Roland JC-120

Same as all the other listings. Actually this is text is just an ammendment to my previous review.

I have noticed that some of you have written about a "hiss" in your JC-120's. Since my JC-120 doesn't do that I decided to investigate that problem.

My brothers JC-120 needed to be repaired after a thunderstorm. It did not hiss before but it does now. So that hightened my curiousity.

I have found that JC-120's which were made in USA during the 80's do not do that. Newer JC-120's that were made in Japan do have a "hiss" in them. JC-120's which have had either or both of the two boards inside replaced hiss.

I've checked out more than a dozen JC-120's now (including brand new ones) and this is very consistant. I then downloaded some schematics and service manuals for the different time periods and found what I believe is the reason.

I found that many of the transistors (especially the power amps) from the original design are no longer made and Roland had to re-design the JC-120. I believe the hiss is a side effect of that redesign.

I also found that the 80's Made-in-USA JC-120's have plywood cabinets and the newer ones are press-board cabinets.

I would like to here from all of you about where your JC-120 was made and whether or not it has a hiss. If it had been repaired and it didn't his before, but it does hiss now. Stuff like that.

Built like a tank. Repairs a uncommon and easy to do in the rare event that any are needed.

Never needed them until I wanted to read the schematics to sort this hiss problem out. But when I asked for them, they gave them to me. So I'm changing my previous N/A rating to a 10.

I have now examined (and taken apart) several JC-120's and asside from the fact that some of them hiss, the sound is great on every one. Such consistancy has changed my previous rating of 9 to a 10.

Same as everybody elses. I wish you could footswitch channels and also footswitch between vibrato and chorus. To get around the channel switching, you can use and a/b switch.

I've used many guitars, instruments, and even vocals through mine. All sounded great. This amp is also stupidly loud. I've seriously hurt myself cranking 120 watts of solid state cleanliness. That's where the beauty of a tube amp comes in.... anywho, I play all styles from jazz, classical, to hard-core and wedding music. The Roland JC series is the perfect platform for other tone altering devices.. Sansamp/Tech 21, POD, V-Amp,etc. In fact, I can get better Marshall tones out of my Roland and a Sansamp then my buddy could out of his Marshall Valvestate! I use a Sansamp Acoustic DI, Mesa Boogie V-Twin, Sansamp Original, and a Sansamp Tri-AC. There isn't much I can't cover with that gear and the Roland. Since I do have a Marshall, I mostly use my Roland for gigging.. mainly for my acoustics. With the Sansamp stuff, I don't always need to lug around my Marshall. At the same time, I do like having the Marshall for it's "appearance" and coolness factor.

I've had mine since 1986. I've gigged a ton with it, recorded with it, hell.. I even rode it down the road once! Never had a problem. In 1999 I had the pots cleaned. That's the only maintainance I've ever performed. Sonically, I know what I'm going to get everytime I turn it on. I can't say the same about my Marshall or Mesa.

never dealt with them. never needed to.

I've had and used a lot of gear in my days and the Roland JC-120 has been the only thing I could never part with. I've had Marshalls, Mesa's, Peavey's, etc etc etc... all of those kicked ass well. The Roland can just do so many things and is so damn reliable. I don't use it for everything, but I like knowing that it's there.

I don't give 10's generously, but now that I've had this amp for 16 years and never been let down, I feel the Roland has earned a few 10's.

I'm guessing this amp was made in the early 90's, toggle switch for chorus. It's very versatile in my application because I use outboard effects to get every sound I need. I play lead guitar in a REM tribute band that also covers the gamut from 80's 90's and '00 rock.
Two channels, two inputs per channel, no channel switching, has an FX loop, no headphone jack.
I use this amp live exclusively - I leave it in our insured band practice room.
Solid state, stereo chorus - the chorus is awesome - and vibrato is very useful!!!!

I'm mostly using a 70's strat thru this, usually on the bridge-neck combination of pickups. It's also a great acoustic guitar amp! Throw a little chorus and 'verb on an acoustic thru it - what a great sound...
It suits all of the styles I play - I also play with an alt-country band (I play lap steel and mandolin) and it handles it all!
It _is_ noisy. It's the first thing I noticed when I tried it out. Basically the JC120 has a inherent hiss somewhere in the circuitry. You'll be able to hear it in the studio and in the bedroom, but live, you will never notice.
The clean channel is never distorted - and this amp can get loud!!! Short of playing a super-arena, you won't NEED to mike this. I have mic'ed it, tho, just to keep stage volume down...
The distortion is not 'brutal'. Other reviewers comment it can be used as a volume boost for solos - that seems like a really good idea, I would try that, but I use a 3 channel Tech21 preamp for amp sounds and solo boosts, plus, the only footswitch I have is devoted to chorus/vibrato.

Which reminds me: the chorus is killer - well worth having this amp. I use the chorus when I want to get a huge spready sound AND the vibrato is killer for when you want to get the John Scofield warbly sound OR a good soul rythym sound (like Greg Humphreys of Hobex!) - just keep it subtle. I use the vibrato sometimes on the 'breakdown' parts of songs like "I Will Follow" by U2 or "Superman" - REM. Volume swells sound great with vibrato.
I always joke that the vibrato on an extreme setting will make you sick to your stomach!

The JC120 is a classic, and once you play thru one for a while, you'll know why and you WON'T regret your purchase of a 'lifetime' amp. The only drawback is the distortion - just getcha a good stompbox!!! Another reviewer said that the tone of the amp won't make you go crazy - I agree. I use a preamp thru the front of the amp or thru the FX returns. I spent HOURS trying to get the preamp to sound good by tweaking the knobs on the Roland until I realized that that was the wrong approach. If you are going to put a preamp in the front of the amp, put the bass, mid, and treble knobs straight up. Add 'verb, chorus, and volume to taste.

This amp has always been there for me. We used to play a club with a really small stage and I turned the JC120 was on it's SIDE (to fit on stage) and it still sounded great!!! I have used it all the time without backup - get a spare fuse, you'll be ok. My backup is Guitar->Tech21->P.A.
One thing to look out for: it's a heavy-duty amp, built well, and will take abuse EXCEPT for the front!!! My JC120 was getting BEAT UP in our band trailer until I had an epiphany. Go to your local Home-superstore and get a 29" by 20" piece of heavy plexiglas cut. Pick up some velco-tape on your way out. Take the cover off the amp, turn it (the cover, not the amp) inside out, and velcro the plexiglas to the INSIDE of the cover on the side that would cover the front. Voila - no one can see it, no more broken knobs, bent chorus switches, kicked-in cloth grilles. If you don't have the cover, check out tukicovers.com.

I've never dealt with Roland. I'm sure a local amp tech can service this amp. It's definitely out of warranty by now - the first question they probably ask is, "Sir, have you ever played the amp when it was on it's side?"

I've been playing 15 years. I own many guitars, bass, dobro, lap steel, a Vox practice amp (don't laugh - I opened for Gatemouth Brown with this sucka!), Tech21 Tri-AC preamp (love it), wah, whammy.

If it was stolen (can't imagine losing a JC120!) I would probably buy a JC77 off eBay instead, just for the fact that it's smaller and lighter.
I love it because this BigMutha has always been there - when I flip the power switch, I KNOW I'm going to get a consistent sound, I know it's not a tube amp, but it's not harsh or brittle. I know I'm going to get MY sound.

I chose this one because I got a KILLER deal on it from a guy who needed a smaller amp!
If you are a semi-pro or pro that uses outboard effects and doesn't need a vintage Fender and needs a reliable classic, get a JC120, you won't be disappointed.

This is the 2002 model (bought new). I've owned it for 24 hours now and think I know enough about what it does to be able to give a considered opinion.

People have said if you want metal, don't buy this amp. I fully disagree. Yes, if you bought this amp and this amp alone and plugged your guitar in, you aren't going to get a Triple Rectifier - take a hint from the name Jazz Chorus. But because of the fact that this is the cleanest amp ever, whatever pedal you put in front of it will sound as it was meant to.

I play metal mostly (with band), some jazz (just when I'm messing around at home) and occasionally some acoustic songs. This amp plays them all. Having not tried to play Van Halen riffs through this, I don't know if it'll give the 80s metal sound, but it's perfect for Rage Against The Machine. As far as jazz goes, this is the best amp available for it. The sweetest tone ever. And, since Channel 1 has no effects, plugging an acoustic in is like going into a PA.

I mentioned Channel 1 - yes, this is a two channel amp. There is no channel switch footpedal, but it's not really needed. The way I use it is having my guitar synth output into channel 1 and the normal guitar into Channel 2 (which is where the chorus/vibrato/distortion effects come into play). When I want guitar and no synth, I just turn down the volume of the synth on my guitar. If you don't like doing that sort of thing, you could always buy a volume pedal. The point is, the channels aren't like "Classic/Crunch" settings, one is totally clean no matter how hard you crank (a BIG selling point for this baby) and the second channel gives the classic JC sounds. It has an Effects Loop on Channel 2 which I don't use (but who knows, I might).

A feature I wish it had was programmable chorus. Yes, the chorus that is built in is the best chorus in town, but it would still be nice to have the option. Another problem is you can't switch between Vibrato and Chorus on the footpedal - they run out of one pot and as such you have to set it on the amp for the footswitch to simply work as an on switch. This is a minor problem.

People have said how bad the distortion is - well, it isn't any good for crunchy power chords, but that's where your effects are meant to come into play. This distortion should be seen more as a booster. So when you do your solo, turn it on and you'll cut through the band more.
I use this amp at home (fine) and on gigs (fine). This is 120 watts (60 in each speaker) - asking "does it have enough power for you?" is almost insulting.

Solid State, stereo chorus, and 2 line outs (Left/Mono and Right).

I use a Godin LGXT with Custom Seymour Duncan pickups, and a Gibson "The Paul" with it's stock pickups.

Here is my biggest problem - the hiss. This amp hisses badly. I don't know why, but for some reason even with all the volumes on 0, it still hisses. When playing alone this is a huge problem. However, in a band it will be unnoticeable, and when recording, a little EQ'ing will get rid of it. However, it's just an unnecessary problem, probably just because of inferior wiring inside the actual amplifier. It's the kind of thing Roland should not just accept as "part of the JC-120 Magic!" and get rid of.

I've said it before, but the clean channel will never ever distort. Ever. It's great.

Only had it a day, but just by looking at it you can tell it's not going to fall apart. It's heavy too, weighing in at 68 lbs and 13 ozs (31.2 kg). No, this is not going to break. (PS. It comes with Wheels so you don't break your back taking it places - GREAT feature!)

Never had to deal with Roland.

I have been playing for about 5 years now. You don't really need my whole gear list, but with this amp I go from the guitar into an electro-harmonix Big Muff (RUSSIAN MADE - no colourful-but-engineered-by-a-monkey american crap for me thanks), into a Line6 FM4 Filter Modeller, into a Digitech Whammy then into Channel 2. For the synth, it's just guitar-synth-Channel 1.

If it were stolen or lost (although how I'd lose this is beyond me) I'd buy a new one... eventually. They aren't cheap amps.

I compared it to many different amps after deciding that using a POD live just wasn't working, but frankly I always wanted one of these and I kept coming back to it. I've tried Marshall's, Peavey, Line6, Fenders, Cornford's and Mesa's and this just had my sound. Simple as that.

This is one of the 90's models, it has the push button power switch (which replaced the toggle on/off switch of earlier models), but does not have the silver cone speakers that were recently put back into production. I purchased this amp looking for the cleanest amp I could find, as a foundation for pedals ... This is it. As far as my musical style is concerned, check it out for yourself: http://www.resignation.ws/music. There is an effects loop which I don't use (I never have been too fond of them), two channels, distortion, vibrato, reverb, and the famous Roland stereo chorus. The power section is completely solid state, two 60 watts power amps for stereo effects. It definitely has all the clean headroom that you need. I've never actually used the distortion or vibrato to any degree, or the non-effected channel (although, since this bridges the amps, it is somewhat louder). I bought this for clean and chorus, and for that, it delivers. I don't consider this a versatile amp - it only does one thing, but it does that amazingly well.

I currently run a Fender Thinline Telecaster 69 reissue through several effects pedals and into the high input of the chorus channel. I replaced the Tele's stock pickups with Joe Barden Twinblades. If you listen to the early Cure (17 Seconds, Faith, Pornography) you can get a good idea of the general sound of this amp. The cleans are sharp, glassy and defined, no one will mistake this for a tube amp. Yet, that's not to say the tone is sterile, simply accurate. I get tones ranging from lap steel esque tremelo to David Gilmour's "Comfortably Numb" solos with the help of effects. I'd have to say that if you're looking for Black Sabbath or modern rock distortion, no ammount of overdriving or effects are going to deliver that with the JC-120. However, combined with pedals, this thing can produce a vast range of tones and textures. And of course, the stereo chorus effect is legendary. I've never heard a better chorus, and I'm a chorus junkie. The only complaint I have in this regard is that the chorus is preprogrammed, ie. unadjustable. Strange, considering they have rate and depth controls for the vibrato. Nonetheless, the stock chorus settings are deep and shimmerining, not to mention, true stereo. All in all, you can turn this thing to 11 and still have a beautifully clean sound and the perfect foundation to reproduce your effects and guitar tone. The only real problem is an all volume hiss that's present on both channels. It is unnoticable when playing, but may present a problem it recording. It seems this hiss is symtomatic of the JC series.

Interestingly enough, mine is currently in the shop. I bought it used, so I can't say how much wear and tear it received before my day. After about a year of owning it, the chorus channel putted out. Instead of any discernable guitar tone, it only produced loud and random static. Nonetheless, solid state amps are known for reliablity, so I'm going to hope that I'm not going to have another problem for a long time.

I've been playing for several years, and in addition to the Roland, I own a Lab Series L5. While I admit, that if I was playing any kind of crunchy or aggressive rock guitar, I'd be in trouble, for the style of music that I'm currently involved in, the JC-120 is peerless. This is not a jack-of-all-trades amplifier. It is a one-trick pony - clean, accurate and loud tone with an amazing chorus. I wish it had a built in compressor (like the L5), I'll just have to purchase one on my own. I purchased this over several other similar models (Fenders and Peaveys) mostly due to my inability to get the JC-120 to distort at high volumes and its transparent tone.

Very straight forward. Solid state, two channels, one clean with parametric equalizer, second with parametric equalizer and built-in chorus/vibrato, reverb and distortion. Effects loop, footswitch jacks for reverb, chorus and distortion. Line out.

Just to give you an idea of what's going on, I run in sequence:
1) Gibson Les Paul Standard or Fender American Deluxe Tele (both with Dean Markley Blue Steel regular 10's);
2) Mutron III (optional);
3) BOSS TU-2 Chromatic Tuner;
4) VHT Valvulator;
5) MXR Phase 100 (script, 'VERY' old);
5) Carl Martin compressor;
6) Budda Bud Wah;
7) Reverend Drivetrain Overdrive;
8) Hot Chili Tubester Distortion;
9) Boss LS-2 Line Selector - splitting the signal to a Mesa DC-5 (always on 'clean' channel) and the second (effects) channel of the JC-120 with a Maxon AD-80 analog delay in the effects loop;
The amp settings are:
vol - mostly between 2 and 3, never past 5 - TOO LOUD!
treble - 3.5;
middle - 4;
bass - 5.5;
reverb - 2;
distortion - 1 (always on !!);
chorus is fixed - you can't adjust it! - but it sounds great the way it is;
vibrato - used sometimes,with speed on 3 and depth on 5.
The distortion always on and set to 1 (smallest knob position you can get without turning it off) provides little mid boost and 'thickness' to the sound. I may turn it off sometimes, especially with the Les Paul, to avoid too much 'mud'. With the Tele is just the perfect combination.
With this set up I can sound big and tight to keep the groove for my 'acid_jazz - R&B - funk - samba' 10 members band that can get really LOUD sometimes. The Mesa provides the 'light break up' and the Jazz Chorus the 'loud clean chorused and echo sound'.
In this application, it's just perfect the way it projects the sound of any combination of guitar - effects - technique.
Technique-wise, I particularly like to use just my fingers (no pick), since the amp adds already plenty of attack to the notes naturally (solid state).
Ok, you can't expect to sound like a wall of Rectifiers with this. But who needs that anyway... and if you want big clear chords and amazing analog chorus, this is definitely the way to go.

It won't break. Believe me, this is the 'road dog' that will always be there for you. I had Fenders, Marshalls and Hiwatt. The Jazz Chorus beats them in reliability with ease. The Mesa is pretty decent too, in this aspect, but needs to be treated differently and this is a topic for another review.

Never talked to them.

I've been playing for twenty years. I finally have a set up that is simple and portable enough with the quality that I always looked for.
I love everything in this amp and would certainly buy it again if it were lost or stolen.

'87 Jazz Chorus, 2 channels, never use the first one.
2*12 speaker, made by Roland. The power is well enough, I've never push it as hard as it goes, cause it would blow my ear.

I play a Guild X-170 w. D'addario 13-56 flatwounds. Just plugging the guitar into the amp and go won't make anyone happy. The amps filters are a bit different from other amps I've tried, like old Fenders, Riviera, Acoustic Image. You have to cut the bass and boost the middle to create a sound with a nice bottom and to save your ears from a horrible treble-sound.

My settings are something like:

Treble: 2,2
Middle: 6,8
Bass: 3,1
Reverb: 1,4

With these setting and with my Guild, I get one of the nicest jazztones ever played by mankind.

Well, I would use it on a gig without a backup, on the settings I use, there would be no change in hell that I would broke this amp.

Warranty probably went out '88

My amp is a 2002 Roland JC-120 120 watt 2x12 Combo. This amp is extremely clean and very loud. One of the loudest i've heard! It has two channels 1-clean 2-effect, stereo effects loop, stereo line outs, footswitching for the chorus, vibrato, and distortion.

I play an modified Ibanez RG-120. It has a Dimarzio PAF Pro in the neck position, and a Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge position. (i highly recommend this setup) I run my guitar through a Boss GT-6 Multi-effects Processor. From there I run the stereo outs to the stereo effects loop of the amp. I keep my amp clean, and process all of the sounds I need with the pedal. This is a great setup. I can get any sound I want! This amp handles bass really well without any clipping, and you can crank it as loud as you want.

Too soon to tell, but it's a Roland so i'm not worried. I would definitely gig with out a backup.

I have never delt with Roland or Boss in the past. I doubt I ever need to.

This is a great amp. To all of you tube only guys out there, play a Boss GT-6 through this and tell me it doesn't sound great. It will have you fooled. You can't beat this setup for ease and versatility.

2000 year, 2 channel, High Mid and Low for each channel, pus brightness, channel 2 has an fx loop and chorus + vibrato. Pretty good freatures.

I play metal music with a Fender Strat (Stock PU's) It squeals fairly well, but the treble is much too high for my liking. I also wish it had more bass handling. It is a very good amp, very versatile, acoustic or distortion. altough, I dont reccomend it for metal, it is very bright, which is great for acoustics.

This thing is indestructable. It weights enough to live through dropping it, and its as heavy as a fxcking tank. No worries about breaking it!

Never dealt with them...

Ive been playing for a little over a year, and its is very good, even for someone playing for years. If it was stolen or I could trade it in, Id rather have a half stack, Marshall or Hughes and Kettner.

Mid '80s 2 channels, no switching. 120 watts solid state(2x60)and it is plenty. True Stereo Chorus, vibrato, reverb, distortion, all footswitchable. 2 12's roland speakers.Casters. Built B-4 MIDI. This is the BEST 2-12 combo ever. Clean delivery of any type of signal.I usually run it on 2. I have a Trace elliot super tramp 112 that I have to run at 8 to keep up with the JC-120.I gig every weekend and
have used it on every gig. It can be a pain to lug around, but every time you turn it on , it's worth it.

I use two strats w/ emgs, one has an onboard preamp. This amp covers every thing from country to Creed. There is a little solid state hiss but I might have a bad cord somewhere in my rack. The Distortion is not normally used, but I discovered one day that it has the same quality as the effect used in thr old "Sprit in the Sky" tune form the late 60's.I generally run the treble either off with the bright switch engaged or at 2 witout bright.( I use the Bridge Pickup alot) Mids @ 3, Bass at 4-5. I use a foot switch to engage the chorus. I have found that you get a great sound with the speed and intensity at 0. It's like that perfect 80's chorus on all the time sound (Def Leopard). Also perfect for slow tunes. The amp is basically a clean vehicle for my rack. I run a Boss GX 700 w/ COSM amp emulation, A Marshall JMP-1, an Ibanez UE-405, and an old ART SGE Mach II (into the effects unit of the JMP -1.) I can cover any sound I want with this rig. The volume is enough to blow off some pretty serious house systems if I want to.

I have never had a problem with any Roland Gear. I use the Trace as an additional send off of my rack, not as a backup. If you use decent tube preamps, I see no basis for the argument that "tubes rule". I have 10 years of "peaceful coexistence" to prove it

N/a

. This is my second JC-120. The first was stolen, found at a Pawn shop and then stolen by the owner of the pawn shop b4 I could pay him what he had in it to get it back. (One of the stupidist laws on the books). I suffered for 6 months with an ADA microtube power amp and a boogie cabinet, before I finally broke down and traded a beautiful custom paul for another JC-120. I will probably never get rid of it because I can always depend on it for the sound I love. I have played all the brands over the years and you know you are on to something when you buy it twice.