Mike Soldano talks about EVH's Marshall

[311boogieman]

I still do not understand why simply running a variac on your amp would not create the infamous brown tone. Seems strait forward to me. Granted I'm not a power expert.

 

[Stramm8]

Well Rupe,let me help you out Jose was Edwards amp tech since 1972 that when they met.Jose was the only amp tech to Edward from the 70s to the very early 90s(up until Jose death-90s).I can explain the knob/pot thats in the back of Eds plexi which is a master volume(Van halen II studio photos shows that, also there are photos of Edwards plexi from the 78 japan tour that show the same knob/pot in the back of Eds plexi) that Jose added.I would talk to Jose oh on a monthly bases(70s-90s).The people that you are talking about didnt see Edwards plexi until the 90s.You can believe what you want I really dont care.As for pete thorn and others about VH1 gain levels they are short gain wise just listen to the Van halen iso tracks and then compare.So you are going to believe people that had nothing to do with Ed or his amps back in the day.There was a knob/pot in the back of Eds amp and Jose was Eds main amp guy in the 70s thru 90s."saw you never saw it"......

So what if it is a master volume? A master volume doesn't add gain. And as far as the gain thing goes, Ed has stated in several pre-soldano interviews that he didn't like a distorted or "buzzy" sound, he preferred power tube distortion. He didn't get into high gain tones until he bought a Soldano (which he liked so much, he had Peavey copy it) because he thought his old Marshall was "fading". Here's my conspiracy theory: there was nothing wrong with the amp; he got tired of the sound, wanted to try something different and your buddy Jose was blowing smoke up your ass

 

[Rogue]

Jose explained to me that he added a master volume to Eds Plexi.Was the amp stock,answer,no.

What kind of master volume?

 

[Stramm8]

What stock Plexi can achieve the gain levels on Van halen 1(first album),none...Unless a mod or something in front.Look at all the guitarist in the 70s and 80s using marshall plexis did any of them have the gain that Edward did,no....

What are these "massive gain levels" on the first album you speak of?? The speakers in your Nova must be blown, 'cause I'm not hearing it. Listen to the isolated tracks; it sounds like a dimed plexi and it's actually kind of thin. I'm convinced the unique sound achieved on that record had more to do with the way it was recorded/produced. Listen to the early live bootlegs; the tone is killer but hardly "high-gain".

 

[glip22]

Jose explained to me that he added a master volume to Eds Plexi.Was the amp stock,answer,no.

What kind of master volume?

The Jose master before the tone stack.

 

[nitro]

Example, Ed said he didnt like Dimarzio super distortion pickups but he used them.If some want to believe a dime plexi be my guest.Ed achieved more gain/distortion then most using a dimed plexi.

 

[nevusofota]

What stock Plexi can achieve the gain levels on Van halen 1(first album),none...Unless a mod or something in front.Look at all the guitarist in the 70s and 80s using marshall plexis did any of them have the gain that Edward did,no....

Hasn't it been established that he used an EP out front?

 

[nitro]

Look at all that used a ep up front did they achieve the same type of gain Edward did,no.....

 

[Stramm8]

This just doesn't sound "modded" to me. Goosed with the echoplex and or an eq? Probably.

 

[Code001]

I just would like to hear John Suhr, or Friedman or Soldano or the European guy, Van Wheeldan or whatever talk about that extra hole in the back and what they think that might have been. I mean, it's obviously there, isn't it? What do THEY think it was?

The amp I worked on was SL12301
He said he might have hit it with the Echoplexi (which has gain) or an EQ. Jose rest his soul ( I had him do one for me in the 80's as well) did not tell a lot of truths about Ed's setup back then. There was never a master in that amp that I remember, all solder joints that were original were very easy to detect, Jose did put slave outs in the amps and also I believe had a standby jack in there as I said before which would explain some extra holes. I also think that putting a Master in there during a holy grail era is something Ed would have remembered to tell me. Until you have "that" exact circuit which is a little gainier and run it at 87VAC with Ed's touch, guitar and pickup you would not really did not hear what I heard. I've said all I can on this topic, you guys can chase the ghost but you will never catch it. Even still why put so much effort into copying Ed's tone if you are not Ed? It has been done and there is only one Ed.

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/showpo ... tcount=262

Full thread here complete with nitro arguing with everyone like he always does: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/showth ... p?t=746279

 

[Stramm8]

^^Amen. Not to mention that Suhr comes very, very close with the SL68 and Friedman with the Metro-Friedman amps. Both non-master volume amps based on the evh era circuit. WTF??

 

[yngzaklynch]

So how about that Soldano Hot Rod 25? Nice tone eh?

 

[nevusofota]

Look at all that used a ep up front did they achieve the same type of gain Edward did,no.....

Who knows, maybe "all" didn't max the EP preamp and used lower output pickups, etc, etc, etc.

 

[nitro]

Please.....then explain the knob/pot that was there back in the day,the hole was then filled in with a screw.The amp was put back to stock values before suhr seen it.A resent interview,Edward explained that there were to many tech's after jose that basicly fucked up the amp.Peter van weedlin from holland was the person who put it back to stock before suhr and the others seen the amp.Peter rewired the amp and he even wanted to replate the chassis.. Suhr and friedman looked at Edwards amp which was put back to stock values(mod was no longer when the looked at the amp).The SL68 and the friedman metro amp are stock 68 plexis..

 

[nevusofota]

So how about that Soldano Hot Rod 25? Nice tone eh?

I agree!!

It's funny, you and I have been on a similar tone quest recently. I've been looking at Soldano amps (again) recently but may not want the 100watter. The HR 25 looks appealing. I'm also thinking of selling my Petrucci and trying out a Suhr.

 

[glip22]

The early Plexis ghost noted pretty badly when cranked because of the low filtering. A master volume can stop ghosting. Ed dimed his amps. Where are the ghost notes?

 

[Rogue]

Jose explained to me that he added a master volume to Eds Plexi.Was the amp stock,answer,no.

What kind of master volume?

The Jose master before the tone stack.

So nothing that would "add gain"?

 

[Rogue]

I just would like to hear John Suhr, or Friedman or Soldano or the European guy, Van Wheeldan or whatever talk about that extra hole in the back and what they think that might have been. I mean, it's obviously there, isn't it? What do THEY think it was?

The amp I worked on was SL12301
He said he might have hit it with the Echoplexi (which has gain) or an EQ. Jose rest his soul ( I had him do one for me in the 80's as well) did not tell a lot of truths about Ed's setup back then. There was never a master in that amp that I remember, all solder joints that were original were very easy to detect, Jose did put slave outs in the amps and also I believe had a standby jack in there as I said before which would explain some extra holes. I also think that putting a Master in there during a holy grail era is something Ed would have remembered to tell me. Until you have "that" exact circuit which is a little gainier and run it at 87VAC with Ed's touch, guitar and pickup you would not really did not hear what I heard. I've said all I can on this topic, you guys can chase the ghost but you will never catch it. Even still why put so much effort into copying Ed's tone if you are not Ed? It has been done and there is only one Ed.

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/showpo ... tcount=262

Full thread here complete with nitro arguing with everyone like he always does: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/showth ... p?t=746279

He does seem to have a rather strange obsession with VH tone, including how the AxeFX has gotten closer than other folks with real amps. With the backtracking caveat that Rockstah passed away. He's weird.

 

[Rogue]

The early Plexis ghost noted pretty badly when cranked because of the low filtering. A master volume can stop ghosting. Ed dimed his amps. Where are the ghost notes?

Can you point to a mixed track with the ghost noting apparent?

 

[yngzaklynch]

So how about that Soldano Hot Rod 25? Nice tone eh?

I agree!!

It's funny, you and I have been on a similar tone quest recently. I've been looking at Soldano amps (again) recently but may not want the 100watter. The HR 25 looks appealing. I'm also thinking of selling my Petrucci and trying out a Suhr.

While i still feel that EBMM make some if the finest guitars on the planet my Suhr is just one of thise guitars that doesn't come along very often. It is the best guitar i've ever played!