Roland GC-405

4x5" solid state combo amp with 2 footswitchable channels (clean/distortion, footswitch not included)using the same equalizer, presence, send & return, headphone out, externeal speaker out. I recall it being 25W alone and 30W with external speaker connected, but since I can't seem to find the manual right now I'm not too sure. Could use a reverb but I've managed to do without it as well. It's not too common to find FX send/return on an amp in this price and power range. I like that only the main input is on front panel and all the other inputs-outputs are nicely hidden on the back of the amp. This amp features Roland's TubeLogic technology witch I'll cover in the sounds section.

I've used it mainly with Yamaha EG 112 (2 single coils and a humbucker in bridge position), Jackson JS30 (humbuckers in bridge and neck positions) and various other guitars. It can nicely manage both hubuckers and single coils, I myself prefer humbuckers. I play mostly grunge and metal but have been experimenting on various other styles also. The sounds of this amp are in my opinion awesome. The Tube Logic technology emulates higher voltage tubes not the standard ones which gives the distorted sound a really screaming sound I have become very fond of. Distortion can go from nice bluesy crunch to really massive nu metal sounds. I prefer to keep the pre dial(the amount of distortion) in between a quarter and a half, and already there it has loads of distortion. Clean sound tends to distort at higher volumes, but that is my own fault I think so I'll cover it in reliablilty. Otherwise the clean sound is great with some really nice attack on it.

The construction of this amp is really solid. It can take a real beating and come out sounding as good as new. Nevertheless since it is my first amp I've managed to wreck the electronics over the years. Our rehersal room used to be quite damp so I guess this has influanced the amp. I blew the original speakers playing bass through it. I think it has some power transistor problem since the clean sound becomes heavily distorted at volumes over 5. I connected a 6 ohm externel speaker even though label on the back says minimum 8 ohm, so I guess that's how I blew the transistor. Now there seems to be some problem with input because it rattles at even slightly higher volumes and slightly moving the input jack seems to make it work ok as long as you have your hand on the jack. Have gigged with it and the input jack has been a huge problem there, but I've still managed. Now it has become worse so I'm not going to gig with it any more. I still think, that all these are more my own faults than this amp's so I'm giving it an 8.

Never dealt with them.

I have been playing for abou 9 years now and have had this amp from october 1999. I've used it with Boss GT-3, which I used as a volume pedal actually since the sounds of this amp are uncompareably better. Usually I mike it on gigs or stack it with a bigger combo through the FX send using the bigger combo just for amplification. I quite love everything about this combo and really wouldn't want to give it up but since it has collected the listed problems over the years and is a bit weak for me now (the other guitarist in my band plays through a Rocktron Chameleon and a 65W Marshall combo) I'm now planning on Marshall MG50DFX. Still I think I'm gonna havethe old Roland fixed and use it as my bedroom amp and in some cases as a distortion unit when recording cause I love the Tube Logic sounds bigtime. In Estonia musical equipment is quite expensive (hence the ripoff price) so if it was stolen I probably wouldn't buy another one but I would cry really hard for quite some time I guess. Can't really think of anything I hate about this amp, but there is a lot to love in my opinion. Wish it had a reverb and master volume though. Anyway I'm giving it a 10 since it's the best I've seen and heared in it's own class.

This is the worlds only GC-405 with EL84 tube power amp!!!!
-------------------------------------------------------
This is a modified baby and it differ missing the presence control and has a master volume instead of it. For owners of the original: the presence control is "active", it regulates the amount of feed backed high signals. This circuit is really useful for tube only circuits so I am missing it soooo badly....

This amp sounds like the small amp from the heaven! ... as long you do not need to play loud. I play blues and rock - and replaced my old fender after trying out this only once... its great!

This would sound better with expensive "real" speakers... but still, I love this and it is OK for someone who played over 20 years but is still not getting famous :-))

Works well, but might need exchance of tubes time to time as they are running HOT in this amp (yes, this one is with 3 tubes at the power amp) the end section is with 2*EL84 / 12AX7 and schematics are copied from VOX AC15. All transformers are made in Korea / tubes made in Russia but this amp simply sound great!

No idea. I always fix everything myself. Would be great to have the schematics for the pre amp. Hey,,, where to get that famous foot switch? ... well, I actually do not need it as playing class A amp I can regulate distortion from the guitar with out loosing volume! This is actually a Roland amp modified by a Korean company (probably the company who manufactured Roland amps under license), added with the tube power amp. I assume it is the only prototype they manufatured for Frankfurth Musical Instruments Eexhebition with the hope finding a dealer or chain shop who wants to order plenty of them. What a pity that did not happen!

supricing good amp! The pre amp is GREAT (read earlier ratings, mine has the same circuit beside missing presence). The power amp section is 1:1 copy of VOX AC15 circuit and sounds like it does, the clean channel is not anymore clean at all when turned up to half of the volume but thats how VOX is supposed to sound. I have all details of the power amp schematic, if anyone is interested making similar mods, you can mail to mtniiranen at aol dot com. I also made a further modification to the power amp installing a switch (5W class A single EL84) / (15W VOX dual EL84), with the 5W position my neighbours are not getting that nervous anymore :-). 15W is OK for my blues gigs and I mic the amp via PA if more volume is required.

If I need to separate from this baby, I would get again Orange or real VOX (I like smal tube amps).

Clean Volume, Pre and Post volume for distortion channel, bass, treble, mids and presence controls. The Presence knob does affect the tone big time.

I was really surprised of how good it sounded. I mean sure it wont replace my rack tube setup, but for home and back up amp, its excellent.

I actully took it out of the little box from the combo and using it as head/preamp. The clean is pretty clean, you gotta be careful how you pick when turned up cause it could get slightly distored at very high volumes. The Lead channel is pretty good on its own. I use an MXR Microamp for a kick of boost and it does the Heavy Metal thing for me no problem. Again, I use a rack setup as my main setup and gonna leave this as my backup. For $50 canadian used, it does a pretty darn well job. To me, it sorta sounds crunchy/marshally on the lead channel when turned up.

So far so good..

never contacted them regarding this product.

Good enough to use as backup, sound is good but nothing tube.

I use this combo for practise with an electric piano and some synths ( mixed in a behringer console ) and need no more than a flat equalisation and a volume control.
Of course my setup is in "mono" and the second cabinet is almost always stored in his cardboard case.

Sorry, no guitar here. Piano and synth only.

Clean channel is what it means, a really clean channel.
Distortion channel is of no use to me.

Very robust. I'm used to open equipment and repair it myself ( or simply get a inside view ) After two years of having it I don't know the insides of my Roland.

No need of support.

It was purchased in a local store with has given a kindy support for many years.

Simply great for my use. My brother has tested it with some guitars and pedals and he went impressed with the sound ( very low power for gigs, he says, but great )

It works also in vocal reinforcement with an audio technica wireless lapel mic doing a fine work.

I don't know when the amp was made but I got in 1998. It's a sturdy amp but limits the way you play due to the amp having flat and un-unique tones on both channels. The two channels are clean and lead (distortion). I prefer the lead channel due to myself being into rock, blues and jazz. Something that sucked about the purchase of this amp was the fact that no footswitch was included therefore I have to change it manually on the actual amp! It has an effects loop and headphone jack. I wish it had a footswitch but I must admit it is pretty generous with features. I never use the 'speaker out' jack as it is only practice amp, and thats what I use it for, practicing. I only use it in my bedroom, I never gig with it. For my room it has a sufficient amount of power.

I use a strat copy with two single coils and one humbucker. Like I said I play rock, bluse and jazz. It's not the best with these styles but it does the job. The clean channel produces no noise except the noise you create with your instrument. Although the lead channel is bit noisy and the distortion is thin and muddy. This limits your playing drasticially. In defence of the amp it takes a lot of volume before the clean channel starts breaking up!

Very very reliable amp. never had it maintanced or looked throughout the five years I have owned it! Very sturdy and great strong construction. If I did gig with it (which I wouldn't) I would not hesitate to use it without a backup. Like I said, very very reliable!

I live in Australia so I am unsure of how I would go about servicing it. But hey, this amp just won't need it!

I've been playing for six years but I only own my strat copy, tonnes of leads, this amp and a BOSS Metal Zone MT-2. (I regret buying it!)
If it were stolen I would definitely upgrade to a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212 or a Peavey Classic 50 212. I love the way it always works no matter what the environment or situation. I hate it's limitations. I wish it had footswitch.

An exteremly durable and bomb proof little amp, it's a shame that Roland doesn't make it anymore. I like the lead channel, it is similar in sound to a JCM Dual Super Lead (which, would be the point, right). But, this is also a bad thing, since Marshalls are notorious for having distorted clean channels, which this amp replicates. I use it primarily for practice and really small gigs (80-100 People, small rooms). 25 Watts is plenty loud for that, I swear this thing is a loud as my buddies 50 watt Crate, and produces better low end sound. Plus it has a nice EQ, FX loop, and footswitch (but you have to buy it seperatly).

I use a few guitars with it: 1) Yamaha SHB 400 (Gibson style, set neck dual humbuckers, taps) 2) Epi Les Paul 3) Explorer Replica (dual humbuckers).
Plus, I use a BOSS DS-1 pedal for extra crunch, but this amp will get you there, you just have to turn it up.

This amp really replicates big stack Marshalls. It produces really nice low end /high pressure sounds. Alot of amps this size sound tinny. Part of this is the 4 speaker per cab configuration and the closed back. When I crank it to Pre-8 and Post-5 it shakes the walls. It gets almost to loud at about Post-9 so I haven't really gone higher. Suprising for such a small amp, but it is really an issue of scale. (Smaller speakers to drive, etc). Roland did a good job. The clean channel does get distorted when really loud, but like I said, Marshalls do the same thing (my buddies JCM does and so have all the others I ve played).

I don't really ever think to much about my amp.

I've had this amp for 4 years. It has never given me any problems. Even after being kicked, puked on, etc it still works like it did when I bought it. Roland stuff is bomb proof!

No clue, never needed it.

It sucks that Roland doesn't make it anymore, but that's life. I love this amp and if you can find a used one, it's better than any of its competition. It was recommended to me by a guy who hot rods Marshalls and Mesas when I was in high school. I am looking at getting a Crate Blue Voodoo now.... but that's for gigs.

just look at the list i can't be bothered to repeat what other people have said.

i used a strat, the clean is very clean, the lead-you can get a nice tone but tends to be too 'classic lead' for me, i mainly play rancid, nofx, less than jake kind of stuff and found the tone choked at high volumes.

solid as a brick sh*t house, i've dropped it down stairs and thrown it through a window and it's fine, the covering semms solid enough at first but soon starts to tear.

2nd hand

i love this amp but more because of sentemental value really, it has nice tone and makes a brillant practice amp, i even found it loud enough to play with a band with, a real good piece of kit, if you buy another amp don't sell this one.

this amp is a good amp for practicing by your self. you have to play with the tone alot to get a good sound. some channel switching peadals do not work with the amp. the effects loop is halfway decent but i perfer to go straight in with this amp. it lacks power for onstage stuff, and the clean channel becomes very distorted when you put it above 5 (which isnt very loud seeing how it maxes at 11). its hard to play with a drummer when you use this amp because it doesnt get loud enough.

the clean channel like i said gets VERY distorted. the distortion channel is pretty good, but i dont really use it that often. it has only 2 sounds it does, clean and distorted.

i wouldnt really use this amp for playing any gigs. youll really regret it.

it has a 90 day warranty with it, but other wise im not sure.

this amp is not worth your money. its really cool at first but as you keep playing it, it becomes a load of crap that you dont even want to use any more. ive had mine for about 3 years, and im hating it. it would make a good beginers amp for just practicing at home, but i wouldnt use it for any thing else.

As others have noted: 20Watts (25 with extension cab), clean and overdrive channels, bass mid and treble controls, presence control. Has four 5" speakers and uses Roland's "Tube Logic" solid state technology. Has headphone jack, speaker out, Effects send and return (mono) and footswitch jack to select channel. Chickenhead style knobs and a good looking heavy duty cabinet with a closed back. I tie it together with a Fender Ultimate Chorus via the Fender's send and the Roland's return. Adds a lot of dimension across the room. I give it a 9 because of the Effects send/return, and ability to cascade amps on such an inexpensive amp.

Using with a Strat and an acoustic electric. Clean channel is extremely clean - no hiss or hum. Great truthful sound reproduction almost all the way through the volume range. Overdrive channel is also noiseless, and sounds great. I have a Fender Ultimate Chorus that everyone raves about how clean the clean channel is. This amp is much cleaner. I also like the overdrive this amp produces over the Zoom 505 effects pedal I use - very smooth. The amp has a nice tube sounding quality both on the clean and overdrive channels. I compared to several small tube amps and greatly preferred this amp over them all. I was surprised at the sound produced by the 4 speaker arrangement.

I've only had it a couple of weeks, but it is definitely built very solid. Leaps beyond all other practice amps I compared in a similar price range. I expect it'll last forever.

For $99, this amp is a steal. I can't believe all of the comments in here regarding people getting these amps at blowout prices (like I also did). What's up with this? If it were lost, I'd buy another in a second. It sure beats hauling that Ultimate Chorus around. For the price, I'd be greedy to ask for any additional features.

Features described by others. Basically, a very well-thought out high quality practice amp: two channels, three EQ controls, presence, all the requisite jacks (extension speaker, effects loop, cabinet voiced headphone jack, footswitch). Nice, efficient 1and somewhat unique look, sort of vintage but from no identifiable era. Cabinet is heavy-duty, closed-back, and slanted in front.

A really impressive range of sounds can be coaxed. The clean channel is as noted very tube-like in its tone and responsiveness; the distortion, unlike on Roland's JC line, is excellent. I played this against various Marshall Valvestates using several LP type guitars and the GC killed them on clean tone and equalled them for distortion. Can be fairly loud for a 20 watt transistor combo, but with pre- and post-gains and presence, you can get great "stack overdrive" sound at very very low volume. For any amp, the sound is very good, but for a solid-state practice amp under $100 it's oustanding.

Don't know, but it's heavy, the cabinet is VERY solid with thick vinyl and steel corners. Seems quite rugged, but is unlikely to go far from my apartment. Based on experience with Roland's BOSS pedals (which you can't break intentionally, for the most part) no worries.

Decent web site, otherwise no idea.

Have a few guitars and amps (Epi Les Paul, Fender Nashville Tele, Takamine acoustic, Fender Princeton 112, Electar Tube 10, various effects). I returned the mini Marshall G10 I recently got (and reviewed -- I do like it) and for ten bucks more got this -- about twenty times the amp. For the price you bet I'd get it again, and actually if some of the dealers still have the GC-405x "stack" version on close-out for under $150 I may pick one of those up also.

The clean tone is great, very tube like, and the distortion is quite versitile IMO. It is 25 watts with the cab connected and has a 3 band eq section with a presence control. There is an effects loop, headphone and footswitch jack, plus an ext. speaker output (I got the unit with the ext. cab giving me a total of 8-5 inch speakers)

For the price I paid I think it's an excellent sounding amp (it's a mini-stack actually). In my situation it's perfect because I have neighbors and can't go totally balistic. This amp sounds great from med to very loud volumes and that's what I've been looking for in an amp. These little 5 inch speakers really pump out some low end contrary to what I expected (they do rattle a bit when you go nuts though). I prieviously had a 200 watt ADA stereo amp and 2-2x12 cabs so I'm comparing it to the sound I had with that setup. Of course it doesn't have the volume capabilities of my old gear but it comes damn close "tonewise". I play metal and punk styles mostly and use a fender strat with emg's and a fender jagmaster. I also have a digitech RP-7 but this review is based on the Roland alone, NOT with the RP-7 hooked up to it)

Too soon to tell but it seems resilient.

N/A

I just got it on a close out sale and am extreamly pleased. This is the best practice amp I've ever played through and for the price It's almost hard to believe. It has the tone of a stack IMO and I think I'd use it to gig (via a PA of course). Again I must mention that the speakers do rattle a bit at very high volume but overall this amp is a great deal at $199 (this price was for the stack, I think the amp alone was marked at $129.)

A pretty simple (and Pretty) little amp setup, suitable for home recording and practice mostly. 20 watts, 25 with the extension. A gain switch (some people's definition of 2 channel) Pre and Post volume gain (this is great for a Practice amp) Line out (You can gig this amp) Ext Speaker out. The thing about this is that this amp/cab combination features a total of 8 five - inch speakers. Line in, doubling as an effects return, effects send, gain footswitch option. This is a pretty well specified 'practice' amp, although with the cab, it's pretty big. Oh yes, Tube Emulation circuitry (Oh yeah?). Slight 'Vintage' vibe with really beefy chrome corners and nice chickenhead knobs tough and chunky vinyl covering. Looks great (especially as a stack). Wouldn't miss the distortion sounds but that's down to a personal preference rather than a comment on quality. No onboard reverb which might be percieved as a disadvantage, personally, I don't care, I have an effects unit.

I use a Godin TC-2(Zoom 505 in constant companionship) which (if you don't already know) is vaguely a Tele - style guitar with tapable 'Hot Rails' S/c sized humbuckers. Don't know what brand of pickups it has but it kicks the ass of any Fender Standard model I've played (Tone and Volume). I play mostly Celtic tinged Blues with a bit of Country Americana (re - unite ethnic influences now!). What this boils down to is that I need a fairly 'rich' clean sound. Something fairly neutral to reproduce the sound of my Zoom/Guitar combo. Listen, people, it works. The sound without the zoom is so good, I'm thinking of buying a switching unit to isolate the Zoom properly and use the 'straight' sound as an alternative... It's a 'Juice' machine, people. I'm a natural sceptic about these things but the 'tube emulation' is pretty impressive. It's not clean all the way up, once you get to about the '2 o'clock' position, it begins to break up gently, much like a tube amp. It is possible to make those little 5-inch speakers rattle in a nasty way, though - take care. As you would expect from Roland it isn't very noisy - in fact it tames the noise of my Zoom 505 slightly, making the almost legendary hiss from this effects unit tolerable. If you are into that sort of thing, the distortions, via the pre and post volume gain pots give you a pretty wide range of sounds, from gently broken up distortions, to Death Metal and everything in between. The 3 band eq works fine and there is also a Presence control which is really effective and helps give a lovely 'glassy' quality to the sound. Both the combo and extension are closed back designs and removing the backs doesn't improve the sound, leave them as they are. I've never used the 'perfect' amp but bearing in mind the cost/convenience and it's suitability for my playing style, it's getting a 10.

I would gig this amp in confidence, although I haven't tried the line out through a P.A. Really, you can do so much through a desk etc. that it probably doesn't matter. I only bought it in January '98 so I can't comment on long - term reliability.

When I bought it, I had to schlep it home without even any packaging. Probably more a comment on the music store than the Company. Roland have a good reputation, I'm not worried. Got a standard Year's warranty from the store.

I'm a 2 decades player and I've used a lot of amps. The extent of my gear at the moment is the Roland, the Zoom, the Godin (I'm not a gear junky). I would buy the same model again in complete confidence. If I couldn't get one, I'd be tempted by a Roland blues cube or one of the smaller Jazz Chorus amps, one of the new Randalls. If I had more money, anything small with tubes; Fender, Peavey, SJB, Mesa/Boogie Carvin............etc. I really like small amps, they sound sweeter. I wish I hadn't sold my old 1968 vintage Marshall 25 watt head/column speaker setup. It was a truly beautiful amp..... The Roland comes close. I couldn't wish for more, but I would gladly do without the distortion circuit although it's fun for frightening the cat/small children. Sorry to sound devoted and gushing but it gets top marks again. Really, a great recording/practice/gig amp for 99 English Pounds!