Eddie Van Halen
Latest Eddie Van Halen news, guitars, gear, music, performances, and collaborations covered by Guitar Radar.
Guitar Radar has 5 stories about Eddie Van Halen, tracking new music, tours, collaborations and gear. Most of it sits under music, players and industry. The most recent story, from Oct 13, 2026, is “John Mayer and Dave Grohl Cover Van Halen at Soundstage of Hope”. Coverage here goes back to Aug 29, 2026.
About Eddie Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen changed the electric guitar by building his own. The "Frankenstrat", assembled around 1976 from separately bought parts with a PAF humbucker from his ES-335 and a Floyd Rose tremolo, became the model for the hot-rodded superstrat, and he kept modifying it constantly. A Kramer 5150 followed from 1981, then the Ernie Ball Music Man model in 1991 and, later, the Wolfgang guitars named after his son.
His "brown sound" is tied to a 1960s Marshall Super Lead plugged into a Variac, the amplifier line he later developed with Peavey as the 5150 starting in 1992, and later with Fender under the EVH name. His Phase 90 was reissued as the MXR EVH 90, developed with Dunlop. EVH Gear is now a Fender subsidiary.
Sources: Guitar.com: Eddie Van Halen, endless pursuit of perfection · Mixdown: Gear Rundown, Eddie Van Halen · Guitar World: Eddie Van Halen's guitar gear
Stories
John Mayer and Dave Grohl Cover Van Halen at Soundstage of Hope
Mayer used his purple Music Man Axis Custom Shop tribute to Eddie Van Halen for a benefit performance of “You Really Got Me.”
Biff Baby's Allstars returns with Petrucci, Vai, Lukather and Bonamassa
Sterling Ball's long-running off-books ensemble is becoming a self-titled covers album built around an unusually deep guitar roster.
Van Halen’s unreleased 1974 demo ‘Glitter’ is getting its first official release
The picture-disc single accompanying Alex Van Halen’s signed book will make the earliest Van Halen recording ever officially available.
Paul Reed Smith Joins the Guitar Center RockWalk, With John Mayer Presenting
The PRS founder's handprint ceremony is set for September 26 at the Crossroads Guitar Festival in Austin.
Friedman Builds the JOSE 20 Around Jose Arredondo's Mod Legacy
Dave Friedman worked with Marisol Arredondo, daughter of the late amp modder, on a 20-watt EL84 head and 1x12 combo voiced for that hot-rodded Marshall bark.