Van Halen - Distorted Phase, Echo & Chorus Tricks

In this video, James Santiago gives you some tips on setting up early Eddie Van Halen style tones using just a few pedals like Voodoo Lab's Sparkle Drive MOD, MXR Phase 90 and Analog Chorus, Way Huge Supa-Puss, and TC Electronic Hall of Fame reverb.

[@vladv5126]

"So the amp's completely clean" - actually plays a clean channel. Fluff has left the chat.

[@christosfragias592]

Nice job. EVH will always be my biggest influence, and you nailed his tone.

[@grayboo212]

"Supa Puss". I just found a name for my newborn kitten.

[@andreituico7273]

I'm proud and disappointed at the same time

[@nojyeloot]

Amazing how much of a part of his sound is made up of that reverb. Thanks James.

[@CSLWoodward]

Your playing is really something else, you 100% sounded like Eddie during Eruption. Top job!

[@raylovett9187]

Sounds right in the money to me. A lot of people attempt to "re-create" this signature sound, You have nailed it better than anyone yet. Excellent demonstration all the way through and perfect explanation as well... now I subscribe!

[@luminositymusic3810]

So amazing how good that was. The sounds is solid. Playing is killer

[@luminositymusic3810]

I think so too.

[@jwags313]

One of the most detailed guitar videos ever posted! Great job of instruction for those of us attempting to duplicate some of our favs! Keep posting...

[@ThePigonSkates]

Best tone vids period. Thank you for posting these they are incredible.

[@guitarslinger2837]

Eddies early Van Halen style tones is so good, and you really nail it.. the Supa-Puss and the Sparkle Drive are awesome...Thanks for the vid...

[@tatsandteles]

One of the few demos that really captures the essence of the earlier tones. Very well done, great playing.

[@voodoolabofficial]

That's how I always use that Marshall. I even did another video for Guitar Player years ago showing how to do that exact thing. This video was intended to show how to get the signal path right, and use whatever clean type amp you have lying around.

[@bassmanjoe8]

Impressive man. You really did your "homework" on the effects/tone. Sounds GREAT! Extremely nice job.

[@kennethhodsdon5876]

awesome video. I appreciate you going into the examples quickly and not talking for 20 min before like so many others videos. Great settings too. Thanks

[@SilentKnight43]

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Informative...and your playing was quite spot-on, too. Nice work. Thanks for takin' the time.

[@samwats]

One the few boards I've seen on KZbin with that sparkle drive mod. I own one myself and love it so much, ridiculously versatile yet very authentic. Awesome demo and great playing, rock on dude!

[@Skibble5150]

Like the 'Little Guitars' f/x explanation. Thanks dude!

[@charliefoxtrotthe3rd335]

That was the closest Eddie Van Halen sound I have heard. To me, that is the best sound in the world. Your spectacular playing is a big part too, but you got to have the gear to even have a chance of nailing that sound, and I think you're on to something here.

[@eyetalic]

Cool. Good to hear the modulation going before the distortion instead of after or into an effects loop.

[@avgmaster1]

Forget the pedals, i was watching you play!! Awesome ! !

[@UnkleJustin]

Thanks for making this video James. Easy to understand and just damned fun!!

[@metalheadneji]

Awesome man you matched his tone flawlessly.

[@nothingtoseehere177]

I love how you can hear the springs for the whammy inside the guitar. I put my Strat in Drop G and they almost have their own natural reverb when they resonate from the heavy strings. It makes the cleans sound haunting, at least the chords I play.

[@MovieMakes]

Yes. First time I have heard that eruption piece played CORRECTLY and SOUND correct! Fantastic! You should upload a video playing eruption with this rig. Would love to hear.

[@anthonyarredondo2682]

Simply awesome ! I need to get these pedals ! Thank you so much and God bless you !😁🎸👍

[@jeanpat8946]

Absolulty brillant demo !!! Great playing great sound !!!! YOU GOT THE BROWN SOUND !!!!!!!

[@Bolation]

luv the "smack in front of his marshall" part. great job, James, you just sold me a sparkle drive!

[@Rxpgtiandrew]

Great job man!! Lots of help with the tone and the way to get that EVH brown sound! Thanks

[@silentboy85]

Im not only enjoy watching your pedal, but also enjoy watching your playing... nice playing and video sir...

[@dereksendrak]

Dude great job you NAILED his tone! Ur there man🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@EddieB2047]

When you kicked in the phase 90...pretty much nailed it..good job!

[@GimmeNitro]

Nice job, and great sounding new OD pedal you guys have. I couldn't help noticing that Black Flag JTM 50 sitting on top - would LOVE to hear/play through it!

[@voodoolabofficial]

It's a 100-watt Super Tremolo metal panel from late 70/early 71.

[@JockeLundgrenTV]

This video is absolutely AMAZING! Thank you very much.

[@MrDT543]

This definitely sounds close enough for me! Great playing as well

[@flockoglock]

Nice job as usual James.

[@5150RDH]

Awesome demo, well done***** Truly a great way to get an authentic-sounding, "early" evh brown sound!

[@shinybald36]

love the plate reverb on the tc pedal, i'd always heard ed had huge plate reverb, around the studio

[@legend71]

Great job - would love to see you do all his great tones in a series of vids. All the way through the Sammy years too

[@Tmidiman]

Thanks for posting this. I was able to dial in the sounds using another effects unit.

[@timmer92211]

Excellent playing/tones!

[@vox1966]

Sounds great!

[@chrisbrennanguitar]

excellent video! good to see someone talkin about sound for a change

[@ZEGO24x]

This was REALLY good for a bedroom level EVH representation! Wow...

[@MrCecilbag]

wow this really sounds great, thanks for sharing

[@rocknrollguitarcovers5654]

That Sparkle Drive pedal sound amazing!!

[@wolfie316781]

Great take on the tone

[@hoosierdaddy2308]

Liked the second example expecially with the Chorus and Plate Reverb at the end. I think it cleans up the signal and makes the distortion sound better somehow. Love the examples though. Please keep it up!

[@zeymatis]

Brilliant tips mate

[@fabioabilio]

thank you very much for your tips,man.you helped me so much.

[@davidsmolarek7221]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

[@erictoniaschwab1009]

Thank you for posting this.

[@bobbarcus8310]

For Bedroom sound, Not Bad...... Kind of hard to turn a 100watt Marshall up in your room..

[@brpadington]

Bob Barcus Actually it isn't hard to crank a 100watt Marshall. I do it all the time. The knob turns real easy. The hard part is getting my wife to bail me out after I got arrested for the 100th time for doing it.

[@patrickkowalski8256]

Dude, your speed picking of doom is spot on!

[@2011batman1]

Nice job dude Awesome!

[@jakeabsher7214]

That was sick!!!!!

[@KernRamsdell]

Great vid, I am a fan of Ed. You nailed the tone. Thanks!!!

[@voodoolabofficial]

Yes. We have a Sparkle Drive demo video here that goes over it all. Basically, old SD only have the one 808-style sound. This MOD version has 3 more flavors that allow you to get these style tones.

[@Stratocastering]

Beautiful tone man!

[@creepyaxe]

Thanks for posting this. very informative.

[@voodoolabofficial]

Old Marshall 4x12 cab with original Celestion 25-watt greenbacks. We usually record with multiple mics and just choose the best position/type later. This is likely the old SM-57 just off the center off the cone. (There's also a 2nd SM57 pointed at the edge, and a Royer 121 ribbon mic that were recorded, but likely not used for the final mix.)

[@jpeace6226]

You killed it bro

[@neppiesworld9432]

Great tips in this vid

[@neilmcevoy7190]

you've nailed it here brother

[@kathyfoucaud940]

Whaou !! What a sound great demo

[@t-boog2173]

Great job James!!! Between Mod 1's- E.J. Tube Driver type tone and Mod 3's- EVH bright Marshall type tone, plus the fact that you can get these sounds at a bedroom volume level... I'm sold!!! IMO, someone would be crazy to buy a TS9 or 808 over this, when this does the same sound plus has 3 more killer sound options with plenty of gain available and all on which you can blend in your dry signal to taste. It's really like having 5 pedals in one. Not to mention, it's built in the U.S.(like a tank according to the reviews). My only negative is I feel it deserves a cooler/sexier enclosure. Otherwise, Fantastic Work!!!

[@backstageZW]

thanks to this video i got the EVH sound i was looking for

[@kathyfoucaud940]

Very very good demo and tips !!!!!!!!!!!

[@michael_riffs]

Nailed it dude

[@soultoolcustomizedguitars5058]

great, just GREAT!

[@brandonpostnikoff25]

You nailed it, brother!

[@MrShredify]

Damn, that was some spot on tone.

[@rockinroy]

GREAT VIDEO.

[@MrFuck1006]

Awesome video! It was a big help! Thanks! :)

[@Travis-pf3gt]

I like how you have everything out in front like Eddie did at the time, I know this is old but nice demo and playing here.

[@bubba871x]

I bought the Supa Puss and Sparkle mod and Hall of Fame and added to my EVH Phase 90 and the sound is perfect, authentic Van Halen! Thanks for this great video. By the way I am running my effects into the clean side of a new EVH 5150 III combo. When I am done with Van Halen songs I just click off sparkle and Hall of Fame and use the amps channel 3 with the Supa Puss. Great sound for rock.

[@coltsuperocean10]

....nailed!!! Good work fella!

[@luvpants2012]

Great job Voodoo, you know your stuff. Awesome player too.

[@Guitarist33764]

NICE! Tanks for the post

[@bloodySunday77]

Fantastic.

[@PetruCerutti]

Thanks ! it's sound very great !

[@jimbradley727]

And I intended to comment already but that video is awesome and I chose yours because it was right at the five minute mark.. Many folks take 25 minutes talking about their experience with Eddie Van Halen instead of giving some tips on the brown sound..by rule of thumb I don't care if it's tearing an engine down I don't want to watch a video with more than 10 minute clip and if you're talkin about pedals and effects your time was spot-on and well-used.. Great demo 👍

[@voodoolabofficial]

Great idea!

[@DavidWoroner]

really good explanation.

[@francesco-villa]

Thanks, James! I've tried various combos: I like to plug in the bottom left input and bridge the top ones. Channel 1 at 9 o'clock anche channel 2 at 'noon. It's not too clean, nor too crunchy. Thanks for your suggestions! :-)

[@EthnHayabusa]

You're welcome, thanks for the great videos.

[@bartulbuzdovacic7906]

Love the strat :)

[@ianb902]

Great, job dude!

[@BatEatsMoth]

Wet into dirt definitely sounds better than dirt into wet. More dynamic. Pete Thorn did a video about echo into distortion. Great example of the difference before and after dirt.

[@bweeks8869]

Impressed with tone at 3:16 when you hit reverb!

[@777jordan]

nice chops dude!

[@KelsterVonShredster]

awesome video thanks!

[@futarydary]

great stuff and great playing, but IMO Eddie's tone from VH's debut has a lot more gain...

[@super63strat]

Well done ! You have some great Eddie effects .I still have my Phase 90 script original 70's most of my stomp box toys unfortunately we're stolen ...

[@HiOctane62]

Great video

[@46dc9er]

Most informative thank you

[@honestinsky]

Outstanding video, thanks for posting, much appreciated. New sub : )

[@jfhudak]

Very freaking cool!!!

[@clayton5150]

Well sir nice vid i had never considered putting and echo one repeat in front of my distortion.

[@32spitzer]

AWESOME DEMO DUDE! KILLER SOUND/TONE PLAYING ETC! LONG LIVE THE M-E-T-A-L! \m/