Variac a Super Lead instead of attenuating

[rgorke]

First, in the Smithsonian interview, he said "80-90, 89 volts is the sweet spot" having heard Ed interviews, I would bet he meant 80-90v and just mumbled and said 89v but still great insight.

Second, on the Letterman Show, I can't imagine that they would have him using his amp. A TV studio is no where near the size of Gazzari's, It would have had to been at 40 volts. Maybe it is more for a prop? But then again, why would he schlep his #1 head and cabinet for a prop??

Then again, it is mic'd so the prop theory seems not likely.

So, not much to add being snowed in for two days with kids climbing the walls.

[rdodson]

Having been at a taping the bands play pretty loud. No lounge-act volume.

I'm sure Ed said, "yeah I'll bring my amp". Heck, he hauled it to the Farm Aid gig for 2/3 songs with Sammy. Remember, this is just 7/8 years removed from him hauling 2 or 3 4x12s plus 2 guitars plus pedalboard plus 2 or 3 heads around in a Volvo by himself, no roadie.

[Strat78]

Note to guitarist, see how important it is to use a non master amp with a nice 4x12! I think Ed only had to haul the amp over to Burbank studios from his house, I'm sure someone helped him load it into the car. I can fit a 4x12 into the trunk of my Passat by myself with two bad knees. I remember watching the Doc Severinsen band live at the tonight show years back, they were damn loud!

[rgalpin]

yeah, got to play to the volume of the drums at least. my SL w 2 tubes @ 60V is not loud enough to play along with a live drum kit. which reminds me... hmmmm... i have not tried this with all 4 tubes in.

[rgalpin]

First, in the Smithsonian interview, he said "80-90, 89 volts is the sweet spot" having heard Ed interviews, I would bet he meant 80-90v and just mumbled and said 89v ...

that sounds right to me. for him to say that the exact sweet spot was 89V would be a little bizarre. but then again maybe he had a metered variac and he knew that he did NOT want it over 90 so he would set it to "just under" 90V just as a bench mark. that be 89.

[rdodson]

Note to guitarist, see how important it is to use a non master amp with a nice 4x12! I think Ed only had to haul the amp over to Burbank studios from his house, I'm sure someone helped him load it into the car. I can fit a 4x12 into the trunk of my Passat by myself with two bad knees. I remember watching the Doc Severinsen band live at the tonight show years back, they were damn loud!

Yep, me too. Saw Weird Al at a Tonight Show taping in '85 (they did "Yoda") and both they and the house band were loud.

[Mats A]

This whole variac thing is getting more and more convincing to me.

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=13018815

MXR 6 Band
Stock 100W SL Spec w 2 tubes pulled
Variac'd to around 60V
No attenuator
Bedroom volume coming out of Weber MyTone12 pre-rola-dope

Here is what is different about this clip from my previous tests... previously, I was taking amps that were tweaked to achieve the brown sound WITHOUT this kind of severe variacing. Here I am using a hard as nails, relatively stiff sounding, super lead spec and browning it out with the variac.

Before... I was recording a variac'd brownie -
But now... this clip is a variac'd stiffy.

I think the results are that much closer and more convincing. There are gain and distortion artifacts in this tone that are

Get rid of the MXR 6 Band. It´s way to trebly and too much high mids. I believe Eddie used the MXR 6 Band as a buffer to the Univox Echoe on Eruption.

[Tone Slinger]

It IS very hard to dial in the right mids (EVH 12xxx mids that is). Ed definately has that TIGHTNESS in his sound, like a cranked plexi. It DOES make sense that the Univox probably took some volume off when engaged, which would be a perfect time to use a EQ box. There is NO denying that Ed always had an Eq box for live. He said ONLY LIVE though, for boosting long cable runs or bad sounding clubs/halls.

[tsma]

Well. I'm sold.

A variac it is.

A quick search on eBay yields TONS of variacs both new and old. Any recommendations? A point in the right direction would be awesome.

Thanks in advance.


-bryan

[jnew]

Mine is a cheap TempCo, 5A and it works wonderfully.

[jnew]

I was at an Arsenio Hall taping when the band Giant played. They were CRANKED! My ears were ringing and I could barely hear the interview with the guests afterwards.

[matttornado]

I used a variac last night for the first time with my 100 watt 1974 superlead. My pilot light stayed on even at 55 volts. It's wired to the 6 volt heaters.

I was able to get to a comfortable listening level at around 70 volts. went down to 50 volts but by then the tubes were barely even lit & the sound got real compressed sounding. It made the pick attack real tough.

I kind of liked it. My amp is biased with 120 volts input though. I can see it being used as volume control. I wonder what kind of harm it can do though.....

[rgorke]

This whole variac thing is getting more and more convincing to me.

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=13018815

MXR 6 Band
Stock 100W SL Spec w 2 tubes pulled
Variac'd to around 60V
No attenuator
Bedroom volume coming out of Weber MyTone12 pre-rola-dope

Here is what is different about this clip from my previous tests... previously, I was taking amps that were tweaked to achieve the brown sound WITHOUT this kind of severe variacing. Here I am using a hard as nails, relatively stiff sounding, super lead spec and browning it out with the variac.

Before... I was recording a variac'd brownie -
But now... this clip is a variac'd stiffy.

I think the results are that much closer and more convincing. There are gain and distortion artifacts in this tone that are

Get rid of the MXR 6 Band. It´s way to trebly and too much high mids. I believe Eddie used the MXR 6 Band as a buffer to the Univox Echoe on Eruption.

I disagree regarding the MXR 6 band. I may just not work with your rig. It works perfectly with mine.

[guitar007]

+ 1 on the 6 band

[jnew]

Yeah. MXR 6 band has its place in some of the old VH tone.