What happened to the 'secret' pedal thread ?

[whopperplate]

Makes me wonder about making my own compressor board for my EP3, maybe even have it connected to a bypass switch for quick comparison.

I'd bet that I would be the first person to be putting a compressor into an Ep3 instead of taking one out

[Good Guest]

I can see where having a compressor in there would be awkward ...when you think about the compressors attack effect and having it repeat and then the volume effect of lowering loud tones and raising lower tones and how that can play in with the dynamics and fading etc..BUT with EVH's , tapping and singing sustain it's a plus , then it would be great in a driven plexi...and the added presence would add to that clean fingerprint on his strings effect he demanded from his amp. maybe even the oompf we hear too, another demand EVH wanted from his amp.

Good instructional maintenance video too and that bit about the demagnetizer was cool.

[fhn_lopes]

I have a Marshall The Compressor lying arround here.... as soon as my cab arrives I'll test it and let you know.... maybe it adds gain and sustain without killing all the palm mute thing...

[leadguy]

In my experience, Compressors add to the palm muting thing making it easier to get a palm muting sound and feel that is easier for the player to bounce off and get certain feels happening while playing.

That's probably one of the reasons why Chicken pickers like compressors because they do a fair bit of muting themselves but it's mostly clean.

Bringing up palm muting is interesting because it's one of the things that Ed did/still does a lot yet in all of the clips I've heard from everyone, something that ends up sounding like Ed's early (1977) palm muting sound is mostly missing IMO.

Ed was mostly palm muting with the Echoplex on in a slight slapback and if he had a compressor Echoplex then the compressor was in the chain when the Echoplex was on which was most of the time.

Something like RWTD has the Echoplex slapback switched on for the whole song and so if Ed had a compressor Echoplex, then the compressor is in the chain.

Ed turns up the guitar volume for the main riff and turns down the guitar volume for the verses and the Echoplex is on for everything including the solo which adds Phase to the Echoplex as well.

Phase and Delay (Echoplex) are time based effects that make things sound spacier and bigger.

Ed's sound is more than just a guitar through an amp.

Time based effects combined with some compression then combined with a variaced 12 series Plexi and driven with higher output pickups is an interesting combo that wasn't really done much before Ed.

[rgorke]

Bringing up palm muting is interesting because it's one of the things that Ed did/still does a lot yet in all of the clips I've heard from everyone, something that ends up sounding like Ed's early (1977) palm muting sound is mostly missing IMO.

I completely agree. This is, for me, one of the hardest parts of Ed's playing for me to get close to, let alone "right." He has a sweet spot that is hard for me to find.

Both on lead and rhythm playing.

[wjamflan]

Ed's sound is more than just a guitar through an amp.

Time based effects combined with some compression then combined with a variaced 12 series Plexi and driven with higher output pickups is an interesting combo that wasn't really done much before Ed.

Really? No one else used a plexi with an echoplex (compressor or no) and DSD (your idea) before Ed? Are you sure about that? If anything sounds like a simplistic explanation, this is it.

[fhn_lopes]

The palm mute thing is really interesting... no matter how you boost a plexi, that dynamics are going to change... From my amp, I feel that the palm muting is VERY close to Ed's (Using Unchained as a reference) when I run the guitar STRAIGHT to the amp... The feel, the chunk, the punch... it's all there but there's not enough gain/compression (just a little bit, but enough to be noticiable).. I've been trying to boost with different pedals in different ways but I allways get more far with the boost then without it.... Never tried a compressor though, can't wait to use it with my new cab and old creambacks

I think most of us feel that the core tone is there but it's always missing something, no matter what Ed's tone you're seeking (VHI, II, FW, 1984, ETc...)

[Good Guest]

I don't think running outboard compressors are the ticket ...one has to look at how the ep3 compressor interacts with the ep3 preamp and go from there ..that's where the EVH magic is going to be, in the whole custom tone shaping ,gain and where the compression occurs ..Just slapping compressors after an eq is just a tease that says ..I think , I guess , maybe , possible , sounds like it ... etc etc.

Same with the DSD ..all it says is ,that kind of gain and tone shaping is happening but is most likely a tease that says ,,,I think, I guess, maybe, possible, it sounds like it ..listen too Thorns clip etc etc.. because he doesn't use a DSD all the time and his tone/gain magic (not technical magic) was always there....with or without it.

[fhn_lopes]

Just to highlight the post EQ thing again..

http://forum.metroamp.com/download/file.php?id=11216" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TWANGGG did this post EQ job in my clip many moons ago.... I got shocked with the results... No boost or pedal or EQ BEFORE the amp, just my guitar...

The orignal clip is here

http://www.4shared.com/audio/cjbwilOS/VH2_redwire.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



The compression is REALLY impressive and no compressor was used at all...

[leadguy]

Ed's sound is more than just a guitar through an amp.

Time based effects combined with some compression then combined with a variaced 12 series Plexi and driven with higher output pickups is an interesting combo that wasn't really done much before Ed.

Really? No one else used a plexi with an echoplex (compressor or no) and DSD (your idea) before Ed? Are you sure about that? If anything sounds like a simplistic explanation, this is it.

Yeah well, others used Phase and Echoplex effects like Page for instance but Ed used them just about all the time in the same sort of way for just about all the songs in a formula sort of way with certain dialed in settings.

DSD wasn't my idea.

Ed was just using Mighty Mites in early 1977 photos, that's all I have to say about it and then the Seymour rewinds.

Whether Ed's Echoplex had a compressor board or not, the Echoplex is still a large part of Ed's sound.

I'm not trying to force Ed to have used a Echoplex with a compressor board to fit some theory.

I'm just saying that Ed bought his Echoplexes when they were coming out with compressor boards and to just ignore and dismiss that possibility is pretty short sighted IMO.

Just running a standalone compressor is not what I'm talking about.

What I'm talking about is a specific Echoplex design with a compressor in it's circuits and not just a compressor or a compressor before or after a Echoplex.

[vanhalen5150]

I tried to contact the guy last year with that compressor board in the vid. I think he thought I was a nut job or something for telling him that was a compressor sitting there. I don't think he believed me.

[Good Guest]

I'm sure that's how some feel about the mystery pedal too ...there it is and no one can see it ...EVH is a smart cookie ..you want to hide something ..you place it in plain view and no one can see it.. Just like that compressor board ..there it is sitting right on top in plain view and the guy thinks yer crackers..

[vanhalen5150]

Yup. I asked him to lift it and take some pics underneath for the traces and wires so we could see actually where it was connected. "Im sure that's not a compressor" was his response. Never heard from him again. Never got any pics either.

[mr.twistyneck]

I'm sure that's how some feel about the mystery pedal too ...there it is and no one can see it ...EVH is a smart cookie ..you want to hide something ..you place it in plain view and no one can see it.. Just like that compressor board ..there it is sitting right on top in plain view and the guy thinks yer crackers..

Good Guest. Stop this carrot dangling nonsense. Disclose what you know.

[Good Guest]

I'm sure that's how some feel about the mystery pedal too ...there it is and no one can see it ...EVH is a smart cookie ..you want to hide something ..you place it in plain view and no one can see it.. Just like that compressor board ..there it is sitting right on top in plain view and the guy thinks yer crackers..

Good Guest. Stop this carrot dangling nonsense. Disclose what you know.

Just say'n...