Yep, I've got a CUB12. I've not taken it outside the house, but I have managed to get it up to rehearsal/small-gig volumes once or twice.
I've not got much to compare it to personally, though.
My main gigging amp over the years was a Laney Pro-Tube 50 master volume (pre-AOR). The PT50 is like a clone of the M/V Marshalls of the late 70s early 80s. "Marshall" was what I was after when I got it in 1983, and that's what it gave me. I was playing with guys going through Marshalls, and some of them preferred the tone I was getting (and I certainly did!). As my playing evolved I found myself wanting different, maybe more fendery tones, but I was always able to get the thing to do roughly what I wanted in rehearsal/gig situations.
Tonally, for me, the CUB12 beats my trusty old PT50 hands down. Partly because it's lower power and (if I was able to) I can easily push it up to 5-6 on the master and get the thing cooking nicely - the PT50 was always far too loud to be able to do that in gigs. And partly because it seems warmer and seems more capable of impersonating fendery/vox/marshall - it seems more versatile.
The main thing is, the CUB12 gives me the stock sound I've been dreaming of, off and on, since the late 70s. It just does it without even thinking. I know it's a budget amp, and all that, but it gives me the tone I wanted "just like that". So it's a bit of a no-brainer for me - and I realise I'm a bit lucky in that respect: I've found an amp around the £200 mark that just delivers what I've always imagined for "guitar sound". I tried some of the other Laneys - VC stuff - over the years, and they just didn't grab me enough. Nice, but not worth me getting my wallet out. When I tried the CUB it was "I have to have this", even though I didn't need it.
The other comparison I can do is against a VOX AC4TV, another EL84. I got that a few months before the CUB. It's great, but just too bluddy loud for what I want. That's why I was looking at the CUBs. Comparing my CUB12 against my AC4TV, once I'm allowed a decent volume, and once I've dialled in my standard "I'm ready to start playing" tone, then... they sound almost the same! :lol:
The AC4 seems a little choosier over different guitars, the Laney takes all of mine and does a nice job. Also, my one pedal (Danoelectro's Transperent Overdrive) is great on the CUB but horrid on the AC4. I don't really need it on the CUB anyway though!
I'm not sure what type of tone the CUB12 is aimed at. Maybe a kind of Marshally tone from the late 70s early 80s - it's certainly the nearest to my old PT50 that I've ever played. It doesn't seem as harsh and biting as actual Marshalls I've played, though. Having said that, I have read that some people find the CUB12 unbelievably and overly bright in a band situation, enough to move it on. I suspect those people don't know how to experiment with tone controls, though :lol:.
With its extra tone control, you can also move the CUB12 through more american, fendery, to more VOX british. I did try the CUB10 on the same day, and that sounded fabulous. Like 38th says, it seems more Fendery to me - I believe it's 6V6 based? In general the CUB10 seemed to kick out more bottom end and warmth. It was such a good tone, and one I wanted, but the CUB12 was more versatile. I played both for a long time in the shop, and when I managed to make the CUB12 sound and feel like the 10 next to it, that decided me.
As you can tell, I love the thing. It suits me right down to the ground. It sounds like you've bonded with it the same way maybe?
How to get more power and headroom though, I don't know. Luckily I don't need to. I'm not sure that Fender is the right route if it's the CUB12 you've fallen in love with not the 10 - it might be for you, but I don't think it would be for me, depends on how you dial yours in I guess.
I'd agree with 38th on the cab idea. I'm assuming you're using a 1x12 combo CUB12 at the moment. If I needed "more", and bearing in mind I'm not aware of the availability of a 30 watt or so version, my first thought would be to plug a 2x12 cab into it and see what happened.
