This Amp is Hiding a $1000 Effect!
If you’re into music gear like I am, I’m sure you’re familiar with the vintage guitar effects pedal, the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble (originally released in 1976).
What if I told you this is exact circuit it hiding in a piece of gear, that came out in 1975? The Roland Jazz Chorus series of amplifiers have a built in bucket-brigade chorus effect, which just so happens to be the exact same circuit as the ever-sought after CE-1.
You can often find the various versions of the Jazz Chorus amplifier from the 70’s and 80’s for well under $1000, which is pretty uncommon for a vintage amp that is iconic as this that is still so celebrated today!
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Filmed & Edited by Thomas Filbert
00:00 The CE-1
01:12 Roland Jazz Chorus
01:47 Recording Setup & Distorted Tone
03:21 Why is this interesting?
06:56 Final Thoughts
#Amp #Hiding #Effect
Originally posted by UCEx50sH1d_JOdtNo3p2LfNQ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muUpw2phC48
I have the Boss CE-1 . I bought it off reverb in 2018 for $500 . I was a lil reluctant on making such purchase and when I told my Pop's I sent more than half my paycheck on an old chorus pedal , he gave me that "WTF" look HAHA . The OG CE-1 and the Roland JC have the exact circuit but they are little different . The CE-1 has the level control that is a great gain stage . Some modded them to get rid of this but I find it useful . If you after the CE-1 , I think the new WARM Audio WA C1 sound pretty damn good . $190 vs $1000 . And if you don't want the lil tricks the OG CE-1 does , the CE-2 is a GREAT option . Also if you are looking to buy the Roland Jazz Chorus just for the CE-1 effect buy the smallest one possible LOL . The 120 is HEAVY …..BUT if you are looking for great clean tones , the 120 IMO is the best sounding out of the series . But thats my opinion . Just make music y'all !
In my opinion, the Jazz Chorus by Roland amp line sound too sterile. They have no character. No shimmer in the highs. No mid whatsoever. Tight bass is lacking also. I prefer the Tone King amps when it comes to clean tone. TK amps have tons of high shimmer. Tight bottom end and beautiful glassy mids! No comparison to all tube designs! Not a fan at all of the Roland JC amps.
Hey Alex, you guys going to be at the show in Mesquite this weekend?
The JC amps are a sounds to themselves. I really enjoyed my JC-40 & recording it cornered. Great sound !
Alex becoming another Johan Segborn and driving the price of sleeper gear through the roof ????
I bought and returned a JC-40 a while back. Yes, the chorus sounded nice, but the reverb was just OK, and it didn't handle pedals that well in my opinion. I replaced it with a much more versatile Boss Katana Artist MkII Combo at a similar price point.
We used to buy the univox amps dirt cheap that came with superfuzz circuit and just rehouse it. l loved my ce-1 and my jc77 2×10. Except for the useless distortion knob.
As a 57 yr old jazz musician, I still think this is one of the best SS amps ever, even without the bonus of the legendary chorus effect.
I purchased a JC 180 w/four 10s only to have UPS destroy it to a comical degree by ignoring the 'This way up" signs and laying it on its back and stacking heavy boxes on it.
Thank you for including your mics and pres- no one does this on YouTube and it is so important when talking about sound of any device. My wife loves her JC60 for violin and electric violin.
Well not now you can't. You bfinging it to eveeryones attention made them go up in price. You can't find them under $1000 now.
Fantastic ❤????
In Japan I didn't pay attention at the time back in 90s but many rehearsal studio always carred Roland JC120 and stack of Marshall amp. Always amazed with this Jazz Chorus amp. BTW I enjoyed you guys checking out Osaka recently. Please be safe and well.
Great explanation of the effects and the amps! Thanks!
The "JC" has always been a reference for clean sounds and reliability.I remember once when we play, two guitars a Bass and a rythm box thru one of those! I have a friend who has the 4×10 version, still works!
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These amps were always great for getting that Alex Lifeson 'Xanadu' vibe, as well as every 80's 'indy' band I grew up watching. Good pedal platform too. Great video. Cheers.
In between the JC22 and the Vox AC10. Could you please do a review of this amp? ????
I had one of those choruses, and another that looked very similar but was a different effect (can't remember what) back in the mid – late 80's. I've no idea what happened to them, but I don't have them now. I actually gigged them ! I mean a lot !! They sounded great for the prog rock I was doing then, like rush, genesis and similar stuff. I probably paid a fiver each for them lol.
cc needs correcting; Rowan doesn't make amps, afaik. I have a Roland from the mid-70's which was one of the first to incorporate reverb – via a spring!
The dollar difference is because the Boss is a "flex" bit of gear, and the Roland isn't (yet). Buy a bunch of them now. BTW, your demo sounded a lot like Robert Smith from The Cure.
JC-55 Crew reprazent.
If you're mic'ing a true stereo model, note that one speaker will get the chorus effect and the other will remain dry. This enhances the swooshy goodness.
Hope all is well at Flash flood. Florida got hammered.
I own a JC 40, I love it, it blasts, takes pedals well and has the best clean sound out there
I’ve been using a JC40 as my primary amp for a couple years now. For what I play or the artists I play for it just fits the vibe. I also use it in my tech shop as the test amp and as you say the built in distortion can be quite rad at times
Also the JC tones on this song are unreal. This is the band that made me wanna get one https://youtu.be/DHlca5oHuOs?si=D68GmzAhvWf_fEce
Man I really needed some Flash Flood of Gear in my feed. Always awesome videos.
Yes, more like this one in the future. Out of all the music gear videos I have seen over the years, I seldom recall anyone doing a video comparing the Roland Chorus amp with the pedal version from a year later. Chorus was never my thing but I have to say, the first time I played through a Roland Chorus amp in a music store, it was pretty amazing. I had never heard anything like it before and you really can't get the full effect without the amp unit with its' two parallel speakers and propriety circuitry. These also work really well as keyboard amps. I like the direction you are going with the channel with episodes like this one.
My pal bought the CE1 ensemble and we used it in our band The boost function was also great to overdrive my amp and add sustain
I remember when the Boss Chorus amps came out in my hometown store I spent a lot of time “testing “ the chorus effect It was a revelation
It's my favorite amp of all time! I bought my jc120 from the son of the original owner who bought it in the 80s. My favorite chorus setting is to max out the depth and put the rate around 1-2
Alex check out the Boss MD-200 pedal. It has the CE-1 in it as a selectable option
Nice video…i stumbled in an old 1988 Fender Princeton Chorus Solid State amp, made in USA, 50 Watt, 2×10…. these amps are cheap ( around 200,–$) and the clean/chorus sound is very similar to the Roland… just cleaned the pots and it was ready to go…and NOT noisy at all…a nice budget-friendly alternative imo….
Greez from Krautland
Vintage gear is obtainable at lower prices, but they’ve usually been altered. For me, that’s fine! If it sounds good, it IS good. It doesn’t always have to be vintage, but I like old gear because that’s what my heroes ysee
Yvette Young and Austin from Turnover are definitely my top two artists using these.
Funnily enough, I learned about this amp through V-tubers!
Basically, one of my favorites, Chikafuji Lisa, is a musician irl, and this is one of her amps that she owns! She's really into a lot of Shoegaze, Math Rock, and Midwest Emo, so I can see where this amp can shine in those contexts.
Always awesome. Another great vid. Love reasonably priced vintage!
not a fan of the distortion.. sweet chorus..
This was a fun one!!
Hey, I hope you guys are staying safe after Mr Milton came a calling! We need our Flash Flood of Gear 'fix' every Friday in Northern Ireland. Great video as always.
Much love