Mike Soldano talks about EVH's Marshall

  • Thread starter Thread starter yngzaklynch
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I wouldn't believe a thing either of those guys (Friedman or ESPECIALLY that crook Bradshaw) said...they are paid to keep artist's secrets.
 
Whatever anyone thinks of them, EVH's gear photos are around from those times as well, and the H&H amps for instance do pop up in 1984 just like Dave Friedman says.
 
Would EVH tell Friedman, " Sure Dave, tell everyone everything about my gear", or would he say, "Listen, keep your mouth shut" ?
 
paulyc":34jk93cb said:
Would EVH tell Friedman, " Sure Dave, tell everyone everything about my gear", or would he say, "Listen, keep your mouth shut" ?
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I highly doubt either of you have a clue what Dave and Ed talk about.
 
There is no conspiracy and Ed doesn't care, especially now. Back before the internet was widespread (and especially in the late 70's) there was a whole "hush-hush" air to things. But that quit ages ago. What was meant to be mysterious back in the day has given way to accessibility now, especially for the artists like VH who aren't the young, hip, "relevant" acts.

Roth told Eddie to lie because Eddie was terrible in interviews. Terrible. Ed is (was) very insecure; made more so by the drug use and heavy drinking.

We all know people who are insecure and have to lie to make things interesting. Ed was one of those guys. Sober (which was rare) he was a really nice, humble guy who could be a pretty good conversationalist if he was comfortable about the subject.

But Paul, trust me. There is no conspiracy. Guys aren't getting paid to keep anything secret, except maybe Matt Bruck - and Matt doesn't know anything much about the old days (from personal experience at least).
 
He cares...trust me. He bought all the same shit for 5150 studios that was at Sunset Sound to try and replicate that sound, and he can't...so why would he want someone else to come along and do it ? They used that piece of shit Urei console until they put the API board in for F.U.C.K., why would he buy everything, and I mean EVERYTHING if he didn't give a shit...EQs, compressors, console, tape machines, EMT plate, etc... And it's not that I think guys are being "paid" to keep their mouths shut...it's more of keep your mouth shut if you want to do business with me kind of thing...my .02
 
paulyc":wdo5wouw said:
He cares...trust me. He bought all the same shit for 5150 studios that was at Sunset Sound to try and replicate that sound, and he can't...so why would he want someone else to come along and do it ? They used that piece of shit Urei console until they put the API board in for F.U.C.K., why would he buy everything, and I mean EVERYTHING if he didn't give a shit...EQs, compressors, console, tape machines, EMT plate, etc... And it's not that I think guys are being "paid" to keep their mouths shut...it's more of keep your mouth shut if you want to do business with me kind of thing...my .02
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I love this topic. I also have a very stupid question: Are we talking about the studio sound on VHI/VHII or his 1978 live tone?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JeNjpwB_PM -- 1978 live tone.

If we're talking live tone, I think there are many amps that can get you there pretty darn close.

If studio, I am not so sure he's trying to replicate it. OK, there is compelling evidence that the magic Rose Palace amp has been touched by the likes of Jose, John Suhr, Peter Van Weelden, Reinhold Bogner, Dave Friedman, Steve Fryette, probably some dudes at Marshall, etc. He allowed all these dudes to touch the amp for some reason --getting it back to form from the 70's-era VH sounds plausible enough. If he did snap up all the Sunset Sound stuff, that would lend to your argument.

However, so much of that particular sound was engineered in the studio. He has gone on and on about how much he hates the panned hard left guitar and the echo/reverb panned hard right, which is so much of that sound. He had to be telling the truth because Van Halen, since what, 1984, has had the guitar split in stereo and has never revisited the VHI-type recording style. You ain't gonna get there without it.

Also, EVH could have his minions (Bruck etc) scour the earth for 1968 123xx serial number Super Leads all day. I am sure guys have offered them to Ed on many occasions. Shoot, my 1969 Plexi gets in the ballpark of that tone (aside from the other factors like hands, talent, speakers, guitars, pickups, etc.) I'd gladly let EVH use it if he wanted to go for that sound and was actively looking for donors to get back that tone.

That's the part that doesn't add up -- if he's going through all this trouble, as you said, why hasn't he released anything with that sound again? I honestly don't think he'd have any problem duplicating it with all the resources out there and I don't think a guy like, say, Dave Friedman, would have any problem cloning his original Super Lead to where it was indistinguishable vs. the original in its prime. EVH's hands are the same. Even if he has lost a step since 1978 technically, I'm sure he is more than up to being able to recreate that sound with his hands.
 
That is really the paradox...why hasn't he done it ? I agree with you that he hates reverb and being panned off to one side, and that is part of the sound...maybe he doesn't understand that...I don't know. But HE DID buy all the same gear for 5150 that they made their first record on, I know that...I also know that every amp he's put his name to has been high gain, not stock plexi gain, so my personal belief is Jose amp mods and/or the little white Fender Bandmaster dimed on 10 through the extension speaker jack only and blended into the recording and a bunch of studio polish (eq, compression, tape saturation, reverb, etc...). For guys that worshiped Led Zepplin, the rest of VHIs production, well, sucks. The guitar tone is magnificent, but the drums and especially the bass are weak...
 
I will say this...they've begged Don Landee to do another record with them, and he won't...I don't see them asking Ted Templeman.
I have the issue of Peavey's Monitor magazine from when the first 5150 came out and they published his settings...the pre-gain is at like 7 on the dial...that's a SHITLOAD more than a stock plexi. I also, for the life of me, don't understand why hs amps all have 6L6 tubes instead of EL34s...that's part of it right there IMO...
 
And, for the record, VHII sounds NOTHING like VHI...no high gain, no reverb, there's chorus and echo/delay (the infamous "jape") on the guitars all over the album...for those that haven't seen it, go watch Kurt Mitchell's VH instructional DVD...he goes through it all, and his amp is modded by Todd (A/DA MP-1) Langer I believe...
 
Why do you guys believe that Ed's tone is some kinda secret? I guess it's kind of like wanting to believe that Bigfoot is real.
 
Because if you listen to other players (even one's as good as Ed, like Gary Moore before his blues life took over his playing), I don't hear ANYONE playing through a Marshall that sounds like that...without a distortion box...Hendrix, Malmsteen, Moore, Page, Clapton...NOBODY has a sound that dirty.
 
You can also add Rhoads, Angus, Tom Scholz to that list...or, from a purely sound (not playing) standpoint, Ace Frehley.
 
Yeah, well VH1 was recorded in Studio 1 using Studio 1's echo chamber and VHII was recorded in Studio 2 and probably has plate reverb.

I don't know if EVH bought gear from Studio 1 or Studio 2 or Studio 3, but it didn't do much good in regards to a VH1 sound because EVH didn't go near the VH1 sound in his home studio recordings.

VHII is recorded in a different studio and the reverb is different and EVH is using his Echoplex somewhat sparingly on VHII (the Echoplex is all over VH1) and the whole thing sounds different to VH1 but there is nothing wrong with EVH's VHII gain as compared to VH1 gain.

Just take VHII's "Outta Love Again", it's done on the Destroyer and the Destroyer was exactly like in the photos below, with a white 13k ceramic Mighty Mite (Super Distortion clone) set right up near the strings and if anyone thinks that the gain level is lacking on "Outta Love Again" then whatever.

A pickup like the Mighty Mite can drive a Plexi into full on drive and EVH had a somewhat higher gain stock Plexi due to the circuit design Marshall was using at that time.

See my previous page post for EVH's Destroyer pickup for VHII and how it's set right up near the strings for max drive.

The Destroyer pickup is a pretty good comparison point for what sort of pickup was in the Franky and PAF isn't it, and it would be more like a 13k PAF rewind in the Franky IMO which is what the Duncan Custom was and Seymour advertised the Duncan Custom as the EVH pickup in 1979 for a short while until EVH stopped him.




 
paulyc":qr31gem0 said:
Because if you listen to other players (even one's as good as Ed, like Gary Moore before his blues life took over his playing), I don't hear ANYONE playing through a Marshall that sounds like that...without a distortion box...Hendrix, Malmsteen, Moore, Page, Clapton...NOBODY has a sound that dirty.
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I've played some bone stock Marshall Plexi's that when cranked had the same amount of gain I hear in the isolated tracks that are on the web. There is no mystery.
 
I never said he bought it FROM Sunset Sound, I said he bought the same stuff that Sunset sound had...

There is no recording by another artist ANYWHERE that sounds like that, and I'm not buying it's from a '69 spec stock amp...bullshit.
 
Alright, just say it's a modded amp with say an extra preamp stage, then why is EVH using a Mighty Mite (Super Distortion clone) set right up near the strings.

That would be fine for Heavy Metal, but EVH's gain is not that.
 
ejecta":3isht6d2 said:
paulyc":3isht6d2 said:
Because if you listen to other players (even one's as good as Ed, like Gary Moore before his blues life took over his playing), I don't hear ANYONE playing through a Marshall that sounds like that...without a distortion box...Hendrix, Malmsteen, Moore, Page, Clapton...NOBODY has a sound that dirty.
Click to expand...


I've played some bone stock Marshall Plexi's that when cranked had the same amount of gain I hear in the isolated tracks that are on the web. There is no mystery.
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Sure you have...
 
Rocksoff":3ahhttv8 said:
Yeah, well VH1 was recorded in Studio 1 using Studio 1's echo chamber and VHII was recorded in Studio 2 and probably has plate reverb.

I don't know if EVH bought gear from Studio 1 or Studio 2 or Studio 3, but it didn't do much good in regards to a VH1 sound because EVH didn't go near the VH1 sound in his home studio recordings.

VHII is recorded in a different studio and the reverb is different and EVH is using his Echoplex somewhat sparingly on VHII (the Echoplex is all over VH1) and the whole thing sounds different to VH1 but there is nothing wrong with EVH's VHII gain as compared to VH1 gain.

Just take VHII's "Outta Love Again", it's done on the Destroyer and the Destroyer was exactly like in the photos below, with a white 13k ceramic Mighty Mite (Super Distortion clone) set right up near the strings and if anyone thinks that the gain level is lacking on "Outta Love Again" then whatever.

A pickup like the Mighty Mite can drive a Plexi into full on drive and EVH had a somewhat higher gain stock Plexi due to the circuit design Marshall was using at that time.

See my previous page post for EVH's Destroyer pickup for VHII and how it's set right up near the strings for max drive.

The Destroyer pickup is a pretty good comparison point for what sort of pickup was in the Franky and PAF isn't it, and it would be more like a 13k PAF rewind in the Franky IMO which is what the Duncan Custom was and Seymour advertised the Duncan Custom as the EVH pickup in 1979 for a short while until EVH stopped him.




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Your statement about the spec of his amp being different enough is bullshit plain and simple, everyone knows the later metal panel amps are more aggressive than the plexis...so it should be EASIER to get that level of gain with, say, a '73 Marshall (generally regarded as the most aggressive) with either a DiMarzio Super Distortion or a Mighty Mite clone... go git 'er done.
 
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