311splawndude
Well-known member
Until the TS comes back to answer my question we are all just talking to ourselves. 
Duncan Distortion for VH1 tone ?
- Thread starter Cless357
- Start date
M@tt C
Well-known member
His videos are AWESOME! That turned me on to Jalen for VH style pickups.. I have the Fair Warning in two guitars and they are KILLER.
The Origin would be an excellent choice for the VH1 tonaz.
scottosan
Well-known member
The PAF Eddie used came from a 61 ES335. By then, Gibson standardized on the short RC A5. So unless it was swapped, it would be the short A5. The short A5 sits in between a regular A5 and A2. It fatter and less shrill.
Rdodson
Well-known member
The Fair Warning is what I have in my Charvel HRF.
There are two distinct tones on VH1, obviously. The Destroyer is gainier and fatter, the Frank is less gainy and more scooped.
The main difference between the tones in VH1 and VH2 is the fact that Ed got the Seymour (or Seymour rewound the PAF, but that gets hazy and even Ed didn't remember back in the 90s when I was working with the band) pickup bringing more (not exactly) in line with the Destroyer, which wasn't used to record with any longer.
Eventually he missed the more pure PAF sound and put one back in the Frank for a bit after the recording of WACF, complete with nickel cover.
There are two distinct tones on VH1, obviously. The Destroyer is gainier and fatter, the Frank is less gainy and more scooped.
The main difference between the tones in VH1 and VH2 is the fact that Ed got the Seymour (or Seymour rewound the PAF, but that gets hazy and even Ed didn't remember back in the 90s when I was working with the band) pickup bringing more (not exactly) in line with the Destroyer, which wasn't used to record with any longer.
Eventually he missed the more pure PAF sound and put one back in the Frank for a bit after the recording of WACF, complete with nickel cover.
Thanks !Welcome to Rig-Talk
There are lots of choices. What guitar and what amp will you be using?
I use an homemade Ash strat with a maple neck, and a Ceriatone 68 plexi clone. Currently, my guitar is loaded with a GFS VEH, and even if I don't have a lot of gear experiences to compare this cheap pickup with more famous ones (and I would be curious to hear any opinions about the GFS VEH if anyone has ever used it), I must say I am quite satisfied with it, even if sometimes I wonder what I could get with a more agressive pickup.
Actually, this thread was more for curiosity : I often see the Dimarzio Super Distortion mentionned as a potential early VH pickup for its agressivity and the ceramic properties, but never the Duncan Distortion.
For me, the DSD seems too bassy, and I am not really a fan of the tone of the band who used it. Sure it has more a vintage vibe than the DD, but doesn't seem to have the cut the Duncan possess. But I understand the latter can be too "modern" or tight, even if I am not sure if this coul be a problem with a cranked plexi which is not really a tight amp by itself. Anyway, maybe a smaller ceramic magnet could counter that ? Or a kind of mix of the DSD an the DD
hammered
Well-known member
He still used the Destroyer on VH ll from what I’ve read
I think he borrowed Chris Holmes Ibanez Destroyer for that record.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he had cut-up his Destroyer (Shark), right after VH1 was recorded.
marvcus
Well-known member
This
hammered
Well-known member
The Chris Holmes Destroyer was for the women and children first album . Supposedly he recorded Fools with the shark on the women and children first album and on VH ll he recorded dance the night away , outta love again and women in love with the shark. That’s what I read in The Inside fanzine thats long out of publication. Yes after the first album was recorded he cut it up but he still continued to use it liveI think he borrowed Chris Holmes Ibanez Destroyer for that record.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe he had cut-up his Destroyer (Shark), right after VH1 was recorded.
I always defer to my buddy Allen Garber (garbeaj) for this sort of VH minutiae, but since the "Shark" appears in the music video for "You Really Got Me" I think I'm correct abut the timeline on this guitar.
hammered
Well-known member
He recorded VH1 when the guitar was white. He then hacked it up and as you pointed out he used it in the promo videos and took it out on tour for VH1 . He possibly recorded some songs for Van Halen ll on it in its hacked up form , no pics of it have surfaced of him using it on the Van Halen ll tour . There’s a few pics of him using it on the 1980 women and children first tour
I've heard rumors that an awful lot of VHII was recorded during the VHI sessions, and just kept "in the can" for the second record.
311splawndude
Well-known member
OK. Carry on then
Just checking. I've seen thousands of threads (not so much here on R-T) where someone asks for xyz pickup with everyone and their brother throwing out all kinds of options only to have the TS (thread starter) tell us they have a plywood strat and a Marshall MG
311splawndude
Well-known member
Hey now. I like the Balance toneThat's for the "Balance" tone.
Besides, I've never heard any rumor about VHII being left overs from the VH1 sessions. I mean, there are YT videos of dudes in the production of that album talking about it and they don't talk about that.
This one:
Cool recording breakdown from guys at Sunset Studios
As well, the two albums do not sound that much alike either
But honestly - I don't know.
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marvcus
Well-known member
I like Balance too! And that would’ve been probably the bridge Dimarzio EVH Blackback, which was a variation/repro of the broken JB from his 5150Hey now. I like the Balance tone
Besides, I've never heard any rumor about VHII being left overs from the VH1 sessions. I mean, there are YT videos of dudes in the production of that album talking about it and they don't talk about that. As well, the two albums do not sound that much alike either
But honestly - I don't know.
harddriver
Well-known member
Here's some homework for you and your ears so you can judge for yourself. Ossie Ahsen compares these following pickups for VH1 tone.
Duncan PAF
Duncan 78'
Duncan Frankenstien
Mighty Mite 1800
Mighty Mite 1400
Mighty Mie 1300
Ibanez Super 70
Vintage DImarzio Super Distortion
DiMarzio SUper Distortion new issue
DiMarzio Super II
As for my opinion on VH1 Tone, the one that ticks all the boxes that my ears hear would be a Mighty Mite 1400. Then followed by a MM1300. Then a Seymour Duncan 78 model PAF. The Duncan SH-5 custom isn't bad but I think anything over 13K has too much mids and they are less balanced like a PAF. I think anything from 8.5K-13K works best IMHO. Then the rest depends on your ears and what your ears like because really you can make quite a few pickups for for VH1 but my ears tell me it was a Mighty Mite 1400 or 1300. Now Gaustad can make a PAF work just fine if you got the chops, fire and attack in your playing.
Here is my 2009 Duncan 78 model wound by MJ doing most things ED through a 1969 Marshall Ed spec superlead with NOS parts with a Lar/Mar PPIMV. I still feel the MM1400 is more exact for VH1 but the SD78 model sounds damn good for VH1 stuff but especially excellent for VHII.
Duncan PAF
Duncan 78'
Duncan Frankenstien
Mighty Mite 1800
Mighty Mite 1400
Mighty Mie 1300
Ibanez Super 70
Vintage DImarzio Super Distortion
DiMarzio SUper Distortion new issue
DiMarzio Super II
As for my opinion on VH1 Tone, the one that ticks all the boxes that my ears hear would be a Mighty Mite 1400. Then followed by a MM1300. Then a Seymour Duncan 78 model PAF. The Duncan SH-5 custom isn't bad but I think anything over 13K has too much mids and they are less balanced like a PAF. I think anything from 8.5K-13K works best IMHO. Then the rest depends on your ears and what your ears like because really you can make quite a few pickups for for VH1 but my ears tell me it was a Mighty Mite 1400 or 1300. Now Gaustad can make a PAF work just fine if you got the chops, fire and attack in your playing.
Here is my 2009 Duncan 78 model wound by MJ doing most things ED through a 1969 Marshall Ed spec superlead with NOS parts with a Lar/Mar PPIMV. I still feel the MM1400 is more exact for VH1 but the SD78 model sounds damn good for VH1 stuff but especially excellent for VHII.
311splawndude
Well-known member
^ yeah - that's good stuff harddriver. I remember that comparison. This thread is turning out to be a contender for my VH Tribute thread 