Eddie's Brown Sound

[bLiTz]

Hey guys! I know there are some Van Halen fans here, and I am one of them. I play lots of Van Halen music, and I'd like to start recording more often, but when I do covers I like them to sound good. I also can't get enough of Eddie's Brown Sound. I really like the sound in the first "Van Halen" album, and other various songs like "Unchained" and "Panama". I've been trying to get this sound, and I know what Eddie uses, I know his gear. But I was wondering if there is anyone here who owns a "Yamaha Magicstomp" multi effects pedal. I have been messing around with the sound editor, and I just can't get the sound that Eddie gets. I'm mostly aiming for the sound in eruption, the phase, the echo, and the distortion. Can anybody help me out? Like give me a tutorial on which controls do what, or if anyone has any presets for the magicstomp post it on here so I can download it. Help is greatly appreciated! Thanks guys.

-bLiTz

[Big Dainjerus]

hey dude you are better off going over to the vhlinks and registering and asking some people over there what they use. vhlinks.com

[strat78]

Originally Posted by Big Dainjerus

hey dude you are better off going over to the vhlinks and registering and asking some people over there what they use. vhlinks.com

What the fuck Actually DUDE, I mean my good man, you should stick around here! If you ask me, just get a PODxt or check out this thread here.
http://www.guitars101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29598

[Big Dainjerus]

dude stick around here and get one maybe two replies tops on the brown sound. Its all they ever talk about over at the links. This site is cool too but if you want the sound theres no wrong in directing the DUDE to a site where everyone on it more or less searches for the brown sound...and he will get more than one reply.

[Mark Grant]

hands down the best place to go is www.jfrocks.com. he does the comprehensive evh stuff. a couple of quick points, part of the brown sound is ed's playing, upstrokes, and muting. typically you want to drop the mids on your amp. and you also need to remeber that eds sound is clean though it has some crunch

[1badelement]

Hey dude, maybe I can offer some advice. First of all, I doubt you're gonna get the sounds you're looking for out of the magicstomp. I have the yamaha AW16G, which has the same amp sounds and I did not find any that sounded in the ballpark of the brown sound. I have searched for it high and low and will tell what products will get you close. I own several multi-effects pedals that fake the "old" EVH sound pretty well. The POD XT as someone already mentioned, is a real good one, it even models a "variac plexi" and has a good preset for a starting point. Even has real good phaser/delay/reverb to add icing to the cake. Second, the Boss GT-6 has a great marshall 1959 model to get the job done and awesome effects flexibility to boot. Both of these preamps get more of the unchained sound as opposed to the 1st album. The best preamp I've got for the first album is a discontinued pedalboard from Rocktron called the Taboo Artist. Its pretty much the chameleon rack preamp in pedalboard form. Awesome brown sound in that thing. It's even got the ability to pan you're dry sound to the side and delays as well. Really nails the Atomic Punk sound. Both the rocktron and boss pedalboards can get the unlawful-present EVH sounds to a T. Just to let you know, every rpeamp/pedalboard/amp modeler I've ever heard is very hard to get a good sound through an amp or P.A. speaker. I just got the Atomic Reactor 112 amp week and my God, it is unbelievable. What ever sound you get through headphones, it will replicate it almost perfectly. I'll say this: you got to have the right guitar for the job. Single coils just won't cut it from what I've seen. I use a musicman axis, which is essentially the EVH signature model. I'm sure you heard it, to sound like EVH you got to play like him. That's true but you can get really close just by using the right gear. If you decide to get one of these preamps/pedalboards let me know and I'll help you set it up. Hope this helps.

[bLiTz]

Thanks man. I think I've made a decision. My amps are all old, I don't even really have a guitar amp, all I have is a keyboard amp and two bass amps. I think I'm really interested in getting a super lead marshall amp, I saw one when I went down to my favourite music store last week to buy my Ibanez guitar. I think I'll get the marshall amp then I might collect single pedals like eddie did and make my own pedal board. But I will definately look for those pedals you mentioned at the music store and check them out. I appreciate the help thanks.

-bLiTz

[bLiTz]

Hey guys, I've been messing around, with an old bass amp, and my magicstomp, and I think I'm getting close to the brown sound. Check out these 2 clips, one of Panama, and one of Runnin' with the devil. Tell me how it sounds compared to the brown sound.

[VHF]

The problem with those clips Blitz is that your recordings are not capturing the live sound you are hearing.

How exactly are you recording?

[bLiTz]

I know I was gunna say... It sounds good to me like live, my mic isn't very good I have it right against my amp, I don't know if you can get it any better than that other than buying a better mic. But yea I usually plug in through line-in on my computer, but the problem with it is I don't have my eq's from my amp. Oh well.

[VHF]

Originally Posted by Big Dainjerus

dude stick around here and get one maybe two replies tops on the brown sound. Its all they ever talk about over at the links. This site is cool too but if you want the sound theres no wrong in directing the DUDE to a site where everyone on it more or less searches for the brown sound...and he will get more than one reply.

I have to agree with Strat here....on this site people are more focused on recording and posting clips. There are loads of examples here on different era VH tones. Strat and his POD basically set the standard. Hell YYZ just posted a perfect Runnin with the devil....check it out and PM him for details.

[Big Dainjerus]

Originally Posted by VHfanOU812

I have to agree with Strat here....

alright but no one seems to actually be helping him find the brownsound.

[Mr Crumb]

Originally Posted by Big Dainjerus

alright but no one seems to actually be helping him find the brownsound.

Someone found the brown sound? Where? When? I must know now!

[Big Dainjerus]

hell yeah apparently it can be found in a POD!!!

[VHoholic]

Originally Posted by bLiTz

Thanks man. I think I've made a decision. My amps are all old, I don't even really have a guitar amp, all I have is a keyboard amp and two bass amps. I think I'm really interested in getting a super lead marshall amp, I saw one when I went down to my favourite music store last week to buy my Ibanez guitar. I think I'll get the marshall amp then I might collect single pedals like eddie did and make my own pedal board. But I will definately look for those pedals you mentioned at the music store and check them out. I appreciate the help thanks.

-bLiTz

If your looking to get the VH sound at a low volume i would recommend either a 5150 combo or something like a Splawn Quickrod. I have a Marshall Super Lead and the thing will shake the foundations of your house with how loud it is LOL. Seriously, the thing is a Beast. In order for me to get the volume down i have to pull out a bunch of power tubes, use a Variac, and also lay a heavy blanket over the Cab. The Super Lead is an incredible sounding amp for getting the Brown Sound but for home use it's just way too loud. Not sure if you heard it yet but here's a few VH clips i did with my 5150 combo and Marshall cab if your interested in checking them out. With this setup i can get some great VH type tones at an extremely low volume plus it has an effects loop, most of the older Super Leads don't.
Clip 1
Clip 2
Clip 3
Clip 4
Clip 5
You can also look into having the Marshall Modded by Dave Bray, he does an incredible job at getting that old VH Brown sound with his Super Lead mods.