Ed's 1978 touring rig.

[MikeO]

Ed had pretty big hands for his size to begin with. Play guitar all day for 15 years, and you too will have banana fingered lobster claws.

His hands really aren't that big. I went to the Hollywood GC yesterday and bought an old '76 MXR Flanger (it has the magic! otherwise I wouldn't buy from them).

I compared my hand with his imprint while there. My fingers are tiny bit longer than his and just as wide. I'm about 5'10"
EVH and I share the same nationality so maybe that's why

[leadguy]

ROBIN L. wrote

BOX 1 and 2 were loopers for the MXR 6bandEQ 's Ed was using to boost his signal prior to hitting the plexi.

There is a problem with your 1978 world tour info about the EQ and quite possibly all the other amp info etc.

Box 1 is not being used as a EQ looper or on/off EQ switch.
The possible small looper lead from Box 1 is unconnected while Ed is using the EQ.
Box 1 is being used for the Eruption/YRGM section at the end of the show probably to control the Univox runaway oscillations at the end of Eruption as Ed quickly switches from the Franky to the Destroyer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=915ZdNJZG_A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Van Halen 1978 Tour Set List

On Fire
I’m the One
Bass Solo
Runnin’ with the Devil
Feel Your Love Tonight
Atomic Punk
Drum Solo
Down in Flames**
Bullethead***
Last Night***
Little Dreamer
Somebody Get Me A
Doctor***
Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love
Ice Cream Man
Voodoo Queen***
Guitar Solo
You Really Got Me
D.O.A.*
Bottoms Up!*

* = indicates the song was played occasionally.
** = indicates the song was played rarely.
*** = indicates the song was played only very rarely.

Franky no EQ for main 1978 World Tour setlist. Guitar->Flanger->Phase etc

http://wwwc.dcns.ne.jp/~epi/pedalboard23jul1978.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Destroyer using EQ for YRGM which follows Eruption in the 1978 World Tour setlist. Guitar->Phase->EQ down the effect chain etc.

http://epi3.hp.infoseek.co.jp/1978julusleft.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;






Franky no EQ for main 1978 World Tour setlist. Guitar->Flanger->Phase etc



Likely Destroyer setup using EQ for YRGM which follows Eruption in the 1978 World Tour setlist. Guitar->Phase->EQ down the effect chain etc.



Boss EQ in and out



Box 1 as a EQ Looper or ON/OFF switch





As for Ed's setup in Japan being deliberately setup the wrong way for the cameras, the 1978 Japan photo of Ed's pedalboard setup is exactly the same as the pedalboard setup he is using in the above live photos.

[cary chilton]

leadguy, your funny man.

[leadguy]

HA! HA!

Yes there are some funny things going on but I'm not one of them.

[Strat78]

It seems like the p-90 is still in the loop after Eruption because Ed has got his foot on it during YRAGM. So, where does the cord come from that plugs into the input of the GE-10? I originally thought Ed simply unplugged the input from the flanger and plugged it into the GE-10. Does the #1 box switch on the loop with the EC-80, GE-10 for Eruption? Ed seems to turn on the EC-80 at the pedal board for the runaway echo and again turns it off from the pedal board as he launches into YRGM. By the way, I was at that Day On The Green and the bands sound was terrible.

[leadguy]

So, where does the cord come from that plugs into the input of the GE-10?

The photo doesn't show it but this is what I think might be happening.

The output of the Phase or the output of what is connected to the phase (Echoplex?) is taken to the input of the EQ.

Ed seems to be going directly into the Phase for RWTD and probably Eruption.

Anyway Box 1 is not used as a EQ On/Off loop in those photos.

[Strat78]

....or Ed simply plugs a different cable into the strat and into the input of the GE-10 (connected to box #1) and the Destroyer is plugged into the normal setup just before the solo? Maybe that accounts for the extra cable lying on stage.

[45auto]

i imagine Robin L. is done here.

[JJGray]

Leadguy, you may want to edit your post.

RWTD doesn't follow Eruption, it follows the Mike's bass solo.

It's YRGM that follow's Ed's solo, which includes Eruption.

[JJGray]

Also I was wondering what this box is that the 3 amps on the top left pic are connected to? Is that one of the loads? And thanks for all your input.. I know people must discourage you with so many questions and when they dont believe what you say it gets irritating.

This never did get answered, did it.

I wasn't going to answer for RobinL, but Ed did specifically say in an early Guitar Player interview that he used Fender 150XL strings, and Belden cables.

[Strat78]

Hi my first post here. This is really interesting stuff Robin been posting. I saw i while back somebody mentioned this photo of an mxr noise gate sitting in ed's echoplex and someone else said they didnt exist yet? I do have a script logo noise gate however. Was it placed anywhere in the signal chain ever? I would think so because i use 1 echoplex and the hiss is pretty loud from it.

It's possible, but I do not remember seeing a noise gate pedal after the EP's.
You're damn right about the hiss, what a nightmare.

But you did say at one point that a noise gate was used between the main plexi and the slave? Hence that shot showing the OFF WHITE (not an extra p-90) pedal hidden in the echoplex?

Robin, you brought up a very interesting and obscure detail regarding the string spacing of the Destroyer bridge! I thought I was the only one who noticed these things. Allot of Ed's riffs are hard to play on narrower string spacings, especially on a Japanese knockoffs like the Destroyer. The classic Fender Stratocaster 2 7/32" spacing at the bridge is ideal for early VH riffage. You can see how Ed cut new grooves in his destroyer bridge to give a little extra breathing room between the strings.

[guitar007]

Also, if he was slaving then why isn't he running the effects after the load box. That's one of the big advantages of slaving, that and volume control. Ed wasn't using volume control in a stadium.
Ed is running the effects in front of the amp as in a non slaving setup.


Franky straight into BOX 1 no flanger or phase or it might be going into the flanger (hard to tell).

http://wwwc.dcns.ne.jp/~epi/pedalboard23jul1978.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Destroyer using EQ

http://epi3.hp.infoseek.co.jp/1978julusleft.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Leadguy...in the top photo...the guitar goes into the Flanger...then around the looper into the Phase 90.

[guitar007]

Robin. Thanks so much for your info. Keep it Comin!

What's the story behind Ed pealing his off his Tolex and changing the grill cloth (sceen door lookin' stuff) on some of his early cabs? Also...can you describe what his favorite load box/line level tap looked like...dimensions, a description of the resistor’s appearance…etc? Much appreciated!

[leadguy]

Yes. I got RWTD confused with YRGM.

Ed seems to play RWTD with the Franky? If I remember correctly from some boots, I think this is right.

YRGM on the Destroyer comes after the Frankys Eruption.

No matter how the leads are hooked up, Box 1 is not being used as a EQ looper on/off switch in the live photos or the Japan photos.

[leadguy]

Here is a shot of Eddie at Oakland Alameda County Stadium, Oakland, California on July 23, 1978. This was during the "Day on The Green" concert.

http://www.guitarattack.com/mattocaster ... agavh4.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I can't see a Univox foot switching lead going to the back of the Univox, just a power lead.
So I think Box 1 being used as a Univox footswitch isn't right.

From another photo it seems that the 2 leads on the left of Box 1 might go directly to a separate Echoplex which would mean that Box 1 is a amp switcher.


Rudy or one of the crew is definately switching the Univox off at the end of the Franky/Eruption because there is no Univox footswitch so Ed would have to change amps because the signal can't get to the amps when the Univox is off.
So Ed switches to another Echoplex/Amp setup for the Destroyer/YRGM.
Ed said in interviews that he only used one Echoplex at a time and they both had the same settings.

Ed only seemed to have one Echoplex in earlier photos before Box 1 appeared.
Box 1 seems to appear for the 1978 world tour and so do the 2 Echoplexes.

Box 1 is not a EQ looper on/off switch because from the live photos, it just isn't setup for it with the unconnected Box 1 lead.