BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLEXI

[Tone Slinger]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

To put it very simply, Ed's old tone is differentiated from all the 'modded front end' amps of the '80's by being less compressed, harsh and gainy. The clips Ed (Hunter) posted are of basically stock 1959 circuit amps. Evh' s early tone is no exception to that. A cranked 2 gain stager. No mess, no clutter like you get when overloaded with 3 (or more) gain stages where the gain and eq are WAY to overboard. Thats why Eds tone was so dynamic. It relied on the WHOLE circuit, which was being pretty much ran flat out. At NO point was TOO much gain being introduced.....but incrementally through the circuit. To run it flat out is to have the distortion be more ALIVE and LIVING , as opposed to the harsher, sterile 'instant gratification' preamp gain amps on 2 in ones bedroom tone'.

 

[pittbull]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

I stock cranked plexi on ten with a variac still doesn't achieve the sound that's on Van halen 1,it needs more gain. That is why so many guys were taking stock plexi's to have modded for more gain to achieve THAT sound,there just wasn't enough gain.

 

[Silverburst]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

Dont you need to take the boost part of the echoplex and vega diversity system into account?

 

[pittbull]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

Ive always believed that there was something in front of the amp to push it into the VH1 sound.I and many others have tried the echo plexi boost and the EQ and in my opinion its still not enough for VH1.

 

[vinceB]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

Let's not forget those pick ups he was using. I think those hand wound abominations may have played a role in driving that front end so hard.

 

[Tone Slinger]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

Let's not forget those pick ups he was using. I think those hand wound abominations may have played a role in driving that front end so hard.

Well, there IS speculation that Ed may have met/known Seymour by '77 or so. A rewound paf to say a 'JB' spec or possibly even a ceramic magnet being installed ('Custom'), etc. Just more wire turns on the coils keeping the stock Alnico paf magnet would equal a 'JB'. Do near the same and swap in a ceramic magnet and you got a 'custom'. All these techniques were known and being performed by Seymour WAY before that. Who knows for sure ? A stock plexi DOES benifit from a hot pu (gain-wise) for sure. So much varience from one 50 or 100 watt top to another, even with same spec/transformers, etc. Gain is almost ALWAYS welcomed.

 

[X2203xman]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

My 1987x cranked to about 7-8 on the high bright input is surprisingly saturated.Along with any of my bucker strats it surely has the core,and basic tone for VH.It has enough gain to sustain single lead notes without any pedal.Now add the mxr eq,and the echo,the greenbacks,and some magic fingers,I can see how it could happen.You just have to get that plexi into really uncomfortable volume levels to really hear it.I have been cranking it regularly with some mild attenuation,and am really shocked how mean it can get on it's own.What stands out for me more so than the gain of the early VH tone,is something that I can only describe as the mid snap,that only the more basic Marshalls create.It's 'kind of a woody tone.Now,if only I could pull off some tasty VH riffs.

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

Well, there IS speculation that Ed may have met/known Seymour by '77 or so. A rewound paf to say a 'JB' spec or possibly even a ceramic magnet being installed ('Custom'), etc. Just more wire turns on the coils keeping the stock Alnico paf magnet would equal a 'JB'. Do near the same and swap in a ceramic magnet and you got a 'custom'. All these techniques were known and being performed by Seymour WAY before that. Who knows for sure ? A stock plexi DOES benifit from a hot pu (gain-wise) for sure. So much varience from one 50 or 100 watt top to another, even with same spec/transformers, etc. Gain is almost ALWAYS welcomed.

If you listen to this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K0LAE-Fel8
You can definitely hear "something" pushing the front of the marshall and i dont think it is the pickup by itself.
Listen to the C-D-E progression during the chorus section of the tune.
The marshall is breaking up to the point of ridiculousness
It is NOT just a plexi on its own, no way! A stock plexi on 10 has much less gain
I believe what jose said about a OD box being used.
at the solo sections and the very end he turns on the phase 90 and you can hear the treble boost he always talked about

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

BTW, that tone out of the context of the band mix is not really pleasent at all
it is very harsh,biting and abrasive.
when the band and the tone are together is is magical though.

 

[pittbull]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

Ed Hunter,yes you can plainly hear it(od box-jose) .....

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

Ed Hunter.....

Another thing is eddie NEVER used/had that tone again?
Whatever it was that caused that gain he never used it again.
he had hotter pu's in guitars after VH I so we can rule that out.
Funny that the tone eddie did not like is my favorite!

 

[whatshisname]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

It sounds like an EQ pushing the amp. I'm betting an MXR six band. I'd put good money on it. It's most certainly not an overdrive. At least not to my ears, anyway...

 

[pittbull]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

Ive tried the blue (vintage)MXR 6 band EQ and the new black MXR 6 band EQ and its not enough for what you hear on VH1.

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

It sounds like an EQ pushing the amp. I'm betting an MXR six band. I'd put good money on it. It's most certainly not an overdrive. At least not to my ears, anyway...

Maybe? can a EQ like it be modded to have more output signal going out of it than normal?
I know jose did all kinds of stuff to his pedals(so eddie claims?) to mod then like true bypass and other little tricks.
Like on the BOSS eq they sell there is a level slider so the more you turn it up the more signal boost there is going to the amp.,
Is it possible that eddie had his eq to be more boosted in output(like the boss eq would be with the level slider maxed) so when it hit the preamp and the plexi it drove it even more?

 

[pittbull]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

I like to try the Boss ge7 eq again spend more time with it,why not .

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

I like to try the Boss ge7 eq again spend more time with it,why not .

yeah it doesn't hurt to right?
he had something going on before the amp and it is way beyond just a pickup thats for sure.

 

[Tone Slinger]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

It sounds like an EQ pushing the amp. I'm betting an MXR six band. I'd put good money on it. It's most certainly not an overdrive. At least not to my ears, anyway...

Yeah, I agree. To know and understand the difference in a eq box circuit and a overdive/distortion helps. It does seem that Ed relied on a 6 band alot.

I guess the main difference in Ed's tone was really live. I mean besides the tracks on VhII where he used that single coil strat (rhythm on 'Bottoms Up' and 'Light Up The Sky', the basic tone was still VhIish. The production was different obviously (way less verb, etc). WACF , imo, was even closer to Vh1. 'Take Your Whiskey Home' has a tone VERY similar to say 'FYLT' off of Vh1 for ex. Same with Fair Warning. Live tones from the third tour on REALLY start getting away from the album tone though. The boots from '80 on really DO NOT sound much like the album being supported. 65 watt celestions werebeing used (they were new and the 25's had been discontinued ), wireless, tone sucking units wete being used, etc.

 

[pittbull]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

Ive tried(many have)the vintage MXR 6 band EQ and it doest achieve that type of sound or push.To me it sounds more like a drive pedal(overdrive-distortion)for VH1.Rudy Leiran explained(Eds first Guitar tech) Edward didn't use the 6 band EQ that much it was used for when he switched guitars and the type of venue they played at.

 

[HOT TUBES 70]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

I have seen old pics of EVH and his pedal board , and you can plainly see an old Boss 10 band EQ on his board . You could get some extra push from the EQ ....

 

[HOT TUBES 70]

Re: BEST EVER EVH Brown Sound AmpROCKSTAH MOD 5 Handbuilt Clone Amp-JCM2203-Plexi-PLE

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3E_m7IhSfY]VAN HALEN - "Running With The Devil" Guitar Track ISOLATED! - YouTube[/ame]