Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I own a (don't shoot me) Carl Wilson 360/12, and after buying Roger's 12-String Techniques Video want to get that sound he has. I couldn't afford a 370/12RM then or now, but does any company offer the compressor circuit that I could install my self onboard. Or, does anyone make a good compressor peddle or something like that which sounds close. Thanks.

Benjamin: I have a Boss compression/sustain pedal that I have found to work fine in getting a Byrd's sound. In the video you purchased (I have that too) it would have been better if Roger McGuinn would have had a bit more gain on his guitar when the compressor was on--in listening to the guitar you can hear a bit of the "unplugged" sound of his Rickenbacker 370/12RM. Of course that is my personal opinion. The notes in the introduction(when he is doing "Eight Miles High") spoke a bit more, and this is with the compressor turned off. I have a late '60's 370/12 and with the Boss pedal(which has adjustable tone as well as gain, attack and sustain) creates what I consider to be a faithful reproduction of the Byrd's sound.....Good Luck !!!

Benjamin,
If you feel adventurous, you will find the actual schematic of the RM onboard compressor at the Rickenbacker web site.
Otherwise, my opinion (one of many that you will probably get) is to check out the Maxon CP-101 compressor.
It is notable for two reasons: First, it is probably one of the quietest, if not THE quietest, compressors you will find.
Second, it adds the effect without changing the sound of the guitar itself. Many effects pedals, including compressors, will change the characteristic sound of the guitar where it doesn't sound like a Rickenbacker any more.

Another good compressor for the same reasons is the Guytone unit and it costs less as well.

VW

Benjamin,

I would recommend the Danelectro
"Surf n' Turf" for a quick and
dirty way to get the sound. I use
the same CEI compressor Roger used
in the stomp box Red Rhoades made
for him in the 60's. The CEI gets
the EXACT sounds from that time
frame - which DID involve changing
the sound characteristics and actually
"dirtied" up the sound quite a bit. There
was a small amount of second order
harmonic distortion which you can
hear on the recordings if you listen
close enough. A "clean" and "noise-free"
compressor isn't the answer if you want
the early sounds. On the 370/12RM, the
circuit uses an 8-pin integrated circuit
exactly like the SSM-2165 IC and has some
outboard components which allow for a
pseudo-Vox Treble Booster circuit to be
integrated into the guitar's pc board.
If you feel like you want to tackle a
little electronics project, I can draw
up an equivalent circuit that will almost
perfectly duplicate the CEI + the Vox
T.B. together. I made one and put it
into my Vox Tempest 12 string so I could
get the sounds Paul Revere and the Raiders
got. It makes some pretty nice Rick sounds
also.

Thanks guys. I will go out now and try those different gadgets. I wish someone would manufacture the circuit shown on the Rickenbacker website. That would be the best option.

Benjamin,

The circuit on the RIC website
was drawn strictly to show how
the circuit works. You can't
build the circuit, because the
integrated circuit (which isn't
shown on the schematic) is no
longer in production, and the
diagram doesn't show any pinouts
or transistor numbers to allow
someone to build it. That was
done intentionally so nobody
tried to build it without actually
buying the guitar. The circuit
only makes sense if you already
have the guitar, and need to
repair it. (if the IC goes bad,
you're out of luck...)

Again, the closest thing to the
"stock" 370RM circuit is the SSM-2165
which I'll post one of these days
when I have time.

In my Byrds' repertoire I'm using a Dano Hodad 12-string(sorry!) and A Boss CS-3 compressor, but I get quite some feedback with it, which I manage to control by changing the direction of the instrument while gigging. What would be the best setting of the CS-3 to prevent this (and getting the best sound as well)? Thanks

Williem, what are your amp settings and how do you have the CS-3 dialed in??? What kind of do you have?

What kind of amp, that is......

Thanks for answering. I have a Marshall TSL 2000 of which I use the clean channel. The settings on the CS-3 are:
level:11,tone:3,attack:2,sustain:1 (o'clock)

Willem, as far as your guitar goes I am unfamiliar with the charactaristics it has..refering to your feedback concern,it may be a 'nature of the beast' kind of thing inherent with its pickups. I never run my amp too loud and usually set the level of the pedal so it stays fairly even with the output of the amp, but does its job at limiting the signal so that it is uniform...I set the CS-3 level at about 10:00, tone at 2 or 3:00, attack all the way left (about 7:00) and sustain on full (about 5:00)......try that and good luck! I have an older Rickenbacker 370/12 that naturally comes close to the 'Byrd Sound' everybody thinks of simply due to its construction and its the sound on the original recordings........

Thanks leftybass,you are very helpful; I will try your CS settings. The Dano Hodad is also a semi-hollowbody;pu's are single coil.