Roland JC-120

Amp was made in 2006,as 2 channels. chorus, vibrato, I wish it had a decent distortion. I use this amp at gigs sometimes home and studio. solid state. I play mostly Blues Jazz and worship at church. No amp does everything but this one handles pedals very well and because its a 120 watts stereo its pretty cool. Its a loud 120 watts. and you can play two guitar one in each channel and keep one clean and play the other dirty, and they wont effect one another. Iam a strong tube man but this amp is one of the few are maybe only solid state amp I like as well are better then some tube amps.

I use a Godin LG that I put early 60 model P90s in and a Les Paul standard, G&L Tele. This amp will do anything I want and do it well.this amp is a stereo amp and made by roland go to their web site,they have a demo thats pretty cool and they are playing metal and everything else. check it out. this amp is a little noisy but not as bad as a tube amp but I never seen a JC that wasnt a little noisy, but you notice once playing. Ive played it pretty loud and never got it to distort. I dont use the amps distortion cause it stinks why they even put it on there is beyond me. I use a Marshall Bluesbreaker II pedal and get a great sound, reminds me of clapton a great blues sound i like it better then the Boss blues driver. this is a great amp I like tube amps and still have a couple but my JC can stand tall with the best tube amp. It was made to play clean and thats why jazz players all over the world use it for years and still use it and it can play good clean blues and with the right distortion pedal it can do anything else you want, but be careful it will make a guitar player out of you everything you do will be heard clear.

Ive played and own Marshall,Carvin,Fender,Peavey,Vox and Traynor and Ive been playing 40yrs and have had problems with the above but never with the Roland JC 120

never had to deal with them

Been playing 40yrs, I own a G&L tele a Les Paul Standard and a Godin LG with early 60 model gibson P90s in it. Peavey Delta Blues 210 amp all tube,Fender Twin. Fender USA P-Bass SWR 750 workingpro head Aguilar 210 cab and a Fane 15 cab. The JC 120 has its own sound its solid state so I dont compare it to a tube amp. But its a wonderful sound and I like it very much it stands up there with amps like Evans. If your reading this and thinking about a JC go to Rolands web site and watch and listen to the demo its cool.

1975, 1976 and 1977 models...I also had a 1979/1980 model.
Excellent sound for jazz..especially that 70's jazz tone by ECM guitarists..(Pat Metheny..etc.)

I use it for acoustic gigs and jazz gigs...sounds amazing..
uhhh the 1975 has such a unique sound...the amp has changed so much over time...nothing sounds like the first series of these amps...just amazing with the chorus sound!!

I got all of my jazz chorus 120's used...I guess I'm a collector now!
the chorus is very noisy and swooshes a bit...but that's the sound!!
Very good clean sound...excellent chorus AND vibrato...I never liked the vibrato effect...but the effect in the jazz chorus amp is awesome..especially set to slow speed with high depth..very nostalgic sound, especially the 1975 model

seems like a tank!

I'm a big fan of the old JC sound.. I have done hours and hours of research on these amps. There are a few very different versions of this amp. 70's models have the smaller Roland R logo on the grille, 1979/1980 was the first edition to have the bright switches, which the first models didn't have. (The first models also had a black & green color scheme on the face plate, different castors, chrome corners, and different speaker insignia on the magnets). The amp has two channels, so it can handle two outputs at once when used with two guitars, or a stereo device, such as a guitar synthesizer. Roland USA is absolutely worthless as far as helping to date these amps. I emailed many JC owners around the globe as well as Roland overseas to finally get this info. I know for a fact that Roland JC-120's DO NOT all sound the same! The circuitry was changed through the years and the stereo chorus your hear on the newer models is completely different. I have read that these are great with keyboards too, such as a Fender Rhodes (using the chorus), or any modern synth. There aren't many people that know how to date these amps. The legend of how these amps sound is all too true the new ones sound nothing like the old ones..and I'm sure it all has to do with the electronic components that have changed over the decades. The serial numbers can be confusing because the numbers start over again in the 80's. I have done a lot of research and if you want info on how to date these, you can email me. There are many subtle changes in the cosmetics and sound that happed over the years. 1975-1978 series had chrome corners, a green and black color scheme on the face plate, different insignia graphics on the speaker magnets(typically white and black labeled "musical speaker"), there are a total of 6 in/out jacks in the rear and a small trim pot opening, (for the vol of the ext cabinets), the graphics on the face place were different, the knobs were even slightly different, no bright switches, no effects loop, they have a smaller R Roland logo on the grill cloth and the SOUND of these amps is unmistakable..they had the CE-1 Stereo Chorus circuit in them..which is what made these amp's sound so famous. From 1979 to 1981, cosmetically, the amps color scheme on the face plate changed, so did the knobs and graphics (only slightly), there is a small trim adjustment pot next to the output/inpput jacks on the back of the amp..a small hole in the cabinet is apparent--next to EXT speaker outputs, there are a total of 8 in/out jacks in the rear, the castors changed to a more modern style, the speakers had the Roland logo and insignia on the magnets, the amps still had the smaller R Roland logo..(which if you're looking for an older one, is a dead giveaway that it's an older JC). The chorus circuit had the CE-1 and later the CE-2 versions..there is a way to check this with eletronics code numbers...but I'm not good with that stuff..so I follow the cosmetics, serial numbers and sound. From 1982 to the late 80'.. the chorus circuit changed to Roland's more modern chorus sound, the Roland R logo is bigger on these models..(this is a giveaway that the amp was manufactured after 1982), the input jacks nuts on the face even changed cosmetically..from steel/silver to black plastic nuts, the effects loop may have been added in the late 80's. Late 80's to 90's...sound has weakened dramatically from the original version, the amp now has an effects loop, black plastic switches have replaced the silver toggle "bright" throw switches, there is an additional adjustment pot added to the face of the amp in the effects section for the chorus and vibrato control. There is a newer 2000's version that doesn't have the silver cone speakers...

playing for a long time

I have three of them now..sold the 1979 I had

this is a state of the art roland amps, brilliant very famous in the 70's and till now

i am using strat highway one series, just listen to crystal sound of the chorus, it's so bright. if u palying jazz this is the real amp. i've read reviews that was Submitted 12/24/2008 at 09:44pm by Anthony -he mentioned that the distortion sound terrible, of course dear, this amp is NOT design for metal or any hard/power chord, this is legendery design for good clean guitar sound.

u can depend on it

Bought it new in 2000.I exclusively play on clean channel.120 watts are just fine and has casters.Too heavy for a solid state amp-70 lbs.It has two channels-one you never use.Useless distortion that is complete JOKE...

Here I don't agree with majority.Big dissapointment.Playing gibson Lp standard W/burstbackers,Fender USA strat,Ibanez etc.The sound is dry...dry... and dull.Reverb and other settings are not helping.Sorry but other cheap 212 combos at clean channel gaving you much better tone...

After over e year the plastic holders of the reverb unit that is installed inside the chasis broke from moving it and forced to bring the reverb outside.

Never dealt vith them.

I been playin for almost 40 years.Own lots of tube and solid state amps,Messa mark III head ,fender rocpro 1000,fender twin reverb,Yamaha G212,Peavy bandit etc.I will not buy any Roland amps again.Owned Rb 100, AC60 couldn't get rid fast enough.

I just bought my first Roland JC-120 guitar amplifier this week after drooling over them for the past 20 years. I bought mine used from a music studio in California that used it infrequently and it rarely left the studio for gigging. You already know the features of this item, so I'll skip the techno info in this review.

I am a professional guitarist who peforms easy listening romantic solo guitar instrumental music at a fine dining restaurant four (4) nights a week...every week for the past five (5) years. I use my Roland JC-120 amp with my Gretsch Streamliner Historic Series guitar (Made in Korea)...but have used it with my made-in-Spain Cordoba CWE-S cutaway electric Flamenco Guitar with equal success.

I had been using a rare Roland JC-80 Jazz Chorus guitar amp...a single-channel amp...similar to the JC-120...with Roland Chorus and Reverb that has a 15" speaker...which did the job just fine. But I find that the JC-120 gives me an even fuller more "radiant" sound. I am eager to try out a "Y" split 1/4" guitar cable so that I can plug my Gretsch guitar into both Channel 1 and Channel 2 simultaneoulsy to see what additional (stereo?) sounds I may be able to get. Although I have a suitcase full of various guitar footpedals (Peavey DD-3 Delay, Slap Echo, Flanger, Compressor, Flanger, etc.), I have never used them in my public performances. No need to use them...I have found my "Perfect" guitar sound without cumbersome pedals and those awkward, tangled extra cables. I don't need to fix what isn't broken!

The Roland JC-120 makes my instrumental solo guitar music sound much better than I really am. The JC-120's clear, mellow sound using the "automatic" Chorus lever and about 60% Reverb knob setting give my romantic ballads, love songs and classic pop songs and standards of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s a lush etherial sound that is UNMATCHED by any other amp.

This amp picks up every gentle nuance from gentle string-bending to light Bigsby Vibrato Tailpiece depression. I use full Bass Knob (10); full Mid-Range Knob (10); and about 60% Treble Knob Settings. I NEVER use the Distortion...and I never use Channel 1. I keep the "Bright" Switch in the "Off" position. Oh, my! Simply a GORGEOUS sound! This sound alone has made me lots of money over the years. No one else can match it! This truly unique "Roland sound" puts me in a class by myself.

Its been said here many times: It's built like a tank. Heavy and awkward to load and unload, at about 70 pounds. But fortunately, my JC-120 came factory-installed swivel caster wheels...and I get to keep this amp at the restaurant...so all I have to do it roll it out, plus in my guitar and start to perform! All the knobs are already PRE-SET and ready to go when I flip on the power!

Having used a wide variety of Roland equipment during the past 30 years of playing (JC-77; GR-1; GK-2; JC-80, etc,) I have never had to use Roland Customer Support. I'm surprised that Roland even offers Customner Support...that must be a lonely job, since their equipment is built so well!

I am a HUGE fan of Chet Atkins and Les Paul...and my simple melodic style (some call it "Elevator Music") reflects their influence. I play guitar as Johnny Mathis sings...stick to the melody only...no showy jazz riffs, no Johnny Smith fingerboard dynamics, so fancy foot-pedal gimmicks, no pyrotechnics...just simple melodies play from as written from begiining to end...Folks could sing along with my solo guitar and NEVER get lost...bea=cause I am always on the MELODY. The Roland JC-120 gives me the sound that people love. And that's why I am a working professional musician who is always in demand for wedding receptions, community events, non-profit fund-raising dinners, corporate meetings, etc. They LOVE my sound...and it's all thanks to the Roland Jazz Chorus amplifiers...of which the Roland JC-120 is the Patirarch of the Roland guitar amplifier family!

On a scale from 1-to-10, I woud give the Roland JC-120 amp a 160!

Bought my JC-120 new in June 2008 for $650 including shipping on ebay - a music store had gone out of business. It would be nice to have parameters to control the amount of chorus.

The most versatile amp I've ever tried. I use it for everything from country to heavey rock. It's great clean or with outboard effects. I upgraded the speakers to the Celestion Century G12, and now this thing is an absolute beast. I can get about 25% more volume now than with the stock speakers before feedback under high gain/distortion conditions. Throw a ISP Decimator in for feedback suppression & this amp can compete with any of the top amps out there for rock & even metal.
This is the only electric guitar amp I've run across that sounds good with acoustic guitars as well. I play a Les Paul with an LR Baggs acoustic bridge, & run a line out from my small crate acoustic amp into channel 2. Throw the chorus on & I get a great acoustic sound with plenty of volume. I did have to buy an Ebtech Hum X unit for the end of the power chord to eliminate the terrible buzz I was getting from running stereo into the amp from my guitar, but that solved the problem completely.
I couldn't be happier with the sound & performance of this tried & true workhorse.

No problems so far.

Haven't needed any.

I've been playing professionally on weekends for almost 30 years, & this is the best amp I've ever used. I wish I had discovered it sooner. I would definitely buy another if this one was destroyed or stolen.

There's only a gazillion other reviews on the JC-120, so I'll try to keep the obvious to a minimum.

Stole this at Guitar Center as a red tag deal. Same day, my bassist bought a Musicman Stingray for $600.

The Jazz Chorus isn't feature-loaded, and it doesn't need to be. Two channels, reverb, vibrato, and chorus on the second. Pedal-friendly and loud

Schecter C-1 Hellraiser with EMG 81TW/EMG 89 pickups > EH Russian Big Muff > EH Metal Muff > Digitech Whammy (re-issue) > Ibanez PM7 > Ernie Ball VP > Line 6 DL4 > EH HGR > BBE Sonic Stomp > Roland Jazz Chorus 120 (channel 2)

In the two days I've had the amp, my bandmates and I have mainly been playing light post-rock/ambient type material.

The distortion is terrible, worse than I had initially anticipated. I read just about all the reviews here on HC and on MF and music123, but nothing prepared me for this. The Roland Cubes have better distortion than this! However, I did buy this amp knowing I wouldn't be using the distortion, so I'm not disappointed. It's been beaten into the ground, but this amp is very pedal-friendly - my two EH dirt pedals work nicely.

On the flip side, the chorus is really as amazing as people say. In all two days I've had the amp, the chorus has yet to be turned off - and I'm not a big fan of the effect itself (as you can see from my pedalboard setup).

I've heard so!

NA

I consider this my first legitimate amp; I've had a Behringer practice amp, a Behringer V-ampire combo, I played a bandmates Fender Stage 100 for a few months, and I've played through a Marshall MG halfstack for the past year.

If you're on a budget and you're a serious guitarist/musician/gear junkie, you can't go wrong with the JC-120. Used, they seem to go for around $450 to $500 on eBay. It never HURTS to have an amp like the Jazz Chorus around (provided you have the space) - you'll probably keep it the rest of your life. My dream amp would be some sort of Mesa Boogie or Cornford, but that just isn't practical for me right now. The JC does exactly what I need it to do and then some.

I'm the original owner of a 1980 model.

I don't find it hissy or otherwise overly noisy. For those reviewers who hate the distortion - try using the low inputs with the distortion knob at 4 or 4 1/2. Best when your guitar's volume knob is 1/3 to 1/2 way up. This setup gives a good tubey-clean sound. Then for the creamy solos - yes - you'll need a pedal. Even just turning the distortion on but left at zero really helps un-solid state the sound. This setting even works surprisingly well with an acoustic guitar!

My setup runs the electric side of a Godin into Chan. 2 and the acoustic side into Chan.1 and combining the two at all times. Yes, I run both through a few fx first, but after years of learning just how to use this setup for my sound - I am finally happy.

I'm the original owner since 1980. Never had even one problem and use it literally every day (minimal travel, however.) I also have an older model (probably '79) before the design addition of a bright switch. That one has a few problems, but it was on the road a lot and also used in a backline where there is lots of abuse. It still works on channel two and sounds slightly warmer than the 1980 model. This amp also has the distinction of being on a couple of Steely Dan tunes circa "Katy Lied."

Don't know about customer service because I've never had a need for service. That's good!

I'm probably a JC120 user for life.

Hands down the best loud reliable clean amp ever designed. The chorus has no peers, because it is TRUE ANALOG stereo chorus and totally integrated into the amp's design. TWO separate power amps, TWO separate speakers, one being massaged against the other using delay and the chorusing is the result of the phase difference. No gimmicky marketing or modeling here. Only one chorus effect comes close and that is the TC SCF pedal running stereo through two matched separate amps placed correctly. The '79 to '81 models sound the best, A+, '81 to late '80s equally good but chorus a little less magical, and new ones are very good, B+. Distortion crap for most applications, but amazing if you want to destroy a beautiful thing. Reverb is excellent all they up to 10 (doesn't swallow your guitar). Faithfully reproduces guitar, playing, pedals, or whatever you put into it. Put crap through it, get crap out of it. THE BEST PRACTICE AMP EVER, because it really shows your flaws.

A little noisy, but no where near a tube amp. Very bright, but the EQ is high quality at every extreme.

You can throw it off a 20 story building into a pot hole full of water, then have it dragged 3 blocks by the garbage truck, then compacted with your neighbor's **** collection that his wife tossed away the night before, and then rock all night with it until it gets you ****.

I saw this amp sitting collecting dust in the attic at the museum I work at. A forklift had punctured the grill cloth, went through the speaker, cracked the baffle and ripped out all the cleat runners. They said they couldn't even throw it out, because of the bureaucracy in the higher chain of command, so I went straight to the top dog and demanded it. It was missing the back panel too. I put two new Weber California 80 watt ceramics with aluminum cones in it and restored the cabinet, grill cloth, and tolex, and made a new baffle and back for it. $360 in supplies and tools to fix it. The amp was built in 1982 and the chassis didn't have a fingerprint on it. Let me tell you, it was so nostalgic to hear tis great amp again. No other amp has WOWED me with no fx, flat eq, and no reverb on first impression. Just clean plain dry guitar. Beautiful.

My Jazz Chorus amp is a recent model - not sure what year because I bought it used. The features are very straightforward and simple, but it includes all the essentials. The amp has two channels. One channel comes with reverb, chorus, vibrato, distortion, bright, and equalization. I use this channel for all my electric instruments. The other channel includes only equalization and works well with my accoustic guitar. Both channels have a bright input and a normal input.

This amp is all about pure, clean sound - what you hear is the guitar and player's own voice, and the effects you choose to use. It has a rich, sparkling warmth that most other solid state amps lack. It never distorts even at highest volume, unless you choose to add effects. Tube amp snobs that diss solid state have never played through this amp.

It is marvelously versatile and sounds equally amazing regardless of the type of guitar or genre I play. I own a Gretsch 6120 Nashville, a Telecaster, a Schecter, and a Yamaha FG-335 accoustic and I play a variety of genres including rock, blues, country, rockabilly, jazz, and folk.

There are a few minor problems with this amp. It hisses, but I found that mostly depends on electronic interference caused by the outlet you plug into. The distortion is very poor quality - you will never use it, but because the amp is so responsive to fx pedals - you won't miss it.

The chorus is a rarity - a true stereo chorus created by twin amps built into the combo. A tip - the chorus' richness is best heard when you are standing away from the amp, to get the full stereo effect. Close up, the chorus sounds weak, but that is deceiving. Vibrato is good on the lower settings. Reverb is also quite good.

The JC 120 is tremendously responsive to a variety of fx pedals. I use a Boss '59 Bassman pedal, which stays on all the time, to recreate a vintage, fat tube amp sound. With moderate to high gain it adds a great crunch without the ear-bleeding volume for which Bassman amps are known, and I can match Brian Setzer's rockabilly tone or SRV's Texas blues. Through a Boss overdrive/distortion pedal, the Roland can recreate a quality hard rock sound from AC/DC to Zepplin, and I can create a spot-on match to Santana's creamy overdrive. Cleaned up, this amp really shines - it is ideal for country, folk, and jazz; no equals anywhere.

It's solid state and well-built, so I never worry about gigging with this amp without a backup. My bands performs 1-3 times per month, and I haul this amp to practice at least once per week without any breaks or repairs.

No issue.

Quality, clean tone with versatility is what the Jazz Chorus is about. I have played for 30 years in a variety of semi-pro bands, and playing a wide variety of music. I currently play in a showband that covers rock, country, folks, blues, and jazz, so creating a variety of sounds and tones with simplicity mean everything to me. With a quality instrument and the right effects, I can mimic nearly any sound I choose. Above all else, I crave a clean tone - to hear the guitar's pristeen voice. This amp delivers that without equal.

The JC-120 is your bread and butter amp. It has all the necessary ins, outs and controls you will ever need to shape your sound without having any flashy and useless controls. It's rock solid and works fantastic in almost any application. This is why it has become an industry standard combo amp. Mine was bought new in 2005.

This is where this amp can shine like a star or make you cry with disapointment.

It is a very clean and clear amp, so the weakest link in your signal path (especially the guitar and extra especially - the PLAYER) will be there plain as day for all to hear.

After tweaking - the amp's EQ, Reverb, Bright switch, Chorus (if thats your thing) and adjusting your guitars tone and pickup selection - beautiful tones can be achieved. With the right stompboxes are wide range of different sounds is possible. It is very versatile.

I particularly love my Boss Tr-2 tremelo and Ibanez TS-808 tube screamer through this amp and aim for a fairly mellow, warm tone similar to far more expensive tube combo's.

It has enough power to satisfy anyone interested in a combo. When comparing it to other amps I am always impressed by how 'big' it sounds, the two 12' speakers provide such a wide and deep guitar sound.

However, there are a few downsides to this amp's wonderful sound.
You will never use the distortion. If you do... (without any other effects) I can't imagine you have ears at all. It's very harsh and unpleasant to hear.

Secondly, the amp has a constant 'hiss' to it. You won't hear it in a noisy music store, but you will in a nice quiet room and on your nice clear recording. I talked to an amp tech and it is due to the bright pre amp. You won't notice it when playing loud or playing with distortion but for dynamic clean playing and close mic recording it is clear as day. I nearly gave up on the amp because of this.

The solution? I tried a rocktron hush pedal in the effects loop, it worked but also sucked everything that was nice about the amps tone. Some people say the hush works well at cleaning up noisy distortion pedals without altering tone, I tried it for that too and still disagree. I would love to be proven wrong but for now I would urge anyone interested in a Hush pedal to look elsewhere, there crap.

So, I tried a Boss NS-2 noise gate/suppressor in the effects loop and to my absolute delight it worked perfectly. There was still some hiss while the gate is open but the amp is dead silent when there is no playing even with noisy distortion pedals.

So just by itself the JC-120 might not be the ultimate combo but with the right stompboxes is becomes an amazing sounding, hugely versatile amp.

The reverb stopped working after around 6 months of solid work but was fixed under warranty. No problems since, they have a reputation for being rock solid amps.

I emailed Roland Australia in regards to the amps hiss but they never replied.

I love this amp. If you have a couple of stompboxes then I would definately recommend this amp. It has a wonderful clean and big sound to it.

My playing consists mainly of jazz and blues with my archtop aria, but the amp still sounds great played with high gain distortion boxes and stereo delays/reverbs/flanges etc.

If noise is a problem like it is for me then get a NS-2. Other than that this amp is amazing and is the perfect addition to anyones guitar rig. It's not perfect but with the right gear it gets pretty close to it. I will never get rid of mine.

I think it's one from the 2nd generation...not the best on earth though. I bought it used on eBay for $340 because it looked nice and clean. When it arrived I was blown away because somebody (a previous owner) actually screwed some holes on the sides and put some door handles!...dude...wtf...this was not fukin pictured!!! First thought was 'Fukin eBay (even worse being an eBay employee myself)'...However everything else looked fine, a few scratches here and there...but the main hardware was OK, so were the looks...even with handles on it.
We know about the options, the main ins at the back, footswitch plugs, 2 channels, chorus and vibrato fx, spks out and so on. Just wanted to tell this is an old one...almost abused...but ready for some action.

My rig is a POS bunch of everything: Schecter Omen 6 w/PRS McCarty pickups - Rocktron Austin Gold OD - Fulltone OCD - Korg AX300G MultiFx - ART Tube Pre studio - JC-120. I also have a (POS) Crate GX-65 that's reliable as hell, and some sort of 'start point'. At the time I received the JC, I had original pickups on the Omen 6 and my first reaction was totally negative...of course...just liked using both pickups at the same time. However I play mostly alternative and hard rock so bridge pickups are essential. I then decided to make a serious upgrade, since there are lots of good reviews on the amp when used with good guitars, and also good reviews on the Omen 6 when you hit some serious wire. Once the pickups were installed then the review started and also the great sound I was trying to find. I use the 2nd channel, and was able to find a sweet spot when using the Vibrato with Depth on 1 and 0 Speed, highs and mids on 9 and lows depending on what I need. Since basswood and the McCartys are intended to have this 'dark sound', the Bright switch it's always on...The sound was well focused and meaty, however I decided to add the Art preamp to add tube warmth on the overdrive, and some nice sounding frequencies on clean. This is when everything started to shine. Sparkling highs, bell-like tones, sustain as hell, FX sound nice, screaming overdrive literally, well-defined lows...the amp truly stands out on jamming situations...the pickups are now shining on every position...just waiting to play it live in a couple of weeks.
It is true the amp is not for anyone, due to its particular sound, usually called 'sterile'...It's not sterile, it's the beast's particular sound. There are a lot of other amps that are really sterile, so much they SUCK. Fortunately there are a lot of ways to plug it (i.e., not using the Bright buttons, using both channels at a time, the main ins, spk out as an fx loop, etc) and can be good enough you can use these sounds in case of emergency. Compared to the Crate, it is so clear that seems to be lacking some mids and lows. However the amp's EQ is well distributed, punchy enough and fully adjustable. It can compensate what's missing in your guitar's sound spectrum, it can stand any kind of guitar very well. Could be a little bit noisy, it depends on the guitar /fx/ your local cycle hum...After the pickup change, the litle noise was gone. As previously stated, just admire the Distortion knob's inner beauty. Just use it if you want to add lo-fi fx on something.
Finally, sounds great with acoustics too. I have an Epiphone PR5-E that can make you cry through this amp. I've compared my rig with some others (from friends mainly) and everyone is just staring at the green monster...and listening, which is nice. I like it more than Fenders, due to the many options you have. Every jam session just makes me smile for the joy of hearing this old amp. The 9 is because I needed to add extra gadgets to get the sound I want.

So far, it has not let me down yet...I'm planning to give it some doctor treatment, just to know if everything in it is running fine. The other day I had some volume issues, but found it was a POS cable. If an amp is steady enough to keep sounding great after some lazy added door handles on it, instead of casters...I think its reliable enough..I'll add the casters too. Heavy as a whale.

Haven't tried it yet, you should check other reviews to know about this.

I've playing 11 years, 5 years professionally. I have played at church, bars, outdoor festivals, with a lot of different pieces of gear. Have been testing and using a lot of other people's vintage and new equipment for a while (lack of money sucks big time), and have learned a lot after a lot of issues with old amps and all kind of situations. This is one of the best amps I've used without a doubt. Even with my POS gear, this is able to make me and others smile due to the clarity it has. It feels good to sing and free your thoughts about how good you think your gear is sounding through the rehearsal. I'll buy an old one again if this one dies...a new one? Need to try it first. I'm happy with this oldie so far.

Mine is an older version without effects loop, but with the chorus don't really need much else. Use the amp for church and works for all styles of music. Has two channels but only use primary channel.

I really like the sound. Was using a Fender Twin but much prefer the "clean" of the JC-120, and when you add the chorus it is really rich and layered. As others have mentioned, the built in distortion is not really usable. I'm playing an '84 Ibanez Roadstar RS1300 with dual humbuckers and also have a Mesa Rectoverb I use with the JC-120. Only issue is that the amp doesn't really take pedals all that well. I started using a TubeWorks Blue Tube pedal (has an 12ax7a inside) and it really warms up the sound nicely. Amp has plenty of power with the two 12" speakers - great low end and lots of chime on top. Very pleased with this amp!!!

No issue so far but have only had the amp a few months. Also own a JC-55 which I bought new back in 1987 and never had any problems.

Never had to dealt with Roland so don't know.

Great amp and would definitely look for another if anything happened to this one. Love the clean and the chorus is legendary. Been playing for almost 20 years and haven't found anything I like better than the Jazz Chorus amps for a full, warm, clean sound.

Vintage 1980's Roland JC120. Two channels; one with chorus/reverb/tremelo/distortion, the other with just clean tone. Bass/Mid/Treble. Two inputs per channel; one for higher gain, one with lower gain.

Chorus isn't as lush as people say. A Boss CH-1 Super Chorus or a Electro-Harmonix Smallstone would be the way to go. Though vintage sounding, not the best if you're want that Scofield-esque chorus/flanger effect. (Though Scofield did use a JC120 himself for quite a few years)

Reverb has good range.

Tremelo is...tremelo.

Distortion is close to, if not, worthless. Sounds like the speakers are made of paper grocery sacks when turned on.

Currently using this as my 'all around' amp. It's loud, records well, is durable, looks cool on stage. I tour/gig frequently in multiple groups, mostly jazz. Only complain is that it's freakin' big! 2x12 inch speakers, about 70 lbs.

Plugged in with my American Gibson 335 and 137, it does the job.

Clean is clean, but is a very dull sound. Does not have the clarity that a Twin Reverb or any other tube amp has. I've got better tone quality out of a Fender Princeton Chorus (which aren't as big either)

Again- use it with my 335 and 137 (both semi-hollows). Does good with Jazz, Blues. Does okay with Rock.

The channels are noisy, hissy. Cleaned the pots and still had noise. Maybe cause it was shipped.

Would still work if I dropped it downt he stairs. But I don't advocate that.

Have been playing professionally for 6 years. I have used Fender Twin Reverbs, Custom reverbs, Frontman series (They suck), Line 6's(they suck), Hot Rod Deluxes (they're okay), and other assorted amps (Whatever the venue supplies)

Current gear- Gibson 335/137 into EB Volume Pedal, Dunlop Wah, Digitech Whamme, Boss Superchorus, Tremelo, Smallstone, ProCo Rat, Line 6 DL4 Delay. All sound decent with this amp.

I wouldn't buy it again.

Don't buy this amp if you're a purist. Buy this amp if you like reliablity.

The amp itself doesn't have many features 2 channels fx loop chorus and distortion (very little distortion) but that doesn't matter if you have pedels.

Sound quality is amazing, if you know anything about the jc-120 you know it's known for its clean sound.

There was a guy (01/03/2007 at 05:16pm by h2o-spor) who posted saying you can't trust the sound from the videos on rolandusa.com because the guys forgot to turn up the volume and one guy didn't plug in the guitar.

Well... h20-spor, if you listened at the beginning of the video they said that they plugged the guitars into the the fx loop and if you have a jc-120 you'll know that the fx loop is in the back of the amp and the volume is controled by your pedel board not the volume knobs when you are plugged into the fx loop.

You can depend on this amp! It's a solid state amp, built solid.

Haven't had to call them.

If you like clean sounds then this amp if for you. If you plan on playing with a lot of distortion you better get some pedels. This amp will not muddy your sound.

very old - no effects loop - probably very early 80s. I play mostly Blues, Classic Rock and Acoustic through it. It is more than versatile enough to handle what I throw at it as long as I use an external overdrive pedal. It has two channels, channel splitting, an awesome chorus and Vibrato as well as a classicly rich reverb. I has two channels so I often run two guitars through it. I gig with it and record with it, and it has more than enough power for any application I have tried from small clubs to outdoor festivals (with a DI) The Distortion is no good on its own which is a pity, but does beef up the sound a bit and actually sounds decent in conjunction with my Boss Superoverdrive pedal. I just wish it was lighter.

This amp sounds amazing. Best solid state I have played through. Sounds as nice as many tube amps I have played through and doesn't have that annoying transistery sound of a peavey or low end fender solid state amp. The clean channel doesn't distort, and is beautiful. The distortion really just adds a little dirt to the sound. You can't rock out without a pedal.

I play a Gibson ES 137 Classic through it and its Very complimentary. Great deep warm low end and sparkling trebel. I also play a USA fender strat through it, which is much quieter due to the single coils, but really has a bell like singing quality. I can leave the settings the same except for volume and switch from the Gibson to the Fender which is impressive - you can really hear the classic difference between the two guitars. Its not really noisy but sometimes the lights in my apartment cause it to have a slight buzz. I just move it a few feet and the problem goes away. This is rare.

My brother got this amp in the late 80s and gigged with it at a lot of shows. He got it used. I got it from him after it sat in my parent's basement for over 6 years. The only thing I've ever had repaired was the plug because it was getting a little freyed. electric tape would have done the job, but I like my gear to be in top shape. This is a really dependable workhorse and I have gigged with it without a backup on several occasions.

Roland is good but I wish their customer service number was toll free - I have to call vancouver on my dime to get someone. They really don't have many of the old parts for this which is a shame. They should have left well enough alone or continued to stockpile the componants of the older models.

I've been playing for 22 years. I own a Gibson ES 137 Classic, an American Fender Stratocaster, a Garrison G-50CE, a Norman B20, A Yamaha FG 345II, A Boss super-overdrive pedal, a Roland AW-10 Wah, and a Japanese Epiphone Strat copy with Seymore Duncan Little 59's.
If it were lost I would get another one - although I'd love to AB it with a marshall. I love the sound and versatility, I hate how heavy it is and the fact that the distortion really isn't distortion. I inherited this amp from a family member, but that is amazing since I swear by this amp. I wish it had a button that would turn it from a JC 120 to a Marshall Valvestate.. but hey...ya can't have everything. This amp is a tremendous value and a real classic. It has stood the test of time and been played by many greats. I'm happy to own it.

Transistor, 2 channels, 3 band eq and bright switch per channel, chorus, vibrato and distortion on channel 2.
It's 25-30 years old so toggle swtiches and no effects loop

I use it with a gibson archtop and it constantly sounds magical. Despite what other think i love the didstortion, its a nice crunchy sound when eq'd correctly. Great for most styles except hard rock and metal. Dc Boom when turning on is scary but i heard thats normal

CAn't say I've had it a week, but its near 30 years old and still has all original parts so i guess its pretty good

No idea

If it was valve i'd give it a ten, I love everything about it.

I guess it's one of the early models (approx. 1980) since it still has lever switches rather than buttons. The amp itself is not very versatile since it only has a very nice clean tone with chorus, vibe and reverb ,but you can forget about heavy distortion. But it works very nicely with effect pedals giving an unlimited versatility. I for instance use a "Zoom 7.1ut" (multieffects), connected stereo like by the reverse input.
It is very loud and has enough power for club playing.

Together with the Zoom 7.1ut I can produce nice sounds ranging from Santana over Hendrix to Van Halen. Now don't misunderstand me! I come fairly near those "perfect guitar sounds" but it is still a long way to go. I have never managed to produce the exact same sound recorded on the CD's and of course I don't own a 2000$ Guitar ("only" an Ibanez 320 RG).

And don't fall for demo videos shown on the www.rolandus.com site or you will be dreadfully disappointed!! (example: http://rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=249&ParentId=57)
NOTICE THAT THE VOLUME SWITSCH IS TURNED TO ZERO OF THE "GOLDY LOCKS GUY" AND THE OTHER ONE HAS EVEN FORGOTTEN TO PLUG IN THE GUITAR :-) Funny that they play great sounds like on a CD?????

In Summary a very good solid state amp for using separate effects, enjoy the chorus (it comes very close to the chorus used by Guns and Roses in knocking on heavens door, 3 Doors Down Kryptonite and was used in Nothing Else Matters from Metallica). The chorus really sounds like the real thing on the Metallica CD!
I would not say that it is noisy but you can clearly hear the usual SSSSSSHHHHH sound when not strumming a note. But not more than any other 100W amp. When the chorus is activated you get a funny short of SSSSHHHHH reverb-sound after every note (very silent). You only notice this when your in an entirely silent environment.
The overall sound can be described as very clean without the amp making any effect on your pure input sound. Actually I like the ???Distortion knob??? but not as a real distortion effect but rather for adding some more gain to the chorus clean sound.

The amp is very old and still works great. Nevertheless the bolts and the speakers are slowly rusting even though they were kept dry at all times.

They answer immediately, but they ship spare parts very slowly. It took over five weeks for them to send me a new Roland logo after mine had fallen off.

I love:
the chorus, the stability and quality, the power, the wheels, the vibe, the stereo amplification of effects.

I hate:
the weight, the ugly bolts, that they don???t have all the spare parts anymore for the old series (so you should buy one of the new series with silver cone speakers), the carrying handle.

When comparing different amps I selected the JC due to the relatively low price and the nice harmonization with effect pedals. I guess it is a relatively cheap solution to many different guitar sounds and I definitely like playing different genre. Nevertheless I would have preferred a Fender twin reverb, which was too expensive for me.

Clearly, the numero uno feature is the Chorus. The Reverb is passable, the distortion a joke (why they haven't addressed that aspect is beyond me). I've had mine for over 16 years. I still love it. Always tempted to sell/trade it for a Vox when I'm playing my electric, but always realize no Vox can make my Taylor sound as spacious and full as my JC. For my gigging purposes, I'll sacrifice a tad on the electric end (and use multiple stomps) and continue to enjoy the un-matched acoustic end. But hey, that's just me.

Sound quality, even cranked, is clean and bright. No distortion, ever. And I mean ever...lol. Not on its own, anyway. I've played through a variety of axes on this amp. Single-pole carries a lot of "down-time" noise/hum. Humbuckings work best on the electric end. Martins and other high-end acoustics sound great. Taylors sound phenomenal, but may need a sound-hole cover if you're playing close to the amp. Mine does. Oh, but how sweet it sounds. Like, this amp was made for a Taylor. Think bright, think clean, think crisp, think spacious, think full...

Very reliable. 16 years, no issues, no problems. Very solid and dense construction. Heavy, but with great wheels. Lift in vehicle, lift out vehicle. Wheel the rest of the way. Takes bumps and makes a great seat in a pinch.

Roland is great in terms of support and service. I've never needed any regarding my JC-120, but have needed some regarding other products. Their website is easy to navigate, and they actually answer the phone when you call.

I've been playing for over 30 years, playing out for over 22. Used to have a Peavey Deuce...well, actually, I still have it. Ahhh...'tis a great tube amp. 'Course, it was my first amp, so I blew the shit out of it doing bad Led Zepplin, and wat-not. I burned out the wiring after blowing out 3 sets of speakers. Last set of speakers had a tad too much pull...lol. Anyway, I still have it and will one day repair it. If my JC-120 was lost or stolen I'd cry and then be on E-Bay looking for another. No joke.

What I love about it is the crispness and the incredible chorus. What I hate about it is I love the crispness and the incredible chorus...lol.

The only thing I wish it had was OVERDRIVE...HOTWIRE...BALLS, (you get the idea).

My JC120 is about 20 years old, maybe even more.
I play metal, with clean passages and the amp has been awesome. I've owned it since 1994.
2 Channels.
It has all the features I need, as I have external distortion, but I'd give an in-built distortion a go if it had one that catered to metal.
I use it for Gigs and rehearsal and recording. More than enough power.
It's solid state.

Awesome clean tone, also has an old spring reverb unit, vibrato and chorus. Vibrato and chorus are awesome. The reverb on the other hand is a bit old and dated...
Clean channel rarely distorts, if at all. Problem is there's a faint hush or white noise tailing the end of each note, which is a bother.
Distortion is as weak as cats piss.
Suits my style very well, with the addition of an external distortion.
Slight noise.

100% Reliable. I've had it cranked full ball, and full ball with 2 guitars going into it. I've even used it as a bass amp and never had a problem. I think a fuse burnt out like 10 years ago, but that's it - easy to replace. I've abused it, neglected it, spilt stuff on it, left it in hot and cold environments, and it is still going strong.

Never had to get it repaired.

I've been playing for 15 years. I use a Jackson Kelly and a Boss ME50. If it was stolen, I may just try the Vox AC30, just coz I think it is ever so slightly better and warmer (likely due to it being a tube amp).

Bought used at Guitar Center for $250 about 2 years ago. Looks like it was left on a construction site for a year but sounded as good as the new one I was considering. Unmatched clean headroom and chorus and reverb effects. Leave the distortion off.

Nothing else I ever played comes close to making my Strats chime like this amp. Very responsive to external effects. Never seams to get muddy. With a few good overdrive/distortion pedals this amp is unbeatable for any kind of music. Use an Ibemez TS-808 for great crunch sound, A Vox Bulldog Distortion pedal and Boss turbo distortion for heavier sounds.

I think it was used to support scafolding and still sounds like new. Not to mention, this is one of the older 1980's models without the effects loop.

Great; Called to order a new grille cloth and got in two days for about $20. Decided I liked the shredded look of the original and never changed it.

Been playing for 35 years in everthing from basements to touring cover bands, country to heavy metal.

Have many guitars. mainly use a couple of 80's Strats with Lace Sensors, modified Fender Lead II, and Les Paul DC.

Other amps I use are a Roland Cube 60 (close to JC 120 but no cigar), Mesa Boogie 50 Cal.+, old Peavy standard, and an old Fender Harvard.

Only downside is that it is a boat anchor at 65lbs.

Looks like this is an original first generation JC-120 due to the fact that it does not have an effects loop which was added to later incarnations of this venerable amp. I'm guessing maybe really early 80's. It has 2 channels - one channel is dry and the other incorporates the chorus, reverb, distortion (if you can even call it that), and vibrato. I bought this amp used and the previous owner no longer had the footswitch for it. However, after hearing this amp sing with its built-in chorus, you won't feel the need to use the dry channel at all.

Does it have enough power? If anybody out there thinks this amp falls short of LOUD, you might need to get your ears checked out. I can barely get the volume past 1 before the neighbors start pounding on the door.

Ok, here is where it gets very interesting. I am going to rate this amp only for what its designed to do best - and that is give you the most neutral clean sound and the most beautiful, lush chorus that the JC-120 is known for. I don't think anybody in their right mind, buys a Roland Jazz Chorus 120 for its trash metal tone so its pointless to critique its distortion.

Here's what I play through: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus w/ SD JBs > MXR Super Comp > Dunlop Crybaby Wah > Japanese BOSS DS-1 > Nady TD-1 Tube Distortion > MXR EVH Phase 90 > Nady DSP 256 Effect Processor > Roland Jazz Chorus 120.

Guitar playing is a hobby for me and I'll play anything from Tuck Andress to Guns 'N Roses to Eric Clapton to Metallica. Pros: Did I mention that this huge beast does clean like nobody's business? Listen to Metallica's One or Nothing Else Matters. There's your JC-120 sound. Its a known fact that one thing that stayed constant with James Hetfield's rig is his Roland JC-120. And its not hard to see why. Playing through the clean channel, this amp puts my Class A Fender Champ to shame. As a quick A/B comparison, I ran a BOSS CE-5 Chorus Ensemble with the Champ and I still was unimpressed, spoiled by the spacious, liquid chorus that my JC-120 would provide without even breaking a sweat. Next to the Roland, the Fender Champ/BOSS Chorus just sounded sterile and lifeless.

For distortion, I use the Japanese DS-1 for heavy, palm-muted power chords. It won't give you a Mesa Boogie Rectifier (or even a dimed out Marshall) chug but it holds its own. In a perfect world, I would probably run two amps, The JC-120 for clean and a Marshall for the crunch.

This amp is over 25 years old and its first owner never had to take it in for repairs. That should tell you how reliable these original JC-120s are.

Haven't dealt with Roland. I tried browsing through their website for a manual for these original JC-120s but no dice. They do have a disclaimer that they may not be able to service older versions of this amp due to a lack of parts.

I've been playing for guitar since 88 and I've come a long way from the first beat up nylon 6-string I got as a hand me down. I've had souped up Kramers, Ibanez RGs and Fender Strats. I've played through Mesa Boogies, Marshall Silver Jubilees (the undisputed king of all amps, in my opinion), Fenders and several boutique amps. I remember playing through a JC-120 about 7 years ago and I swore that I would own one just because its clean channel is - no joke - to die for. This one came by and at $125 US, I could not pass it up. I was thinking of turning it around to make some decent money off it but after re-acquainting myself with the JC-120's chorus, I don't think I'll ever let it go. Never.

Bought it in 1985...original owner...Chorus/Distortion?Reverb

I use it for clean sounds as he Distortion is non existant...Play A Firebird thru it

extremely reliable...never been down

havent had to use them so I give em a 10

A very good and dependable amp...Great clean tones. I use it as a back up now, but in the day it was my #1 great amp

No, it is not a modeling amp and does not have thousands of built in possibilities, but having said that, it has all the features one would normally use for a traditional amplifier.

Personally, I find modeling amps too complicated to use on stage. I'm a guitarist, not a computer programmer, so I like my simple pedals. And for me, the Roland JC-120 has all the features I need. The stereo chorus is fantastic. The reverb is decent, but I don't use reverb very much. There is also a vibrato effect, but I like my stomp box vibrato better. The only thing preventing me from giving a 10 rating is the poor distortion. I use a Boss Metal Zone for most leads and a Boss DS-1 for a less intense distortion when playing rythym. The JC-120 sounds great with these pedals, better than my old Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.

Again, this would rate a 10 if the amplifier's built in distortion was usable. But with the proper pedals, this is not an issue. The Roland JC-120 has the best clean sound I have ever heard. Period. And I have used Fender Twin Reverbs and the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, and Fender considered to be the Holy Grail of clean sounding amps.
But this Roland sounds even better.

I play mostly oldies and classic rock with some modern rock and metal, so I need something vesatile. This does the trick. My guitar is a Les Paul, and my effects consist of 2 distortions, a DOD vibrato/tremolo pedal, and Ibanez CF-7 Chorus/Flanger (I don't need the chorus any more really, and a Boss compressor which I use for clean lead playing. Keep in mind, I have been a tube amp guy for the past 10 years, but I got to a point where I wanted reliability and consistency that I wasn't getting from my tube amps. I was afraid to make the jump to solid state, but I decided to research to find out what is the best solid state amp on the market. So I went to my music store and plugged into the JC-120 and was floored. I was still worried that, being a solid-state amp, the "headroom" would be minimal and I would have trouble filling the room with sound without playing at insane volume levels. But I've gigged with it in some decent sized rooms now and never had to push the volume higher than 3 or 4. And yes, I walked to the other side of the room with my wireless on and the sound was still rich and full.

The only issue I have, aside from the poor distortion, is that there is a noticable drop in volume when you switch from dry sound to chorus. The chorus effect is outstanding, but when you switch to it, the overall volume decreases.

The JC-120 also works great with all of my pedals. On my old Fender, the sound was kind of muddied with my effects. On the JC-120, the effects are bright and clear, and don't overly color the sound. I can even play full bar chords with distortion without farting out, which I had trouble pulling off with my Fender tube amps.

Having said all of that, this amplifier does not sound exactly like a tube amp, so if you really want legitimate tube sound, this may not be the amplifier for you. It really has it's own sound, not exactly like a tube amp, but just as good in it's own way. Far superior to any other solid state amp I have ever heard - and to my ears, better than most tube amps, but different.

I haven't had it long enough to make a judgement, but it is built to withstand all kinds of road abuse. I would guess from other comments that this thing will last for decades.

Although there are several Roland dealers in my area, only Guitar Center had one of these in stock. Hopefully I won't need customer support.

I have been playing for 22 years, professionally for about 10. It may be early to judge, but I think I have found my perfect amp, and would buy this again if I lost it.

Some have mentioned a slight "hiss" noise, which I did notice when I plugged it in in my basement, but I didn't notice it at all when gigging.

As stated before, I would give a 10 if it had decent distortion, and no volume drop-off when switching to chorus.

I guess everybody knows...

19 years have passed since I got my first guitar.
And now... I will never be pleased to have a Line6 Variax but I would rather have one good Strat, one good Tele, one good Les Paul, one good Martin... You know what I mean?
This amp is made for the Clean Tone, am I right? The best clean tone ever!!! IMHO, this one is so much better than some Fender tube amps in terms of 'clean' and it is solid state. No need to worry about tube problem (no more waste my money for spare tubes...)
And if you have some high gain stomp box, it also turns into a great metal beast. too. The chorus is awesome!!! I use this one with Mesa Boogie and they are perfect match!!!

Solid state!!! And it is tough!

Must have amp for everyone... I think...
The distortion knob in 2 ch. is just... forget it...
But because of the clean tone... you must try or have it. Period.

Bought it from an old bloke - been using it as a keyboard amp since he bought it in 1977!!!!

See previous reviews for features - I have nothing to add here. It has everything I will ever need.

I use a standard Fender Tele - vintage noiseless pickups - through a Boss ME 50 - love it all.

I also use a kalamazoo model 2 with a line out into the amp for that great overdrive sound - love the class A overdrive.

I will soon get a AB switch to allow me to switch between the lovely clear jc sound and the Kally!!!

The guy who sold it to me has never had any trouble with it - it now needs a service but works as good as the day it was created. All original.

Hey - this is where I have issues - have been having trouble from Roland getting the age of the amp confirmed - if anyone knows how to date these amps please let me know - can not believe how hard it is.

It is easy enough to find a service centre.

I had one years ago but had to sell it to eat - now I have another (in better condition than my first) I will never let it go. I will kill the person who steals it - but will definately get another - only an old one though - not a new one - they are made too cheap now - quality has gone down.

2005 ~ Features have been discussed atlength, 2 channels, built in effects,chorus and reverb are the best, the only thing I like about the distortion is the knob,it matches the others. I purchased this amp for the clean sound and to run my Rickenbacker's through. You hook this puppy up with a Jangle box compression pedal and you will completly nail the vintage Byrds and Beatles sound, Vox who? I give it a nine in regards to features, good thing the distortion knob matched the others.

I love the sound of this amp, clean tones are excellent, you need to know how to EQ,set the treble and mid between nine and ten oclock, and the bass at three oclock, adjust the reverb and chorus to your taste, don't touch the distotion knob, just admire it's beauty. This amp also works well with effect pedals.This thing has plenty of power, built like a tank. As mentioned I play my Ric's and Heritage guitars through it all sound great. I have been playing for about 40 years, classic rock,blues, and comtemporary Christian, The amp has been well traveled and no problems.

The amp is solid and I have seen my share of amps, I would and have giged with no fear. One of my other amps is a DR.Z maz 38, in regards to a tube amp you couldn't find any better. I said that to say this, I am surprised how many time I take the JC 120 when I play out.As I have traveld around the country I have seen many guitar players, and this amp was being used by many of them.

I have no beef with their customer support, I have never needed it on this amp,I have used some of thier effect pedals over the years, and they were helpfull when I had questions.

If this was lost or stolen I would at the very least replace the distotion knob, it's beauty is unsurpassed.Seriously this amp is a keeper, and should be included in your amp arsonal. I haven't found anything that compares with this amp in regards to it's intended purpose, it will hang with the best of amps, including some of the finer tube amps,I know this may be speaking blasphemy, and I do agree that the tone of a good tube amp is sweet, but for a solid state amp, this amp gets it done

year:2005 Jc 120 solid state stereo, made in USA /CE

It's very versatile, enough power, very clean, I believe it's the most honest amp available, no adding colour to your tone, It says what it should says.

I Use a Fender Stratocaster 50th anniversary american series 2004 with custom shop 54 pickups. I play Rock music in Church and it was perfect for that purpose. a little hum was there, but its so minor.

the thing I would like to share is that, the distortion, it's so good, I like it...really, but not as a distortion surely, but a gain or clean booster for the lead, I belive Roland Co. should has named it : "GAIN", AND NOT :"DISTORTION", I thing that's the only mistake on this "queen of clean amp"

use it with fender strat and crybaby wah2, for that super vintage wah sound, and it's simply a second to none!!!

very dependable, before this, I gigged with roland jc 120, 1980's version for 3 and a half years and nothing was ever going wrong with the amp, until today, the church is still using it and it still is fine

I have been playing the guitars for 8 years now, tried so many type of amps, this one is the best of all so far, I own many guitars and pedals, and this amp just fits me perfectly, sounds quality is sooo good, It always can satisfy my soul, just one thing I found is not right, It's hard to sing a sad song with a big Grin on your face

1980's stereo solid state amp with chorus and distortion.

My twin was getting worked on and the shop gave me this to use for the gig. I played this amp for 3 nights and hated every night with it.
It was way to bright and brittle sounding using my strat with Texas Specials PU. Tried my using my Gibson 347 next night and it sounded like was going through a bad P.A. system. I am not fond of that 80?s chorus sound, but I did try it and just as quickly turned it off. The distortion is laughable. IMO this would be a better keyboard amp

It worked for the three nights I used it.

Have no idea

I have been playing in working bands since 1985. I have a Fender 66 Vibrolux, 1970 Twin and 67 Princeton. For Guitars I have a 2 1983 Fender USA reissue Strats (57 & 62) a 1970 Tele and Gibson 347 and a 335.
I would not use this amp again if it was given to me.

Early 1980s Roland JC-120. All-original (except the footswitch--try finding an original Roland footswitch for one of these!) -- includes original metal dust cover Roland speakers. I play in a band that bills itself as a "[Classic] Rock, Pop, Funk and Soul" band. This means I have to play a lot of styles, all on the same night, and in the same sets -- I have to have versatility and have it quickly. The JC-120 gives me that versatility, even when used with the most modest of outboard, pre-input jack, set-ups. I played last night at one of the bigger clubs in town with only a JC-120, Boss floor tuner, Vox wah and Rat disortion pedal (one of the early Rats --they are way better than the newer ones--I'd only recommend one of the older ones from the 1980s).

Amp is 2-channel, but, except for special applications, no one uses the plain channel to the left. Why would you? The glory of the JC-120 is its chorus channel. Has the typical outpus/inputs read other reviews for details there. I do occassionally use the line out to a PA board for more out-front presence --just be careful not to have it mixed too bright in the PA.

Just about everyone wishes it had better distortion -- read the reviews. The distortion is just not useable if you ask me. Maybe some people like it... I've thought of getting another 1980s rat and inserting it in the distortion channel of the amp--removing the current one and literally moving the Rat components to the inside of the amp chassis--setting the Rat Filter and Volume controls at fixed points compatible with the channel volume/tonality of the amp, and moving the Distorion control knob of the Rat to the front panel of the JC-120, replace the JC-120's exisitng one. Then I'd be able to increase or decrease the distortion amount just like the stock amp, only it would actually sound good with the advantage of not having an extra footpedal on stage--I'd be able to use the footswitch pedal that I already have for the distortion/reverb/chorus. One day....
I usually leave the bright switch off since the JC-120 is clean and bright anyway.

I use this amp regularly to gig with. Somtimes in combination with a Marshall half-stack. But, if I only take one amp, it's usually the JC-120, and I have lots of choices -- I have about 20 amps--mostly Fender, Ampeg and Marshall -- but just one Roland--this JC-120--it's the only one I've ever needed. I tried to get an older Roland JC-77 recently off EBAY. I bid over $400 for it and didn't win! They sold new for less than that. FYI, it's the smaller version of the JC-120, but still has true stereo chorus. Why would I bid so much on it? Because it's smaller and lighter than the JC-120, but the 10" speakers allow it to be used as a vocal amp. Yes, that's right, a vocal amp. Until you've heard vocals through one--don't dismiss this as folly. While the JC-77 sounds better for vocals than the JC-120, probably due to the 10" speakers, the JC-120 is still very adequate for vocals if you need it for vocals in a pinch in smaller clubs.

The JC-120 is solid state and has two loud 60 watt amps to provide true stereo chorus. Plenty of clean, sparkling power. I sometimes crank the JC-120 up to 6 on a very loud night. Normally it's set at around 3.5 -- which is also loud.

Stereo Chorus is the greatest. The revrerb is very good, though I think Fender amps still have better sounding reverb.

I've owned and played through a lot of amps for a long time in working bands and I think this is one of the most versatile amps you can get. Of course you're not going to use the distortion feature. But, so what? I've used a JC-120 in live and/or emergency situations for the following with great success: guitar (of course), bass (try to keep it down and take the line out to the PA board --adjust tone controls to taste), vocals, keyboards (this is a great keyboard amp--I play in a loud originals band and the keyboard player also plays guitar on some songs and just uses the JC-120 for both).

If you want clean--this is it in spades. The best clean amp ever. I like the tonality of the Fender Twin Reverb, which is also a great clean amp, but nothing is cleaner than a JC-120. And the JC-120 is more versatile than a Fender twin because it can get really loud without break-up/unwanted distortion. If you crank a Twin up to those levels, there will be at least some (if not a lot) break-up because of the tubes.

I use Fender guitars mostly with the JC-120, Stratocasters and Telecasters, though I will occasionally use a Gibson Les Paul --especially if I'm using the JC-120 in combination with a Marshall half-stack. I have the "Fender Noiseless" pickups in almost all my Fender guitars because some of the clubs we play have lots of neon and flouescent lighting along with TVs and these will almost always cause hum with Fender single-coil pickups--depending on proximity to the devices and the electrical circuits of the building. I have Tom Anderson red (bridge) and yellow (neck) pickups in an early 1970s Les Paul Custom I often use. Since they are humbucking, the noise/humn problems are not as bad as with Fender single-coil piclups, so whatever hum exists is usually tolerable with the Gibsons. Still, I always bring a Fender Stratocaster with Fender Noiseless pickups as my backup guitar, no matter what amp I use or what show we're playing.

Amp suits my syles fine -- Classic Rock, Pop, Funk and Soul. But I use a 1980s Rat distortion pedal for distorted sounds. Amp can get loud with very litte noise -- very clean -- no distortion from the amp, even at high volumes. This amp is great if you use pedals because it will project loudly whatever goes in without coloration. The built-in distortion is less than adequate and just leave it off at all times--same as I do with the bright switch.

The vibrato is geat in this amp -- a litte clean tonally compared with a good Fender vibrato, which has a warmer character to it. The reverb is very good as well, but Fender reverb is more pleasant to my ears. But the chorus is unmatched. It's simply the best chorus ever built into an amp because it's true stereo chorus. Anything else is a similation of real chorus. No chorus pedal can match it, and I've had plenty of chorus pedals. No other amp's chorus is as good either. The Roland JC-120 is THE standard by which all other chorused amps and guitar chorus effects are judged. Period. For the ultra clean sound, even at high volume, and the chorus effect, this amp has to get a 10 in the sound category -- these are the two most compelling reasons to buy this amp, followed by versatility, reliability and portability.

The most reliable amp I've ever owned in over 30 years of playing gigs in bar bands. Including mostly Fender, Peavey, Ampeg and Marshall amps. I've been using it regularly now for over 10 years and have not once had it serviced. I've never had another amp (that saw a lot of use) even come close to that kind of reliablity. it simply never breaks down, and the speakers hold up incredibly well. Mine has a lot of external battle scars, but the case is indestructible. Another band member that uses his JC-120 for keyboards and guitar had his backed over by the drummer one night, and while the case took some damage, we re-shaped it, added some wood here and there, and it worked perfectly - no damage to the amp chassis or speakers (luckily)!

n/a -- Don't know. Don't ever want to know. Don't ever expect to know.

I've been playing in bar bands for over 30 years. I own about 20 other amps; mostly Fender, Marshall, Ampeg and Peavey. If stolen or lost, I would immediately look for a used eighties model on EBAY or Craigslist. The Roalnd JC-120 is a real workhorse, and is very versatile and reliable. Love the chorus (who doesn't?), dislike the distortion (again, who doesn't?) -- wish it had better distorion.

I wrote this (now lengthy) review because I truly love to play guitar and am into guitars and amps in a big way. I have always been a regular, blue-collar club player and I am also practical (especially the older I get). If a friend asked me what amp to get for gigging, and they could only get one amp, I'd recommend the Roland JC-120 without a second thought. It's got plenty of power, enough ins/outs to work large or small venues, has a great clean sound to project whatever outboard stuff you want to use, has great durability/reliability/versatility, and the best chorus ever built into an amplifier. It can be used for Country, Jazz, Rock, Pop, Soul, Gospel -- even Punk and Grunge (the built-in distortion actually sounds similar to the Boss DS1 distortion pedal used by grungers). On top of all that, they are very affordable! You can get them for under $500 used all day on EBAY.

Early model from the eighties I believe. 2 Roland 12" speakers, reverb, 2 channels, chorus and as much clean head room as anyone could ask for. This is one of the few solid state amps that are far under valued. You can pick up one of these for a lot less than a high end tube amp that plays clean only up to 3. I know that not every body wants clean, but not many amps have that option. The only negitive is that Roland amps are heavy. Not for those with bad backs.

I favor a rockabilly, jazz and blues sound. I play a hand made Twibble Tele type guitar and a Gretsch 6120. The sound is full, thick, punchy and loud. So loud in fact that in our large church I start at 3 and control the volume on the guitar. I warn the sound man that if he mikes it to be on his toes in case I turn it up on stage.
The chorus is the best and the distortion sounds like an old 45 record player turned up to high. (Sucks badly) But I will use a pedal if I want distortion. There is no better clean amp than this that I am aware of.
There is some channel noise, but its ok considering how great this amp sounds.

Built like a rock! Weighs a ton. Cleaned the pots once and thats about it.

Don't know. Never contacted them.

I know its not whats popular right now with all these low watt break up amps on the market, ( I'm looking for one now ) But it does what it's supposed to do and then some.

this model has been dated before 1984. i recently got it up and running. the speakers have been replaced with weber cermaic california customs, which are very comparable in sound to other JC120s i've heard.

the distortion on this unit is also a little better than i've heard on other JC's. its a mild overdrive which works wonders when i put my boss SD1 or ibanez TS808 in front of it. it works as a pretty good lead boost if i run (of all peals) a fuzz face in front if it. the chorus is pretty cool too. the tremolo rocks but i never use it. the bright switch is handy, but not when its on the distortion channel. i wish there was a way to run it so i could turn it off on the distortion channel without an AB box.

plenty of power. i will probably use it simply as a clean amp. i also have a kustom quad 200. i will more than likely A/B the two if i use it live.

right now i am playing with an ESP MH 1000, and the EMGs in it are simply too hot. i'm looking for an SG or a flying v to play through this amp with.

actually, its a rockin little amp. i was very pleasantly surprised by its tonal versatility because it is billed as no more than a 'clean amp.' although the cleans are tremendous, the distortion was a pleasant surprise. i play rock/hard rock exclusively through this amp. i'm scared to throw my metal zone on it.

i don't know yet; i bought it roughly five years ago from a pawn shop. it crapped out right away, so i just let it sit since i didn't realize how old it was. my amp guy went through it recently and gave me several reasons why it didn't work.

for starters, whoever owned in before replaced the speakers with ones that were half the wattage. for two, they soldered something to the reverb tank which messed up the reverb and a transformer of some sort. lastly, the distortion potentiometer needed to be cleaned, although i will probably replace all of the pots fairly soon. he used his superior knowledge to date the amp pre-1984. since roland doesn't offer e-mail support, i'm waiting to contact them directly about looking up the serial number.

i've never had to deal with roland. i'm taking that as a good sign.

i've been playing for just under nine years. of all the amps i've owned, this is by far the cleanest and most versatile. my kustom quad 200 is actually surprisingly clean, but this totally blows it out of the water. i was orignally going to fix it and sell it, but i CAN'T part with it now. if it were stolen, i'd seek a vintage one. i'd buy a newer one as a last resort. the only thing i can think of that would be cooler about it other than what i've mentioned in the review already would be if you could run the tremolo and the chorus simultaneously.

My JC120 was made in April 1987, I checked the manufacture date with Roland service in UK, they are very helpful. This was ma first "big" amp and I was really impressed by the sound and size and weight too! I used it for free jazz - style improvised stuff which I still play. The features of JC120 were already described a few times too many, so I won`t do that again. When I had it, the amp was loud enough to play anything with a loud band and I didn`t go much over half of the volume as I can recall. Features are just enough for playing jazz, and with a pedal distortion almost anything alse.

Used it with a cheap M100 Cort guitar, with crappy stock pickups. Despite that, the sound was great. This proves my personal theory that not the guitar matters that much but the amp. Amp is 50, or even 70% of your sound. I still can see that type of guys arond me with 1000-2000 guitars plugged into cheap-shit amps and wondering "why my sound is not that good, I have a good guitar!?" If you are young, inexperienced, and thinking what to upgrade first in your rig start with a good amp, that`s my advice!

The great thing about JC120 was the famous chorus and vibrato, all it true stereo, nothing can beat that sound. One of a kind. With that you get the 80`s Crimson sound, Scofield, and others as well. When using at home, I didn`t go over 2 on the volume, didn`t want to have trouble with elderly neighours.

It`s got a jazzman`s dream sounds. Distortion can irritate some people, but some might like that. Anyway, it`s original;)

Heavy-weight, solid state, bullet-proof. Nothing there to break down, maybe the speakers could blow after 10 years of continuous thrashing at max settings, but who could do that all the time? 100% reliable.

I`m from Warsaw, Poland. The local Roland representative is lazy, not easy to ask anything for, unkind and unhelpful. Getting the manufacture date from serial no. is too big a trouble for them. I don`t even want to think what it would be like if I have something to fix there.

Unlike the Roland in UK - all the opposite, very kind and willing to help.

Been playing for 15 years or so. Nothing pro though, just for myself, and I guess it will stay that way. I also have a Fender Twin Reverb II (Rivera era), other must-have for a jazzer. Different in sound and touch than a JC120, but each has its own character and can`t be replaced by other. I sold my JC120 just after a few months from purchasing it used. Sold it at nearly double profit, that was the only reason I did it. I was very surprised with the guy who just came (I put the amp on the Polish equivalent of E-Bay), put the amount I wanted on the table, no questions asked, and left with the amp. Though I got the money, I was a bit sorry for getting rid of my JC120 so fast... it was like an accident;) Shortly afterwards I bought the Fender Twin II, and just a few days ago, a Roland JC80.

I bought this used amp a year ago (2004) from a well known world-touring-big-shot guitarist. According to him it would date back early 1980s, but man it still rocks as the day it was born ! I play essentially brit-pop and vintage rock compositions (the band is LaChambre) and it suits me more than I could ask for. I knew the product for I also have a JC77 and now use both amps in stereo. The JC120 (which is slightly different than its little sister) has two separate channels, but I use only the second one - the one with that MAGIC CHORUS SOUND ! It also has a distortion which is pretty useless and a Vibrato which is a cool asset. The amp's got a whopping 120 watt output (60w. in each speakers hooked in stereo) and is all solidstate.

I own numerous amps (both solidstate and tube ones) and this one is by far the best sounding and reliable amp I have. It is a very versatile amp for you can play blues, jazz, indie, hard rock, hardcore... and it will always suit you (The Police's Andy Summer, Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro and Limp Bizkit's Wes Borlan all play JC120s) ! And the chorus, man what a chorus ! You can't get that sound with NO other amps nor effects, believe me ! It's such a good sounding chorus that you can't tweek it or set it yourself, it's a 'fixed' effect. It's a very rich sounding machine with lots of headroom. The stock Roland speakers are also very good sounding, I wouldn't see why I'd replace them for they are absolutely perfect with lots of bottom and loads of treble. You can get virtually any palette of sound for any style (I personally use a Boss DM-1 in it to get some freaky delay or reverb sounds, I also use a Tech-21 American Woman Fuzzbox, a Boss Phase-Shifter and a Dunlop Wha).

It's solidstate so it's a tough machine ! It made a statement in solidity: I dropped it once off its roadcase, it fell right on its face. My heart stopped for a moment. Than I plugged it back and... it still has no problem at all ! It also toured the world for a few years (with its previous owner) and I now use it to tour with my band LaChambre; I still didn't manage to get it serviced. I don't use back up amps with this one and don't think I will for a few more years.

I really don't know, it never broke down (neither does my Roland JC77) !

I've been playing for 15 years about 2 hours a day whether live, with my band or just for myself. I own Gibsons, Fenders, two ErnieBall/MusicMan, a 60's Teisco, a rare Jaguar Les Paul; as for the amps, I have this Roland JC120, a JC77, two Fenders, a 1964 Regal and a Vox. And if I would have to choose only one amp to keep, the JC120 would be the one ! If it was stolen, I would get another one right away (I would prefer the original old one like mine). I strongly recommand the Roland JC120 (or and smaller JazzChorus amps) for its sound, its looks and its sturdiness; and for the fact that it doesn't look 'cliche' on a stage like Marshalls and Fenders !

New model right out of the box so I would guess 2004 or 2005. It works for me. I play jazz in a 5 piece group and mess with the blues, 60's rock and psychedelic. I usually run a GT-6 into the effect return loop. So it is guitar - GT6 - JC120. I wanted a clean amp with lots of headroom - thats why I bought this amp.
For what it is designed for it works great - so hard to use this rating system it is designed to one thing really good and it does that. It takes pedals, processors or other things to add versitility. For me its a fit.
One thing to note is that the tremelo, reverb and chours are post effects loop!! Be sure to turn these off when using a processor!

I use three different guitars with this amp. Parker Fly, Epi Dot and Blade R4 (old model). This amp really shows the difference in these guitars. When going directly in the amp (no processor) the Blade with its VSC is amazing - the Epi Dot is good - and the Parker is a bit harder to dial in. Granted these are not your typical jazz guitars but they work for me and the sounds I am trying to get.
For a great sound try GT6 (twin emulation) into the return of the JC120.
The distortion is not as bad as I have read - granted it is light but it may have some limited uses. The main thing for me is when the distortion is on there is a very notciable volume boost - way too much to be useful with out messing with the volume control on your guitar!

So far so good only a few weeks of ownership. Has good rep for reliability.

no data

I have been playing for over 40 years. I have a Tech 21 Trademark 60 and a Roland Cube 30. Both are good but not loud enough for outdoor festivals and other outdoor places we play - we do not have a PA system.
Lost or stolen I would consider running Cube 60's in tandem.
Hate the weight - thought it would not be too bad until I had to haul it around a bit, less than a good clean tube amp of the same power.
Great canvas for you to start with to get to your own sound.
Hope it sounds as well with the GR33 (next purchase) as it does with my GT6.

After I gave up schlepping around a Fender Twin with JBL's, (just too heavy, although it had the best sound I ever heard), I spent 19 Years looking for a suitable replacement. The closest I got was a Fender Blues DeVille 212. It was lost in a flood & the replacement Hot Rod DeVille just isn't clean. I lucked out at Long & McQuade (largest musical dealer in Canada.), and found a used JC120 for $350.oo Cdn !!! It is the cleanest, best sounding, easiest to operate amp I've played through. Twin stereo channels give incredible sound, especially when the guitar is inputted via a Boss Chorus & Boss DD6 delay. The boss Chorus makes the sound into stereo. It has built in Reverb or Chorus, Chorus & Distortion.(The salesman told me that the ampo had sat in the store from Feb/05 until June/05. He asked me why I thought it had been there so long & I told him that oviously the people that looked at it just didn't know what they wee seeing. The current list is $1250.oo US.

*1993 Fender Telecaster Plus, 2005 Fender Strat 50th Anniversdary & a funky little Squier '51, Epiphone FT250 Flat Top.
*Suits me perfectly, (Ctry, Ctry Rock, Blues, R & B, Classiv & Grafitti Rock
*Quiet wherever it is set
*All pedal controlled Chorus or Vibrato, Reverb & Distortion, endless variety with these
*No, No, No
*Distortion is fairly soft & gets stronger as you crank it.
Heavy Metals types would probably add another pedal

Had it for 2 months & don't need a backup.
Never acted up, but Roland/Boss products DON'T BREAK !!

Roland did surgery on my Boss DR5 drum machine. Pro service at a reasonable price.

*I've played 35 years, (23 years pro)
*Boss pedals, (TU2 Tuner, Gr7 Eq, PH3 Phaser, OD2 Turbo Overdrive, CE3 Chorus, DD6 Delay, Samson Wireless,
Tele Plus, STrat 50th Anniversary, Squier '51, Epiphone FT250 Flat Top
*If lost, I would try like hell to replace it.
*I tested amps for 19 #@&!! YEARS, trying to find it. Too many amps to list.
*It's pretty much on the money
* I love it, I love it, I love it !!!

New Roland JC 120 (2003 modell)

I use it on my Rhodes MK1 73 and clavinet D6. Play funk, jazz etc.

I use it live and in studio.

2 channels - and a nice footpedal.

Sounds great on clean sound. Distortion is not that great.

Great chorus and tremolo. The reverb is ok.

There is a hiss sound, a noise... Probably becourse its no master volum.

It's a tank!

It's one of two classic amps to use with a Rhodes. (This and the Fender twin). To very different amps. They both have two 12" speakers, but it stops there. If you are a real Rhodes fanatic, you should have them both.

I don't know the year of this amp but it's the old version.

I'm sure the features have been covered plenty in the other reviews but I'll add that on the old version which I have there is no FX loop which I would have liked. There's also no headphone jack which I would also have liked and the Lineout doens't seem to work though I've heard you have to crank the amp right up which I can't do when I want to record onto the comp in my house.

The features were excellant for when this amp first came out though.

The amp on it's own sounds excellant for clean tones.

I play mostly heavy rock and metal and being a super clean amp you may think it a strange choice but it's because I'm using FX machines with it. Afterall, if you want to play pedals through an amp you may aswell start with a great clean sound to begin with.

I'm using a boss gt8 with this amp and it sounds fantastic.

I haven't had this amp all that long but I bought it used and it's gotta be over a decade old so I'd say it's pretty damn reliable and I would not need a backup amp to gig with (maybe some backup pedals).

I find Roland and especially Boss to be pretty lacking in customer support. There is no manual anywhere for the old version.

I've been playing on and off for 6 years. I've owned Marshalls and one Fender until now and had never been remotely satisfied so I have always used pedals through them.

I'd defintely be upset if this got lost or stolen but if it were I'd probably go the route of active speakers rather than get another one of these.

I love the excellant clean of this amp and the way it brings my GT8 to life. The instant I plugged into this amp it was a whole new world compared to the crappy overrated pile of crap Marshalls that I'd been using.

I chose this amp as I wasn't happy with the sound I was getting with the GT8 through my Marshall and have come to realise that it's the Marshall that is at fault so seeing asthough Boss used the JC120 when making the GT8 and have specific outputs for it then it seemed the wise choice to go with it and I have no regrets whatsover, it's the first time I've purchased guitar related gear and haven't been dissapointed.

It's the same as everyone else's. When I got mine, the input jacks for the main section (effects side) were in bad shape due to having been played for 20 or more years. This is the sound I've been looking for! The features are pretty basic, but work well.

I play everything from jazz and r&b to funk and rock. I use an acoustic, a Les Paul, a Strat, a custom shredder and Fender Rhodes keyboard through this and they all sound amazing. The distortion is gross, but I either run a dynacomp in front of a pair of modded tubescreamers, or A/B with my Mesa Boogie Mark IIB for my lead sounds. The stereo sound on this blows me away!

I got this thing at a garage sale for $40!!! No joke! It looked used, but with some TLC it now both looks and sounds amazing. I'm assuming that I'll likely never have to have this thing serviced (according to what everyone else says).

Never had to.

I've only had it a couple of weeks, but boy it sounds great!

if you've read any other reviews, you know what this amp's feautures are.

i play a 1978 gibson les paul standard with the original humbucker pickups and a 78(?) Gibson SG 2 with its original single coil pickups(it sounds like a telecaster pretty much).

I play a broad range of music from lo-fi acoustic stuff i do on four tracks to heavy stonger/sludge metal as well as many different punk styles in between.

it's only real set back is this hiss. some people get it, some people don't. it's weird. i have played through ones from my same era(Mid eighties) and they did not have the same hissing problem mine did. it only becomes odd when i record clean stuff on four track tape recorders b/c the tape hiss and the amp hiss kind of combine themselves. However, this hissing is usually buried when you play at lower levels and most certainly is gone at higher levels. it's just that it's a pain when you're not playing for a part of a song and recording that song. just more to edit out. however, live this problem is not a problem at all.

the amp's effects as you know are amazing for the most part, with the obvious exception of the distortion. i always think any distortion, no matter how bad it is can be used for SOMETHING. i have still not figured out a way to use it for anything, not even a joke. it really is that bad. this amp is exactly what you know it is, the best clean amp around.

the clean channel stays crystal clear at high volumes, it's unbelievable.

i would give it a ten but the hiss should not be there.

you have no idea how much shit i've put this amp through. it has seen numerous tours and plenty of misuse. this shit is way tougher than anything i've ever seen or owned. i've never onced had to bring it in. i've owned for like five years and it's never once failed on me in anyway. this amp seriously could survive a nuclear hollocaust i think. the only things left would be cockroaches and jc 120s.

i've never had to deal wit them b/c the amp has never needed fixing.

i've been playing for about twelve years. i own a sunn cab(4X12 size but with a fifteen in it) and a jackson cab(DONT KNOCK THIS THING, it's brutal). when i play for heavier bands i rig this guy up with a mesa .50 caliber head and it's one of the most abrassive things you've ever heard. i only play through gibson guitars. i already listed my current ones.

if it were stolen id buy it again, but would be sad b/c this one has gone through a lot of things.

this hiss is annoying. that's it really. it is one of the top five best amps ever made.

i've compared it to some fender amps, but they just had too much color for me. i would like to use a fender amp for somethings, but the roland does what a fender could do and it can also avoid what a fender does.

Yet another review!? OK-If you want a clean powerful amp with a kick ass chorus, springy reverb (I have an older 80's model) and tank like reliabilty, you stop here and do not pass on to other amps. Period! I used a preamp and distortion effects (I actually played heavy metal/rock with v. good results). Yeah the distortion is crappy on it's best day(I really don't understand why Roland which actually makes some great distortion pedals never got this part right). Stereo chorus is to die for...the best and cleanest transistor amp made. CAN YOU SAY LOUD?

Chorus A+, Reverb B-, EQ B+, Distortion (oh well you can't be good in everything) D. Versatile with proper gear (preamp, separate distortion, other effects e.g.), Otherwise a great amp with crystal clean tones. A little bit warm to the ear, but that's ok.

Been through many gigs (tossed around, knocked over, beer spilt, girls rubbing against it..or was that me?) so it's reliable, tank like (the older models on/off is a chrome plated toggle-not a push button and also made of plywood construction-not as heavy as a twin reverb tube combo but still not for the weak of armed.

Roland is great for support (I used them to get other things repaired)

20 years+. This combo amp is the one for jazz, rock, country. Good for blues (I prefer tube), but can be v. good for heavier sounds w/ proper gear with it. If it was stolen I'd be pissed since it is an older and a very well kept model (even with the gigging). I'd look on Ebay to get another ASAP.

beautiful clean sound and a nice built in chorus. U all know the features...

Ok, this amp is known for its clean sound, but whenever I go to a rehearsal studio, I'll ALWAYS use this amp, and heres why: The place we go to doesn't supply the footswitches for their amps(people steal them), so I always bring along a sansamp GT2 and play through the clean channel of this amp. I used to always play through the clean channel of a marshall or a mesa when I would go there. One day, I played through the JC 120 and WOW. The GT2 in front of the clean channel of this amp sounds AMAZING! It sounded heavy and crunchy and full! Sansamp products are best when used through an amp which will NOT color the signal too much, and thats what this amp does perfectly. It sounded amazing and I love it.

I love this amp clean and LOVE it even more with a GT2 pedal for my dirt!

This is an updated JC120 which I purchased this year 2004: EFX's Loop, Reverb unit in the preamp I supposed since the old tank is longer there in the floor of the amp, and maybe someone can confirm it has a new "Distortion" sound that is unlike the notoriously raucous crackling distortion of yester-years... it sounds better... more like an overdrive. The appearance is authentic... which is nice!
The rest of the features I am happy with ... read SOUND.

Disappointments: Roland is a big enough company to do better with customer appreciation by including the basics necessities, such as, an amp cover and footswitches for channel switching, EFX's, Distortion, ...which Fender include with their amps products.

Guitar: Rick Kelly/Carmine St. Telecaster... check his "10" reviews out!
Music Style: Blues/Soul/Rock. My respects to Paul Weller, Led Zep, Van Morrison, Bob Dylan... who share influences in jazz, too.

The features are just as I remember them since I had an older version way back when. But, I sold it to upgrade to a tube amp... But, I'm back to the ubiquitious solid state JC120. Its a great sounding amp.
In the rehearsal studio that I go to they have the usual Marshall stacks, Fender Twins, and others. So I did some comparion at high volume an found that the JC120 crunches nicely just as good as the Marshall... but even better since I put a Fulltone Fat Boost in the EFX Loop!

The JC120 is a "clean" amp but it is also very warm sounding, not shimmering at all. In Ch. 1, I go for the low impedence input, and Ch. 2 for the high impedence input which to me both sound comparably warm. The amp per channel per speaker is a great feature for the great sounding chorus and for stereo inputing for stereo FXs, such as the Maxon Rotary Phaser I use.

This is a great amp for its price. And, in the 80's it was THE solid state stage amp known for RELIABILITY.
So, say that my confidence is knowing that Roland is a reputable music corporate which a strong market presence.

hummmm... I hope my amp survives with me into eternity. So, I give it a "10" in faith.

Hoping not to contact them.

This is a great amp and much better for its price. It is no longer a popular item for major chain stores to carry so if you want to check it out it may be hard to find one on the floor. I was lucky after about 6-months of inquiring at a store they finally got ONE in. BTW... don't buy the older version since the features of this newer verions is updated and the price is still very competitive. Good Luck!

The features are the same as most of the other reviews except this is an older one that was made before Roland started putting effects-loops in them.

I purchased this amp new back in 1984 and I am the original owner. Mine is the Made in USA version with JBL K-120?s installed by the dealer at the time of purchase. The distortion on this one actually sounds good and always did. Recently I opened it up to take a peek inside and found mine has these JRC4558DD op-amps that I keep reading about in there. Since 8-pin op-amps are almost universally compatible with each other, I wonder if that?s the reason the distortion sounds good on mine but on others it doesn?t. Or maybe it's just me.

What can I say here, this is the queen of clean. The benchmark for pure guitar tone all others are compared to and for good reason. For the best chorus, you just can?t get it better than the older JC-120?s. I had to specify that because the newer ones DO NOT sound the same. There is some hiss, but it is no different than any other amps I?ve heard and used.

My signal chain is simple and basic and I make my own cables because most of the cables on the market save the very high dollar ones are just plain junk. It may sound or read complicated but when you see it, there?s not much there.

Starting with my guitar (An old Ibanez Artist AM series with Super 58 humbuckers) through a 15? ?semi-balanced? cable to a Morley Wah, through a short 6? cable to a Boss TR-2 (Tremolo) through a male-to-male ?? coupler to a Boss DS-1 or a Boss BD-2 (depending on the gig) through a short 12? ?semi-balanced? cable to a Boss AB-2 selector switch in which ?A? goes to my clean channel through a 10? ?semi-balanced? cable and ?B? goes to my effects channel through another 10? ?semi-balanced? cable. I also use the OEM three button footswitch to turn the on-board effects on and off using the on-board distortion primarily as a boost.

I power everything through a Tripp-Lite LS-604, 600 watt conditioner and use separate power supplies for each pedal which are all stored under the pedals in a metal box. Can you tell I don?t like signal or power chain noise? To me signal chain noise sounds like running your fingernails down a chalk board. It is very difficult for me to go listen to other bands because face it, most guitar players are not bothered by it and don?t try to do anything about common noises. It?s a real shame because I?ve heard some bands that could really sound good.

When playing live, I take advantage of the external speaker jacks and use a pair of home made trap-cabinets loaded with a JBL K-120 in each and put one on each side of the stage. The quality of the sound I?m achieving is very ?top-shelf? and the tone of the amp all by itself is dreamy and creamy.

I?ve had this through 20 years of playing gigs now and it has never failed me. I have acquired another one from e-bay to use as a backup but I?ve never needed to put it into action. I purchased the second one pretty cheep because it was advertised as ?dead? but all it needed was a pair of fuses and new speakers.

I?ve never needed customer support other than when I contacted Roland for assistance in figuring out what was wrong with the dead one I got on e-bay. They were very helpful and pointed me in the direction I needed to go so I got that second one up and running in almost no time at all.

I?m a life-long guitar player and been do it for over 30 years now. Although I play all styles of music, ?MY? style is along the lines of the Doobie Brothers, Eagles, Huey Lewis and the News, southern rock and other stuff like that. This JC-120 has served me well over the years and suits me perfectly. I think it?s the cats pajamas.

My amp is like 80s. I bought it used off ebay. This amp has two channels, one that is completely useless and the other that is amazing. Chorus and vibrato, with a distortion that can suck my fat toe. Everyone knows this. Not that versatile. If peavey or mesa combined forces with roland to make them go together, they would put all amp companies out of business.

I usually use it with my schecter c-1 + with PRS tremonti signature pickups. Very good in this guitar. Actually i think sounds pretty close to the real PRS models. Like BIZKIT meets Creed. But back to the amp. Since i bought it used it has some flaws but i have played the new ones and i think the new ones don't sound as great for some reason. Not as full. If i were to die and go to heaven, this is the amp i would want to hear in my ears. Provided someone plays guitar up there. Chorus is AMAZING!!! It is such a full and powerful sound. Even when not on, I would still buy this amp instead of the fender twin. Fender has nothing on this. No tubes? Who cares! I think as long as you have a distortion head (Peavey XXX, Mesa Triple) that has the tubes you will be fine. Hands down, the best clean amp ever made. No arguements, this one takes the cake

Has a little scratchy sound when i turn in up but that is because it was bought used and i have no i idea what its been through. It seems to be built like a tank so that is good enough for me!

never dealt with them. Knock on wood!

This amp has to be the holy grail of clean amps. Some people complain that the chorus stays at a slow, fixed rate. I hate chorus that is fast so this amp is amazing!

This review is an homage to my deceased JC-120 that I got for my 17th birthday and which provided me with beautiful sounds for over ten years, until it finally passed away a few years ago.

Mine was pretty well used by the time I got it in 1986, and it had extra heavy JBL speakers in it. It was very loud, and the features were pretty basic - distortion, reverb, chorus, vibrato (the distortion was not even worth turning on!) but they sounded great! There were about 10 or so jacks on the back, but there was no labeling on my well-used amp, so I had no idea what any of them were for and never ever used them.

The best clean amp I've ever played thru! It sounded so rich, so smooooth, so lush!! The distortion circuit was pure crap, but it sounded great with pedals! If your turned it up very loud to the point where it distorted, it sounded very exciting, like a clean rich growl! But the thing was so fu*king loud that I rarely got to do that. It was clean to pretty high volumes.

It broke down a few times (mostly the input jacks wore out), because it was played an awful lot, and it was old, and it was too heavy so I rolled it on its wheels all the time, over rough cement (I was young and stupid and thought it would last forever). It did last for quite awhile and was reliable 'til near the end. It finally died, but I still have the JBL speakers in a new cabinet.

???????

I was 17, and i chose it because it was the best sounding amp for the clean rich sound I wanted to get, and it was really really loud! It sounded better than new amps at twice the price.

I keep hearing that the new JC-120's just aren't the same, which is a damn shame because this amp had built a name for itself as one of the best sounding clean amps around, which it was, but apparently not anymore . . .

The 10 rating is for the old ones, from back when the music mattered, and we had something to believe in, back when men were men, and women were women, and some women were also men, and some men were goats, and women would herd these goats thru the village, herding them with the power of this great pure clean tone!

2001 model (I think). I prefer the older models due to the cheesy plastic switches and particle board construction on the newer ones. With a good pre-amp, this is one the nicest sounding amps I've ever owned. Has stereo effects loop, two channels and seperate three band EQ's. The channel setup is not what you would expect to see on a typical amp. Channel 1 is clean with no chorus or tremelo. Channel two has a cheesy distortion circuit (bypassable) and chorus and tremelo. Weird setup....and pretty useless, but since I only use channel 2, it's not a big deal to me. Very nice reverb. The Roland "silver cone" speakers are some of the best I've heard. Even under extreme distortion settings (and volume) these speakers simply put out. Nice definition and no voice coil stalling (speaker farting). Plenty of bottom end, buttery mids, and smooth highs. Plenty of volume. Powered by two solid state 65 watt amps. No tubes......no worrys. Don't let the tube snobs sway you......this amp puts out. Points off for particle board construction, plastic switches, crappy internal OD circuitry, and useless channel setup.

My current guitars are an Ernie Ball Musicman Axis SS, and a Washburn USA Custom Shop WMS. I play in one of the area's Top 40 bands. Styles range from 70's rock through 80's metal, and 90's grunge. The amp is noisier than I would prefer. The earlier US models were substantially quieter.....kind of disappointing. Still the amp has pristine clean sounds. More natural compression than I was expecting when I first plugged into it. The stero chorus is fantastic.....and the trem isn't too bad either. I very rarely use the pre-amp on this amp. Generally I run my guitar into a Tech 21 TRI-OD then into the effects return, which effectively turns this baby into a three channel fire breathing monster. No kidding!! I was SO impressed with the sound that I eventually sold my Boogie and a few other amps as well. I guess I'm too old (and too practical) to play the tube game anymore. Anyway, for the wide variety of music we play this setup is perfect. Sometimes I run effects after the TRI-OD and before the amp, sometimes not.....mostly depending on my mood and the gig. This amp is perfect for running effects, as it doesn't color your sound very much. A word on the built in distortion. Don't bother. It's beyond lame. Get yourself a good pedal. I HIGHLY recommend the Tech-21 stuff.

So far no problems. I've owned a couple of earlier model JC's and never had an issue with exception to a bad reverb tank on a JC-77. I'm a little curious to see how the particle board cab will hold up to my gigging schedule. Time will tell.

I called Roland to get a replacement part for an earlier model and had a very pleasant experience with them. The whole process took under 5 minutes, and the tech on the phone was both courteous and knowledgeable. It's still hard to find a company that can beat Mesa Boogie for support......but I really was pleasantly surpised with this support.

Been playing about 20 years. In that period of time I've owned just about everything out there. I thought of selling this amp ....just for a quick fix to my GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), but I never could quite bring myself to it. This amp is a keeper. If you are a gigging musician that needs to sound good at both low volumes (dinner parties, small clubs, restaurants) and high volumes (medium/large clubs, large parties, outdoor gigs) I highly recommend this amp with a good pre-amp. Also.....use the effects return which effectively bypasses the pre-amp when using an external OD/distortion pedal. Tube amps are great....don't get me wrong. Historically, I have rarely played a gig where I could crank any of my tube amps loud enough to sound good....not to mention the reliability issues you have with them. Overall, the JC-120 is a really nice amp, and well worth the $400 or so bucks you'll spend on a used one. One more note..........get casters. It's not light.

New model

Solid state

FX loop

Main Output

Pedal inputs located in back (for turning vibrato/dist/chorus on or off)

2x60w amp

Silver cone speakers

Main in ch 1 with eq

Main in ch 2 with eq/vibrato/distortion/chorus

Nice casters included

My band mainly plays an alt rock/jazz/punk kinda thing. This amp nails the tone I need perfectly.

This amp is extremely loud. The volume on mine is usually set at around 1. Gets loud very quickly. Really don't need to play through our PA with this amp. Should be fine for many small clubs.

I do wish the amp came with a nice pedal to turn the chorus/vibrato on and off as well as switching between channel one and two. I had to purchase a separate on/off switch for my chorus. Having two channels on the amp without channel switching is rather bizarre. With channel switching and a pedal you have some more versatility. Listen up here Roland. Many other people would like this as well.

This amp gets a 7 here due to the lack of channel switching and a nice pedal.

The amp fits PERFECT into our sound. In the past few years my musical interest as far as a band goes has changed from metal/hard core with heavy distortion to more of an alternative rock sound with some jazz/folk/punk mixed in.

We are playing our first show new year's and my focus has been on writing and completing songs. Right now my setup is pretty simple:

Epiphone Sheraton II semi-hollow body (all stock) > Roland JC120

Can't get any more simple than that! I plug the guitar into ch 2. Set the volume at around 1, set my chorus speed to around 4 and my depth to around 7 and go.

I have setup all my gear for testing purposes. I have two main guitars I will end up using. Here is what my complete setup will look like:

Epiphone Sheraton II > Boss AB2 switch > Roland JC120 ch2

ESP LTD Viper 100 (all stock) > Boss AB2 switch > Boss DS1 > Boss BD2 > Roland JC120 ch2

Roland on/off switch for chorus

I will also be including my Nady CL5000 compressor but have not taken the time to hook this up. Heck, the way this thing sounds with just the guitar plugged in, I may just sell most everything else!

The clean sound on this is superb. The best undistorted tone I have ever heard. Can be described as accurate and does not apply any coloration to your tone. Turn on the chorus and you have one excellent and lush sound that can only be described as...what you always wanted. It is beautiful, really. I played this along side Fender and Mesa combos and the clean/undistorted tones do not compare. The Roland beats them hand down.

There is some noise to the amp. You'll get varying degrees depending on your volume and what guitar/pickups you are using. When playing live with the band, it is not noticeable even when I am playing an intro or something by myself. No biggie here.

The EQ is nice and accurate. At times the bass seems to take control but nothing the EQ and a little time can't handle. This will depend on what song you are playing or what tone you want to achieve. There is a sweet spot for me around 4 on the bass dial. Anymore any it seems to add too much mud to the sound. This of course depends on what song I am playing and whether I am using my solid body with distortion and which pickup selection. Basically I set the EQ to 4 for highs, 2.5 for mids, and 4 for lows and then work from there. This amp will allow you to mess around and come up with several sweet spots depending on what tone you want.

The amp is VERY loud. Almost unbelievable. The downfall here is that the tone will crackup rather quickly and start to distort unless you reset your EQ. Find out what volume you need during sound checks and then set the EQ. I kid you not, at 2 I start to overpower the rest of the band and at 3 it is just plain too loud. How hard you dig into your strings will also be a factor hear. Again, set the volume at 1 go from there.

The vibrato is cool for some things. I haven't as of yet found a use for it but I am sure I will use it on some songs. It sounds fine nonetheless. Consider it an effect at the least.

The distortion is at very best, comical. Another poster used the phrase "shame on you Roland". This is true. I have tried to use the distortion just to color up or fuzz up the sound for say some bluesy or psychodelic stuff but I was unable to really get a tone I could use. For power chords and such, the disortion makes me laugh. Could be used as an effect maybe. Pros and cons, people. Pros and cons. I will say that the Boss DS1 and BD2 pedals sound EXCELLENT with this amp. Adding a nice distortion pedal solves the problem here.

The clean tone for me is a 10, hands down. For jazzy/alt rock stuff it is perfect. Based on the bass sometimes being too much, and the fact that the on-board distortion tone is really not that good, I would say this gets an 8. However, since the clean tone and chorus was EXACTLY what I was always looking for (and never knew it), it gets a 9.

So far I haven't had any problems. I have been playing two or three times per week with it over the past six weeks or so. Sometimes carting it back and forth to practice in the back seat or trunk (with towels under and over it). The amp is fairly heavy. The casters are nice and seem sturdy. I tend to baby my stuff. I don't see that the amp will just plain fall apart on you if you take care of it. Try not to bang it around it should work for years.

I don't have my paperwork with me but it is a three year warranty I believe. Not sure how long parts and labor are really covered. Don't quote me hear.

Never had to deal with Roland so far. Hope I never have to.

I have been playing for over 17 years now. I have seen my fair share of gear. Too much to list really. Guitars, basses, drums, recording equipment, mics, and so on.

If the amp were lost, I would have to wonder why and how I could possibly achieve this task. I would replace it nevertheless.

If it were stolen, I would replace it.

I love the overall clean sound this thing has. Almost unbelievable. A real asset to the overall sound of my band. I can play some bluesy stuff, jazz stuff, clean rock, heavier power chord stuff with distortion pedals and get a superb sound. I am truely happy with the amp.

Needs to come with channel switching and a nice pedal to control them along with the chorus/vibrato. Nix the on-board distortion on future models unless you change the sound of it.

Compared to my previous Peavey Rockmaster tube preamp through my Crate GFX212 through a Crate 4x12 as well as compared to Fender and Mesa combos, the Roland beats them easily as far as clean/undistorted tones go.

This is one of the eighties 120's. I'm not sure of the year. I called Roland with the serial number and they told me it was probably an early 80's model. Anyone know of a serial number chart on these? Features as per the reviews below.

I buy and sell musical equipment and I originally bought this amp to resell it. I'd heard good things about the 120, but never had a chance to play one before. As soon as I had about 2 minutes with it, I knew I had to keep it. You can immediately call up a slew of 80's pop guitar sounds, most notably the Police's Andy Summers' trademark sound (this was his main amp for many years). Seems to work better with single coils and so far, I've gotten the best sounds with my '90 MIJ '54 Strat. The Reverb is sweet and the chorus is amazing. I've got an original Boss CE-1 and the built in chorus on this amp is supposed to be the same, but sounds much more sparkly and clear then my foot pedal version. After playing with the amp for a few weeks, I've happily found out that it has a very nice clean sound for twangy tele tones and best of all, it takes my TS-9 Pedal extremely well and does a very exciting overdrive sound with the ts-9, a touch of the reverb and the chorus. Immediately usable and musical.

Haven't had it long enough to tell.

Nope, too old.

Playing since 1979, and I've got to admit that when I first heard the amp, I was transported back to my first studio gigs in the early 80's when I took a police album into the recording studio (a small 8 track studio) to show the engineer. "I hope you don't think this is going to sound like that!", he said "they have VERY expensive recording equipment!" Well, if I would've had a JC-120 it would've sounded JUST like that! I'm not into emulating other groups, so I wouldn't keep this amp just for the Police sounds. The Regular cleans and especially the TS-9 hit makes this guy a keeper. What don't I like about it? I don't smell tubes burning and it's kinda big and heavy. My other amps include Marshalls (plexi, JCM 800,Jubilee and a JMP-1). Fender Deluxe and Champ and a few odd Supros and Magnatones. Have a '76 Gibson SG (which was ok with this amp but not great) and a few more odds and ends. This amp really has it's own signature sound. You either like the sound or you don't.

120 watts(60 per side) Reverb,Vibrato,Chours and distorion. It has two input jacks (Hi output and Low Output) for each channel.

This amp is the standerd for clean amps in the pro world. Yes its a one trick pony but what a trick it is! It would be VERY hard to find a better sounding clean amp.

I use Fenders,Gibsons and PRSs with the JC-120 and they all sound great for R&B,Funk and Jazz.

The distortion is the worst I ever heard out of any amp but if your buying this amp its not for the distortion anyway.

I'm giving a 9 on sound just because of the distortion.

This is where this amp shines. Its built like a tank. Its also a Soild State amp so you don't have to worry about tubes.

I've been playing 10 years and have owned lots of other amps from Mesa,Marshall,Peavey,Crate and Line 6 and I can say that this amp has a Great clean tone that would be ideal for the studio. Its also a great amp to build a great tone of off with Stomp boxes or prossers. This amp dosen't effect the true voice of the Stompboxes at all.

Clean and Chorus and Vibrato. This is a new model. Number one the body is made of pressed wood so it's heavy, but not really impact resistant. Roland I would prefer playwood. I'd also like to have a footswitch with it come standard so you could switch the chorus back and forth. Other than these details it's a very reliable amp.

I play straight-ahead jazz with a 13.5 pound Wenge jazzmaster hardtail outfitted with a Charlie Christian pup in the neck....in other words a real single coil with a fat sound. Number one this amp is loud and clean. It's also very noisy and not suitable for recording if you play clean like myself. I don't really understand why the previous reviewer's are talking about the clean sound if everyone is playing threw an effects pedal. Have we forgotton what the word clean actually means. My definition. Guitar- Low Capicitance cable- Amp and that's it. You can't review a clean tone if you've got a distortion pedal or delay in front of the amp. This amp will show when you're playing great and when your fingers are sloppy so buyer beware. Basically it's the mother of all solidstate amps and if you put garbage in you'll get garbage out. Unfortionatly I think all the 10's that this has recieved is from the honeymooner's that haven't really played this amp. Personally my Polytone Mini-Brute IV sounds better than this amp and it only weights 32 pounds.

Very relieable considering it isn't played much outside of the house. I think that Roland could stand to visit their vintage construction methods again as the older JC120's seemed a vast improvement over the new cost cutting models.

Mine has rattled on occasion and I haven't any idea what was causing it so I won't speculate. It goes through periods of problems like all amps.......except the polytone.

Don't know and don't care. These are disposable amps so I could care less.

If it were lost or stolen I'd buy another Polytone.

Basically this is a loud solid state amp that is good for medium sized clubs and where the player has some very nice chops. Like I said the channel switch for the chorus would have been nice in a footpedal. Plywood body would be an improvement. And roland should get rid of the hiss as they have all the money and engineers in the world. You wouldn't think this would be a problem as their old amps didn't have these problems.

Best Chorus ever. 2 Channels. Both are clean, you need to put something in front of it to distort it, tube screamer or boss od pedal. The onboard distortion is more light fuzz, funk. Vibrato is unique and fun. Reverb does the job. Very expressive eq.

The best clean amp period. Nothing will top this. I use it to get everything from U2 to Queen. Maybe that isn't the biggest jump, but I can replicate any sound. (Of course I used almost 2 grand in effects!) I love this thing, I will always have it around. It actually has 2- 60 watt amps with one going to each speaker, can be set up with stereo loops for a ping pong delay or other stereo effect. (Good luck finding a place to play with a stereo PA)Loudest clean amp on earth.

Never any problems. I did do a boneheaded thing once. The gain is tied into the eq so if they are all down, you can turn the volume to 10 and its not really very loud. I couldn't figure that out, cost us first place in a battle of the bands, I had only had it for a week. Also, this amp picks up every hum in the world so make sure to use a good power condition, not a strip, a power conditioner, spend $50 bucks you cheapskate.

Never needed them, have had it over a year.

I love it. I would kill the person who stole it and sue their relatives for emotional trauma, than buy another one. The amp has some "white noise" that will show up at high volumes through the direct outs, just mike this sucker with a sm58 and be blown away, actually, don't mike it unless your playing a stadium or at a place that needs low stage volume, this can be loud enough for anywhere. Use with the new boss dd-20 twin pedal delay ( a roland company) and you will be lost in a field of Joshua Trees singing Sunday, Bloody Sunday.

I have a newer (read 2000 or newer) model. All switches are knobs except the power switch, which is push button. About every feature has been covered in earlier posts. The thing this one DOES have is an effects loop (mono out, mono/stereo in). Not a real versitile amp... it's just made to cleanly amplify whatever it is you've got running through it, and it does. I notice that it adds a TEENY amount of bass (hardly even noticeable), but it's just enough to make a really thin guitar preamp warm up and have some space. Not good for rock/metal unless you have some gear you want to put in front of it.

I'm currently running: Epiphone Les Paul w/EMG 81 -> Ernie Ball Volume -> ADA MP-1 -> Roland JC-120 (ADA outs into Roland effects loop, using ADA level knob for volume).

This is the most perfect clean amp I have ever heard. The chorus is AMAZING. It is easily the most lush, rich, deep chorus sound I've ever heard. Standing in front of it, you can almost see the sound swirl around you. You WILL NOT be let down if you're looking for a good clean (or clean/chorus) sound.

The distortion sucks. It flat out sucks. Don't use it. Buy a good pedal or use a preamp instead. The reverb... I don't know. I can't even tell the difference when it's on or off.

Remember... all this really is is a power amp combo with a built-in chorus. All it does is amplify what's coming into it. If what comes in sounds like crap, it's gonna sound like crap coming out.

Do you want an example of the sound? Listen to the clean tone on Metallica's ...And Justice for All.

I've used it for almost a year now, and I know the owner that had it before me. It has never broken down, and has yet to even give a hint of not being up to snuff. I would definately gig without a backup for it, as I have been since March when I started gigging. Nothing beats it for accurate reproduction.

Haven't had to deal with them.

I've been playing for 10 years. My gear is listed in the "sound" section.

The only thing I don't like about it is the complete lack of control/flexibility. There's no channel switching ability, and the idea of the amp coming with all the footswitches for the effects apparently made Roland balk. It pretty annoying. Also, the aneimic distortion could be better. Just because it's made for jazzheads doesn't mean us metalheads won't want one.

I would definately replace it if lost/stolen/destroyed by hecklers. The only place this will be relegated to is on top of my 4x12 cab when I get my rig finished out. I love the JC-120.

I actually have two of these now I love them so much, I have one that stays at my resident gig and the other stays in the boot of my car for all the other gigs.
I've been a pro musician for 27 years now and in that time I've owned pretty much everything that's out there, Marshall, Boogie, Fender, Hiwatt, all that '80s Rack Mount shit.
Over the years, I'd plugged into the odd JC120 at rehearsal rooms etc. and always really liked the clean sound but never really spent time trying to get a good distorted sound out of one.

The whole deal with a Jazz Chorus amp is finding the right distortion \ overdrive pedal to use with it, most of the pedals I had, Marshall, Boss, Electro Harmonix sounded shit with this amp, really buzzy and thin.
You have to realise that it's a brutally honest sounding amp and as such will just amplify the circuitry of your distortion pedal as opposed to a tube amp which will add its own coloration and smooth compression.
The pedal which I found matches this amp really well is the Line 6 Distortion Modeler, it has several different distortion types with pretty good EQ options and you can just tweak away 'till you find your sweet spot then save it in memory.
I hate chorus so I never switch that on (kind of ironic, I just use the Jazz part of the amp).
The built in distortion has been commented on by all you other guys so I'll just say,leave it switched off, THAT'S RIGHT FOLKS DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL!!
The reverb on one of mine has crapped out so I just bought a used Lexicon Alex which sounds better than the springs anyway.

Well, this is why I bought two.
In my humble opinion, with the right pedals, this is all you'll ever need for stage use and it has a clean sound to die for, the best I ever had.
Like with most amps, I have to tame the top end a bit, with my Strats and Teles. I set the Bass and Mids on 9 and the Treble on 2 with the bright switch turned off. It also sounds great with my electro accoustic and electro nylon string, really pure and sparkly.
Sure, you'll probably still need a small tube amp for the studio or blues club gigs to get a real authentic straight into the amp sound but I can still get a real good grainy valve overdrive with the Line 6.
I just sold my Fender Deville 2x12 and now I'm selling my 70s Hiwatt stack which used to be my 2 main gigging amps, just don't need 'em anymore.
The first time I gigged with my JC 120, I was smiling all over my stupid face thinking "These things have been around forever, how come I didn't buy one years ago". I use the Line 6 Distortion and Delay Modelers, a modified Crybaby with True Bypass Modification (Very Important) and an old Boss CS2 compressor for clean solos and my tone is just there everytime.

No problems so far, I plug these amps in, they always work and always sounds the same.
The main reason I bought them is that I was so pissed off with tube amps, they'd sound great for a while and then one day the tone just dies so you retube and it's never the same again.
Apart from that, there's the maintainence costs and inconvenience, tubes, biasing etc. which are now history for me. I always found buying good tubes a real hit and miss affair anyway.

JCs are pretty robust, you'll see loads of real old ones still sounding great and still gigging regularly.
The knobs get a bit bent if you're not careful 'cos they stick out a bit and if you lose any of the rivets in the case edgings, just buy a pack of upholstery nails from any hardware store, they're the same thing even down to the colour.

Dunno, who needs 'em??

I can't imagine needing another gigging amp now and I've never said that before.An amp for life???

I'm not sure what year this amp was built in, but it has a toggle on/off switch, rather than a push button, so I'm guessing late 80's or so. For those not clear on the specifications, here they are:

120w solid state (2 x 60w)
2 x 12" silver cone speakers
High and low Inputs for each channel

2 channels:
Channel 1 - Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass
Channel 2 - Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Distortion, Reverb, Chorus/Vibrato Toggle Switch, Ch./Vib. Speed, Ch./Vib. Depth

Rear panel:
Footswitch jacks for Chorus/Vibrato, Reverb, and Distortion
2 x 8 ohm Extension Speaker jacks
1 Line Out

This amp doesn't have much versatility, and without some effects pedals (particularly distortion/overdrive), this amp wouldn't be enough for most people. I play funk-rock/alternative most of the time, and the distortion included is simply not up to the task. This amp doesn't have channel switching, but it isn't really needed.
As for power, this volume this amp provides is way sufficient for any place I'm likely to use it. Definitely loud enough to fill any small to medium club/pub. Mostly I don't even put it above three, even when competing with the rest of my band. There is no effects loop, which might have been useful, but not absolutely necessary. No headphone jack either, but it's not exactly a "bedroom" amp.

I play a Gibson ES-135 with 2 x P-100 pickups, and a few effects. It suits my style of funk-rock/alternative music fairly well, though you absolutely, positively MUST have a different distortion. The included distortion is weak to say the least, in fact it's more like a 2dB volume boost.
The amp as a whole stays very quiet. I haven't noticed any significant hum at high volumes.
For all the bitching I've done about the distortion, I take it for granted that it isn't worth squat, and realise that this amp isn't that type of amp. It is basically just a clean, cheap, solid-state amp that sounds like it should cost twice as much as it does. It's a cleaner, purer sound, so if you want a raging, grunty, nu-metal or rock a'la AC/DC sound, then don't expect so much from this amp.
If, however, you want a sparkling clean, airy sound, buy yourself a JC-120. After all, it was made for Jazz guitarists, who aren't well known for their for their feedback drenched, driving, distorted guitar climaxes.

This amp is very reliable and I wouldn't be hesitant to play a gig without a backup amp.
I've never had the amp crap out on me altogether, that being said, lately I've noticed that if I turn the reverb knob past 5, the amp emits a high pitched shrill squeal. Don't let that scare you off, though, because I'm sure that's only a minor thing, and I plan to take it to be serviced directly.
Also being a solid-state amp, it doesn't need a lot of pampering. Just plug it in and it works. As simple as that.

Let me just say that if you are looking for a straight rock amp, go for a Fender or a Marshall. This is not that kind of amp. That being said, I love this amp. The combination of reverb, vibrato/chorus, and distortion provide just enough color for your sound without cluttering up the amp with unnecessary effects. It leaves plenty of room for you to add your own effects.

Like I said, this is not a rock amp. It has distortion, but the distortion acts as more of an accent to the tone. But the tone the amp does have is, for lack of a better word, perfect. Seriously, the only other amp I have found that can provide anything close to the warmth this amp has is the Fender Twin Reverb. This is the closest to a tube sound you will get with a solid state, but it still manages to have its own distinct sound. If you're going for that warm, heavy reverb, kind of vintage tone, this is the amp. I have guys with gear twice as nice as mine tell me how jealous they are of the sound I get from this amp.

The model I have is not new, but it has stood up to lots of moving, playing loud, and other kinds of abuse. Never had a single problem. I have used it live plenty of times, and it always works consistently and dependably.

I can't think of anything to improve on this amp. If I lost it or it was stolen, I wouldn't think twice about going right out and buying another one. The only other amp this one could even compare to are some of the Fender tube amps, and that's saying a lot.

This is one of the later models with the push button on/off switch. This amp really isn't versatile at all....but it excels as a clean amp. If you are totally into providing a good pre-amp then this amp ROCKS because it won't color the tone (even at loud volumes). I has two TOTALLY seperate non switchable channels with their own input. One channel has chorus, reverb, and a cheesy distortion circuit, the other is bare bones with just a a volume control and three band EQ. At first I HATED that setup, but then I started to realize it was actually pretty cool because I could plug into the bare bones channel when I had my "big" pedal board setup, or the channel with chorus and reverb when I had my small setup. This amp has plenty of power. I rarely turn it up above three. The chorus is stereo and also has a vibrato setting as well.

Clean sounds are great. Just goofing around one day I put a Tech 21 Tri-OD in front of this thing. WOOHOOOO!! I couldn't beleive my ears!! I haven't played any of my other amps since I've tried that combination (and I have a Mesa and a Marshall). My unit is one of the newer ones, and I do not have the noise problem that others are complainig of. One of the earlier reviewers had a theory that the newer models had the noise, but I don't think that is the case. This amp has a nice singing quality and plenty of harmonic overtones with the TRI-OD in front of it. The built in distortion is the LAMEST thing I ever heard. If Roland thought they were catering to the blues crowd with it, they were dead wrong. The distortion just plain sucks.......and Roland should be ashamed of themselves for producing such a crappy OD circuit. You will absolutely need to supply an OD pedal here. Like I said earlier, this baby was made for external OD devices, because it doesn't color your tone. Seven.....only because of the lame built in OD.

I own this and an older JC-77. Honestly the JC-77 and older JC-120's seem like they're better built. I haven't had any problem with this, or the 77.....but the older ones have heavier duty switches, jacks and a better (plywood) cabinet. This is a heavy sucka, casters are required.....if you have a bad back get the 77 or the 55. I feel like I'm going to blow a disk every time I load this into the back of my truck. It's big for a 2X12 as well (bigger than a Fender Twin).

I tried to find an older one before I bought this, but I couldn't find one in good enough condition. If I had a choice between an old model in excellent condition, and a new model in excellent condition, I'd take the old model HANDS DOWN. They're just built better and seem much beefier compared to the newer ones. As an example, the on/off switch on the older models is a chromed metal toggle switch, versus a very flimsy feeling plastic push button on the new model. Still.....no problems, no tubes....10.

I needed a new reverb tank for my JC-77. Got through to a live person at Roland on the phone in under two minutes and had a new one order with my credit card in under 4. I've heard others had bad experiences with Boss/Roland support. No problems here for me.

Been playing about 20 years. Owned them all....Mesa, Fender, Marshall, you name it. Still have a few tube amps lying around....but I guess I'm getting more practical in my old age. Once you've had a boat load of tube amps and have had to deal with tube problems the higher end solid state amps start looking good to you. Plus, the majority of tube amps just don't sound good unless they are really cranked. I haven't played a club yet that I could REALLY crank a tube amp in....so they just seem impractical to me lately. Geez...I'm really sounding like an old coot!!! This stacks up with the best of my tube amps (with a good OD pedal), and sounds much better at lower volumes. I highly recommend the Tech 21 SansAmp line (SansAmp, Tri-OD, TRI-AC) with this amp. My Rockman sustainor sounds pretty good through it too. It's the best sound solid state amp I've tried....although I haven't yet tried the Tech 21 Trademark 120 and 300.

This one was probably manufactured in the 80's. I am the second owner, and I don't know why the first owner sold it. It is a great amp. I play mainly rock 'n roll (a general term, but it covers everything I play.) The clean is awesome, and so is the distortion. However, I rarely get real heavy. I'm playing a few guitars through a boss DS-1 cranked about 3/4 the way up on tone and dis. I also add a bit of the amp distortion, but I wouldn't use the amp's alone. The chorus is great! I often set it low and use it through an entire song even with distortion. I began doing this because I don't have the footswitch, and it has worked for me. No digital, and I like that for my amp. However, I'd like to hear a tube warmth with it.

My main guitar is a 2002 les paul standard with the burstbuckers. The guitar has an amazing sustain that the amp only improves on. I also sometimes play with a nice ibanez which gives me a bit more twang and some rippin' distorted flexibility. They both are only helped with the amp. Unless you want to get real heavy, this amp is great. I even play some heavier drop D and it sounds great!

The only prob. I've had so far is that every once in a while when playing clean and loud it would crackle a bit and almost sound distorted. I took it in and had it cleaned especially at the wire connections and that seemed to do it for a couple years, but now it's coming back a bit. The amp is over a decade old though. Also, not a big deal, but one caster wheel doesn't stay in, so every time I lift it the wheel falls out. Otherwise, good.

N/A

I took a long time to find the sound I wanted, and this amp really got me where I want to be. I plan to buy another real soon because I keep spilling beer on it and I know at some point that will affect it. I will buy this same amp again. I only wish it had tubes, but that may change it too much. For the money, this is one of the best amps you can buy (unless you play very heavy music) I love it when I see a superstar using my amp, and it happens often!

1993 JC-120 2 channels. Chorus and Vibrato. People have complained before that this amp is heavy. Try lugging around a Fender Vibro-King.

Running a '76 Les Paul gold top through a Boss DD-3, MXR phase 100, Boss TU-2 tuner, Earnie Ball volume pedal to an A/B box. Channel A goes straight to the Roland. Channel B runs through a Boss super chorus and then to a Fender Twin powering a Laney 4X12. The lushness of the two seperate choruses has to be heard to be believed (a very big and round clean sound). Right now I use the overdrive channel of the the Twin for high Gain, but am planning on getting a Tech 21 O.D. to run with both amps. The "Vibrato" is basically another adjustable chorus sound, not a true vibrato, but it does give you the option of a different setting.

Only had this amp for a short time. Does precisley what I need it to: provide a true clean sound. So far no hiss on this model either!!

Been playing since 1986. The best solid state clean sound I've encountered yet. I'm still a tone buff, but this amp comes in handy for dynamic writing. The stereo chorus sounds are very vibrant and spacey. Reverb is nothing to write home about however. Over-all a great addition to ANY guitar set-up IMHO.

Just a quickie, here, about using this amp for your Rickenbacker 12-- IT IS THE BEST! I got that advice from Roger McGuinn's website.

If it had built-in compression--like a Gison L5---it would be better. I use a Boss Compressor-Sustaine CS-3. It is lound, full, bright and clean.
I had a Peavey Studio Chorus 210, and copuld not compete with my band's other guitarist--with his Fender Tweed. Now--watch out!

I got it used, and it just keeps ticking away.

Roland has always been great to me. Knowing my old bas player is head of tech support helps! Thanks, Marty.

Playing since 1964. I might get the smaller version of this---70 watts. It would fit better in the car.
This is a clean amp with guts and tone, and very fine speakers.

'98/'99 model? Bought it new in '99 form Mars Music (sad to see them go last year). For me, some of the features are usable, some are not. The chorus is legendary and after hearing you know why...beautiful, but not adjustable. Nice reverb. True stereo amplification, multi-faceted equalization, detachable casters(yeah, the big dog is heavy), twin 12's, extensive panel of jacks for all sorts of uses in the back...all NICE. Unfortunately, there are a couple of sour notes...the distortion reminds me of what a Brachiosaur strung out of Zanax would sound like in mid roar). Tremolo/vibrato? Please...go listen to the tremolo on Fender tube amps. THAT'S tremolo. Channel switching? No. BUT, I did call and get through to an engineer and asked about switching between the two channels via an A/B box and he said no danger there, so that is how I switch channels on mine, via an inexpensive DOD A/B box.

Oh, man...you have not heard clean until you sit down in front of one of these! THAT'S NOT ALL, though. Amazingly, and I heard something like this from someone's review below, it sounds almost tubish in some applications. When I stomp on my B.K. Butler real tube it comes alive. TS-9 does good for lighter overdrive apps. But it's amazing that with one little 12AX7 in a box, the whole JC120 thinks it is a full blown tube amp! Sweet!
I have had no problem with the hiss listed in some reviews below. You will have trouble trying to get this amp to break up at high volumes. It stays clean, pure, and sweet (almost) all the way up to 11, unless you're effecting the signal. And power? Oh, man...this thing IS power. You will never be hungry for volume.
Styles are rock (Led Zep, old Heart, Stones) and bluesy stuff (old ZZ Top, SRV, Koko Taylor).

Absolutely zero problems since day one in '99.

I called a rep when I first bought it about the A/B channel switching idea to make sure I wouldn't damage it. I think I got right through. Either that or he returned my call...either way, it was a positive experience.

Playing 20 years or so. I own a LP Standard, Am.Std.Tele, Jackson Custom Soloist, Marshall JCM800 half stack, bunch of cool stomp boxes...MXR, Maxon RI, Teese wah(awesome!), etc. I compared it to Mesas, Fender Twin Reverb RI, JC-90...when the cards landed, JC-120 was the one for me.

This amp was made in 1993. Pretty basic features, 2 channels, efx loop for each one (like this much better than an efx loop for whole amp) solid state, footswitch jacks. they could have included a fs. jack for switching channels, but when you switch chorus on/off, that basically does it. all the features you're gonna need.

I'm using this with a yamaha dual humbucking guitar. alot like an ibanez rg. my music style is mainly rock. I use this for the clean sounds (hey there's a surprise) there is a slight hiss but this may be the environment, or outlet, or something other than the amp itself. the amp is clean. very clean. as clean as it can get. I can't get it to distort. The chorus is heavenly. its just really nice. vibrato is cool too. with none of that on, it sounds great also. the distortion, if you are looking for some sort of metal, look somewhere else. the distortion was made to be very light sounding.

This amp is built to last. Its been around ten years, and I'm guessing it'll be around many more. I would use it at a gig without a backup. I have a pretty tight budget, so I probably wouldn't afford a backup.

I doubt I will ever need assistance

I'm 15 years old and have been playing for 3-4 years. I own a fender stratocaster(blaah), a hughes & kettner warp 7 half stack, a digitech gsp 21, a plus ebow, various pedals, an acoustic, a yamaha electric, and a samick electric. Oh, yeah and a fender mini twin. the rig I usually use is one of the electrics into an aby box, a out to jc120, b to warp 7, and that is the basic thing, sometimes I hook up the efx.

I'm not sure of the year of manufacture - probably mid- to late eighties, judging by the construction and features: plywood and reinforced cab at the stress points(not particle board like the newer ones); real spring reverb tank - not a computer chip; no effects loop; "mains in" jacks, line out, two extension cab jacks, toggle switch to reverse polarity(i.e. the on/off/on switch); also a toggle for chorus/vibrato on/off; metal input jacks with plastic nuts to lock them in --------- other than that, the same controls for eq etc as they've always had: 2 channels, etc. After having tried to purchase a new one through mail order and opening the box to find pieces of particle board from the broken cabinet caused by UPS, I decide to buy an older, better built model for about half the price. Anyway, I like the features of the older models - I've never used effects loops with any success on other amps, so I don't miss it. I wish I had the three button foot switch to be able to select distortion, chorus, reverb at will, but Roland doesn't make them any more. But you can get individual FS-1's for about $15.
I use this amp mostly at home as I use a Roland Blues Cube 60 1x12 to gig with(KILLER AMP! - read the reviews on it here, they're telling it straight). But I have had this thing cranked and it is loud!! Power galore! I'll probably use the JC120 for some outdoor gigs we'll have during the summer. I usually use an amp as a clean base to run my effects through - I play clean a lot and, like another reviewer stated this is the Queen of Clean - lovely, just lovely, sound.

I use a Strat and a Burns Steer through it and have played a 335 through it also and they all sound *superb*. You barely have to adjust the eq when switching - maybe a little treble and bass is all. One thing I've noticed though is that the louder it gets, the more the mid-range dominates. So you just have to cut back on it as you get louder, My typical settings are
Volume: 1-2(this is still pretty d@^%$d loud- plenty loud for smaller gigs etc); treble: 2-3, mid: 3-5; bass: 2.5-3.5. I don't use the bright as that converts the nice, warm, rich tone into an ice pick. The chorus is an industry standard: stereo and not too thick. The vibrato is pretty cool too, but not used much - kind of spacey and tripped-out. The distortion: well...I like to just turn it on but not up, this adds a nice low-mid boost that's great for fattening up single note leads and also adds a mild break up when you dig into partial chords etc. I actually like it for this purpose. For heavier styles I use a digital multi-effect pedal and this amp can turn into a fire breathing monster with the right box(es) in front of it - and I mean it can sound like a raging tube amp -thick, fat and heavey or grindy; it's up to you and the quality of your effects unit(I use a Korg which has some killer distortion tones (not to mention the time based and modulation effects - out of this world; but, hey! that's another review).

I'm not gigging it hard right now, but the thing sounds great. I picked it up used on E-Bay so who knows what it's been through? I assume it saw a lot of club action though as the grill cloth is more brown than silver - probably from smoke. I cleaned the pots and it's sounded and responded great. These amps have a great rep. for being reliable and mine seems to bear that out.

Never dealt with Roland before

I've played on and off for the past thirty years, the last seven seriously again - have owned great tube amps: Marshall, Fender, Trace Elliot custom shop model, Reverend; have had a beavey of guitars - Gretsch, Heritage, Fender, Taylor, etc. This amp let's the sound of the guitar come through and your interaction with it(If you screw up, it's heard loud and clear). Be that as it may, all amps color the sound of the signal they amplify - that's what they're designed to do; when they do it well, we love 'em. The JC is rich and warm and allows the flexibilty I need - and sounds great doing it.

Made in Japan. No idea when. It's the one with 2 knobs for adjusting Vibrato. I saw another version. It had 3 knobs. See other reviews for the rest.

Clean. What can i say. It's a classic for a reason. The chorus is awesome. I used to setup 2 amps through a Boss CE5 chorus. That was good, but this is better. The one button i don't get, is the distortion. It's not. It's more like a clean boost. Which is very handy and not available on most amps. After 5 it breaks up just a tiny bit. Good for a more or less clean solo.
I found it hard to get a decent overdrive pedal to go along with this amp. Tried the Rat, SD1, DS1 and a few more. Awefull! I ended up using a OD 3, which gives a decent overdrive. The other ones were either too harsh, too thin, too whatever is bad in a OD/Dist. I'm happy with the OD3 though. Somebody else mentioned a SansAmp. It's probably a good idea to use one of those. It wasn't available when i needed it, but i think i will try one in the future.
Oh, before i forget. The hiss . . . . It's there and it's loud! The 10 i'm giving here is given the fact that i think someone will fix this hiss for me.

Think abram-tank.

I play a Santana SE through it. Nice combo.

This is a USA made amp, black corners and roland speakers and plywood cabinet, probably 80's amp. has 2 channels, one for clean and no effects like reverb, vib. or chorus and channel 2 that has all the effects. i like that it has two seperate channels, one dry one not.
the vib. and chorus are stereo, VERY AMBIENT !!! for its time, i'd say it had great options, thus give it a nine.

Well, this is a interesting story. i bot a yamaha G100 at the local pawn. its very similar to the Roland JC. I really love the G100, so started to read all the good stuff on the JC. so, i had a mission to go and look for a JC at the local used guitar shops. well, i found one. I must say, this amp is unbelivable !! i've never herd a solid state sound so good. The chorus is very very unbelievable !!! it sounds like your playen in a F church with a choir. I have never herd a better chorus !. The vib. sounds good also. Stereo really adds to this amp. The distorsion is only good if u use a little teeeny bit.
I like this amp, and i wood say its the best sounding solid state ever !!, no question about it !. I think the amp works well with effect units also. my Digitech works great with it. I give this amp a 10 for being the best sounding solid state amp, ever.

its a 80's amp and still ticking.
because of this, i give it a 10

don't no

i like this amp. i've had many many amps, this is the best sounding solid state. I have a fender hot rod currently, but have had other tube amps. i like tube amps for the feel they give vs solid state. but, they don't work well with effect units. its nice to have a tube and solid state amp. i think every one shood have a tube and solid. i'm very happy with the hot rod and roland. i think they're the best of thier world.

the jazz chorus has changed very little, so what difference does it make what year it is? i am sure there are little differences, but it aseems to be the same beast (which is wonderful). i have owned three, from three different decades, and have loved every one.

the chorus is THE CHORUS. everyone knows the distortion is useless, but that is very obviously not what it was made to do. the vibrato is cool but subtle. the tone is so clean it is psychadelic. stereo too. this amp hass all of the features it needs. if you want to play punk death thrash stuff, buy something else. if you want to cleanly and accurate reproduce the sound of your instrument, this is the one.

if you see music as having "layers" and "motion", then this is it. lush, my bloody valentine, worms union, ride, slowdive, curve, etc. psychadelic.

i have used an epiphone casino and sheraton, several greek instruments (bouzouki, tzouras, and baglamades), and even sitars. this will make everything smooth and textured. handles distortion just fine from a pedal. again, theamp's own distortion is a joke. if you want to shout at the devil and such, buy a marshall or whatever. the fender tube amps are cool like the jazz chorus, but the eq on the jc is way better than the fender (which is prone to get that all dreaded tinny midrange). the jc drips with tone.

i have never had a problem whith any of the 3 i have had. i have never serviced them in any way. good luck?

never checked. i like to pretend they are in weird space costumes in bright white rooms experimenting on sound with aliens. but that's just me.

this is the best thing ever for the shoe gazing set. period. you know who you are. zakk wylde probably hates this amp. publicly anyway.

ARound the 80s...not too versatile, 2 channels, 1 for pure clean, 1 for pure clean with chorus OR vibrato, reverb and distortion. It's a HUGE 2x12, heavy, solidstate.

I'm currenly using an ESP LTD ec-1000 with emg 60/81 installed. Emgs are known to distort on clean but with this amp it sounds like heaven, the 60 is almost acoustic and the 81 can sound like a classical guitar it's amazing! I only use this amp for cleans by the way, the distortion isn't so great, it's just pure fuzz.

Dropped it twice carrying it to my room heard pieces fall off, but it was only the casters because they were put at the back of the amp.

I've been playing for 3 years now here's my current rig, it might stay like this for a while (ampwise) Laney GH100L A/B-->ROland JC120 with an ESP LTD ec-1000 with emg 60/81 and ESP LTD ex-351D with EMG 60/81. I might get an RR soon with some duncans. This amp is truly the amp for clean sounds! It gives everything a clean side, even those mean EMGs!

I'm guessing this is a mid to late 80's model- made in USA. Bought it used off of E-Bay. Same features as all the others from this vintage and they are plenty. I use a muli-effecter in front and have all the sounds I need. Enough power? Jeeez! This thing is super loud!!

I use mexi-strat with fat 50's pups into a Korg AX-1000g floor pedal. This thing is sweet! It is full, rich, and very clean! It is warmer than my all-tube Reverend Hellhound 1X12! I use my amps as a platform for pedals b/c I have to switch to different settings rapidly and I always want to be able to get back to a pristine clean sound - of course this baby delivers. I always thought that the Korg needed to be run through a tube amp to get the best sound, but it sounds just as good through the JC as it does through any tube amp I've run it through. This makes me happy. As far as the amps own effects go: CHORUS: Sounds really good but I wish the speed and depth knobs were dual assigned to this and the vibrato. This VIBRATO: is one cool effect! It's unique and I dig it as a "once in a blue-moon" type effect. O.k., now...the DISTORTION: Are you ready?
I LIKE IT!!! So There! At least for what it was designed to do: "provide a mild break up". Seriously, I've always been a tube freak and my Hellhound will stomp all over this thing for rich OD and distortion, but that doesn't mean the JC's sucks - it's just different - and not in a bad sort of way. Its best function is as a boost. It bumps the mids and adds just a hint of hair so the notes aren't quite as pristine as with the dist. off - good for double stops etc. I actually like the sound of BB King, Albert King and Little Milton and they all use(d) solid state amps with this same kind of distortion. Anyway, the distortion is debatable but this amp has become the industry standard for clean and so it gets a ten - Oh, I forgot about fender twins - I like the sound of the JC better - the Twins(at least the reissues), have sounded far more boxey and sterile to me.

This amp is a veri clean specimen, it was advertised as a 9 out of 10 as far as condition goes, and on a very picky scale, I'd say it was accurate. The only thing I had to do was clean the pots. It took about a half hour and it sounds great! I guess after 15+ years and who knows how much use, it seems pretty reliable. I've not had it that long, so I can't say how long it will last. One thing I DO know for sure is that these older ones are a hell of a lot better built than the newer, particle board, break in UPS shipping, pieces of crap!
Also this has a SPRING reverb, not a computer chip. I would never buy a new JC 120, maybe the JC 90 - the reverb is still a tank and is wet enough to do surf. Plus it has a high treble and a treble tone knob which is great for balancing out a guitar.

Been playing for 20+ years. I've owned a lot of gear and I am a tone freak. Actually this one sounds better than the new ones I've played. Maybe it's b/c it's broken in. Anyway, I'm not intending to sell it ever.

Same as all above

Absolutely fantastic clean at all volumes, and beyond words, warm and throaty, with a Tubescreamer. Jeez. I bought this thing, which is pretty beat -- five of the knobs completely broken off, ground prong gone, lower back busted off, speaker holes cutting through the cloth -- for freakin' $75 bucks! Bets money I ever spent. Everyone who hears it just flips, including me.

Guess it's great, BC it looks like it's been to war (which it also looks like it was designed for)., and it sounds incredible.

Dunno.

I purchased this amp from the north attleboro, ma. guitar center for $459 used.......it was probably the best purchase i have ever made.....great clean amp to split w/an ab box along side what ever you use for high gain amp

this amp is possibly the best contender to the mighty fender twin i have ever played through or owned......its so clear and prestine and wonderfull sounding .....the problem isd i had to give it to my landlord at the studios were i practice for rent that i owed because i got stiffed from a few other people in the same room as me .....i will get one again .....nothing made before 90 though

built likea tank

never needed them

i will owne one again very soon i miss that amp to much to not get another one...its finding a good year thats presenting a problem

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.

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!

n/a

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.

2 x 65 Watts (total 130 watts) 2 x 12" speakers, open back. Reverb, Chorus, Tremolo. Effects loop, line out.

The JC120's effects loop is limited because it doesn't include a variable output level - only two switch settings, which don't work well for me. Also, the chorus rate is fixed - unlike the smaller (newer?) JC-90. It's a nice chorus, but not flexible.

I used both a Parker Fly and a Adamas Acoustic/Electric with the JC-120. They sounded very nice. I also use a Boss GT-3 (another Roland product) for preamp modeling, so the clean nature of this amp is a real advantage. I like the sound a lot.

Well, here's where the amp fails for me - I have quite a horror story to tell. I purchased a JC-120 at a local store - got it home and found that the reverb was broken (no BIG deal, I use the GT-3 anyway) but it was new, so they ordered me another one.

When the new unit arrived, I brought the old one back, brought the (unboxed) new unit home and opened it up. The packing material was VERY flimsy and the internal bracing non-existent (unlike older JC-120's, which have some internal bracing). The unit was BORKEN - physically damaged, although the carton was fine.

The guys at Guitar Center (they were great through all of this) ordered me another unit. This one arrived a week later - ALSO SMASHED inside the unopened, undamaged carton. I called Roland, my salesman called Roland. They blamed UPS. Believe me when I tell you, the shipping materials ARE NOT ADEQUATE for a 70 lb. amp!

So....we ordered ANOTHER unit. When it arrived SMASHED AGAIN!!! (that's four bad units!!!) I gave up and started trying out other amps. Boy, am I glad I did - I bought an SWR California Blonde and couldn't be happier.

Roland has clearly "value engineered" this product over the years (as fact which I pointed out to the product people at Roland who didn't want any blame for this debacle.) They have removed the corner bracing from the speaker mounting baffle in the front, which has significantly weakened the amp.

These amps sound good, but better buy an older, used one on ebay than risk it with the newer, cheaper version.

As far as I'm concerned, Roland's (U.S.) customer support is the worst in the industry. I have owned (and still own) many Roland and Boss products - and have loved all of them BUT the JC-120. But I can never get reasonable help from Roland.

Their web site stinks. When asked why they don't have manuals onlie, they state "It's our policy". When asked why they don't support electronic products more fully online the tech told me "guitarists don't know how to use that technical stuff" (tell that to the 900 members of the GT-3 users' group).

In general, Roland U.S. suffers from big-company arrogance. They are a giant who doesn't feel (yet) the pressure for smaller, responsive companies who are invading their market space. It's only a matter of time...

I have been playing 30 years, and, although I liked the sound of this amp, I wouldn't trust it beyond my own family room. (for all the reasons I mentioned above). Like so many companies, Roland U.S. will probably have to suffer quite a bit before they wake up and realize that even the big guys have to respond to customers, and you can't value engineer reliability out of a product for long.

Bought in 1987. Still plays like its brand new. A very versitile amp that can play heavy rock, blues, and jazz. Stereo output, i split my speakers like they are two seperate amps! Plenty of power for small to large gigs. (I've had the guitar players from Steely Dan and Earth, Wind and Fire borrow my amp for their gigs!I thought it was going to blow at the Steely show at the volume it was at! But not a probl;em with it!

I play jazz to top-40 music. I'm running it through a tube-works preamp and a Roland GP-16 effects processor. I mostly play a strat with a DiMarzio humbucker in it, an Ibanez S1520-NT (strat style) and even a Yamaha nylon string acoustic/electric. I can get great smooth sounds, to bright comtemporary sounds. The distortion on the amp is terrible, but who uses this anyway???

Not one problem in 14 years, but the darn amp covers keep ripping on me. This amp gets use!!!

Never had a problem with the amp, or any of the other Roland products I own.

I have been playing for almost 20 years now. I would definately replace it if something ever happens to it! I just wish it wasn't so heavy, it wasn't bad when i was younger, but I'm getting older now!! Maybe it's time to invest in 2 Roland JC-90's, or 77's. I wish I could compare it to other amps, but I have had this one for a long time, I have played through others, but just can't get the sound I'm looking for without tweaking like crazy!

Stereo line in, stereo ext. cab, great reverb, chorus, 2 knob vibrato, as well as 1/4" out for a pedal to on/off the chorus or vibrato. 2 channels, but only only gets reverb and chorus so of course only ones gettin' used. Distortion sounds like scolfied and trust me thats a bad thing.

Strats, teles, PRS custom 22. I've owned this amp forever and can give the real scoop on this amp after using it for practice/gigs-everything. I bought this amp at the recommendation the hottest guitar player in tucson, Javier M. The secret to this amps is knowing when to use it. This is a clean amp!! It has amazing sounds with a nice guitar. This amp lets the sound of your guitar come through and basically lets you equalize the sound via the tone controls. Almost all professional players I've seen use these (heres a list: Dave Navarro, Robert Smith, Countless reggae players, a couple few jazz players) use it for its clean sounds and use another amp for everything else. That should tell you just how good the chorus sounds through this amp, better than anything i've ever heard period. I've found that you need the right pickups for jazz playing on this amp, the more natural (ie piezo) the better. Buy a polytone or a fender twin and a t.c electronics chorus pedal to get a more warm jazz tone, because this amp is somewhat bright and tends to get way to buried when treble isn't in play. To make this long story short this amps rules for clean playing but not necessary the best thing for jazz or rock where warmth becomes a major factor.

I've beat this amp like a red-headed step child and it hasn't complained in eight years. Perhaps thats why my mentor javier recommended it to me--its bulletproof allows your playing to be heard clearly.

N/a never had to call them.

This amp is good at clean sounds and has killer reverb and chorus/vibrato. It is perfect for crystal clear pop sounds or anything else that needs to be picture perfect. One this this amps is not is vesatile.

Same as below. I believe this one was made in the late '80's - early '90's.

I'm using a Fender Strat Ultra with Lace Sensors (Blue - neck: Siler - mid: Red - bridge), a Floyd Rose bridge (Wilkinson style) and Sperzel locking tuners. I run through a Sans Amp GT2 and a Boss DD-3. I also use a Big Muff occasionally, but it muddys up the signal too much.

This is probably the only moody solid-state amp I've ever played. Sometimes I'll plug in, play some open chord and ughhhh....less than inspiring. Other times I'll plug in (same settings) and WOW! - It sounds great. I believe the dry channel has an overall better tone than the chorus/reverb channel. It just seems ballsier and more together. I rarely use the chorus, it's just to much and the rate is't steady - it seems to pop in and out. It also effects the volume (lower). I've never had the amp checked out and I probably should. The reverb is really nice - one of the better units I've heard in a combo. The distortion sounds like someone kicked in your speakers - completely unusable.

The only time I've had trouble with noise is when I was in college. The wiring in the house was crap so there was some ground hum. Besides that, it's pretty much silent.

The effecs I use sound OK. I can get some decent sounds out of the SansAmp, but it sounds much better through a tube amp (tried it through a single channel JCM800 and it sounded 10x better). The Big Muff sounds like ass, but it's no fault of the amp. I have one of the black/yellow reissues which are the worst of the series. It sounds thin, trashy, and kills your signal (not true bypass). This is also meant to bet put in front of a tube amp.

The high input on the effect channel is starting to go. Otherwise, it's never failed.

Never dealt with Roland

I've been playing for about 12 years. I've owned Fender and Peavy amps. If it were stolen, I probably wouldn't buy another one. Not that it's a bad amp - it just doesn't suit my style (i need something more versitile). It does what it's intended to do well. If you try to use it for something else, you'll be disappointed. My next amp will probably be either a Marshall DSL or and Mesa Dual Rectifier.

This amp was made in 2000, and I bought it this year 2001. The feature set has been well documented in earlier reviews. What I did like about it was that it was solid state with two line outs (mono) or stereo, and two input channels (one clean and one with a useless distortion channel). I was using this for studio and small jam sessions.

I'm using a Fender Strat w/ Tex-Mex pickups. The chorus, vibrato, and distortion channels seem useless for my needs. I pump in my own external effects. Depending on what the jam session would be I may use a DG Stomp (multi-effects box) by itself, or a combination chain of pedals Tube Screamer, Sonny Boy, Danelectro Fab Tone, Boss Phase Shifter PH-3, Metal Master, and a compressor pedal. I can crank the amp up to just about five and reck shop. This reproduces the effects I pump into it quite accurate - clean & crisp at high volumes. But when I have it down at low volume below 5, this amp has a nasty noise. I like to sometimes mic amps in the studio, so I'm critical about noise an amp puts out when operating at lower valumes. I couldn't believe my ears because I didn't notice the noise at first when I got it. I was jamming at high volumes, but then I got it in a quite room, then I started hearing the noise. I know guitar amps make some noise - I have other guitar and bass amps, but this one would make a noise like a water sprinkler you might hear at night watering the grass, or tire with a loud leak, or what most amps might sound like when cranked at 8. This JC-120's noise was something I did not expect to find in a solid state amp that has had a good reputation and been around for some 25 years. I returned this one for another one thinking that I got a bad one. But nope - the second one (brand new one - with new improved speakers it stated on the back) - had the same exact noise problem as the first one. I tried going through the direct line outs to the mixing board, and the noise was on the line outs, too! I tried connecting the speakers to another amp I have and there was no noise coming out of the speakers, so it was not the speakers that had the noise problem. I tried getting an AC line noise suppressor, but that did nothing. I took it to a repair shop and they said that there is nothing that can be done without modifying the internal circuitry of the amp. This is supposed be a "clean tone jazz amp" but many have found it useful for many other styles of music. If all these JC-120 sound like these two I've used, then it gets some serious minus points for sound applications below setting 5 on the valume knobs and applies to both input channels. What's bad about this noise is - that you cannot mute it out unless you throw a noise gate on the direct outputs before it gets into the mix. Through the speakers the noise reaches a maximum level after the volume knob goes past 5 and never gets any louder, so it's akay if you are just cranking near full blast - which hella loud in a small venue. But if you want to breakdown the sound while jamming at a lower volume, then you might hear this loud ass hiss "SSSsSSSSSSCCSS" noise. You can still hear this noise even if nothing is plugged into the amp. If your ears are not blown, then you can even hear it starting down below 1 and it gets much louder up to 5 on the volume knob. And if you crank it to ten, then the noise goes down a little bit.

This amp must be one the heaviest 2x12 around. It seems to be built to last, that'a if you can live with the noise problems it seems to have.

I called Roland and told them the new JC-120 I bought seems to make excessive noise. And they said all amps makes noise. But I told them - this JC-120 is making a loud hissing noise at low volume. So they said to have it checked out or try another one. It appears they know it makes this noixe.

I've been playing for about 10 years. If it got stolen or lost or ran over, I would not replace it. I jammed with this amp for about three weeks. I had to pay $60 to return this amp to get the rest of my money back. But I am very glad that I was able to get most of my money back - instead of being stuck with this amp. If Roland would update the circuitry on these JC-120s to eliminate this loud hissing noise, then it might be worth checking out throughly at some store before I bring it home. Until then - I'm not going to look at another JC-120 again.

Great Chorus an clean, but not for distortion. Not for Metal.

Les Paul custom w/Gibson '57 pickups and a Dime Culprit w/Washburn 600 series pickups. I used it with Boss Hyper Metal.
I play mostly Heavy Metal and this amp dosen't work for that, it's just to sissy. The clean is great, but if you plug the distortion, you get a noisy-not powerful sound.

I've used it several times on little gigs, but I just didn't get the sound I wanted. Instead of my amp, I've relied on Marshall JC-600, Peavey, and Laney for little gigs.

Haven't asked for help.

I've been playing for 9 years. I have a Peavey Audition plus.
I bought this Amp because someone recommended it. I didn't know anything about amps and stuff, so I bought it, but soon I realized that it wasn't what I expected. I' ve used Marshall, Peavey and Laney and they are way better than the one I have. I'm planning to buy a Mesa DC-5 because they give me the power I want. So if you like the clean, jazzy stuff go for this one, but if you like Hard Rock or Metal don't even think about it. I'm still regreting the day I bought this one.

late 80's model - unlike other reviewer models, this one has adjustable speed and depth for vibrato/chorus, the rest of the amp head is the same as others reviewed - 2 channels, each with hi/low inputs and bright switch. I have owned 3 or 4 of these Roland amps over the years, not all had the adjustable chorus/vibrato, and some did not have the stereo line in which this one does. I have a Roland D10 keyboard and I can plug it into the front of the amp like a guitar or bypass the amp and go direct to the line in inputs. Terrific feature - saves buying a keyboard amp! I kinda think of this amp as a giant effect box, cause with the chorus off it can sound kind of sterile. But the chorus is a big winner! Much better than many (all?) floor pedals. I have owned many of them, including the very transparent Ibanez analog chorus. However the built-in Roland chorus is still my favourite. The distortion is not really distortion. This is not an amp for any kind of music which requires distortion or overdrive. But the engaged distortion gives a mild volume boost and thickens(warms) up single coil pickups, still a cool feature. The always present hiss does not bother me as at only moderate amp volumes I cannot hear it. It does not increase in volume as the amp gets turned up.

There is a kinda joke about that the jc120 makes all guitars sound the same. When I was playing inexpensive guitars - squires and the like - this seemed to be true. The Roland acted like the Equalizer, evening up the sonic play ground. ha ha! However I am now playing a Tom Anderson vintage strat which sounds really cool through the roland with the chorus off - this is the only guitar that I can do this with! All other guitars that I have tried need to have the chorus to defeat the sterility. My gibson nighthawk sounds glorious with the middle pickup position - shining, sparkling, incredible with the chorus engaged!. The Roland speakers have real projection, unlike other amps such as the valvestate marshalls which 20 feet away drop off radically. The Roland yields a rich dispersion sound field, allowing you to play at reasonable volumes and yet cut through the drums and bass. Yes this is one trebly amp, but I always play through the low input with the bright switch off. With treble at 3-5 the sound is bright without being harsh. The combination of the anderson through the roland is guitar bliss. The squires I used to own always sounded a bit shrill no matter what, but hey what did I expect? I like the reverb - not as much as a tube amp reverb, but still cool, rich and deep. Using a distoriton/overdrive pedal solves the one area where the Roland does not do a good job. But nobody buys a jc120 for metal or punk - it is a refined sound, great for blues/jazz/spatial textures. Yum yum!

always works - very but very reliable

never needed it

I am a composer musician www.mp3.com/bacal, and have been playing for many moons now.

I would buy another jc120 if I lost this one. I was playing a 4x10 fender hod rod deville and a vox ac15 previously - The roland gives a much bigger sound than the vox, and a smoother sound than the 4x10 hod rod, though I am purchasing a 1x12 fender hod rod - called the deluxe now - cause for certain bluesy stuff the solid state roland lacks transparent spunk

my jc is an 86 ive had it now 3 years shit distortion but great chourus.very clean .

ive just picked up a jcm 50 marshall head and had el34 s put in and wired up the roland to take the marshall head it sounds great . when at home im often playing the jc without hooking the head up >I think they are a fucking great amp..

no worries there yet it kicks ass in this department also. I have a lot of guitar buddys that want this legendary amp.

donwlaod all maps and shit straight from roland website .

I wouldnt sell this bitch for a thousand dollars .im in desparate need of a quad box for my marshall head but cant part with the jc ..III keep saving my money and keep this amp for my son.

The Roland JC-120 has a chorus that sweeps real clean. As previous posts have mentioned: the distortion is a dog that barks wrong. The 60 watt each dual amp in one feature is great for stereo. Power is no problem---unless your looking for a wide speaker arraingment like Marshall Stacks. The solid state makes one want to blow out the amp to prove the engineers are not infallable. So far no luck HEAR...

1971 Black Les Paul Custon (fretless wonder). As crystal clear Wes Montgomery sounds go---you cannot beat it. Saw both Jimmy Smith's and Jimmy McGriff's Guitarists use it in live gigs. Kenny Burrell was Jimmy Smith's guitarist at abovemetioned show. You can fill up a Warehouse Space with it & also play the smallest cubicles. I really miss my old Fender tube amps though---U know---watching that blue gas in those glass bulbs warm up. Yet, this amp will not break. If you crank the JC-120 to 10/10 it will not distort...and that can ruin the feeling of warmth and feedback without pedals.

Please---someday this thing has got to break. I kinda miss shopping for tubes.

no need for Maytag/Roland repairman

Been at the instruments since 1963. Roland E-56 Synth (which sounds celestial through the JC-120) Tons of different acoustic box guitars
and cheap music station keyboards. If it were stolen I would not miss it at all. Time for a change anyhow. I think that presto synth bass through a guitar amp is killer.

This one's an '85 or '86 model that I traded for. Has been pampered in a Star ATA case all it's life. This is the second JC-120 I've owned.

Works well in just about any situation. Well suited to running my GR-30 and GT-3 through it. How brutal is the distortion? Eeeek. As most people notice, the 'distortion' that's built into this model seems to be some sort of twisted joke from Roland. Pity it doesn't have the lushness of the old "hexa-fuzz" that the older GR-300 featured. Other than that, damned near perfection. The only question is: how loud do YOU want to go? Ah, yes...the chorus. The only word to describe it is "Ahhhhhhhhhhh".

These things are built like a Sherman tank. My first one looked like Keith Richards had slept with it---it was SO beat up, it was funny. But, it still worked. I used it not only as a guitar amp (keep in mind this was 19 yrs ago...I was young, ok?), but as a bass amp (eeek!), and once as an emergency P.A. (double eeeek!!!). Can I rate it higher than a "10"??? This is one product that deserves it.

I've owned tons of Roland and BOSS gear throughout the years. I've never had a bit of trouble from any of it, so I've never had to deal with the company.

My first one WAS stolen years ago. I went through a slew of small combo amps, including most recently a Line6 Flextone Plus, which I dearly loved, but it wasn't the right amp for the guitar synth. If you want a BIG simple guitar amp with TONS of headroom, this is your baby.