Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Some of you may find this useful:

When I got my RIC 12 360 MG (1994) about two years ago, I did not know that there were different two main variations of "toaster" pick ups. First a got a decent 50 watt 2 X 12 amp (blond Crate
all tube EL 84s (4) and 12AX7(4). This helped the RIC "sound" some, as my other amp was a (LOL) Rogue 2 X 12 SS with apsolutely no tone. But as I learned from you forumites that the 12K toasters were a world away from the newer 7.4 "jangly" ones, I could "tell" that they were somewhat "chunkier" sounding and less "Byrdsian". I even tried a .047 cap in the treble circuit but got a nasty shrill sound with no mids at all. I did not want to swap out pick ups to devalue the way it came from the factory or to be able to just have a Byrds-only guitar.

I wanted something to bring out the true rich complexities of the guitar and went through a modded Boss comp, and a couple of nicely made J boxes. To my ears I was getting an electronic effect and not "more" of the guitar itself. Then my son gave me his old (no longer made, but occassionally) on EBAY) Boss Enhancer EH-!. First I played with my guitar controls. With the volumes both at full, the bass tone rolled off to the left, the treble pot rolled off 25% (marker at 12 o' clock- 6 to the player) and the the 5th knob at 12 o'clock (again 6 from playing view) I got the closest to the best "dry" signature RIC sound I wanted.

Then, plugged into the Enhancer with the left and middle knobs turned all the way left and the right knob fully up and I could not believe how rich (and completely uncolored) the RIC sounded!
Beautifully "changling" sound in the mid switch position, and, when switching to the bridge pick up alone and hitting the floor switch to the fully open gain channel on the amp, out came the first lead tones from McGuinn's King of the Hill from Back to Rio, complete with a hang time that sounded like two compressors in tandem.

Switch the enhancer off and you are back to the sound of your amp with a blanket over it. I don't know why others with the 12 w12Ks have not mentioned this before. This pedal seems to be a frequency enricher and "sweetener" for both clean and driven which brings out the richness of these overwound toasters I was not able to hear with the amp alone. It is like having a completely
noiseless and "secret weapon" Presence control like no other, at least with my RIC.

I AB'd it to the J box: the Jbox unengaged, while being true by pass, left me with old "blanketed" amp sound. In gained and comped on "brite", the sound was more singularly brittle and less
rich and sustained than with Enhancer, both on clean and drive. I suggest trying one of these if you have had some concerns with units that "do" something to your signal. I was just amazed that I got to hear what the 12Ks had in them from the factory for the first time, after hearing the "OK" but previously muffled dynamics through a good tube amp. Such a simple fix, but who knew? I certainly had no idea a RIC, even with high windings, could sound so rich and good. It was just waiting to be brought out by this box I had never even heard of. I guarantee it will surprise you-just turn it off for a minute, and then turn it on again and really enjoy the "meat AND chime" of the 12Ks.

Happy Spring.

I've been on the prowl for one of these for a while! Lots of tonehounds have pondered Boss's decision to discontinue their EH pedals.

Are these Boss Enhancer pedals anything like the BBE Sonic Stomp?

Donnell - thanks for posting the interesting info on the EH and the settings you used.

To answer the post two above,

I am not familiar with the BBE range of pedals. What I do know is that sitting down at the local Guitar Center at the Boss "try out" display (which does not include the Enhancer as they are no longer made) every pedal or combination I have tried sounds like an "effect" rather than an enriched version of the guitar itself. The Enhancer does not seem to "do" anything other than pull the mids and highs out of the pleasant mud of a good tube amp. For me, the experience has been re-discovering just how good a RIC 12 sounds naturally, which is why I referred to it as a PRESENCE pedal. It stays on all the time for me, Even clicking the pedal on or off there is no tell-tale hiss, or any other "artifact" other than ric, clean guitar to amp sound.

If you have an amp that is voiced a bit "dark" like a Vox AC 30 you will probably hear more mids and highs as well. It just seems to make an amp with EL84s and 12AX7s come fully alive so all your playing dynamics are equally present. And again, absolutely quiet, aside from the normal low hum of single coils with a tube amp. The trick for me as mentioned above, and after fooling with the
ratios on the 3 control knobs is: left and middle knob fully left, and third knob wide open to the right. As I said, don't expect anything other than a cleaner strum - then turn it off and realize how long you have been putting up with an "OK" amp sound - turn it back on and leave it there.

Thanks for the info!

This statement is what really caught my eye:

Switch the enhancer off and you are back to the sound of your amp with a blanket over it.

When people write about the BBE Sonic Stomp, that's EXACTLY how they describe it. Pedal off, you've got a blanket over your amp. Pedal on, the blanket is removed. As a result, a lot of Sonic Stomp users have the thing on constantly.

I own the BBE, but I've never heard of the Boss Enhancer... so I'm not in a position to a/b. I rarely use the BBE, but after reading this thread -- for sure, next time I break out the 12, I'm trying that pedal!

Don, since first reading your post I was electrified and was looking after one of those on the bay and finally found one coming from italy. Thanks for that hint ! It is like you said : I couldn't believe what was coming out of my 360/12V64 with 12 K's ! And the blanket thing was well described, way cool ! Thanks !

Has anyone here tried the Aphex Exciter pedal?

http://www.aphex.com/pedals.htm