How can people spend so much time chasing EVH tone

[JMP/HBE]

[DankStar]

What's interesting to me is, an EVH amp doesn't sound like what I would consider the ultimate EVH tone to be. Reminds me more of a Soldano type compression. Not a bad tone at all, just saying.

[Gtrjunior]

What's interesting to me is, an EVH amp doesn't sound like what I would consider the ultimate EVH tone to be. Reminds me more of a Soldano type compression. Not a bad tone at all, just saying.

Agreed.
I think the EVH is more of a Van Hagar era tone as opposed to the Plexi tones. But yeah, when I think of Eddie’s tone I’m hearing that Plexi.

[Clint 55]

It's more rewarding however to take a step back from all your fancy schmancy equipment and realize you're making it sound good and not the other way around. Finding an enjoyable sound out of a $30 solid state amp and an early attempt at a digital distortion pedal to me is loads more fun than getting a better sound out of gear that costs 20 times as much

It's always easier (though usually less effective) to try throwing money at getting tone than practicing. Easier trumps better for most people.

I'm not getting these straw men / false dichotomies. Where are all these people that explicitly say they'll play better by getting more expensive gear without having developed their playing skills? And why would it be the case that someone who has nice gear wouldn't have the same drive to develop their playing skills as someone with cheap gear? They're separate pursuits. One can have nice gear at a time when they're not excelling playing wise and still have nice gear if they start to play well. The nice gear doesn't disappear if they start to play better.

[Clint 55]

I am 100% in the “tone is in the hands” camp. And before people show up with straw man arguments of “how do you get fuzz out of a clean amp”, my perspective is to get close with the gear and then practice, practice, practice. On the album I recorded with my band/friends 20 some years ago, I played a few of the rhythm parts with the literal same setup as the guitarists. They sounded night and day different just with our right hand techniques. When I was interested in the Hendrix/SRV chord melody style a few years ago, the same clean Fender with a light boost sounded a million times closer when I actually learned how to play the licks right.

Playing affects tone, tone is not in the fingers.

[GuitarStv]

I'm not getting these straw men / false dichotomies. Where are all these people that explicitly say they'll play better by getting more expensive gear without having developed their playing skills?

Every guy who can barely play barre chords but owns multi-thousand dollar guitar is yelling that pretty loudly.

And why would it be the case that someone who has nice gear wouldn't have the same drive to develop their playing skills as someone with cheap gear?

This is what I was talking about earlier. Because developing skill is hard. Buying **** is easy.

[Clint 55]

Every guy who can barely play barre chords but owns multi-thousand dollar guitar is yelling that pretty loudly.

So you're in charge of what people can and can't buy? Why can't people be not skilled (yet) and enjoy nice gear?

This is what I was talking about earlier. Because developing skill is hard. Buying **** is easy.

As if they're mutually exclusive lol. Someone can have nice gear and get good. Cheap gear doesn't have a monopoly on developing playing.

[Securb]

It's more rewarding however to take a step back from all your fancy schmancy equipment and realize you're making it sound good and not the other way around.

Finding an enjoyable sound out of a $30 solid state amp and an early attempt at a digital distortion pedal to me is loads more fun than getting a better sound out of gear that costs 20 times as much

I get what you are throwing down. I sit on the sofa a lot playing through my little Excelsior, and when it is in the zone, I am more impressed than if I am at practice playing through my massive pedalboard into a 100w Marshal half stack. I expect my main rig to always sound exceptional; when my little practice rig shines, it takes more work and is more rewarding.

[GuitarStv]

So you're in charge of what people can and can't buy? Why can't people be not skilled (yet) and enjoy nice gear?

Nope, and of course they can. But they'll never sound like *insert guitar hero here* without the practice.

As if they're mutually exclusive lol. Someone can have nice gear and get good. Cheap gear doesn't have a monopoly on developing playing.

Of course you can get good on nice gear. My experience is that most of the people who go out and buy really high end stuff before learning to play usually don't get any good though.

[Clint 55]

Nope, and of course they can. But they'll never sound like *insert guitar hero here* without the practice.

They didn't all say that was their intention to sound like a guitar hero without practice.

Of course you can get good on nice gear. My experience is that most of the people who go out and buy really high end stuff before learning to play usually don't get any good though.

A lot of people with cheap gear don't get any good. Level of discipline to develop one's playing and gear quality aren't correlated. I bought an expensive Hammond before I could play well, and now after only 2 years, I'm pretty good at it. The nice instrument didn't prevent me from developing myself.

[jeremy]

nice gear should encourage you to play more, but its about putting the time in on the instrument. if you dont, it doesnt matter how good your gear is.

[ICTGoober]

What's weird is I was playing in a band, and working in a guitar store when the first VH album came out, and I had no idea who they were. I don't think they even hit my radar until about the 3rd VH album.

[JMP/HBE]

A 70's 100 watt JMP Marshall w/a boost of some sort will get you into Ed tone territory.
The talent / technique & schwing you're either born with or not.
As for the ole "toan in yer fingers" crap if thats true cut off all your fingers in a pile and try to plug them into an amp and see what tone you get.
FWIW most EVH gear / gizmo's have nothing to do with the gear used on the first 6 VH albums.

[JB_From_Hell]

If it makes everyone feel better, I thought Nirvana sucked, too!

I'm thankful that I started playing when Nirvana ruled the world. Kurt (and most of the other popular players of the era) all stressed the importance of doing your own thing. I loved EVH as well, and I spent plenty of time learning his stuff. Copying his sound, or anybody else's? That's missing the entire point of what EVH was about. Same with Hendrix, or any other innovator.

[JOLLY]

Like today I got it with a BB2/BB3 combo Les Paul through a Boss DN-2 into a cheapo Crate MX10.

I'm not calling you a liar, but I doubt it sounded like him with that setup.