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I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

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  • #61
    Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

    Originally posted by ItsaBass View Post
    By "young," I meant guitarists two decades (maybe one generation) removed from the Chuck Berry worshippers who brought us early rock-n-roll. So, yeah, I guess they'd be about 40 to 50 years old.
    I never jumped on the EVH bandwagon and I'm almost 48. I hated VH back in the day. I've mellowed a bit and I actually like the DLR era (I could completely do without Sammy Hagar).

    I've always thought his guitar playing was overrated and I still look upon EVH as the catalyst for all of the guitar wankery that happened in the 1980s. I realize that I'm probably the only person on this forum that thinks this. That decade is by far the worst decade for rock music IMHO, with the possible exception of the current decade.

    I think the comparison to Chuck Berry is completely without merit. I still hear a lot of guitar players doing Chuck. I really don't hear anyone in popular music playing like EVH unless you're referring to music only guitar players listen to.

    His tone is generally too gainy for my tastes, although I think it's a good tone. It just wouldn't work for me. There is probably nothing special about the tones I use, I just try to find tones that work.
    Gibson LP Melody Maker -- stock, Epiphone Dot -- Jazz neck and '59 bridge, Fender Telecaster Blackout Deluxe -- stock, 90's MIM Standard Strat with Duncan Texas Hot Custom in the bridge.

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    • #62
      Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

      I did not say that Chuck Berry was not better and more enduring than Van Halen...just that many people in the '80's idolized and emulated VH in the same way that the '60's rock-n-rollers did Chuck Berry. They were both major "guitar heroes," but to different generations.

      FWIW, I am not a huge VH fan. But I can see his impact all around in the rock-n-roll world.
      Originally posted by LesStrat
      Yogi Berra was correct.
      Originally posted by JOLLY
      I do a few chord things, some crappy lead stuff, and then some rhythm stuff.

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      • #63
        Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

        I wasn't into learning what EVH was doing back in 78,simply because everybody was doing that and I'm a blues player/classic rock guy....But:I do like him as a player and I also feel he's offered alot of us some great music,other ways of approaching things,and he had/has great tone!

        I don't play in that style as far as the tapping and all and just never tryed emulating it..
        Amps: 66 Fender BF Pro Reverb Combo,1973 50 Watt Marshall Head,Marshall 4x12 A/V Cab,Vox ToneLab LE,Vox VTH Valvetronix 120 Head,Vox AD 2x12 Cab,Roland Cube 20X

        Guitars: Several Stratocasters,2 Fender Telecasters,Gibson SG Standard,Tokai Love Rock Les Paul,Dean Acoustic.

        Pickups: SD SSL2,SSL5,Twangbanger,Antiquity Surfers,59N,Seth Lover N/B,Dimarzio Fred,Dimarzio VPAF N,Fender Fat 50s,Fralin SP43 Bridge,Brobucker,Antiquity Texas Hot.

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        • #64
          Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

          Originally posted by STRATDELUXER97 View Post
          I don't play in that style as far as the tapping and all and just never tryed emulating it..
          Same here, also don't do pinch harmonics, palm mutes, or whammy bar tricks.
          "Completely Conceded Glowing Expert."
          "And Blueman, I am pretty sure you've pissed off a lot of people."
          "Wait, I know! Blueman and Lew can arm wrestle, and the winner gets to decide if 250K pots sound good or not."

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          • #65
            Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

            Originally posted by blueman335 View Post
            Same here, also don't do pinch harmonics, palm mutes, or whammy bar tricks.
            I Like doing pinch harmonics,but I'm also not into the whammy bar and don't use em when I Play my strats...Palm muting is cool also...No tapping though..I can do it,but it's really just not my style..
            Amps: 66 Fender BF Pro Reverb Combo,1973 50 Watt Marshall Head,Marshall 4x12 A/V Cab,Vox ToneLab LE,Vox VTH Valvetronix 120 Head,Vox AD 2x12 Cab,Roland Cube 20X

            Guitars: Several Stratocasters,2 Fender Telecasters,Gibson SG Standard,Tokai Love Rock Les Paul,Dean Acoustic.

            Pickups: SD SSL2,SSL5,Twangbanger,Antiquity Surfers,59N,Seth Lover N/B,Dimarzio Fred,Dimarzio VPAF N,Fender Fat 50s,Fralin SP43 Bridge,Brobucker,Antiquity Texas Hot.

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            • #66
              Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

              I can tell you firsthand that when you get the tone nearly right and pull off an early VH solo note for note, it feels as good as busting a nut.

              The finger and hand strength you need to be able to play classic rock era guitar playing is generally nothing compared to what's required to play VH licks convincingly.

              I play Van Halen tones and licks because it is black belt level guitar and I'm not gonna sit around and play white and orange belt licks, because it's generally boring and beneath my ability.

              That's not to say that I don't think that the classic rock guys weren't amazing... Terry Kath instantly comes to mind as a ferocious and vibrant player.

              Eddie is classic rock, so I don't even know why there is a segregation there.
              Best amp tech I've ever had and hands down one of the best electronic/sound wizards in the NC Piedmont.

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              • #67
                Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

                Originally posted by zenmindbeginner View Post
                I can tell you firsthand that when you get the tone nearly right and pull off an early VH solo note for note, it feels as good as busting a nut.

                The finger and hand strength you need to be able to play classic rock era guitar playing is generally nothing compared to what's required to play VH licks convincingly.

                I play Van Halen tones and licks because it is black belt level guitar and I'm not gonna sit around and play white and orange belt licks, because it's generally boring and beneath my ability.

                That's not to say that I don't think that the classic rock guys weren't amazing... Terry Kath instantly comes to mind as a ferocious and vibrant player.

                Eddie is classic rock, so I don't even know why there is a segregation there.

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                • #68
                  Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

                  I always felt his fingers were far more impressive than his tone. I like his tone but if you gave most people his exact set up nobody would sound like him. I think most of the people searching for EVHs tone are really just trying to find some way to get around not having his fingers.

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                  • #69
                    Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

                    Originally posted by jimman View Post
                    I think most of the people searching for EVHs tone are really just trying to find some way to get around not having his fingers.
                    Ding Ding Ding Ding we gots a winner folks! and btw,99.9% of other players dont have them!

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                    • #70
                      Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

                      Ttt
                      Last edited by Joejitsu; 05-01-2012, 10:56 PM. Reason: .

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                      • #71
                        Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

                        I respect all opinions, but post #62 is retarded.
                        Last edited by crguti; 05-02-2012, 12:18 AM.

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                        • #72
                          Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

                          Originally posted by gripweed View Post
                          I never jumped on the EVH bandwagon and I'm almost 48. I hated VH back in the day. I've mellowed a bit and I actually like the DLR era (I could completely do without Sammy Hagar).

                          I've always thought his guitar playing was overrated and I still look upon EVH as the catalyst for all of the guitar wankery that happened in the 1980s. I realize that I'm probably the only person on this forum that thinks this. That decade is by far the worst decade for rock music IMHO, with the possible exception of the current decade.

                          I think the comparison to Chuck Berry is completely without merit. I still hear a lot of guitar players doing Chuck. I really don't hear anyone in popular music playing like EVH unless you're referring to music only guitar players listen to.

                          His tone is generally too gainy for my tastes, although I think it's a good tone. It just wouldn't work for me. There is probably nothing special about the tones I use, I just try to find tones that work.
                          I agree. EVH once stated in an interview that he learned every lick Clapton ever recorded. Really? That's funny, cuz Clapton learned every lick that Hubert Sumlin, Robert Johnson, and Albert King ever recorded, along with tons of others, and has made a living playing those licks, yet I have yet to hear EVH actually play any of Clapton's licks.

                          Out of the entire DLR-era catalog, I could only find maybe 3 solos where Ed played a melodic phrase and wasn't merely wanking - scalar runs, dives, tricks, etc - but no melodic lines. The "hair dryer" section of Panama is one of those 3.

                          But, he was lucky enough to be doing those things at the right time, and inspired an entire generation of wang-bar wankery and scale-shredder-foolery that persists to this day, and yes, most of those he inspired went on to make "music for guitarists" who pretty much do the same thing he did - wank and whammy and ignore melodic phrases in favor of meedly meedly arpeggiorgasms.


                          Originally posted by crguti View Post
                          I respect all opinions, but post #62 is retarded.
                          No, it's not. But then you can't speak a negative opinion about EVH without being blacklisted.

                          Oh, and by the way, SRV stole all his licks from Leadbelly. All of them. He did nothing original. Nothing.
                          Originally posted by Brown Note
                          I'm soooooo jealous about the WR-1. It's the perfect guitar; fantastic to play, balances well even when seated and *great* reach for the upper frets. The sound is bright tight and very articulate. In summary it could only be more awesome if it had b00bs and was on fire!
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                          • #73
                            Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

                            ^ It shouldn't be allowed to speak bad about Eddie.

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                            • #74
                              Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

                              You guys can argue,disagree,wonder or whatever till the end of time and it wont change the fact the eddie did more to rock guitar than all of use put together will ever do

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                              • #75
                                Re: I just don't understand all the EVH tone fascination

                                Originally posted by DrNewcenstein View Post
                                Out of the entire DLR-era catalog, I could only find maybe 3 solos where Ed played a melodic phrase and wasn't merely wanking - scalar runs, dives, tricks, etc - but no melodic lines.

                                But, he was lucky enough to be doing those things at the right time, and inspired an entire generation of wang-bar wankery and scale-shredder-foolery that persists to this day, and yes, most of those he inspired went on to make "music for guitarists" who pretty much do the same thing he did - wank and whammy and ignore melodic phrases in favor of meedly meedly arpeggiorgasms.
                                +1. No denying EVH has been a huge influence on guitarists, but I don't see that as a postive thing. Way too many guys have copied his style. It was exciting at first, but it's long since become a cliche and is pretty worn out. To me, those guys are undeniably talented, but it's too much flash and not enough substance. I think way too many guys have copied SRV too. If there's thousands of guys emulating a style, why not head in another direction and do something fresh? There's been many great players over the decades and you can take bits and pieces from a variety of them and make it into something cool. That's what they did.
                                Last edited by blueman335; 05-02-2012, 04:46 AM.
                                "Completely Conceded Glowing Expert."
                                "And Blueman, I am pretty sure you've pissed off a lot of people."
                                "Wait, I know! Blueman and Lew can arm wrestle, and the winner gets to decide if 250K pots sound good or not."

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