Mean Street iso track

[plexified]

Anyone consider a few things here. This is really the first 5150 studio taking the band into the 80's . I would imagine your hearing the new studio and not Sunset Sound . Sunset sound has massive engineering behind its acoustic design and don't forget the usage of the tracks being sent into the Sunset Echo room. Tracs were essentially re recorded through and Altac A7 which is a 15 inch speaker and horn in a very highly engineered cabinet. And back to the meat here , Sunset sound has one of the most awesome collection of vintage microphones in the world. Who knows the dates on those Sure SM 57 mikes used and other mic gear. I've seen pictures of their stash and its epic . Think of all the amazing artists who recorded their. Now you have a completely new studio your comparing it to . Ed re recorded this whole album in the early AM hours alone. So he was chasing something here. Lastly I'm sure since his studio is much more compact all his wire lengths are shorter and you don't get as much blead over as the earlier records. Some food for thought.

[Seabean]

What pickup was probably used on this track?

Well, to be more specific, is it probable that different guitars were used on the tapping intro vs the main song?

I have read elsewhere on this forum that because the tapping intro has so many harmonics that it could have been done with an early Lawrence L500? (but if so, would that have also been used on the main song?)

Or is it likely that Ed was using a humbucker wound up around 13k - 16k? If so, what manufacturer?
(instead of the first records which probably used lower level output of maybe 7-8K)

[ErickC]

What pickup was probably used on this track?

Well, to be more specific, is it probable that different guitars were used on the tapping intro vs the main song?

I have read elsewhere on this forum that because the tapping intro has so many harmonics that it could have been done with an early Lawrence L500? (but if so, would that have also been used on the main song?)

Or is it likely that Ed was using a humbucker wound up around 13k - 16k? If so, what manufacturer?
(instead of the first records which probably used lower level output of maybe 7-8K)

i thought it was "accepted' that he used the Mighty Mite Dimarzio SD clone which is a high output pup, and the SH5 which is based on the hb Seymour rewound for Ed, and originally advertised as the Vh pickup, is 14k. At least this is for VH1.

VH2 i can hear a less aggressive tone tone but it comes back with WACF.

[FL6]

> MODDED Phase 90

Joe Holmes posted a pic of his Jose-modded Phase 90 on Facebook back in May. IIRC, Ed used to say Jose modded his MXR stuff for more volume. Although it's now a given that Jose didn't do any gain-altering mods to 12301, it seems plausible that some of EVH's pedals may have been modded by Jose.



[Edit: You've written about this before: http://www.woodytone.com/2011/09/14/las ... edal-mods/. Love that website!]

I bought a vintage P90 last year and the phase is smoother than the contemporary ones but certainly no boost in treble or gain. If anything you get a bit lost in the mix because it takes away the highs so I always wondered what the hell he was talking about. So after buying a vintage P90 I'm in the camp that it was modded but what the mod was I have no idea. It would certainly be nice!

[plexified]

Ed used to drink Wild Turkey and smoke a few packs a night. He liked vintage Pafs . This was his new studio . He recorded it alone late at night. Since Sunset sound was not in place , you got a different sound , no Ted Templeman or Don Landee here. Just Ed. Eventide is fairly light actually , he was using a ten millisecond delay from delay , most likely the eventide or Lexicon or even the ADA of the time. One millisecond at a time from 1 to 20 you can radically change the sound. It unfortunately removes vintage from the equation and you might as well use the Celestion vintage 30 of the same time span and a new Sure Sm-57. If your surprised about the lack of gain your not in tune with the aggression Ed played with or what is a Plexi on ten. A small twist back on the vol on the gtr brings bell like angelic clarity to a p-90 or a real vintage paf. Dig in like a mo fo and its very aggressive. If you can play you can get a huge fake 7 string sound if you know what your doing. Excite the strings with volume and you have sustain and feedback options that are sick. Hendrix used to use a cab at pickup level pointed his way to do this. Not quantum physics , just plain as daylight. So back to the SM-57 from Sunset sound , anybody realize yet those mikes were used to record Zeppelin and Aerosmith before Van Halen yet? Or do you know what an A-7 is or what it means to re record guitar tracks through Sunset sounds echo room ? if not , kool runnings coming your way when you find it .

[Strat78]

He's a guitar player, and a good one at that!

[plexified]

Melody , thanks for the kind words , as well as Strat78 and you friend have not heard nothing yet. Melody your a friend too, hang on I have a freshly grown and cured huge bud called Bubba Kush I have to smack. Ok back to the thread. You are so right! Of course I write from an antagonist , protagonist point of view and my goal is to break the ice, the stale smell in the room sometimes and just make everyont think. I rarely ever just put the goods on the table and I do it for a reason. Its no fun to just have a point on response. I forgot to mention I actually am a pretty funny guy and it never comes out in my posts in scale. I'm much funnier, appear to be much higher, always a better guitar player in my own mind only and am really fun to hang out with and not so much a scatterbrain. I had a bike wreck in December and had lived to tell about it. It was night , the driver never stopped and I was hospitalized and intrevenus on meds without my consent. I was quickly physical dependant and was struggling in a three month span more getting off the meds than the actual healing of the bones. Of course I healed up well bone wise and my mindset was also fine , but very unhappy with how it transpired. I am thinking about bringing perhaps paragraphs , punctuation and actual spelling accuracy into my arsenal of meandering confusion, however that would be kinda wonderbread. Its much more fun to wonder if I injected morphine tonight , perhaps mainlined or just popped a few Zanax , But honestly , I'll smoke some bud anyday and don't drink anymore. Ok , time for a break ,,,,,,
That wasn't so bad , but Melody what about my Iso track posts are in question , or you have questions about , I'll do my best to be pointed. I personally think this iso track is from guitar hero and not really the actual album iso. My .02. In hearing it and taking the timespan in context , the comments on the recording studio are on point plus Ed had a wife to answer too , played more golf and secretly recorded the whole album or re recorded it at night. That's Wild Turkey time and at least two packs of cigs in the AM. And plus if you understand the effect of the Eventide and the application of a millisecond at a time stepped up from 1 through 20 as a 100% mix so you can hear it , not to mention blend it , its a staggering tool. Analog is less invasive , sans my comment on the small studio and new gear. So just trying to add to a thread and put some spice in the kitchen , love to cook it up.

[JimiJames]

He's a guitar player, and a good one at that!

"... put some spice in the kitchen , love to cook it up..."

"...can I get some ..."

couldn't resist.

[Megaro]

Plexified, are you saying that is not Ed on the iso track ? It is without a doubt reseccted from Guitar Hero, but that is Ed from the album. Listen to the splices in the solo, the swell of the feedback, the notes, timing, etc. No one can duplicate all those nuances from start to finish. It sounds a little different from the album, but that does not mean its been re-cut by a different artist. I have yet to hear exactly how the isolated tracks were spliced out of guitar hero, but it was definitely done digitally which could account for some of the sound differences. Then you have to consider some degradation over time with the master tapes. Then, you have to factor in that you are hearing the track without the band as it was originally mixed. I am very respectful of your thoughts and opinions. But I must disagree with your comment on this one. If that wasn't Ed in the studio, then the rest of us have all been punk'd by these iso guitar tracks.

[jnew]

Just a quick observation here. I don't think he's saying the track isn't Ed's playing. Just that the track isn't the same track we hear on the album.

[rgalpin]

Just a quick observation here. I don't think he's saying the track isn't Ed's playing. Just that the track isn't the same track we hear on the album.

agreed. maybe we are hearing one of many tracks that were layered together to get the album tone. i can see guitar hero folks going in to get tracks and there being more than a little confusion about how things were recorded and where to get the iso track from.

[Megaro]

Gotcha. That makes sense. I have always wondered how those guitar tracks were removed from Guitar Hero. Whoever did that is entitled to an honorary rock god title.

[Santino]

After hearing these FW tracks I assume there are at least two tracks blended together for Mean Street.

I wish the world would stop believing Ed used a low output paf pickup. Yes he used a Mighty Mite copy of a Super Distortion. And he used a Super Distortion. And he rewound his pickups to match the output of the Destroyer that had(and still does) the Mighty Mite pickup. They probably were Gibson paf pickups. But once Seymour got his hands on them they were wound hotter. Seymour has stated Ed liked the "JB wind". And no way did and use a stock Duncan '59. I've got one and it's not even remotely close to VH. Want to hear what Ed likes in a pickup? Play an EBMM EVH or Axis. The tell me he prefers low output pickups. The Frankenstein pickup is so hot I have to lower the gain in my 5150 to a little over 4. Otherwise it's just feedback and howl city. I still get all the sustain and harmonics at that low setting only with that pickup. Otherwise I'm at 5.5, 5.4 as a rule.

As for the gain difference for the tapped harmonic intro to Mean Street vs the rest of the song, he used an MXR micro-amp to boost his signal. He used it live so I assume he used it in the studio.

[garbeaj]

That Micro-Amp was only for the 1984 tour live. That interview with Rudy was specific to that tour only.

The Phase 90 was unmodded. Anyone that has played through a vintage script logo, Bud-box Phase 90 knows that the sound on the Van Halen records is there. Odds are that Jose never modded any of Eddie's effects...the MXR Flanger sound from the Van Halen albums is easily accomplished with Eddie's settings (which Ed has recently revealed) on a vintage late 70s MXR Flanger.

[Mr.Farva]

Is Fair Waring Wet/Dry? In another thread someone was talking about how ed received a prototype JB pup with a Alnico 2 magnet?

Side question, the Whirlwind Rochester Series Orange Box is the best "bud box" phaser. What pedal can take the place of a 70's flanger? The evh sig flange?