Head room confusion - Roland JC 40

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Hello all - probably me being stupid so apologies

I was in Dawsons in Liverpool today. 

For a while I've been thinking about getting SS amp. I have a bad back and play almost exclusively clean in a ska band, also I often record at home at night time (so an SS amp can go straight into my audio interface instead of having to mic my tube amp)

So I've been thinking about the Jazz Chorus amps - they have a long history of use in reggae/ska. 

The 120 is HUGE and probably heavier than my Blues Deluxe (though the clean did sound absolutely gorgeous). So I was having a look at the 40. I wasn't convinced in the shop that it'd be loud enough to cope with a 9 piece band. The sales people said I couldn't get a refund (If I bought it and tried it at rehearsal)...

Then one of the staff in the shop said the 40 would be fine with the volume right up but then said there might not be enough head room and said the sound would start breaking up...

This confused me - I thought that didn't happen in none tube amps?

(I did buy a BOSS re 20 which is brilliant and have a digitech Freqout coming in the post too!)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    Breakup will happen with any amp if you push it hard enough, unless it has some sort of limiting circuitry to actively prevent it.

    With a solid-state amp, you're unlikely to like the result either.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ICBM said:
    Breakup will happen with any amp if you push it hard enough, unless it has some sort of limiting circuitry to actively prevent it.

    With a solid-state amp, you're unlikely to like the result either.
    Ah - right. Ok. Thank you very much @ICBM thats interesting. I think I'd have to run the JC 40 at close to top volume to be able to hear it on stage at a gig. I think its a no go. 

    I thought it was only tubes that broke up.

    Appreciate your help @ICBM - could's saved me a lot of trouble and money there. 


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  • If it’s clean headroom you want, Fender Champion 100. Light too! I like them, although plenty slate anything solid state because it doesn’t have teh valvez...
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  • If it’s clean headroom you want, Fender Champion 100. Light too! I like them, although plenty slate anything solid state because it doesn’t have teh valvez...
    Thanks Mr Moose - I am over the value snobbery - my bad back has helped me with that - also I play clean and the breaking up value sound isn't something I need. 

    The irony is that when I started out gigging as a guitar player it was with a champion 100 - great amp - I sold it for £50!!!!
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  • richardhomerrichardhomer Frets: 24793
    I’m frankly astonished that someone hasn’t posted ‘Katana’ yet....
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  • I’m frankly astonished that someone hasn’t posted ‘Katana’ yet....
    Yes - its been suggested before - the JC 120 does have the most desirable clean tone for me and has been used on many records that I love (and would like to try and emulate!)

    But yeah - its a fair point @richardhomer as the JC 120 is no lighter than five Blues Deluxe's it may well be that I'll have a look at some of the other 'new' SS amps - Ive heard the Katana is good and the Blues Cube series. 

    I'd be able to get some light and 80w(ish) to cover the volume and the weight issue. 
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  • Isn't the clean on the Katana the JC model from the Boss GT100? Or at least could be if you install the "extra models" thing on it. Trouble is it won't look anywhere near as nice as a Jazz Chorus, if that's a consideration for you (it would be to me)
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • Isn't the clean on the Katana the JC model from the Boss GT100? Or at least could be if you install the "extra models" thing on it. Trouble is it won't look anywhere near as nice as a Jazz Chorus, if that's a consideration for you (it would be to me)
    @thecolourbox - I have admired taste and agreed with many of your posts - but I have to say I cannot get on board with Jazz Chorus as a handsome amp. Unless thats sarcasm - the only reason to buy a Jazz Chorus is that beautiful clean tone. 

    In terms of appearance its an amp on its mother could love lol - so its not a consideration for me (not that I am above that sort of thing!)
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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    Hello all - probably me being stupid so apologies

    I was in Dawsons in Liverpool today. 

    For a while I've been thinking about getting SS amp. I have a bad back and play almost exclusively clean in a ska band, also I often record at home at night time (so an SS amp can go straight into my audio interface instead of having to mic my tube amp)

    So I've been thinking about the Jazz Chorus amps - they have a long history of use in reggae/ska. 

    The 120 is HUGE and probably heavier than my Blues Deluxe (though the clean did sound absolutely gorgeous). So I was having a look at the 40. I wasn't convinced in the shop that it'd be loud enough to cope with a 9 piece band. The sales people said I couldn't get a refund (If I bought it and tried it at rehearsal)...

    Then one of the staff in the shop said the 40 would be fine with the volume right up but then said there might not be enough head room and said the sound would start breaking up...

    This confused me - I thought that didn't happen in none tube amps?

    (I did buy a BOSS re 20 which is brilliant and have a digitech Freqout coming in the post too!)
    Do you have a PA?

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • Fretwired said:
    Hello all - probably me being stupid so apologies

    I was in Dawsons in Liverpool today. 

    For a while I've been thinking about getting SS amp. I have a bad back and play almost exclusively clean in a ska band, also I often record at home at night time (so an SS amp can go straight into my audio interface instead of having to mic my tube amp)

    So I've been thinking about the Jazz Chorus amps - they have a long history of use in reggae/ska. 

    The 120 is HUGE and probably heavier than my Blues Deluxe (though the clean did sound absolutely gorgeous). So I was having a look at the 40. I wasn't convinced in the shop that it'd be loud enough to cope with a 9 piece band. The sales people said I couldn't get a refund (If I bought it and tried it at rehearsal)...

    Then one of the staff in the shop said the 40 would be fine with the volume right up but then said there might not be enough head room and said the sound would start breaking up...

    This confused me - I thought that didn't happen in none tube amps?

    (I did buy a BOSS re 20 which is brilliant and have a digitech Freqout coming in the post too!)
    Do you have a PA?
    Yes - but only one monitor - which the vocalist has (naturally) so I need some volume from my amp for stage monitoring...... is that what you where thinking?
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    Clean headroom from a Katana 100 in a 9-piece band?

    Not a chance, not even close.   
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    If you’re only using it as a monitor then the JC-40 may be loud enough.

    You can easily try one - buy it online, and if it’s not then you can return it for a refund within 14 days. Even from Dawsons.

    If it’s not loud enough and the weight of a JC-120 is still a problem, you probably need something like Quilter Aviator and the lightest cab you can find, with neodymium speakers.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    I was thinking about the Quilter amps for loud, light solid state. Not cheap though. 
    The DV Mark Jazz combos are more affordable and very light, can’t see them having any more headroom than the JC though. Maybe two Jazz 12s as a stereo set up with the RE20! 
    The Matrix VB800 and the matching cab is another lightweight SS idea. Marshall type voicing though might be going in the wrong direction. Made in the lovely West Midlands. 

    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • Isn't the clean on the Katana the JC model from the Boss GT100? Or at least could be if you install the "extra models" thing on it. Trouble is it won't look anywhere near as nice as a Jazz Chorus, if that's a consideration for you (it would be to me)
    @thecolourbox - I have admired taste and agreed with many of your posts - but I have to say I cannot get on board with Jazz Chorus as a handsome amp. Unless thats sarcasm - the only reason to buy a Jazz Chorus is that beautiful clean tone. 

    In terms of appearance its an amp on its mother could love lol - so its not a consideration for me (not that I am above that sort of thing!)
    I've always thought of the JC amps as pretty awesome looking to be honest, nice retro look maybe a bit of brutalism but that's the era they came from right? And definitely nicer than the plastic looking cartoon style image of the Katana surely?! On a side note, you need to be careful agreeing with me too much, most of the time I don't even agree with myself...


    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
    soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
    youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    I think the JCs are very good-looking amps too. And tough, so they tend to stay that way even after a lot of use.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • TrudeTrude Frets: 914
    p90fool said:
    Clean headroom from a Katana 100 in a 9-piece band?

    Not a chance, not even close.   
    I beg to differ. 

    Using the clean channel as a loud, clean platform (which is what the OP is talking about) then the Katana 100 is easily louder and cleaner than a Blues Deluxe (his current amp).  You've said you prefer to use a driven base tone and get your clean from the guitar volume knob, which is why you've struggled with volume (if I read your previous comments correctly).  That's a perfectly valid approach, but worlds apart from what the OP is talking about.

    I can't comment on how similar the Katana clean channel is to a real JC amp, never having played one.  Would be a worthwhile comparison to do, and I'd be interested in the results (I admit to having a bit of a hankering for a JC-40 too)
    Some of the gear, some idea

    Trading feedback here
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  • Trude said:
    p90fool said:
    Clean headroom from a Katana 100 in a 9-piece band?

    Not a chance, not even close.   
    I beg to differ. 

    Using the clean channel as a loud, clean platform (which is what the OP is talking about) then the Katana 100 is easily louder and cleaner than a Blues Deluxe (his current amp)
    It really isn’t. I’ve owned both and the Katana can’t hold a candle to the Blues Deluxe for ‘clean’ headroom (as neither are truely clean in the way a JC120 is).
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  • TrudeTrude Frets: 914
    Okay, put it another way - I've played the Katana in 50w mode on an enormous festival stage and it was easily capable.  A Blues Deluxe would have been some way into power valve breakup at that point (not to say that's not a great sound).  The Fender would probably sound a bit nicer in all honesty, but bearing in mind the use case the OP is talking about (late night recording), this may be an acceptable trade-off

    To say it's "not even close" to being usable in a 9 piece ska band context, as unequivocal fact, is misleading if you ask me.  

    Anyway, the OP should have no trouble locating a Katana to test alongside a JC40 if he wants to compare.  I'd love to hear how they both stack up to each other and the Blues Deluxe.
    Some of the gear, some idea

    Trading feedback here
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    Trude said:
    Okay, put it another way - I've played the Katana in 50w mode on an enormous festival stage and it was easily capable.  A Blues Deluxe would have been some way into power valve breakup at that point (not to say that's not a great sound).  The Fender would probably sound a bit nicer in all honesty, but bearing in mind the use case the OP is talking about (late night recording), this may be an acceptable trade-off

    To say it's "not even close" to being usable in a 9 piece ska band context, as unequivocal fact, is misleading if you ask me.  


    Well whatever, but having owned and gigged both on large and small stages there's no doubt at all in my mind which one I'd grab on the way out to gig with a big band with no monitoring.  
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    Yamaha THR100 Head and matching 1x12. Lightweight, has a solid state amp model and a clean valve model. Some direct recording options too. That have more headroom than the JC40? 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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