I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

[MisterE]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

I guess Eddie's tone was good for the times, he did rock but me being an old fogey, 57 actually, generally like the older rockers better.

I also agree that with today's hotter pickups and good tube amp you could persue his tone if you want it.

[darthphineas]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

Hehe...tool.

lol! tool is right. lol! if I didn't already have a reason to not like that guy... haha!

[richard parker]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

A good friend of mine saw VH in the UK when they were supporting Black Sabbath. He'd never heard of them and said the experience was mind blowing. I'm not a fan because I don't think they ever produced any really good songs but there is absolutely no doubt that Eddie broke new ground like nobody had before. I don't think either Jimi or Eric spawned so many copyists. I heard EVH imitators BEFORE I knew who he was. EVERYONE was trying to be him.

And to get back to the original point I think he had really great tone. Personally I was more taken with the tones of Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, Tony Iommi and the awesome sound of Alvin Lee on Going Home at Woodstock BUT Eddie had a really great sound as well. Let's face it - it doesn't get much better than a bucker into a cranked plexi if that's what floats your boat.

[formula73]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

It's a generation thing. I agree that Eric Clapton's tone was muffled and dark. I was never really a fan of EVH's, either, but I like it better now than I did back then. I also like the uber gainy math-metal (I refuse to call it 'djent') type tone.

Of course, like others have said, the 'young' players to which you refer aren't really young. I suppose most of us on the board are old guys compared to the age of the aforementioned ground breakers, in their prime, and I'm just 32.

What are WE going to say to the young ones, now? "I love the midrangey, crispy, thin Lamb of God tone." "OMG WAT IS THAT? BLACK AN YELLO BLACK AN YELLO BLACK AN YELLO BLACK AN YELLO"

[TheLivingDead]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

I love his tone. Well most of em.

But have I ever tried to capture that tone?

Nope.

[51501984]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

I'm probably the biggest Van Halen head on this forum, and I've never tried to get his tone.

You are the biggest VH head , can you say you saw them in `80,`81`,`82 and `84......well I guess you can. We`ll call it a tie.

[jhale667]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

Hehe...tool.

Anybody else notice at the time Jennifer Aniston dumped him less than 30 seconds after this pathetic stunt? Coincidence? I think not...

[misterwhizzy]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

"OMG WAT IS THAT? BLACK AN YELLO BLACK AN YELLO BLACK AN YELLO BLACK AN YELLO"

This is damn near being sig-worthy.

[Reload in 5]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

I dont try to imitate his tone, although it is a part of the tone I hear in my head if that makes any sense.
But, I do think his tone was perfect for what he was recording. Very good tone when taken in context.

[Bfeeney]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

It's amazing who 'makes it' and who doesn't. EVH-Great technique, bad sound, top 5 greatest players. Kerry King- Great sound, just HORRIBLE solos, always top 5 in early 90's. Alex Skolnick- Great technique (think he was a Satch student), great sound, people have no idea who he is.

[formula73]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

It's amazing who 'makes it' and who doesn't. EVH-Great technique, bad sound, top 5 greatest players. Kerry King- Great sound, just HORRIBLE solos, always top 5 in early 90's. Alex Skolnick- Great technique (think he was a Satch student), great sound, people have no idea who he is.

EVH-groudbreaker in both style and pop metal. Never really evolved, much.

Kerry King-I don't think it's tone's that great, either, but he was part of one of the biggest fanatic-creating thrash bands of all time. Nobody sounded like Slayer and while I think they don't really write any zingers, any more, they still sound like Slayer. He's also sort of carved a niche for himself as a personality as opposed to just a player. He and Zakk Wylde are what I refer to as the professional wrestlers of metal.

Skolnick-great tone, great chops, but Testament fell out of favor and never really got it back, even after Chuck's return. Leaving to do jazz or whatever didn't help. He dropped off the metal map, as it were.

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

I've only seen this and one other Mayer video, I think it was him doing "Ain't no Sunshine".

On both he looked and played like a total tool.

[allstarrme]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

His tone and its evolution over time was years ahead of other guitarists. Besides Randy Rhoads, who had the chops and tone in that era? CC deville had the chops but the worst tone ever. painfully bad. who else even came close?

I'm a little young to have caught his early stuf but fondly remember hot for teacher, panama, even jump growing up. At the time Brian May was by far my favorite, but now that I look back that has changed considerably, and Eddie has had a much further reaching and more profound affect on both playing styles and guitar tones. Without his 5150/6505 amps most current metal bands wouldn't sound anywhere near like they do today.

[GilmourD]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

Possibly because it's so versatile. It can be heavy, it can be be sweet, it can be wild, or it can be bluesy. I mean... Every album was somewhat different tone-wise from the last, but each album was consistent within itself.

Look at VHI. You had Eruption, Jamie's Crying, Atomic Punk, and Ice Cream Man. All the same basic tone but... All wildly different sounding.

Now, of course, most players searching for EVH's tone are going for the early tones pre-1984, and this is before he was using any sort of channel switching amps like the SLO100 or the 5150s. It was just a humbucker into a Variac'd Plexi set to 90VAC and all the controls dimed. The only control over the core tone was volume control and picking.

[uOpt]

Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

I really like some of his sounds. Like on "Jump". Few things beat an Oberheim.