Metropoulos Forum

Up on Craigslist, bought in England, Jose mods, px for the Ibanez?, but interesting all the same...

http://louisville.craigslist.org/msg/3542445622.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The story makes some sense - but also tells you Ed thought more of having a non-hacked Destroyer than he did having a Jose-modded Marshall, LOL!

I'm sure someone will snap that up and the ad will disappear, so posting the text of it here along with what I think is interesting:

Marshall JMP Mark II 100watt Super Lead owned by Eddie Van Halen and Chris Holmes.
Modded by Jose Arredondo.

In 2004, I was living in Cincinnati OH and obtained this Marshall Amp Head through trade
from Chris Holmes of the groups WASP, Sister, Animal, and Where Angels Suffer.

Chris lived in Cincy between 2002 and 2004 to join Randy Piper's group Animal.
I came to meet Chris through Randy who resided in Cincy from 1999 to 2008.
Chris obtained this amp from Eddie Van Halen in 1979 via a trade for an 1975 Ibanez Destoyer.
It was previously owned by the LA punk rock band The Dogs
at the Whiskey, Gazzari's and the Starwood clubs in the 70's.Eddie aquired the amp between 1978 and 1979 in England while on tour for Van Halen's debut.Chris aquired the amp in 1979 shortly after.
Chris used it as his main recording and touring Marshall.
It can be heard on every WASP record featuring him and on the single Animal *!#% Like A Beast.

The amp has the following modifications by Jose Arredondo.
Bias select switch for choosing between EL34 and 6550 tubes.
Impedance switch with two quarter inch jacks which allow the amp to be run at 8 or 16 Ohms.
Effects Loop with send control.

The amp is in good working order and has an amazing tone which resembles the early Van Halen recordings.
It features the original cloth tube retainers. The pictures proudly display the rigors and battlescars of the road, not
to mention the cool cigarette burns from Chris and Eddie Van Halen!!!
I also have a signed document from Chris Holmes verifying the history of the amp.

I would like to get around $5000 based on the amp's history. I hate to see it go but I've got bills.
Please call or text me at 513-675-1372 for further details regarding purchase.

"I got bills to pay" as well. And that amp isn't going to be one of them.

Cool story just the same though.

One of you guys grab that so we can see the gut shots.......

Interesting, that must be the stock Destroyer you can see hanging in the 5150 studios. $5,000, just for the mojo, the amp looks like it could fetch an additional 2k.

Crap the least the seller could do is take it out of the head case snap some pics AND make a friggin clip of it!

efraser68 wrote:Crap the least the seller could do is take it out of the head case snap some pics AND make a friggin clip of it!

It's not a clip, but according to the ad, it's the next best thing.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u96tYuv2Zk[/youtube]

Like him or not, I actually liked alot of the first 2 Wasp albums (along with the Animal, Fuck Like a Beast ep). Chris Holmes got a good tone. The neck through Jackson 'Star' (white with blood splatter paint) sounded pretty damn good. The 'Live At Lyceum' stuff has a great tone. So if that amp is ACTUALLY what the seller says it is (owned by EVH, then Chris Holmes, used on the first 4 Wasp albums, etc) then it is a great sounding modded (MV) Marshall. I hate that Chris Holmes would/have to sell it.

Strat78 wrote:Interesting, that must be the stock Destroyer you can see hanging in the 5150 studios. $5,000, just for the mojo, the amp looks like it could fetch an additional 2k.

As far as the stock Ibanez Destroyer hanging in the 5150 studio shots, I had the same thought. But then I realized, "Why would Ed borrow and then return the red-orange-pink Destroyer for the late 1979 Women and Children First sessions if he already traded a Marshall head for a 1975 Ibanez Destroyer in 1979?" It doesn't make any sense and doesn't pass the smell test to me.

In the Chris Holmes interview in 'The Inside' regarding the loan of the red Destroyer for the WACF sessions, Chris doesn't say anything about having another Destroyer and he certainly didn't say "When Ed returned the red Destroyer to me after the WACF sessions, I got a Marshall head from Ed in exchange for an additional mint stock 1975 Ibanez Destroyer that I had lying around". Just doesn't make sense.

garbeaj wrote:

Strat78 wrote:Interesting, that must be the stock Destroyer you can see hanging in the 5150 studios. $5,000, just for the mojo, the amp looks like it could fetch an additional 2k.

As far as the stock Ibanez Destroyer hanging in the 5150 studio shots, I had the same thought. But then I realized, "Why would Ed borrow and then return the red-orange-pink Destroyer for the late 1979 Women and Children First sessions if he already traded a Marshall head for a 1975 Ibanez Destroyer in 1979?" It doesn't make any sense and doesn't pass the smell test to me.

In the Chris Holmes interview in 'The Inside' regarding the loan of the red Destroyer for the WACF sessions, Chris doesn't say anything about having another Destroyer and he certainly didn't say "When Ed returned the red Destroyer to me after the WACF sessions, I got a Marshall head from Ed in exchange for an additional mint stock 1975 Ibanez Destroyer that I had lying around". Just doesn't make sense.

I thought the exact same thing about the destroyer. Something doesnt add up. $5000? Modded Jose marshall that belonged to EVH?

Possible that Chris had a Jose modded Marshall that he sold cos he needed the bucks. Maybe the "traded my Destroyer to Eddie" part of the story was to make the sale more appealing to a prospective buyer.

Bore Em at the Forum wrote:Possible that Chris had a Jose modded Marshall that he sold cos he needed the bucks. Maybe the "traded my Destroyer to Eddie" part of the story was to make the sale more appealing to a prospective buyer.

Agreed.

garbeaj wrote:

Strat78 wrote:Interesting, that must be the stock Destroyer you can see hanging in the 5150 studios. $5,000, just for the mojo, the amp looks like it could fetch an additional 2k.

As far as the stock Ibanez Destroyer hanging in the 5150 studio shots, I had the same thought. But then I realized, "Why would Ed borrow and then return the red-orange-pink Destroyer for the late 1979 Women and Children First sessions if he already traded a Marshall head for a 1975 Ibanez Destroyer in 1979?" It doesn't make any sense and doesn't pass the smell test to me.

In the Chris Holmes interview in 'The Inside' regarding the loan of the red Destroyer for the WACF sessions, Chris doesn't say anything about having another Destroyer and he certainly didn't say "When Ed returned the red Destroyer to me after the WACF sessions, I got a Marshall head from Ed in exchange for an additional mint stock 1975 Ibanez Destroyer that I had lying around". Just doesn't make sense.

The pink/orange Destroyer is accounted for and it is not in EVH's possession ...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWriwIGM4Vk[/youtube]

MrBeasty wrote:The pink/orange Destroyer is accounted for and it is not in EVH's possession ...

I think we all know this...I don't think anyone was saying that the Holmes Destroyer was anywhere other than with Doug Anderson. Holmes had the guitar, Ed borrowed it from him to record Women and Children First while Chris was recuperating, Ed gave the guitar back to Chris and then Chris gave it to Doug Anderson.

I was just saying it doesn't make any sense that Chris would then suddenly have an unmolested '75 korina finish Destroyer (in addition to the orange/pink/red Destroyer) to then trade Ed for a Marshall head.

No offense, but I think the tone on that song sounds like complete and utter shit.

That amp isn't gonna make anyone sound like EVH. For one thing, most of us know that the majority of tone is in the hands, and for another thing, if that amp really sounded great, EVH would never have parted with it...