Van Halen
Latest about Van Halen
![Dweezil Zappa](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4LRAnKyTCkTEQjoj83cQyG-320-80.jpg)
Dweezil Zappa laments the absence of riffs in modern music and what it means for future guitar players
By Phil Weller published
He’s mused on how songwriting has changed over the years, which has come at the expense of the riff and people’s exposure to the instrument
![(left) John 5 in concert at the Bare Pool Lounge at The Mirage Hotel & Casino, October 2, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (right) Steve Vai in an undated photo](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pqxi5hfAdsAh8ui4UuExAY-320-80.jpg)
Can David Lee Roth pick guitarists? Just ask Steve Vai, Jason Becker and John 5
By Phil Weller published
Looking to go one better than Van Halen, the singer recruited the best guitar playing talents he could find
![In a screengrab from a Gibson TV video, Dweezil Zappa shows the Kramer guitar Eddie Van Halen gifted to him when he was 12](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bt6XMJME2pQZjAihsJsWUV-320-80.jpg)
Dweezil Zappa recalls when Eddie Van Halen came to his high school talent show and told him how to play "Runnin' With the Devil"
By Phil Weller published
The guitarist says Eddie's quickfire lesson is “burned into” his mind and reveals an important aspect of Van Halen's personality
![John 5 plays his signature Fender Telecaster Ghost guitar in a photo shoot for his cover story in Guitar Player magazine's July 2024 issue .](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gd6EbURwNvUiJnxmLYUxU7-320-80.jpg)
John 5 shares what he learned about Eddie Van Halen after playing through the guitarist's rig
By Phil Weller published
The Mötley Crüe guitarist says he was "freaked out" after hearing Van Halen’s debut album for the first time
![Eddie Van Halen plays his custom Frankenstrat guitar at Cobo Arena during Van Halen's "Hide Your Sheep Tour" on August 13, 1982, in Detroit, Michigan.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/c8N5yT9TzJ3VNHz7DYDqH5-320-80.jpg)
Eddie Van Halen on guitar solos, the music teacher who slapped his face, and his all-time worst song
By Jas Obrecht published
EVH touched on the essence of his approach to soloing in this classic Guitar Player interview
![Mike Rutherford and Eddie Van Halen](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rGmyb79Uy4Qkt7uW6B5oCn-320-80.jpg)
Mike Rutherford reveals his secret recording sessions with Eddie Van Halen
By Phil Weller published
The former Genesis guitarist says he found one element of working with Ed difficult
![Joe Satriani](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CZQY9EsybpEjZ4C9HwkAmg-320-80.jpg)
Sammy Hagar says Joe Satriani was “not a perfect match” for the Best of All Words tour, but one factor set him apart
By Phil Weller published
The outspoken frontman says dozens of 12-year-olds can play like Eddie, but he wasn’t after pure mimicry
![Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd onstage at the Sports Arena in April 1975 in Los Angeles, California.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BpdJuwZei8JrtptTkKF7P8-320-80.jpg)
David Gilmour talks soloing in Guitar Player's guide to the Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time
By Guitar Player Staff published
Behold the genius of Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Brian May and many more — as voted by the readers of Guitar Player
![Eddie Van Halen plays a rare purple Charvel guitar at a special performance with Allan Holdsworth at the Roxy Theatre on April 29, 1982 in Los Angeles, California.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sK9yAsrouduJBov87tpYiF-320-80.jpg)
"It's great. I dig this!" Watch Eddie Van Halen compose "Amsterdam" on a Charvel guitar in an unearthed home video from 1987 — eight years before the song's official release
By Jonathan Graham published
The rare clip shot at 5150 Studios gives an insightful glimpse into Eddie's creative process
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