370/12 BYRD schematic

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 3:00 pm

Peter, I'm on it. Look for an e-mail soon...

mortivan · Post by **mortivan** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 4:24 pm

Oops. Silly me.

Found the following at The Byrd's Rickenbacker Related Websites, Etc.:

~ THE “BYRD” WIRING ~
Upper knob: Master volume control.

Lower three knobs: Individual “slave” volume controls for each of the three pickups.

Upper toggle: 3-position pickup selector.
• Up - Neck pickup only.
• Middle - Middle pickup only.
• Down - Bridge pickup only.

Lower toggle: 3-position tone selector.
• Up - Heavy low-pass tone capacitance.
• Middle - Lesser low-pass tone capacitance.
• Down - Clean bypass.

Dual “parallel mono” output jacks.

.. but no schematic.

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Sep 22, 2003 4:36 pm

Lefty: Thanks for the 1962 Model 425 pots photo. You can see the capacitor (looks to be .02 mfd) used to squeeze out a little more treble on the toaster.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 1:17 am

There is also a small cap on the switch as well; I'll crack it back open tonite and get the values of both......

AFAIK, this picture shows an original, unaltered configuration; the guitar itself is Sept. 1962 (BI)---it's 5 numbers from the one George Harrison bought while in the US in 1963, probably made in the same run as his guitar.

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 3:32 pm

As far as the toggle switches used on the 425 being the same as the tone switches in the Byrd circuitry, I kinda doubt it...those switches seem to be 3-position switches. Pics of Byrd-12 #1's controls show 3-position switches, but I don't know if they are orignal to the guitar. Here's a pic of McGuinn's 1st Rickenbacker and the switches...

http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/37012byrdmtm/mcguinn4.jpg

Maybe some of the owners of the known original 60's Byrd-wired Rickenbackers can add to this...

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:35 pm

OK, maybe the Exact switch used in the 425 is not the same as in the Byrd wiring, but possible that the Idea of a tone switch on a Rick came if Roger saw any of these old Ricks in the Rick showroom in the 60s and inquired about it, then added his own input.Or, he simply said, well, Gretsch did that in the Chet Atkins models; can I have this too??

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Tue Sep 23, 2003 10:38 pm

Oh, yeah, also note on some 50s Ricks which had TWO switches, that the position on the pickguard of those switches looks suspiciously the same as where they appear on the Byrd control panel; only the knob setup is different.Coincidence??Perhaps not..

leftybass · Post by **leftybass** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 1:12 am

Interesting thoughts Don...I'll have to go look at David's Combo 850's and their switches, and I'll get back with everyone, or maybe he's lurking and can add something......