Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

[quote="shamustwin"][quote="firstbassman

Too loudly.

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


In some respects I atribute this to bad bass and drum sound production and equipment.

The Byrds didnt sound bad live in concert at that time. The "Playboy After Dark" performance is what The Byrds really sounded like live.

"Dr. Byrds" was produced by Bob Johnston, a Nashville Columbia in house producer, and apparently he didn't really care about what the band sounded like on record. Must have been a strictly 9-5 guy as in '"thats the take", I'm outta' here. The worst produced LP (and Singles) by the Byrds - period. He (Johnston) ruined other LP's as well - from Dylan to Moby Grape.

Believe me, I saw the band live many times in '68 - '69 and they sounded fantastic live. I was very dissapointed with the studio LP. It's a shame that those tracks were never re-mixed to present the "wall of sound", Byrds style, that the live shows had at that time.

At home, I play my 360/12 CW (strung with TI Jazz Flats) through a Keeley compressor into a Fender Vibro Champ. Sounds Great!

shamustwin wrote: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.

There`s what seems to be a Vox Beatle to the right in the pic. For McGuinn or maybe another group on the bill ?

McGuinn told me that The Byrds always favored Fender Dual Showman amps back in the day. I think any tube Fender will do the job.

drumbob wrote:McGuinn told me that The Byrds always favored Fender Dual Showman amps back in the day. I think any tube Fender will do the job.

Fender was THE amp in he mid-60s. Bass players loved the Dual Showman with two 15s. Guitar players loved the Twin. If the guitarist wanted to be really loud, he'd get the DS with two JBL D130s. But most guitarist were too lazy to carry something that big. Don't forget that back then, 100 watts was a LOT of power. When I first saw Crosby Stills Nash & Young in 1969, they had a wall of blond 50 watt Bassman amps about eight feet high across the stage for their guitars. The amps were hidden by a curtain during their acoustic opening set. When the curtain opened, the crowd went wild and Crosby bowed down to the amp wall.

I first saw The Byrds live in October, 1968. They sounded great - nothing like the "Dr. Byrds LP".
They played through the following Amplifiers:
Roger McGuinn & Clarence White: Silverface Twin Reverbs
John York: Silverface Bassman Head and Cabinet
Here's the photo...

I understand for years he used a Roland Jazz Chorus, and from what I've read, uses a pod in to the PA. I know he used/uses a Janglebox, but to what extent I don't know, I'm sure Steve(janglebox)could give you a better idea. My 360/12 FGVP is a wonderful thing through my Jazz Chorus, especially when ROS with my Vox AC30.

whojamfan wrote:I understand for years he used a Roland Jazz Chorus, and from what I've read, uses a pod in to the PA. I know he used/uses a Janglebox, but to what extent I don't know, I'm sure Steve(janglebox)could give you a better idea. My 360/12 FGVP is a wonderful thing through my Jazz Chorus, especially when ROS with my Vox AC30.

Roger e-mailed me several weeks ago to mention how good his JangleBox had been sounding at recent shows. He goes directly from the JangleBox into the mixing board. His original endorsement for us specifically mentioned his replacing the Line 6 Pod with a JangleBox (for obvious reasons, we don't use that part in our marketing and advertising outside of our website).

I'd guess that at least two or three times a week we get a call from a customer, performer, dealer or retailer telling us that the JangleBox was recommended to them by Roger McGuinn. Probably some of that is the reference to JangleBox on his website FAQ. Much of our success, modest as it is, we owe to Roger's support.