Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Well, I was ready to go ahead and order a Diamond and a Jangle for a comparison test and now all the "on-line 45 days" guys are sold out on the Diamond.

Looks like my plans are going to have to wait a bit.

Too bad Steve Lasko only has a 48 hour trial...

Update

I found a JangleBox on eBay (used) so I pulled the trigger . Hope to have it next week.

I still think I'll compare it with the Diamond, once they are back in stock.

What could it hurt at this point? At least you won't be rushed on dialing in the Janglebox.

Thanks, Mike!

I figure if I don't like the Jangle, I can probably sell it (now, where is Jake K ).

BuddyDog wrote:Thanks, Mike!

I figure if I don't like the Jangle, I can probably sell it (now, where is Jake K ).

Doing windmills at Tom Pettys house in front of a George Harrison poster listening to "19th Nervous Breakdown" by the Stones

whojamfan wrote:

BuddyDog wrote:Thanks, Mike!

I figure if I don't like the Jangle, I can probably sell it (now, where is Jake K ).

Doing windmills at Tom Pettys house in front of a George Harrison poster listening to "19th Nervous Breakdown" by the Stones

BuddyDog wrote:Thanks, Mike!

I figure if I don't like the Jangle, I can probably sell it (now, where is Jake K ).

At your service.

Well the used JangleBox arrived yesterday, I opened it to load a 9v battery and there was already one in there. Looks well built, the knobs and switch are very high quality. How the heck do you change the battery in these things? Looks like it has a cardboard sleeve it fits in. Wonder if there is enough clearance for it to slide out of that holder?

Onto the test:

I plugged in the 360/12C63, set the controls on the JB to about 12 o'clock and first played without the box engaged to the AC15H. I then stomped on the switch on the JB and was blown across the room by the massive increase in volume and the background noise generated by the JB

So then I run it first, then patch into a Boss ME-50 with the noise gate cranked up and most of the hiss is gone, but dang, it's really LOUD compared to when it's bypassed.

Methinks this is not right ?:x

I turn the gain way down to the point where it almost matches guitar volume with it bypassed and there is still a butt load of hiss

I'll bring it to 11/7 RIcken Heaven, see if anyone has any ideas.

Does your AC15H have that same cap as the AC15cc has for increased treble at low voulumes. I know these caps are commonly removed, or values changed, as many find both the Ac15cc and AC30cc too bright and pedal unfriendly at lower voulumes. Also, have you tried the "normal" and "dark" modes on the JB?

Contact Steve over a Janglebox for some guidance, there may be something wrong with the unit.

Hi Mike,

I don't know if it has the cap like the CC, it may. In the normal and dark settings on the JB, it's not over the top on the treble boost. Unfortunately I can't really crank the AC15 at home. I cut some of theTop Boost , increased Bass, decreased Treble, which seemed to help; but the knobs on the JB are barely past "off" to volume match the sound when bypassing the JB. I don't seem to have the same issue on the normal setting on the JB.

I tried running it through my Superchamp on some different voices and it is not quite the icepick in the ear on some of those settings, but I have to turn the treble way down. It sounded pretty good on the "jazz" setting on the SCXD (which is a dark voice anyway)

I'll keep hacking away at it.

If you're not familiar with this place, I highly recommend it. Tons of great tech and playing info on a variety of topics, amps and other goodies. This link should take you directly to the Vox section, where you could do a search to find if your amp has the cap. If it does, it's a quick fix and totally reverseable. Worth a look anyways. Keep us posted!

http://vintageamps.com/plexiboard/viewf ... 2c79bc9b08

Steve -- it sounds like you have a turbo-charged Gain knob on that JB. What level do you have the Attack knob at ?
I think you will have to use the two knobs in concert with each other, as the higher your Attack setting, then it will have an influencing impact on the Gain. I also think you need to check the Treble boost aspects of your amp, as it may be overload to have the Bright setting real high on the JB when you have Treble boosted real high on your Vox. I seem to recall a few people on this Forum mentioning having their JB Gain and Attack settings around the 12 o'clock setting or perhaps as far over as the 1 o'clock positions on their Jangleboxes. Somewhere between 10 o'clock and 1 o'clock may be optimum.

Whojamfan's referral to the Vintage Amps site, under their Vox forum heading is great advice... I have spent a lot of time reading up about my Vox settings and tone aspects over on that Forum. The secret is to find which Vox amp settings work best for your normal play and how far to augment or compensate these amp settings, when you want to punch in the Jangle box for a solo here or to accent some playing there.... these Vox amps seem to have a lot of normal Compression and chime themselves, so your JB settings for use with a Vox amp may be very different than with a Fender amplifier or other brands. I find that I back off the Janglebox settings somewhat when using a Vox amp compared with other amps.

Myself, typically for adding regular chime or jangle to my Ric 12 strings, I would use the the Dark or Regular settings on the JB. This would include tunes like Tom Petty stuff, pre-1967 Beatles stuff, Searchers, Badfinger or other British Invasion music.
>> On the other hand, whenever you use the Bright function -- you are definitely going to make a statement.

Stuff I would use the JB Bright setting on:
Hard Days Night Intro chord, Solo and Outro, other jangly Beatle songs like Words of Love
Any of those Byrds tunes from their first three or four albums Mr. Tambourine Man Intro and Outro
Rock & Roll Star, My Back Pages, Eight Miles High, or Turn Turn Turn
Accent riffs like in Bryan Adams' Summer of '69

Keep experimenting.... and keep us apprised of your progress....

Thanks Mike & Rich,

I know the AC15 tone controls are very interactive, and I'll bring them to the mini-con so maybe some So-Cal experts can take a look. I have spent time before over at Plexi-Palace, so I do have them bookmarked. I don't post over there often.

I am going to try it through my old Deluxe Reverb tonight and see how that goes.

I eventually turned the treble and top boost down on the Vox, dailed the JB back to almost off on gain & attack and it was still very bright, so maybe the Vox is happier on the normal or dark settings.

Lots of experimentation to go.

I think I have some of the issues solved, now.

1. I don't think the AC15 Heritage doesn't need a compressor in front of it. It seems just fine without the JB in the circuit.

2. The JB through the Deluxe Reverb and the guitar tuned 1/2 step lower (per RM's DVD) absolutely nails the Byrd's chime and jangle. It eliminates all the shrillness when pushing the signal through the JB, tuned to concert pitch. I still have the gain and attack dialed way down on the JB, but at least it's useable. Wish I'd known that little secret earlier

3. Steve Lasko was very helpful in our e-mails back & forth. I may still send it back to them for a diagnostic to see if the gain is out of spec, but right now, I'm happy with the JB.

Anyone heard/ used the Morpheus EFX Drop Tune Pedal? Seems you can tune to concert pitch and drop tune up to 3 1/2 steps by using this box. That might be really useful instead of having extra guitars.

BuddyDog wrote:I think I have some of the issues solved, now.


Steve Lasko was very helpful in our e-mails back & forth. I may still send it back to them for a diagnostic to see if the gain is out of spec, but right now, I'm happy with the JB.

Anyone heard/ used the Morpheus EFX Drop Tune Pedal? Seems you can tune to concert pitch and drop tune up to 3 1/2 steps by using this box. That might be really useful instead of having extra guitars.

Steve -- very glad to hear that things are working out !! and that Steve Lasko and the team at Janglebox have been so helpful !!!


I'm not sure about your last statement "...instead of having extra guitars" .... most folks on this forum who have not been vaccinated against RAS, are going to advocate having extra guitars for what ever reason... Rics tuned down a half-step.... Rics for concert pitch .... Rics for winter time .... Rics for special occasions .... Rics for certain songs .... Rics for backup in case the mainstay Ric is getting a tune-up ... etc.
The more the merrier !