Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Those who flock to The Byrds
kvalois
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Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by kvalois »

Hi, everyone:

For those out there who play Rickenbacker guitars, is there any amp you suggest to achieve that classic Byrds' sound??? :D

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sloop_john_b
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by sloop_john_b »

I would go with a Fender Twin Reverb.
JakeK
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by JakeK »

Too bad there wasn't a visible amp when I saw McGuinn last week. Seeing one of those could help me help you! But yeah, I'm thinking any Fender tube amp with a Janglebox would do the trick.
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kenposurf
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by kenposurf »

I believe they played Fender Dual Showmans for quite awhile :D
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sloop_john_b
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by sloop_john_b »

kenposurf wrote:I believe they played Fender Dual Showmans for quite awhile :D
Same difference as a Twin Reverb, right George? I was always under the impression that the Dual Showman was just a TR in non-combo form.
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jps
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by jps »

A great many '60s era Fender tubes amps were just variations on a theme.
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kenposurf
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by kenposurf »

sloop_john_b wrote:
kenposurf wrote:I believe they played Fender Dual Showmans for quite awhile :D
Same difference as a Twin Reverb, right George? I was always under the impression that the Dual Showman was just a TR in non-combo form.
Size matters :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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firstbassman
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by firstbassman »

JakeK wrote:Too bad there wasn't a visible amp when I saw McGuinn last week. Seeing one of those could help me help you! But yeah, I'm thinking any Fender tube amp with a Janglebox would do the trick.

Roger doesn't take an amp with him on the road.
He plays the RIC direct (wirelessly) straight to the PA.

With or without any other device - that is still a little under debate. I asked him once but he did not answer that question.
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firstbassman
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by firstbassman »

jps wrote:A great many '60s era Fender tubes amps were just variations on a theme.

I am as far away from an amp gear head as one can get.
But the more reading I've been doing about this the past couple of years the more I've come to realize that the experts say that most if not all of Fender's tube amps (old and new) are extremely similar under the hood.
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kenposurf
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by kenposurf »

firstbassman wrote:
jps wrote:A great many '60s era Fender tubes amps were just variations on a theme.

I am as far away from an amp gear head as one can get.
But the more reading I've been doing about this the past couple of years the more I've come to realize that the experts say that most if not all of Fender's tube amps (old and new) are extremely similar under the hood.
Yes ..and ..no...
First tweeds were very simple circuits some of which Leo took from the pages of electronic parts catalogs. The tweed evolved peaking with the Bassman (Marshall lifted this circuit to use in their classic head). The brownface and in particular the blackface era are another story..and also differ sound wise from each other . Remember were not talking solid state here...one different resistor, different value cap and of course the tube array makes a huge difference. For example the blackface deluxe reverb vs the blackface deluxe...the extra tube in the reverb model is what makes it sing when overdriven..much more so then the deluxe. Leo, like Henry Ford didn't waste his money so many amps were built on the same chassis but it's the circuit design that makes the tonal differences. Many years later the Rivera design..that's another story :D . I suppose all amps be they ss or tube are quite alike...in a "basic" way...signal in..processed to a small or large degree then output to the speaker(s)...it's all in the details...
shamustwin
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by shamustwin »

I'd always heard they were very loudly playing live through fenders.
I like recording my 660/12 and 360/12 through them, though I prefer 12 in. speakers, tens are a little too bright for me. But then, I'm not a Byrd.
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fatcat
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by fatcat »

IMHO, most any amp that has a lot of clean headroom, a Ric 12 string and a Janglebox.And maybe flatwound strings,depending on which pickups are on it.
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firstbassman
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by firstbassman »

shamustwin wrote:I'd always heard they were very loudly playing live through fenders.

Too loudly.

It's amazing (in some respects) how badly bands sounded then.

(I defy anyone to listen to more than two minutes of a Buffalo Springfield show for example. And I love the Springfield.
shamustwin
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by shamustwin »

[quote="firstbassman

Too loudly.

It's amazing (in some respects) how badly bands sounded then.

[/quote]

But then, someone recently posted the Byrds on Playboy After Dark from the '60's playing live, and I thought it sounded better than the studio recording of this particular song.
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firstbassman
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Re: Which amp for Byrds' sound???

Post by firstbassman »

shamustwin wrote: But then, someone recently posted the Byrds on Playboy After Dark from the '60's playing live, and I thought it sounded better than the studio recording of this particular song.

True, but that was recorded on a soundstage in LA (built to look like an apartment) for TV. Not a concert hall.
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