GETTING in GEAR
IN 2016, WHILE still editor of the U.K.’s Total Guitar magazine, I visited Eddie Van Halen at his 5150 Studios to talk about his EVH brand and pioneering history as a player and tone shaper. It was a rare chance to sit down with one of the most important guitarists of all time, and I found the icon affable, humble and happy to reflect on his legacy.
It won’t surprise you to hear that Eddie Van Halen was the cover star that every guitar magazine wanted, a pioneer who changed the way we approach pretty much every aspect of the instrument, from tone to technique and the gear we use to do it. Not since Jimi Hendrix has there been a guitar hero who revolutionized the electric guitar in so many areas, and most importantly he did it through songs rather than inaccessible technical compositions tailored to a niche audience.
In 2016, Total Guitar was given the opportunity to realize that cover interview via Eddie’s guitar company, EVH. The instruments are built and distributed by Fender, but it’s way more than a logo on a headstock. This was Eddie’s company, and he had a hand in all key decisions and designs. The interview was confirmed to take place at 5150, the studio building adjacent to Eddie’s home. There are many TG contributors who were — and still are — more qualified to interview Eddie Van Halen before me, but as requested by EVH, it had to be the editor.
Fast forward to the day of the interview. I was accompanied to Eddie’s house/studio by Fender/EVH’s Helen Varley and EVH’s Matt Brown. Months of planning came down to the next 60 minutes. Fender had flown us over, my questions had been approved — and I was nervous!
You see, there are plenty of tales and accounts of Eddie Van Halen, a guy whose excess was matched by his outspoken, no-BS attitude, particularly toward interviewers who he didn’t engage with. There was a lot riding on the next conversation, and if it went wrong, the 11-hour flight home was going to feel a hell of a lot longer.
We sat in the car outside the electronic gates, and I still remember the fear: What if I say something that makes him angry? What if the recorder breaks down? What if the spare recorder breaks down? What if both recorders break and my phone runs out of memory? Then I noticed the sign posted on the gate: Private Property: Armed Security Will Be Called.
The gates opened and we went into the studio. There we waited in the lounge area, the walls lined with Ed’s signature guitars. Next thing, a small Pomeranian dog came running in, followed by Eddie’s wife, Janie. A few
