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CuteCube² Guitar - Play-in System for String Instruments

bassfunkman

bassfunkman

Aug 5, 2012
206
241
#1
This might be interesting.

You probably never heard about this, because there’s only one German online-dealer that sells it here: Invalid Link Removed

I was looking for something that plays in my basses that I haven’t used for a while, so when I take them to the gig or studio they won’t be stiff. Also when I get a new one.

I tried the ToneRite, didn’t like at all what it did to my basses. Sold it! I tried the primeVibe, didn’t do much either. Sold it too!

A buddy of mine told me about the CuteCube², so I got it. This is simply a killer tool!

It plays in new basses or the ones that haven’t been used in a while super fast with stunning results.

Made a short video of CuteCube² sitting on a bass:



I bought this MM5 last year brand new, after two weeks of treatment with the CuteCube² it felt like I played it for a year. After that I had the CuteCube² running on it for 3 month 24/7 in between playing it…it reacts almost like a Vintage Fender since then.



I recommended it to fellow bass players, everyone is completely stunned by what this little puppy does.

I don’t use the white or pink noise recommended by the company, kills the spirit of the tone IMHO. I just play my favorite music on it (R&B, Soul, Contemporary Gospel), have it running 24/7 on my basses in rotation.

George Forester speaks English, I think he ships worldwide.

Invalid Link Removed

EDIT FROM SUNDAY MARCH 8th 2015:

UPDATE!

Just got back from gig and played a couple of notes on the JB, it already woke up after 3 days of treatment.

Much more balanced, stable bottom, sweet sound and way better response. I could take it to a gig now!

Here the two files for comparison.

BEFORE TREATMENT MARCH 5th 2015



AFTER 3 DAYS OF TREATMENT MARCH 8th 2015



The recordings are raw line in straight into the soundcard! No amp, pedals, mixing board, EQ, plugins or any kind of editing! The signal chain: Fender JB > MonsterCable Studio Pro1000 > Apogee DUET (Gain 15) > Cubase on Mac (48/24) > Wav (44/16) exported to SoundCloud.

My '83 Fender JB with alder body used in the test was sleeping in my basement for 10 years until test begin. The strings are also 10 years old. I played WOW GOSPEL compilations 2003-2007 through the CuteCube² with volume set to 20 and bass/treble to +/-0. The CuteCube² was placed right next to the bridge. The bass was laying on the floor with hard foam and chop sticks in between to make it vibrate freely with no connection to any other materials.

I recommend to run the test results through your bass amp turned up loud...that way you can really "feel" the difference...more than just hearing it.

I'll post the next recording on coming thursday :)

EDIT FROM THURSDAY MARCH 12th 2015:

UPDATE!

Much more balanced, fat bottom, sweet tone and way better response. Check the growl that kicked in on Teen Town.

The sustain is already incredible after 7 days, added a long-note melody at the end.

BEFORE TREATMENT MARCH 5th 2015



AFTER 7 DAYS OF TREATMENT MARCH 12th 2015



Addded Sir Duke before + after 7 days with keyboard sound:



I'll post the last recording "after 14 days" on coming Thursday March 19th 2015 :)

EDIT FROM THURSDAY MARCH 19th 2015:

UPDATE!

After 14 days of treatment.

Every note on the fretboard is right there with attack, fat punch, solid bottom and sweet sustain. The bass is way louder played unplugged now. The response is terrific, also it reacts to phrasing in a totally different way. I added a little jam at the end, no way I could have played this before without getting stuck. Couldn't help it, because the bass plays like crazy now. Remember the strings are 10 years old and the bass is set to fairly high action.

On Sir Duke riff it over key chord the presence of the bass is night and day without being dominant.

Here the two files for comparison.

BEFORE TREATMENT MARCH 5th 2015



AFTER 14 DAYS OF TREATMENT MARCH 19th 2015



Addded Sir Duke before + after 14 days with keyboard sound:

 
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#2
So it doesn't actually "play" the strings, just drives the body with the sound source, neat. I have lots of basses that don't get frequent enough attention...
 
#4
So what do you believe this does?

I can tell that it's some sort of transducer, but once it's removed from the instrument, what do you believe the instrument has gained?
 
#5
mbelue said:
So what do you believe this does?

I can tell that it's some sort of transducer, but once it's removed from the instrument, what do you believe the instrument has gained?
Click to expand...
Here a pic where you see the Bottom of the device.

jztmi9.png


You see the flat round rubber thing that transfers the music to the bass. Meaning the sound you hear in the video is coming from the bass. The bass itself becomes the speaker. When you touch the bass while the CuteCube is running, the bass slightly vibrates, exactly like when you are playing on it.

Just like you would be playing your bass 24/7.

I'm not a physicist, so I can't tell you what exactly happens.

Only thing I can tell is that it does the trick. And how! ;)
 
#7
mbelue said:
I do believe that the bass is producing the sound heard in the video.
I don't believe that it improves the sound or playability of your instrument.
Click to expand...
OK, I'll do an A/B comparison with my '83 JB.

23vhxz8.png


I played about 5000 gigs on it and retired the baby 10 years ago, because I switched to 5-String exclusively. It hasn't been played for 10 years, just 10min here and there, the strings are 10 years old. The bass is stiff as it can be.

I will do some recording straight into the sound card today and then give it the CuteCube treatment.

In a couple of days I'll post both recordings with the same strings, so you can check out if there is a difference.
 
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#8
I believe there is scientific evidence that playing classical acoustic stringed instruments such as violins actually changes the physical structure of the wood (though I don't have any links bookmarked on it). How much effect there is on solid body electric instruments, I'm not sure, but lots of players say there is a difference. Whether these gizmos do the same thing, not sure either.
 
#9
I used Google translate on the page, just found the results amusing, this warning is towards the bottom:
The housing of the transformer must NEVER be depressed so that a free oscillation is no longer possible. The coil of the transformer is hot in this case, the housing may verschmort and eventually burns through. Dsa housing always fix very very lightly. Whether you fixed the housing with an adhesive strip on the Bridge or a long rubber band over the body biases,the unit must never be depressed !!​
"Verschmort" seems like such a good word, but my 40 year old German is rusty - "char", apparently! And be nice to your unit, don't want it getting depressed! :)
 
#11
bassfunkman said:
OK, I'll do an A/B comparison with my '83 JB.


I played about 5000 gigs on it and retired the baby 10 years ago, because I switched to 5-String exclusively. It hasn't been played for 10 years, just 10min here and there, the strings are 10 years old. The bass is stiff as it can be.

I will do some recording straight into the sound card today and then give it the CuteCube treatment.

In a couple of days I'll post both recordings with the same strings, so you can check out if there is a difference.
Click to expand...

So after 5000 gigs it hasn't been 'played in yet', but this device will improve it by vibrating the wood.

Sounds logical.....................
 
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#15
ddnidd1 said:
This is going to make you play faster? You can't be serious??????????
Click to expand...
Definetely, no joke! You'll hear in the recordings. I'll play some stuff as fast as i can so it still sounds decent, you'll hear it. Eddie Van Halen used to put his guitars in front of speakers and blast music through it to swing them in. I couldn't do that to my neighbors :woot:
 
#18
No offense, but this seems like classic pseudo-science. Or, correlation =/= causation.

Maybe vintage instruments sound good cause they were put together by hand, with better materials? Like the Jazz - a lot of the changes - removal of stacked knobs, bullet truss rod adjusters, thinner fretboard - were financially driven.
 
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