Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

jonnymangia

jonnymangia

New member
I recently came across a posting on the Net that Eddie Van Halen actually used mostly Gibson's (V's and Paul's) to record most of the work during the Roth-era b/c the Frankenstrats sounded too thin in the studio. Truth or lies? And as I sit here CRANKING "Fair Warning" please detail what he used on this, his (INMHO) best album of guitar playing.

Jonny
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

I have seen pics of Ed with a Paul, but I never heard that he used them in the studio. There is far too much tremolo work for it to be a Paul. He did use an Ibanez V quite a bit on the early days, but I've never even seen him with a Gibson V.
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

Nah, not very true at all.

He used a korina bodied ibanez destroyer for all the parts with no wang bar on VH1. For the songs with wang bar, he used his b/w frankenstein guitar. From the second album onward he used the frankenstein (now with red added), and used that up until the sessions for 1984, when he switched to the 5150 kramer. the only recorded use of his 58 flying v is for 'hot for teacher', when he used it so he could switch to two different volumes at the guitar.

He also used a white LP custom as backup for when the frankenstein went too out of tune on the first couple of tours.
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

Hot _Grits said:
Nah, not very true at all.

He used a korina bodied ibanez destroyer for all the parts with no wang bar on VH1. For the songs with wang bar, he used his b/w frankenstein guitar. From the second album onward he used the frankenstein (now with red added), and used that up until the sessions for 1984, when he switched to the 5150 kramer. the only recorded use of his 58 flying v is for 'hot for teacher', when he used it so he could switch to two different volumes at the guitar.

He also used a white LP custom as backup for when the frankenstein went too out of tune on the first couple of tours.
Click to expand...
+1 ive read the same info.
:beerchug:
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

He said he used pauls for rythm because his floyd equiped frankies sound a little thin. This makes sense because his studio tone sounds a little darker than his live tone.
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

taphappy said:
He said he used pauls for rythm because his floyd equiped frankies sound a little thin. This makes sense because his studio tone sounds a little darker than his live tone.
Click to expand...

Can you dig up a source? -I'm not ruling it out, but it's the first I've heard of it in all my years of reading about VH's tone. It's also worth noting that there aren't that many tunes post-VH1 that have no wang bar in the rhythm track somewhere...
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

Eddie Used a Gibson V to record part of Hot for Teacher

and I have seen pics of his Les paul, dont know if he used it though
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

Did'nt he use a little mini Les Paul for stuff? I think I remember seeing picture of him with it.
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

milkbone said:
Did'nt he use a little mini Les Paul for stuff? I think I remember seeing picture of him with it.
Click to expand...
.


I believe he used that for the "Little Guitars" intro. It was kind of a cute little puppy wasn't it?
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

I guess that he might used to play them, but i guess that he was back then looking for the EVH sound... i can imaging that getting all source of guitars with different types of wood and pups, and finally he ended up using his frankenstrat... which for my ear isn´t thin at all, remember that he screw everything to the body, i guess that could work to vanish the thinness of the floyd...
JJ
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

Be on the look out for the "EVH Signature Gibson Les Paul" coming to a Wal-Mart near you! :deal:
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

"I use a Les Paul for the end of the set because my Charvel is usually out of tune, and the Les Paul's sound is a little fatter."

-Ed Van Halen

Sorry for the delayed response I've been messing with my new dl4. Another apology for not finding the actual quote proving that he played the les paul for chords only. While looking for the quote I found an early article with him saying he didnt like that his floyd equipped guitars went out of tune with a broken string and they were thinner sounding, which leads me to believe he first frankenstrat had a floating trem.
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

taphappy said:
"I use a Les Paul for the end of the set because my Charvel is usually out of tune, and the Les Paul's sound is a little fatter."

-Ed Van Halen

Sorry for the delayed response I've been messing with my new dl4. Another apology for not finding the actual quote proving that he played the les paul for chords only. While looking for the quote I found an early article with him saying he didnt like that his floyd equipped guitars went out of tune with a broken string and they were thinner sounding, which leads me to believe he first frankenstrat had a floating trem.
Click to expand...

Yeah, same quote most of us Ed heads have read before. It's referring to live playing, not his studio playing.

As for floating trems, as far as I know, ed has always had non-floating setups. He has been quoted stating he doesn't like floating setups. The original fender trem setup on the frankie was non-floating, and photo evidence I've seen of the frankie with both it's first floyd and the later, fine tuner equipped replacements suggest the setups were all non-floating.
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

When I saw VH in '78 Ed did use a white LP Custom at the end of the set, so that quote is correct regarding live playing. I've no idea about in the studio.

When I saw them that year they were opening for Black Sabbath's 10th anniversary tour, and played about 40 - 45 minutes. They played most of the first album (I think they omitted Jamie's Crying, and possibly one other). I am really stretching my memory here, but I *think* the songs Ed used the LP for were DOA (which was not released yet!) and You Really Got Me. Somebody's gonna tell me I'm wrong now! :D
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

It wouldn't surprise me a bit if he did. He was constantly lying and twisting things around to keep people from copying his sound. Personally, I believe that Eruption, at least part of RWTD, and a few others were recorded with LPs, though I don't have any way to prove it.
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

I think the strat that ed refers to a lot in early interviews sounding thin is the black and yellow one on the cover of VHII.... That Charvel was the first guitar he had a floyd added too.... The main trouble with that Charvel is the bridge pickup was routed closer to the bridge then his own homemade parts strat... Then when a Floyd was added it was extremely bright! Look at the photos of that guitar on the vintage Kramer site someone posted a link to above.... the floyd is almost sitting ontop of the humbucker.... Eddie said he needed a lot of EQ adjustments to get a good sound out of that guitar..... His main strat that was White and Black... later added Red... was a pretty good sounding guitar to Ed... Many different necks have been on it over the years but he still likes it..

I'm glad the new EVH Chavels have the humbucker in the more modern rout farther away from the Floyd...

WhoFan
 
Re: Did EVH Really Use a Les Paul to Record?

Hot _Grits said:
Nah, not very true at all.

He used a korina bodied ibanez destroyer for all the parts with no wang bar on VH1. For the songs with wang bar, he used his b/w frankenstein guitar. From the second album onward he used the frankenstein (now with red added), and used that up until the sessions for 1984, when he switched to the 5150 kramer. the only recorded use of his 58 flying v is for 'hot for teacher', when he used it so he could switch to two different volumes at the guitar.

He also used a white LP custom as backup for when the frankenstein went too out of tune on the first couple of tours.
Click to expand...

Women and Children First has that chopped up Ibanez Destroyer on the back. Eddie loved it so much he started taking chunks off of it...
 
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