Explain Wolfgang's Van Halen's Live Rig

[DJS]

Great show - see it if you can. Eddie's tone is just superb. Wolfgang can certainly sing MAs high harmonies and seemed very comfortable up there. I glared at him waiting to see him look at his left hand or trip up - he never did either.

But I was puzzled by his rig - 5 stacks, each topped by a 100 watt EVH 5150 head. Outside cabinets were 8x8s, Next pair were 4x10s that looked just like the guitar cabinets, underneath a pair of 2x10s (I think - or 2x12s?) The center was a stacked set of 2x15s.

All I hear is "don't mix drivers" - this seems to very much fly in the face of that logic. Just for show? Or required? And was this probably all customized one-offs for bass?

Link Removed

 

[AdamR]

He's probably not using any of it. All stage props, LOL. In the You-Tube videos posted previously he was using one of the new Fender tube heads through a 810 cab,

 

[NKBassman]

Potentially just dummy cabs with his real rig going DI back stage.

 

[THUNDERGODX]

Those are probably all Eddies cabinets.

Wolfie DI's so he doesnt take up any backline space.

 

[will33]

The vast majority of it will be for looks and may not even be running, all the 5150 heads, etc. A stack or two actually being used for stage monitoring.



Not Van Halen but this is done all the time......

 

[DJS]

Those are probably all Eddies cabinets.

Wolfie DI's so he doesnt take up any backline space.

heh heh! Poor kid - Hope at least one of those was his. Thanks!

 

[billfitzmaurice]

All I hear is "don't mix drivers" - this seems to very much fly in the face of that logic. Just for show?

Could be. But I've worked with/met hundreds of bass players for major touring acts, and can tell you that not only do they put their pants on one leg at a time, just like you do, most of them don't know any more about how gear works than you do either. Perhaps less, if you know why mixing drivers is to the best sound possible as alchemy is to quantum physics.

 

[Disco Batman]

I'm quite sure it's all show like most big productions are. As in the pic a few posts up.

And of course Eddie is going to cover the stage in EVH gear. Just look at Wofies bass, it's a one off EVH J-Bass.

It's about selling that EVH gear.

 

[DrumsAndBass]

DJS,

I'm glad to know of another Van Halen fan. I'll be a fan of that band forever. Regarding Wolfgang on bass, I can only imagine the preparation he must do for his dad's music. Respect to those guys.

 

[Nomadskills]

Regarding Wolfgang on bass, I can only imagine the preparation he must do for his dad's music.

I don't think there's a lot of prep needed to play a Van Halen bass line is there? It's pretty much all Eddie all the time. Which is not a crack at Michael Anthony BTW... It's a shot at Eddie.

 

[Rockbobmel]

The vast majority of it will be for looks and may not even be running, all the 5150 heads, etc. A stack or two actually being used for stage monitoring.



Not Van Halen but this is done all the time......

Tacky!



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[rodl2005]

Tacky!

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Typical! & ftr, I like VH too.

 

[jasper383]

Could be. But I've worked with/met hundreds of bass players for major touring acts, and can tell you that not only do they put their pants on one leg at a time, just like you do, most of them don't know any more about how gear works than you do either. Perhaps less, if you know why mixing drivers is to the best sound possible as alchemy is to quantum physics.

+1

Lots of great players know very little about gear.

 

[David Jayne]

Tacky!



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Yeah but face it- it looks cool. Much cooler than IEM's and an empty stage.

 

[David Jayne]

Could be. But I've worked with/met hundreds of bass players for major touring acts, and can tell you that not only do they put their pants on one leg at a time, just like you do, most of them don't know any more about how gear works than you do either. Perhaps less, if you know why mixing drivers is to the best sound possible as alchemy is to quantum physics.

 

[will33]

Tacky!



.

It's all about the show, man.

Front shot of that same concert.

I guess it's be really tacky if it's one doing that, then running around preaching about staying true to the music...not "selling out", etc.


Another type of prop is this where you sit in the one cab you are using.

Of course, in those days, maybe they were using all of these.

Regardless....like me some Van Halen.

 

[will33]

On the right of that front shot, you can see a guy rigging a line array getting ready to fly it or something....yet the audience thinks they're hearing the speakerless stacks.

 

[JimmyM]

I don't care what you all say...I love seeing big rigs at rock shows, and I don't care if they're real or perfectly arrayed and time-aligned or not. I don't even care if they're dummy cabs. However, those fake amp panels look really cheesy and obvious.

 

[wideload]

Gotta give due props (??!) to Geddy for his stage rig - with clean clothes and some darn good chicken for after the show!

 

[JimWasHere]

Up close, the sausage looks like dog poop.