NAMM 2011 (EVH Booth content)

[jhale667]

So you played that new EVH 50 watt head? I played around with a 5150III 100 watt head and cab and found it to be a good solid classic type rock amp with balls on tap if needed. It cleans up with the guitar's volume knob. What's great is the amp has chunk but harmonics jump right off and lots of dynamics. Even in the crunch channel. I was just wondering if the 50 was as good.

Better, from what I heard. That's the first time I've tried the Fender/EVH guitars too, and the neck is waaaay more like my (and his, one imagines...lol) old Charvels than the MusicMan or Peavey versions. The one I was handed, and one other I checked out played and sounded great, but unfortunately didn't check out the set neck one in my hands, gave it a close inspection hanging on the wall but then I got more interested in the amp...oopsie.

[Nitro Express]

Honestly, didn't even try the 100-watt. I'm told, and from what I can hear it's voiced slightly differently than the hundred. Much like 50-watt Marshalls have their own character. But the first channels does Fender Bassman/Princeton/SRV clean to mild breakup, the middle channel does indeed sound "Grail"-like (just the perfect amount of gain because you can control it), and the lead channel is the push over the cliff. I think I'd end up using the middle channel way more for rhythms if I owned it as opposed to my "old faithful" Boogie MK III.

I have a Peavey 5150 II with real good tubes in it and I really couldn't tell any difference between the Fender EVH 100 amp and the Peavey. You have to have a cab the amp likes to get the most of them. The Fender has a better clean channel.

I hardly ever use the high gain channel. I use the crunch channel mostly.

It would be interesting to compare that new head to a Peavey 5150 combo. The combos always sounded great and some people liked them better than the heads. The knob layout is the same.

[Nitro Express]

Better, from what I heard. That's the first time I've tried the Fender/EVH guitars too, and the neck is waaaay more like my (and his, one imagines...lol) old Charvels than the MusicMan or Peavey versions. The one I was handed, and one other I checked out played and sounded great, but unfortunately didn't check out the set neck one in my hands, gave it a close inspection hanging on the wall but then I got more interested in the amp...oopsie.

The MusicMan and Peavey necks are scanned copies of his 5150 Kramer neck. The only difference is the Peavey is a compound radius neck and that was the result of the guy building the prototype setting the neck plane wrong. Peavey makes some of their own wood working equipment in house and they have this machine that cuts the fingerboard radius and it has to be adjusted on both sides. One side was set for something like 15 and the other was set to 10. It was a fuck up but it made the guitar easier to play chords at the nut and bend up in the higher registers.

But a Wolfgang through Ed's amp on high gain is a lot of fun to fuck around with. Man that combination just screams!. It's what made me lay down the money and drive home with a new guitar, a new cab and amp one day. I had to have it.

[Hardrock69]

Hey, we gotta pick on somebody!
All barbs aside. There isn't a poster here who doesn't worship @ the temple of EVH. Usually every time the 6 pack is cranked...

Hey, I bitch as much as anyone here (if not more) about the lack of output, his intake of Loon, etc. and everything about Ed in general, but I do not know him personally, and I am sure he is a really cool person to his friends. He has his castle, his studio, his hot wife, his bank, his reputation...
How could I not be happy for his successes?

But, as a fan of CLASSIC FUCKING VAN HALEN, hey, I am on the same page as everyone.

WE WANT MORE.

In an age where wankers abound, where pretenders to the throne whimper about not being worthy to lick the feet of Ed or Uncle Dave, where bands around the world wish they could dream about thinking of pretending to possibly imitate some semblance of THE MIGHTY VAN HALEN, WE (the public who have witnessed the aforesaid Atomic Blast live in concert) WANT MORE OF THE REAL DEAL!

Ed being in the position he is in, he has to "not care" what everyone else says about his life. Above all else, he can do whatever the fuck he wants to.

But sure wish he would make up with bassplayer and get out with the Fearsome Foursome and show the current generation of rockers how they SUCK in comparison (or at least show them how it is done).

Well, we all rejoice in the fact that the hammer finally fell on the King of Fail.
Now I issue a challenge to all the lurkers who visit here. Register, Mofo's! Join the party!

AMEN!

[ELVIS]

I'd enjoy and support Ed's stuff much more if it didn't have the Edward Van Hibernate logo and stripes plastered all over it, or maybe if Ed himself wasn't such a dissapointment...

As crappy as Malmsteen's latest release is, he's still out there and giving his fans quite a bit of enjoyment...

[Hardrock69]

Damn near every major guitarist is out there touring. He is the major exception.

Oh and thanks Jay for all the photos and book reports and stuff.

[VanHalenFan5150]

ONE thing I forgot to mention ...can't find a pic in a quickie search, but perhaps the long-timers here remember us all drooling over a pic of some dude's WALL of exact EVH replica guitars...y'know, like ALL of them? Every single one Ed's ever been photographed with, practically?

He's the VanHalenGuitars.com guy I think. That may be who you're talking about.

[jhale667]

Was on a mission to get this first pic when I walked in the door...

For Coyote...the Laney exhibit...sorry it's a little blurry, bro...



The Orange amp display...


Clever marketing!


A very cool double-neck Jackson:

[jhale667]

He's the VanHalenGuitars.com guy I think. That may be who you're talking about.

One and the same. Scott's an awesome dude.

http://vanhalenguitars.com/

[jhale667]

Went to the Avid exhibit and checked out Pro Tools 9...realized not only do I need it, I need a control surface was well...

[indeedido]

That wall of CVH is nutz

[jhale667]

Here's the link to the Mr. Scary Guitars site...

http://mrscaryguitars.com/

And a better pic of one of the ones on display...

[jhale667]

One "I dunno"...and one "WTF do I need a keyboard player, again?"

Nothing really new from Dean, apart from the cool Marvel Art graphic models, but this caught my eye:



Wondering (and doubting) if it compares to the Krank Dime signature, which I didn't try personally but pretty sure that's what Steve Brown of Trixter was playing through when we passed by, and it sounded GREAT. Huge KONG chords, and a pretty liquid lead tone, from what I could hear. Steve's a way better player than people think (y'know, because he was in Trixter, but) - he rips. Met him at an FU after-party hotel-hang, very cool dude.


Here's something we saw while zooming through, and wish I'd had the presence of mind since we actually were standing there mesmerized for a second, at this weird but cool no-string-having guitar-like MIDI controller, to shoot a video as well as a still, I kinda want one of these, don't think I'd have any need for a keyboard controller in here! I mean, you're selecting the sound, and playing the chord you WANT TO HEAR the keyboard player playing anyway, right?



Lots of cool iPad apps for guitar tab and sheet music, control-surface type dealios, but not like I was taking pictures of that...:tongue0011:

More Drummer-Love:



I mean, if I had an actual studio...that'd be a cool kit to have on hand for when people came over...

[sadaist]

Hung out with Frankie Banali for a bit, been honored to call him a friend since '02 when I teched for QR. Did again a couple of times when at one point in '06, they realized they were stopping in my hometown, Frankie and Kevin Dubrow (RIP) decided it would be cool to take me along for the weekend. Needless to say I'd ask for the time off my (real) job and help him out again were they in a bind in a heartbeat, but he, Chuck, Rudy, Carlos, Sean and Alex are pretty much the only people I'd tech for these days.

So awesome dude. I think I speak for everyone here when I say "Fuck you! I'm Jealous!".

My friends in the late 80's - early 90's used to have a booth at NAMM. 3 brothers that had their own home-made guitar product. (something about oil for guitar necks I think). They would always take a couple friends. And those friends would roam around & meet famous dudes. Best story was my friend took a shit in the stall next to Jerry Garcia.

Not sure how long you have been going, but their last names were Haisha. Joe, Ed & Dan Haisha. Dang, I wish I could remember the name of their product. I jammed at their house a few times when we were all in high school. I think they stopped selling the product by the late 90's.

And most famous rock star I've ever met was Dave Mustaine once, and I had a beer with Mick Brown of Dokken once before a show. Like I said, I'm jealous of you right now. Would have loved to meet the Quiet Riot guys.



Thanks for all the updates & awesome pics though. Looks like a fucking great time.

[sadaist]

That wall of CVH is nutz

Dude even has a cordless EVH drill up there. Talk about thorough...sheesh.