when solid state amps break tube amps
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
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I have to give it to Roland, when it comes to solid state amps, they set the bar so high with this model!!!
Yep they make boss
And then lowered it with the Katana.
@@youropionmattersnot I love my katana 100 W head into a 2 x 12 with Celestion g 12 t 75
Yamaha came out with some good ones in the late 70s and early 80s designed by paul rivera to compete with roland, then fender stole paul rivera from yamaha to be their marketing director, and the solid state amps they came out with under his watch are also quite good, if anything they were overbuilt with regard to build quality, though he didn't actually design the circuits, just told them what he wanted out of them and signed off on them if they met his specs
@@jasondorsey7110 I have a Marshall GM head and a Marshall tube head both good
I think JC120s are the coolest looking amps. I may be in the minority here but they have such a unique aesthetic.
I'd love a dollar for every live video clip that I've gone, 'there's one, there's my amp'.
validation.....
They definitely give a retro vibe
Yeah, like a 60s stereo.
Them rivets, man.
Iike a boombox.
I bought a JC-120 in 1992. The local music store sponsored a concert shortly thereafter featuing Eddie Money. Eddie had a requirement: he wanted a JC-120. Well, since the music store had none in stock, they called me up and asked if they could borrow my amp for the concert. I agreed. They gave me a free front-row seat and had Eddie sign the amp in indelible marker. It is still the only amp I use! And Eddie's signature is right there!
very cool..... !...... my buddy sold him a bag of weed once (at his own show !)
Your own ticket to paradise. Cool for you
Oh, yeah. Eddie was as good in concert as he was in the studio.
A truly cool story. Bro.
A couple of weeks ago I bought a 1984 JC 120 for about 600 bucks. It sounds amazing!
Maybe the one I always regretted selling!
Nice. I love mine,it’s an old Japanese one too
Im looking to get an older model too. Are the components high quality? What should I look out for when buying it used?
Not a bad deal and score.
I did minor repairs on guitars and amps years ago. The Jazz Chorus totally blew me away. One of the best amps I've ever played! Glad Roland is still making it.
Metallica uses it all the time also
I remember in the 80s Albert King was using Jc120 often! Even with the chorus on sometimes!
I had a blues cube. Wish I would have kept it
The vintage Yamaha VR6000 , VR4000 amp is better (Yamaha's Roland Jazz killer with true stereo.) Mine is 1989 vintage - sounds deluxe. ua-cam.com/video/HvA0qv7DLqs/v-deo.html
I bought my JC120 in 1984 specifically for its clean sound, onboard chorus feature and raw power. It's a beast of an amp and has been my go to for hundreds of gigs. I seldom need to push it over 30-40% power and has really held up well over the years. When other musicians see it they are surprised and ask to plug in and try it. Glad to see you enjoyed the ride replicating famous guitar riffs with the chorus! Cheers!
I hear they're a good pedal platform too
Back in the '80s, before you were born, I was a young guitarist just starting out. I saved my pennies and bought a JC120 as my first "real" gigging amp. I sold it during the tube amp renaissance, because "solid state." I was an idiot.
did you ever get another one after that?
First time I saw a Roland JC- 120 in person was in the 90's and my guitar teacher was playing an 80's Blue/Black Fender Lead ll and the sounds were Awesome. He also used two Fender Princeton Stereo Chorus amps together
I’m not sure that a young guitarist in the 90s had much of a chance of not being an idiot. I didn’t learn much about guitar amps until a few years ago; didn’t really care that much before, but now I’m kicking myself for what I spent amp money on and what vintage gear I could have had instead
I was a sucker for the tube and all analog marketing from the late 90s and early 2000s. Fortunately I kept most of the effects pedals I bought back then
@@honkytonkinson9787 The Marshall Valvestates cut a good compromise throughout that time.
Valve in the preamp and a solid state power amp section.
Sounds like the best of both worlds.
Luv and Peace.
Had some expensive amps sold them all now I have 2 fender stereo chorus amps I paid basically $50 ea
When I was a young man ,I started playing in bands in the sixties. There wasn’t the plethora of equipment that’s available now.
Most working bands used Fender amps. Most groups used a van , station wagon, or a vehicle pulling a trailer. The equipment was thrown around a lot. Fenders were notorious for tube sockets shorting out, tubes shorting out, fuses blowing. Also, overheating and blowing transformers.
Then I think the late 70’s or early eighties,Peavey came along. They were tough, very dependable, and powerful. Also affordable. They were a godsend for the working bands. I still remember the first time I heard a band with the lead man using a Roland JC120. The presence, clarity, and power were off the hook. The first chance I had I got one.
I’m an old man now and only play in my little studio. I write songs, play the instruments, and record the songs . I still use Roland and always will. Cheers!!
Keep Keeping on.
Luv and Peace.
that good old days bro!! Cheeeeeers!!
I used to practice in hourly rehearsal studios in New York City. They'd have these beautiful Fenders and Marshalls that usually sounded beat, like they needed a bunch of repair, and then they'd have a JC120 that inevitably sounded pristine. I'd just plug in an overdrive pedal and go to town. Also, I've never gone to a show and wished that the guitar player wasn't playing a JC 120. It usually just means that you can hear the guitar.
Now I've got a JC40 because a JC20 is louder and heavier than I need, and it still has the JC120 vibe, and it's still loud.
Had a Peavey Heritage VTX back in the day. Solid State pre-amp with tube power amp. That thing was built like a tank. It also had the cool phase shifter built in that allowed you to freeze the phase sweep at any point that facilitated some very unique tones from that amp. Be careful though - some of those unique tones can be aweful.
Also had a Yamaha G100 212. Pure solid state amp that was great. It had a parametric EQ that also facilitated some unique tones.
With a pan pedal I used both amps at the same time and the layered tones were amazing - even made me sound good.
@@mdhj67 I’m sure it sounded great. I don’t perform out anymore. I guess the last time I had a gig with a band was back in 2011.
By that time I was using a small Roland with effects and a line out to the PA.
If you’re interested , I just recently uploaded 14 songs on UA-cam @ Larry Buck Barker Original Songs.
I write the songs and play the instruments, and record them.
I have health issues and my music is my therapy.
I have been reluctant to put my songs on social media. But, people were bugging me to, so I decided to do it.
I hope you have a happy and healthy day. Cheers!!
The JC-40 is the perfect amp for me. Since I was a teen in the eighties, chorus is the most important effect for me. And they put a different distortion circuit in the JC-40 than the one in the JC-120, which still isn't for everyone, but which is perfect for me. Plus, it works great as a stereo monitor for a modeler when I do want different tones.
Try the vintage Yamaha VR6000 , VR4000 amp is better (Yamaha's Roland Jazz killer with true stereo.) Mine is 1989 vintage - sounds deluxe. ua-cam.com/video/HvA0qv7DLqs/v-deo.html
I haven’t touched my other amps after my wife bought me a JC-22 last month. Tiny with just a huge, clean sound.
yep
Totally agree! I bought two JC-22 for "wet/dry" use. These little amps crank!
Yeah! It's really great, I have one too! And it's 30W so it's really loud if needed! A perfect amp I think!
The vintage Yamaha VR6000 , VR4000 amp is better (Yamaha's Roland Jazz killer with true stereo.) Mine is 1989 vintage - sounds deluxe. ua-cam.com/video/HvA0qv7DLqs/v-deo.html
@@emelle1283 that’s the only amp I haven’t owned from the video you linked too. I also really loved the Princeton chorus and should have held onto mine. Definitely took drive pedals better than the JC
My church has used the Roland JC-120 since they got it back in the late 80’s-90’s, and it’s still going as loud as ever. Have a huge amount of love for this amp!
When I was a teenager playing guitar in the 80s, the 2 amps I wanted were a Marshall JCM 800 and a Roland JC120.
I think that's what all of us young players wanted then. 😀 I didn't own one, but had free use of a Peavey Stereo Chorus 400 back around '83-'84, so at least I didn't have to go completely without.
Mike, thank you for being a really good teacher. I was lead to you from the “Why are guitarists leaving tube amps for modelers?” video. Thank you for not making 40 minute videos that I will never get around to watching. You teach so much in sub-10 minutes. Ace job. 👍🏻
My high school had a JC120 and while being school equipment, it was badly thrashed, it still sounded absolutely fantastic! Id come into the music room during lunch and plug into it and I thought it had a wonderful clean tone and I loved the chorus too!
It’s nice to see the JC120 getting some love. It it such a great amp not just for guitar but keyboard too
You have me curious on the keyboard thing. I've heard that the frequency response isn't high enough to cover a keyboard but I've looked for FR specs on the 120 and 40 amps, not finding a thing. I have an older 2008 Roland RD-700GX running into a pair of Roland 20 series speakers but want something that really brings out the voice. It would be so terrible to be able to justify buying a 120 and a 40. j/k, I want both. As mentioned above to Mike, I'd like to use the 120 or 40 as output from a Fender TMP. The price for the 40 vs Fenders FR12 is close enough that have an amp says stay with the 4o idea. But I'm a Roland junkie. Recently bought their TD-27v2 drum kit set. My master bedroom will be glorious as a studio.
I gigged a Peavey KB-300 for years in the 80s. My sister still has it in her living room and her kids played it for years too. It looks almost new and works perfectly. 15" woofer and a tweeter; three inputs with 3-EQ on each input, plus reverb. I'd recommend it to anyone. The JC-120 is interesting as the NEWER ones take a stereo input (via FX return) and output to their two speakers in stereo. But they also aren't flat, they're designed to make guitars sound good and thus very colored. While you CAN play keys through them, I wouldn't really recommend it as a goal, instead just a fun thing to try, or something for emergency situations.
Have a Peavey Bandit Sheffield 112. Good clean tone, and you can get a bit of dirt at low volume by playing with the transtube circuit, or you can get distortion by playing with the amp settings or your pedals. Has a master volume control as well, so the amp noise at low volume can be unobtrusive. With 80W available into an 8 ohms speaker, it can play more than loud enough for most gigs. It also weighs abut 15 lbs less than the JC120, and I got it used for about $200. On the downside, the built-in reverb on Peavey only has one knob, and there is no built-in tremolo. The JC120 does have that nice stereo chorus, and the longstanding reputation of one of the best clean tones around.
I have a silver stripe and an 80's Roland GA120 which is basically a JC120 with a graphic EQ instead of a chorus. The roland absolutely slays the silver stripe for cleans and vice versa for a edge of break up.
son uses the red stripe bandit for his clean sound and a black star 40valve for heavy sounds loves his bandit😄
The Jazz Chorus is legend.
I had the good fortune to grab a JC-40 last month and it has rapidly become my favorite amp. I’m running an Old Blood Noise Endeavors Beam Splitter into a Screen Violence then a Behringer delay, with the first output of the Beam Splitter into a Katana. It is a colossal sound.
Do you think the JC-40 is loud enough to play live gigs with?
@@eliosnavarroit’s loud enough…my drummer breaks sticks…
@@ezdj well...thats good enough for me lol
Yes definitely on the Andy Summers video
need that. Andy Summers is my favorite guitarist
If you get an Electro Harmonix Electric Mistress Flanger Deluxe, you'll get Andy Summer's tone down pat with the Roland JC 120 .
@@diaryofanaxeman539 you rock
Our high school band just had to get these. We were very into the Police and the Cure. Both guitarist ended up with them. I used an Acoustic 360 through a Road 18” cab for the bass. I just remember how crystal clear those Roland’s sound. That chorus is legendary too.
I had one of these back in the 80’s, eventually sold it. For years borrowed a friend’s JC-75. Recently bought a JC-40 and I love it.
First amp I ever gigged on was the JC120 when I was 15! Had many things since then but when they brought out the JC40 I’ve never looked back. They are truly great amps!!! Great video too!
Good to hear that you found out about the JC -120. It has been around for quite a few decades.
since 1975. I bought my first JC-120 around 1980. Sold it. Then bought another one a few years later. Still have it. Still play it. The King of Clean for sure.
I just got a JC-40 last week. It sounds beautiful on its own, kind of like an extra warm hi-fi, and it can handle all kinds of input level shenanigans without ever complaining. Stereo effects loop in either series or parallel makes it just about the most perfect platform for folks who generate most of their tones in preamps and/or stereo effects. I haven't had a properly loud amplifier in years and I'm so happy with it - even the 40 watt is STOUT..
Love a JC - stand-alone, or wet/dry or wet/dry/wet with another/other amps - just sits so well in a mix. The 120’s smaller stereo siblings are equally impressive if you can do without the high headroom. Good job, Mike!
Ive had mine for 25 years and holy smokes it is so loud lol and wow it sounds great.
Roland Jazz Chorus is absolutely one of the best amps ever created! What a masterpiece!
An old co-worker tried selling his JC-120 to me. He was buying a MesaBoogie and his wife said he couldn’t buy it until he got rid of the Roland. He practically gave it to me foe $100! Best deal I ever got in my life.
I have a JC40 and I absolutely love it. I'm primarily a metal guy, but when I need clean tones, the JC40 is perfection. I also use it for playing surf rock and Spaghetti Western, with a little overdrive and some drippy spring reverb, it does everything I need that isn't metal oriented. And of course, that chorus sound is amazing.
In the early 90s I was a keyboard player that found myself sometimes playing rhythm guitar in our band and needed an amp. I went to Guitar Center in Hollywood to buy a Roland JC120. I played it for most of that day and came back in the morning to buy it when the sales guy asked me if I had tried a Fender Ultimate Chorus. I ended up with the Fender. 130 watts (loud) It was cleaner sounding, less muddy, and I liked the EQ possibilities a lot better. It also had the stereo chorus and spring reverb, plus the distortion was easier to access at a lower volume. I used that amp until I gave it to my son's high school band last year. It's still going strong.
I said something similar. The Roland somehow was just "annointed" as the go-to transistor amp, and since Roland made so many of this one specific model, it became the standard. But Peavey, and other companies (e.g. your Fender, Crate, etc.) also made comperable amps that may be just as good or even for some purposes or to some ears, preferable. I have a JC-120 and love it. But I also have my Peavey T-40 bass I bought used for $100 in 1985, and it's not necessarily worse than my 70s vintage P-bass, '79 Stingray, 2012 custom shop J-bass, etc. A little different, but not worse per se. But just like your Fender, that T-40 just never got much recognition.
My favorite amp ever was a Gallien-Kruger. 50w per channel, size and weight of a concrete block. Fantastic sound.
I have a Gallien-Krueger 112LC that I found at a Guitar Center for $99. I like the sound of it and my late buddy had one that he gigged with in Southern California in the 80s and the very early 90s. I also got in memory of him.
Size of an ammo box, right ? Two small speakers ? I’d like to find one of those nowadays !! Portable, but loud enough to not be overpowered by a drummer. I recall having clean headroom all the way up to ten, and that’s a positive, too. I suspect that GK would be great with a 12-string guitar !!
@@miahconnell23 Size of two ammo boxes, maybe. Great overdriven sound, due to FET transistors. Nice reverb, and headphone jack so the neighbors don’t complain. All steel enclosure. Now I want to find one again!
Yeah, that was a great amp. I owned one for a few years when they first released then eventually sold it because, you know, the "tube" thing. A friend of mine has two of them. Played one recently and it was as good as I remembered. I may be mistaken but I believe I once read where Ted Nugent used one on "Little Miss Dangerous". Sure sounds like it.
The one that Iron Maiden used on Somewhere in Time?
Love my JC120! It was gifted to me by a friend who was retiring from performing. I've played all kinds of guitars thru it, and keyboards too. Including Rhodes piano, a Hammond C3 with a line out, a DX7, and several other synths, too. My favorite setup has my Epiphone EJ200's piezo pickup going to the non-FX channel and a Bill Lawrence A300 soundhole pickup going to the FX channel. Thanks for posting!
I recently bought a JC 40 as an alternative to my princeton custom 68 and i really like it
for super clean sounds. The Power section is now a D class amp that provides a lot of headroom.
I have it's little brother the JC40 and it's by far my amp! The chorus is heaven on earth.
Always happy to see the JC 120 get some love.
A note to all tube-amp snobs (and I'm one of them...). You hear about power amp clipping or rectifier tube sag as being essential for a cool sound, right? Sure, if you want to play at 100dB. At normal volumes, 80% of an amp's sound is from the pre-amp and here's a dirty little secret on tube amp "dirt." Many designs use clipping diodes in a special stage between the first pre-amp triode and the second pre-amp triode to provide you all that "creamy tube distortion" you think you like. It's essentially a built-in Tube Screamer that applies an adjustable amount of clipping early in the signal chain. It's present in the Marshall JCM900s of the early 90s, the JTM600s of the 1996 period, and the DSLs and the JVMs of the 2000s. What you need most is an amp that is RELIABLE and REPAIRABLE. Many tube amps fail at both. Many of the new Solid State amps have chained the core power amp with digital effects chips, etc. in custom ASICs rather than discrete, standard transistors for amplication, making them impossible to repair after the maker stops making the main boards. The Roland JC series likely still use standard discrete electronics and transistors, making them more relible / repairable than most new gear today.
First amp I ever bought was a JC-40 from the 2016 releases. Had NO IDEA what I was getting. WOW 🤯 So loud and so good. Clean and wide chorus. The vibrato is also cool too! Distortion is about the only thing that could cause me to quibble. But even that is workable as a 2nd guitar (rhythm) player in my band. I never need much distortion. Mostly clean rhythm with a tiny bit of crunch.
I’ve never had to dial it above 50%
It is hecka loud even then.
Clean. Clear. Loud. Sweet effects built in AND has a great FX loop (series or parallel) for my Boss GT-1000 (or as a power cab for my SY-1000) it’s just AMAZING!
I always thought that it would be fun to play in a 70s-style glam rock band using that distortion as my only dirt. It's pleasing in a slightly trashy way.
You can plug your Gt-1000 in stereo in front of your Jc-40 (or use 4 câbles method). Boss multi-effects have an output setting dedicated to Roland Jc amps, it's just another world. I use a GT 100 in front of a JC-120, it shines.
@@jkf9167 yo, that’s a thought. I’m gonna give that a try
@@eldjice6827 indeed. I just use mine as a power amp for my GT-1000 plus the ‘verb
Works great using the Line 6 Helix too! I have a Blues Cube 60W and a Boss Katana 100W Gen 2 as well as a Roland JC 40. Out of all of them the tone is actually best through the JC40!
One of my favorite applications of this amp: exploring pickup combinations that really never appealed to you before. You now have the headroom to deafen your drummer while discovering how gorgeous the mud circuit on your old Gretsch can really sound. Plug in every guitar that never appealed to you before. Try your guitar volume on 3. Try that plinky electric nylon guitar sound balanced and fleshed out with your EQ controls on it at near 0. Also don't forget to crank the vib and rock out!
Pedals too! A lot of people like their effects to fade into the background, but there's nothing like hearing a pedal really stand out through a clean Roland. It loves time-based FX, and also Big Muff-style fuzzes. All kinds of other stuff too. And if an effect doesn't sound good, you can switch from running it before the input to putting it in the FX loop.
@@jkf9167 was thinking of grabbing a pair of volume pedals to blend the channels. It’s a heavy amp but not a heavy 2 amps
I still have my JC120 from 1987. Apart from some dirty pots, it's a solid player even to this day. The chorus is killer
I was playing guitar in jazz band in 7th grade and my dad got me a Roland JC90 because it said "Jazz" on the name and I still have the amp and while I now primarily use tube amps, I still hang onto it for nostalgic reasons.
Steve Rothery of Marillion’s lead tone for years was a Squier Strat, Boss DS1 into a JC120 and it was glorious!
I worked on that Strat and set up those JC 120's on so many shows in the early 90's... what a time... and what a tone...Steve is one of the finest!
I thought Rothery only used it for his clean tone?
@@mcmac1272 Steve was recently on That Pedal Show going through his rigs over the years. Loads of detail and some demos ua-cam.com/video/6-7JjVVfgSE/v-deo.htmlsi=ALRtWArJQml_8yH2
@@mcmac1272 He would take his Boss distortion and some delays and run it in to create those super soaring cutting lead tones, he was using the Marshalls for chunk, rarely for solos. He also used them for clean tones. So loud!
The last couple of times I saw BB King & Albert King they were both using JC 120s & their tone was outstanding-Albert was loud as hell, it was great!
I saw B.B. King play an Acoustic 201 with 2 Altec Lansing 15 inch speakers & a big white horn mounted above the speakers. What a beautiful ss amplifier!
@@Tucsontexthat sounds more like Albert. BB preferred twins or lab 5 which was also a 2x12 combo
I purchased a JC-120 back in 1987 in Nashville. One of my dorm mates "borrowed" it in 1989 and I never saw it again. Such sadness, but it was an awesome amp!
I wish I could remember the model number, but my favorite solid state amp was a late 1990s Marshall 50 watt, 1x12 combo amp. A friend loaned it to me when he lived in a small apartment and needed a spot to store it. At the time I was doing almost everything through a Chameleon processor and a small PA. The Marshall replaced it over time for sheer ease of use, and it wasn't until he got a bigger place and took it back that I realized how much I had grown to like it's sound. It absolutely fit your description that sounding 'digital' doesn't mean sounding 'bad'.
Adrian Belew coaxed lots of magic from a JC120.
yeah, a lot of the craziest sounds he had were using the vibrato or chorus at max speed while also feeding back. I think the solo on Thela hu Jinjit (sp) was like that.
Always good when Mike goes down the rabbit hole! A buddy of mine has had one of these since the mid 90s and it's such a great amp, and that's coming from a Fender guy. I've gone solid state in recent years with a Mustang II, liked it so much I got a second one.👍👍
I have been an exclusive tube amp user for several years after getting started with Crate and Randall amps. But recently I acquired an old Peavey Deuce VT that is a hybrid amp with a tube power section and solid state preamp section. It’s such amazing amp with an awesome phaser built in.
Loved them forever. I immediately got the JC-40 when it came out in 2015. Perfect. Not big and heavy, still has the sound.
They're called Jazco's here in Tokyo and it's basically the standard amp. Music venues and practice rooms* are practically guaranteed to have a JC-120 on hand. The bigger and smaller models are far less common, at least live, though I'm sure there's a fair number of the smallest JC-22's in bedrooms around the land.
JC-120's are loud as fxxk and weigh 50kg/110lb, same as most other high-end 2x12" guitar amps. The BIG TRICK the Jazco has is that it has two power amplifiers, one for each speaker, and has a chorus built-in that sends the altered half of the signal to the right speaker amp. The 120's were made in like 7 different generations, and I think the key thing to look for is if they have a STEREO FX RETURN. These can take a stereo output from effects like the GT-1000, and such effects often have a setting whereby you tell them they're hooked to a JC-120 and they'll apply some extra EQ to counteract the amp's sound so you get instead the sound you've dialed in on the effects box and hear on headphones. Earlier generations (first 3 gens I think??) have NO way to actually use the two amps inside a JC-120 for left and right, other than using the JC-120's chorus--which is admittedly fantastic, BUT, only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what you actually want on stereo FX. And even when you do have the stereo FX return, I think there's no way to control volume with the amp controls: you have to control it all from the effects box output level.
Just using it as an amp it is SUPER clean, cleaner than a Fender Twin Reverb, and once you play a Jazco a few days it makes even a Twin Reverb sound muddled and indistinct. It's DEFINITELY not a sound for all players and all styles, but it is somewhat common among jazz players (though less-so than a Twin Reverb) and was all the rage during the New Wave--in the 80s bands from Ambitious Lovers to King Crimson always had 2-3 on stage.
One thing I'll say is that Peavey amps in the US of the same type in the same era are probably as good, but just for whatever reason never really caught on. When I was gigging in the 80s Peavey had a lot of respect for build quality and price but never was thought to simply sound great. But I'm not sure how many people could hear one vs. a Jazco blindfolded and consistently pick the Jazco as the better amp.
And one warning: the JC-120's distortion totally sucks, on all versions. It never sounds good for anything. I'm legit confused why Roland stuck with it.
*In big cities like Tokyo or anywhere rent is sky-high and everyone lives in apartments or houses with thin walls, you often need to go to a specific place to practice. So in more industrial/commercial areas you'll find a building broken in a dozen little practice areas, some with room for one guitarist, some for a 4-piece band. They'll often have a Jazco, maybe a tube amp, and a bass tower and a basic synth, so you just show up with your guitar and bass and have your band practice. These are even common on the top floor of some department stores. I think one such place was going out of business and selling maybe 6-7 JC-120's on a local auction site one night. Now, there's basically an auction for one ending pretty much every day of the week: if you want one you can buy one that day. But even in the size of Tokyo there wasn't enough buyers for 7 all in the space of a couple hours. The first one or two got bid up and had some damage. I think I decided to try for #4 that was basically mint except for inventory control numbers on the side, and I got it for like 28,000 yen--maybe $200 now.
I've had and gigged with a JC120, a JC 55 (2x 8" 25watts) and JC 77 (2x 10" 35wattts) since the 80's They all are really wonderful. Thanks for the vid.
I got an 86' and a 2019 JC120 and they really did the distortion right in the latter!
I own a vintage JC-77 and it is the love of my life.
It's an 80-watt 210 version of the 120 without the vibrato but with a slightly improved distortion circuit which I love to bits!
Mr Albert King could not be wrong. Jazz Chorus should be a goal for every guitarist.
As someone who's obsessed with Shoegaze, Dream Pop, Darkwave New Wave and Indie Pop, the JC-120 isn't just my favorite solid state amp, it's my favorite amp period.
Let me just say man. Your production values are fantastic. This looks so crisp and fresh. Youve definitely got some nice equipment
The Pearce amps are also a strong solid state option with good channel switching. I purchased a JC-120 in Japan in 1985 and used it until 2004. Never stopped working. The most reliable amp I have ever owned!!
The best tone I ever had was running a Mesa Boogie V-Twin preamp pedal into my PV bandit that combination of tube and solid state circuitry just was magical.
I've had my JC120 since 08. Super clean and incredibly loud. Great pedal platform
I do like the JC 120 I think it's a great sounding amp and has one of the most distinctive chorus sounds that I love. Great solid state amp really I know many people who used this amp in the studio and live. the clean sound is second to none.
I have a JC-40. It's an absolutely fantastic amplifier. I almost always get compliments on my tone. It's also a perfect pedal platform, and can get plenty loud on stage.
In the 80's, I had a Lab Series L5 that I loved, but I sold it because the kids in my college dorm didn't appreciate it (or the earsplitting volumes I liked to play at!). I wish I could get it back to see if it sounded as good as I remember. I do remember a kid in my college had a jazz chorus, and it sounded out of this world, but it was way out of my price range. Great videos, Mike! Keep them coming!!!
Wilco Johnson played one for some time and it was my favourite of his tones. Standing in front of the stage, it had a sound like breaking glass. Superb.
John Fogerty - got all that beautiful swampy goodness out of Kustom SS amps
Picked up a JC-22 last year and it's such a fun little amp.
I have had a JC-22 for about five years now as a home use amp. Bought it for the weight, keep it for the tone and versatility.
Andy Summers video…….p l e a s e !
Love this amp. Bought one in 1984. Awesome tone, massive weight. I loved playing it but sold it and got another Princeton Reverb just to have something I could carry in one hand. Yes, I want another one.
yes, we need the Andy Summers video
Ive owned and played a JC 55 for over 30 years, countless gigs and rehearsals, and it hasn't missed a beat. Nice and light, LOUD, with all the JC features including that sweet stereo chorus. With my pedalboard it'll do over-the-top Hendrix feedback. Highly recommended.
Love this thing! Absolutely core to our sound.
Great video on an iconic amplifier I also had an old Fender red knob princeton chorus which sounded great as well as it's distortion which was all solid state.
Sounds great clean. The Ampeg g18 is my favorite solid state amp. It does a great job of reproducing what’s coming out of a digital pedal board like an HD500
I convinced my rhythm guitar player to get one of these 20 years ago over a vox ac30 solid state. you could get one all day for $350. You're right these are almost too loud, a good problem to have. A few other sleepers for solid state are Poly Tone and KMD. Poly Tone were used by jazz players a lot. And KMD was sort of a Marshall substitute by Kaman/Ovation. The gain stage on the KMDs doesn't sound good at all, but otherwise a very solid amp. Great video, Mike.
My tinnitus is courtesy of a JC-120. I currently have a JC-22 that I CAN turn up.
Clean tone requires clean playing lol. The JC120 and others are kinda unforgiving which can be a good thing imo. Cool video dude.
Flatwounds help, as does the right tailpiece.
Clean playing just requires practice
Okay, I just found and subscribed to your channel, it takes a lot for me to do that, but I have to say, your vids, are simple, (well maybe not for you! You make them you know how hard it is!) they sound great, and you k ow how to tell a story without the “come on get on with it!” Factor! Like the Rick beato, but better! Not so “too much is never enough!” But I’m also super glad and thankful that someone in your age range is finding solid state and sharing it! I’m gen X, 44, I started playing on old crate amps, and fender champs, great sounding for learning and growing with, great options for practice, wonderful sounding tools! When line 6 brought the original pod out, almost everyone jumped on the band wagon. And I have watched it progress, this digital line of fuckery, that may sound ……. Okay, but if I wanted the tone of say a ‘67 twin reverb, with the built in power attenuator, the golden fender alarm clock that made coffee and told you the weather, and the t.p. Roll holder for those bathroom jams, etc, I would go, find that amp, not a “reasonable substitute!” But the convenience is there! I just don’t buy into it, anywho, I just wanted to say thank you
For doing this, and being you! I hope you’ll have more fun stuff to come!
One of the best modern rock tones I've ever got through an amp was a Stone Deaf PDF-2 into a JC120. The fact you can run them in stereo as well is just a great tool in the sonic toolkit.
When I was gigging this was all I used for years. This with a Les Paul Standard and occasionally a Boss OD-1. the absolute best.
In high school a classmate showed me his Peavy solid state amp. It sounded amazing. I've had an open eye for solid state amps ever since.
Glad to see NF3 SE get some love! I’ve been enjoying mine ever since I got it
The Jazz Chorus is the amp that immediately makes me think of the 1980's. Like that is the amp you get if you want to sound like the 80's.
One of my favorite solid state amps from the 80's is the Peavey Backstage Plus. And also the Crate GX-80.
I recently played a Peavy Renown. I was blown away by the clean channel. Two 12' Black widow speakers and extremely loud. The Amp was built in 1988 and still going strong.
A historical comment: my first guitar amp ( I was primarily a bass player at the time, Ampeg B-15) was a Gibson Starfire that I got second hand in 1965. Compared to later solid state amps it was pretty lame and more so compared to my bandmates' Ampeg Gemini 2's and Fender deluxe reverbs. But I found that as I got into pedals (again early mostly Vox) it was a great platform for those tools, it didn't colour them and responded quickly when you kicked them in. Like you, I have since been a "Tube guy" but I always keep in mind its not what the hardware is but how accurately it produces the sound you want however you're getting there.
You have a great series always enjoy your videos, Thanks!
one of the best $650 I ever spent for a used one
BB king played a Lab 5 I believe. I played one I "borrowed" from a friend for years and I was happy with it.
I am a hopeless gear addict and build teles, I liked and subscribed. I like your "delivery"- gotta run, I limit my time on here.
One of the great things about the JC-120 is that it works really well with the latest crop of high-quality "amp in a box" type pedals that model various vintage tube amps. You can use a JC-120 to play any type of music from the age of electric guitar.
I still have my first amp, a JC77, and later bought the JC120. I absolutely love the chorus effect ❤
The Roland Jazz course is a great amp, but I was introduced to another great solid state app made by lab series BB King used the lab series through his whole career and that’s a really great solid state amplifier , I think Gibson owned the lab series name.
The lab series amps were a collaboration between gibson and moog when norlin owned both companies, as was the rd artist model with the built-in preamp
@@jasondorsey7110 I knew Gibson was involved but I didn’t quite know how they fit in to the equation
I acquired a Lab Series via trade of a home stereo amp. Its sitting in my garage in great condition. Not sure if I want to flip it for something else or keep it. I plugged it in a couple times and it does sound pretty good.
@@adambrunner9462 keep it, it’s a good amp
Roland amps are workhorses! I’ve used a Roland Cube 60 for years now. It’s never let me down, great pedal platform, and it’s as loud as can be. It’s small and light, and I don’t have to worry about anything other than making music! 😉🎸
Just went to a Boss Katana Mk II. I don’t miss my tube amps at all
Nice vid, thanks! My first amp was a 70s (?) Kustom 150, roll-pleated, 2x12 separate cab. I LOVED this amp. It even had many pushpull pots so it an an incredible about of eq adjustment from the subtle to the absurd. It wasn't great with distorted tones, but a powerful clean tone which was great with pedals. I would run a big muff pi and DOD chorus into it mostly. I have several great tube amps but one of my favorite amps currently is a vintage Yamaha JX series 35. All transistor. Sounds beautiful. Warm and clean. 1x12 combo, so it's pretty light too.
Love the channel! Let’s me live vicariously through others for gear I’ve always heard about or seen, plus you give it more justice than I would if I were using it. And it’s educational.
Running a two amp setup splitting your signal after your pedal board into a solid state and a tube amp is also pretty neat trick. Solid state clean amps can tighten up your bottom end a bit. I’ve used both a Roland JC and a fender fm212 in this role.
Owned my jc120 since 1982. Nothing like it and perhaps one of the best effects platforms ever built. Every once in a while I crank it and it literally makes the room shake… 😊
I remember finding out about the JC 120, and as a connoisseur of solid state amps, it just made sense to me to use a pedal if you wanted distortion/overdrive, that way you had dynamic tonal contrast!
I love the JC-120!! I played through them many times and always got great sounds out of them. I can’t believe that I have never actually owned one, but this video has me thinking that I will be changing that soon…
Jc120 is legit. Got one second hand in rough shape as a teenager and was very disappointed with the lack of high gain. Now that I'm older, it's one of the prettiest sounding amps
Gotta say, ive been playing for over 20 years and recently came to the realization I prefer solid state.
More robust, less maintenance, and overall the distortion tones I can get I prefer over tube overdriven tones.
@@hughjanus5518 I owned a Peavey Deuce, which was solid state and this amp was a tank! I bought it when I was in high school in the mid 80’s for about $175 , it was my first amp and my other guitar buddies used to bust my balls because it wasn’t a tube amp. This amp was a great pedal platform and it had a really good sounding tremlo built into the amp and a spring reverb, my back still hurts from hauling it!
JC120s are deservedly considered great amps. But if you want something with a rock tone, the GOAT is another solid state, the Peavey Renown. The clean and dirty channels are jumped so you can blend classic Peavey smooth overdrive into the clean and go into Fender Bassman territory, while having a long row of knobs to get whatever guitar you have EQ’d to just what you need. And built like tanks, too.
Same here. I was a tube amp snob for 30 years and recently switched to a Boss Katana MK II. Now I’m kicking myself for not getting it sooner
I've been playing 30. I have 3-4 tube amps (Mesa Road King, a vintage Twin Reverb etc.) and the JC-120 is a great option to have. But I got a GT-1000 multi-effects, and darn if that's all I ever play any more. I play it on headphones. Sometimes through the stereo. Sometimes through the JC-120, and I record via USB. If you have an open mind you should try out a GT-1000 or one of the several newer, more expensive, and probably even better options. I think FX have just gotten good enough in the last 6 years or so that we don't even need amps any more.
I bought a 1984 JC77 (2x10 speakers) for $40 because it didn't power up and was really dirty... a quick solder joint at the fuse and it worked fine. The clean sound are nice, and the reverb and chorus are excellent!
Roland Jazz Chorus and Peavey Transtube amps are so great for most small gig bands. No tubes to fuss about, they just work, sound great, take a beating and work again.
I have a JC40. It's disarming at 1st because it is the cleanest, most accurate representation of your guitar & fingers that you can get.
My second amp was a Marshall hybrid combo (this is late 1990s, a Valvestate 60 watt 1x12. (Tube pre-amp, solid state everything else… and real reverb tank.))
My first amp was a 15 watt Crate which actually was able to get very loud.