Does anyone here gig with small amps, like practice amps? I got a Roland Micro Cube GX today. I posted it on a guitar group on FB. Some snarky guy said that it's good for a practical amp, but if he saw me giggling with it, he'd die laughing. What are your thoughts?

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  • I never understood that mentality.  You can mic any amp and pump it into a sound board or PA system.

  • I have several small amps that work great with my myriad CBGs, including a Fender Mustang 1 (light, inexpensive, 25w with cool effects - but no line out so needs mic when outdoors or huge room) and a Fishman Mini (light, a bit more coin but worth it because the sound is enormous for 60w and tiny speaker.).  When using this amp I will add a distortion pedal like a Boss Bluesdriver or EH Soul Food to give my boxes some cahones.  It also has a line-out which comes in handy when you can't mic the amp.  I also have used a battery-powered Roland Street Cube when electricity is not available - a serviceable rig, but not my 'go to' favorite!  

  • Yup, what Ron said! I gig pretty regularly with my micro cube and stick a mic in front of it when needed. Us over 60 guys love the fact that many of these small amps have a huge sound and are easy to lug around. My Fender Twin days are over!

    • I agree. I have the new version. It goes in a backpack, along with cables, my preamp pedal, and gigging essentials. My guitar has a John Nickel bass pickup, a piezo, and a bass shaker running parallel to the piezo. In my amp, I have a 1/4 splitter. I run the piezo thru the preamp to one side, and I run the bass to the other. There's a feature called Heavy Octave, which brings the low end down. Add that, and some slapjack reverb, plus a little gain, and I have my sound.
  • Just back from Glastonbury...yes,  that Glastonbury, 175 000 people, 100 stages etc. We were demoing guitars with a Sessionette 75 watt amp for one guitar, and for another rig we used a Roland MicroCube with the line out into our PA and it worked just fine. We even used a 1/4 watt cigar box amp lined-out into the PA and it was cool.  The people who might scoff at such an idea have obviously never played proper gigs and won't have had to improvise stuff on the road in this sort of way. If we can do that outdoors at a festival like Glastonbury, you can do it anywhere.

    • Zackly. Hey, John, could you do a Glastonbury blog post? Some of us would be interested...
      • It's here on my website.

        https://www.chickenbonejohn.com/blogs/news/glastonbury-2017

        Our 2nd Glasto...great weather (but TOO hot!) and  takings up 40%. I got to play somewhere else as well as a my stand! I got an invite to perform at the John Peel Stage hospitality suite...so I didn't refuse!

        • Excellent reportage, as usual. Thanks for the link.
        • sounds like a great time was had, and profitable too ... 

        • Congratulations John, a good read of what seems to have been a successful festival for you.

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