EVH 1984 album tone on Girl Gone Bad

Guitarjb · Post by **Guitarjb** » Wed May 28, 2008 12:03 am

I remember reading somewhere that Ed used his original '58 Gibson Flying V on Girl Gone Bad (same guitar as on Hot For Teacher).

The amp tone sounds like there is some sort of effect on it. Does anyone know what effect(s) are used: a touch of chorus maybe? A very quick delay/echo to fatten up the tone, especially the single notes?

Joe

zak · Post by **zak** » Wed May 28, 2008 12:30 am

stereo detune from the eventide unit.

Guitarjb · Post by **Guitarjb** » Wed May 28, 2008 12:45 am

zak wrote:stereo detune from the eventide unit.

I've never heard of that effect. What does it do, is it similar to a stereo chorus?

Joe

zak · Post by **zak** » Wed May 28, 2008 7:49 am

the eventide takes the gtr signal. splits it into L/R.
the left side is pitch shifted down -9 cents and delayed 5ms
the right side is pitch shifted up +9 cents and delayed 25ms.
this is then mixed back in with the dry guitar signal and placed across the stereo field. the result is a huge fat, "jangly" guitar tone.

most people on this board would probably hate it, but if you like the fair warning/1984 tone. you like the eventide.

superboss · Post by **superboss** » Wed May 28, 2008 8:09 am

It gives the effect of movement from side to side ((STEREO)) field. The movement can be increased or turned basically off by adjusting the manual knob on the 910 or 949, Then it's coupled with a 25 or 50 millisecond delay on each side individually provided it's in the micro pitch mode.
I will say it's the fattest spread I've ever gotten without sounding overly washed out, Speaking of using the old 910's and 949's I've never had the privilege to try any of the digital units such as the H3000 or current Eclipse that are suppose to have what the old units do and then some!

Guitarjb · Post by **Guitarjb** » Wed May 28, 2008 11:08 am

zak wrote:the eventide takes the gtr signal. splits it into L/R.
the left side is pitch shifted down -9 cents and delayed 5ms
the right side is pitch shifted up +9 cents and delayed 25ms.
this is then mixed back in with the dry guitar signal and placed across the stereo field. the result is a huge fat, "jangly" guitar tone.

most people on this board would probably hate it, but if you like the fair warning/1984 tone. you like the eventide.

Thanks for these details. Wow, amazing that I've been a fan of EVH for so long and I've never come across this before- have I been living under a rock?? Yup, I definitely like the Fair Warning and 1984 guitar tones, so like the Evantide sound. I did a little internet searching and found that the Eventide has been used on so many recordings by so many big-name acts/guitar players.

So I guess that is a main ingredient of why EVH and Steve Vai, among others, had such a fat and identifiable sound in the '80s.

Joe

YHWH · Post by **YHWH** » Wed May 28, 2008 2:38 pm

... as far as digital FX go... the H910 is "ancient". It was first released in '75. That was used on VH #1 but primarily for the delay. The H949 came out in '80. It does the micro pitch shift like the late '80s H3000s. I believe the H949 is what Ed used live ('86-'88 Van Hagar-era) as well.

rgalpin · Post by **rgalpin** » Wed May 28, 2008 4:24 pm

the 1984 album tone has a DI quality to it. like i can't hear the air in the room. like i can't feel a speaker working it's ass off.

anyone agree?

guitar007 · Post by **guitar007** » Wed May 28, 2008 4:49 pm

I would agree with that.

T.J.Fuller · Post by **T.J.Fuller** » Wed May 28, 2008 4:50 pm

you know what..he may have started using the Palmer DI units around this time.

interesting observation but, it does have that DI quality to it doesn't it?

Guitarjb · Post by **Guitarjb** » Wed May 28, 2008 5:28 pm

YHWH wrote:... as far as digital FX go... the H910 is "ancient". It was first released in '75. That was used on VH #1 but primarily for the delay. The H949 came out in '80. It does the micro pitch shift like the late '80s H3000s. I believe the H949 is what Ed used live ('86-'88 Van Hagar-era) as well.

What songs or parts was the H910 used for on VH1? I always thought any effects or delay heard on the first few records was just Eddies stage gear setup: Pase 90, Flanger, Echoplex, etc...

Joe

rgalpin · Post by **rgalpin** » Wed May 28, 2008 5:48 pm

i think the overdubbed solo at the end of Ice Cream Man has something that was put on it at the console that gives a slight chorus effect. maybe that's the H910?

fivecoyote · Post by **fivecoyote** » Thu May 29, 2008 10:44 am

rgalpin wrote:the 1984 album tone has a DI quality to it. like i can't hear the air in the room. like i can't feel a speaker working it's ass off.

anyone agree?

Absolutely. I remember getting that album, putting it on the stereo and listening w/ two of my friends who were not guit players. I was hugely disappointed in the guitar sound. It sounded like the amp wasn't cranked or something. No angry Marshall -- just tame. Still a great album, but not what I was hoping for tone-wise.

rgalpin · Post by **rgalpin** » Thu May 29, 2008 10:53 am

fivecoyote wrote:
rgalpin wrote:the 1984 album tone has a DI quality to it. like i can't hear the air in the room. like i can't feel a speaker working it's ass off.

anyone agree?
Absolutely. I remember getting that album, putting it on the stereo and listening w/ two of my friends who were not guit players. I was hugely disappointed in the guitar sound. It sounded like the amp wasn't cranked or something. No angry Marshall -- just tame. Still a great album, but not what I was hoping for tone-wise.

and those electronic sounding toms and kick drum. Alex "TECHNO" Van Halen on the drum machine.

as someone who had followed their sound and general mojo closely from album to album, that was a weird one to get used to. but i had a weird time getting used to Fair Warning too. it seemed like there was no melody to the vocals.

45auto · Post by **45auto** » Thu May 29, 2008 4:50 pm

i think somebody makes a tdm plug that attempts to do an eventide harmonizer. i wish i could find one for vst. i'd like to find a stereo delay+stereo detune/harmonizer that might be interesting