Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
- Thread starter pittbull
- Start date
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
It’s hard to declare the tube type unless you have a Variac starving the tubes to <80% of their optimal performance window. Then I might hear a 6CA7 defying tube death.
It’s hard to declare the tube type unless you have a Variac starving the tubes to <80% of their optimal performance window. Then I might hear a 6CA7 defying tube death.
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
Those pictures were all staged. Most of VHI was recorded on an acoustic guitar through an SM57. Then a little bit of studio magic and BAM. Bob's your uncle. That's why so few people are able to really nail the tone. They're wasting time on tube amps.
Those pictures were all staged. Most of VHI was recorded on an acoustic guitar through an SM57. Then a little bit of studio magic and BAM. Bob's your uncle. That's why so few people are able to really nail the tone. They're wasting time on tube amps.
NegativeEase
New member
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
The best part of this pic is the fire extinguisher on Alex' kit. I guess that confirms this was his road kit for certain.
Dave's karate injury is funny too.
I would take nothing about Eddie's tone or studio rig from this pic -if anything, he thought he was on to something with his tone and moved that big bottle amp facing the camera into the staged photo to throw people of his scent
The best part of this pic is the fire extinguisher on Alex' kit. I guess that confirms this was his road kit for certain.
Dave's karate injury is funny too.
I would take nothing about Eddie's tone or studio rig from this pic -if anything, he thought he was on to something with his tone and moved that big bottle amp facing the camera into the staged photo to throw people of his scent
NegativeEase
New member
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
Easy... Dave spinning back kicks ...look at his foot.
Easy... Dave spinning back kicks ...look at his foot.
JB6464
New member
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
Probably rolled it with his weed and smoked it .
Probably rolled it with his weed and smoked it .
NegativeEase
New member
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
That would be an album even I would buy.
That would be an album even I would buy.
JMP/HBE
Well-known member
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
I just got these yesterday and all i can say is bar-none : Behold Excalibur.
Ed murdered alot of good tubes and not by normal use. But he also has recorded some of the best guitar tones known to mankind. He likely melted down all the good EL-34's making the first album.
I just got these yesterday and all i can say is bar-none : Behold Excalibur.
Ed murdered alot of good tubes and not by normal use. But he also has recorded some of the best guitar tones known to mankind. He likely melted down all the good EL-34's making the first album.
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NegativeEase
New member
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
Well, considering Warren is superhumanly smooth on any guitar and amp....
he's special on a Peavey Bandit
Well, considering Warren is superhumanly smooth on any guitar and amp....
he's special on a Peavey Bandit
Sirion
Well-known member
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
Gee, I wonder if this could also be applied to the VHI tone in one way or another?
Gee, I wonder if this could also be applied to the VHI tone in one way or another?
NegativeEase
New member
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
of course. people put way too much emphasis on minor gear tweaks. what you hear on a record (especially now) has been transduced, buffered, bounced, converted, mixed from a multi track to only a portion of the bandwidth on the master, dithered down, transcoded, compressed etc etc.
Those big bottles aren't going to make ANY difference to 99% of the people listening
of course. people put way too much emphasis on minor gear tweaks. what you hear on a record (especially now) has been transduced, buffered, bounced, converted, mixed from a multi track to only a portion of the bandwidth on the master, dithered down, transcoded, compressed etc etc.
Those big bottles aren't going to make ANY difference to 99% of the people listening
Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
I have never been in a studio while anything was being recorded. But I know this:
They will use any guitar, any amp and effect, in all manner of strange locations configurations to get a sound
And then Sound engineers will do all sorts of things to it using all manner of outboard gear, EQ, compression and what not.
They have all forgot more about microphones and placement than we will ever know.
And of course, in classic rock fashion of the day, the obligatory pile of coke, booze, etc...
Yet you think someone knows this stuff from album to album, let alone track to track. Like a given track is even one amp...
Carry on with the insanity.
I have never been in a studio while anything was being recorded. But I know this:
They will use any guitar, any amp and effect, in all manner of strange locations configurations to get a sound
And then Sound engineers will do all sorts of things to it using all manner of outboard gear, EQ, compression and what not.
They have all forgot more about microphones and placement than we will ever know.
And of course, in classic rock fashion of the day, the obligatory pile of coke, booze, etc...
Yet you think someone knows this stuff from album to album, let alone track to track. Like a given track is even one amp...
Carry on with the insanity.
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
In my experience, most people don't spend that much time looking for a sound. Get something that doesn't sound bad, and start recording. A lot of great sounds were just stumbled on, or the result of the 'hunt and peck' method, and not reliant on brilliant engineers. Those are rare, and these days, more so.
In my experience, most people don't spend that much time looking for a sound. Get something that doesn't sound bad, and start recording. A lot of great sounds were just stumbled on, or the result of the 'hunt and peck' method, and not reliant on brilliant engineers. Those are rare, and these days, more so.
El Dunco
Sock Supplier to RHCP
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
There is seriously a kazoo/slide whistle thing on DLR's vocal track on RWTD! Listen at 1:59
If you listen carefully, it's definitely on the studio version of the song to, what the hell?! Are there any other whacky instruments Dave snuck into classic Van Halen songs? Does Unchained have a moonshine jug solo buried down in the mix? Maybe some sousaphone snuck into Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love?
Absolutely correct. My favourite unique guitar sounds I ended up with were happy accidents and so many iconic guitar tones are actually from the players trying to emulate their heroes, failing and ending up with an iconic sound of their own. A lot of 80s-90s signature guitar sounds share the Eddie lineage but turned out quite different.
There is seriously a kazoo/slide whistle thing on DLR's vocal track on RWTD! Listen at 1:59
If you listen carefully, it's definitely on the studio version of the song to, what the hell?! Are there any other whacky instruments Dave snuck into classic Van Halen songs? Does Unchained have a moonshine jug solo buried down in the mix? Maybe some sousaphone snuck into Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love?
Absolutely correct. My favourite unique guitar sounds I ended up with were happy accidents and so many iconic guitar tones are actually from the players trying to emulate their heroes, failing and ending up with an iconic sound of their own. A lot of 80s-90s signature guitar sounds share the Eddie lineage but turned out quite different.
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LLL
New member
Re: Van Halen 1 Sound(First Album)Power Tubes
I don't know why people bother learning the ins and outs and gory details of gear, really...
...let alone what various, highly influential guitar gods used to get their schweet tones...
I mean, if you have little to none gear knowledge, you should still be able to get great tone through a SS Gorilla or Crate amp, or any amp.
Gear just really doesn't matter at all (except for all those sucky guitar players who constantly fiddle with their tone).
:13:
I don't know why people bother learning the ins and outs and gory details of gear, really...
...let alone what various, highly influential guitar gods used to get their schweet tones...
I mean, if you have little to none gear knowledge, you should still be able to get great tone through a SS Gorilla or Crate amp, or any amp.
Gear just really doesn't matter at all (except for all those sucky guitar players who constantly fiddle with their tone).
:13:
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