Inputs for new Classic/Droptop (Van Halen Content)

[R2D2]

Hi all,

Am really into Van Halen lately and have been wanting to own a Maple/Maple Andy for quite sometime.

Really like the tone that is something like in HOT FOR TEACHER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OlAx4Dok38

I understand that pickup, amp, and ultimately fingers plays their part in big picture of tone,
But just wanted to get some input of the guitar's appointment to get the base covered.

Am currently thinking of Alder body with Maple/Maple
Not sure will Flame Maple with Basswood body and Maple/Maple neck will be close enough. Also not sure to front route or rear route.

Pickup wise not so sure since i only had H2+, H3, H1, H1- in my DropTopClassic to compare on.

And... is FLOYD a must...!?

Thanks in advance!

[Daenius]

I play most Van Halen stuff on my Anderson Classic and my Suhr Standard... neither have a Floyd... but anyhow...

I think Eddie was still using some weird type of home brew frankenstrat in 1984... which was actually an ASH body.

Eddie almost always rear routes too, so there you go

I personally have an HN3+ and this thing is the definition of "brown" <_< I also played plenty of H3 and H2+, I think they're perfectly great for VH type tones too.

Floyd... I personally can't stand them but if you really want to do a whole lot of bar tricks and use the bar to articulate your notes like Eddie does, it's nice to have. I own 2 TA Classics with the TA 2-post trem and while they're great trems in terms of tuning stability and smoothness, they feel like the Fender 2-post trem on my Strat: push a bit harder initially to get it going, then it's silky smooth. A Floyd moves much more freely in general, you barely touch it and it moves, and it's free to do flutters and stuff like that, all at the cost of being a real pain to re-string of course xD Floyds supposedly change the tone a bit too but I no longer own any Floyd Rose equipped guitars, so I can't speak on that anymore.

[Briggs]

If you're into VH you might want to read this post (http://andersonforum.com/board/showthread.php?t=403&highlight=Halen). It's one of my favorite things I've read on the forum.

[gibson5413]

Helping with the embed

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2OlAx4Dok38" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[R2D2]

Daenius> Thanks for the advise! Currently i'm thinking of either going floyd or vintage tremolo, but i don't use the whammy bar that much, so maybe vintage trem... HN3+ sounds super hot!

But i have read somewhere that the ASH on his guitar's body is hard ash, which is something different with normal ash we have? I am not sure about this

Briggs> That was an awesome read!

Gibson5413> Thanks!!

[tom]

that one was heavy, super articulate with the weak pickup.