Our Eddie Van Halen Jose Arredondo load box video went viral

EXPcustom

EXPcustom

Well-known member
So Mark Cameron and I made a video for someone here showing how Eddie Van Halen used a Jose load box. This load box was made by Jose Arrendondo and I believe was one of three. This was discussed in detail by Mark Cameron on the old Metro Amp forums many years ago but no one has ever made a clip of it. Lots of controversy and I believe a few people claimed to have made a true replica of it and sold it as such. Unfortunately that is not the truth they got close but what Mark was never able to figure out was the make and model of the transformer in the box.

Yes it was examined by Sergio at Mercury Magnetics but to really find out what it was it would require human vivisection. As in it would have to be cut open. So Mark decided to leave it as is.



...and honestly it was my fault the video got leaked, I sent it to someone who was into our profiles and he posted it on Facebook so I just went ahead and posted it on Youtube. It was up for close to a year but last week it went viral so here you guys go.

I'm hoping to do more cool videos like this with Mark and we will do a "correct" video of this load box with "real" Marshall plexis in the near future.

 
First of all: thanks a lot for sharing the info. Very interesting to watch! So great to get things like that uncovered.

A question on the topic: I understand the practical value of the load and the sound impact of the resulting W/D/W setup, but does it really change the basic sound, hence is a part of the brown sound? Was it even there for VH1?

Ciao Alex
 
Alex_S":227od4ub said:
First of all: thanks a lot for sharing the info. Very interesting to watch! So great to get things like that uncovered.

A question on the topic: I understand the practical value of the load and the sound impact of the resulting W/D/W setup, but does it really change the basic sound, hence is a part of the brown sound? Was it even there for VH1?

Ciao Alex
Click to expand...

Honestly I was never that into the EVH stuff to answer your question correctly but I will ask Mark and post the answer here in a day or so along with anyone else who has questions.

What I do know is by VHII he was using those power amps and I believe the load bx went away but like I said I will get the answers from Mark and post them here in a day or so.

One more thing I want to add is we used the Mesa IIC+ because we had no other amp and what would have been ideal is either a non master metal plate or plexi Marshall from 67-74.
 
From my knowledge he used an actual speaker in an enclosed box for a load for wdw but that was around 83 precursor to 1984. I saw his rig in 1979 marshalls and laneys no variacs.
 
EXPcustom":w0mebubb said:
Alex_S":w0mebubb said:
First of all: thanks a lot for sharing the info. Very interesting to watch! So great to get things like that uncovered.

A question on the topic: I understand the practical value of the load and the sound impact of the resulting W/D/W setup, but does it really change the basic sound, hence is a part of the brown sound? Was it even there for VH1?

Ciao Alex
Click to expand...

Honestly I was never that into the EVH stuff to answer your question correctly but I will ask Mark and post the answer here in a day or so along with anyone else who has questions.

What I do know is by VHII he was using those power amps and I believe the load bx went away but like I said I will get the answers from Mark and post them here in a day or so.

One more thing I want to add is we used the Mesa IIC+ because we had no other amp and what would have been ideal is either a non master metal plate or plexi Marshall from 67-74.
Click to expand...


Thanks a lot! :thumbsup:
 
Just curious but why go into the clean channel instead of the effects Return of the IIC+?

Is the bias adjusted as the variac is adjusted?

Back story on cerrum? He knows stuff...but not sure when you'd get it back.
 
SpiderWars":fnwe2ggm said:
Just curious but why go into the clean channel instead of the effects Return of the IIC+?

Is the bias adjusted as the variac is adjusted?

Back story on cerrum? He knows stuff...but not sure when you'd get it back.
Click to expand...

That's the idea is to use the tone stack to shape the tone like EVH did, that's why you use the input not the effects return. We only used the Mesa because we did not at the time have another plexi to use.

As for the other guy, well him and Mark got into it in the comments section in the video, then he deleted his comments. That's all, lets just put it this way, he doesn't believe in the "load box". I'm not trying to say anything bad about the guy.
 
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