rockola amp manufacter

hi there.
having restored 4 rockola jukebox I seem to come up against an accuring problem, the amp. because of the age and condition . so I am thinking of manufacturing a new look alike amp. 1 with as original inners or 1 with modern valve technology . the amps will cover the 1448---1465 . can I have your views on this topic.
thanks

alanm43

Hi Alan,

Your concept sounds interesting but as I am a jukebox maniac that's out of the question for me. If a jukebox owner is only interested in a good sound quality than your idea of using a new amp with modern valve technology is an option.
But listening to the great sound of an antique amp is definitely one of the reasons why I love the sound of the jukebox. And if the amp is professional rebuilt the sound is really awesome.


Viele Grüße,
JukeboxChrisi

[www.juke-para.de]

hi jukeboxChrisi,

couldn't agree more, but all the amps I have had, have been badly damaged, I have a friend that manufacture valve amps since 1965 and has offered to try out the two alternatives if there is enough interest.
alanm43

took me years to complete my 1448
the first thing I threw in the bin was the amp
from my point of view only original parts are an option
like to believe 99 out of 100 think this way

ps don't get me wrong
as an amp is an essential part to make it all work your suggestion
could be a temporary solution till one has the opportunity to acquire
an original amp



1 mal bearbeitet. Zuletzt am 30.07.13 23:03.

Hello alanm43

I have repaired hundreds of amplifiers over time. It was never necessary to replace the whole amplifier. To use a newly-built amplifier has two disadvantages. The construction of an equivalent amplifier is much more expensive than repairing an old amplifier. Moreover, the value of the jukebox drops.

The only reason to build amplifiers, would be if the amplifier is missing and no used original amplifier would be available. At present there are still many of these amplifiers on the market.

I also do not believe that a newly-built amplifier would make a significant improvement in the sound. Sound improvement is - apart from a professional amp repair - to reach through replacement of the pickup and reconing of the speakers. These actions promise more success, are cheaper than a newly-built amplifier and also may not reduce the value of the jukebox.

Best regards - charly49

Hello Alan, I think, this is a very good idea. A lot of people who would like to buy a newly restored juke would be interested in a working amp without any problems in the future . They pay a lot for boxes that are looking like new, with new chrome and unfaded plastic parts. The fans of 100% originals are another, but small group, they dont pay the prices of the professional dealers for certain restored machines and always try get a jukebox as cheap as possible to complete it with original parts . I´m restoring since 30 years and often there are problems with old components even if they were restored like new, especially receivers and amps. So a completely new made amplifier is a very good idea especially for the customers that like a working box with good sound without trouble. A candidate for a new production is also the Tempo II amp. One benefit is the undamaged look (there is very often rust on the housing because of the non-cleaning over the years ) and another the undisturbed function. Maybe the addition of a preamp makes sense to optimize the sound with an magnetic cartridge.
I the past I was a fan of the 100% originals but in the meantime I prefer the problem-less solution if there is one. A very good example are the new boards in the KD 200. If You want to sell a box and never have problems with Your customer, just take the new boards and dont renovate the old ones, so You don´t get panic calls that the box doesnt select or there is no tone.

Seeburg 19

Hi Seeburg 19

as I see it you explained the difference between some-one who has jukes as a hobby and others who
see it as a business

as for : "always try get a jukebox as cheap as possible to complete it with original parts "
you really think buying an original 1448 Amp in the U.S. , shipping it to The Netherlands and
a full revision by an expert is less expensive compared to a new Amp ?

with all the money I spended on my jukes I could easily buy a new middle class car
( not to mention the amount of time I spended )
and most likely I would never get back that amount when I should sell my jukes
but I quess that's the difference hobby vs business

Hello Alan, I do not talk of the people that import a box from US and let them restore, I talk of people who get a box from EBAY or somebody advertised cheap or other ways to get boxes from private persons in Europe. And I divide the people in two groups: the maniacs, that want to get them cheap and complete original in best condition and the people that want a perfect working box and pay for it to a restorer. The first group would never buy a new amp, only if the original one is missing and the second group wants it perfectly working without problems, so Your customers would be the top restorers, because it saves a lot of time and money to take a new and working amp instead of completing and rebuilding an old one.
.

Hello alanm43

I think you and Seeburg19 have tried to save money in the wrong place. If the orignal - amplifier causes problems, you should get it repaired by a professional. A well repaired amplifier will work again for many years, probably longer than a newly constructed. For the construction of an amplifier three ways are possible. You kanns build a 1:1 copy. That would work reasonably, but the price would be in the range of the value of the whole jukebox. You can build a new tube amp with new high quality parts. But that would require a high development expenses in order to achieve an optimal adaptation to the existing parts in the box. At the end it would not come much cheaper. To achieve a reasonable price, it is only possible to use a cheap solid state amplifier and adapting it  for use in the jukebox. I do not think you'd like that, because it will not sound nearly as good as the original amp.

Seeburg19 wrote: "A lot of people ... would be interested in a working amp without any problems in the future." I do not think that can be better reached with a newly built amp than with the original amplifier. Original - amplifiers can be repaired even in 20 or 30 years. Not original (or inexpertly repaired) are not accepted by many repair shops.

The example with the KD boards is not true. In this case is not built a new amplifier, but only a defective component (namely the board) renewed. Most of the other components may be used again, provided they are not defective.

Best regards - charly49