The '80s in a box? The Rockman makes a comeback!
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2020
- Does the Rockman really capture the sound of the '80s? It's flashback time! :)
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This guy is actually a really good player. Super clean.
Tom wasn't just the guitar player for Boston: He WAS Boston on that first album for all intents and purposes.
Except for that stunning good Brad Delp vocal ability.
Really?
Thank you for spelling this phrase correctly. 👍
I havent played the guitar in the 80s, i was born in 1990 😂😂 but i know rockamn.. I was growing up listening to fathers 80s rock music so ifell in love with that Arena Rock gutiar sound. When i started to play Guitar 15 years ago i was chasing the 80s sound like Whitesnake, Europe, Def Leppard and ZZ top Afterburner tone.. Then after researching for years i found out that they almost all have been using rockmans back then, thats how they got the crisp nostalgic / catchy sound.
I think a lot of guys would agree about Van Halen and Boston both being huge in establishing what the 80's guitar sounds would be. Nice video!
The irony is Sholz and Van Halen did not get along - there were words exchanged in a festival in the late 70’s btw the 2 . The stories I’ve read about , Scholz is his own worst enemy , and besides being brilliant at engineering, recording , music writing and good on guitar- the guy is a clueless Liberal : beyond the pale in terms of logical /critical thinking - politics wise . He actually screwed Boston’s momentum of popularity in the early 80’s by challenging the record company that signed them , in court. They were tied up in legalities for at least 5 yrs .
i dont care how far we go into the future.....i will always love that chorusy distorted sound.....i remember playing the rock modules at a music store in 1987....i was blown away!!!!!!!!!!
Doesnt have Bass, Treble, Middle...whatever! but its has everything you need to play rock !! long live the 80s!
Yeah it's still pretty great for not having those controls! :)
Marshall doesnt really either lol. EVH had his always clocked to 10 on all dials no adjustments
Still have mine (the '82 original) and a few years back I sent it out to a guy who repairs them and had it upgraded to where it runs off AC power instead of batteries.
I also had all the capacitors replaced and it sounds amazing.
I still have the original box, , the instructions, the foam cutout insert, the original headphones and the receipt.
Upgrades and repairs were around 300.
Be careful of buying used ones online as the capacitors are probably blown and the switches make crackling noises when used.
Is there a link for that repair site or any contact info?
@@Karadjordje19 B5 Amplification on the east coast does them.
Are you selling?
I had one back in ealry 90's and we use to take it road tripping and bring a guitar and use a cassette adapter to a headphone jack into it so we could play guitar through the car stereo lol
Nice, I've never heard of someone doing that, but that sounds so cool :)
That’s awesome! 🤘
That's genius.
Man, I did that exact same thing back them as well. I also used to run it through my cheap home stereo system with a 1/8" adapter to RCA plugs and I would play records and cassettes at the same time. Felt like I was in the band. 😆
The Rockman stuff was the “modeling”amps of their day...they were designed to be run thru an FRFR cab...I had all the modules back then...cool stuff..definitely way ahead of its time...
Every teacher I had, had one of these. Sitting in a closet at the local music stores with headphones learning. Also. Can't thank you enough for your lessons. 30 years later I'm learning all the s*it I should have learned 30 years ago. I never used to learn the solo parts... Thanks again.
You are welcome bro! I really appreciate hearing that :)
I feel the same way as Randall. I should have learned all this 30 years ago and your lessons are awesome. I used to have one of these Rockman’s in high school and a guitar buddy of mine tried turning me on to Tom Scholz’s playing but I never did till now. I’m learning on of his songs and I can really appreciate his genius as a guitar player. And I’m from Boston so I have no excuse.
Great sound-Tom tailored it to perfection and there is no need for EQ controls.There is character in it that is so appealing even after all these years.
Thanks for posting! This was excellent as always!
Yet another cool piece of gear I didn't know existed... I was sort of a "post Van Halen" kid in the mid eighties so I was always trying to play catch up with that guitar revolution. Lol
In 1982 I bought the Rockman and ran it though my 72 and 74 marshall heads with 4 marshall cabs the sound was so big in stereo my sound man was in heaven we were a 4 piece like Van Halen we had a wall of sound. I used a MXR distortion + to push the solos those were the days. I still have the same Rockman with the rockadapter.
Oh man, that sounded like a kick ass rig. :) I would use a Tube Driver (one of the originals from the first run... still have it!) in front of mine. I had a Distortion + too... classic!
Damn dude! That demo and your playing was thoroughly badass!!
😎👍👍
Thanks for the trip backwards ! A great time in music that probably won’t ever happen again . 😢Incredible playing man . You da man. !!
Great video and great memories for sure! I had an Ibanez Rock & Play that was also a lot of fun!
Holy cow, that's rad! If these were ever reissued I'd totally get one!
Dunlop sells these in cheap
@@maxmustardman298 The problem is they lack all the extra effects such as: Chorus, echo, and clean 2.
So the new units are just compressors, distortion, and a cab sim.
@@raymondvalkenburg3444 yeah just checked for myself and with that much of a noisefloor turning it up loud is not gonna be fun. I will probably try getting that sound with pedals that Im going to use anyway.
I just got a a sorta reissue of one of these even tho I can't really play guitar well. I'm learning some chords so I can compare it with an original X100 and a Sustainor I have.
@@circuitsandcigars1278 What is the reissue called?
Dude, you were just showing off❤😊❤😊❤😊❤😊 great video and highly appreciated!!!
That tone with the Spark in front was wayyyy good. Good stuff man!
Great vid, PDX. The rockman brings some memories back.
Thanks man, glad I could do that :)
I had no idea Megadeth used a Rockman on So Far, So Good, So What! I always really liked the tone on that album, and have always wondered what effects they used.
It's such an obvious sound.
They didn't use one on that album they used one on peace sells but who's buying running the rockman into the Marshall JCM800. On so far so good so what they used lead Jackson modded Marshall jcm800
Mister, you just earned yourself a new subscriber! It’s fair considering I’m gong to steal all your licks from this vid.
Thanks Cody, and welcome! :)
I remember seeing ads for these in Guitar World magazine back in the early 90’s but I was a broke high school kid so I never got to try one 😢
Fantastic demo of the Rockman, not to mention most excellent playing. Rock on, dude!
I think the tone of the Rockman still holds up today. There’s no easier or less expensive way of going about getting that sound.
Sure, plugins/apps can do it, but you’ll need a device and an interface.
Uh! Even if you have an original you still need hardware, or is it that magic! lol IK do a plugin for this now, easy and don't have to waste hundreds of dollars on nostalgia, that if needs repairing, you won't get ripped of because it's 'Vintage' BS - Some people need to move on, with modern technology you can recreate ANY sound you want, cheaply.
Cool video and some nice playing too, subbed!
Blast from the past 😉. I really enjoyed this video. Thanks so much. 🤘😜🤘
Thanks, as always, for watching Al! Back to the 80s we go! :)
Still have my solist from 1986. Used it as a preamp \ pedal...I would pull the output cable out one click or ring from the solist to get it to run thru my amp. Great video!
Enjoyed your presentation. I have my 100 from 1983 when I bought it. Hadn't used it for around 30+ years; but the sounds are still beautiful and I'm not embarrassed to say it.
WOW...i had one of those when they first came out...i used to run it thru my stereo to learn songs from records or cd’s...it sounded incredible...but of course I have no idea where it went ...as with so much other gear!!!...PDX, thanks for the blast from the past!!!!
Hey Larry, glad you enjoyed it! Just about everything I owned in the 80s, I wish I had never sold... lesson for the young people watching! :)
PDX Guitar Freak ...agreed...too bad we can’t see into the future!!!!!
Those were a revelation back in the day. I liked mine so much I bought the rackmount XPR, but the digital stuff was kind of taking over by then.
The XPR had a lot of variability the X100 didn't have. You could vary the levels of all the effects, which allowed more tones. Plus you didn't have to clip it to your belt or duct tape it to anything at gigs. They also made a midi footswitch that allowed storage of 128(?) presets, which I bought as well. Good times. I still have it all, but haven't used it for nearly 30 years.
Good video. Thx.
Great video! Used to use one as well! Awesome playing as well!
great playing. love the tones. good stuff ;P
Great vid. Straight forward and no bs.
Nice I'm new here U got great chops. Ah the 80s would love to see a video on 80s playing or gear. Glad I found ur channel and subbed.. rock on🤘
Hey thanks bro, I'm glad to have you on board! :)
Really enjoyed this video!
A friend of mine gave me one and it really inspired me to play.
Haha great vid! Haven't played mine since the late 80s. Gonna go dig it up and give it run down memory lane.
LOL have fun bro, I'm digging it so much :)
Definitely a nice demo of sounds. I had one of these when they were first introduced and there was nothing like them at the time. They must have gotten even more popular since you posted this video because these go for A LOT of $$$ on Reverb and Ebay right now. ($500-$700 or so!!!) I'd like to get one because I can see uses for it, and of course for the nostalgia of it all too, but that's just too much. Anyway, thanks for a really nice demo. Well done. PS: It sounded great with the boost too!
Great video! Beautiful guitars. I’ve been playing since 1978, and never got around to buying a Rockman. While in college in the early 80’s, my roommate and I (a fellow guitar buddy), we’re building and using “power soak” attenuators made from hair dryer components… not kidding! It was a great time to be a guitar player. One last tidbit… I bumped into Tom Schultz as I was leaving a bank in Lynn Massachusetts on February 1986… 👍🏻
Wow great chops man!
Great Demo and kickass soloing. Keep on Rockin'
Love that pic of you in 86! Yep - I had a Rockman too 😁
LOL thanks man, wish I could still grow hair like that! :)
Great video Dave brings us all back to those days when music was actually fun to play n had that distinctive sound which probably won't be captured again. Your Les Paul sounded great especially with the neck pickup on.I have a 79 LP Standard that I got in 1980 it was a Xmas present from my parents, best day of my life.I was 13 yrs old. Can't believe I've had it for 40 yrs now. I've been playing since I was 11. Like u I'm a huge EVH fan. It's unbelievable how 4 decades have passed. What a drag it is getting old 😃. That picture with you n Alice Cooper is a trip , very Kool.👍 👊🎸😎
Hey Sotirios! That is so cool that you still have the LP. Is that it in your Detroit Rock City video? If yes, it looks in AMAZING shape. I wish I kept my first guitar, which I got for my 12th birthday. It was a mutt of assembled pieces, and looked like a Fender Mustang. The guy who pieced it together lived across the street from us in L.A. (where I grew up), and his name was Mike DeTemple. He now builds guitars under the DeTemple name/brand, and has made them for Joe Walsh, Bob Dylan, Mike Landau and others. Kind of cool connection... but alas I sold it when I was still a teen. Lesson learned! Anyway, rock the weekend bro! :)
@@PDXguitarfreak Yes that's it . It's burgundy wine in color, it's made out of mahogany with a maple top n ebony fretboard. There also is some wear n tear on the body from over the yrs.I used that guitar alot through the yrs. I had a fret job done (jumbo frets) i changed the bridge pickup to a 59 seymour Duncan PAF . The tailpiece n the bridge was changed n also the volume n control knobs were changed all to original specs. Almost forgot do u remember the old gibson cases ? I think they were called the chainsaw case ,well, that's what it came with they don't make them like that anymore. Back then it cost $540 with case. I bought it from the music store i was taking lessons at. That's the 2nd guitar I owned. My 1st guitar which I still have from 1978 is a Univox reversed strat body look in white. It's not original anymore I also replaced alot on that guitar also. P90 in the neck , bridge pickup is from a Epipphone les paul custom which had gold hardware- Kramer bridge- pig nose volume n tone control
knob from if u remember the old pig nose mini amps , grover tuners ,also put jumbo frets on it. A good friend of mine is a guitar tech , he's the best I'm lucky to have him as a friend. Tnx for checking out my video on UA-cam I have others on there to. Yours are great n professionally done ur awesome Dave. Mine are amateur compared to yours . I just plug in n play straight up no backing tracks just winging it solo. I guess if u tap my icon it should take u to my channel. Check it out if u have time I would appreciate the feedback. Have a great weekend looking forward to more of ur videos. ROCK ON! 👍👊🎸😎
I never had the Rockman but I had, maybe still have, the Arion Hot Watt II. Love the video!
I bought a Rockman XP100 amp in 1989 and boy do I wish I still had it. Best sounding amp I ever played through.
I was actually working offshore of Key West as a Treasure Hunter and had one of these on the boat to practice with so when we came in from offshore I would play gigs at Sloppy Joes, Capt. Tony's, and the Bull.
If you missed the 80's,...
Sorry.
Awesome demo .... Thanks! Subscribed!
I had one of these back in the late 80s. I have no idea what happened to it but I sure miss it. And my personal favorite sound on it was the Edge sound.
Excellent review and excellent playing!
Wow! i had a Rockman back in the day. Good video Dave!
Thanks Dave! I wish Scholz would allow Dunlop to make this model again... I think it would sell!
Clicked this vid to check out the Rockman. Got a guitar lesson instead!! Awesome stuff love that 80ss sound. Hysteria really captured that rockman sound!!
Your playing is awesome brother
I always kept one around. It’s a must have for playing around with headphones or just as a pre amp situation.
Sweet video man!! You da man!
Hey Jeff! Thanks bro! :)
I had the Bassman years ago, it was the coolest sounding amp I had, i used to use it as a pre-amp. Sustain for days!
Had front row seats for the "Third Stage" concert tour @ the Summit in Houston Tx.
I used to have the Rockman Distortion Generator rack. It sounded great. I curse the day I sold it!
I had that exact one, the X100. Those were so cool back then! I probably sold it to fund some new rack unit.
Right on, and I can't even remember why I sold mine... young and in need of cash most likely :)
Nice mustache dude!! All the style there! I love your right hand dexterity by the way! And the left as well sick technique
LOL thanks Daniel! This is my "COVID quarantine" look :)
@@PDXguitarfreak hahaha that's looking great! Well regards as always from Uruguay and stay safe dude 🇺🇾🤘
I still have my Rockman Soloist I got as a gift in the early 90's. Don't break it out that often but it is pretty cool.
THANK YOU!
0:22 Woot! A retro pic... so handsome that the woman had to wear sunglasses (they still do, no doubt ;-)!
I was a bit too young to appreciate Boston/Tom Scholz, but in hindsight, his genius leaves me slack-jawed in amazement
I remember riding with my cousin to buy a Rockman Rackmount EQ, Chorus & Echo way back in the day.
Sure wish they'd come out with a reissue of these. They could even do it in a smaller housing with surface mount components. I had so much fun with one of these back like the late 80's/early 90's.
Nice frickin playing!
I bought myself a Bass Ace. Fantastic piece of kit. I use it as a pre-amp with the Marshall rig. I get that super Rikky tone even with me Shergold Modulator. Best sixty quid I eve spent.
This is one of the best overviews of the Rockman I've seen on YT! Lots of thanks and congratulations from me; I'm so glad you put in the effort to compare all the permutations. I'm more convinced than ever to get one now.
There's one particular tone I'm after, and it uses a Rockman but I'm not sure what else: the solo in Toy Soldiers by Martika. If I simply added a delay/reverb pedal in front of an X100 and cranked the gain, would that nail the tone or does it need to be fed into an actual amp? It's pretty much the ONLY lead tone I'll ever need; I'm low-maintenance that way. xD
Cool video! It's funny because you can totally hear the Album Hysteria in there!
Yeah it's all over that album, right? :)
I always wanted a Rockman. I wish I would have picked one up back in the early 90's when they seemed to be pretty common.
Power Soak into Marshall was my sound back then. Roommate had a Rickman which I thought of as a toy. The possibilities of what I could have done with one never occurred to me. Wish I'd been a bit more visionary about it.
I'm about to go dig mine out of storage right now! Somehow I forgot how much I enjoyed this thing.
Almost a bit of that 0U812 feel too. Great playing man!
O1 thought that 2.
Wow! I knew about Boston and Def Leppard but I didn’t know about Megadeth! Now I’m really stoked that I got it.
Good stuff very unique playing style
We (my band, The Sacrificed) actually mixed using the Rockman XP100 combo amp along with Mesa Boogie to get that magic tone on certain parts of our songs. We've also used the X100 Rockman you used in this video, in the studio for a few tracks.
Awesome playing, bro! Always knew Boston used a rockman, of course but never new Def Leppard did. Cool tip.
Really cool video man ! I'm really glad to know where that sound comes from. It's definitely 80's.
It's kind of weak and soft sounding, but I don't know, for these rock ballads or tunes that blend well with synthesizers, that tone provides a really well balanced, smooth and warm guitar sound in that type of mix, while still delivering the extra tones of distortion. I just wouldn't use it if my goal was to play loud and aggressive music. But if I want to relive an 80's training montage sequence, I'd surely go for that sound.
Yeah, I agree it's better for a lighter 80s tone, and not for full on metal. Although you could put another distortion pedal in front and really drive it even harder... maybe add an EQ too. Megadeth used it on the So Far album, but that's probably my least favorite Megadeth album from a guitar tone standpoint... and I'm not sure what else Dave Mustaine did to it, because it doesn't sound like the standard Rockman tone.
After years of wanting one of these, I finally bought one. I watched this video with a friend of mine who's really into modern gear like the Fractals, Kempers, plug-ins and such (and while I think those are awesome and can do amazing things, I prefer older gear), he advised against dropping as much cash as i did for it but, man, im so glad i did.
They really are a lot of fun... and man the memories coming back are so worth it :)
Very cool :)
I remember a couple friends who had these things. It was the first time I ever heard anyone get a polished, professional sounding distorted rock tone. Back then, no one had Marshall amps that they could crank up to 10 to get that saturated, modern distorted rock tone. We just had cheap amps that were mainly used for clean or very light dirty blues tones. Nothing out there sounded good for hard guitar rock until this thing came along.
Hey brotha, great presentation & demos. Those were awesome devices. You should be on Tom Scholz' payroll for doing this! 💪😎
Nice!
Dude you rip, awesome tones
Great sound! It would be interesting to know what gear (amps, pedals) you usually use for your videos, cuz your sound is real good. Thanks for the video!
Thanks AleX! Usually I run my guitar through a Line 6 Helix processor, and then into my computer :)
My Soloist cane with some very decent lightweight headphones and a stereo 1/8-1/4” cable for inputting signal from a walkman and playing along. Still have it today.
I totally remember as a teen going to to Guitar Showcase in San Jose, CA, grabbing the graffiti yellow Ibanez GEM Vai model they had and sitting for hours on their demo Rockman until the battery would go low. Damn that sounded good then and now hearing this demo it still sounds good!
Wish I knew what I did with mine. I used to practice Dokken all night through this thing. That and my tiny Gallien-Krueger guitar amp. Good times.
Amplitude5 has this modeled. Not sure how close it is but it does sound close to how I remember it back in 1983.^^
I had a copy made by Kaman I believe, it was called "Rock-n-Stroll. I used to run it through my home stereo. I need a Rockman!
Cool demo!
i paid 7 dollars for my guitar ace reissue that i found at a resale store - salvation army . mine is paired with a class d power amp ( rated at 100 watts) it runs on li ion rechargeable battery's and i added a 2 band eq . it sound UNREAL . really a great sounding amp . i run it with a fender 12 inch speaker . the cleans really stand out , and its bright . the crunch sounds are some of the best i ever got . but yeah your tube amp is better cuz i am just some kid in my bedroom with a line 6
@ 11:40 and thereafter or so, did you invite EVH to play or was that you? Fantastic. Clean & Distinct solos. Wonderful that technology began to influence guitar / music back in the day. Once software and accompanying hardware took flight, we began to experience unique sounds and voicings from our favorite guitarists. Nice vid PDX. Keep Rockin'.
Hey Guitar Haven, thanks for the very kind words. I'm still stuck on the tones of the 80s. I just love the crisp production and slickness to everything. I still love the more organic stuff from the 70s though too.
PDX Guitar Freak I hear ya - love those voicings of that time as well. Have fun.
thanks!
BEAUTIFUL LES PAUL!
Great stuff! I bought the ORIGINAL Rockman when it came out in 1982. Blew my mind at the time!! Wish I still owned that box. By the way... have you seen the GOAT Distortion Generator pedal version of the Rockman??!
Still have mine and the rack mount units. 🤘🏻
Some nice guitar playing!
Freak, did you happen to also buy a flux capacitor?
Awesome video - yup, brought me back to one of the best times of my life... learning guitar in high school.
Keep up the good work! 🤙🏼
LOL the flux capacitor! I should have used that line! :) :) :)