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.