EVH Balance tone?

  • Thread starter Thread starter SkyhighRocks
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SkyhighRocks

SkyhighRocks

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i've been searching for, what to me, is the perfect recorded guitar tone....to my ears. It's come down to Van Halen's Balance. I prefer it far and away more than the razor blade sounds of the early records (even though I love those too). What the heck did he use on that album? I've heard soldano, 5150, his old marshalls,etc. Have any of you guys with axe-fxs try to get close to this tone?
 
i would be curious to know this as well. i think that was there best record and his best tone by far. i have always heard the original 5150's and soldanos were what he used to get that tone, but i have never had anyone actually know for sure ...
 
His tone on Balance was heavy, smooth and CLEAR all at once. It's the tone I want to have. :lol: :LOL:
 
Balance was all 5150's with the exception of his old Marshall that was used on a few tunes...Aftershock being one of them. When they toured he used the 5150 combo's as heads

Balance is also my favorite VH tone :rock: Also, give a lot of credit to Bruce Fairbairn
 
That sound is all Eventide H3000 micropitchshifting and lots of gain in a W/D/W setup. +9/-9 cents micropitchsift left and right, 500 ms delay R, 250 ms delay L. If you do this and set the amp right, it IS the Balance tone. Axe does it fine with that pitchshifting...

Steve
 
FlyAngus from this forum has had the Balance tone absolutely NAILED before with both a Soldano SLO and also an AxeFX. He was playing both rigs while we were talking one night on Skype and i swear it was like listening to the Balance album tone.

Also there's something about the tone from the EBMM EVH/Axis guitars. They really work perfect for that tone!
 
would this work with a standard? I've never actually used the pitch before.
 
SkyhighRocks":33pkb8j7 said:
would this work with a standard? I've never actually used the pitch before.
Click to expand...

Should work perfectly fine with the Standard :)
 
I guess my question is...do i use 2 amps or 2 cabs? I run direct....where would the detuner go in the chain? After the cabs?
 
SkyhighRocks":1p1xph4m said:
I guess my question is...do i use 2 amps or 2 cabs? I run direct....where would the detuner go in the chain? After the cabs?
Click to expand...
If PA's were you're playing at are mostly run in stereo, you could have a massive live tone with the detune effect in stereo plus add a nice stereo ping pong delay you can set with tapping to each songs tempo. Brain May has a huge sound doing this type of thing live as well.
 
Baluchitherium has got to be one of my favorite VH songs.!

Don't forget the Peavey Wolfgang!
 
Doubleneck":1zynpa5q said:
Baluchitherium has got to be one of my favorite VH songs.!

Don't forget the Peavey Wolfgang!
Click to expand...

that song and amsterdam are two of my fav's from that album :rock: :rock: :rock:
 
5150's and the magic marshall is what eddie has always said.
balance is my favorite guitar tone too.


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I'm no longer a big EVH fan like I was in my 20's, but that's definitely my favorite EVH tone. I loved the supporting tour too; Collective Soul opened for them.
 
I think EVH used the Marshall on Aftershock and Can't Stop Lovin' You (cleaner tones), but the 5150s or Soldanos on the heavier tunes.

Listen to the album with headphones. His "dry" signal is on the left side and the grease is on the right. Way back when on the
VHML (VH e-mail list) there was a list of easter eggs to be found. On the song the Seventh Seal, you can hear a bee buzzing into the
microphone if you listen closely. Ed also used a 335 I believe on the solo for Big Fat Money.

Crazily enough, Peavey's Tubefex preamp has a patch called Browncake (the default 1st patch) that cops the
major gist of the tone on Balance.

Or as others have said, the +9 and -9 on the detune into a dirty amp w/ some delay will get you in the ballpark.
 
sah5150":17lbt2hf said:
That sound is all Eventide H3000 micropitchshifting and lots of gain in a W/D/W setup. +9/-9 cents micropitchsift left and right, 500 ms delay R, 250 ms delay L. If you do this and set the amp right, it IS the Balance tone. Axe does it fine with that pitchshifting...

Steve
Click to expand...

Quoted for the info and future programming :thumbsup:
 
Doubleneck":z03unvgq said:
Baluchitherium has got to be one of my favorite VH songs.!

Don't forget the Peavey Wolfgang!
Click to expand...

Man I was coming back from New Hampshire in my Jeep Wrangler back in the day, top down and had around 1000 watts of Rockford Fosgate installed in it. Got caugh caught in traffic on I91 in Springfield and had this tune just dimed with the sun shining........................good times.
 
quinnethan":h1wp9xhm said:
Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) was my favorite on that album. Love the tone on the opening riff.
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that is a killer song as well .... for as simple as that opening riff is, the tone makes it a totally badass riff ... :rock:

i need to go dig out this album, all this talk about it has me in the mood to listen to it
 
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