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If I say "jangle"...


Phil O'Keefe

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For me, it would be some traditional Gretsch guitar with a Vox amp.

 

Having bought just two Rickies, and both of them 360s (so maybe not as jangly as others) I found the missing ingredient to get that tone was the Jangle Box.

 

I could also easily substitute a Danelectro for the Gretsch, but they just aren't as iconic in rock history. A bit more of a footnote IMHO.

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Rickenbacker through a Fender Deluxe Reverb blackface, because that's what Peter Buck primarily played in the eighties, I believe. It's also one of Johnny Marr's weapons of choice. Not even a 12 string so much as that Rickenbacker twang. Buck didn't start using Vox amps until the late eighties and early nineties, and he was never exclusive to that brand until the late nineties. Even then, he used other amps in the studio and live.

 

I love the sound of a Vox, but Fender wins for cleans. I'm surprised so many players associate Vox with "jangle," because the Byrds stuff was directly into the board with a compressor. I find the early Beatles tone cool, but not in the same rank as Roger McGuinn's early tone.

 

But I'm of a different mindset and generation. I like playing R.E.M., Beatles, and Black Sabbath all on the same guitar.

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Having bought just two Rickies, and both of the 360s (so maybe not as jangly as others) I found the missing ingredient to get that tone was the Jangle Box.

 

 

Compression is a HUGE part of the jangle equation IMHO. A treble booster (or just adding a bunch at the amp) doesn't hurt either.

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Indeed. I've been looking at buying a Jangle Box for a few years now, but just haven't gotten around to it. They indeed seem to add more treble than most compressors. If I'd gotten a 330, then possibly there would be a bit more "jangle". But at first when my 360s arrived (one 6 and one 12) I thought the lack of jangle was due to the more modern p'ups versus the toaster top vintage style, but from what I've read, it indeed has more to do with the compressor and treble boost used my McGuinn for that iconic tone.

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I love the Fender Blackface tone, but the reason I joined the Vox bandwagon has a bit more to do with the English voiced speakers than the amps themselves. I find the Fender tone to indeed have a great articulate tone with more depth (to my ears) but the more shallow sound of the English style speakers seem to end up, almost by default, emphasizing the upper mids more.

 

My first love is the sound of a Strat, Fender '65 Twin and a back-brace. :-)

 

Thunk n Twang ;^)

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For me, it would be some traditional Gretsch guitar with a Vox amp.

 

Having bought just two Rickies, and both of them 360s (so maybe not as jangly as others) I found the missing ingredient to get that tone was the Jangle Box.

 

I could also easily substitute a Danelectro for the Gretsch, but they just aren't as iconic in rock history. A bit more of a footnote IMHO.

 

 

True. They need a touch of boost and a touch of compression.

 

You can get a pretty good jangle a Ricky with a Fender amp too.

 

 

I have 3 Rickenbackers.

 

 

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The early R.E.M. albums have a Fender XII which belonged to Mitch Easter.

 

 

I saw them back on a pre tour for the Fables album. Peter Buck played out of a Fender Twin and a Mesa Mark amp.

 

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i know people would choose a vox ,cause that is what comes to mind with jangle bands . but i think a marshall jcm 800 combo and a tele with very low output pickups would jangle till xmas . i don`t think i`ve ever turned the treble above 2 if that on a marshall so there is lots to play with.

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i know people would choose a vox ' date='cause that is what comes to mind with jangle bands . but i think a marshall jcm 800 combo and a tele with very low output pickups would jangle till xmas . i don`t think i`ve ever turned the treble above 2 if that on a marshall so there is lots to play with.[/quote']

 

Interesting idea...

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i know people would choose a vox ' date='cause that is what comes to mind with jangle bands . but i think a marshall jcm 800 combo and a tele with very low output pickups would jangle till xmas . i don`t think i`ve ever turned the treble above 2 if that on a marshall so there is lots to play with.[/quote']

 

I think with a Marshall, with the treble pumped, you'd get 'Mangle', not 'jangle', and with a tele you might get 'twangle', but 'jangle'...:idk:

;)

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I've owned a few...and yes, you can get something 'like' a jangle out of ECC83/EL34s...but you can't push the volume very far, because, in my experience, it will get painfully ice pick-y, worse than a Twin Reverb. To me that is not jangle...it is mangle.

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I think with a Marshall, with the treble pumped, you'd get 'Mangle', not 'jangle', and with a tele you might get 'twangle', but 'jangle'...:idk:

;)

 

I think it's personal taste, which is why the same guitar and amp will sound different through many different approaches and players.

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My amp is a 2-channel EL34 beast and have to agree that it isn't my choice for the jangle we're talking about.

To fake it I use the "Strat" Neck+Middle position, roll back the tone on my guitar a tiny bit, then use the amp to boost the treble and cut some bass.

 

Sounds very good, but not as shiny and jangly as a Deluxe Reverb.

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i used to own a 800 combo can`t remember if it was 50 or 100 watt but i could get it clean enough for what i wanted against over a noisy drummer . my jcm 900 100 watt is great on the clean channel plenty of volume and lovely clean sounds and drummer proof.

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