Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Please, I do not intend to start a Harmony-Central dogfight. I replace my amp every 7 years or so for a get-up-to-date reason. I have been reading every review of the two schools: Fender Cyber-twin or the best of the other school: Mesa F-Series. I run a '97 Fender Ultimate Chorus now, and I am wondering if after 7 faultless years if I need to even think about this.
Question: I know what all the Paul and Strat players think, what are some amp favorites for Ric users? I hear the compressor on the Cyber-Twin is ****. I am just looking for some brands and models that will offer me versatile use for my Paul / Strat / Rickenbacker / Gretsch. Help.

Steve, many Rickenbacker players migrate to Vox AC-30 Top Boost combo amplifiers. They are a natural match for the Rics (and damn fine amps for ANY guitar) and easily cover virtually any vintage tone and are versatile enough for modern explorations.
Personally, I use a Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus. The depth of my Rickenbacker's tones seem best revealed when amplified with a lot of clean headroom. I didn't truly discover my neck pickups until I got the JC-120. With a compressor in front of it, the sounds are divine.
I also use a Vox Pathfinder Super Mini Reverb (2X10 mini stack). It has a decidedly British tone and great vintage vibe. Very funky.
Cheers, Noel

Noel,
Much appreciated. Of course! The JC-120 is an old favorite of mine and I was totally overlooking it. I had mine at the time I happened not to have a Ric., but I do remember the unique tones that I know would be just right.
Thank you my friend...I'm on the hunt.
Steve

Myself and another Rick user really like our Traynor YCV40 amps. He chose his over a Fender Deluxe Reverb, and I bought mine because I had a box of NOS 5881 tubes to go in it. I have NOS Tung-Sol 5881 tubes in mine, and JJ Tesla ECC83S preamp tubes, and it really screams with a 650D. The other Rick user has a 360 series 12-string Rick. The tone has been described as between a Fender and a Marshall. I just know that it sounds great and don't care what it fits between soundwise.

I too have been very impressed with the Traynor YCV40 amplifiers that I have heard in a local music store. Yorkville sound has done a great job bringing Traynor back to create these amplifiers. Now for the big question, in what way do the NOS 5881 tubes change the sound compared to stock tubes?

5881 tubes are well described on the Watford Valves website. Philips 5881 tubes are available from them and Angela Instruments at modest cost, and are the next best thing to the Tung-Sol 5881 tubes. Better bass and midrange harmonics are the most notable things about the 5881 tubes, besides their ruggedized industrial application type construction. The stock Sovtek tubes are the cheapest tubes you can find with any working reliability. Both of mine showed poor emission on my tube tester, being just barely into the "good" range. All my 5881 tubes tested very strong on the emission test. The Sovtek tubes also showed a disturbing amount of control grid leakage when fully warmed up. Power tubes often show this grid leakage problem. The premium Electro-Harmonix brand would probably test much better. Both brands are built by the same Russian company, and are trade names owned by the New Sensor Corporation that imports the tubes. I intend on trying some JJ 6L6GC tubes as well, as I hear they are fully as good as American and British NOS tubes, and are available for $15 each. The JJ and E-H preamp tubes are as good as most NOS types as well, in my Traynor amp. I banged hard on my amp and noticed very low microphonics with both. The newest Ei ECC83 preamp tubes are a bit more microphonic, but sound fabulous otherwise. Might work well in a separate head that is off the speaker cabinet.

hello.. anyone ever use selmer amps ?.. I use a selmer 1970.s
tb 50, and a 2x12 simms watts cab from the same era to power my 4003.. it feedsback straight into my soul.. were these amps ever sold in the us ? or just here in the uk.

I suspect very few Selmer amps were sold in the USA during the heyday of the manufacturer. Any that were brought over here new were most likely imported directly by their owners. I ran across a website the other day by an English outfit that sells a lot of old classic British amps, and they stated that they sell Selmers to collectors in the states. Personally, I have never seen one in the flesh. Marshall is by far the most common English amp in my neck of the woods, with the occasional Laney and Vox being seen. Many of the old Vox amps you see over here were made here under license. Unless I go to England, I will probably die before I see a Selmer amp. Marshall amps outnumber all the other English amps I have ever seen put together by a wide margin. Fender and Peavey are about the only domestic manufacturers that sell more than Marshall around here. Maybe Crate as well, but they always sounded like dreck to me.

I use a Vox AD120VT and a Fender Twin Reverb.

You have to love the 350 sound through these Steve.

I still use the JC 120. But I must admit that it was perfect for my 330. I'm not quite as satisfied with it since I got my 650. Funny enough, though, I was looking at the Traynor YCV40 since the Vox was too expensive for my wallet; Anyone has a better idea, just in case, for an amp to play my 650 with??!

Hey Peter, I took your advice and tried out one of those THD Hot Plates. Bought one after work yesterday. I have a Fender Blues Jr. I've been playing guitar through, but I couldn't really turn it up loud enough in my quiet neighborhood to really put it through it's paces. Wow, what a difference! I can tell I'm gonna have a great time with this little gadget! Now I can get that delicious tube breakup that we all love so much! I'm still fiddling with it, but I'll bet I can get some great sounds out of it this weekend when I do some recording. Thanks for the tip and I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to really hear the tone of your amp at a livable volume!

Gene: You are going to really enjoy the THD Hotplate. Yes it certainly gives yu all the tone without letting the whole neighbourhood know all your favourite riffs.

Peter, the sound of that 350 through those amps is great. I also own a 370/12 and use the RIC O Sound to both amps on the left and right side of the stage. I have had more people come up to me during a break or after the gig to tell how good that 12 string sounds.

Dan, I haven't found the perfect amp match for my 650A yet, either. My JC-120 is magnificent on my Rics, Danelectros, acoustics (really), et al., but the magical combination with my 650 hasn't revealed itself yet. My little Vox Super Mini Reverb sounds good with it, but better with my 360V64.
I did recently get a Tech 21 Double Drive pedal which simply eclipses all other such devices I've ever used. I should try that.
It sounded great between my '72 Custom (Tele) and JC-120...
I tend to use my 650A mostly when I'm recording. It sounds superb going direct!
Cheers, Noel