Van Halen F.U.C.K. album

[HilltopExplosion]

If you watch Runaround video, several times you will see an amp head on a stack of speakers. You can't really make out what it is. At the end of the video you see 3 full stacks of speakers with Peavey on them.. does this mean anything? noooooboody knooooowws... . I can damn near nail that tone with my Be100 fx running out to a digitech tsr12, fx return back into my 6505+ and BE100, into EVH cabs. Amp is set up for LOUD!! Just turn down your guitar volume knob.

 

[Jayy]

If you watch Runaround video, several times you will see an amp head on a stack of speakers. You can't really make out what it is. At the end of the video you see 3 full stacks of speakers with Peavey on them.. does this mean anything? noooooboody knooooowws... . I can damn near nail that tone with my Be100 fx running out to a digitech tsr12, fx return back into my 6505+ and BE100, into EVH cabs. Amp is set up for LOUD!! Just turn down your guitar volume knob.

Yeah, I can nail that tone with my BE-100 running through micropitch shift on either of my Eventides running W/D/W too. I swear I'm almost convinced his Peavey 5150 amps used on the F.U.C.K. tour were either not actually Peavey 5150s at all, or at the least were VERY heavily modded Peaveys. I have absolutely ZERO proof of that and don't want to start rumors of it. I'm just going by what my ears tell me having played a couple of Peaveys.

 

[Mr. Willy]

If you watch Runaround video, several times you will see an amp head on a stack of speakers. You can't really make out what it is. At the end of the video you see 3 full stacks of speakers with Peavey on them.. does this mean anything? noooooboody knooooowws... . I can damn near nail that tone with my Be100 fx running out to a digitech tsr12, fx return back into my 6505+ and BE100, into EVH cabs. Amp is set up for LOUD!! Just turn down your guitar volume knob.

Yeah, I can nail that tone with my BE-100 running through micropitch shift on either of my Eventides running W/D/W too. I swear I'm almost convinced his Peavey 5150 amps used on the F.U.C.K. tour were either not actually Peavey 5150s at all, or at the least were VERY heavily modded Peaveys. I have absolutely ZERO proof of that and don't want to start rumors of it. I'm just going by what my ears tell me having played a couple of Peaveys.

I thought F.U.C.K. was SLO. Maybe the tour was, too? I dunno. I thought the 5150 amps didn't appear on album until Balance.

 

[agbiggs]

If you listen to the recent live album, or saw the tour where Ed's using the 5153, it sounds NOTHING like the earlier tones. Not just the lack of the detune, but massively more gain. Sure, the Peavey 5150's not the same amp as the 5153, but I can easily believe Jayy that Ed didn't use a 5150 on the FUCK tour.

 

[CP5150]

Ed used peavey amps live from Carnal Knowledge until at least the III tour. Possibly even the 2004 tour. When I saw them live it was obvious to my ears he was using the 5150. And YT clips back it up. I was lucky enough to be close enough and on Ed's that I could hear his cabs. Not the house pa. in '91 and two '93 shows. A few years ago I watched a clip from the euro leg of the '93 tour and was all that sounds too good to be a 5150. Plugged mine in and it was the same. Minus the detune. Plus I saw his guitar pit with my own two eyes on the III tour. All Peavey heads out of the shell.

Ed claimed to use the 5150 on the album. We know now he didn't. At least not as much as he led us to believe. He used that SLO CAE preamp. X-88? Whatever it was called he liked it and he liked the SLO sounds. My 5150 head and matching cab(I have two of each) has always sounded exactly like Carnal Knowledge. Judgement Day is what I go by. My point is Ed made the Peavey sound like what he was into at the time. And contrary to popular belief there's a little old VH in that amp too.

And as for him using too much gain these days, yes he does. But it's not a new to the EVH 5150 III. Yes it has crazy gain and I know he uses the 100s. But in the room I dare anyone to tell me the difference between my old PV 5150 and my 5150 III red channel. They are twin brothers. Yeah a little different. Yet the same. Blue channel. Well that's not fair. Old PV can't compete there.

And as for his use of Eventide. It's always been there. Ice Cream Man call and response at the end. Lot of phaser there. And h910. Or 949. Whatever he was using. And before you say I'm crazy, which I am listen to that and then the solos on Bottoms Up! They are the same and have Eventide all over them. Once you recognize that sound it's easier to hear it. It's also all over Fair Warning. My first interview I read from Ed. Very early '80s. Probably '81 he said he liked that clock works sound. I didn't know what he meant until I saw on in a music store.

 

[reverymike]

The 5150 was just getting finished up when they recorded FUCK. He did use the SLO, CAE pre, and the 5150 proto on the album. As for the guys saying that he didn't use the 5150 live, I'd say you're wrong. My 5150 sounded just like that live tone, minus the harmonizer. There was no secret to what he was using at that time. No conspiracy.

 

[Jayy]

The 5150 was just getting finished up when they recorded FUCK. He did use the SLO, CAE pre, and the 5150 proto on the album. As for the guys saying that he didn't use the 5150 live, I'd say you're wrong. My 5150 sounded just like that live tone, minus the harmonizer. There was no secret to what he was using at that time. No conspiracy.

You very well may be right that it was stock Peavey 5150s being used live, but I just don't hear it given the two Peavey 5150 amps that I've heard and played. Then again, the ones I played did not run through a rack full of effects, EQ, W/D/W, mikes on each cab being mixed and out to a massive PA system, etc. They also did not have Ed playing them.

Also, who the hell really knows what speakers were in all of those cabs? I assume at least greenbacks in the dry center cab, but then WHICH greenbacks? Old well broken in blackbacks, later greenbacks, etc. Also, were the live wet cabs loaded with the Peavey speakers developed for the 5150 cabs or celestion G12T75s, or something else?? Who really knows. I VERY RARELY speak in absolutes when discussing that sumbitch's tone!

 

[Bronco]

The 5150 was just getting finished up when they recorded FUCK. He did use the SLO, CAE pre, and the 5150 proto on the album. As for the guys saying that he didn't use the 5150 live, I'd say you're wrong. My 5150 sounded just like that live tone, minus the harmonizer. There was no secret to what he was using at that time. No conspiracy.

Yeah this is what John Suhr has said as well. Ed has said that Balance was the last time he used his 12301 Marshall ("Seventh Seal", I think?), so he probably used on bits and pieces of FUCK also. That's just an assertion though.

 

[reverymike]

I had an early block letter 5150 and the core tone was pretty much dead-on what I hear when I listen to that era. Even the stock Sheffield speakers were good.

When you get those amps up to volume, they really do sound great.

 

[CP5150]

Pleasure dome is his Marshall and Steinberger guitar. Top of the World may be the Marshall and Flying V. I can't recall at the moment. There's moments On F.U.C.K where I think I hear Marshall. And there's moments I'm sure it's that SLO 5150 type sound. Solo to runaround pops to mind as SLO 5150. Dream Is Over intro right down to the open string lick sounds like my Peavey to me. And I just played it and listened to at several times on Fri to remind myself.

Balance I have a harder time telling what he's using. It's a bit cleaner than his previous 5150 tones. I usually look for that extra gain stage/fizzes sizzle of a 5150. Hard to tell sometimes.

I played with a drummer who also played guitar for a while. He was a huge Boogie fan and tried to sell me on some combo. DC10? DC30? He had a dual recto. Anyway after our first time jamming he said he was suprised how good my 5150 sounded and also suprised at how little gain I used. He was expecting bumble bees I guess. Years later he tried several times to buy one of my heads from me. Nope. Not for sale. I usually let people dog the 5150. I like having it as almost a secret weapon. And the cab is way better than most people say. C'mon. It's a copy of Ed's favorite cab! I knew he sent his cab to Peavey and said copy it. I didn't know until the last couple years he did the same for the head. Sent his Marshall and an SLO and said copy these in a two channel head. Rhythym being Marshal and lead SLO. The level of success is debatable. But that was the goal.

 

[Rdodson]

Top of the World is Flying V + 12301 on the basic track. Obviously some FR-equipped piece on the lead. My favorite tone of Ed's has always been the Flying V + Marshall. Drop Dead Legs, Girl Gone Bad, Hot for Teacher. Just awesome.

 

[reverymike]

Intro to The Dream Is Over is definitely the CAE preamp. I remember Suhr talking about that specifically.

 

[Bronco]

Top of the World is Flying V + 12301 on the basic track. Obviously some FR-equipped piece on the lead. My favorite tone of Ed's has always been the Flying V + Marshall. Drop Dead Legs, Girl Gone Bad, Hot for Teacher. Just awesome.

Ron, any idea what pups might have been in the V?

 

[Stradazone]

Top of the World is Flying V + 12301 on the basic track. Obviously some FR-equipped piece on the lead. My favorite tone of Ed's has always been the Flying V + Marshall. Drop Dead Legs, Girl Gone Bad, Hot for Teacher. Just awesome.

Solo on Drop Dead Legs had whammy bar, no Flying V there..

 

[SLOgriff]

 

[Jayy]

Yep. That's right in the F.U.C.K. tour time period. I still tend to think he likely as not was using an SLO on tour and not the Peavey. I'm not sure of it, have no proof of it, have no solid evidence of it, but I sure as hell suspect it and suspect he kept it hidden. The next time Ed comes over to hang out I'll ask him what the hell he was actually using on tour. Everybody hold your breathe waiting on that to happen. lol.

 

[justinashouri]

i love eruption!

 

[Bluplirst]

i love eruption!

I like turtles!

 

[Rick Lee]

Solo on Drop Dead Legs had whammy bar, no Flying V there..

There are at least three guitars in that outro. Before the outro there is no whammy bar. If you watch the videos from the 2015 tour, when they played DDL, Ed was sliding back and forth between 3rd and 5th fret on A string for the part that sounds like a whammy in the main riff. I've been working on this one a lot recently and have it down pretty well. No whammy until the outro, which means he could have been using the V.

As for Girl Gone Bad, when I do those real high bends in the solo, I have to keep the heel of my right hand pressed down on the bridge to keep it flush. I use .010s and only two springs, but those bends really pull on the bridge. When I do that on my Les Paul (no whammy), it's a lot easier.

 

[Bronco]

i love eruption!

I like turtles!