Eddie Van Halen Demos the 5150IIIS

[chrisom]

I thought the Gary Cherone Live VH videos had a killer sound for Eddie, and I liked the Soldano/Peavey or whatever he used on the "For Unlawful..." LP, but based on the hype back then when I was younger and more naive, I bought myself a 5150 2x12 combo hoping to get "the tone". It SUCKED. BAD. I sold it and decided that all the stuff that made Eddie famous was done on a Marshall, not on a Peavey, and I couldn't afford a Soldano anyway, so I went back to Marshalls and have been happy with my VH sounds ever since. If Ed wants to "change/evolve" then good for him. I'm sticking with classic Marshall and Fender designs, and I have a Roland JC-77 just for good measure. This latest stealth mod does sound better than a lot of the 5150 amp stuff though, and I have friends who swear by the original 100-watt (120?) Peavey 5150 heads, so whatever works for folks I say...

[Tone Slinger]

The vh III album tone seems okay except for the eventide or whatever that chorusy thing is. The live tone sounds pretty flaccid gain saturated and artificial, makes me cringe. I just don't get how someone who has achieved one of the sickest Marshall type tones could ever be happy with an amp that would be better suited for Poison than VH.
Here you go, enjoy post 84 VH tone!:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgELf5cmcmM

I totally agree. After listening to WACF or FAIR WARNING and then to VHIII or any of the other PEAVEY stuff it is very disturbing to me. Its like he got tired of good home cooked meals and settled for TV dinners or something.

Then again, I'm a bit older than alot of the Van Halen (I mean Van Hagar) fans that are here. If I had been 13 or 14 when 'Right Now' came out or something, and experienced those crazy teen yrs hearing that stuff, then I would undoubtly be fond of it too I guess.

I trip out when I hear guy's tell me how they like 'Animalize' and 'Asylum' better than 'Hotter Than Hell' and 'Dressed To Kill'

[chrisom]

Its like he got tired of good home cooked meals and settled for TV dinners or something...

LMAO! That is SO true- Good analogy... Although I actually like some of the stuff I didn't used to like (Eventide), the base tone has only gotten progressively worse over time...

[plexified]

I enjoyed the Smithsonian interview and this as well . But I have to say getting used to Eds voice again is a bit hard for me . Its the acknowledgement of those miles and I respect that . The one thing I have to comment on is that his concept of this gear seems pretty solid . But I do not hear any resemblance on the low end . What on gods green earth ( ok it looks like a blue marble from space ) do we need to do to get that bottom end ? I know personally , but geez louizze . That bottom end sounds like a brittle and tin sounding excuse for something it wants to be . Not a perked up lion patiently waiting to kill again its so fat and slow yet solid . My 12 series sounded amazing with the 20 watt celestions . I find it ironic that's what ED has in his cabinets . It defies the jib jab explentations . He said volume was an issue . NO it was not with number 12301 , ESPECIALLY with 20 watt speakers ! it was purring lion . Exactly enough to play with AL . No attenuation . To bring it to 110 and correct the power supply , yes . BUT throw in that big 69 output transformer , your blowing 20watt 4x12 cabs all day long . Shit , I sold mine because of it . Bought it mint for 500 sold it for 3K . If I melted 3K worth of speakers , how sick would anybody be . So My back ups were the G12 M . They were good for anything had a twinge more mid and bite . And the stock 12 with the stock power trans needed it . Bottom was as butter as butter can be . Rob Galpin hit it on the head . I posted my stock set up with a G12M set up and he said it was the Filet Mingon of amps . It was right their . No effects , no jokery . So Ed tweaking is valid , it never stops , but his bottom end has lost the glory days . She said that too, Laughing I say . So what do you do ? mist your speaker cones with water and throw dust on them , no , Design a proper power transformer damn it ! EVH DECODED . I would say even put a 100 watt light bulb in series with your amp . Sag it out . Just sayin .

[Damian The Man]

I am aware that for most people here the sound of the albums before the 90s is THE Sound.

However, my personal tastes can not be put in doubt. So, for me at least, the guitar tone on the VH III and 1998 Tour is the most honest and correct guitar tone Eddie ever had: no ultra processing, excessive grooming, tricks and special effects. And I find it to be a little more alive and organic than the modern 2012 ADKOT.

I would love to know more in depth about his rig from that period.

[chrisom]

Who put the first Soldano in Eddie's hands?

Did someone tell him, "Hey Ed, try this..."?
Or was he at a music store and just happened to plug in?, or
Was he at an Alice In Chains show and after watching Jerry Cantrell he said to himself, "I've got get some of that for myself..."?

[hammered]

I am aware that for most people here the sound of the albums before the 90s is THE Sound.

However, my personal tastes can not be put in doubt. So, for me at least, the guitar tone on the VH III and 1998 Tour is the most honest and correct guitar tone Eddie ever had: no ultra processing, excessive grooming, tricks and special effects. And I find it to be a little more alive and organic than the modern 2012 ADKOT.

I would love to know more in depth about his rig from that period.

To my ears that 98 tour tone is in the same ball park as the later 07 and 12/13 , dosen`t sound much different to me

98
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_dCgKQ1kOc

2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py-90gT3jeE

[dirtycooter]

My experience is peavey was total dogshit for gain but the clean/crunch channel had good stuff.
Very ear fatiguing thing in the top end of those amps. Not to mention the scrotum bursting amounts of noise on the lead channels-hiss city!!
Who doesn't like Balance tones? I find this tone quite majestic sounding on its own. It has that perfect woody thump-not too much not too little-but just right.
There is a whole managerie of tones on that record. SLO and Marshall and who knows as I heard Suhr built some preamps too for this era.
But unlike most here-I dig both old and new tones.
The old 12301 can't do some of the songs he wrote and vice versa.

Still-its Eds playing no matter which way you slice it. Then the tone.
But I said this before-imagine Seventh Seal or Poundcake played on 12301 old style.
Totally would not fit at all even with a shoe spoon the size of a car hood.
I like those songs as they are-I am not so hung up as to think Roth era tone woulda made those songs better. That would be so far from reality. Amps and tones allow different writing-its a vehicle really.
I go mud bogging I sure as hell ain't pullin up in a Ferrari you know and vice versa.

The latest tone? Meh..... I get better out of the 5153 I think for myself then he is.
And in the end these tones are all not buku miles apart.
Atill there is a voice that still has a signature kind of curve mostly to it in regard to bass mid treble staging goess.
I love the tone he gets on Deja Vu/Take me back. One of my faves. Listen as there isn't harmonizer on it.
And for live tone nothing beats his tonal presence live on Balance. He just flooded the building arenas so thick!
You simply could not lose that sound ever live-it was huge sounding. No way you would lose that sound in a mix unless you had mudpies in your ears. LWAN was similar. Unlawful seemed to be mud at times dunno why though because it is very close to Balamce really.
All the other tones seem to get lost in alot of places on the older stuff live.
Studio vs live tone is seemingly a challenge for Ed. I have heard him sound good and like ass balls from every era really.

[dirtycooter]

Even the biggest bomb they had-VHIII-there is some great tones on that record as well. Not to mention brilliant playing. The closest you will hear a guitar ever be drunk is the solo to..... ah shit... can't remember name of song. But you will know it when you hear it.
There was very clever and deep stuff on the record though if you can stomach cherones biz.

[rdodson]

Who put the first Soldano in Eddie's hands?

Did someone tell him, "Hey Ed, try this..."?
Or was he at a music store and just happened to plug in?, or
Was he at an Alice In Chains show and after watching Jerry Cantrell he said to himself, "I've got get some of that for myself..."?

Ed saw Clapton playing the Soldano rig in '88 when Clapton was touring with Mark Knopfler. Knopfler was blowing Clapton's stage tone away and so got EC in touch with Mike (Soldano). That was EC's rig for several years. He played that rig at the first Cream reunion.

Think of how our fandom of EVH is...that is how Ed is with Eric Clapton. Ed was mesmerized with getting a Marshall in the first place because that is what Eric was playing in Cream. The Farewell amp was probably a '68 SL. Ed sent 12301 to Mike Soldano and then ended up with 2 SLOs.