Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I was talking to one of the fellows in the band about tempo and he said he couldn't hear me sometimes. I knew I had the power so I cranked the treble on the amp, and that solved THAT!

However, look at my settings. The high button is engaged, not so with the low. The midrange is cranked, the bass is at 2, and now the treble is cranked. The mid range switch is on 4 (of 5) and my bass tone is 2/3 toward treble.

I turned up the vol and played softer and with these settings, I punched through pretty good. If I dig in with these settings it is awful, I get that "farting" sound. THe felllow said he had no problems hearing me.

Since I ALWAYS start my amps at flat and work from there, this is quite radical and I'm wondering if it is a function of my chromes. Maybe chromes and humbuckers don't mix?

I could never get a good sound out of my Cii with flats....it always sounded muddy. With rounds some brightness comes through but only when the strings are fresh.

I'd try strings first, then higher value pots, then toasters and if that fails try a Laredo. I eventually gave up on the Cii....it's my lame theory that the maple/walnut/maple sandwich screws with the tone and resonance. I have nothing to back it up but the fact that my Ci, Laredos and LK have never had the issue and the few Cii's I've tried/owned have.

That's what I was thinkin. I need someone that absolutely loves MB and has a Laredo to swap..... I'm not a huge fan of single coils.......or rounds!

Brian, I believe your "lame" theory is right on. Im anxious to pick up a Larado.

I'm thinking of trying DR's again. Chromes worked greeat with the single coils...... I just bought a set of chromes for the EBO but I am now scared to put them on. I'm thinking I'll need Dr's for it too... The only problem is I LOVE the feel of chromes....... I used DR's for ~10 years.

I certainly think that both of you should try a Laredo before making any drastic moves. Maybe 4004's just aren't right for your needs and a Laredo won't suit ya'll either.

Scott....I'm probably heading down to Dayton for the Air Force museum in the next few months.....maybe I'll take my Blackened Laredo with me and you could test drive it if you are going to be around (I don't mind a slight detour). I'm looking forward to checking out the SR-71 and various Vulcan mini-guns.

Hey let me know Brian! Im about 30 minutes from the museum.

I didn't start getting a sound that really hit me with my Laredo until I "cranked" the highs. The PU's are so deep a tone that you have to really accentuate the highs on the amp in order to let the clank out. IMO, YMMV, yadda yadda.

I would think Brian's idea holds some water - the two woods will have different properties, and with a couple of interfaces in the body there will be some sort of reflection/refraction/retraction things going on (the old engineer in me tells me that it's probably refraction effects). That's not counting the interface between the neck piece and the rest of the body...but in the Laredo the wood between the body wings and the neck are very similar, as opposed to that slab of walnut in the Cii...or is it slabs?

Oh well, my point is there are interfaces between dissimilar woods, and it has to have an effect on the way the vibrations travel through the body.

The maple/walnut sandwich may be influencing. My 4004C is all walnut body wings and sounds articulate with Chromes - I can go from thump to bite and always delineate the sound.

Brian, the SR-71 is awesome in person - I always take about an hour to be able to walk away from her. Such sleek, graceful curves. The plane looks alien. Designed in the 60s with a sliderule! Our trainer here at the Air Zoo has great, eerie lighting on it that really sets it off. A much better display then the one at the Dulles Smithsonian in DC.

I pretty much did get the sound I wanted, I just thought the amp settings odd.......

So I guess if I want to stick with chromes, I just have to realize I gotta REALLY crank the mid and treble on the amp! With rounds, all that "****" is already there!!