Roland JC-120

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Never needed them, have had it over a year.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Haven't had to deal with them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dunno, who needs 'em??

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

N/A

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Absolutely zero problems since day one in '99.

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

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

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

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

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

I doubt I will ever need assistance

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

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

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

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

Never dealt with Roland before

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

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

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

Think abram-tank.

I play a Santana SE through it. Nice combo.

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

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

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

don't no

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Same as all above

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

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

Dunno.

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

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

built likea tank

never needed them

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

never dealt with them. never needed to.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Never had to deal with Roland.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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