Best Power Amp Options for Brown Sound

VanWhalen · 25th July 2006, 05:02 AM

In the many discussions of the Brown Sound, there is a mention of a H&H V800 MOSFET Power Amp being used in the signal chain. I think this piece of equipment is out of production and wondered what alternatives are there for this? Please post any links to possible candidates. Thanks!

-EVW

Kiwiburger · 25th July 2006, 05:19 AM

I think you'll find the early Van Halen "brown sound" was a fairly stock early 60's Marshal Super Lead.

Seperate preamps and power amps can work well through. I don't think the choice of power amp is particularly important to the sound.

http://www.legendarytones.com/brown_sound.htm

VanWhalen · 25th July 2006, 05:32 AM

Yes, I have the Marshal setup and the effects, but dont have the power amp yet and need to chose one. Can you recomend any power amps that work for guitar applications? I see lots for DJ, PA, and Car Audio ones, but nothing specific for guitar uses.

Also, what kind of issues to consider regarding the WATTAGE and IMPEDENCE of this Power Amp?

-EVW

Kiwiburger · 25th July 2006, 05:42 AM

depends on whether you want controllable studio sound, or if you want to fill an auditorium.

What wattage and impedances are your speaker cabs?

Are you just a collector trying to build an Eddie museum? Or are you trying to make your own guitar tone? So much is in your fingers and your head - the gear is just a means to an end. So what is your end?

Mark Warren · 25th July 2006, 07:52 AM

Also be careful what you read in any articles or quotes from EVH. He is now known as notorious for flat out making up bullsh*t about how he got his sounds on the early records.

The case in point is that nobody seems to have recorded a tone exactly like his, and yes some of it is in his fingers, but he definitely has some gear secrets.

I heard some tracks by a guy on Harmony Central who came the closes to nailing the EVH tone that I've ever heard. He was using a modded 5150 and his secret was recording the amp at bedroom volume. Upon playback it sounded like was cranked up ridiculous, so listen to how the amp sounds at all different volumes before assuming it's got to be louder than to get a sound on record.

Another time that I've heard the EVH sound reproduced almost exactly (this time live) was with a Les Paul with Lindy Fralin pickups through a Mojave amp. If you closed your eyes you wouldn't have known if it was EVH or not. The dude told me that the pickups made the hugest difference in getting that sound, and it was endless trial and error. Sure enough I tried both my Les Paul and PRS through his amp on the same settings and it sounded absolutely nothing like the tone he was getting.

So in summary, the Brown Sound has to do with so many factors in the signal chain, right down to the pickups, so you could shop for power amps all year and still not be where you want, when what you should have been looking for was new pickups, etc.

It's like the quest for the Holy Grail, I think it's pretty cool that EVH has such an elusive tone that soon enough it will have been 30 years ago he tracked Eruption, and people are still now going banans trying to piece together the right gear to get that sound.

VanWhalen · 25th July 2006, 10:10 AM

I have 300-W, 16-Ohm Marshal Cabinet. I am not building a museum but am working on the sound. I understand the issues of "its in the fingers", but, yet, I am interested in building a similar rig to what he used in the beginning and have most of the pieces, including the guitar/pickup, effects chain, head, cabinet, EQ, Dummy Load, and Variac. All execpt the Power Amp.

Getting close to the brown sound but need this last piece. So, again, any recomendations for a Power Amp for guitar application. Thanks!

-EVW

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25th July 2006, 05:02 AM	#1
VanWhalen Gear interested Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 21	Best Power Amp Options for Brown Sound In the many discussions of the Brown Sound, there is a mention of a H&H V800 MOSFET Power Amp being used in the signal chain. I think this piece of equipment is out of production and wondered what alternatives are there for this? Please post any links to possible candidates. Thanks! -EVW

25th July 2006, 07:52 AM	#5
Mark Warren Lives for gear Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 637	Also be careful what you read in any articles or quotes from EVH. He is now known as notorious for flat out making up bullsh*t about how he got his sounds on the early records. The case in point is that nobody seems to have recorded a tone exactly like his, and yes some of it is in his fingers, but he definitely has some gear secrets. I heard some tracks by a guy on Harmony Central who came the closes to nailing the EVH tone that I've ever heard. He was using a modded 5150 and his secret was recording the amp at bedroom volume. Upon playback it sounded like was cranked up ridiculous, so listen to how the amp sounds at all different volumes before assuming it's got to be louder than to get a sound on record. Another time that I've heard the EVH sound reproduced almost exactly (this time live) was with a Les Paul with Lindy Fralin pickups through a Mojave amp. If you closed your eyes you wouldn't have known if it was EVH or not. The dude told me that the pickups made the hugest difference in getting that sound, and it was endless trial and error. Sure enough I tried both my Les Paul and PRS through his amp on the same settings and it sounded absolutely nothing like the tone he was getting. So in summary, the Brown Sound has to do with so many factors in the signal chain, right down to the pickups, so you could shop for power amps all year and still not be where you want, when what you should have been looking for was new pickups, etc. It's like the quest for the Holy Grail, I think it's pretty cool that EVH has such an elusive tone that soon enough it will have been 30 years ago he tracked Eruption, and people are still now going banans trying to piece together the right gear to get that sound. __________________ -Mark Warren 5am Studios, an Austin Recording Studio We Support the Austin Music Scene!

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25th July 2006, 05:19 AM	#2
Kiwiburger Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,761	I think you'll find the early Van Halen "brown sound" was a fairly stock early 60's Marshal Super Lead. Seperate preamps and power amps can work well through. I don't think the choice of power amp is particularly important to the sound. http://www.legendarytones.com/brown_sound.htm

25th July 2006, 05:32 AM	#3
VanWhalen Gear interested Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 21	Yes, I have the Marshal setup and the effects, but dont have the power amp yet and need to chose one. Can you recomend any power amps that work for guitar applications? I see lots for DJ, PA, and Car Audio ones, but nothing specific for guitar uses. Also, what kind of issues to consider regarding the WATTAGE and IMPEDENCE of this Power Amp? -EVW

25th July 2006, 05:42 AM	#4
Kiwiburger Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 3,761	depends on whether you want controllable studio sound, or if you want to fill an auditorium. What wattage and impedances are your speaker cabs? Are you just a collector trying to build an Eddie museum? Or are you trying to make your own guitar tone? So much is in your fingers and your head - the gear is just a means to an end. So what is your end?

25th July 2006, 10:10 AM	#6
VanWhalen Gear interested Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 21	I have 300-W, 16-Ohm Marshal Cabinet. I am not building a museum but am working on the sound. I understand the issues of "its in the fingers", but, yet, I am interested in building a similar rig to what he used in the beginning and have most of the pieces, including the guitar/pickup, effects chain, head, cabinet, EQ, Dummy Load, and Variac. All execpt the Power Amp. Getting close to the brown sound but need this last piece. So, again, any recomendations for a Power Amp for guitar application. Thanks! -EVW