what a great review...everyhing was perfect..nice guy,great playing (clean,breakup,crunch) ,great sound (amp) and recording...and you absolutely nailed it at the end....this will be the new bridge pickup for my Wolfgang!
Excellent call on the Custom Custom. I preferred it over the EVH pickup just ever so slightly. Both sound awesome but it’s hard to beat pretty much any Seymour Duncan pickup. Cool video!
Yeah even though we know for 100% fact eddie used wolfgang pu's and are not really positive about that duncan.😂 of course the duncan would sound "More" VH! 🤣
@@angusorvid8840 Yeah i agree about the JB. I scored a old late 70's one and it sounds much nicer than any new production one. not only is the magnet weakened but it used a roughcast 5 not a polished alnico 5. this changed the tone a bit. I also have a first year Custom (1978-79?) wound by seymour who back then was winding all of his pu's and in much smaller numbers. They were made to order back then.
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 Old JB's are the Dumbles of guitar pickups, at least as far as humbuckers go. Absolutely incredible tone. One reason I happen to like the tone of the ceramic Duncan Custom SH-5 is because I feel the tone is closer to a roughcast alnico 5. It's not as harsh as some ceramic pups like, for instance, the Duncan Distortion. I don't mean to sound like a snob, because I'm not, but I am kind of a purist when it comes to keeping a simple signal chain, so I play more attention to the very simple things than most players: pickups, strings, hardware, picks, pedals, quality cables, amps, speakers, the placement of the mic to the speaker, etc. Very basic, basic stuff, and I only use two pedals at most during a gig. My boss SD-1 Waza Craft for more modern tones, my MXR Distortion + for more retro, 70s Schenker type tones, and a Donner chorus I use for some cleans. Otherwise it's very simple. I like to boost lead tone by pick attack. Besides that I have used volume pedals or at times an overdrive pedal to boost leads if I run the gain higher on my Marshall or whatever amp I'm using. I believe in capturing the perfect tone at its source and amplifying it. I've always had better luck with combos than stacks because a 4X12 just has too much going on. Four speakers moving that much air never worked for me, it's just too woofy, and I can't enjoy it like some players do. I like a focused sound, then miking it up right. That's where the magic happens. If you think about it, this is all EVH was trying to do, to get a great sound at lower volume with the variac, not because he didn't want to play loud, but because he wanted to squeeze the sweetness from his plexi, then mic that loud. I have also found that 50 watts tend to sound better than 100 watts. Schenker, both Rudy and Michael and Matthias and Uli all preferred 50 watts. Uli ran his through bass cabs because he thought they sounded better. Just as a Jedi must trust their feelings, a musician must trust their ears. If it sounds good, it is good. Never worry about what your heroes do, but ask why they do what they do, and think for yourself by hearing for yourself.
I bought a TB-11 yesterday and a 500K low-friction pot to replace what's currently in an older Korean-made Hamer Californian. I have no doubt I made a great choice in pickup! Thanks for the comparison -- I have the same EVH Wolfgang, so I'm even more excited for the new pickup! Great playing, Gonza!
Gonza you are the man! I really love all your videos. We have to figure out a way to get you more gear to review or amps to try haha. You are my favorite new RU-vid channel, your playing is unbelievable. Thank you for taking the time to do all these videos in English!! Would love to see some evh or Nuno lessons or dialing in tones.
Thanks again ( IG ) damn Covid makes the gear to be super delayed on arriving here in Chile but as soon things get opened again I will show some other gear...and sure I will make some different content
I have an EVH red, black, striped series lefty guitar. I recently replaced the stock EVH Wolfgang bridge pickup with an EVH FRANKENSTEIN, and love the voicing on it more. Still packs a punch, but with a more vintage voiced sound that isn't overly as abrasive.
I bought a SD Custom Custom for a VH guitar I was working on and must say it is an excellent pickup not only for VH but for classic rock tones. It's hot but not harsh, warm but not muddy. Truly a great pickup.
Fun fact, Eddie had an SH-11 Custom Custom he stuck in the neck of the early prototypes of the Music Man guitar. He told the DiMarzio guys he wanted that sound but a tad brighter. It took about 30 prototypes to unseat the Custom Custom as Eddie's preferred neck tone. So even though it's an awesome EVH bridge pickup, that's kinda what he likes in the neck too! The DiMarzio Air Norton is the closest model they sell which was the runner up to what EVH eventually approved.
Well Eddie mimed his TV performances for many years so he's not actually a great musician. He had thousands of opportunities to sit down with normal people and discuss his sonic life but he deliberately chose to not do that. He also chose to not keep a diary etc... etc... So, shut your lunacy mouth.
Hola Gonza! Nice demo and will say you’re accurate on the description of the pickups. My friend Paul Unkert who was head luthier at Kramer told me the they experimented with a couple pickups used in the 5150. One was a 59-JB hybrid and the other was the SH-11 which sounds like it in this clip!
@@stevestarr6395 It makes total sense because Ed's tone was not really stock JB but i did hear a JB like quality to it and it drove me nuts! LOL!! Now it adds up, one coil from the 59b would make it perfect because the p'u would sound way more Open and P.A.F like. it would sound like a P-90 on steriods. Duncan sells the 59/custom hybrid and it is really close but the JB one would nail it because of those JB mids and harmonics. So that JB in ed's kramer was not "damaged" it was Modded! 😁
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 Yes Ed was a tone chaser for sure and I always thought that pickup had a unique sound and my friend Paul Unkert who had a big part designing that guitar confirmed the pickup specs!
EVH all day! I've found doing something simple as swapping out stock string saddles with brass ones can make even a stock budget guitar get that those sweet harmonics SO much easier.
Absolutely AWESOME video! I knew the Custom Custom would be the winner! : ) As soon as you started playing lead, and I saw the smile on your face, I knew it was the clear winner! : ) Awesome tone! Sounded great!
I read an article by Dimarzio that Eddie Van Halen‘s pick up was a broken JB. the neck pick up that he wanted on his music man was a custom custom. It’s a very interesting article and it puts to rest a lot of the mystique of the Frankenstein Kramer guitar.
Yeah but eddie used to use the 14K alnico II duncan back before the JB circa 1981-1984. He switched to JB's after he went with Kramer. The JB was only in his Kramers.
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 not to troll sorry if I am. I tried a jb in mahogany wood, don't know if it was pu it just wouldn't clean up to muddy. I have some old wanna bee clips with my marshall 50 metro kit I built found a old strat body American blonde hard ash heavey stock fender trem and I had put a dun 59 slanted her chipped away body lol 500k pot oh and that particular pup read closer 2 9k and the dang amp just came alive rolled back volume sparkling clean. Went and made another axe mahogany with FR brass blk with Jb and was like oh no what happened?? Anyways the CC sounds killer.. Ed's kramers guitar woods?? I've heard read maple mahogany or was it alder basswood or pop. Def huge difference between all woods eq with every individual pup. Please forgive long message 🙏.
I read in the Seymour Duncan forum the pickup cavity is not industry standard so aftermarket pickups cannot be installed out of the box. I read you really need to use the baseplate of the stock pickups with the aftermarket pickup coils. Was that true for you?
I like the EVH better. The SD is "OK" but gets muddy. Having said that, they sound similar and react differently depending on volume settings. The SD sound IS overall fuller but less defined than the EVH.
I agree. The Wolfgang has a wider range dynamics. It cleans up well with a bigger body on full volume. The SD sounds great too but seems to be muddy on the lower volume settings.
For a factory pickup in a reasonably priced EVH guitar, they're Awesome!! If you can play and know tone, you can dial them in to get a great sound!! Great video and as always, your playing is tasty!! Duncans are killer, yet the cost of the pickup(s) and installation, in some cases aren't worth it. I just bought an EVH WG Standard and without having to do anything, it sounds Excellent!
You're amazing my friend it's a joy watching you play inspiring very soulful you're def in the pocket. Lots of feel you can't teach that either you have it or not. Keep inspiring others God bless.
According to the EVH-nuts, EVH used a Super Distortion around that time, as well…. Jim Gaustaad has some of the best EVH videos I’ve ever seen. He breaks it down in spectacular form. I believe Pete Thorn mentioned it too. Not sure if anyone, short of EVH knows for sure, at this point. But, Jim Gaustaad was able to get the best EVH tone I’ve ever hear. Great video Gonza….this sounded great.
Good job on the demo! That's a very good and accurate assessment. What do you think of the JB duncan? That was my favorite pickup forever until I got my Wolf gang and I can't decide whether to switch back to the JB?
Why didnt you try the EVH Frankenstein pu that is made for fender by Seymour duncan? It is a 14K alnico II model similar to the wolf and CC you tried here? The EVH frank pu is the one in the 25K replicas.
awesome amps and nice playing. Just something to think about....I had the wolfgang special and never quitw got the VH sound I wanted. I just got the evh striped series with the same wolfgang pickup and this guitar has the exact 84 VH sound I always wanted. Same exact pickup but this one is wired directly to the volume knob and has no tone control. You can do the same thing to that wolfgang and just wire the pickups straight to the volume knob.
The Wolfgang pickup sounds the best. Eddie designed it to have less punch than a alcino 5 but same volume and a little more high end clarity. At any volume the wolfgang pickup brings out the tone of the wood from the body and neck so it can sing. The Seymour duncan has a more muddy sound but more output. I think the EVH pickup is really good with extreme high gain because it's not over modulated gain.
1) the sweet sounding Spanish guitar playing at the start (30 seconds) was that with the stock pickup or the Duncan?? 2) is the guitar the made in USA Wolfgang?
Yes it was a really nicely played piece! To my ear it sounded like the evh pickups because I'm hearing the mid bump and the fatter low end it seems to have overall (more to me like 150-200hz area)@@GonzaCordo
GOnza!!! If you ever get the chance I would love to hear a BE50 deluxe vs BE100 deluxe comparison! Want to hear the BE channels how they compare with the gain structure and how they sound. Saludos!!!
Hi Gonza, they both sound amazing! Great video :) can ask you the name of the setting on the eventide for the lead at 7.11? I love that tone, I have an eventide 7600 hopefully i can recreate it!
Oh thanks!….i could not say what preset was that but I’m hearing a verb and that probably is the Dense Room…and the delay it’s a filetered Vintage delay Algo…
I liked them both. Your tone is so good it's so sparkly and clear. I want that. I have a Wolfang standard, is there really that much of a difference between it and a Special? Or is it more in the amp and other things. I have a new Iconic 5150 amp 60w 2x12. That Friedman amp sounds good what model is it?
Thanks man!… I think the standards and special use the same pickups ( import Wolfgang’s )…so they sound very similar…about the tone the key is not to use to much gain…
@@GonzaCordo That Friedman amp sounds incredible. I see they've also come out with a Vintage Plexi now too. Is there any difference between the BE 100w deluxe and the BE 50 watt deluxe besides the obvious 50 watts? I don't really need a 100 watt amp for my house. Also what cabinet do you think would sound the best? Are Friedman cabs as good of quality as their amps?
The big difference is that only the USA Wolfgang has USA-made pickups. Surely the overseas pickups are similar spec but there is a "magic sauce" the custom shop does that isn't done on the imports. The Peavey Wolfgang's bridge pickup had a wild bobbin wind that included changing the wire gage MID-wind! Allegedly, the Fender version is "an exact copy" because Eddie didn't want to change the sound. Only the neck pickup was changed for the Fender Wolfgang.
So on the Duncan TB-11 did you put in a regular humbucker or did you put in a Trembucker as on mine its looks like the routing wont fit for a Trembucker only a humbucker. Thanks!
Did you have to modify the TB11 to fit inside the Wolfgang? I have an EVH 5150 series guitar and would like to try a L500XL in it but I'm not sure how to make it fit since the stock Wolfgang pickup is direct mounted.
Great playing and nice equipment I agree with you . The evh sounds good but not as polished as the Seymour Duncan I just subscribed to your channel thank you what kind of Marshall do you have there
I just spent over an hour last night watching Pete Thorn do a Deep Dive into the "Van Halen" pickups...24 different ones... and I don't think he included a Wolfgang...🤔
Gonza!! - For me, I love the Wolfgang pickup, its maybe my favorite pickup ever!!! -- If you want the earlier sound I think you would like the EVH Frankenstein, its similar to the custom custom, but way better. It is a bit better balanced and clearer more articulate, but still Alnico II and BROWN...Very very BROWN (mean)....Yeah I think franky is my second favorite pickup.......
I had a tb11 once and maybe it was my guitar but it was mid heavy in a bad way. My preference is a jb but I like the wolfgang pickup as it has a clarity the jb doesn’t. Almost there in gain but the jb is hotter in my opinion. The Wolfgang has a cool modern feel to it. It’s bass is a there but less in your face than the jb. Overall though I really dig the evh Wolfgang pickup!
It’s a great Pup man...if I get another Wolfgang Special I’ll swap the import Wolfgang pup for this one...so I’ll keep it store waiting the right guitar to put it!...🤘
Apparently, the pickup he used in the white and black guitar in the first record was a "Custom" which had a ceramic magnet in it. It sounded closer to his "main" guitar which was the Ibanez Destroyer. But after he destroyed the Destroyer (haha) and killed the tone, he started looking for new tones and eventually, stuck a PAF magnet in the Custom. Seymour Duncan, supposedly, had to rewind it because Eddie would routinely kill pickups (somehow) and the pickup that ended up in the Frankenstein was that rewound "Custom Custom". Turns out the gauss of the magnet Eddie used was similar to an Alnico 2 which is what the reproduction pickup is. During the Hagar era, he used a Duncan JB in his 5150 guitar and it somehow shorted out internally and the reading on it was 60k or something! But Eddie put a Custom Custom in the NECK position of the prototype Ernie Ball guitars and he like it there. The DiMarzio pickup in the Music Man was around 17k in the bridge and used AlNiCo 5 magnet (the 2nd place finisher in that pickup contest ended up being the Tone Zone). He stuck with the 14k/AlNiCo 2 thing when Peavey designed his guitar and the formula just stuck. Basically the Custom Custom is the pickup in the Frankenstein (minus aging) and what ended up using is just a slight variation of that concept. Pickup wind patterns do matter but the main specs matter the most. BTW, the "Custom" wind is basically the same number of turns of wire as the 59 wind with thicker 42 gage wire. So the concept was higher output at a similar inductance. That's why the Seymour Duncan 78 (9.1k w/ 42ga) and the Custom Custom/Frankenstein (14.1k w/ 43ga) has such a similar tone and the output isn't as different as would imagine.
Did you have to change wiring of seymour duncan to get them to work together ? SD wiring normaly is red+white taped, green +bare to ground, black to hot, evh neck wired normal ?
You are correct 💯 in my opinion.. Duncan JB is my favorite pickup ever. I own a Wolfgang guitar and the Duncan is a sweeter sound and more polished as you said. I also agree 💯 the the Friedman is the best sounding amp EVER!!! I have the Friedman deluxe pedal 2 chanel and it's close to the amp .. I've been a Van Halen freak my whole life and thought that everything he used was the best but as I get older I keep going back to my favorite the Duncan! And really want hopefully to get a big 100 head in a cab one day if Friedman cuz that is by far the greatest sounding amp that at least I have ever heard! Keep up the great work my brother. Happy Thanksgiving from Nashville Tennessee USA 🤘🤘
Hola Pagnol..son bestias diferentes…el Plexi Marshall puede ser súper limpio o saturado tipo Evh pero es salvaje, peligroso…el Friedman puede ser limpio o saturado AcDC pero mucho más elegante y controlado…
Is this the stock Wolfgang pickup that came with the guitar. If so it's not the same as the USA Wolfgang pickup. Sounds totally different that the USA pickup. I have to agree that the Duncan sounds better not as loose on the low end. Again if this is the stock pickup in the special it doesn't represent the pickup Van Halen actually used as the USA pickup sounds different.
Good to know. I didn’t hear you mention that this was a Japanese made special with USA pickups. That’s being the case I thought the Wolfgang pickups were a bit muddy or loose in the low end. Kind of like a Dimarzio tone zone. I was hoping these were the Asia made ones. I was about to buy a USA made Wolfgang pickup from Sweetwater. I might rethink that now.
Both sound good, but the difference is in the upper frequencies. The wolfgang has more controlled, subdued highs, while the Seymour duncan has far more of the vintage alnico-style highs sound. I have a wolfgang with the stock humbucker, and the sound of it surprised me when I got it. From my experience with that and other guitars, I find I like more present mids, generous amount of vintage-sounding highs, and more subdued, controlled lows. I think they're both objectively good, just a matter of preference. My preference at this point is the SD. Definitely, people need to look more into alnico 2 for hard rock. That in front of a high gain amp sounds way more unique and rich, then a hot and mid scooped alnico 5 humbucker boosted into the front of an amp.
Yes the Duncan sounds great. For me evens the EVH 20 watt celestion are shrill and ice pick also. Some scales w chords and how they work with each other would be good.
Sh11 es una muy rica Humbucker. Sería buenisimo un versus entre la sh11 y la sh16. A todo esto cuál de esas dos recomendarías más para una buena les Paul? Saludos!
Las LP tienden a ser más redondas, más profundas por lo que una Humbucker con buena presencia…una SD59 es maravillosa pero low gain…puede ser una Custom 5 o la Custom 78
In my view..... Seymour Duncan TB11 more raw and not so much highs.. Wolfgang has more treble, thinner highs on aspect separation - soloing. Eddie was a master at phrasing and rhythm other than his solos... So the Seymours to me, hit those areas of his sound in structuring phrasing aspect.
Both pickups are terrific. But the Wolfgang is just a bit too hot for my taste, and I'm a JB user. Eddie's tone once they came out with the EVH line just got way too distorted for my taste. I lean towards the tone he had on the first four albums up through Fair Warning, by which time he was using a Custom Custom before it was sold to the public.
Very well said… The Wolfgang pup is so hot it loses articulation. Which is ironic given the Music Man Axis has a pup in it that is one of the best pups I’ve ever heard, and made by Dimarzio (or it used to be). Fair Warning was in many people’s minds, the pinnacle of Eddie’s tone. Most of the people that claim to know Pete Thorn, Jim Gaustaad, say it was a Super Distortion. But, I’m not sure anyone knows, at this point. But they swear by it. But, I agree 100%….by today’s “chugging” standards, that tone he up on Fair Warning had very little gain, by comparison. I asked Gonza to do a comparison between the JB (or TB-11) with a Super Distortion. I’d love to hear how that sounds. But, when a pickup, or gain, is too much and causes the tone to lose bite, percussion, and articulation, then it’s a horrible sound (IMO). Ratt (Invasion) and EVH (Fair Warning) were the epitome of perfect hard rock tone IMO.
@@GonzaCordo Do I need to send you a couple of free “Gonza Demo appreciation” pickups? Which ones do you need? I might have them laying around I can send you. Would be fund to hear you do the comparison.
They sound nearly identical on the dirt sound. The SD TB11 seems to clean up better. This is the only thing I don't really love about my EVH guitars...the pickups don't clean up well. They achieve a passable clean sound but just barely.
I found the TB11 to be the best humbucker for huge amping of the classical/scale length, if anything an A4 swap availing that greatness less amped... When I used this pickup for the EVH mini it took an A3 to get his voicing (with the tungsten block), but the A8 in this pickup is was what made lower tuned slacker strings sound best (his doubleneck). I don't know about RoughCast but unless Aired (the EBMM Axis) I detest the A5's surface gauss... Like alot of ceramics, that picknoisy fretclamour tizziness has shamed too many produced guitars IMHO
Hi, hope someone can help me, i got the Wolfgang Bridge pickup and had it installed on a Jackson RR, however there is an insane amount of noise, it doesn't seem to be grounding issues since it doesn't lower when i touch any metal part, the noise is as loud as the notes playing so it's so frustrating, can a bad pot or something cause that kind of thing? Note that the pickup sounds just fine on the clean channel, the issue it's only when i add even a little distortion.
@@GonzaCordo Thanks for the reply! I didn't test it, i took it to a tech, and he wired it with the previous wiring the guitar had, in fact at first he conected a pair of no-brand pickups the guitar had but weren't wired, i took it home and the noise was at least twice as loud as the notes, that's when i got the wolfgang, the noise reduced drastically but still near unplayable, the no-brand neck pickup is still there wired, so idk if i should unwire it or just replace everything (pots, jack, toggle and wires and maybe not connect the neck one)
@@kirkgreenman1386 Hi, the control, springs and pickup cavities are shielded, the one thing that doesn't have copper is the pickguard tho. About the wax, nope. I'm taking it back for sure, but i'm not sure if i should buy like new pots or something in case it's needed
@@GonzaCordo Is the wolfgang bridge " F spaced "? would you say there is any noticeable difference in how the poles line up in both pick ups or is there any noticeable difference in volume? thank you for such a great video! Big VH fan here, if it wasn't for your video I might have never known about the Custom Custom!
HEY GONZA... THE CUSTOM CUSTOM SOUNDED MORE PUNCHIER AND MORE MUSICAL TO MY EARS. BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT THE ACTUAL PICK UP REALLY WAS THAT EDDIE USED ON HIS 1st and 3rd RECORDS! IT IS THE SEYMOUR DUNCAN 78 PICK UP......... THIS IS NOT MY OPINION OR MY BELIEF.. THIS IS THE FACT! LOOK INTO IT! ALL THE BEST ~
Actually the truth it’s totally unknown!…have you watch tone talk?…with Dave And Marc…they had A guy called Jim as a Guest, he has invested an awful amount of time investigating all EVh tone related and he got to very interesting conclusions!…
@@GonzaCordo : / UH, NO. ACTUALLY, THE TRUTH IS, SEYMOUR DUNCAN HAS PUBLICLY SAID SEVERAL TIMES, IN RECORDED VIDEO INTERVIEWS, THAT EDDIE FIRST BROUGHT HIM A PAF PICK UP FROM A 335 GIBSON, AND ASKED HIM TO IMPROVE IT. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THAT PICK UP, IS THE 78 PICK UP!!!!!!! SO THERE IT IS......... WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THE SOUND SAMPLES OF THAT 78 PICK UP? YOU CAN CLEARLY HERE THE EXACT SOUNDS FROM VAN HALEN ONE, AND FAIR WARNING! BELIEVE WHATEVER YOU LIKE, BUT THAT WONT CHANGE THE FACTS OR THE TRUTH! ( COMING RIGHT FROM SEYMOUR DUNCANS MOUTH! ) INFACT, WHY DONT YOU CALL SEYMOUR DUNCAN YOURSELF AND TALK WITH EITHER HIM OR HIS TOP PICK UP BUILDER, MJ?????? THEY WILL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT I JUST TOLD YOU! BUT YOU PROBABLY WONT BELIEVE THEM EITHER! OK, SO I GUESS YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE EDDIE IN HEAVEN YOURSELF, AND YOU CAN ASK HIM THEN! : / IF YOU END UP IN HEAVEN????? I HOPE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED BY JESUS?! I ALSO HOPE YOU SPEND MORE TIME ON FOCUSING ON YOUR OWN SOUND AND PLAYING, AND JUST APPRECIATE EDDIES SOUND AND HIS PLAYING.. HE MADE HIS OWN SOUND.. YOU SHOULD, WE ALL SHOULD TOO!
@@30pitchcleaver Yes, it was. It was an alnico 2 paf pick up from a gibson 335, and he took that to seymour to modify it. seymour himself is seen and heard saying this in a video interview.
@@rockybalboa2526 Yep, funny thing is (this is no B.S.) after my lessons as a kid I asked Santa for a electric guitar and I got a Sunburst 335 & Gibson Skylark 30 watt tube amp (Dad was no slouch). Still kicking myself in the ass but I traded it for a Ibanez Les Paul before it became the Lawsuit deal, now that guitar was SWEET as well. In 1978 Eddy made me start all over once again and now have the Axis & Wolfgang but downsized to the JOYO 5150 threw a Kustom 12" speaker.
