Rocket or Express?????

[67plexi]

I built the express to start with and loved it so much I made 4. Made a Rocket I gig with a Express and a Rocket channel switched I'M now playing the Rocket and not even turning on the express.
You will need a airbrake for each amp and will spend a ton of $$$ on NOS
Tubes for the tuning of the amp. I have used new production tubes tone less crap at best with a short life span. A top notch NOS tube will be good for 10,000 hours if taken care of. RFT for el34. 7189 for el84. telefunken
ecc803s for v-1 or RFT or Tungram low noise. v-2,v-3 amperex, mullard, RCA 7025 and many more. Good luck and have fun.

[rooster]

OK, send me all those Rolph pickups and all the old NOS tubes you have................and I won't tell your wife about you and the singer.

Oh, wait a minute. I want the speakers in that 4/12, too!

[Rimy]

wow! a giveaway? great!
i'll take the express you don't turn on.

[RJ Guitars]

I built the express to start with and loved it so much I made 4. Made a Rocket I gig with a Express and a Rocket channel switched I'M now playing the Rocket and not even turning on the express.

You will need a airbrake for each amp and will spend a ton of $$$ on NOS Tubes for the tuning of the amp. I have used new production tubes tone less crap at best with a short life span. A top notch NOS tube will be good for 10,000 hours if taken care of. RFT for el34. 7189 for el84. telefunken ecc803s for v-1 or RFT or Tungram low noise. v-2,v-3 amperex, mullard, RCA 7025 and many more. Good luck and have fun.

Plexi,

Sounds like a lot of fun and I'm gonna guess you guys are loud? Isn't it odd to think that you need an airbrake on a 35 watt amp... remembering back to the days when I played a Fender twin full tilt.

Thank you for posting your info. If you are not aware of the Derek Ferwerda thread, he says very much the same thing about his preference for the Rocket over the Express or Liverpool. I guess we need to send Glen a Rocket.... hey Glen would you field test an amp for us?

I don't want to hijack the thread but would like to know more about your Rocket build - which transformers you used and some of the particulars if you don't mind. You can PM me, run a new thread or add your info to the "Rocket tweaks" thread if it takes us off topic here. I've got a little tube info as well.

thanks,

rj

[CapnCrunch]

Hey 67 Plexi, thanks for the info. I tend to gravitate toward vintage sounds, so I suspected that the Rocket would be to my liking. But, I want to broaden my tonal pallete with some higher gain sounds. I have a Deluxe Reverb RI (which is o.k. at best) a 59 or 60 Gibson Les Paul amp, a clone of a 59 narrow panel deluxe that I built, a 65 Amps London, and a THD Univalve. I have a bunch of Weber, Celestion, and EV speakers that I mix and match into various 1x12 and 2x12 cabs (open and closed back), but I've yet to come up with that elusive sound. I love the singing liquid sound of some of Glen's video clips and really dig some (repeat some) of Santana's sounds. I thought the Express might be the ticket to at least get me as close as my talent will allow.

After reading the Ferwerda thread and several others touting the virtues of the Rocket, I'm beginning to think that the Rocket would not be duplicative of what I have, but maybe similar and better then anything else I already have. Since I know I love that type of sound and feel in an amp already, why fight it. I'm now thinking I will build a Rocket first. Thanks to all you guys for the info and input.

I really dig this forum. It reminds me a lot of the 18watt forum before it got tunnel vision. Don't mean to bad mouth them, I just got bored there after they kicked out all non 18watt discussion. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks to all you guys who share your hard earned knowledge and tricks of the trade freely. It is amazing to me that some of you guys do this for a living and you still are willing to share your knowledge. I hope that someday, I'll be able to return the favor. Thanks again.

[dartanion]

Welcome aboard Cap'n.

There are a lot of former/current 18watt members here, so we know what you're saying.

[67plexi]

CapnCrunch. Use greenback 25s for speakers I have a switch on the back of the cab to run 2 x 12" at 8 ohms for the Rocket & Express.
I use a detuned TS-808 for gain and for the Santana sound use the neck pickup ( JM Rolph ) 1960 Les Paul Historic 50's Bumbulbee caps and 50's mod. I see a Rocket build in your future.

[67plexi]

rooster, Don't show this photo to the wife HA HA.
The alaska american Idol winner LZ.

[CapnCrunch]

67 Plexi....

Have you tried a treble boost with the Rocket? I have been a long time TS808 user, and about a year ago I picked up a Dallas Rangemaster treble booster clone built by the Tone Man Don Butler (if I get time, I'm going to dissect it and play around with it). I hardly ever use my Tube Screamer anymore. They are totally different in sound, but the treble boost just makes the higher frequency harmonics explode out of your amp. It's noisy, but it makes many of the classic rock tones that we are all familiar with easily attainable (think Brian May, early Led Zep, Richie Blackmore, Rory Gallagher, early Clapton etc.)

Since the Rocket is similar to an AC30, I am guessing a treble boost would be a natural with it. I know earlier in this thread it was mentioned that the Rocket has the AC30 Pre amp. Does the Rocket have it's own distinctive power amp section?

[67plexi]

CapnCrunch, Yes I some times use the Rangemaster but I built it using NPN transistors - ground. For the Wall of sound I also use a sola sound tone bender. But The best old fuzz with the trainwreck is Roger Mayer Hendrix modded fuzzface not the one you can buy you have to make it. Also the Vox wah with the Hendrix mod. Jimmi's efx were not stock. The sola sound tone bender will nail Jeff Beck sound if you are into that. The Rocket sounds nothing like an AC-30 top boost; to me it blows the Vox away. If voiced properly the trainwreck is on the edge of out of control. You will have to learn to play the guitar all over. The Rocket is not as agressive and you should be able to get any sound of your favorite guitar players. I play clean most of the time and the JM Rolph pickups will help that. Rock On.

[pureoldsound]

CapnCrunch:

These are the schem for the AC30 top boost compare them to the Rocket...

http://www.schematicheaven.com/voxamps/ ... weramp.pdf

http://www.schematicheaven.com/voxamps/ ... preamp.pdf