Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi Folks,

For some reason I dont seem to see too many threads around these here parts relating to what effects pedals you're all using.

So, I was wondering. Is everyone just going for a the clean Ric tone? Do some types of pedals work better than others with Rics.

I'm particularly interested to see if anyone is using fuzz/distortion pedals with their hollowbodies.

cheers

I've been using a Boss Blues Driver (BD-2) for about six years. I started using it with a Telecaster Deluxe (of the 70's ones with the bellbottom headstock) and then used it with my Rick when I got it about 3 1/2 years ago. It's a really versitile pedal, and can do just about whatever you want it to. I highly recommend it.

Simon,

I've got a Korg AX1500G multi-effects pedal which I must admit I haven't tried much with my 330/6, except for chorus and some heavy echo and tremelo.

I get some great stuff using a Strat!

I'll give it a go tonight on some of the more 'grungy' and distorted settings and report back.

Cheers also

Simon, I've been through a bunch of them and while I'm still seeking that perfect tone, I'm beyond thrilled with the results I'm currently getting. My dist/OD pedal of choice these days has been the Tech 21 Double Drive. My bandmate liked it so much, he went out and got one too.
It has class A and class B type overdrive (even and odd harmonics), either of which can be used -or both simultaneously for cascading distortion.
My only beef with the pedal is that the two channels aren't independently switchable. Hopefully future models will remedy this.

Though I recently Ebay'd it, I've also used a Mesa Boogie V-Twin tube preamp for years. That pedal is pure magic with my 360V64 -but not with the 1997, 330, 340s, or 650 (?). It's range is stunning. True bypass, Clean, OD, and Distortion. Wonderful.

I still use a Danelectro Daddy-O overdrive. Very different tonality from the Tech 21. Quite a nice pedal.

I switch my amp (JC120) for other sound options. Also on my pedalboard are a Vox V847 wah, an Aphex Punch Factory compressor, and a Boss Tremolo. In my box of goodies there are a number of others I pull out from time-to-time:
Danelectro Cool Cat chorus
Danelectro Dan-Echo (great!)
DOD vibrothang
Boss CS3 compressor

I plan to order a Janglebox in the next few weeks to replace the Aphex. The Punch Factory is dead quiet and VERY effective, but I prefer a less transparent compressor.

Cheers, Noel

And how could I forget my Dallas Arbiter FuzzFace??? Love that warm yet biting sound.

Wow! I just plug it in and play.

I just plug in play, but use my tech-21 trademark ten to get over drive and distortion. One can change to marshall & mesa amps and go from clean to crunch to hot with a flick of a button.

I am very intrigued by the janglebox and if I were to buy a pedal, i think that would be the one.

I also have a morley emerald echo which is great, but I use sparingly. I tend to play through my amps or into a c-tech phase trainer called "chop shop" which is really effective for learning harder licks.

99.9% of my playing is in the house when my three children and wife have gone to bed.

I love pedals. I'm getting better, but there was a time when I was an absolute pedal junky. My list is embarassingly long: Menatone JFET Compressor, Fulltone Clyde Wah, Fulltone Fulldrive II, Frantone Hepcat, Frantone Peachfuzz, Frantone Cream Puff, Frantone Glacier (Ring Mod), Moogerfooger Phaser, Moogerfooger Low-Pass Filter, Maxon AD-900 Analogue Delay, DLS Digital Chorus, Fulltone Choralflange, Fulltone Deja Vibe, Boss VB-2, and a Fulltone Supa-Trem. My only "rack" effect is an Alessis Midiverb 2 that I bought for $50 on the recommendation of someone who posted under "The Others" forum. (I think it may have been Adam Swapp. If so, nice one, Adam.)

When it comes to fuzz pedals, I'm with Nels Cline in saying that you just can't have too many. Right now, I'm enjoying having the Fulldrive II, the Hepcat, and one of the other Frantone pedals all hooked up in sequence. The Peachfuzz is more classic; the Cream Puff is really extreme but surprisingly "soft". It's really easy to get four or five different (and instantly switchable) sounds out of this set up, all of which sound great. The Rics are fantastic because they keep their clarity even with the gain settings set very high. More complicated chords are still pretty well articulated.

My current signal chain goes like this:

Board 1:
- Boss TU-2
- Crybaby 535q Wah
- Ibanez/Analogman TS-9 "Classic Mod"
- EHX Small Stone NYC
- Voodoo Labs Microvibe
- Boss PS-3 Pitch Shifter/Delay
- EHX Electric Mistress

Board 2:
- Ibanez DE-7
- EHX Deluxe Memory Man
- Boss DD-20
- Boss RC-20
- DOD BiFet preamp
- Boss NS-2 Noise Supressor

I play a lot of ambient music, so having lots of delays at my disposal is an absolute must. I can never get enough of them!

I also have a few more pedals on the sidelines, including a 1984 Proco Rat, which is the best distortion pedal i've ever played through.

John, how is that pitch-shifter? What do you do with it and what does it sound like? I've always been curious, but never felt the absolute need to buy one. Does anyone other than Boss make a pitch-shifter? Ever played a Ric 12 through one? If so, what was the result?

John-
The Boss PS-3 has become a really sought after pedal in the last year or so. Besides doing simple pitch shifting and delay, it also does a little harmonization and also does some really weird "shimmery" ascending type effects, I don't know how else to describe them really.

Most people who are looking to use a pitch shifter go right for the Digitech Whammy, which is a great place to start. Built in expression pedal, easy to use, and lots of fun. I found I wasn't using mine too much anymore and dropped it in favor of the smaller (and slightly different) PS-3.

I mainly use mine for textural purposes so I'm not sure how it would fit in a "normal" application, but lots of people seem to be buying them these days.

The newest Boss pitch shifter is the PS-5, which is a really cool pedal - it can actually act as an expression pedal, just like the whammy, and also does intelligent pitch shifting, meaning you select the key your in via the knob on it, and it'll shift intervals accordingly - great for metal/classic rock stuff.

I have not played my Rick 12 through it but now i'm a little curious, i'll have to do it later.

There's a pitch shifter as part of my ART SGX-2000 multi effects unit. I often use it to add a lower octave to my 12-string for leads. Talk about thick sound.

Here's my board: and the JangleBox (top right) plays a major part in my sound. I also like the combination of using the Hot Cake and TS808 together - probably two of the greatest overdrive pedals available.

One of the outputs from the digital chorus goes straight to my first amp and the other ouput goes to the digital delay and then to my second amp. So I've got stereo chorus and stereo delay !

I'm no pedals expert, but I have a few that I really like a lot.

The Fulltone '69 is great for leads, especially if you just use a touch of fuzz to dirty the neck pickup. If you were using a '69 pedal with my settings and playing a Stratocaster (heaven forfend!), you'd get a pretty good Axis-era Hendrix sound - but on a Rickenbacker 330 it sounds completely different, yet equally cool. More Stonesy, I suppose. I'm not a big distortion fan, but I'm always interested in fuzz pedals! I'd love to check out a Frantone Cream Puff sometime.

I have Demeter Compulator that I use for both bass and guitar. It's really transparent and gives a sweetness and a 'recorded and mastered' kind of sound to whatever I'm playing. It won't squash much, though. I'd love to try a Janglebox with my 330 and an Analogman Juicer with my 650D.

Also, I really love my Voodoo Labs Tremelo. It allows you to slide between Fender-style throb and Vox-style stutter.

I'm using a tonelab SE for just about everything. I was using a Boss ME50 all-in-one, but the tonelab is much better in many ways.