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Gallery: Van Halen Live Gear 2012

Inside Eddie and Wolfgang''s rigs.

Wolfgang Super Bassman Heads
Wolfgang also uses two 300-watt, all-tube Fender Super Bassman heads (plus two backups). The vintage channel of one head drives a Fender 2x15 cab, while the overdrive channel of the other drives a Fender 8x10 cab.

When PG caught up with Van Halen before their April 27, 2012, performance at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, the only thing more thrilling than getting a guided tour of Eddie’s and Wolfgang’s rigs from their techs, Craig DeFalco and Jim Survis, was getting to sit through soundcheck and hear Ed, Wolf, and Alex pound out flawless versions of classics such as “Unchained” and “Runnin’ with the Devil.” Sadly, we can’t share the unreal listening experience with you—but we can share our great shots of their gear. Enjoy!

The two-in-one “sonic refractor” takes tremolo and wavefolding to radical new depths.

Pros: Huge range of usable sounds. Delicious distortion tones. Broadens your conception of what guitar can be.

Build quirks will turn some users off.

$279

Cosmodio Gravity Well
cosmod.io

4.5
4
4
4.5

Know what a wavefolder does to your guitar signal? If you don’t, that’s okay. I didn’t either until I started messing around with the all-analog Cosmodio Instruments Gravity Well. It’s a dual-effect pedal with a tremolo and wavefolder, the latter more widely used in synthesis that , at a certain threshold, shifts or inverts the direction the wave is traveling—in essence, folding it upon itself. Used together here, they make up what Cosmodio calls a sonic refractor.

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The author in the spray booth.

Does the type of finish on an electric guitar—whether nitro, poly, or oil and wax—really affect its tone?

There’s an allure to the sound and feel of a great electric guitar. Many of us believe those instruments have something special that speaks not just to the ear but to the soul, where every note, every nuance feels personal. As much as we obsess over the pickups, wood, and hardware, there’s a subtler, more controversial character at play: the role of the finish. It’s the shimmering outer skin of the guitar, which some think exists solely for protection and aesthetics, and others insist has a role influencing the voice of the instrument. Builders pontificate about how their choice of finishing material may enhance tone by allowing the guitar to “breathe,” or resonate unfettered. They throw around terms like plasticizers, solids percentages, and “thin skin” to lend support to their claims. Are these people tripping? Say what you will, but I believe there is another truth behind the smoke.

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Featuring a preamp and Dynamic Expansion circuit for punch and attack, plus switchable amp simulations.

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Photo by Chuck Brueckmann

Creed extend their sold-out Summer of ’99 Tour with 23 additional dates.

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