van halen 1 sound duncan 59 or dimarzio vhpaf

[WhoFan]

Ah ha, thanks. Now, didn't he just slap a pickup in it for the photo shoot of the album just to make it look "complete", meaning it was never hooked up? That's what I've read in several magazines when that guitar has been brought up (right next to the fact that it was ruined by removing that chunk of wood). Since the tone of that one went down the crapper after that stunt, a SuperD would certainly fatten things back up.

i think you are thinking the B&Y Charvel used on the cover photos for the VHII record... For that photo session the pick up had no bobbin covers, you could see the windings on the magnets... It was said to be a garbage PU Ed had hunging around.... In one Photo i have in a mag from that shoot you can see that guitar up close... It had the Charvel logo on the headstock before Ed covered it with tape... It had a 6 screw non-locking Charvel trem... The single bridge pickup was routed too close to the bridge, which is why i believe Ed never liked that guitar's tone. Soon after that guitar was given to ED he had an early Floyd installed and used a different neck... Later on it had a FRO on it and it looked like the Floyd was sitting onto of teh humbucker almost.. you'd think with all the modding Ed had done to guitars he would of moved that humbucker forward a bit!!!

Ed got the guitar right before the photo shoot and slapped it together quickly for the photos... "The Inside", the VH fan Magazine printed some nice photos from that session once... also they printed some nice photos of some of Ed's collection.... there was to be a part 2 but it never happened i don't think.... i think that mag is gone now...

Ed did have some Super Distortions around.... He used to put them down in interviews... claims he didn't like them, but still he had some around... one was in the B&Y Charvel for a bit on the 79 tour...

[ErikH]

Yeah, I knew about the B&Y one for the VH II cover but seem to remember he had to do the same thing real quick for the W&CF cover as well.

Him with SuperD's just doesn't seem right, ya know? LOL Not denying that he used them, just saying this is the first I ever heard that he did at all.

[roadstar II]

here is the SHARK with a dimarzio super D with a alnico II magnet in it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dXbeobaeMk

and for those truley EVH fans the OLDEST video footage of him live with the charvel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFQCNJc7EG8

[WhoFan]

Yeah, I knew about the B&Y one for the VH II cover but seem to remember he had to do the same thing real quick for the W&CF cover as well.

Him with SuperD's just doesn't seem right, ya know? LOL Not denying that he used them, just saying this is the first I ever heard that he did at all.

in a few early interviews he said he didn't like the Super D's but said when you needed a PU fast they were all that was handy around at most places...

In the right hands i'm sure someone with great VH Chops could use a Super D no probs to copy VH's sound

[WhoFan]

here is the SHARK with a dimarzio super D with a alnico II magnet in it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dXbeobaeMk

and for those truley EVH fans the OLDEST video footage of him live with the charvel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFQCNJc7EG8

thanks for posting those... i used to collect early VH Bootlegs... love some of the 77/78 live and demo stuff out there.... i wonder where the Guitar Solo was filmed... Pasadena Civic in Feb 78? Loved the bare Marshall cabs ED used on the first tours... Why the heck did he peel the vinyl off..... I heard he still has some of these cabs around in his 5150 attic...

The Running W/ The Devil video reminded me that Ed drilled, chopped and painted that Exployer in 78... just after recording the first album...

[roadstar II]

in a few early interviews he said he didn't like the Super D's but said when you needed a PU fast they were all that was handy around at most places...

In the right hands i'm sure someone with great VH Chops could use a Super D no probs to copy VH's sound

well he DID swap the magnet which turned the fire breathing super D into more of a Custom-custom type of pup you know a 13.8K alnico II with AWG 43
so i will try thaat in the near future but i know that dimarzio glues the magnets in place now

[ErikH]

here is the SHARK with a dimarzio super D with a alnico II magnet in it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dXbeobaeMk

and for those truley EVH fans the OLDEST video footage of him live with the charvel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFQCNJc7EG8

That first clip is just a video to the studio track. The song was recorded in the studio with the Ibanez Destroyer before it was cut up.

I've seen that second one before. That amp was being pushed hard. You can hear it. He had an EQ that he ran out front with the sliders set to a frown and the level up a bit to push the preamp harder.

[roadstar II]

That first clip is just a video to the studio track. The song was recorded in the studio with the Ibanez Destroyer before it was cut up.

yes it is a ibanez korina destroyer un chainsawed but i wanted you guys to hear the dimarzio SD with a alnico II which i truely believe is ALL he did to that pup
i cant believe he sat there and rewound it by hand!
if you guys ever seen all the wire after it is taken off a bobbin you will know what i mean

[ErikH]

yes it is a ibanez korina destroyer un chainsawed but i wanted you guys to hear the dimarzio SD with a alnico II which i truely believe is ALL he did to that pup
i cant believe he sat there and rewound it by hand!
if you guys ever seen all the wire after it is taken off a bobbin you will know what i mean

Wait, so you're saying the Destroyer had a SuperD in it? I didn't realize that is what that guitar was loaded with when he recorded with it. Are you sure of this?

[51501984]

i think you are thinking the B&Y Charvel used on the cover photos for the VHII record... For that photo session the pick up had no bobbin covers, you could see the windings on the magnets... It was said to be a garbage PU Ed had hunging around.... In one Photo i have in a mag from that shoot you can see that guitar up close... It had the Charvel logo on the headstock before Ed covered it with tape... It had a 6 screw non-locking Charvel trem... The single bridge pickup was routed too close to the bridge, which is why i believe Ed never liked that guitar's tone. Soon after that guitar was given to ED he had an early Floyd installed and used a different neck... Later on it had a FRO on it and it looked like the Floyd was sitting onto of teh humbucker almost.. you'd think with all the modding Ed had done to guitars he would of moved that humbucker forward a bit!!!

Ed got the guitar right before the photo shoot and slapped it together quickly for the photos... "The Inside", the VH fan Magazine printed some nice photos from that session once... also they printed some nice photos of some of Ed's collection.... there was to be a part 2 but it never happened i don't think.... i think that mag is gone now...

Ed did have some Super Distortions around.... He used to put them down in interviews... claims he didn't like them, but still he had some around... one was in the B&Y Charvel for a bit on the 79 tour...

This pic is kind of lame since I don`t have a scanner but here`s the VHII Charvel with the garbage pickup. Some goofy rails type pickup it looks like.

[walt]

OK, I have to chime in on this one. You guys are probably tired of hearing me rave about it, but the VHPaf with an A2 magnet is the ticket. I would really think that any A2 low output bucker would work, but the VHPaf with the virtual technogy left in it along with the magnet swap is the best by far imho. Before I got hook on the VHPaf, I had a 59 that I swore was the ticket but it was thin sounding for lead work to my ears, maybe I should try an A2 in the 59 (or is that Alnico Pro 2?). my 2 cents.

[WhoFan]

yes it is a ibanez korina destroyer un chainsawed but i wanted you guys to hear the dimarzio SD with a alnico II which i truely believe is ALL he did to that pup
i cant believe he sat there and rewound it by hand!
if you guys ever seen all the wire after it is taken off a bobbin you will know what i mean

when he said wound by hand i too wondered how you could get all the wire on there without looseing your mind... But then i kind of wondered if he had a way of spining the bobbin and just fed the wire on it by hand... Kind of a home made moter thing... i'm sure some of the techs he was working with back then helped him out greatly with ideas and how to do things

[WhoFan]

This pic is kind of lame since I don`t have a scanner but here`s the VHII Charvel with the garbage pickup. Some goofy rails type pickup it looks like.

ya that is one of the photos i was talking about from "The Inside" mag.... i don't think it's pickup had rails.... been a while since i looked at that close up... it just looks that way because you can see the windings around the bobbin... but i'm unsure as it has been a long time since i really examined that photo close up.....

[pittbull]

Going back to the dimarzio super D i dont believe eddie pulled the ceramic magnet out and replaced it with the alnico 2 magnet eddie would say alot of BS about his equipment,i believe it was just the standard dimarzio super D i have tryed alnico 2 magnet pickups and they just dont have the push and the bright high end the duncan custom custom was to muddy and no high end what so ever.The dimarzio vhpaf sounds interesting to try,go back and listen to van halen 1 there is this bright high end and that midrange swell and edge, maybe the duncan distortion or the dimarzio super d would also be interesting to try again i havent played those pickups in a long time maybe i will try them again but the vhpaf i will give it a shot.

[Luke Duke]

Going back to the dimarzio super D i dont believe eddie pulled the ceramic magnet out and replaced it with the alnico 2 magnet eddie would say alot of BS about his equipment,i believe it was just the standard dimarzio super D i have tryed alnico 2 magnet pickups and they just dont have the push and the bright high end the duncan custom custom was to muddy and no high end what so ever.The dimarzio vhpaf sounds interesting to try,go back and listen to van halen 1 there is this bright high end and that midrange swell and edge, maybe the duncan distortion or the dimarzio super d would also be interesting to try again i havent played those pickups in a long time maybe i will try them again but the vhpaf i will give it a shot.

Ed has BSed A LOT about his gear in the past. I've got an interview where he bags on the high output buckers too....but how much is true of what he says/said we'll never know. I do know that I just can't imagine the sounds on VH1 coming from a Super D.

We as guitarists generally like to boil things down to absolutes, but sometimes that just isn't possible. Just as crucial to as the magnet is to a pups sound is the wind. The tension, insulation, turns, mismatch can all be changed to achieve a particular result. Guys like Fralin, Duncan, Holmes, Rolph, and Dimarzio all know this. So you can't really say that X magnet will not produce so and so sound.

I only say this because I've got 2 SD 78s and it's attributes (the 78's) are atypical of many A2 pups. There is the loose light low end, (typical) the low mids swell (typical) high mids spike, (kind of like the PG) AND the edginess and aggresion in the high end. (definitely atypical) The best way to describe a 78 is chewy. It has a texture I've never really ever experienced in other pups.

*Disclaimer* I'm not a huge VH fan, nor am I trying to cop his sound. :P I just know a good pup when I hear it. I will say that somone who is really looking for the VH sound, and has the other components already in place, could find this pup their missing link.

Luke

[pittbull]

I was just looking at the dimarzio site and i was wondering if any of you have tryed the dimarzio steves special for the van halen 1 sound thanks again...

[Majestic]

The high-end on Van Halen I was done on the mixing board. It's insanely trebley on certain tracks, particularly Eruption, which sounds horrible, IMO.

It's not the pickup. It's Eddie being forced to do what the studio & producer wanted, which changed during VH II.

His gear didn't change.....the settings did. If you're playing a '59, and you have a Marshall, then the rest is up to your right hand pick attack.

[ErikH]

The high-end on Van Halen I was done on the mixing board. It's insanely trebley on certain tracks, particularly Eruption, which sounds horrible, IMO.

It's not the pickup. It's Eddie being forced to do what the studio & producer wanted, which changed during VH II.

His gear didn't change.....the settings did. If you're playing a '59, and you have a Marshall, then the rest is up to your right hand pick attack.

So true. Have you heard the 1976 Demo produced by Gene Simmons. TOTALLY different tone, sounds like it's pre-Variac which means that Super Lead was probably balls to the walls wide open. I actually like the tone on that demo more than Van Halen I and II.

[WhoFan]

So true. Have you heard the 1976 Demo produced by Gene Simmons. TOTALLY different tone, sounds like it's pre-Variac which means that Super Lead was probably balls to the walls wide open. I actually like the tone on that demo more than Van Halen I and II.

love that demo... house of pain with the car horns!!!.... I also like the other Demos they did for Warner Brothers but they are not as good sound quality wise... some of those early tracks that were either re-written or never released kicked butt.....

I really like the tunes Bullet Head and Shot Down In Flames they were playing live in 77

[JeffB]

I'd laugh my @$$ off if somehow we got some proof of the SuperD being *the* VH1 tone...

That said, quite possibly the destroyer had pups very similar to the SuperD...as later destroyers had the Gotoh SuperD copies (V2).