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 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!!!!!!!!!!
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 .
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.
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
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.
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.
@Raymond Valkenburg 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.
@@joshledford8921 Its called the GOAT pedal. I ordered it came in under a week but forgot to order the AC adapter DOH. The site is busy looking and kinda confusing as they offer the pedal along and with the adapter. I strummed a few chords (I barely play) and it sounded good through my Pignose 7-100. ruclips.net/video/Ql4iPXQTw6M/видео.html
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!
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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!!!!
OK, I'm sending in my original Rockman to be refurbished! When i took it out of the box of old gear, I could see my 1984 apartment and Jay and I playing the Rockman into a FostexX-15 four track!!!
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 RUclips 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! 👍👊🎸😎
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… 👍🏻
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 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??!
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!!
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!
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.
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.
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!
And we thought “Scholz is sorta turning it down to allow other instruments to be heard. Soon, we won’t even need an amp....we’ll just plug in DI .” And boy here came the mini amps! That guy played incredible guitar and keyboards and pioneered sounds and sold them every way possible .
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.
In '82 I was gigging (bass) fairly regularly, practicing and learning new material a lot. To my non-musician roommates and neighbors, I was just annoying no matter the amp setting when practicing, plus all the the cassette tape rewinds, song and segment repeats. The Rockman 1st edition was an easy sell, just to be able to practice by headphones! Yes, bass sounded great on that original unit! Not long ago I found a cassette tape of me practicing funk licks on bass, played through my Rockman, from 1983! I think I uploaded it as a video on my channel.
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.
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!
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 bought an X100 back in 2001. It kind of let me down in the long term. If I wasn’t satisfied with the chain I’ve created recently by plugging my NU X Plexi Crunch stomp into a Boss ME-80 with a JC-120 emulation w/ chorus and compressor w/ maximum sustain & zero attack time - I would instead invest in a Line 6 Firehawk and try using it to profile the X100. After that, I would adjust it so it sounded more like *Don’t Look Back* than *Third Stage.*
dave,,,, Dave.... DAVE!!!! Haaa! YOU DID IT! I discussed this with you in on of your earlier episodes!... And now that you have gone out and done this... Then you know whats to come of this...right? Ohhhh let me, ....Let me help you...(As if you needed my help right? lol) 1) More than a feeling! 2) Smokin !!! 3) Foreplay/Long Time!!!! 4) Hitch-A-Ride.. with the accent on the solo! I have to tell you real quick, I am from Lawrence Mass. ..My brother took me to their first opening at Boston Garden. Tommy Scholz was one of my idles. So everyone is talking how he created the first album (which he did) BUT!!! And I say this with all real intentions!!! Barry Goudreau already had a band that needed a keyboard player and Tom was interviewed and got the job. The two of them played for quite a bit and BARRY was playing LEAD on some of what Tom was recording before they formed Boston. Barry by far was the better guitarist and Tom would let Barry just go to town on solos that he needed for his songs. Now, I have met Barry G many times, I believe that number to be 11, from following his band, as well as Q and A sessions with him. My main question to him was why in Gods name did you not fight for your collaboration on the songs and for credit with Tom? Barry gives the same answer every time. He says "I'm not into suing people, to me it was always about the music"... If you don't mind Dave, may I please post the link here so people see and know that this s very real and Barry still plays with his band up there in Mass. And the Boston sound that Tom had created the Rockman......They actually got that from Barry playing his Wah pedal in a half cocked position.... Tom liked it and they were searching for a selective style all their own. I hope all your fans will check this out. Thanks Dave, man you are an inspiration!.... www.thirdstage.ca/boston/the-band/former-members/barry-goudreau
Hey Jim, yeah I finally broke down and got one! I was just casually looking one day, and then I also some Scholz EQs selling for the same price (and I owned one) and thought, "hmmm, I'm not using the EQ, so I'll see if I can sell it to get a Rockman." Thanks for sharing all of that history and info too. Very interesting stuff! I had heard something about a half-cocked wah into Marshall sound being the inspiration, so that's cool to get some clarity on that. I love the midrange focus it provides, and I truly believe that owning the Rockman as a teen and being inspired by that sound stays with me today in how I love crispy mids, especially for leads. Rock on bro! :)
Hi Dave and thanks. There are actual interviews with Barry G bout this and how they used the Wahh to get the Boston sound. Tom took that and created the Rockman and used that sound so that fans and guitarists/Keybaords, even your grandmothers pacemaker could be plugged in and get the Boston sound! Woohoo. Its just sad that Tom took away the actual credit that Barry G gave to most of the Boston solos. There is also an interview with the late and great Brad Delp, Brad tells of how in a few songs especially "Hitch-A-Ride" that Tom had Barry just let go and run with ii as far as the solos.... And as a teen guitarist, when I went to my first Boston concert at the famous... Boston Gahh-Den!..We don't pronounce the letter "R" its not in our Alphabet!... At that concert watching Barry and Tom play, you knew who the butter guitarist was. Tom was great in the way as an Artist, an Artist like Van Halen, Hendrix, Page...they create, and Tom was no exception, his body of work is amazing, but technically Barry was faster and more fluid on the guitar..... And together they did some amazing stuff.... Rock On Dave!... May the Swartz Be With You!.... Lord Yogurt-Cream of the Crop! ;)
In the 80's i played a Rockman X100 and was happy in 2021 i play a BOSS waza air headset and am extremely happy! Seriously the WAZA is like a Rockman on steroids! way more tones and as portable as you can get!
Thanks for featuring the X100. I wish Dunlop would bring that model back. (friendly feedback, the name is pronounced "Shoalz", no "t" in his name. His tech corrected me and said it irritates Tom when ppl mispronounce it😊).
Great pic of you and Alice! He lives here in the Phoenix area and does a lot of charity work in the valley, along with his wife. Very well liked. I used to see him occasionally at Phoenix Suns games.
@ 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.
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.
My X-100 go's into Two Marshall JCM 2000s stereo head phone output . Important set the amps clean slight dirty into front and all your effects in the loop . Game Changer!
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!
Love the top on that Paul! what year and color is it? The X100 was a great little black box for the time now we have so many to choose from. I went FAS about 13 years ago still there and to be completely honest the Scholz tone is still somewhat elusive. I can get close but never dead on, The popularity of the 70's and 80's rock tones will be hard to top! and I think are one of those times in history that will never be rivaled, great vid man!
It's not other than a Gibson custom shop Les Paul 59 reisue NOS millenium especial limited edition reversed headstock hand made and signed by Les Paul himself serial number 1
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.
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. 👍
This guy is actually a really good player. Super clean.
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!!!!!!!!!!
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 .
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. 😆
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
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.
Holy cow, that's rad! If these were ever reissued I'd totally get one!
Dunlop sells these in cheap
@Raymond Valkenburg 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?
@@joshledford8921 Its called the GOAT pedal. I ordered it came in under a week but forgot to order the AC adapter DOH. The site is busy looking and kinda confusing as they offer the pedal along and with the adapter. I strummed a few chords (I barely play) and it sounded good through my Pignose 7-100. ruclips.net/video/Ql4iPXQTw6M/видео.html
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!
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
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
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.
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 😢
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 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.
Thanks for the trip backwards ! A great time in music that probably won’t ever happen again . 😢Incredible playing man . You da man. !!
Fantastic demo of the Rockman, not to mention most excellent playing. Rock on, dude!
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
Great vid, PDX. The rockman brings some memories back.
Thanks man, glad I could do that :)
I used to have the Rockman Distortion Generator rack. It sounded great. I curse the day I sold it!
Damn dude! That demo and your playing was thoroughly badass!!
😎👍👍
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.
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 :)
A friend of mine gave me one and it really inspired me to play.
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
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.
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 :)
Wow! I knew about Boston and Def Leppard but I didn’t know about Megadeth! Now I’m really stoked that I got it.
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.
I'm about to go dig mine out of storage right now! Somehow I forgot how much I enjoyed this thing.
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.
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!!!!!
OK, I'm sending in my original Rockman to be refurbished! When i took it out of the box of old gear, I could see my 1984 apartment and Jay and I playing the Rockman into a FostexX-15 four track!!!
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 RUclips 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! 👍👊🎸😎
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… 👍🏻
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.
Had front row seats for the "Third Stage" concert tour @ the Summit in Houston Tx.
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??!
Dude, you were just showing off❤😊❤😊❤😊❤😊 great video and highly appreciated!!!
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!!
Amplitude5 has this modeled. Not sure how close it is but it does sound close to how I remember it back in 1983.^^
Great video and great memories for sure! I had an Ibanez Rock & Play that was also a lot of fun!
I used to have one. It was deadly quiet with batteries but with adapter noise like hell.
I loved you in the movie commando...do you still have that chainmail shirt??
Dunlop needs to reissue this model... I would buy one now!
I bought a Rockman XP100 amp in 1989 and boy do I wish I still had it. Best sounding amp I ever played through.
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!
I still have mine that I bought in the late 80"s. Stopped working years ago. I should have someone look at it and get it working again.
Look on E Bay. I got mine refurbished and now it works like new!
B5 Amplification does work on them.
@@GeoffSweet They just refurbed mine. Waiting to get it back. B5amps@me.com. Dwight Baker is his name.
@@MALoadedDiaper I know Dwight. We've chatted. Still gotta send my '89 in for recap and cleaning.
Love that pic of you in 86! Yep - I had a Rockman too 😁
LOL thanks man, wish I could still grow hair like that! :)
That tone with the Spark in front was wayyyy good. Good stuff man!
Blast from the past 😉. I really enjoyed this video. Thanks so much. 🤘😜🤘
Thanks, as always, for watching Al! Back to the 80s we go! :)
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.
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.
Almost a bit of that 0U812 feel too. Great playing man!
O1 thought that 2.
Thanks for posting! This was excellent as always!
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!
And we thought “Scholz is sorta turning it down to allow other instruments to be heard. Soon, we won’t even need an amp....we’ll just plug in DI .” And boy here came the mini amps! That guy played incredible guitar and keyboards and pioneered sounds and sold them every way possible .
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 :)
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! :)
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.
The Rockman in Amplitube is remarkably close to the real thing with the 4 sounds and skeuomorphism of the switches intact.🎸
In '82 I was gigging (bass) fairly regularly, practicing and learning new material a lot. To my non-musician roommates and neighbors, I was just annoying no matter the amp setting when practicing, plus all the the cassette tape rewinds, song and segment repeats. The Rockman 1st edition was an easy sell, just to be able to practice by headphones! Yes, bass sounded great on that original unit! Not long ago I found a cassette tape of me practicing funk licks on bass, played through my Rockman, from 1983! I think I uploaded it as a video on my channel.
I never had the Rockman but I had, maybe still have, the Arion Hot Watt II. Love the video!
Cool video! It's funny because you can totally hear the Album Hysteria in there!
Yeah it's all over that album, right? :)
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!
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!
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.
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!
Was perfect for the tascam 4 track 👍 just plug it in!
I remember riding with my cousin to buy a Rockman Rackmount EQ, Chorus & Echo way back in the day.
I had a Charvel shirt, as well as a Rockman!
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!
I always kept one around. It’s a must have for playing around with headphones or just as a pre amp situation.
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 🇺🇾🤘
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.
Cool video and some nice playing too, subbed!
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 bought an X100 back in 2001. It kind of let me down in the long term. If I wasn’t satisfied with the chain I’ve created recently by plugging my NU X Plexi Crunch stomp into a Boss ME-80 with a JC-120 emulation w/ chorus and compressor w/ maximum sustain & zero attack time - I would instead invest in a Line 6 Firehawk and try using it to profile the X100. After that, I would adjust it so it sounded more like *Don’t Look Back* than *Third Stage.*
When gods speaks to you there’s a rockman in his sock
dave,,,, Dave.... DAVE!!!! Haaa! YOU DID IT!
I discussed this with you in on of your earlier episodes!... And now that you have gone out and done this...
Then you know whats to come of this...right?
Ohhhh let me, ....Let me help you...(As if you needed my help right? lol)
1) More than a feeling!
2) Smokin !!!
3) Foreplay/Long Time!!!!
4) Hitch-A-Ride.. with the accent on the solo!
I have to tell you real quick, I am from Lawrence Mass. ..My brother took me to their first opening at Boston Garden. Tommy Scholz was one of my idles. So everyone is talking how he created the first album (which he did) BUT!!! And I say this with all real intentions!!! Barry Goudreau already had a band that needed a keyboard player and Tom was interviewed and got the job.
The two of them played for quite a bit and BARRY was playing LEAD on some of what Tom was recording before they formed Boston. Barry by far was the better guitarist and Tom would let Barry just go to town on solos that he needed for his songs.
Now, I have met Barry G many times, I believe that number to be 11, from following his band, as well as Q and A sessions with him.
My main question to him was why in Gods name did you not fight for your collaboration on the songs and for credit with Tom?
Barry gives the same answer every time. He says "I'm not into suing people, to me it was always about the music"...
If you don't mind Dave, may I please post the link here so people see and know that this s very real and Barry still plays with his band up there in Mass. And the Boston sound that Tom had created the Rockman......They actually got that from Barry playing his Wah pedal in a half cocked position.... Tom liked it and they were searching for a selective style all their own.
I hope all your fans will check this out.
Thanks Dave, man you are an inspiration!....
www.thirdstage.ca/boston/the-band/former-members/barry-goudreau
Hey Jim, yeah I finally broke down and got one! I was just casually looking one day, and then I also some Scholz EQs selling for the same price (and I owned one) and thought, "hmmm, I'm not using the EQ, so I'll see if I can sell it to get a Rockman." Thanks for sharing all of that history and info too. Very interesting stuff! I had heard something about a half-cocked wah into Marshall sound being the inspiration, so that's cool to get some clarity on that. I love the midrange focus it provides, and I truly believe that owning the Rockman as a teen and being inspired by that sound stays with me today in how I love crispy mids, especially for leads. Rock on bro! :)
Hi Dave and thanks. There are actual interviews with Barry G bout this and how they used the Wahh to get the Boston sound. Tom took that and created the Rockman and used that sound so that fans and guitarists/Keybaords, even your grandmothers pacemaker could be plugged in and get the Boston sound! Woohoo. Its just sad that Tom took away the actual credit that Barry G gave to most of the Boston solos. There is also an interview with the late and great Brad Delp, Brad tells of how in a few songs especially "Hitch-A-Ride" that Tom had Barry just let go and run with ii as far as the solos.... And as a teen guitarist, when I went to my first Boston concert at the famous... Boston Gahh-Den!..We don't pronounce the letter "R" its not in our Alphabet!... At that concert watching Barry and Tom play, you knew who the butter guitarist was. Tom was great in the way as an Artist, an Artist like Van Halen, Hendrix, Page...they create, and Tom was no exception, his body of work is amazing, but technically Barry was faster and more fluid on the guitar..... And together they did some amazing stuff.... Rock On Dave!... May the Swartz Be With You!.... Lord Yogurt-Cream of the Crop! ;)
In the 80's i played a Rockman X100 and was happy in 2021 i play a BOSS waza air headset and am extremely happy! Seriously the WAZA is like a Rockman on steroids! way more tones and as portable as you can get!
Thanks for featuring the X100. I wish Dunlop would bring that model back. (friendly feedback, the name is pronounced "Shoalz", no "t" in his name. His tech corrected me and said it irritates Tom when ppl mispronounce it😊).
Great pic of you and Alice! He lives here in the Phoenix area and does a lot of charity work in the valley, along with his wife. Very well liked. I used to see him occasionally at Phoenix Suns games.
He was such a nice guy when I met him briefly... incredibly nice. Thanks for sharing too, Bill! :)
@ 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.
these videos make me miss my ada mp1
Oh man I always wanted one of those! I remember the ads with Vito Bratta, Paul Gilbert, etc. I just checked Reverb and can see a few for sale.
Still got my (original) Walkman in working condition. Now all I need is a Rockman. After a year it is a good time to do a give away (to me) 😂
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.
Awesome playing, bro! Always knew Boston used a rockman, of course but never new Def Leppard did. Cool tip.
Your playing is awesome brother
My X-100 go's into Two Marshall JCM 2000s stereo head phone output . Important set the amps clean slight dirty into front and all your effects in the loop . Game Changer!
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 :)
Great vid. Straight forward and no bs.
Great video! Used to use one as well! Awesome playing as well!
The edge has that drop dead legs sound
Your Love by The Outfield is a perfect example of this tone/effect.
Love the top on that Paul! what year and color is it? The X100 was a great little black box for the time now we have so many to choose from. I went FAS about 13 years ago still there and to be completely honest the Scholz tone is still somewhat elusive. I can get close but never dead on, The popularity of the 70's and 80's rock tones will be hard to top! and I think are one of those times in history that will never be rivaled, great vid man!
It's not other than a Gibson custom shop Les Paul 59 reisue NOS millenium especial limited edition reversed headstock hand made and signed by Les Paul himself serial number 1