Why's it called "brown" sound?

[The Blue Garden]

I never got that ...

[Treborklow]

What has the brown sound? The brown Fender amps maybe?

[sylvesterlowery]

I heard because it is big and warm, and brown is a "warm" color, therefore, the "brown sound".

[Yngtchie Blacksteen]

Eddie was using colours to describe his sound, much like Jimi used to do. 'Brown' in this case means a very dry, gainy tone, namely the tone on the first Van Halen albums.

[Wyatt]

The term, indeed, goes back to EVH. In general, it is used to refer to a tone that is warm, middy and organic sounding. EVH's tone was deceptively lo- to medium-gain in those days, with a lot of power amp crunch, a good vintage Marshall tone stepped up a notch; completely different from the scooped-mid, hi-gain preamp tones that are popular these days. The color could tie into "earthy," "well grounded," "dirty," etc. It is also often used to describe those old Tweed tones of the '50's blues recordings.

[The Blue Garden]

Yup, I've heard it most with descriptions of Van Halen's early sound, which I love, but I didn't know he actually used a color himself to describe it ~ that's cool.

[SkullCap]

Man, I was really looking for a poop joke in here, but I guess that would be way too obvious. No, JK, I love EVH!

[Piggy]

cos it sounds like {censored}

[SkullCap]

cos it sounds like {censored}

 

I bet you play through a Crate.

[Doctor Morbius]

cos it sounds like {censored}

... or a wet fart or SHART.

[SkullCap]

... or a wet fart or SHART.

 

Damn, some serious EVH hatin' going on in here.

[Doctor Morbius]

Damn, some serious EVH hatin' going on in here.

Thought you were looking for some poop jokes? I like EVH's playing. He sounds like a douche though.

[niceguy]

there's a pic out there somewhere of a toilet guitar.

 

It's how you get the brown sound.

 

The end.

[Dom1412]

 

Damn, some serious EVH hatin' going on in here.

 

 

Because we are all serious, all the time. Especially when it comes to poop jokes.

[Man and Mer]

Scatological humor. Serious business.

[Goldtopper]

The term first appeared here:

 

http://www.vhlinks.com/pages/interviews/evh/gp0480.php

[lukeswall]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_sound

 

"The term was coined by guitarist Eddie Van Halen to describe the sound of Alex Van Halen's snare drum, which he then attempted to emulate with his 100-watt Marshall amplifier running at full volume."

 

WTF??

[The Blue Garden]

 

The term first appeared here: http://www.vhlinks.com/pages/interviews/evh/gp0480.php

 

 

Well this clears it up, from the above link (Guitar Player April 1980):

 

 

GP: Do you ever have trouble hearing yourself?

 

 

 

EVH: Never. Dave and Mike won

[The Blue Garden]

wiki = LOL sometimes

[Samnite]

I've always found that interesting. Based on his descriptions of the sound, I've always kind of wondered if EVH was a neurological synaesthete.

 

It appears that, in certain people, neurons which are supposed to connect directly to their respective sensory cortexes, sometimes are at least partially rerouted to another part of the brain.

 

Thus, for instance, a light stimulus might also have a smell associated with it, so that the color blue might also literally smell like, say, lavender.

 

Apparently, there are a number of combinations this can happen in. Some people see a different color for each letter on a page, for instance, regardless of their actual color.

 

Some synaesthetes also happen to literally see colors when they hear sounds, and such people usually make excellent musicians, because they can literally see music, and every pitch on the musical scale has a different color.

 

I've always wondered if EVH was one of these people.

[pipedwho]

Thanks GT

There have been many players that have made the mistake of playing too loud and too long, and found the results permanent. This is why EVH still has at least some of his hearing. Get the right tone, and it sounds loud, without actually being that loud.

[zepfan976]

I've always found that interesting. Based on his descriptions of the sound, I've always kind of wondered if EVH was a neurological synaesthete . It appears that, in certain people, neurons which are supposed to connect directly to their respective sensory cortexes, sometimes are at least partially rerouted to another part of the brain. Thus, for instance, a light stimulus might also have a smell associated with it, so that the color blue might also literally smell like, say, lavender. Apparently, there are a number of combinations this can happen in. Some people see a different color for each letter on a page, for instance, regardless of their actual color. Some synaesthetes also happen to literally see colors when they hear sounds, and such people usually make excellent musicians, because they can literally see music, and every pitch on the musical scale has a different color. I've always wondered if EVH was one of these people.

That would be cool to be one of those poople.

[The Blue Garden]

 

I've always found that interesting. Based on his descriptions of the sound, I've always kind of wondered if EVH was a neurological synaesthete .

 

 

I'd be wonderin about Hendrix also based on what you've said ~ those two had more than a little in common. Great thought!

[roygbiv]

I've always found that interesting. Based on his descriptions of the sound, I've always kind of wondered if EVH was a neurological synaesthete . It appears that, in certain people, neurons which are supposed to connect directly to their respective sensory cortexes, sometimes are at least partially rerouted to another part of the brain. Thus, for instance, a light stimulus might also have a smell associated with it, so that the color blue might also literally smell like, say, lavender. Apparently, there are a number of combinations this can happen in. Some people see a different color for each letter on a page, for instance, regardless of their actual color. Some synaesthetes also happen to literally see colors when they hear sounds, and such people usually make excellent musicians, because they can literally see music, and every pitch on the musical scale has a different color. I've always wondered if EVH was one of these people.

 

Awwww man, I think the clock is slow!

 

CLASS DISMISSED!

 

Thanks for the discourse, professor!

 

:poke:

[roygbiv]

 

Scatological humor. Serious business.

 

 

"Scat" ological humor?

 

Now, that's really fvcking clever. I'm impressed.