Metropoulos Forum

This was covered in this section a while back and someone on this site(I forget who it was) explained what Ed used back in the early days up untill he started using the H&H poweramps. It was just a very simple Marshall set up with a viariac and the bias adjusted and 6ca7 tubes. And this guy works for EVH. Ed was changing his rig around so much back then. Pickups,Amps.Hes got a bunch of Marshalls. Funny how it always has that Magical EVH tone. So many people continue to look for stuff that I dont know but I just don't think theres anything "special"that anyones going to find. As a good example listen to Ralle's clips and look what he's using. It HAS that magical EVH tone with no "special" components. Also If you watch The Late show when Letterman was doing his show from California for a week back in 85 Ed is playing thru a Marshall halfstack and his Kramer and it has One of the Best VH tones there is. Just a Halfstack but I did hear it was attenuated. Don't know what with.

beaulieu wrote:This was covered in this section a while back and someone on this site(I forget who it was) explained what Ed used back in the early days up untill he started using the H&H poweramps. It was just a very simple Marshall set up with a viariac and the bias adjusted and 6ca7 tubes. And this guy works for EVH. Ed was changing his rig around so much back then. Pickups,Amps.Hes got a bunch of Marshalls. Funny how it always has that Magical EVH tone. So many people continue to look for stuff that I dont know but I just don't think theres anything "special"that anyones going to find. As a good example listen to Ralle's clips and look what he's using. It HAS that magical EVH tone with no "special" components. Also If you watch The Late show when Letterman was doing his show from California for a week back in 85 Ed is playing thru a Marshall halfstack and his Kramer and it has One of the Best VH tones there is. Just a Halfstack but I did hear it was attenuated. Don't know what with.

Never was a big mod.....no magic....just some small tweeks and the way he set it up. Even the load box thing... stuff everybody tryed and some did....Nothing new. The main "special" thing about Ed's tone is Ed!!

Totally agree about whats "special" Ed

beaulieu wrote: As a good example listen to Ralle's clips and look what he's using. It HAS that magical EVH tone with no "special" components. Also If you watch The Late show when Letterman was doing his show from California for a week back in 85 Ed is playing thru a Marshall halfstack and his Kramer and it has One of the Best VH tones there is. Just a Halfstack but I did hear it was attenuated. Don't know what with.

not to get off topic but, I remember this Letterman ( I don't know or not if the clip is on youtube or not) but wasn't that a 50 watt head? and it was a killer tone.

..and isn't Ralle using a Marshall Power Brake ?? a speaker load type attenuator.

I know Ralle really has the VH chops down but, maybe some of you guys should go back and check out his On Fire clips again on his personal website ( On Fire and Ice Cream Man are posted)

If that tone of Ralles doesn't nail that 1977 tone on that clip
I don't know what does.

the rest of the help again for the true VH album sound would come from Pultec Eq's La2a Urei 1176 etc.

I'm starting to buy into the fact that alot of the gain is from the total chain of stuff he used.

MarkCameron wrote:

Good Guest wrote:I seen the pic ..years ago (10 at least) . It does show the resistor (stick of dynamite) hanging out the back and Eddie wailing away. Makes sense to hang it out the back for heat dissipation. Thought at the time it was the tapped resistor we all read about acting as a load. Now I wouldn't mind seeing the pic again to see if the wires go back to the amp confirming the shorting primary mod or if it goes to a load box.

Now you are describing another pic? One had just the backline... nobody in the pic....now the one you saw has Eds wailing away in the pic?? Stick of Dynamite.......is the old wax and paper cap to the master volume. Eds main Marshall Preamp...........Yes its the amp......

Mark....you were kind enough to share pics 001, 006, and 014. Thanks, bro. What about 002 though 014 and beyond?

T.J.Fuller wrote: I'm starting to buy into the fact that alot of the gain is from the total chain of stuff he used.

I have totally bought into it. Once you add all the potential gain from all the outboard stuff it really doesn't matter which amp a person uses, (as proved in another thread where effects and a fender produced THE tone) the color form all the effects and studio gear far outweighs any single amp or anything that could be solely responsible for the tone.

I don't blame Eddy either for thinking he didn't use a fuzz box or boost..he probably didn't know all these devices he used and were added at the studio which are noted for shaping and coloring NOT boosting, or fuzz and distortion could turn his plexi into SUCH a machine that 30 years later guitarists are just starting to get close to. (long sentence)

He probably used 2 echoplexs ..one for color pre gain and one for echo post gain..just like he used 2 univoxs ..one for slow down effects one for gawd knows what? Everyone ignores the univoxs not knowing they produce even MORE gain than an ep3 can on a good day and have a lot of quality's you get from a boost and mic preamp also as well as it's own color.

As far as load boxs go..he only used them when he couldn't crank his plexi to max (in clubs) so if it's true that people left the studio from the volume of his plexi's he sure wasn't using them when he was recording and all those club boots probably reflect the tone of the load box more than anything else.

beaulieu wrote: "special" Ed

LOL! You said Special Ed

MarkCameron wrote:

Good Guest wrote:I seen the pic ..years ago (10 at least) . It does show the resistor (stick of dynamite) hanging out the back and Eddie wailing away. Makes sense to hang it out the back for heat dissipation. Thought at the time it was the tapped resistor we all read about acting as a load. Now I wouldn't mind seeing the pic again to see if the wires go back to the amp confirming the shorting primary mod or if it goes to a load box.

Now you are describing another pic? One had just the backline... nobody in the pic....now the one you saw has Eds wailing away in the pic?? Stick of Dynamite.......is the old wax and paper cap to the master volume. Eds main Marshall Preamp...........Yes its the amp......

Mark are those wima box caps or chicklets as I guess these were called?
Thanks for posting this pictures thank you!! the Silver cap v1? Sprauge? Got more of the second half of that amp

[quote="MarkCameron
Never was a big mod.....no magic....just some small tweeks and the way he set it up. Even the load box thing... stuff everybody tryed and some did....Nothing new. The main "special" thing about Ed's tone is Ed!![/quote]

I totally agree Mark, I have experimented with just about every urban legend setup that Ed was supposed to have used. The best one with all the gain and crackly crunch is exactly as you described it, PLexi into the load box line out driving the input of a superlead. I have the Jose master in the Plexi the superlead is stock both amps have 6ca7's. The pinched harmonics are effortless yet remain totally open sounding and less compressed than a single head amp with three or four gain stages.

I hope you're feeling better! Hang in there!

harddriver wrote:[quote="MarkCameron
Never was a big mod.....no magic....just some small tweeks and the way he set it up. Even the load box thing... stuff everybody tryed and some did....Nothing new. The main "special" thing about Ed's tone is Ed!!

I totally agree Mark, I have experimented with just about every urban legend setup that Ed was supposed to have used. The best one with all the gain and crackly crunch is exactly as you described it, PLexi into the load box line out driving the input of a superlead. I have the Jose master in the Plexi the superlead is stock both amps have 6ca7's. The pinched harmonics are effortless yet remain totally open sounding and less compressed than a single head amp with three or four gain stages.

I hope you're feeling better! Hang in there! [/quote]

PLexi into the load box line out driving the input of a superlead

So the Super lead acts as a power amp???When your not busy explain plz, Im in the mode, where do the time effects come into play in front?? Hmm I may try this my 2204 in to my jtm45/50

So those 2 board pics are Eds amp??? I noticed the piece busted off the plexi panel but the ohms selector is diffrent?? Is there any more pics? Say the rest of the inside of the chassis???

T.J.Fuller wrote:

beaulieu wrote: As a good example listen to Ralle's clips and look what he's using. It HAS that magical EVH tone with no "special" components. Also If you watch The Late show when Letterman was doing his show from California for a week back in 85 Ed is playing thru a Marshall halfstack and his Kramer and it has One of the Best VH tones there is. Just a Halfstack but I did hear it was attenuated. Don't know what with.

not to get off topic but, I remember this Letterman ( I don't know or not if the clip is on youtube or not) but wasn't that a 50 watt head? and it was a killer tone.

..and isn't Ralle using a Marshall Power Brake ?? a speaker load type attenuator.

I know Ralle really has the VH chops down but, maybe some of you guys should go back and check out his On Fire clips again on his personal website ( On Fire and Ice Cream Man are posted)

If that tone of Ralles doesn't nail that 1977 tone on that clip
I don't know what does.

the rest of the help again for the true VH album sound would come from Pultec Eq's La2a Urei 1176 etc.

I'm starting to buy into the fact that alot of the gain is from the total chain of stuff he used.

My favorite of Ralle's was when he had the Jose master installed, the grind was the closest to my ears while using just a single head setup. I think Ed used the MXR 6band EQ when he used a single head to make up for the gain lost when he didn't slave. It was also a known fact that Ed used the microamp on the 1984 tour because of the gain lost when he went to using the H&H's totally as power amps.

Sinas's clips of the Variplex still needed the MXR EQ to push things over the top. All of these methods are covered here on Metro in depth.

great stuff

MarkCameron wrote:

Good Guest wrote:I seen the pic ..years ago (10 at least) . It does show the resistor (stick of dynamite) hanging out the back and Eddie wailing away. Makes sense to hang it out the back for heat dissipation. Thought at the time it was the tapped resistor we all read about acting as a load. Now I wouldn't mind seeing the pic again to see if the wires go back to the amp confirming the shorting primary mod or if it goes to a load box.

Now you are describing another pic? One had just the backline... nobody in the pic....now the one you saw has Eds wailing away in the pic?? Stick of Dynamite.......is the old wax and paper cap to the master volume. Eds main Marshall Preamp...........Yes its the amp…...

thanks for the photos!

Glad I found the ED Amp again...But DF said it is Not what he had in 1978 on the board