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 · Jul 23, 2025
“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 · Jul 22, 2025
“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 Guitar World · Jul 18, 2025
“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 MusicRadar · Jul 17, 2025
“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 Guitar World · Jul 17, 2025
“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 MusicRadar · Jul 17, 2025
“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... Guitar World · Jul 1, 2025
Move over Taylor Swift: Olivia Rodrigo is this generation’s Eddie Van Halen – her Glastonbury performance proved it The headlining star’s set was filled with pyrotechnic guitar solos, crunching riffs and a guest spot from the Cure’s Robert Smith. It will inspire a generation of new guitarists Guitar World · Jun 30, 2025
“Eddie told me, ‘Roth is driving me nuts. I can't take it. I gotta leave. I know you're looking for a lead guitar player. Do you want me in the band?’”: When Eddie Van Halen asked to join Kiss — and they turned him down! “Eddie told me, ‘Roth is driving me nuts. I can't take it. I gotta leave. I know you're looking for a lead guitar player. Do you want me in the band?’”: When Eddie Van Halen asked to join Kiss — and they turned him down! MusicRadar · Jun 30, 2025
"We can finally be what I've always wanted to be": Wolfgang Van Halen's Mammoth drop WVH from name after acquiring trademark Mammoth name is a tribute to Wolfgang's late father Eddie Van Halen Metal Hammer · Jun 28, 2025
“Their version was very Middle America”: The Kinks could never fully get on board with Van Halen’s cover of You Really Got Me and here's why The band’s famously chilled out frontman Ray Davies had a hard time accepting that people thought Eddie Van Halen & co. wrote his timeless classic Louder · Jun 21, 2025
“It’s atried-and-true sound that we’ve heard inthe soloing of all of our favorite players, from Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter and Leslie West to Eddie Van Halen”: Jared James Nichols explains why we should all be using the blue note in our solos The irrepressible Mr Nichols pays tribute to the flatted 5th, and explores the myriad ways that he uses it in his playing Guitar World · Jun 20, 2025
"We went platinum and Warner Brothers told us we owed them two million dollars": How Van Halen followed one of rock's greatest-ever debuts For their second album, Van Halen created an infectioussound that was perfect for the new decade, and a lookthat MTV couldn’t get enough of Louder · Jun 11, 2025
“I have the memories”: Wolfgang Van Halen says he’s stopped listening to his dad’s music The Mammoth multi-instrumentalist has discussed why he no longer listens to his late father’s Van Halen back catalog Guitar World · Jun 9, 2025
Metal Hammer · Jun 7, 2025 "It should have gone out with a fricking bang that shook the world, and it was more like a whimper." Michael Anthony on his Van Halen regret Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony wishes it had ended differently
Guitar World · Jun 6, 2025 A pink Daisy Rock acoustic guitar, signed by Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, has just smashed its estimate as it sells for over $100,000 at auction Eddie Van Halen guitars also surpassed their estimates at Julien’s annual Music Icons event – but a Kurt Cobain acoustic remains unsold
Guitar World · Jun 5, 2025 “I said, ‘I want to riff through all of my favorite guitarists –doing Jimi Hendrix behind the head, Pete Townshend’s windmill, the Eddie Van Halen hammer thing”: Michael J. Fox and others discuss the Back to the Future guitar – and a clue to its identity The Cherry Red ES-345 has become a cultural icon since the film was released in 1985, but it hasn’t been since since
Guitar World · Jun 4, 2025 “I literally made the change that Eddie Van Halen was known for and was thinking about”: Larry DiMarzio says his revolutionary bridge tweak pre-empted Van Halen’s own mods The guitar hero’s mods showed an intimate understanding of what makes a guitar sing, and they echoed thoughts DiMarzio was also having
BANG Premier · Jun 2, 2025 Sammy Hagar: 'The best was yet to come from Van Halen' Sammy Hagar believes the late Eddie Van Halen could have taken Van Halen's music to "crazy" new heights if he hadn't been held back creatively.
MusicRadar · May 15, 2025 “He went into this trance state as he played. I’d be sitting there at the console and he would lean on me while he was playing. And it was kind of weird – it was like it was coming through me”: A close encounter with the genius of Eddie Van Halen The insider's view of how EVH reinvented himself on the 5150 album
Guitar World · May 13, 2025 “When we did the final Slayer show for 60,000 people, Scott Ian used it as his primary tone”: Gary Holt's favorite budget pedal emulates Eddie Van Halen's iconic “Brown Sound” – and it retails for less than a $100 Holt reveals his new go-to budget-friendly brand – and offers some of his mini-pedal recommendations
Guitar World · May 9, 2025 Kurt Cobain's 1989 Takamine expected to fetch up to $500,000 at auction – alongside guitars played by the likes of Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, David Bowie, Joe Perry and Melissa Etheridge This year's Music Icons sale – organized by Julien's Auctions – includes over 700 collectible items from some of the world's biggest guitar stars
Guitar World · May 8, 2025 “With its tone knob backed off this thing gets sasquatch-hairy without losing clarity. It’s a surprisingly killer stoner rock machine”: EVH SA-126 Standard review Wolfgang Van Halen’s adventurous high-gain-friendly, semi-hollow signature gets a budget build – but does the magic carry across?
Guitar World · May 7, 2025 “I hear the promoter got a phone call from Eddie, who said, ‘If Yngwie Malmsteen is playing, I'm not playing’”: Yngwie Malmsteen claims Eddie Van Halen felt “threatened” by him Malmsteen looks back on the few times he almost crossed paths with the late electric guitar legend
Guitar World · May 6, 2025 “Makes me feel closer to Pop every time I record”: Wolfgang Van Halen used Eddie’s legendary Frankenstein to track the slap riff – and the wild two-hand tapping sequence – in his new single Wolfgang Van Halen has shared a clip of him using his father's iconic electric to record his latest song – which channels his love for contemporary greats while keeping Eddie’s guitar flame burning brightly