ED’S BROWN SOUND EXPLAINED

There’s much myth around the subject, but ‘brown sound’ is simply the term Eddie used to describe his classic drive tone. You know, the sound on almost every solo he recorded. That tone! Ed originally coined the term to refer to Alex Van Halen’s ‘woody’ snare sound before applying it to his own sound. The Marshall Plexi, Variac, and EP-3 Delay are core ingredients, with the Phase 90 often used too. The amp and phaser are much imitated by digital modellers. To recreate the tone, dial in as much gain as you’ll need and roll off your guitar’s own volume for cleaner sounds. The rest is in your fingers!