VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

fretburner

Well-known member
It seems that VH's tone in "Balance" is becoming my fave VH tone. He's using the 5150 on this one, and his EVH Wolfgang on this one right?
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

As far as i know that is right. I have a concert video from the Balance tour and he uses what you said, but you never know what could be lurking in the wings or backstage.
He uses a pretty hefty pedalboard aswell.
www.guitargeek.com has his equipment list & i think its from about that time '96-97.
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

Yup, the 5150 and Wolfgang and a couple EBMM's still were used on that tour. Mostly the Wolfgang's though. I *think* he recorded one or two of the songs on the album with the old Marshall since it had gotten restored shortly before those sessions.

It's nice to see others appreciate his tone on that album. It's one of my favs.
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

I'm pretty sure the album had EB's on them.... i read in a 95 Guitar World magazine that Eddie had 3 prototypes of his new Peavey guitar sent to tour rehearsals... They had a poster of the 3 prototypes..... Ed's studio is said to house many many many amps and lots of guitars.... He just claims to be using his signature stuff 100% but other stuff does make it on record.... i finally read an interview that said even in the old days they would use Orange. Fender, or Hiwatt amps as well as the Marshalls for recording.... whatever got the sound they wanted!

But that being said the Balance sound does sound like a 5150... maybe some Soldano too... But a 5150 can get you that sound... I love Ed's Live trick from this era of having a plain NON FX 5150 in the Center.... Preamp out into a H&H power amp into a rack with some effects in stereo..... He set his pitchshift thingy to detune slightly so that it gave a bigger sound! It is said to work perfectly for doing that!!! I've heard of producers in the studio de-tuneing stuff and adding it back so it sounds fuller....
 
Last edited:
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

I've got that mag around somewhere. Didn't they mention in that one that he used the Marshall on a song or two? I want to say "Big Fat Money" is one of them.

Yeah, the Wolfgang's were still prototypes at that point.
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

ErikH said:
I've got that mag around somewhere. Didn't they mention in that one that he used the Marshall on a song or two? I want to say "Big Fat Money" is one of them.

Yeah, the Wolfgang's were still prototypes at that point.

Not sure which tune they said he used the Marshall on but i remember reading about it.... At the begining of the Balance tour he even had his original Roth era stripped strat out on the road but never used it and sent it home early on.....
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

Eddie has been known to use many guitars on his studio work, and not just EBMM EVH or Wolfgang. He has used anything from Strats to Les Pauls and Teles.
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

WhoFan said:
Not sure which tune they said he used the Marshall on but i remember reading about it.... At the begining of the Balance tour he even had his original Roth era stripped strat out on the road but never used it and sent it home early on.....
I was sitting 13th row center stage at the 3rd show of the tour. A buddy and I saw that strat during a quick sound check before the lights went down. His tech (I think it was Scotty still) played some chords. No house PA but we could hear those cabs on the stage. All we saw was the tail end of the body from his pit. He never played it during the show though. Started with a Wolfgang and switched between it and a EBMM or two. One of the best VH shows I ever saw.
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

ErikH said:
I was sitting 13th row center stage at the 3rd show of the tour. A buddy and I saw that strat during a quick sound check before the lights went down. His tech (I think it was Scotty still) played some chords. No house PA but we could hear those cabs on the stage. All we saw was the tail end of the body from his pit. He never played it during the show though. Started with a Wolfgang and switched between it and a EBMM or two. One of the best VH shows I ever saw.

they did 2 shows here in Toronto on that Balance tour and i missed them but was happy to hear they were going to be recorded and shown on Canadian TV... they taped both nights and aired a best of... they showed almost all of their softer love tunes and little of the harder stuff... I have it on VHS and i never watch it.... i prefer to watch the MTV tape of the first USA show that was broadcasted in the USA
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

WhoFan said:
they did 2 shows here in Toronto on that Balance tour and i missed them but was happy to hear they were going to be recorded and shown on Canadian TV... they taped both nights and aired a best of... they showed almost all of their softer love tunes and little of the harder stuff... I have it on VHS and i never watch it.... i prefer to watch the MTV tape of the first USA show that was broadcasted in the USA
I've got the one that was shown on Pay-Per-View here. It's got a good mix of everything in it. A friend of mine actually scheduled the PPV for me and I just paid him back. I've got that one on VHS. Haven't watched it in a while though.
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

ErikH said:
I've got the one that was shown on Pay-Per-View here. It's got a good mix of everything in it. A friend of mine actually scheduled the PPV for me and I just paid him back. I've got that one on VHS. Haven't watched it in a while though.

do you mean the Toronto show or the Florida one?
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

On Not enough he played the SLP, hmm dunno about Aftershock, I had the magasine where he expained what amps he used...nah it was the 5150 guitar he used on Aftershock?!
Lol.
11 years has passed;)
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

I dont have the Balance album but how does Ed get his tone on Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do?

I've been trying to get something close to that tone with my 5150 but I havnt had any luck. any Ideas?
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

wixomwhat said:
I dont have the Balance album but how does Ed get his tone on Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do?

I've been trying to get something close to that tone with my 5150 but I havnt had any luck. any Ideas?
Drop the low E to D, get some thick chorus going and some delay. I can nail that tone through my Marshall with a chorus and delay pedal. It's not hard. Make sure the 5150 is on the lead channel but the gain at about 7-ish.
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

wixomwhat said:
I dont have the Balance album but how does Ed get his tone on Don't Tell Me What Love Can Do?

I've been trying to get something close to that tone with my 5150 but I havnt had any luck. any Ideas?

i have not heard that tune in a long time.... is that the one that opens with the low tuned open E string palm mutted with some sort of effect.... I think the effect is his pick and a Phaser.... not sure...
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

WhoFan said:
i have not heard that tune in a long time.... is that the one that opens with the low tuned open E string palm mutted with some sort of effect.... I think the effect is his pick and a Phaser.... not sure...
Yup, that's the one. No phaser, just chorus and delay. And the palm muting is ever so slight, just enough to keep the other strings silent. Pick the low E string with the side of the pick up near the bridge saddle.
 
Re: VH - Balance ... Amp, Other Gear

ErikH said:
Yup, that's the one. No phaser, just chorus and delay. And the palm muting is ever so slight, just enough to keep the other strings silent. Pick the low E string with the side of the pick up near the bridge saddle.

Cool..... it's kind of the same pick attack as Unchained i guess but more of it...
 
Back
Top