Rockitt Retro '68 spec 1987

[X2203xman]

I recently picked up a Marshall 1933 1x12 cab. I prefer 2x12's and 4x12's, but I needed a cab to run the Rockitt through and didn't want to wait for the right 4x12 to come around. Pretty sure the stock speaker is a G12M-70 rated at 70 watts. The cab is closed back and ported. I think the G12M-70 is not a very highly regarded speaker, but it sounds fine to me. I have to open the cab and see what's in there...

I emailed WGS asking if the Invader would work and they initially replied probably not, but then they came back and said yes.

I know all about how everyone says you need a higher rated speaker than the amp's rating because blah, blah, blah. I asked a highly regarded tech here in ATL, who's been working with Marshall amps for 30 years if he thought a cab with 4 25w speakers could handle a 100w amp and he looked at me like I was a few bricks shy of a load and said "Of course!" Even so... I guess if I did have an old Marshall cab with vintage 25 watters I might be leery of diming a 100w amp through it.

I might go ahead an get an Invader... I will rarely, if ever, dime the Rockitt. I know ya hit 50w way sooner than dimed... but, what the heck... it's not a $250 speaker.

The g12m-70 gets a bad rap.I have one that is very weathered and broken in,and about 25 years old at least.It sounds as good as any speak I've ever owned,and I use it with all my lower watt amps.I've put it against my eminence and celest 75's,and it may surpass some of them.

 

[Billyblades]

Ok fellas. Heres what you do. You send her out for pizza and tell her to take a cruize and listen to some kelly clarkson lol. Or when she goes shopping.
Super jam time
Or play so fukking loud for 2 wweks straight. Tell her you cant get down if you cant feel the sound. Tell her its way better than the stripclub or being a druggie?

Then you "tell " her you love her and your going to turn it down to 4 lol.
That way youre "compassionate and comprimising for her happiness?

 

[langmurf]

The g12m-70 gets a bad rap.I have one that is very weathered and broken in,and about 25 years old at least.It sounds as good as any speak I've ever owned,and I use it with all my lower watt amps.I've put it against my eminence and celest 75's,and it may surpass some of them.

Thanks for the feedback, 2203xman. I may go ahead and buy a WGS invader to see how it compares; I'd like to try a GB type speaker with the 1987. But very nice to hear someone else likes the 70.

 

[langmurf]

Ok fellas. Heres what you do. You send her out for pizza and tell her to take a cruize and listen to some kelly clarkson lol. Or when she goes shopping.
Super jam time
Or play so fukking loud for 2 wweks straight. Tell her you cant get down if you cant feel the sound. Tell her its way better than the stripclub or being a druggie?

Then you "tell " her you love her and your going to turn it down to 4 lol.
That way youre "compassionate and comprimising for her happiness?

None of that stuff would fly in my house... I get the silent treatment for a day or two every time I get some new musical equipment... and I use a static gear fund in which something must go out for something new to come in. Although... sometimes the silent treatment isn't such a bad thing.

 

[pittbull]

There is a Rockitt Retro that was modded by Rockstah(Mod 5) thats on the Rockstah amp site that sounds amazing.....

 

[rockstah]

i don't see how hes making money. my builds cost me more than what hes selling them for. (shrug)
Mark

 

[50WPLEXI]

None of that stuff would fly in my house... I get the silent treatment for a day or two every time I get some new musical equipment... and I use a static gear fund in which something must go out for something new to come in. Although... sometimes the silent treatment isn't such a bad thing.

Man, that silent treatment is the best thing ever. I like the bitchy looks I get. Always makes me laugh when she walks by. My dad used to say this to my Mom, and I've come to love the term "You'll get over it"

I keep it in my arsenal and whip it out when I REALLY want to piss her off.

 

[langmurf]

i don't see how hes making money. my builds cost me more than what hes selling them for. (shrug)
Mark

Wow... just found out that this dude passed last night... only 46? Wow...

http://www.norfolkdailynews.com/news...9bb30f31a.html

 

[langmurf]

Finally got a 4x12 to go with my Rockitt Retro... a Marshall 1960TV. TV stands for Tall Vintage. While it is tall, it is not vintage, even though Marshall identifies it as a reissue. It's not a reissue... there never was an angled tall cab back in the 60's. Loaded with Greenbacks...

 

[solarburn]

Congrats! Now how does it sound and I would so rip that at the seems with glee.

 

[langmurf]

Congrats! Now how does it sound and I would so rip that at the seems with glee.

Needless to say, it sounds awesome. I haven't opened it up for an extended period yet but believe the opportunity will present itself in the next day or two. It's been a few months since I've had a 4x12 in the house... love 4x12's! (Even for low level riffing...)

 

[solarburn]

Needless to say, it sounds awesome. I haven't opened it up for an extended period yet but believe the opportunity will present itself in the next day or two. It's been a few months since I've had a 4x12 in the house... love 4x12's! (Even for low level riffing...)

I almost bought a TV cab last year. I used the money for my girls instead though. I already had the Avatar 412 with GB's in it so I use that with the JMP I splurged on instead of buying the TV cab too. Thought I better not spend the whole Tax return on me.

The JMP/Greenback combination sounds awesome. I bet yours sounds great. Being able to open up the amp at home with a 412 can be a spiritual experience at times although one has to be careful the ears don't get blown along the way. I can pretty much crank when I want where I live. Neighbors are very cool.

Awesome score man.

 

[langmurf]

The JMP/Greenback combination sounds awesome. I bet yours sounds great. Being able to open up the amp at home with a 412 can be a spiritual experience at times although one has to be careful the ears don't get blown along the way. I can pretty much crank when I want where I live. Neighbors are very cool.

Awesome score man.

I know all about tinitus... s'why I sold my drums and started my guitar amp search. My ears are already "blown."

And, yes! JMP and Greenbacks are "the" platform that works best for me. Wish I belonged to the affluent set, so that I could buy anything I wanted, whenever I wanted to buy. If I had the coin, I'd have multiple cabs... actually I do have the coin, but I'm married and one "picks one's battles." As a hobbyist, I cannot justify to "she that must be obeyed" that I absolutely need, and cannot live without, the next piece of gear. At least not thus far.

All that said, liking the GB's in this cab. I've had a couple of cabs with V30's... and I really liked them too. I had a Mesa cab with 70th anny drivers. Thing was amazing! The kid that picked it up from CL ad? He was a heavy metal guy and brought his Mesa Dual Rectifier and the cab actually scared him. LOL. He ended up buying it, and I saw that he put it up on CL a few months later.

So... for me... the cab with GB's is freakin' perfect. I can get glassy cleans at low volume that no little iron amp can approach at -any- volume. Now, that's just my 2 cents on the thing... not casting aspersions on little amps, not at all. I've owned more little amps than big iron amps... and finally figured out that I was a big iron Marshall guy.

 

[Darth Federer]

Finally got a 4x12 to go with my Rockitt Retro... a Marshall 1960TV. TV stands for Tall Vintage. While it is tall, it is not vintage, even though Marshall identifies it as a reissue. It's not a reissue... there never was an angled tall cab back in the 60's. Loaded with Greenbacks...

I had to come check out your new rig after reading your pm. What a sweet looking rig and at a great price. As I've mentioned before somewhere I would love to have a hand built amp by a new and relatively unknown builder. Not only do you have a great amp at a great value but how cool will it be if the builder turns out to be a Richard Goodsell/Mike Zaite type of amp guru. Very cool man. The workmanship looks great. I just had a new Dr Z walk in the door yesterday. I'll post up some pictures when I get a chance.

 

[langmurf]

I had to come check out your new rig after reading your pm. What a sweet looking rig and at a great price. As I've mentioned before somewhere I would love to have a hand built amp by a new and relatively unknown builder. Not only do you have a great amp at a great value but how cool will it be if the builder turns out to be a Richard Goodsell/Mike Zaite type of amp guru. Very cool man. The workmanship looks great. I just had a new Dr Z walk in the door yesterday. I'll post up some pictures when I get a chance.

I think one of the differences between Kevin's RR's and a builder like Richard Goodsell is: Kevin adheres to the original scematics for the 1987. Or, maybe more accurately, the Metro build. Whatever! He uses high quality components and his soldering and layout skills appear to be near flawless. So for a hunnerd or two more than the Metro kit alone costs... and maybe with better "bits and pieces," one can buy a freakin' great amp.

Would I like to own a $4K Suhr SL68? Hell, yeah! Can I AFFORD an SL68? Hell... no. Sigh. The YJM100 surely interests me too... but it's out of my budget wheelhouse and it's not hand-wired. Not being hand-wired is NOT a deal breaker for me... I'm not that kinda cork sniffer... and the on-board attenuator intrigues me... but all that said... if one gets a RR with the LAR/MAR PPIMV, well, simply put... it's as good as any attenuator I've ever owned.

Where are you at in ATL? I'm "up" in Lawrenceville. You are welcome to come by and "have at" the RR. Unless you think it might kick off a GAS event. ;-)

 

[solarburn]

I think one of the differences between Kevin's RR's and a builder like Richard Goodsell is: Kevin adheres to the original scematics for the 1987. Or, maybe more accurately, the Metro build. Whatever! He uses high quality components and his soldering and layout skills appear to be near flawless. So for a hunnerd or two more than the Metro kit alone costs... and maybe with better "bits and pieces," one can buy a freakin' great amp.

Would I like to own a $4K Suhr SL68? Hell, yeah! Can I AFFORD an SL68? Hell... no. Sigh. The YJM100 surely interests me too... but it's out of my budget wheelhouse and it's not hand-wired. Not being hand-wired is NOT a deal breaker for me... I'm not that kinda cork sniffer... and the on-board attenuator intrigues me... but all that said... if one gets a RR with the LAR/MAR PPIMV, well, simply put... it's as good as any attenuator I've ever owned.

Where are you at in ATL? I'm "up" in Lawrenceville. You are welcome to come by and "have at" the RR. Unless you think it might kick off a GAS event. ;-)

Never would I pay those kind of prices for a Marshall tone I can get for what you paid. Enjoy that amp man it is a bad ass circuit. I would however buy a YJM. That's as high as I'd go. When Joey Voltage gets done with my JMP I'm not gonna care about the " Boo teekers".

I'm gonna cum tone with that amp and yes there will be video clips.

 

[langmurf]

Never would I pay those kind of prices for a Marshall tone I can get for what you paid. Enjoy that amp man it is a bad ass circuit. I would however buy a YJM. That's as high as I'd go. When Joey Voltage gets done with my JMP I'm not gonna care about the " Boo teekers".

Yeah, I'd have to say the RR's are probably the best deal going right now if one wants a hand-wired 1987 clone. And, believe me, I'm loving this amp every day! It's a thrilling experience to put the channel I vol pot at 12 noon and be able to go from glassy cleans with light pick attack to glorious Marshall grind when the strings are hit hard. Absolutely thrilling!

 

[solarburn]

Yeah, I'd have to say the RR's are probably the best deal going right now if one wants a hand-wired 1987 clone. And, believe me, I'm loving this amp every day! It's a thrilling experience to put the channel I vol pot at 12 noon and be able to go from glassy cleans with light pick attack to glorious Marshall grind when the strings are hit hard. Absolutely thrilling!

I love when an amp can do that with roll off or up. I just dig Plexi's so I'm biased any ways plus man that's a killer price and the damn things sounds great and keeps going for you for a long time to come than that's a solid investment where it counts. Kevin's making some guys year by doing it the way he is.

Now my JMP had already been violated(modded)when I got it and I wanted a couple of things fixed on it. So off it went and man it's getting a hell of a lot more options built in but first and foremost is tone. I'm a classic player and I need a dynamic toneful Marshall. Keep it simple yet capable. Can't wait to see and play it when it's done. I won't have to ever match tubes again and I can use different power tubes mixing them if I want. Means I can bias each tube. There's more but I'm tired.

In the mean time I get to play an OR15 and a DR Z Monza. I have a blast with these. The Monza had been sit'n around so I put it in the slider closet in the living room area today on a 112 cab with a K100 in it. So when the coast is clear I turn on some tunes and play along. Problem is I have the Monza as quiet as it can go and the 5.1 with tower floors and powered sub almost as loud as it can go. 100 watts vs 20 Z watts. Guess what amps winning...

 

[langmurf]

100 watts vs 20 Z watts. Guess what amps winning...

Big iron, baby! I went through the low watt thing... had some great amps, too. But I came to the conclusion that small amps sound... small... no way around it. I much prefer big iron attenuated or PPIMV'd... it just carries more weight, tone wise.

 

[solarburn]

Big iron, baby! I went through the low watt thing... had some great amps, too. But I came to the conclusion that small amps sound... small... no way around it. I much prefer big iron attenuated or PPIMV'd... it just carries more weight, tone wise.

Lang I was referring to my home theater receiver. That damn Monza sounds big. Bigger than it has a right to at 20 watts. It's open and uncongested or boxy. Plus in the slider closet it's like adjustable just by sliding the door open or closed. Actually cool cause I get different flavors of tone with the same speaker. Volume isn't the only thing effected by the door sliding.

It ain't gonna over shadow my JMP and the difference was noticeable with the Dsl50 too. Not that big sounding. It's just loud/big sound field for a low watter. Plus it's old school non master volume and these are like its either loud when it on its quietest setting and then one more notch down its off. No in between. I don't attenuate. On the Monza it kills the dynamics too much. My Marshalls attenuated much better...when I tried it. I just move down the hallway some so my ears don't implode when I open the Marshall's up.