This Fuckin' Kid

[bueno bob]

What did he get angry about with you?

Sounds a bit like what happened to me. Now, mind you...I was trying to get the Walking Cunt Flap to get angry at me, posting under his Twitter announcement, "4 years into your father's career, he was soon to headline the US Festival in front of half a million people. Four years into your career...and you're opening for Creed. "

Walking Cunt Flap banned me immediately from posting on or reading the MAMMOTH WVH Twitter feed (which is kind of equivalent to one of the Golden Girls telling you that you're no longer allowed to see her naked). Walking Cunt Flap's reaction was kind of what I expected (though I was kind of surprised at how quickly he reacted...he must have been on a sugar-rush from the giant tub of Costco Caramel Corn he'd just eaten for a "light snack").

I'd be really curious to know how you provoked Walking Cunt Flap and what his reaction was...

Oooooh, now THAT is some of the classic Sheep Pen action away from the Forums that I just LOVE to hear about.

Also

WHAT UP FUCKERS

[Seshmeister]

You pop out for a pack of cigarettes 6 fucking years ago and then just walk back in here like nothing happened?

Hi Bob!

[bueno bob]

Hey, it's a slow site these days, logging in takes a while. What do you want out of me, miracles?

[Vinnie Velvet]

Bob is back!

Seems like the 'ol army days again.

[Rikk]

Oooooh, now THAT is some of the classic Sheep Pen action away from the Forums that I just LOVE to hear about.

Also

WHAT UP FUCKERS

Ewing Oil is open for business...

[Rikk]

Hey, it's a slow site these days, logging in takes a while. What do you want out of me, miracles?

You heard we missed ya...you're back!!!

[Nitro Express]

I guess Alex Van Halen tried everything possible to get Bonzo’s sound when Andy John’s was working with them. Andy was all about getting it to sound right in the room and using a microphone that best transferred the sound. He was not big into fixing things in the mix. He would tell Alex that it was more Bonzo than him and Jimmy Page was always keen on finding great spaces to record in.

[DLR Bridge]

He got Al pretty close to the Bonzo sound on F.U.C.K. Too bad he didn’t have that sound on II or WACF.

[Nitro Express]

What did he get angry about with you?

Sounds a bit like what happened to me. Now, mind you...I was trying to get the Walking Cunt Flap to get angry at me, posting under his Twitter announcement, "4 years into your father's career, he was soon to headline the US Festival in front of half a million people. Four years into your career...and you're opening for Creed. "

Walking Cunt Flap banned me immediately from posting on or reading the MAMMOTH WVH Twitter feed (which is kind of equivalent to one of the Golden Girls telling you that you're no longer allowed to see her naked). Walking Cunt Flap's reaction was kind of what I expected (though I was kind of surprised at how quickly he reacted...he must have been on a sugar-rush from the giant tub of Costco Caramel Corn he'd just eaten for a "light snack").

I'd be really curious to know how you provoked Walking Cunt Flap and what his reaction was...

Oh Wolf was crying his guts out on Twitter and everyone is kissing his ass. I posted that my dad was a hot shot architect and I was sad when he passed away. I don’t know why but that triggered the fuck out of Lard Ass and he responded in a nasty way. In Wolf’s mind his pain was greater and us plebs could not possibly understand it. I’m like dude. He chain smoked and drank heavy his whole life. We all knew it was coming. Yeah it hurts but grow up, we all have lost parents, spouses, brothers, sisters and close friends. Some people have to worry about how they are going to pay the bills. You don’t. It could be worse Wolf.

[Rikk]

He got Al pretty close to the Bonzo sound on F.U.C.K. Too bad he didn’t have that sound on II or WACF.

I'll be honest: I'll take the VAN HALEN II sound over the F.U.C.K. sound any day.

Not only is F.U.C.K. my least favorite Van Halen album...but I also hate the homogenized, over-processed sound.

That's NOT a real drum sound in terms of all genuine reverb. They're using some really shitty effects to get that big, boom-y sound (the album came out in 1991 but it's got a pretty 80s sound to me...I mean a BAD 80s sound).

I also don't like Eddie's guitar sounds on F.U.C.K. Again, super reverb-y...too many overdubs. At least the follow-up (BALANCE) had a real band sound...a room sound. If they'd used that production sound they had in 1995 but with Dave around, it would have sounded great. (That said, the engineer who did BALANCE, Erwin Musper, DID engineer the two Dave tracks from 1996, even though they had a different producer.)

[Nitro Express]

Eddie Van Halen meant a lot to people because his guitar talent, his music and his stage performance gave them an escape from their shitty lives. Ed made people feel good. So respect it Wolf. Stop pissing on the people who loved your dad. They paid for the nice things you got to enjoy.

[Nitro Express]

As far as rock music goes I like it live and raw. Even Prince would usually do a song in one or two takes and move on. Usually those are the best and once you start polishing things too much you ruin what made it interesting. Also most people aren’t even going to notice what you are trying to get rid of.

[DLR Bridge]

I'll be honest: I'll take the VAN HALEN II sound over the F.U.C.K. sound any day.

Not only is F.U.C.K. my least favorite Van Halen album...but I also hate the homogenized, over-processed sound.

That's NOT a real drum sound in terms of all genuine reverb. They're using some really shitty effects to get that big, boom-y sound (the album came out in 1991 but it's got a pretty 80s sound to me...I mean a BAD 80s sound).

I also don't like Eddie's guitar sounds on F.U.C.K. Again, super reverb-y...too many overdubs. At least the follow-up (BALANCE) had a real band sound...a room sound. If they'd used that production sound they had in 1995 but with Dave around, it would have sounded great. (That said, the engineer who did BALANCE, Erwin Musper, DID engineer the two Dave tracks from 1996, even though they had a different producer.)

Yeah, I take back VHII come to think of it. I liked the bigness of the drum sound on the Fuck stuff, Pleasuredome in particular, but the cd is certainly not worth much of a listen.

[Nitro Express]

FUCK was recorded with a Soldano. Dave Friedman told me VH II is his favorite VH guitar sound. He actually voices his amps to get that sound. What’s great is you can get that sound at low volumes.

[Nitro Express]

If you want a good classic VH sound and also have a really good Fender like clean channel look into the Friedman Runt amps. They do the classic VH thing, the classic rock thing and the clean Fender thing really well.

[Nitro Express]

I picked up a really clean used Runt 20 for $800. You can use it without a speaker cab and record direct with it. You could do gigs with it but the 50 would be better for that. For home the 20 fills the bill.

[Rikk]

Oh Wolf was crying his guts out on Twitter and everyone is kissing his ass. I posted that my dad was a hot shot architect and I was sad when he passed away. I don’t know why but that triggered the fuck out of Lard Ass and he responded in a nasty way. In Wolf’s mind his pain was greater and us plebs could not possibly understand it. I’m like dude. He chain smoked and drank heavy his whole life. We all knew it was coming. Yeah it hurts but grow up, we all have lost parents, spouses, brothers, sisters and close friends. Some people have to worry about how they are going to pay the bills. You don’t. It could be worse Wolf.

THAT is fucking nuts. I mean, what the living hell was there for Walking Cunt Flap to take personally? I mean, you sympathized with him by mentioning that it was hard for you when you lost your own dad.

THIS is what I mean about that fat ass. In his world, everything and everyone is about him. What you are saying basically backs up what Dave said about Walking Cunt Flap two weeks ago...Wolfgang walking around wondering why people aren't paying attention to him or making him feel important. WCF was an only child who was told he was SO important and would be SO great one day...and got anything he wanted.

That kind of constant attention, making you feel like you're the only person that matters, would make anyone pretty goddamn narcissistic.

And only someone completely narcissistic would take offense to someone else relating to the idea of loss...because a narcissist will see your attempt to show sympathy through your own experience as an attempt to take the spotlight off of himself.

Also, Walking Cunt Flap legitimately thinks that his Dad is more important than most other people. (It's how he justifies himself being more important that other people...because he's the SON of someone who is more important that average joes.) THUS...you trying to say it's similar to when YOU lost your Dad is, to him, lessening just how unique his pain is.

The silly, self-absorbed Walking Cunt Flap.



Curious...do you remember anything about what he said (you mentioned his responding in a "nasty way")? Even a guess as to what he said. (I can't even go check...LOL...I'm "banned," which breaks my heart about as much as it's going to break my heart when I deliberately show up late to Metallica/Pantera this summer and NOT catch Walking Cunt Flap's set at Soldier Field.)

[Nitro Express]

If I was putting asses in seats in every town I really wouldn’t give a fuck what people said in social media. I mean if they are bopping to the beat you got the audience. Here’s the tour schedule hope to see you out there! Picking fights online is for dumb shits.

[Rikk]

Eddie Van Halen meant a lot to people because his guitar talent, his music and his stage performance gave them an escape from their shitty lives. Ed made people feel good. So respect it Wolf. Stop pissing on the people who loved your dad. They paid for the nice things you got to enjoy.

He truly has a point-of-view that people were lucky to give his family money to hear Eddie playing. To him, every time a Van Halen plays music for people, those people are lucky that they're taking the time to share their "art" with us.

And that's just bullshit.

I prefer the Metallica method of constantly reminding fans that they don't take them for granted and that the band is lucky to have fans who continue to care, 40 years later. People love to rag on Metallica...but watch all the backstage footage there is of Metallica and how they interact with their fans. OR...how they talk to fans in Q & A sessions. Lars, in particular, goes out of his way to be extra sweet to fans, always handing out better tickets, swag...asking fans questions about the city they live, their families, etc. Seriously...there are few bands that consistently treat their fans so nicely. (People love to bring up the Napster shit...and maybe they could have handled that better...but look at what's happened to the industry. Metallica were 100% right.)

Wolfgang is the opposite of Metallica. He has earned NONE of what they had...didn't spend years working hard to establish a brand...every member of Metallica has been poor (Lars grew up in a pretty nice home, with a tennis star dad...but once he was in L.A. and then the Bay Area, he was living in poverty, trying to get his band off the ground.) Metallica really are sweet to the fans they speak to. Wolfgang constantly talks down to them, mocks them, reminds them how lucky they are to be speaking with him...and ignores almost every kind comment thrown his way (again, Metallica do the opposite, with constant, "Thank you very much" or "I'm honored.")

[Nitro Express]

Yeah I was sympathizing. My dad was a hot shot. He designed a lot of stuff that’s in Las Vegas, Palm Springs and Hawaii. He would design luxury homes for rich clients. I once saw Sammy Davis Jr. go oh don’t say hi and come up and give my dad a big hug. He knew the rat pack so yeah dad did ok.

[Rikk]

As far as rock music goes I like it live and raw. Even Prince would usually do a song in one or two takes and move on. Usually those are the best and once you start polishing things too much you ruin what made it interesting. Also most people aren’t even going to notice what you are trying to get rid of.

Music is a huge part of my life. I may not make my living doing it...but I spend so much of my free time in my home studio, recording music, sending tracks back & forth to my buddies. I do the drums, they do guitars, bass... I have an actual Hammond B3 (with a Leslie Rotating speaker) in my studio, and I'll sometimes overdub that AFTER the guitars & bass are laid down...I do lead & harmony vocals last.

And you're 100% right. If I'm doing a drum track...or if the band is actually laying down a full basic track live, my philosophy is always to try and get it down in 1-3 takes. Sometimes, even if we do 8 or 9 takes, I still try and choose the 1st or 2nd take...even if there's a slight mistake...because the first takes always have a better feel/groove.

I'm actually glad I'm not a guitar-player because I can still write riffs & music without really being a guitar-player...but recording music with others is much more rewarding than just laying everything down yourself. It's more fun if it's a group accomplishment. You have a vision for your song, then you give it to other musicians...and they come up with other ideas or arrangements you might not have even thought of for your own song.

Wolfgang does it all himself...and people act like it's a big deal. And, really, so many musicians COULD do that. The reason they don't is because a lot of records sound better when there's band interplay...even if the interplay occurs during overdubs.

Van Halen was about the interplay and special qualities four distinct people brought to the band. It was a magical combination. When Eddie practically made an album by himself (VH III), it sounded mostly like shit, was too self-indulgent and he had no one to bounce his ideas off of.

And, to me, this is one of the reasons Wolfgang's music has such a homogenized sound. I certainly didn't notice any growth between his 1st lousy album and the second (except for his belt-size).

[Rikk]

Yeah, I take back VHII come to think of it. I liked the bigness of the drum sound on the Fuck stuff, Pleasuredome in particular, but the cd is certainly not worth much of a listen.

Yeah...and other VH albums had a change in song styles track-to-track. Even OU812, weak as it is, doesn't all sound the same. But F.U.C.K. is just one homogenized goop. (Interestingly, PLEASURE DOME is maybe the only song I like off of that album.)

[Rikk]

FUCK was recorded with a Soldano. Dave Friedman told me VH II is his favorite VH guitar sound. He actually voices his amps to get that sound. What’s great is you can get that sound at low volumes.

One of my guitar players used to swear by his Soldano, but I never loved the sound for some reason.

I'm not sure if this fully relates to what you're saying...but sometimes, if I'm getting one of the guys to overdub a guitar solo onto a pretty thick backing track, I prefer to keep the amp at a very low volume and turn the mic level up. It compresses better and cuts through the sound better. And there are certain amps that really can still sound really good at a lower amplitude.

[VHscraps]

That was changed within hours of the original being posted - I suspect it was because the algorithm was suppressing it due to the swear word, i.e., it was before everyone started slagging Dave for it (well, those that slagged him. I congratulate him)

Edit - it is still called 'This F***in Kid' on Apple podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcas...w/id1112289029

[Nitro Express]

Wolfgang is a member of the lucky sperm club. He is a creation of his mom. He acts just like her. He does have some of the Van Halen musical talent but I don’t give him any special treatment because of his last name. I appreciate Dave throwing some reality on the Wolfgang thing. The kid thinks he’s special, puts on a nice act but is one nasty fuck. That fucking kid!

[Nitro Express]

That was changed within hours of the original being posted - I suspect it was because the algorithm was suppressing it due to the swear word, i.e., it was before everyone started slagging Dave for it (well, those that slagged him. I congratulate him)

Edit - it is still called 'This F***in Kid' on Apple podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcas...w/id1112289029

Spot on!

[Nitro Express]

Anything with Sammy in it sucks in my opinion. The best punch is ruined when there Is a turd in the bowl.

[Nitro Express]

Well music is nice but there are other professions that pay better for the skills. Especially now.

[Nitro Express]

One of my guitar players used to swear by his Soldano, but I never loved the sound for some reason.

I'm not sure if this fully relates to what you're saying...but sometimes, if I'm getting one of the guys to overdub a guitar solo onto a pretty thick backing track, I prefer to keep the amp at a very low volume and turn the mic level up. It compresses better and cuts through the sound better. And there are certain amps that really can still sound really good at a lower amplitude.

Mike Soldano is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet but I’m not a fan of high gain preamps. I don’t like the compressed sound. I’m more into a crossover/power distortion sound. With the great attenuators they have now you can get that at bedroom levels.

[Nitro Express]

I have a FUCHS Train 45 I run some NOS Soviet 6v6’s in and I run through a Fryette Power Station into a FUCHS offset 2x12 loaded with one Classic 30 and one Greenback. It sounds fabulous. More touch sensitivity than a Marshall. I can run EL34’s but the 6V6 tubes sound the same and break up quicker. Those old Soviet tubes are cheap and can take a beating. I probably have 30 of them in stock so I’m set for life.

[Nitro Express]

Soldano’s are real reliable amps. All the distortion is created with the preamp tubes. The power tubes are biased so cold they will last a long time especially if you are running Russian military grade ones. The Mesa Dual Rectifier was a rip off of the Soldano and the 5150 is a variant of it. You do get a lot of sustain with great touch response but I never liked the tone.

[Terry]

Exactly.

John Bonham is my favorite drummer in the world. And I've listened closely to hundreds and hundreds of drummers. He's simply the most perfect rock drummer who ever lived (in my opinion).

AND EVEN THEN...when I watch The Song Remains the Same (I love that movie), the only part in the film during which I kind of shift in my seat, waiting for the scene to be done, is Bonham's drum solo.

When I listen to bands, I listen to the drums sometimes more than anything else. I play drums!! But drum solos are just rarely interesting.

When the Zep 1977 Seattle Kingdome pro shot boot started making the trading rounds in a big way maybe 20 years ago, I was pretty psyched. Mostly because prior to that there wasn't much live video of the band from that tour. Plenty of audio boots of full shows - Chicago, Los Angeles - but here was a full-length Zep concert from 1977. The Kingdome seated about 65,000, so the entire show was filmed via the venues closed circuit tv system and shown on a large screen inside the venue simultaneously while the band was playing, which is fairly common nowadays but was pretty new back then. It was also videotaped as well, and the tapes remained in Peter Grant and Jimmy Page's private collections for about twenty years before they got leaked and started making the trading circles.

Long show, too. 2 and 1/2 hours or so. JPJ has, like, a ten-minute piano solo during No Quarter. Bonham does what feels like a twenty-minute solo, immediately followed by a ten-minute Page solo. And the video is just shots of the musicians playing: without all the other accompanying visuals a la The Song Remains The Same, listening to a twenty-minute John Bonham solo is an endurance test even for the most avid Zep fan.

[Rikk]

I have a FUCHS Train 45 I run some NOS Soviet 6v6’s in and I run through a Fryette Power Station into a FUCHS offset 2x12 loaded with one Classic 30 and one Greenback. It sounds fabulous. More touch sensitivity than a Marshall. I can run EL34’s but the 6V6 tubes sound the same and break up quicker. Those old Soviet tubes are cheap and can take a beating. I probably have 30 of them in stock so I’m set for life.

The funny thing is: BOTH of my guitar players are always getting all sorts of new gear...sometimes buying new gear, other times trading it for new stuff...and I'm not even always aware of what they're using on certain tracks.

Yeah, I write a MAJORITY of the material...but I'm not some sort of prima-donna through which they need to run through me what amp they want to use for something...which pedal(s) they want to use...even which guitar (though, at least with the guitar, I sometimes have more of an opinion of what I might want for a certain overdub or solo: "This would probably sound better with the Les Paul" or "This needs something cleaner with more edge...maybe the Strat?" or "Do you wanna try the Telecaster for this one?"

But with amps, I'm not even always aware what they've used for certain overdubs. If they're doing stuff at my studio, they often bring one single amp for a full weekend's full of sessions. BUT...with overdubs (done remotely)...I don't even always know what amp (or pedal) they've used for something when they send the raw audio files back to me to add to the multi-track.

The only thing I know is if I think it sounds good or not. BUT...since they have to live with their guitar solos, I usually let them make the final call on that.

[Rikk]

I HAVE asked the guys before if they'd be interested in picking up a 5150 amp...but I don't think they've ever really looked into it seriously.

NITRO, what is your honest opinion of the 5150 amps...based on what it costs and what you get for the money? (And the different versions.)

[Nickdfresh]

Good because Tor needs to be oiled up, much like Wolfgang:

[Rikk]

When the Zep 1977 Seattle Kingdome pro shot boot started making the trading rounds in a big way maybe 20 years ago, I was pretty psyched. Mostly because prior to that there wasn't much live video of the band from that tour.

I waited many years for that show to finally come out. For years, I had a terrible VHS copy of the 2nd Knebworth concert (August 11, 1979). It was pretty unwatchable. I remember spending like $30 or so for a bootleg VHS I got by mail order around 1994. The ONLY thing I had besides that was THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME. And I'd watched that thing so many times that I was just desperate for a different Zeppelin gig. But not only is the 2nd Knebworth night not really a great Zeppelin gig (the 1st night is actually a much better concert) but my VHS copy looked like it was 10th-generation or something. It just looked so awful, with muddy, humming sound.

Plenty of audio boots of full shows - Chicago, Los Angeles - but here was a full-length Zep concert from 1977.

Yes...around 2003, around the time the official Led Zeppelin DVD came out (in fact, just a bit before), the market was suddenly flooded with a few pro-shot shows that fans had never been able to watch before. We'd seen a few short clips in places like the band's official website (there was a short clip of KASHMIR from one of the Earls Court nights in Real Player format)...or there would be a few quick shots in great quality in the band's official promo videos (remember that music video for OVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY that used shots of Knebworth '79 and, I think, a few shots of Seattle '77?). I remember stupidly spending $100 to buy a fucking VHS copy of one of the Earls Court nights (May 24, 1975) maybe a month or two before the official Led Zeppelin DVD came out. It was watchable. It was actually pretty good. It was a helluva lot better than the shitty Knebworth '79 I'd had for years.

But within a few months, a much better Earls Court DVD (same night) started appearing on Torrent Bootleg sites...and that replaced my VHS copy really quickly.

Eventually, the first Knebworth night (August 4, 1979) also started appearing on Torrent sites (in much better quality than my old August 11 VHS).

But (you're right)...the real Holy Grail was the Seattle '77 DVD that finally leaked out onto torrents/boots. What made that disc so special was the fact that there was almost NOTHING from that tour (except for a few audience-shot menu clips) in the official Led Zeppelin DVD set.

...here was a full-length Zep concert from 1977. The Kingdome seated about 65,000, so the entire show was filmed via the venues closed circuit tv system and shown on a large screen inside the venue simultaneously while the band was playing, which is fairly common nowadays but was pretty new back then. It was also videotaped as well, and the tapes remained in Peter Grant and Jimmy Page's private collections for about twenty years before they got leaked and started making the trading circles.

AND...the only reason they didn't bother including anything from Seattle '77 in the official DVD was because they DON'T have multi-track audio to go with it. There was (especially in 2003) not much they could do with the audio to give it that big 5.1 DTS Surround mix they were able to do with the Royal Albert Hall '70 show, the Earls Court '75 material or the Knebworth '79 video footage.

JPJ has, like, a ten-minute piano solo during No Quarter. Bonham does what feels like a twenty-minute solo, immediately followed by a ten-minute Page solo. And the video is just shots of the musicians playing: without all the other accompanying visuals a la The Song Remains The Same, listening to a twenty-minute John Bonham solo is an endurance test even for the most avid Zep fan.

Yeah...since everything in Seattle '77 is close-up shots (and the sound is all mono soundboard), it's definitely something for which you have to have more endurance than some of the more-polished pro-shot footage. I will say that I do like Jonesy's keyboard solo during the 1977 Tour. When my wife & I saw THEM CROOKED VULTURES in 2010 (right up near the stage in the Avalon Ballroom in Chicago), I was blown-away realizing that Jonesy was basically following the exact format of his 1977 keyboard solo arrangement (I had just watched Seattle '77 a few nights before seeing VULTURES). Definitely a cool NO QUARTER in the Seattle show...but it still isn't as magnificent and flawless as the Earls Court '75 rendition of NO QUARTER (especially the May 24, 1975 version...overall that the May 25 show is the better one, but the May 24 rendition of NO QUARTER is, in my opinion, the very best NO QUARTER Led Zeppelin ever played).

In the years since, we've definitely been spoiled when it comes to unauthorized Zeppelin releases (like the recent audio of Bloomington '75, a killer soundboard boot, which has some of the crispest, fullest sound imaginable, plus rare performances of WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS and, I think, THE WANTON SONG).

As for visual stuff, in addition to what's on the 2003 official DVD (and THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME re-release), I now have the following:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
. Earls Court, May 24, 1975: I have a killer downloaded with custom cover Blu-Ray of this entire show in pretty crisp picture-quality and quite good sound (NOT as good as the official DVD...but still a great watch).
. Earls Court, May 25, 1975: A factory-printed Blu-Ray of this show on two Blu-Rays in amazing quality (even better than the May 24, 1975 show)...this is an almost FOUR-HOUR CONCERT!!! And it's majestic.
. Seattle '77: Haven't found a factory Blu-Ray of this gig...but I found a great downloadable Blu-Ray for which I printed a nice cover...picture really cleaned up. (Only downside is this is not one of the best '77 gigs.)
. Knebworth August 4 & 11, 1979: Amazing, factory-made Blu-Ray I got years ago, BOTH gigs in the best-quality ever (except the official DVD)...great sound, picture. Amazing cover (whole thing in a brown bag!).
. FILM ARCHIVES Compilation: Really-sweet factory-made Blu-Ray set, with tons of the best 8mm Zep footage from all eras, plus T.V. clips, interviews...great history of the band. Most of the 8mm stuff is in real hi-def!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Nitro Express]

I HAVE asked the guys before if they'd be interested in picking up a 5150 amp...but I don't think they've ever really looked into it seriously.

NITRO, what is your honest opinion of the 5150 amps...based on what it costs and what you get for the money? (And the different versions.)

I assume you are talking about the EVH Gear 5150 amps. They basically are a mass produced circuit board based amp. This keeps the cost down. Build quality is decent and the amp has a usable clean channel. A decent crunch channel and a very hot high gain channel. You can play a lot of different style of music on a 5150. It’s not just balls to the wall.

The 50 watt heads are popular. Easier to carry than a 100 watt and has enough power to work well on a big stage. The EL34 powered 5150 has a darker sounding crunch channel. Eddie voiced it so it would give a classic Marshall sound. I like it. John 5 uses them live. Some people hate it. So you want to try both the 6L6 and EL34 amps and see what you prefer.

The guy who designed the 5150 thinks the 6L6 powered 2x12 combo is the best sounding amp out of all of them. Might be worth trying one of those.

There is also the 5150 stealth. This was the last amp Eddie signed off on. It was designed by James Brown who designed the Peavey 5150 amps. He’s a top notch designer. I’ve heard good things. The amp is a hybrid using both tubes and solid state. This is to keep the price point down since building a all tube amp is more expensive.

[Nitro Express]

I like the foot controller for the 5150 amps. They switch really smooth and it’s built like a tank.

[Nitro Express]

The amps I like are the single channel FUCHS Blackjack 21 Mark I. They come up for sale on Reverb and Guitar Center. I found one in Seattle for $500. These are really simple amps but they are made of the best components and are only 20 watts. Only four knobs but they do blues, classic rock and classic VH as good as anything. I have two of them.

[bueno bob]

I was willing to give Wolfgang every benefit of the doubt. I was honestly pretty impressed with him in the live setting and moderately hopeful for his solo output. I'm glad I just downloaded it first, because I still wouldn't have forgiven myself had I actually spent anything on it. To my ears, it's just watered down post-rock "Foo Fighters Lite" crap and it's about the same sort of thing that a thousand other bands are putting out these days. I won't deny he's a talented musician, more so than I am at any rate, and if that kind of music appeals to anybody, that's perfectly fine in my book.

My problem with Wolfgang is his attitude.

Notwithstanding the "Nepo-Baby" DNA blueprint that comes built-in with him, he just seems to have this attitude that his shit doesn't stink, and nobody's had it worse or lost more than he has. Any time he says anything publicly it's so loaded with ego and self-centered holier-than-thou'isms that it's just nauseating to me. Not unlike the Osbourne kids, he's never had want of anything in his entire life, he's a direct product of the best of everything that money can buy and he's just not all that interesting of a person when you cut through all that bullshit. At least Jack Osbourne has kind of woken up to the fact that he was a douchebag and made significant strides into getting out of that mindset. Wolfgang clearly hasn't reached that level of maturity yet, and honestly, I have basically no interest in seeing if he ever does.

Just another sad footnote on the passing of America's greatest rock and roll band of all time. I'm embarrassed to admit that, upon hearing of Ed's passing, I would have even been willing to see David, Wolfgang, Mike and Alex continue on as Van Halen in Ed's memory, but at this point, with Wolf's "Me Me Me!!!!" attitude and Sam Belcher out on tour with Sauce Sobolewski doing a "tribute" (or whatever it's supposed to be), the epic clusterfuck of all things Van Halen is really the ultimate legacy of this band.

And beyond us, who even gives a fuck anymore?