Rocktron R50C Rampage

Apparently this is a 2006 R50C, pulled off the curb with a shorted out power cord socket--I took it home and had it up and running the same day, free's always a good feature.
Clean and distortion channels, reverb and chorus for both channels, 2x8" speakers, about 30lbs.

I mostly use Strat-style guitars, but I also use a Hamer SBFT and an Electra X290 with "hambuckers" for blues-rock and prog, which is where this little amp fits into the puzzle--it gets pretty close to a Jazz-Chorus sound, which is great because I'd never spend the money on a JC-120.

Tone on the clean channel is pretty good, going from squeaky clean to a Blackmore style crunch just by turning up the gain. The distortion channel is so brootalz that I don't turn the gain past 3-4 even with Strats, but the AGX does seem to keep the noise down--not as well as a HUSH, but not bad.

One thing I did do was change the cheesy speakers out for an old PA speaker and a speaker from a Champ 15, both with much bigger magnets and a bit more bass, which balances out the sound--although they still sound like 8's, they're not as boxy as the stock speakers.

This little amp must be pretty reliable to survive two years of collegiate abuse and a dead short and still be working, so it'll probably keep going for a while.

I've never dealt with their customer service, but hopefully I won't have to.

I'd take this amp to jams and open mikes--if I were geting PAID, I'd take one of my bigger amps and the R50C would be the backup.

I either repair it myself or it gets the Howard Roberts Treatment. No need for Customer Support.

I've been playing a damn long time, and most of my guitars are refurbs of instruments that others have given up on or didn't have the skill to fix--guitars that don't work don't last long at my house. I've got bunches of gear, very little Vintage any more, though.

The one thing lacking on this amp is an FX loop, but the rest is very usable, so not a big deal.

Curbside Upgrades haven't become common enough to comparison shop.

Features, well you can look em' up. Basic two channel amp/ with Reverb and chorus.

I saw this thing sitting in a pawn shop for $125. I've never tried any Rocktron stuff so looking it over seeing it was a little mini-twin I had to try it out. I was pleasantly surprised.
The clean channel sounded really chimy-good and the chorus was decent as well. I didnt find the clean to be overly bright which I like.
The gain channel is great. Dig the way twins sound. even with the puny speakers you can get it up there in volume quite a bit before it starts to mud up. I wish I had plugged it into a cab like others here suggested but I didnt even think of it. I was just havin a blast playing it as it was. Seemd really quiet at idle. Which an SS should anyway. You can get some really nice straight up distortions from it. I was using the only thing the pawn shop had some cheapo BC rich bronze thing... At home plugged into my strat with Duncan Hot Rail- it was even better. Anyway way cool for the price. Would I have paid full price ($250) for it, I dunno maybe not, but considering the idea of using it as a head to a 212 cab and then using it stand alone for taking out to a friends or something, that'd a pretty cool little combo to have.

No problems...seems well built.

I've no idea

Been playing for years and Im kind of a gear freak. I play fat strats. Other amps Ive had...wow lets see...Vox Valvetronic/ Peavey Bandit/ Peavey Valveking/ Fender HRDLX/ Pignose G40V/ Roland cube/ Vox DA-5/ Marshall Valvestate 150X...I dont know maybe a couple others.

What do I love it about it? Small/ cheap/ sounds great. I may throw some blue marvel speakers in it just for fun.

Strangely after all the amps I've had between tube amps and SS Im down to mostly digging the solid state stuff. Go Figure. I wont be selling my Peavey Bandit because of the little Rocktron, but its a keeper all the same.

2002 model, with full features

This amp does exactly what I had intended it to do. It can serve as a practice amp and as a small stand alone gigging amp. It does both of these things well. However, it really shines when you plug it into a 4X12 cabinet and begins to function as a head. The internal speakers do not mute when you connect it to an external cabinet. However, the amp is open-backed and therefore -- if you so desire -- you can manually unplug the internal speakers, no problem.

Folks, the amp is built with two eight inch speakers (not 2X10's, not 2X12's). That is not secret information. If you do not want a 2X8, then buy something else. However, the stock speakers do a good job for what they are designed for (practice, small jams).

The amp sound is excellent if you use the tone shaping controls properly. The clean channel is the best. (The overdrive channel is not my personal favorite, but that is a taste thing.) I run it exclusively on the clean channel. I use external effects for overdrive, etc. Although it does not have a effects loop, it handles external effects on the front end very well. The built-in stereo chorus is very good -- lush, smooth, and thick. The three-band parametric EQ does a real good job as well. It provides the player with a wide array of tonal possibilities. I primarily play rock music and this amp does a fine job. As with ANY amp period, I heartily suggest that guitarists invest in a BBE Sonic Maximizer to run a guitar through on the amplifier front end. It makes a world of difference no matter what kind of rig you use. It will tighten up the sound and make ANYTHING sound incredibly better!!!!!

I have used this amp consistently for the last five years and have had no problems with it whatsover. I trust it to work whenever I turn it on.

I have never had to deal with them for service. However, right after I bought the amp, I called them with a technical question and they were very courteous and very helpful.

I have been playing guitar for 30 years. I currently own several amps (Rocktron, Vox, Peavey, Carvin) and have owned and played many other brands (Marshall, Fender, Crate, etc.)over the years. Additionally, I use much outboard gear from many different manufacturers (Boss, Behringer, BBE, Ibanez, etc.). This amp is not anything fancy, but it is a keeper. As with anything use, it must be used within its design parameters. In my opinion, it does well for providing a good basic guitar tone. What one does with that is up to the individual player.

Bought new from MusiciansFriend. Two channel, Sterio chorus, reverb, 2x8inch speakers, Hi and Lo input jacks. Outputs for external cabs and line-outs. 25Watts Sterio - 50watt solid state amp. Footswitchable channels, reverb, chorus.

At first I was very unhappy with this amp. It was way too trebly no matter how I messed with the EQ. Most of my guitars are Active EMGs and tend to bite hard in the mid-treble but even so this amp was very tinny. I finally got a decent sound by turning the treble up (exact opposite of what you would think) and the mid, bass down on the EQ and controling most of the mid-treble range with the presence control. It seems the presence control is oversensitive and needs to be experimented with. With this setting I got a decent sound out of those tiny 8" speakers at a respected volume. I also used two 2x12 external cabs, for some reason when they are used, the internal speakers still work! I'm pretty sure with 8ohm cabs that will hit the output transformer hard in the amp, maybe even burn it out. Once I got a decent sound out of it the clean channel is very nice and with the gain up bites very nicely. Chorus is also great on the clean channel. The overdrive channel through the hi-gain input is pretty modern with alot of gain (too much for my style). The low gain input jack brings things down to classic hard rock level and I use this setting.

It looks well built and made to be used. It's solid state so no tubes to go out.

Haven't had to use them

At first I was not happy with this amp because it was way too trebly (tinny) but after messing with it I finally got a decent EQ and after recording some tracks with it, I'm please with the results. I don't think this amp would cut it for gigging, but recording and rehersal through external cabs it does a great job - also as a lightweight backup amp at gigs if you are brave enough to mic up those tiny 8" speakers.

You all know the features by now. So don't bitch about it saying it needs this or has that wrong. Do some research on what you want and need.

I'm using a stock Epiphone Goth SG through it with the only mod being Iommi humbuckers. For my music style (prog metal, heavy metal, hard rock)...man o' man you can't beat the sound!!! big time bang for the bucks spent twice (first one was damaged beyond repair recently, a 2000 model) and I do crank this and I use it with a Peavy 4 X 12 cabinet with many enjoyable hours of ear pain/bleeding enjoyment.

I have used this so called "crappy amp" or some say without any probs for 5 years now, not a prob worring about reliabilty. I do have other equipment I do use, but not going to go into detail.

My first one I bought never had any problems except for some slight rattles at high volumes, nothing that a bit of wood glue filled into the screw holes and tightened securely couldn't fix. Have never had to deal with the company directly.

There is not much I dislike about this particular amp worth mentioning. Yes this is my second one, got it without hesitation. For a "LOT" more $$$ you can surely get lots better out there but you can'y deny the value and sound this little gem gives you.

2003 model. Clean, and gain, what else do you need? It has two channels, but both of them can be overdriven. I bought this amp for a practice amp, but I'm going to use it to gig. Plenty of balls when you hook it up to a 4x12 stereo.

2003 Joe Perry Les Paul Custom, 1968 Les Paul gold top, both with original pick ups. I play rock, with a heavey dose of southern blues/rock. This amp is really quiet. There is a little noise when you shut it off, but not enough to warrant bitching. I love the first channel, with the gain turned up to about 6 or 7, with the level cranked, highs on 7, mids on 4.5, and bass on 4, no reverb, and the chorus on, but the depth and speed buttons turned down all the way. I hooked it up to my tweed Peavey Classic 4x12 in stereo, and this is as close Slash as any human being will ever be. With a little tweaking on the volume knob on my Les Paul, I can go from Skynyrd to GnR in a quarter turn. Great sound for $150, it still doesn't beat my Peavey Classic 100 head. YOU CAN'T BUY TONE, YOU MAKE IT. Great guitar players can make the worst amp and guitar sound like a million bucks. Unfortunately, there are a bunch of dickheads that don't know how to play, who buy equipment they don't know how to use and have never took the time to learn how to get proper tone. To you people who call yourselves guitar players: EQUIPMENT WILL NEVER MAKE YOU BETTER, AND IF IT SOUNDS LIKE SHIT, IT'S PROBABLY YOU, NOT THE GEAR.

don't know yet, never dealt with them.

hell, for the price i paid for it, if it breaks down, i'll buy another one, and turn this one into a beer cooler.

For the price, the size, and the sounds, this little scramer gets a 10. And for all of those who complain about this hog, I think you either can't play or you must think that the buttons and knobs are for show..or maybe I got lucky and got the only good one, but I doubt it...This amp is a great value.

It's got lots of good stuff going on, pretty much all you need but mayeb an effects loop. It has footswitching (footswitch not included), but for someone like me who plas an effect s=rig, the clean is really all in need and If I;m recording then it's good to go.

Sratszzzz with single coils...fits well...no noise...cool stereo chorus, reverb is just ok, distortion kicks butt!!....clean begins to womp speaker at high volume with bass tones, but i don't hink it's meant to rock a stadium!

...bummer here, the amp got a high end ring, lost reverb and shot a speake rion process...however..read on to Customer Support...it gets better!

Jim is AWESOME. the lead tech cat shot a new reverb out basically overnight and in the end they hooked me up and made things very right. I think that I want a sponsorship deal with these guys!! AWESOME SERVICE!!!!! WalnutGroveBand.com

I've been playing 18 years...on and off...I'd get another if it was stolen...I love the size, the weight, the features and the sound. I usually play big boyz like a Fender Dual Showman and also a Roc Prow/ 4x12...this amp doesn't really compare to those, but is not intended to.

Reverb knob, Chorus knobs and the Presence knob are great. It could use more equalizers than just low, mid and high, but those are standard on most amps. The noise redustion can work a little too well and cut out a lot of sustain but it is easily unplugged. The clean channel is great with it's own gain control.

I am a very poor man and this amp is great. If i rated the sound of this amp by the price than it would be a ten. Overall you aren't going to get an unbelievable mesa boogie sound but the distortion is the best i've ever heard out of a cheap solid state. It has a lot of power for the size too. Right now i run it through a behringer and i use it just for the distortion.

The rocktron logo fell off but that's about it. When you drop or hit it makes a funny sound which i can't pinpoint or describe, but it still works.

who knows

For the price of this amp it gets a Ten. If you want something a little better i'd spend a little more for a higher quality rocktron or spend a lot more for a tube amp.

this amp is not to noisy it has a very cool damn near perfect stereo chorus i give it a 8 for the clean sound and a 10 for the overdrive it is a brutal mother fucker and the thing distortes at a low level

i cannot depend on this amp because 3 times i hooked the 8 ohm extention speaker jacks up to 8 ohm 4x12 speaker cabs and blowed the power amps and the dude at rocktron told me it had a shity cap in the power amp but i believe rocktron has a whole bunch of shity capacitors they payed for my shit to get fixed 3 times and i had a freind who had the same problem so evan though it says you can hook up a 4x12 i would not recomend it

i talked to jim at roktron and he was a fucken jerk but they did fix the damn thing after months of bullshit however.

to be a solid state amp it kicked ass but it let me down to much.

Ok you all know the features..I'm just updating my last post.Mine's a 2001 model with the same stuff it had last time except I did get the used 4-10 Dean Markley cab. I also used 18 gauge speaker cable to connect the beast. Actually the Dean Markley cab is kinda small, but as they say dino-mite comes in small packages.

I have had the amp hooked up to a 4-10 dean markley cab. I won this on ebay. I just had to know hoe this amp sounded. Well it sounds excellent!!! I highly suggest getting an external cab.
Ok, the amp is STEREO which means I connect the speaker cable to the left channel's 25 watts of output and into the cab..It just sounds awsome. Extremely loud for 25 watts. Now it could be possible that the channels are bridged but I doubt it.
I was rather abrupt with my initial review of the distortion...It takes some tweaking, but when it's all said and done it sounds good too.
I could never get feedback with the standard hi velocity 8" speakers and with the external cab..I almost can't stop it..not that that's a BAD thing..lol

Amp is solid state..o it's good for a long time w/o tube maintenance..

Rocktron is a part of GHS so I'm sure they want more customers and will take good care of you...

I'm telling you, if you have one of these and are even a little disappointed with it, get an external cab and you will be happy again!