Roland JC-120
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Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: $450 (AU plus trade in.) used
Submitted 04/05/2006
at 04:08am
by Jeff
Email: broughtoninstitute at hotmail<dot>com
Features
:
9
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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!!!
Reliability
:
10
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.
Customer Support
:
5
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.
Overall Rating
:
10
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $700.00
Submitted 03/14/2006
at 05:18pm
by Nodnoc
Features
:
9
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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.
Reliability
:
10
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.
Customer Support
:
9
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.
Overall Rating
:
10
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
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $700
Submitted 03/11/2006
at 06:56am
by einson
Features
:
10
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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!!!
Reliability
:
10
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
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
10
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
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid:
Submitted 02/23/2006
at 12:16pm
by Don Robertson
Features
:
1
1980's stereo solid state amp with chorus and distortion.
Sound Quality
:
3
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
Reliability
:
5
It worked for the three nights I used it.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Have no idea
Overall Rating
:
1
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $375 used
Submitted 02/11/2006
at 11:08am
by anonymous
Features
:
10
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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.
Reliability
:
10
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)!
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
n/a -- Don't know. Don't ever want to know. Don't ever expect to know.
Overall Rating
:
10
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $400.00
Submitted 12/18/2005
at 09:33pm
by Tim Doyel
Email: 6stringtim<at>direcway dot com
Features
:
10
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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.
Reliability
:
10
Built like a rock! Weighs a ton. Cleaned the pots once and thats about it.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Don't know. Never contacted them.
Overall Rating
:
10
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $300
Submitted 12/13/2005
at 04:47pm
by Joe
Features
:
9
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.
Sound Quality
:
8
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.
Reliability
:
No Opinion
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.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
i've never had to deal with roland. i'm taking that as a good sign.
Overall Rating
:
9
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: 1500 (PLN (ca.428USD)) used
Submitted 12/06/2005
at 01:37am
by Pawel Grala
Email: inz dot mamon76<at>wp dot pl
Features
:
10
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.
Sound Quality
:
9
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;)
Reliability
:
10
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.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
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.
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: 450$ can. (with heavy roadcase !) used
Submitted 11/10/2005
at 07:27am
by Fred Perreault
Features
:
10
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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).
Reliability
:
10
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.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I really don't know, it never broke down (neither does my Roland JC77) !
Overall Rating
:
10
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 !
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 09/15/2005
at 12:35pm
by Greg
Features
:
9
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!
Sound Quality
:
9
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!
Reliability
:
No Opinion
So far so good only a few weeks of ownership. Has good rep for reliability.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
no data
Overall Rating
:
9
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: $350. ($Cdn) used
Submitted 08/06/2005
at 08:33am
by Tommie
Features
:
9
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.
Sound Quality
:
9
*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
Reliability
:
9
Had it for 2 months & don't need a backup.
Never acted up, but Roland/Boss products DON'T BREAK !!
Customer Support
:
9
Roland did surgery on my Boss DR5 drum machine. Pro service at a reasonable price.
Overall Rating
:
9
*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 !!!
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $640
Submitted 07/15/2005
at 06:05am
by Simon
Features
:
8
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.
Sound Quality
:
8
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.
Reliability
:
10
It's a tank!
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
9
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: (?300) used
Submitted 06/24/2005
at 09:53am
by Mike
Features
:
8
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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.
Reliability
:
9
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).
Customer Support
:
5
I find Roland and especially Boss to be pretty lacking in customer support. There is no manual anywhere for the old version.
Overall Rating
:
10
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $40 used
Submitted 04/18/2005
at 09:27am
by mikopita
Features
:
9
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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!
Reliability
:
No Opinion
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).
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never had to.
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
I've only had it a couple of weeks, but boy it sounds great!
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $400
Submitted 02/07/2005
at 08:15pm
by Anonymous
Features
:
8
if you've read any other reviews, you know what this amp's feautures are.
Sound Quality
:
9
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.
Reliability
:
10
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.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
i've never had to deal wit them b/c the amp has never needed fixing.
Overall Rating
:
10
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: Trade $0 (Guitar ($700))
Submitted 01/15/2005
at 01:14am
by GTRBILL
Features
:
9
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?
Sound Quality
:
10
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.
Reliability
:
10
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.
Customer Support
:
9
Roland is great for support (I used them to get other things repaired)
Overall Rating
:
9
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: N/A
Submitted 01/12/2005
at 02:07pm
by Anonymous
Features
:
8
beautiful clean sound and a nice built in chorus. U all know the features...
Sound Quality
:
10
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.
Reliability
:
No Opinion
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
9
I love this amp clean and LOVE it even more with a GT2 pedal for my dirt!
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $675
Submitted 12/10/2004
at 07:54am
by Ben
Features
:
8
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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.
Reliability
:
10
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.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Hoping not to contact them.
Overall Rating
:
No Opinion
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!
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $1,000.00
Submitted 08/13/2004
at 01:33pm
by Anonymous
Features
:
9
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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.
Reliability
:
10
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.
Customer Support
:
10
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.
Overall Rating
:
10
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $380
Submitted 06/29/2004
at 08:31pm
by Anonymous
Email: indeloon69<at>msn dot com
Features
:
9
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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
Reliability
:
9
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!
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
never dealt with them. Knock on wood!
Overall Rating
:
10
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!
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $450 used
Submitted 05/29/2004
at 12:33am
by ted
Features
:
7
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.
Sound Quality
:
10
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.
Reliability
:
9
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.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
???????
Overall Rating
:
10
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!
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $400 used
Submitted 01/14/2004
at 08:17pm
by Combat Wombat
Features
:
7
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.
Sound Quality
:
9
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.
Reliability
:
10
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.
Customer Support
:
9
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.
Overall Rating
:
9
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $699
Submitted 12/30/2003
at 06:34am
by steve
Features
:
7
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.
Sound Quality
:
9
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.
Reliability
:
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.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
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.
Overall Rating
:
9
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US N/A used
Submitted 12/29/2003
at 09:36pm
by Rich
Email: saxon1764 at yahoo<dot>com
Features
:
9
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.
Sound Quality
:
9
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.
Reliability
:
No Opinion
Haven't had it long enough to tell.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Nope, too old.
Overall Rating
:
9
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.
Product: Roland JC-120
Price Paid: US $350 used
Submitted 12/26/2003
at 08:15am
by TheMist
Email: TheMist1<at>Yahoo dot com
Features
:
10
120 watts(60 per side) Reverb,Vibrato,Chours and distorion. It has two input jacks (Hi output and Low Output) for each channel.
Sound Quality
:
9
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.
Reliability
:
10
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.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Overall Rating
:
10
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.
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