JC-120 or hot rod deluxe?
Matt
reinforcement :) I bought one of these Line 6 Flextone II Plus deals
about 2 months ago, at first I was impressed/overwhelmed with all the
features, and it sounded pretty good in the store, but ever since,
slowly I have liked it less and less and now I just think it sucks.
Not very dynamically responsive, and not a great clean jazz tone
either. When I bought it I was still into a lot of rock/blues, but now
I am focusing most of my energy on jazz. Luckily, GC is going to let
me trade it in for full store credit and they can get a JC-120 in for
me for $699, or I've also considered the Fender HRD for $550ish.
I am leaning towards the JC-120 because for one it's solid state,
hence much more reliable, and I've heard great things about it. Plus
if the need arises to play anything bluesy/rock, I can always stick a
stomp box in front of it, but mainly I'll use it for jazz.
I've not actually tried a JC-120 however, but a few guys I know here
at college use them and they sound great. The HRD deluxe on the other
hand I am not entirely sure about. When I tried it out in the store it
sounded like crap. But I wasnt able to crank it much. I've played an
older HRD once, but was mainly playing it through a fuzz/sustain
pedal, and I was greatly impressed then. But at higher volumes, the
clean was kind of punchy and harsh.
So I think I am leaning towards the JC 120 :) Any thoughts?
GGarava352
Gerry
PJBMHB
because they are not always credible?
=-) PJ
Greg D
news:369707c7.02102...@posting.google.com:
Let's look at the facts:
1. You play mostly jazz now
2. You've not tried at JC-120, but have been impressed by the tone others
get with it
3. You tried the HRD, but it didn't sing to you
4. You prefer SS over tubes
If they are you're only 2 choices, I'd go with the JC-120.
As for tiring of tone, I tired of the HRD for jazz quickly. It was just
too woofy, not enough definition... something... for my tastes. Great for
rock, though, but at the time I had one, I wasn't playing rock.
I've not played through the 120, but did play the JC-90. I didn't like.
Found it too sterile... too crisp. Probably just the spekaers being new
and admittedly, I didn't play it for long enough.
Greg
IvanDRodriguez
In case you look here first, I sent you an email re: the JC120. Gimme a yell if
you're interested...:)
Ivan
Peter Grey
of tone. You need to play through both and buy the one you like better.
The JC120 will give you more clean headroom. BTW, the HRD will sound
better with a better speaker in it - the bottom end flab largely
disappears. The HRD is certainly lighter and smaller than the JC120. I
used my HRD for jazz only and it was great. For a warm Kenny Burrell-ish
tone, I thought it far superior to the Roland.
Peter
Widebeat
though it does cut in loud situations. The HRD is a much better amp IMHO.
It's warm , light in weight and more versatile. But I like tube amps better
anyway. Good luck,
Roy
Joe Finn
gig on one I went out and bought one used for $400. That was more than ten
years ago. It certainly has great sound quality and plenty of headroom. It
has been on the road and seems to be indestructible.
It is very heavy. Mine has casters on it but it's still a bitch getting it
in and out of the car. Usually I use a MBII and save the Roland for bigger
venues.
I played a concert through a Hot Rod. It belonged to the sound company. I
couldn't get comfortable with it by the time I got the tone dialed in it was
too loud. ....joe
--
Visit me on the web. www.JoeFinn.net
"Matt" <mjro...@bulldog.unca.edu> wrote in message
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Kev
I'd go with either the less expensive Deluxe or the more expensive
Hot Rod Deville 4x10, myself. I've played through both of these and
prefer them to
what I feel is the thinner-sounding and actually less reliable JC.
Nearly
every JC I've tried that is more than 3 or 4 years old has had some
sort of
"breakup" problem, where you're playing through input 1 and it
suddenly gets
extremely loud and distorted, or it gets suddenly loud when you try
turning
the volume up from 2 to 3. Also, I'm just not a huge fan of the tone
of those
amps, like I said above they have a much thinner sound to them than
the Fenders.
I got the Fender Deluxe but find myself sometimes wishing I'd saved up
a
little more and gone for the Deville, but they're both really good
amps, IMO.
What's most important of course is what kind tone appeals to you,
though,
because the Fender's "punchiness" is exactly what won me over about it
initially!
Good luck, either way, though.
-Kevin
Mark Guest
I should have tried changing the speaker before dumping the HRD, as it
wasn't bad, it just sounded a little muddy. Messing around with the preamp
tubes might also have helped. I liked the 120 tone, but the weight was
ridiculous. And no one has commented on the JC120 hiss. These amps are not
quiet, at least in my experience. Why not put in an extra few hours of work
and get the Clarus/RE rig? Not many complaints about these, and I know where
you can get a used Clarus for $350.
--
Mark Guest
Mark at MarkGuest.net
"Matt" <mjro...@bulldog.unca.edu> wrote in message
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icarusi
news:369707c7.02102...@posting.google.com...
> So I think I am leaning towards the JC 120 :) Any thoughts?
I tried one recently and was unimpressed by the major amount of
hiss present when the chorus wasn't used. It seemed to diminish
when the chorus was on, so I suspect it's the chorus circuitry
which is the culprit (likely if it's still the circuit as used on
the original JC 120). I was going to suggest checking the Roland
VGA-7, although you've gone off the Line 6 modelling amp, it does
have a 60+60 watt amp and full range speakers+tweeters, plus some
of the VG88 bits, such as alterered tunings at the flick of a
switch, if you have the GK pickup (possibly the nylon string
sound, but best to check that one?), but will also do the normal
guitar input stuff using the Roland COSM circuitry. The GK/VG
part can be used simultaneously with the COSM conventional guitar
part for mixed sounds, harmonies, sub and upper ocatve doubling
etc.
Icarusi
--
remove the 00 to reply
Sideways Jaye
hence much more reliable, and I've heard great things about it. Plus
if the need arises to play anything bluesy/rock, I can always stick a
stomp box in front of it, but mainly I'll use it for jazz."
As noted elsewhere here, it's a fallacy that solid state guitar amps
are more reliable. Some are, some aren't....simple as that. Further,
nothing sounds nastier than overdriving the front end of a solid state
amp with a stomp box that is designed to drive the front end of a tube
amp.
If I was going to go solid state, based on the excellent sounds that
Bob Russell got on Watch This, I'd get a rack mount POD, a high
quality, hiss-free power amp like a QSC, and a 2X10 semi-open back
cabinet with Weber Californias or C10Q's.
My preference is definitely for older tube amps. Get a 60's or 70's
Fender or Ampeg, get it serviced right...don't skimp. It won't let
you down, it'll always sound great and it'll *increase* in value.
My Deluxe Reverb, Princeton Reverb, and Reverberocket 2 have been in
and out of clubs extensively and have never once let me down.
My total investment in the Reverberocket with tubes, service and
speaker was about $675, but short of a $1200-plus boutique amp, you
cannot buy an amp that will touch it in current production. Plus, like
the Fenders, it has required *zero* service since the initial,
thorough going over.
EHHackney
other channel for guitar synth.
Yes there is some hiss. It was never a problem to me on a gig, though.
Yes, it's heavy. That's why I sold mine. BTW, a Fender Twin is heavier.
I had tried the JC-90 and JC-70, and didn't like them near as well. Seems that
the 12-inch speakers provide some warmth and bottom that the smaller speakers
don't.
Hack
--//--
IvanDRodriguez
The hiss started to bother me after awhile too. Sadly, my Roland has never been
on a gig < cuz I've never had one....LOL > . It's not known anyplace but my
music room. Poor thing...
Ivan
Peter Grey
You're probably better off. ;0 If you had a gig, you'd have to lift the thing. I
did one gig with my Vibrosonic and then it sat in my house for six months before I
sold it...
Peter
IvanDRodriguez
occasionally, and with the current rig, I can load and unload all in one shot.
PT head over one shoulder, Twin 8 in one hand, guitar in the other. I like
it...:)
Ivan
Rick Gebethner
(sisters?) of both these amps. I have a Fender Blues Junior with stock tubes
and I brought home a JC-60 to try. The JC-60 sounded good in the store. At
home, the difference was unbelievable. The JC-60 sounded cold, flat, and
muddy. Furthermore, it hissed like a snake. The BJ (and I really need to
change the tubes on this puppy) was warm, rich, and complex in comparison.
The HRD is a wonderful amp. Remember you can change the sound by changing
tubes. It's an option you don't get with solid state. The HRD is also light
and quite loud. I'm on the lookout for one myself.
Good luck,
Rick
Matt <mjro...@bulldog.unca.edu> wrote in message
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pea...@earthlink.net
Especially a Fender tube amp.
Every couple years you should change your power tubes.
Cheap price to pay for good tone and headroom.
The JC 120 is an excellent amp.
Probably heavier than the Fender.
If you never intend to overdrive your amp the JC is a good choice.
If you do plan on having more than one sound go with a good tube amp.
Pat
Paolo Manzini
Absolutely don't buy Fender hot rod series: too bassy and harsh.
The best Jazz amp is Fender '59 Bassman reissue: warm punchy, little valves'
compression, dinamic and not too heavy!
It works great with many guitars and effects!
"Matt" <mjro...@bulldog.unca.edu> ha scritto nel messaggio
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Peter Grey
an amp of mine for a Blues Jr (with a Celestion V30 speaker) and a JC-55. I
liked the JC-55's headroom but didn't like the sound as much. No hiss though...
Peter
Lawren Daltroy
I never liked the JC120 myself- sterile, heavy, and hissy (but I never
owned one, either). I've had both solid state and tube amps crap out
on me, so I think production quality is more important than tube vs
solid state. I generally go with my Evans JE120 (or AE100 if I need
something highly portable), but you probably don't want to spend the
bucks for an Evans. In terms of tube amps I have owned, I would agree
that the 50-watt ReverbeRocket reissues sound really good for jazz,
and are pretty portable. I only sold mine because I dropped it in the
dark once at at outside gig and it never worked right after that.
Another good small tube amp for jazz is the Peavey Classic 30, which
sounds better if you change the stock tubes (see Eurotubes on the
web). I've owned a Mesa Boogie studio 22+, too, but didn't like it for
jazz, and it was too heavy. Consider how your guitar will match your
amp. I have found that my Evans SS brings out the best in
hollowbodies, but the tube amps bring out the best in my thinline.
Lawren.