Johnson Amplification J-Station

I couldn't figure out how to turn the speaker simulator off the manual is hard to understand on this topic, so I can't use it on my half stack what a bummer, other then that it easy to use for the calling up the factory presets,editing is fairly easy just tweak a few knobs and store,with plenty room to store your fav.patch's it comes with free software that has cakewalk that's pretty easy to use.

it has some good clean sounds. but the marshall,boogie,amp sims. are real harsh sounding even tweaking the tone buttons I couldn't get rid of the harshness, but the noise gate works great, the bass sims.are great sound almost real, straight in to the mixing borad.the wha fx sucks. you can get some great Gilmore stuff out of this box which is cool if you like that type of sound the overall sounds alittle muddy for my taste.

so far so could. I haven't got to use in a live gig because I can't turn off the speaker sim.

they couldn't help explain to me how to turn that speaker sim. off just made it more confusing.

for the price go with a real pod this thing pretty much sucks for recording but the up side of this box it does have some great bass amp sims. and great cleane tones.

I edit most of my patches using J-Edit on window xp. J-Edit is really simple to use, I think the interface is cool because you can see all the panels and knobs just like a professional rack. I give this category only 6 because deep editing requires looking up all those CC parameters, which can be very inconvenient in a live setup situation.

My guitar is a Les Paul standard (stock humbuckers) and I play from blues, rock, to metal. J-station has a decent noise gate, so I never had any problems with noise.

I think the blackface, recto, JCM800, jclean are the best models.
blackface - nice warm round jazzy clean tone, sounds great for articulate arpeggios picking
jclean - add in some chorus and reverb, you get metallica cleans (master of puppets), tweak for a while and you can even get DT cleans (pull me under)
rectifier - nice compressed and tight aggressive tone, just like heard on CDs. I lower the gain to about 5.5, turn down the bass, add only a little reverb (bathroom), so it does not get muddy
JCM800 - nice model of classic rock amp, however the high gain sounds seems kind of weak, I think this was modeled for its lower gain sounds, which is fine because there is the rectifier model for high gain.

The compressor, delay, reverb are good quality effects. The wah is great (I have the J8 pedal), I even sold my dunlop 535q.

I wish the pitch shifter effect didn't have latency, other than that, I really don't have any complaints on the J-station.

I listen through headphones when practicing at home. I prefer the sound of line in directly into the PA board (global cabinet ON) when playing live.

Sure, I can depend on it. The J-station does heats up after hours of usage, but I don't think that will matter.

never dealt with them.

I've been playing for about 5 years. I like guitarists like Andy Timmons, Frank Gambale, Shawn Lane, SRV and bands like Dream Theater, Children of Bodom, Pain of Salvation, Evergrey, Pat Metheny Group ...
If it were stolen, I would probably take a look at podxt live, but for the price, I'd definitely buy J-station again.
J-station has helped me make music, I saved up so much time tweaking stomp boxes all the time, now I have more time to play. Once you find a cool sounding patch, you can save them, next time you don't have to waste time finding it again.
I wouldn't argue whether digital modeling is better than tubes or not, but for the price, convenience, and sound, I would say it definitely has a fantastic value.

Simple easy to use interface.You can get great sounds from the face of the unit without having to get into deep edit,but you always have that option.

If you mess with it you can get truly nice and quality sounds.I have used it a Boogie 50/50,tubeworks ,and vht and man it sound like a big$$$$$$$$$$$ rig. I use an ESP custom and an Alvarez Dana Scoop(I so like the active pickups) and thru a power amp(Tube only please as to this is where your sound really comes from.) a rocktron rx20 and two custom built 2x12 cabs with 1 having JBL g series and the other K series speakers and this rig is a beast. Kicks the crap outta amps that cost thousands.

move it around alot and no probs. The power supply gets hot though.Recommend using a 1.5 instead of the 1.3

Discontinued and a shame they might have gone on to build even better.

Real nice much better than the P iece O f D ung. That thing is a sterile complicated piece of crap with absolutly NO tone

It could'nt be any easier. A monkey could figure out how to use this thing. You dont even have to read the manual if you dont want to. Editing is pretty much common sense too

When I used this thing I used a early 80's jackson vee with duncan jb pickups. I used to run it into a mesa boogie 50\50 power amp and then into a marshall 412. I bought the j-station because I have owned a mesa single rec. marshall jcm 2000 50 watt and a whole bunch of other stuff that I thought sounded like shit. I finnaly just ran the j station into my 50-50 as some sort of joking experiment. I never thought it would sound good but it sounded amazing. Everyone at my rehersal space said that they thought my guitar tone was the best they ever heard. Oh yeah, i guess I should tell you what I play... mostly metal. You can get a good high gain sound outta this thing on either the rectified or johnson lead setting.., but take it with a grain of salt as far as all this modeling stuff is concerned. A model does not sound like the real thing. Ask yourself what a model is... it is a copy or mock up of the actual thing ,so take it for what it is. Nothing sounds like a marshall jcm 800 except a jcm 800, dont kid yourself. I'm sure there is a bogner or some other high dollar amp out there that would run circles around my set up but only a trained ear could tell. In other words most of the people who listen to your music wont know the differance.., and the differance will cost you about three grand more. lets get down to the brass tax, nothing you will get for 150 bucks will touch this thing and if you run it into a tube power amp it will sound better than about 90% of the stuff out there.

Never had a problem, probably never will. This thing has taken about as much abuse as anything I have ever owned and still works as good as it did when it was new

Never dealt with them

i give this thing a 10, I've owned a pod pro rackmount unit and the j-station sounds better. Dont be fooled by the high advertising budget of line 6. their stuff sounds grainy and very digital, totally fake in my opinion. I have'nt tried the vox tonelab so I dont know how the j station compares but it is the best I have heard yet. Besides if the tonelab does sound better it still costs way more. You just cant beat this thing for the price. The effects are all excellent too. I especially like the delay, very clean sounding

The stock patches are ok, but this thing screams when you edit the parameters! Without running it into a PC, it can be a bit tedious in "Deep Editing" mode, AND it definitely helps to have the J8 foot pedal. The manual is clear enough and workable, and the latest firmware is 2.0.

I'm running a Godin SD > J-Station (w/J8 foot pedal) > Boss EQ > Peavey Bandit 65; turning off the "cab" sims through the FX loop worked wonders! Not really noisy at all, just the standard single coil hum when switched to them. The effects simply blow me away on how good they are. I can nail anything from EVH, Soundgarden, Creed, Megadeth, Metallica, AIC, STP, SRV, Zep, etc. I really like the chorus as everything really sparkles and sends me away. I don't use the auto-wah much, so can't comment on that.

I have had this for over a year now, and the only problems I had with it is from my own stupidity. Duh - cab sims "on" through the amp sucked the life out of it. I don't gig yet, so I'm clueless on how effective it would be in that setting.

Never dealt with them.

I play hard rock, metal, and blues, and this modeler has hit everything I've aimed at so far. I've only been playing guitar for a year now, but I've played classical piano 35 years, and drummed for a couple of bands, so I know enough to know what I like and what sounds good to me.

If this were stolen, I'd search the ends of the earth for another, and pay the local Guido to hunt down the sorry son of a..... that stole it.

I must have checked out everything before buying the J-Station, and all of them couldn't compare: POD, V-Amp, RP's, Zoom, etc.

Does it help me make music? LOL, it gives me the will to live and play guitar!

Real easy!

I give this a nine because it is simply the best amp modeler there is for getting a few distinct sounds! No other amp modeler I've heard can nail the rectifier sound like this one. I've tried with the POD and the BOSS GS-10 and thier high gain sounds are practically worthless! I've got a lot of amps including the Marshall jmp-1, Roctron voodoo valve, Groove tubes trio, MP-1 and more, but none of theme gives the rectified sound like the J-Station. I recorded a cd
with the J-Station going direct and it is a big thick, warm sound. If you want to hear it, just go to my website(unclelight.com) and check out the audio samples. This also gets some great clean sounds too! For 150 bucks this thing is a friggin miracle! If you get a chance to pick one up -DO IT!! You won't regret it! And it's got some good bass sounds too!

No problems so far!

I don't think they make these any more so I can't say!

I give it a nine because for what it is it really sounds great! There may be better modelers out there (Vox tonelab) but for the price these go for nothin can touch em!

Well,i have to say this thing isnt the easiest to change sounds on the fly,the deep level editing mode isnt good because the only way to edit effects is if you have the manual with you(or if you memorize all those numbers,LOL!!!!)When editing amps and cabinets its easy enough..

I use a Jackson dr-3 with EMG 81/60 and i plug the J (Version made in USA)into a PA and the sound is great!Cuts through the mix,defined ,cleans are good,crunch is also very good,lead is good,effects are great,i even like the JCM 800 simulation! Our rehersal space is next to another band whose guitarist has a Mesa Triaxis,G-Major,2-90 and 4x12 Vintage 30s,and i have to say that the J gets you 90% of the sound of a real High tech high priced all tube rack.And i doubt that a 10% sound difference justifies the 1000 %price difference.Bassicaly if your a guitarist with a budget,and have axcess to a PA ,IMHO you should buy a J station and a Midi footcontroler and thats it..And besides ,99% of the people at a concert couldn tell a difference between a J station amp simulation and the real thing !!And the J is much better than a Pod(at least the ones i have played)!!

Had it for 1 year now,and i have had no problems it woorks like a charm.I would use it without a backup(or buy one if you thinks its that big a deal.(although they are more expensive here in europe you can still get them cheap)

Well everything i needed i got from the J sation forum,as for customer support i dont know because i havent dealt with them(and they dont even exist anymore-Too bad ,i think that the J could have been a monster Emulation machine )

I try to play everything from Tool to Messhugah to Satriani and that is why i like this unit,you can get alot of good sounds out of it and the effects are really good(except the envelope filter,its kinda harsh).Dont plug it into a tube power amp and guitar speakers,try a keyboard amp or a PA,thats where the unit shines.

This depends. With a computer handy, you can access all parameters the box offers very easily, and it's a real joy to program. Unfortunately, without a computer, some parameters are a royal pain to tweak. The compressor is particularly annoying to me, as you can only turn it off or on without going into Deep Edit Mode.

The clean/overdriven tones are fantastic, but they're too transparent to hide the sins of my guitar. The high-gain models sound dead on to me, but I prefer Line6's inaccuracies on the Mesa Boogie sound and I'm not a fan of the real thing (forgive my heresy). Cranking some of the clean models achieves some gloriously nasty filth you could only get from a real amp right before it explodes. The bass models are wonderful after some serious tweaking, with superb punch and snappy, crisp highs.

As for artist tones, I've come across Linkin Park, the Cranberries, KoRn (unfortunately), Our Lady Peace, and Orgy guitar sounds. I've also found Rage Against the Machine, KoRn (unfortunately), Primus, eels, and Green Day bass sounds. I don't listen to much music made before 1990 so I can't pinpoint artists, but I've obtained some convincing bluesy guitar sounds, and some fun slap-pop funk bass tone.

I use a crappy Kramer Focus guitar and a sw33t Ibanez BTB-505 bass. I go Instrument->J-Station->Computer/Fender Frontman 25B amp. I've eked great tones out of my Focus even though it's a horrible instrument (it's the best axe under $200, IMO, but that isn't saying much), and some AMAZING tones out of the Ibanez. I've never tried it with better guitars, but from my experience with the upgrade from a crap bass to good bass (I used to use a Kramer), I think you'll find your amp/guitar tone will come out intact. I've not had good luck with FX loops, and I recommend using it before the instrument input of your amp.

As a side note, the little Fender is the best-sounding amp I've found, period, for both guitar AND bass. I don't know if I got lucky and got a fluke unit, but even though doesn't get loud, and has no distortion or FX built in, it just sounds GOOD. Even the boutique amps can't beat it for pure clean tone.

As a desktop DI box, it's PLENTY sturdy. Don't play football with it, or wash it in Bud and it should be just fine. The jacks are solid and have held up to a fair bit of abuse. The knobs are plastic but have held up to some rough treatment with surprising equanimity. It's not as solid as, say, Boss stompboxes, but it comes pretty close.

My idea of customer support is a thousand pages of FAQ's, technical support documents, and PDF's on the company website. On this score, it's a smidge better than the average music gear company. I reserve better scores for the time when I find a site as thorough as computer hardware sites. I haven't tried the e-mail/phone support.

I play experimental industrial stuff (think "The Downward Spiral") and Postal Service/Ladytron pop-techno. This box works well for both. I've been playing guitar and bass for about five years, but my G.A.S. is so bad my ear for tone is equivalent to ten years of experience. :)

As a single-solution multi-FX box, I have yet to find anything better. Sansamp has better models, TC has better FX, and you can't beat boutique tube amps with a few grand of boutique stompboxes, but they just aren't as convenient, and not NEARLY as cheap. For the price, and for the function, I don't think it will ever be matched. Thus, I give it a 10 overall.

I'm sort of going to do a product comparison between the J Station and my old modeler, the Behringer V Amp 2. If the J Station loses points, it's because it's not as good as the V amp. Likewise, if it gets a high score, it's because it beats out the V Amp.

The J Station has the following inputs and outputs: 1 guitar in, 1 TRS footswitch jack, MIDI ins/outs, L and R outputs, S/PDIF out, and headphone out. Compared to the V amp, it has a digital out, but lacks an aux in. It all depends on what you want to use a modeler for, but for desktop and computer recording, the S/PDIF out is a nice feature since you don't have to mess with digital to analog conversions.

Controls are pretty intuitive as far as selecting an amp model, effects, and eq points. I haven't gotten into the "deep editing" mode yet, but you can do quite a bit with the surface controls. Deep editing seems a little tricky to access without a computer interface, so it loses a point here. Also, the V Amp's lighted dials are the best thing since sliced bread. Not as expensive as the rotary dials of a Cyber Twin, but they still let you know what your presets are doing at a glance. Behringer's deep editing seemed to be a bit easier to get to as well, but you couldn't do as much in it. On the editing patches front, the V Amp is a bit easier.


Both the V Amp 2 and the J Station sound acceptable straight out of the box, and both sound better after a little tweaking. They're equal here.

One final area where the J Station edges out over the V Amp is a power switch.

I have a pretty decent pedalboard of fx I run into the J station and use it as an amp modeler. Running direct, no pedals, the J Station sounds great. It really sounds like you are plugged into an amp, and the amp is breathing like a regular amp and speaker. I don't know how, but this beats out every other modeler I've tried (Behringer, Korg, Pod, Digitech). Distortions and effects can be added later, but a good clean sound can't be faked. This thing delivers on the clean sound, and the distortions are good too.

Most of the effects are pretty usable, but I use my own fx anyway. The one thing this unit does well is its auto wah. It actually oscillates more like a synth wah than any other unit I've tried. It probably won't outdo an EH microsynth, but for a buit in effect, it sounds awesome, and responds differently to each amp model. One of the acoustic sims sounds ok, the other sounds bad.

To answer the question, "Do these amps sound like the ones they're supposed to model?" I can only say that most of the settings sound good and usable.

One other feature that is cool is that it has 3 bass amp models. It won't substitute a full bass amp or modeling system, but for the project studio musician, it has enough to be usable, and it has a bass compressor too, available with deep editing. I don't think you'll find a better sounding modeler around.

It feels pretty hefty and sturdy. It's mostly metal, so it feels more reliable than the V amp. The only downside is some of the knobs feel a bit wobbly. Well, it's not as sturdy as a boss pedal, but for a desktop workstation, it feels reliable. I'd sit it on my amp and gig without a backup.

They got closed down by digitech, so I wouldn't put much stock in customer support.

Someone else said this unit will become the TS808 of modelers. I have to agree. The clean sounds, most difficult to emulate, sound great through this thing, and the distortion sounds good too.

You can only find these things on ebay or used on HC classifieds now. They run between $80 and $120, and I would have to say they're worth it. I'd look for a second on off of ebay if this were stolen.

UPDATE to my earlier review:

after several months of experimentation, I've learned that this unit is unacceptable for use with acoustic guitars. No matter what the configuration (modeled/presets or as a "direct" preamp) or whether I mic the guitar as opposed to a soundhole pickup, I cannot get the nuances particular to a steel string acoustic guitar through this unit. I haven't yet experimented with a vocals through it, but I'm guessing the same.

I still love the J-Station for it's features/value. Configured properly, it's very well suited to single coil pickups on electric guitar, but if you plan on recording acoustic guitar (or vocals), be prepared to also invest in a dedicated mic preamp