New Van Halen album: Guitar tone

[illini]

I know I am in the minority here when I say that I actually like both the DLR and Sammy era's of VH. I still think that 5150 contains some of Eddies best guitar licks. However, I have never been as much of a fan of Eddies guitar tone during the Van Hagar years. And with each album I liked it less. The effects he was using started to take away from the tone of the amp, and he started using a wah on to many solo's for my taste. He also started overdubbing high pitched squeals into many songs. I understand trying to do something different to keep things fresh, but wasn't my "cup of tea".

I was impressed with Eddies new Fender amp, and that channel two was voiced more like the Marshall era. I was hoping that he would be going back to this type of tone for the new album, and it appears that he has. I am really enjoying the guitar tone on this album. And I think Eddies playing has a freshness to it that I haven't heard in years.

[carbz]

The new album tone is pretty good but I wouldn't say it stands out or in a league of its own. Probably better then most of the Hagar era recordings but its really in a different league from his early tone. Throw on Running with the Devil or Unchained and you'll see what I'm talkin about.

[SteelerFan88]

Eddies best tone was in the late 70's using his Plexi's........my opinion BTW.

[illini]

Originally Posted by carbz

The new album tone is pretty good but I wouldn't say it stands out or in a league of its own. Probably better then most of the Hagar era recordings but its really in a different league from his early tone. Throw on Running with the Devil or Unchained and you'll see what I'm talkin about.

I agree. I am definitely still more a fan of his early tone, but I like this better than anything he has done in the last 20 years.

[Hand of Doom]

Wait, there’s a new VH album?

[scriptphase]

I'm wondering if "Blood and Fire" from the new album was the old plexi. Not as gainy as many of the other tracks and you can hear a bunch of hiss on the intro.

[illini]

Listen to Big River. I think that is as good as anything VH has done.

[ChorusCrackpot]

Originally Posted by illini

I know I am in the minority here when I say that I actually like both the DLR and Sammy era's of VH. I still think that 5150 contains some of Eddies best guitar licks. However, I have never been as much of a fan of Eddies guitar tone during the Van Hagar years. And with each album I liked it less. The effects he was using started to take away from the tone of the amp, and he started using a wah on to many solo's for my taste. He also started overdubbing high pitched squeals into many songs. I understand trying to do something different to keep things fresh, but wasn't my "cup of tea".

I don't usually join in EVH tone discussions because I get bored of everyone trying to copy & debate his VH1 sound, even though I agree it was a great sound.

I'm with you on not being much of a fan of the Van Hagar years tones. No matter how much his signal was dressed up with wet/dry/wet configurations and parallel setups etc., I still think that Eventide Harmoniser running the Detune effect made his guitar sound really shrill. A lot of guitarists used Detuning so they could get chorus effects with distortion without the swooping you get from regular chorus (often they were copying Eddie), but still all that processing takes away the rawness and gutsiness of the original signal (like his earlier Marshall tones had & are renowned for), no matter how much it is 'enhanced' and 'excited' by extra equalisation and other processing units.

[83stratman]

I don't know what he used for that song. With that said, you must have never tried a 5153 amp. The 5153 can be dialed to get that tone with no problem IME. If it came to light that he used the 5153 it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Originally Posted by scriptphase

I'm wondering if "Blood and Fire" from the new album was the old plexi. Not as gainy as many of the other tracks and you can hear a bunch of hiss on the intro.

[rob2001]

As long as it's Ed playing, I dig all his tones.

[scriptphase]

Originally Posted by 83stratman

I don't know what he used for that song. With that said, you must have never tried a 5153 amp. The 5153 can be dialed to get that tone with no problem IME. If it came to light that he used the 5153 it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

It's not the tone, but the noise that has me wondering. More hiss relative to the other songs despite less gain.

[illini]

Originally Posted by ChorusCrackpot

I don't usually join in EVH tone discussions because I get bored of everyone trying to copy & debate his VH1 sound, even though I agree it was a great sound.

I'm with you on not being much of a fan of the Van Hagar years tones. No matter how much his signal was dressed up with wet/dry/wet configurations and parallel setups etc., I still think that Eventide Harmoniser running the Detune effect made his guitar sound really shrill. A lot of guitarists used Detuning so they could get chorus effects with distortion without the swooping you get from regular chorus (often they were copying Eddie), but still all that processing takes away the rawness and gutsiness of the original signal (like his earlier Marshall tones had & are renowned for), no matter how much it is 'enhanced' and 'excited' by extra equalisation and other processing units.

I am also not interested in debating which amps he did or did not use in the early years, or for that matter what amp he used on the new album. I think the tone on this album is the best he has had in a long time. To me it seems more in line with the pre Van Hagar era, and I pleasantly surprised by it.

[Sirloin]

Originally Posted by crazdgunman

Eddies best tone was in the late 70's using his Plexi's........my opinion BTW.

[rob2001]

Originally Posted by illini

I am also not interested in debating which amps he did or did not use in the early years, or for that matter what amp he used on the new album. I think the tone on this album is the best he has had in a long time. To me it seems more in line with the pre Van Hagar era, and I pleasantly surprised by it.

Actually I think he uses a variety of sounds on this latest release and I like them all. A few songs are modern sounding and some have the old vibe.

[scriptphase]

The tone on the new album is good, but it sounds more like post 5150 Sammy era minus detune than the first Dave era tone. Way more gain than the early albums.