I'm Not Sure This Is A Good Thing

[Star*Guitar]

http://www.vhnd.com/2016/01/04/eddie-va ... -restored/

I think those EMG's sound like mushy buzzyness. I like the guitar design but I think passive pups probably don't sound good in it either due to of lack wood with such a small body and no headstock.

[Star*Guitar]

I just read that guitar is made of kevlar and graphite, it's not wood.

[rgorke]

Well, I choose to view it as Ed being very interested in playing and his old gear, even the gear like this, and that is a good thing.

[mr.twistyneck]

it's fabulous news! Gibson's rehash of the Trans Trem on the ZT3 model was meh. It didn't provide the full range of motion like the original Trans Trems had - like on Ed's boat paddle that just got restored. If anybody could give Steinberger a shot in the arm, it would be Ed. I kinda doubt that Ed would make any kinda deal with Henry at Gibson, but if Ed shows up on stage playing that Steinberger again, then people are going to want them. They are fascinating instruments.

[Star*Guitar]

Ya know,

I've been thinking, Since Dave is touring with his original Eat Em And Smile band, Ed said, "This guitar is as important to the music as the songs themselves...I want to play this guitar again, people want to see this guitar.”

All of the songs it played except one "Me Wise Magic" are Sammy era songs. Ya get what I am saying here?

[Megaro]

I had one of those guitars awhile back. Jeff set it up. Just like Eddie's. Same paint job, EMG's, etc. Only difference, I think, was Ed had a prototype or custom Trans Trem on his, because when I compared the pics of my Trans Trem and his, it was different.

I really wanted to like that guitar. It was impossible to play while standing up. It is a chunky boat oar. It just does not sit or hang like a regular guitar. The sound was okay. I know Ed always complained about the tone, but I think it was close enough. The neck was hard for me to like. It felt wrong. Graphite I guess. It was always so nice to get back to my Charvel neck. But the Trans Trem is where the action was. Literally and figuratively. It held tune fine. It did a nice job transposing the whole chord, just like Ned S. said. But, and Jeff would never agree with me on this, but I could not get the TransTrem to hold exact pitch for Summer Nights when raised then lowered. I did all the right setups and string stretches and set up procedures. Jeff set it up personally. That trem claw was a bear to wrestle out of its cog and musically settle back into position. I worked with that guitar so much. I forgot the name of the salesman who does the storefront for Jeff. A very dedicated guy. Hardnosed businessman, but he wanted his customers to be happy. I just was not packing the gear to make that guitar dance the way Ed could on Summer Nights. I do not fault the guitar or the setup. I think it takes an extraordinary player to get the mojo working on that particular guitar. The trem bar also sits way up high off the bridge.

I remember playing along in tune with Ed on Hot Summer Nights from the 5150 tour video Live Without a Net. No way. I could get the gist of it it, but never do a note for note cop of his technique. The man just has a way with the wiggle stick that others do not. I say fire it up and let's see what kind of chops Ed is packing these days

[STEINBERGER]

OK GUYS! For the last 20 years i have only played a steinberger. Before that i have had gibsons, fenders, fenders with floyd rose etc . If I could only have one guitar only it would be my original steinberger.

BUT THERES A CATCH! or two.

I dont have the bat shaped one or boat as you guys call it. I have the gm4t . It has the graphite neck which never goes out and a wooden guitar shape body, bit like a fender with a trans trem. So tone is from wood, Rear pickup is dimarzio super distortion and midlle and neck pickups are emg.

I Dont care what my guitar heros use. Up till now i would not trade this guitar for anything. The tone, tuning & versatility is brilliant and the playability is off the planet!

The main con with this guitar is it is too easy to play. So if i have to play on someone elses guitar i play crap. Bit like stepping out from a formula one car and then driving agricultural machinery.

What i dont like about floyd rose type systems is when bending strings (wide hand vibratos) you have to bend them higher to hit the pitch to compensate for the springs giving way. This makes fast wide bends hard. Why make things hard if you dont have to. But they are good for judgement day. A trans trem system feels like your playing a guitar with a fixed tail piece.

[Megaro]

That is an interesting observation on the GM4T. I have never played one of those. Did you ever find difficulty moving the transposing arm into and out of the transposing pin one or two steps up ? I always found that to be difficult to perform smoothly like Eddie did on Summer Nights. Also, did you ever have any problems with tuning when you would move the Trans Trem down 2 or 3 steps ? I would always lose some tuning accuracy with a transposing change more than a step up or down. Glad you are still rocking the Steinberger. The guitar was not for me but they have the cool factor in spades.

[rgorke]

Ya know,

I've been thinking, Since Dave is touring with his original Eat Em And Smile band, Ed said, "This guitar is as important to the music as the songs themselves...I want to play this guitar again, people want to see this guitar.”

All of the songs it played except one "Me Wise Magic" are Sammy era songs. Ya get what I am saying here?

My buddy who I went to see VH at the Hollywood Bowl this October, asked me the same question. Maybe they are planning a Sammy tour. I am sure it would be lucrative for them and probably fun for Ed. I just have issues with Sammy. I know I need to deal with them but I just love the Roth Era VH so much better than Sammy. There are Sammy songs I like but with Roth albums, there isn't one song I don't like! I could listen to all six albums without skipping any. I may repeat several but never skip!

Van Hagar is a bit different.

My Opinion and tastes....YMMV.

[Star*Guitar]

I can't see Hagar doing VH without also including Mike.

[STEINBERGER]

Dear Mr Megaro,

The Stein-burger steps perfectly up one step and down two steps if you use the Labella calibrated stp strings guages .46 to 009.
I sometimes often use the .42 to 009 strings and this is good for stepping up one tone and stepping down one tone.

By the way, i tune to D, not E-flat, because i love that sound better even alttgough thats not what my guitar heroes do.. So when i pop up a tone im in concert pitch anyway.

And to the rest of you, i dont think VH would be as big as they are if their first albums released were with the Sammy Cigar albums. Not implying Sammy or their songs were not any good, they had some great moments also. The Early Roth albums had ground breaking guitar tone & playing, super songs, great unique vocal harmonies. They were innovative and pioneers, every guitar player was wondering how Ed played & got that sound and every guitar player wanted to be like him sort of, even the very few who canned him because of jealousy.

[chrisom]

I had a pre-tremolo original 'boat-oar' graphite blend Steinberger guitar that I bought used on Kansas City classified ads in 1989-90 for $700. It was a GREAT guitar. Plenty of wear on the black chrome bridge parts so the brass was showing through. The bridge EMG humbucker was too far away from the bridge saddles from the factory to get a crisp rock sound, so I shaved a 1/4" or so off the face-plate and slid the pickup down a bit. Worked great, but as grunge hit and vintage style instruments resurged, I sold it to a buddy for $500, who later sold it back to me for $300, then I stupidly sold it at a KC Guitar Show for $200 (!!!), and could barely sell it for that... Also unloaded a pink Jackson Soloist (USA) cheaply the same day. Man, I wish I still had both those guitars today! True story.

[chrisom]

But I used the $500 from both guitars to buy a 1976 50-watt Marshall 4-input 2x12 Lead & Bass combo with checker-grille and 6550 power tubes. Great piece of gear. Sold it later to same buddy and he never wants to part with it... lol. I was hurtin' for cash in those days...