Eddie Van Halen Reveals He Straight Up Lied About His Early Amps

[ESPVH]

Sorry if this is a repost:

Eddie Van Halen Reveals He Straight Up Lied About His Early Amps | Guitar Squid

 

[zenfly]

I never really cared what gear anyone used.. all the threads about how do I get this tone or that just make me laugh anyway.. Slash tone etc..
This is a great forum where we have freedom of speech so everyone rock on..

 

[50WPLEXI]

I never really cared what gear anyone used.. all the threads about how do I get this tone or that just make me laugh anyway.. Slash tone etc..
This is a great forum where we have freedom of speech so everyone rock on..

I used to early on, but now no way. I like MY tone that I've worked hard to develop. Now I still love to hear certain player's tones, it still inspires me.

 

[MaxFrames]

So, he used a simple voltage regulator between the mains plug and the amp, and with this he was getting the same result as you would get by using an expensive power soak between the power amp and the cabinet? Seriously? I dunno much about this stuff, but could it be he's STILL lying?
If it's simple as that, I might do that as well.... who wouldn't want to get the same tone, at 1/3 of the volume so not to upset the neighbors when you're shredding?

 

[FennRx]

Does anyone even care what evh says about anything at this point?

 

[NewReligion]

I feel for all of the guys who could only afford one amp at a time and blew them up over the last 40 years trying to get the evh tone due to his dis/misinformation. I said it before and I still don't believe a word he says. In addition I liked his earlier tones over that of the Peaveys and Fenders.

 

[NewReligion]

Does anyone even care what evh says about anything at this point?

Too late to take him serious.

 

[Wycked Lester]

ed's gonna sound like ed no matter how many volts he uses, or doesn't use.

I did run across a variac a couple years ago and picked it up...its just been sitting on the shelf looking at me ever since.... Maybe I'll break it out and try it on my old cheapo Peavey Windsor.

 

[bvoris]

I never really cared what gear anyone used.. all the threads about how do I get this tone or that just make me laugh anyway.. Slash tone etc..
This is a great forum where we have freedom of speech so everyone rock on..

You want my tone?

LOL

 

[DWK302]

Never really thought his tone was anything special. All that tapping and divebombs seem kinda silly now. Over it.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I liked his earlier tones over that of the Peaveys and Fenders.

While the studio tones weren't that good with the Peaveys or EVHs, I think his tone on the recent VH tours sound really awesome with the EVHs.

 

[ReiGnMaN]

Never really thought his tone was anything special. All that tapping and divebombs seem kinda silly now. Over it.

Remind me not to pay attention to you based on your previous comments you're tone deaf to my genre

 

[MaxFrames]

But... any technical insight about being able to mimick a power soak by using a (supposedly cheaper, and in all cases single, whereas for a stereo amp you would need two power soaks) variable current transformer? Or any real life experience of valve amps sounding great, at a fraction of the volume and without risk of damage/significant lifespan shortening, by using a such device? Or is what EVH said basically just hot air?

 

[SonVolt]

So, he used a simple voltage regulator between the mains plug and the amp, and with this he was getting the same result as you would get by using an expensive power soak between the power amp and the cabinet? Seriously? I dunno much about this stuff, but could it be he's STILL lying?
If it's simple as that, I might do that as well.... who wouldn't want to get the same tone, at 1/3 of the volume so not to upset the neighbors when you're shredding?

One of my amps has a Variac built in to it in addition to the power scaling/wattage lowering switches. The Variac really does lower the volume while preserving the tone better than dropping the watts from 100 down to 10 etc.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

But... any technical insight about being able to mimick a power soak by using a (supposedly cheaper, and in all cases single, whereas for a stereo amp you would need two power soaks) variable current transformer? Or any real life experience of valve amps sounding great, at a fraction of the volume and without risk of damage/significant lifespan shortening, by using a such device? Or is what EVH said basically just hot air?

I think it is true that he used a variac, but it would wear out his amps so quickly that the tubes and, I believe, even the trannies needed to be changed out frequently.

 

[zenfly]

I used to early on, but now no way. I like MY tone that I've worked hard to develop. Now I still love to hear certain player's tones, it still inspires me.

I'm 63 and funny as it is I've been playing since 1963 (oh shit// math.. I was 14) but the search still goes on for that tone of my own.. So much of it for me comes from the use of the pic more than the great amp/guitar/tubes though I'm well stocked on all counts.. It's the combo of the bashing,grinding,scrubbing,popping,along with the light touch I work on constantly.. I guess what I'm saying is so much of all these great players tone is what their doing with their hands as much or more than their gear..

"Now I still love to hear certain player's tones, it still inspires me"
For sure ++.. Thats what got us all into this anyway.. At least for me.. I heard early rock and wanted to do that..

 

[MaxFrames]

One of my amps has a Variac built in to it in addition to the power scaling/wattage lowering switches. The Variac really does lower the volume while preserving the tone better than dropping the watts from 100 down to 10 etc.

So, on this amp you will be using either the Variac or the power scaling (not both), and the former gives a better tonal result than the latter, correct?
What amp is that and did you mod it to include these two gimmicks? If so, what was the cost?

 

[zenfly]

You want my tone?

LOL

It's right here on this finger.. the other 9 help too... It really is all it the fingertips boys and girls..

I pushed the like button because there is no "I Love It"..

 

[SonVolt]

So, on this amp you will be using either the Variac or the power scaling (not both), and the former gives a better tonal result than the latter, correct?
What amp is that and did you mod it to include these two gimmicks? If so, what was the cost?

You can use both power scaling and the variac at the same time. Power scaling works better at bedroom volumes. The Variac works better at band volumes when you can't crank the amp to it's full potential b/c of volume issues. I wouldn't really call it a gimmick as it does indeed do what's it was designed to do with satisfactory results.

Here's the amp

 

[bvoris]

It's right here on this finger.. the other 9 help too... It really is all it the fingertips boys and girls..

I pushed the like button because there is no "I Love It"..

Awesome LOL