Metropoulos Forum

I can't really tell if it's one knob or two at the Civic.

It's hard to tell, looks like it is not there at the civic. As far as that MM gig photo and the On Fire clip from that show, just going by the tone alone I'm pretty convinced that we are looking at the version of the guitar that was used for VHI

What I DO see is an MXR 6 band EQ on the floor!!! And also it looks like he was using some very cheap thin cables. Yet another reason to use the EQ to boost the high end. Most of it was lost in the cables..

wjamflan wrote:Here's another one that Kat took at the Whisky in 1977 that doesn't have an exact date but could be from the same night or time:

wow awesome pic!!!
i guess this pretty much confirms he used the "finished" home made strat as seen in this pic for VH I and not that black version from the jenny lens pics?
I mean he is even wearing the same shirt from the pic on the inside of the record!

EJSLPlexi wrote:

wjamflan wrote:Here's another one that Kat took at the Whisky in 1977 that doesn't have an exact date but could be from the same night or time:

I mean he is even wearing the same shirt from the pic on the inside of the record!

I've always wondered about that Spetznaz shirt.

Still see 2 there too...

Been meaning to post here for a few days. Good stuff above and glad to see the Kat H. photos made it here.

One thing that slightly muddies the waters. At the Van Halen Museum there is an ad for 8/1/77 for VH at Magic Mountain. When I talked to VH's soundman Tom he told me VH played there a few times, so I surmise that there was more than one gig at MM in August, because I trust Kat's photo dates.

Bill is correct that the Magic M. recording is almost certainly from August. Bill is also right to underscore that Atomic Punk and ATBL were written after the 1977 Warner Demo.

The striped pic with the franky is from July 15, 1977.

Although it is VERY COOL to establish beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Franky was indeed striped and had the Ellsworth neck DURING the 1st albums recording, I'd like to get back to the OP and discuss the Franky 'beneath the paint', cause imo, a bare guitar body can be deciphered in such a way as to get closer, SOUNDWISE, to Ed's actual Franky strat, regardless of the paint/aesthetics. Thats why that photo of Ed with the bare strat is SO incredible. Just by the grain lines you can tell ALOT about it, like it being a two piece center seam, the lines have a decent amount of seperation, indicating that it was mid/lower tree growth (real tight lines indicate upper tree growth, which is TOO dense and heavy concerning Ash). All this info to me, indicates a 4 to 4 1/2 lb body. Regardless, I'd surmise that the Franky IS NOT a boat anchor weight guitar body.

I sure wish there were more pic's of the Franky in its bare unfinished era, or, just a better resolution of the one pic we have. It would be EASY to pic two ash blanks that closely matched Ed's Franky (two piece center seamed).

Always has that darn switch in the neck position.

JimiJames wrote:Always has that darn switch in the neck position.

It may be wired backwards or not wired at all, or he could be using the neck pickup, if those are truly neck pickups in there????

Go away for a few days and all of a sudden this place is buzzin' again....

Strat78 wrote:It's hard to tell, looks like it is not there at the civic. As far as that MM gig photo and the On Fire clip from that show, just going by the tone alone I'm pretty convinced that we are looking at the version of the guitar that was used for VHI

Makes sense to me Phil.

rgorke wrote:What I DO see is an MXR 6 band EQ on the floor!!!

Roger - you know where I stand on this one...

JimiJames wrote:Still see 2 there too...

JimiJames wrote:Always has that darn switch in the neck position.

I hear you Jimi...

Tone Slinger wrote:Although it is VERY COOL to establish beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Franky was indeed striped and had the Ellsworth neck DURING the 1st albums recording, I'd like to get back to the OP and discuss the Franky 'beneath the paint'

Will do Andy.

At the Van Halen Museum there is an ad for 8/1/77 for VH at Magic Mountain
Is there someplace online where we can see this flyer?

I trust Kat's photo dates

No offense to Kat, but I'm not there yet. What puts doubt in my mind about the MM photo is the fact that Dave and Ed are wearing the exact same clothes as in the Whisky photos and standing in front of a curtain very similar to what the Whisky had at the time (see Ramones Oct 77 photo). IMHO that supposed MM photo is from the Whisky fall 77 gig.

I also have my doubts about the "backstage spatnetz" photo being from summer '77. The only other place you see that shirt is on the album shots (LP jr and inner sleeve "sweat" photo), and it's generally considered that those pics were taken (Elliot Gilbert?) around the time of the New years eve gig at the Whisky. No offense, guys.

Even if Kat wrote the dates on those pic's way after they were taken (possibly she forgot ?) That still doesn't change the 10/15/77 Civic Center flyer. That photo used on the flyer HAD to have been from a previous gig (MM ). I think we have definitive proof here guy's

That photo used on the flyer HAD to have been from a previous gig (MM )

It could have been from the Sept Whisky gigs (as leadguy pointed out years ago) or it could have been from MM. But when was that gig? 7/15? 8/1? 8/15? 10/1? Maybe they should call it Memory Mountain