Guitar tone on Van Halen - 1984 - Top Jimmy

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zee1usa

zee1usa

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What do you guys think of his guitar tone?


What VH song/album showcases his best tone?
 
That album had some great tone. My all time favorite though, has to be there balance album, and the song amsterdam in particular
 
I love the tone of 1984, SLO primarily I think. Doesn't hurt that it's loaded with killer songs.
 
Mudder":125jkd4f said:
I love the tone of 1984, SLO primarily I think. Doesn't hurt that it's loaded with killer songs.
No it was his Plexi. SLO wasn't born 'till '87.
 
I think "Top Jimmy" was recorded with his Ripley Stereo Guitar. It has a PAN control for each one of the strings
 
Definitely NOT Soldano.

It was a Marshall, with a very slight shift from an Eventide H910. Great tone. For that tune, it is correct that he used a Ripley guitar that handled the crazy panning of the strings.
 
fishyfishfish":2qe1erl8 said:
I think "Top Jimmy" was recorded with his Ripley Stereo Guitar. It has a PAN control for each one of the strings

this is correct- listen on headphones- jumps around all over the place, each string is panned hard one way or the other. Cool

edit- which of course means he used 2 amps/cabs to play top jimmy as well
 
petethorn":129vo4zs said:
fishyfishfish":129vo4zs said:
I think "Top Jimmy" was recorded with his Ripley Stereo Guitar. It has a PAN control for each one of the strings

this is correct- listen on headphones- jumps around all over the place, each string is panned hard one way or the other. Cool

edit- which of course means he used 2 amps/cabs to play top jimmy as well


Did the Ripley guitar have single coils or a way to split it's humbuckers? I hardly remember that thing but Top Jimmy sounds like singles to me.
 
Outside of HFT, 1984 is my least favorite guitar tone album. The best album tones are 2, FW and Balance...
 
danyeo":307twj4d said:
petethorn":307twj4d said:
fishyfishfish":307twj4d said:
I think "Top Jimmy" was recorded with his Ripley Stereo Guitar. It has a PAN control for each one of the strings

this is correct- listen on headphones- jumps around all over the place, each string is panned hard one way or the other. Cool

edit- which of course means he used 2 amps/cabs to play top jimmy as well


Did the Ripley guitar have single coils or a way to split it's humbuckers? I hardly remember that thing but Top Jimmy sounds like singles to me.

actually i dunno- it was made by Bartolini (the pickup) and was housed in a humbucker-sized housing... but it's 6 individual pickups in there, one for each string, with pans for every string. Geez I have a great story about this guitar, but alas, not now... another time.
 
Fair Warning is considered by many to be the best in terms of an album as a whole, and for tone and playing. I'd agree, but for me there's something about the tones and vibe on Women and Children First. The album is raw, kinda loosey-goosey,...leans dark, greasey-ass blues moments, slightly odd moments like Loss of Control and Tora Tora,....I love that record.

1984's got some great tones as well -- love House Of Pain.
 
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