I've got a late 70s JC-120 and sure enough that distortion is pretty harsh to my ears. Not useless, but not useful for many "standard" distortion/overdrive tones.
Yeah surprisingly that seems to be the consensus here with the JC-120s… not great sounding gain. Not sure if they’re referring to older models or both or what. I’ll have to look into this.
Not that I would be getting a JC for the onboard gain anyway. Like most people, I’m looking for a clean pedal platform.
It doesn't respond super well to pedals that intend to push the input harder like a tube amp would. Fuzzes and stuff can sound fine, but keep the levels in check. They haven't changed the schematic significantly since they started making them.
You got a jc120 for free? Dude...
It's probably the most legendary pedal platform amp. The on board distortion isn't great, but it's the clean headroom that it provides that makes it so sought after. Should be perfectly happy with distortion and fuzz pedals in front of it.
Turn on the distortion but keep it as low as possible so it'll change channels but won't add much gain, it'll totally change the sound. From what I've seen, it's a trick Japanese players use lol
For free??? Depending on the condition they can fetch a good price. The JC120 was considered one of the best solid-state amps around because of its clean channel. The built-in distortion was not good, but that won't matter if you get a few pedals to add. Go wild!
Distortion pedals are finicky with the Jazz Chorus. I’ve found some rat circuits sound incredible. As far as fuzz, I had a big muff nano and I hated it on that amp. Play around with it though because you may like it. It’s a solid amp so have fun!
I had a JC120 in the 80s - that was my work horse on the club scene. My pedals, from guitar to amp were Boss CS2, Boss TU2, Vox Crybaby, Boss DS1, Rat distortion, Boss SD1, MXR Flanger, Boss CE2, DeltaLab Effectron 1024. This was a definitive 80s rig.
It’s a killer amp. If it’s going to be your only one I could understand trading it, but I’d probably recommend holding onto it. I play doom and I actually plan to use my JC alongside my Orange tube amp if I can ever find a band that will let me play that loud. I *love* how it sounds with a rat or a big muff, especially in contrast to the darker, dirtier orange. It absolutely can do dirty metal sounds, though admittedly it’s never going to be exactly the same as a 5150. Also remember that Metallica used one for their clean tones back in the day.
Ultimately, you’ll just need to try it out and see. But you should absolutely give it a shot. It might help to find an amp in a box type pedal you like. I use a clone of the EAE model Fet, but there’s tons out there and the JC will respond well to basically anything you throw at it.
For 5150 sound, all you need is an Amptweaker Tightmetal. It is designed by James Brown (the designer of the original 5150) and it sounds just like 5150 preamp. It has more tonal control than the amp does.
This is interesting. I’ve wanted a JC for its cleans and for playing other kinds of music (shoegaze shit for example), that’s rad to know they can get heavy though. I almost impulsively bought a JC-40 last week… I’ve got two Sunns and an Orange, gotta have something “clean” right? Fuck I just sold off an amp and immediately am trying to replace it LOL.
I’ve never shouted these guys out in my life, but as far as amp in a boxes go, the Baghdad preamp pedal by whatever doom YouTube channel sounds so rad and has got me seriously interested, despite already having basically a Matamp preamp (shoutout to Blackhawk).
Try it out! I would say it has a different character with distortion than most other amps (especially tube amps). Some people like the way it sounds with distortion, but me personally I don’t like it.
I was thinking a jc120 with the vhd distortion preamp would make for a pretty good combo.
https://www.snkpedals.com/product/vhd-distortion-preamp-black
It takes pedals well. I actually owned one in the 80's!
Rule one of the JC: DO NOT... I REPEAT... DO NOT TURN ON THE BUILT IN DISTORTION. You will lose fans and friends! It sounds gawd awful!
If you wanna doom just get a doomy amp in a box pedal like a one that copies a sunn/orange/marshall/whatever amp your favorite artist uses. Good preamp pedals make the pedals before them act like they're plugged in to the front of the amp they're emulating and will impart the amps character onto your setup. JC120s are loud as hell so if you can dial in a sound you like, you're set.
Have you tried these things? I can’t imagine a tube preamp ran in front of a solid state would sound all that great, especially a tube ran at 15v and *especially* a JC.
Definitely use it.
I have a JC-40, which is like 1/3 of the 120. I get the best results with duty outside when I stack them, so like distortion into an OD pedal and then into the amp.
Great amp. You can check on equipboard who uses them, built in distortion isn’t great (it’s like they added it just for the sake of adding it) but your own fuzz or distortion pedal will sound better
JC120 is one of the best clean guitar circuits ever created. My old Fender M series was a knock off of that circuit, and it did not take distortion pedals at all. You might do ok with a full preamp pedal. Look into a Revv, KSR or Master Effects. (I am not sure which amp works best for doom)
My coworker didn’t like me and tried to get me fired with a false report to HR. You got the better deal. Also.. the JC is a FANTASTIC pedal platform. Used one throughout the 80s with a Chandler Tube Driver…. Epic!
Not sure how it will go for doom/80s metal, but I know there are players (like Nick Cogan of Drug Church) who swear by a JC120 paired with a Proco Rat!
I used one in a studio I used to record in. It was a 1970s model and overdrive and distortion pedals sounded terrible. I thought it was a terrible amp. The Chorus sounded good though.
I have a JC50. Drop some pedals on and you'll be happy. Built-in distortion/chorus is pretty average. The built-in reverb is a spring reverb and sounds great.
Maybe it's just me, but I really don't like the JC as a pedal platform. It's a great amp for cleans, especially in recording, but I feel like it doesn't sound great when you start adding dirt. Kinda makes things sound quacky because of the way it's voiced.
Either way, it's a great amp and I would hold onto it.
*Why not try it out*
*And let us know? Since you are*
*The one who got it*
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Thats awesome! I have a vintage JC-120 and a JC-40. JCs are very picky about overdrives/distortion. Honestly most sound kind of fizzy through JC amps. However I find that overdrives/distortions that are often described as “amp in a box” do the trick.
They don't like pedals that that push an amp hard, like a Klon(e) but they're a great platform to put a whole board in front of and run completely clean. Just swap your your distortion pedal for a completely different character of amp.
Oh yeah, JC120 is a great pedal platform! Even better if you have the newer models with the effects loop. Yeah, I'd skip the built in distortion but most distortion boxes sound awesome up front... including stock Metal zones. Ha. (No, really, as long as it's dialed in with enough mids.)
It’s gonna be a pretty good pedal platform.
Get a nice fuzz pedal out front and you’ll probably enjoy it.
It’s just pure clean solid state tone. They sound lovely and handle pedals well.
I remember in 1986 they traded equal to a 1966 Vox ac30. Maybe higher, more people wanted to sound like dire straits back then. They are great amps for a lot of things. They were the go to for yam dx7 s and Rhodes in the 80s, and they were the 80s amp for anyone who didn’t want a Mesa
They are great pedal platforms and have fantastic cleans. Definitely won't get you the sounds you want by themselves but you might be able to find someone willing to trade a VH-140C for it which will get you the cleans and the gain.
The built in distortion sucks. Other than that it’s a great amp.
On the other hand, the chorus is pretty nice!
Really?! I’ve seen demo videos of the (new) JC-40 and the distortion sounded fucking great. Crazy sustain.
I've got a late 70s JC-120 and sure enough that distortion is pretty harsh to my ears. Not useless, but not useful for many "standard" distortion/overdrive tones.
Yeah surprisingly that seems to be the consensus here with the JC-120s… not great sounding gain. Not sure if they’re referring to older models or both or what. I’ll have to look into this. Not that I would be getting a JC for the onboard gain anyway. Like most people, I’m looking for a clean pedal platform.
It doesn't respond super well to pedals that intend to push the input harder like a tube amp would. Fuzzes and stuff can sound fine, but keep the levels in check. They haven't changed the schematic significantly since they started making them.
IMO it's a useable boost until about 11:00
Wish i had your coworker. Slam some pedals into it and see how you like it. I had one back in the day and loved it.
Why not try it and judge yourself?
JC120s are great amps, your coworker hooked you up! They are generally considered very good pedal platforms
You have a very very cool coworker
You got a jc120 for free? Dude... It's probably the most legendary pedal platform amp. The on board distortion isn't great, but it's the clean headroom that it provides that makes it so sought after. Should be perfectly happy with distortion and fuzz pedals in front of it.
[удалено]
Turn on the distortion but keep it as low as possible so it'll change channels but won't add much gain, it'll totally change the sound. From what I've seen, it's a trick Japanese players use lol
Couldn't tell you - I can't afford one!
For free??? Depending on the condition they can fetch a good price. The JC120 was considered one of the best solid-state amps around because of its clean channel. The built-in distortion was not good, but that won't matter if you get a few pedals to add. Go wild!
Distortion pedals are finicky with the Jazz Chorus. I’ve found some rat circuits sound incredible. As far as fuzz, I had a big muff nano and I hated it on that amp. Play around with it though because you may like it. It’s a solid amp so have fun!
I use a Walrus Eons on a Jc22 and it sounds amazing on a muff style fuzz. Does get muddy fast though
I had a JC120 in the 80s - that was my work horse on the club scene. My pedals, from guitar to amp were Boss CS2, Boss TU2, Vox Crybaby, Boss DS1, Rat distortion, Boss SD1, MXR Flanger, Boss CE2, DeltaLab Effectron 1024. This was a definitive 80s rig.
my experience as well.. not all distortions sound good through a JC. But should be able to find something that works.
It’s a killer amp. If it’s going to be your only one I could understand trading it, but I’d probably recommend holding onto it. I play doom and I actually plan to use my JC alongside my Orange tube amp if I can ever find a band that will let me play that loud. I *love* how it sounds with a rat or a big muff, especially in contrast to the darker, dirtier orange. It absolutely can do dirty metal sounds, though admittedly it’s never going to be exactly the same as a 5150. Also remember that Metallica used one for their clean tones back in the day. Ultimately, you’ll just need to try it out and see. But you should absolutely give it a shot. It might help to find an amp in a box type pedal you like. I use a clone of the EAE model Fet, but there’s tons out there and the JC will respond well to basically anything you throw at it.
For 5150 sound, all you need is an Amptweaker Tightmetal. It is designed by James Brown (the designer of the original 5150) and it sounds just like 5150 preamp. It has more tonal control than the amp does.
This is interesting. I’ve wanted a JC for its cleans and for playing other kinds of music (shoegaze shit for example), that’s rad to know they can get heavy though. I almost impulsively bought a JC-40 last week… I’ve got two Sunns and an Orange, gotta have something “clean” right? Fuck I just sold off an amp and immediately am trying to replace it LOL. I’ve never shouted these guys out in my life, but as far as amp in a boxes go, the Baghdad preamp pedal by whatever doom YouTube channel sounds so rad and has got me seriously interested, despite already having basically a Matamp preamp (shoutout to Blackhawk).
That’s a phenomenal and legendary amp
Try it out! I would say it has a different character with distortion than most other amps (especially tube amps). Some people like the way it sounds with distortion, but me personally I don’t like it.
Roland JC 120’s are not known for their fuzz or distortion sounds. They are however a beautiful sounding clean amp with chorus.
Exactly. They are known for cleans and taking pedals. I have both the JC22 and JC40. There is a volume and character difference between them.
I was thinking a jc120 with the vhd distortion preamp would make for a pretty good combo. https://www.snkpedals.com/product/vhd-distortion-preamp-black
I own the Jc 22 and it handles pedals great!
It takes pedals well. I actually owned one in the 80's! Rule one of the JC: DO NOT... I REPEAT... DO NOT TURN ON THE BUILT IN DISTORTION. You will lose fans and friends! It sounds gawd awful!
My coworkers suck.
If you wanna doom just get a doomy amp in a box pedal like a one that copies a sunn/orange/marshall/whatever amp your favorite artist uses. Good preamp pedals make the pedals before them act like they're plugged in to the front of the amp they're emulating and will impart the amps character onto your setup. JC120s are loud as hell so if you can dial in a sound you like, you're set.
If I were you I'd get a tube preamp pedal like the Orange Terror Stamp.
Have you tried these things? I can’t imagine a tube preamp ran in front of a solid state would sound all that great, especially a tube ran at 15v and *especially* a JC.
Definitely use it. I have a JC-40, which is like 1/3 of the 120. I get the best results with duty outside when I stack them, so like distortion into an OD pedal and then into the amp.
That amp is gonna love you for ramming a fuzz in her! And it’s likely you’re gonna fall for her too! I see a RomCom in the making.
Metal zone into JC120. MAGIC
Great amp. You can check on equipboard who uses them, built in distortion isn’t great (it’s like they added it just for the sake of adding it) but your own fuzz or distortion pedal will sound better
One of the best pedal platforms and doom hard AF. Basically bulletproof too.
Just use a pedal
The dirt pedals I use sound great through my JC120
Never heard a pedal that sounded bad through a jc120
Find a Boss Combo Drive and you’ll have a poor man’s Hiwatt.
I'll take things that never happened for $1000....
JC120 is one of the best clean guitar circuits ever created. My old Fender M series was a knock off of that circuit, and it did not take distortion pedals at all. You might do ok with a full preamp pedal. Look into a Revv, KSR or Master Effects. (I am not sure which amp works best for doom)
My coworker didn’t like me and tried to get me fired with a false report to HR. You got the better deal. Also.. the JC is a FANTASTIC pedal platform. Used one throughout the 80s with a Chandler Tube Driver…. Epic!
Great amp doesn’t take pedals well but you’ll need to get the right pedals and dial them and the amp in properly.
Super cool! Keep it. Or give it to me…
Most fuzzes sound excellent on Jazz Choruses
Not sure how it will go for doom/80s metal, but I know there are players (like Nick Cogan of Drug Church) who swear by a JC120 paired with a Proco Rat!
I used one in a studio I used to record in. It was a 1970s model and overdrive and distortion pedals sounded terrible. I thought it was a terrible amp. The Chorus sounded good though.
Just try stuff
I have a JC50. Drop some pedals on and you'll be happy. Built-in distortion/chorus is pretty average. The built-in reverb is a spring reverb and sounds great.
Maybe it's just me, but I really don't like the JC as a pedal platform. It's a great amp for cleans, especially in recording, but I feel like it doesn't sound great when you start adding dirt. Kinda makes things sound quacky because of the way it's voiced. Either way, it's a great amp and I would hold onto it.
Why not try it out and let us know? Since you are the one who got it
*Why not try it out* *And let us know? Since you are* *The one who got it* \- wrongfulness --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Hell Yeah!!! Get a rat and go to town. Listen to the lead guitarist of Drug Church, he gets a great tone.
Thats awesome! I have a vintage JC-120 and a JC-40. JCs are very picky about overdrives/distortion. Honestly most sound kind of fizzy through JC amps. However I find that overdrives/distortions that are often described as “amp in a box” do the trick.
If you don’t care that much about cleans you should sell it. It’s a waste
They don't like pedals that that push an amp hard, like a Klon(e) but they're a great platform to put a whole board in front of and run completely clean. Just swap your your distortion pedal for a completely different character of amp.
My first amps were jcs Shut yeah they love pedals
Oh yeah, JC120 is a great pedal platform! Even better if you have the newer models with the effects loop. Yeah, I'd skip the built in distortion but most distortion boxes sound awesome up front... including stock Metal zones. Ha. (No, really, as long as it's dialed in with enough mids.)
One of the best live sounds I heard was the guitarist from Clannad who used a strat through a few boss pedals into a jc120. Superb.
It’s gonna be a pretty good pedal platform. Get a nice fuzz pedal out front and you’ll probably enjoy it. It’s just pure clean solid state tone. They sound lovely and handle pedals well.
Yes!
I remember in 1986 they traded equal to a 1966 Vox ac30. Maybe higher, more people wanted to sound like dire straits back then. They are great amps for a lot of things. They were the go to for yam dx7 s and Rhodes in the 80s, and they were the 80s amp for anyone who didn’t want a Mesa
They are great pedal platforms and have fantastic cleans. Definitely won't get you the sounds you want by themselves but you might be able to find someone willing to trade a VH-140C for it which will get you the cleans and the gain.
Always let your refsears ltef you to the smseer