JC 40 or JC120

[UlricvonCatalyst]

Okay, so is there any concensus about which variant has the 'real' JC sound and lowest noise floor?

[OffYourFace]

Okay, so is there any concensus about which variant has the 'real' JC sound and lowest noise floor?

If you can deal with the size, a classic JC-120 from the mid-80s is the way to go. Compared to all the silverface Twin Reverbs i've had over the years, a JC-120 isn't bad to move around. The last one I had was from 85-86 and I recapped it. It sounded great and I even tried to buy it back from a friend and he was like, NO WAY! The noise floor isn't bad at all IMO.

You gotta make sure you get one with the original speakers. They're a part of the sound.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

Okay, so is there any concensus about which variant has the 'real' JC sound and lowest noise floor?

If you can deal with the size, a classic JC-120 from the mid-80s is the way to go. Compared to all the silverface Twin Reverbs i've had over the years, a JC-120 isn't bad to move around. The last one I had was from 85-86 and I recapped it. It sounded great and I even tried to buy it back from a friend and he was like, NO WAY! The noise floor isn't bad at all IMO.

You gotta make sure you get one with the original speakers. They're a part of the sound.

Ugh, I was hoping the answer was going to be "the smallest, lightest one". I guess a couple of Cube Chorus 60s would suit me better for teh stereoz, short of inheriting a mansion or somewhere with out-buildings to convert to a studio.

[OffYourFace]

Well I use my Cube 60 (from 2010 or whatever,same one Romy from XX used) in JC mode all the time. I've gigged with it many times with great success and I always used the line out, never mic'd. At this one showcase gig I did in 2019, these guys came up to compliment my tone and they couldn't believe I was using it for Electric, Acoustic and Bass guitar. TBH, I can't believe it either but I did.

[eggwheat]

My JC-77 is OK...It probably needs re-capping though. MY JC-160 from 1976 is a lot worse...but again Ive never re-capped it. I really need to do it as I bet it has those purple matsushita caps in it that leak everywhere..

But I'm thinking a 2x10 JC-90 or JC-85 if you can find one.

[cestlamort]

I had a JC77 and JC90 for a while (hoping to create a wall of small jazz choruses) and the JC77 sounded much better to me. Similar noise floor but the JC90 felt/sounded stiffer and more brittle somehow. (I sold the Jc90 but still use the jc77 regularly). The JC90 does have a stereo effects loop return and other upgrades (headphones out).

The JC77 is more than loud enough for a loud drummer in my experience. I’d assume a JC40 would be in the same ballpark.

I’ve really been tempted by the JC40 as a lighter option, and one that could potentially be stand alone stereo (if mic’d in stereo or maybe even line out; but if I’m doing line out, I might as well just use what’s on hand: the JC77 mic’d with a strymon iridium for the stereo partner)

[eggwheat]

Interesting. I’ve not tried the 90…assumed being newer it would have less chance of being noisy.

The JC-40 has less headroom than the JC-77 as it is half the wattage. 2x20 v 2x40

[UlricvonCatalyst]

Just been looking again at the JC-40 spec and noticed one minor niggle: as far as I can tell the FX send is mono. Not a huge deal, but an anomalous choice given you can feed the amp a stereo signal in the front end. Presumably it then gets summed to mono for the send, which is not the biggest deal, but something to file under 'less than perfect'.

For me, at least, the "Signature Dimensional Space Chorus effect for expansive stereo sound" might not be a minus, as I could patch in a CE-2 for true analogue chorus, CE-2w in CE-1 mode, CE-3 for analogue chorus/vibrato, DC-2, etc. etc. In practice I'd probably just learn to love the onboard Chorus/Vibrato/Reverb and save myself the bother.

Not something I really need, but definitely back to being something I want now.

[matbard]

Exactly: the JC-40 effects loop send is mono, so the two channels preamp will be summed before going to the loop.

[sunburster]

Neil Halstead of Slowdive usually uses two JC-120s, but at Glastonbury this year he used two JC-40s:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAPdv7tqwYs

Rachel Goswell (the other singer/guitarist in the band) also used one JC-40 there.

As you can tell from the video, it still sounds great.

[OffYourFace]

I like the JC-40s

Friend of mine get them to sound amazing live.