Re: Viv kicked all kinds of ass in`83-`84
The full shred didn't show up until his Whitesnake days.
early Dio was a SH5 custom, and I've heard some say an Invader as well.
I do know the Custom was the main pup in Dio come Last in Line, cos quite simply an interview with Viv mentioning the Custom was the entire reason I started using Duncans in the first place. The Custom is STILL my fave Duncan and dang near my fave pup period.
Unfortunately Viv totally turned his back on his legion of old fans, running down the music he played, and those who like such things. But no doubt he was a MONSTER player. A little TOO much like Gary Moore (as was Sykes early on) , but he quickly matured into his own style while still retaining some of his influences (Moore, roboo, rory) without going overboard. I saw him with Dio and I saw him with Whitesnake. Whatever his rig...the Les Paul...the Charvels, the Aria ZZ, the BC Richs, the Buddy Blaze/Nightswans, he had monster tone.
I would highly suggest searching out his "Hot Licks" video lesson tape from the late 1980s. Lotsa great little licks and playing tips/tricks in that.
