Rockola Electronics

Hi

I know Rockola has red-yellow and orange mechanisms for their CD juke boxes. Are any of these interchangeable, such as replacing a red electronics with a orange electronics? Thank you in advance for any information you may be able to supply.

Best
Darrell

Hi Darrell,
The "mechanisms" are all "black" and are, for the most part, other then if it has an older player, interchangeable.
The "control electronics" are housed in metal boxes, in the colors you stated, plus a couple more, and for the most part, are NOT interchangeable ( some newer ones can be used to replace some older ones--sometimes). HTH Ron Rich

Hi,

I had the following information sitting around that depicts various components and colors used in Rockola Jukeboxes and I thought that I would share it with the group:

1977 – 1992 Antique Apparatus Jukeboxes were made using Rowe Ami Internal Components:
Gold Amplifier - Bubbler RB-8 – Series II (1988) - 200 Selection 45 RPM
Gold Amplifier - Bubbler RB-8 / CD8 (1990) - 200 Selection 45 RPM / 100 CDs

1993 – present Antique Apparatus Rock-Ola were made using Rock-Ola Internal Components:
Black Amplifier - Bubbler CD8 - Series III (1993-94) - 280 Watt Analog Amplifier - Black
Red Amplifier - Bubbler CD8 - Series IV (1994-95) - 360 Watt Analog Amplifier - Red
Orange Amplifier - Bubbler CD8B - (1996–2003) - 810 Watt Analog Amplifier - Orange
Yellow Amplifier - Bubbler CD8C - (2003-2010) - 900 Watt "Digital" Amplifier - Yellow
Yellow Amplifier - Bubbler CD8C - (2010-Present) - 1600 Watt Peavey Amplifier - Yellow

David C. Rockola passed away in 1992 at the age of 96. In September of 1992, Just shortly before he passed away, David C. Rockola sold his company Rockola to Antique Apparatus (which was founded by Glen Streeter in 1977). Antique Apparatus was renamed into "Antique Apparatus Rock-Ola" at that time.

Antique Apparatus provided Rowe Ami internals in their Nostalgic Bubblers from 1977 up until 1992 when Antique Apparatus purchased Rockola. In 1993 Antique Apparatus Rock-Ola began furnishing all their Nostalgic Bubbler jukeboxes with Rock-Ola internals components. These components were manufactured using specific colors that indicated specific versions of a specific operating system. All component operating system upgrades were introduced with a new, never been used before component housing color (Example Black, Red, Orange and Yellow) in order to allow vendor mechanics a quick way to decipher a specific manufacturing date of a given operating system component.

In addition, starting in 1993 when Rowe Ami no longer had a component operating system relationship with Antique Apparatus, Rowe Ami wanted to continue to keep their operating system component on the street so they started offering their own nostalgic bubbler. It is believed that Antique Apparatus Rock-Ola provided the Nostalgic Bubbler cabinets to Rowe Ami having the current larger full front door along with the illuminated Rowe Ami logo found in the lower portion of the horseshoe.

Keep in mind that Rockola is still in business today making these jukeboxes with parts and repairs readily available whereas Wurlitzer has stopped production of their Bubbler CD jukeboxes back in September of 2013 making parts and repairs increasingly more difficult to find.

Hi Jeff,
I think this is pretty much correct--
A few points of clarification--
Rowe guts as supplied to AA did NOT include wiring harnesses --early production 45 rpm's used some "left/over" 125 then, 130 watt, Rowe amps. Later production CD units had the whole 250 watt Rowe amp installed, but not the Rowe sound system parts. Later production found the Rowe pre-amp and the Rowe output section mounted in a draw in the rear of the
cabinet.
"Large door" cabinets with Rowe produced components were made for Rowe, by Johnson Furniture co., in Grand Rapids ( as were many of the "standard" cabinets)( As I understood it, Rowe was PO'ed when AA purchased RO).
Ron Rich

Hi Ron... Thanks for the additional info..., I did not know about the Johnson furniture company... Interesting.... While doing some research on them, I found this website that shows the actual building where they manufactured the jukebox cabinets. http://www.furniturecityhistory.org/article/3645