Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
the EVH wolfgangs are ceramic , the peavey's were alnico 5, i had 3 sets of those.
the EVH wolfgangs are ceramic , the peavey's were alnico 5, i had 3 sets of those.
"Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
- Thread starter pittbull
- Start date
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
yeah that whole you buy at the music store is exactly the same as i use BS never got me. the only instrument were this may have been true was with the EBMM sig guitar. that guitar is as good as it gets out of the box!
when he left EBMM and went to peavey then i knew he was on drugs!
His tones these days are nothing special at all. you can go to a music store and play a EVH wolf and plug it into a 5153 and get his tone now.
If you watch the demo clip from '96 that linked to, somebody asks him if the guitar and amp that are in production, are the same as he uses... and he dodges the question and just tells the guy to come try them out. Well.... duh, obviously Eddie tweaks everything he has and it's doubtful he uses a Mexican-made amp bone stock. I definitely believe his amps and guitars are custom and not exactly what are sold in stores. He was first in line to buy the "Floyd Rose Titanium" at Ed Roman's NAMM booth a couple years back and I would not be surprised at all, if he was sporting some Zephyr pups in a couple of his guitars. Rust never sleeps.
yeah that whole you buy at the music store is exactly the same as i use BS never got me. the only instrument were this may have been true was with the EBMM sig guitar. that guitar is as good as it gets out of the box!
when he left EBMM and went to peavey then i knew he was on drugs!
His tones these days are nothing special at all. you can go to a music store and play a EVH wolf and plug it into a 5153 and get his tone now.
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Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
everyone that owns them says they are ceramic i personally dont know since i dont own any, but the peaveys were A5, i have mag swapped those.
everyone that owns them says they are ceramic i personally dont know since i dont own any, but the peaveys were A5, i have mag swapped those.
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IanBallard
New member
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
It's not impossible that they are alnicos. Dimarzio gets amazingly thick mids with alnico V (Tone Zone/PAF Pro/Fred/MoJo/etc) and with some creative winding and the brass baseplates, you certainly can get tones that are not "the typical scoop" of what we usually associate with alnico V tones.
It's not impossible that they are alnicos. Dimarzio gets amazingly thick mids with alnico V (Tone Zone/PAF Pro/Fred/MoJo/etc) and with some creative winding and the brass baseplates, you certainly can get tones that are not "the typical scoop" of what we usually associate with alnico V tones.
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
I just bought a dimarzio super d to try for the 1st record tone in my charvel. should have it in a few days. i am confident it will get that tone just as the custom sh5 does, both are ceramic 14K pu's, the last time i tried the super d from 51501984 i had a different amp and was not impressed. it really is more amp than pup imho.:14:
I just bought a dimarzio super d to try for the 1st record tone in my charvel. should have it in a few days. i am confident it will get that tone just as the custom sh5 does, both are ceramic 14K pu's, the last time i tried the super d from 51501984 i had a different amp and was not impressed. it really is more amp than pup imho.:14:
IanBallard
New member
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
http://guitarinternational.com/2010/08/20/edward-van-halen-at-play/
“I didn’t use the Soldano this time, I used my Marshall, the one I’ve used on every record, and my [Peavey[ 5150. The Soldano was just a little too fuzzed out, too high-gain for what I wanted on this record. I’m not knocking the amp, they're great and they serve a purpose. But it wasn't right for me on this album. So I went straight from the guitar to either the 5150 or the Marshall amp with one cabinet in the room."
There it is. He probably used it on VHIII too which I think was tone-wise an AWESOME record. He'll probably use it again. Yay!
Sorry to derail the topic, but I found that little gem from a Balance-era interview.
http://guitarinternational.com/2010/08/20/edward-van-halen-at-play/
“I didn’t use the Soldano this time, I used my Marshall, the one I’ve used on every record, and my [Peavey[ 5150. The Soldano was just a little too fuzzed out, too high-gain for what I wanted on this record. I’m not knocking the amp, they're great and they serve a purpose. But it wasn't right for me on this album. So I went straight from the guitar to either the 5150 or the Marshall amp with one cabinet in the room."
There it is. He probably used it on VHIII too which I think was tone-wise an AWESOME record. He'll probably use it again. Yay!
Sorry to derail the topic, but I found that little gem from a Balance-era interview.
IanBallard
New member
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
In the early days because the LA scene was so full of copycats and competition, Alex was always telling Ed to BS the interviewers but I don't think he made up using his Marshall for certain things after it was worked on by John Suhr prior to F.U.C.K. There are some parts in Balance that definitely have that Marshall quality, same with lots of VHIII and the Peaveys lacked that in spades. His new amps are supposed to be "Marshalized" on Ch.2, but who knows?
In the early days because the LA scene was so full of copycats and competition, Alex was always telling Ed to BS the interviewers but I don't think he made up using his Marshall for certain things after it was worked on by John Suhr prior to F.U.C.K. There are some parts in Balance that definitely have that Marshall quality, same with lots of VHIII and the Peaveys lacked that in spades. His new amps are supposed to be "Marshalized" on Ch.2, but who knows?
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
his new amp is real good,but i dont think it has that marshall tone that he had on the early records. There is one guy named stan (bmf5150)that has the 5153 and he demo'd many pu's through it with a ash strat and none sounded like the plexi. here is two of em
http://www.youtube.com/user/bmf5150#p/u/11/wxzphBWBFGQ
http://www.youtube.com/user/bmf5150#p/u/13/DzfKBB4ubAA
here is a paf type with a plexi
http://www.youtube.com/user/bmf5150#p/u/10/BZL4JQQ21Qs
his new amp is real good,but i dont think it has that marshall tone that he had on the early records. There is one guy named stan (bmf5150)that has the 5153 and he demo'd many pu's through it with a ash strat and none sounded like the plexi. here is two of em
http://www.youtube.com/user/bmf5150#p/u/11/wxzphBWBFGQ
http://www.youtube.com/user/bmf5150#p/u/13/DzfKBB4ubAA
here is a paf type with a plexi
http://www.youtube.com/user/bmf5150#p/u/10/BZL4JQQ21Qs
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
the best thing you can do is use your ear,even if you wind up using a pu that VH never used and you love the tone thats all that matters! I liked the sh5 custom more than the official EVH pup for the EVH tone!:laugh2:
depends? through a high gain amp or a plexi?
the best thing you can do is use your ear,even if you wind up using a pu that VH never used and you love the tone thats all that matters! I liked the sh5 custom more than the official EVH pup for the EVH tone!:laugh2:
depends? through a high gain amp or a plexi?
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
i've been tempted to pick up a EVH Frankie PU just to try out for myself... but i keep talking myself out of it... I have various strats, super strats, parts strats, all with all sorts of different humbucker models in them, i have a few Marshall heads... and a early Peavey 5150 stack that i use a Wolfgang or Charvel thru... in the end i find i can play Van Halen type sounds just fine with what i got...
that being said if i was really going to try and be a Van Halen I tone completist i'd be more concerned of finding a Marshall Plexi i was happy with... and finding a place to crank the snot out of it without getting arrested... LOL...
when i try to play early VH sounds i find what works well one of my strats with a non-locking trem, a JB or a Custom in the bridge, and my JCM 800 2204, plus a few MXR and Boss Pedals... oddly my mid 90's Jackson with an old 1987 era JB in it and a Schaller Floyd works real well on the Fair Warning-1984 era stuff...
when i'm trying to get later 90's era VH sounds my 5150 and the Wolfgang work for me... again the same MXR and Boss pedals in there... maybe a little delay as well...
i was a massive VH fan and still am... but i can't see myself building copies of his exact rigs anymore...
i wonder how many fans run around endlessly searching for the magic Brown Sound PU's and end up using it thru a Pod in an Appartment?
i've been tempted to pick up a EVH Frankie PU just to try out for myself... but i keep talking myself out of it... I have various strats, super strats, parts strats, all with all sorts of different humbucker models in them, i have a few Marshall heads... and a early Peavey 5150 stack that i use a Wolfgang or Charvel thru... in the end i find i can play Van Halen type sounds just fine with what i got...
that being said if i was really going to try and be a Van Halen I tone completist i'd be more concerned of finding a Marshall Plexi i was happy with... and finding a place to crank the snot out of it without getting arrested... LOL...
when i try to play early VH sounds i find what works well one of my strats with a non-locking trem, a JB or a Custom in the bridge, and my JCM 800 2204, plus a few MXR and Boss Pedals... oddly my mid 90's Jackson with an old 1987 era JB in it and a Schaller Floyd works real well on the Fair Warning-1984 era stuff...
when i'm trying to get later 90's era VH sounds my 5150 and the Wolfgang work for me... again the same MXR and Boss pedals in there... maybe a little delay as well...
i was a massive VH fan and still am... but i can't see myself building copies of his exact rigs anymore...
i wonder how many fans run around endlessly searching for the magic Brown Sound PU's and end up using it thru a Pod in an Appartment?
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Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
as far as the POD thing i guess many use em cause i dont know how anyone can get away with a 100 or 50 watt plexi cranked to ten in their house!
thats another real often overlooked factor, VH turned his plexi to 10 when he got that tone. everyone else is using a powerbrake or a master volume,etc.
you got to push those celestions into submission, Ed was getting breakup from the pre/power amp and the celestions as well. he dimed that friggin thing!:laugh2:
this kid cracked me up,
he has a $150 pup and a $90 amp!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InBuSE_LFOw
you bring up many great points here!
as far as the POD thing i guess many use em cause i dont know how anyone can get away with a 100 or 50 watt plexi cranked to ten in their house!
thats another real often overlooked factor, VH turned his plexi to 10 when he got that tone. everyone else is using a powerbrake or a master volume,etc.
you got to push those celestions into submission, Ed was getting breakup from the pre/power amp and the celestions as well. he dimed that friggin thing!:laugh2:
this kid cracked me up,
he has a $150 pup and a $90 amp!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InBuSE_LFOw
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Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
ya i have many loud heads... and i'm playing thru some SS and modelers in my bedroom 90% more often then the tube heads i've collected along the way... hell i didn't even use these loud heads towards the end of my bar band days and used a C30 combo a lot... most of the bands around here are using low wattage 1x12 combos... lots of local bar bands i've been seeing lately around here you can still talk over their music...
but once in a while i turn these heads up just to shake the dust off them!
ya i have many loud heads... and i'm playing thru some SS and modelers in my bedroom 90% more often then the tube heads i've collected along the way... hell i didn't even use these loud heads towards the end of my bar band days and used a C30 combo a lot... most of the bands around here are using low wattage 1x12 combos... lots of local bar bands i've been seeing lately around here you can still talk over their music...
but once in a while i turn these heads up just to shake the dust off them!
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
Ive done the cranked plexi-variac thing many times and none have had the distortion that Ed achieved on Van halen 1.On Van halen 1 from other sites that I go on are referances that Jose arrenedondo Eds original amp tech from the 70s and 80s said that when van halen recorded the first album jose didnt do any mods on Eds plexi,that Ed did use a overdrive-distortion pedal to achieve the edge and distortion thats on van halen 1,jose wasnt sure what type of pedal it was.Jose did do a master volume mod to Eds plexi at the end of the first tour(78) and Ed did use that plexi with the master volume mod to record van halen II and the rest of the early albums.There is a photo of the band in the studio recording van halen II and you can see the back of Eds plexi where a white-knob-pot which is the master volume.
Ive done the cranked plexi-variac thing many times and none have had the distortion that Ed achieved on Van halen 1.On Van halen 1 from other sites that I go on are referances that Jose arrenedondo Eds original amp tech from the 70s and 80s said that when van halen recorded the first album jose didnt do any mods on Eds plexi,that Ed did use a overdrive-distortion pedal to achieve the edge and distortion thats on van halen 1,jose wasnt sure what type of pedal it was.Jose did do a master volume mod to Eds plexi at the end of the first tour(78) and Ed did use that plexi with the master volume mod to record van halen II and the rest of the early albums.There is a photo of the band in the studio recording van halen II and you can see the back of Eds plexi where a white-knob-pot which is the master volume.
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IanBallard
New member
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
I can get a decent VH "average" tone with the "British 80's" (JCM800) amp model on my Fender Mustang. I just added some sag, used the "G12 speakers", cranked the bias setting and EQ'ed it to taste and it can give me acceptable tones in that arena. I assume a pod with some tweaking can do similar.
BUT, I find that more than anything, the right kind of string muting and pick attack/technique is the best way to approximate that Ed tone.
I can get a decent VH "average" tone with the "British 80's" (JCM800) amp model on my Fender Mustang. I just added some sag, used the "G12 speakers", cranked the bias setting and EQ'ed it to taste and it can give me acceptable tones in that arena. I assume a pod with some tweaking can do similar.
BUT, I find that more than anything, the right kind of string muting and pick attack/technique is the best way to approximate that Ed tone.
IanBallard
New member
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
I've never been a fan of determining sounds from YouTube vids. Heck, even hearing the real recordings on YouTube sound like arse compared to listening to them through my stereo.
I've never been a fan of determining sounds from YouTube vids. Heck, even hearing the real recordings on YouTube sound like arse compared to listening to them through my stereo.
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
ya i have some much better more expensive gear in my collection and sometimes cost is not an issue in getting a sound... case in point is my 1999 MIM strat with a Duncan Custom in the bridge just seems to nail the Diver Down sounds rather well.. that album's guitar sounds are a little cleaner, brighter, at least more then some of the other VH albums... that poplar body strat and Custom works great for that one...
ya i have some much better more expensive gear in my collection and sometimes cost is not an issue in getting a sound... case in point is my 1999 MIM strat with a Duncan Custom in the bridge just seems to nail the Diver Down sounds rather well.. that album's guitar sounds are a little cleaner, brighter, at least more then some of the other VH albums... that poplar body strat and Custom works great for that one...
IanBallard
New member
Re: "Seymour Duncan Special Van halen pickup 1979"
That 2nd degree blackbelt pup is pretty impressive though. Through a stock plexi no less. All the balls I can hear from the VH1 recording. Looks like the Jose BS about a OD pedal is all wet.
That 2nd degree blackbelt pup is pretty impressive though. Through a stock plexi no less. All the balls I can hear from the VH1 recording. Looks like the Jose BS about a OD pedal is all wet.
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