The Brown Sound?

[N'Halen]

I have a question and this may be stupid... I know the brown sound is given to Eddies guitar sound. Did he call it that or was it given to him by the press or someone else. It is also my opinion (and according to this fourum I am entitled to it!!) I think that since he developed his own guitar line that his sound is much more mellow than the older albums and I miss that old Kramer guitar sound and harsh licks!

------------------
You can try me at home if it feels alright, hear about it later

[Brett]

No it was the term Al used to describe the sound he liked to get from his snare, and Ed adapted it to his guitar tone as well.

Also as far as I know, the Kramer was VERY rarely used on record, it was mostly a live guitar. I am almost 100% sure his Kramer was never used on any of the Dave era records, and I think only some parts of "OU812" were recorded on it. Ed has said in interviews that even when he started playing the striped Kramer on the '84 tour, he still was using his old Frankenstrat on the records. Then the Music Man and the Wolfie came along.

------------------
Webmaster
VHLinks.com - Your Van Halen Internet Resource Guide
http://www.vhlinks.com

[N'Halen]

Thanks Brett, I think I read in an interview that Eddie did not even like to have his sound called the brown Sound. Any truth to this and also, why would the Kramer only be used for a tour and not the albums? And why not play the Frankenstrat on the tours as well? Do you think the sound was different from the new guitars?

------------------
You can try me at home if it feels alright, hear about it later

[kpl]

The Franeknstrat was "retired" due to all the wear and tear after years on the road if I remember correctly. Ed actually used other axes in the studio to record, such as a Gibson Flying V on "Hot For Teacher" and Ibanez Destroyer for songs on VH!.

[Brett]

Well the Frankenstrat was used on all the tours up until 1984 when Ed got a deal with Kramer to play their guitars live. He did use Kramer necks for a while before then though. Ed always said the tone on his Frankie was just warmer and sweeter than what he could get with his Kramers, so that's why the Kramers weren't on the albums. I tend to think his sound was far sweeter in the early days, but I think his tastes in his tone have just changed over time and with recording technology.

Never read that he didn't like to use the term "Brown Sound," just that it was really Al's term for his snare sound.

------------------
Webmaster
VHLinks.com - Your Van Halen Internet Resource Guide
http://www.vhlinks.com

[Brett]

Yes definitely Ed has used other guitars on the albums, but the majority were recorded on the Frankie, and the Kramers were very rarely if ever used.

------------------
Webmaster
VHLinks.com - Your Van Halen Internet Resource Guide
http://www.vhlinks.com

[1984]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Brett:


Never read that he didn't like to use the term "Brown Sound," just that it was really Al's term for his snare sound.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

it a later edition of guitar world, i think, he also comments on regretting using lsd term also.

[dropdeadlegs]

Ed's experimentation with different guitars may attribute for a change in sound. For example, his use of the Steinberger Trans-Trem became a signature sound for the 5150 record.

------------------
I'm the one who makes the tiger go 'way for ya, and I'm the one who brings 'im back out when ya least expect it!
David Lee Roth, NBC's Friday Night Videos, 1985

[Rick S]

the fact that he still had the old fender vibrato as opposed to the floyd on his frankie and that his marshall wasnt as burned up and abused on his earlier albums attributes to that really crunchy but sweet tone too......as the years went on his marshalls seemed to have lees and less balls IMO...just compare his diver down tone to the 78 tour sound......again just my opinion.

------------------
eddie vanhalen , there is no substitute. member of the G4 and proud member of the moron thread!

[peavey5150]

good lord i hate that steinberger sound on 5150...infact, i hate the entire sound of 5150, you know...the steinberger, electric drum kit...i believe that was the end of the van halen i had grown up with..it was almost like a different band altogether. those songs played on the usual gear would have been closer to the vh i knew...cool songs. i think it was also the time ed lost interest in the guitar and therefore, changed his playing a tone forever...having said that, he is still one of the finest around.

[VanEdge]

5150 sounds great in a car or blasting from a stereo, but i'm not too thrilled with the sound in a pair of headphones...

the guitar sound in general is pretty creamy, and a necessary step in the evolution of EVH, and worthy of his stamp.

the kramer 5150 was definitely used to record judgement day, as the EBMM prototypes were not yet ready. i believe he used it here and there on OU812 as well.

eddie used a ton of different guitars to record. all the non-trem parts on VH1 were done with a korina wood gibson explorer. he also used a flying V on Hot For Teacher, various EBMM prototypes on FUCK, the frankenstrat, the steinberger, and various incarnations of the wolfgang. he also used a strat on Cathedral and Best Of Both Worlds.

i think the official site needs a whole portion dedicated to this type of thing.

brett, you should start it here - that way, we can be sure to see it on the official site in the future.

------------------
-VanEdge
1992 EBMM EVH
1999 Peavey Wolfgang

"Eddie Van Halen could fart into a microphone and make better music than anyone else." - VanEdge
"See, all I do is make music..." - EVH
"Look at all the people here tonight!" - DLR

[BrownSound1]

Damn, and all this time I thought this thread was a dedication to me!

I think the guitar tone on 5150 is too clangy...it's definitely not the "brown sound."

------------------
DLR Army webmaster

http://www.dlrarmy.com

[Rick S]

actually im pretty sure it was his Ibanez korina destroyer( explorer) he used on vh1...during the recording it was white he wanted wayne charvel to paint it black ,he would have to wait a few months didnt want to so he cut it up and repainted into the "shark" right before the vh1 tour...

------------------
eddie vanhalen , there is no substitute. member of the G4 and proud member of the moron thread!

[This message has been edited by Rick S (edited October 24, 2000 at 01:58 PM).]

[This message has been edited by Rick S (edited October 24, 2000 at 01:59 PM).]

[Runnin' with yo mama]

In the same guitar world, Ed said that, along with the Brown Sound actually coming from Alex's "meaty" snare sound, his guitar tone was actually pretty bright. More like re-fuckin' hot.

------------------
"You know, there are more people here tonight... than the entire weekend last year, baby." -DLR
"He's the snake to my mongoose... or the mongoose to my snake... either way its bad." -Dr. Evil

[This message has been edited by Runnin' with yo mama (edited October 25, 2000 at 09:08 AM).]

[noodeling]

The topic "brown sound" is one of the most
discussed for sound inspired guitar players ( as i am ).
So first of all the never reached again monster so called brown guitar sound on VH1 has 3 different components:

1. The guitar
2. The amp
3. The stomp boxes
4. Don _Landee ( for the recording sound )

1. The guitar

This is discussed in various ways - homespun instrument, self made, pick up modification etc. no need to say more.

2. The amp

This one is the most underrated !!!
The old marshall amp was cranked up by an
italien spelled guy ( who remember the name ? )in the way of changing standard tupes, hod rodding the pre gain station etc.
This was one of the major reasons for the huge sound.

3. Stomp boxes

Edward has put them IN FRONT OF THE AMP not in the fx-looop because the old marshalls haven´t got any. Putting stomp boxes ( mxr type flanging etc. ) alters the sound much more than any process taking place in the fx-loop. That means in between pre- and master gain !!!

4. Don Landee

This man has made an incrediply good job in miking edwards amp in the studio.
Listen back to the cd ( better lp !!!)
Left side : PURE GUITAR SOUND !!!
Right side : PURE FX sound ( reverb ( YES !) and delay ( if you compare it to the left channel )
Result: A huge big direct sound that edward never liked ( as he pointed out in many interviews) [ He doesn´t like reverb at all, He thinks that the sound isn´t car - stereo compatible becas if one speaker is blown out it will sound shit etc.
But fact is:

ONLY ON VH1 WE GET THE ORGINAL BROWN SOUND !