Van Halen Pickup

[OdgeUK]

This must come up every 5 mins but I'm still a little confused as to the most suitable pickup for a DLR-era Van Halen sound. I understand Ed used a PAF, so am confused that many people go for a "PAF but slightly hotter" pickup like the Pearly Gates, JB or Custom Custom. Surely, the closest sound would be a pickup which aims for a low to medium output PAF sound? The SD '59? or Seth Lover?

I currently have a new Squier Classic Vibe Alder Strat and was planning to put my Gibson spaced SD 59 in there with a bit of chiselling, scratchplate cutting and angling of the pickup ala Ed, but I'm sort of thinking that I dont' want to get into butchery so I might just get an F-Spaced humbucker and stick it straight in (the Classic vibe is H-S-H).

What do you guys recommend for an F-spaced VH humbucker in an Alder body?

 

[WoodyTone]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

Take a look at the links in my sig... That's my opinion!

 

[OdgeUK]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

Thanks WoodyTone! I really enjoy your site, a regular read.

Pricey that EVH pickup eh? Is it really heads and shoulders above the rest?

 

[viewaskew2k5]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

Woody is pretty spot on. A few shops here have had the new 25k fender, Wolfgands, chevel etc..and they all have there own mojo, all around a different...yet still like ed.

 

[GoDrex]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

IMO you need an A2 magnet for Ed's tone.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

IMO, you can get the early EVH tone with an old epiphone pup, a metal zone, any delay pedal, any mxr phase 90 (not the VH version!) and a Verbzilla.

Just an alternate theory...

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

See I am not the only one fed up with EVH tone chasers.

I can understand that sentiment also, I have been there and done that - well enough to know that Ed's style is more responsible for those magical recordings than the gear.

The formula is simple; a PAF type pup with an A2 magnet (the '78 is dead on) dropped in a Strat style guitar into a Marshall sounding amp with the power section pumping - now play like Ed (yeah, thats the hard part).

 

[ponch]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

59 into a marshall stack at @ 11

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

Any A2 PAF style will cover the pickup portion, but you still need the amp, and Ed's fingers.

 

[Jessie Sammler]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

If I transported Ed's original rig through a time machine into 2009 and played it, I'd still sound like a wanker who'll never quite get "Eruption" down.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

If I transported Ed's original rig through a time machine into 2009 and played it, I'd still sound like a wanker who'll never quite get "Eruption" down.

this!

can people please get past this BS obsession with eddie van halen's pickups?!
do you think eddie van halen gave a sh!t about what anyone else was playing?

nuno bettencourt played brian may's rig and still sounded like nuno bettencourt - nuno was disappointed at this and eddie told him it was a good thing

as far as i'm concerned all EVH p/up threads are spam

 

[Jessie Sammler]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

as far as i'm concerned all EVH p/up threads are spam

Kinda. Personally, I'm ready for the thread on how to get Vinnie Moore's tone. Has that one already been done to death, and I just missed it because I'm new?

 

[OdgeUK]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

Chill people! I think the level of detail that people go to is pretty extreme also. You'll find the EVH tone chasing broken down to a really quite crazy level and I've heard people nail EVH using pretty stock equipment.

HOWEVER.....I think you have digressed somewhat. I was simply asking about the most similar pickup avaliable to Ed's PAF. Logic says that if Ed was using a PAF, then a PAF style humbucker is the way to go. However, the trend seems to be for people to go for the Custom Custom, JB etc and I don't understand this. Surely the SD 59 or Seth Lover (recreations of a PAF) should be closer in overall sound?

Don't be so hard on the EVH thing. If someone posted here wanting a Zakk Wylde sort of sound, you'd recommend some sort of Active pickup, you probably wouldn't tell them to go and buy a Classic '57 and tell them it's all in the fingers.

 

[RHOADS TONE]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

If You do not like the topic or title of the Thread ...Do Not Read it!!!
It is as simple as that!

If some one wants positive & insight-full replies...then that is what they should get!

I am tired of the childish - YouTube like comments people feel compelled
to contribute. Turn the channel if you do not like the show.

I think what is stupid is when people say Tone is all in your fingers.
They way you sound is...Not your Tone.

Have Ed play an ES-175 thru an amp with No Gain & yes it will sound like Ed..
It will not however sound like the Tone on VH1 or Fair Warning.

Ed is Bi-polar when it comes to his Tone secrets...but I just read today an old GP interview where he said... "See my rig is matched...if I play thru some one else's rig I will not sound the same" My example would be.... Have him play a Regular Strat thru an Ampeg.
Of course, the very next interview he says it's all in the fingers.

Give him an Estaban acoustic thru a cheap SS amp designed for acoustic guitars ... and he will not have the same tone, but yes it will sound more like Ed than anyone else on the Planet.

It is that freaking simple.
I may not want to do Hammer-ons
but I may want to get his type of Brown sound on my own weird assed playing.

Lastly Ed himself said in the full front cover April 1980 GP that the Black and Yellow stripe,
rear loaded Ash Charvel...with maple neck initially had his original Pup...the one from his Black and White Ash guitar that he used on the first album & "It Did Not sound good in the new black & yellow " Charvel.
So he put the Holy Grail pup back in Frankie. So that says a few things.

1. The pup itself is not the end all - be all of his tone. Nor will it work on all guitars
even made of the same woods.

2. He did not perceive his sound to be close to that of his original guitar..so he changed it.
he actually gave up on that axe.

3. After he took a chunk out of his Destroyer ... " He ruined it's Sound = Tone."
His fingers still sound the same though...that's a fact!

http://media.ebaumsworld.com/forumfun/stfu6.jpg

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

The formula is simple; a PAF type pup with an A2 magnet (the '78 is dead on) dropped in a Strat style guitar into a Marshall sounding amp with the power section pumping - now play like Ed (yeah, thats the hard part).

ya forgot the effects for the most part though, the effects include a somewhat lo-fi analog-ish delay, a phase 90(if it's a newer model you can mod it to sound smoother) and an mxr flanger.

the best VH impression i ever got however was with my a8 490t equipped SG into an mxr classic distortion, boss eq set for scoop, into my vox advt set for a voxey sound since the mxr classic is so mid-rangey.

just experiment a bit though. the basics are here, now you just need to figure out how to accomadate these basics to your playing style. btw a JB is NOT a hot-rodded paf type sound. it's got it's own thing goin' that most people don't associate with a paf-type sound.

 

[jimlp]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

Chill people! I think the level of detail that people go to is pretty extreme also. You'll find the EVH tone chasing broken down to a really quite crazy level and I've heard people nail EVH using pretty stock equipment.

HOWEVER.....I think you have digressed somewhat. I was simply asking about the most similar pickup avaliable to Ed's PAF. Logic says that if Ed was using a PAF, then a PAF style humbucker is the way to go. However, the trend seems to be for people to go for the Custom Custom, JB etc and I don't understand this. Surely the SD 59 or Seth Lover (recreations of a PAF) should be closer in overall sound?

Don't be so hard on the EVH thing. If someone posted here wanting a Zakk Wylde sort of sound, you'd recommend some sort of Active pickup, you probably wouldn't tell them to go and buy a Classic '57 and tell them it's all in the fingers.

If someone wanted Zakk's tone I would tell them to get therapy.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

If someone wanted Zakk's tone I would tell them to get therapy.

Zing!

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

Playground rules guys c'mon. If you don't have anything nice to say...

To the OP: why get a hotter PAF? We have to remember that there was no set DC resistance, nor does it really matter all that much. You have PAFs that run from 7k-10k. The 78 is what Seymour claims to have made Ed back in the day. I believe him due to his integrity and I've heard the pup. Heck, I even own 2 of them and I'm not an Ed-head but the capability is defintely there.

Luke

 

[OdgeUK]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

Playground rules guys c'mon. If you don't have anything nice to say...

To the OP: why get a hotter PAF? We have to remember that there was no set DC resistance, nor does it really matter all that much. You have PAFs that run from 7k-10k. The 78 is what Seymour claims to have made Ed back in the day. I believe him due to his integrity and I've heard the pup. Heck, I even own 2 of them and I'm not an Ed-head but the capability is defintely there.

Luke

Yeah, That's what I was wondering. Why people tend to go for Hotter PAF's for an Ed'esque tone. I'm wondering just how much difference really is there between a SD59 and a '78 ?

Did Seymour rewind Ed's original PAF after he ripped it out the Gibson? Is that what the 78 is based on?

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Van Halen Pickup

Yeah, That's what I was wondering. Why people tend to go for Hotter PAF's for an Ed'esque tone. I'm wondering just how much difference really is there between a SD59 and a '78 ?

Did Seymour rewind Ed's original PAF after he ripped it out the Gibson? Is that what the 78 is based on?

A heavier wind does change the mids. Additionally it seems to give the pup a squishy compression sound that's bouncy under your fingers. It also brings up the mids. That said a 59 with an A2 magnet is going to get you closer than a regular 59. Actually an A2 59 and 78 are a good combo.

I'm not an expert on Ed lore, but I do know not to take anything he says as gospel. I wouldn't be surprised if the pup was a PAF, Pat #, T-Top, or even DIMARZIO that Seymour rewound for him.

Luke