Roland JC-120

The Jc-120H is not a feature packed amp. Mine is an early 80's single channel model. The distortion is absolutely the worst you can get for the price; However, the chorus is beautiful (especially when run in stereo)and its got clean power for days. the only thing it doesn't have that i would really like, is aneffects loop.. they had to have known that with the nasty distorion, someone(nearly everyone) would run outboard effects of some sort.

The only thing that stops this from being a 10 is the distortion. the clean sound is clean no matter what level you have it turned up to. I have used a lot of different guitars with this thing, and it makes crappy guitars sound good, and good guitars sound excellent. I am currently using an Ibanez RG570, the jc120 head, a behringer V-amp, all of this coming out of a peavey stereo 4-12 cab. When i plug it in , i am in heaven. i can go from sweet smooth clean to brutal rectified distorion, and the JC just pumps it right out with no effort at all

This is the most dependable amp i have ever had. I have been playing for 18 years, and never used to gig without a back up amp.. well no more. instead of a backup amp, all i have had to carry in the past few years is a back up fuse!!(i haven't had to use it, but you never know.)

the phone number isn't listed on the web site! I want manual for this thing and that isn;'t available on the website either. when i finally found a number to call, the people were rude and they wanted wayyy too much for a manual.. oh well if the past proves to be an indicator, i wont ever really need their help. this thing is indestructible.

the jc-120h is not a comprehensive guitarists dream. it IS the best clean sound out there though, and that is the basis for all guitar sound. Having gigged or owned multiple mesas, marshalls, peaveys and a long list of others, i would say that the only way i would get something else is if i wanted to spend four times what i paid for the JC, and get a line6 flextone II. even if i did get a line6, i would probably still use my JC for some live stuff, and almost all my studio stuff

In my previous review I mentioned the non hissing knob setup. What I forgot to say was that although the Volume was cranked, because the tone knobs are down the volume is at a moderate and quite reasonable level, but if you start to turn the tone knobs up, some noise begins to return and it gets significantly louder. Just thought that I would clarify. Once again PLEASE email about the questions I asked below

I don't think I'm would be able to get any warranty on an amp this old. But who knows ? I've never tried

I own an older, rather beat up JC-120. I bought it through Daddy's Junky Music when they were doing "Used Gear by Mail". I was slightly ripped off. I payed nearly 500 dollars for it including shipping and when I got it it had no casters, one of the speakers was buzzing, the reverb didn't work, the distortion knob had fallien off and it had spray paint all over it. Oh well, I fixed the speaker with a little bit of paper towel and it's too heavy too lug around, so I suppose I shouldn't miss the casters. Plus I woud think that being flush with the floor would make the bass good and heavy. I bought it almost two years ago and I didn't know any better. Nowadays I would use ebay, as they have some nice clean ones, in better condition going for less. Anyways, the core stuff worked great (chorus, vibrato, clean sound etc.).
I made an observation with my amp and I thought that i might pass this along to the other users. On the non-effect channel, Channel one, I noticed that if you cranked the volume knob all the way up, the tone knobs all the way down, and flicked on the bright switch the ever present hiss goes away, and you get a nice clean punchy sound. I would suspect that this might be setting where one could a get a nice bluesy tone going, maybe with a Blues Drvier or something. What's interesting is that this only works on the non-effect channel. Anyone out there know why this is ?
Also, does anyone know any reason for the reverb not working and how it could be fixed ? And what might be nice replacement speakers ? The stock ones are nice but I'd like something with a little more tone. Please Email me if you can help at all because I really like this amp and want to get it running even better !!

1987 Roland JC-120: Two channels, clean/effects. Two 12" Roland speakers, built like a tank and weighs like one too. Effects are chorus (wonderfull true stereo), vibrato (great), reverb (great) and "warm" distortion (use a pedal if you wanna get raunchy). Each channel has high and low impedance inputs. Effects channel also has a "bright" switch. The back has jacks for line-in, external speakers, three footswitches and line out.

This amp is very very loud when you want it to be and tame when you need it to be. I am not a professional musician, but I do sit in at clubs and party's on occation and this amp fits either venue. Mostly I just use it at home for my own enjoyment.

I use a home-made strat copy with three DiMarzio TDS-1 verticle humbucker pickups when I'm in a vintage "surf music" mood. For more up to date stuff I use an Aria Pro-II with DiMarzio Al DiMiola pickups. Most of the time I play an Ovation Celebrity deluxe with the amps chorus speed and depth on 7 and the reverb on 4.

When I'm playing for a croud, I'll plug in a pair of external speakers and set them as far away from me and each other as the room will allow. This lets out a chorus effect that is incredible.

Well, since I got this one used the early 90's and it has never failed I'd have to say this amp is pretty reliable.

Never needed to use it.

I've been playing for around 28 or 29 years. The only other gear I have is a home-made distortion pedal and a Moreley wah pedal.

In my younger days I had to rent or borrow amps since I couldn't afford one, so I got to try many different amps. To many to list. The JC-120 stuck with me though. When I finally could buy my own amp, this is what I got.

This is the second JC-120 I've had, the first one was lost by the movers (yeah right). If this one gets stolen, lost or detroyed I'll get another one.

In addition to the legendary stereo chorus, this amp is famous for being clean, some say TO clean. But if you are one who truly loves the sound of the guitar, this is the amp for you.

There are only two things I could say that are not-so-good about a Roland JC-120. The distortion is not raunchy enough for most styles that require that sort of thing. But then again, it is a JAZZ amp, get a pedal. My 2001 Christmas "wish-list" has a BOSS GP-20 "Amp-factory" on it. This little gadget combined with a Roland JC-120 kicks butt.

The second problem is you can't find a used one at a decent price anymore. You can have a brand new one for less than $200.00 more than a used one.

This is the JC120 with the line out and chorus/vibrato switch/speed and depth. It is the most versitile amp in my collection. I have Marshall, Fender Prosonic, Fender ToneMaster and SWR. If you want to use distortion, use a processor. This distortion sounds like a bad fart...for those of you that own one, you know what I'm talking about. The Roland is in a class of it's own with the legendary Chorus.

Currently, I use '99 Alvarez Yari Fussion with piezzo and a '97 Ovation Deluxe Collectors edition. They sound supior through this amp. I'm currently playing modern Christian and it is working well both on stage and in studio. In the past I have used a '79 Les Paul Custom with vanzant p/u's, '96 strat deluxe,'97 tele plus and other electric guitars. If you want a good dirty sound, use a processor or stomp box. This amp takes effects very well. Distortion boxes add some noise but you can't hear it during play. If you are going to mic this amp, you will need to mic each speaker individually with two mics. **Important** Settings: Make sure that the volume controls on the channel that you are NOT using is set to zero. This will eliminate excess noise. Use chanel 2, high input for best results. Turn the bright swith to off. Treble knob set at or below 4; mid set at 4 bass set at or above 8; distortion set at 0; reverb set at your desire. Chorus setting: Speed set at 0; depth set at 10 and swith set on chorus. Set your volume to your desire, but try and work with your guitars internal volume setting to get your desired sound.

This is my third JC-120. I loved all three. The first one I owned in the early '80s, during high school and I sold it for the cash. My second one I owned in the late '80s and I sold it after the baby was born (thought I'd never play again). I've owned this one since '95 and it is an early '80s model. I'm keeping this one. None of these have ever broke down on me. They have also been through some serious use and abuse. It weighs a ton so they've seen their days of abuse. Just recently the latest one tipped over in the 4Runner backing down a hill. Still works perfectly.

Never had to.

I've been playing since 1981. I've played classic rock, hard rock, metal, pop and even played some disco in my day. If this amp where stolen or lost, I would probably replace it with another older model. The ratings I've read about the new models scare me. What I love about this amp is it makes all of my guitars sound awesome. I can't say that about my Prosonic or Marshall. The thing I hate about it is the weight. I can do without the distortion feature too...I wonder if it would be lighter without it? :)

I just bought theamp,it is a 2001 model. I love theclean tone of the amp.I play everything from metal and funk stuff, where i use alot of wah. It has 2 seperate channels, but I would suggest using the 2nd channel with the effects loop. I like all of the features on the amp.But I definately think you need to have some effects to get the sound you want since it is such a clean amp. I don't use alot of reverb but that is me. The amp has more than enough power. It is a solid state amo,and its very durable, and has alot ofroom in the back to keep cords,picks, etc...

Theamp sounds great,and I like the way it soundswith everything, thats why i paid so much. It suits my music style since i like using my effects. The clean channel is not distorted at all at high levels, that is why its great. The distortion is fine,I like cause its a kind of creamy distortion, like a BB King type gain.

I can most definatey depend on my jazz chorus, i would not use a backup. My amp has never broken down.

Roland is alright, i have not had any problems with them. The warranty is 3 or 5 years, pretty good.

I have been playing for about 6 years, i own my jazz chorus 120, a little peavey rage 12 watt practice amp.My effects include dunlop crybaby, boss metal zone(mt-2), compressor sustainer(ch-3),super-phaser(ph-2,super-chorus(ch-1),digital delay(dd-5),acoustic simulator(ac-2), distortion (ds-1), chromatic tuner (tu-2), and a danelectro daddy-O. I would get another one if anything happened to it. I love the clean tones,and how it makes my effects sound great. The thing i don't liek is hauling it around since it weighs 65 pounds. I chose this amp b/c its such a great amp, i dont like the digital sound, or modeling amps. I wish it came with a 3-way footswitch. Buy this amp if you want your effects to shine, and if you want an awesome clean tone

The main consideration here to me...is does it easily travel around with you and give you enough to play with on the front panel...it has speaker extension jacks but who would need em? Left stock, It is light and sturdy and wheels around just fine. MIne however weighs a lot more with a pair of EV 12 L's!!...It is very heavy yet still worth carting around...I will explain why in the next section. The bright and chorus is fun to flip on occasionally.. so to me it is fun enough to play through as is...could use a deep switch instead of the useless distortion...this would make a great mod in that pot knob.

This amp sounds good stock...its made somewhere between about 87-94 I'd say. The stock speakers must be tossed If you like good tone. I reccomend EV 12 L's . You can still get them new ,however, they make the amp very heavy!!...It is well worth it because this is one of the greatest amps ever made! and will be even greater when you try a speaker with more midrange and warmth!...I am used to playing blackface fender amps but they tend to sound a little old? the presence just gives off a sort of dark vibe to em thats really not necessary to most clean playing styles. The Roland will give you the brilliant natural clean of a fender yet will give you a more pure and modern tone that makes for a smoother all around sound ,whether lead or rythym. The Tone with 2 EVs is fat and warm and huge...like a twin yet more balanced. The only thing you lose is the vintage sponginess but that can be very good if you want modern sounding rythym and fast responding "knopfler type" leads that just seem more livey than a twin. The amp , to me, is much more fun to play than a fender because it just sounds right all the time...predictable and easier to play showing less mistakes in the long run...I don't know but to me it is simply more "friendly". The price that you can buy them at is also very notable!

I have been around these amps for years and the reverb and front jacks go out often. This is an easy fix...just take the head out of the cabinet and solder the broken wires you come across. Its a peice of cake...after you solder it correctly it should be better then it was new.

Heard some bad things but can't say anything personally

Been playing 15 years...I use strats , PRS ...Les Paul...doesn't matter...they all sound great through mine! I will always have one of these around for gigging or I will simply not have the same gig. It will feel /sound empty without that big mutha right behind me. Always get compliments on tone!

I like the 3 way toggle switch for chorus/off/vibrato as opposed to a pushbutton on other amps . I play with the amp waist high and can easily reach to switch while riffing. Don't need to because I use the 3 button foot switch. Clean, quiet, gapless switching between clea/distn, reverb on/off and effects on/off. Plenty of chord length on footswitch. The 3 ply footswitch chord has unravelled over time (12-13 years that I've had it)but it still works! This amp (Mid 80's I'm guessin') has GREAT tonal range and flexibility. It has two inboard 12's and 2- Dig it TWO- 8ohm external speaker jax. Very versatile. Two main ins, one line out - you can mix this dog all over the stage! It has more than enough power for any gig I've ever played. Rock, R&B, Big band, funk etc...it handles it all. Generally I've never had to turn it up (either channel) past 4-5. Great tone at high volumes. The Distortion effect is really, on this amp, more like a volume kick. It doesn't really "distort" but it will notch you up a couple db - great for solos. I use outboard effects ( Roland BOSS - Natch!) so I can dial in the distortion etc. that I need. It has 4 1/4" inputs on 2 channels. Each channel has hi and lo inputs and switchable "brilliant" on/off. Again an easy to reach/use toggle switch. This amp does not have channel switching. I wish it did. Rugged road corners and sturdy construction have made this amp my main road dog.

Best clean amp i've used. (Solid state). It covers all musical bases. I'm mostly a rhythm player and I can keep it strong and clear in the background. It totally steps out when needed. This amp has a real smooth effects section. The chorus and vibrato are true and present. Bingo! I would rename the distortion effect. It's more of a db boost. Killer stereo pan!

I've owned this amp about13 years - steady gigs - never had a single problem! Not once! Ever!

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I can't say enough about the JC-120. (This one. Others i've played haven't stacked up.) For solid state - It has major tone. It has great mixing capabilities. Solid road amp. Most reliable. I'm gonna go play it now!

Don't know what year. seems pretty versatile, I play most styles except metal. 2 channels. I am not sure about channel switching effects loop or headphones. There are some holes in back but the amp is old and the writing got rubbed away so I don't know what the holes are for. I wish the chorus was adjustable. I always plug in to the channel with the reverb and chorus, never the plain channel. I have not gigged with this amp yet, I just play it at home. It has more than anough power. It is solid state.

I plug into it with a gibson sg and a danelectro dc 59 pro. it suits my style because I play blues. it makes a little hiss, and when I play loud it makes this ear piercing and painful ringing. Maybe I need new speakers? It can make alot of sounds. with the vibrato and no distortion I can get that sound from "Classic girl" by Janes Addiction. With the distortion and the chorus together it sounds like Rush. With the distortion only I can sound like Zeppelin or Cream. It distorts plenty for me. I haven't played this amp at really hi volumes so I don't know if it stays clean. The distortion is more "brutal" when I use my sg because the pickups are hotter than my danelectro.

I guess it is reliable.

Got it used so I don't know.

I have been playing since '84. I have my aforementioned guitars, two other (broken) guitars, a series 10 LP copy and a Univox es335 copy, and a washburn d13 acoustic, and a hohner bass, and a ludwig drum set. I guess I would buy it again. I was really in the market for a little tube amp, I tried out 30-50 watters, Laneys, Crate, Peavey, Marshall, Fender, Ampeg. I got this because I know that with this, I won't have to worry about making myself heard and cutting through the mix. I grew up playing with underpowered amps and straining to hear myself in a band situation. So I like lots of power and this was cheap so I got this instead of a tube amp. I love the way the chorus and vibrato effects bounce around. I hate that it is heavy, but I love the 2x12 configuration. Whether I was playing solid state or tube didn't matter to me. The one thing I really noticed while amp shopping was that a single 12 inch speaker is not enough for me. I like more than one speaker.

I bought this one new in 1977(am I that old?) I was wowed by the true stereo chorus and crystal clear sound. So clean even the onboard distortion effect doesn't change the sound.

I use a '67 Tele and a '76 strat with the amp. The Tele has EMG active pickups and is the main guitar. I changed a number of things over the years. The stock speakers were replaced with JBL K-120. Overall a help, but the high end was ear-murdering. Later, I had the aluminim domes on the jbls replaced with fiber domes, problem solved!. Attempts to get "crunch" using pre-amps with the onboard distortion were replaced by a Proco Rat. An indipensable item is an MXR Dyna-Comp, in front of the Rat. I set the level to give solos that needed boost. Last, a Boss analog delay at the end of the line. With this setup, I could duplicate most of the popular tones--everything from Albert Lee to Jeff Beck. And I needed it because our group was definitely a variety band (c&w,rock, top forty, classics and the dreaded open mike nights). On top of the guitars, I also played a Marlin pedal steel thru just the delay and got a fabulous sound. Did I mention the chorus? It's great but the "vibrato" is more versatile. Set the depth and speed on 3-4 for a pretty sparkle,or peg the depth and it's a passable "leslie" sound.

Only broke down once in 23 years and then only when a nimrod I was in a band with "borrowed" it to "jam" somewhere. He broke the ground pin off the ac plug and blew a transistor somehow "cuz thar warn't no three-holers where he wuz". The amp was less than a year old and the warranty took care of it.

My only experience was a dealer warranty repair.(see Reliability) I guess if your products are almost indestructible, you could develop some poor customer relations habits.

I love the versatility of this amp, and the sound is clean and warm at the same time. I had two amps before this one and I have never looked back. I bought it new in 1977, and by 1982 I had what I still think was one of the most versatile rigs going. The thing got me through ten years of clubbing in all kinds of bands. I am not sure about getting another one. The other player in one of my groups was so impressed with mine that he traded for one--and he hated it! But he loved mine and I don't know why they played so differently and I'm not sure a new one could replace this gem.