Roland JC-120

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

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

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

never had to deal with them

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

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

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

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

seems like a tank!

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

playing for a long time

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

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

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

u can depend on it

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

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

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

Never dealt vith them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No problems so far.

Haven't needed any.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I've heard so!

NA

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

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

I'm the original owner of a 1980 model.

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

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

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

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

I'm probably a JC120 user for life.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No issue.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reverb has good range.

Tremelo is...tremelo.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I wouldn't buy it again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Haven't had to call them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No idea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Never had to get it repaired.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

extremely reliable...never been down

havent had to use them so I give em a 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I guess everybody knows...

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

Solid state!!! And it is tough!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It is easy enough to find a service centre.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It worked for the three nights I used it.

Have no idea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don't know. Never contacted them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

no data

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

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

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

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

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

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

New Roland JC 120 (2003 modell)

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

I use it live and in studio.

2 channels - and a nice footpedal.

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

Great chorus and tremolo. The reverb is ok.

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

It's a tank!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Never had to.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hoping not to contact them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

never dealt with them. Knock on wood!

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

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

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

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

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

???????

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New model

Solid state

FX loop

Main Output

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

2x60w amp

Silver cone speakers

Main in ch 1 with eq

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

Nice casters included

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Epiphone Sheraton II > Boss AB2 switch > Roland JC120 ch2

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

Roland on/off switch for chorus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If it were stolen, I would replace it.

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

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

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

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

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

Haven't had it long enough to tell.

Nope, too old.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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