5150 Era EVH Tone...

[bpd_103]

Hello, gents. First post, so go easy... :newbie:

I've been looking around for a while, and I've found some references to my question, but would like a bit more input if you don't mind.

I'm putting together a "Franken-superstrat", but the tone I'm looking for is the 5150-era tone. Specifically, give "Live Without A Net" a spin and check out "There's Only One Way To Rock". The guitar is a basswood Ibanez RG.

The consensus seems to be that the SD EVH will get me closer to the early EVH tones, and the Custom Custom is close to that but a tad hotter. I've read that the 59 is good for the tone I'm after, but some seem to think that the CC will fill that role as well. What say you? Thank you.

:feedback:

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

APH-2
EVH
59
It does not sound like he uses a hot pickup, way to clear for that, Eddie plays
his guitars alot.
It is the Marshall plus minus some extra stuff that does the job.
But about any PAF style bucker should get you there, even a JB can do it.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

I've had good luck with a Custom Custom. Otherwise, check out those that Rid mentioned.

I think he changed pickups several times through his career. He has said in interviews that he was using whatever Kramer was putting in his axe because the pickup doesn't matter. Of course, I never believe anything he says, and I have several reasons for not believing that statement.

 

[Erlend_G]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

Well, after all, i'm not the wisest guy on this forum, but i sorta believe that the JB will give alot of that EVH bite (think eruption or hot for teacher). Though, maybe way too much if you're using a bright amp like a plexi.

-Erlend

 

[RGN]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

I have played a JB, CC, C5, ans 59 extensively. While I love all of them it was the 59 that made me really go... "wow, EVH!!!" and not the the CC. The 59 is a basswood guitar sounds VERY VH like IMO. I have one in an old FrankenStrat (w/Floyd) and it sounds great.

 

[strangegrey]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

You know,

From what I understand, Eddie's 5150-era tone was right around the time he was dealing with Seymour for a signature pickup...and we all know that pickup eventually became the custom custom.

At the same time, he stopped using his marshall plexi's and used JCM800s live. There's a few pictures of Zeke Clark (Eddie's guitar tech in the late 80s) in the 5150 pit (the area under the 5150 stage) with like 10 5150-styled kramers and about 5-6 JCM800s...

I assume the JCM800s EVH used in the late 80s were all load leveled and run through his various effects (eventide, etc) and then into the H&H power amps he ran...

Check this link, but substitute the JCM800s for the 5150s:

http://guitargeek.com/rigview/258/


I've been threatening to build a 5150-era kramer for years now...and if I ever get around to doing it, I'm putting a custom custom into the bridge...

 

[ErikH]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

Actually, the Custom Custom was around way before then. Think Fair Warning. He used it on that album from my understanding and on Panama from 1984.

Those Kramers were made of alder or poplar, most likely alder for his, so putting any of those pickups ('59 Model, CC, '78 Model) in a basswood guitar will not get that tone. He didn't use basswood bodies until joining Ernie Ball in 1989-1990.

The only pickup that might actually help get in the ballpark at all with basswood is the '59, and that's pushing it. The body needs to be alder, or even swamp ash.

I wouldn't be surprised if the 5150 Kramer on that tour was loaded with the CC. Remember, those JCM800's are bright amps by nature so the CC would sound quite different through them.

 

[strangegrey]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

Um, i was under the impression (and you can check vintagekramer.com for confirmation) but the 5150 kramers were reportedly basswood...

any thoughts on that?

 

[ErikH]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

It says the body is a Pacer Special. The specs for them are poplar or basswood but it doesn't say if Eddie's was basswood or not. In fact, under the specs for it, it says (unknown) next to basswood so who knows. His tone seemed a little bright to be basswood. My guess is the more dense poplar.

Interesting info on that page about the CC. I've heard from several sources, here included, that he used that pickup on Fair Warning and Panama. Hmmm, makes you wonder what the real story is.

 

[strangegrey]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

LOL

When it comes to EVH, you can't trust a single thing you read...since the stories change so much.

Sometimes you can piece together a version of the truth, by reading enough stories and discarding the BS...but for the most of it, it's tough to read.

I have an old special issue magazine that reprinted something like 4 or 5 EVH interviews ranging from 1978 to 1990....and EVH contradicts himself several times on those interviews...from everything ranging from amp bias, use of the so called variac, pickup choices, effects use, etc...

 

[ErikH]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

Very true, but the places I had heard about the CC with him was not in any interview with him. It was all from other sources. One being a buddy of mine who's been in the biz for many years and knows his old tech personally. But yeah, there's always a little salt in those interviews.

 

[BachToRock]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

I think the essence of his tone was pretty much the same through the years with the main difference being the change in amplifiers and the recording techniques... the Floyd Rose adds an appreciable change in tone as well.

It is very difficult to base a reference off of a studio recording as the rooms changed and the signal likely passed through many tone altering devices such as Compressors, EQ, Reverb(VH1 is DROWNING in Plate Reverb), Doubling...

That said... I have found the core spirit of that tone in the following pickups... in order:
#1 - Alnico 59/Custom Hybrid
#2 - Custom Shop EVH
#3 - (Tie) 59 Model w/A2 Magnet and the Custom Custom

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

Bach mentioned the pickup I was thinking about! I know that a lot of guys get the EVH thing out of a Hybrid and then there is the CS EVH/78 model but the best EVH tone I have hever heard came from a plain old 59 with an A2 magnet in it!

 

[ErikH]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

I've never tried a '59 with an A2 but it makes perfect sense since that's what he used in the early days. It was a Gibson PAF with an A2 mag from a 335.

His tone changed so much after 1984. Each album after that is very different. I wasn't too fond of the tone on 5150 but the live tone on that tour was great. OU812 was OK, but you could tell the Super Lead was starting to go, and it did. For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is a great tone IMO and to me, Balance was a nice step back to the good raunchy tones, especially live. His live tone on that tour was incredible.

Bach: All the albums from 1984 onward were recorded in the same studio, 5150. But the rooms did change. There were some pics on a site somewhere of studio renovations, I think it was before the Balance album was done.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

Since bpd's guitar is basswood, he should probably just use a Pearly Gates as a starting point. The extra harmonics of the PG (already an A2 PAF clone) will offset the basswood's extra mids compared to alder or swamp ash's slight extra highs.

 

[tone]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

Sorry I don't really have much to add, but I remember reading something on a forum that said during that tour (live without a net dvd filming era) EVH was using a CC. Not sure how true it is or not.

No matter how many EVH threads pop up, I never get tired of reading through them. So much interesting info!

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: 5150 Era EVH Tone...

The live without a net DVD tone seems awfully clean for a CC through an 800. Most of the chatter in interviews claimed the 5150 Kramer to have a 59 and to my ear, I think thats what it was. I think the CC was used in the last days of the original Frankenstrat in the FW / 1984 era.