GuitarDistortedRiff
Eruption Riff Guitar Tone Settings — Van Halen
Van Halen · 1970s · rock
studio
Original Recording
Guitar
Frankenstrat (homemade Strat-style, maple neck, single humbucker, Floyd Rose prototype, 1978 configuration)
Pickups
Seymour Duncan Custom Shop 'PAF-style' humbucker (rewound by EVH, wax-potted, bridge position, c. 1978)
Amp
Marshall Super Lead 1959 100-watt (plexi, late '60s, variac set to ~90V, EL34s, no master volume)
Pickup Position
Bridge pickup
Studio recording, 1977-1978, Van Halen debut album. Guitar into Marshall plexi, no pedals in front. Effects (delay, reverb) added post in studio. No evidence of live rig or later EVH amps on this recording.
Amp Settings
Mids7
Bass5.5
Gain8
Reverb0.5
Treble7
Presence6
Effects Chain
- MXR Phase 90 · phaser
Frankenstrat (bridge humbucker, volume and tone on 10) → MXR Phase 90 → Marshall Super Lead 1959 (variac at ~90V) → 4x12 cabinet (Celestion G12M speakers)
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Tone Character
- saturated British crunch
- explosive pick attack
- singing sustain
- tight palm-muted chugs
- harmonic overtones
- aggressive bridge pickup bite
- percussive attack
- classic 'brown sound'
- dynamic response to picking
- raw, uncompressed drive