What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

Aceman

I am your doctor of love!
Just wondering if there is a VH1 in a box pedal.

VH1 Sound please....
 
Last edited:
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

The Wampler Pinnacle is sweet. It’s my main dirt box when I’m using a clean amp. The sag/feel is awesome, and that’s the big difference for me vs. a standard distortion pedal with clipping diodes like a D+, Rat, DS1, etc. Even his Tech thinks it’s close. I got mine used for under $100. (I know it’s not cheap, but I think it sounds great compared to other straight distortion pedals)

Zeke Clark, Edward Van Halen's longtime reknowned guitar tech recently got one of these and this is what he had to say: "I've played tons of pedals that promised that 'brown sound'... this pedal NAILS it better than anything I've ever heard or played." -Zeke Clark, former tech for Eddie Van Halen


The other one I thought sounded close was the Mad Professor 1. Similar tone and has the signature plate reverb (which is 25% of that tone, IMO)
 
Last edited:
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

The best pedal for vh is simply wife's gas pedal of her car. Once gone, these dudes did this:


B
 
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

The best pedal for vh is simply wife's gas pedal of her car. Once gone, these dudes did this:


B

I mean, clearly a boutique version of a Plexi in the same serial range as EVH’s is the best option...
 
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

Yeah... but I don't think it is the boutiqueness of the amp that matters. It's cool for fine-tuning I'd say. That said, I think that dude can play you know, he'd get a good sound with a cheapo plexi copy as well.

B
 
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

The Pinnacle.

Apparently only a few people caught the VH1 part. He didn't use chorus type stuff until the Van Hagar years. And the 5150 pedal is based on his new amps with much more gain than VH1. Although I honestly haven't tried one personally, they may have the VH1 goodness too. I know the AMT P2 can get close as a preamp on it's own, but it is a touch gainy for VH1 era stuff, close enough for me, but purists might complain.
 
Last edited:
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

The Pinnacle.

Apparently only a few people caught the VH1 part. He didn't use chorus type stuff until the Van Hagar years. And the 5150 pedal is based on his new amps with much more gain than VH1.

oops
my bad
 
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

Joking aside...


It does what it does quite well. But I did not care for it. So did not keep it. I think it is quite pricey for a one-trick pony.

B
 
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

I saw that on a YouTube Video over the weekend


I saw that too. Detune - excellent suggestion for 5150-F*U*L*etc

But I'm talking earlier...way earlier.

For those who missed it:

VH1
 
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

Running into a clean anything for the amp.
 
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

I have the pinnacle and it does the evh sound. I also have a $40 mosky Brown Distortion which is a copy of the pinnacle and it also sounds great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

The Mad Professor is probably what I was thinking of...
 
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

VH1 album tone (at least the Frankentstrat side of things) - again, *album* tone, not in-the-room tone:

Ash strat w/maple capped neck
SD Custom
Vintage Fender trem w/stamped saddles
Brass nut (he's been seen with one on Frankenstrat, may not have recorded with it)
Fender 9-40s

1968 100W Marshall Plexi (theoretically dimed) w V2 .68uF bypass
Variac'd ~89-90 volts

Marshall 4x12 Greenbacks and (in addition) possibly JBL D120s

Echoplex EP-3 (has preamp) generally set to one quiet repeat (standard setting, not ATBL, or solos, etc)

MXR Phase 90, Flanger

SM57s mic'd x2 (see above speaker(s) )
Panned 90% L dry
EMT 140 Plate reverb with slight pre-delay (~100ms) panned hard R
Sunset Sound Studios echo chamber (actual room) reverb in stereo on overall mix

So the question is, can one distortion pedal do all this? :no1:

But......

I'll use my own live example. Mind you, not using pedals at all, but rackmount equip:

Strat w SD Custom
ADA MP-1 (set to Plexi Marshally tone)
Alesis Quadraverb (in stereo with the same FX+panning as above list)
Power Amp
2 1X12s

I'll post the dry, unadulterated clips of the actual "Runnin' With The Devil" tracks; SM57s on speaker, no studio processing... in next post.
 
Re: What is the "best" VH1 in a box dirt box?

Here are the two track snippets from the actual recording of "Runnin' With The Devil", before studio processing:





So, I would theorize, if you can get similar to that tone (which really isn't all that spectacular, thus proving how much studio gear can make things shine), then slab on the studio mustard using whatever devices are at your disposal, you've got it.
 
Back
Top