STEVE VAI'S JOSE MODDED MARSHALL! AMPS IN THE ZONE #3

Amps in the zone... killer amps, dialed in for killer tone. This episode features Steve Vai's awesome original DLR-era Jose Arredondo-modded Marshall Super Lead! Interviews with Steve and Dave Friedman and LOTS of tones!
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[@gordontubbs]

This is not your average KZbin video... it's a ROCKUMENTARY.

[@metalinl-a1128]

I agree. Because you have Friedman in an exclusive inside JOSES MODS section . You got PETE DIALING THE AMP IN. Then Vais history of he amps and tones and techs.110%

[@willieboy8798]

if people would make videos like this more often it would be average!!!!

[@Malama_Ki]

Underrated comment

[@maxlacrossehighlights6299]

I knew Jose fairly well. Before he opened that store he worked out of the back of a guitar store I took lessons & eventually taught out. It was on Lassen & Mason called BJ’s. It was owned by an ex-cop & the main teacher was Dave Bunch (who took lessons from Ted Greene - another story) lots of stuff came out of that store & Jose was the sweetest guy. Did some work for me & I regret selling that amp. I’m 60 now & grew up in the valley. It’s was the greatest time to be a kid & into music, as many of us were.

[@frankfuentes5659]

Thanks for sharing that.

[@RC-gg1ib]

Fuck yeah

[@jcalzada74]

Dude that's dope story🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@vladimirerfan7721]

Good times. :)

[@LucaMilierimusic]

This video is an instant classic

[@themotocrossmodchannelWulfMX]

amazing stuff man, what knowledge of ALL of them! Pete is so gifted.

[@abrackas1]

I would love to see a video with Steve’s Bogner 100B! The tones on the first G3 were his best IMO. Great idea and would love a continued series where you could profile signature amps/gear. Especially amps because nobody does this. Hetfield’s Crunch Berries!!! Also if you can find out what head Steve Stevens used for the 2005 Rock Am Ring show (perfect tone IMO and excellent show).

[@Auen73]

abrackas1 Dude Yes!👍......I’m very interested in the Vai/Bogner era......hard to get any details about it. This would make an AMAZING series!

[@dongeer471]

abrackas1n

[@thvamvakoudes]

Spot on

[@BenEller]

This video is SOLID GOLD. Thank you, Pete!

[@dx10ocv]

I'd say Audible Gold, but I don't want to get any trademark issue.

[@janmarcel6088]

@@dx10ocv De

[@janmarcel6088]

@@dx10ocv Ik ga er van elk geval

[@janmarcel6088]

@@dx10ocv De rest heb een vraag 🙋‍♂️ van je 😘 🍀 ♥ van je 😘

[@janmarcel6088]

@@dx10ocv Het gaat

[@rockingstar3534]

I love Steve Vai. Pete asked him 1 question on how he came in contact with this amp and Steve gave us 1 whole chapter of his life history. 👍🤘.

[@Rockamps78]

I asked Steve Vai a question at a meet and greet event in San Francisco. I asked him if it felt surreal to have to pretend he couldn’t play the guitar parts in the Crossroads film. He replied, “yes, it did !! “ And that is all the response I was expecting. He then went on to discuss the background of making those scenes for about twenty minutes and revealed a lot of interesting details about the filming.

[@shable1436]

​@@Rockamps78I wish I could have heard his stories, I've talked to Arlen Roth about the movie, and he claims he played all over that movie with no credits being made, the only credit being Ralph macchios guitar coach, and I told him i could tell it was him in some parts, not cooder doing everything. He said he screwed up by not going to the editing room all the time, because he came in one day, and they had sliced pieces of music together everywhere, and that's what made them leave out his parts credited. He has the original cutting heads version on his SoundCloud, it's him and ry cooder. I think getting Steve Via to play Burtons bag was last min, and the original script was different, this is according to Arlen, and there's some online facts about that as well.

[@chrispeterson73]

Thanx so much Pete, for your time, effort, attention to the finest details, easy going personality, and extraordinary playing. It was really cool to hear all of the stories from Dave Friedman and Steve Vai regarding these now legendary iconic amplifiers. Again, thank you for spending the time to produce yet another super video! Best of luck to you in all future endeavors. Rock on!! 👍🎶👂🤤 (sonic bliss)

[@hotblackdesiato3451]

I love Vai's playing during his DLR era. It was so inventive that I never get tired listening to it.

[@Chad-fh3su]

Hotblack Desiato yes probaly Steve at his best,those songs was so Hard to learn as a 16 year old that was trying to stay strictly following music theory...........lol

[@hotblackdesiato3451]

@@Chad-fh3su I know what you mean. I listened to Flex-Able every day for weeks and tried to learn modes but none of it sank in. As EVH says, there are only 12 notes so how hard can it be?!

[@romainbertrand253]

I think Steve Vai is getting less creative in the recent years. He's perhaps missing a musical partner that will help him to push his music out of the box again ! (don't beat me, Steve Vai is still incredible, we all know that)

[@RoboRocker69]

Vai was like a God to me in 1986!

[@MFKR696]

@@romainbertrand253 It's not that he's gotten less "creative". He's just found his groove. There's little point in experimenting when you've been doing this as long as he has and have already found what you're looking for. Experimenting beyond that point is how you end up with things like Tritium-boosted Hydrogen Bombs (they use a "normal" nuclear warhead just to detonate the main "charge".) lol Because there's no kill quite like over-kill. Kinda an extreme example, I know, but it applies.

[@ShawnWrona]

Rewatching this after the release of the Friedman Arredondo… LONG LIVE JOSÉ!

[@auddoc99]

Interesting stuff. After servicing and modifying 1000's of tube amps over the years, having owned and ran The Audio Doctor in Vancouver,, for about 20 years 80's-2000, I have learned a few things. The output transformer can radically alter the frequency response and dynamic response. I serviced Jimmy Pages Marshalls and studio processing gear when he was in Vancouver recording, back in the 90's. One of "those" famous 50W Marshalls needed a new output transformer. The Canadian distributor was out of stock. I put in a Partdrige O/P transformer (50W Hiwatt), all I had in stock at the time, which worked fine but it sounded like a Hiwatt, you know, kinda bright and sassy, to my ears. I was a bit worried, but Page loved it. Side note: The output amplifier section of a Dumble Steel String Singer was identical to an Ampeg V-4 ( 7027 output tubes). And I agree, the higher the plate voltage, the more spank, a Marshall has. Let's have more of these discussions, please.

[@puddynuts]

Thank you for your story and information sir! Very cool. You must have seen a lot.

[@bojangles6444]

I think every old electronics expert needs to write a book. You guys have a wealth of information that is going to be lost to the ages someday bc you worked on gear and technology that’s no longer manufactured. Wether it be crt tv’s, old amplifiers, analog recording etc. Old electronics seems to have a ton of similarities and nothing is a company secret still at this point, there is so much to learn I wish I had more time in my day.

[@bobbarcus8310]

The trouble is finding tubes that can handle that high-voltage

[@curtisc9350]

Audio Doc are You still around in the Fraser Valley, and doing any work on the Side . It's been so long, but, was your Shop on McBride in New West ? As has already been commented, You repair geniuses are slowly fading away . 🥺

[@jamminshaman5935]

You should have your own KZbin channel talking about this stuff!

[@FloridaManMatty]

I love how completely normal Steve Vai is. Growing up watching him on MTV with the triple neck heart guitars and the cover of Pasison and Warfare, it’s so nice to see him behind the scenes just being a regular, kinda nerdy fella. And I have never seen the man EVER seem like he wasn’t 1000% into whatever the interviewer wanted to talk about. He’s such a generous, sweet guy. Hard to believe that he’s the same guy who plays on all of those wonderful, beautiful, gnarly ass shred records.

[@stricknine8623]

His tone today is whackadoo

[@jettjaguar8150]

i used to go to his shop .... he fixed and modded one of my amps ; sometimes do a little drinking with him...... he told me and my friend when we were at the shop that when he worked for Ampeg he was the "Amp Guy " on the Rolling Stones '69 American tour and you can see his bald head behind the Ampegs in the Stones movie Gimmie Shelter in the Madison Square Garden footage before the Altamont gig

[@DetVen]

That's interesting to know. I love my Ampeg guitar amp, wish they still made them.

[@moxiemusic3739]

@@DetVen you wish

[@mosthighguitarguy]

Awesome 👏 to know that Jose was immortalized a bit there as well he shud b :)

[@crsantin]

This is a terrific documentary of a great amp. What a sound. It's hard to believe Steve moved on from this. It sounds about perfect. Guitar players are never happy LOL.

[@johnmarshall3903]

Yeah, I dont understand that at all.

[@InstantCustardisawesome]

You have to factor in the Green Meanie Charvel too as that no doubt contributed to the overall sound. When Steve got the Ibanez guitars by the time Skyscraper came out I imagine the amps had to change too. To me it was a case of, as he evolved as a player so does his gear.

[@humanactivated1017]

You just don't know Carvin amps . Vai got his own signature amp deal with Carvin which is why he moved on.

[@humanactivated1017]

​@@InstantCustardisawesomenah nah nah nah , I had Ibanez jem 777 number 713 . The first 777 made were personally signed by Steve .( Mine had 2 SIG's on it ) the Ibanez deal came out during eat em and smile revealed in summer 1987 at the NAMM show . I got mine before they were available ( can't divulge the reasons here ) in late summer early fall . Skyscraper or shit scraper wasn't released till 1988.

[@williamdistasio9358]

​@humanactivated1017 😂 ouch, dude! Wasn't EEAS, but SS wasn't THAT bad, was it? Hot dog and a shake has a pretty gnarly solo if I recall...Hena... if I'm remembering the names spelling correctly... that wasn't too too awful..... I DO remember thinking how could they EVER follow EEAS? Every song on it is a fucking rocket ride! It's just too good. 😂 But... The album after Steve left, Poor Jason..... love him, but, that wasn't a good album imho.

[@haymez]

As much as COVID sucks, the access that we have gained to all the legendary guitarists has been such a silver lining. Steve Vai, Andy Timmons, etc. have been opening the flood-gates with performances, teaching, rock history, and in-depth gear videos that I don't think would have ever been made, if it weren't for shelter-at-home. Thanks for bringing this to us Pete!

[@eisenkeith]

That's very true, for example this guy Devin Townsend has been unbelievably productive.. he's made songs that I never would have heard, basically because of this pandemic.. and this Pete Thorn episode is particularly awesome.. lots of good to be found I agree.. thank goodness we have the fortune of living through this during the age of the internet/KZbin and decent medical care

[@garrettt.3845]

Whats also interesting is, is how generation-spanning this access has become. Vai released P&W in 1990, when I was 5. My brother was a big fan, so I grew up with this music up until 2000, loved it and started learning guitar myself. Same with Satriani and Petrucci. Nobody (it felt like) knew them. Fans of an instrumental guitarist who makes crazy songs were very very rare during that time. You couldnt even just buy a CD from him here in germany, you had to order it and ship it in from the UK. If you´d have told me that 20 years later in June 2020 I would watch Vai on his Channel, playing a new song to his 60th birthday, also inventing and sharing a new playing technique with it and I´d be able to congratulate him via a live chat?...I wouldn´t have believed it! I´m 35 now, I can find tutorials instead of hearing the notes out of the record, I can share thoughts on this music with like-minded people online, I can see how many fans there are actually. Then, despite all the drawbacks of the Corona virus, it creates a situation where many Artists from all around the world start to go even deeper and produce more tutorials, tips, tricks an techniques....unbelievable.

[@haroldsmith7044]

I find it oddly comforting to hear Steve Vai admit that he never knew that much about amps or how they work. I need to add Steve Vai's name to the list of people I'd most like to sit and have a beer with. Thanks so much for posting this - I really enjoyed it!

[@adamfstewart81]

Is this the first time seeing Dave Friedman actually playing a guitar on KZbin?!

[@tfunk1829]

reminds me a lot of James Hetfield's Kill Em' All tone

[@Stefan-Van-der-Pulst]

I was actually thinking the same, never saw him playing guitar...

[@rangerdoc1029]

There's a clip of him noodling in his shop while working on amp. Just a few chugs, but it blew my mind.

[@way2sh0rt07grad]

Is it me or does he sound a lot like the Guitologist guy

[@adamfstewart81]

@@way2sh0rt07grad I hear more southerner in Brad the Guitologist. I think Dave is originally from Detroit?

[@robertleblanc7612]

VAI is like always so honest and vulnerable in his interviews.

[@scoutrifle6827]

Pete's playing is so melodic and beautiful, you sort of forget he can shred his ass off. But yep, he can. Great video!

[@PeteThorn]

Hey thanks!

[@tonelok]

I have '79 50 watt JMP that Jose modded including beefing up the transformer, and then Dave modded with a push-pull Jake E. Lee mod and a few other goodies. So damn good. Really fun to see some of the logic behind some of the magic.

[@michaeleaster1815]

This will indeed be a reference video for decades to come. You've documented some important music/tech history here, Pete! Fabulous job.

[@duncansbuddy]

Take note on how absorbed Pete is in focusing on capturing what Friedman and Vai say.. Amps in the zone..., perfect. Pete LOVES this stuff. Smart man, being respectful yet knowing experiences and knowledge gained only adds to and enhances his own quest to become the best that he can be.

[@scottmiller6491]

Dave cleared up a big mystery for me....why a plexi's tone stack does virtually nothing, but Daves exact same tone stack works perfectly as it should.

[@sebbe4914]

Steve vai seems like such a nice guy, he always takes time to talk to his fans

[@iplaypearldrums7935]

My friend got to meet him when DLR was in Lakeland ,practicing for a tour. Nice of SV to talk shop.

[@ricardorodriguez5549]

He has volunteered for years for non-profits dedicated to building community through music. You can hear his heart in his playing, imho. He’s a genuine class act...just like Pete.

[@BigHairyGuitars]

21:33 OH! I always thought that picture looked weird because the heads are so mashed together. Great video Pete!

[@joerobinson2538]

Michael Nielsen I wonder if this idea came from someone in DLR’s camp who had worked with EVH? There are pictures of Eddie with racks of Marshall heads (Diver Down/1984 era) that look exactly like this. All of Steve’s cabs also look to be the same style as Eddie used during this era. The rabbit hole runs deep🤣

[@williamstevensimpson2214]

i saw steve solo with Devin Townsend it was one of the LOUDEST shows i have ever withstood !!!!!!!

[@slashaholicanonymous]

Pete this video was really stellar. All the history and technical expertise from Dave, Steve’s input, the playing, the tones...just terrific. Thanks for going through the effort of making the vid happen

[@PeteThorn]

Thanks!

[@louiscyfer6944]

​@@PeteThorn i played that marshall, his green charvel and evo2 and flo. sounded a lot better than his whole rack with the legacy. the green charvel is also a much better guitar than either evo or flo.

[@alejandrolagos1594]

I called Jose Arredondo in 1984, and wanted him to mod my JCM800, and we had a long conversation about Marshalls not having enough gain, and he said he added more gain in his mods but he was not doing them anymore , since he was getting paid by Steve And Eddie not to. I could not believe he was telling me this, but it made sense, not having the competition get a hold of the sound everybody wanted.

[@xprophet9]

Wow! The guitar godz were that insecure? Frankly, I’m not surprised. Now anyone with a Fractal Axe Fx 3 can have the tones sans hiss and noise. Who cares?! Certainly children who purchase or stream music could care less. I played professionally in those daze and would have killed for the modifications. The guitar is now more or less dead in the water as waves of manufactured synth tones drown any hopes of resurrection. Perhaps it will return one day but it ain’t today..,

[@Pronetos]

Hmm. I went to Jose's house in 1987 and his shop was full of amps owned by Sykes, Mars, etc. He modded a JCM 800 for a buddy of mine. Vai's first record came out in 1984 so he had no money to "pay" Jose not to mod other people's amps. Jose also built the first ever 5150 amp that he built for EVH and Hagar to play through when Sammy joined VH, and that was there in the shop as well.

[@Robstafarian]

@@xprophet9 You talk about "manufactured synth tones" as though they are bad, yet you favor amp modeling over interacting directly with a tube operating at high voltage?

[@gofastS5]

Then ya just get a 2c+ 😂

[@acegibson9533]

Why would Eddie pay Jose? Eddie's Marshall was 100% stock. No mods at all. Reference the interview with Mike Soldano.

[@ThisOldMan44]

Steve Vai - "And you're gonna do a video on those? I can't wait to see it then." I can't wait for Steve to see Pete's playing in this video as well, and hear how great he sounds. If Dave Weiner is unavailable for Steve's next tour, I'm sure Pete would be a great addition. He'd actually be one of the main reasons I would go see it.

[@planetsab]

so, I was gonna say "ain't gonna happen", Dave is on payroll, is happy with the job, it's his to give up. But then my mind wondered, Dave's got a new band he's launching, 2nd interview between Pete and Steve, plus he's supersmart to put this kind of thing out there proving once more he can play anything and know how to achieve the sound he needs... and then I thought I'm just a dick, speculating on the internet. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Well, this is great video, that's for sure...

[@mannysmiclocker]

Thanks dor sharing! Yes I was there many times @ Jose’s house in Van Nuys rear garage. He always let my friends and I play Eddie’s guitars or hear some EP3 tapes and univox tape echos play back w Eddie ripping via sound on sound. Sadly I had dropped off a head to get modded and Nose passed RIP. His family never returned my call or ever answered door when I tried to retrieve my hose head. I’m a local Los Angeles producer and a well known friend of mine saw the head because by band name was on rear ( sticker) he didn’t share who had it but breaks my heart that was my head dropped off 90s. I know if he was Alive I’d be rocking it still ;) long live Arco.

[@mannysmiclocker]

Jose not Nose lol

[@TheSterlingSound]

This is why we have KZbin! Great niche content for fans

[@AlanScottBand]

This is great- The tone on "Big Trouble" is one of my faves- the high notes stay fat but the low notes on the solo are somehow slightly hollow ... just killer tone. You know everybody was waiting to hear if Steve could make us not wish he was Eddie... and Steve Vai was just being himself... and it sounded fantastic.

[@filter101072]

Big Trouble is to me, Steve's best work...that and Yankee Rose....ok maybe "Jack Butler's head-cutting" juuusst sneaks in before Yankee Rose ;)

[@bddgfx]

Dave Friedman and Pete Thorn - two of my favorite guitar/gear/tone minds ever. Steve's cool too... ;)

[@HBHiles]

Pete is such a great guitarist and just gets better every time I hear him. This video takes me back to my first Marshall, a 100-watt JMP super lead full-stack that I bought in 1979. Best amp I ever had! Still regret having to sell it. Thanks for this video, Pete.

[@PeteThorn]

Thanks Harry, cool amp story!

[@Jaidezilla]

We've all been waiting 30 years for this video. I never knew those were the amp Steve I was running on all that stuff in the 80s. I figured he was like everybody else running jcm800 at the time. I'm really glad you did this video.

[@leftyzappa]

It’s 6:05 am. I’m flabbergasted by the information in this video. It’s gonna be a good day. THANK YOU. I’m very inspired.

[@aaronashear3002]

Hearing Steve talk about DLR's need for more guitar stage volume makes me light up like a kid hearing grownups talk about Christmas.

[@LegionDe75]

Steve's reaction to the amp, to see one of his old workhorse's alive and well would be a cool thing to see. Love your videos Pete. Anyone with half your ability and knowledge would still be considered a beast.

[@charvel1apm]

Wow I really enjoyed this video Pete! For me Eat em´ and Smile is Steve´s best tone and playing of his career. He was aggressive, whacky and original and yet tasteful and bluesy. Thank you for this man!

[@pedraw]

Vai is very gracious to allow those amps to be used before he has a chance to try them himself. You're a lucky man Pete. Also a huge thanks to Mr. Dave Friedman for his insight and knowledge.

[@PeteThorn]

He’s a very nice guy indeed.

[@MurkyDregs]

I got to laugh... it's comforting to see two such extraordinary players (You & Steve) sharing the same reaction I had the first time plugging into a Marshall. I found myself instantly thinking, "I'm not good enough, there's no hiding with this thing..." many years later after that initial shock I am a total Marshall devotee... I had an original 1987x for a while and then I moved onto original VHT's... Fryette makes a spectacular amp....Awesome video; sonic archeology!

[@wayguitar69]

Pete, you are the quintessential guitarist's guitarist. It's so great that you're such a gear head & love demoing & discussing all this stuff, and doesn't hurt that you're such a monster player on top it all so we get to hear everything to it's fullest. Great chat with Dave & Steve, love the history & juicy tidbits. Steve is a great guy to listen to as well, a genuinely nice guy. Thank you kind sir, you really hit it home on this one, worth staying up a bit later than usual by far.

[@robertvonherndon1921]

Pete is the perfect balance of guitar nerd, gear nut and virtuoso guitarist. Well Done!!!!

[@TheDarDar1]

This video comes chiming in at a great time for me. Like many, I struggle with my guitar playing. I hold a guitar better than I play one and I really enjoy the whole multifaceted aspect of electric guitar, including amplifiers. One of my favorite pieces is a 1974 Model 1959 100 W SLP that I bought for $50. Its power transformer had been cooked like a country bbq after someone tested it out with a beer. I was blessed enough to buy it, gather schematics, order a transformer and a few other parts and fix it. It is now as loud as a jet on takeoff at my nearby CVG airport! Now, long story short. It's been in a dark corner of a room in my house for quite some period but your awesome video just lit a fire under me. Thank you. You encourage people in ways you will never know.

[@kuzWich]

Pete, I haven’t even got to Steve part yet, but the format is just insanely Great 👍 This is guitarists’/musicians’/history buffs’ dream content actually. This’s Discovery/History/National Guitarastique channels all in one with astonishingly inspiring info! Thank you, sir for making this great chest of invaluable information being available and presented in such a humble way to the masses. Sure hope more is on its way sometime soon. This video made my day! (Week, Month even Year maybe who knows)) not to mention, the amp really turned out to be an awfully niiice sounding gem

[@georgebarry3153]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[@innnews6299]

That opening with playing Vai’s DLR “Shy Boy” is sick af. Awesome video. Historical, informational, and just plain killer.

[@thomasholly1455]

Thanks Pete for the history of Jose!! I met Jose back in 1980 when Van Halen released 'Women and Children First' I was taking guitar lessons at this small music store located on Mayall street in Chatsworth , I will never forget that day I met him. I walk into the music store for my lesson from Zac ,my music teacher when I saw about 24 Marshall amp heads and about 10 ampeg bass heads, and I asked Zac , who they belong to and he said ' Van Halen ' I freaked out big time, and he said Jose is repairing them would I like to meet him.. and I said 'hell Ya' so I went back into back of the building where he was working and I talked to him for about 1/2 hour. I also aksed him if he could mode my marshall just like Eddies! and he said he could come close to what Eddie had but not exactly what he had, because he was under contract with Ed, but he could get it pretty close. I also lived about a block from where he worked for years. I never got my Marshall done by him ,and I just kick my self to this day.. I'm currently trying get and Amp made by David Bray!! I've heard Freedman's amps, but I personally think David Bray has really captured Eddies sound!! and believe me I've had a lot of 100watt Marshalls, my last amp was a Soldano SLO 100 watt that I bought in 2004 it was ripping loud and I liked it, but it just didn't have enough high-end , I would have to use a Tube screamer to punch up the high-end.. the other store where Jose work out off on Van Nuys is around the corner where I used to practice in the rehearsal studio, off of Van Nuys and Canby!! Jose was The amp God!!!! Big time.

[@dianathompson7597]

Bray has the brown sound. Great amps

[@Bo-Yan]

Dear Pete, Dave and Steve, your interview and demo is amazing! I am so grateful, thankful and interested in it!. Be healthy, happy and blessed! Greetings from Bulgaria! :-)

[@tanveersingh9044]

Damn I never imagined amp/music history videos could be this well done! Amazing content

[@PeteThorn]

Thank you so much!

[@lucafogliati6050]

If i could ever have a chance to speak with Steve i would just thank him for his music.When i was a teen 1990 it was an hard obscure time in my life for some personal reasons like the loss of my dad.Steve's music with its colours,hope,hapiness just helped me a lot to go trough those hard times

[@thejackdevinemusic]

Shyboy intro was incredible! 🤘🏼🤘🏼

[@abrackas1]

Jack Devine written by Billy Sheehan too!

[@BillHillard]

Oh my god, dude. The amount of work and information that you put into these is spectacular! So informative! Thank you. You made art and not just some KZbin video. Great playing too.

[@PeteThorn]

Thanks!!

[@FRX67]

@@PeteThorn Do you remember what speakers Dave was testing this through?

[@gbarrancos1]

Thank you some much Peter for nailing a 15 year-old tone curiosity of mine! Back in early 2000s i swept the internet looking for those Arredondo Mods without success after reading a mention on Steve's Passion and Warfare songbook. That was quite a treat :D

[@RT81775]

This video is documenting a time capsule. We have a real-deal Arredondo modded Marshall. If you love the Marshall tones on those 80s albums and have always wondered why your stock Marshall *just* can’t quite nail it, now you can HEAR why. Not surprised Mr. Vai discovered Marshalls via Steve Stevens. His tone on stuff like the Top Gun Anthem and Atomic Playboys are some of my favorites.

[@alenamusic888]

This is one of the best video's I've ever seen! 🤘😍 Thank you so much Mr Thorn for doing this!!!

[@PeteThorn]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!

[@damonstewart70]

@@PeteThorn enjoy??? This is love, equivalent to wife and kids love

[@charlesthomas9294]

Dave seems so intelligent and charming. It was great to get this chance to listen to him and learn from him!

[@88Gibson1]

Steve Vai is such a down to Earth humble guy thank you for having him on the show simply awesome

[@Gitfiddle]

Marshalls have that magic treble sound. It’s bright but always pleasant. Never harsh and cuts thru like an sob. What a beautiful sounding amp! Thank you Pete!!!!!

[@waterwoodguitars6871]

Well this just made my day! I’ve been looking for and hoping for a video like this for 10 years. This is all the info us Marshall lovers have always wanted about the Jose mods. Thanks Pete and Dave, you guys rock!

[@orion681]

I love the fact that Steve was so accessible. Also, when he was talking about stage volume in DLR, I literally LOLd when he paused twice to laugh at just how loud he was on stage.

[@johnpierson8398]

Just incredible! This was like a time machine lesson and view into those killer tones that Steve was unleashing on the world in his DLR era. We have all heard of the legendary Jose mods. But to hear from Dave Friedman what they were about and you showing us how they sound is so cool!!!! Great video!

[@theheadnoiseproject5968]

You cannot have the 80's Marshall mod conversation without talking about Lee Jackson. He was a huge part of the sound that was coming out of LA even before he started Metaltronix or Perfect Connection. Great guy, great designer and a resume that includes Vai, Gilbert, Wylde and a ton of others

[@shovelheadseven]

I had a 50 watt Marshall Lee modded in the late 80's. Blew the speaker cable out the cabinet and fried the transformer.

[@Guitarist1z]

@@shovelheadseven Wow!

[@f33fifofum]

Dave Friedman is such a knowledgeable guy and always keen to share it with others. Great video.

[@philipdonovan5127]

What an awesome thing to watch. Last night I just started a JCM800 2204 with mods build so, this kind off conversation and history is right up my alley. I"m starting the build bone stock and implimenting each mod one by one to hear what each does, and how they work together. Ha, I got to the 3rd component ( the first .022uF coupling cap and realized it wasn't available and is on backorded. Damn man, those Sozo's are a bit rare at some places. I'll just use Mallories if they don't come around but theres plenty else to do in the meanwhile! Thanks Pete, beautiful video.

[@fr201]

...now this is a piece of KZbin history. Instant classic.

[@SGWChaosteam]

It´s a real pleasure to see all these people having a good chat together. Friedman and Vai seem to really enjoy it and they seem to be nice guys. I dont have to say anything about Pete. We all know he´s wonderful.

[@PeteThorn]

Dave’s a great dude. An old friend of mine from mini mini years ago. He’s been doing my rigs since the late 90s

[@TheAxe4Ever]

Holy crap!! That tone at around 24:25!! That’s just freakin’ gorgeous! José sure knew what he was doing!

[@AnarchistCookbookOfRiffs]

The amp sounds amazing. The mids are lively and exciting, and your picking and guitar tone is exceptional!!

[@leftchicago]

Wow. The "loudness" button on an old stereo. That brings back some memories of my dad yelling "Turn it down!".

[@Radwalls]

You should be super proud of this video Pete. It's unreal

[@SCHIERMANNOfficial]

Hey Pete, great video man!! The Egnater head that Steve refers to in your video I own. It’s a original TOL 100. 4 channels of bliss, I love it I’ve had it for many years, he auctioned it off for Make A Noise foundation charity and I’m the lucky owner. I’ve tracked tons with it and have toured extensively with it. I feel very lucky and fortunate to own it. Keep up the great work as I always enjoy what you do. Cheers

[@patricksheppard585]

do you know what too stands for ?......I do

[@ianwheeler8764]

I love Pete's videos. He's not only an awesome guitarist, but seems very down to earth, and he is well spoken and has a real knack for explaining things. Thanks, Pete!

[@PeteThorn]

Thanks!!!

[@escritaemdia3414]

Thank you Pete for making one of the top videos ever on the history of KZbin... for sure I'll return to this one forever ... really happy that you pull this off for al of us... your kindness and professionalism is something really special!! Thank you and greetings from Portugal 😎💪👍👍👌🙏🙏

[@Maxx61]

The only thing that could have given this video more authenticity is the faint smell of Aqua Net. Great job Pete. It was one helluva era for guitar players and amp modders.

[@ucdbnxt7318]

Had a HS bud that played his Strat through a Marshall.. He mentioned Jose.. SO 40 years later, I am finding out who Jose was.. WOW.....

[@warrborn_official]

I frigging love Steve Vai, what a cool and nice dude... Pete, you're awesome brother, keep the content coming !

[@AndreaMaccianti]

Incredible video Pete! Not that the others aren't, but this is really full of curiosities! Thanks for doing it! Your Shy Boy performance is top! Beautiful Marshall PLEXI Jose Mod! It was so enjoyable to see Steve and Dave! Even if my English is poor, I managed to understand something! 😊

[@christopherallen5603]

@PeteThorn I believe that riff that Dave played at 4:55 just clogged my phone's arteries 😆

[@johndeschain2156]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, You're a good man Pete Thorn.

[@howabouthetruth2157]

Awesome video documenting Jose's modded Marshalls & Steve Vai. The icing on the cake was the pertinent info kindly shared by the 1 and only Dave Friedman. Bookmarked this one. Hey, pertaining to "trying to contain a 100w Plexi's killer tone only found when played balls out".........I truly believe Marshall did an exceptional job with their recent SV20 head and/or combo ( studio vintage, 20w ). The look, and more importantly, the TONE of a 100w Plexi maxed out.........tamed down into a small ( yet still loud enough ) 20w version. They did everything they could to faithfully reproduce the Plexi, when creating the new SV20. You can crank this little amp w/o shearing off tooth enamel from anyone's face standing nearby, lol. And for only $1300. Not half bad. (No, I am not affiliated with Marshall in any way........but I've owned & gigged a 50w JCM 800 and later a 100w JCM 900. Had em both modded by Lars Jacobson here in central Florida years ago. But compared to the stock versions of any JCM series, I MUCH prefer the tone of their new little SV20. )

[@peachmelba1000]

Cool video. There was also a Jose modded Marshall on Metallica's Ride The Lightning. That was their best guitar tone, imo.

[@damone70]

Agree. I liked that Marshall tone over the Mesa Boogie tone 100%.

[@lfscrazy]

I'm not sure they did use one on Ride. James' Jose Marshall which they recorded Kill Em All with was stolen before they recorded the second album. Fade to Black is about James' sadness of losing the amp. I can relate - I would be devastated if I lost my Jose!

[@lfscrazy]

@@damone70 I'm an unashamed Metallica tone chaser. I've got the gear to replicate any of the first 4 albums. The Kill Em All tone is my favourite. Allways has been and always will be!

[@peachmelba1000]

@@lfscrazy The KEA tone is only held back by the production standard that was applied to that album, which was exactly what you could get for that much money in 1982 (for metal). It's definitely the most harmonically rich rhythm guitar tone they used, being closer in character to fuzz tone than later incarnations.

[@damone70]

@@lfscrazy Please... I had the Mesa Boogie combo amp in the late 90s, that WAS the Metallica tone.

[@KauffeyBean]

GREAT documentary! When you were that teenager in Canada calling up Jose Arredondo, I was another teenager half the world away reading about EVH's Jose modded Plexis...and Eat 'Em & Smile was one of my favorite albums in rock! So this video is a real treat! Thank you!

[@comand0Metalero1]

It sounds SO DAMN GOOD, plus you're an extraordinaire guitar player Pete!

[@slobair]

That chewy part was awesome---it reminded a lot in tone and riff of The Killer Dwarves song Dirty Weapons. Killer!

[@wolfhorsky]

Dave seemed to be a bit emotional about that history and memories. What a guy. Great vid tho. One of my favs on YT. Seriously.

[@Dudeitsmeee]

Even without the Vai riffs, the tone sounds pure 80's Vai. And reinforces my personal theory that had grunge alt-rock not entered my life I would have not pursued guitar playing as it seemed so unreachable in the 80's. Wild looks, wild tones, wild gear, fast riffs... and secretly (or not) modded amplifiers.

[@Producelikeapro]

Amazing content!! Thanks ever so much Pete!! You Rock!!

[@hjalmarbackstrom5883]

Those "best of the best" musicians are so many times just very sincere and nice people! It's like it took them more than tons of practice to get where they are today. Thank you soooo much guys, best upload on YT in a while!!!

[@cameronhayes1804]

Man that amp sounds killer. And your playing is on fire Pete, dig that solo!!

[@jasonstallworth]

Dude, this is a phenomenal documentary here!

[@rustycockering9925]

Talk about "lifting the veil" on the story of the "Jose" Marshalls! Thanks, Pete!

[@joecartoon3674]

Pete this video is friggin' incredible man, thank you for putting in the time! It must have been awesome to talk to everyone involved and i thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. This sort of insight is priceless.

[@PeteThorn]

Thanks Joe!

[@rubenreza]

I remember seeing José’s ads in the Recycler way back when. Would always have the tag line - Get Ed’s sound at any volume. :-)

[@PeteThorn]

Really, that’s funny! Crazy.

[@christianjforbes]

Dude, the Recycler ... I had totally forgotten about that ‘zine. Awesome memories!

[@aug71962]

Me and my good friend Jim Warino use to go to Jose’s shop back in the early 1980’s. He was the sweeties guy! He treated us so nice. He told us funny stories about Eddie’s request when he would ask for mods. He also said he worked on Hendrix’s amps as well and that he loved Jimi’s playing more than Eddie’s even though he thought Eddie was a better player. He modified my 200 watt Marshall with a switch to make it 50/100/50. A memory I will always cherish! I still have my receipt!

[@posarelli]

Amazing sound and amazing stories. I love this kind of video: lots of humans connections & stories... Not only cold info's. Tnx Pete for bring to us this piece of history. Love it.

[@simondanaher3390]

I've waited to see this video for 34 years. Thanks Pete (& Steve and Dave!).

[@dirkm1920]

Pete your work is a true treasure.

[@PeteThorn]

Thank you!

[@protoolsfanatic7276]

dave and pete have such cool speaking voices. they sound like they could be a rock n roll D.J.

[@matthias7455]

Damn, Pete. You went way above and beyond for this one! I'm impressed. Very well done. Side note; I wonder if this was the amp used on skyscraper and passion and warfare. Sounds a lot like his tone on those albums. Great video, Pete!

[@882952]

Very good video! Lots of interesting history and tidbits form Friedman, and to have Vai himself sit in for a history lesson for you was very awesome. And hell yes that thing sounds good!

[@malcolmadams2105]

I’m finding many people these days; that I wish were my neighbors. “So we could jam!” Nice I love to learn about the things I love.

[@anthonycosta2662]

Man, that put big smile on my face. Thanks Pete!!