Eruption Solo

steadystate said:
As a general rule, I am reluctant to respond to my own threads regarding the Wish List and Recordings sections. My previous posts on the subject should demonstrate that. Too many people IMO respond to every praise/criticism, both here and on TGP, in an effort to keep their posts at the top. I do appreciate the compliments, and even your doubts.

I do not currently own a video camera. If and when I get one, and find the time, I will make video as well. I have nothing to prove, and will even go so far as to say duplicating another's work is essentially meaningless (except here in Las Vegas where being one of the better cover musicians can make you a lot of money). My ambition is to be a great creator, not a great copier. Unfortunately, my success in that department leaves much to be desired. I do what I do because I enjoy it. I like duplicating signature tones and recorded works. So I do.

P.S. After listening to people like Muris, and a few others on this board, I would never presume that my playing was that impressive in the first place.
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LOL, I was thinking you were Pete Thorn until you typed that.
 
amazing. i love that bit of hiss with the swooshy phase on it in the break in the middle too. really nice!

i forgot i wasn't listening to the real thing for a moment...just reveling in nostaligia!

hats off to you sir!
 
Totally Awesome!

I've read/heard somewhere that the end of the original recording is not a dive bomb or anything, but actually slowing down the tape (or speeding it up at recording, which would yield lowering tone). There seems to be no way to faithfully recreate it.
Wasn't it at the end of Pete Thorn's excellent tutorials on Eruption?

I practiced for several evenings until I grew tired of it. Never even got in the neighborhood.
 
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IIRC the urban mythos is the octave drop at the end is done by changing the delay time on an echoplex, i.e. moving the repro head with the slider.

But the other dives are Floyd Rose.

- Richard
 
My understanding was that EVH used a Univox AC-80 tape echo for the effect. IIRC, the speed knob adjusts the speed of the motor, as opposed to a sliding head like an Echoplex.

I can get a better approximation with my Memory Man (or other such delay) placed before the Axe, but I wanted to use the Axe exclusively. Try as I might (filter blocks, drives, compressors, etc.) in the feedback loop, etc.), the character of the Axe echoes just isn't the same. The delays also degrade (in a bad way) during the process of modulation unless damping is set very high.

I also wanted to get closer to the sound of a script Phase 90. It's close as adjusted in the Ultra, but phase shifters are unique from model to model, much more so than flangers. Most people I know believe Alex Lifeson used a flanger in The Spirit of Radio. I am convinced it is a particular phase shifter.
 
Cool on the Univox info!

And now that you said that, I can get a zipper effect on my MemoryMan with the delay time knob. My MemoryMan has some hiss in the background now, not sure what's wrong with the old gal. Was my only effect in front of a black face Fender champ for years.

I'm with you on the phaser vs. flanger too.

- Richard
 
This whole thread is just additional testimony to the massive impact that EVH had on guitarists and guitar-playing in general. I mean, "Eruption" was recorded in 1977, released on vinyl in 1978, and it is still being dissected and discussed today - almost thirty-five years later.
 
Dutch said:
Wasn't it at the end of Pete Thorn's excellent tutorials on Eruption?
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I do remember seeing that. Great tutorial!

Back in "the day" I had (and still DO have!) an ADA 1024 digital delay that had a Rate knob. Turning the knob would change the delay time, but it would also change the pitch. I didn't have a guitar with a bar on it in the 80's so I used to reach over and turn the knob to get divebomb effects.
 
Rich G. said:
I do remember seeing that. Great tutorial!

Back in "the day" I had (and still DO have!) an ADA 1024 digital delay that had a Rate knob. Turning the knob would change the delay time, but it would also change the pitch. I didn't have a guitar with a bar on it in the 80's so I used to reach over and turn the knob to get divebomb effects.
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My first delay pedal was an Ibanez DDL10. I still have it. Actually, I have 2 now because I keep buying them when I see them. It's great for dive bombs, machine guns, general purpose spaceship noises. I was able to nail that thing that Ynwgie does at the end of his solo. I could never do the solo, and I could never do Eruption either, but I could always do the dive bomb at the end. I would end shows with a dive bomb and just let the pedal slowly fade out as I walked off the stage. It was easier than actually learning Eruption. :)

BTW - even though you can't hear it, I'm still applauding this rendition of Eruption. (clap, clap, clap)
 
banjoze said:
Regarding the dive bomb at the end, this seems to work and is simple: YouTube - ‪How To Play Like Van Halen Lesson‬‏

Start listening at 3:35.
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As I stated earlier, I have other delays I could use before the Axe-FX that sounded fine, but I wanted to use the Axe exclusively. I encountered a couple of problems.

1. The modifier start and end points for the delay time can't be adjusted in fine enough increments. This prevented me from being able to link an external pedal and set the start and end points needed to drop the pitch by an octave. I consequently had to use a pitch shift block in series, and set it to compensate by shifting the pitch as the delay increased such that the ending pitch was an octave below the starting pitch.

2. While I put the delay block in front of the amp block, the delay still affected the timbre of the note differently than a cheapo delay unit placed in front of the Axe. I tried various methods (filters, tape distortion block, compressors, etc.) in the loop, but I could never get that tone. I'm not saying the Ultra can't do it, I'm saying that I couldn't do it.

3. I didn't get the 'pulsation' that the original recording has as the delay repeats. This is probably a result of the amplitude of my signal being too constant as the delay is engaged, but I didn't feel like retaking the thing over and over just to get the 'pulse'.

4. The phase shifter, for some reason, is not as evident during the delay's dive/decay as it is on the record. Not sure why this is either.

I could work further on developing a better delay dive, but I think my time might be better spent on something else at this point. I'm really looking forward to trying the delays in the Axe II. I'd really like a delay that could be modulated more quickly and over a wider range without tearing itself apart (i.e. with very little damping required).
 
steadystate said:
I could work further on developing a better delay dive, but I think my time might be better spent on something else at this point.
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Can't argue with that!

Awesome work anyway!


BTW, if you enjoy recreating that stuff, then that there is the value in it, even if it's not your own creation. You enjoy, it, then it has value.
 
Doubleneck said:
I bet you can't play this!

YouTube - ‪Eddie Van Halen Shreds‬‏
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OMG...That was funny. Although this one YouTube - ‪Jake E. Lee Shreds‬‏ has to be the funniest one to date!!!!

Steadystate- You are extremely talented and have a great ear for tone and feel. I've PM'd you B4 with no response, but no big deal.. I was blown away at the Heartbreaker solo and now this. AWESOME!!!! Are you in Yellow Brick Road? Since you mentioned cover musicians--they are the premier cover band here in town. Keep it up!!!
 
Yes, I am in YBR. Thank you for the kind words, and sorry about the PM. I'll reply to it asap.

Both those clips are awesome.
 
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