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DARK SECRETS: 5 - The Real Truth

“The albums hadn’t been doing well. We weren’t doing great. Suddenly we kind of surprised people”: Dave Davies on how You Really Got Me saved The Kinks, those Jimmy Page rumors – and what he really thought of Van Halen’s cover

The guitarist who paved the way for rock and metal distortion breaks down the truths and myths of the groundbreaking 1964 hit

Guitar World

David Lee Roth mocks "esteemed colleague" Sammy Hagar's claim to have been visited by Eddie Van Halen's ghost

We await the Red Rocker's response

Louder

“He had his own vocabulary. He had his own way of constructing chords. His own understanding of how they go on the neck”: Steve Vai on why Allan Holdsworth – the fusion virtuoso who wrote his own rules – was the GOAT

Most players Vai can work out where they were coming from. Holdsworth, he admits, was something different entirely

MusicRadar

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“As soon as I heard the news, I turned to my roommate and said, ‘That's my gig.’ The next day, Dave rings”: Steve Vai on how he joined David Lee Roth’s band – and Roth’s desire to “beat Van Halen”

In 1985, Vai was recruited to join Roth's post-Van Halen band – and the singer had lofty ambitions for his new project

Guitar World

Eddie Van Halen's 1982 iconic Kramer guitar to be auctioned

The instrument is based on Van Halen’s original “Frankenstrat” guitar from 1975. Five years after Van Halen's death, this is the first of his guitars with this trademark design to ever be auctioned. It is expected to fetch more than $2million during an October auction led by Sotheby's.

Euronews

“What Les Paul was for Gibson, Edward Van Halen is for Kramer”: Eddie Van Halen’s Kramer Ad guitar surfaces for sale – and is expected to reach $3,000,000 at auction

The early 1980s custom build, which was played on tour and once owned by Mick Mars, ushered in a watershed moment for Kramer and the guitar industry

Guitar World

“Back of headstock reveals:#1 Edward Van Halen Model”: Eddie Van Halen’s 1982 Kramer – also owned by Mick Mars – heads to the auction block. Is this the next multi-million dollar guitar?

Dressed up to look like Frankie, a precursor to the 5150, this transitional Kramer was stage-played by Eddie Van Halen and appeared on Mötley Crüe's Dr Feelgood

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Eddie Van Halen's custom Kramer guitar could fetch $2 to $3m at auction

Eddie Van Halen's custom Kramer is set to be sold at auction and is estimated to make a few million dollars.

BANG Premier

“I thought it was quite funny-sounding. It was very good as well, though. I’ve gotten used to it”: Dave Davies on Van Halen’s rendition of this career-making Kinks track

Van Halen covered The Kinks, not once, but twice – signaling the Eddie Van Halen-led outfit's respect for the band

Guitar World

“Eruption with one hand”: This guitar prodigy plays Eddie Van Halen's legendary two-hand tapping part – with only one hand

Filipe Rosset has been blowing minds with his insane handspan

Guitar World

“Every now and then, you’ll look at the wall and think, ‘I can’t believe we’re here’”: Wolfgang Van Halen welcomed Alter Bridge into the hallowed halls of the legendary 5150 Studios to record their new album

Eddie Van Halen’s iconic studio recently opened its doors to Mark Tremonti, Myles Kennedy and co

Guitar World

“I always wanted to reconcile, tell him there weren’t any hard feelings and end things on a friendly note. I got to do that”: Jake E. Lee had a hero’s welcome at Back to the Beginning – but mending his rift with Ozzy Osbourne was what meant the most

Lee reflects on Ozzy’s final show, explains why he never bore a grudge over being fired, and recalls how the late Prince of Darkness made him a better guitarist with a single comment

Guitar World

“He took us to 5150, and it still had all the tapes up there. There was Jump, the old analog tapes, everything marked”: Lzzy Hale on why Wolfgang Van Halen is well positioned to “save rock ‘n’ roll”

Hale and the rest of Halestorm were invited to Eddie Van Halen's iconic home studio

Guitar World

“You don't come into a Van Halen record and tell Eddie, ‘This is how we're going to do it’”: Why Eddie Van Halen didn’t double-track his guitars

Recording engineer Ross Hogarth recalls working with the late guitar icon and helping him broaden his sound on A Different Kind of Truth

Guitar World

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Guitar World

“He called me and said, ‘Paul! Paul! I need your help. Eddie’s coming up”: Paul Reed Smith on the time Kramer asked him to build a guitar for Eddie Van Halen

Smith was asked what he would have made if Van Halen had ever asked for a PRS guitar – but it turned out to be something of a trick question

Guitar World

“It sucks that we are in a world that doesn't have Ozzy Osbourne anymore”: Wolfgang Van Halen honors the Prince of Darkness with emotional cover of Mama, I’m Coming Home

Wolfgang and his Mammoth bandmates heard of Ozzy’s passing during soundcheck – and knew that “just mentioning it wasn’t enough”

Guitar World

“I look over at Zakk and he can’t work the fretboard. I’m screaming at him, ‘It’s from liftin’ them weights!’ I didn’t realize he’d taken all the antibiotics in the bottle”: How Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde became metal’s most beloved partnership

In this GW interview from 2018, the two metal greats sat down on the eve of Ozzy’s farewell tour to reflect on their three-decade partnership, from Wylde’s audition to their wildest stage story

Guitar World

“This might be stupid coming from the son of Eddie Van Halen”: Wolfgang Van Halen on why not every song needs a guitar solo

Shredding does feature on Mammoth’s third album, The End, but guitar solos aren’t always a given

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Guitar World

When tapping's not shredding: how to play tapped harmonics like Eddie Van Halen

Tapped harmonics were among Eddie Van Halen's trademark techniques. Learn how to make your guitar scream and sing

Guitar World

“I want someone that’s hungry. I want someone who wants to go out and kick Eddie Van Halen’s ass”: Ozzy Osbourne rates his guitarists – and reflects on the highs and lows of Black Sabbath

In this classic interview from the GW archives, the Prince of Darkness speaks candidly about bandmates past and present – from Randy Rhoads to Zakk Wylde – and what he looks for in a guitarist

Guitar World

“6 groundbreaking albums in 3 TONEX pedals”: IK Multimedia gives its best-selling TONEX One a Van Halen-inspired update – launching a trio of amp modelers that chart the 'Brown Sound' evolution

The pocket-size pedals each offer 50 accurate and reimagined takes on Eddie Van Halen’s iconic Brown Sound – and they’re available in plugin form, too

MusicRadar

“The anthology fully captures an artist’s tonal journey as he changed rock guitar forever”: Eddie Van Halen’s holy grail tone from a Tonex One mini pedal? IK Multimedia unveils the Brown Sound Anthology

Eddie Van Halen’s holy grail tone from a Tonex One? IK Multimedia unveils the Brown Sound Anthology

Guitar World

“I'm either wishing I had this back in the White Stripes or I am glad I didn't”: Jack White unveils a brand new custom guitar made by Eddie Van Halen's go-to master builder – and it’s “half bass, half guitar”

The off-kilter guitar – christened the ‘Ugly Stick’ – has been in the works for 30 plus years

MusicRadar

“I remember Eddie Van Halen asking me, ‘What’s wrong with you? Where’s that fire, dude?’ But I didn’t want to explain it to him”: George Lynch, the guitar hero who connected with EVH but got burned by Ozzy Osbourne

He almost got the gig to replace Randy Rhoads

Guitar World

“I just said, ‘Look, Ed, if you want to do this, I’ll set up a guitar for you, and if you don’t like what we do, I’ll just destroy it in front of you’”: Eddie Van Halen and Keanu Reeves nearly ended up on the John Wick soundtrack

The soundtrack that could have been...

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