Roland GC-405X

This is a mini-stack with 4-5" speakers in each cabinet. It has 25-watts with both cabinets. Lead and Clean channel. Tube emulation, Pre & Post gain, bass, mid, treble, & presence controls, The only downfall "No Reverb", Has footswitch jack for channels switching, Effects loop, Headphone jack. The Tube Emulation in this amp is great. Is sound just like "full blown tubes growling". Next to a Marshall mini stack with tubes there is not much difference. You might think I'm crazy but I think this sounds better so I am selling my Marshall mini-stack.

I use a Strat and Les Paul. Great Blus tones out of this amp, real thick clean chords. I use 2-GC-405X (stereo), I drive them with a DOD-VGS-50 Valve Effects Processor, and Cry-Baby wah. The effects loop is very clean no noise even with my old wah. The Distortion is better then the Tube in the DOD. This amp is great for recording. Agin my only complaint can someone tell me why no Reverb, they put it in there bigger GC-408X so why not this one. I get the Reverb I need from the DOD it's just the point that most reverb on amp are better then the Reverb on any processor.

No problems and don't think I will have any. This is a solid amp build with quality.

Roland I think would have good service but I have never had to use them.

I'm a drummer who just plays around on a guitar, but I do know how to play, I write a lot of are material so it helps being able to play a little, (wish I could play a lot better). I would replace these if I could still find these. I beleive this is the last year for them. I still think these sound better then my Marshall mini-stack, But I'm a drummer not a guitarist. It may be that since I have 2-sets of these that I think it souns better. Stereo always sound better then Mono.

This amp is loaded with features for the price. It has two channels (only one input, though) ... one for clean and one for solid-state "tube emulation" overdrive. The clean channel has a single volume control (cool chicken-head knobs). The overdrive channel has pre-amp and power-amp volume. Both channels then feed into a 3-band EQ with an additional "presence" control. The channels are switchable from the front panel via a button AND via a footswitch via a real panel 1/4" jack. It did not come with a footswitch, although any simple SPST stomp switch would work fine. I bought the Boss FS5L latching footswitch to use ... its indicator light when engaged is a nice feature. It would have been nice for Roland to add a similar LED or light on the front panel to indicate when the overdrive channel is engaged.
On the back panel, you'll find a cabinet-voiced headphone jack, effects loop send, effects loop return, external speaker jack (8-ohm), and a footswitch jack for switching channels. Outstanding features for an amp this size and price.
The combo portion of the amp (the GC-405) is rated at 20W and has 4-5" speakers in a slant front enclosure (for that mini-marshall look). The enclosure is wrapped in a black tolex-like cover, fully enclosed back, silver front panel with black chicken-head knobs. The grill is black with silver highlights.
The external speaker is similar in size and color (no control panel), but with a flat front and also 4-5" speakers. It's rated at 8-ohms and connects to the combo via 1/4" phone jack connection (included). Together the combo and speakers make up the GC-405X "mini stack" and are rated at 25W.
It weighs next to nothing and each component is the size of an old milk box (when there were milkmen).
I have used it mic'ed to a sound board, direct line to a sound board and, in small rehearsal settings, alone. I've also used it as an additional stage monitor after a preamp and speaker emulator.
You'd have to look long and hard for the features at the price I paid!
The amp is rated at 20W when only using the contained 4-5" speakers in the slan
I don't know what year this amp was made, sorry.

I play a Gibson Les Paul Custom (74), a Fender Strat ('73), and an Ovation Balladeer electric/acoustic ('78). I also have a fair string of Boss pedals including a compressor, delay, chorus, phase, and noise suppressor. I play in a church worship band and this amp can handle all the different styles .. from country to alternative christian.
Since there are no effect features built in, other than overdrive, it simply amplifies and saturates the tone without much else. I have detected some noise when I run my H&K Cream Machine preamp into the instrument-in jack. It sounds more like a ground loop than anything else.
The clean channel is pristine throughout the volume range. You can effectively dial-in the saturation and volume using the pre- and post- volume knobs on the overdrive channel. It has a very surprizing warm tone. Not exactly tube, but close. I compared this, side by side, with Crate and Marshall Valvestate and thought the Roland blew them both away for the overdrive sound. Be advised that it is more of a blues overdrive than a crunch distortion. If you need the brutal heavy metal scream, you'll need an effect pedal.
Again, for the money, this is an awesome amplifier ... the footswitchable channels make it well worth the small investment.

I've only had it for 3 months, but it seems to be just fine. There is no cover available, so I'm concerned about transporting in weather, so I use a x-tra large plastic trash bag over it. Not real pretty, but effective. Should have a cover available as an additional purchase option, so I'll go with an 8.

Never dealt with them. It would be nice if their website had an email address ... for that I go with a 7.

This is a great little amp for supplementing stage monitors, very small venues and rehearsals. Loads of great features for low cost. I don't know if Roland makes them anymore, so they may be hard to find. I got mine in a blow-out sale at a local music store, as have many of the people who have reviewed this.

I wanted a really light tube amp for on-stage work, something that I could put right next to my head and mike up. With the direct out, this amp really fits the bill. The direct out is pretty quiet for a cheaper amp.

I've owned several tube amps, and I think this one gives any of them a run for their money. The warmth on the clean channel is really tube-like, and when you crank the pre-volume on the lead channel, it has all the squeeze of tubes. I found some really neat sounds by turning down the guitar, and turning the pre-volume up higher.

N/A. (I am looking forward to not having to replace tubes every few months). I did find one thing that I didn't like; there were a few rattles in the amp. I thought they were the speakers flapping (see other reviews), but I found that they were the PCD standoffs. They are glued on the case end, but not on the circuit board end. I also had to put some silicone grease under the heat-sink. Once I did those fixes, the rattles are gone.

I own three Roland Keyboards, and have had excellent service on them, so I assume the amp will be the same.

I've always loved the sound of a tube amp that is in proper shape, but since most tube amps are really fickle, it's always been a love-hate relationship. With this amp, it's all on the love side...

This is a GREAT little amp. Not a good amp,but a GREAT one! Mine came with the extetion cab w/ 4 speakers for a total of eight 5" drivers. Thats 40"! Has a nice claen blues sound and a pretty good distortion. Cabinet voiced headphone jack. Easily enough snot to play a small lounge gig<unless your drummer has no sense of presence.

This little amp soundred great with my strat. When you crank it up it can get a little noisy, but there is no need to crank it that much. This is a loud amp for its size. I like the distortion, and the clean channel is sweet. I use it for all styles except metal.

Its Roland. Its not going to break IMO. Roland makes good stuff.

Never had to deal with the company.

Ive been playing along time and I would buy another if this one was stolen. Its small w/ big sound and alocal dealer in my area is BLOWING THEM OUT THE DOOR FOR 149!!!! It lists for over $400! If you want a great amp cheap- chech this out. E mail me w/ any questions.