1960's Rickenbacker 12-String Jangle Sound

***HEADPHONES REQUIRED***
Headphones are the only way to really hear the distinct differences!!!!!
Putting my 1993 360V64/12 to work on this episode! First, I tackle the pickup swap from the high gain toasters to the low gains.
Then I solder in the .0047uf capacitor, finishing it off with a sound demo up against each other!
Yes, at times the guitar might sound out of tune…..It’s a Rickenbacker thing!

[@DeadKoby]

That's a LOT of Vox! I've got myself a mini Ric collection.. 330-12, 360, 660, and 4003. They are very cool instruments, and also sound great through a clean fender circuit amp. (I've built several)

[@terrytakvorian8079]

The pups you added with the caps gave it that Viintage Rickenbacker Clarity.

[@moyhennabuchanan1076]

Up until Tambourine Man my ear was leaning toward the lo-gains sans cap BUT, then, plus cap = MAN, you nailed it! Thank you 👍

[@sixbladeknife44]

Excellent comparison, everything sounded great to me honestly. The low gains + the cap definitely brought the most jangle, but the punch of the hi gains is really great in its own way…I’d live happily w/ either of those pup sets in that beauty of a Ric. And pleasantly surprised to hear the So. Central Rain riff :) Thoughts and prayers to you and yours for the loss of your dad 🙏

[@guitargearconnection]

Thank you for your kind words! And agree!!!!

[@heathenwarrior2522]

I LOVE the Rickenbacker 12 string sound. The low gains capture that old sound of Harrison and McGuinn. The 0047 blue ones from the 50's give it that kick with the jangle of the early days.

[@ejcoppini]

I agree with you. To get both worlds I changed the blend pot. for one with a push pull switch.

[@OzzMazz]

Good to see you are using a 12 string bridge, Mine came with a 6 string which is less than good. Took me a long time to track down and I'm glad I finally succeeded.

[@karmicselling4252]

Thank You for doing this wondeful video. One of the best Rickenbacker related ones I've ever seen on youtube. I would guess that a lot of "younger" fans would prefer the Hi Gains tone. They sound very Tele or Strat like. Many listeners would be familiar with those Fender tones and are probably triggered to prefer them. The Lo Gains tone sounds a bit microphonic to me. But that could just be the impact of youtube's audio processing. For me, regardless of the era, the signature Rickenbacker 12 string sound incorporates a perfect balance of clean jangle and chime. Whether you are talking about The Beatles, The Byrds, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, XTC or The Church, when they used RIC 12's, it was both the jangle AND the chime that grabbed your attention. And here, that tone is best represented with the Low Gains and Capacitor configuration. Add some decent compression (perhaps something like a Janglebox) and you have nailed one of the greatest sounds ever created by the human race. Cheers from the Land Down Under.

[@guitargearconnection]

Thanks for this comment really appreciate it! And fully agree with you!!!!

[@stevelucero9047]

low gains + the cap FTW!

[@popchanpop970]

Some how in this sound test I like best the stock toaster pickups

[@Luke_D9]

Gotta say both pickups sound great, but definitely reckon the low gains nail the 60s chime/brightness alot better, while the high gains sound like they have more mid range. Excellent demo and playing!

[@guitargearconnection]

Thank you so much Luke!

[@NDFlyFisher]

I liked the low gain with capacitor. I grew up in the 60s and the low gain with cap sounded the most authentic 60s to me.

[@lordvespatron]

Yes more lively sound with the cap! More sparkly and lively

[@woodshed_moments]

Nice Job... as a guitar player, and enthusiast, Rickenbacker is and always will be that hippie brand, it has that hippie sound… the type of projects that I had typically been known to produce, is fundamentally incongruent with that, but as the enthusiast, Rickenbacker is just a brand in your collection you have to have, not necessarily the 12 string, being unless you're trying to reproduce that distinct, folkish/hippieish, patchouli and pound of weed kind of sound… It's fun, but it's not for everyone... their bass is a whole other beast. When you get renowned bass players like Geddy Lee, Rick James, Chris Squire, and Bootsy Collins all getting amazing tones out of these basses, that's a whole other world - it put Rick on the map for basses. As for the six-string, there is something about those toaster-top style pickups output, particularly the late '60s to early '70s models, that when married to a ballsier tube-driven amp - produces a very interesting sound. Because the guitar is, at the end of the day what it is you can't change that, but you can frost it up and it's the frosting variations that now become fun to play with. Yeah, I get it, it's peanut butter and jelly to have the old Vox Conqueror, solid state amp.. but when you run it through a Marshall head, clean… or, like a Gibson tube, Hiwatt, Rivera with that old classic tube juice, It doesn't have to be overdriven - add maybe just a taste of chorus, set to a mid-tone/high-cut… you now have a sexy little vibe going on right there.

[@michaelsullivan257]

McCartney as well

[@invoxicated]

I have a 360/12V64 that had the hot pickups. I unwound them to 7.4k ohms and added the .0047 uf cap in the treble circuit. That did the trick. I also added a wider nut for better chording and a 12 saddle bridge with brass saddles. Oh man what a difference.

[@guitargearconnection]

That’s awesome! I’m glad you like the difference. I too have seen a lot of people doing the nut and loving the results. Happy playing and thanks for sharing!

[@allenfamily8445]

Nice. Loved that you worked in So. Central Rain. I belive that was played on Mitch Easter's Fender XII. I swapped the high gains on my 330 to low gains from Creamery Pickups, which I really like.

[@guitargearconnection]

A lot of people love the Creamery pickups. I’m going to pick up a set soon and try them out!

[@darwinsaye]

I can’t understand Rickenbacker’s reasoning in going with such high gain pickups for that period. They’re not heavy metal guitars. (Incredible amp collection btw!)

[@guitargearconnection]

Thank you!

[@cdavidlake2]

Wait...they don't djent?

[@sub-jec-tiv]

You could get the high gains to sound pretty close to identical on a recording by pulling down 2-3 dB in a wide shelf between around 600-750 Hz, and put a slight boost between 1200-1400 Hz. Tbh i prefer the high gain, but then again i don’t make/cover 60s music.

[@alanf3635]

High gains for the win-by far!

[@_-_Michael_-_]

Well for me the Low Gain and Cap installed is how it would be played in 60s so that is the right choice for 60s sound. We can not confirm how the Ricks Beatles played for example were wired, since lot of them were one offs, also we don’t know if they weren’t modded by some UK music shops. But most likely they were as they left factory and that would be with cap on bridge pickup.

[@michaelmcgill8104]

The High Gain sounded the best to me. The others sounded a bit more weak sounding.

[@_-_Michael_-_]

But that is what we want for that 60s tone.

[@Memoriesfadingband]

Loved this!! Btw, where did you get your boots? I’m in love with them and need me a pair now!

[@guitargearconnection]

Thank you! Jezz I forget where I got them it was years ago! Gordon Rush

[@steviemac8075]

Low gain and cap sound fantastic. Need headphones plugged into the phone due to phone speakers and Utube compression etc etc. Superb 👌🏻 comparison purely in the interest of science 👍🏻👍🏻

[@guitargearconnection]

Appreciate that! And I agree low gain with caps is awesome!

[@maddaveyesay1611]

I use the rik o sound on my 360 split between the vox and orange Its unbeluevable

[@patrickscheidegger]

the low-gains with the cap mod sound the most true to the recordings of the test selections you chose. but it's difficult to guess the true tome based on analogue mono recordings done on 4-tracks from 50+ years ago. that's an entire art itself. i prefer the high gains, they "say a lot more". QUESTION: When crossing through the 3 setups, did you notice much in difference of "feel"? And if so, iin what ways, and which felt the best, where you can really feel the guitar and amp together as one thing that is sensitive to your every subtle movement? great choices btw - especially "if i needed someone" - i never picked that one out, as i don't really like the vocals to it. so hearing it w/o actually made me realize how great that Harrison 12-string riff really is. thank you.

[@guitargearconnection]

Thanks for the kind words! I did feel like there was a “feel” difference when I put on the low gains with the cap mod, but that could be all physiological lol. I think I just loved the sound with the cap mod so much in-person that it could have been giving me the feel I like

[@GretschenMunch]

Great demonstration! Personally I think hi-gains are the winner. And if you have hi-gains and want the 60s sounds, use an EQ pedal!

[@profile2047]

I strongly disagree. And some info from someone more knowledgeable than I “EQ is a linear change of signal: it does not matter in which order you place the EQ sections for the result of sound, and if you double the signal in front, you get out exactly double the previous result at the end. A pickup, in contrast, has the magnetic flux through its coils modified as the string travels through its magnetic circuit and completes it in some manner. If it were working in a linear manner, there would be no difference between playing louder and cranking the volume pot up. That may work to some approximation when you microphone your electric guitar and amplify those results (or rather record them if you are not keen on feedback). There are things like piezo bridge pickups: those will tend to have a better chance of being made to sound similar via EQ since they have a comparatively linear, "microphoning" response. That does not mean that the frequency response is even, but merely that it is in some fixed relation to the input frequencies, and with EQ you can tweak that relation. But the magnetic pickup action is rather far from being a linear thing so you'd need something seriously more contorted to have a chance to map one kind of pickup to the sound of another.”

[@teleplucker6802]

I prefer the low gains. But in saying so, with the cap in on the bridge pup it's too bright. With the cap in on both pups it takes some of the brightness out which is ok for me. It makes a difference when using one or both pups.

[@1N2themystic]

I bought this exact guitar, brand new on closeout in "93-94" for $900. I loved that guitar. Lost it basically because I let a woman distract me. Oh well. But when I think of what it's worth now...

[@guitargearconnection]

They have climbed a bunch in value! The very late 70’s into the late 90’s was the best time to buy any 60’s or Beatle related items.

[@maryannkarlvalois7597]

Paul: I just discovered your channel! Absolutely amazing! I LOVE that 60s Rickenbacker jingle-jangle sound. I own a McGuinn 370-12 and have bought other Rics! BUT_ I just put in an order for a 1993Plus. Does that have the capacitor (spelling?) like the Vintage and C Series?

[@guitargearconnection]

The RM 370 is such a beautiful guitar! Unfortunately I am unsure if the 1993 came with the capacitor. But it is easy to tell by just lifting up the pickguard. Send me a picture and Ill tell you if it’s there or not!

[@maryannkarlvalois7597]

@@guitargearconnection Hi, Paul I just have to add how great it is that you post these videos. You really know your stuff and it is a pleasure to learn from you! By the way, besides the Janglebox, have you found any compressors that really nail the Byrds' sound? Do you know which brand compressor has the MOST compression?

[@deniscrispin6865]

Jbx jangle box trying to get one now can't get them here in Canada I believe that's what Mguinn has it built into the guitar and the Beatles I stand to be corrected if you look look-up the the janglebox company lots of info good luck getting the sound

[@deniscrispin6865]

I'm curious also I've been waiting for my 1993+ 12string 18 months now should be here in April

[@Moreno280161]

Hello, could you explain to me what the smallest potentiometer is for?

[@riogrande163]

If i recall correctly, it's a secondary volume knob for the neck pickup, originally meant as a blend/balance knob due to older models not having output-compensated pickups.

[@sergidrivemusic4334]

Is there any way to contact you? I would like to know if you can help me with your Vox Super Beatle.

[@thiscorrosion900]

Have you tried running it both ways through the Janglebox pedal, and a compression pedal or box? Just curious. I know The Byrds used tons and tons of compression on the Ricky for almost all their recordings, where it almost sounds like a sitar or whatever. Live, I honestly dunno what they did. Of course this sounds pretty jangly already.

[@guitargearconnection]

I have not but I do plan on trying one out!

[@thiscorrosion900]

@@guitargearconnection Pedal's a bit expensive, but I'm told it's worth it if you have a Rickenbacker. There's also that Digitech 12-string pedal, but that's more for using with a 6-string, etc., and I'm told it's not that great, it's ok.

[@josephmitchell204]

Low gains with cap

[@tobyg.dickens3477]

Hate to say it, but I think I like the high gains better. They still do Rickenbacker "jangle" while offering more punch in the mids. Chasing the '60's sound is great, but whatever Rick you have (high or low gain), I'd leave it the way it is.

[@PageandPlant4Life]

I think I'd like high gains with a push-pull pot that adds in the capacitor

[@craigoog]

eyes closed it turned out I liked the hi gains, sorry!

[@guitargearconnection]

They high gain’s definitely sounded great! My least favorite was low gains only. The problem with the test of low gains + capacitor was the blend knob. I was stuck leaving it in same position to make it fair against the others. But if you adjust that blend knob around more with pickup switch in middle, you can achieve some amazing sounds!

[@mixchifius]

High gains all the way!

[@tomblaze2]

Why not add a analog compressor either in a pedal or built in to guitar - 🎸- only element kissing from the vintage tone

[@guitargearconnection]

I reckoned if all the jangle pros from the 60’s didn’t use any of that stuff on all of the legendary songs….With the proper equipment & setup…I shouldn’t either!

[@beagleman123456789]

All ‘

[@uwetittmann1423]

The Cap is crap in my opinion, low gain is good.