Rockman X100
- Thread starter LesStrat
- Start date
KingMixer
New member
Re: Rockman X100
Yea man I got one, it is pretty cool. Its pretty old and If i push one of the switches on it with a little pressure I can make a pretty cool Electric Whirling sound. Everything still works on it. Tom designed it with a weird setup as far as ins and outs goes, but he was a weird guy.
The main thing I've heard about em is that you have to get the ones made by SR&D not Dunlop. The ones you'll find on MF and other places are probably made by dunlop. Tom sold his company or whatever to em but apparently they still don't know how to make it right.
Yea man I got one, it is pretty cool. Its pretty old and If i push one of the switches on it with a little pressure I can make a pretty cool Electric Whirling sound. Everything still works on it. Tom designed it with a weird setup as far as ins and outs goes, but he was a weird guy.
The main thing I've heard about em is that you have to get the ones made by SR&D not Dunlop. The ones you'll find on MF and other places are probably made by dunlop. Tom sold his company or whatever to em but apparently they still don't know how to make it right.
Re: Rockman X100
Most Rockmans are pretty cool. If you use an e.q. with them you can pull some tones other than that associated with Boston.
Rockmans were a staple of recording back in the eighties and early nineties. While the Rockman sound is dated they are still a great recording tool when used creatively. If you're a home recordist try doubling a distorted guitar track with a Rockman. Combine the original track and the Rockman track to taste and you will be amazed how big your guitar tone just got.
Most Rockmans are pretty cool. If you use an e.q. with them you can pull some tones other than that associated with Boston.
Rockmans were a staple of recording back in the eighties and early nineties. While the Rockman sound is dated they are still a great recording tool when used creatively. If you're a home recordist try doubling a distorted guitar track with a Rockman. Combine the original track and the Rockman track to taste and you will be amazed how big your guitar tone just got.
Vasshu the humanoid typhoon
Unseen
Re: Rockman X100
:eyecrazy:
Had one......that is about everyting that was not cool in the 80s
:eyecrazy:
Had one......that is about everyting that was not cool in the 80s
idsnowdog
Imperator of Indignation
Re: Rockman X100
Rockman's as mentioned did have a direct recording use during the 80's for clean chorused sounds and as a thickener for distorted parts. You had to mix them pretty carefully otherwise that sound would bleed through. The rockman was a natural as a direct recording thickener since it was fat, flat and somewhat dark and the pre-master volume marshalls were bright and a little thin. The last recording where I heard they were credited was AIC - Dirt.
Rockman's as mentioned did have a direct recording use during the 80's for clean chorused sounds and as a thickener for distorted parts. You had to mix them pretty carefully otherwise that sound would bleed through. The rockman was a natural as a direct recording thickener since it was fat, flat and somewhat dark and the pre-master volume marshalls were bright and a little thin. The last recording where I heard they were credited was AIC - Dirt.
Re: Rockman X100
Yep, and I still have it, with the AC adapter, headphones, etc., although I never tried it on batteries. Back when the X-100 was new, in the early 80's, I think, they were the rage for practice. I remember the first time I heard one. I was at a friend's house, and another of his friends came over with a guitar case. He pulled out an electric, plugged in two sets of headphones, and went around the room jamming on some Steve Miller song, Big Jetliner, I think, and when I heard it, I thought it was amazing, since I had just begun playing a few years earlier. So, as soon as I had the money saved, I bought one. I ran it into the rear of a Roland DEP-5 multi-effects processor that did three (WOW!) effects at once, and it set me back $800 in 1987 dollars. Things have come a long way.
You could get some good sounds, high gain, with the screw on the back set to the max, and the chorus off. Want to hear what can be done with one in the studio? Listen to Jeff Beck on Rod Steward's "People Get Ready." One of the all-time great solos in my book. I read in Guitar Player interview with Beck (cover story,) where he stated, "That solo was just my Strat straight into the Rockman, and then into the board." He recorded the solo last before Rod laid down the vocals. Obviously, the engineers played with that signal, but that was the front end--Beck's fingertips, his Strat, the Rockman, and a cable into the board. Man, it rips. Of course, it's Jeff Beck. What would one expect? That was the last tour he did with Rod. Rod drug him all across America and Europe to play one solo on one song during the whole concert. Beck stated he was so completely bored halfway through the tour that he told Rod he needed more to do, or he was going home. I guess Rod had no other use for JEFF BECK on his tour, so he went home. I guess Rod hired someone else to play Beck's part in "People Get Ready," which was probably the show closer since it was so popular at the time of that tour. Rod made a mistake, but probably saved a load of money.
I remember being quite surprised when I read that, since I'd had my X-100 and New-American Strat ( first one made in 1985 after CBS sold in March of that year) for quite a while when I read that, and I'd never gotten a sound like that out of it for lead. Of course, I'm not Jeff Beck either. I still have the guitar and the Rockman (just found it all in a box when I moved into a new house.)
I've always wondered what happened to that signal once it left his Rockman though. Something had to be processed somewhere. The solo just sings. He changes key up a half step in the middle of the solo. He stated he did that so, "Rod could just take off." It's right before he starts vocalizing and doing what Rod does at the end of that song. Good stuff. Go listen to it. You will not regret it if you like searing leads with lots of dynamics, and using fingers instead of picks.
I was taking Classical lessons, fingerpicking, of course, so I used my fingers on the electric. Skin can give a lot more dynamics, without that plastic snap of a pick, and then there's always the nails--God's pick of choice. Down strokes mostly, but when they're good and strong, alternating and upstrokes are a snap. That's how Jeff gets all those crazy sounds. They're in his fingers.
If you want to take a walk on the 80's side, then you have to have one of these. The sounds you can get out of it, especially when mixed with sounds you love today, and then levels set in the mix, where I blend up to eight stereo setups, well, you can get any sound you hear in your head. Pardon me Blackstar, but that's really the only way to get the sound you hear in your head. Take all your favorite setups for lead. Track them all, and mix, mix, mix. It's like cooking a recipe. Only you know what spices taste good to you, and you blend them until you get what you want. To disregard the sound of a well-recorded real Scholz Rockman X-100, not the Dunlop knock-offs, would be like cooking without salt or pepper. Add a dose to your sound. It has it's own two-channel place on my board--always!
Yep, and I still have it, with the AC adapter, headphones, etc., although I never tried it on batteries. Back when the X-100 was new, in the early 80's, I think, they were the rage for practice. I remember the first time I heard one. I was at a friend's house, and another of his friends came over with a guitar case. He pulled out an electric, plugged in two sets of headphones, and went around the room jamming on some Steve Miller song, Big Jetliner, I think, and when I heard it, I thought it was amazing, since I had just begun playing a few years earlier. So, as soon as I had the money saved, I bought one. I ran it into the rear of a Roland DEP-5 multi-effects processor that did three (WOW!) effects at once, and it set me back $800 in 1987 dollars. Things have come a long way.
You could get some good sounds, high gain, with the screw on the back set to the max, and the chorus off. Want to hear what can be done with one in the studio? Listen to Jeff Beck on Rod Steward's "People Get Ready." One of the all-time great solos in my book. I read in Guitar Player interview with Beck (cover story,) where he stated, "That solo was just my Strat straight into the Rockman, and then into the board." He recorded the solo last before Rod laid down the vocals. Obviously, the engineers played with that signal, but that was the front end--Beck's fingertips, his Strat, the Rockman, and a cable into the board. Man, it rips. Of course, it's Jeff Beck. What would one expect? That was the last tour he did with Rod. Rod drug him all across America and Europe to play one solo on one song during the whole concert. Beck stated he was so completely bored halfway through the tour that he told Rod he needed more to do, or he was going home. I guess Rod had no other use for JEFF BECK on his tour, so he went home. I guess Rod hired someone else to play Beck's part in "People Get Ready," which was probably the show closer since it was so popular at the time of that tour. Rod made a mistake, but probably saved a load of money.
I remember being quite surprised when I read that, since I'd had my X-100 and New-American Strat ( first one made in 1985 after CBS sold in March of that year) for quite a while when I read that, and I'd never gotten a sound like that out of it for lead. Of course, I'm not Jeff Beck either. I still have the guitar and the Rockman (just found it all in a box when I moved into a new house.)
I've always wondered what happened to that signal once it left his Rockman though. Something had to be processed somewhere. The solo just sings. He changes key up a half step in the middle of the solo. He stated he did that so, "Rod could just take off." It's right before he starts vocalizing and doing what Rod does at the end of that song. Good stuff. Go listen to it. You will not regret it if you like searing leads with lots of dynamics, and using fingers instead of picks.
I was taking Classical lessons, fingerpicking, of course, so I used my fingers on the electric. Skin can give a lot more dynamics, without that plastic snap of a pick, and then there's always the nails--God's pick of choice. Down strokes mostly, but when they're good and strong, alternating and upstrokes are a snap. That's how Jeff gets all those crazy sounds. They're in his fingers.
If you want to take a walk on the 80's side, then you have to have one of these. The sounds you can get out of it, especially when mixed with sounds you love today, and then levels set in the mix, where I blend up to eight stereo setups, well, you can get any sound you hear in your head. Pardon me Blackstar, but that's really the only way to get the sound you hear in your head. Take all your favorite setups for lead. Track them all, and mix, mix, mix. It's like cooking a recipe. Only you know what spices taste good to you, and you blend them until you get what you want. To disregard the sound of a well-recorded real Scholz Rockman X-100, not the Dunlop knock-offs, would be like cooking without salt or pepper. Add a dose to your sound. It has it's own two-channel place on my board--always!
F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Rockman X100
Welcome to the forum.
Wrong way around. Roderick was guest vocalist on Jeffrey's 1985 album, Flash. The song, of course, was the work of Curtis Mayfield.
Welcome to the forum.
Wrong way around. Roderick was guest vocalist on Jeffrey's 1985 album, Flash. The song, of course, was the work of Curtis Mayfield.
Dr. Vegetable
New member
Re: Rockman X100
I got my X-100 'back in the day' used from Daddy's Junky Music. It didn't have a battery cover, so I wrote to Sholz to inquire about buying a replacement. A few days later, I received an envelope in the mail with a new cover, free of charge. One of my favorite examples of mind-blowing customer service from a small company.
I haven't used it in quite some time, but I do remember having a lot of great headphone jams on my old RG with that thing. It nails the Boston sound of course, but by extension it covers the entire decade pretty well. I never found it to be massively versatile, but neither was I in those days.
Now that you've got me thinking about it again, I'll probably plug it in this weekend and break out the Aqua Net.
I got my X-100 'back in the day' used from Daddy's Junky Music. It didn't have a battery cover, so I wrote to Sholz to inquire about buying a replacement. A few days later, I received an envelope in the mail with a new cover, free of charge. One of my favorite examples of mind-blowing customer service from a small company.
I haven't used it in quite some time, but I do remember having a lot of great headphone jams on my old RG with that thing. It nails the Boston sound of course, but by extension it covers the entire decade pretty well. I never found it to be massively versatile, but neither was I in those days.
Now that you've got me thinking about it again, I'll probably plug it in this weekend and break out the Aqua Net.
Re: Rockman X100
I have one too and I use it for practice sometimes and when I wanna get the boston sound thru my rig. I love the thing, except, as someone else posted, it must have a short or something cuz if i dont have the input jack held in place, I also get this aweful sound. I also bought the rack unit too. I dont use it too often as it doesnt have bypass. So, you either play it or you get no sound.. booo. But the headphone one is killer!
LOL! Just saw how ancient this thread is..
I have one too and I use it for practice sometimes and when I wanna get the boston sound thru my rig. I love the thing, except, as someone else posted, it must have a short or something cuz if i dont have the input jack held in place, I also get this aweful sound. I also bought the rack unit too. I dont use it too often as it doesnt have bypass. So, you either play it or you get no sound.. booo. But the headphone one is killer!
LOL! Just saw how ancient this thread is..
MkIII Renegade
New member
Re: Rockman X100
I played one back in the day. Neat, but never inspired me enough to buy one.
Has anyone played the full sized head/half-stack? That is a very rare find these days. I don't mind if certain gear can only do 1 or 2 things if it does them extremely well.
I played one back in the day. Neat, but never inspired me enough to buy one.
Has anyone played the full sized head/half-stack? That is a very rare find these days. I don't mind if certain gear can only do 1 or 2 things if it does them extremely well.
gripweed
Jolvisologist
Re: Rockman X100
I believe so very little about what BFG says about his equipment. That having been said, I think he also used it in combination with other amps.
I had one in the 80s and it broke. I replaced with the Ace.
I believe so very little about what BFG says about his equipment. That having been said, I think he also used it in combination with other amps.
I had one in the 80s and it broke. I replaced with the Ace.
