Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

What are you folks digging? Just the 330 model with toasters please. I've been through about all of the Tubescreamer/Sparkledrive/Boss type deals and they either make the guitar really dull, or sound like a pig that was hit by a truck. I was really digging the Timmy, but had to get rid of it before I got my new 330VP.
So, what's working for you folks and why

And yes, I know about how lovely a tube amp sounds when you turn it up and all that

On the fuzzier end of the spectrum, I'm really enjoying my Crowther Hotcake. Really great for fat leads; better for chords with the presence backed off a bit (more like a traditional overdrive).

With the caveat that my 330-12 has high gains, I use a Joyo Ultimate Drive, which I beleive is an OCD clone, into an AC-30. If you can see past the eyewateringly taste free graphics (masking tape helps ) you have a pedal that can do a very nice responsive, low gain, transparent "starting to distort" type sound, all the way into a good distortion as you turn the gain up. Cleans up nicely with the volume knob too.

And best of all, I got it for about £35 new...

Cheers
John

I'm almost ashamed to say it, I like the Boss DS-1. You know, the cheap orange one. I think the secret is turning the drive all the way down to zero, tweak the tone to taste, then setting the level to a slight boost. Hey, it works for me.

I generally go for the classic TS-9 sound, but Toasters have enough midrange already so a Tube Screamer is just too much.

I use the following effects with my '66 12-string w/toasters:

Boss Volume Pedal w/TU-2
MXR Script DynaComp (70's) @12:00
Black Janglebox (early version) @11:00
ProCo Rat (early model - flat settings for subtle harmonics)
Boss OD-1 (early long-dash model) (just a touch of OD occasionally)
Boss VB-2 (for shimmer)
Ibanez UE-405 (CP-9 compressor only)
Korg SDD-1200 delay
Roland GE-820 EQ

...through a '63 VOX AC-15 Twin, '66 Fender Super Reverb and sometimes some '80's JC-120 (w/chorus & distortion)

whojamfan wrote:sound like a pig that was hit by a truck

Funniest thing I've heard all day!

I really dug Steve Forsgren's Timmy pedal when I tried it out over the summer. I use the "dreaded" Tube Screamer, and am looking for something different, so this thread will help me, too. I'm looking into a Way Huge Red Llama and/or a Timmy.

hmm this thread's making me reconsider the switch to toasters from hi-gains- both bands I play with, I'm currently using compression and an old tube screamer (on the leads) through a Fender Twin and Deluxe, and it sounds muy bueno- I have always tried to employ "if it aint broke...", so maybe I'll put those bucks toward something else! sure don't want to drop that cash and end up a truck-hit pig when I go leading!

I recently used my 330 (with toasters and treble pup soloed) on a demo using the Dual Rectifier model on a Line6 Pod, with the drive set to 5 (12 O'clock). It was the first time I had managed to get a well-defined angry tone out of the little beastie.

I've been experimenting with an old Mesa V-twin pedal and can nail the tone now after much tweaking.

The double bound models work much better with a Tube screamer. . . .

paologregorio wrote:The double bound models work much better with a Tube screamer. . . .

It's the binding that makes them cut through...

I still love the Blackstone Appliance Overdrive. But I use it with a 350 with toasters. No 330 in my stable yet. The Blackstone sounds great into a tube or a good solid state amp. Very versatile with any pickup.

sloop_john_b wrote:On the fuzzier end of the spectrum, I'm really enjoying my Crowther Hotcake. Really great for fat leads; better for chords with the presence backed off a bit (more like a traditional overdrive).

AWWW FFFUDGE! I spent an hour at Tru-Tone music playing a 381 with toasters trying desperately to find that Hotcake magic, and to me it sounded like right when the gain started to really kick in, the flatter and big muff splatterly sounding it got. I know you wouldn't use a pedal that did that live because the cymbals would kill your guitar everytime you turned it on, so it had to be the room or something-dang!. Had the bucks to get it and went in there to buy it but it just scared me that it would just be lifeless live. If you ever want to swap it, please gimme first crack

I just swapped out a few things and got a Barber Direct Drive and a Walrus Audio Mayflower. Hopefully some magic will lie there for my 330.

As far as the 12 strings go, the Voodoo Labs Sparkledrive worked the best on my 360/12VP thanks to the knob that lets you dial the clean back into the dirty tone. Didn't really knock my socks off for the 6, but sure gave some nice overdrive with the signature Rickenbacker character.

JakeK wrote:

whojamfan wrote:sound like a pig that was hit by a truck

Funniest thing I've heard all day

Do you know how dangerous that is in a bar full of farmers? They get turned on by it

Lots of different advice here. Lots of different taste? I kind of like the tubescreamer, but if Mike says it's a squealing pig

antipodean wrote:

paologregorio wrote:The double bound models work much better with a Tube screamer. . . .

It's the binding that makes them cut through...

Yep, this is true !!