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.”
Oct 13, 2026
Credit: Guitar World
John Mayer and Dave Grohl joined forces at the annual Soundstage of Hope benefit in Los Angeles on October 10, playing Van Halen’s arrangement of “You Really Got Me” with Chad Smith on drums. Mayer handled the guitar part on a purple Music Man Axis Custom Shop instrument built as a tribute to Eddie Van Halen’s guitar from Guitar World’s April 1991 cover.
The appearance gave Mayer a rare chance to step away from his better-known PRS Silver Sky sound and lean into Van Halen’s vocabulary in a one-off all-star setting. Grohl played a Gibson RD during the song, while the performance supported the benefit’s fundraising program at Chaplin Studios.
Why it matters
A high-profile Van Halen tribute pairing Mayer with Grohl and Smith is a notable live guitar moment, especially because Mayer brought out a purpose-built Music Man homage to Eddie Van Halen.
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