380L PZ -- How does it work?

dr_bob · Post by **dr_bob** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:01 am

Can someone explain for me how all of the knobs on the 380L PZ work? If this has been discussed already then please direct me to that thread.

I am waiting to open the one I just bought (it's very cold in St. Louis today and the guitar sat in a UPS truck for most of the day) and want to understand how the control knobs work before I start messing with it.

BobKat · Post by **BobKat** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 3:01 am

I used to have one. If I recall properly, one volume and tone controls the HB1s, one set controls the piezo, and the fifth knob is a mix knob for the two different sources.

Check this out:

http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/380lpz/380lpz.htm

Dave Wiggins sold his long ago.I know because I bought it from him in 2004.Nice guitar. I just could not get the tones I wanted from the HBs. I considered gold-plating a set of toasters, and also considered losing all the gold and just going to chrome hardware with toasters. Ultimately I just kind of gave up. I did really like the PZ option.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:11 am

I have somewhere the actual instructions for the 380L PZ, but they are not filed, so I may or may not be able to find them in a reasonable time.

I had a 380L PZ and it was a very versatile guitar with regard to tone, but I was convinced that the PZ and HBs were out of phase.

leftyguitars · Post by **leftyguitars** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 6:06 am

Here is a scan of the instructions that came with mine...

BobKat · Post by **BobKat** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:00 am

Now THAT's nice.

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:03 am

Yes, the HB and PZ are out of phase. You'll get a serious volume and tone drop with the fifth knob at the "5" position. John Pollard aka squid has a thread in technical about how to fix it. I still plan to do mine, just haven't yet. The Ric-o-sound is very useful on this model. If the Forum CD ever comes out, you can hear my PZ output on the second half of my song.

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:14 am

http://www.rickresource.com/phpBB3/view ... se#p240934

dr_bob · Post by **dr_bob** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:26 pm

Thanks everyone. I now understand how the knobs should work but in practice they don't seem to be cooperating.
I have just the guitar out of the case for the first time (it is beautiful) and plugged it in for a test. When I dial the fifth knob (the blend knob) all the way to the right (as I'm looking down at the guitar playing it) or counter clockwise, I get absolutely no sound. Shouldn't this be balancing the two (the HBs and the PZ) all the way in favor of the PZ? I have the volume and tone settings at about half-way for both the HB controls and the PZ control.

Is there no such thing as full PZ (and no HB) function?

leftyguitars · Post by **leftyguitars** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 2:37 pm

Bob, I had the same with mine when I got it. The problem (on mine) was that one of the pots had twisted under the pickguard and a lug was shorting against the lug of the next pot. Twisted it back, nipped it up and no problem.

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:54 pm

Check the 9V battery too. Yes, 5th knob counterclockwise all the way should be PZ, and a little louder than the HB's. I almost always place the regular 4 knobs all the way up. Sometimes I roll neck volume down to 6-8, and neck tone down to 7-9, to make it less muddy (any model Rick).

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:41 am

jdogric12aolcom wrote:... If the Forum CD ever comes out, ...

Thanks for the vote of (no) confidence!

BobKat · Post by **BobKat** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 10:14 am

Yeah, the PZ battery is probably dead.

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:20 am

Gary, I didn't mean to be hurtful with my comment, I apologize for that. But dude it has been a pretty long time, so I don't think my comment was completely out of line, especially when others' offers to assist have been declined. Again, I apologize, as my tone was too harsh, which is inappropriate for this forum, not to mention a great forumite like you, but I am confident most people here will see where I was coming from.

How about that 380??? Bob?

dr_bob · Post by **dr_bob** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:57 pm

Okay, so now it's time to 'fess up. I never checked the battery before plugging it in. When I popped the cover to see what was up, I discovered that there was NO BATTERY!!! I wonder what previous owners thought when they listened to it.

Went out and bought a new 9V, put it in, followed all of the great info you folks sent me on how to work all of the controls, and I'm happy to report - - - the guitar sounds incredible. In the PZ mode the guitar sounds unlike any Rick I've ever heard. The wider neck has a nice feel as well. Thanks again for all the help. Next time I'll check the battery first, duh

wittyair · Post by **wittyair** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:45 pm

Congrats, Bob.....I know you'll enjoy that beauty!!

Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

380L PZ -- How does it work?

380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?

Re: 380L PZ -- How does it work?