Are all Roland JCs equally clean?

[AAT65]

I’ve got a JC40, which like that JC77 has two 10” speakers, and its clean sounds are great - as has been said above, the mids sound better pushed up and the treble pulled back. I personally think the distortion sounds good at low-to-middling settings, but I don’t use it live because there is quite a volume drop when you turn it on. Since I do use the very clean sounds I get the dirt from my GP-10 (mostly one of its tube amp models, usually one of the AC30 variants) and distortion stays turned down to 0.

I’d also say that the chorus is very lush, but because it’s produced as a wet / dry mix between the two speakers you can sometimes end up hearing it a bit funny when you are too close in. Stand back a bit to get the full effect….

 

[Kandinskyesque]

Graceland is a HUGE reason I'd want a JC. There's a ton of super clean 80s on that which is to be admired for sure (if you're into that sort of thing). And of course, as a long time bassist, Bakithi Kumalo's fretless work is magical to listen to as well.

If I can manage to wrangle the Revv pedal I'm after, I think my first trip with it will be to my dad's JC77 to see how they jive together. If it's a match made in heaven, I'll have to figure out a way to wrestle it from his grasp (if I could find a Vox AC15 for him, I'm sure he'd be happy to trade).
In the meantime, I've been working to see if I can make my Tech 21 TM60 cop a decent JC vibe. Having a chorus helps, but I'm about to get a Boss Super Chorus, which will likely get me even closer.

It no doubt would sound a bit dated now (but possibly retro)...

In my 80's original material band, my favourite guitar tone that I came up with was my ESP Tele (both p/ups) into a Boss CS1 then into the JC77 using the amp's chorus and reverb.
For a bit of grit, no and again I'd use a RAT distortion on a 'mild' setting and flip to the bridge pickup.

Thanks for opening the thread, you've got me hankering after my old amp.
Sometimes we don't see a good thing because we already have it (speaking for myself of course).

My JC77 only photo that I know of is here from 1989.

 

[MilwMark]

I’ve got a JC40, which like that JC77 has two 10” speakers, and its clean sounds are great - as has been said above, the mids sound better pushed up and the treble pulled back. I personally think the distortion sounds good at low-to-middling settings, but I don’t
use it live because there is quite a volume drop when you turn it on. Since I do use the very clean sounds I get the dirt from my GP-10 (mostly one of its tube amp models, usually one of the AC30 variants) and distortion stays turned down to 0.

I’d also say that the chorus is very lush, but because it’s produced as a wet / dry mix between the two speakers you can sometimes end up hearing it a bit funny when you are too close in. Stand back a bit to get the full effect….

I don’t experience any volume drop with the Distortion. I do with the Chorus. I think because each speaker is then fed by a separate 25w amp?

 

[AAT65]

I don’t experience any volume drop with the Distortion. I do with the Chorus. I think because each speaker is then fed by a separate 25w amp?

How intriguing... yes since the Chorus feeds a different signal to each speaker you can imagine that the perceived sound level will drop. But chorus can change the way a guitar sig al.cuts through a mix quite dramatically anyway... and maybe it's the same thing for me with the distortion...? I'm going to have to experiment with turning distortion and chorus on & off again now...!

 

[AndrewG]

This thread reminded me of an amp I used back in the 1970s because my hero, Wilko Johnson, used one with Dr. Feelgood! Huge clean tones, and the front panel lit up! The mighty HH IC100, 2x12.

 

[Old Deaf Roadie]

"Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right" - Grateful Dead from "Scarlet Begonias"

Welcome to the Clean Amp Society. Enjoy!

 

[Grandy]

African guitarists (including Paul Simon collaborators Ray Phiri and Vincent Nguini have been using JCs for ages. Even many traditional african string instruments are put through them.

I remember someone reporting in recent times of Robert Smith of The Cure using two digital Cubes (80X or 80XL) in stereo on stage.

As already mentioned the Cubes do a convincing JC impression. And if you get the foot switch you can use one of the other amp models for your dirt sound easily. The Cubes are all over the place for a good reason. In my opinion the Katanas are just a revamped version of them, not necessarily better.

I've also used my 80X with an elecric acoustic guitar with good results.

 

[CCK1]

Yeah, they're SS, so they are pretty consistent. Years ago, I did contract work for a company that supplied PA for touring acts. Occasionally we were asked to provide backline too, the JC120's had a nickname of "Jesus Christ 120", because that's likely what you're going to say when you pick it up! I think the spec'ed weight is about 65 pounds, but in a 1990's era Anvil or Calzone road case, they could easily go over 120 pounds.

 

[rojo412]

Huge clean tones, and the front panel lit up! The mighty HH IC100, 2x12.

I had to see what you meant there...

Oh yeah... that is frickin' cool!

 

[Sleph]

Yep - they just do it at different volumes.

 

[Moonraker5]

John McGeoch regularly ran a JC/Marshall split rig, both live and in the studio.
View attachment 993978

McGeoch's opening lick to "Spellbound" is all Roland Jazz Chorus. You play that lick through any amp and you get nothing but an interesting lick. Play that lick through a Roland JC and, "Wow!"

 

[Moonraker5]

Three pages of Roland Jazz Chorus talk and no mention of The Cult's Billy Duffy yet?

Yes, the Jazz Chorus is noted for its cleans and chorus. But if you crank it really loud and play aggressively, that Roland Jazz Chorus can be a monster rock amp. The Cult with Duffy playing his JC 120 are proof of that.

I know hundreds of UK post-punk bands used the Roland JC and that sound became thee sound of the '80s. From The Cure to The Smiths, those JC cleans and chorus were wonderful to hear. But for me it was Duffy and The Cult that really got something special out of that Roland JC. I dug Duffy's sound so much I went out and spent a fortune and bought his rig!

And Duffy said he did use a BOSS dirt pedal every now and then...so I got me one of those, too:

 

[NoTeleBob]

I had to see what you meant there...

Oh yeah... that is frickin' cool!

I have my new quest.

 

[Moonraker5]

Recently, I was tasked with cleaning up my dad's 84 Roland JC77. Pretty much, I just had to clean out the pots and shine it up.

View attachment 993587

That looks really great. Exactly what did you use to shine it up?
And what did you use on the grill?

Anybody out there recommend a cleaner that would give black tolex a fantastic shine?

 

[rojo412]

Grille was just brushed and vacuumed.
Used a little bit of soapy water and a toothbrush on tough dirt on the Rolex, gave it a wipe and vac, then used mineral oil to get it shiny. Works great!