Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
- Thread starter pittbull
- Start date
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
Depends on the guitar and amp. Also keep in mind, that album was post-EQed for extra brightness, the room sound was very similar to the recorded tone on VH II.
Custom Custom was used for later David Lee Roth albums, first 2 were '78 on the strat used for dives and Super 70s on the Destroyer used for everything else.
Can the Custom Custom pull it off? Not precisely, but certainly closer than most pickups with the wrong magnet, especially in a bright body wood with a Floyd Rose bridge...
Depends on the guitar and amp. Also keep in mind, that album was post-EQed for extra brightness, the room sound was very similar to the recorded tone on VH II.
Custom Custom was used for later David Lee Roth albums, first 2 were '78 on the strat used for dives and Super 70s on the Destroyer used for everything else.
Can the Custom Custom pull it off? Not precisely, but certainly closer than most pickups with the wrong magnet, especially in a bright body wood with a Floyd Rose bridge...
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fartmonkey
Guest
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
Here's me playing some Van Halen with a Custom Custom.
Try not to be too amazed. I hope it helps anyway.
Here's me playing some Van Halen with a Custom Custom.
Try not to be too amazed. I hope it helps anyway.
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fartmonkey
Guest
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
OK I don't think that vid is showing up.
Here's a direct link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygX1tQfTlSg&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
OK I don't think that vid is showing up.
Here's a direct link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygX1tQfTlSg&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
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fartmonkey
Guest
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
No attempts at copping the VH tone there (As far as I'm concerned that VH1 tone is unattainable. It's more feel than anything). Just showing pitbull a CC in action.
Thanks tho.
No attempts at copping the VH tone there (As far as I'm concerned that VH1 tone is unattainable. It's more feel than anything). Just showing pitbull a CC in action.
Thanks tho.
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
There is alot of BS when it comes to pickups and the van halen tone,The EVH Frankenstrat replica pickup(supposenly) is what came out of the original frankenstien guitar and seymour copied it,the 78 pickup is in my opinion BS and a money maker for duncan,the EVH frankenstrat replica pickup is the same as the seymour duncan custom custom sh11 pickup same magnet and resistance.
There is alot of BS when it comes to pickups and the van halen tone,The EVH Frankenstrat replica pickup(supposenly) is what came out of the original frankenstien guitar and seymour copied it,the 78 pickup is in my opinion BS and a money maker for duncan,the EVH frankenstrat replica pickup is the same as the seymour duncan custom custom sh11 pickup same magnet and resistance.
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
The EVH Frankenstein is a replica of the pickup in that guitar NOW, and has been in it since at least Diver Down. It was done for the recent Frankenstein replicas.
The 78 Model is a replica of the pickup in that guitar IN 1978.
There are many stories surrounding the origins of the Custom Custom. It does allow you to get all the VH tones, IMO. I say this because getting the tone isn't just about the guitar, pickup, amp, and speakers, but also about the feel and groove by the player.
And just an FYI, the first album was recorded mostly with a stock Ibanez Destroyer. The only parts with the Strat are Eruption and any parts with divebombs. This has been discussed to death here.
The EVH Frankenstein is a replica of the pickup in that guitar NOW, and has been in it since at least Diver Down. It was done for the recent Frankenstein replicas.
The 78 Model is a replica of the pickup in that guitar IN 1978.
There are many stories surrounding the origins of the Custom Custom. It does allow you to get all the VH tones, IMO. I say this because getting the tone isn't just about the guitar, pickup, amp, and speakers, but also about the feel and groove by the player.
And just an FYI, the first album was recorded mostly with a stock Ibanez Destroyer. The only parts with the Strat are Eruption and any parts with divebombs. This has been discussed to death here.
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fartmonkey
Guest
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
...And this has probably been beaten to death here, but the whole EVH thing is really just fantastic marketing. Keeping us guessing is what gets **** sold.
EVH is a one-in-a-billion guitarist. He knows that himself. He knows it doesn't matter what people play, no one will sound like him. If he and SD gave all his "secrets" away, well, that'd just be foolish business.
And BTW, how many people do you know have an old plexi and play with everything on "10" all the time?
...And this has probably been beaten to death here, but the whole EVH thing is really just fantastic marketing. Keeping us guessing is what gets **** sold.
EVH is a one-in-a-billion guitarist. He knows that himself. He knows it doesn't matter what people play, no one will sound like him. If he and SD gave all his "secrets" away, well, that'd just be foolish business.
And BTW, how many people do you know have an old plexi and play with everything on "10" all the time?
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Stef
New member
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
IMO VH1 is not an A2 mag
it's A8 or A5
Strat lead and rhythm tones sound pretty close to Destroyer bridge pup (A8) tone, just a tad brighter. I think he most likely used the same A8 mag in the strat (probably Destroyer's neck pickup)
SD 59 clip: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=894154&songID=9326706
IMO VH1 is not an A2 mag
it's A8 or A5
Strat lead and rhythm tones sound pretty close to Destroyer bridge pup (A8) tone, just a tad brighter. I think he most likely used the same A8 mag in the strat (probably Destroyer's neck pickup)
SD 59 clip: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=894154&songID=9326706
IanBallard
New member
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
The Seymour "Custom" had been around but Eddie hated DiMarzios and others that used ceramic mags, so it wouldn't surprise me if the "Frankenstein" pickup was an early "Custom" wind with an A2 magnet. The way it's wound now, might be different or other reasons, but the CC nails the later Roth sound. You could, in a Plexi-voiced amp, an EQ, a good sparkly compressor, with the right combo of woods and good technique get any album with a CC.
The Seymour "Custom" had been around but Eddie hated DiMarzios and others that used ceramic mags, so it wouldn't surprise me if the "Frankenstein" pickup was an early "Custom" wind with an A2 magnet. The way it's wound now, might be different or other reasons, but the CC nails the later Roth sound. You could, in a Plexi-voiced amp, an EQ, a good sparkly compressor, with the right combo of woods and good technique get any album with a CC.
IanBallard
New member
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
You are correct sir. If Ed got the Gibson pickup out of an early 60's 335, it was likely an A5. No reason, even if Seymour rewound it, he's have needed to change mags. I have to admit, when my TB-59 was in the bridge of my Strat, it really sounded more like VH1 than it does now with the CC.
You are correct sir. If Ed got the Gibson pickup out of an early 60's 335, it was likely an A5. No reason, even if Seymour rewound it, he's have needed to change mags. I have to admit, when my TB-59 was in the bridge of my Strat, it really sounded more like VH1 than it does now with the CC.
IanBallard
New member
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdflys0LqFs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdflys0LqFs&feature=related
Jeff_H
Dean Hardtail Fanologist
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
Good clips buys. Ian, to my untrained ear the guitar tone in the "Unchained" guitar only track by the same guy on YT sounds more like an A2, or aged A5 to me. The tone is a bit "softer" in the lows than on I'm the one. Is that different eqing or a totally different sound? Just wondering really.
I'm in the camp that thinks Ed's tone comes from a more vintage pickup. Ed has done and said so many things about his rig that we will never really know. What I know from here is that I have heard many good players really almost nail his tone with either a 59' or a Custom/59' hybrid. The CC gets pretty close too.
I have a CC and a 78', and to my ears the 78' is noticeably brighter. Just goes to show you what the wind can do since both are A2 mags.
Good clips buys. Ian, to my untrained ear the guitar tone in the "Unchained" guitar only track by the same guy on YT sounds more like an A2, or aged A5 to me. The tone is a bit "softer" in the lows than on I'm the one. Is that different eqing or a totally different sound? Just wondering really.
I'm in the camp that thinks Ed's tone comes from a more vintage pickup. Ed has done and said so many things about his rig that we will never really know. What I know from here is that I have heard many good players really almost nail his tone with either a 59' or a Custom/59' hybrid. The CC gets pretty close too.
I have a CC and a 78', and to my ears the 78' is noticeably brighter. Just goes to show you what the wind can do since both are A2 mags.
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
The KEY factor about ed's pup tone and goin about gettin one like it other than using a dimed plexi,effects,studio enviorment,etc is to listen to his tone when he rolls back on the frankies vol knob. When he does this, his pup sounds very single coilish? Bell like clean tone man for a STOCK bucker! Find the pup that does this and ur search for a old EVH tone is over. Just listen to bottoms up intro or the middle of light up the sky! John suhr,duncan,dimarzio and everone else that have had probed evh's pup say the front coil is doing most of the work and that the rear coil is essentially just bucking the hum!
The KEY factor about ed's pup tone and goin about gettin one like it other than using a dimed plexi,effects,studio enviorment,etc is to listen to his tone when he rolls back on the frankies vol knob. When he does this, his pup sounds very single coilish? Bell like clean tone man for a STOCK bucker! Find the pup that does this and ur search for a old EVH tone is over. Just listen to bottoms up intro or the middle of light up the sky! John suhr,duncan,dimarzio and everone else that have had probed evh's pup say the front coil is doing most of the work and that the rear coil is essentially just bucking the hum!
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Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
Bottoms up and light up the sky are on van halen II,Van halen 1(first album)is the most aggressive out of all the van halen recordings,i have a hard time believeing that on van halen 1 that its just a stock cranked plexi with a variac,its to edgey and aggrssive to be just a stock plexi,i have owned many stock plexis from the late 60s and none sounded like that,what he have to keep in mind is that ED is a BSer when it comes down to his equipment.
Bottoms up and light up the sky are on van halen II,Van halen 1(first album)is the most aggressive out of all the van halen recordings,i have a hard time believeing that on van halen 1 that its just a stock cranked plexi with a variac,its to edgey and aggrssive to be just a stock plexi,i have owned many stock plexis from the late 60s and none sounded like that,what he have to keep in mind is that ED is a BSer when it comes down to his equipment.
Re: Seymour duncan custom custom Van halen sound
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The duncan CC will not get the 1st record tone. Try the 78,PG!,59 or demon
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