Sorry but I have to say it... JC120

Well that's your opinion. It's working great and sounds great to me and millions of others so not sure what to tell ya?

Fair enough. Use what works for you. Maybe FAS can make the model more true, to your ear.

And I might add, that even though I don't like that amp. or its distortion, to me, ANY sound is potentially useful. Some of the cheeziest effects I've ever had, which just MAULED the sound, still proved useful at times (usually in application for which they were expressly not designed, like on a nose flute or an acoustic piano). That's why I have so much of my old stuff: amps, effects, instruments, because you never know when a Foxx Tone Machine with the tone set to 'ear bleed' is just what you'll want.

Creative aural molestation makes any old thing potentially useful (I once did a 'tubular bells' kinda thing playing a whisk through several effects).

Doubtless if I had a JC-120, I'd find an occasional use for it, for its own brand of oddness.
 
Fair enough. Use what works for you. Maybe FAS can make the model more true, to your ear.

And I might add, that even though I don't like that amp. or its distortion, to me, ANY sound is potentially useful. Some of the cheeziest effects I've ever had, which just MAULED the sound, still proved useful at times (usually in application for which they were expressly not designed, like on a nose flute or an acoustic piano). That's why I have so much of my old stuff: amps, effects, instruments, because you never know when a Foxx Tone Machine with the tone set to 'ear bleed' is just what you'll want.

Creative aural molestation makes any old thing potentially useful (I once did a 'tubular bells' kinda thing playing a whisk through several effects).

Doubtless if I had a JC-120, I'd find an occasional use for it, for its own brand of oddness.

It's actually a fantastic amp to run a [insert your favorite ultimate tube preamp with effects loop here] into the JC-120's low impedance input jack for the lead/chorus/tremolo channel. Try it and you won't be sorry. :)
 


Really cool tone, IMHO...


I remember that hiss. I had a JC-120 once with the exact same hiss. That was one of the reasons I got rid of it. That and because it really smelled :)
Absolutely don't agree that this amp blows. Say that to Fripp and Belew and thousands of others. But the hiss was unbearable to me.

Have to agree that the JC-120 in the Axe fx II didn't do it for me either. Too dull and muffled. Not like the real thing.
 
Jeries, the JC 120 was a one tone pony! It had one semi usable sound that resembled a Chorus called "Terrible" and a distortion called "Worse"! This amplifier had absolutely no sustain regardless of what you fed it. The sound came out of the speaker a dropped on the floor before it reached your ears. You had to turn it up so loud that it became the only method of running the amp. The power transformer was so small that it could not keep up with the output to produce the volume. Mine literally would cause the lights to dim every time I hit it too hard. This was truly an under engineered product from Roland back in the days they were starting out. I had to replace a lot of transformers on these amps when I had my electronics repair shop in the 1980's and I can assure you that these amps were always being serviced.

Man, you've got a box that has a few thousand pristine amps in it so stop complaining. You know even Chet Atkins told Waylon Jennings to stop using that amp because of the overbearing bass that the amp was producing. It literally came close to a muddy bass guitar sound that a guitarist should be straying away from. That's why you have a bass player in the band.

Comon' Jeries, get inside that piece of art and you'll never look back. Give it a chance.

My apologies for being so hard on you mate but you will find new sounds that you weren't aware existed if you give it a chance. I have a lot of rack mount guitar pre amps but this is a true blessing and I for one will tell everyone that it is capable of being used as an amplifier replacement for recording.
 
Jeries, the JC 120 was a one tone pony! It had one semi usable sound that resembled a Chorus called "Terrible" and a distortion called "Worse"! This amplifier had absolutely no sustain regardless of what you fed it. The sound came out of the speaker a dropped on the floor before it reached your ears. You had to turn it up so loud that it became the only method of running the amp. The power transformer was so small that it could not keep up with the output to produce the volume. Mine literally would cause the lights to dim every time I hit it too hard. This was truly an under engineered product from Roland back in the days they were starting out. I had to replace a lot of transformers on these amps when I had my electronics repair shop in the 1980's and I can assure you that these amps were always being serviced.

Man, you've got a box that has a few thousand pristine amps in it so stop complaining. You know even Chet Atkins told Waylon Jennings to stop using that amp because of the overbearing bass that the amp was producing. It literally came close to a muddy bass guitar sound that a guitarist should be straying away from. That's why you have a bass player in the band.

Comon' Jeries, get inside that piece of art and you'll never look back. Give it a chance.

My apologies for being so hard on you mate but you will find new sounds that you weren't aware existed if you give it a chance. I have a lot of rack mount guitar pre amps but this is a true blessing and I for one will tell everyone that it is capable of being used as an amplifier replacement for recording.

Ouch! :lol

I agree with your assessment of the distortion, but appreciate others' opinions who note it's utility - I.e., it's unique voice which has been used in TV & film production according to another poster. I also agree with your encouragement to dive deep in the box for other options.

But, man, can't we just agree to disagree on the utility of the JC-120? Different strokes folks. It was my go to amp when I slaved my Mesa Coliseum Series 300 head with 5-band EQ and Lexicon PCM 42 delay through it. Perfect lead and rhythm tone with just the right touch of chorus or tremolo on tap. I never needed a boost or drive pedal in 30 yrs. (and I can play loooud at times) and while the tone was predominately Mesa the volume was pure JC-120 (the Mesa speaker output was 100% terminated with load resistors). :lol
 
It's the best god damn clean tone i've ever heard

I have the box... but i still keep the JC

Even if I dialed the axe's in i'd still keep it...

Channel one is perfect and prestine, channel to is lush and perfect

It also takes all pedals perfectly

and has tone like nothing else in the world.

It's also true stereo...

on top of that- it has a TRUE STEREO fx loop
so what other combo in the world is out there that I could pug the axe fx ii into and get speakers/poweramp/stereo- in one?

It may be a one trick pony but it does in some cases the most important job- clean tone.

I like one trick ponys- i'd rather have 20 guitars and 10 amps that do one thing each then 1 of each that does it all (not so well)
 
I just did a great gig in NYC playing with a who's who in the jazz world. They provided the Roland amp, and I gotta say, it did the job. For what it was being used for, straight ahead jazz, it did a great job. I would love to have brought my AXE II, but that wasn't happening. It depends, as always, on the application. My faith in this amp was restored.
 
JC120 can definitely sound good if you tinker with it long enough. Zakk Wylde's "Unblackened" concert was all using this amp:



Unfortunately, YouTube does not have a more guitar-centered example available from this concert.
 
JC120 can definitely sound good if you tinker with it long enough.

I'd have to disagree---

i don't think any setting (as long as the distortion is at 0) sounds bad...

everything at noon.... scooped...more mids...more bass...more treble.... everything sounds great out of this thing.

Both channels too...

I picked up a used Parker P-38 w/Piezo to really get more out of the axe fx- I'm happy with the result- and loved it through the JC

perfect cleans
 
I just did a great gig in NYC playing with a who's who in the jazz world. They provided the Roland amp, and I gotta say, it did the job. For what it was being used for, straight ahead jazz, it did a great job. I would love to have brought my AXE II, but that wasn't happening. It depends, as always, on the application. My faith in this amp was restored.
Dude! Look me up next tie you're here! Would have loved to have seen you!
 
Guess we'll just have to disagree. Just about an Fender amp has better cleans to me - JC is soooo sterile.

It's the best god damn clean tone i've ever heard

I have the box... but i still keep the JC

Even if I dialed the axe's in i'd still keep it...

Channel one is perfect and prestine, channel to is lush and perfect

It also takes all pedals perfectly

and has tone like nothing else in the world.

It's also true stereo...

on top of that- it has a TRUE STEREO fx loop
so what other combo in the world is out there that I could pug the axe fx ii into and get speakers/poweramp/stereo- in one?

It may be a one trick pony but it does in some cases the most important job- clean tone.

I like one trick ponys- i'd rather have 20 guitars and 10 amps that do one thing each then 1 of each that does it all (not so well)
 
Hi! Anybody tried the Axe and JC connected via 4CM? Currently contemplating on one. How's the sound of the Boogies, Bogners, Marshalls and Diezels? The 'Worst Amp in the World' can get me through the night of around 50 songs with only my guitar and a cable, so this might be worth a shot using 4CM? Thanks.
 
Dude! Look me up next tie you're here! Would have loved to have seen you!
Sure! Well thank you, but I don't know man. You're a JC120 hater! It wouldn't work out. LOL.

I plan on trying to make it out there at least 3 or 4 times a year. So I'll try to make a point of letting you know.

And if it turns out I do make it out semi-regularly, I might see if I can sell something to buy another II or at least an Ultra and a small cab so I don't have to worry about hailing my gear across country.
 
Just starting with FW 11.05 and it totaly ruined my JC 120 patch i had on FW 10.... With heavy tweaking which was a big timesink i have my sound back now and can honestly say that i like the sound of my axe better than my jc 120 (bit richer)
The trick in FW 11 for me was putting tonestack on active to get that "hollow" character in the sound the jc has.

By default the amp sim is far frome the original but i am happy again with the results....
 
As someone who grew up in the 80s... if you think the real JC120 sucks: :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol
 
Check out the history of Alex Lifeson. Add yet another crappy JC120 sound (He's called on one every time he has recorded, even as late as snakes and arrows) to the thousands (not dozens, not hundreds) that have set standards through electric guitar's musical history. I love my 79' JC and could never sell it. And to say it plays well with pedals is an understatement. Just because it's not the amp for you, does not mean it sucks. What an awesome amp. Going to try the revised tone stack version tonight. Thanks for hearing these guys and responding as you always do Cliff!
 
Guess we'll just have to disagree. Just about an Fender amp has better cleans to me - JC is soooo sterile.

Dude! Look me up next tie you're here! Would have loved to have seen you!

+2 on the next NYC gig.

Henry - send us a post or PM next time you are in NYC - I have wanted to catch one of your gigs since your Artful Balance Records days. :encouragement:
 
It's the best god damn clean tone i've ever heard

I have the box... but i still keep the JC

Even if I dialed the axe's in i'd still keep it...

Channel one is perfect and prestine, channel to is lush and perfect

It also takes all pedals perfectly

and has tone like nothing else in the world.

It's also true stereo...

on top of that- it has a TRUE STEREO fx loop
so what other combo in the world is out there that I could pug the axe fx ii into and get speakers/poweramp/stereo- in one?


It may be a one trick pony but it does in some cases the most important job- clean tone.

I like one trick ponys- i'd rather have 20 guitars and 10 amps that do one thing each then 1 of each that does it all (not so well)

So do you use the JC-120 with the Axe FX II plugged into the stereo effects loop and - if so - what is the result?

Is it even close to a CLR or Matrix solution in terms of FRFR and tone?


EDIT: all - BTW - I know how folks are passionate about CLR v. Matrix so I apologize in advance if my question offends some Fractalites on the Forum. :lol
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom