DIY Micro Cube Upgrade

Brad Bordessa

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So my Micro Cube was my first amp ever (got it in ...2006 maybe?). I even had it before my first electric guitar or an 'ukulele with a pickup (the gifter was thinking ahead). But fast forward 7 or so years and it was getting pretty run down. The 4" speaker was never great to begin with, and after several electric-guitar-through-Micro-Cube vs. full drum kit sessions, it was pretty much trashed. The screeching treble, blown-out-speaker lag, and the buzzing that happened just about every time you hit the bottom two strings of the guitar pushed it past being very usable.

But it's got so many great features and is so portable! I couldn't bear to let it sit around unused.

I did some research on replacement speakers and found out that a 6" Jensen Mod 6/15 4 ohm speaker was just what the doctor ordered. So I got one on Amazon for around $30 just for kicks to see if I could breathe some life back into Mr. Cube.

It arrived today and in between several Skype lessons I managed to take Cuby apart, cut a bigger speaker hole, install the speaker, and put it back together.

Works like a charm. The sound is better than new. The bigger speaker size gives the sound way more breathing room and has a much warmer tone (some of it is probably the major bass boost Roland designed into the circuitry to compensate for the original 4" speaker). I would totally recommend it for handy Cube-lovers or for those who have nothing to loose in ripping apart their Cube.

It wasn't that hard to do. If you had the right tools I'm sure it would be much easier. Here's what I did (without any sort of proper skills, tools, or regard for Mr. Cube):

1. Take off the front grille-panel. There are three screws in the corners except for the one where the Roland logo is.

2. Take out the original speaker. 4 screws on the corners. Unplug the two wire leads from the electronic guts.

3. Take off the top/back panel that holds all of the electronics and knobs. There are 7 screws on the edges of the back and 2 on the top next to the edge of the control panel. Wiggle, pry, and pull until it comes off. It's double-sided taped in so it'll take some effort.

Now all you have is the wood box.

4. Remove the nut-things from inside the holes that the speaker was mounted with. I used a screwdriver.

5. Sketch out the speaker hole. The original speaker is mounted nicely to the front of the faceplate, going through the baffle. The Jensen is too big to mount like this. The edges of the front are too cramped, but it will have enough room if you install it on the INSIDE of the cabinet. I found a tupperware lid that was about the size of the speaker itself (not including the 3/8" that is the mounting rim - the actual speaker). With it I was able to trace a neat circle on the inside of the front to use as a guide. This part is a bit counter-intuitive because this is not how you'd normally mount a speaker. In our case the speaker will be mounted on the inside of the Cube, pointing out through its hole. So the speaker will look like it is inside the amp when finished.

6. Cut out the speaker hole. This was the hardest part for me since I didn't have close to the right tools. I ended up drilling 1" holes inside the perimeter of my outline and then going at the edges with a file. It's a mess, but I got it *roughly* the size I wanted.

7. Test/mark the fit of the speaker. Get it centered on the hole as you'd like and then mark where the mounting holes should go. REMEMBER: The front side of the baffle is edged in, the back is not. So make sure your holes are clear of the front edges before you drill them. If you make the "square" pattern of the 4 screws line up to the four corners of the cabinet you should be fine.

8. Drill the holes big enough to fit the nut-things from step 4. Go easy if you care about the appearance of your baffle. The pressboard tears easily with a drill (providing you didn't already find this out from the first big hole you made in the baffle. Do you suppose this is covered in the warranty?...).

9. Install the nut-things in the holes in the front of the baffle. You might need to tap them in with a hammer.

10. Mount the speaker on the inside of the Cube. One screw per hole. The pointy end of the screws will be facing the front, secured to the nut-things.

11. Plug the two speaker wires from the electronics into the speaker and remount the back and control panel.

12. Put the grille back on and you should be set!

Unfortunately, I didn't think to take pictures of the process so all I have are these of the finished product without the grille:

P1000088.jpgP1000090.jpg

It's not pretty, but I'm not too concerned about my Micro Cube's appearance making an impression on people. It sounds good. That's all that matters.

Hope somebody finds this idea interesting.
 
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Wow, great upgrade. Awesome of you to share it. Sound clip in the future?
 
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