Jet City amps

lincolnblue

Anyone had any experience with Jet City Amps? They are cheap but no idea if they're any good

Haych

They are really good, especially when you can pick up a used JCA50H for the price of a decent overdrive pedal!

Creed_Clicks

Posted myself recently enquiring about them. Was thinking of the 20watt HV head. The grill on the front looks wrong though, but I wouldn't let that put me off. Either one of those or a Laney Cub head perhaps, but the extra 5 watts would help in a live scenario I'd imagine....?

not_the_dj

I have a JCA 20HV, which is my main gigging head (pub rock covers). Great little amp, loud enough for the gigs we do unmiked. I use it with either 1 or 2 Zilla 2x12 cabs. Great for that classic rock tone and takes drive pedals really well.

I also have a Custom 22 that I bought as a back-up and for a bit of variety. The OD channel on that is a bit too gainy for me, so I tend to use that as a single channel amp on the clean channel with pedals.

lincolnblue

Do they do a clean fendery model? They all seem to be heads too...no combos?

PolarityMan

I have a JCA50h, overdrive sounds are awesome, cleans arent quite as clean as i would like at gig volume but for the money these amps are crazy good.

I would probably pick my JCA 50h as backup for my VH4 at this point over my JVM.

Creed_Clicks

Wonder how the 20head would stack up V the Marshall Origin 20...

clarkefan

Bought a 20HV recently and for what I'm looking for (home player) I'm really enjoying it

It's louder than you'd imagine (I've had the neighbour's round, first time, after two years with a Marshall DSL 50).

Weirdly (to me) it "takes pedals" better than the Marshall. I can finally hear the Phase 90 when I'm attempting Van Halen stuff

One annoying thing about JCA amps is biasing.  Apparently they're biased quite cold so I want to do this (I read about 40% at idle on one website!), but the company keep insisting this isn't necessary, and installing 1ohm resistors involves either cutting traces and drilling holes in the PCB, or buying a bias probe for another 40 quid or so for an EL84 version, which I'll have to track down.  Looking forward to hearing what comes out when this is done

Haych

clarkefan said:

One annoying thing about JCA amps is biasing.  Apparently they're biased quite cold so I want to do this (I read about 40% at idle on one website!), but the company keep insisting this isn't necessary, and installing 1ohm resistors involves either cutting traces and drilling holes in the PCB, or buying a bias probe for another 40 quid or so for an EL84 version, which I'll have to track down.  Looking forward to hearing what comes out when this is done

I’ve heard that lots of amps with fixed bias are usually on the cold side. I even heard Mesa bias theirs cold too. 

I’m no expert by a long shot but it makes you wonder about Mesa’s claim that if you throw in a set of their tubes biasing is never necessary. If they are as cold as some claim just about any tube will work, no?  I’m sure IC will be along to put me right soon lol. 

p90fool

A lot of the guys in the JC Facebook group deliberately set the bias as cold as possible, including some of the great players and techs on there. Douglas White seems to agree broadly with that too, and if you're a home player I'd be surprised if you hear much difference when you rebias it. 

I have always biased my own amps all the way back to the 80s but have never bothered with any of my Jet City amps.

I have literally hundreds of gigs on Jet City 20w EL84 amps and not only do they sound great at high volume, but I have never even replaced any power valves. 

Every other EL84 based amped I've gigged has needed new valves every couple of months or so.

Don't overthink it, seriously, just plug and play and bung new valves in whenever you feel like it, like everyone did in the old days. 

Haych

Interestingly there’s a vid on YouTube of Mike Soldano himself modding a JCA50H, replacing the resistors so it will run on EL34s.

He then uses a scope to bias the amp and find the sweet spot. I have no idea what he’s doing for the most part but it’s still interesting to watch.

I’m out at the mo or I’d search it up and post the linky. 

mudslide73

 I've had a JCA50H as my main amp for 4 years. I'm a massive fan of the brand and I'll probably get another at some point.. fancying a low watter.

longi

I also have a Custom 22. I've had it since it was released and I love it! No complaints from me.

peteri

I had one of the JCA22 amps, changed a few of the valves when I got it to improve the quality of the valves a little, and more importantly take a little of the gain out of the cleaner channel.

Best bang for buck I've ever had, good for home use but also very loud.

Just a classic rock sound, highly recommended

Dopesick

Has anyone seen these JC amps before?

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Jet-City-100H-LTD-Valve-Head/2DWQ

I've known of the JCA range but this looks new to me?

clarkefan

p90fool said:

A lot of the guys in the JC Facebook group deliberately set the bias as cold as possible, including some of the great players and techs on there. Douglas White seems to agree broadly with that too, and if you're a home player I'd be surprised if you hear much difference when you rebias it. 

I have always biased my own amps all the way back to the 80s but have never bothered with any of my Jet City amps.

I have literally hundreds of gigs on Jet City 20w EL84 amps and not only do they sound great at high volume, but I have never even replaced any power valves. 

Every other EL84 based amped I've gigged has needed new valves every couple of months or so.

Don't overthink it, seriously, just plug and play and bung new valves in whenever you feel like it, like everyone did in the old days. 

Thank you, lots of real world experience here

The simplicity of a single channel is a welcome and familiar return for me.  Lots of options with a few pedals.  Lack of reverb was sorted by the astonishingly flexible HOF mini.

I'll still sort out a biasing solution.  Not being a FB user I'm not familiar with the posts you refer to, but equally there are plenty of people on forums rebiasing the low powered JCAs and feeling a benefit.

I've biased all my amps over the years since I heard how better my 2104 sounded 25 years ago when I re biased it.  I can't imagine why an amp currently biased at 40% at idle won't sound better at 65%, my experience with a lot of old Marshalls, even my DSL, suggests biasing in the right zone for that amp is a win.

We'll see.  I can always re bias cold again

Monstronaut

Dopesick said:

Has anyone seen these JC amps before?

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Jet-City-100H-LTD-Valve-Head/2DWQ

I've known of the JCA range but this looks new to me?

It's a reissue of the JCA100H with EL34s instead of 6L6s, I have one and absolutely love it. I bought it wanting a high gain amp but have it set Warren Hayes style with the master high and the gain low. A wonderful sound.

jonnyburgo

I’ve got the 20w combo with reverb, single channel version with an Eminence  Private Jack in it, it roars!

and I’m selling it

Dave_Mc

lincolnblue said:

Do they do a clean fendery model? They all seem to be heads too...no combos?

I haven't tried it, but the 50 watt 2x12 combo was supposed to have a fendery clean channel... whether you can ever find it in stock to buy it, though, I dunno. Thomann hasn't had the combos in stock for ages now...

p90fool

The crunch channel with the bright switch on on the Custom 22 does a very passable Princeton through an open backed cab, just put the master on 10 and use the gain as the volume control. 

not_the_dj

p90fool said:

The crunch channel with the bright switch on on the Custom 22 does a very passable Princeton through an open backed cab, just put the master on 10 and use the gain as the volume control. 

Oooo, i’m trying that.