Need more gain

There are a couple of "boxes" from Hughes & Kettner that will give you more than one channel.

Cream Machine - 12Ax7 preamp with 1W (read 12AX7) power amp. Switchable (via foot switch) clean or dirty channel. Exchanging 12AX7 for 12 AT7, 12AU7 or any other derivative will give different break-up levels.
This can also be used directly to amp, speaker box or computer (via in-built cabinet simulator - 4x12 Celestion)
Metal Monster (Metal Machine?) - similar to Cream Machine but with EQ (Bass, Mid, Treble) and, ostensibly, "metal distortion"
Crunch Master - Similar to Metal Monster, but less distortion

None of these have been produced for several years, but are regularly to be found on eBay. Don't knock them, they are good enough to drive a 4x12 cab at "bedroom levels", without any help.

These boxes have been replaced by more "up-to-date" boxes - the latest offering 3 channels (Clean-volume, tone(?), Crunch- gain, bass, mid, treble and Distortion- more gain, bass mid, treble). Comes as a floor pedal with switches for each channel.

Because they use tubes, they require mains power.

I realize you said no pedals, Rodders, but I use a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive with my Blues Jr. (and Classic 50 and Cube 30 -- already two channel amps) and it is a great combo. If you relent and consider a pedal, give it a try -- very flexible, good tonal control, clean+distorted blending and true bypass.

-Greg

If you want to go from a clean tone to overdrive you are going to need an overdrive or distortion pedal. Or you could use a volume pedal to crank the amp up. Turn volume down for your clean sound and turn it up to get natural overdrive.

If you do not need to switch from clean tone to overdrive, you can get an attenuator or load dump. This allows you to really crank the amp up to get the great natural overdrive, but play at bedroom volume levels. It is a simple little box that goes between the poweramp and speaker. I just got one of these and I really like it. Super easy to hook up and use.

Go to Low Power Load Dump

Weber Attenuators

I've seen a lot of posts mention attenuators. I've always associated the need for an attenuator with tube amps because I know you really need to push a tube to get optimal tone. Does the same hold true for combo amps? I have a Roland Cube 30 and haven't been able to get the nice crunchy hard rock sound I like. I like to play open chords, but still like a little crunch. I've tried turning the gain up, but it gets muddier than I'd like...same thing with the "Metal" model setting. I'm starting to think that what I really need to do is turn the gain down and crank the volume on the clean setting.

I guess what I'm asking is: Will cranking the volume on a clean setting have a similar effect whether you've got a tube amp or a combo?

A combo amp is just a self-contained amp with the speaker in it, as opposed to a separate "head" and speaker cabinet. Can be either tube or solid state. Your Cube is a solid state combo. Many solid state amps don't sound great when cranked all the way up, and attenuators aren't normally used with them. They're made to allow tube output stages to be cranked way up without being unbearably loud.

I've seen a lot of posts mention attenuators. I've always associated the need for an attenuator with tube amps because I know you really need to push a tube to get optimal tone. Does the same hold true for combo amps? I have a Roland Cube 30 and haven't been able to get the nice crunchy hard rock sound I like. I like to play open chords, but still like a little crunch. I've tried turning the gain up, but it gets muddier than I'd like...same thing with the "Metal" model setting. I'm starting to think that what I really need to do is turn the gain down and crank the volume on the clean setting.

I guess what I'm asking is: Will cranking the volume on a clean setting have a similar effect whether you've got a tube amp or a combo?

As Ric says, you don't want to overdrive the output of your Cube 30. It will sound like crap. However, there are a number of effects pedals that might give you want you want with the Cube. As mentioned above, I use a Sparkle Drive with mine and it works well -- it's fundamentally a fancy Tube Screamer.

Something I've noticed about the Cube 30 is that its clean channel tone seems to thicken nicely with a higher input drive level. I first heard this when using a Boss RC20 Loopstation with its gain cranked up in front of the Cube. This led me to buy the Sparkle Drive.

-Greg

Thanks for all your help guys. I have bitten the bullet and got a drive /gain stomp box, its the Electro harmonix hot tubes and it is awsome, its just the sort of thing I needed, beautiful warm crunch right the way through to lovely fat gain.
You can hear all their effects here http://www.ehx.com/ehx2/ and I think you should at least listen to a couple of them because in my opinion they blow all the opposition away. There is a downside though and that is the price. Anyway have a listen and let me know what you think.
Thanks again,

Rodders........................

Thanks for enlightening a newbie, guys. Have a great weekend.

if anyone here ever needs tubes (12ax7's mentioned by greybeard earlier) I found this website that normally would be for amatuer radio operators but anyone can buy from him. the site is at http://www.hamtubes.com I just ordered two 12ax7's from him made in austria or something.... 6 bucks each! new! anyway jsut wanted to let u guys know.

Bstguitarist
KB1LQC