"Tonechaser" : The Lost Interview With Eddie Van Halen's Tech Zeke Clark (5/10/86) - Part One

"Tonechaser" author Steve Rosen interviews Eddie Van Halen's guitar tech Zeke Clark on May 10th, 1986-Clark recently replacing long-time tech Rudy Lieren and opening up at the 5150 studio to talk about Edward's tone, style and guitars.
For more, check out Steve's book "Tonechaser"
TonechaserBook.com

[@technicalitems731]

This is the kind of stuff I like! I'm a drummer. 48. Been playing since I was a little kid. I used to read every guitar magazine. Every page. I was always fascinated but edwards gear and ideas. I could always notice edwards insane unique sound on the albums. It made my arm hair stand up. I'm a guitar player deep inside but I just happened to have started on the drums. Edward has always been my number 1 hero. My idol. He is the MacGuyver and Leonardo Davinci of guitar! And Alex. The legend. Such a smooth natural sound. The ears on these VH brothers. They hear things differently and the sounds and tones they create please me. I always hated cookie cutter bands with a processed, generic store bought studio sound. RIP EVH

[@mikeshelogowski434]

May 10th 1986!? First time of many I saw Vh in Detroit! I met zeke a couple of times in 92 and he took my pick guard back to be signed. Thanks for posting!

[@JohnnyBeane]

So awesome Steve!

[@Nightjar726]

Steve Rosen needs to interview Zeke again and ask him some questions about his guitars now. Maybe Zeke will tell us some stuff that Ed was trying to conceal before. Would be pretty cool.

[@guskalogeros9021]

💯 agree. I totally appreciate these interviews but I feel like Zeke was under a gag order to perpetuate the myths. There’s SOME truth in there but there was a lot of double talk to confuse people.

[@hollylewis5302]

Thanks so much Mr. Steve and Adam Roach for letting us hear Freakin' Zeke Clark, you know! 😁 Fascinating stuff! ❤🤍🖤

[@bobc.5698]

Wow, I saw Van Halen in Chicago April 22nd 1986....right before this....cool.

[@HANGINWITHTHEDREAMER]

Great interview thank you Steve Rosen

[@adamroach3061]

0:00 Intro 01:25 Zeke interview 03:31 The wood 03:45 Pick ups 04:58 The neck 05:56 Pick up in 5150 06:24 Tremolo 08:00 Strings 11:00 Picks 12:00 Strap Locks 13:24 Steinberger 14:14 First time meeting Ed 21:29 1984 guitars 23:07 pickups on 1984 guitar 24:06 Steinberger

[@RichardFriendartist]

this is soooooooooooooooooooo fascinating. Zeke seems like a great guy and knows his stuff!! Thank you Steve!! I am really blown away hearing this!!

[@richb6291]

Brilliant Steve !! just brilliant - thank you for all of these episodes.

[@cherylb2008]

I like these memories

[@DeputyVanHalen5150]

Excellent video, Excellent channel. Thanks so much for sharing this with us. 😁🎸👍🏻 God bless✝️

[@mwelsh5150]

Wow man that was really fascinating! Thanks Steve!

[@owlman1365]

Keeping the legacy alive Mr Rosen ♥️🤘

[@Jedizen07]

FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!! Great drop today, Steven!!!

[@TimE_5150]

Great stuff as usual Steve, thank you! I hope all is well. Keep it coming, can't get enough of everything EVH!

[@superchefno1]

I am enjoying the Hell out of this!! Thanks Steve! Most excellent!

[@brianrenhard7661]

Thank you Steve, love it!

[@Arthur-ke9vz]

Love these

[@uutooyu]

Basically the man, the myth, the legend, known as edward van halen and is edward van halen took every last secret he had how he approached guitar or tinkered with things with him to the upper room . God Bless my friend !

[@walterevans2118]

WOW, I didn't know on the Get Up/Summer Nights STEINBERGER ED was changing the position of the pickup to be nearer the bridge & constantly changing it along the string length & slanting it. EMGs he didn't usually work with. I have them on some of my Mansons & people like them & they don't. Some say EMGs give 'clarity' . others describe that same tone as 'glassiness'. ...Superb interviews. Thanks.

[@RGZ112]

This is a great interview. It clears up a lot of misconceptions from Van Halen Fanatics that think that Edward used a Seymour Duncan JB in the Kramer.

[@stevemineer2857]

Steve Blucher at Dimarzio is the one that said it was a JB when Ed told him he wanted a copy of that pickup. Was that the original or was it an Ed modified JB? Who knows? Zeke is being quite vague here so I wouldn’t put much into what he’s saying either.

[@RGZ112]

@@stevemineer2857 yes, you are correct on that. But we all know that Edward was kind of lying or intentionally spreading misinformation about his gear in the early years. Personally, I think he changed pickups in his guitars so many times that he probably forgot was in there anyway

[@carterherrman1905]

“It is definitely a light wood” certainly backs up the basswood theory… but what about the wood grain on the arm contour?

[@dspencer1201]

What Ed did made me laugh a few times. He was a visionary perfectionist.

[@troyyeager5089]

👍

[@johnmarshall3903]

Wish you wouldn't have interrupted him right as he was about to talk about the Marshalls.

[@asnark7115]

@13:00 "Carabiner".

[@KeenanNeighbors]

yep I was a stagehand/Roadie and I worked with many of them and still have the one on my climbing harness here at home. I did it 31 years and I wished I was still working. btw Zeke was my neighbor in Sherman Oaks

[@pb12661]

3:34 Basswood.

[@WAYUPDUDE1382]

First!

[@Nightjar726]

Lots of ‘ embellishment’ in this interview. Lol I’m sure he was protecting Edwards ‘ secrets’ at the time.