PDA

View Full Version : Randall Commander II - RG90A



indianjjy
April 30th, 2008, 06:58 AM
I just picked up a very abused Randall amp for restoring. This is a very early 70's model,it is a solid state but it has MOSFET circuitry. When Don Randall broke away from Fender in 1969 he set out to make a loud-driving amp for the new style players at the time. Washburn had since bought them out and now they are owned by another outfit. After researching on the net, No one seemed to have any info on this amp. I tried Randall amps but they kind of blew me off, but I did get ahold of Washburn and the person I emailed was very helpfull and even had a copy of the owners manual and schematic for this amp. This will need to be completely gone thru as the pots are scratchy and it has no speakers but it should be a added prize to my collection when finished. I will install Eminence speakers ( 2 - 12 inch ).IMHO they out perform Celestions in everyway. By the way, This is the amp that Hetfield and the boys found their sound and hence,Metalica... Not that I am a metal head,blues is my love but nothing wrong with a good,loud hard driving guitar...

Algonquin
June 8th, 2008, 06:02 PM
I just googled an image of your new amp indianjjy. Very cool looking vintage 2x12 you've got there. How are you diggin it?
:beer:

SuperSwede
June 10th, 2008, 02:46 AM
I love MOSFET amps... warm and dynamic!

indianjjy
June 10th, 2008, 05:57 AM
As info, Just got the chassis back for some fine tuning, have just stripped and re-tolex'ed the cabinet, in the process of installing new black grill cloth as per the original. Purchased 2- 75 watt Eminence legends for the cab. Also installing a Accutronics type 8 3 spring reverb. I will post a pic when completed. Should sound good I hope. I graduated in the 60's and at the time, when Randalls first came out in the 1969-1970's, they were cutting edge. Then the Navy and Vietnam kind of put things on hold for me. Then Wife,kids,career...Now just starting to take up the guitar again.

indianjjy
June 23rd, 2008, 06:08 AM
Does anyone have any opinions on this guitar?

jrshedden
July 2nd, 2008, 05:37 AM
Hi,

I bought one of these Commanders all mildewed and stinky. I cleaned it up and put in Weber Chicago speakers, which are unbelieveable in that amp. My friend gigs the amp often and people frequently come up and ask what it is!

Above is the exact model. I have it on the bench now to check out an intermittent distortion problem and found that the input wire to one of the phone jacks was sitting in the lug, but never soldered. I wonder if it has been that way since the beginning. I'm not finished testing it, but I have looked at it compared to an RG-90 schematic and it doesn't match! I haven't gone through the whole think yet, but the preamps are wired like an RG-120.

According to either schemtic, this is not a MOSFET amplifier. It only has 2 JFET transistors at the input of each channel. The output amplifiers use BJT's.

Good luck, and have fun with that! Definitely consider Weber speakers.

Regards,
Jim

VintageRules
January 5th, 2009, 09:38 PM
I buy and sell vintage Randall equipment. A lot of sellers on EBAY think that since the amp they have was made in the 70's, it must be worth $400. What a joke. Someone has an RG300 "Orange Stripe" head for sell for over $300. It's woth about $120 and it's a bare bones head with no reverb or tremelo. I just picked up an RG90-D 212 Combo on EBAY for 81 dollars. Did I mention it was in mint condition? Yes, it cost me $50 to ship, but I think $130 is a good buy. This RG90 is a 1974 model. I sold the two, old mismatched speakers that were in it and I replaced them with a pair of Eminence "Red, White and Blues." If these prove to be to mellow on the high end, I will use a pair of Eminence Legend V128's. They are more British sounding with a little more high end sparkle. I use an ABY switch box to select channels on the fly. I have a different set of pedals on each channel. One has the sweet effects for strumming and chords and the other has the nasty effects like a modded Tubescreamer and several old Boss distortion pedals. That's my lead channel. Right now, I'm pretty happy with the Red, White and Blues, as these speakers tend to warm up solid state amps.

I have so many amps and heads I can't tell you what all I have off the top of my head. Now I do want you to know about a Randall head that I have. I got it on EBAY for $305, plus 50 to ship. I couldn't find out anything on this amp. I took it apart and it was made in 1972. Randall was barely out of the gates back then. This head is a monster!!! It has a solid state pre. There is a 12AT7 that is shielded. I don't know if it is used as a driver for the reverb, or if it is used as a phase inverter for the all tube section. The tubes in this amp are what makes this amp a monster. It uses four, 8417's (a pair can make 100 watts). The 8417 was the biggest, baddest audio power tube ever made. Problem was they came out when the transistor was taking the country by storm. Therefore, the big boy was short lived and replacement tubes are expensive. I ended up getting a matched quad of 8417's for this amp. You can go to Harmony Central>User Reviews>Guitar Amps>Randall>RG150 Vintage Hybrid and read my detailed review on this beast. The amp I have is number 85. I think it is safe to say that it is rare. Randall called it the Alpha Hybrid RG150. Whatever you call it, it is one awesome head. Channel One has a Master Volume!!! On a 1972 amp no less. Also has a long tank reverb and tremelo. I located a vintage footswitch for it. Killer. I have all of these modern hi-gain heads and this head can hold its own with any of them. Again, I use an ABY switch box to switch channels.

If anyone would like to talk vintage Randall amps, or if you have one for sale, contact me at: meospeak@aol.com

My web page is: www.webspawer.com/users/meoconspiracy2005/index.html

Regards, Marty-Musician's Audio Equipment

sinodira
September 4th, 2009, 02:18 PM
I have the same amp...and it needs parts.Do you think you could send me a copy of that schematic?

adam79
February 22nd, 2011, 12:38 AM
I buy and sell vintage Randall equipment.

If anyone would like to talk vintage Randall amps, or if you have one for sale, contact me at: meospeak@aol.com

My web page is: www.webspawer.com/users/meoconspiracy2005/index.html


Do you have any Randall amps (preferably a Commander RG120 PH or a combo equivalent) you're willing to sell?

Thanks,
-Adam

Katastrophe
February 22nd, 2011, 08:17 PM
Adam, his one and only post was January, 2009. I'd use the links if you were interested in talking with the guy, but honestly, it could be a spammer. Use caution and buyer beware.

adam79
February 28th, 2011, 06:29 PM
Adam, his one and only post was January, 2009. I'd use the links if you were interested in talking with the guy, but honestly, it could be a spammer. Use caution and buyer beware.

Thanks for the heads up.

-Adam

old mark
April 29th, 2011, 12:03 PM
I bought one of these Commander II amps around 1976. I was playing a '68 Les Paul Custom through it...I don't think I ever turned it up louder than 4...I recall it had pretty good tone for blues for a solid state amp at that time...I know I sold it, but I don't recall any details of that...

mark