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Re: Early Van Halen - Zero Tone
Not my fave EVH tone but 

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Re: Early Van Halen - Zero Tone
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Re: Early Van Halen - Zero Tone
I read somewhere he had to use Gene's amp and was kind of frustrated not having his own rig
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Re: Early Van Halen - Zero Tone
I heard rumers to that affect too...but have yet to see it confirmed by a first hand source.
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Re: Early Van Halen - Zero Tone
Whether he used Ace's amps (6550s) or Paul's (EL34s) or his own, Gene no doubt told Ed how it should sound and made it that way, unlike Ted T.
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Re: Early Van Halen - Zero Tone
The "After Zero/Warner Bros Demo" tone is much better in my mind. My understanding is what others have said that he used someone else's amps. Sounds like good plexi tone, not "Ed Plexi tone". Also goes to show that gear does make a difference. And, not just gear but how one uses that gear.
We don't know if he had a variac or an Echoplex either for these. Those, in my mind, are the keys to taking a '68 Plexi to Ed's tone.
All that and the digits at the end of his arms help as well.
We don't know if he had a variac or an Echoplex either for these. Those, in my mind, are the keys to taking a '68 Plexi to Ed's tone.
All that and the digits at the end of his arms help as well.

"If you make a mistake, do it twice and smile and let people think you meant it." Jan Van Halen.
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Re: Early Van Halen - Zero Tone
True...but...he was still able to get fantastic tone with rental gear in that brief time his real gear went missing in '78. How is that accounted for? The truth is we still don't know for sure what he used. All we know for sure is that the Simmons tone sounds weak in comparison, very KISS-like. 

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Re: Early Van Halen - Zero Tone
Doug H wrote:I read somewhere he had to use Gene's amp and was kind of frustrated not having his own rig
Ed was frustrated with Gene making him do overdubs AFTER the demos were done at Village studios in LA (not Electric Ladyland).
It's been documented in Greg's new book, that they used their own instruments, effects, amplifiers and even the car horn (tape or the actual horns haven't been confirmed) to record the 13 tracks with Gene.
When the demos were done Gene wanted to finish them with guitar overdubs but in the meantime called Bill Aucoin to get him to manager them, he persisted and Aucoin flew the band to NY without their gear where Ed did the overdubs and Gene got them to play a showcase using Kiss's gear with Aucoin watching... he didn't like what he saw and the band returned back to LA on an all time low.
A guy called Wittman did the masterer/engineering to Gene's instructions and the band had no input, Rudy L said the band were not happy with the final out come especially Ed.
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Re: Early Van Halen - Zero Tone

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