Roland JC-160

For those in search of the perfect clean sound, this amp works magic! I plug my tele in there, it brings out the brightness and twangs. The Chorus built-in toggle switch is the sweetest chorus i've ever come across! I wish they had it made in BOSS pedals that way. This amp is LOUD, but because mine is a 70s vintage, i wouldn't really lug it out to gigs. It's good for recordings in the studio or just home practice.

As mentioned earlier, superb cleans to die for!! Compare it to some modern groups, i likened it to The Whitest Boy Alive album guitar sounds! I'm sure they use a JC120 or JC160 for their recordings through a Tele. The built-in distortion is nothing to shout about, but i pump a Proco RAT and also a russian Big Muff through it and it's great.

Well, for something that came from the 70s and I've got it in its original state with nothing changed, it is pretty tough!! Well built, i'll say. They lined the edges of this amp with metal, so it's built for some rough handling.

Never tried, never needed to.

Great amp to seek if you ever find one of these rare JC160 because it's definitely a clean machine to own!! They have reproduced JC120, but i think the JC160 is a classic to behold!

i give a 9 just bec of the discusting dist that is build in this thing, the rest is top of the line.. especially for the time that they made this monster..

For my band www.myspace.com/vindra this monster is super !! :p

sound quality is really world class, especially the clean sounds ofc, but also if u put in some kind of dist pedal, u can get a really nice vintage sound..

never even changed the fuse, had for 2 years and it??s from the l8 70:s

roland | Boss is not mentioning this product , even if its a lot like jc 120 ..

for my style in playing i think this one is the best u can get..

If i would play metal it wouldnt be my first choice..

Som1 wrote that the most famous guitar player he knew using jc160 was Wes Borland of limp biscuit, I think he is wrong (he uses jc 120 2*12) Jc 160 is 4*10 and is a bit more bright in the sound, but really good for the clean sounds..

The most famous JC120 player I know thou is actually James Hetfield ,Metallica never plays without it on any stage, u can see it in the "some kind of monster" video, and ive seen it live on 2 different occasions, and on consert videos also ofc. :p

2 Channels, 1-dry, 2-reverb, vibrato, chorus, and distortion
No fx loop, but does have speaker extension (you won't need them)
Jacks available for footswitching the three effects.

First of all this amp is no tube amp, and the distortion is worthless.
Now that thats out of the way, I am going to say that I was a little prejudice against this amp for not having any tubes. I got it on a trade and took it home and wished i'd kept my peavey classic 30, so I put it up for sale online. After about a week I decided to a/b it against my Mesa/Boogie rectifier and forgot about the tube issue and was amazed that I realy liked the JC-160 for more of what I am playing.

The clean sound is crisp, clear, and warm (yes, even without the tubes). I bleive that the distortion was added as a joke, but the tone from this monster is giant. Tubes or no, I will play this amp proudly for a very long time, with no more maintnance than wipe it down.

Its been about 6 weeks now since I've got the amp and realy have not touched the Mesa, because all my time is spent playing guitar with simple great tone. Sometimes simple is just better.

I am the second owner of this amp, and I have to say it looks like it is almost 30 years old, but sounds better than some newer amps i have owned. I am sure this thing is going to last and last.

The support for this product is non-existant. I called for a manual and for the possibility of a replacement grill cloth. There were people to answer the phone, but all i got from them was "you mean the JC-120, right?" and that there is no way they can tell me where to fing the grill cloth that they use for their JC line. My question is how do they build their amps with materl they can't find? Oh well. It is still a great product, and I have the feeling that other than cosmetics I would not have a reason to contact them anyway.

If you can get your hands on one of these, do it. Don't be a tube snob like me and write it off without trying it. I did'nt even like the Line 6 POD with all of its models, and I love this amp.

Most has been said already
Wonderful clean sound, heavenly chorus, distortion that makes you want kill ppl (namely the idiot who added that distortion circuit to the design!)

This amp is not a jack of all trades. It is a master of one

Its damn loud and cuts through anything. carries most effects really well

well, I think this amp is older than me and it has seen is fair share of wear and tear.
Had to service the input section and replace several pots due to corrosion of the components.
I live in a 95% humidity all year round kinda location!

Unfortunately, one of the caps in the chorus circuit has now gone (giving a loud popping sound at regular intervals. Apparently the part that replaced the part that replaced the part that replaced.... well you get the idea...

And now the humidity has done for the speaker mounting as well... The whole board disintegrated! Amazingly, the amp still works fine just its now an open front as well as open back design....

As others have mentioned, Roland seem to have forgotten the amp existed... whatever warranty there was probably ran out years ago, and i am at least the third or fourth owner of the beast...

I'm actually a bassist but happened to pick one of these up when i was guitarering...

I was gutted when it fell apart (literally...) I will find a carpenter to make up a new speaker mount eventually.

This solid state amp has 2 seperate channels, two guitars can be connected at the same time. both channels are 60 W. Channel 2 has a chorus and a vibrato effect. The chorus is really amazing.
The sound on this thing is just perfect for me. I mostly play alternative rock and this amp is just fine. Sound is very clean and the chorus is very good. At home i can't turn the volume past three, sound is very powerfull. Even in the practice room i don't have to turn it. When i turn it over three our drummer starts to complain.
Both channels have a bright switch to make the sound more bright (also nice). The power switch can go in two directions (up or down), to change polarity when it produces hum.
The distortion is present but almost can't be heard, is really a joke. of no use on this amp(just plug in an external distorion and your fine). second channel also has a reverb wich dous it's job well.
I play on Epiphone les paul and es335 through this thing and they both sounds really nice. I even run my Yamaha apx 5 through it, also a very warm and nice sound,a lthough it produces some more hum then which is difficult to eliminate.
On the back there are inputs for a footswitch, external speakers and there is aline/out jack. It also has a main in on the back. This can be used to connect another guitar amp for sound reinforcement(haven't tried this).
It's a good thing mine has 4 wheels underneath cause it's heavy.

This amp delivers a really nice and warm sound. For a solid state amp it is really nice. Once you hear it you'll be hooked on it.
The chorus on this thing makes the sound even better. I'm really very happy with the sound on this thing. I hve a boss se-70 and a Behringer v-amp pro connected to it. This way i can get any sound out of it. From delays to distortion, guitar synth to lesley effects anything. And it all sounds nice over this amp. Forget the distortion on this thing connect an external distortion. It will sound just fine. The power in this thing is amazing.

I think this thing is somwhere between 20-25 years old. Everything on it looks like it's been built to last long. When i bought it there was a crackling noise when i turned the volume/trebble and base knobs. I did some contact spray on it and now it's gone.
Sometimes i have a hum on it but that's only disturbing at very low sound levels. Don't know if it's just in mine or if it's something these amps have.

Haven't dealt with them, downloaded the manual from there site.

I'm playing 15 years, i have had several solid state amps, marshall valvestate, Fender, H&H, Roland blues cube but there nothing compared to the jc 160. I just like this amp a lot. The sound is just perfect for me. Only thing stupid on it is the distortion they should have left it out or put something real in it. Now it's just nothing. When you can get your hands on one of these don't hesitate.

I have owned a Roland JC 160 since the early 80's ... At that time built-in Chorus was 'new technology', and so it was cutting edge at that moment. The distortion was simply awful .. I neednt cover that any more here ; 3 words : The Worst Ever ....

I didnt buy the amp for drive though (has anyone tried to mod-in a master volume in this thing ??) .. I bought it for its pure guts: It has super energy to spare; crystal clear sparkles ....

The Chorus/Vibrato is to die for .. It is what distinguished the JC range from the rest ...

I was impressed when I bought the JC160, and I'm still impressed with it now ... It is 160 watts of CLEAN power, which cuts through the mud on any stage. I played a Les Paul Deluxe through it for over a decade, which helped the PITIFUL distortion sound somewhat better than tragic, but the clean sound, with the neck humbucker pickup switched in, and with the chorus at full depth and medium rate; Wow .... Lush and deep tones swirling outward, crystal clear and full of an enormous range of musical partials. Simply divine .....

I now play a Charvel strat through a Line 6 POD ... It is a perfect marriage made in heaven ..... The CLEAN JC160 reflects the best of the POD's modelled sounds ....

The only problems I had with this amp was caused by more or my buds: bending a jack panel by hitting the plugged in cord. Accidently spilling (swilling?) beer onto the clothe grill is the only other issue (totally cosmetic) ...

Oh ... Did I mention that a mike stand tip was once thrust through a speaker cone ? ... Yeah ... that kinda hurt: I glued it, but I would prefer a direct replacement ... FAT CHANCE of Roland providing such a thing ... right ?

ALL my own fault .... The thing still stands out like lightning in a cloud ....

Never tried ... I usually fix my own stuff ... but I do need a speaker now ....

I lost my Paul Deluxe (Anyone know Rob Allen, Guitar-tech for Pearl Jam ?? .. that BASTARD connived my 'baby' from my drugged out drummer, Spanky .... ( I WANT MY PAUL BACK, ROBBIE !)

With a POD, this amp STILL smells like a rose .... With a decent instrument, it will sing like a sweet bird or thunder like an earthquake ....

I am thankful I have one ....

real vintage amp from the 70:s ,real quality, the amp has reverb, and vibrato ( that can be used ) and chorus , and 2 separate channels (ive heard that this actually is the first amp to have that, so actually u can play 2 guitarrists on 2 separate 10" elements (2 each )... or u can plug in a mic and sing some if u like as u play in the other 2.. :) u also have a bright switch on both channels ..which is good used with the reverb .. amazing!
2 xtra speakers inputs (yepp u can play in stereo if u like, and can afford two more speakers)
the dist really sux , but all proper guitarrists have dist pedals, and it will sound real fine ..

but this amp is ofcourse most known for its clean bright sound that never go out of focus how high u ever want to play .. u also got some real power here 160 w ..

I will use it to my bands upcoming gigs...

if it would have been build today it would have been a lower score at features ofc ..

the clean sound and chorus is world class!

best with humbucker LP or Tele i guess..

dist sux , but i have other pedals for that..

its as it was in the 70:s and now its 2005 hiyaa.. i will never sell this .. Roland and Boss products tend to last long!..

never dealt with them

i own a peavey classic 30, Boss me5, Epiphone LP, Ibanez Ac, Alvarez Ac and some more stuff .. i have played guitar since 1982

if it were lost i would get another , i like the sound on this..

A bit heavey 39 kg .. but its ok and the weight actually smells quality ..:p

The most famous guitarrist i know that uses roland Jazz Chorus is Wes Borland from Limp Bizkit , he uses 3 4*12 Mesa triple rectifier heads and 3 (little brother) 2*12 120w Jazz chorus...

My understanding is that the amp was made in the late seventies and ran in production until early 1982 when it was discontinued. I have had the JC70, JC120 and have now got a JC160. This amp doesnt have a lot of features by todays standards but its key element that has made this amp so sought after is the clean sound. Which is always crystal clear even at obscene volumes.

I have had this amp for 4 years and have used it live and in recording studios. Coupled up to a Strat and Tele this amp is the perfect compliment to these very different sounding guitars. The chorus although its not adjustable the guys at Roland set it as well as you would ever want. The distortion is a joke and the reverb is ok but the versatility it gives by using the tone pots and bright switch is amazing to say the least.

All the JC's I've had have all been amazing in terms of their reliability and resilience. I bought this amp second hand so I dont't know how it was treated by the previous owner / owners but it is showing physical signs of wear and tear but the amp just rocks on. No valves to worry about and you can drop it, kick it and knock it over. Nothing causes it any grief.

I have only ever had one problem. At low volumes it developed a quiet hiss. Toke it into the local music shop and they replaced one of the output transistors. $ 85.00 later and it has rocked on ever since.

This thing is a legend among the many performers I know and they will all snap this thing up if I ever decide to sell it. I will take this thing to my grave with me. I know where there is another one if anyone is interested. NZ only tho.

This was my first legit amp. I bought it new in 1990. It was 1100.00 Canadian - only 100 dollars more than the JC-120. I still own it but am looking to sell it; I just don't want to give it away. It has sentimental value to me. But I've recently purchased the Hughes and Kettner Triamp MKII 100watt head to go through a Marshall 1960B Cabinet with Celestion G12T-75 speakers. Anyhow, the Roland JazzChorus 160 is loud as hell!!! Playing live or rehearsing, you never had to put the volume level past three. It is just that loud!!! You could play a hockey arena with this thing, no problem. It's a solid-state amp. I wish it had what most high-end amps have today: a parallel/serial FX loop. But it obviously doesn't. No headphone jack either. This isn't really a hard rock amp. Its expertise is in clean tones. Not many amps can boast what this thing can do super-clean tone-wise. It's best to buy a tube amp for your overdrive and distortion, and switch between it and the JC-160 so you get the best of both worlds. The feature on it I never really use is the "vibrato." Although the "chorus" was used with a rich depth setting almost constantly. The amp does have channel switching. It comes with a footswitch with one switch. On the back are three inputs: distortion, chorus, and vibrato. Depending on which input the footswitch is plugged into, it will turn that effect on or off. Anything else feature-wise has already been said by previous reviews.

As is well known, the distortion circuit in this amp is an insult to great distortion. I keep it off always. Use distortion from an FX processor or stompbox. The distortion in this thing is worse than the stinkiest fart. Serious!!! The chorus/vibrato circuit, on the other hand is lush, thick, and beautiful!!! The simple reverb in it is nice, too. The clean sounds clean even at horrendously high db levels. It won't distort. I've played my PRS CE-22 and Signature Oracle guitars through it with great results. I've even played my Fender bass through it and miked it for recording. On the down side, the amp exhibits a constant annoying hiss when you put your ear up close to the speakers. This hum/hiss gets worse when you really crank it.

I always gigged with this amp without a backup. No tubes in it to worry about, obviously. Has a small fuse on the back which is easily accessible. It's blown once over 15 years. That's pretty reliable, I think!!

If this amp were stolen or lost, I'd just buy the smaller JC-120. What I hate about this amp is how heavy it is to transport. I don't know the weight, but it's up there!!! What I ultimately love about this amp is its chorus circuit and its clean, clean tonality. Your clean guitar parts sound so pure through it. The sheer volume of the amp is a great asset. This thing will shatter drywall at the "4" volume setting. As I said before, I wish it had a sophisticated fx loop. Oh well... Also, the distortion circuit is a joke!!! Overall, the Roland JC-160 is great at what it does well. I still don't want to part with the thing. I'd only sell it for top dollar. Say, 750.00 Canadian with its own custom touring road case included. Anyone interested, just get in touch with me. Otherwise, I'll keep it until my dying day.

Yes,this is one of those amps that you see and think "Oh my God what the hell is this huge thing??!?!"It's biggest combo I have ever seen in my life.Made in 70's,and i don't know if there are many of them left now.Just can't find anyone using it.Shame,cause this is great amp.
Got 2 channels,one with just Eq and volume knob,and other channel is "the effects" channel.There you can find that famous chorus and vibrato,also reverb which and ironically worst distortion ever made on any type of amp.4x10" silver cone speakers and again that huge size of this combo is something you gotta respect.I had it repaired in guitar shop,and people were coming in and instead of lookin in all those Marshall's and other amps it was same thing always "What the hell is that?"I guess it is very big,bigger than Twin Reverb and got about 50 kilos.
On the back there are 2 ext. speaker jacks for addding another arsenal of spakers,3 footswitch jacks for reverb,distortion,and effects and line out jack.
Well,i think this amp has everything,just if they had better distortion circuit.

And now,the sound.All i can say is WOW!This amp sounds so spacial and full of tone.It's projection is all over the stage-room-garage,wherever you play.No matter how loud you turn it it will stay clear and full of tone.When i say loud,i mean 120 watts!I've never turned it past 3,it's just insane loud.Unless you want to kill someone :o)Speakers project sounds sweet and they are full range speakers.Not a common thing in guitar amps.I use Fender Mexican Srat and i have Hughes & Kettner Tube preamp.Thats all!I dont need anything more,clean sounds sound so amazing trough this amp but when you kick in that heavy distortion,no problem,it will amplify it perfectly.What come in comes trough,sweet.I guess everyone talk's about that chorus,and they are no fooles.Beautifull stereo widest chorus you ever heard.If you connect 2 channels you have full stereo amp.This thing is versatile!
I play mostly blues,and altough tube amps are blues amps,this amp gives me that joy of playing and clarity i have never seen in other amps.Jazz players,look no further.

JC is bad boy.You can abuse it for years with no problem.Well it is an amp that is made probably 25-30 years ago and still works like first day.What can I say?

Never deal with them.As users before said,they don't even know about this amp,so why bother.

I play for about 10 years and altough i love tube amps and i own a Marshall JCM 800,JC 160 is my favorite amp ever.If you wan't to see what your guitar really sound like,try it!At least try JC 120.Clean sounds with no competition.For jazz it is perfect machine,and for every other style with decent effects.And with those 120 badass watts you will be heard even if B-52 bombarder parks in front of your stage.If it were stolen,i guess it will be so hard to find another one.So rare amps.True vintage tone machine!