The JTM 45 might perhaps get even more glory if those interviews are right (EVH).

[guitarbilly74]

I may have been conservative on mixing in the amp DI. I'll tinker more when I can.

Nice!! Keep us posted!!!

This is why I was thinking the other day that part of the VH sound could be them clipping a mic pre or even the console on purpose. The DI sound adds that clipped sound.

Maybe they were even taking a DI out of the amp and recording that too. But this type of approach sounds more accurate than most amp mods I hear.

 

[What?]

Nice!! Keep us posted!!!

This is why I was thinking the other day that part of the VH sound could be them clipping a mic pre or even the console on purpose. The DI sound adds that clipped sound.

Maybe they were even taking a DI out of the amp and recording that too. But this type of approach sounds more accurate than most amp mods I hear.

Your mention of the mic preamp got me experimenting, and today I was thinking of how bright JBL's are, almost like a raw sound from the amp, hence trying the raw amp DI. I think they definitely mixed in some raw signal from the amp in the studio. Who knows live.

 

[What?]

I think that particular pickups don't have much to do with the EVH sound. With a reasonably bright humbucker into an amp at that level of distortion the amp and speakers dominate the overall sound big time.

 

[pittbull]

 

[What?]

I'm thinking now that there ins't any missing ingredient at all. Adding in the raw amp DI brings in a lot of missing frequency content from a greenback, like what JBL's provide. But after lots of eq'ing on that raw amp DI, I'm thinking that JBL's give that missing frequency content in a more natural way than eq'ing can arrive at. If you never heard JBL D120F's, they are unusually broad for a guitar speaker, from bottom to top, and they can sound glorious.

Anyone know of a good IR of a D120F in a 412 cab? Amplitube includes one, but it's not very good. It sounds like it has a highpass and a lowpass applied, which is pointless.

Any hoo, I'm thinking that what you hear is what what has actually been shown in pics. Marshall into Celestions and JBL's with the right balance for the mix. And a lot of people probably don't have those ingredients and are chasing dragons elsewhere trying to get there. Then again, my ears are cooked, and I might think very different tomorrow.

 

[PelliX]

 

[colchar]

[**removed deleted content**]

 

[What?]

Recent thoughts. I'm convinced that saturating Pulteq eq and tape are the missing ingredient. JBL's likely helped get the grit that full spectrum across though.

 

[BluezMe]

very short video...

shame Wolfgang didn't go into as much Detail about Ed's Rig as he does about the Guitar. Said he used Ed's VH 1 original Marshall... Variac and Cabs on one of his recordings
The Guitar has Frankenstein stenciled on the Case

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omrfqr34duM

 

[ElvisNixon]

Recent thoughts. I'm convinced that saturating Pulteq eq and tape are the missing ingredient. JBL's likely helped get the grit that full spectrum across though.

I’m not an EVH (or anyone else) tone chaser, but a Pultec EQP-1/1A tube program EQ and to a lesser degree the Pultec MEQ-5 midrange EQ are the secret sauce on too many records to count. Even rappers consider them mandatory.

They have overlapping frequencies and you can’t get a bad sound out of one. The design lets you simultaneously boost and cut the same frequency range as selected by the detented rotary frequency range knobs.

There are a few people making clones with a twist. Usually the addition of frequency ranges. Tube-Tech and Audioscape make them. I have a pair of Tube-Tech MEQ’s and a pair of Audioscape EQP-1’s and I can’t personally mix without an EQP.

 

[What?]

I’m not an EVH (or anyone else) tone chaser, but a Pultec EQP-1/1A tube program EQ and to a lesser degree the Pultec MEQ-5 midrange EQ are the secret sauce on too many records to count. Even rappers consider them mandatory.

They have overlapping frequencies and you can’t get a bad sound out of one. The design lets you simultaneously boost and cut the same frequency range as selected by the detented rotary frequency range knobs.

There are a few people making clones with a twist. Usually the addition of frequency ranges. Tube-Tech and Audioscape make them. I have a pair of Tube-Tech MEQ’s and a pair of Audioscape EQP-1’s and I can’t personally mix without an EQP.

I say Pultec because whatever is going on in the tube section has some nice sounding saturation that sounds fitting to the EVH thing (and lots of other recorded guitar sounds). I only have a plugin version, but even it feeding into some tape saturation plugin sounds much closer to the EVH sound than an amp alone. Someone else suggested Neve preamp saturation, and after a little digging I'm pretty sure that my 1073 plugin doesn't have input transformer modeling for the saturation, so I can't really comment on that.

 

[ElvisNixon]

I say Pultec because whatever is going on in the tube section has some nice sounding saturation that sounds fitting to the EVH thing (and lots of other recorded guitar sounds). I only have a plugin version, but even it feeding into some tape saturation plugin sounds much closer to the EVH sound than an amp alone. Someone else suggested Neve preamp saturation, and after a little digging I'm pretty sure that my 1073 plugin doesn't have input transformer modeling for the saturation, so I can't really comment on that.

I agree with what you’re saying. I mainly use 500 series modules. I have several 1073 style preamps including the AMS/Neve version. If a plugin doesn’t emulate the transformers, I would be surprised and disappointed, but I track analog and dump it into a DAW for any editing if needed.

If you’re looking to replicate the VH1 studio sound, they used an API that was custom made for Sunset by one of API’s top designers. They were called API/Dimedio’s and that’s what VH1 was recorded and mixed on at Sunset Sound.

While a good Neve 1073 sounds glorious when pushed hard, They aren’t as “fast” sounding as the API. And since a 1073 is a mic pre and eq, it lets you tailor that warm transformer sound all by itself. In the era of VH1, 1073’s had sort of fallen out of favor because the EQ is pretty limited. If you hear a Neve in those days, you’re probably hearing a Neve 1081 pre/EQ. The 1081 EQ section was fully parametric and allowed for very “surgical” EQ curves.

The Dimedio API wasn’t much different than an API of the same era. The API has a separate preamp (the vintage 312, NOT the new version) module and a separate EQ module which was the 3 band 550A. I know that there are some pretty good plugins of both. The API 312 sounds good when pushed but very different than a pushed 1073. The API is a “fast” preamp. They are spectacular on drums for that reason.

If you like to roll your own, there a company called CAPI that sells kits of all the classic and modern API stuff.

 

[HFloyd]

While every record does have some element of EQ, compresison tape magic and other magic...

Usually it's not a huuuuuuge difference. It's noticable but said processing is usually done to get the guitar to fit in with the rest of the mix, rather than to enhance the tone of the recorded guitar.

It'll have an impact yes, but if you could hear the unprocessed version and compare it to the processed version, it'll definitely have the same vibe and overall tone. Most people would spot the difference, but I would never say "The TubeTech EQ combined with the Struder Tape machine is the magic sauce that makes that guitar sound amazin

 

[dro]

As far as recordings go. The better the source, the better the end result.
One of the best lessons I have learned in all my years is.
You can't polish a turd.
I have recorded over the years with many different amps.
My first recordings were with the amp I had been gigging with.
At one point, the engineer told me, your amp is not cutting it on this track.
He went into the vault and came back with a Bluesbreaker.
Which for those that don't know. Is a 212 combo version of the JTM45.
At the time I was playing Leo era G&L guitars, and a Norlin Les Paul Custom.
I couldn't believe an amp switch could make my guitars sound so much better.
Being a husband and father of young kids, It was a good 20 years before I could afford an amp like the Bluesbreaker. I finally got a JTM45 for recording. I was gigging a '65 Fender Twin.
I thought to myself. I'm pulling the trailer. Why not gig with the amp I record with. I like it so much.
So I did. I was getting compliments on my tone, right away.
Things like, "Man your guitar sounds good" and "I can't believe how sweet your tone is."
My JTM45 and 1960BX is the one amp I'll never sell.

 

[Beryllium-9]

me thinks the bit about Ed throwing people off is true. Considering that early on he played Eruption with his back to the crowd it makes sense that he didn't like the idea of anyone stealing his thunder. He created most everything that really matters on his own. Anyone can see that just by looking at his guitar and listening to him play. Now, many believe that the secret sauce in a Big Mac is just mayo, ketchup, and pickle relish. But is it really? When the burger was introduced back in 1967 things were magical and I expect that something else was involved. The reissues that they produce these days aren't the same as they were back then. Don't get me started on Shamrock Shakes..ugh.

 

[PelliX]

The reissues that they produce these days aren't the same as they were back then.

Man, you're so right there. I wasn't actually born then, but I've seen pictures of the burgers then and I can assure you they were much better, based on that. I spoke with a guy who lived down the street from a bloke who actually met Ronald McDonald once and he told me a bit about the sauce. He swore me to secrecy though, so I can't tell you all the details, but it involves salt.

If you're truly interested in the vintage cuisine from back then, I have a pile of NOS burgers, still wrapped...

 

[Beryllium-9]

Man, you're so right there. I wasn't actually born then, but I've seen pictures of the burgers then and I can assure you they were much better, based on that. I spoke with a guy who lived down the street from a bloke who actually met Ronald McDonald once and he told me a bit about the sauce. He swore me to secrecy though, so I can't tell you all the details, but it involves salt.

If you're truly interested in the vintage cuisine from back then, I have a pile of NOS burgers, still wrapped...

oh man... I started collecting vintage Twinkies a while back and I also have an NOS 1/4 Pounder with cheese from 1979. It's in great shape and the patina is unreal! I am passing the collection down to my Granddaughter after I am gone.

Happy Halloween!

 

[GuitarGuruLLC]

View attachment 152039

View attachment 152040

That’s very odd. I was looking for the top picture in high quality. We can see that in 1978 Van Halen didn’t use any 6ca7 those are probably the telefunken he lmemtionned. You can see the pot on back of the amp right picture second amp from the floor on the left. Oddly enough the first amp is the brown one. There is also the one with the Mxr EQ. Is the 68 super lead really the only and main component of his tone ? On the bottom pictures we can see he didn’t use it anymore but kept the brown one. In 1978 The 68 already had no logo.

Interesting. Maybe that’s where the “Brown Sound” came from?