EVH Unchained Isolated

  • Thread starter Thread starter harddriver
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harddriver said:
Out of the mix his guitar tone has more fuzzy grain structure to it than I remember from the full album mix,, you hear that Eventide detune.
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Sounds amazing. I will always be jealous of his tone/playing.
 
EVH's playing technique always had this really unique paradoxical thing going on with it. His right hand always sounded simultaneously tense but also relaxed at the same time. Like his right arm is tense and under high muscle pressure, but he used that tense control to hit the strings lightly and easily. Also it didn't hurt that his picking angle and picking distance from the trem was always exactly where it needed to be to bring out the right kind of aggressive sounding harmonics you hear from him.

He's like the ultimate Drunken Master style player. His playing always seemed relaxed to the point of being nonchalant, maybe even "messy" to somebody just casually listening, but there was so much precise control happening underneath the surface. A lot of times EVH's playing feels like a roller coaster cart going around a series of corners, taking every turn with two wheels lifting off the track and sparks flying, but the cart always eventually straightens up and rights itself. It often sounds like he's just about to lose control or concentration and go off the rails, flub a note, crash and burn, etc. but he never does. He always brings it home and lands it, completing the statement exactly how he meant to.
 
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TheGreatGreen said:
Also it didn't hurt that his picking angle and picking distance from the trem was always exactly where it needed to be to bring out the right kind of aggressive sounding harmonics you hear from him.
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I asked Al Estrada why he sometimes held the pick with his middle finger like Eddie and sometimes didn't and he said it was mainly due to the tone you get by that slightly shorter distance to the bridge.
That go kart analogy is great.

But when you listen to I'm the One at half- speed, the swing is perfect.
 
Almost sounds like the raw amp signal without a cab.
 
I feel I am accomplished enough as a guitar player to do a respectable job on most rock and hair metal and I have such a hard time with that swing feel and timing on I'm the one or even hot for teacher. Maybe my brain can't hear it or swing it and transfer it to my arm/wrist. I can sing it no problem but the hand just won't do it. His rythm playing and writing truly were masterclass.
 
At the end of the solo it sure sounds like he is using an Octave effect... I thought I read where he used the Boss Octave pedal, was the brown/black Boss octave peal even available in 1981?

Just looked it up... looks like the OC2 started production in 1984. I hear the flanger the micropitch detune of the Eventide and possibly some chorus effect in the solo then the octaver effect. What are you guys hearing?
 
TheGreatGreen said:
A lot of times EVH's playing feels like a roller coaster cart going around a series of corners, taking every turn with two wheels lifting off the track and sparks flying, but the cart always eventually straightens up and rights itself. It often sounds like he's just about to lose control or concentration and go off the rails, flub a note, crash and burn, etc. but he never does. He always brings it home and lands it, completing the statement exactly how he meant to.
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Excellent!
 
harddriver said:
At the end of the solo it sure sounds like he is using an Octave effect... I thought I read where he used the Boss Octave pedal, was the brown/black Boss octave peal even available in 1981?

Just looked it up... looks like the OC2 started production in 1984. I hear the flanger the micropitch detune of the Eventide and possibly some chorus effect in the solo then the octaver effect. What are you guys hearing?
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More than likely the Eventide doing the lower octave
 
No surprises here.
Thats what i hear on the record.
Big fat gnarly Marshall tone.
 
About Ed's swing and feel, alot of it is Alex as well. I mean those two are in lock stop. So if one is rushing/dragging a smidge then they both are. You can even hear a tad here in places but without this raw track, you'd never notice one bit. I personally love that as opposed to a click all the time. Gives the musical feel, depth and dynamics.
 
I always dug this isolated track :yes:
There are not too many rock guitarists that can swing like he did..
His brother definitely helped.
I also like how the flanger is reversed the second half of the song.
It sweeps down first in first half and sweeps up starting after first solo I think.
Nice touch.
Not sure if that was on purpose or just the nature of the pedal and the timing of the song?
 
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Can hear the room in Sunset Sound... big part of the tone as well.
 
I know some will disagree but, I hear nothing special about that tone itself. I hear nothing going on that you can't easily get right now from a multitude of amps. Unfortunately, there's one thing you can't buy and that's being EVH and his genius. And without that, nobody is ever gonna get there no matter how much money you have.
 
japetus said:
I know some will disagree but, I hear nothing special about that tone itself. I hear nothing going on that you can't easily get right now from a multitude of amps. Unfortunately, there's one thing you can't buy and that's being EVH and his genius. And without that, nobody is ever gonna get there no matter how much money you have.
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Perhaps, but the Ford Model T is nothing special compared to today's offerings, but back then it was incredibly unique. A lot of that EVH tone was pretty groundbreaking for it's day, and is something that isn't easily replicated even today. But agree 100% about EVH and his genius. Dig deep enough and we'll come to the conclusion the tone was more Ed's style of playing than the amp setup. Reference Ted Nugent's experience playing EVH's rig way back then - said he was excited to play it but he sounded nothing like EVH.
 
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