Roland JC-77 Jazz Chorus

(Read the other reviews. Nothing's changed since the JC-77 is no longer in production.)

I bought the original JC-120 when it came out in 1979(???). I was playing acoustic guitar in those days and for its time, the JC-120 was the only amp produced that you could put an acoustic guitar thru and still have a workable sound. I used it only in performance as a monitor and using the FOH speakers for the audience. The chorus was really cool in it's day. But the JC-120 was a heavy amp to lug around. So when the smaller 2X10" JC-77 came out, I bought it (1994). By then I was largely only playing electric (1976 Tele Custom). While its twin 10"s don't have as much of the fullness & bottom end of the JC-120, it still sounds pretty good for clean playing...and it is relatively light to carry. It's a trade off. The JC-77 is much quieter than the original JC-120. The chorus on the JC-120 added enough hiss to make it unusable for recording. Roland had improved the SNR of the chorus by the time the JC-77 came out. I sold the JC-120 and have kept the JC-77 to this day. I recently loaned it to a guitarist heading an Alt. Emo band and he loved it and wants to buy it from me. Easy to carry and has about 80% of the good sound of its larger brother. JC-77s are hard to find now, so I'll probably keep it. If I blow the speakers I'd replace them with JBL's that were the speakers of choice for a strong clean sound in the 70s & 80s. The distortion is somewhat whimpy and unimpressive so I've always used floor pedals to get the distortion sounds I like. That way I can keep the JC set for a nice clean sound and can tailor my distortion options to what I want.

Mine is 15 years old and still works perfectly. Never had anything break on it. But I take care of all my equipment. I don't roll my amps over bumpy sidewalks or leave them in my car trunk. Corrosion for prolonged exposure to outside air will kill any amp, but far worse on an amp that uses circuit boards. Take care of your stuff and it will outlast you!

Never needed it.

This is a fine amp for clean guitar playing. It puts out what you put in with little coloration. In ingorance, some people try to make it into something it isn't and are consquently unhappy with it. It is essentially a smaller more portable version of its larger brother the JC-120. It works just fine in genres where instrument distortion is not the primary focus such as country, jazz, world, Hawaiian, etc.

Great Tone. Classic tube sound. Distortion is horrible though. I use a Boss Metal Zone through it.

Awesome sound. I play in a grindcore/metalcore band and for the description, it makes a suprisingly taunting sound with the chorus.

I've had it for about two years ands its worked fine.

Huh?

10/10 find jo self one

Already stated. Mine didn't come with the three-button foot switch, so if anyone has schematics for building one, I'd appreciate knowing.

I'm using this with two guitars, one a 1980 Ibanez AS200 and the other is an old Vantage I refretted and put in a couple of DiMarzio's.
I play a wide range of music, so I can find a sound I want.
I have two issues with this amp, and am looking for suggestions if anyone cares to write. First, it's noisy, not anything you'd hear in a gig, but it hisses enough to want to do something about it. Has anyone had this problem, is it treatable, and how? I don't mind opening it up and doing it myself if I knew what to do.
Second, the reverb sounds like a tin can. Would replacing the spring with a heavier one make a difference? Or do I have to go with a whole new unit? This is a backup amp, so I don't want to have to drop too much cash on it, because other than these two things, it's fine. Tone isn't warm, but not bad. This is a backup for a tube amp anyway

Haven't had this for long, but no problems with other Roland products.

Wrote them once, they were quick to respond.

This rating, for now. Apart from these issues, I'd say a strong 8.

Made in the 1980's?
Primarily use this for African guitar styles and funk.
Never use the distortion. Has been stated in a guitar mag as sounding like 'your granny's rear end after a ruby' (ruby murray = curry; Cockney rhyming slang).
With a strat, it has plenty of headroom.

Suhr Classic w/classic FL's - EB volume pedal - crybaby - MI Audio BBD OR Reverend DT2 - Boss TU2 - amp.
I need the headroom for funk, so that bit is good. Could use more warmth, but that'd be what valve amps are for.
Can be noisy but at gig levels, you don't notice it.
It's a utilitarian piece of kit. Not going to win any tone trophies, but it does the job with some aplomb.
Brings out the strat 'out of phase' sounds well.
Had the opportunity to try it against a Cube60 the other day. Sounds warmer than the Cube. Punchier. I like the 10" sound, though...

Well, I got it for a song a few years back, because it needed some TLC. Reverb was busted. Hissed a lot. ??30 later at the tech, and things were back to normal. Has been fine ever since, and it's had some rough treatment. More than I can say for my Traynor ycv40, which has had about half the playing time, has been babied, and constantly needs repairs.

N/A - used.

Playing since 1989.
Also have a Traynor ycv40, a Takamine EAN60C nylon, Washburn dreadnought and a Fender AM Dlx strat with a bad truss rod. Various pedals inc. boutique and non-boutique. (Can anyone recommend a good funk wah that doesn't pop eardrums, BTW?)

What do I love about it? It's a no-frills, reliable gig workhorse. Drop it, and it keeps going. Sounds much better than many more recent SS amps. Gives you Twin-esque headroom without the back-breaking weight.
Would rather have this than some of the lesser valve amps out there, like a budget Randall.

Basically, the score is this: you can fetishize gear to the point where it's all you worry about, or you can get stuff that fulfils your needs. This doesn't sound as good as a Carr or Dr Z, but it fulfils its role. I keep coming back to it when all else (literally) fails. For that alone, I've gotta big it up.

Solid state combo amp, single channel, 80 watts (40 per speaker), 2x10" speakers, 4 band EQ (Low, Mid, Treble, Hi Treble), built in distortion, stereo chorus and spring reverb. The three effects are foot switchable. Stereo line out.

Mine is a classic 80's model. I bought it used about 6 years ago.

The JC-77 was discontinued and replaced with the current model JC-90, which is almost identical as far as I can tell.

First off, look at the name: Jazz Chorus. This is not a "rock and roll amp" and will not sound like a cranked Fender or Marshall, so please dont expect it to. You can use pedals to get just about any sound you want, though. By itself, what this amp excels at is clean, and chorused clean sounds. The clean is rich and full bodied and not brittle sounding (unless you go overboard on the treble. I leave mine at about 3). With the four band EQ, you can dial in a wide range of tones, especially using the dual treble controls. I can't comment on the stock reverb, it was broken when I bought the amp. I replaced it with an Accutronics tank, which sounds excellent.

The chorus is, like everybody says, the best there is. It is beautiful and transparent, it doesnt muddy up your tone like most chorus effects I have used. There is a Fixed setting, and a Manual setting with Speed and Depth controls. The speed will not go super fast, so you cant get a heavy vibrato type sound out of it.

Which brings me to the most maligned feature of the Jazz Chorus line, the built in distortion effect. I agree that when fully cranked it is a fine example of nasty, solid state "distortion". However, if kept below 4, it adds a nice bit of overdrive effect to the sound which is really not bad. Using a footswitch, you can kick this in at will to get a slightly dirtier sound. Or, just use your own distortion pedal and ignore it completely. I use a Tube Driver in front of it and it smokes.

This amp is quite loud for being so small and portable (less than 40 lbs). It does lack some bottom end, with the 10" speakers in an open backed cab. I am planning on trying some different speakers, to see if I can get some more bass out of it. It is still plenty loud for gigging jazz, country, reggae, world beat type music. Also sounds good with an acoustic electric or keyboard running through it.

It's solid state and I can't see anything going wrong, it's built like a tank. I bought this used, and the previous owner was in one of the top show bands in town. It has been around the block a few times. The pots were very dirty and the amp was covered in dirt and beer stains. I cleaned the pots and the tolex and now it works like a champ and looks sharp. The spring reverb had a broken spring (fairly common I think) and I replaced it myself with an Accutronics. The amp was missing the casters, but its not that heavy, I dont miss them really.

I've never dealt with Roland, but I have a ton of their gear. None of it has ever broken.

I have been playing over 30 years, I own too much gear to list. I play everything from rock and blues to ambient and world beat stuff. Like most people, I prefer tube amps, but there is something cool about the Roland JC amps. They have their own sound, a great full sounding clean that no tube amp can really compete with (except maybe my Twin Reverb), plus the built-in chorus is second to none. Very transparent amp and sounds great with pedals in front of it. Good to have one in your arsenal of amps, plus no tubes to maintain.

I am not really a "jazz guitarist" but if I was, this is the only amp I would need. The JC-77 is small, portable and LOUD. I only paid $200 for mine and it's a keeper. If stolen I would get another if I could find one.

Pretty well covered previously. Two inputs, one for high gain one for low applications. Really handy if you want to use dual output effects, such as a delay/echo. I run the mono channel into the low input and the dry output to the high. Gives it a subtle delay effect, really thickens things out. Has about the best chorus I've ever heard already built in. Rarely ever get the volume on this thing above 3 or so. The distortion is pretty well useless, but if you're looking at an amp called a "Jazz Chorus" that shouldn't matter too much to you. FX loop would have been nice.

Like I said the distortion is pretty useless. In my experience its much harder to find a clean-sounding solid state. You can slap any pedal in front of it to make it sound however you want, but they don't make a "Clean guitar sound" pedal. Hard to make the clean channel distort unless you're in the "High" input. I've only ever played an Epi Les Paul through it with stock pickups, and it also sounds fantastic with my Ibanez Acoustic Electric. I've read about a hiss with these amps, but I honestly never hear it make ANY noise, unless its coming from other effects in the chain. Straight from the guitar to the amp, this thing is quiet as they come.

I've never had any problems with it. Replaced the fuse when I first bought it. It's pretty solid. The corner bindings are plastic, and I wish they were metal, but they haven't cracked or anything yet.

Don't know. Bought it used and have yet to have problems with it. Not sure about Roland's reputation in this area.

Been playing for eight years now. Great thing about this amp is the crystal clean sound and the chorus. Absolutely sparkles. Then put a compressor in front of it, a decent overdrive pedal and you can't go wrong. Probably be pretty difficult to find again if it were stolen or lost, but if I saw one I'd probably snag another.

If you're reading this you already know the features. A big plus was that mine came with the FS3. It has everything you need in this kind of amp.

The sound of a jazz chorus is unmistakeable. My 15 year old son was walking by as I was playing and he stopped to see what was going on. I asked why and he said "it sounds different than usual". I have some nice vintage Fender tube amps and what I think are some pretty nice effects, yet still, with only the JC and a tele, it sounded different that I have ever sounded. That says it all. Nothing sounds like a JC. Yes, it hisses and pretty noticeably. I have read different things in reviews. Some say you can fix it, others say you can't. Maybe I'll bring it into the shop one of these days. For a few bucks it may be worth it.

I disagree with all the reviews about the distortion. Well, not necessarily disagree, but just have a different view of it. As distortion, it sucks. However, I still find it very workable and easy to fit in to my playing. It beefs things up a bit and from 0 to 5, it really doesn't compromise clarity all that much. It just seems to round things out. The chords still ring out and the chorus still does it's thing, but the volume is kicked up a bit and it just sounds fuller, which is important with the 10" speakers. So all the reviews that talk about the poor distortion, this thing was not made for distortion. Maybe if it was called a fat switch or some other such nonsense people would feel differently about it and the word "distortion" wouldn't be there to cloud their judgment. I find it works better on manual setting than fixed, with rate from 0 to 5 and depth at 2-3.

From the 80's and has held up fine so far. I can see it lasting forever. I would depend on it and gig without a backup (if I don't use a backup for my tube amps, why would I need one for this)

I would definitely replace it. As I said above, nothing else sounds like a JC. Aside from the hiss, or if somebody got a lemon, I don't know how anybody can find fault with a JC if they know what they're looking for and what they're getting into. It kills me when almost every review I read says "not good for metal" Yeah, no crap it's not for metal. I haven't read any reviews for triple recto-whatevers, but do those all say "really not good for jazz improv, way too much drive". This amp is what it is and for what it does, there's nothing better. I have also played a JC 120 and it sounds very similar to the 77. I can't talk abut the other JC's and how they sound, compared to the 120, but in the 77, I basically have a 120 with less volume (yet still plenty to play all but the biggest venues) and far less weight.

I guess it's been covered here before, bit I'll just do it again. This amp has 2 inputs (hi and lo), 4 eq knobs (bass, middle, treble and hi-treble), a distortion, reverb and chorus. The chorus has two knobs for width and dept. You can switch between a fixed chorus setting and a 'manual' position, which lets you dial in your own setting. 2x 10" speakers. According to information from Roland this particular amp was made in 1984. It could use a headphone output and an effects loop though.

I bought this amp to check out it's clean sound. All I can say is this amp's a keeper! I just love the clean sound of it. This amp can be turned up very LOUD, without and it won't distort the signal. The chorus is absolutely wonderful! Even the preset one. The reverb unit is not really my cup of tea, but I don't use reverb anyway. The on board distortion rather sucks. That doesn't bother me either, since I use overdrive pedals instead. So if you're looking for an amp to play metal or hardcore, I guess this is not your thing. But other than that, I love it. I don't like to give 10s on sound, partly because of the crappy distortion, so I'll make it a 9.

As far as I know it has never failed during its 22 year life span. And I expect it to stand the test of time a lot longer. All the parts seem to be very solid. Definately an amp you can rely on.

I emailed Roland Europe with a couple of questions concerning this amp. They were very helpful. So I guess that justifies a 10.

This amp is not suitable for everyone. If you're after a good crunchy amp, this one might dissapoint you. But considering my own wishes, I'm pretty satisfied with it. I usually play songs which kinda resembles Radiohead/Smashing Pumkpins/Cure/PJ Harvey (in an indie rock band). Also, I play guitar in a sort of alt.country band. And it really fits both jobs! My usual setup is a Fender Jazzmaster, connected to a Boss TU-2, DM-3, DC-2 and BD-2, and a Fuzz Factory. Sometimes i switch to an Epiphone Les Paul. I'm really keen on getting a nice tone, and at the moment the JC-77 gives me exactly what I'm looking for. Plus it's rather lightweight and easy to carry around.

It's Made in Japan 1989..I've played Jazz And Blues Rock.It's Enough for me.
It's 2 Channels(High and Low).No loops.It's Enough for All styles.I Guranteed.

My Guitar,Gibson Lespaul 1982 and Fender Tele 72' thinline Mex 2001.
It's Make a good sound.Clean and Clean if you want it ,enough for all clean that I've ever heard.And You'll find a Original Classic Chorus too.Some future's too bad,Distortion,I've never touch it.I use pedal to it.This Amp's something about clean and loud.It's Perfect for me.I think it better than JC-120 and JC-90 that I used to play.

mine's too old to get a warranty.

All is Best for You Guys Good Luck with it.Plug And Play.Bye

I purchased the Roland Jazz Chorus 77, with my Gibson L4,Back in 1987,
I can say that I've played just about every style of Music, Including Classical, For the Smooth sound, And a 87 Strat USA, Gibson LP Studio, And it's Great For all Genre's of Music, It's not the best, But hey, it's lite in weight, has wheels, Don't have to carry a head and a Cab, If you're doing club work, And like someone else said, I've Played a Fender 65 Standard Bass with it, To save space when traveling, I give this amp a 9, 'For it's realiablity, And quality, Have used the Hell out of it, And never had to get it repaired once, Like my Peavey's ETC. I also do Old Style Rock Gigs, "Perfect," for that sound, What more do you want? I paid about $350.00 in NYC, 48th St. And I would purchase another one again, for studio use.

Roger/NYC.

Very Clean, And has excellent reverb, for Rock leads, Unless you're going to play Punk,

Very Reliable, Own it for 18yrs purchased it brand new, Used the Hell out of it, Never a repair, Great Amp.

I don't know,' I never needed any customer support.

I've been playing since 1963 and before that, I've played and own and still own Gibson L4, Les Paul standard, Fender Strat USA, And I would definitely would purchase it again, If it's in Exc Cond.

Not sure of exact year; however, were made between 86-91'.
The amp I find is extremely versatile amp to play any style of music.
One channel amp, how many do you need.
The amp is solid state80 watts and can be loud loud or quiet.
The JC 120 has a fuller sound due the 2-12 over 2-10 inch speakers however for 90% of what you may need this amp will cover it. Unless you are playing outdoor parks and huge venues you won't need the 120.
Very tweakable tone controls. Hight treble, Treble, Mid, and low.
Reverb is great and chorus is outstanding.
Distorition is ok and raw. I find the distortion underrated read section on sounds. for full features down load a manual from www.rolandus.com

I use single coil, P-90 and humbuckers on hollowbodies and strats.
I play jazz mainly and this amp is perfect for clean tone and very tweakalbe, especially with the extral high treble control.
The distortion is mild at best but you buy one of these amps for the clean sound. It won't break up until you really turn up the volume.
You can get just about any distorition you want from pedals so I buy an amp for the clean channel first. Therefore I have clean distortion when I want it. MOst tone is matter of opinion I don't mind the raw distortion that amp provides. At 3 you can emulate that tube amp attak when playing the blues. I can get clean tone and when I strike or strum harder it breaks up just enough for a bluesy sound.

Very reliable, parts are still available and most areas have an authorized roland repair shop.
My used amp is over 10 years old and in perfect condition. This amp has held up very well.

Very reliable, parts are still available and most areas have an authorized roland repair shop.

Ok, Here is the deal. Tone is from the player and I find too much emphasis is placed on equipment. You can tweak guitar and amp tone controls to almost any specs you want the thing is you will still sound like you with the best gear in the world. Find your sound and buy the amp that will best suit 90% of the playing you will want to do. I baught this amp for the clean sound. As other reviews have said these are the cleanest solid state amps on the market. The older ones are better then the new ones but very little difference in sound just cheaper parts. Love that clean sound. Best chorus on the marke who do you think makes boss chorus pedals but Roland. This amp as true sterao chorus. I have played for over twenty years and have liked these amps since I tried one in 86'. I like the 2-10 model for it portablility over the JC-120 61lb beast or a twin reverb 68lb tube monster. I tried just about all new solid state and tube amps on the market and still went back and baought a used JC-77. Nothing came close to the clean unless you wanted to spend 800 plus for class A 1-12 or 2-12 combo.

Like with all of the other reviews here; ultra-clean sound, sucky distortion, good reverb, heavenly chorus. It was most likely built in the '80's. I use it both in rehearsal and live.

This is where it gets weird. For the first ten years of owning this amp it was in the rental inventory at my prop house or it was being used within my band as back-up for a problematic Fender Twin or sometimes as a keyboard amp then about five years ago we moved to a new rehearsal site and forgot to bring a PA so I plugged a mic into it and have been SINGING and playing brass through it ever since! The rest of the band is constantly saying "Wow...how did you get your voice to sound like that?" Mostly we play Capt. Beefheart, Zappa, some Alice Cooper and the JC-77 makes it sound amazingly like the vocals on the record when we're doing The Rutles "Cheese & Onions"and it's unequaled when I'm using throat sounds to emulate synthesizers, oscilators, tone generators or even a theremin. Of course playing live there's always a lengthy discussion with the house sound tech trying to get him to understand why we want to mic a guitar amp that's being sung through rather just singing through a house mic but generally at the end of the night during load-out they'll come up and say "That Roland's got a great chorus and it sounded like you had more horns onstage."

Absolutely no problems - EVER with this JC77!

I bought this amp 15 years ago and would replace it immediately if it was no longer in my life. Speaker outs would be a nice addition. If you look closely you can see it in "Mr. Holland's Opus".

This Roland masterpiece comes fully loaded with Chorus, Distortion, and Reverb. The reverb is splendid but it's splendidness does not exceed the awesomeness of it's distortion. The chorus is great. I usually use it on fixed but only because I do not have the mad skills of being able to dial in a good manual rate and depth. The volume knob is awesome. If it surpasses 2, your windows are garaunteed to shake. I play in my garage and the tools on the walls shake at 3. It's definitely loud enough. It's too loud for headphones and unfortunately, my line out doesn't work. But I did buy it used.

I usually have the treble either cranked or barely there to get a real nice blues/Beatles tone. I play punk/indie rock and the distortion for it is awesome. The chorus also adds a nice touch. Again, the volume is intense. But it is great for gigs.

Mine comes fully rigged with brackets. I'm so glad they have them because the amp is light as hell. I doubt it ways over 30-40 pounds. I like the wheels anyways because the weight dispurtion is off centered. So if you have to lug it around it's slightly awkward. Mine's never broken in the 5 days I've had it and it's never been repaired. Definitely dependable.

Not needed it yet.

I've been playing for 4+ years and I use a Gibson SG with it. It sounds great from my standards. Well enough that I'm going to use to record. If it were stolen, I would definitely buy it again. It's trusty and dependable and loud as ****. I wish the line out on my worked but it's great as is. I prolly wouldn't need it if it had it in the first place.

Had my JC 77 for over ten years. Bought it off another member of our band who had it for about ten or more years.I play mainly rock, country, jazz, reggae, gospel and ethnic stuff, live and session work occassionally. It has hi & lo inputs, single channel; distortion/ volume/ hi treble/treble/mid/bass and reverb knobs plus chorus with switching for manual and fixed and a rate and depth knob. Out the back- inputs for switches for-chorus/reverb/distortion. Also L & R line outs. Studs along the edges.
I would have liked a send and return, and, like many of the other reports...a headphone jack!!Never use distortion and the reverb springs have seen better days, but the chorus,,,one of the best I've used.Heaps of volume and easy to lug about.Would have only given it a 3 rating but deserves more for the clarity.

With this amp I've only used a USA standard Fender Strat and an Ovation legend deep bowl with bridge pickups. The JC77 will pick up interference if there is enough of it about but I have no problems otherwise. I like the volume, never have to wind it up to full for my style of playing, great chorus, nice clean sound, but never use the reverb or distortion and lacks punchy bass sounds when playing live so I line out through a Rockit 150 head and a 115 bin, gives me bass punch while the JC gives me treble.

Apart from the reverb springs floppin about and the wires to the springs always breaking off, I, or the previous owner have never taken it to be fixed. The Roland badge on the front has dropped off some time ago but the rest of this rig looks just like it has just come out of the factory.I have used this amp as a backup and would not us any other amp to back it up. The pots are clear and never been cleaned and the sound is crystal clear at any setting.Would have given a 10 if not for the reverb. Can't be bothered repairing the reverb as I use a digi verb now.

Never needed one in 10 - 20 years

I have been playing since the middle 60's. Owned many common guitars since the 60's and a lot of amps but now only have an 1981 Ovation Legend, USA Standard Fender Strat, Custom made Ibenez Blazer Series , Aria Pro 2 FS series and a Fernandes Bass limited edition. Apart from the Ovation which had bridge pickups added all my axes are original with no mods.Amps are; 150 Rockit head 115 bass Bin, Laney 300 head, 250 Trace Elliot bass combo, Marshall 100 DFX combo and Roland JC77. If I lost my JC77 I would probably not get another-they are as rare as hens teeth.My Roland amp can be summed up as;
clean, portable, good looking, nice chorus, reliable, but, lacks bass, a few features.A good buy at $100 New Zealand in 1995!!

No idea about amp year, very simple to deal withi it's controls, and very nice 2X10 SS amp. Since it's an old amp it doesn't have so much features as the amps made now.

Here is the problem... i use a guitar made by myself with an emg81 in the bridge and an emgSA in the neck and my amp simply distorts....
i think something is wrong since i bought it used, but i can't turn the volume all the way up and the crunch comes out of it....
Anyway, the crazy thing about it is that if use a shred master, slash comes out of the amp and plays.... i can't say it sounds different cause it sounds exactely like his sound, but the cleas dissepointed me.... (maybe cause of the EMG81

I cant use it alone because of the CLEAN that almost doesn't exist...

Never caled roland....

I bought this amp thinking it would be a good option to my gr30 sinth but it just doesn't work...
if anyone has any idea about fixing it please, gimme a hand...

I bougt the amp somewhere in the 80's, second hand, so I think it was made in the early 80's. I bought it because I was smashed by the heavenly sound of a clean Stat over the JC-120. I ran into this 77, is was cheaper, and easyier to transport..
I used this amp on stage, studio and rehearsals. Enough info on features on this site. Only comments: a headphone jack would be nice, and: can anybody tell me whij 90% of the volume hits you between 1 and 3 or so! 4-10 is almost useless. This is uncomfortable for home-use!
This amp has defenitly anough power for average gigs.

I use it with a modified Fender Lead and an standard Fender USA Strat with a build in pre-amp (so active). Style is diverse, mainly rock-based, with some funk(y), Jazz and also small pieces of metal.
I combine it with the BOSS-GT3. I miss some low, for that reason I will maybe switch to a JC-120. The distortion...who designed this?? It must be a joke from Roland.... I only used it sometimes when I used an external distortion (the boss stomp box SD-1) for a backgound sound and needed some extra power for a solo.
But the chorus.. The best!!
The clean channel is really clean , only you ears will distort it when the amp is open!

As fas as technically possible...100%
in 20 years I once had o broken cable from the reverb!

I realy don't know...never needed.

I play the thing for about 20 years... After bying the boss-gt3 I bougt a used Peavey Bandit112 because it gives some more body (low). That is the only advantage (besides when using it without external effects, the Bandit has much better cruch/distortion possibilites). But for nice sound (studio) forget the Bandit and use the JC!! No doubt about it.

I own 2 JC 77's, and i love them! I believe these amps were made sometime in the 90's, not too sure though. the best part about these amps are that they are just like their big brother, the JC-120. VERY CLEAN. of course the distortion sucks, but who uses it anyways? i've always used my own distortion through these amps and it can hold it's own even for being a solid state amp. i like how it has a treble and a hi-treble EQ. (no mid though, they should've put one in)I'll stack up both JC-77's and run them both at the same time for bigger gigs, or I'll set them on either side of the stage and run it in stereo for that true stereo effect. (delays sound really cool when they're in stereo)

i play an 86' PRS custom guitar, a 72'fender strat (USA), and a 01' gibson les paul standard. the JC's are perfect for reggae, cuts through nicely.

never really had a problem with them. never bring a backup.

never had to call them.

been playing for 14 years. as for amps, i own a JC-120, Fender PRO 185, a Fender deville 4x10, and a roland cube 30. i play through a digitech 2101 processor, and a crybaby wah pedal.

Dont know the year this thing was made, but early 90's, late 80's sounds about right. could be horribly wrong tho. As i'm sure you all know from even thinking about the amp, it's CLEAN. clean clean clean clean clean! pedals sound great through it. with a tweaked eq, and a tweaked/modded ds-1, it's some great disto. very milky smooth, but with plenty of crunch. Single channel doesn't offer much variety, but for it's main purpouse, it's fine. the only thing about this thing i wish it had was a recording out jack, but...i guess it wouldn't capture the true stereo chorus...so mic placement is the only way. Reverb and Chorus are great! the chorus is the best part of this amp, and it's just so great. for being 77 watts(i think) it's pretty damned loud...would get you through an outdoor gig at 5 or 6.


I'd give this amp an 8 or a 9, but since it's got no recording out, or headphones jack, i'm giving it a 6.

I play a schecter c-1 with a duncan Jazz and JB combo in it, as well as a '66 Gibson Es-125 with 2 stock p-90's through the amp, the p-90's really shine through the amp. they let the naturally woody tone shine through, and the amp just well, amplifies the sound. the schecter sounds great when i'm running the modded ds-1 through it, the humbuckers just push the whole thing a little bit further. the onboard distortion sucks, so lets leave it at that.

Not many people seemed to mention the noise of the amp. there's a constant fuzz when the amp is turned on, no matter how loud. but the amp is solid state and that's to be expected. no 10 here because of the hum and crappy distortion, but...i didn't buy the amp for the distortion...so...

this thing is a TANK! VERY sturdy. this thing could survive a nuclear holocaust. i've not had any problems in the couple of months i've had it. i cleaned all the pots, and got all the dust out of the component board when i first got it, and only 1 pot is scratchy...not bad. i dont think this thing will need much attention as time wears on.

dunno...never had to work with them.

I've been playing for close to 5 years, with this piece as my first real good piece of equipment. played through the crate line, not so good. glad i picked this thing up. as i stated earlier i've got a schecter c-1 and a '66 gibson es-125, and both of these guitars are suited well to the amp. if it were lost, i'd cry. then i'd hit up ebay again and hopefully pull another one out. the thing is great. the most lush stereo chorus you've ever heard. and for the price, it was just right. very happy with my purchase.

This is just an update. You can read my old review a little further up. It has beeen over a year now and everything is still great. The thought or even the fantasy of owning a different amp has not crossed my mind. I am now very curious about other roland products simply because of the quality of this amp. Still a 10!!!!

year... late 80ish
jazz, funk, r&b
single channel with a high & low input. variable and fixed chorus settings. and a 4 band eq.
built in distortion (who needs it? get a boogie or marshall for that!)
77 watts of solid state clean!

Les Paul Standard, Kramer T-neck, Fender Strat.
perfect fit for mean clean, if you need the distortion sound, pedals will do nice. as for loud, this baby will rip your ears out without distortion, unbelievably crisp sound and high volumes for a double 10.

I've only had this unit (bought used) for around 6 mo's. however I've have a jc120 since 84' and used it for gig's 5 nites a week for years without even "thinking" it could give me any problems. 'except for the occasional spill of drink on the cab!' Have played live only 1x with the 77 and it was flawless.

(never called)

playing 25 yrs. have the suite of JC's 55, 77, 120, dont have or want the 160 (too big). GK 250ml2, a handful of Peavey heads.
I have played with the JC's since the 80's when I fell in love with the sound, at first it took some getting used to as far as the extreme crispness coming out of 2 12's, I have used cab's with horn's tweeter banks, and while it doesnt reach the ultra high ping of the tweeters, it comes close. Always used pedals for lead distortion, so as everyone has written the built in isnt very useful.

This amp packs a punch! very versatile in style, is doesn't matter what you play it all sounds good! This amp pack 80 watts of power! one channel. The only draw back is that this amp lacks a headphone jack but it doesn't matter! Loud enough to gig with!

This amp suits all styles from clean to distorted. The distortion is much better than the JC-120 model. Stereo sound, very crisp clean notes. can range from crunchy, bassy to classy. It wouldn't hurt to invest in a distortion pedal just to have it sound the way you want it otherwise it isn't that bad.

This amp is very reliable, I would truck this baby around and it isn't as heavy as the 120! It also has caster wheels so that i can push this baby around. No problems yet and i don't expect to, Roland is awesome! I should get the pots cleaned but I just got her and I want to play around with it plus I don't have the extra $ to do so. Solid state, no tube changing either! less hassels.

No problems, I know Roland has a website. I don't know what they would do but probably nothing because the amp is discontinued.

I own the JC-120 but actually prefer the 77. this little baby rocks! sounds great with many guitars. I play fender, jackson, gibson, musicman, you name it, it all sounds good! I use a Boss OS-2 pedal for distortion but that is it. The amp is worth every penny and i would definitely invest in another one if this one was lost, stolen or broken. I wish it had headphone jack! thats it! If you can, get one!!

A big brick of an amp. 2 channels, high and low...go with the high...trust me. Comes with a footswitch to turn Distortion, Chorus, and Reverb....LOUD!!!!

Well, I use a Les Paul, and an SG (Gibson, baby!!) with a Korg AX100g multi-effects pedal, and a Boss GE-10 eq through this amp, and BLAMMO!! Great sound. The reverb is real spring-y, and the Chorus....ohhhhh the chorus....I've never heard one like it. Heavenly. The distortion.....well, let's just say....get a Boss DS-1, or an MT-2. The distortion is not unlike the sound of a mud puddle on a warm day....not good. The cleanest of the the clean sounds with no effects though. A beauty.

Like all Roland-Boss things...even weapons of mass destruction (where are they, anyway?) could not blow this amp up. Go ahead. Pull a Letterman, and throw it off a tall building....it'll still work. The knobs tend to come off easily though......did that sound right?

I think the Roland-Boss customer support team are figments of imagination....has anybody really ever needed them?

It sounds like a dream...and LOUD!! I love it. I just don't like the distortion. 'Tis crap. but everything else is awesome. I would only use a Marshall stack otherwise. It's an ace friggin' amplimaphone-fier-thing. *ahem* If it were lost, or stolen....an A.P.B. would be put out immediately. I'd find that thing quicker than we found Osama.....oh wait.....DAMN!!

have this amp for at least 15 years and it has been in its not been used for ten years like wine its only sounding better i have never regreted the day i lay my hands on it (new)
by now you know all its ups and downs by reading the revieuws
distortion sucks i dont use the chorus or the delay
but the amps own voise
and believe me this is the best solid state their is
i play a les paul whit p90 and it sounds like the tone

see above give it only 9 for that no good distortion

this is made to stand on when your painting and let someone els play on it while you move it around

you will not need that ever so dont know

if you can lay your hands on this one take it

I use this with Fender Blues Deluxe to widen the sound. Has high and low inputs, high is more jangley. Also there's a footswitch for separate distortion, reverb and chorus controls.

The best chorus sound I've heard. This combo is very clear and has a deep sound. The chorus is stereo-it sounds a lot like Cure's sound on "Disintegration" and "Wish". Better than any chorus pedal. The reverb is ok, but the distortion is quite useless. It is a typical solid state distortion: annoyingly buzzing. I don't use it. Amp makes white noise when power is on.

I play with Sheraton and Riviera, both are equipped with humbuckers. Both guitars have a mellow sound, but JC-77 sharpens them very clear. I don't know how good it would work with single coil guitars. Musical preferences are indie/post rock and shoegaze.

It would be a tenner if the dist wouldn't be so bad.

I haven't had it for so long yet.

I've been playin ten years now. I think I would buy it again if somebody would consider it to be their right to nick it. It delivers what I needed, I don't think any amp could provide everything. But this most certainly wasn't a let down as amps sometimes are.

Don't know the year, just bought it yesterday, way cooler than my 69' twin reverb! I was looking for a solid amp that would alow me to hear every note, scrape, bang, crash, movement of my finger,....ALLOW ME TO HEAR EXACTLY WHAT I WAS PLAYING...and I found it. Thats all the features that I needed.

I play with a parker nightfly, ususally on the bridge but suddenly every position sound wonerful. I play big round clean rock inside an agular box under an old bluesmans foot. Ventures, Tom waits, Lungfish, Jango Rinehardt(sp.?), Pixies, Captain Beefheart,Elvis Costello, ....the JC-77 satisfies my hungers. I have'nt played without frustrations vien punching through my forehead in quite sometime, this amp is a stress reliever. I am diognosed with obsessive compulsive dissorder(seriously) and I can't find any imperfections with the beautiful CRYSTAL CLEAR BELL LIKE TONE of this amp. I can play rough or gentle, chords or solo or chordal solos, and evey note shines through unless I choose for it not to.

Again, I've only had it three days, but the other reviews sound promising.

bought it used $299 US no idea as to customer service

So far I love it. Wish I had found it when I had bought my twin to replace my musicman 7 years ago. NO MORE FREAKIN TUBES TO DEAL WITH. FREEDOM. PERFECT. SIMPLE.EASY. LIGHTWIEGHT. Blows away my fender twin, blows away any digital modeling B.S.etc. etc. etc. etc.!!!!!!!!

This is an update of an earlier review. The buzzing on top of the low hiss was actually the result of poor electronic circuitry in my home. When I experimented in taking this amp out for live action I got nothing but pure clean tone, the same thing I heard in the shop where I purcahsed the amp. My review of the sound quality therefore has to be amended to be fair. I've played it out in several venues to date and have experienced none of the electronic buzzing that I still experience at home. Just pure clean tone coupled with portability.

Possibly constructed in the 1980s. 2 ten inch speakers with silver cone, chorus (manual or fixed), reverb, distortion, high treble, treble, middle, bass, and two inputs.

Yes it's celan, but what you're not hearing in many of these reviews is that this amp is noisy. There is always a faint background "whoosh" with these amps and mine unfortunately adds a nice buzz to that as if something has shorted out on the amp. I have a tech looking at it now but he claims, as have many, that there's nothing you can do about it. Basically it is a case of solid state circuitry gone bad.
I'm a jazz guitarist who seems to always be experimenting with different sounds. I play a Heritage 550 custom with Seymour Duncan's Seth Lover humbuckers, a Warmoth neck strat with Van Zandt blues pickups, and a 2001 American Series Strat. I also own a 65 Twin Reverb Reissue and a Roland Blues Cube (BC 30). The JC 77 discussed here was only intended as a backup and for particular settings in which I did not want to bang up either of my two other amps.

Takes a beating for sure but in the end solid state circuitry wears down. I actually bought it as a third option so I'm not that miffed. Very solid construction. Disappointing issues with solid state circuitry.

The JC 77 has its place, but in terms of good clean tone, you're better off with tubes, period. If you simply have to have great chorus, this is it. BTW the distortion everyone complains of is really only there to warm up the sound a bit as it can get too brittle and bright.

Clean,Clean,Clean,Clean. I just bought this used for $260 and this thing is awesome. The only problem is that it doesn't have an effects loop. Although I don't really need one, I like more options just in case I need it for some reason. Other wise its a great amp, small and surprisingly loud. One more thing, I noticed that it has a high treble knob, and I haven't heard a real difference in my guitar sound with this but it might work with my GR33 synth (more below)

Did I say Clean, Clean, Cl... never mind. This thing sounds so pristine its amazing I played the following through it with really good results

Strat: Rating:9 now you can hear the bell like tones in my Strat for cool Radiohead, Air sounds with my Boss GT-6

Les Paul: Rating:9 Great Jazz Sound and even better warm sound after tweaking the GT-6

Godin Nylon String: Rating 8: I prefer an nylon acoustic but the sound from the Godin sounds really good but not a 10.

Seagull Acoustic: Rating 10: This thing amazingly gave me the same sound I heard from the soundhole of the acoustic throiugh my LR Baggs and this amp. AMAZING, I wasn't expecting this.

Roland GR33 Synth: Rating:9 This was really good and better than my Johnson Millenium. I even used the GR33 to control my laptop to use Software synths and it was flawless.

I've had a few amps and this thing sounds amazing, amp modeling sounds better than people think if they are willing to spend the time and edit their sound. I'm holding onto a tube amp that I bought used at a great price to compare but from my initial tests I still think that this amp gives my current setup the BEST OF ALL WORLDS. Amazing.

Les Paul:

Don't know although I've heard that Roland is good. They're huge so I'm not too concerned.

See above

This was better than I thought, I was going to buy a used JC120 to replace the same sized Johnson Millenium but this is smaller and sounds AMAZING!! It is no longer produced by Roland so Happy Hunting.

This is to update my review to let everyone know that I have since sold this amp. Sorry for the delay, I had no idea I'd get so many responces. It really is a good amp for the money, and since it's no longer made it is obviously sought after (believe me) by many, if for nothing else as a collectors item. I'll kick myself one day I'm sure.

Bought it used from a guy that didn't know what he had. (Think he stole it) Great clean with chorus , classic jazz & soft rock tones.

Poor to low-grade distortion is just enough to be usable , but not for stage. Fender Twin Blows it "CLEAN" off the stage volume wise.
The clean sound is too sterile without the chorus on. Lacks warmth.
No tubes! Great Acoustic Amp! Not for Live Rock 'n' Roll guitar playing. Too whimpy. It's been in the closet 5 years, any takers?

A tank with wheels! (and a cover)

Nope!

Light weight , rich creamy chorus, wheels
Not enough power for live performance.

I own 2-JC77s and one JC120.
Best parts: lotsa volume, clean undistorted sound (I run Digitech stuff thru the front for overdrive/distortion), deep chorus and blasty reverb.

I like to create my sound in my processor(s) and not in the amp. The clean sound and high volume is just the thing for me. I never bother with the awful distortion. One thing Roland should know--they turned this customer off from buying any of their effects that involve distortion/overdrive and reverb. The chorus is a different thing. Roland's great at the modulation effects.

Perfect. Just clean the pots once in a while. Soap and water with an ArmorAll chaser and the things spiff right up. I do like that hobnail armor--reminds me of some goth group.

Never needed for the 77 but my 120 needed a new speaker once--I had bought it from someone who added a Jensen. I like those two owl-looking aluminium cone caps staring at me. Roland made the purchase so simple I don't even remember it. The shop that did the speaker swap also adjusted the intensity of the reverb and chorus. I got the impression that the JC series is familiar to all techs and easy to tweak and repair.

I would not be without at least one JC77 from now on. I've used these 3 amps for 10 years now (Jan 2002) and am very pleased.

I think this amp is versatile but I mainly play with a clean sound, don't use the distortion though... I wish this amp had an effects loop.. the chorus is INCREDIBLE and jazz players must know.right

I am using an eppy 335 copy and a strat with 2 single coils and a humbucker in the rear. the amp is a little noisy and the distortion blows (that's why they make sans-amps!) but LOUD AS HELL without crapping out but the chorus more than makes up for this

i have been depending on this amp-goes from small sized clubs to larger venues with no problems- if this amp broke I would desperately hunt for another- paid $250 us for it and I think I got a great deal-amp has never broken down but it didn't have the casters of a footswith when I got it... any body wanna sell me a footswitch (must be original)

bought it used and never had to deal with cust svc

I love the fact that it's portable and not too heavy I love the choruse I hate the distortion.well ok it sounds allright when you add a little boost to solos or something, i play a strat and a 335 copy and they both have their differences but if you want that ultra clean sound this is the way to get it- sometimes a little compression will liven things up also

Not sure of the year of manufacture, but I suspect the amp is 10-15 years old. Two 10 inch speakers driven by two 40 watt amps (80 watts total). 4 band EQ. Chorus with variable rate and depth. Reverb. A few notes here. the distortion "channel" is not really on a discreet channel (ie, it shares reverb, volume and eq settings with the clean channel). This amp has a very durable (and very cool looking) cover. The power cord is hardwired to the unit (not removeable). The chrous, reverb, and channel is footswitchable via three mono footswitch jacks located on the back of the unit.

Main axe..... Yamaha Pacifica 311MS with a stacked single humbucker in the bridge and a full sized humbucker in the neck. I run this into two different preamps depending on the gig (and my mood). Setup #1 Yamaha 311 into Tech 21 TRI-OD, into MXR Analog Delay into Roland JC-77. Setup #2 Yamaha 311MS into Zoom GFX-8 into Roalnd JC-77. The clean channel on the JC is absolutely pristine. The 4 band EQ is very usable. The Chorus is unbeleivable. I can get better sounds out of the chourus unit on this amp than I can get out of my TC Chorus/Flanger pedal.....no kidding! As the other reviewers have noted, the Distortion channel is useless. Not a nice tight musical tone at all. It might possibly be useful to put a slight edge on your tone, but I can't imagine you would use the distortion on this amp at all....unless you were desperate (ie, your pre-amp dies in the middle of a gig). Since most players pre-amp their amps with the distortion box of their choice this really isn't a problem. If you use effects you will be VERY happy with this unit because it does not "color" the sound whatsoever. Lot's of headroom here too. This amp is VERY loud. Much louder than my Marshall VSR-100. Can't comment on the reverb unit, as it didn't survive the shippping from the ebay seller who sold it to me.

On a side note. I once read an article back in the early eighties in Guitar Player magazine on the whole tube/solid state debate. The author stated (and I totally agree) that just because an amp is a tube amp it doesn't mean that it is necessarily better. There are good and bad tube amps out there. I'd rather own a
good solid state amp (like the JC-77) than a mediocre tube amp.
It's not the tubes that make a difference. It's the design and quality of the circuitry, and primarily what the circuitry does to the signal that matters. I've owned good tube amps in my life ....and quite frankly they are a hassle for the gigging musician. You have to baby them. Forget about taking a three foot fall, or getting it knocked around with other gear in the back of a truck because your gig is at a lakeside Tavern three miles down a bumpy dirt road. The Roland may be solid state, but it is a high quality amp, and it'll take just about anything you can dish out to it.

No complaints so far. The unit is built like a tank. I understand the new 2001 JC-120's may have some quality control issues (read the reviews here on Harmony). So if your in the market for a JC you may want to pick up a used 90 or a 77 instead. You should be able to find them on ebay for between $200-$300. Hint, concentrate on the "buy it now" deals....that's where you'll find the bargains (when they exist).

My Roland Tech support experience is still a bit of a mystery to me. Unlike the MANY other Roland tech support horror stories I've read, I actually had a very pleasant experience. I called Roland to get price and availability on a new reverb unit. Within 20 seconds (that's right NO WAIT)I was on-line with a knowledgeable friendly support agent who gave me the part number and price information I was looking for. He even offered to take my card number and ship the unit out for me. 3 minutes.... questions answered.... phone call over. I was in shock. Perhaps Roland is listening after all.

I've been playing since the early Eighties. Classic rock to metal....depending on the gig. In my search for the perfect tone I've collected a lot of other gear....primarily because I'm a hopeless gearhead, and I owned a guitar shop in the past. If it were stolen I might consider another.....although I would most likely suffer from "been there done that" syndrome, and look to replace it with something I haven't yet owned. Faults? Yup....lots. No headphone jacks, no effects loop. Channels are not discreet. It has a stereo line out, but the line out isn't "emulated"....so if your on stage your going to have to mic this bad boy....or invest in a H&K Redbox. And the distortion circuit? What the heck was going through the minds of the Roland engineers that designed that??.......geeeesh!!!! On the flip side Roland was way ahead of everyone else way back when they released this amp to the public. It's a great clean amp....you won't be disappointed, especially if you use an external pre-amp (I HIGHLY recommend the Tech 21 TRI-OD....see my review here on Harmony Central) and/or other external effects.

As with others, you can't say enough about the clean sound. It has an amazing chorus, but I don't care for the vibrato. Differing from others though, is my opinion of the distortion. I don't care for that metallic, fuzz-tone style of distortion, and the distortion available from the JC-77 is perfect for the club work I do. I run the amp at 5-6 volume level and set the distortion at about the same. When I kick in the distortion, I get great sustain and crisp notes and chords with my Ibanez Artstar 80. I also play pedal steel through it about 75 percent of the time. I find the total frequency response of the amp the best I have played through and that list includes a classic Fender Twin, Super Reverb, Dual Showman, Peavey Mace combo, Ampeg Twin 12, and Laney Linebacker (with 2-12s). While I prefer the Fender reverb to the Roland reverb, Roland is adequate. (Note: I played through the JC-120 and got the same sound with the exception of the distortion; the higher power of the 120 would not let me drive it hard enough to get the sound I got from the 77.)

As mentioned, clean throughout the frequency range.

No problems, but I've had it apart and it looks very serviceable.

After 35 years of lugging honking big amps around, the JC-77 is a blessing. Big enough for small clubs, small enough for practice. I would love to have a second one, or third, or fourth...

This amp has a lot of great features for guitarists of all different styles. The Roland JC77 has lots of tone control (bass, mid, treble, and high treble), reverb, and chorus (fixed or manual settings). As others have said, stay away from the disortion.

If you're looking for a slightly warmer tone, you might be better off with a tube amp (like a Fender Twin) or a Polytone amp (if you want a Joe Pass type jazz tone). However, for a pure, uncolored clean sound, the Roland JC77 (and all the other Roland JC amps, for that matter) is THE best amp on the market. You can really crank up the volume on this amp, and the sound won't disort a bit. The stereo chorus is deep,lush, and shimmering and better than any compact pedal I've ever tried (and I've tried a LOT of chorus pedals). This is probably the best amp to use with guitar effects (and especially with a guitar synthesizer) other than distortion/overdrive pedals because the amp does not color your guitar tone. Because the amp does not sound good with any type of distortion/overdrive, I had to give the sound a 9 rather than 10 rating.

Like all Roland products, this thing is built like a tank.

I never had to deal with customer support.

I play both jazz and rock music. I use an Epiphone Les Paul Studio guitar outfitted with Gibson '57 humbuckers, a Jekyll and Hyde Ultimate Overdrive pedal (which, as I said before, doesn't sound spectacular through this amp), a Boss DD5 delay pedal, and an Ernie Ball volume pedal. I'm a big fan of 80's King Crimson and The Police, and this amp can nail the tones of these bands (Adrian Belew, of King Crimson, used a Roland JC amp in the 80's). This amp has also been very valuable for me when I play jazz music, although I will probably in the future get a Polytone amp for jazz music and keep the Roland JC amp for clean rock music. If it were lost or stollen, I would definitely replace it (though since this amp is now out of print, I would replace it with a JC90 or JC120). Try out this amp and see why it has become the industry standard for clean sounds and chorus sounds.

what is everyone bitching about it is a great amp
who just uses a built in distortion anyway
pre amp it or pedal it it rocks

great clean best ever

drop it who cares it is a crete

what ?

only amp i wwould ever need again
oh and a side thought
get a split output to run two by 2x12's oh yeahhhhhhh

Stereo clean sounds from heaven, don't expect to get any use out of the crappy distortion though ! One channel with chorus, reverb, and that useless distortion knob. Features are pretty standard, I wish it had a extention speaker output and maybe a stereo FX loop but I'll forgive roland because this amps clean tone is so spectacular !

If you want a great clean jazz guitar tone this is it ! I think there is something about the 10" speakers that I like better than the 12" in the JC-120, or maybe it has to do with the extra hi treble control and being able to roll the extreme hi end off the amp, anyway I swear it sounds better than the JC-120 I once owned.

Both the JC-120 and this JC-77 seem to be tough as a mule. No tubes to give you all those quirky problems. Solid state amps usually keep working with very few problems.

I bought this amp used so I don't think customer support is an issue.

I've been playing guitar for over 25 years and I've owned every amp in the book, Fender, Marshall, Boogie, Musicman, Peavy, Carvin, you name it. Some of these amps have a better distortion tone but as far as clean tones go the Roland JC-77 takes the gold ! And as a bonus you get the worlds greatest stereo chorus at no extra charge.

The JC-77 may have the worst distortion on the market, but it makes up for it with "in your face" clean tone and luscious stereo chorus. I use this amp on the road as well as the studio, where I professionally play Country/Southern Gospel music. The JC-77 is a great compliment to my EMG loaded Strat.

There are instances where this amp can be "too clean" depending on the musical piece I'm playing. I most always cut the High Treble and Treble controls to suit my taste, which does seem to help the natural "hissing" of the amp. Coupled with a compressor and delay, I can get a surprisingly warm "tube-like" tone. When on the road, the JC-77 doubles as a keyboard amp, too. It's never failed to give me clarity and punch at any volume.

This is the 3rd JC-77 of my career. I lost the first 2 in the quest for "my sound". Funny thing is, I keep coming back to the JC-77. It's light, powerful and gives me a good tone. As with the previous 2, I've yet to encounter any malfunctions or technical problems. It has proven to be a faithful, dependable companion from stage to studio.

My current JC-77 was purchased used for $275 and it looked like it had been through a Texas tornado. Dusty, dirty, torn grill cloth and no castors. When I hooked it up for a try out in that little used music store, it was like symphony. No hums, no buzzes, just that amazing Roland sound. So, I bought it. I took it home and gave it a soapy sponge bath and proceded to restore it to it's original condition. Customer Support was very helpful in getting me the proper grill cloth, pop-in castors and a new vinyl cover. Now my baby looks just like new!

I just love this amp. Although there are others I'm quite fond of, I just can't seem to get away from the JC-77. Perhaps it's that unmistakable look. It certainly stands out in a crowd. As for improvements, imagine this: an ALL TUBE version of the JC-77!!! Wowzers!

If I could own only one guitar amplifier, it would be the Roland Jazz Chorus-77. I also own a couple Peavor Chorus amps. The one HUGE feature is the unsurpassed Roland Chorus, three-way switchable from center ("Off"), up ("Manual") or down "Fiexed." I've often tried the "Manual" position and fiddled virtually every combination of the coordinated "Rate" and "Depth" potentiometers associated with this Chors...and I can't even seem to MATCH the wonderful "Fixed" Chorus...let alone IMPROVE on it! Such a sweet, mellow "natually comfortable" sound...this Chorus does to sound what a pair of worn sheepskin sleepers do for the feet...ot a loyal lap dog does for the soul!

I use my Roland Jazz Chorus-77 with two primary guitars: a 17" archtop Washburn "Orleans" jazz guitar with a single floatng pickup...and a Washburn HB-35N double-cutaway thinbody (ala Gibson 335). Each guitar's tone is enhanced and "honed". The amp seemed to "sand away" the rough, brittle edges of the treble strings while enhancing the balance of the three lower strings...to create the "sweetest sounds this side of heaven" (where have I heard that phrase before?). Understand that I am a "one man band" playing solo full-chord melofy in fine dining restaurants...where backgroud is the key, not showmanship. The mellow combination of the JC-77, my arch-top jazz guitar and my Roland GR-1 Guitar Synthesizer create an "unmatched sound" no one else can offer. Wow! As pleasurable for me to hear as for my audience to hear!

I've had this amplifier for 8 years, puchased used from an individual, with no problem.

Never needed customer support o my JC-77...but have continuing problems getting straight, authoritative answers from Roland reps through queries at various music stores. Need replacement cales, expander sound cards, etc., for My Roland GR-1...but no back-up parts/supplies in stock at Roland...and this GR-1 cost over $1200 NEW! You'd think they'd staock replacement parts and supplies for the GR-1! Perhaps this is indicative of a future problem in getting parts and supplies for the Roland amplifiers. Roland spends a fortune on their quarterly full-color free magazine promoting its newest products...but why do they leave us past customers in their dust?

I'll end by stating what I said first: If I could only own one guitar amplifier it is the Roland Jazz Chorus-77. As a 55 year old guitarist, the smaller size and lighter weight is a great bonus! I nearly DIE trying to lug the Peavet Stereo Classic Chorus amp up a flight of stairs!

Well...I've been playing for awhile and have come to respect the solid state amp sound for what it is. It's a great clean Amp! i use it for small clubs playing blues and funk tunes. The distortion SUCKS! but i have boss gt-3 pedal board for effects so distortion isnt a problem for me.This 80 watt, 2x10's amp has alot of power so its a great clean amp to run effect through. one channel (another would be nice), stereo outs to use 2x12's (would be nice. The chorus is oh so lovely! although I very rarley use it. MAJOR NEGATIVE, every now and then I get radio stations broadcasting through my amp ... now this hasn't happened at a gig yet but just seems like a matter of time.

Playing an american fender strat and Ibanez RG420, the tone and clarity of the guitars really shine. you can turn this amp up to 10 and have no humming. I would say the amp is like a glass of water, very clear and very versatile depending on the effect you add to it. you will here the guitar and not the amp. Again the distortion sucks so invest in either a board or stomp boxes.

The reverb knob feels like its going to break but it been through so much...very hot weather, fell off the stage, sacrificed a goat. Never had any problems..plug in and play! **pet peave** the chord always comes out when moving it from place to place.

never dealt with the company

I've been playing now for five years, Its the only amp i've ever known. if it got jacked i dont know if i'd buy another one just because I've always wanted a marshall stack (vanity) "Bigger is better" but I couldn't go wrong if I got this amp again.

Your basic Jc 77 with 2 10,s and super,SUPER clean sound...Plenty of power for even medium size clubs

Use a Goya Panther 3 with single coils,this is a 60,s Jaguar wannabee.It literally screams out of this amp and also a Samick hf650 jazz box....this is why I got the jc77 in the first place...Unbelievably clean...Great chorus and excellent reverb...Im not big on distortion and on this amp its not so good...

Have not used it much out but can see that it is very well built....Love the rivit look

Don't know bought it used and haven,t needed them

Been playing since 1960 had a big layofff after 1980 just started again. Ive got a Goya, Les Paul recorder Bass and the Samick Jazz box.An Ampeg SVT and this Roland. I'm gonna dump the SVT no need for it anymore...I now play Praise music in my church and the Jazz box with the JC 77 is just perfect.CLEAN,CLEAN,CLEAN

I should think it would be important for a smaller amp to have a headphone jack (people who buy them often need to practice in apartments where girlfriends stress about the constant noise pollution). A tremolo might've been a good addition. There is a good range of general options for a jazzer, though. Warning: stay away from the distortion pedal. Far away.

I play a mixture of jazz and rock (definately not at the same time like some). The clean sound is amazing. Even my Les Paul doesn't overdrive this amp. This affords a very pleasing solid-body jazz sound. I've always hated chorus effects until I met this one. It is warm, broad, inviting...what else can I say? Again: stay away from the distortion. What were they thinking here? If the greatest aspect of this amp is its capacity to deliver a high-quality clean sound, its greatest weakness is the residual background noise. Very disappointing. Overall though, it wastes on the Marshall combo I used to have--ha!

This is a solid little amp. The reverb can be problematic/loose. It is a bit rattley for no aparent reason.

No experience yet.

As long as you can get a good clean tone, you can move from there with pedals. Portability is also a plus.

i was a bit uncertain when i purchased this amp, i mostly play heavy music, and i wanted an amp that could stand up to the driving bass and searing highs of my ESP M-250. the features on this amp are incredible, although i am not to fond of the distortion, it makes good for lighter songs. the chorus effect is awesome! you can actually hear the sound echo around the room.

i recently went on stage with this amp, our bassist was cranking a Hartke 4x12 transporter and i could hear myself over him, incredible for 80w and 2x10.

very reliable, this thing has fallen off the back of my truck been jumped on, heated beyond belief and kicked around. still i love this amp, i just popped in some casters and now that thing goes every where with me.

This is to append my earlier submission about my JC77: I have found that the Roland distortion can be really cool if you nail in the back of the amp. I used 3/4" plywood (overkill, I know), and that really did the trick. The newly cool distortion is very lo-gain, but very useful, and good for slide. Try it.

Not a lot in the way of features, however, I'll take good tone over bells and whistles. An effects loop may have been a useful addition but, more importantly, an output for an extension cab would be desireable in the event that you might wish to drive 12" instead of 10" speakers.

I purchased the amp in order to have an amp that was a) appropriate for archtop jazz styles b) more "legit" than a small Fender, yet equally portable. With respect to the first requirement, I found the amp to be very "Hi-Fi". That is, it is very clean (crystal clean) and very revealing of the properties of the guitar being played. The archtop sounds warm, clean, bodiful and complex yet not diguised or compressed. Lots of headroom (within reason for an 80W Solid State). In fact, I was very pleased with the sound of my tele and strat as well. Very crisp, bright, percussive and revealing. Unfortunately, the background noise is quite high-this was a major disapointment however, I'm hoping that the line out might prove to be a little quiter. Distortion sound is not appealing. With respect to requirement b), the amp is fairly portable-not as much as say a Blues Jr., however, given its nice tones (and a set of aftermarket casters) the small haul is well worthwhile. OVERALL, somewhat of a one trick pony-what a Marshall is to rock, the JC is to jazz.

Bought it used and had to do a couple of touch ups-no probs yet. Seems fairly solid.

No contact yet

I've been playing for many years and have bought/sold my fair share of amps. This one is a keeper. I'm using it along with my JCM 800 and an A/B box for clean/dirty sounds. I've also compared it to various combos (tube and SS) and, for the money and size, it's the real deal. The chorus sound is lush and sensuous and the reverb is nice too. Cons-Quite noisy. Also, the rear baffle is located halfway up the cabinet. Thus, when loading/unloading the amp, the AC chord and footswitch/cables constanly spill out.(A real pain in the butt!)

Two inputs: high and low sensitivity. Did not notice much difference except input volume. One channel is plenty for guitars. Stereo line outs make micing easy (although ths sound is a bit brighter). My kids love to take the chorus switch apart. The distortion should be set at about 4 to just boost a solo. Effects loop not really needed in this case. needs alternate speaker outs that could drive 2 12 in. speakers.

with eq flat and high eq (faux presence) at 3 or 4 the amp sounds great. At low volumes with a gibson humbucker on the neck (I use an S-1) the amp oozes the Jazz sound. The fender sound (neck and middle emg's) is clean. A telecaster with custom shop pickups sounds a bit midrangey. When the volume is boosted above five the amp tends to get midrangey as well.
I usually leave the chorus off or set it manual and real slow; just accent with the chorus, not play whole tunes with it (1998 style I guess).
Works good in country, jazz and funk settings. I get compliments on my guitar sound all the time (Gibson S1 thru this amp)

turn it on -- it plays. unplug your cord accidentally, doesn't phase it.
I bought a Roland amp cover new for it. I ripped the first time I put it on.

nothing to report here -- would love to drive 12 in speakers with it!

I would buy another -- I've played thru JC120s and they get loud. This works great for small bands. Not crunchy like a Marshall combo, not bassy like a keyboard amp, different from 12 in speakers.
Perfect if you have to carry lots of other equipment. Needs outputs to drive 12 in. speakers

This amp has one channel with a switchable distortion and chorus. The chorus has two settings: fixed (with the most amazing chorus sound I've ever heard), and manual, where you can adjust the rate and depth yourself using two knobs. Of course you can turn it off, too. The distortion was probably added by Roland as an afterthought. It, well, it sucks. But it's great for boosting and warming up your sound if you turn it up about halfway. This is not a very versatile amp. It has its one sound, but it has that sound DOWN. For all you rockers out there, it makes a great amp for effects and the like. But I play jazz, so it's very versatile to me. Hence the "10" rating. It's pretty easy to lug around, and it can get real loud in a small club. It has casters on it that are really smooth and useful.

As said before, I am a jazz player. This amp simply SWINGS. BIG TIME. It has a fabulous jazz tone, and one can definitely cop the McLaughlin/Free Spirits vibe when you roll off the treble and flip the chorus on. (Oh yeah -- an archtop doesn't hurt either.) For solidbody fun and games, try rolling off the treble on a Strat's neck pickup to catch the Martino sound. (or as close as possible for under $500.)

I believe my amp was a Friday-afternoon job at the factory. The fuse circuit had some shoddy soldering that came loose and shut down the whole amp. It was an easy fix at the local guitar shop, though. I didn't have to go through Roland, either. Otherwise, it is built like a Sherman M-1. I've dropped it, kicked it, and left it in my trunk on 94 degree days, and it hasn't protested at all.

Never had to deal with the company. Glad I didn't have to. I bought the amp new, and the sales guy neglected to give me a warranty card. Loser.

I'd definitely buy it again. Matter of fact, I'm scouting now for it's little brother, the JC-50. It especially sounds good with my archtop, but it is great with my Takamine electric/acoustic. DO NOT pay $500 for it like I was dumb enough to do. It can be had for less than $400 if you are willing to look. By the way, someone told me they discontinued this amp, so you might want to get one now.

The JC-77 is a solid state 80-watt amp with two 10" speakers, superb adjustable stereo chorus and rather ordinary distortion. It has four band - hi treble, treble, mid and bass - EQ and reverb. No effects loop though. The distortion, reverb and chorus are footswitchable.

I like to play jazz and fusion, and the amp is superb for clean sounds - rich, diffuse sound and great with the chorus in operation. The distortion dirties things up, but a pedal in front is better. The most outstanding features of the amp are its stereo chorus and its clean sound. This is warm, but very well defined - powerful in mid range without being in any way woolly. Where my Boogie DC-5 makes my Strat sound brittle, this gives it great warmth - perhaps like a Twin Reverb, which will be the next amp I try. There is a weakness in the tone with certain drive pedals in front, and a lack of bass then too, and the Twin may be better for this. But this amp is light (about 44 lbs).

Got it used, and the reverb has a problem. Changed the pan but this didn't fix it. In any case, I use a Boss GX-700 in front, and the JC in effect as a power amp.

Very helpful (in UK)

Yeah. It should have a better distortion given Roland's expertise in effects pedals, but the clean sound is always a pleasant surprise every time I turn on.

The famous Roland Jazz chorus set the standard for Jazz players in the 70's. When you plug into this amp you will know exactly why. The cleanest most transparent amp out there. Very very loud, and extremely quiet. This 2x10 combo is loud enough for small clubs and larger venues alike. It is an 80 watt stero chorus amp. The chorus is the best chorus out there, period. Features, chorus, eq, reverb, and high and lo inputs. Will get you any clean sound imaginable. Great for jazz archtops.

It sounds great, no over coloration of sound. It has a distortion control (i dont know why they put that on) which is totally useless. Theres alot of chorus and reverb if you want it. If you play clean stuff and you want no distortion at high volumes, this is the amp for you.

Try to break it, i dare you. You cant do it. Its a tank! Rivet covered and ready for battle.

Na

For the jazzer its the ultimate setup. Rockers can take advantage of it crystal clean power when using a pedalboard or preamp. Nothing like turning the chorus on, craking the volume and playing big Suspended chords on teh neck pickup.
I really recomend this amp, just to have it. So many amps ignore clean channels, and your sound suffers because of that. Alot smaller than a twin, and stero chorus.

An 80 watt (hard to find, I notice--though the JC120 is everywhere) outstanding clean amp with one channel and a warm, controllable chorus built in. No effects loop, but the amp is quiet as can be and you can plug in several pedals without noise. The amp is loud, loud, loud and and clean. More than enough for a medium size club and not too heavy to haul. The problem: louZy distortion (solid-state distortion) which can be remedied, in part, by a good distortion box. (The real tube box works pretty well.) Footswitching for distortion (you'll never want to use the distortion), reverb, and chorus. It's really a jazz cats' amp, and sounds great for that (also great for acoustic guitar), but it will rock if you find the right distortion. Solid construction and durablility. A good reverb, too.

Exceptionally quiet, you can turn the the amp up all the way when it's clean and not hear ANY hum. I play a kind of folksy, jazzy, bluegrassy rock and roll, mostly clean, and the amp is great for those needs. When I want to play a rock song with thick, fat, warm (choose your fav. description), it's just not in the amp. As our ears are more and more tuned to the great sound of tubes, these amps just don't do it. But, hooked up with a good distortion pedal or a preamp, and you're fine. A great amp for the acoustic guitarist who slips over to electric now and then--and a great amp for the jazz guitarist. A functional amp for the rocker. A real sissy for the monster metal enthusiast.

Very reliable--once the reverb needed repair, but the amp took a ten foot fall. I've seen it's smaller brother, the JC 50, take a similar fall without a problem. Pretty rugged.

No opinion. Never dealt with them.

I'd buy it again if it were 8 years ago--but they're like girlfriends, you like to move on to something new. (Better than girlfriends, come to think of it, since you don't have the guilt when you dump one for a new model.) If I had the money to buy a new amp today I'd get a quiet tube amp, an amp that could get a rich distorted sound and still stay quiet when clean. I might even put up with the hum. The chorus on the Roland is great, but it's easier to find a chorus pedal than it is to imitate the sound of overdriven tubes. Peavey, Fender, and Crate all make great sounding small (20-30 watt) "vintage" tube amps that sound great. I'd like to find a portable tube amp with an effects loop. But if you find the Roland JC77 around (it has 2 10" speakers, unlike the 2 12" speakers of the 120), and you play jazz or acoustic guitar, and you see it for under $425, it's a good, reliable amp.