Skip to content
Anyone Got The Van ...
 
Notifications
Clear all

Anyone Got The Van Halen (Brown Sound) Down ... Tips Inside.

11 Posts
10 Users
0 Likes
2,558 Views
(@jetsolo)
Estimable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 87
Topic starter  

I found this site. It shows Van Halens equiptment and most importantly - the setting for his equiptment (flangers, phaser..etc).

And here is a video of the suposedly "Van Halen Sound" a classical piece - Canon in D.


   
Quote
(@steve-0)
Noble Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 1162
 

Do you need all those effects? because I can't see EVH using ALL of those effects back in the 80's, but definitely the delay and phase. Pretty interesting video though :lol:

Steve-0


   
ReplyQuote
(@rollnrock89)
Reputable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 342
 

Thats not really the brown sound, thats his new sound. The brown sound is from his early van halen days, when he was using a Marshall superlead 100 watt. Thats usually considered his best tone.

Thats a pretty cool video. Really cool song.

The first time I heard a Beatles song was "Let It Be." Some little kid was singing along with it: "Let it pee, let it pee" and pretending he was taking a leak. Hey, that's what happened, OK?-some guy


   
ReplyQuote
(@undercat)
Prominent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 959
 

I don't think this is meant to show EVH's equipment, I think it's the website author's gear. EVH certainly does not use a POD and a Zoom in his signal chain.

Edit: Actually it's even less so, as I examine I realize it's just how to set your equipment (if you own it) to simulate Eddie's sound, nothing to do with what EVH actually uses or used.

Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life...


   
ReplyQuote
(@rollnrock89)
Reputable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 342
 

Oh, okay, that would make sense.

The first time I heard a Beatles song was "Let It Be." Some little kid was singing along with it: "Let it pee, let it pee" and pretending he was taking a leak. Hey, that's what happened, OK?-some guy


   
ReplyQuote
(@wes-inman)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5582
 

:idea:

If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis


   
ReplyQuote
(@blackzerogsh)
Prominent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 759
 

If you want a website of EVH's original brown sound, you can find it here. It's a very interesting read.

http://www.legendarytones.com/brown_sound.htm


   
ReplyQuote
(@milesstyle)
New Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 1
 

You also might want to check out this site. Click on VAN Extras and then on Brown sound. He also has some interesting lessons but I think the lesson section is down until after the new year.

This post was modified 2 years ago by Guitar Noise

   
ReplyQuote
(@ignar-hillstrom)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 5349
 

Unless I'm mistaken I believe a core part of his sound was using two pitchshifters, one slightly shifting it up (2-3%) and the other slightly down. This effectively creates a kind of static chorus sound which makes the lead sound MUCH thicker without really sounding like an effect.


   
ReplyQuote
(@misanthrope)
Noble Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 2261
 

It's also done with vocals in the studio to thicken them up
It's also done in piano tuning. For each note, commonly there are three strings. The middle one might be right on the (equal tempered) pitch, but the ones above and below it will be tuned sharp and flat. There are different systems with different intervals, with 2-4 cent spreads between strings being common. Makes it sound much stronger and fuller than if the strings were tuned in unison.

ChordsAndScales.co.uk - Guitar Chord/Scale Finder/Viewer


   
ReplyQuote
(@rsoxfan1123)
Active Member
Joined: 18 years ago
Posts: 16
 

Use a marshall or a modeling amp to create a marshall tone; even the small marshalls now have the capability to get a tube tone that used to only show up at high volumes. mix in delay until it sounds a little "swirly" and you'll be really close.


   
ReplyQuote