Can 80s Rockman Units Work In a Modern Guitar Rig? 

Yes usable. 1000%

You missed the coolest thing in the Distortion Generator. There Is a distortion that completely cleans up with your guitar volume control, and the clean is the same volume as the distortion.

These things shine running direct into an interface or PA,with FRFR speakers…..I run mine thru my studio monitors…Sounds great like that…The phase notcher simulates the phase cancellation of a 4x12 cab…..These were the first “modelers”,that were designed to emulate a mic’ed up guitar chain in the studio…but they were all analog…The cab sim built in is pretty amazing…..I have always gotten mixed results running into the front of an amp…..

So you plugged an amp/cab sim into the front of an amp/cab. You put a hat on a hat and were like, "For modern times, this hat doesn't work..." You could have at the very least plugged into a FX return if you weren't going to go DI.

Well, what do you all think? Usable, or nah?

I had a Sustainor: Really great compressor I used for electric guitar as well as bass and acoustic guitar with a pickup. I found the clean and edge settings were usable onstage but the only application I found for the distortion setting was for the super-compressed transistory-fuzz sound the second lead guitar uses in Mister Soul by Buffalo Springfield. I traded that unit for a great refret job on a played-out and trashed Les Paul. The guy who did the refret loves and collects this Scholz stuff and I noticed he looked at the date on the back of the unit before agreeing to the trade. Apparently, there were manufacturing tweaks over time which presumably affects their sound/performance and value. Miscellaneous thoughts: The build quality on these things seems bullet-proof. Todd Rundgren used to use the Rockman pocket amp thing onstage. That echo sounds cool. Good video.

Used the Chorus / Delay extensively in the 90s in a noise rock band and it wasn't dated at all. The Distortion Generator by itself, was pretty dated when I auditioned it in 92 - you throw it in the mix with the C/D and *BOOM* that was the 80s rock guitar sound - a sound we were eager to Get Away From😂. Now, with rock having basically been picked to the bone, it's all about capturing the aesthetics of different eras; if I want to have an 80s vibe - the Rockman is the most direct way of achieving that. They're all tools!

Im beginning to really enjoy the videos.

I'm noticing a trend that older things are popping back up (Because they work!) The original Uni-Vibe, Rockman, Tone Bender (I have one ❤️), all these vintage boxes and devices have such a crazy amount of use that in all honesty it would make sense if a session guitarisr or touring guitarist had some, especially a classic like the Rockman. Good stuff

None of the Rockman clean or distortion units (except for the Ultimatum Distortion) were made to go into normal guitar amps. They were made to go into Mixers or PA full range speakers. Of course you can use the modulation and echo with anything.

Of course it’s still very usable. Still have my Rockman X100 in it Rackmount Adapter in my Rack.

Rockmans are awesome. I still have one I bought right after they came out. They're not very adjustable but the limited sounds they make are great. BTW - I'm referring to the original Rockman.

My suggestion is find someone who used to use these back in the day. I knew a guitarist back in the mid 80's that utilized the Rockman stuff through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ combo amp, and he had Holy Grail tone for days.

For my ears, the distortion section of the compressor/sustainer put me in mind of the Jimi Hendrix experience and early records by The Who, whereas the dedicated distortion module brought to mind that Marshall Stack town associated with the mid-to-upper 70s. The compressor itself definitely did much to maximize the sound. I think the chorus generator was malfunctioning, because I could hear the warble associated with the square wave generator used for the chorus circuit, but I could not hear the doubling sound. That’s before that noise kicked in when you increased the depth.

Find the sounds in the Rockman you like, and that complement your playing style and the material you choose to play. Then, use it! Good tone/good effects are TIMELESS. Doesn't matter if it's a 40 year-old SR&D Rockman or a Keeper Profiler you just purchased. Great tone is what matters; NOT where it originates! Thanks for the demo!

I remember in the mid to late 90's you could get the modules for $60-90 bucks all day long. Shops couldn't give them a way as the average "90's" wanted nothing to do with the Eighties. Lol, that's also when you could get high end Kramer's for under $250

I own the sustainer and chours delay

Before watching this, I'll say of course they're usable. I know because I do it. And they came out in the early mid 80's. Listen to Megadeth's Peace Sells album that came out in 86. It's all over that. Also Joe Satriani's Surfin with the Alien. That was 87.

I'm pretty sure Dave Mustaine used a distortion generator in the late 80's

Of course! They're awesome! 80s sounds are the best sounds

With all due respect, these are not plug-and-play units, but are quite demanding if they are to work their best. Doing a test video without knowing how to use them is not a good idea. The units with distortion are not intended to be used as stomp boxes in front of an amp, but to used as the heart of a rig going into FRFR speakers. To be sure, it is possible to make these things play decently into an amp, but then you are essentially putting a tone with an IR (or the closest thing you had to an IR in the 80s) into an amp and a set of speakers.

Y wouldn’t they be?? 🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽

Well... none of these sounds you managed tu tune up with this thing doesn't sound as great as single Rockman X100. That tiny headphone amp proves its point: you dont need knobs tu play around with. 2 3 way switches will do it for you. Simplicity at its finest.

the earliest versions came out in the early 80s about the size of a tape box, with sliding on off switches for the effects and different modes, that's when every band seemed to be using them in the studio, the rack and 1/2 rack models came out mid 80s, I think by then every band making/recording music had gotten tired off sounding like journey! what made it, was eventually it's own downfall!

When you want to sell them I will buy them let me know whenever.

Ryan. Stop stealing my licks. Sincerely - Ryan.

those three units will run you closer to $1500 today.

Demos are more useful when we have a frame of reference for the guitar…a real Jazzmaster would be more familiar in tone to more people than a copy.

I prefer my Marshall 1987x plexi with master vol. and karl martin plexi rander dual pedal. ths sounds canned and over saturated.

My sustainor cost $350.00 in 1989. (half rack distortion unit). A used Marshall Superlead early '70's 100w and 50w head were $500.00 then also! So rockman stuff was expensive. Your unit sounds terrible compared to mine....I think you need a cleaner amp to use your rockman gear with.... don't use with a distorted/muddy/low headroom amp. Lol! Nevermind...now I see what u did wrong. You didn't turn the compressor way back down ( or even better off ) when you added the edge and distortion channels!!