Roland JC-50 Jazz Chorus 112 Combo

It's got enough features for the size and price of it. High/Low inputs, Bright On/Off switch, Volume, Treble, Bass, Distortion, Reverb. Then Speed and Depth, and Vibrato/Off/Chorus switch, then an On/Off/On switch (don't ask me why it needs two ON positions).

Enough features to get a straight clean sound, or a clean sound with lush chorus or vibrato sound. What it lacks is the MAIN IN jack like a JC-120 for plugging direct to the power amp - something I'd like as a Boss GT-6 owner.

I've used this with my main electric guitar, an '01 Gibson SG Standard with stock hardware, and my backup an Epi G-310 SG copy. Obviously the Gibson sounds superb. The Epi is alright, don't except much as it's cheap.

The clean sound is great for a transistor amplifier, couldn't believe what I heard when I tried it out. Stays clean well into the 3 o'clock position on the volume knob. Quiet as a whistle, chorus/vib circuit is a little noisy but not too severe. Bright switch is useful for practicing at home, I always turn it off at practice and gig levels or it'd tear your ears off.

Chorus and vibrato are superb too. Reverb a pleasent suprise, actually gives a nice surfy tone even though it muddies up the sound a little on 10. As I expected, the distortion is useless. It sort of takes the clean sound and layers this bad distortion on top, producing a muddy, nasty tone. For drive, I'd stick to analogue pedals.

I use it mostly with a Boss GT-6, the modulations, delays and reverbs are great but the drive sounds muddy and indistinct. This is more a fault of the GT-6.

It's a little worn in, looks like the previous owner was a heavy smoker too as the cloth on the front is very dull looking, but it's quite robust. I'm more happy pulling this around than a Fender Twin or a big stack if I'm doing a rehearsal or small gig.

I've been playing for 5 years now and I know what I like when it comes to tones, even though my ideal set up is several grand out of my budget :-). I've mostly used solid state amps and Boss pedals or FX units and this is the best solid state amp I've used and owned, I'd like to get my hands on a JC-120 after owning this.

I traded a re-issue Sessionette:75 for this and don't regret it as the 75 was a piece of trash compared to this. For clean sounds it's top notch.

The drive on every amp I've ever tried - not including cranked valve amps that overdrive naturally, not because they have an onboard circuit - are crap, it's best to have an analogue pedal or two that has a drive sound you like instead of relying on the amps in my opinion. The JC-50 is no different, I'd rather use a ProCo Rat and an MXR Distortion+ for drive tones as I prefer the sound of those boxes.

If it were stolen (I don't lose gear), I would be a little disappointed and would probably seek out the JC-120 or a vintage Vox AC-30 instead. I wouldn't replace it unless between now and it being stolen I feel the need to hold on to it.

I love the clean, chorus and vibrato sounds, the fact that the EQ controls are responsive and work well for humbuckers AND single coils (I hate those amps that are designed for just one guitar type) and it's portability. I dislike the fact there isn't a MAIN IN or EFFECTS LOOP on this. Very good amplifier, more so for a solid state one.

See previous reviews for features. I use them all even the sub-standard distortion which actually works to provides a very subtle blues overdrive sound. The headphone jack sounds very good compared to other amps I've used. This amp is used in my at home studio, at my congregation and in heavy jam sessions with bigger amps.

I use two guitars with this amp a G & L Legacy Special(Looks like a strat but wiht Dual blade humbuckers) and an Alvarez Custom Classic (really a strat Copy as far as pickups and sound are concerned). sometime I run them straight into the Roland and other times I run them through this configuration: Ibanez turbo tubescreamer, Art Studio tube pre-amp and a Boss Rv3 digital delay/Reverb. This set up gives me some incredibles tube driven, creamy distortion sounds with nice echo effect provided by the RV3. Thanks to Roland's exceptional clean sound I feel like I got the best of all worlds. The tube sound I want gets injected through the pedals and the clean sound comes straight from the amp. I also like to leave the volume right at the first tick on the knob and adjust the Art tube preamp level for higher volumes(even when playing out- this baby can be earsplittingly loud through this setup even at one tick). This helps me maintain a really clear sound while coaxing out all the signature nuances of my playing styles. I do this with and without tube screamer distortion and it works very well both ways. The distortion on the Roland I use when I play plugged straight in from my guitars at low volumes and I want a real subtle blues sound (usually in my studio.) I've Played my Roland JC-50 along with a guy using a Fender twin reverb. The Roland has a noticeably cleaner sound when playing loud side by side. I was surprised by this since I bought this Amp really for its light weight but didn't expect it to please me more the a Fender Twin. The Fender owner also noticed and Gave me an unsolicited compliment on the sound of the Roland. Then again its also all in the style you play. I play Chicago and Texas Blues, 60's Rock and eclectic mideastern/spanish rock. The G & L with its dual humbucking blades sound extremely nice through my set up. The Alvarez sounds good straight into the Amp. As far as how this amp sounds when cranked up past the 12 noon position I don't know because I care to much for my ears to brutalize them like that. Suffice to say this amp is Loud enough for me (but its also very clear.) I also own a modified Peavy Heritage VTX and I have used the peavey as an extension off of my Vibe output on the Roland... Wow what a nice sound. The Chorus sounds really nice too when plugged up this way.

Can't give an opinion here as I have not had it for what I would consider to be long enough but Roland haves a good record for making solid instruments.

Never used it.

I've been playing over 12 years. This is my dream amp because its so light I can carry it my gig bag and my guitar all in one trip from the car into the Gig. It sounds incredible. If this amp doesn't have any problems, and I don't expect it to,I plan to be very satisfied with it for a very, very long time. In fact If I had the money I would find as many of these as I could and buy them all, some for back-up and others to give to some young players I know coming up. There's nothing like a great sounding amp to make you play your best.

I bought my JC-50 amp new around 1987 or 1988. I play mostly jazz-tinged blues, which it is perfect for. The lack of channel switching is a pain when performing, but I get around this limitation by riding the gain with a volume pedal -- takes some practice but works well. The distortion sounds like crap, but who needs it on a jazz amp anyway. In the past I used a distortion pedal for metal sounds, which the amp reproduced faithfully. Now I use a compressor pedal to add a little extra bit of drive to the sound. There's typically plenty of power for a small club, but I have run out of juice when sitting in with semi-pro R&B and blues bands that have massive rigs and really crank the volume way up. (That kind of situation calls for a JC-120). You could say the features are slim by today's standards, but its main feature is its tone -- which is sweet and mellow at low volumes and ballsy but still clean when cranked. The chorus sounds nice but I rarely use it for jazz or blues. The vibrato is OK but to me it's just a novelty. The reverb is perfect -- I leave it on always at a low setting.

I use a 1970 Les Paul Custom, and it sounds great through this amp. By using a compressor pedal, jacking in through the high input, and cranking the volume to around 6 or so, this combination sounds absolutely fantastic -- it's essentially a clean sound but with a fat, singing sustain and a really powerful bottom end. At high volume, the speaker is getting the shit kicked out of it, and that adds an additional nuance. Yet the sound is still basically clean, which means I can play much louder leads than the audience (and the rest of the band) would normally tolerate had I been using a distorted sound. When I floor the volume pedal, this tone kicks straight through the mix. It's not a very flexible sound, but it sounds great.

Every now and then the sound drops drastically and then comes back. I still haven't figured out what causes it. Playing it loud seems to cure the problem. The toggle switch for the chorus got knocked off, but the switch still works fine. This amp can definitely take abuse.

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I've been playing for 20 years. I love the tone. I'm not as crazy about the lack of flexibility. If I lost this amp, I don't know what I'd do ... probably look into what Roland is selling now. (The JC-120 would be great but it's too heavy and expensive for me). The reason I bought it is because all the other amps sounded like shit compared to the JC-50 (expect for the JC-120).

I don't know when this was made (80's, 90's ?) but it is very well made and suits the styles I play. I use an Aria Ike Isaacs model hollow body jazz guitar, a squire strat and a crafter mandolin and all three sound good through this amp. I play a range of music including jazz, blues, skiffle and other weird tunes (Irish, klezmer, etc.) and I like the fact that this is a very clean amp as this is just what I want. However, unlike some reviewers of this amp, I like the distortion control just for adding a bit of an edge rather than full distortion. I also use a valve Watkins copycat between the guitar and amp and sometimes overdrive that a bit too.
This amp is used in small pubs in a duo and also in a full band and always appears to have plenty of reserve power.

This amp sounds great for what I need. Obviously it is designed for one thing - clean - which is just what I want. It would not suit most people though.
Apart from a couple of crackly pots which I need to sort out, it sounds great. The reverb is quite good (not as good as a Fender), the vibrato and chorus sound o.k. but I have not used them live yet.

I have not had this amp that long and it actually had a bad speaker in it when I got it with the voice coil rubbing on the magnet. Despite this, I did a gig with it and it still sounded good with the odd rattles barely noticeable. The shop I bought the amp from gave me a new Eminence speaker which I have fitted and sounds just as good.

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I have been playing for about 25 years and use a variety of amplifiers including a 100watt valve amp of my own design and construction and various others over the years which I wish I still had.
I bought a Roland amp after previous expierience of Roland products. I once borrowed a Roland Cube Chorus 40 amp which was not much bigger than a cornflakes packet but had enough un-distorted power to almost blow the roof off of the room I was playing in. When I needed another amplifier and I saw this amp, I had to try it and I ended up buying it.
I would probably consider a similar amp again. (I would like a JC 160 4 x 10 amp for playing bass through !!).

I have no idea when this amp was made. Paid $175 used in 1995 for this heavy 12" combo. The amp has volume, bright switch, distrotion, bass and treble tone controls, reverb, vibrato and chorus. I wish it had an extention speaker and line out jacks. The amp is used to play at home and with freinds with some attempts at putting a band together. It seems to have more output than the 50 watts its listed at. I use this amp clean with a touch of distortion and the bright switch turned on. However, distortion is not this amp's cup of tea - use it to add edge to your music and thats it! The amp has good clean tone at all but the higher volume settings where it muds-out! Even at that, there is enough clean power to just cut through a band mix. I use the reverb but is not the best I've heard. I play Country, 60's and 70's rock with some Ventures/Surf instrumentals thrown in. Guitars that are run through it are Rickenbacker 450/12, Carvin Bolt (strat) and a Martin HD-28 with a Dean Markley single coil popped in the sound hole. Incedently, the Martin/Markley combination sounds like an old spanky Telecaster through this amp - go figure?

I play basic 60's and 70's rock with a few Ventures instrumentals thrown in. The amp has good power for 50 watts of solid state power. This amp is a heavy combo - with good cabnet construction. The amp sounds adequate for the Rickenbacker 450/12 I play through it (trying to get that Roger McGuinn sound!). My Carvin Bolt (strat style) gets a good clean spank also with a touch of distortion. The Martin/Markley combination is just plain fun - if not a true representation of a Martin accoustic. Other than adding some edge to your sound, the distorion is pretty whimpy - use a pedal if you want any of the modern distortion sounds. Occasionally, I get a stray "buzz" through the amp. I don't know if this is from my guitar pickups or the amp itself - its just comes randomly.

I bought this amp used seven years ago. I have had no break downs or malfunctions with it. My frequency of use is about 3 times a week for about 1 to 2 hour at mid volume settings.

I have not had any reason to contact Roland for support.

This amp has given me my monies worth. I don't know if I would buy another if I had to replace it. I would probably try to replace it with a tube amp or a Tech 21 product. But "as is" it has been a good utility amp for my playing styles.

Has 50W with 1 x 12" speaker, solid state, 2 input jacks, brightness switch, chorus or vibrato, reverb, & distortion knob. Footswitches for chorus & vibrato & headphone jack. Wish it had a line out.
I play rock, jazz, blues. Plenty of power.

Probably the best clean tone for a solid state amp. It's very loud, I never go past 4 on volume. I never use the distortion - it sounds really pathetic, but that's not why I bought it. Buy it for the clean tone. Don't use the chorus or vibrato either. The reverb is quite wimpy - I usually have it on 10 and barely notice it. Brightness switch is nice. I play a PRS bolt-on, a Martin D28 & an Ovation 12 String.

Had it 6 years, bought in 1994 - never had a problem.

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Love the clean tone, wish it had better reverb. Pedal I use - Tube Works Real Tube overdrive pedal & Smallstone.

This amp is pretty basic really. I use it strictly for jazz. It's got one 12" speaker. I never really use the distortion or chorus or vibrato on it, I just play it clean. i just wish it had an output for an additional speaker(s), but it does get pretty loud.

i play a gibson ES-135 and a Epi Sheraton through this amp. it sounds beter with the 135. This is the first amp I have tried that makes Gibson's p-100 pickups sound GOOD!!! I roll all the way off the tone on my neck pickup. You need Flat wound strings too. I almost never use the bridge pickup. I think this amp sounds good with either humbuckers or single coils though.

hasn't broken yet. i bought it used.

never delt with.

great amp. I really like it. I don't think it would be good for anything but jazz, but that's what it was designed to be i guess.

My amp was made about 1985 year I think.
Amp versatile enough for me. I play in the Russian restaurant, Saratov. It have enough power for me.
There are two channels (Low and High). There is a headphone jack.
I never use DISTORTION. It's very bad in this amp.

I use guitar 'Gibson'. I like jazz music. I use CHORUS&VIB jack on the back panel to connect to sound mixer. I think that sound of amp is too brilliance. I never use distortion.

I have build in backup. Some time ago amp had broken. I have not any technical documentation on circuit (Schematic Diagram?) of the amp. It is difficult for me to repair it. May be amp is too old.

My amp is not under warranty.
It is repaired by my good friends. I have found many service centers abroad but I cannot find in the Russia.

I play about 25 years on guitar. I used usually custom amp.

1 x 12, 50w. I have no clue what date this amp was built. And believe me, I have looked the amp over, under, inside and out. I bought it used about 91, 92? The amp, amazingly enough, covers the styles of music I play. Especially since it's all solid-state. I used to play blues/rock (Winter, SRV, Clapton, etc...) and now play true blues (Dixon, Waters, Johnson, etc...). It has two inputs, yet really one channel. I use the HIGH. The back panel: 3A fuse, PHONES, CHORUS&VIB, DISTORTION, REVERB. I have never used any of these except the CHORUS@&VIB jack. The front panel: BRI. sw, VOLUME, TREBLE, BASS, DISTORTION, REVERB, SPEED, DEPTH, VIB./OFF/CHORUS sw. Forget about the distortion. It sucks. The reverb is real nice (spring) but not quite Fender. The chorus is Roland great. The vib is cool too if dialed just right. For rehearsing and clubs, this amp cuts it just fine for me. For outdoor dates and large halls, I use my Fender SuperTwin Reverb (2 x 12, 180w, all tube).

I use an Aria 25th Anniversay solid body, w/2 humbuckers, w/coil-tap switches, separate vol & tone controls. This guitar, through this amp, dialed, is real sweat. I can't tell you how many times strangers come up to me and comment about my tone. They can not believe I'm playing through the Roland. Once the amp is set-up for the respective room, I pretty much use the pick-up selector in combination with the coil-taps and tone controls to tweak my sound. I roll off the volume on the guitar until lead time and then cranked, the pickups are hot enough to overdrive. Also, I have a Rat pedal if needed. Forget the distortion. If you know anything about Roland amps, this is obviously a clean amp with nice reverb (cool vibro) and beautiful chorus. Not noisy at all. Good for recording - SM58 right on the grill, a little off center, SM57 a foot back, dead center. I am not one for seaking versatility from one amp or guitar. Different guitars sound different through different amps and amps differ with guitars. Me playing this guitar through this amp... I like it allot! I have other guitars that I just can't use through this amp. But I accept that.

I can and have depended upon this amp. Extensively. Full-time. Never had a problem. You know how it is. As soon as this posts, something is bound to happen! :-))

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I've been playing longer since before I knew how. >30 yrs. In addition to what I already mentioned, I have a Fender Blues Deluxe (1 x 12, 65w - all tube). Too many guitars to mention. I own lots of effect but never use them. I would hate to lose this amp. I've developed a sound that I like with it. The only thing I might even think about changing is: get rid of the useless distortion (as with most amps) and add a MID control.

I play A variety of music styles from jazz to country blues to rock I like the JC 50 12" speaker, Reverb, Chorus, Trem and High Low inputs
for most of the stuff I play, but it will never beat my old Fender Deluxe Reverb '66 for tone. I give it a 7+ for tone and 9 for over all use. It makes a good club amp unless you play real loud, I use it often because I can leave my Deluxe for less demanding work. And I have never had any problems with it like my tube amp when a tube blows the tubes today are a problem so I wanted something that sounded good and was solid state. So far no problems, Good work ROLAND!

I use a SG and A Tele and some times an a acouctic guitar with this amp, The Tele is bright and clean and with just a little of the Distortion it is cool for Blues and old Rock. The SG is hot when you use the Distortion but not for overdrive get a pedal and your there. For Jazz its great with the SG, cut the bright switch and it's warm and clean!

No problems