but mostly steered to playing rock music. This is an ideal first amp and brilliant value for money. For a practice amp or first amp I couldn't recommend it more. Sure it would be nice to have a footswitch and maybe reverb, but at these prices and with a free 3 year warranty, who's complaining! // 9

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: ZoSo183, on november 04, 2005

Price paid: $ 138.6

Purchased from: Rock palace

Features: I bought this amp this year about 8 months ago and I really like this amp because it fits my style. I play mostly rock, punk, grunge ect. The amp has 5 channels: clean, overdrive, distorsion, metal and metal stack. Most of the time I use distorsion or overdrive but I prefer distorsion. I never use metal or metal stack because I don't play metal exept for old stuff like Ozzy, Sabbath. I play in my room which is a small room and I don't need much power. There is no efect loops and there is one headphone\recording jack. My first for and amp was a 15 watt Marshall or Ronald Cube 30 but I bought this one because I had just enough money. This amp is a really cool amp. // 9

Sound: For now I'm using it with Squier Strat which is an ok guitar but it sucks. I'm saving money to buy a Squier Jagmaster or a Epiphone Les Paul Standard. I can't get much feedback, I don't know if it's the amp or is it the guitar but I will find out. If there are any other sources of power around the amp there is a snaping sound every time I don't play my guitar and the amp is on. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I can depend on it but I can't do a gig because there's not much power on it. It never broke down nothing ever hapened with it, sometimes the sound of my guitar would cut out because of a bad cable then I would slam the guitar in the amp or something like that and the amp still worked. // 10

Impression: Like I said it matches my style I play it through a Korg AX10G effect board and it sound amazing the only problem of the efect board is that it doesn't have a normal clean sound next to distorsion. I play for a bout a year and my teacher says I play very well. If it were stolen I would probably buy it or if I have money I would buy a stronger amp. I simply love the crunchy sound when I put it on overdrive. The clean sound is ok nothing special. This is a really good beginer amp with very cool sound. I recommend it begginers or the advance players. // 10

overall: 9.5

Reviewed by: mi6_ninja, on december 09, 2005

Price paid: $ 151.24

Purchased from: Music World

Features: The amp was made in 2005. It is powerful enough for me as I just jam with friends adn practice in my bedroom. It is a very powerful amplifier for 15 watts. It has two channels: clean and lead. The clean channel has a volume and gain knob. It also has the basic EQ knobs- bass, mid adn treble. There is a recording out-jack and and AUX input. It also has 4 built-in peadals: overdrive, distortion, metal and metal stack. I prefer distortion and metal than all the others. It would be a better amp if it had digital FX like reverb and chorus. // 9

Sound: I have a California Fat Strat. The amp perfectly suits my guitar style of punk rock and rock. The metal seting on the amp works really well with these types of music. The metal stack is the worst setting as it have the type of crunch sound to suit the style of music. The clean channel is probably the best sound you would get out of any 15 watt amp. There is just a little or no buzz noise in the amp even when play at full volume. The distortion on the amp can be brutal at higher gains but if you are into playing heavy metal you are better off buying a pedal, but for my style of music it is sounds great. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I would totally rely on the amp without a back-up. It is not an amp that I would use at a gig unless the space is small as it is not as powerful if you want to play at a gig and buy the Cube 60 as it is much more powerful amp and it is as reliable and comes with the same features and great sound. It has never broken down on me yet. // 10

Impression: Overall this is a great is a great amp for guitar players especially as it is very affordable and only AUS$199 and comest with better sound quality than other amps around the same price or more like the Marshall MRG15DFX wich costs $250. Whether your are strating out or already playig gigs this is an awesome amp to purchase. Also the amp suits all types of music as there are many setting that can be adjusted. The only other thing I can say about this amp is that if you play heavy metal or hard rock buy a pedal and if you play gigs buy the Cube 60. I strongly reccomend the ampp to everyone. If this was stolen or lost I woulduy the Cube 30 as it is more powerful than this one. The only thig I hate about this amps is the fake metal peaker cover as it weak but it will survive. I compared this amp to the Marshall MRG15DFX and it sounded much better to the type of music I play and the Cube 15 is $50 cheaper. // 9

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: leid sepplin, on december 26, 2005

Purchased from: www.musiciansfriend.com

Features: When I bought this amp I was hoping for a good practice amp for metal, which is mainly what I play. When it got here 3 weeks ago I was blown away. First off it has the equavalent of 4 boss pedals built right in; the MD2, SD1, MT2, and the DS1. If you didn't know already these are all overdrive and distortion pedals. It also has a clean channel which really shines through in this metal package. I have used it in only one gig so far but it held up beautifully and my backup was not used. Also for only 15 watts it holds its own against some 30 watt amps. // 7

Sound: I am currently playing it with a Dean Baby Z hooked up to a Zoom 606 hooked up to the amp. Like I mentioned earlier, it really fits the metal style, and most other overdrive saturated music. From the 3 weeks I've had it I havent heard buzzing coming from it and it really holds up nicely. The only drawback is that it only really plays metal. The clean channel is clear but even the smallest amount of overdrive sounds very strong. // 8

Reliability & Durability: The reliability for this thing is great. It's built like a tank, and plays even better. I have trusted it with me on one occasion without a backup and it played perfectly. // 10

Impression: If you play nu-metal, metal, punk, or ska, this is the amp for you. I've been playing for a good 5 years and this is one of the best deals I've seen for such a good amp. If this were stolen from me I would definatley buy another. These are pretty cheap and good if not for a backup. My only problem is the metal stacked feature sounds like the distortion with the treble turned up. I have played it beside my friends 15W Frontman and this sounds much better. And all I wish it had were a few more features and I would take this to every gig I could! // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on march 13, 2006

Price paid: $ 125.355

Purchased from: Local music store

Features: The features are as described in all the other reviews, so there's no point in repeating them. Suffice to say that the number of features to price of amp ratio is high. Having come back to guitar playing afetr an extended (about 15 year) break, I am strictly limited to playing in my flat at the moment, but I have no doubt that this machine would be up to playing a small venue (pub/club/sleazy bar) without cause to mic it up. Reverb would have been nice, but the overdrive and distortion effects are so rich that this barely matters. You really can't fault it for the money. // 10

Sound: I am using a BC Rich Mockingbird guitar with humbucking pickups, and it sounds fantastic through this little box. The tone is rich and deep and the sustain from some of the overdrive settings just goes on for ever. I play mostly rock music with a heavy blues bias, and I have to say that this sound suits me down to the ground. The clean setting is also sharp and bright, for those moments when you want to show your sensitive side. All told this is a very versatile amp with a range of sounds from clean and fresh to filthy-nasty, and passing through most places in between. I am most impressed at the quality of the sound at very low volumes (I have very intolerant neighbours), which maitains it's depth and bite. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Not had it long enough to say, really, but the fact that it has a metal grill on the front does mean that my cats can't trash it. The've destroyed just about everything else that I own, so that has to be a bonus. It looks to be pretty weel made, to be honest. // 10

Impression: This amp was a happy accident for me. I live in eastern Hungary, where there is not usually much of selection of goods; be they musical or otherwise, so I simply purchased the one with a name that I could both recognise and pronounce. However, I am absolutely blown away by it. If it was stolen, I would probably buy it again. Although, by that time, my wife will probably have forgotten how much money I have spent recently, and I'll have the Cube 30 instead! A great little amp. // 10

overall: 9

Reviewed by: tsmilliner, on february 25, 2006

Price paid: $ 120

Purchased from: Sam Ash

Features: I purchased ne in 2005. Amp has 2 channels one clean and one with effects (Metal, Stack, OD, and Distortion). IO am pretty happy for the money I paid, the metal stack is the best effect. It also has an equalizer 3 separate nobs low mid and high. I am pretty sure it is solid state electronic. It is loud for it's size and makes a great practice amp. // 9

Sound: I am using it with a Jay Turser 200 Les Paul style guitar. It works fine for my style and needs. It is a bit noisy when turned up slight hiss sound, but not unbearable. As previously mentioned 4 different effects setting for a wide variety of sound. I am also using a DigiTech RP200 which has over 100 other effects. This combination is perfect for almost any sound you would want to make. // 9

Reliability & Durability: The amp seems solid and durable, and so far I have had no problems at all. // 9

Impression: Overall, I am very impressed with this Amp. The only way I would consider replacement is if I wanted to get a larger more powerful amp or maybe a classic tube amp. If it were stolen, I would replace it with the same model, probably a Roland 25 though. I also have a Fender Frontman 15, the Roland has way more features and a louder sound. The Fender is much clearer though. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on march 22, 2006

Price paid: $ 138.6

Purchased from: Euromusica

Features: I have no ideia when was this amp built, but I'm pretty sure mine is from the 21st Century. Quickly speaking, it's a standart solid state, 2 channel, 4 overdrive tipes, starting amp (and cheap too). I use to play a lot of music styles, mainly from The Who to Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne, with an Epi SG and a Stagg guitar (it's not perfect, because you need to get a couple of "patching" effects to compensate the lack of a compressor, or chorus, for example). // 8

Sound: I use an Epiphone G-400 (SG '61 Reissue), and a Stagg Guitar (Strat replica), wich can "outrun" any Squiers, with a basic "static-reduction" shielding/grounding. As for pedalboards, I use a Korg ToneWorks AX1500G which is a great pedalboard for it's market price), through the clean channel only. With the SG, I can easilly go from pure Rock 'n Roll sounds, like Elvis or Chuck Berry, to Slayer, Tool or Ramstein-like sounds, all with great quality and fidelity (depending on the roon where I'm playing, obviously). With the Stagg, I can easilly be mistaken for Stevie Ray Vaugham. The Clean Channel is extremely reliable, reaching a slight overdrive is it's max, and the distortion array covers almost everything, although it's reaaly a problem to switch effects through songs, and it can't be eqquiped with a footswitch. It has 4 base overdriving modules: standart overdrive, perfect for playing classic punk and rock; distortion, wich can fit you everyday Black Sabbath/Iron Maiden/AC-DC needs; metal, good for nu-metal, power metal, etc; metal stack, which is up to you to decide when/where you want to use it. One thing that might be worth your money, is that it really plays loud. It can surelly overpass any other 15watt amp, and with a pedal/pedalboard, it pairs with 25watt amps (in my band, our other guitarrist plays with a Behringer 15watt/Peavey 25watt, and this baby makes his "statement" to both). // 9

Reliability & Durability: Have you ever seen the US Army tank, the Abraham? Those wich create havoc in batttlefields? This is as though as one! The only weak point is the front grid, wich is made out of plastic. But if you have minimun caution when moving it around, it really doesn't matter. Mine is always travelling in trunks and all, and is in perfect shape. You can also use it outdoors without any concerns (unless it's raining! Water + electricity = bad), and it makes you feel you are playing in Woodstock, in the '70s. You can trust you life on this amp, really! // 10

Impression: Ok, you can't use on a world tour. You can't hear it that well across a stadium. It's not that big, or mean-looking. It's really not expensive, if you look around a bit, and is kind of heavy for it's size. It can be described as a "Newbie's amplifier." But you can be sure of one thing: it will give the sound volume that will make you parents yell "turn that damn thing down!" and possibly get you banished from home. So, it's that worthy. // 10

Comments

[*Angelofpunx*]

hey! can u play punk/rock stuff on this amp???(green day,b.4 soup, etc)thanxx

[leid sepplin]

you could but with that selection of bands you just may blow it.

[erotic sweaters]

hey for the first reviewer, I own the amp and it's 18 watts not 15.

[thebrokensmile]

i've been playing for a good 10 years and i've got this amp on lay-by (it's sad isn't it considering its so cheap) because i decided i need a practise amp for my bedroom rather than always going down to my basement. i have a fuzz face pedal, digitech death metal, jimi hendrix cry baby, zoom 505, digitech hyper tube, and digitech synth wah and i'll bet they'll sound good on this amp.

[gallagher2006]

wow...the price some of you people are paying is crazy! I got this for 59.99 brand new

[shugo449]

I just might have to rip of your arms and make your severed arms change your walmart guitar strings. Its not that good. My Mobile Home Boy has it and you can't hear it half way across his house and hes poor so his house really small.

[RockIsWhereIts@]

its alright just the lead channel is crap

[deathbat411]

are you guys kiding me! how can you rate this amp more than 5 ?! its the worst peice of crap ever.....no, its not even good enough to be crap.
I am one of the three chosen ones in the secret society against roland cube 15s

[Chickenfrmheck]

our singer/second guitar has it...and...well...it has HUGE noise...not sound, noise...its pretty loud, distortions OK, not that great...it could be because of his target-sold washburn lyon guitar tho...hes gettin an epi or cheap gib for christmas...
anyhow...
later

[dude901]

i have this amp, its alright if im just practicing. the distortion is really quite annoying when you turn the volume up loud; there isnt enough bass. it will do for now, but i look forward to getting a better amp.

[JL Sevenfold]

wow deathbat411 I don't know what happened to your amp, I have one and it is awesome, maybe yours is defective, or something's wrong with the guitar or cord or something, I don't know man, sounds to me like you're not hearing what I'm hearing

[ugmung]

deathbat411 wrote:

are you guys kiding me! how can you rate this amp more than 5 ?! its the worst peice of crap ever.....no, its not even good enough to be crap.
I am one of the three chosen ones in the secret society against roland cube 15s

make me the fourth

[Reds3031]

i cannot believe the reviews this piece of crap got - do these people actually think this amp sounds good? This was my first guitar amp, and even i know it sounds terrible - im gonna sell it soon

[Griever39]

Go find another amp for the same price thats better than this one.... then criticize it...

[Hardcore Fury]

Reds3031 wrote:

i cannot believe the reviews this piece of crap got - do these people actually think this amp sounds good? This was my first guitar amp, and even i know it sounds terrible - im gonna sell it soon

The cube 15 thrashes out well, id like to see anything in its prioce range beat it

[Reds3031]

Hardcore Fury wrote:

Reds3031 wrote:

i cannot believe the reviews this piece of crap got - do these people actually think this amp sounds good? This was my first guitar amp, and even i know it sounds terrible - im gonna sell it soon
The cube 15 thrashes out well, id like to see anything in its prioce range beat it

its good for $100 but people are giving it 10/10 for sound when it sounds terrible

[Kalmah4ever]

Is this Amp's good for Metal ( Lamb Of God, Kalmah, Metallica, Children of bodom) ??

[synyster_A7X]

c'mon, this amp rocks! i allways use the 'metal stack' effect , its such a great sound for avenged sevenfold songs

[mechanix92]

ugmung wrote:

deathbat411 wrote:

are you guys kiding me! how can you rate this amp more than 5 ?! its the worst peice of crap ever.....no, its not even good enough to be crap.
I am one of the three chosen ones in the secret society against roland cube 15s


make me the fourth

make me the fifth buying this amp was a huge mistake . this amp is a giant hunk of shit

[mechanix92]

ugmung wrote:

deathbat411 wrote:

are you guys kiding me! how can you rate this amp more than 5 ?! its the worst peice of crap ever.....no, its not even good enough to be crap.
I am one of the three chosen ones in the secret society against roland cube 15s


make me the fourth

i have it and i used to hate it but maybe theres something wrong with your cable cuz i changed mine and it made a huge difference. Still i recommend getting a marshall MG series amp for practice or a laney.

[kevidude7]

get up, come on, get down with the sickness

[mightymartin]

i think anybody really capable of telling whats good and whats bad sound would never buy this amp, for several reasons, first off all, its a BEGINNER AMP, a cheap ass thing for in your bedroom. and for 60-100$ this amp is the best you can get. I've got one for years now (its 18 W btw not 15) i bought it when i never really played on a guitar before , and i can't say a beginner would want anything that this amp doesnt have. for the price/quality it would have a 10 for sound yes. If you think its crap, then get an amp thats accually worth more then 100$...