Dunlop Rockman A12-50 combo amp

[rbc]

I was curious. Was there ever any talk of Dunlop re-releasing the A12-50 as a bid to get into selling combo amps? It seems like they have the intellectual property for the amp. On the other hand there are a lot of solid state combo amplifiers out there already. It might be difficult for a A12-50 derivative to break out from the pack on the combo amp market.

[Guitarvamp]

I don't honestly think Dunlop intends on doing anything with the other SR&D products. Dunlop is a small company and makes their choices very carefully on what to produce - it could otherwise cost them everything.

Except for us collectors, Rockman is not a big name. Sad, but true.

As far as the A1250 goes, it is an oddball (along with the XP212). Rockmans were indended to be used through full-range speakers..... and what do these units have? 12 inch speakers. That, along with the fact that the A1250 is a bit of an unruly beast (and not programable with a million different tones) make it not such a hot commodity. Again, collectors only I'm guessing.

(opening the yearly can of legal worms here) It's too bad Dunlop can't give the schematics out to those of us who care, so we could further develop and expand the Rockman sound. We may have seen the rackmount Ultimatum or a cool Sustainor/XPR hybrid, or something new and different.

[rbc]

I agree Dunlop would need to do some work to bring the A12-50 combo back. It is a bit of a odd duck, particularly compared the Rockman line, but also compared to other combo amps. I can understand what you mean about the Rockman name.

On the other hand, they should still have the Ultimatum circuit knowledge and could apply it some other way. For all I know, they may have based some of their OD/Distortion pedals on it. Anyone know?

Peavey has done that sort of thing with their TransTube circuitry. There's a line of non-modeling amps that use TransTube, but they've also used it in the Vypyr series. The Vypyr is a hybrid of analog TransTube circuits combined with digital effects. Peavey apparently found some advantage in continuing with the TransTube technology, even on a high-tech amp series like the Vypyr.

I would also like to see some schematics for the units. It would make things a lot easier to fix.

[RockmanCentralBob]

They've already redesigned the X100 using modern components and had it ready for full production. Unfortunately, they decided the price point would be too high for the market to bear, so it was shelved.

I'm fairly certain that Dunlop will eventually re-release the Rockman line. They didn't buy the rights just to sit on them forever. It was a long term investment that is just waiting for the right time to reintroduce them. It could take a significant event, such as Tom's passing or a mass rejection of digital modeling in favor of analog, to bring awareness back to them. But when it happens, I'm sure they will do it right. Nostalgia will also play a factor, and we may be getting close.

[Guitarvamp]

The X100-style units will always have a place... or at least SHOULD.

Wow, so they redesigned the X100, huh? Did you get to see one of them, or was this something that someone talked about? Was it still called a Rockman? Anything different than the originals?

[Dale]

It could take a significant event,

I can think of one, a famous guitar player using Rockman that everyone wants to be like especially the younger generation. Think Slash. Personally I don't think he's that good but he brought back the les paul as a guitar kids want.

[RockmanCentralBob]

Wow, so they redesigned the X100, huh? Did you get to see one of them, or was this something that someone talked about? Was it still called a Rockman? Anything different than the originals?

Bob Cedro told me about it quite sometime ago.
I'm sure most of the redesign was focused around using modern surface mount technology.
They had a working prototype and he said it sounded fantastic.... more like a real amp than the original.

He didn't really get into details about it's features, but I'm thinking that since he no longer had to answer to anyone (ie- Tom), he had cart blanch to make it sound however he wanted or thought it should.
He probably tweaked the cab sim at the very least, but may have also made changes to the compressor and/or the prominent pre-distortion mid bump.
That's speculation though, so don't quote me on that.

[RockmanCentralBob]

It could take a significant event,

I can think of one, a famous guitar player using Rockman that everyone wants to be like especially the younger generation. Think Slash. Personally I don't think he's that good but he brought back the les paul as a guitar kids want.

That's kinda what happened in Japan... there is a famous guitar player for a band named "B'z" that uses the XPR, so it became VERY popular.

As for Slash "bringing back" the Les Paul, I never knew it had fallen out of favor with "kids".
SO MANY guitarists use the Les Paul, and always have, so I don't think you could ever say it wasn't popular.
Nor could you say any particular guitarist made it popular, other than maybe Les Paul himself.
The same could be said of the Fender Stratocaster.
They both have so much history, they stand on their own.
I honestly don't know of any other guitar that even comes close.... maybe the Paul Reed Smith.
But to me it's basically a Les Paul with a different head stock and custom inlays.

Speaking of, my brother-in-law has a pre-production PRS hand made by Paul himself back in the early/mid 80's.
Less than 100 were made before Paul "hit it big" and started full production.
The wood came from Paul's private stock and looks a lot like the one he made for Carlos Santana.
It's absolutely beautiful!!!

[Guitarvamp]

Bob Cedro told me about it quite sometime ago.
I'm sure most of the redesign was focused around using modern surface mount technology.
They had a working prototype and he said it sounded fantastic.... more like a real amp than the original.

He didn't really get into details about it's features, but I'm thinking that since he no longer had to answer to anyone (ie- Tom), he had cart blanch to make it sound however he wanted or thought it should.
He probably tweaked the cab sim at the very least, but may have also made changes to the compressor and/or the prominent pre-distortion mid bump.
That's speculation though, so don't quote me on that.

That's essentially what I was thinking. Glad for some confirmation, even if it is officially speculation.

As for Slash "bringing back" the Les Paul, I never knew it had fallen out of favor with "kids".

It's true. Gibson was having a very hard time in the 80s and almost went under (or at least some serious hurt). Think about it - the flavor of the day came in only a few styles: neon crazy graphics, crazy body shapes, and Kramers. Slash (and Guns) made straight-up rock and roll dangerous again. It was cool. The ironic thing is, that Les Paul he played in GnR was a copy. I don't remember all the tiny details, though.

Ok, so, big event... release of updated Rockman stuff.... is it supposed to be just the headphone unit or will it be all the Rockmodules, too? ..... who else is out there currently guitar-wise that could make such an impact (and endorse the Rockman line)? Are there any true guitar gods left? Slash didn't play Rockmans when you could still buy Rockmans in a store. It seems pretty whore-ish that he'd lend his name to them now. He's pretty well known for the Les Paul and Marshall sound. Does anyone from the 80s that actually played Rockmans still matter? George Lynch? Def Leppard? ZZ Top? Joe Satriani used to, but is he still a giant name in guitar gear?

[Dale]

..... who else is out there currently guitar-wise that could make such an impact (and endorse the Rockman line)?

Unfortunately no one I'm aware of, but you never know there could be an unknown lurking in a bedroom or basement or garage that hasn't made it yet that breakout and cause a stir like all the past greats.
You know its weird but I read in a article about Randy Rhoads he was a Boston fan, kinda based his now famous sound on it