Can anyone identify this pedal hidden in this echoplex ? (Van Halen)

[SmokeyDopey]

It was going to be called the Brown zone, but it would've been too obvious. It was supposed to be kept secret, so they changed it to metal zone.

 

[pittbull]

The MXR micro amp came out in 1979-1980 Edward couldn’t have used it in 1978 the only time Edward used the MXR micro amp was 1984 and it was also the last time

 

[jeffb]

, people with experience with Marshall plexis know that they are clean and loud ..."

... some are less gainy than others, and some don't gain up until later on the volume knob, but they are plenty gainy and not "clean". I've played several old ones, owned/played RIs/clones and even the old Super Bass' and JTM45s/BBs have a substantial amount of gain.

You are correct on the loud part.

 

[pittbull]

But not to the gain level that you hear on Van Halen 1(first album)just the plexi by itself unless there’s something in front of the amp or a mod to the amp just my opinion.

 

[pat_rocks]

The MXR micro amp came out in 1979-1980 Edward couldn’t have used it in 1978 the only time Edward used the MXR micro amp was 1984 and it was also the last time

The real question is when did the micro amp really released ? There are people claiming to have 1978 versions of it.

 

[pittbull]

It was 1979

 

[PowerTube44]

Looking for echoplex models and serial numbers i found this picture of Van halen's echoplex and i just believe to see a pedal inside it...

Do you know what kind of pedal it is ? it seems to have an mxr style knob and a led plus a bypass switch.

View attachment 157486

i never saw anyone mentionning it. Any ideas about what this could be ?

i believe it could be a mxr micro amp or a mxr noise gate for the boosting eq, Whatever it is you can see a white dot from the knob and it looks like it is at 10.

it's incredible how many things you can actually discover while spending some time on those old pictures.

EDIT : Al estrada which sound a lot like evh uses the mxr micro amp to avoid signal loss in the pedal board. The effects were all in front of the amp and consisted of the MXR Micro Amp, MXR Phase 90, MXR Flanger and the Fulltone Tube Tape Echo. The Micro Amp is set all the way down and is used more as a buffer to prevent signal loss through the signal chain going to the amp.

I think it's a Bostitch StapleMate 301.

 

[pat_rocks]

i don't know but ed had some unknown pedals with him :

what are those 2 pedals ? Seems like there is no knob.

 

[pittbull]

Switching units(pedal) 1979 tour. Edwards very early switching system was by Flag systems

 

[pat_rocks]

I think you might be chasing a windmill again. I'd guess that's a crumpled up lead, piece of paper for the settings or similar. In any case it appears to have very little depth.

Hey pellix, think i'm still chasing windmills ? You must have eye vision issues to not have seen the pedal in the previous picture. I reccomend you to go see an ophthalmologist.

 

[pat_rocks]

It’s a spare MXR Phase 90,Edward didn’t use the MXR Micro Amp until the 84 tour that was the last time. (Rudy Lerian Edwards first tech that they met in high school).That was the first and last time Edward used a Micro amp.Zeke Clark was his next tech after Rudy Leiran.

Hey pitbull check this i finally have the pictures in High resolution i bought the japanese magazine and it's not a phaser because it's not written speed at the bottom of the knob but something longer !

even if it's not wired it's still there.



it seems that it's a noise gate.

this magazine has a ton of infos and good pictures.

 

[PelliX]

View attachment 157786

Hey pellix, think i'm still chasing windmills ? You must have eye vision issues to not have seen the pedal in the previous picture. I reccomend you to go see an ophthalmologist.

Fair call, guv. That's an MXR pedal in there, you win fair and square. Given your track record of windmill chasing, citing rubbish as gospel and attempting to pedal messed up amps [pun intended], I believe you can see [pun intened] where I was coming from.

Bring your "amp" over here. I'll record it with you and buy you a beer.

 

[pat_rocks]

Fair call, guv. That's an MXR pedal in there, you win fair and square. Given your track record of windmill chasing, citing rubbish as gospel and attempting to pedal messed up amps [pun intended], I believe you can see [pun intened] where I was coming from.

Bring your "amp" over here. I'll record it with you and buy you a beer.

I'm waiting for the echoplex i bought... but unfortunaltely


this ebay hub... losing gear since it exists...

i'm also waiting for the urei 1176 pedals and the la 2a. I have the urei setting ed used in the magazine pictures. He uses 2 of them live.

 

[PelliX]

i'm also waiting for the urei 1176 pedals and the la 2a. I have the urei setting ed used in the magazine pictures. He uses 2 of them live.

Eddie didn't use the 1176 pedals and he certainly isn't using them today, RIP.

 

[pat_rocks]

Eddie didn't use the 1176 pedals and he certainly isn't using them today, RIP.

Yeah he used the real deal but i think the pedals can do a great job to mimic its effect. For example the schaffer storm is almost perfect compared to schaffer vega effects on tone.


however i wonder what's that preamp thing on top of the roland echo unit... a preamp for mics ?

 

[pat_rocks]

here are the amps for VH2 :



here you can clearly see the schaffer vega

 

[PelliX]

Yeah he used the real deal but i think the pedals can do a great job to mimic its effect.

I would expect it be relatively close, yes. You do understand that these were used in a very different part of the signal chain, though, AND that the settings of the real 1176 units then (of which you do not know the revision or modifications) will in no way line up 1:1 with the knobs on the pedal.

 

[pat_rocks]

I would expect it be relatively close, yes. You do understand that these were used in a very different part of the signal chain, though, AND that the settings of the real 1176 units then (of which you do not know the revision or modifications) will in no way line up 1:1 with the knobs on the pedal.

yes i know. however what intrigates me is that it seems that eddie didn't use the schaffer vega as his wireless but only as a boost... He seems to have used those "Nasty Cordless" units for his guitar.... That's very interesting but there is little infos about those units and what their impact could be on the tone. To be called nasty perhaps that they have some kind of effect on tone. Those seem to be very old models.

edit : okay apparently those nady cordeless provide a boost when at max level...




it would be nice to find the original model and to reverse engeneer it.

 

[pat_rocks]

There are very interesting pictures of van halen in 1978 before they became famous :



here you can clearly see that his tonebender box pedal had knobs and a balck faceplate and those were removed before they get to japan.

the last suspicious thing i found is the squâred potentiometer in the bumblebee which is a single humbucker guitar. Moreover there seems to be a plate in front of the potentiometer :

 

[pittbull]

It’s a script logo that’s for sure,Edward used 1176 compressors in the studio