Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

[Masta' C]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

I still want to know what Pittbull's rig looks like...

[NegativeEase]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

I don't know why people bother learning the ins and outs and gory details of gear, really...

...let alone what various, highly influential guitar gods used to get their schweet tones...


I mean, if you have little to none gear knowledge, you should still be able to get great tone through a SS Gorilla or Crate amp, or any amp.

Gear just really doesn't matter at all (except for all those sucky guitar players who constantly fiddle with their tone).

Sure gear matters, I get it.

My point is deciphering tube amp tone from a classic album after it has been processed a dozen times by other pro gear and occupies 1/16 or a 1/24th or maybe 1/48th of the original bandwidth is an exercise in futility for almost everyone.

Need to hear it in person to really get the subtle gear tweaks an artist may be pulling off from the amp without all the other production and post production involved

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

Yes, and that is the heartrending thing about it. EVH unleashed a golden age of rock guitar, which is bigger than any single guitarist. Yet people keep dissecting the VH1 tone, whilst so many others languish in almost total obscurity. I have argued elsewhere that Eddie (and to a lesser extent Randy) are so big that they are actually obstacles when trying to understand their own scene, and this is nowhere more obvious than in tone discussions.

Unfortunately that "golden age" "unleashed" in late 1970's was killed in a Genocide by the invasive "Flannel Species" in 1990. And many middle aged boomers didn't get the memo & seem to chase the "cock rock" tone like the Ghost of Kubla Khan trying to relive getting "stink finger" under the bleachers after smoking their first joint in 1978 whilst listening to "running with the devil".

Ed's contribution in re-writing Rock Guitar is well noted & admired but to be honest once you've heard one EVH solo you've heard them all and the Van Hagar years were a song writing abomination IMO.

Also ive never felt the need to buy any of Ed's sub-par cheesy 3rd world manufactured trinkets.

[Sirion]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

Unfortunately that "golden age" "unleashed" in late 1970's was killed in a Genocide byt the invasive "Flannel Speices". However many middle aged boomers didn't get the memo & seem to chase the "cock rock" tone like the Ghost of Kubla Khan.

Indeed, and we are still reeling in the backwater of the grunge era. A partial revaluation of the era as such is forthcoming, if slowly. As far as tones go, I just think we all (they included) are missing out by focusing so squarely on the VH1 tone.

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

Indeed, and we are still reeling in the backwater of the grunge era. A partial revaluation of the era as such is forthcoming, if slowly. As far as tones go, I just think we all (they included) are missing out by focusing so squarely on the VH1 tone.

Yeah and chasing the VH1 phenomena didn't happen until the internet mostly by people who born after 1985.



I'll take a stock MESA Dual Rectfier over any VH tone from any VH album anyday.

[beaubrummels]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

Yeah and chasing the VH1 phenomena didn't happen until the internet mostly by people who born after 1985.



I'll take a stock MESA Dual Rectfier over any VH tone from any VH album anyday.

Actually, when I first played a dual rectifier for the first time, it was the most identical to a ‘68 Plexi on full is ever heard, to this day.

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

Actually, when I first played a dual rectifier for the first time, it was the most identical to a ‘68 Plexi on full is ever heard, to this day.

It certainly can be. Extremely versatile. Most people confuse the Rectfier series as a "Nickleback" type one trick pony. Hardly the case.

[El Dunco]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

I don't know why people bother learning the ins and outs and gory details of gear, really...

...let alone what various, highly influential guitar gods used to get their schweet tones...


I mean, if you have little to none gear knowledge, you should still be able to get great tone through a SS Gorilla or Crate amp, or any amp.

Gear just really doesn't matter at all (except for all those sucky guitar players who constantly fiddle with their tone).

I don't think anyone's saying that (or at least hope not). Okay, here's a weird thing about me. I see sound, especially guitar sound. When I hear it, I will really strongly see whatever colour it sounds like in my head. Orange, green, purple etc. Sometimes it's how I pick tones for certain songs. I wouldn't pick a "green" tone for an "orange" song for example. I'm about serving the song and being appropriate for the kind of music and what it's trying to say. In that sense, tone definitely matters. I just don't get hung up on the "best" tone because there's really no such thing as it's subjective and I'd hate to live in a world where every rock song only had one tone because it was "the best one." Also, seriously? Noone saw my last post and has nothing to say about DLR's crazy slide whistle?

[Nsatke81]

Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

I don't think anyone's saying that (or at least hope not). Okay, here's a weird thing about me. I see sound, especially guitar sound. When I hear it, I will really strongly see whatever colour it sounds like in my head. Orange, green, purple etc. Sometimes it's how I pick tones for certain songs. I wouldn't pick a "green" tone for an "orange" song for example. I'm about serving the song and being appropriate for the kind of music and what it's trying to say. In that sense, tone definitely matters. I just don't get hung up on the "best" tone because there's really no such thing as it's subjective and I'd hate to live in a world where every rock song only had one tone because it was "the best one." Also, seriously? Noone saw my last post and has nothing to say about DLR's crazy slide whistle?

Dude, do you have synesthesia too?

Slide whistle makes the song. It’s funny. By separating the tracks on classic albums sometimes you realize there’s all this ear candy you never would guess.

I once worked at a store where we could only listen to music in mono. Somehow when they built the store, something was screwy. Anyway, listening to the Beatles was a surrealistic experience. There were accordions and cowbells and all kinds of crazy stuff. Fun times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[beaubrummels]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

I don't think anyone's saying that (or at least hope not). Okay, here's a weird thing about me. I see sound, especially guitar sound. When I hear it, I will really strongly see whatever colour it sounds like in my head. Orange, green, purple etc. Sometimes it's how I pick tones for certain songs. I wouldn't pick a "green" tone for an "orange" song for example. I'm about serving the song and being appropriate for the kind of music and what it's trying to say. In that sense, tone definitely matters. I just don't get hung up on the "best" tone because there's really no such thing as it's subjective and I'd hate to live in a world where every rock song only had one tone because it was "the best one." Also, seriously? Noone saw my last post and has nothing to say about DLR's crazy slide whistle?

I have this. Every note/key has a color. And the tone has a shape.

[AlexR]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

Beer$

The slide whistle I'd guess was a separate track at one point.....or was put on at the same time as a bounce to 1 final track. I doubt VH1 was done with a massive amount of tracks to work with.
If you look at the RHCP making of for the Blood Sugar album you can see them doing a whole lot of random instrument/percussion stuff afterward. I'd bet that's the sort of thing that went on for all sorts of tiny embellishments that you barely register.
The 'What makes this song great' series on YouTube is great for discovering all of the subtle tidbits.

[LLL]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

Here's "Atomic Punk" tracks list (yes, the real deal):

[NegativeEase]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

Here's "Atomic Punk" tracks list (yes, the real deal):

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[ATTACH=CONFIG]104198[/ATTACH]

Weird they didn't put the Bass Guitar on track 22,23, -seems like a rookie error.

[JMP/HBE]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

Weird they didn't put the Bass Guitar on track 22,23, -seems like a rookie error.

There are a couple farts & belches on "Atomic Punk" that aren't listed too. little know factoid.

[devastone]

Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes

That's just DLR's warmup, they mistakenly recorded it.