Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi, everyone:

For those out there who play Rickenbacker guitars, is there any amp you suggest to achieve that classic Byrds' sound???

Karl

I would go with a Fender Twin Reverb.

Too bad there wasn't a visible amp when I saw McGuinn last week. Seeing one of those could help me help you! But yeah, I'm thinking any Fender tube amp with a Janglebox would do the trick.

I believe they played Fender Dual Showmans for quite awhile

kenposurf wrote:I believe they played Fender Dual Showmans for quite awhile

Same difference as a Twin Reverb, right George? I was always under the impression that the Dual Showman was just a TR in non-combo form.

A great many '60s era Fender tubes amps were just variations on a theme.

sloop_john_b wrote:

kenposurf wrote:I believe they played Fender Dual Showmans for quite awhile

Same difference as a Twin Reverb, right George? I was always under the impression that the Dual Showman was just a TR in non-combo form.

Size matters

JakeK wrote:Too bad there wasn't a visible amp when I saw McGuinn last week. Seeing one of those could help me help you! But yeah, I'm thinking any Fender tube amp with a Janglebox would do the trick.

Roger doesn't take an amp with him on the road.
He plays the RIC direct (wirelessly) straight to the PA.

With or without any other device - that is still a little under debate. I asked him once but he did not answer that question.

jps wrote:A great many '60s era Fender tubes amps were just variations on a theme.

I am as far away from an amp gear head as one can get.
But the more reading I've been doing about this the past couple of years the more I've come to realize that the experts say that most if not all of Fender's tube amps (old and new) are extremely similar under the hood.

firstbassman wrote:

jps wrote:A great many '60s era Fender tubes amps were just variations on a theme.

I am as far away from an amp gear head as one can get.
But the more reading I've been doing about this the past couple of years the more I've come to realize that the experts say that most if not all of Fender's tube amps (old and new) are extremely similar under the hood.

Yes ..and ..no...
First tweeds were very simple circuits some of which Leo took from the pages of electronic parts catalogs. The tweed evolved peaking with the Bassman (Marshall lifted this circuit to use in their classic head). The brownface and in particular the blackface era are another story..and also differ sound wise from each other . Remember were not talking solid state here...one different resistor, different value cap and of course the tube array makes a huge difference. For example the blackface deluxe reverb vs the blackface deluxe...the extra tube in the reverb model is what makes it sing when overdriven..much more so then the deluxe. Leo, like Henry Ford didn't waste his money so many amps were built on the same chassis but it's the circuit design that makes the tonal differences. Many years later the Rivera design..that's another story . I suppose all amps be they ss or tube are quite alike...in a "basic" way...signal in..processed to a small or large degree then output to the speaker(s)...it's all in the details...

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.

IMHO, most any amp that has a lot of clean headroom, a Ric 12 string and a Janglebox.And maybe flatwound strings,depending on which pickups are on it.

shamustwin wrote:I'd always heard they were very loudly playing live through fenders.

Too loudly.

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

(I defy anyone to listen to more than two minutes of a Buffalo Springfield show for example. And I love the Springfield.

[quote="firstbassman

Too loudly.

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

[/quote]

But then, someone recently posted the Byrds on Playboy After Dark from the '60's playing live, and I thought it sounded better than the studio recording of this particular song.

shamustwin wrote: But then, someone recently posted the Byrds on Playboy After Dark from the '60's playing live, and I thought it sounded better than the studio recording of this particular song.

True, but that was recorded on a soundstage in LA (built to look like an apartment) for TV. Not a concert hall.