how do these amps take pedals? i get the majority of my sound from pedals... btw, my dd6 came and the shredmaster is on the way... but i've narrowed it down to either a vox ac30 (which is my first choice) or a fender twin or a jazz chorus (which are tied for second) i tried one out for a bit and was impressed, but didn't get to do it side by side with the other ones... anyways thanks

I have never heard any amp that sounds better with pedals

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my rig

yeah the jazz chorus is very good with pedals but only one amp sounds great with pedals

THE ALL MIGHTY CLASSIC 30!!!

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Soon to have....

Mesa Boogie Road King - Ordered and coming my Way (With matching 4x12)
Keeley Katana
BJF Blues Devil

and...my dream pedal....

Toneczar Echoczar!!! (one day.....mmmmm)

My mate has one. It is cleaner than a fender twin. Im almost sure its solid state, but what a sound! It sounds just like tubes without any simulation crap. He uses a Boss DS-1, which is an 'alright' pedal. And it sounds killer! It beefs the amp up so much and gives a really great defined valve tone. A great alround amp. Works an absolute treat with pedals. It has built in chorus and vibrato which sound great too. Loud as hell! At a gig, it doesnt need to be played past '1.'

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Gibson Les Paul Classic 1960 --> Jim Dunlop Crybaby --> Marshall 1987x 50watt head --o FX LOOP - Boss TU-2 Tuner --> Boss CE-5 Chorus Ensemble --> MXR Phase 90 --> MXR Micro Amp o-- > Marshall 1960 4x12 Cabinet

The Jazz Chorus is 100% solid state, further proving my theory that the disparity between tube and solid state amp sounds is largely in the mind of the beholder, which offers an intriguing (if different) aspect to the whole tube/ss debate.

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Stuff I use:
Standard Strat with Lace Hot Golds; Standard Ash Tele; Fulltone OCD, Line6 M9
My Music

ever looked at a matchless dc30? its just as expensive as vox, and IMO better.

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My Gear - (outdated)http://community.webshots.com/user/musickbox

the jc's are amazing,best cleans ever(sorry fender guys), if i had one i'd put a top notch pedal in front of it like a proco rat,guyatone mmx metal monster,mesa v1 or vtwin.... the key to using distortion pedals with amps and making it sound good is getting an amp with a good clean channel that doesnt fall apart or muddy up and a quality pedal(not a cheapo dod or mt2). and the jc's dist is pretty non usable so it's a damn good thing it sounds so great with pedals.

No, you're wrong. There's a clear difference between the two sounds. Tubes are far more responsive to dynamics, especially when they've on the verge of breakup. Solid-state is lovely because it's a great canvas to paint on. However, to tube purists who claim that nothing else sounds good, my answer is: depends on what you're trying to do. If you use a lot of pedals, especially if you get your distortion from them like I do, and if you do a lot of loops, then solid-states are ideal. I love my Ultimate Chorus for my solo looping stuff, but I want a Deluxe Reverb for rock-band stuff because it breaks up much more quickly.

Anyway, to the original starter of this topic: the thing is that the price and sound disparities are so ridiculous between your three choices. There's little chance of you finding an AC-30 for under a thousand, Twins generally cost somewhere between six hundred and a thousand, and JC-120s can easily be had for $400 or less. They all have completely different sounds and it's all a matter of personal taste. How much money do you have, and have you tried all three extensively?

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-Martin
A Man, A Plan, A Canal featuring my equipment and songs

Fender Jazzmaster/Univox Rickenbacker 360-12 copy/reissue Danelectro U2 -> Zoom Ultra Fuzz, Boss TU-2, Ibanez DE-7, Digitech PDS 2000, Boss DD-20 -> Fender Ultimate Stereo Chorus/Gibson Discoverer

Well, I will agree that when using light overdrive, tubes sound better. They emphasize harmonics at that point that are more pleasing to the ear. Oscilloscopes will agree with me. Oscilloscopes can make zero distinction between clean tube amplification and clean solid-state amplification, and tube high gain distortion and solid state high gain distortion is very very very difficult to distinguish. So, I say that since an oscilloscope, whose only function in this world is to display soundwaves, can't tell the difference, any person that says they can hear the difference is confusing themselves.

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Stuff I use:
Standard Strat with Lace Hot Golds; Standard Ash Tele; Fulltone OCD, Line6 M9
My Music

What's pleasing to the ear isn't measurable by machine and is different for different people. Also, I never said that tubes sound better, just that in general they break up more easily so they're better suited to a traditional rock situation. But I've used my solid-state Fender in a band situation and gotten good results there too.

I don't think in a narrow box like most rock guitarists do where tubes are great and anything else sucks. But to say that there's no difference is faulty. Amps are tools and both kinds of amps have different purposes.

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-Martin
A Man, A Plan, A Canal featuring my equipment and songs

Fender Jazzmaster/Univox Rickenbacker 360-12 copy/reissue Danelectro U2 -> Zoom Ultra Fuzz, Boss TU-2, Ibanez DE-7, Digitech PDS 2000, Boss DD-20 -> Fender Ultimate Stereo Chorus/Gibson Discoverer

To steer this back on track, I love my JC-120 for the way it makes my pedals sound - i.e. just like they're intended to. It really is the best clean sound i've had to pleasure of using, but it also makes distortion sound fantastic. As someone said to me, it's the old Husker Du trick - Get a really good sounding clean amp and watch your distortion pedals shine. I say for value, you can't beat one of these. (And just so you understand, when I can afford it I plan to own an ac-30 as well as the JC, purely cos they're totally different amps.)

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Selling (prices INCLUDE shipping from Australia):
Digitech Space Station - New Old Stock, in the box with manual. Not sure i'm letting it go, but i'm fielding offers. Can send pics if required.
Boss RV-3 - good cosmetic condition. Breaks my freaking heart to sell it - $115
Boss SYB-3 - Analog synth sounds on both bass and guitar - $100
Boss OD-20 - I wouldn't part with it if there wasn't a near-identical section in the GT-8. This thing is loaded with usable sounds. - $110
Tablebeast Patch-bent SK-1 synth - Modified sample keyboard with a patchbay for realtime circuit bending. As used by Aphex Twin, Nine Inch Nails, Devo. ... see ebay store listing new here, and the official tablebeast site with mp3s here - $200 or i'm open to trades
Marshall Vibratrem - $30
Dunlop JH1 Jimi Hendrix wah - $45

I've used a JC-120 for years, and I agree that it sounds awesome with pedals --- certainly the best of any amp I've tried. The JC-120 has a very flat clean tone, which makes it the perfect blank canvas for FX.

I've seen untold people on GuitarGeek defame the Boss DS-1, but I swear, it and the JC-120 sound like they were made for each other. This is the combo I've used practically since I started playing guitar, and I've had people rave about how awesome my tone is. Thank you, Roland Corporation.

And as mentioned, you can get JC-120s on Ebay for ridiculously cheap. There are always several on Ebay at any one time, and I've routinely seen minty examples go for under $400. Quite a steal.

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When life hands me lemons, I have something to put in my vodka.

Yeah, it's a good trick. The JC-120s are really good at it. Quite often I see tube freaks here say "I hate solid state amps....with the exception of the JC-120".

Oh, I saw a band where the accordian player was playing accordian -> Rat -> JC-120 and he had a really excellent tone. When I get a mic installed in my accordian, I think I'm going to pick up a JC-120 so I can run accordian, Wurlitzer, and Fender Rhodes through it and then have my Fender Ultimate Stereo Chorus for guitar.

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-Martin
A Man, A Plan, A Canal featuring my equipment and songs

Fender Jazzmaster/Univox Rickenbacker 360-12 copy/reissue Danelectro U2 -> Zoom Ultra Fuzz, Boss TU-2, Ibanez DE-7, Digitech PDS 2000, Boss DD-20 -> Fender Ultimate Stereo Chorus/Gibson Discoverer

This is one of the funniest phrases I've seen in a long time.

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Axes: Fender Custom Shop Strat (Fred) / MIJ Strat (Fralin '54s) / MIJ Tele / Dillion LP (Fralins) / Dot (SD Ants) / PRS: McCarty Brazilian / Custom 22 Rosewood Artist / Archtop II
Rig: -> 535Q wah -> DOD FX56/ProCo RAT -> E13 TBD -> loop { Digitech RDS 3.6, phase inverted { dry -> 3-knob EHX Bad Stone -> ADA Rocket 20}} ->
Mesa Maverick, or GarageBand.
* BC Rich ST3 (SD Custom) -> Boogie Mark IIC+; 2 1x12 EV 12S's
I gave the Maverick to nyrkickazz1, and man, I miss that amp. IT SURVIVED! I have it back now.

Other stuff: a Ric 360/12 in baby blue; an '83 MIJ Squier P-bass; a Martin HD-28V; and now I have a Mesa Mark IV long head too.
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"Arise, goddess; invest thyself in these, thy shining raiment, and ensconced in Phaeton's chariot float your starréd way to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario."