Roland JC40

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I currently have a Princeton and love it, but I’m looking at the JC40 as a simple back up option for gigs, I have a pedalboard with mainly Boss stuff. Any owners out there keen to discuss there experiences with this amp? I’ve also looked at the Katana’s, Nextone & Blues Cube Range but favour the JC40 for it’s cleans and simple functions.
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  • Fellow Princeton fan here. If your investigation of the Blues Cubes didn't include the little 30W Hot, it's worth a look, I'd say; the controls are minimal compared to the other amps in the range. I had a good go through one alongside a JC40 and found the basic sound of the Hot more interesting and appealing. It's supposed to be Bassman-voiced, I think.

    If JC cleans are your thing, though, there's not much to criticise IMHO. My only advice would be to buy in person if possible: I didn't notice excessive hiss from the amp I played, but it's something some owners have grumbled about.
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31367
    I have played one, and find them very finicky about drive pedals compared to my Princeton. 

    Not saying it won't work, but it might not be a simple plug and play backup. 
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  • barnstorm said:
    Fellow Princeton fan here. If your investigation of the Blues Cubes didn't include the little 30W Hot, it's worth a look, I'd say; the controls are minimal compared to the other amps in the range. I had a good go through one alongside a JC40 and found the basic sound of the Hot more interesting and appealing. It's supposed to be Bassman-voiced, I think.

    If JC cleans are your thing, though, there's not much to criticise IMHO. My only advice would be to buy in person if possible: I didn't notice excessive hiss from the amp I played, but it's something some owners have grumbled about.
    Thanks for getting back, ideally the cleans are what I’m after, I’ll use my pedals to add grit/drive/flavour or whatever you call it, built in chorus/vibrato is a bonus as I love that heavily modulated Cocteau Twins/Slowdive stuff. I do like the sound of the blues cube but would want to use the drive tones from my pedals if that makes sense. I’ll need to try it out as you say and yes that hiss does bug me a little though.
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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    The cleans are so clean you might find it a tad harsh. It's VERY hifi.

    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • smigeonsmigeon Frets: 282
    I have a JC40 (as well as a Princeton 68) and I really like it. I only really play it clean, and usually don't bother with the famous chorus or the trem - I just use a touch of reverb. I haven't really used it much with pedals either.

    I mainly use it with my ES330 and this combination sounds lovely. As Gassage above says, the cleans are VERY clean and very different from the warmth of the Princeton (which I also love, BTW). That said, I wouldn't use the word "harsh" to describe it. To me the JC40 cleans sound a lot like George Benson which is a sound I personally love. Very clean but also very expressive and responsive to nuance.

    I've mainly played mine at home, and like the simplicity of it for just switching it on an playing a song when I'm walking past and the fancy takes me - as opposed to waiting for valves to warm up etc. This sounds trivial, but I do find it significant. There is indeed a bit of hiss, but it doesn't bother me personally. I've also played it a few times in a small jazz combo I play with, and brought it to open mic nights, and it works well in these situations too. Sounds great in a small-band mix and cuts through nicely. 
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  • There is the story that the earlier Boss pedals were all tested into the JC series ( the only in house amps at the time) so are often the best match. 
    Using your existing pedals for drive won't, probably obviously, work in quite the same way and I suspect you'll need some serious knob twiddling . Although the drive section on the 40 is supposed to be radically different from that of the old JCs and much more useable. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • Might be worth a look @builttospill ;
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    I currently have a Princeton and love it, but I’m looking at the JC40 as a simple back up option for gigs, I have a pedalboard with mainly Boss stuff. Any owners out there keen to discuss there experiences with this amp? I’ve also looked at the Katana’s, Nextone & Blues Cube Range but favour the JC40 for it’s cleans and simple functions.
    I have the smaller JC-22 .. the JC-40 sounded great but boy was it loud .. :-)

    The drive on the JC-40 is pants but both amps it takes drive pedals well and the amp has stereo inputs and a stereo effects loop - you can get a great Cocteau Twins vibe going. I have some Strymon pedals and have some great fun. I also have a Boss EQ pedal which I use sometimes to cut 'bright' tone. Both amps also have direct outs for recording or a PA.

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • Might be worth a look @builttospill ;
    Cheers @EricTheWeary just caught up with this thread again, will take a look
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  • Might be worth a look @builttospill ;
    Cheers @EricTheWeary just caught up with this thread again, will take a look
    Despite the video title they are very complimentary about the JC40 ( although the moral of the story might be you need a very posh overdrive pedal to go with it). Interesting how they say how loud it is, I’ve occasionally wondered if one would be giggable ( ha - or huggable according to predictive text) and for the gigs I did probably yes. Although as I’m no longer in a band bit of a moot point now. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • Fretwired said:
    I currently have a Princeton and love it, but I’m looking at the JC40 as a simple back up option for gigs, I have a pedalboard with mainly Boss stuff. Any owners out there keen to discuss there experiences with this amp? I’ve also looked at the Katana’s, Nextone & Blues Cube Range but favour the JC40 for it’s cleans and simple functions.
    I have the smaller JC-22 .. the JC-40 sounded great but boy was it loud .. :-)

    The drive on the JC-40 is pants but both amps it takes drive pedals well and the amp has stereo inputs and a stereo effects loop - you can get a great Cocteau Twins vibe going. I have some Strymon pedals and have some great fun. I also have a Boss EQ pedal which I use sometimes to cut 'bright' tone. Both amps also have direct outs for recording or a PA.
    Wow! I thought that JC40 sounded great on the TPS demo - I think I’ve narrowed my choices down to either the JC40 and HRD IV?  I’m not looking for Gilmour/Mayer/bluesy lead tones just something that cuts through and works in a band context.  I love experimental music Sonic Youth/Slowdive/Cocteau Twins. My question is will my all Boss board sound ok with the JC40? I have an SD-2 dual drive and reissue OD-1 obviously not in same league as the Kingsley Page or the Keeley Dan and Mick Drive, but if Neil Halstead/Slowdive can get a decent tone from a JC120 with an OD-3 and a Rat surely it can’t be that bad with my set up?
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31367
    I would say there's no contest between the HRD IV and the JC40 as a pedal platform. The Roland will work with some overdrive pedals albeit with an annoyingly narrow sweet spot, the Fender will work easily with everything.

    To me it really is night and day, and I say that as a massive fan of the JC clean sound.  
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  • Might be worth a look @builttospill ;
    Cheers @EricTheWeary just caught up with this thread again, will take a look
    Despite the video title they are very complimentary about the JC40 ( although the moral of the story might be you need a very posh overdrive pedal to go with it). Interesting how they say how loud it is, I’ve occasionally wondered if one would be giggable ( ha - or huggable according to predictive text) and for the gigs I did probably yes. Although as I’m no longer in a band bit of a moot point now. 

    100% giggable, I gigged one recently that belongs to a friend and was on 1/4 volume all night, sounded great mic,d up and I could hear it loud as hell on stage at a 350 cap venue 
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  • Might be worth a look @builttospill ;
    Cheers @EricTheWeary just caught up with this thread again, will take a look
    Despite the video title they are very complimentary about the JC40 ( although the moral of the story might be you need a very posh overdrive pedal to go with it). Interesting how they say how loud it is, I’ve occasionally wondered if one would be giggable ( ha - or huggable according to predictive text) and for the gigs I did probably yes. Although as I’m no longer in a band bit of a moot point now. 

    100% giggable, I gigged one recently that belongs to a friend and was on 1/4 volume all night, sounded great mic,d up and I could hear it loud as hell on stage at a 350 cap venue 
    Thanks! I still have my eye on one of these, still a massive urge to pull the trigger just a matter of time and my back will thank me, it’s really good to know that it’s giggable too. How did you find overdrives/distortions with it?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom


  • Might be worth a look @builttospill ;
    Cheers @EricTheWeary just caught up with this thread again, will take a look
    Despite the video title they are very complimentary about the JC40 ( although the moral of the story might be you need a very posh overdrive pedal to go with it). Interesting how they say how loud it is, I’ve occasionally wondered if one would be giggable ( ha - or huggable according to predictive text) and for the gigs I did probably yes. Although as I’m no longer in a band bit of a moot point now. 

    100% giggable, I gigged one recently that belongs to a friend and was on 1/4 volume all night, sounded great mic,d up and I could hear it loud as hell on stage at a 350 cap venue 
    Thanks! I still have my eye on one of these, still a massive urge to pull the trigger just a matter of time and my back will thank me, it’s really good to know that it’s giggable too. How did you find overdrives/distortions with it?
    I play noise rock/ shoe gaze so my distortion being after my reverbs sou d pretty horrible by nature.
    beyond being a touchmore compressed hitting the amp I think they handle distortions well overall. You just have to like the base sound to it, because it kind of always sounds like a JC no matter what your throwing at it. Perfect amp for home and gig use which isn’t often said 
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