QSC CB10 | Review

The world of guitar amplification has changed drastically in the last decade. Guitarists are coming to terms with (or even embracing) the fact that the heyday of huge stacks playing at excruciating volume is behind us, and joining our fellow musicians in the world of digital “direct-to-FOH” solutions. When was the last time you saw a keyboard player turn up at a gig with a Hammond B3 and accompanying Leslie speaker, instead of one of those ubiquitous red Nord keyboards that will fit in the boot of even the most parsimoniously-proportioned family hatchback? For us, the equivalent is the modeller and FRFR speaker combo.

Enter QSC with their CB10. You may know QSC as makers of excellent PA systems, but the CB10 represents something uniquely interesting to guitar players. It’s a battery-powered portable speaker that can serve as a PA, monitor, or (in our case) a fine substitute for an FRFR speaker. It boasts a battery life long enough to get you through several grueling gigs, and the battery itself is user-replaceable, so you don’t need to worry about sending it away when it eventually reaches the end of its lifespan (as all batteries do).

Sonically it boasts a huge 90-degree coverage - much wider than your typical guitar cab or RFR speaker - meaning you’ll get the same sound wherever you stand on stage - and crucially, so will your audience. No more melting the poor guy in the front row with beams of treble from your 1x12 combo while everyone stood to the side struggles to hear you. 

It also features a whole host of tone shaping options, with several profiles accessible from the speaker’s rear panel and a raft of others available via the app. This, along with the internal EQ options, makes it incredibly easy to tailor the CB10 to your personal setup and the room you happen to be playing in.

Additionally, there are inputs for microphones, jack sockets for plugging in your acoustic guitar, and even a range of ways to play back music via an external source. If you’re a solo gigging musician, you could take this speaker and nothing else, and be perfectly happy with the result - or maybe even take a pair of them for a battery-powered stereo setup!

The QSC CB10 is the perfect portable speaker for the gigging guitarist. It’s light, powerful, has exceptional coverage, runs with or without mains power, and most importantly, reproduces your tone flawlessly.

For more information; please visit QSC Audio's website.