Roland JC-40
No discussion of solid-state guitar
amplifiers can be complete without
mention of the Roland JC-120, a
timeless amp that has long held
its own among tube-powered
competitors, winning over discerning
tonemeisters with its magically
three-dimensional clean tones and
legendarily hypnotic stereo chorus.
The 40th anniversary of this amp was
in 2015, and to mark the occasion
Roland released the JC-40, a scaleddown 40-watt version of the JC-120.
It has all the features that made the
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TONE TALK //
original so singular, but with some
marked improvements, including
a built-in distortion circuit that
totally doesn’t suck (it’s quite good,
actually) and a deep, lovely digital
reverb. Pedal dudes will delight in
how well it pairs with a nice OD or
fuzz pedal, and of course the built-in
chorus-vibrato circuit is unparalleled
in its swirly, mesmerizing texture.
Unlike the 120, the 40-watt JC is
light and very compact, while also
being plenty loud for the stage.
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