In 2024, guitar rigs are governed by a strict set of commandments: thine pedalboard must be tidily wired and full of beautiful artwork; thou shalt use tube amps (or at least an expensive amp modeler); and that electric guitar better be in a vintage finish – ideally relic’d.
So what a joy it is to see the Cure icon Robert Smith proudly flying in the face of all these rules with a setup that is almost defiantly lo-fi.
In a candid snap from the group’s rehearsals ahead of live shows in support of their first album in 16 years, Songs of a Lost World, Smith posted a picture of a gratifyingly simple setup that will send guitar Instagrammers into a tailspin.
For starters, let’s talk about those amps: Smith is using the same two Roland Cube-80GX combos he’s been plugging into since 2016, accompanied by a Roland Cube 60-XL bass amp (presumably for baritone songs using his Bass VI-inspired Schecter UltraCure VI).
Released in 2013 and now discontinued, the Cube-80GX was one of Roland’s earliest modeling offerings – a mid-priced combo from an era where using a digital amp was very much verboten.
It has three channels and a bunch of FX, but we’d imagine Smith is leaning on the JC Clean and its accompanying chorus effect. (And yes, he has blacked out part of the CUBE logo to read CURE, although we’re sure that’s not the sole reason he’s leaning on the combo).
Then there’s the pedalboards: cork-sniffers’ heads will explode when they note he is using three plastic ’boards: Boss’s also-discontinued BCB-60 and BCB-30s, right down to their accompanying wall-wart power supplies.
And, naturally, all three feature exclusively Boss pedals: a TU-3, two GE-7 Equalizers, a BD-2 Blues Driver, two SD-1 Super Overdrives, DD-something Delays, PH-3 Phase Shifter, three BF-3 Flangers.
This is no pedalboard of the day, people. There’s no isolated power. All those Boss stompboxes are buffering the signal no end. There’s nothing true bypass in sight. And lord knows what patch cables he’s using. Thank god there’s a Lehle switcher lurking at the back.
But none of that matters one bit, because in a live mix, Smith’s guitar sounds glorious. A pair of recent BBC live sessions showcase the band’s exemplary new material, and just how well those Cube cleans settle in alongside co-guitarist Reeves Gabrels’ more muscular tone.
Even when Smith kicks in the Boss overdrive, as on new album highlight I Can Never Say Goodbye, its accompanying low-frequency cut ensures his leads sit just right.
It’s yet more proof, as if any were needed, that tone is in the fingers – and when it comes to your own sound, you should follow your ears, not the latest trends.
Smith has put a number of other affordable amps through their paces over the years – most notably a cluster of Line 6 Spider V 120 amps for the Cure’s 30th anniversary Disintegration show in 2019.
The Cure will be performing an intimate show this evening (November 1) at London’s Troxy, but have yet to announce further tour dates in support of Songs of a Lost World. When they do, you know what the backline’s gonna look like…
