Boss/Roland have announced a new tone capsule for their Blues Cube amplifier that has been created in conjunction with Eric Johnson:
Roland is pleased to announce the Eric Johnson Blues Cube Tone Capsule, a user-installable voicing circuit for the innovative Blues Cube guitar amplifier series. Developed with GRAMMY-winning guitarist and tone connoisseur Eric Johnson, the Tone Capsule changes the sound and response characteristics of the Blues Cube amps to provide custom voicings tuned and approved by the legendary artist himself.
Featuring Roland’s unique Tube Logic design approach, the reinvented Blues Cube amps deliver the rich sound and musical touch response of finely tuned vintage tube combos, along with convenient modern features and reduced weight. In developing the Blues Cube, Roland engineers integrated the ability to re-voice the amplifier via a Tone Capsule socket on the chassis, a powerful capability now unveiled for the first time.
Eric Johnson’s fluid playing style and exceptional tone are iconic, and his ear for meticulous perfection is well known among guitar enthusiasts. Desiring the same high level of sound, feel, and responsiveness that Eric demands from his vintage amplifiers, the Blues Cube team asked the guitarist to work closely with them on the Tone Capsule project. “I am very interested in pursuing new paths to getting tone,” Eric explains. “When the Blues Cube team asked if they could present an amp with new tone capabilities, I was intrigued.”
The Eric Johnson Tone Capsule takes the Blues Cube’s already great sound and fine-tunes it to suit the guitarist’s exacting requirements. Eric’s expert audio design captures his discriminating tastes in texture, voicing, and rich tone, enabling every Blues Cube owner to put the legend’s remarkable vintage amp insights under their fingers.
Eric is extremely impressed with the Blues Cube’s factory tone, and he likes the idea of having both the factory tone and his custom settings available separately. “Many guitarists may prefer the factory Blues Cube sound over mine,” Eric explains. “The factory tone will appeal to many kinds of players.”
“I’ve spent years finding amplifiers to suit my tonal quest and discerning criteria to get my sound,” Eric says. “I’m excited to work with Roland to create many aspects and persona of that sound in a more compact, tangible, and affordable version for all kinds of players.”
To learn more about the Eric Johnson Blues Cube Tone Capsule and the detailed story behind its development, visit www.RolandUS.com.
Here is Eric demoing the new tone capsule: