EVH Dual Variacs

Exo-metal

Exo-metal

Well-known member
Have any you went through any of the concepts of dual variacs? I read the old articles and I remember Ed saying he ran his amps down to 2ohms. Using a auto transformer as a volume control is basic but between the cab isn't a wide spread conversation but if you read between the lines it applies. He was very secretive. I need to look at the old pics of his variac that can be seen to look at how many cables are connected. Here is a clip from a guy using one between his amp and cab. He took down one that explained how he did it but I'll never forget it. His use of chording is worth noting.

https://forum.metropoulos.net/viewtopic.php?t=44904&start=15

https://forum.metropoulos.net/viewt...urn down,to cause high frequency oscillations.

 
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so interesting! so if i’m understanding this correctly

do you have to adapt the variac #2 NEMA 3-prong ac type plug to a 1/4” speaker cable to plug into the amp’s speaker out, and then make a similar adapter to go from variac #2 3-prong outlet to a second 1/4” speaker cable to connect to the cabinet?
 
Exo-metal said:
Have any you went through any of the concepts of dual variacs? I read the old articles and I remember Ed saying he ran his amps down to 2ohms. Using a auto transformer as a volume control is basic but between the cab isn't a wide spread conversation but if you read between the lines it applies. He was very secretive. I need to look at the old pics of his variac that can be seen to look at how many cables are connected. Here is a clip from a guy using one between his amp and cab. He took down one that explained how he did it but I'll never forget it. His use of chording is worth noting.

https://forum.metropoulos.net/viewtopic.php?t=44904&start=15

https://forum.metropoulos.net/viewtopic.php?t=24736#:~:text=The socket on the variac,plugs into your speaker cabinet.&text=Now as you turn down,to cause high frequency oscillations.

Click to expand...

That sounds right.
 
It will work and the clip I posted is using two of them. Whether it was stupid or not Ed tried everything. The variac between the head and cab is just a passive variable coil...it isn't plugged into the VAC source.
 
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Arch Stanton said:
This had to be the single dumbest thing MetroAmp forum ever came up with.

:ROFLMAO:
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This seems to apply.
Screenshot_20240206-192746_Chrome.jpg
Screenshot_20240206-193920_Chrome.jpg
 
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Let's see more pics of his variac then. I know there's a few.
Instead of saying it is stupid educate us and explain why this will not work. It would be helpful.
 
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Exo-metal said:
Let's see more pics of his variac then. I know there's a few.
Instead of saying it is stupid educate us and explain why this will not work. It would be helpful.
Click to expand...
I read up on it; it is interesting and certainly possible to do. The one thing I took away from it though, the tone although nicely 'squished' is also very trebly and harsh according to the thread I read. Which can work well if that's what one wants.
After hearing though, the iso tracks for On Fire I'm convinced that Eds amp tone is mostly a stock amp, with a few changes, using the 1 Variac....because that ISO tone is NOT bright and hairy like the record. That tells me the studio added that brightness/hair. Or, they favored the JBL mic more in the final mix because that speaker WILL give up that brightness. The gain on that ISO track isn't much different from my 72 50 after putting the well documented 'fat cap' in.
The Iso On Fire track sounds almost dead nuts to any VHII track.
 
Metroamp didn't come up with this idea/theory for the two variacs. The proposed idea was from Chris Merren as to the function of the second variac besides being there for a back up rig. Was Merren correct in his theory? Who knows, there are plenty of amp setups like Jim Gaustad's, Suhr's Sl68 that get THE TONE with just one variac for the main amps input voltage. Did Ed use this early in the club days before there were attenuators? Anything is possible. I tend to lean towards the Jose load box for the load and then using Marshalls, Musicmans, Fender bandmasters, bassmans/showmans for the power amps.

Yes you need to rewire the 120 standard plug to be a speaker cable with the correct polarities and Merren stated the optimum setting on the second variac was 90 VAC but I guess you could turn it down further but I was also using a Rivera Rockcrusher attenuator to remove volume in this setup as well. I have used this in the past and it does provide some interesting ready to explode harmonic feedback/hair but in a good way and it does knock off some more DB when set to 90 VAC in the dial. I never turned it down past 90 VAC when I tried it.

I also would not say that it provided that MAGIC thing to get VH1 tone since just variacing the main amp down to 70-85 VAC provides most everything we hear in Ed's tone. My conclusion is the second variac was used for the back up rig at least live but you are free to experiment and have some fun. It does sound better than what I hear in the JNEW/Mightmike YT clips but you do hear the amp ready to explode feedback that I mentioned.

Ossie Ahsen got some information from the Greg Renoff interview of Don Landee that when he was asked if Ed's amp was ungodly loud in the studio Don said "Ed's amp was the quietest Marshall he had ever heard in the studio." Quote is at 4:30 in Ossie's video.
 

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Here's the deal. If a man wants to play his amp at 117V he'll plug the AC cord into the wall. If a woman wants to play her amp at the same voltage, she'll daisy chain two variacs together. The first one set to 90V and the second one to ramp up the voltage back to 117V. Then she can say her way was the right way :doh:
 
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