Rockster Reverb Layout anyone...

[dorrisant]

Hi all at The Amp Garage,

I just got a Rockster kit from rj a couple of days ago...
First off, rj packs a wonderful kit. Everything was organized very well... 5 stars out of 5 for rj!

Now for the question burning in my brain... Does anyone have a clear layout and or gutshots for the Rockster build with reverb and rj's new PS board. i have the one from the Rocketus Addus Revrbus post... the PS board is different and the component numbers and values cant be read on the smaller parts. I think rj said he uses Auto Cad and I'm figuring something was lost in the conversion to jpeg. Do any of you guys have a legible copy?

I have - rj Rockster Chassis June 2011 Layout Rev 4.0 and
rj Rockster Add Reverb July 2010 Original Layout Rev 2.0b

If they are not any clearer than what I already have then they won't help much.

I know I can figure it all out on my own but if someone has good info it sure would speed things up.

Thanks in advance!

Tony

Edit: Posting most current layout and schem here.

[M Fowler]

Here is all I have hope it helps.

[dorrisant]

Thanks Mark,

I'll check it out tonight.

Tony

[RJ Guitars]

Edit Oct 21, 2011 -- I keep the latest here typically - https://tubeamparchive.com/viewtopic.php?p=120363

... I made up a set of Rockster Reverb rev 3.0 drawings and set the prototypes to Tony... now they are posted for everyone.

Speaking of that - The Rev 4.0 Rockster (no Reverb) has all the parts in the right place and matches the latest versions of the chassis and boards, but the PS wiring isn't quite right. I've got some travel time coming up so I'll get the next iteration Revved up and post it. Look for rev 4.1 and in the meantime if anybody see's another hiccup, lemme know, I'll fix all of them at the same time.

Take a look at that power supply board in the rev 4.0 layout and see if it doesn't remind you of the PS board in an Express only turned about 90 degrees. Economics loves uniformity of parts.

Edit - I found a photo of the prototype Rockster Reverbus... It shows the PS wiring I used for the Reverb addition. I'll add that to this note. Apologies for all the other stuff going on in the amp, I really used it as a test bed for ideas and it got a little rough looking before I was all done. When I play through it I tend to forget that this was all put together from leftover and reject parts. It's still one of the best sounding amps in the house.

rj

[dorrisant]

thanks again rj.

i have most of it figured out and that gutshot helps a lot.

i will try to post pics of my build in the hope that i can get a little help from the eyes and minds of the amp garage. this is my second rockster build and the first one with reverb.

just a note to anyone contemplating the purchase of a kit from rj, i doubt you will find anyone else in the business that will go to the great lengths rj does to make things right for your project... i think he worries about it more than i do at times...of course this is the luxury that i have when dealing with him. if he forgot to send you something, he will probably know it before you!

i love this forum!

tony

[ampmike]

Yea,Thats true,Im on my 3rd from rj.I just have to cut my faceplate and do the pots on my Liverpool.He is awesome,Im already thinking"Hmn ,Whats next"I got to emal him,Great Guy,Mikey

[M Fowler]

If you look at his website, rj has a few other amp projects for you kats besides Fender, Dumble and Trainwreck type circuits:lol:

[dorrisant]

I'm thinking about springing for the Supre Eagle... I like what I've been reading about that one.

I also have someone almost talked into a sub mini rocket.

[dorrisant]

Hi all,

I exchanged a couple of emails with rj. I'm pretty solid on the layout... Looks like I will have some time to spend on this project. Just wanted to post a couple of pics...

This is the way it came out of the box. I didn't realize that rj would put this much prep work into it. He does suggest pulling all of the screws and bolts for Loc-tite. I will do a headphone check too... I accidentally left the reverb tank out.

[IMG:768:1024]http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad30 ... _6292_.jpg[/img]

This was just for a test fit before I get to work...

[IMG768]http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad30 ... _6294_.jpg[/img]

And here is a shot of the back...

[IMG768]http://i946.photobucket.com/albums/ad30 ... _6295_.jpg[/img]

I'm not 100% sure on the component placement... I know there are a couple of components to place yet. Gotta look at the layout again.

That's it for now...

Tony

[ampmike]

Wow!!Nice looking job,You in good hands with rj.Your going to have a very cool amp.Keep posting your progress,Lookin good,Mikey

[Bob-I]

I built a rocket reverb with el34s from a SF bassman that had been trashed. It gets great cleans but I found it overly bright and lacking in mids. I ma some mods which are taking it far away from the rocket amp.

1) upped the treble cap to 100pf
2) upped the v1a coupler to .001uf

I still find it lacking in mid complexity. I'm also fairly disappointed in how it handles pedals, not very natural sounding with the zen or OCD. I'm thinking of adding a mid pot.

[M Fowler]

Bob,

That is interesting about your build, I don't find any problem with using the Rocket preamp into the octal power amp. The last one I changed from EL34 to KT66 liked that but then switched to 6550 and really like that. I would like to have more plate voltage then what a TW has using the Heyboer 300-0-300 PT.

The reverb with short decay is very subtle. I can dial up any range needed with the two way bright switch, treble/bass and cut control. Added a foot switch boost as well. This amp uses the PI limiter control as a pseudo MV (watts control).

Takes a pedal board very well. Glad this amp is finally going to a good player. This guy likes lots of modulation, loopers and delays. Makes my pedal board look whimpy. I will try get him to do some recording of this amp.

Another Reverb Rocket build used Fender iron 350-0-350 so that helped a lot. Wired the tone stack plexi style with MV.

Mark

[dorrisant]

Bob,

I have found more than enough useful tones to build this preamp several times now... and with the octal power section into an old fender copy. I haven't had any iterations that were overly bright and all have thick juicy mids. Clean to really dirty, excellent either way and all in between.

I don't mean to bitterly disagree with you, but there has to be something to this circuit, too many sing its praises.

What do you prefer over this platform?... It would have to be awesome!

Tony

[dr. who]

any way to make the reverb have a send and return like the dumble SSS?

[Bob-I]

Bob,

I have found more than enough useful tones to build this preamp several times now... and with the octal power section into an old fender copy. I haven't had any iterations that were overly bright and all have thick juicy mids. Clean to really dirty, excellent either way and all in between.

I don't mean to bitterly disagree with you, but there has to be something to this circuit, too many sing its praises.

What do you prefer over this platform?... It would have to be awesome!

Tony

I'm gonna have to examine my build more, sounds like something may be wrong.