For vh1, absolutely the first guitar was dead nuts on point! I don't care what all these people are saying, it's very obvious people just basing their opinion of which has the most gain sound. Black and white stripe was scary accurate!
@@electricladdyland exactly. that twang is so tele-like, like what Ossie says in the video. VH1 has the amp doing all the singing, though it's not fair to compare Ed's signature axe and the destroyers sound because they are voiced differently and different outputs, though each respective pickup gets you relatively close to the other that you might not care if you're not a *huge* EVH/VH1 tone chaser.
Sounded great yes , but the next guitar , the LP with the mighty might was. “ IT “ for early Eddie . . The destroyer was awesome but a bit thick for Eddie. But either one is a WIN WIN !
It seems I always go back to Duncan 59's.. Just something about them. As for VH tones, I have had great luck with some Custom Customs. To me they nail VH tones, especially the Fair Warning album.
The bumblebee with the super distortion sounds killer, especially when you played the intro to Everybody Wants some, which was probably played on the actual bumblebee loaded with a super distortion. The older pickups smoke the newer ones in my opinion
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 not possible. The frankenstein didnt have a floyd rose yet during the recording of WACF. The tracks on WACF with tremolo are absolutely using a floyd rose, which the bumblebee had, along with his mahogany strat from charvel. You will find that close to zero articles with “proof” along with what edward actually said is anywhere close to factual evidence.
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 not really sure how that article really is evidence of anything either. Others and myself have done hours of research using pictures, interviews and recording knowledge to figure out what guitars were used on what songs.
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959: As Tanner said, the only 2 guitars which Ed had Floyd equipped were the Bee and the WACF 2” Mahogany Guitar, so there is no way Ed used the Franky on that track, or Tora! Tora!.
Something I always loved about Eddie’s VH1 rig is that his tone always had the perfect amount of bass, mids, treble and gain, and it always sounded like it was on the verge of feedback
They all sound great. It's the amp that gets you into the ball park. The difference between all those guitars is minuscule and due to the guitar mostly and not the pickup. I know some will disagree .....
02:30 - Duncan PAF 05:34 - Ibanez Super 70 09:24 - Mighty Mie 1300 13:00 - Mighty Mite 1400 17:40 - Mighty Mite 1800 21:40 - Vintage DImarzio Super Distortion 25:56 - DiMarzio SUper Distortion new issue 30:20 - DiMarzio Super II 36:42 - Duncan 78' This is for me but please feel free to use these to test back and fourth
@@JimmyDevereCould be. I’ve heard that said before. And Seymour Duncan did wind Eddie’s first PAF pickup, which Seymour now calls the 78 Custom. But he didn’t say it was the Seymour Duncan 78 Custom. That’s the EVH Frankenstein…..which COULD BE the Duncan 78…. I always hate this rabbit hole…. 🕳️ 🐇 🙄
What a great video. Thank you. The small box Plexi works great for the compression that you’d get with a variac at 65-70 volts (not 90 like he had when playing live). If you put it on 90v it barely makes a difference in volume and tone. Try the variac in the 60 volt to low 70 volt range and the volume will reduce dramatically and the tone with chunk up those low resistance pups 🐶
The Pariah White pickup is the best all around pickup for the Van Halen 1 sound. Obviously Eddie's tone varied he used a dimarzio super distortion in an explorer for you really got me, but that doesn't work for everything. Pete Thorn did a proper pickup shootout, 23 pickups in essentially one guitar. There were a few highlights, but some that worked on certain songs sounded wrong on others... the Pariah White, and the pariah black hands down covers Eddie's tone from 77 to 84.
I agree with the other guy - first guitar with lower 8.0 k is spot on. It might not be what you like but it’s so freakin close. All sound good but that first one is it.
Combination of the black and white striped with PAF, and the bumblebee. The PAF does a squishy thing none of the other pickups do, and you need that for a number of tracks on VH1. Great playing, much better than my VH.
Bumblebee is the VH 1 sound. The red and black one with the newer SD is good too. Both have too much hair, as you say, for 1984. For that you need Seymour Duncans. A 59 works well.
The Destroyer really has the VH1 tone, we know he used it on songs without the whammy, I think thats where you can really hear it. I just ordered a Bumblebee that has a SD-78 in it, the guy would have put the Wolfgang back but I told him to leave it. Looking forward to testing it out.
@@ossieahsen6732 Yes I got it - great guitar! Thank you! He actually sent me the Wolfgang but I have not done a comparison of the pups yet. Really liking the SD-78, so I may try to put the Wolfgang in another guitar eventually.
@@GuyNarnarian Glad to hear you are liking that Bee, I think I actually like the look of the Bee more than the Frank... .The 78 sounds great for sure and I would def try the Wolfgang PUP before too long... Tough choice but you may find one works better in THAT guitar than there other. instruments .... Good luck! Ossie
8:30 - I personally feel that the Destroyer had its original pickups in it. Even after it was hacked between the recording sessions and the video promo shoots, the bridge pickup remained, with a Dimarzio in the neck. The bridge pickup was still there in June ‘78 when VH went to Japan. However, by summer it was (forever more) replaced by a cream colored Mighty Mite. That configuration is on VH2 but probably not used again, or only sparingly. By W&CF we have a lot of PAFs and cream/white pickups, probably hotter pickups by the sound of things. My $0.02!
FWIW - I did a bit more digging ... those white pickups (mid-1979 to ‘82) were probably DiMarzio Super Distortion double cream (for which DiMarzio had an exclusive trademark) but with their ceramic magnets replaced with alnico magnets. Possibly A2 since EVH seemed to gravitate toward it, but most like A5 (like in the Seymour Duncan Custom5, which Seymour advertised as his “Van Halen” pickup). This is based on a December 1979 interview where EVH discuss his pickups. I would speculate further that EVH probably sourced his magnets from Seymour as there were many sources for this type of part in the late ‘70s, and EVH was close with Seymour, and in geographical proximity. This is purely speculative. For that Fair Warning sound, that is where I would start: a potted 14k pickup with an A5 magnet. But that would have started with the tour version of the Bumble Bee, in ‘79.
@@ThemFuzzyMonsters So, are you saying for VH1 it was the original Ibanez Destryoer PUPs? Which pick up (commonly available) would closely approximate that? Thanks.
@@JimmyDevere The OEM of this guitar was FujiGen and Maxon. That guitar was made for Ibanez, Greco, Aria Pro II, and perhaps other brands. The pickups were Maxon U1000, branded Super70 for Ibanez. They are PAFs with an Alnico8 magnet which gives a reasonable resistance but still generates a big voltage. First I would look for a U1000, the lesser known version, otherwise there is a clone called the “Duper70”. Alternatively you could probably get something like a Duncan 59 and drop an A8 magnet in it and be pretty close. That would be really affordable. For decades these old Maxon/Ibanez pickups were plentiful and only $50 to $75 each. Sadly that changed recently.
Frankenstein in the red and white was the worst and the the old and new Dimarzio SD sounded the closest, the new can be tweaked to the old with EQ. Best VH PUP comparison video i have seen.
It’s definitely the Super 70s in the destroyer - it just needs to push air through a real cab. The simplest answer is usually the right one. Awesome comparison video! Later for VHII he probably was aiming to brighten the tone up a bit to cut through easier whether it be with the maple fretboard and/or a slightly hotter pickup. Going too far loses the original chewy dark character.
I agree with you the bumblebee guitar with the super distortion and the les paul with the mighty mite sound the best! Even though we're really split hairs
Hey Ossie, great demos and you can hear the tones! I have a Northern Ash Strat that went through quite a few pickup swaps. First was an early DSD that sounded like all the Destroyer parts on VHI and so did a Super II but feel it was a Super 70’s or maybe the 1300 especially hearing it here. What I finally settled on for that guitar was a Duncan 78’ that Maricela Juarez claims that it really is the pickup Seymour made for Ed and absolutely nails the VHI Strat tone through many amps! Thanks for this vid!
Hi Steve! Looks like you have been deep into the rabbit hole yourself! I like the 78 myself for all kinds of tones.. very versatile! Thanks for watching! Ossie
You've unknowingly exposed what's been going on with the manufacturers bag of tricks. Marshall has approximately built an amp, the 50 watts amp to capture the warmth of the famous sound. You've been using that approximate type of sound and getting great results. But right at the end, you unknowingly exposed the Wolfgang pickups are tuned to the original 68 100 watts amplifier. So now you know, you were foolish to even try it in the 50% less amplifier design. That 1 pickup alone will force you into buying the 100 watt amp. Or, you've just eliminated yourself from buying into ALL EVH products 🙄. That's a tough lesson for you to learn. A costly lesson to learn as well. You've confirmed I'm heading in the right direction. You've also filled in a lot of knowledge I'm missing about Van Halen history, so thanks for your great contributions to the world 🌎 So, if you build your VH system around that 50 watter then you're locked 🔒 in to that and the other options are not available for you to buy into. You've got to END your 50 watt setup contributions and make the big leap over to the full EVH brand setup 👌 👍 At this point in time, you're missing all of the effects. You've got some expensive tough choices to make. Good luck 👍
Really love your videos Ozzie . Your amps sound great . They some of the best sounds iv ever heard . Quality amps makes all the difference . For me the Frankenstein sounds jaw dropping
Great video as always! I really enjoy nerdy content, esp on amps. I wouldn't kick any of them out of bed,. It I think the super 70s is the ticket. That thick pickup, bright marshall combo sounds like it to me. Eddie's tone wasn't especially high gain, and what gain is there has a smoother quality to it. Keep up the great content!
John, Thank you for the comment! Im glad you like the vid! Agreed , Ed's tone was not what we would call high gain today (5153, etc...). It's very smooth and hairy, not so middy and compressed. Ossie
Amazing comparison man, great tones too! Could you tell me, what is that 1st Duncan PAF exactly model-wise? Exactly the tone I dig, that snappy/twangy bright quality that's tight with enough mids, looking for something similar to put into the bridge position of my '76 Explorer reissue ;)
For me both Destroyer (Destroyer and Shark) , then the EVH 1 , mainly i prefer the lower output pic up. Great playing, thank you very much , you’ve done a great showcase of a passionate EVH tone seeker.
Ossie, thank you for a truly all inclusive comparison. I'm currently tone seeking and have wanted to find a video just like this to select the right pickup.
@@ossieahsen6732 I'm stuck between the 78 and Frankenstein. I agree with your assessment but there is also post processing that is missing here that we have to account for. The chunky low mids on the Frankensten are great, but it seems dull on the top end. The 1978 seems more even through the entire range. Thanks again Ossie!
I think that most everyone "forgets" or suspends their disbelief that when they are listening to the album the "instrument" they are in fact really listening to is not a guitar but is the microphone; and the "amplifier" that this instrument is plugged into is the sum total of the mic pre's/ the compressors/ eq's/ limiters/ etc.... Granted you need the source to move the elements inside the mic and that the source is very important but its only half the equation IMHO. Where is Donn Landee ????? Thanks for the comment! Ossie
For the early VH-1 sound I do agree the super distortion in the bee and the paf are great for a Frankie pickup. And the Ibanez destroyer with stock pickups is the perfect sound for the non-Frankie songs. I also think the Frankenstein pickup works for a much later era, since it was based off the pickup that’s in the Frankie now and not in the original recordings. There’s been so many pickups in the real Frankie it’s hard to know anything other than going by ear.
Thanks for the fantastic demo!...I liked the Bumblebee/old Super Distortion and the Destroyer/Super 70's,but a lot of them sounded fine... Irony - I bought a brand new Gibson Explorer the first year they reissued them (1976)...still kicking myself over selling it 3-4 years later to get a Strat.... BECAUSE OF EDDIE VAN HALEN! 🤪
Which one of those were closest to the Seymour Duncan Custom Ed used? I guess the super distortion in the Les Paul I think it was-the hotter one? The Dystroyer sounded great too.!
They all sound real close , i think he might have used all the above pickups at one time, i am sure he tried every one of them , what pickup did he predominantly use on vh 1 ? , the medium gain mighty mite would be my pick .❤
That Ibby/Aria Destroyer with the Super 70's nailed it, especially with You Really Got Me, which is understandable, as it's said that EVH played his Destroyer with Super 70s on that track. Fascinating comparison vid. Thanks for posting this.
@@CoryA2503 JB came in the 80’s Kramer’s that ed endorsed. I think Ed used a custom custom As well tho and I seem to recall that Seymour Duncan said he made the custom custom for ed
@@glennmckenzie6799 That makes sense. I've read that for club-era Van Halen, Seymour Duncan came up with the Custom for Ed. The one he advertised as the Van Halen pickup. That one could have been just as likely a candidate for the magnet swap when Ed talked about magnet swaps and winding his own humbuckers during Van Halen II touring. The AlNiCo II magnets were likely put to use for taming the treble in a Floyd. The 5150 guitar has been rumoured to have used either the JB or a 59 wound to JB specs. They both use AlNiCo V magnets which would make JB VS 59 rewind a very miniscule difference. His live tone does seem a little bit darker in the OU812 era, so either a magnet swap to AlNiCo II from the JB/59 or Custom or just a switch to thr Custom Custom would make sense. The Custom is the same spec, only with ceramic instead of AlNiCo II, so again a magnet swap vs replacement wouldn't matter so much. It's hard to really know for sure, but it's really fun to hear what people think!
I’m surprised you didn’t include a JB pickup. It’s rumored that Eddie’s Destroyer used a Super Distortion with the ceramic magnet swapped out for a bar magnet from a PAF, and that this was the basis for the Duncan JB pickup. Not to mention, it sounds pretty damn close to Eddie’s tone on VH2 and Women and Children First.
Very nice demo. Really interested in the old super distortion. I had the frankenstein pickup in my strat, but like in this video it’s just an overdose of mids, kinda dissapointed. You should try bareknuckle VH2 if you have a chance, it really lives up to its name.
Hey Ossie love your vids. I really think the 78 has the best clarity for dialing back volume nice for cleans. Question: Is that 50 watt (Marshall 1987) head? Is it modded? Love the sound your getting out of that.
A most excellent & Intuitive assessment. I agree with so many thoughts here. I have several Pickups & a lot of times I prefer the Dimarzio SD, gives that sizzle, but, I use a 250K pot for that like Ed must have in his strat. Quick question, what is your reverb settings ... Sounds amazing !!!!
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned but his rewired guitar had no time control connected to the pickup. I don't know if he changed the wiring on the Destroyer or the Les Paul he used, but his homemade one has no tone control. That will brighten up the pickups a little, add a bit of edge to their sound. Great video.
Hi @UCWqPGKqJfYPFQRsCTWiiHog Im not sure what the condition of the destroyer was at the time of the session... would be a great revelation to find out. Would not be surprised to find it was devoid a tone control :) Best, Ossie
Ed wanted his guitars to sound the same, the explorer and his Frankie strat. But I’ve read that Ed used a boost on his explorer trying to match the output of Frankie. I agree with your assessment Blackopszo.
@GabeHelma #metoo! ❤️ Arias! Went a bit crazy on Matsumoku and bought 4! My 78 Aria Gold Top has Super Distortions in it I think.. 🤔 It needs a refret but perhaps that's a good sign! Played a Lot!! 😁 Rock on! Great video Ossie. I'll check out your cables for sure.
What pickup was in the Gold top LP and what's the output of that pickup? What's the output of the bumblebee Super Distortion pup? I like those two the best.
I know this is about pickups, and an excellent video it is too, but that Superlead is killing it!!! It's interesting that people insist on the '68 spec Superlead when I've heard so many early 70s Superleads and Lead heads do the business. It's totally stock right?
Hi OdgeUk :) Yes that amp is stock :). The 68 spec is pretty much the same circuit... The super lead circuit that was born c68 pretty much carried through into the 70's without any real changes You would have to go pre 68 to get into the JTM100 type circuit which is more Angus than Eddie Good point there ! Ossie
super props 👍 Ossie --- I like the MM1300... what i'd give for you to walk us through the underside cap values on that Marshall circuit... I can hear the .68 and 2n2 era in there but there's something extra and I can't quite place. perhaps the cab IR is throwing me off
Hi David! The Marshall is stock to the 69-72 type circuit. 100k plates.. .002 coupling, .68 on v1b cathode .68 on cathode follower.. .0.005 bright cap....02 PI plate coupling ... 100k feedback. The amp just rips. I have a few other analog clips I did with that amp- Greenbacks- sm57- api type pre- etc that I can put up for comparison with the Ox.. The ox doesn't sound as good IHMO but the "live" rig is just too loud to be practical. Ill put up a comparison soon! Ossie
That dimarzio 70s superdistortion and the duncan paf. Wonder if there is any existing pickups in production that was that treble scream of the 70s super distortion. If you can recommend. Amazing video.
Hi! The new SD isn't too bad. Its interesting to note that all of the vintage SD pickups I have sound different LOL. So its really kind of a crap shoot it some way All the best Ossie
You missed a pickup i saw in one of the photos on the original album. After hearing your comparison, pretty sure VH 1 and 2 were recorded with Dimarzio, but not the DP100......
This happened to me when I was a kid we had a old Ibanez with those super 70s and we all knew this was the vh1 tone after plugging in to a 1970 Marshall
Hi there, great video. Do you know if the newer "Mighty Mite" 1300 pickups, like you see listed on ebay, would be comparable to an early SD pickup? Thanks
waw great comparison video! Quite a labor you went trough ;) I Ordered myself a vintage14K MM, I assume it is a 1300. @ossie ahsen, what I don't get is the amount of gain you get from a stock JMP. My 1959 mkII and sv20h both need a boost (I use an SD-1 now. oddly enough the EP booster I also have is way too bassy even with the bass jumper set to low. Eddie's signal most have gotten extra juice thanks to his wireless Schaffer and Echoplex in front of the amp, no ? thx!
Hi Mike, The mighty mites are nice :).and the SD will work as well - there are options here. I don't think my 50 has as much schmutz as whatever EVH used then. The wireless can boost but the echoplex never seems to do it for me (I did a vid with mine showing its effect) I am thinking there was something else in the equation :) Ossie
Can't stop listening to the comparisons... very interesting. I prefer MM 1300 but the super 70s and super distortion sound great. Different flavors. I would like to see how a 70 SD Custom Sh-5 pickup compares and maybe a JB with an A2 magnet in a Floyd Rose equipped guitar? Anyway, great video for us VH nerds.
@@ossieahsen6732 Man I really like the 1800. It seems to have a bit more push/fullness to it compared with the 1300. Wonder what your perception is in the room? I doubt the BW Franky had a Super 70 because it might have sounded too thin while the destroyer probably had a Super 70 or 1300. I have a 75 destroyer with a 1400 in the bridge that sounds a little thin or nasaly too me in my Marshall. I think I may put a 1300 or Super 70 when I have time... Looking forward to more of your videos...
Hey. I jut found this video here and watched it. Eddie was the guitarist that really got me fascinated with electric guitar sounds. He was my inspiration and i studied him and his sound very deeply. I agree with you about the first 2 mighty mite pick ups in Eddies shark guitar. BUT I KNOW HE ALSO USED THE 78 on the first and certainly 3rd albums for. For the song " you really got me" He had to have used the shark guitar. Im not sure which mighty might pick up was in his shark though. The picture as i am sure you have seen also, that i have seen of his shark guitar, had a bright white humbucker in the bridge. So maybe it was the one you also have in the bridge of your shark guitar too? BUT, THE SOUND OF THAT GIBSON, with the mighty might in it was really close to Eddies sound on a few of those first album songs too. "Atomic punk" ... But in his white and black striped strat, it was the 78. Even seymour has said on video in an interview that Eddie came to him for a pick up or for work on a pick up, when seymour was still working out of a garage, and only a few guitarists knew about him. THIS IS WHY HE CALLS THAT PICK UP THE 78. IT was in 1978 when the first Van Halen album came out. Eddie never denied that statement from Seymour. So im thinking its true. Infact i know the reason Eddie changed his Pick ups ( and his sound, ALOT ) after those first 3 albums, was because so many people were trying to get his sound. and alot of people were using his sound, and he didnt like that.. IT WAS HIS SOUND.. And this is the only reason why i havent used a 78 pick up myself. Because although i love that sound, When i hear it? IT ALWAYS SOUNDS LIKE EDDIE.. SO TO ME, THIS IS EDDIES SOUND. AND I THINK ALL THE SERIOUS GUITARISTS OF THE WORLD, SHOULD FIND THEIR OWN SOUND. Technique and style and playing is part of a persons "sound", BUT THE OVER ALL SOUND IS THEIR SOUND! And that is a combination of guitar woods, pick ups, strings, bridge metal material, ( brass, nickel, chrome, stainless steel ) : / lol.. as well as the nut, and even the pick! And also the amp, and speakers.. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I AM TONE/SOUND SCIENTIST STILL LOOKING FOR MY OWN "SOUND" .. I ALMOST HAVE IT.. but its been a long road of exploring and learning. : / Anyway, I enjoyed your video, and your playing was fine! Im sure if you put more time into just playing and expressing yourself with the guitar? You would be even better! BUT YOU HAVE FIND YOUR OWN "SOUND"! : ) ~ Take care.
MM 1300 all the way TY. Gr8 video man!! What do you think Ed used 5150 and beyond when he ran through eventide h3k alot?? Killer video+ gear and playing...I was sold @ 39:40 you played it again and the sound just leaped out. 3d that crunch chewy brown all of the above and that marshall can't beat it....
Hi Mark Anthony :) MM1300 for the win!!! Im going to guess many different pups were used on 5150... after all the song itself was apparently done on a vintage Strat:). Maybe the JB or custom was his workhorse by then????? Thanks for watching ! Ossie
Do they make the Super 70’s pickup? I am currently looking for something similar to the EVH Frankenstein pickup without the high cost. And that super 70’s sounds amazing!!!!
Apparently Pariah pickups makes a pickup similar to the Super 70s called the Destruction 70, I believe. Edit: I might be wrong on that, the pickup is more of a replica of the pickups Ed had in the Shark after he chopped it up.
I agree that the Super 70's sound the closest to many VH1 songs. I have a couple old Marshall metal faces and a Germino Headroom, I've been chasing this sound for 39 years and I have to say that of all the stuff I've heard over the years (including metroamp forums) Ossie has produced the closest to the authentic VH1 tone that I've ever heard. This is actually much closer than the Pete Thorn deep dive (nothing but respect for Pete here) or any other stuff I've heard. I really think Ossie is in that 98% range where high point from everything else may have been 85% for me. Ossie, looks like maybe a Superlead on the left, if so, can you do a comparison of that to your Smallbox? It would be cool to see if you just happen to have a ringer of a Smallbox there. Awesome stuff!
Hi Thomas, You are way to kind !! :). I think Pete Thorn is one hell of a player and I'm not :) LOL. But I can work a solder iron OK I will try to get a vid together of the two amps (smallbox and 72 super lead 100). I have a few more ideas to put up but that is def one of them Thanks for watching and sty tuned Ossie
For vh1, absolutely the first guitar was dead nuts on point! I don't care what all these people are saying, it's very obvious people just basing their opinion of which has the most gain sound. Black and white stripe was scary accurate!
Agreed. The tone on that album isnt as high gain as people think it is. This guitar is the one for sure
Hi DH!
Thanks for watching and for the comment!
Ossie
@@ossieahsen6732 You would need some slight boost to get VH1 gain and mid girth with that pickup. It sounds good, but Eddie wasn't quite that twangy.
@@electricladdyland exactly. that twang is so tele-like, like what Ossie says in the video. VH1 has the amp doing all the singing, though it's not fair to compare Ed's signature axe and the destroyers sound because they are voiced differently and different outputs, though each respective pickup gets you relatively close to the other that you might not care if you're not a *huge* EVH/VH1 tone chaser.
What exactly is a "duncan paf" thats not the 59 is it?
The super 70s in the explorer is it! Wow
Josh!
Thanks for watching the video! I love that guitar :)
Ossie
I whole-heartedly concure😃 Meaty, good lower end, crispy, bitey high without being brittle. Wasn't he using an Ibanez Destroyer, the one he butchered?
@@crusTodd unfortunately yes..
Sounded great yes , but the next guitar , the LP with the mighty might was. “ IT “ for early Eddie . . The destroyer was awesome but a bit thick for Eddie. But either one is a WIN WIN !
I had a super'70s I stuck in a strat and got close to the sound. I always wondered if that pickup was used way more than it's given credit for!
I am always impressed how well the Duncan 59 does in all of these tests
It seems I always go back to Duncan 59's.. Just something about them. As for VH tones, I have had great luck with some Custom Customs. To me they nail VH tones, especially the Fair Warning album.
I use a SH5 custom swap in Alnico 2 and it's perfect Van Halen.
The bumblebee with the super distortion sounds killer, especially when you played the intro to Everybody Wants some, which was probably played on the actual bumblebee loaded with a super distortion. The older pickups smoke the newer ones in my opinion
Hi @UCRkmv3Mu8rwS43xr_xJ8FaQ!
Killer Pickup and your Right , It totally shines playing intro to Everybody Wants Some
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 not possible. The frankenstein didnt have a floyd rose yet during the recording of WACF. The tracks on WACF with tremolo are absolutely using a floyd rose, which the bumblebee had, along with his mahogany strat from charvel. You will find that close to zero articles with “proof” along with what edward actually said is anywhere close to factual evidence.
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 not really sure how that article really is evidence of anything either. Others and myself have done hours of research using pictures, interviews and recording knowledge to figure out what guitars were used on what songs.
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959: As Tanner said, the only 2 guitars which Ed had Floyd equipped were the Bee and the WACF 2” Mahogany Guitar, so there is no way Ed used the Franky on that track, or Tora! Tora!.
Something I always loved about Eddie’s VH1 rig is that his tone always had the perfect amount of bass, mids, treble and gain, and it always sounded like it was on the verge of feedback
Austin,
Yes. His tone was always perfectly balanced and highly reactive - no doubt!
Thanks for watching!
Ossie
They all sound great. It's the amp that gets you into the ball park. The difference between all those guitars is minuscule and due to the guitar mostly and not the pickup. I know some will disagree .....
Agree
I agree as well!
Ossie
This video is MUST WATCH for anyone trying to build a Van Halen style guitar.
Darren,
Thank you for the kind words!
Ossie
02:30 - Duncan PAF
05:34 - Ibanez Super 70
09:24 - Mighty Mie 1300
13:00 - Mighty Mite 1400
17:40 - Mighty Mite 1800
21:40 - Vintage DImarzio Super Distortion
25:56 - DiMarzio SUper Distortion new issue
30:20 - DiMarzio Super II
36:42 - Duncan 78'
This is for me but please feel free to use these to test back and fourth
Is the Duncan 78 the same as the Frankenstein pup in the red striped guitar?
@@JimmyDevere i have no idea
Thanks
@@JimmyDevereCould be. I’ve heard that said before. And Seymour Duncan did wind Eddie’s first PAF pickup, which Seymour now calls the 78 Custom.
But he didn’t say it was the Seymour Duncan 78 Custom. That’s the EVH Frankenstein…..which COULD BE the Duncan 78….
I always hate this rabbit hole…. 🕳️ 🐇 🙄
Thanks for this.
It's been a great experience for the viewers.
I think the new Super Distortion sounds the best. Any difference can be adjusted with eq settings
I was thinking the same, but the Ibanez super 70 is right there too, at least for VH 1 tones
What a great video. Thank you. The small box Plexi works great for the compression that you’d get with a variac at 65-70 volts (not 90 like he had when playing live). If you put it on 90v it barely makes a difference in volume and tone. Try the variac in the 60 volt to low 70 volt range and the volume will reduce dramatically and the tone with chunk up those low resistance pups 🐶
Thank You VHIsolated! I agree. Thanks for the comments!!!!
Ossie
Best video regarding this subject
The Pariah White pickup is the best all around pickup for the Van Halen 1 sound. Obviously Eddie's tone varied he used a dimarzio super distortion in an explorer for you really got me, but that doesn't work for everything. Pete Thorn did a proper pickup shootout, 23 pickups in essentially one guitar. There were a few highlights, but some that worked on certain songs sounded wrong on others... the Pariah White, and the pariah black hands down covers Eddie's tone from 77 to 84.
I think that early PAF with some of Eddies Amp and voltage mistake experiments were the key.
Taka,
I think there is good evidence to support this conclusion ... Very cool :)
Thanks for the comment!
Ossie
I agree with the other guy - first guitar with lower 8.0 k is spot on. It might not be what you like but it’s so freakin close. All sound good but that first one is it.
Killer brown sound demo! The amp and the reverb are 3/4 of the battle. The Duncan '78 really sounds like the older pickups - IMHO.
Eddie recorded first albums with the destroyer, that is why that guitar sounds so perfect on that stuff
Cool Steve! The destroyer :)
Thanks for watching!
Ossie
And the black and white Frankie on songs with a trem.
Combination of the black and white striped with PAF, and the bumblebee. The PAF does a squishy thing none of the other pickups do, and you need that for a number of tracks on VH1. Great playing, much better than my VH.
Thank you for watching! I agree that would be one cool pickup
Ossie
That would be the Duncan Custom.
Bumblebee is the VH 1 sound. The red and black one with the newer SD is good too. Both have too much hair, as you say, for 1984. For that you need Seymour Duncans. A 59 works well.
The Destroyer really has the VH1 tone, we know he used it on songs without the whammy, I think thats where you can really hear it. I just ordered a Bumblebee that has a SD-78 in it, the guy would have put the Wolfgang back but I told him to leave it. Looking forward to testing it out.
Hi!
I guess you have the Bee by now :). I hope it was to your liking... The 78 is a really nice PUP
All the best
Ossie
@@ossieahsen6732 Yes I got it - great guitar! Thank you! He actually sent me the Wolfgang but I have not done a comparison of the pups yet. Really liking the SD-78, so I may try to put the Wolfgang in another guitar eventually.
@@GuyNarnarian Glad to hear you are liking that Bee, I think I actually like the look of the Bee more than the Frank...
.The 78 sounds great for sure and I would def try the Wolfgang PUP before too long... Tough choice but you may find one works better in THAT guitar than there other.
instruments ....
Good luck!
Ossie
The Old Super Distortion is the stand out for me. Would love to hear that in the Destroyer too.
59 sounded good for ATBL
Hi Mightymikeamps!
OMG I have had the SD in that Destroyer before. Its obscene :)
Thanks for watching !!
Ossie
8:30 - I personally feel that the Destroyer had its original pickups in it. Even after it was hacked between the recording sessions and the video promo shoots, the bridge pickup remained, with a Dimarzio in the neck. The bridge pickup was still there in June ‘78 when VH went to Japan. However, by summer it was (forever more) replaced by a cream colored Mighty Mite.
That configuration is on VH2 but probably not used again, or only sparingly. By W&CF we have a lot of PAFs and cream/white pickups, probably hotter pickups by the sound of things.
My $0.02!
Fuzzy!!!!!
Whats up my man! I bet you are right. He had the original in Japan 78' :). You are always a great source of info! Much appreciated!!
Ossie
FWIW - I did a bit more digging ... those white pickups (mid-1979 to ‘82) were probably DiMarzio Super Distortion double cream (for which DiMarzio had an exclusive trademark) but with their ceramic magnets replaced with alnico magnets. Possibly A2 since EVH seemed to gravitate toward it, but most like A5 (like in the Seymour Duncan Custom5, which Seymour advertised as his “Van Halen” pickup). This is based on a December 1979 interview where EVH discuss his pickups.
I would speculate further that EVH probably sourced his magnets from Seymour as there were many sources for this type of part in the late ‘70s, and EVH was close with Seymour, and in geographical proximity. This is purely speculative.
For that Fair Warning sound, that is where I would start: a potted 14k pickup with an A5 magnet.
But that would have started with the tour version of the Bumble Bee, in ‘79.
@@ThemFuzzyMonsters So, are you saying for VH1 it was the original Ibanez Destryoer PUPs? Which pick up (commonly available) would closely approximate that? Thanks.
@@JimmyDevere
The OEM of this guitar was FujiGen and Maxon. That guitar was made for Ibanez, Greco, Aria Pro II, and perhaps other brands. The pickups were Maxon U1000, branded Super70 for Ibanez. They are PAFs with an Alnico8 magnet which gives a reasonable resistance but still generates a big voltage.
First I would look for a U1000, the lesser known version, otherwise there is a clone called the “Duper70”.
Alternatively you could probably get something like a Duncan 59 and drop an A8 magnet in it and be pretty close. That would be really affordable.
For decades these old Maxon/Ibanez pickups were plentiful and only $50 to $75 each. Sadly that changed recently.
@@ThemFuzzyMonsters Thanks for the info!
The LP with the 1400 mighty might was - “ IT “ ! ! 🤘🏻⚡️
Frankenstein in the red and white was the worst and the the old and new Dimarzio SD sounded the closest, the new can be tweaked to the old with EQ. Best VH PUP comparison video i have seen.
Man killer tones. Vintage hardware is really just amazing.
Hi Jeremiah,
Thanks for the kind words! Everything I got now is "vintage"... including me!!!
Ossie
It’s definitely the Super 70s in the destroyer - it just needs to push air through a real cab. The simplest answer is usually the right one. Awesome comparison video! Later for VHII he probably was aiming to brighten the tone up a bit to cut through easier whether it be with the maple fretboard and/or a slightly hotter pickup. Going too far loses the original chewy dark character.
I agree. It comes back to, if he didn't like the Super 70s then why would he seek out Chris Holmes's Destroyer to play on Women And Children First.?
Paf is what Ed used on first album. And sounds pretty close when you used that too
Yes... i agree with you... suprised you didnt do a JB...
I agree with you the bumblebee guitar with the super distortion and the les paul with the mighty mite sound the best! Even though we're really split hairs
Hi @UCEDeVjksBam9KtTvrXy_kJw!!
The 59 sounded close to VHS tone .
That Marshall 50 cranked w the OX nails VH 1...search is over...
Hey Ossie, great demos and you can hear the tones! I have a Northern Ash Strat that went through quite a few pickup swaps. First was an early DSD that sounded like all the Destroyer parts on VHI and so did a Super II but feel it was a Super 70’s or maybe the 1300 especially hearing it here. What I finally settled on for that guitar was a Duncan 78’ that Maricela Juarez claims that it really is the pickup Seymour made for Ed and absolutely nails the VHI Strat tone through many amps! Thanks for this vid!
Hi Steve!
Looks like you have been deep into the rabbit hole yourself! I like the 78 myself for all kinds of tones.. very versatile!
Thanks for watching!
Ossie
@@ossieahsen6732 You’re welcome Ossie and thank you for such a great shootout! And yes the 78’ is very versatile and can do a lot!
Nice...Closet I've ever heard to the Brown Sound!
Thank you, Andy!
Ossie
You've unknowingly exposed what's been going on with the manufacturers bag of tricks.
Marshall has approximately built an amp, the 50 watts amp to capture the warmth of the famous sound.
You've been using that approximate type of sound and getting great results.
But right at the end, you unknowingly exposed the Wolfgang pickups are tuned to the original 68 100 watts amplifier.
So now you know, you were foolish to even try it in the 50% less amplifier design.
That 1 pickup alone will force you into buying the 100 watt amp.
Or, you've just eliminated yourself from buying into ALL EVH products 🙄.
That's a tough lesson for you to learn. A costly lesson to learn as well.
You've confirmed I'm heading in the right direction.
You've also filled in a lot of knowledge I'm missing about Van Halen history, so thanks for your great contributions to the world 🌎
So, if you build your VH system around that 50 watter then you're locked 🔒 in to that and the other options are not available for you to buy into.
You've got to END your 50 watt setup contributions and make the big leap over to the full EVH brand setup 👌 👍
At this point in time, you're missing all of the effects.
You've got some expensive tough choices to make.
Good luck 👍
Really love your videos Ozzie . Your amps sound great . They some of the best sounds iv ever heard . Quality amps makes all the difference . For me the Frankenstein sounds jaw dropping
Alex,
Thank you for the kind words!!
All the best,
Ossie
Great video as always! I really enjoy nerdy content, esp on amps.
I wouldn't kick any of them out of bed,. It I think the super 70s is the ticket. That thick pickup, bright marshall combo sounds like it to me. Eddie's tone wasn't especially high gain, and what gain is there has a smoother quality to it.
Keep up the great content!
John,
Thank you for the comment! Im glad you like the vid!
Agreed , Ed's tone was not what we would call high gain today (5153, etc...). It's very smooth and hairy, not so middy and compressed.
Ossie
Amazing comparison man, great tones too! Could you tell me, what is that 1st Duncan PAF exactly model-wise? Exactly the tone I dig, that snappy/twangy bright quality that's tight with enough mids, looking for something similar to put into the bridge position of my '76 Explorer reissue ;)
Great vid! The Duncan PAF and vintage Dimarzo SD kill it.
I like those too :). Thanks for watching!
Ossie
Oh Man, I admire your sound research! You nailed it!
The first one, the Duncan PAF in the white striped one is the one!
Cool, Frank!
For me both Destroyer (Destroyer and Shark) , then the EVH 1 , mainly i prefer the lower output pic up. Great playing, thank you very much , you’ve done a great showcase of a passionate EVH tone seeker.
Hi Pierre,
Thank you for the comment :)
Ossie
I loved the PAF, the Super 70, the Mighty Mites, the old Super Distortion, the Super 2, and the 78!
They all sound pretty good!
Ossie
Ossie, thank you for a truly all inclusive comparison. I'm currently tone seeking and have wanted to find a video just like this to select the right pickup.
Hi Slick :)
Im happy you found this useful!!! Thanks for watching and for the comment!
Ossie
@@ossieahsen6732 I'm stuck between the 78 and Frankenstein. I agree with your assessment but there is also post processing that is missing here that we have to account for. The chunky low mids on the Frankensten are great, but it seems dull on the top end. The 1978 seems more even through the entire range. Thanks again Ossie!
I think that most everyone "forgets" or suspends their disbelief that when they are listening to the album the "instrument" they are in fact really listening to is not a guitar but is the microphone; and the "amplifier" that this instrument is plugged into is the sum total of the mic pre's/ the compressors/ eq's/ limiters/ etc....
Granted you need the source to move the elements inside the mic and that the source is very important but its only half the equation IMHO.
Where is Donn Landee ?????
Thanks for the comment!
Ossie
For the early VH-1 sound I do agree the super distortion in the bee and the paf are great for a Frankie pickup. And the Ibanez destroyer with stock pickups is the perfect sound for the non-Frankie songs. I also think the Frankenstein pickup works for a much later era, since it was based off the pickup that’s in the Frankie now and not in the original recordings. There’s been so many pickups in the real Frankie it’s hard to know anything other than going by ear.
I think this is one of the things overlooked. Thanks for the comment!
Ossie
Thanks for the fantastic demo!...I liked the Bumblebee/old Super Distortion and the Destroyer/Super 70's,but a lot of them sounded fine...
Irony - I bought a brand new Gibson Explorer the first year they reissued them (1976)...still kicking myself over selling it 3-4 years later to get a Strat.... BECAUSE OF EDDIE VAN HALEN! 🤪
Isn't that ironic??????? Yup. Been there for sure :)
Ossie
Which one of those were closest to the Seymour Duncan Custom Ed used? I guess the super distortion in the Les Paul I think it was-the hotter one?
The Dystroyer sounded great too.!
They all sound real close , i think he might have used all the above pickups at one time, i am sure he tried every one of them , what pickup did he predominantly use on vh 1 ? , the medium gain mighty mite would be my pick .❤
What an awesome video! Great job brother! I agree old DiMarzio or Mighty Mite Super Stud or 1300- all hit it!
That Ibby/Aria Destroyer with the Super 70's nailed it, especially with You Really Got Me, which is understandable, as it's said that EVH played his Destroyer with Super 70s on that track. Fascinating comparison vid. Thanks for posting this.
Chris ,
The destroyer is a great guitar for sure! Thanks for watching!
Ossie
I love the first one....It had that bright, brash sound. ..Very hairy...And, a real stinger!
Very cool!!! Thanks for the comment and for watching!
Ossie
Love the sound of the Aria Destroyer 👍🏼
First pick up sounded pretty good
Great video! What pickup is best for the 5150 guitar used on 5150 and OU812 albums?
Hi John!
Im weird so I would go for a custom custom and wire it in parallel . It cuts better this way to me
Thanks for watching!!
Ossie
I believe Ed used a JB in his 5150 guitars. His tone sounded like his amps weren't nearly as high, but his pickups had much more output.
Cool thanks
I'll check it out
@@CoryA2503 JB came in the 80’s Kramer’s that ed endorsed. I think Ed used a custom custom
As well tho and I seem to recall that Seymour Duncan said he made the custom custom for ed
@@glennmckenzie6799 That makes sense. I've read that for club-era Van Halen, Seymour Duncan came up with the Custom for Ed. The one he advertised as the Van Halen pickup. That one could have been just as likely a candidate for the magnet swap when Ed talked about magnet swaps and winding his own humbuckers during Van Halen II touring. The AlNiCo II magnets were likely put to use for taming the treble in a Floyd. The 5150 guitar has been rumoured to have used either the JB or a 59 wound to JB specs. They both use AlNiCo V magnets which would make JB VS 59 rewind a very miniscule difference. His live tone does seem a little bit darker in the OU812 era, so either a magnet swap to AlNiCo II from the JB/59 or Custom or just a switch to thr Custom Custom would make sense. The Custom is the same spec, only with ceramic instead of AlNiCo II, so again a magnet swap vs replacement wouldn't matter so much.
It's hard to really know for sure, but it's really fun to hear what people think!
I’m surprised you didn’t include a JB pickup. It’s rumored that Eddie’s Destroyer used a Super Distortion with the ceramic magnet swapped out for a bar magnet from a PAF, and that this was the basis for the Duncan JB pickup. Not to mention, it sounds pretty damn close to Eddie’s tone on VH2 and Women and Children First.
Awesome video! Just killer info! Nailing Eddie’s tone!
Very nice demo. Really interested in the old super distortion. I had the frankenstein pickup in my strat, but like in this video it’s just an overdose of mids, kinda dissapointed. You should try bareknuckle VH2 if you have a chance, it really lives up to its name.
Hey Ossie love your vids. I really think the 78 has the best clarity for dialing back volume nice for cleans. Question: Is that 50 watt (Marshall 1987) head? Is it modded? Love the sound your getting out of that.
You absolutely nailed it! great job! Amp tone/gain everything Wow!
Thomas,
Thank you for the kind words and thanks for watching!!
Ossie
As always you did a fantastic job.
Any opinion on the Duncan Custom5 ?
Fuzzy,
I got to get one of those and try it :). Now I need another guitar!!!!! Dammit
Ossie
A most excellent & Intuitive assessment. I agree with so many thoughts here. I have several Pickups & a lot of times I prefer the Dimarzio SD, gives that sizzle, but, I use a 250K pot for that like Ed must have in his strat. Quick question, what is your reverb settings ... Sounds amazing !!!!
Great video with great tones!!! I like the Duncan 78.
Thanks for the comment Lone Ranger !
Ossie
First one sounds spot on
Xavier,
Thank you for watching! One vote for the PAF in the B&W guitar!
All the best,
Ossie
From what I hear: 1st- Duncan PAF 8k has the correct mid range & high end of the early Day's.
Hi Allen,
You were not alone in this observation :)
Thanks for the comment!
Ossie
I'm not sure if it has been mentioned but his rewired guitar had no time control connected to the pickup. I don't know if he changed the wiring on the Destroyer or the Les Paul he used, but his homemade one has no tone control. That will brighten up the pickups a little, add a bit of edge to their sound. Great video.
Hi @UCWqPGKqJfYPFQRsCTWiiHog
Im not sure what the condition of the destroyer was at the time of the session... would be a great revelation to find out. Would not be surprised to find it was devoid a tone control :)
Best,
Ossie
Ibanez Super 70 and the Mighty Mite 1300 13.5k Ceramic Mag are the 2 pickups 100% used on the 1st VH album.
I would have to agree with you on that I think.. Just my personal opinion- after all I wasn't there :)
Thanks for watching!
Ossie
Ed wanted his guitars to sound the same, the explorer and his Frankie strat. But I’ve read that Ed used a boost on his explorer trying to match the output of Frankie. I agree with your assessment Blackopszo.
Awesome vid, and that's the brown sound captured in a bottle. Great job! The Ibby Destroyer can't be denied. It's all over VH1.
Hi funkster007 :)
Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching ! The Destroyer is key!
Ossie
the vintage super distortion was so much better than the new lol
If you like trebly pickups. There's no difference other than that.
You should add the EVO II for these comparisons as it is worthy more so than a few of these.
That ARIA has a real solid sound. That would work better for my playing style. Great guitar.
Arias are so nice. I have 2 from the 80s and they are very high quality guitars!
@@GabeHelma Horder!! Sell me one :)
@@DANTHETUBEMAN 😆
@GabeHelma #metoo! ❤️ Arias! Went a bit crazy on Matsumoku and bought 4! My 78 Aria Gold Top has Super Distortions in it I think.. 🤔 It needs a refret but perhaps that's a good sign! Played a Lot!! 😁 Rock on! Great video Ossie. I'll check out your cables for sure.
What pickup was in the Gold top LP and what's the output of that pickup? What's the output of the bumblebee Super Distortion pup? I like those two the best.
I’m lucky to have a vintage Di Marzio SD, a Mighty Mite 1800 as well a 1300. These are killer pups. They beat the new stuff by a mile!
PVD Guitars,
Yes they often kill the newer ones.... But I do have a few 70's Dimaezios that are total duds too ... YMMV :)
Thanks for watching!
Ossie
I know this is about pickups, and an excellent video it is too, but that Superlead is killing it!!! It's interesting that people insist on the '68 spec Superlead when I've heard so many early 70s Superleads and Lead heads do the business. It's totally stock right?
Hi OdgeUk :)
Yes that amp is stock :). The 68 spec is pretty much the same circuit... The super lead circuit that was born c68 pretty much carried through into the 70's without any real changes You would have to go pre 68 to get into the JTM100 type circuit which is more Angus than Eddie
Good point there !
Ossie
super props 👍 Ossie --- I like the MM1300... what i'd give for you to walk us through the underside cap values on that Marshall circuit... I can hear the .68 and 2n2 era in there but there's something extra and I can't quite place. perhaps the cab IR is throwing me off
Hi David!
The Marshall is stock to the 69-72 type circuit.
100k plates.. .002 coupling, .68 on v1b cathode .68 on cathode follower.. .0.005 bright cap....02 PI plate coupling ... 100k feedback.
The amp just rips. I have a few other analog clips I did with that amp- Greenbacks- sm57- api type pre- etc that I can put up for comparison with the Ox.. The ox doesn't sound as good IHMO but the "live" rig is just too loud to be practical.
Ill put up a comparison soon!
Ossie
That dimarzio 70s superdistortion and the duncan paf. Wonder if there is any existing pickups in production that was that treble scream of the 70s super distortion. If you can recommend. Amazing video.
Hi! The new SD isn't too bad. Its interesting to note that all of the vintage SD pickups I have sound different LOL. So its really kind of a crap shoot it some way
All the best
Ossie
@@ossieahsen6732 have you tried the vhii of bare knuckle pickups? What do you think how good it is compared to the ones you have shown here.
@@realguitarshredder I have not had the pleasure of playing Bare Knuckles .. so I cant comment with any value... I do hear good things, however!
Ossie
Okay, purchased Mighty Mite after watching. Now I need you to build a guitar for me to install it into.
Hey Man... I got your message.. will reply :)
Ossie
I loved the Bumble Bee the best. Nice guitar collection!
Hi Duane,
Yeah the bee is nice :). Im always kicking myself for not playing it more :)
All the best,
Ossie
I like the tone of the Aria Pro Destroyer !! Van Helen did use a 1976 Ibanez in the first album.
Yes he did! Thanks for watching!
Ossie
Great tone! What's your Marshall setting?
Thank you
Steve
You missed a pickup i saw in one of the photos on the original album. After hearing your comparison, pretty sure VH 1 and 2 were recorded with Dimarzio, but not the DP100......
Great video!!!! That's what I call a deep dive. Have you tried the EVH® FRANKENSTEIN PICKUP? It is "supposed" to replicate the original Pickup.
I really liked the black and white frankenstrat. It has some tweng just like Eddie had in the first record.
Twang! Thanks Brayan :)
Ossie
This happened to me when I was a kid we had a old Ibanez with those super 70s and we all knew this was the vh1 tone after plugging in to a 1970 Marshall
That is the setup I prefer as well
Thanks cappy !
Ossie
The Bumble Bee sound very good too, all of them beeing play alone would be in the ballpark. Great playing too
You are too kind. Thanks for watching!
Ossie
IMO the Super 70 ALNICO 8 in your Aria Destroyer sounds best
Thanks Ossie!
Great comparison!
Subscibed👍
Keith,
You are welcome.. and thank you for watching and for the kind words!
All the best!
Ossie
Hi there, great video. Do you know if the newer "Mighty Mite" 1300 pickups, like you see listed on ebay, would be comparable to an early SD pickup? Thanks
waw great comparison video! Quite a labor you went trough ;) I Ordered myself a vintage14K MM, I assume it is a 1300. @ossie ahsen, what I don't get is the amount of gain you get from a stock JMP. My 1959 mkII and sv20h both need a boost (I use an SD-1 now. oddly enough the EP booster I also have is way too bassy even with the bass jumper set to low. Eddie's signal most have gotten extra juice thanks to his wireless Schaffer and Echoplex in front of the amp, no ? thx!
Hi Mike,
The mighty mites are nice :).and the SD will work as well - there are options here. I don't think my 50 has as much schmutz as whatever EVH used then. The wireless can boost but the echoplex never seems to do it for me (I did a vid with mine showing its effect) I am thinking there was something else in the equation :)
Ossie
Can't stop listening to the comparisons... very interesting. I prefer MM 1300 but the super 70s and super distortion sound great. Different flavors. I would like to see how a 70 SD Custom Sh-5 pickup compares and maybe a JB with an A2 magnet in a Floyd Rose equipped guitar? Anyway, great video for us VH nerds.
Hi Peter:)
Not a bad idea! I need to grab a few more pups and get back into the studio!!!
Thanks for watching!
Ossie
@@ossieahsen6732 Man I really like the 1800. It seems to have a bit more push/fullness to it compared with the 1300. Wonder what your perception is in the room?
I doubt the BW Franky had a Super 70 because it might have sounded too thin while the destroyer probably had a Super 70 or 1300. I have a 75 destroyer with a 1400 in the bridge that sounds a little thin or nasaly too me in my Marshall. I think I may put a 1300 or Super 70 when I have time... Looking forward to more of your videos...
Hey. I jut found this video here and watched it. Eddie was the guitarist that really got me fascinated with electric guitar sounds. He was my inspiration and i studied him and his sound very deeply. I agree with you about the first 2 mighty mite pick ups in Eddies shark guitar. BUT I KNOW HE ALSO USED THE 78 on the first and certainly 3rd albums for. For the song " you really got me" He had to have used the shark guitar. Im not sure which mighty might pick up was in his shark though. The picture as i am sure you have seen also, that i have seen of his shark guitar, had a bright white humbucker in the bridge. So maybe it was the one you also have in the bridge of your shark guitar too? BUT, THE SOUND OF THAT GIBSON, with the mighty might in it was really close to Eddies sound on a few of those first album songs too. "Atomic punk" ... But in his white and black striped strat, it was the 78. Even seymour has said on video in an interview that Eddie came to him for a pick up or for work on a pick up, when seymour was still working out of a garage, and only a few guitarists knew about him. THIS IS WHY HE CALLS THAT PICK UP THE 78. IT was in 1978 when the first Van Halen album came out. Eddie never denied that statement from Seymour. So im thinking its true. Infact i know the reason Eddie changed his Pick ups ( and his sound, ALOT ) after those first 3 albums, was because so many people were trying to get his sound. and alot of people were using his sound, and he didnt like that.. IT WAS HIS SOUND.. And this is the only reason why i havent used a 78 pick up myself. Because although i love that sound, When i hear it? IT ALWAYS SOUNDS LIKE EDDIE.. SO TO ME, THIS IS EDDIES SOUND. AND I THINK ALL THE SERIOUS GUITARISTS OF THE WORLD, SHOULD FIND THEIR OWN SOUND. Technique and style and playing is part of a persons "sound", BUT THE OVER ALL SOUND IS THEIR SOUND! And that is a combination of guitar woods, pick ups, strings, bridge metal material, ( brass, nickel, chrome, stainless steel ) : / lol.. as well as the nut, and even the pick! And also the amp, and speakers.. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I AM TONE/SOUND SCIENTIST STILL LOOKING FOR MY OWN "SOUND" .. I ALMOST HAVE IT.. but its been a long road of exploring and learning. : / Anyway, I enjoyed your video, and your playing was fine! Im sure if you put more time into just playing and expressing yourself with the guitar? You would be even better! BUT YOU HAVE FIND YOUR OWN "SOUND"! : ) ~ Take care.
Thanks Rocky- :).
That 1300 sounds pretty damn close
MM 1300 all the way TY. Gr8 video man!! What do you think Ed used 5150 and beyond when he ran through eventide h3k alot?? Killer video+ gear and playing...I was sold @ 39:40 you played it again and the sound just leaped out. 3d that crunch chewy brown all of the above and that marshall can't beat it....
Hi Mark Anthony :)
MM1300 for the win!!!
Im going to guess many different pups were used on 5150... after all the song itself was apparently done on a vintage Strat:). Maybe the JB or custom was his workhorse by then?????
Thanks for watching !
Ossie
The Destroyer with Super 70 sounds about right as Eddie’s brown sound.
Very cool ! Thanks for watching and for the comment!
Ossie
Do they make the Super 70’s pickup? I am currently looking for something similar to the EVH Frankenstein pickup without the high cost.
And that super 70’s sounds amazing!!!!
Apparently Pariah pickups makes a pickup similar to the Super 70s called the Destruction 70, I believe.
Edit: I might be wrong on that, the pickup is more of a replica of the pickups Ed had in the Shark after he chopped it up.
The tail chasing the dog. Too bad EVH didn keep a diary. Then again, the mystery makes it magical
They all sounded great! What's the details on the amp again? I must have missed it. Thanks
Adam,
The amp is a stock 1971 50 watt Marshall. Ive had it for over 30 years :)
Thanks for watching!
Ossie
@@ossieahsen6732 Thanks. That and the 100 sound quite incredible.
Absolutely blown away straight out of the gate! I have a '71 50w ... sure doesn't sound anything like that!
A lot of the tone is the cab model used in the sunset sound preset in the OX.
Hi Matt!
Thanks for watching!!
Ossie
People forget that a bunch of VHI tunes were recorded on the Destroyer. Runnin, You Really Got Me, Jamie's Cryin, On Fire...
MaMa,
Ythink
Ossie
That got cut off for some reason... anyway ,,
Yes they do forget and I think that the destroyer was Ed's fav guitar too
Ossie
Is the mighty might 1300 the stud pole or hex pole? Great video....🤟🏻
Jorge,
The 1300 is the hex pole :). Thanks for watching!
Ossie
Amazing Bro. Thank you
I agree that the Super 70's sound the closest to many VH1 songs. I have a couple old Marshall metal faces and a Germino Headroom, I've been chasing this sound for 39 years and I have to say that of all the stuff I've heard over the years (including metroamp forums) Ossie has produced the closest to the authentic VH1 tone that I've ever heard. This is actually much closer than the Pete Thorn deep dive (nothing but respect for Pete here) or any other stuff I've heard. I really think Ossie is in that 98% range where high point from everything else may have been 85% for me. Ossie, looks like maybe a Superlead on the left, if so, can you do a comparison of that to your Smallbox? It would be cool to see if you just happen to have a ringer of a Smallbox there. Awesome stuff!
It certainly nails the tone on the “Destroyer Songs” (YRGM, Feel Your Love and On Fire).
Hi Thomas,
You are way to kind !! :). I think Pete Thorn is one hell of a player and I'm not :) LOL. But I can work a solder iron OK
I will try to get a vid together of the two amps (smallbox and 72 super lead 100). I have a few more ideas to put up but that is def one of them
Thanks for watching and sty tuned
Ossie