Fender Mustang amp & Fuse software

[steve_o]

I have a Rickenbacker 360-12 (mfg 1993) in Mapleglo. It's got the black pickguards & hardware on it. Years ago, Roger McGuinn was kind enough to sign the pickguard for me, so it's truly a one-of-a-kind (IMO) guitar that's not going to be leaving my hands anytime soon. It plays better than great, too. The amp I have used for a number of years is a Fender Super 60, which is a tube amp, and I think it has 6L6 tubes in it. Sounds great, but the volume has to be up on it.

I recently purchased a Fender Mustang practice amp. It is a modeling amp, that has got me seriously considering adding one of it's bigger brothers. Among the amps it models are a Fender 57 Deluxe, a 59 Bassman, a 57 Champ, Fender 65 Deluxe, Princeton and Twin reverbs, a Fender Super-Sonic, British 60's, 70's and 80's, as well as American 90's and Metal 2000. The 65 Twin Reverb sound & the Vox AC30 (British 60's) sound both knocked my socks off. I've been experimenting with the software on it (Fender Fuse) where you can add all sorts of stomp boxes, modulation, reverb & delay between the guitar & amp, as well as rack gain, modulation, delay & reverb.

I've found some settings that are pretty close to the Byrds sound I am looking for, but haven't been able to get quite what I am looking for. I know a good deal of the Byrds recordings were with Roger going direct, and running the sound thru those tube compressors on the board. I haven't heard Roger (live) since he got the Janglebox, so I'm not really sure what the sound of it is or how he has it set.

What I'm trying to do is to basically duplicate the Byrds sound you get from using a Janglebox, on a 65 Twin Reverb amp (at least that's what it sounds like to me). Thus far, I can approximate the sound, but cannot quite get it. I am missing both that long, long sustain on the Byrds records (and I assume a Janglebox), and I cannot get the evenness of the Byrds recordings.

I'm posting here to ask if anyone has tried these amps or used the software to re-create the Janglebox on one of the modeling amps, or have used it to get the Byrds sound. Or, if someone here has a janglebox & is able to get that Byrds-y sustained, even sound out of their gear, what settings on the Janglebox you are using.

I'd appreciate any feedback (so to speak).

Thanks!

Steve

[fatcat]

I'll relate here my experience with my 370-12RM here.It has the E1 option,and can get close to "the sound" ,but I could only nail the tone if it had flat wound strings.I used Pyramid and TI's on it.Various different brand rounds all were too bright,and it sounded "nasaly"when compressed.
This was probably due to the pickups being wound too hot,as the later scatter wound pups (as on my 660 12) don't have that same effect.The 660 -12 sounds and plays well with Ernie Ball 2230 rounds and a JB2(highly recommended).

[steve_o]

I used Pyramid and TI's on it.Various different brand rounds all were too bright,and it sounded "nasaly"when compressed.
This was probably due to the pickups being wound too hot,as the later scatter wound pups (as on my 660 12) don't have that same effect.The 660 -12 sounds and plays well with Ernie Ball 2230 rounds and a JB2(highly recommended).

Don - thanks for the input.

My Rick had been put away for a while, and I don't happen to remember what kind of strings I put on it. I knew about Pyramids, but they were beyond scarce around here the last time I restrung my 12 string. I'd be willing to bet though they weren't Pyramids, and instead were a set of light gauge strings I had bought to put on my acoustic. I don't know about TI's - have never used, seen or knowingly heard them.

What you describe on the sound is pretty spot-on to what I am hearing. The top-end will take your head off, and when you try to compress it, it sounds like the sound is "pinched" - you get a lot of mid-range sustain, but no comparable top & bottom to balance it with.

I don't have any idea about the pickups on my Rick. Is there any way to know/deduce/calculate/measure/guess info on the pickups in my Rick? They sound hot, but my Rick is the only one I hear, especially when compared to a single coil & the Fishman in my other amplified guitars. Does Rickenbacker keep lot info on pickups?

Speaking of re-stringing a Rick 12 string - I never thought you could work up a sweat changing strings - an honest to goodness, real, yard-work type of sweat - until I re-strung my Rick 360-12 the first time.

[fatcat]

The T I strings I had on the RM was a mutt set I assembled,based on the JS 110 six string set for the root strings and the octave strings from a Ric or Kaman set.,circa 2004. I did this as I wasn't happy with the feel or tension of the then current Pyramids.(Pick of The Ricks now offers a similar custom set).
Those lasted forever,but some of the time was after retiring the RM in favor of the 660-12, and not using it.
I recently replaced those strings with the mentioned EB 2230 set,after discovering that the R tailpiece had self-destructed.
They work well on it,save that I haven't re-installed a battery in it and so can't state how they sound with the onboard 'pressor.Plugging in a JB or JB2, they sound fine.

Neither 12 stringer would accurately create "the sound" without some processing.The JB units do a good job of that and have an advantage over the onboard E1 unit in the RM.