My thoughts on the EBMM EVH

[mizzle]

throwing it back a few posts but that phil hartman bit cracks me up too.

[nobozos]

Hey Ugo, thanks for the compliment. I don't have any pics I can upload right now of my guitars.

Anyway, I may have to take exception to the idea that the Wolfgang is a rip-off of the original. Here's my take:

Eddie designed a great guitar with Ernie Ball. He really broke new ground with the design of the body. He basically created a whole new style of guitar. Now there is the Strat, Tele, Les Paul, PRS,and EVH style bodies.

When Eddie left Ernie Ball, it wasn't because he was unhappy with the design, or even the quality of construction, it was because of the amount of time customers had to wait to get a new EBMM EVH. (I won't entertain the rumors of wife screwing)

So Eddie went to Peavey to design a EVH guitar with them. To me, it's no suprise that the guitars are so similar. The same guy designed them, and he obviously liked the concept that he came up with for a body shape. Some would even argue that the Wolfgang is a more refined design, because he had an opportunity to see the things he would like to change from the original design.

I think the addition of the carved top, and tone knob really set it apart from the EBMM EVH. Now if Peavey would have come out with the Wolfgang Flametop Special right off the bat, I would have to say that you would be correct in your assertion that it was a total rip-off.

I feel that I should mention that I have owned four Wolfgangs. a Purple Standard Flametop, a Black Special, a Black Standard, and a Tobaccoburst Flametop Special. I thought all of those guitars were great playing, great sounding guitars. I can't say anything bad about any one of them. I switched to EBMM because I personally think that the tone, quality, and construction are superior to the Wolfgang. This should come as no suprise once you compare the construction time of a Wolfgang to the construction time of an Axis.

Hey man, they are both great guitars. I can't knock Eddie for wanting to get his product to the people faster. He produced some of the best guitars ever made with Ernie Ball for a while, and the spirit of that guitar is still retained in the Axis. He is still having great guitars made, but I think the original is embodied more in the Axis than in the Wolfgang.

[UGO]

Hey,

You do make some great points.....

BUT.... I remember when eddie was first starting to rant and rave about EEMM EVH before it was born...he raved about how the non-contoured body was something that he had always wanted in a guitar....that flat top was something that he always lobbied for...AS WELL AS THE ONE VOLUME KNOB!

It's just that Peavey had borrowed soooo much of ernie's traits...

(Binding, headstock, pickup colors, the quilt top, the headstock,)

Artisticly speaking you can't argue the rip-off in terms of design. It was as if they just had to tweak otherwise they would have just produced the same guitar. If I were Peavey, I'd be embarassed to execute such a "Borrowed Design"

And let's face it...What other great guitars does Peavey manufacture?
mmmm? I can't think of another....

Then you look at EBMM's line up and every single guitar stands out, and is it's
own masterpeice.

I understand Eddie wanting people to easily aquire his instument....but let's get real for a moment.....Do you think the switch in companies had anything to do with MONEY!!!!! I'm sure that was the driving force behind the whole switch....I'm as sure as that as I am of anything. I mean....he Knew EEMM was a small company from the get go. He knew and used to praise the fact that they would only be producing the EEMM EVH in small batch to keep the quality high. It was one of the original sell-points! So the fact that Eddie all of a sudden woke up one day and decided he felt bad that kids were not able to get there hands on his guitar without waiting a while..does not convince me.

It's all about the CASH. PERIOD. I personaly thing he should have just stayed where he was and stuck to his guns. I mean NO BODY else has left Ernie Ball's line-up. Just Eddie.....and he left to produce a worse guitar, that is a blatant morph of an original collaboration that made guitar history.

[nobozos]

Well sure it's about the money. I didn't mean to imply that Eddie was so deeply concerned about the mental anguish of his fans that he felt compelled to switch companies to get them their guitars faster. A more likely scenario is that once the EBMM EVH was out a while, he saw a growing demand for his guitar that Ernie Ball could not meet with their more exacting production methods. I'm sure he wanted to put an EVH guitar in the hands of everyone that wanted one so that he could get the money.

I will agree with you on most of your points, EXCEPT Peavey can't make a high quality guitar. Some other good Peavey guitars were the Destiny, Cropper Classic, and the Vandenberg.

The problem with Peavey is, their high end stuff is really good, but everything else they make is crap. So unless you are shelling out $1200.00 or more, you never would know that they make a quality instrument. If you start out on one of their $300.00 guitars, you will probably never buy another Peavey guitar again.

Ernie Ball doesn't make a crappy line of guitars. Every guitar Music Man produces is top quality. To me, this makes Music Man a better choice than Peavey for getting a quality instrument, but to say that Peavey can't produce a quality instrument is taking ones enthusiasm for Ernie Ball a little too far.

Like I said, I have no question in my mind that an Axis is better quality than a Wolfgang, but the Wolfgang is still a very good quality guitar. I would sooner spend $1500. 00 on a new Wolfgang, than $2500.00 on a new PRS or Les Paul.

I do think that the MSRP on the Wolfgang is rediculous. I would never pay anywhere near full price for one. I think quality wise, the Wolfgang(Standard Flametop) rates as a solid $1200.00 guitar. I think the Axis is priced about right for the quality, and Gibson and PRS are just INSANE!

Ernie Ball is the very best quality for the minimum amount of money. I would put the quality and playability of any line of Music Man guitars up against Gibson or PRS any day.

Hey man, I'm not trying to run you down or anythin UGO. You are entitled to your opinion on Peavey, and on the Wolfgang. I think we agree on most points in principle. I really am uncomfortable being put into a position where I have to defend Peavey, but I feel strongly that the Wolfgang is a high quality guitar, and enough of a variation on the original design(EBMM) to make it desireable to own one in addition to either an Axis or an original EVH. If it's an "either-or" choice, I would definately choose an EBMM, and if I ever ended up owning an Axis and a Wolfgang, I would probably trade them both in on a EBMM EVH if I could find someone to do it.

[UGO]

I agree with you on most points as well.....you have very valid points.
I can tell you really know what your talking about.

I also own a silhouette special pearl green (one of the early ones)
w/ a RIO GRANDE' FAT BASTARD (p90 hummbucker) in the bridge. Cool Axe.

Hey, I meant to ask....Pickup wise....do you prefer the dimarzios or the peavey's in the EVH's

what amps do you own....

UGO

[nobozos]

I like the Silhouettes too, would probably be my second choice of an EBMM to get.

I prefer DiMarzios to just about any other pickup. I found the pickups in the Wolfgang to be high output, which is great for harmonics and sustain, but lacking tone compared to the DiMarzios in the Axis/EVH. Nothing really wrong with the tone of the Wolfgang pickups, I just prefer the Axis pickups tone.
Wolfgang pickups to me are more well suited for someone who is going to be playing Death Metal throught a Mesa Triple-Rectifier.

As far as amps go, I just recently got a 5150 Combo Amp, and I really like it. I used to have a Marshall JCM 900 combo amp, but I was never really happy with the gain structure. I was having to put a Tube Screamer on my amp to get the gain I wanted. That is definately not a problem with the 5150 Combo. My lead Pre setting is about 4.5 and my rythym Pre setting is about 6. Any more than that and I have to be standing in another room to keep my pickups from feeding back through the amp.

My next step for an amp will probably be a Germino head. My lead guitar player got one, and the thing just smokes. It is a tone monster. I think he said he paid $1500 for it new. Blockhead makes some killer amps too, but the one I would get costs about $2500 bucks, so unless I hit the little lotto sometime soon, I'll be playing my 5150 Combo for a while.

Before the Marshall, I had an old Fender Band-Master amp. You couldn't get distortion out of it for ****, but it was a great sounding amp. I think it was a 1964 model. It was a hand-me-down from my uncle. Didn't even have reverb, it had vibrato.
It was a head sitting on a 2x12 cabinet. Great amp for a Jazz or Blues player. It just didn't suit my style of music.

[ebb soul]

It's easy to 'improve' something if someone's laid the groundwork for you, but if peavey did they did and if they didn't -they could have, but it's hard for me to tell..

[slukather]

HI l'm new to this forum,

I just wanted to add my 2 cents.

If you guys in the U.S. pay $2100 for a Peavey Wolfgang, l think you are getting cheated, l own 2, the peavey Special costed me $1500, and my Peavey Standard Costed me $1900. (Thats in Australian Money). Compared to The ebmm EVH, which used to go for $4500(new). I'm not saying l don't like ebmm guitars, l own a LUKE, and it's one of the greatest guitars l've ever played, l want to get a ebmm, l think here in Australia they are going for around $6000-$7000(second Hand).

I understand that people have their own opition, but l think Peavey make some great equipment, i know peavey has some $300 guitars, but not every beginner can spend a couple thosand dollars on a guitar. I used to think that Peavey made some terrible equipment, but l went out and tried some of there equipment, and in my opition l think there equipment rocked. Their classic series, the triple x, 5150 series etc etc etc, they are fantasic. Considering l used to play Marshall, which l will never go back to. But because l don't like Marshall, it doesn't mean they are no good.

Then comes my views about eddie van halens move from ebmm to peavey. If it comes down to money why he made the move, then thats fine with me, (try to bear with me) its like a job, if you get offered more money doing the some work, but working for someone else, you would take the job. And l don't think that there would be anyone that would disagree with me.

Anyway, the reason for this post is not to offend anyone or to say ebmm equipment is terrible, they aren't, and so isn't peavey, there is alot of equipment out there that is fantastic, there is some equipment that is terrible. Some fantastic equipment l've played though is homemade equipment, with no brand, it's all down to the individual. I think Frank Zappa said it best "shut up and play your guitar.

Cheers

[Estin]

i don't know, i always said that signature gear just pisses me off. i'd never want some artists name on my gear. i played both the evh and the axis i think the axis is better. i don't think enough people have small enough hands in this world to manage the evh's neck. i was never into solo's or 80's marshall treble gain either so maybe thats another reason i can't dig it. i use my axis for rythm of modern metal. bottom line is i feel the evh and the axis are too different guitars. everyone seems to argue like the axis is a replacement for the evh, and whats better new or original? i think theirs been too many changes for the better to consider the axis a "replacment" maybe more of evolution if anything. i've always just been too busy worrying about my playing rather than an artists playing or what their doing or thinking at the time. just me though.

[hbucker]

Originally posted by UGO


Hey, I meant to ask....Pickup wise....do you prefer the dimarzios or the peavey's in the EVH's



UGO

You weren't asking me but I'll give my 2 cents on this.

For straight high gain playing I like the DiMarzios better. They cut through with a lot of warmth, definition and less fuzzz. I don't like fuzzzzzzzz. I find that these pickups sound great for other styles but aren't as versatile as the Wolfgang pickups.

Yes, the Wolfgang pickups are hotter and even distort a little at full volume but running them with the volume pot at about 7 or 8 gives a very nice clean and driven tone. Turning them up gives you extra juice for solos or just more distortion if you want it. IMO these pickups aren't as good for high gain stuff but are better than the EVH/DiMarzios for a wider variety of music from Country to Top 40 and Rock.

Generally speaking the "EVH sound" has always been compared on some level to a cross between a Strat and a Les Paul tonally. I'd say the EVH/Axis pickups are closer to the Les Paul Warmth and the Wolfgang pickups have more of the Strat bight. I'm glad I own both becuase both have their strong points.

Of course these are general comments but I find them to be fairly accurate. Your results may vary;-)

[slukather]

I'd have to agree with you hbucker, l prefer Dimarzio pups. The Wolfgangs are a high output pickup, and l prefer the Dimarzio PAF. I have a Wolfgang special, didn't really like the sound of it, but l fixed that by putting a tone control on it, it's a more rounded sound now.

Just out of curiousity, what type of amp do you play through hbucker?

Cheers

[hbucker]

Originally posted by slukather
I'd have to agree with you hbucker, l prefer Dimarzio pups. The Wolfgangs are a high output pickup, and l prefer the Dimarzio PAF. I have a Wolfgang special, didn't really like the sound of it, but l fixed that by putting a tone control on it, it's a more rounded sound now.

Just out of curiousity, what type of amp do you play through hbucker?

Cheers

hey slukather,

My main amp is a PV Classic 100 which I play through a Traynor 410 cab. It sounds quite good. Depending on how much versatility/convenience I need, I also have a Yamaha DG-Stomp preamp that I run through the "effects in" on either my Classic or on a 112 PV Bandit for smaller occasions. The DG through either setup also sounds very good. It makes that 13 year old Bandit sound better than many 112 tube amps I've played.

Honestly, I love all of my guitars. My favorite tends to be the one I'm playing at any given time. The fact that they are different doesn't bother me. For pure useable high gain tone to drool over I love my EVH. The harmonics just leap off of the neck My Wolf Special has an amazing variety of tones for a 2 humbucker guitar simply by turning the volume knob. I also split the coils on my Wolf Standart HT so I get a good variety out of that as well. Each has it's strengths and weaknesses which is why it's interesting to own more than one guitar.

I've said it on several boards, if you you can live without a Floyd, the Axis Super Sport may just be the best of all worlds. It's a dynamite little package.

[slukather]

hbucker, I love those PV Classic series amp, they rock, i played through a classic 30 at my local guitar store, and it just blow me away, the sound the volume you can get out of those things.

I have a PV Wolfgang Special, PV Wolfgang Standard Stop Tail Peice, A EBMM LUKE, and a copy of an EBMM EVH, some body and wood, l put a dimarzio PAF in the bridge and a Tone Zone in the Bridge, and a custom neck and different head stock. THe guts of my gear is a PV 5150ii and 5150 Cabinet, a boss ME-8 effect processor, (which l'm getting rid off, and replacing with stomp boxes. My main axe would probably be my LUKE, by as you said it depends which one l have in my hand.

Keep Rockin

[slukather]

hbucker, I love those PV Classic series amp, they rock, i played through a classic 30 at my local guitar store, and it just blow me away, the sound the volume you can get out of those things.

I have a PV Wolfgang Special, PV Wolfgang Standard Stop Tail Peice, A EBMM LUKE, and a copy of an EBMM EVH, some body and wood, l put a dimarzio PAF in the bridge and a Tone Zone in the Bridge, and a custom neck and different head stock. THe guts of my gear is a PV 5150ii and 5150 Cabinet, a boss ME-8 effect processor, (which l'm getting rid off, and replacing with stomp boxes. My main axe would probably be my LUKE, by as you said it depends which one l have in my hand.

Keep Rockin