Mike Soldano talks about EVH's Marshall

[Chubtone]

 

[Shark Diver]

Dave Friedman has also seen this amp,

I got to play that amp

 

[shgshg]

So what did it sound like?

 

[Shark Diver]

Dave Friedman has also seen this amp,

I got to play that amp

aaandd...

Closed the shop one night and played it with Ed's pedalboard. Using one of his guitars. Now it's no SLO...

It was a good night. The way I remember it I was in front of 100,000 people sounding as great as Eddie. But it was just me, sounding like me

 

[sixstringking713]

Did John discuss the extra hole in the back of the amp? I don't think it can get any clearer than pictured evidence of #1 in the recording studio for VH II....

What hole?

 

[nitro]

The knob/pot was a master volume,period.Edward played nothing stock from guitars to amps.Edward loves gain why would he design amps with so much gain,answer,he loves gain.Just use your ears and common sents.

 

[shgshg]

so much gain

 

[Chris O]

so much gain

Wow. Roth. That's all.

 

[311boogieman]

^ I swear if it wasn't for Michael pulling through on the chorus some of those live songs sound like ass

The knob/pot was a master volume,period.Edward played nothing stock from guitars to amps.Edward loves gain why would he design amps with so much gain,answer,he loves gain.Just use your ears and common sents.

 

[philb]

The soldano 25 sounds really good.
As for the Marshall, I'm not a big conspiracy kinda guy so I tend to believe what Soldano is saying.
Why would he lie?

 

[Anonymous]

Only people benefitting from those threads is EVH himself
More talk = more interest = more of his signature products sold

 

[londaxe]

A few years back John Suhr posted in a discussion of Ed's Marshall over at TGP; if I recall correctly his comment was that the amp was bone stock when he serviced it in the nineties, with the exception of a tiny tweak that didn't affect the gain structure and which anyone could do. Most tellingly he also commented that the condition of the solder joints indicated that it had never BEEN modded at any time.

Of course being TGP the amp police descended on Mr Suhr, basically accusing him of not knowing anything about amps or tone or Van Halen. Then everybody started arguing about the super-secret modifications Jose Arredondo had done to the amp, while one of the world's most respected amp-builders - who had literally had the amp open on his workbench - got ignored. It was hilarious.

I remember that thread

I remember the comment about the untouched solder joints in the preamp section, but he did say something about an added part which adds bass to the first channel. He wanted to keep it to himself though, but apparently Ralle from the metroamp forum knows what it is...

http://forum.metroamp.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=41399

I don't know, I have no reason to believe it wasn't a great sounding super lead with a master (which Suhr did say was a possibility) and a few small tweaks...played by EVH...

 

[RG955TT]

Those earlier shows including the US festival in 83 don't have a ton of gain for sure. I have a bunch of bootlegs and the level of gain he's using is surprisingly low and its easy to hear. Most of us would say its closer to a crunch sound than any kind of heavy or lead type of gain. later years yes but the early stuff is easy to believe for me that he's using stock plexis' just cranked up.

 

[Anonymous]

Does anybody ever talk about Ted Templeman and Donn Landee and about how the amp was mic'd and recorded on those early albums?

 

[nitro]

Suhr looked at Edward Plexi in the 90s he wasn't around in the 70s or 80s doing amp work for Edward. Jose was Ed's only tech in the 70s to the very early 90s by the time suhr seen eds Plexi in went though many changes and it was put back to stock values.Ed had many Plexi's.Lets think now knob/pot in back of Edwards Plexi lets see that's not stock......

 

[shgshg]

It also didn't have a rear grille. That's not stock.

The Marshall logo got removed from the front. That's not stock.

There's a dent in the plexiglas on the rear panel. That's not stock.

 

[nitro]

Then you explain the knob/pot in the back.Pull your head out first get some air.

 

[nitro]

"So much gain" that was the 83 tour Edwards tone changed very much less aggressive tone.

 

[shredi knight]

I've enlarged the picture and now I can see the hole (I think this explains all the secrecy

Chubtone just may be on to something.

 

[shgshg]

Then you explain the knob/pot in the back.Pull your head out first get some air.

a) already done (sounds like Jose put a slave out and/or standby on more than one of Ed's amps), and
b) I don't really care.

We have John Suhr, Michael Soldano, Steve Fryette, Matt Bruck, Doug Roccaforte, Dave Friedman, and probably others all saying "had a look inside the amp, bone stock except for an insignificant bass boost on the bright channel. No mods."

Good enough for me.