Roland JC-120

[Tukkis]

Hey

I've been having trouble recording distorted guitar with this amp

It either comes out too bright or too muddy and dark

Any Suggestions?


Tukkis

[Phildo]

Got to admit that I used to have a JC77, but the distortion wasn't up to much.

What mics are you using?

[Speeddemon]

Hi dude, I occasionally use a JC-120 in a rehearsal room, but I hook up my floorboard multi-fx GT-3 to it. When using the 15-1 Metal solo-patch, the sound is really tight and fat!
I dunno whether you play that kind of metal (At the gates, Dark Angel, Slayer, The Haunted), but I think JC-120 with Boss GT-3 is a killer combo!

Try micing it with a Sm57, a Sennheiser MD421, and maybe for distant room micing, a LD condenser...

cheerz,
SPeedy

[TexRoadkill]

That amp is really known for it's great clean sound. What's your distortion box?

[Tukkis]

I'm using a BOSS DS-1 distortion pedal

And a behringer xm8500 microphone

Is it my mic that is the problem?

Tukkis

[Phildo]

Try an SM57 Dude!

Failing that, if your sound's a little dull and lacking in focus, try running a DI out from the back of the amp and mixing it with the mic'd sound. I did that a coupla times and it wasn't too bad - I was micing with a 58 at the time (all I had!).

Phil

[nezpierce]

one of the guitarist's I used to tour with (late 80's early 90's) had a JC-120 cuz he was into clean playing, Smiths type stuff. When he joined the band I was in, the music was more aggressive, and we always had problems getting his guitar tone to toughen up. He eventually bought a Marshall Guv'nor pedal which helped (he had one of those orange boss DS-1 and a Rat as well neither of which did it) but no matter what you do, you will never get a JC-120 (or JC77) to sound like a Marshall JCM or any Mesa Boogie amp. That amp is truly designed to be super clean and chorus-y. The closest you'll get is like an overdriven Fender Twin. Which may work you depending on the music you are doing. ..

nP

[TexRoadkill]

If you are really committed to distortion trade in the amp on a marshall or Ampeg. Those amps are more known for distortion. I have a friend with an Ampeg and he actually prefers clean sounds. If you want to work a trade or something let me know.

The JC120 is a valued amp so you can probably get a pretty good trade or resell on it.

[gbondo9]

I used to have a JC and I sold it and I have regretted it ever since. I wouldnt sell it as its one the best clean sounds you can get (opinion). I never used it for distortion though as it didnt sound that great distorted. Its a solid state amp on top of that.
If you do want to try to get a good distortion out of it though, try some of the new tube distortion pedals that are coming out. Ive got a mesa boogie V-Twin at home and that things sounds amazing. Its running 2 12ax7's in the chasis and has 4 different modes it can run in. Very versatile, very gritty and yet smooth at the same time.
good luck

[Tukkis]

Thanks for the replies

I'll have a look for a marshall

and see how much i'll get for JC-120


Thanks

CYA TUKKIS

[Ace2000]

Save the JC for clean sounds, save up buy a marshall 2X12 combo for dirty tones.....otherwise no pedal will really do anything the boss can't.

[Tukkis]

Yeh you are right, I'll keep th JC-120 because it's great for clean tones and I'll get some prices for the marshall

Tukkis

[Devin DeVore]

Sounds like the issue you are having is in the cardiod pattern. Try a wider cardiod pattern or omni.

Devin DeVore
TSC
www.TrinitySoundCompany.com

[Tonewoods]

You'll never get a good distorted sound onto tape with a JC120, period...but that's just MHO...

Bruce
www.bruceharvie.com

[Speeddemon]

Well, maybe I should have added to my post up somewhere, that the fatness of my tone (JC-120+Boss GT-3) far surpassed any Marshall JCM900, Hughes and Kettner Vortex and a Mesa Boogie DC10....
Stop clinging so much about Marshall being great. JMO. The only great versatile Marshall (at least to my ears) is the JCM2000 TSL 122. From sparklin' clean to full boost hi-gain.
Like I said, if you want short, compact fat controlled Pantera-kind distortion, go JC-120 + Boss GT-3 (or GT-6, 24 bit...) I guarantee you, you'll have less hiss and buzzes, you are far more flexable than with just a JCM900 and besides, a JC-120 looks cool.
If you want it loud and sharp, connect the output of the GT-3 to the high-input of JC120's clean channel. If you want more body and less volume (to start off with) put it in the low-input.

just my €0.02
cheerz,
Speedy

[Tukkis]

Speeddemon

Would what you said work if I got like a POD a J-Station or a V-AMP and plug one of them through the JC-120?

Would they sound half decent?

Has anyone used these units for live performances?

Thanks
Tukkis

[Speeddemon]

Yeah I think so, Tukkis. I never heard the j-station or the v-amp, but I heard the POD on itself, and it sounded better than my GT-3, be sure when you connect a POD to the JC-120, to turn OFF the A.I.R.-switch!

Go for the 'rectified', 'british hi-gain' and 'modern hi-gain', those are my favourite distortion amps on the POD (v. 2.0)

cheerz

[Gabriel]

It's good to see the typical consumer response of, "you need a Marshall or an Ampeg..." Pffft.

While both companies do make great amps, if you're on a budget that's not the route you want to take. The POD idea, however, IS the road you should take, imho. Through an amp with such pristine clean tone as your Roland, you're going to get great results with the POD. As Speedemon said, make sure you have the AIR switch OFF!! You'll be hating it if you don't.

I've heard the V-amp, and it basically sucks in comparison to the POD. I haven't heard the J-station, but I know what kind of prices you'll see on those. The POD is a very good unit for a great price.

And as far as mics, I record guitar with condenser mics almost exclusively. Usually stuffed, barely off center of cone. If you like the sound coming out of the cabinet, don't color it with a dynamic mic (yes, I am PROUD heretic). You need the transient response of a condenser mic. That's just my opinion, but you couldn't convince me otherwise.

But don't take our word for it ... use what sounds good to you!!

[goon88]

I like to go in through the back of the JC 120, and use an outboard eq & tube pedal. The front panel inputs have some kind of eq on them, even when the tone knobs are set flat, and I can never get a distorted tone that I like that way.

On the back of the amp there are jacks that let you straight into the power amps for each channel. If you use an outboard pre-amp, effects unit, pedal and/or eq, you can shape your tone any which way, and the super clean power amps will just blast it out without changing it.

The Marshall sound is a cliche, although a great one, but if you want to create your own sound, the JC120 is a great way to just amplify it.