Credit: Rudy Childs Night Ranger guitar Brad Gillis says his mastery of the whammy bar all began with the guitar master himself - Eddie Van Halen. During a recent interview with 80's Metal Recycle Bin, Gillis talked about the origins of his guitar technique, one that helped take Night Ranger to the top of the charts with multi-platinum records and sales reaching over … [Read more...]
Eddie Van Halen News
Jerry Cantrell On The Stolen EVH Guitar That Found Its Way Back Home
Imagine Eddie Van Halen giving you an EVH guitar only to have it stolen. That's exactly what happened to Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell but, thankfully, this story has a happy ending. Even better, Cantrell was able to share the good news with Eddie himself. Back in 1991 Alice in Chains was chosen as the opening act for Van Halen. Cantrell said Eddie ended up … [Read more...]
Wolfgang Van Halen On Including Van Halen’s ‘Sunday Afternoon In The Park’ Synth On Mammoth WVH Song ‘Mr. Ed’
Wolfgang Van Halen says he was just waiting for the right moment to insert his dad Eddie's synthesizer into a Mammoth WVH song. That moment arrived with the track "Mr. Ed". Just in case you haven't picked up on it yet, Wolfgang used the original Electro-Harmonix Micro-Synthesizer Eddie used on Van Halen's "Sunday Afternoon In The Park" from Van Halen's 1981 album Fair … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar Says There Are A Few More Van Halen Jams In The Vaults
Credit: Mark Weiss There may be a few more completed Sammy-era Van Halen songs left in the 5150 vaults, according to Sammy Hagar. During a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock's Matt Wardlaw, Hagar said, although there isn't much, there are still "a few jams" that remain from his time with the band. One of those songs Hagar cited was a demo recorded during … [Read more...]
Van Halen: The Life. The Music. The Joy.
The coveted Van Halen special issue by LIFE is now available at Van Halen Store! Beautifully printed and informative, this “bookazine” is high quality - more like a book than a magazine. Well-written and loaded with amazing color photos - many rare or never-before-seen. This LIFE special issue is 96 pages of pure Van Halen (no ads, or any non-VH content) and will be enjoyed … [Read more...]
Former Eddie Van Halen Guitar Tech Tom Weber On How To Set Up An EVH Frankenstein Guitar [VIDEO]
Wanna learn how to set up your own guitar like Eddie Van Halen's iconic Frankenstein guitar? Who better than Eddie's long-time guitar tech to show you how! Weber, who worked as Eddie's principle guitar technician between 2007 and 2020, recently hosted a video for FiveStarGuitars to show guitarists his tricks of the trade and how he sets up an EVH Frankenstein Custom … [Read more...]
Brian May On Planned ‘Star Fleet’ Reissue, Unheard Eddie Van Halen Solos
Credit: Rudy Childs There may be some unheard Eddie Van Halen recordings in our future, according to Queen's Brian May. During a recent interview with Ultimate Classic Rock's Matt Wardlaw, May revealed that he plans on reissuing his 1983 EP Star Fleet Project featuring Eddie on guitar. Among the recording session tapes are never-before-heard solos from Eddie. "I … [Read more...]
5150 Slides Are Here For Summer
Slide into comfort in the new 5150 Slides! From the beach to the backyard, to the streets, enjoy them all day long. The contoured footbed cradles and holds your foot in place, while the padded strap feels as good as it looks. And, of course, Eddie Van Halen's eye-catching 5150 graphics and stealth-gray stripes show off your rockin’ style! Just released & shipping now at … [Read more...]
George Lynch: ‘Eddie Van Halen Was A Super-Sensitive Guy, Which Allowed Him To Be This Incredible Musician’
There was a side of Eddie Van Halen most never had the chance to see, according to guitarist George Lynch. During his appearance on the Appetite for Destortion podcast, Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob) talked about the impact Eddie’s death had on him. "I mean, David Bowie, I mean, George Michael, all these people - Prince - these giants - Tom Petty - all at once it seemed like,” … [Read more...]
Sammy Hagar On Adding Van Halen Songs To Upcoming Setlists, The Story Behind ‘Poundcake’
Sammy Hagar continues to promise a setlist heavy on Van Halen songs during his upcoming concerts. During a recent Instagram live chat with The Washington Post's Geoff Edgers, Hagar said he and Circle bandmate Michael Anthony have been adding more and more songs from Hagar's time in Van Halen to upcoming shows. "We're goin' heavy on Van Hagar lately," said Hagar. … [Read more...]
Latest ‘Runnin’ With The Dweezil’ Podcast Clip On The ‘Greatness’ Of Eddie Van Halen’s ‘Good Enough’ Guitar Work
Listening to Zappa's podcast Runnin' With The Dweezil often feels like being a fly on the wall. We get to hear two veteran guitarists talk shop. In the case of this podcast, it's a shop filled with the sounds of Eddie Van Halen's legendary guitar riffs, solos, bending licks and whatever other head scratching "how the hell did he do that?" sounds. Take Eddie's elephant roars on … [Read more...]
Van Halen Stories: ‘Nashville Eruption’ November 9th, 1978
Every fan has their story to tell. We know you've got yours. We certainly have ours. It's the story of the very first time you witnessed Van Halen perform live. The YouTube channel Final Resonance TV has recently launched a series titled "Van Halen Stories". For the debut episode guest Mike Simmons of Blackbird Rentals in Nashville, Tennessee recalled his first-ever Van … [Read more...]