The Sad State Of The Van Halen Wannabe

carson5150 · Post by **carson5150** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 10:35 am

As much as the guest knows about electronics, he forgot to mention another important and cheap piece of Eddie's gear that warms up the signal, pure Nickel strings. That's right, a $5 pack of strings can really be the difference in getting you closer to that "brown sound". I love the sound and feel of the nickels, they don't have that tinny sound of the steel strings. A rumor I heard was that Ed used brass picks in the studio, probably just a rumor though. The brass do give you a really smooth attack (almost noiseless), and a nice warm tone.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 12:42 pm

Pure entertainment. I'm a watcher, not a poster... I love visiting the board to see what I can learn from the wise and this past weekend has been like the Jerry Springer Show. My 1 cent for anyone who cares to post audio clips... record to tape, then convert to digital. Break out the old tascam and you'll remember how much of the 'old' sound was not just in the amp, but the recording... -James

BashCoder · Post by **BashCoder** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 12:51 pm

Anonymous wrote:Pure entertainment. I'm a watcher, not a poster... I love visiting the board to see what I can learn from the wise and this past weekend has been like the Jerry Springer Show. My 1 cent for anyone who cares to post audio clips... record to tape, then convert to digital. Break out the old tascam and you'll remember how much of the 'old' sound was not just in the amp, but the recording... -James

Welcome, James - and if you've been reading these boards long, you'll know this is a bit out of character.

Someone from another board coming in to mess around a bit.

Hey, but at least in this thread we've all finally learned the secret to greatness, right there in the first post. So we got that goin' for us, which is nice.

texwest · Post by **texwest** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 1:38 pm

The "guest" does seem to know alot about tone. And could probably help people here who don't have his experience. Too bad he has to insult people in the process. I would welcome more comments from him if they are constructive.

He's very right in a sense. Most of us aren't going to be like Eddie. He was super creative and talented. A musical genius bar none. Does that make it wrong for some guys to want to have fun sounding like him? Not all of us are trying to be the next guitar god. So why not fool around with VH songs and have fun with it. He was one of the funnest guitar players I've ever heard. Why can't people have fun with his creations too. If you want to make a real impact as musician create your own voice, but not everyone is interested in that. So let people do their thing.

George and I agreed about this topic on the phone. I think he is smart because he recognizes a huge market for this. If he gets the VH formula together he will make alot of money fulfilling a desire that many people have. That's a great way to make money, ie, fulfilling peoples desires. He's building me one of his 12 series amps.

For me personally, I would just like to have a tone as killer as his and then play all sorts of stuff with it. Even jazz. Imagine a Charlie Parker solo with VH tone. WOW! Granted a 13flat9 chord might not sound good, but tho solo lines would kill. I will also use it for playing Bach unaccompanied pieces for violin or cello. How many people are playing actual classical music thru a marshall? So if a person wants the VH tone does that necessarily make him a wannabee? NO!

Wes

johniss0001 · Post by **johniss0001** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 2:32 pm

texwest you hit the nail on the head that is what i have been trying to say.

5150loveeddie · Post by **5150loveeddie** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 3:26 pm

carson5150 wrote:As much as the guest knows about electronics, he forgot to mention another important and cheap piece of Eddie's gear that warms up the signal, pure Nickel strings. That's right, a $5 pack of strings can really be the difference in getting you closer to that "brown sound". I love the sound and feel of the nickels, they don't have that tinny sound of the steel strings. A rumor I heard was that Ed used brass picks in the studio, probably just a rumor though. The brass do give you a really smooth attack (almost noiseless), and a nice warm tone.

Ed use to boil is string also for more chucky tone (the rust maybe??) and they would stretch them to for his wammy bar stuff (no floyd rose then....) he used soap on the head of his neck where the string touch to lubricate that area for his wammy stuff.....oh btw I'm a wannebe for Eddy's tone and playing, I'm practicing Dance the night away presently and I should be able to nail it in a few

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 5:28 pm

Geez.......I WISH I could play with the skill Eddie has. NOT LIKE EDDIE but with that skill level. Never gonna happen. I hope you guys know I'm just hoarsing around with you. If you think I actually MEAN insults, you are wrong. Personally, I think I'm a terrible player by my own standard and if playing with Eddie's skills were my goal, I should have quit that LONG AGO and taken up sewing old WWII boots back together!

But let's face it, if you are like me, just having a guitar in your hand is a great feeling let alone trying to be a giant with it. Carry on men. No insult intended.

carson5150 · Post by **carson5150** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 5:58 pm

Anonymous wrote:Geez.......I WISH I could play with the skill Eddie has. NOT LIKE EDDIE but with that skill level. Never gonna happen. I hope you guys know I'm just hoarsing around with you. If you think I actually MEAN insults, you are wrong. Personally, I think I'm a terrible player by my own standard and if playing with Eddie's skills were my goal, I should have quit that LONG AGO and taken up sewing old WWII boots back together! But let's face it, if you are like me, just having a guitar in your hand is a great feeling let alone trying to be a giant with it. Carry on men. No insult intended.

No offense taken on my end, it's just for fun. And yes, the feel of a guitar in my hands definitely puts a smile on my face and helps me get through the b.s. of the daily grind. It's clear to me that you have a great knowledge on the subject of tone, and you're willing to let everyone in on it. It's a very fascinating subject to me and I'd like to cram as much knowledge into my skull as I can. I've been checking into the Voodoo '59 pickups that you mentioned and they seem to get really great reviews all over, would you say they come the closest to the vintage PAF tone? I'm in the market for some new pickups for my Schecter C1-elite, it's a very dark sounding guitar (mahogany, set-neck) and it sounds like these pickups could open up and brighten the tone a bit. I'll probably replace the Duncan JB in my Charvel with some type of PAF pickup as well, the JB is just too muddy in the lows-low mids, and a bit shrilly on top.

Star*Guitar · Post by **Star*Guitar** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:03 pm

carson5150 wrote:As much as the guest knows about electronics, he forgot to mention another important and cheap piece of Eddie's gear that warms up the signal, pure Nickel strings. That's right, a $5 pack of strings can really be the difference in getting you closer to that "brown sound". I love the sound and feel of the nickels, they don't have that tinny sound of the steel strings. A rumor I heard was that Ed used brass picks in the studio, probably just a rumor though. The brass do give you a really smooth attack (almost noiseless), and a nice warm tone.

Right on all the way....

Try Snake Oil Brand vintage strings...they get you there closer then any other nickel brand I have tried....and...those brass picks I just bought over at Sam Ash on 48th street.

First time I played with them was yesterday...man...very clean attack...the notes really stand out...sure beats the hell out of the strings though..LOL...

Bad Kitty · Post by **Bad Kitty** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 8:22 pm

I used to make my picks out of broken cymbals. One big ride cymbal with a crack in it was good for thousands. Did that in the 80's. The bell made the best ones because of the curve. Still use them sometimes whenever I come across on in a drawer or in the couch. Notes just explode off your pick. And after you wear them down a little they stop tearing your strings apart and get really smooth.

Plus if you drop it on a hard floor you can hear wear it goes.

JD · Post by JD » Sun Feb 19, 2006 10:56 pm

carson5150 wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Geez.......I WISH I could play with the skill Eddie has. NOT LIKE EDDIE but with that skill level. Never gonna happen. I hope you guys know I'm just hoarsing around with you. If you think I actually MEAN insults, you are wrong. Personally, I think I'm a terrible player by my own standard and if playing with Eddie's skills were my goal, I should have quit that LONG AGO and taken up sewing old WWII boots back together! But let's face it, if you are like me, just having a guitar in your hand is a great feeling let alone trying to be a giant with it. Carry on men. No insult intended.
No offense taken on my end, it's just for fun. And yes, the feel of a guitar in my hands definitely puts a smile on my face and helps me get through the b.s. of the daily grind. It's clear to me that you have a great knowledge on the subject of tone, and you're willing to let everyone in on it. It's a very fascinating subject to me and I'd like to cram as much knowledge into my skull as I can. I've been checking into the Voodoo '59 pickups that you mentioned and they seem to get really great reviews all over, would you say they come the closest to the vintage PAF tone? I'm in the market for some new pickups for my Schecter C1-elite, it's a very dark sounding guitar (mahogany, set-neck) and it sounds like these pickups could open up and brighten the tone a bit. I'll probably replace the Duncan JB in my Charvel with some type of PAF pickup as well, the JB is just too muddy in the lows-low mids, and a bit shrilly on top.

I don't agree. This guy sounds like a real idiot who is just repeating what he's read and has nothing else to do but try to start trouble. No offense to any of the legitimate users here.

carson5150 · Post by **carson5150** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:56 am

JD wrote: I don't agree. This guy sounds like a real idiot who is just repeating what he's read and has nothing else to do but try to start trouble. No offense to any of the legitimate users here.

Well, he certainly went about things the wrong way when he started this thread, but if he wants to be resepectable that'd be fine by me.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:18 pm

Carson5150.........yes, I've studied this stuff for a long time. I guess the bulk of my experience comes with old gear, maybe 80% and the balance, 20%, with new gear. The old gear is really variable but when it's good it blows off the new stuff hands down. The VooDoo 59' is a great pickup. I have two. The CRITICAL QUESTION is not that pickup in this case, rather, HOW WILL IT LIKE YOUR GUITAR and vice versa? The pickup itself is great though.

johniss0001 · Post by **johniss0001** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 3:26 pm

interesting response guest about the pick-up. Want to know why people boil their strings well i was recommended that i do it with my bass strings because it gives you a brighter sound but i can't comment on that sorry guys.i have a question are there better players to talk about because eddie vanhalen wasn't really that great to me his playing sounds like scales and now eddie has come off of the beat and track the main vanhalen song i like is JUMP.

bmf5150 · Post by **bmf5150** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 10:21 pm

i only use the fender nickel strings,but will have to try the snake..i personall love that tom holmes 455,never heard a pickup with that highend detail that it has.my voodoo and duncan EVH where not in the same league as the holmes!