Guitar Reviews 4U - Boss Dual Cube LX 10W Desktop Modelling Amplifier review

Guitar Reviews 4U - Boss Dual Cube LX 10W Desktop Modelling Amplifier review

The Boss Dual Cube LX 10W

Need a convenient small amplifier you can run an amplifier modeller on with flat response so you hear the modeller uncoloured by the amplifier?

I saw this Boss Cube unit and what appealed to me was the facility to be able to connect an amplifier modeller like a Vox Valvetronix SE and an Ipod to the Boss to use for playing against backing tracks at low volume at home. 

The top view of the controls layout -

note the typical Boss control knobs used here

In this 'flat response mode' (selectable as a position on the amplifier models control), the amplifier modeller would come through with the sound 'as played' and not influenced by the base amplifier tone controls or efffects. It means you can in most cases avoid using an external mixer as an input device before the Cube, for most playing along to tracks situations.

With an 8 AA Battery bay, you can take this onto the street to play or outside as a small PA, there is Bluetooth connectivity via an optional module so you can stream music to it. And with 2 small 5 watt speakers it should be loud enough not to annoy the neighbours!

The main inputs are stereo left and right 1/4 jacks so you can use the left as a mono only if using a guitar for example or both if the external effects unit has two outputs so you can get true stereo. 

The unit is very easy to use, with the benefit of Boss style pot knobs as you get on the famous guitar pedals, so the controls are easy to set without having to use push button menus. The only slight issue perhaps is there is no on-board tuner for the guitar, but if like me you'll use it for amplifying a modeller unit, chances are the modeller will have a tuner built in there, as my Vox units have.

The effects are good for a small unit and the amplifier types of which there are 9 on a rotary knob control include an acoustic guitar simulator, a Roland Jazz chorus amplifier, Fender Twin and a range of higher gain units are modelled. Plus the dedicated microphone and flat response as the last two settings on the rotary switch.

I have mainly used the Roland setting for guitar to do some song writing and the sound is good, it goes down low so you can play along without disturbing people and up to 5W so it is fairly loud for a room.

Its a very versatile unit and does just what I want and I think it is good value for money.

The rear panel with foot switch, USB & Blue tooth connection

(This stereo input section also allows you to use a mixer, if you want to change the tone of the modelling input device - rather than put say an Ipod into the aux input, you can output signal sound to a mixer and then bring that into the Cube - giving you more control over the tone.)

Besides that, the Dual Cube LX10W is a small programmable amplifier you can connect via USB to a computer for recording with 3 presets you can save per amplifier model. 

The Dual Cube LX offers many ways to play along with backing music from a mobile device or computer, via a stereo aux input, USB and i-CUBE Link Loopback, and an optional Bluetooth® adaptor. 

With the Phones/Rec jack and mic volume control, you can capture your voice with a headphones mic and send it to the USB and i-CUBE Link outputs along with your guitar sounds. You can also add the optional foot controllers for the sample Loop option.

Here are some great features of the Boss Dual Cube LX:

• Ultra-portable stereo guitar amplifier with professional sound and features
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• Two custom-designed 4-inch speakers
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• 10-watt stereo power amp (5 watts x 2)
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• Eight newly developed guitar amp types plus one mic preamp type
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• Seven onboard effects with deep editing via the DUAL CUBE LX Editor app 
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• Stereo input mode with wide, immersive sound for modelers and stereo pedals
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• Three-band equalizer
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• Store amp and effects settings in 27 memories (3 memories for each amp type)
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• Powered via AC adaptor (included) or eight AA batteries 
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• Stereo line output with mic’d cab emulation
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• Phones/Rec jack with support for an inline headphones microphone
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• USB audio for direct recording and livestreaming 
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• Control jack for up to two external footswitches
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• i-CUBE Link/Aux In jack for audio playback
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• Selectable Loopback function for USB and i-CUBE Link/Aux In
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• Onboard looper (requires optional footswitch)
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• Connector for optional Bluetooth® Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor (BT-DUAL)

Optional accessories:

• Boss Bluetooth MIDI Dual Adaptor
• Boss Unlatched Footswitch
• Boss FS-6 Dual Footswitch
• Boss FS-7 Dual Footswitch

Guitar Reviews 4U - Gretsch 6118T Platinum 140th Anniversary guitar

 

Review of the Gretsch 6118T 140th Anniversary Guitar

limited edition in 2 Tone Platinum Silver and Blue

Gretsch 6118T 140th Anniversary Guitar - 

made for 1 year only - a collector's limited edition guitar

Priced at £2500-£2800 in the UK new, this one was priced used

at £1699 and then reduced to £1499 in a sale so made it a real bargain!

The Gretsch 6118T 140th Anniversary Guitar -

a guitar packed with top-drawer features!

The glorious blue colour changes hue as the light sources change -

here the neck looks lighter, although they are the same colour!

In 1985, 40 years ago, I bought my first Gretsch guitar, a 1974 Viking and 40 years on my latest Gretsch guitar is appropriately being the 40th anniversary of that purchase, a Gretsch Anniversary model - namely this 6118T Double Platinum 140th Anniversary model guitar.

Late in 2024, I was looking to buy a 6118 Anniversary in 2 tone green, but they were hard to find, so I went for a 5420T in 2 Tone green which I purchased. Then I saw this one advertised on youtube,  which looked interesting.

As purchased

This 6118T version is a special 1 year only production guitar, a 140th Anniversary Platinum model made in 2022 for the 2023 anniversary. The guitar as befits the Anniversary model theme has a 2 tone colour scheme, in this case Platinum Silver top and and a (Blue Stone) Platinum back, neck and sides. 

In the plush lined case

The finish is in nitro cellulose rather than the more widely used Polyester epoxy paint. It is a flawless finish and the metallic pearlised paints really look fantastic. I have other Gretsches with thin poly finishes and allow the guitar to remain vibrant. In my mind too much store is put in the nitro finish as the holy grail, I have guitars in both finishes and they sound equally great. The rub is the woods need to be good quality and the finish thinly applied. My 1975 Stratocaster had a thick poly finish!

The rear view of the Platinum Blue paint

The Binding is a parchment white colour that blends in nicely to the paint. The neck and headstock feature binding which is usually absent on the 6118T and Player series 2-tone Green Anniversary model guitars (some Japan 6118's prior to 2003 had neck binding). 

The wood used on this guitar's top is a departure for Gretsch 6120 shaped guitars in that it is Adirondack Red Spruce which is often used on Martin and Gibson guitars as a guitar top tone wood. Inside the body is a modern take on the Trestle Bracing assembly based on the style of 1959 bracing, connecting the back to the top and providing extra strength and tone transfer.

The FT-67 Filtertron pickups are Gretsch's own pickups -

they have pearlised internal cover plates

On the top of the body we have a pair of FT-67 Filtertron pickups modelled on the Baldwin era 60's pickups which have a trebly sound, almost single coil-like. The Bigsby is a B6CP string thru type unit. Having a number of guitars with the B6C with the pegs on for the string ends I find the old B6C easy to string, this B6CP string through bridge was more fiddly to string I found and the job took far longer to do. 

The string ball ends get pulled into the bar too which might make removal less straightforward if they get corroded, although this string seating might give more tone transfer.

The pickup mounts and pickguard are made in blue transparent plastic and the pots all have 'Falcon' style jewel insert control knobs which are stylish. The neck side features pearlised markers not the usual red side marker dots as found on many of the Japan guitars.

The rear view of the blue paintwork -

the blueness and darkness varies according to the light source

The neck is the usual 12" radius often found on most of the 6120 style arch tops bar the Brian Setzer Hot Rod model guitars which are 9.5", the back of the neck is a U shape and very comfortable to play, being topped with an Ebony fretboard which has bound sides. 

The tuning machine heads are Gotoh locking units as used on the Player series and the Brian Setzer Hot Rod guitars. These are nicely engineered units with a good ratio.

The control knobs are stylish and unusual 

Unusually, the guitar features Schaller Strap Locks and they are a nice uprated design with larger locking collars on. Much as I like the old Gretsch screw-on strap top buttons, they are a worry as they can slip out of your hands and easily lost which is an issue if you are playing live and have no spare ones in the case! These new strap mounted locking units clip on to the strap buttons easily. 

Locking machine heads by Gotoh 

Hardware is chrome plated fare and a Tunamatic blade saddle bridge sits on an Ebony base which has locating pins under the base feet to stop the bridge base moving about.

Also note the double anniversary inlaid logo here near the neck volute

The build quality is as you would expect from a Terada-made Gretsch is superb, faultless construction and finishing. You could pay a lot more money for this guitar and still consider this a top quality guitar. The quality is about the best I have seen.

The beautiful abalone inlaid Gretsch logo

This review instrument was a used guitar with little use and 'out of the case' I found it really nice with a slick action, the strings were old and probably the originals - these were changed straightaway after the guitar had a clean up and a set of D'Addario 10-46 strings were put on. The guitar is supplied with 11 - 49 strings, 10's are more my style.

The sound after my clean up and new strings put on was bright, I found a buzz higher up the fretboard which wasn't the frets but the Tunamatic bridge causing the problem - I suspect it was resonating and causing the issue. I changed the Tunamatic out for a Vanson Tunamatic with roller saddles I have used on most of my Gretsch guitars and that solved the problem straightaway. 

The Vanson did change tone as the new bridge sat lower although the string height was set to the same as it was previously and the metal alloy is different, however I had purchased the Vanson bridge some months before buying the guitar, which had I then hoped to buy, so I had the new bridge to hand. I am wondering if this buzzing problem was why the guitar was sold by the previous owner?

Top view of the body and the straplock button

Once I had adjusted the bridge unit height and intonation I was back in playing mode and the guitar sounded fantastic with plenty of natural sustain, the Adirondack top I think makes it ring more and you can feel the tone in the neck as you play chords.

The front pickup is a favourite sound of mine and sounds nice, the middle position neck and bridge pickups combined sounds great too and I am looking forward to trying it out with a band. The bridge pickup on its own is quite trebly sounding but usable. 

Top quality all round

The guitar uses the pre 1957 wiring harness type design as used on the 5420T and early 6120's with single pickup selector switch layout with tone and volume pots and master volume rather than the two switch 'mud switch' tone circuitry.

I played the 6118T through a Boss Twin Cube practice amplifier on the Jazz Chorus amplifier setting in a clean sound setting and it sounds very nice, clear and even. The change of Bridge has improved the sound to a more rounded sound. I did try the overdriven sounds from the high gain amplifier models on the Cube, but that isn't a sound I use.

The Player's edition 6118 in Green based on a 1960 guitar -

for comparison - I do love these 2 tone green guitars too!

This guitar is part of a limited edition lineup including a 5420T with FT5E pickups and BC60 Bigsby and a Falcon version, I am quite happy with this 6118T as it sits mid-range price wise, the 24.5 scale suits me over the longer Falcon scale. 

The guitar has a Gretsch hard shell case with cherry colour faux fur lining and it is quality all round. 

Overall, what is my impression of the guitar? I really like it, it has a nice colour scheme, it is built very nicely and it sounds great. The limited edition cache is nice too. 

Having owned a 2003 2 tone green 6118 Anniversary before, I think this one is upgraded over that and better for it, although I do like the old 6118. The extra binding on the neck and F holes on this guitar and the better machine heads looks and works better, it makes the guitar look more complete and less of a poor relation to a 6120.

I am glad I bought this guitar, it handles and plays very nicely and also looks great. It also marks the 151st guitar I have owned since 1983!