Anyone under 40 care?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jack butler
  • Start date Start date
J

jack butler

Active member
About Van Halen, or what amp he used. Serious question, I'm 36 and I can't understand the fascination with EVH or his tone. None of my guitar player friends my age cite Van Halen as an influence. Malmsteen, Freidman, Rhoads, and Dimebag are common influences among my guitar player friends, but EVH is rarely mentioned. Not disrespected, but more in the Hendrix/Page camp. Just didn't resonate with the guys my age. It's strange, growing up the first time I heard the "Ain't Talking About Love" riff was when 2 Live Crew sampled it(didn't listen to rap, just happened that way). Seems like EVH was a big deal for guys born in the late 50's and 60's, but faded after that. I've heard the isolated VH tracks and guys mimicking his tone, I don't care for the tone. I'm not saying it's bad or you shouldn't like it, my question is it an age/generational thing?
 
I'm 3 years older than you and I grew up listening to VH and Rhoads, amongst others. Where were you raised?.... :confused: :lol: :LOL:

It's funny too, because I NEVER was into YJM, Friedman or Dimebag AT ALL. I had YJM's "Rising Force" and "Odyssey" albums, but they did nothing for me. To be perfectly honest, me and my guitar playing buddies used to laugh at some of his playing on those songs. So much wankery and so little focus on songwriting. In fact, the SONGS sucked. IMHO and YMMV. Eddie definitely "wanks" as well, but at least he and his bandmates wrote some excellent songs around the guitar acrobatics.

All that being said, I do not chase Ed's tone. Why would I? I'm not Ed and I never will be nor care to be.
 
I couldn't care less. I don't get the fascination with his playing or tone. I like some of his songs but I don't go nuts over his shit either.
 
I don't understand the chasing. I was influenced by EVH when I first started playing guitar but definitely not now - not by a long shot. Becker, Friedman, Loomis, Atilla, Gus G, Dime, Gilbert, Broderick, Impellitteri, but definitely not EVH.

I never understood chasing someone else's tone anyway. I thought the idea was to chase or find your own voice and run with it. Even if someone hit the EVH tone they would not know what to do with it simply because they would continue to tweak or change it based on their own psychological sickness or listening to someone else's :lol: :LOL:
 
Yeah i never really got chasing after someone else's tone either. I like going for a similar tone, but not an exact one.
 
I'm 36 as well. While VH tone chasing isn't my thing, I TOTALLY GET IT. Evh was a game changer style and tone wise. Iconic.
 
I find it interesting to know what gear my influences used, but I have never gone nuts trying to dive I in deep. The whole evh gear thing has gotten out of hand, IMO.
 
chrisrocksusa":2cdi98n2 said:
I couldn't care less. I don't get the fascination with his playing or tone. I like some of his songs but I don't go nuts over his shit either.
Click to expand...

That's the way I see it too. No fascination here.....dig some of his songs and tones, but why so many go bat-shit over him is beyond me. There are many other players that influence me more, but even then....not on the same level as the EVH worship you see.
 
You need to have been at the right age and listening to music that was out at the time (1978 ish) when that first VH album hit to really get it I think...there was nothing quite like it and it literally shook the rock world. There was no one doing anything like it or sounding like that at the time and for some it really sticks with you.
 
This is what I'm talking about, it seems a few years can make a big difference. I've tried to get into Van Halen, I just don't like it. I understand Nuno mimics Eddie, but I'd take Extreme's first album over any VH album. Not being a dick here, just a preference. I actually prefer the Sammy Hagar VH to DLR VH, I think the songs are better.
rlord1974":omajwipa said:
I'm 3 years older than you and I grew up listening to VH and Rhoads, amongst others. Where were you raised?.... :confused: :lol: :LOL:

It's funny too, because I NEVER was into YJM, Friedman or Dimebag AT ALL. I had YJM's "Rising Force" and "Odyssey" albums, but they did nothing for me. To be perfectly honest, me and my guitar playing buddies used to laugh at some of his playing on those songs. So much wankery and so little focus on songwriting. In fact, the SONGS sucked. IMHO and YMMV. Eddie definitely "wanks" as well, but at least he and his bandmates wrote some excellent songs around the guitar acrobatics.

All that being said, I do not chase Ed's tone. Why would I? I'm not Ed and I never will be nor care to be.
Click to expand...
 
VH is one of those players where it'd be hard for any hard rock/metal player to not be influenced by. You might not know it, but even the players you realize you're influenced by themselves are likely heavily influenced by some aspect of his style. Hendrix is the same way IMHO: he's influenced everyone today whether they realize it or not.

I'm under 40 and think his tone is perfect for the genre he plays. I don't get the fascination with his amp, though. Seems like any number of things get you close enough for rock and roll.

EDIT: omg someone prefers Van Hagar to Diamond Dave's VH? Different strokes...
 
Well shit, I was only 4 years old when the first VH album came out! I can remember my dad listening to "Dance The Night Away" and some other tunes off of VH II when I was just a little guy. I probably started listening to VH myself when I was 8 or 9, when the Diver Down album came out. I was seriously into the 1984 album when it came out, and I was only 10!

That being said, Ed was never really a huge influence on my guitar playing, nor do I chase his tone. I do recognize the importance he played in rock music and how groundbreaking his tone was at the time. There really is no denying that he had phenomenal tone on those early albums. I guess the guys that didn't think so at the time were more into....

Platinum_%26_Gold_Collection_(A_Flock_of_Seagulls_album).jpg


:lol: :LOL:
 
I find many of influences of people/bands I love don't resonate with me. They take from their influences and expand. I love Malmsteen, who loved Blackmore. Blackmore does very little for me. I'm gad Blackmore influenced Malmsteen, but that's the extent of my appreciation. Influence only goes so far.
cardinal":3cl2z59u said:
VH is one of those players where it'd be hard for any hard rock/metal player to not be influenced by. You might not know it, but even the players you realize you're influenced by themselves are likely heavily influenced by some aspect of his style. Hendrix is the same way IMHO: he's influenced everyone today whether they realize it or not.

I'm under 40 and think his tone is perfect for the genre he plays. I don't get the fascination with his amp, though. Seems like any number of things get you close enough for rock and roll.

EDIT: omg someone prefers Van Hagar to Diamond Dave's VH? Different strokes...
Click to expand...
 
I was 14 when Cowboys From Hell came out. That was ground breaking tone for me at the time. VH is huge contributor the music world, when the 5150 came out I was blown away. The 5150 has nothing in common with VH 1,2 or maybe any VH albums tones, it's a "Metal Amp". I'm not minimizing EVH's contributions to music, but his tone and songs don't move me.
rlord1974":1y0xe8kd said:
Well shit, I was only 4 years old when the first VH album came out! I can remember my dad listening to "Dance The Night Away" and some other tunes off of VH II when I was just a little guy. I probably started listening to VH myself when I was 8 or 9, when the Diver Down album came out. I was seriously into the 1984 album when it came out, and I was only 10!

That being said, Ed was never really a huge influence on my guitar playing, nor do I chase his tone. I do recognize the importance he played in rock music and how groundbreaking his tone was at the time. There really is no denying that he had phenomenal tone on those early albums. I guess the guys that didn't think so at the time were more into....

Platinum_%26_Gold_Collection_(A_Flock_of_Seagulls_album).jpg


:lol: :LOL:
Click to expand...
 
Could you elaborate? I checked out your band, after the Shadows Fall post. I dig your style and singer, I don't hear any VH influence.
rp108":3k0pzx11 said:
I am interested and I am under 40.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top