Before landing gigs with Lizzy Borden, David Lee Roth and Ozzy Osbourne, Joe Holmes kicked the student stage of his guitar journey off in style, learning under the late, great Randy Rhoads.

Since then Holmes – who has a new, self-titled solo record afoot – hasn’t stopped learning. “Every situation prepared me for the next,” he tells Guitar World. “From Randy to Dave to Ozzy.”

He adds: “All my collective experience has contributed to this album. From my sound, style and songwriting to the creative partnerships and touring experience, it all had an impact.”

You were a pupil of Randy Rhoads early on. How did that shape you?

Randy was and is my biggest influence as a guitar player. He was the perfect teacher for me. It was such a great time in my life going to lessons with my dad and spending time with Randy.

He was so patient – he made sure I understood what he was teaching me before I left every lesson. He put things in terms I could understand and that have stuck with me to this day. His love for music, guitar playing and learning was contagious.

What was the local scene like as you were coming up, and what led to you joining Lizzy Borden?

It was a really exciting time with lots of great music and guitar players. I’d been in a band with Lizzy and his brother Joey for a short time before they formed Lizzy Borden. We played one club show together but then went on to other projects.

Gene Allen, the guitar player in Lizzy Borden, was a friend of mine. He borrowed one of my Jose Arredondo amps to record one of the albums. Gene told me Max Norman was producing their next record, Visual Eyes, and asked if I was interested in joining the band.

Max worked on Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, two of my favorite albums with Ozzy and Randy, so I jumped at the opportunity. We had a great time recording at the Longview Farm in Boston and then touring Japan, and a few shows in Europe and the States.

What gear were you using back then?

I’ve used the same gear since my late teens. I was fortunate to have met Jose Arredondo then. He became a huge influence and collaborator on developing my sound. Jose – who worked with Eddie Van Halen on his gear – gave me a rock-solid foundation for my musical identity.

That paved the way for my first big opportunity, touring with David Lee Roth on the Little Ain’t Enough tour. To step into Eddie Van Halen’s shoes to play alongside Dave was an incredible experience. Eddie was another huge influence.

Was it tough coming in after Jason Becker, given the circumstances?

Yeah, it was tough. I did meet Jason and had a chance to talk with him a bit at my audition. Learning songs like Show Time, A Little Ain’t Enough and Time to Tell the Truth really challenged me and showed what a versatile player he is.

Of course, I’d have preferred it to be under different circumstances and to have allowed Jason to do the tour. But Dave is the consummate professional. He gave me a new appreciation and love for the blues, and opened me up to different styles of playing.

What was your Ozzy Osbourne audition like?

It was great! I brought my Jose-modified Marshall head, two cabinets and my Fender Strat. It felt very natural, having been brought up on Randy’s playing. I auditioned on about four or five songs, then Ozzy shook my hand and said, “Welcome aboard.”

Ozzy was very kind and approachable. He really put me at ease. Ultimately, being a student of Randy’s technique and being familiar with Jake and Zakk’s playing made it a natural fit.

Though Zakk Wylde played on the Ozzmosis record, you were in the Perry Mason music video. What was that experience like?

It was an exciting time! Being new to his touring band, it was a great experience to get familiar with the video production process. Later there was a live video of our performance of Perry Mason. It’s a great song – really fun to play.

Ozzy often said you played just like Randy. That must have been gratifying.

I’m so grateful for the time I had with Ozzy. One of the best compliments and memories that I have is from my audition. He didn’t know I’d been a student of Randy’s. He stood right in front of me while I played and afterward told me that my approach and style reminded him of Randy.

What led to your leaving Ozzy before the Down to Earth album was recorded – even though it features several songs you co-wrote?

You’d have to ask them. There were several people writing for the record. Ozzy and Zakk had great chemistry and a long history together, so the fact that he came back to do the record was fine with me. Zakk and I are great friends.

Do you have any regrets about how things ended with Ozzy?

Of course – I would have loved to have spent more time with him. He was such an influential person in my life and in my career. I thought about him a lot as I was writing and working on my new album, and I dedicated it to Ozzy’s memory. I would have loved the opportunity to talk with him before he passed.

After Ozzy you recorded your album, Farmikos.

Farmikos was my first solo record. It’s the second project I worked on with my Ozzy touring bandmate Robert Trujillo, and my longtime friend and writing partner Brent Hoffort. I was introduced to my singer, Robbie Locke, who gave a great vocal performance – he’s featured again on this next album. Robbie also contributed to songwriting on the Farmikos record.

You’ve simply titled your new solo album Joe Holmes.

I’ve got Robert Trujillo, Mike Bordin and Robbie, with all songs written by Brent and me. Another significant thing about this record is the relationship I’ve built with my friend Rich Mouser, who co-produced and engineered my records. Sadly, after we completed the album, Rich’s studio burned down in the Altadena fires in 2025. He’s in the process of rebuilding.

Which song from Joe Holmes best showcases the player and songwriter you are today?

The Deadfall. It’s a song I could have done with Ozzy. It really has Randy’s influence from the alternate and double-picking techniques, phrasing, and doubling the acoustic and electric guitars. Also, Cross Eyed Stare because the timing is in 11!

Have had to compensate for anything as you’ve gotten older?

No – I’m a perpetual student of music. I continue to expand my interest and love of music to other genres. I’ve been buying lots of jazz and blues on vinyl. I still play every day. I’m surrounded by music 24/7.

How do you hope to be remembered?

As a player who truly loves and is dedicated to his instrument and to music. I hope my journey might inspire someone else, whether they’re just coming up or have been playing for a while. Anything is possible if you’re committed. Enjoy the ride!

• Joe Holmes is available to preorder now.

Jason Becker remains an active figure in the guitar community, despite his decades-long struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease, which ended his ability to play.

He regularly welcomes virtuosic visitors to his home, and young progressive titan Luis Kalil – who grew up idolising the Cacophony guitarist – was one of his most recent guests.

Viral 11-year-old metal star Maya Neelakantan and Sicilian hotshot Matteo Mancuso have swung by Becker's home in recent years, with the shredder still keeping tabs on the scene's most talked-about players.

It turns out Kalil – who plays in Red Devil Vortex – has also been on Becker's radar for a while.

“Around 2014, I started posting YouTube videos playing Jason Becker and Cacophony songs,” Kalil tells Guitar World of how their meet-up came to be.

“Then last year, my friend Tony MacAlpine introduced me to someone from Jason’s camp who has been watching my stuff for a long time. I’ve always flown Jason’s flag, talking about him in interviews, playing his music, even at my live shows, and he appreciated that.

“After a few months, this guy calls me up saying that I’ve been invited to Jason’s house to meet the shred lord himself. He said, ‘...and bring your guitar because you are playing for him!’”

Becker has brought some of the best of the best to his living room for personal concerts over the years, with Eddie Van Halen famously getting an invite in 1996. Kalil's showing was equally inspirational for all involved.

“It felt surreal,” he says, looking back on the day. “You’re hanging out with your hero for one hour, then they go, ‘Okay, cool, now pick up the guitar and show us what you got,’ and Jason Becker is right there, no warm up, no nothing.”

Kalil got the nod one week before the trip, and it was a week spent drilling down on his chops.

“I wanted to do him justice and truly convey the strong flow of emotions those songs have,” he says. “Especially Altitudes, I wanted it to sound like a testimony of gratitude for all the inspiration he’s given me throughout the years.

“Like, ‘You gave me all of this, and now I’m here to give it back to you.’ He makes me feel a certain way when he plays, and I wanted them to feel that passion and excitement too. That’s what I think music is about.

“He’s taught me that it’s all about making people feel something and not about perfection,” Kalil develops. “Fast or slow, melody or arpeggios, mean what you play, play what you mean, and make it fun!

“Plus, his life story reminds me that the passion for music can transcend life. When you see him finding a new reason to keep living, it reminds me that you can’t sweat the small stuff and you’re better off appreciating what you have in life.”

Despite no longer being able to play the electric guitar, Becker has continued to write new music via an eye communication system.

In 2018, his record Triumphant Hearts featured a prestigious cast of guest players, including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, and Joe Bonamassa, helping to bring his ideas to life.

Then, in 2024, he fashioned a new single from an old demo and enlisted Nita Strauss, Cacophony bandmate Marty Friedman, Steve Lukather, and more to ignite the seven-minute shredathon.

Becker is showing no signs of retiring, and Kalil will continue to champion his talents.

“Until I’m gone,” he concludes, “I will always fly Jason Becker’s flag!”

Marty Friedman states he has no regrets. He’s seen and done just about everything a guitarist can, with career highs including Cacophony’s Speed Metal Symphony (1987), his debut solo record, Dragon’s Kiss (1988), and Megadeth’s Rust in Peace (1990). And in 2024 he dropped what he feels is his definitive work, Drama.

He’s delighted to have reconnected with old pal Dave Mustaine, and to have joined Megadeth onstage for a few songs at Budokan and Wacken in 2023 – which reminded the world how high the stakes go when he’s on a big stage.

“It may be because it’s what I do most naturally and best,” Friedman says. “When someone’s doing what they’re meant to do, it has a profound effect. Perhaps greater than someone who has the gift to play beautifully but who’s multi-talented with a true calling in carpentry or aviation, for example. There aren’t a lot of other things I do well!”

Friedman, of course, is aware that Mustaine is in the process of calling time on Megadeth – which has him thinking about his own past and future.

“I'm proud of the legacy I've built with the band, and I love the fans even more now,” he says. “They remind me of myself as a teenage Kiss fan.

“Whenever Megadeth retires will be the right time. Dave and I could have both retired decades ago, but we’re both lifers – we play music because that is just what we do. When the grind of touring eventually outweighs the joy of playing, I’d say that’s the time to retire.”

What are your earliest memories of music?

Johnny Cash had a TV show when I was a kid, and it came on right at my bedtime, and I used to plead with my parents to let me watch it. Most of the time they didn’t, so I listened to it through the central heating vent in the floor. He was always talking about jail and rebellious stuff – it was this forbidden thing, and I loved it.

What specifically drew you to the guitar?

I never cared about guitar! I thought they were for folk singers and college kids singing around the campfire. When I saw Kiss in concert I just wanted to be in that high-energy, high-adrenaline world, and the guitar seemed to be the way to get into it.

How did the scene you grew up in affect you?

I was very lucky. My first band, Deuce, was the foundation of everything to come. I was playing live in front of people from the very beginning, even though I could barely play! It forces you to be an entertainer, to always play your best and to avoid screwing up at all costs. No one hears your mistakes if you’re in your bedroom.

After Jake E. Lee left Ozzy, you auditioned for the job. What was that like?

I was flattered to be flown down to audition. I think I played very well, but my image at that time was more of a guitar nerd than a partying rock star. I didn’t look like the guys in the band. I think Zakk Wylde was absolutely perfect for Ozzy, with more than enough playing ability to back up his wild appearance.

How did you first meet Mike Varney, leading to signing a deal in the so-called shred era?

Back then, “shred” wasn’t a term you heard much. It always made me think of a guy playing as fast as possible in his basement – fingers were flying and looking impressive, but if you closed your eyes it sounds like absolute vomit. But a lot of people listen with their eyes; they see these guys and are impressed and they think shredding is cool. I hated being lumped in with shredders.

I first met Varney by sending a demo to his Spotlight column in Guitar Player magazine. He called me and we made several albums together. But it slightly irked me that despite all that, he never put me in his column!

Tell us about the writing and recording of solo album Dragons Kiss, which put you on the map.

I’d put all my guts and all my material into Cacophony's Speed Metal Symphony, so when Mike Varney signed me on for a solo album, I had no material. I was motivated solely by the fact that a label was willing to put out my music. I didn’t want to let anyone down.

The recording was brutal. It was done in shifts – daytime was Dragon's Kiss and nighttime was Jason Becker's Perpetual Burn, which I was also co-producing. I was in the studio 16 to 18 hours a day, with no time for trivial things like food and sleep. But I wouldn’t have had it any other way!

It was forcing me to come up with so much on the spot. Sonically, Dragon’s Kiss can be hit and miss, but I’m glad I put Forbidden City on there. I feel that was a well-done piece of music, despite my limited life experience at the time.

What had led to your hooking up with Jason Becker?

Mike had played me a demo of Jason beforehand, and I was nonplused. The best I could say about it was that he was good for a 16-year-old – but so what? But Mike insisted I meet him, and since Mike was holding the keys to the album I wanted to release, I humored him.

When Jason came into my apartment I immediately fell in love with the guy. I could see that, although songwriting and recording were not yet things he was any good at, he had an unlimited amount of talent for playing the guitar.

So I made the ultimate sacrifice and scrapped my solo album to form the band Cacophony with him. We became best friends almost immediately. I was growing as a guitarist at a pretty good pace, but Jason was growing like some kind of Guinness world record holder!

In one short year, at age 18, he went from a crappy demo tape to writing, arranging, and recording Perpetual Burn, an album that stands up today as a benchmark of jaw-dropping guitar playing. It was uncanny.

Your work with Jason, along with your solo work, got your star rising. Is that what first caught Dave Mustaine's attention?

No – Dave didn’t particularly like the Cacophony stuff. One time we were listening to it in the car and he was telling me he liked this part and that part. But he’s always been a song guy, and Cacophony was less about songs, more about new melodies, unique sections, far-out arrangements – and, of course, guitar acrobatics. Great songwriters, we were definitely not!

I was recommended to Megadeth's manager by a mutual friend, after they’d unsuccessfully auditioned around 60 guitarists.

Were you a fan of Megadeth?

I wasn't too familiar with the band, but I remember really liking the Peace Sells album when it came out. What I knew I could bring to the table was a much more melodic way to present the heavy music they were doing, and I could update the lead guitar work.

Megadeth always had good lead guitar work, but when I joined they only had two major-label albums out, and the guitar was not recorded very well – so you couldn’t tell how good it was. I wanted a much stronger and clearer presentation of guitar. We got exactly that when we started recording together.

It's undisputed that your era with Megadeth bred the band's best work. Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction are all-time albums. Why do you think that is?

We were each the perfect guy for the job, all in the band at the same time. No weak links, and we constantly pushed each other. It was a lot of very hard work, and very little resting on laurels, if any. We were deeply emotionally invested in the product we were creating.

In my autobiography Dreaming Japanese, I went into great detail about making the albums. Each had separate challenges; some were more fun than others, but none of us ever slacked off on any of them. It’s no coincidence that they still hold up pretty well today.

While you were with Megadeth in the ‘90s, you continued your solo work. Was Dave okay with that?

Dave and Megadeth management were totally cool with my solo career coinciding. At the time I wasn’t touring with my own band, like I am now. That would have likely caused a conflict. But when I was off tour, I was always working on my own music as well as Megadeth stuff.

A lot of people think it was a mistake to leave Megadeth – but there’s a strong argument that you left at the right time.

I understand that, for a fan, anything that changes your favorite lineup is catastrophic. But for me, it was the best career move I ever made. It wasn’t easy to leave such a well-established band that I’d had so much success with.

But leaving allowed me to eclipse my role in Megadeth on so many levels and create a niche for myself that’s served me very well. Megadeth went on to win Grammys and do some amazing things in my absence, so all is well on both sides.

Things seem to have thawed between you and Dave in recent years.

It’s great – we’ve both kept our things going strong for several years, so there’s a mutual respect between us. It was quite casual and easy for us to play together the few times we have at Budokan and Wacken.

You’ve remained prolific ever since, releasing amazing solo records, leading up to Drama. What keeps you chasing new sounds?

There are always new depths of melody to be created and new expressions to share, and I’ve always pursued those things. I think Drama is the ultimate representation of my musical evolution.

I’ve been concentrating on touring the album much longer than usual before starting the next one. I can't imagine topping it – so, being the lazy ass I can often be, I’ll just enjoy playing the Drama music on tour until I feel like I can do something better.

What’s the backstory of your guitars and the gear that gets your notable tone?

I’m very fortunate to have signature guitars, pickups, amps, and pedals. The Jackson Marty Friedman MF-1, the EMG MF pickups, the ENGL Marty Friedman Inferno amp, and the Tech 21 Marty Friedman pedal will lead anyone to the tones I like.

To be honest, though, I’d sound like me through any gear. I use these products because they’re extremely reliable work tools, rather than having some kind of special sound I can’t live without. I just need a workhorse that can take a constant beating.

What are you up to now, and what’s next?

I've been touring for the Drama album since it came out in late 2024 and I plan to tour it even more in 2026. And I’ve been working with several Japanese artists, doing plenty of Japanese TV shows as usual. And I have a YouTube channel called Rock Fujiyama that has me playing guitar with interesting guests every week.

• Drama is on sale now.

Despite his amazing versatility, Matt Bissonette struggles to move on from seeing The Beatles in 1966, when he was five years old, and being inspired – like many others – by Paul McCartney’s bass playing.

“You can never take the Paul out of the bass,” he says. “I literally have to fight myself from playing Paul’s licks on sessions. And when I write songs, I have to keep an eye on ripping off a Beatles motif!”

Aside from Macca, it was Bissonette’s parents who kicked off his musical life. “To be totally honest, my mom and dad picked out the bass for me. One day I went to the car and there was a bass in the trunk. I pulled it out and went into the basement in Detroit with my brother,” he says. “We played Smoke on the Water for eight hours.”

He continues: “Within the first five minutes I realized that the bass wasn’t playing the cool intro; it was the guitar. But my brother said, ‘No! You’re the guy that pulses the eighth notes.’

“We listened on the record player, and it hit me that I really liked that. I started with ‘dumb guy’ eighth notes and I’ve been ‘dumb guying’ ever since!”

Bissonette – who’s worked with David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani, Brian Wilson, Peter Frampton and Elton John – is a bass heavyweight, but he keeps it simple. “The song dictates the bass movement, and how much freedom they give me,” he says. “I start with the simplest approach and go from there.

“The key is trying to get inside the head of the artist, knowing the music they’ve already recorded and adapting to that, but doing your own thing. That’s why they called you in the first place.”

He admits that anyone looking to get into his line of work will find it less easy, and less financially rewarding, than he did. “Learn as many skills as possible,” is his advice. “Sing, write, produce, and learn a software program to record on. I think it’s the only way to improve your odds.”

What kicked off III, your new album with The Squirts?

“The album was put together during Covid. We were locked away in our home studios, so we figured we should get off our duffs and do another record. George Bernhardt and I are used to sending files back and forth. He’d bounce an idea and I’d write lyrics.

“Then I’d write something and send it to him, and he’d make it better. Rodger Carter, our drummer, would add different sections. It was a pretty easy process even though we weren’t in the same room.”

The Squirts originated as the backing band for Rick Springfield, right?

“We were Rick’s rhythm section for about 10 years, and Rick and I were writing together for his solo albums. We’d done a couple of Squirts CDs before then, and he really liked them. It kind of steamrolled into Rick and I doing three of his solo albums together after that.”

How helpful was he?

“Rick was awesome about it from the very start. One day, in an airport, we asked him if we could open up for his shows. We dangled the idea that it would sound out the PA so it would be that much better.

“He thought it was a great idea – he let us open up for about seven years. He never blinked an eye when we asked if we could sell CDs, T-shirts and hats. We were double-dipping there for a long time. It was great!”

What was it like replacing Billy Sheehan in David Lee Roth’s band?

“At first it was terrifying! Billy is an amazing player so I didn’t even try to play like him. I just tried to get as close as I could to some of his riffs from a different angle, and it seemed to work.

“It’s always hard taking someone’s place like that. You have to dig deep and hope for the best. You have to realize that not everybody is going to love the way you play, but such is life in general. After I figured that out, it seemed to get a lot easier!”

What gear helped you follow Billy and Michael Anthony into David’s orbit?

“I had the typical Bradshaw monster pedalboard rig like everybody was using back then – tons of distortion, reverbs and delays. We all had mobile studios that were six foot tall that we’d bring to our hotel rooms to write songs. It was truly ’80s excess!

“I still think the greatest bass tone for that kind of gig is when you go straight into an amp. Sometimes all the fluff can get washed away in a big room. Dave was always really cool and supportive, and he was a blast to work with – the ultimate entertainer!”

What are your memories of recording with Jason Becker?

“Jason will always be a great friend. He was the young gunslinger that came into town and blew everybody away. We used to play catch with the football in Dave's backyard on breaks from rehearsing.

“I remember one day he felt a pinch on his leg, and it continued to get worse. He struggled through the recording process, trying to figure out what was going on. He’s an amazing person and he’s still doing amazing music with the help of his parents and all his friends. What a talented guy.”

Did recording with Jason help prepare you for Joe Satriani?

“When you’re playing with a virtuoso like Joe, Jason, or Steve Vai, someone has to be the solid guy laying down a foundation for everyone. There are moments where you can stick your head out and play something, but I always try to support whoever I'm working with.

“And with that much guitar action going on, I figured the best thing was to keep it simple and let them run wild. Sometimes, the more you play, the more cluttered it gets – especially when there’s additional rhythm guitars and sounds.”

How did David’s expectations differ from Joe’s?

“Dave would have ideas and certain things that he wanted, but he basically just let us run wild. He also knew what he liked, so when things went off the rails he’d always bring it back to the simplest idea – a trait I respect from any songwriter.

“Joe knows exactly what he wants from a bass player. He plays bass really well himself, so a lot of times you’re emulating what he played on demos. He lets you do whatever you wanna do when the red light goes on, but when something is good to start with, you don’t want to veer too much off of it.

Did Joe like you to use specific gear?

“He had this amazing ‘60s Fender P-Bass that he used on his demos, and it sounded so good that we used it on a lot of songs. Sometimes, I’d use my Rickenbacker, Fender Jazz Bass, or one of my own P-Basses. Those basses sounded massive with a big SVT mic’d up and blended.

“Sometimes we’d add a touch of distortion; but again, we found that the biggest, most massive straight tone always filled up the tracks best. That was my sound in the late ’80s and ’90s, then the early 2000s when I started working with Joe again. It’s that ‘if it's not broken, don't fix it’ approach.”

What was the key to supporting people like Brian Wilson, Steve Perry and Peter Frampton?

“Unlike playing with guys like Joe, Dave and people I’d known for a while, when you get thrown into a one-day session with an artist you don’t know, you pretty much have to be ready for anything. I bring a fretless, two or five strings, a bunch of P-Basses and Jazz Basses and maybe a Hofner or a Rickenbacker, in case they want to try something different.

“I think being versatile in all styles of music is the only survival mechanism for session players. My brother Gregg and I call it ‘music vocabulary.’ You have to spend a lot of time dissecting records – the sounds, the tones and the players who recorded them – to be able to walk in cold and record.”

How did you end up being involved with the recording of the Friends in-show music? And did it shock you that it blew it up the way that it did?

“Never in a million years did I think that doing those once-a-month Friday Friends sessions would turn into the highest-paying gig I’ve ever had! We’d start recording at 10 o’clock and make up music on the fly in five-second clips; sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.

“Our friend Michael Skloff was the musical director. We had tears in our eyes because it was just one big party – no stress, just a real blast to do. Doug Ryder is an amazing engineer, and he’d get the sounds instantly.

“I’d show up at 9.45, and we’d go until 1.00, taking time to eat in between. I’d try a different bass every session, although usually, for things like that, I’ll come in with a five-string that I know the engineer isn’t going to have to work on. It just sounds good right when you plug it in.

“I used my Music Man StingRay five-string a lot, and I had a Bossa five-string as well as my Bongo Bass. Truly one of the best gigs I've ever had!”

You toured with Elton John for over a decade. What was he like?

“Elton probably only said two things to me in 13 years about wanting me to do something differently. On Take Me to the Pilot, he asked me to play a little bit simpler, and on in the jam section of Rocket Man he did the same. Other than that, it was free rein for everybody.

“I was the nearest person to him on the stage, so he’d look at me and play something like he was challenging me to play back at him. His love for music humbled me – when I started with him, I was kind of falling out of love with music in general. To see someone like Elton love music so much kind of woke me up from my slumber.”

What was your staple rig with Elton?

“I played the Music Man StingRay basses exclusively, all five-strings, and I had a rack and a cabinet, but basically they used the direct sound. Matt Herr is an amazing soundman; he always pumped the bass with that band. My fingers would get blisters every night just because it was fun to play again!”

What inspires you as a bassist today?

“I love that so many great bass players can make the same bass sound completely different, just by the way they use their hands. Engineers tell me that it’s not the bass that makes the sound, but the player’s hands.

“I get inspired by hearing acoustic upright players make a piece of wood sound like a vocalist. I love the sound of a fretless when it's played in tune – which is something I’m working on feverishly.

“And I love bass players that play whatever’s right for the song, no more, no less. That’s why I show up at a session with eight or nine basses – I think the bass tone sets the overall sound for a song.”

What’s next for you?

“I’m looking forward to going home and staying for a while, and diving into a couple of records I’ve been working on. One is a straight-ahead jazz record, where the bass is playing all the melodies and I’m singing along with them, like George Benson.

“I was listening to all my old bass solos and figured I wanted to try some new stuff, so I started singing solos and learning them on the bass, which completely changed my life. If I can play what I hear in my head and play what I’m singing when I’m bopping around, I think I’ll be a much better player.

“After I went to see the Bob Dylan movie, I came home and instantly bought an acoustic guitar and a capo and wrote 10 songs in that vein. That’ll probably come out at the beginning of 2026.”

• The Squirts’ III is out now via Bandcamp.

Electric guitar virtuoso Matteo Mancuso is the latest guitarist to link up with Jason Becker, with the pair sharing a moment “that beautifully bridged generations of guitar greatness”.

Becker was one of the hottest guitarists in the world in the late 1980s, having emerged alongside Marty Friedman, who would later join Megadeth, in Cacophony before joining David Lee Roth’s band for 1991’s A Little Ain't Enough.

However, his playing days were tragically cut short after an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis in 1989. He lost the ability to speak in 1996 and now communicates via a computer.

That hasn't stopped him from inspiring generations of stars, though, with Nita Strauss and 11-year-old metal star Maya Neelakantan two of the latest players to visit him and leave richer for the experience.

Mancuso, a talent heralded by Steve Vai, Al Di Meola, and Tosin Abasi, has now followed in their footsteps, and his visit left an impression on Becker.

“Each of them [the above players to have praised Mancuso’s skills] has echoed a powerful sentiment: if the future of guitar lies in Matteo’s hands, then the instrument’s legacy is in very good hands indeed,” a post on his Instagram reads.

“But what struck us most during his visit wasn’t just his technical brilliance – it was his heart. Matteo arrived with sincere humility, kindness, and a deep respect for Jason and his story. Watching the two connect – one a rising star, the other an enduring symbol of courage and creative brilliance – was moving and unforgettable.”

“It was a meeting of minds, a celebration of music, and a reminder that true greatness lies not only in talent, but in the soul behind the strings,” the post continues.

“Jason and all of Team Becker want to express their heartfelt thanks to Matteo and his manager, Michele Mozzicato, for making this visit possible – and for being so generous with their time, energy, and spirit.

“It meant the world to us. We’ll be cheering Matteo on every step of the way and can’t wait to watch his incredible journey continue to unfold. His future is as bright as his talent is undeniable.”

In the image shared with the post, Mancuso can be seen with his to-to guitar, a sunburst Yamaha Revstar, meaning, like others before him, he likely gave Becker a private showing of his talents.

Speaking of the guitarist’s talents and future, Al Di Meola – one of Mancuso’s biggest champions – said: “He’s a phenomenon. When I first heard him, I said, ‘Okay, he’s lightyears ahead.’ He’s got an extraordinary technique.”

Beyond that high praise, though, was a pointed tip for ensuring his remarkable rise continues.

“But what he doesn’t have yet,” he said, “he’s not a composer. So everything he’s playing in these videos is wow. But it’s not against any music. How is that gonna fit in the music?”

Becker’s latest single, Some Assembly Required, released last year and features a seven-minute solo session thanks to guest stars, including Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather, and Zakk Wylde.

Looking back on recording the scintillating Go Off! with Marty Friedman, Jason Becker, who was 18 when the album was released, says, “It was all special to us, especially now that we both know how precious and fleeting those times were.”

Given Becker’s ALS, one can understand the sentiment. But still, “precious” is an interesting way to define one of the more in-your-face guitar extravaganzas of the ’80s.

“That album resulted from me being so inspired by working with Marty,” Becker says. “For Go Off!, I had gotten better at writing and playing, and I was a lot more confident. We just were comfortable with each other. We were getting good at mixing our different flavors. I was able to give more to Go Off!”

By the time Go Off! dropped on Shrapnel Records in ’88, it was the heart of the so-called “shred era,” and Friedman and Becker had already recorded their first record as Cacophony, Speed Metal Symphony (1987), and two frenzied solo records in Friedman’s Dragon’s Kiss (1988) and Becker’s Perpetual Burn (1988).

They’d learned a lot, and it showed on Go Off!, a record bred through dedication and sheer talent. “When we did shows or toured, it was definitely wilder,” Becker says. “We never trashed hotel rooms or anything, though. It was weird for me; I never did drugs or drank. There was something in me that thought I didn’t want to hurt my body. Like my lungs and brain couldn’t take it. I always wanted to be in control of myself. Ironic, as now I have no control.”

Regardless of its over-the-top nature, what Go Off! really represents is the supernatural bond between Becker and Friedman, leading to moments no one saw coming but definitely heard.

“At the end of Black Cat, there is this pretty acoustic fingerpicking chord sequence by Jason,” Friedman says. “The song was just supposed to fade out with him playing that by himself. The song was complete, and we were listening before mixing and I was holding a guitar randomly plugged into a DI; I didn’t know that guitar was live or recording. When Jason’s ending part came up, I started playing a melody on top, not expecting to hear what I was playing through the monitors, but there it was.”

The “it” in question was something Becker and Friedman will never forget. “I kept playing, and it was just a moment,” Friedman said. “I never played over his part before, but here I was. It was the wee hours, way after midnight after one of many long sessions, and Jason’s piece was like the tender arpeggios of a music box lullaby. The soft melody I was playing over it seemed so cozy and poignant, although neither of us planned for any melody there.”

Becker adds: “When I recorded the outro for Black Cat on an acoustic guitar, I got it in one take. Then, without any preparation, just to test the tone, Marty recorded a solo over it. [Producer] Steve Fontano and I said it was perfect. Marty wanted a little more time, but we talked him into his first take. It was just a beautiful, off-the-cuff moment.”

“We looked at each other in disbelief and high-fived each other,” Friedman says. “Not because ‘This sounds like a hit!’ or ‘What an insane lick!’ or ‘People are gonna dig this!’ but because we just experienced one of those rare magical moments while making music.

“I could have learned what I did and played it better. I could have tweaked the melody here and there, used a nicer-sounding guitar and amp setup – but documenting the actual magic that happened was more important to us than polishing it.”

You recorded Speed Metal Symphony before Go Off! What did you learn about working together?

Marty Friedman: “Speed Metal Symphony was my baby, but I saw potential in Jason, so I had him play a lot of the harmonies and shoehorned him into a few places where he could shine. That album was Jason’s first professional recording experience.

“After doing Speed Metal Symphony, I improved quite a bit, but it must be noted that Jason grew by leaps and bounds, literally at a savant level. Right after Speed Metal Symphony, he wrote and recorded Perpetual Burn at 18. In that short year and a half, he had evolved into an altogether different person/player. He was demonic.”

Jason Becker: “I had gotten a lot better. Speed Metal Symphony was like school for me. I learned so much from Marty. That album was Marty’s baby, but he was so kind as to include some of my ideas and make it a team effort. I didn’t quite have my own distinct style. I was only 17, but I was very positive and probably pushed Marty to improve. We were best friends.”

What were Shrapnel Records’ expectations for Go Off!?

Friedman: “The only pressure was that the label wanted good vocal songs. We did, too, but Jason and I were definitely not Elton John and Bernie Taupin. My lyrics were vomit-inducing, and Jason’s lyrics… ahem… were why Images became an instrumental song. “Peter Marrino did a really good job with what we provided him. I don’t envy a singer trying to do his job between 64-measure guitar solos. I don’t remember the budget, but we did move up to Fantasy Studios in Berkeley for Go Off!, which was a more prestigious facility than we had used before.”

Becker: “I don’t think Mike Varney pressured us to do anything specific. Marty could correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t remember any budget increase or pressure. My recollection is that Mike Varney thought we were like the new innovative players, and he gave us control. Mike always had suggestions, but I remember feeling free to do what we wanted.”

You recorded with Steve Fontano. How much freedom did you have?

Friedman: “Jason and I were in complete control of the guitar work, and Steve took care of the overall sound, vocal arrangements and loads of embellishment ideas. I loved Steve. He is uber-talented, and I still use many of his catchphrases.

“We did provide some sick guitar work, but Steve reined us in like a band so that ‘even girls could listen to us…’ kind of. If anything on Go Off! resonates as being a good song and not just a guitar extravaganza, Steve is highly responsible.”

Becker: “Steve was Mike Varney’s main guy, and we loved working with him. He is very talented, musical, funny and fun. He got all the nice sounds, helped a little with arranging, mixed it, and we cracked each other up. Marty and I brought in our songs, and he made them sound good. With Shrapnel, we were free to do any crazy guitar stuff we wanted to do.”

Did you intend to make Go Off! more accessible than Speed Metal Symphony?

Becker: “Marty and I wanted to be as well known as Whitesnake or Poison. We wanted it to be more accessible to normal people and guitar players. We wanted to be rock stars with pretty girls and rock fans coming to our shows.”

Friedman: “I got the intense and often dissonant Speed Metal Symphony off my chest, so with that piece of music firmly documented, I wanted to feature Jason and myself more equally and take on more of a band dynamic that wasn’t there before.”

Since you’re both virtuoso guitarists and songwriters, was it challenging to find space?

Friedman: “You are far too kind. Songwriting was our Achilles’ heel. Our problem was we were shining too much almost all the time. There is only so much shining a listener can take. Any one song on Go Off! might have about one full album’s worth of guitar work on it. It was like a ‘money shot compilation’ of guitar solos.”

“We knew listeners usually wanted a memorable song rather than an insane guitar solo or riff, but we wanted to be extreme, whether people liked it or not. At the time, that extremeness was a big minus, but that may be why the album is more appreciated now than it was then.”

Becker: “That album was pretty satisfying, but I admit that after the tours of Japan and the U.S., I wanted to do more of my own music with more of my own guitar. After our tour, I remember Cacophony talking about doing another album, and it seemed less guitar-focused. I could be remembering wrong, but that is when I left Cacophony.

“We did another show after that at some Bay Area music magazine awards show. It was fun, and I questioned my decision to leave, but as life turned out, it was a good thing that I did.

“During that tour, I was having the first symptoms of ALS. I went to Japan on my own and then joined David Lee Roth, all with a limp and weakness in my body. I remember calling Marty from the hotel in L.A. after getting the gig with Roth. Marty called me after joining Megadeth. It was quite cool. We were so happy for each other.”

What songs presented the most significant challenges?

Becker: “My two songs, Stranger and Images, took the most work because I hadn’t written lyrics before. In the studio, Steve helped me polish my lyrics for Stranger. I had lyrics for Images, but when we were rehearsing the songs with our drummer, Deen Castronovo, and our singer, Peter Marrino, I got teased so badly! It was funny hearing Peter singing my silly words. Deen defended me and made me feel a lot better.”

Friedman: “The title track was tricky. Jason and I played the weird intro together live, but in the studio, the high and low harmonies had to be ‘tight as a gnat’s ass in a power dive,’ to use Steve Fontano’s words. So Jason played them both. He nailed them, but it was a bitch to keep the tiny spaces clean between the phrases.

“It would’ve been nice if Pro Tools existed back then. Edits were done with a razorblade and tape; you had to punch out of the record and in, and there was no quantizing, copy-and-pasting or auto-tuning. After recording in Pro Tools for so long after this, it blows me away how we did this ambitious stuff without it.”

Becker: “I remember recording the intro to Go Off! I laid down my drum machine part to play over it in time. We couldn’t get a guitar tone I was happy with because if I had any distortion on it, it would feedback in all the little spaces. I had to use an almost clean tone, which wasn’t cool, especially to Marty.

“He didn’t want anything sounding like jazz. We worked it to sound okay. In that intro, I played both harmonies, but he came up with the harmony part on the spot and told me what to play. He is quite a musical genius.”

You both were very young. Did either of you have red-light fever?

Becker: “That is funny. No – we didn’t have any of that. We didn’t think about what others would think; we just wanted to please ourselves. Marty had total confidence in his whole unique musical vision, and that rubbed off on me. I started thinking I was the man, too. When we first started, I wondered if it was as good as our previous albums. He said, ‘Don’t worry, it’s great.’ I relaxed and enjoyed it.”

Friedman: “There was no time for nerves or crises, as we were on a tight budget with lots to get done. If you have a great engineer like Fontano on board, it allows you to have intense focus on the music. He was a godsend.”

When not working to record the record, how did you two blow off steam?

Friedman: “We would argue about football, Jason would cream me at chess, and we’d spend lots of time listening to, analyzing, and marveling at music we liked. Philip Glass comes to mind. Nightlife and wild antics didn’t come until we went on tour in Japan and North America.”

Becker: “We were pretty chill. Getting to play our own music was the greatest release. We watched football sometimes. We had fun going to Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley with Marty’s girlfriend Laurie and my brother Ehren. We would find new music at Rasputin, Leopold’s, and Tower Records, like Philip Glass, Kitaro and all kinds of weird classical composers.

“I remember one time we all went into some kind of rock clothing store. A guy who worked there started telling us about a great band called Cacophony. He saw a show, and the two guitar players were great. We were trying not to crack up. I asked which guitar player was his favorite of the two; he said he couldn’t pick. We never did tell him who we were.”

While recording, did you share gear?

Friedman: “We shared gear and borrowed gear from our guitar students, who usually had better gear than we did. We started to have a few endorsements, so there was a lot of new gear coming into the studio, too. I used my first Jackson Kelly and a few Carvin guitars. Few, if any pedals. No idea about amps.”

Becker: “If I remember right, we used the same kind of Carvin amps. Marty could correct me if I’m wrong. Maybe we used Marty’s student’s Marshall amp like we had on our solo albums. I think we used the Carvin guitars from the cover of the album. We didn’t have to consciously work on sounding different. We could use the same gear and sound like ourselves.”

Go Off! was kind of over the top, even for the time, but it's also a snapshot of the era. It didn’t get its due then, but it’s a cult classic now.

Friedman: “Kind of? It was beyond over the top! I do agree that it’s a snapshot of the era, though. We looked like every other hair band at the time and thank God we did. Girls expecting glam rock came to our shows. We fooled everyone when we toured the U.S. and Japan. We looked like Poison, but we shook our asses in 5/4 time.”

Becker: “Is it really a cult classic? Cool. I didn’t know that. It was just so much fun being able to make music with my best friend. I’m so grateful for those times. I was healthy, happy, young, and full of creative energy. Thank you to Mike Varney for that opportunity.”

In 1986, Marty Friedman and Jason Becker started Cacophony – a relatively short-lived project that would be responsible for some of shred music’s most technical and celebrated compositions.

Together, the two virtuosos produced a pair of studio albums – Speed Metal Symphony and Go Off! – which gave Friedman and Becker ample opportunity to let loose on 15 tracks of no-holds-barred neoclassical shred metal.

Both records have been cemented into the annals of metal guitar history – Guitar World ranks Speed Metal Symphony as one of the greatest classic shred albums of all time, no less – but it turns out that Friedman and Becker both received a little help when it came to assembling their recording rigs.

In a new interview with Guitar World, the Cacophony partners reflect on the recording of both Speed Metal Symphony and Go Off!, and recall how they managed to piece together their records with some equipment they borrowed from their pupils.

“We shared gear and borrowed gear from our guitar students, who usually had better gear than we did,” Friedman remembers. “We started to have a few endorsements, so there was a lot of new gear coming into the studio, too. I used my first Jackson Kelly and a few Carvin guitars. Few, if any pedals. No idea about amps.”

“If I remember right, we used the same kind of Carvin amps,” Becker adds. “Marty could correct me if I’m wrong. Maybe we used Marty’s student’s Marshall amp like we had on our solo albums. I think we used the Carvin guitars from the cover of the album.”

Fortunately, the mash-up of borrowed student gear and increasing endorsements didn’t have an adverse effect on the overall sound of their tone: no matter what the two guitarists played through, they still sounded exactly like themselves.

“We didn’t have to consciously work on sounding different,” Becker notes. “We could use the same gear and sound like ourselves.”

With the help of their students, Becker and Friedman were able to tape two masterclasses in extreme shred guitar. And, as the pair go on to reflect in their Guitar World interview, that was exactly the objective.

“Our problem was we were shining too much almost all the time,” Friedman notes. “There is only so much shining a listener can take. Any one song on Go Off! might have about one full album’s worth of guitar work on it. It was like a 'money shot compilation' of guitar solos.

“We knew listeners usually wanted a memorable song rather than an insane guitar solo or riff, but we wanted to be extreme, whether people liked it or not. At the time, that extremeness was a big minus, but that may be why the album is more appreciated now than it was then.”

“It was just so much fun being able to make music with my best friend,” concludes Becker, who was diagnosed with ALS in 1989. “I’m so grateful for those times. I was healthy, happy, young, and full of creative energy.”

Head over to Magazine Direct to pick up the latest issue of Guitar World.

Jason Becker has gifted young shred sensation Maya Neelakantan one of his guitars after a “very emotional” meeting.

Lauded as the “future of heavy metal” by Testament vocalist Chuck Billy after joining the thrash heavyweights on stage last month, the 11-year-old metal sensation has experienced a whirlwind couple of years.

She first made a remarkable impression on the guitar world in late 2022 when she posted a video of herself covering Tool’s 7empest online, at just nine years old. The video caught the attention of Adam Jones, who sent the starlet his signature Gibson guitar in recognition of her talents. Maya then proceeded to dazzle on the Silverburst six-string with even more Tool covers.

Following a guitar-meets-sitar take of Master of Puppets that paid homage to her heritage – on a Dave Mustaine signature V no less – Neelakantan’s stock has continued to rise this year, and most recently delivered a couple of roof-raising performances on America’s Got Talent.

In a fresh Instagram post, Neelakantan revealed she recently visited Jason Becker. The Cacophony virtuoso has been living with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), which means he now has to communicate via eye movements his family translates.

Becker hasn’t let his medical circumstances stop him from pursuing his passions. He’s previously spoken to Guitar World about the challenges of writing songs with just his eyes, and earlier this year an A-list cast was assembled to put the finishing touches on one of his old demos.

That indestructible determination to make the most out of a bad situation, as it did with Eddie Van Halen, has resonated deeply with Neelakantan.

“This experience has deeply touched my heart in a way I never expected,” she says. “Just with his eyes, I could see how happy he was when I met him. We talked for a while and during that time I could see how expressive he was. I then wanted to play some Carnatic music to him.”

A five-minute improv of the guitarist weaving through her favorite Raga scale on one of Becker's Telecasters ensued.

“When I was playing, I could feel how he was experiencing the music with me 100%. After I played, I could see how happy and smiling he was and I was so honored that I could play for him.”

Becker then told the young guitarist to take a Danelectro Sitar guitar off the wall and requested she play it for him. After a performance on the instrument, which she says “sounded unbelievable”, Becker insisted she take it home with her.

“I had goosebumps getting his blessings,” says Neelakantan. “This was an emotional [and] unforgettable day. He inspires me so much that even after all he’s been through, he still continues his passion and still creates music. I can’t explain how much that inspires me.”

The gift adds to the young guitarist’s growing collection that includes a rare Jeff Hanneman signature prototype, made shortly after the Slayer shredder's passing.

A new single fashioned from an unreleased Jason Becker demo has been released, and it assembles an astonishing collection of contemporary guitar giants.

We’re not joking, either: the new single features solos from an army of electric guitar heroes, including Nita Strauss, Chris Broderick, Lari Basilio, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Jennifer Batten, Steve Lukather and Paul Gilbert.

We’re not done: there are also lead efforts from (breathe in) Gus G, Angel Vivaldi, Steve Stevens, Rob Scallon, Nili Brosh, Richie Kotzen, Marc Rizzo, Alex Skolnick, Phil Demmel, Marty Friedman, Jared Dines and Herman Li.

Titled Some Assembly Required, the concept of the seven-plus-minute track was first conceived by Strauss and Josh Villalta, both of whom were initially planning on working on a song for Strauss’ own album.

“However, as the idea materialized, we realized this could be a much bigger project and more importantly, have a bigger impact to help Jason raise awareness and funds,” Strauss says in a statement. “From there, it took on a life of its own.”

The pair landed on an old demo of Becker’s, which had originally been penned in the early 1990s and recorded with Matt and Gregg Bissonette, with the aim of becoming a track that could be used by David Lee Roth.

“It was a lot of fun. Dave passed on it. Cool, because now all these fantastic players get to jam on it,” Becker said in his own statement. “A few years ago, Nita and Josh came over to go through some of my unreleased music to see if they wanted to do some kind of collaboration.” 

Now, the demo has been injected with a new high-octane lease on life, and has been revived to host an all-star guitar jam that will help raise awareness and funds for the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust.

Becker was diagnosed with ALS in 1989, and money raised through donations to the Trust will help finance his on-going medical and care costs. In recent months, the necessity to raise funds to finance his bills forced him to part ways with the guitar that Eddie Van Halen gave to him during their emotional first meeting.

“We reached out to tons of Jason's friends and peers, from all genres and eras, and amassed an army of friends to trade solos on this track,” Strauss explained. “We left Jason's original demo solo where it was, where it shines to this day alongside so many of the players that love and look up to him.”

As put in an accompanying statement, the track is “an unforgettable, unmissable display of guitar mastery”. It’s jam-packed with solos that span styles, genres and techniques, from the sweep-laden effort from Broderick and dizzying blues-rock contributions from Bonamassa. 

Then there’s Brosh’s uber-melodic shred-laced solo, furious wah-tinged musings of Wylde and Strauss’ own legato-littered solo that, at one point, she performs one-handed while, erm, yo-yo-ing with the other.

But perhaps the highlight is Becker’s own solo, audio of which is played underneath footage of Becker shredding at various concerts from his early years.

“Man, what a gift!” said Becker, who was presented with the track during Christmas. “Not only from them, but from everyone involved. I am such a big fan of you all! Thank you all so very much.”

Visit Jason Becker's website to find out more and to support the cause.

An electric guitar Eddie Van Halen gifted to Jason Becker in ’96 has sold for $110,000 at auction, helping pay for over a year’s worth of the shred icon’s ALS care.

Becker was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 1989, and by ’96 had lost the ability to speak. Visiting him at his family home to show his support for his ailing friend, Van Halen gifted him a black signature Peavey Wolfgang guitar. It’s completed with Eddie’s D-Tuna system on its Floyd Rose trem and a loving message of support scribed in gold pen.

The message reads: "Jason. We will play guitar together in the future. Love – from heart to your soul. Eddie Van Halen, '96." Becker's thumbprint also features on the rear of the neck.

The instrument was auctioned at Guernsey's auction house in New York, and despite its sentimental value, Becker has stated he’s okay with it going to a new home.

Says Becker: “I'm completely fine with this guitar being put up for auction. It was just collecting dust on my wall, and I thought it should be with someone who would really love and appreciate it as much as I do, and hopefully share it with others.

“Whenever people visited my house and saw the guitar, their faces would light up, knowing they were close to something that had a connection to Eddie,” he continues. “My family would share stories about the day he came over, sat on our couch, jammed, and hung out with all of us.

“Over the years, Eddie was incredibly kind and generous to both me and my family. These memories are something that all of us will cherish forever. To many, he was a guitar hero and a larger-than-life character. He meant all of those things to me as well, and then he became my friend. He was as kind, generous, and compassionate as he was a musical genius.”

While auctioneers had estimated a final price of between $300,000 and $400,000, the money raised is inarguably vital, funding over a year’s worth of treatment for the guitarist, which costs $100,000.

In the run-up to the auction, Becker’s assistant Stephen Correa stopped by LA vintage mecca Norman’s Rare Guitars to showcase the instrument in all its glory. Norman’s Rare Guitars posted a clip on its YouTube channel, in which Correa, Norm Harris and Michael Lemmo check out the instrument and share the story behind it, with Lemmo also doing a sizzling Van Halen impression. 

Becker, who is able to communicate and write new music with his eyes via a system he developed with his father after his diagnosis, hopes it becomes much more than just a guitar.

"I hope it serves as an inspiration,” he says, “for people to extend as much love to others as Eddie bestowed upon me and my family on that day.

"The auction of this guitar will benefit my family in many ways, but equally important, I hope it shines a light on the extraordinary heart that beats within Eddie.”

Before his diagnosis, Jason Becker seemingly had the world at his feet. He released two albums alongside Marty Friedman in Cacophony before a 1988 solo album, Perpetual Burn. He joined David Lee Roth’s band for 1991 album, A Little Ain't Enough, by ’96 he was no longer able to speak, prompting Van Halen’s visit on August 31.

During his time at Becker’s family home, the pair also filmed an awareness-raising video for the disease, with Eddie telling stories, opening up on his creative process and playing Becker’s Peavey Numbers prototype guitar.

Never-before-seen footage of that day was released on Becker’s YouTube channel in December 2020 and shows Van Halen as not just a wonderful guitarist, but a gentle and caring soul. It’s something Becker is quick to reiterate.

“After Eddie's passing, I shared a video of that special day, revealing a side of him that very few had the privilege to witness,” says Becker. “Reading the heartfelt comments and witnessing the overwhelming outpouring of love for Eddie from so many has genuinely touched the depths of my heart.

“Eddie was such a beautiful person. He was incredibly kind to me and my family. Not only was he my biggest influence, he had such a huge heart. He honestly saved my life.”

Despite his diagnosis, Becker has continued to write new music with the aid of his communication system. He released Triumphant Hearts in 2018, which saw the Californian musician enlisting an A-list cast to perform his compositions. Players included Steve Vai, Jeff Loomis, Guthrie Govan, Greg Howe, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert and Joe Bonamassa.

In a statement expressing his gratitude for the auction’s support, Becker also revealed that he’s “excited to share new music and other exciting projects with you” in the future.

“Each and every one of you deserves to know how genuinely grateful I am for your unwavering support,” he adds. “It's because of all of you that I'm able to bring the music I envision to life and share it with you."

In a rare interview with Guitar World earlier this year, Becker stated his next release would be called The Strawberry Jams.

“It will be so much fun for fans to hear,” he teased. “I recorded tons of stuff constantly until I couldn't play anymore. The first 'single' is going to be such a fun, big surprise for guitar players.”

When Eddie Van Halen visited Jason Becker in 1996, he gifted him a Peavey Wolfgang electric guitar from his personal batch – number 69 of the first 100 produced. That instrument is going to auction this month in an effort to raise funds for Becker’s ongoing care.

Recently, Becker’s assistant Stephen Correa stopped by LA vintage mecca Norman’s Rare Guitars to showcase the instrument – and to give in-house demo man par excellence, Michael Lemmo, the chance to put it through its paces.

The guitar was signed by Van Halen and bears the message: “Jason. We will play guitar together in the future. Love – from heart to your soul. Eddie Van Halen, ’96.” It also features Becker’s thumbprint on the rear of the neck. 

In a new clip, posted on the Norman’s Rare Guitars YouTube channel, you can see Correa, Norm Harris and Michael Lemmo take a look over the instrument and share the story behind it.

Aside from the touching story behind the guitar, it’s well worth watching the clip for Lemmo’s magnificent Van Halen impersonation, including an utterly wild whammy bar motorbike rev (very much in keeping with EVH’s motoring obsession) and a medley of Van Halen riffs and licks, including Unchained. 

“The last person to play it like that was Ed,” comments Correa after Lemmo winds down. 

The auction for Becker’s Wolfgang is already live with the sale (via auction house Guernsey’s) available to view over at LiveAuctioneers and has already passed the $100,000 mark from just two bids (sitting on $110,000 at the time of writing). 

The auctioneers estimate a final price of between $300,000-$400,000, so let’s hope it continues to gather some significant bids. 

It’s hard to think of another instrument that so poignantly represents the relationship between two greats of the electric guitar, with the possible exception of the Jeff Beck/Jimmy Page Tele. 

However, this auction is raising money for a very good cause – supporting its owners significant ongoing care costs – and, as Becker himself says, the guitar needs to be played.

“It should be with someone who would love to have it and can give it the attention it deserves,” Becker told Guitar World earlier this year. “I can’t play it, and the best part of it for me now is the memory of his kindness.”

Head to LiveAuctioneers to bid on Jason Becker’s Peavey Wolfgang guitar.

Jason Becker is putting his “most treasured instrument” – the #69 Peavey EVH Wolfgang given to him by Eddie Van Halen – up for auction to raise funds for his ongoing medical care.

Becker – who was diagnosed with ALS in 1989 – initially put the guitar up for sale via a broker earlier this year, but now it seems as though the instrument will be sold to the highest bidder when it goes under the hammer on December 14.

The electric guitar itself is an especially significant and meaningful six-string, and we imagine Becker would not part with it lightly. As for the guitar's story, it was gifted to Becker by Van Halen himself when the pair had their first meeting on August 31, 1996.

Designated #69, this particular Peavey (famously named after Van Halen’s son) was drafted from the first 100 examples that Eddie personally checked before the guitar went into production later that same year.

With its basswood body, quilted maple neck, EVH/Peavey-designed humbuckers and a D-Tuna Floyd Rose tremolo, the guitar was developed by Van Halen and Jim DeCola and built to the guitar hero’s exacting specifications.

As if this provenance didn’t make it valuable enough, the guitar also bears the thumbprint of Becker on the back of the neck, and was wielded by Van Halen upon his visit to Becker’s home in Southern California. It also carries the inscription: “Jason. We will play guitar together in the future. Love – from heart to your soul. Eddie Van Halen, ‘96.” As such, it carries the histories of two electric guitar icons.

The pair’s touching meeting was captured on film by Becker’s family, who shared the footage after Van Halen’s death in 2020. The film shows Eddie demoing the guitar’s D-Tuna function, and playing a section of Eruption, for Becker.

“This is the 69th one,” Van Halen can be heard saying in the footage. “The first 100 I personally checked. I named it after my son, Wolfgang.” It was the first meeting between the pair, who maintained a lasting friendship following the visit.

Now, the Peavey Wolfgang – which has been described as “Jason’s most treasured instrument” – has been put up for auction in an effort to raise money to fund Becker’s ongoing care, which costs north of $100,000 a year.

The instrument was discussed by Becker during his recent Guitar World interview. “A while ago, I was looking at the guitar Eddie Van Halen gave to me, hanging on the wall, covered in dust, and I thought, 'That's a shame. It should be with someone who would love to have it and can give it the attention it deserves,’” Becker said at the time. “I can't play it, and the best part of it for me now is the memory of his kindness.”

The guitar has been listed with a starting price of $100,000, with auction host site Live Auctioneers giving it an estimated sale price of $300,000 – $400,000. The recipient of the guitar will also receive a Certificate of Authenticity and, if the buyer wishes, an opportunity to meet with Jason Becker.

Owing to the circumstances of the sale, here’s hoping that the guitar eventually sells for something close to the upper end of that spectrum – or, hopefully, even more.

Head over to Guernsey’s for more information.

With technically daring sweeps and tapping as torrential as anything Edward Van Halen could muster, a teenaged Jason Becker took the world by storm in the heart of the '80s shred era.

Of course, Becker was often labeled a 'shredder,' which these days Becker himself sees as a term of endearment rather than a slight. And although he could tear up the fretboard like no other, Becker's inherent musicality and immersive compositional prowess set him apart.

While a harrowing Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis may have robbed Becker of his ability to physically play, his musical genius is still at work, as evidenced by his 2018 record to remember, Triumphant Hearts, as well as the next installment in his 'Jams' series, Strawberry Jams.

All of this is to say that, yes, Jason Becker was and still is a guitar hero of the highest order. But beyond that, Jason Becker is a true hero in life, not just in the studio and on stage. Few people can lay claim to both, but Jason Becker, who is still fighting harder than ever, can.

What follows is a rare and unedited interview with Jason Becker. As many within the guitar community know, Jason's struggle is ongoing. As such, he rarely does interviews, and he asked that this hard-fought piece with Guitar World be released in full as he intended, and that he's said all that he wishes to say at this time. 

From a compositional standpoint, describe the approach that you use in the modern day.

First, thank you for this interview. Hmmm… modern day. I am working on a new album called The Strawberry Jams, but it is all from my old unreleased songs and ideas from when I could still play. I have so many guitar recordings on four-track and eight-track cassettes. The Strawberry Jams will be the third volume after my Raspberry Jams and Blackberry Jams albums. It is exciting, but the thing is, I have not written new music since Triumphant Hearts. I am so happy with and proud of Triumphant Hearts, but it took a big toll on my health. I have been spending the time since then working on staying alive and trying to get better.

The week before filming the Hold on to Love video, I was in ICU with a collapsed lung due to trauma from emergency ventilation by ambu-bag when my routine tracheostomy change went way wrong, causing blood and air to be forced deep into my lungs at high pressure off and on for an hour. This also caused an abscess to form in that lung, which took months of antibiotics to heal.

That is why I, my parents, Serrana and Marilyn looked so wiped out in the video. This incident caused a lot of other problems, so I dove deep into healing, meditations, practices, and studying about healings.

I know from my experience 26 years ago when I almost died that if you can connect to the Divine, that the impossible is possible. I was leaving my body, and I could see myself lying in the hospital bed below. I thought, 'I'm not ready.' I heard the OM or word of God, and it was bliss. It was an orgasmic rush of love, compassion, power, and beauty that I hadn't experienced before, yet it was somehow familiar. I went through a door with an eye on it, and I experienced what some may call heaven. Beautiful, Divine music, too. 

I continued having miraculous experiences over the next few days, and my body was getting stronger after weighing 80 pounds. I started feeling joy and kindness instead of anger and sadness. Through the years, I have gone to see the hugging saint, Amma, in San Ramon on her tours. She hugs people all day, every day, without taking breaks. She also has tons of charities. To me, she is that love and compassion that I felt in the hospital in a body. She is so fun and kind to me. After COVID, she hasn't toured, but I write to her, and she always responds.

I stopped getting on the computer and was not very good at keeping in touch with most people. The pandemic helped me live like a hermit mostly. I meditated up to six hours a day and did Zoom healings with Dr. Joe Dispenza's students and with Rob Wergin. My body had almost shut down, so it took a lot of work. I know that eventually, people age and pass on, but I felt like I was wasting my purpose or opportunity or something like that.

But the last time I composed, I wrote in Logic Pro. My caregivers don't necessarily have to know anything about music. I don't write with music notation. We pencil notes in the track, and I direct them on what to do with each note: louder/softer, longer/shorter, etc. I have them do this with every note, harmony, and track. It gets quite fun as it comes together. My samples are really nice-sounding, so it really sounds like the real thing. Then my co-producer, Dan Alvarez, has suggestions, and we get some real musicians on it.

Being unable to physically play, how do you relay what's in your mind and work to make it a reality?

I do most of that in the composing part of the process. I use my communication system that my dad invented, which is quite fast. You can see me and my dad explaining it on YouTube. I simply explain what to do with each note.

After making my computer tracks, it is just like regular producing. How we produce it depends on the track. In Valley of Fire and both River of Longing tracks, I wanted the players to do their own thing. In Triumphant Heart and Magic Woman, I wrote the parts but wanted Marty [Friedman] and Uli [Jon Roth] to play it like it was their own song. Players like that don't really need to be told what to do. Just give them the notes, and they do their magic.

My co-producer, Dan Alvarez, is a musical genius, so he usually hears what I am going for.

Can you still envision the movements required on guitar? If so, how does that aid in your overall process?

Oh yes, definitely. It is a little more simplified in my head since I haven't played in almost three decades, but I figure out and write every instrument's part by looking at the guitar's neck.

Do you feel your limitations have, in some ways, made you more educated as a composer as it pertains to the guitar? If so, how do you apply that knowledge?

Not more educated, but different. Playing and writing on guitar felt pretty free and easy, but most of my guitar playing was done when I was a teenager. As I grew up, my tastes got different and more varied. I now compose for many different instruments. Since I can't put my personality into the playing, I need to make every part interesting and passionate.

In some instances, I use old recordings of myself playing guitar and write around that. We Are One started with two unreleased demos I had recorded when I could still play. I wrote everything else around those demos. Once Upon a Melody started with a melody I played on the Cacophony Go Off! album. I also added a four-track guitar recording of an idea I recorded during the Go Off! time. It was an improvised thing that was going to go in the song Black Cat during the water breakdown.

Having to compose and create in different and more inventive ways now, what were some of the biggest differences and challenges in creating a record such as Triumphant Hearts as opposed to Perpetual Burn?

Well, Perpetual Burn was just a lot of fun. I was 18 and full of energy. After Speed Metal Symphony came out, I was very happy, but I was so inspired by Marty, and I was getting a lot better at guitar and discovering my own style.

I wrote like crazy and sent everything to Mike Varney. He suggested Marty and I each do a solo album. Writing it took a few months. Then rehearsing with [drummer] Atma Anur, recording, and mixing it took about a month.

Triumphant Hearts was completely different. It took years to complete. Writing it was fun, and a lot of the process was a blast. The slowness got tedious, though. My great producer will tell you himself that he is even slower than I am [laughs]. He just wanted to do a great job for me, but I think he overdoes fixing things that don't need fixing sometimes.

It is just tough having ALS. It took a lot. I also must compose without relying on my guitar playing to make it interesting. I wrote lyrics and worked with a real orchestra for the first time. Being in charge of everything took a toll on my body.

What did the completion and subsequent success of Triumphant Hearts mean to you? What lessons did it learn, and what were your takeaways now that you're a few years removed from it?

Completing it was a huge relief. I didn't think it would ever happen for a while. There were so many obstacles. I wanted to celebrate, but I had so much more work to do, and my body was breaking down. I hired a bunch of PR people who tried really hard to get TV shows interested, but not one was interested. Even the big guitar magazines didn't seem to care much. [Guitar World published an in-depth interview on Triumphant Hearts with Becker in 2019 – Ed]

I was baffled. Did no-one believe I made this incredible album with my fucking eyes? I see so many 'inspirational' stories everywhere. Was this not 'inspirational' enough? You say 'subsequent success'. I felt it was a total failure, and I fucked up my body for nothing. Of course, I don't see it that way anymore. So many people loved it and were moved by the music. I am very happy it is out there. I just won't work myself to death anymore. I have so many guitar demos that will be fun for people to hear.

Do you feel more creative now than in past years?

I have been way less creative these past four years. I have just been meditating and praying. I am not worried about music, though. After I got my trach 26 years ago, there were a few years of not writing music, too. It will come back. When I don't feel good, I don't feel inspired.

My friend, Dave Lopez, is helping me go through my hundreds of old guitar recordings and pick some to add real drums and bass to. I am not going to write new stuff around them. Listening to my old demos reminds me how fun it was to play guitar. I can't wait to share them.

I'm sure many people in your situation would have given up on the dream of making music, but you've succeeded. What drove you most to want to continue, and what continues to drive you?

I guess the biggest motivation is I am still inspired. I have so much music to put out. I have so many talented friends who help me make it possible. And, of course, there are the people who spend their lives simply keeping me alive and comfortable; Serrana, Mom, Dad, Marilyn, Elizabeth, Tenoch, Jamie, Stephen, Dave, Ehren, Amy, and Mike.

Do current trends influence you? Are there any modern or alternative styles of music that interest or influence you most?

I don't know what the current trends are. I know that new styles would totally influence me, but I haven't been listening to any music. When Herman Li and other fantastic artists helped me auction off three of my guitars, and some donated their guitars, I looked up Tosin Abasi and Tim Henson, and I was so inspired. I had to stop watching their videos after about three because I wanted to pick up a guitar and try playing their stuff. It hurt too much. They are so fantastic.

Who are some of your current favorite virtuosos, and why?

This is a bad question for me only because I don't keep up at all. I know there are many new fantastic players, and I should know them, but I don't. I know a little about Polyphia and Animals As Leaders, and I think they are fantastic. Does Guthrie Govan count as a 'current virtuoso'? His playing is just divine.

I still love my favorite players, who everyone probably knows; Beck, Uli, Eddie, Morse, Hendrix, SRV, Marty, Hunter, Firkins, Kotzen, Greg Howe, Vai, Satriani, Trevor Rabin, Bonamassa, Roy Buchanan, Nili Brosh, Nita Strauss, John Scofield, Yngwie, Herman Li, Al Di Meola, Nuno, Schon, Gilbert, Lukather, Gottardo, Menn, May, Broderick, Loomis, Batten, Eric Johnson, Mayer, Gilmour, Albert, and B.B. King – the list goes on and on.

Does the idea of being labeled a 'shredder' bother you? That is to say, do you feel it's a derogatory term or a positive?

It used to bother me because I felt that my music was so much more than 'shred', but I have grown to appreciate that label because of all the young guitarists who have been influenced by what I did, and it feels good to hear that I may have had something to do with their talent and inspiration; so, it's definitely a positive to me now.

In your opinion, what is the ultimate 'shred' guitar, pedal, amp, and why?

I am sure they have made killer new stuff in the last 30 years. What I used back when I was a teenager was a Marshall 100-watt [JCM]800 with a Boss Super Overdrive pedal.

Of course, I love my old Carvin guitars and my Kiesel signature guitars. Ibanez made me three killer guitars back in the David Lee Roth days. Man, they were great. Seymour Duncan and I are working on a second Becker pickup. I remember a tan Fender practice amp that my friend Kurt James had that had a beautiful, perfect tone. I wish I knew what model it was. Dunlop and I are talking about making a Becker pedal.

Is there anything musically that you regret not being able to accomplish? How do you keep a positive mindset, and how does that outlook affect you musically?

I guess I don't have any musical regrets. I did so much before and after ALS. Of course, I would have played a few things differently, and I wish my hands had been stronger for Roth's A Little Ain't Enough album, but I did my best.

David Lee Roth asked me if I could do a guitar solo ala Eruption for the album. I played him my Serrana arpeggios, but since my hands were so weak, he wasn't quite into it.

You know, I do have a regret about something, though. David Lee Roth was so good to me: always very encouraging, positive, and supportive, both musically and otherwise. He tried to help with my physical problems with doctors and insurance during my time with him. When I had to leave, he was sad. We were kind of pals. He wrote some wonderful stuff about me in his autobiography, Crazy from the Heat.

When he did an international radio interview for the album, when he was asked why all the album musicians were not touring with him, he said, 'Some people are better in the studio smoking cigarettes than on stage.' Yeah, that was hurtful. And he never called me, but years later, in an interview, someone asked me who should give up playing music, and in my hurt feelings, I said, 'David Lee Roth.'

I just regret going low on a mostly positive experience. Dave, if you are reading this, I love and appreciate you, and I cherish our time together.

Another minor regret is in Jesse Vile's documentary, Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet, when I said, 'Being deep is boring.' I hope people know that I was just trying to explain how I cope with things. I try to stay light and not too serious. Being deep is necessary as an aging, evolving, thinking, feeling person.

Oh yeah, with the deadlines for Triumphant Hearts, we ran out of time for two important things. The jazz great, John Scofield, gave me a couple of wonderful solos on River of Longing. I will put them on The Strawberry Jams.

My dear friend, Ben Woods, did a lot of soloing for Valley of Fire. We didn't have time to edit it, so he didn't get a solo on the song; however, his playing is throughout the song and gives it a beautiful rhythmic flavor. He said he didn't mind, but I still feel bad. He made a great video of himself soloing on it before he passed. You can see it on YouTube.

Oh, and about staying positive, it is possible with love from the community of family, friends, caregivers, lovers, fans big time, and the whole amazing guitar and rock community. I am continually amazed by how beautiful the world can be with love.

What are your recollections of the time Marty Friedman covered Jeff Beck for you – in front of Eddie Van Halen?

This is such a great story! Marty tells the best stories. I don't remember it, though, because the technology back then didn't allow me to see it live, plus my breathing was very difficult, which you can see in the video when Eddie [Van Halen] visited me in 1996.

Man, I have to say I was the luckiest guitar player ever. I got to learn from and play with one of the most unique and brilliant guitarists and musicians of all time in Marty Friedman. He is also the coolest dude. Before most people knew about him, I got to study at the feet of a master, my brother, and develop my own style.

Considering what you've overcome, what are you most proud of in your career, be it past, present, or future?

I guess I am most proud of my whole overall career. I have a hard time talking about being proud because I have so much help. My mom asked to answer this question for me.

Pat Becker: "Yes, Jason has help and many people who care for him, and I'm sure that I speak for all of us when I say that not one of us had a dream, at the age of around 12, to become a great guitar player. Not one of us set about a dedicated practice with the goal of mastering all he heard and loved from the great guitarists of the time. 

"We didn't decide to limit our social lives and party time to pursue the dream until we almost became one with the guitar, playing night and day, always challenging ourselves and wanting to learn. 

"We didn't sit down at the keyboard and create a most beautiful, heartful melody, exposing our heartbreak and sorrow over a divorce for our grandfather, who we loved. 

"We didn't have the guts to play and sing Dylan songs in the sixth-grade talent show or send in a demo tape of playing to Mike Varney, who heard something unique and referred Jason to Marty Friedman, who brought out the best in Jason and encouraged him in every way and helped him develop his own style. We didn't put our egos aside to make the magic of Cacophony happen (as Jason and Marty did).

"We didn't make the decision to move on from Cacophony because we felt we needed to explore our own playing and composing skills more. We didn't create some of the most beautiful melodies, music, and compositions ever written and performed at the age of 17, 18, or 19. 

"We didn't have the guts to fly to L.A. to audition for David Lee Roth, with a pesky limp, lugging heavy guitars and equipment through the airport, or practicing day and night for the album A Little Ain't Enough, all while going to doctor appointments and getting tests, sometimes painful, to see what was going on. 

"We didn't limp off to practice, guitar in hand, to those rehearsals. Once the diagnosis of ALS came, his first question was, 'Will I be able to tour?' Then, we didn't fly off to Vancouver, determined to beat the disease and continue the dream. 

"We didn't write and perform two of the most beautiful guitar songs/solos on that album (It's Showtime! and Drop in the Bucket.) And when that dream had to end, we didn't come home to create a beautiful masterpiece of an album (Perspective). 

"We didn't have the foresight to record our playing as we were losing the ability and calling various demos Weak Hand Blues and Blood on the Traches, still putting our very lives and sorrows into our music.

"And, after years of trying to breathe, figure out a proper diet, and what to do about all the physical issues that came up, we didn't decide to make another CD, this time with lyrics describing what our life has been, with the highs and lows, and writing completely new pieces for old guitar solos and ideas which now fit the present circumstances of our lives. 

"Triumphant Hearts was a seven-year project (that he accomplished WITH HIS EYES!!!) that took a major health toll on Jason, both mentally and physically. But he did it. He wrote the lyrics, he directed a 32-piece orchestra from Bulgaria, and he created some of the most beautiful music ever written straight from his heart and soul. He gave his all.

"He is still working on music. He is still taking care of himself and the rest of us as best he can. He never stops thinking about and worrying about us. He is so grateful for all he has and all he is given by his peers, his fans, his family, and his friends.

"Yes, he has had help, but none of us did what he has done. I hope he is proud of all he has done in his career and all he has done in his life. I know we all could not be prouder."

What's next for you? Are you working on new music?

Well, as I mentioned, The Strawberry Jams will be done soon. It will be so much fun for fans to hear. I recorded tons of stuff constantly until I couldn't play anymore. The first 'single' is going to be such a fun, big surprise for guitar players.

We are putting together a non-profit called The Jason Becker Creative Care Project. It is kind of Serrana's idea. Of course, we all want ALS research to find a cure, but in the meantime, what about people like me who want to live and be productive? We hope to focus on those folks who need proper and consistent care.

Catahoula Coffee is making a Jason Becker coffee with a percentage of the proceeds going to the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust. Thank you, Timber. When the coffee is out, I will post a link.

A while ago, I was looking at the guitar Eddie Van Halen gave to me, hanging on the wall, covered in dust, and I thought, 'That's a shame. It should be with someone who would love to have it and can give it the attention it deserves.' I can't play it, and the best part of it for me now is the memory of his kindness.

I wanted to thank everyone who sent prayers and thoughts to my dad. He is doing better now. We all appreciate the love.

• For more information on Jason Becker, and to donate to the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust, visit jasonbecker.com.

Jason Becker is selling a very special electric guitar: the #69 Peavey EVH Wolfgang given to him by Eddie Van Halen. 

Becker – who was diagnosed with ALS in 1989 – is selling the instrument to raise money for his ongoing care, which costs north of $100,000 a year. 

YouTuber Benny Goodman (AKA The Neurotic Guitarist) is brokering the sale in an effort to ensure Becker gets the best price and avoids the fees associated with auctions.

The instrument came into Becker’s possession following a visit from Van Halen on August 31, 1996. The two had not met before, but established a lasting friendship following the visit. The moment was captured on video by the family – some of which is shared by Goodman in his post below.

In the footage, Van Halen can be heard talking through the instrument, explaining, “This is the 69th one. The first 100 I personally checked. I named it after my son, Wolfgang.”

The late Van Halen then demos his D-Tuna and plays the guitar for Becker, including a section of Eruption that he comments is “sloppy as hell”. Later he signed the instrument, with the inscription : “Jason. We will play guitar together in the future. Love – from heart to your soul. Eddie Van Halen, ’96.”

The gift wasn’t plucked from the closet, either. Quite aside from the serial number, the timing of the gift would have meant Becker was one of the first guitarists to own Van Halen’s Wolfgang signature guitar, as production of the instrument only began in the second half of 1996.

The model was developed by Van Halen with Jim DeCola (the firm’s chief designer at the time, who is now at Gibson), and featured a basswood body, quilted maple neck, two EVH/Peavey-designed humbuckers and a Floyd Rose vibrato with D-Tuna. 

DeCola has confirmed it is one of the first 100 produced and, in addition to Van Halen’s signature, it also carries Becker’s thumbprint on the back of the neck, making for a very unique instrument – one that carries the histories of two electric guitar icons.

Becker previously shared the footage of Eddie Van Halen’s visit after the guitar hero’s death in 2020, writing:

“Eddie was such a beautiful person. He was incredibly kind to me and my family. Not only was he my biggest influence, he had such a huge heart. He honestly saved my life.”

Indeed, as Becker explains in his forthcoming interview with Guitar World, it’s the memory of their friendship that counts most – and it’s not the money alone that is motivating the sale.

“A while ago, I was looking at the guitar Eddie Van Halen gave to me, hanging on the wall, covered in dust, and I thought that’s a shame," says Becker. 

“It should be with someone who would love to have it and can give it the attention it deserves. I can’t play it, and the best part of it for me now is the memory of his kindness.”

Clearly, the instrument represents a lot to Becker and we imagine he would not part with the guitar lightly. Here’s hoping someone as equally generously spirited as Van Halen happily pays an obscene amount of money for it. If that’s you, get in touch with Goodman.

After being confined to his adopted homeland of Japan for the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic, much to the delight of his fans, guitarist Marty Friedman is making his long-awaited turn to the States alongside former scene mates, Queensrÿche and Trauma.

But if you're assuming that Friedman – or his band – will need to shake the rust off, think again. Quite the contrary, as the ever-cerebral six-stringer has made several jaunts around Japan, keeping his chops up and keeping his band tight.

"Though we couldn't leave Japan, we've managed to stay busy," Friedman reveals. "But playing in America is a different animal than Japan. The sheer volume of shows allows the band to get to a different level of excitement. If you tour in Japan, and you do three shows, you're still essentially in rehearsal mode, even though, in general, my band is on fire."

"There's something different about traveling every day and playing this many shows that the band gets a different sort of fire under them," Friedman continues. "It's a lot easier to a lot easier to connect with the audience because the music is so incredibly ingrained in everybody to where it's more like an out-of-body experience rather than strictly entertainment mode."

Since Friedman last journeyed Stateside, he's released another stunner – Tokyo Jukebox 3 (2021). And while he's debuted his latest across Japanese stages, this tour will represent its first exposure amongst the American masses. Still, fans probably won't be able to help but wonder if the classics will be afoot, too.

When asked about the potential for old and new cuts intermingling within his setlist, Friedman went on to say: "I've got so many albums, so it boils down to what we can make the most exciting show out of. We're not picking one album to focus on; the set will feature things from all eras. There will be stuff from my first solo album ranging up to my most recent solo album, Jukebox 3. It's going to be interesting since we haven't toured it around America yet. It's different from my previous material, but I find it equally, if not more exciting."

Most recent news surrounding Friedman has centered around his performance with his old friends in Megadeth at Tokyo's vaunted Budokan Arena.

Of his long-awaited reunion with Dave Mustaine, the Jackson-toting rocker says, "We're just two rock 'n' rollers with teenage dreams that never die. Both of us did whatever we had to do to make it happen. I think with guys who have had long careers, you'll probably find that we are very much in touch with our 15-year-old selves. And that is the prime motivator to go out of our way, on a daily basis really, to create situations that would give that 15-year-old self a woody."

When asked if there are any imminent plans for further reunions with Mustaine and company, Friedman contained, "We [Megadeth and Friedman] are both playing at Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany this summer, so you never know."

Beyond Megadeth-related activity, there's much to rejoice about for fans of the veteran guitarist. To that end, as he embarks on his first tour on American soil since 2019, Marty Friedman dialed in with Guitar World to discuss why he's so excited to get out on the road, how he designed his Jackson MF-1 signature guitar, recording with Jason Becker in the '80s – and, of course, just a little bit more about that much talked-about guest spot…

Before we hit on your impending tour, what was most challenging about getting on stage again with Megadeth?

"It was less challenging and more like that innocent and pleasant anxious feeling you might get when getting ready to go out with a drop-dead stunner. If there was any challenge at all, I guess it would be playing the solos the way the fans remember them, which is something I wanted to do. My playing has evolved so much since those songs came out, and there are so many nuances I would naturally do differently now. 

"I had to resist the urge to play it like I would in 2023 and stick to the original way. For example, in a couple of those songs, I entered the solo on the downbeat, with the first note being the root of the chord. I would definitely avoid both of those things now, but apparently, I was fine with it back then!

How did you approach the songs from a lead perspective, given that Kiko Loureiro was on stage as well?

"Kiko was kind enough to mirror Dave's parts, so for me, it was very much like it was when I was in the band, only with the rhythms in stereo. He did come up with some neat harmonies to some of my lines in Countdown to Extinction."

How do you compare your style to Kiko's, and how do they complement each other?

"I'm not so great at comparing guitarists, but I can tell you that Kiko is a wonderful player with a wide variety of brilliant techniques and an incredibly versatile musical sense under his belt. I think he brings something fantastic and important to the band. I think we both have an interest in 'gypsy' motifs in common, but we construct melodies in a different way. I like his playing a lot."

How do you measure your role within Megadeth's history, and what are your overarching thoughts now that this latest chapter is finished?

"That's really for the fans to decide. I like to think I contributed a melodic angle that, by sheer luck, just happened to complement the legacy that Dave started."

What is your mindset as you prepare for your tour with Queensrÿche and Trauma?

"This is the first time that I'm touring anywhere outside of Japan since the pandemic, so I'm extremely excited about that. Getting in and out of Japan has just been next to impossible, and there have been almost no international touring acts coming to Japan, so now it's happening very slowly and gradually. So, the band and I are incredibly grateful that we can make this American tour a reality. We've toured three times here in Japan since the pandemic, so we're in shape, but there's only so much you can tour in a small country like Japan. So, we're ready to go."

How does playing in America differ compared with playing in Japan?

"The main thing that comes to mind is the fact that there are a lot more places to play. Most of the time, when bands come to Japan, they'll do three cities: Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. And then maybe they'll do two more cities like Sendai, Fukuoka, and maybe one other city or something, but rarely more than six shows.

"I've been lucky. I did a 25-show tour a while ago, and we just did 17 cities a couple of months ago, so we've been fortunate to play in some out-of-the-way areas and the big cities. But there are so many more places to play in America, so we'll be there for something like 45 days."

Considering you're touring with Queensrÿche and Trauma, do you feel any pressure to play your more metal-oriented back catalog?

"For that style of music, I feel like no matter who we play with it really has zero influence on what we do. I feel more of a personal connection to those people because Queensrÿche came up around the same time I did. We started with the same roots and were in the same fanzines during a time when heavy metal was still not very popular. They came into their own, and I carved out my own path, so I would assume it would be more of a personal connection than a musical one. What we're doing now is kind of unrelated."

Both Dragon's Kiss and Cacophony's Go Off! turn 35 in 2023. Those two records are important to many people, and I assume you'll feature them in your set. How do you personally measure their importance?

"Both of those records were obviously important to me because they got me started. At that time, I was still completely broke and borderline homeless. Despite that, people were encouraging me and enjoying that music. That's what kept me from giving up, so to speak, even though giving up music was never really an option. But sometimes, it's really hard to continue when you have absolutely no resources to do so.

"So, I think that the reaction to those records at the time almost forced me to endure the lousy living conditions and made me feel like, 'OK, I might have to live on my friend's couch for a while. But at least I know that there are some people who are really enjoying what I'm doing. It's worth it to keep trying, and hopefully, someday, I'll be able to carve out some sort of a career.'"

Do you have any regrets or anything you would change?

"At that time, there was no support. It was strictly a labor of love. It was about me making the music that I wanted to play, and that would represent me at the time. I really have no regrets, but sonically, if I could do it all again, I would do it much differently. But every album is like a yearbook that shows where you were at that time. So, if I look at it that way, I wouldn't change a thing.

"We do some stuff from those albums, and it's fun because a couple of members of my band were not even born when those records were made. [Laughs] But each album is a step toward the next, and it's all constantly evolving.

"As for the people listening to it, they have their own preferences. They like this album, or they like that album. Each has different meanings for them, and ultimately, it's more exciting for me to have other people get into this stuff rather than me thinking about it too much."

Are there particular memories that stick out from the recording of those records?

"I just remember having no time to do a lot of things. I wanted to take more time to do Dragon's Kiss, but when I was recording Dragon's Kiss, Jason Becker was recording Perpetual Burn at the exact same time in the exact same studio. We were doing day shifts and night shifts, and we were both there for each other's records. So, that meant neither of us slept, and we were burning both ends of the candle, so to speak.

"Jason was doing his record and is recording one of his songs, and it was very complex, and the guitar part was so intricate that the engineer couldn't punch in and out of it. So, I went in there to do the punch ins and outs on the tape machine because Jason was just like, 'OK, punch right in the middle of this insane run, there's no way the engineers gonna know where to punch, but you will.'

"So, I was doing that, and Jason and I were in the zone working on this piece of music. We were both so tired, he was playing a ton, and I was punching in and out, and then, we both fell asleep at the same time as we were recording [Laughs]. We were knocked out, woke up, and realized we were still playing. So, many of those recordings were done in a trance. But that's how it was; there was no budget, and we had two weeks to do both records."

Are your memories of recording Go Off! similar?

"I remember when we did Go Off!, we went to a much better studio called Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. It was a place where a lot of big '60s hits were recorded, and it was a real, proper studio. So, recording there, I think we thought we had made it to some extent [Laughs]. Other than that, again, there were a lot of day and night shifts and a lot of intricate punching out."

Is there one track or solo from your career that you consider your quintessential moment?

"It's funny, somebody just asked me this the other day, and I couldn't come up with an answer. I can't because I have the same criteria for everything I do. So, anything that you've heard on one of my records, or anything that has got my name on it, you can be sure that I'm completely signing off on it. If I recorded it, and it's out there, that reflects where I wanted to be at that time.

"When I record something and decide that it's done, that means I've said it in the best way I possibly can, and I let it go. So, it's not like I'm saying, 'Oh, man, I really got lucky on this one thing,' a lot of thought went into whatever recording you're hearing. So, to evade your question, and maybe it's kind of a boring answer, but really, nothing stands out. If it came out, that means that I was happy with it at that time, and I wanted you to hear it."

That's not a boring answer. If anything, it peels back the layers on your process and mindset as a guitarist.

"I think it makes sense. I mean, it's probably not uncommon because when people make a lot of music all the time, there's got to be some criteria, whether it be subliminal or something you consciously think about. You have to think, 'Do I really want people to hear this? Is this the best I can do? Is this how I want to represent myself?' So, if you pass those criteria, and you've got something that's got my stamp on it, then I'm pleased with that.

"Of course, if you go back and look at my older stuff, I wouldn't be as happy with that as I am with the stuff I'm doing now. Obviously, I've evolved, improved, and gotten better overall. I've gone way deeper musically, and things are much more meaningful than they might have been however many years ago. If you take something I recorded last week and compare it to something I did 30 years ago, chances are I'm gonna really like what I did last week, a million times better."

Is that to say you're not so enthused about your older music? How would you describe your evolution?

"At that time, I was equally enthused about that as I am with what I'm doing now, if that makes sense. The most important change is caring about how each note is shaped, stretched, cut off, shaken, or stirred. So, however I choose to interpret every single note has some choice going on where I think to myself, 'How do I want to do this?' There's no wasted space or real estate, particularly with my solos.

"If you have a solo, and it's like eight bars or 16 bars, that's pretty important real estate within the song. And real estate has value. If you put a value on each note and say, 'This is how I want this note to be at this time. This is how I want this run to be, and I want it to overlap this way,' if you think about those choices, your real estate will ultimately be more valuable.

"But at the same time, sometimes you don't think about it, and then you basically shit something out, and it comes out better than laboring over every little thing. Then it comes down to the listening process; you have to listen to something you shit out with as much care as something you've worked on for a long time. If you've played music for a long time, you can shit out some pretty good stuff. Of course, you can shit out some garbage as well [Laughs]."

Do you feel stream-of-consciousness writing is more effective than potentially overwrought writing?

"As long as you grow and evolve as a musician and an artist, your judgment becomes deeper and sharper. So, you can listen to something you've just done and say, 'Wow, I love this. I really love this because all these things happened.' That level of detail happens at the listening stage, not the planning stage. Because in the planning stage, you're just kind of stream of consciousness, shooting something out.

"That's probably the biggest thing that has evolved in my playing – those albums that you mentioned before, like Dragon's Kiss, and stuff like that, I had a lot to say, but I wanted to make sure I said it in an acceptable way and get that thing out. If I were doing the same material now, I would give each track a little more tender loving care.

"I think more about things like, 'How does it start? When does the not cut off?' A lot of times, notes are cut off earlier than they should be. Little things like connecting notes, lengthening notes, and effectively shortening notes are important details that are seemingly extremely tiny."

What pedals and amps are you going with for the upcoming tour?

"The same as I've been using, no changes. I've been using all my signature stuff for the last few tours. So, that's my signature guitar, signature pickups, and signature amp. I'm very fortunate that great companies like Jackson, EMG, and ENGL have provided me with some excellent signature gear that I'm proud to use. Honestly, my stuff is full-on workhorses, and they've been great for me.

"The only effects pedal I really use is the Maxon AF-9 Auto Filter. Other than that, I'm not really into effects; I like to keep it pretty simple when it comes to that."

What makes your Jackson MF-1 the perfect guitar for you?

"Well, the first thing is looks [Laughs]. It was modeled after a very famous guitar that we all know, so I was going for that shape. I don't know… I think it just looks good on everybody and anybody. I used to have an Explorer-shaped signature model, and while I was lucky it worked for my body type, that was kind of a pointy guitar, and it doesn't work for everybody.

"I mean, let's call a spade a spade – my signature model is shaped like a Les Paul – and that shape looks good on everybody. But, for example, a crazy shape like a Dimebag Darrell's Dean guitar that looked fantastic on him, but if I had one of those things, I'd look like a complete dork [Laughs]. So, there's just something about those fancy shapes… they fit certain people and their personalities, but not mine.

"But there's something about the Les Paul that, for me, just works. If you look at it in that case, it looks drab. It looks dull, unlike those pointy guitars. But put a Les Paul on your body, and suddenly, you'll look really cool, even if you don't play guitar. And I noticed that years ago when I'd look at pictures of people playing Les Pauls, and that's when I realized that the Les Paul is an excellent fit for my body type."

So, it's more of an aesthetic choice than anything else, then?

"In a way, yes. A lot of thought went into making it an accessory and something that just looked really cool. But the thing that made it my own was all of the details: the building of the guitar, the neck, the frets, the tuners, and making it a guitar that was a real workhorse and would stay in tune under all sorts of conditions. All those things are the kind of things that I can put my name on. But the shape is something I borrowed from the best, or should I say – I stole from the best [Laughs]."

Are you working on any new music?

"I've been working on my next album, which is still in pre-production. I've got about half of the basic tracks done. I'm really, really excited about it. But I'm equally excited about not having a deadline. I started working on it last year, and honestly, it's kind of an extravagant piece of music, so not having that deadline has been great.

"When I did my Wall of Sound album, I found out that the reason it came out so good, in my opinion, was that I spent forever on the demos and lived with the music. So, when it came time to record, I did the whole album and recorded all the guitars in nine days. That was insane for that much guitar work, but I was just so in tune with what I was doing. I enjoyed the process.

"So, I've been taking my time while working on this new record, and it will probably come out by the end of 2023 or sometime in 2024. But it gets harder and harder every time because I put more and more work into each album. With that, the bar gets raised higher every time, but yeah, I'm working on it. I'm enjoying it. I'm liking it."

• Marty Friedman tours the USA throughout March and April 2023 – head over to MartyFriedman.com for full dates.

Onstage nerves are something that every performer has to deal with, but judging by a recent revelation from Marty Friedman, it sounds as though most players’ experiences don’t come close to what the former Megadeth man had to deal with when he performed at an early Jason Becker tribute concert.

In a recent conversation with Guitar World, Friedman – who recently reignited his relationship with Megadeth at a show in Tokyo – paid tribute to the late Jeff Beck by recalling the time he bravely decided to cover one of Beck’s songs in front of an especially star-studded audience of electric guitar players.

As Friedman explains, he opted to perform a Beck track at one of the first Jason Becker tribute concerts due to the latter’s fondness of the former’s music, and though he admitted the gesture “sounds nice on paper”, he quickly came across two sticking points: Beck’s inimitable style and the fact he’d be playing it in front of Eddie Van Halen.

“I became aware of Jeff Beck a bit late in the game through my dear friend Jason Becker, who was constantly extolling Jeff’s many virtues,” Friedman recalled. “Beck is a peerless role model, especially in the sense that his playing identifies him immediately, and it is always played with so much finesse and the depth of a master. 

“I knew how much Jason admired Jeff, so I made the rather foolish decision to play a Jeff Beck song for Jason at one of the first Jason Becker tribute concerts in Chicago. Doing that sounds nice on paper, but Jeff’s touch is inimitable; you would have to literally live his life and go through his experiences to play like that. And then you would need a master’s degree in unique techniques that he invented and polished over the years.”

Despite this, Friedman pressed on, closing his own set with a rendition of Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers – a cover of a Stevie Wonder composition that Beck turned into an instrumental masterclass for his 1975 record, Blow by Blow.

And, though Friedman notes the track is a “relatively simple and familiar melody”, Beck’s touch turned it into a far more sophisticated showcase of feel and dynamics.

“The thing is, the more simple a melody is when it’s in the hands of Jeff Beck, the more exponentially difficult it becomes for others to interpret on the same instrument,” he observed, “because the feelings, inflections and emotions in the original version are Jeff’s and Jeff’s alone.”

Of course, there was also the small matter of trying to emulate Beck’s elite touch within the presence of another fretboard master, Eddie Van Halen, who was scheduled to take the stage after Friedman.

“The bill was full of super guitar players, including Eddie Van Halen, who was to follow my set,” Friedman went on. “Imagine the tremendous stupidity (or balls... but probably leaning toward stupidity) I must have had to play a Jeff Beck song in front of Eddie Van Halen... and just before his set, no less. 

“So, I played the song and survived it; maybe it was passable at best. Most likely, it just plain sucked. I am pretty sure it was the latter.” 

As Friedman concludes, the anecdote highlights “just what an extremely unique and special identity Jeff Beck is”, and how reciting his music “inspired me to try to carve out my own musical road”.

“I’m not the only one Jeff inspired in this way,” Friedman wrapped up. “There might be something in the fact that when many of us tried to play some of Jeff’s material, we just gave up and sat there in wonder, thinking, ‘Who am I kidding? I’ll never be able to play like that.’”

Head over to Magazines Direct to pick up the latest issue of Guitar World – a special tribute issue to the late Jeff Beck, who passed away at the age of 78 earlier this year.

By the time he was barely 18, Jason Becker was already living out the dream – wowing crowds around the world in the electric guitar duo Cacophony with his six-string brother-in-arms, Marty Friedman.

You don't see teenage guitarists tearing it up on the world stage every day, but as the above video shows, Jason Becker was by no means an ordinary guitar player.

In the video, a 16-year-old (the video describes him as being 15, which – given he was born in 1969 and it was apparently shot in 1986 – doesn't entirely add up) Becker blows the doors off of his high school talent show with an astonishing rendition of Yngwie Malmsteen's Black Star. 

Given the humble setting, Becker's performance – the stadium-ready poses, whammy bar squeals, jaw-loosening tapping sequences – seems almost comically out of place, like Eddie Van Halen showing up and plugging in at your local dive bar. 

Clearly, even at that age, the California native was ready for far bigger stages.

Mind you, that wasn't even the first time Becker had stolen the limelight at Kennedy High School's annual talent show. A year earlier, at 15, Becker got a well-deserved ovation from his classmates after nailing Gary Moore's intro solo from End of the World onstage.

Becker has said that it was the influence of Malmsteen who pushed not only his playing, but his stage presence, to the next level.

"When I was a junior in high school, [Rising Force, Malmsteen's debut album] was my jam," Becker told Louder in a 2016 interview. "His guitar playing had so much energy and passion to me. I wanted to learn all of his techniques, but it was more than just his killer playing. 

"I really needed to have some of his cockiness in my personality, as well as my music. I became a lot more outgoing and fun as a person. I started talking to and flirting with girls. In a way, Yngwie taught me how to be a rock star.”

After the dissolution of Cacophony in 1989, Becker – in a sign of just how high his star had risen in a few short years – was selected by David Lee Roth to replace Steve Vai as the lead guitarist in his band.

While he was preparing his parts for Roth's third solo album, A Little Ain't Enough, Becker began feeling a nagging pain in his left leg. In 1990, barely out of his teens, Becker was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and given less than five years to live. 

Though the disease slowly robbed Becker of the ability to play guitar, walk, talk and breathe on his own, he continues to compose and release music to this day, communicating with his eyes via a system developed by his father. His most recent album was 2018's Triumphant Hearts, which featured Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, and Joe Bonamassa.

For more on Becker's story, and to donate to the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust – which helps Becker's family deal with his significant medical expenses – visit the guitarist's website.

Born in the summer of ’69, Jason Becker signed to the infamous Shrapnel label at the age of 16 and soon after released two albums alongside Marty Friedman, under the banner Cacophony. Speed Metal Symphony came in 1987 and Go Off! in 1988. 

In ’88 Jason also released his debut solo record, Perpetual Burn. A few short years later he landed one of the most coveted gigs in rock when he played lead guitar on David Lee Roth’s A Little Ain’t Enough. Sadly, Lady Luck was not on Jason’s side as he was forced to retire from live playing due to the onset of ALS, or Motor Neurone Disease. 

With the help of specialised computer equipment, Jason is still able to compose music, and players such as Michael Lee Firkins, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Richie Kotzen have assumed the role of Jason’s ‘hands’ over the years.

Jason achieved technical mastery at a very young age and was one of the pioneers of sweep picking, with tracks like Mabel’s Fatal Fable and Serrana demonstrating flawlessly clean and ferocious delivery of five and six-string arpeggios covering every fret the guitar has to offer. Tracks like Temple Of The Absurd and Eleven Blue Egyptians show off a quirkier side to Jason’s composition and playing.

Our first example is a single-note riff incorporating some standard rock ingredients, such as the Harmonic Minor scale, palm mutes and vibrato, but also some odd note groupings which lean into progressive territory. 

Once your hands are warmed up with this one, we can ease into the sweep picking technique with Ex2. In this genre, the sweep picking technique usually comprises Major and Minor triads and Diminished 7th arpeggios, played across three or five strings, and sometimes across all six. 

The three-string shapes are a good place to start as you will be able to hone the technique before applying it to larger string groups. The first thing to achieve is sweeping the pick from string to string, rather than playing each string with separate pick strokes; more like slow, controlled strumming than picking. 

The pick should move at a constant speed to produce even subdivisions, and those subdivisions will naturally depend on how fast you move the pick.

The next challenge is with the fretting hand, which is largely responsible for how clean your sweeping sounds. The key word here is ‘muting’ and as such you should only fret one note at a time, while simultaneously preventing the other, unplayed strings from ringing out. Do this by using any spare fingers, or bits of fingers you have. Example 5 expands on the theme with a more ferocious and challenging lick.

Be sure to focus on playing the licks cleanly and in time, and don’t put all your energy into getting fast too quickly.

Get the tone

Jason used electric guitars from Carvin, Hurricane and Paradise, while his amp was a Marshall JCM800, driven by a Boss SD-1 distortion pedal. So it’s a classic metal sound we’re after. Use your guitar’s bridge pickup (humbucker, or drop the treble on a single-coil), with a British style amp tone via a high-gain distortion pedal. Use a minimum of reverb.

Track record

To go back to where it started, check out the Cacophony albums Speed Metal Symphony and Go Off! These show how ahead of his time the young Becker was. 

His debut solo album, Perpetual Burn, showcases his incredible range, while his work with David Lee Roth on A Little Ain’t Enough is superb. Also check out the two Warmth In The Wilderness tribute albums featuring a host of guitar stars.

Example 1

This single-note riff is based in A Harmonic Minor (A-B-C-D-E-F-G#). The phrase in bar 2 can be broken into groups of four, five then six notes, with a single note at the end to complete the bar.

Example 2

Play these three-string arpeggios starting with two up strokes, with a pull-off in-between, followed by three downstrokes. The initial shape is an E Minor triad and just the highest note changes to add a top line melody. Finish with a semitone bend and resolution at the 19th fret.

Example 3

Here we have three five-string positions of A Minor triads; starting on the 3rd, 5th, then root intervals with your first finger shifting up the fifth string for each shape. Pick each arpeggio with five smooth, connected down strokes, then five flowing up strokes; adding a hammer-on or a pull-off for the two-notes-per-string moments.

Example 4

Play these E Phrygian Dominant (1-b2-3-4-5-b6-b7) fragments using alternate picking and listen to the harmony guitar part on the backing track, which will help you mimic the rhythmic phrasing accurately.

Example 5

Play the E Minor, five-string sweeps in two positions; starting with your fourth finger at the 15th fret, then shifting up to 19th fret. Stay at 19th fret and descend with five-note Diminished 7th arpeggios phrased in quintuplets. Learn the licks slowly and perfect your sweeping technique before attempting to play up to speed.

Earlier this year, the world’s mightiest electric guitar players teamed up with Herman Li in a bid to raise funds for Jason Becker, who has been living with ALS for the past 30 years.

Throughout the fundraiser, a number of high-profile artists such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Nita Strauss joined the DragonForce guitarist live on his Twitch channel for some impromptu jamming, with all proceeds going directly to Becker’s medical trust.

Now, as part of the latest edition of the series, Li has shared footage from his virtual collaboration with Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, who offered up his shred-ready skills to support the cause.

The results, as you can imagine, were quite spectacular. Taken from a stream that aired on Shred Talk in April, the 18-minute clip sees the pair pull out all the stops in a dizzying display of their fretboard navigating abilities.

As the guest star, Stevens takes first stab at a solo using his Knaggs signature guitar, teasing some fretboard fireworks by way of some opening melodies and box-heavy licks, with Li following suit with a passage of slide-heavy motifs and chromatic turns.

Naturally, the duo up the ante later on, serving up some blink-and-you’ll-miss-them scale runs and delicately curated lyrical musings, before partaking in the customary blindfold guitar challenge.

Aside from serving up some sublime six-string wizardry together, the pair also took time to discuss Stevens’ career, tracing his days as a cover band guitarist up to becoming a Billy Idol band member.

When asked about how he first came across Becker, Stevens said, “I kind of knew about him only because I was friends with Mark Varney from Shrapnel [Records]. He would always tell me about the new hotshot guitar players.

“But when Jason joined David Lee Roth,” he continued, “I stood up and took notice and went, ‘Oh, who’s this guy?’

“I think it’s important to hear what new players are doing and where the instrument is going. First and foremost, I’m a fan of the instrument. When somebody does something new with it, I’m as excited as anybody about seeing it.”

Stevens is the latest guitar player to take the hot seat in support of the Jason Becker fundraiser, after Polyphia’s Tim Henson featured alongside Li wielding Becker’s famed Peavey “Numbers” Prototype guitar in a rare demonstration of his improvisation skills.

Alongside the streams, there have been a number of guitar auctions to raise funds for the Becker Trust. 

In July, Li was joined by Bumblefoot during a live auction that saw the sale of three of Becker’s prized instruments, including his Perpetual Burn Blue Hurricane and Speed Metal Symphony White Hurricane, which sold for a combined total of $165,000.

Head over to the Jason Becker Reverb Shop to browse the models currently up for sale.

Last week, Nita Strauss took to the stage with Alice Cooper for a gig at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston Massachusetts, and played the show’s encore using one very special electric guitar – Jason Becker’s original prototype Peavey ‘Numbers’ model.

The axe – which was used by Becker to record River of Longing and Ending of the Beginning, and played by Eddie Van Halen during a visit to Becker’s house in 1996 – was put through its paces for a rendition of Cooper’s mammoth hit School’s Out, and played host to Strauss’s searing solo.

Now the dust has settled and we’ve all had the opportunity to watch and marvel at the 'Numbers' guitar in Strauss’s virtuosic hands, we can’t help but wonder one thing: just how did the iconic axe end up in Nita’s possession?

Well, thanks to a video from YouTuber The Neurotic Guitarist, that question has now been definitively answered.

As it turns out, Benny Goodman, the name behind The Neurotic Guitarist, revealed the channel had in fact purchased the ‘Numbers’ Peavey prototype at auction and, in a bid to honor Becker’s wish for his guitars to be played by others, lent Strauss the six-string for her Alice Cooper show.

The move coincided with a newly formed hashtag – #ALSAWARENESS4JASON – which Goodman hopes will raise awareness around Becker’s story, and put the spotlight on ALS – the condition Becker has been living with for the past 30 years.

“I promised Jason. I didn’t want this to go to some guitar vault where no one saw it again. Jason wants this guitar to be played. We want to share the love,” Goodman said.

“What I wanted to do was really get this guitar in people’s hands,” he continued. “First and foremost we can raise awareness about ALS, about the story of Jason. The more we talk about Jason and the more we talk about ALS awareness, the more we can do as a community to come together to help people like Jason.

“To raise money, to raise awareness, and to do it through rock ‘n’ roll and through love.”

“So, when I found out Alice Cooper was coming to town, I knew Nita Strauss is one of the biggest Jason Becker fans, and why wouldn’t she be? He’s one of the greatest, and Nita? She’s setting the bar.

“The Alice Cooper band is amazing and if you go and see Alice Cooper it's like a right of passage culturally, musically speaking. What would be cooler than having 'The Hurricane' Nita Strauss playing Jason Becker’s prototype 'Numbers' guitar?

“We’re going to send this video to Jason Becker and I promise you, raising money is one thing – but quality of life and making people happy is a completely other thing. I know that, if I was Jason, I can tell you that he appreciates our love and prayers, and watching 'The Hurricane' Nita Strauss play School's Out on his guitar.

“That’s what we want to do with The Neurotic Guitarist. We want to put this guitar in amazing players’ hands, but also to help raise awareness for ALS and to make our hero Jason just a little happier.”

In a social media post published after the concert, Strauss wrote, “I am so grateful to have had this opportunity. "Jason told Josh [presumably Josh Villalta, Strauss's boyfriend] and I years ago that he wanted his guitars to continue being played.

"At the time I was struck by how unselfish that thought was – there was no sense of bitterness, just that same joy and love of guitar that we all associate with Jason and his playing.”

Responding to Strauss playing his six-string – and to Goodman's new awareness campaign – a tweet posted to Becker's account on his behalf read, " I saw the Nita Strauss video that Benny Goodman made. Man, I am so touched. I love Nita Strauss so much! Ben, you are so sweet."

"We're incredibly touched to see one of Jason’s dreams coming true – seeing his guitars continuing to be played by phenomenal guitarists," a follow-up tweet continued. "We love you, Nita Strauss & Alice Cooper. Thank you!"

By the sounds of it, we're going to be seeing Becker’s 'Numbers' guitar crop up in the hands of different guitar heroes in the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled to The Neurotic Guitarist for a glimpse of who gets it next.

Last night (September 21), Alice Cooper and his band – which features electric guitar hero Nita Strauss – played at the Leader Bank Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts. 

For the group's encore performance of Cooper's anti-authority anthem School's Out, Strauss – rather than her Ibanez JIVA10 signature guitar – elected to use a different, very significant guitar instead, Jason Becker's original prototype Peavey 'Numbers' model. 

Used by Becker – whose 30-year struggle with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease) has robbed him of the ability to play guitar, walk, talk and breathe on his own – to record his songs River of Longing and End of the Beginning, and played by Eddie Van Halen during a visit to Becker’s home in 1996, the one-of-a-kind guitar was recently sold at auction for $65,000.

You can see Strauss take School's Out's rabble-rousing solo with the custom Peavey below.

"It’s taken me 12 hours to find the words," Strauss wrote on Instagram of the experience. "What an incredible honor and a privilege it was to get to play Jason Becker's original Numbers guitar on stage for a song last night. 

"This guitar truly has Jason’s magic in it – I felt like I couldn’t miss a note if I tried! I was in tears walking off the stage thinking what that moment meant. I don’t know when that guitar was last used on stage! But I am so grateful to have had this opportunity.

"Jason told Josh [presumably Josh Villalta, Strauss's boyfriend] and I years ago that he wanted his guitars to continue being played," Strauss continued. "At the time I was struck by how unselfish that thought was – there was no sense of bitterness, just that same joy and love of guitar that we all associate with Jason and his playing.

"Now that I’ve played it a couple times – I get it. I do."

Earlier this year, Strauss played a prominent role in a massive virtual Jason Becker fundraiser, set up to assist the guitarist with his significant medical costs.

As part of the initiative, which included a live fundraising event on DragonForce guitarist Herman Li's Twitch channel, Polyphia guitar maestro Tim Henson also got the chance to play Becker's Numbers guitar, using it for a rare display of his improvisational prowess. 

Three of Jason Becker’s prized electric guitars, including his Eddie Van Halen-played Peavey "Numbers" prototype axe, have sold for a combined $230,000 at on online auction.

The event, watched live by DragonForce’s Herman Li and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, saw the iconic Peavey prototype line up on the auction block alongside two of Becker’s Moridira Hurricane models.

“Back in February, friends of Jason Becker’s came to me to ask me to play these guitars and help raise money,” recalled Li.

“We have launched a five-month campaign to promote Jason Becker, these guitars and Jason’s achievements,” he continued. “Jason’s story is what really sells these guitars.”

As seen on the covers of Becker’s Perpetual Burn and Cacophony’s Speed Metal Symphony, respectively, the Blue Hurricane and White Hurricane models were the most lucrative offerings of the event, fetching a combined total of $165,000.

The Blue Hurricane, which features a bolt-on maple neck, HSS pickup configuration and Floyd Rose double locking bridge system, sold for $80,000. Becker’s White Hurricane, also featuring an HSS pickup set, bolt-on maple neck and Floyd Rose bridge, was purchased for $85,000.

Both Hurricane guitars are also adorned with Becker’s thumb-print signature.

That left the Peavey prototype model, used on a handful of iconic Becker tracks such as River of Longing and End of the Beginning, which, after 16 bids, ultimately sold for $65,000.

Recently, Tim Henson of Polyphia took the guitar for a spin during a livestream with Herman Li, the latter of whom has been instrumental in organizing and hosting the various Jason Becker fundraising events over the past five months.

Becker’s Peavey prototype had also been played by late electric guitar legend Eddie Van Halen, who put the axe through its paces during a visit to Becker’s home in 1996.

All of the money that was raised at the online auction from the three guitars will go directly to the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust to support Becker, who has been living with ALS for the past 30 years.

More guitars being sold in support of the iconic guitarist, including signed offerings from Andy Timmons, Nili Brosh and Tosin Abasi, can be found on the official Jason Becker Reverb shop.

Elsewhere in the auction, an Eddie Van Halen-owned and -played Kramer guitar – one of five ever created – sold for an eye-watering $120,000.

Paul Gilbert has announced that he will sell a signed version of his rare Ibanez Hoshino 90th Anniversary signature guitar on the official Jason Becker Reverb store, which will help raise funds for the electric guitar god in his fight with ALS.

Included alongside the striking six-string in the package is one of Gilbert’s brand new signature TC Electronic MojoMojo overdrive pedals, which also flashes the Mr. Big virtuoso’s signature.

The guitar in question – a Made-in-Japan Ibanez PGM90HAM – was originally made back in 1998, and was wielded by Gilbert on many occasions, including the 90th Anniversary Hoshino concert shred-fest, at which he played alongside Steve Vai and Andy Timmons.

Vai also received a 90th Anniversary 90HAM model, as did John Petrucci and Joe Satriani. In total, only 337 PGM90HAMs were sold worldwide.

Aside from the factory-fitted specs – which include a basswood body with flamed maple top, three-piece maple/bubinga neck and ebony fretboard – the model has also been custom shop-modded to have dot inlays on the fingerboard.

Other specs include abalone purfling and white binding, 24 Jumbo frets and a Gotoh GTC101 fixed bridge. As for pickups, the axe comes equipped with a pair of DiMarzio Tone Zone humbuckers and a DiMarzio JEM single-coil.

As well as being an aesthetic stunner, the guitar also sounds pretty darn good, too, with Gilbert flexing the model’s impressive sustain and clarity while reeling off a barrage of blazing alternate-picking passages and wailing whole-note-and-then-some bends in the video above.

After giving viewers an up-close look at the elegant model in the video – which was hosted by Herman Li on the DragonForce YouTube channel – Gilbert then proceeds to sign the guitar’s back control plate and the pedal’s casing in silver pen.

“I hope you enjoy this guitar,” said Gilbert. “I’m going to miss it. It’s a beautiful instrument, but sometimes we’ve gotta send things round to bring in some happiness and goodness.”

The guitar is now up for sale on the Jason Becker Reverb Store, and will come with the signed MojoMojo pedal and a couple of sets of Ernie Ball strings.

It is the latest high-profile guitar to be sold in support of Becker, who has been living with ALS for the past 30 years. Recently, it was announced that three of Becker's own prized guitars, including his famed Numbers axe, will hit the auction block on July 15.

Former Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick has shared a clip of himself playing Perpetual Burn – the unbelievably technical title track from Jason Becker's landmark debut album – wielding Becker's original 22-fret white Moridira Hurricane electric guitar.

The six-string – which was used during the recording of Perpetual Burn and can be seen on the cover of Cacophony's debut full-length, Speed Metal Symphony – is currently up for grabs via Guernsey's Auctions.

As part of the ongoing mammoth Jason Becker fundraiser organized by DragonForce guitarist Herman Li, the guitar is one of several Becker-related items included in the 'A Century of Music' lot.

Other items include Becker's blue, 24-fret Hurricane guitar – which features the guitarist's thumb print, has been used both live and in the studio and is pictured on the cover of Perpetual Burn – a one-of-a-kind Peavey "Numbers" prototype guitar that has been played by Eddie Van Halen, Tosin Abasi, Steve Vai and more, and the red leather jacket worn by Becker on the Perpetual Burn album cover.

Chris Broderick played with Megadeth between 2008 and 2014, appearing on 2009's Endgame, 2011's Thirteen and 2013's Super Collider. 

Says Herman Li: “Working with Guernsey's Auctions has been wonderful. They understand how unique these guitars are and how inspirational and important Jason is.

“Jason played so few guitars in his life, so these instruments are incredibly special. Whoever buys these guitars will not only own a piece of history, they will be directly helping Jason battle ALS.”

The Jason Becker fundraiser – which has seen contributions from the likes of Marty Friedman, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Kiko Loureiro and more – has so far raised over $200,000 for Becker's ongoing care.

“In America, having a chronic condition such as ALS can be unbelievably expensive,” explains Li. “Our goal from the beginning has been to make sure Jason never has to worry about money again, so he can put his energy toward music and his health.

“It has been great to see the guitar community rally around Jason. He has given us so much inspiration – I'm glad we have the opportunity to give back.”

Says Becker: “I am so grateful for all the love and support everyone has given to me and my family. As far as selling my guitars being sad, and that I shouldn't have to do it, I just want you to know that isn't how I feel. It makes me happy to see others playing my music. 

“I feel good about passing on my guitars, thinking they mean something to others. I can't play them now, but other folks can. That's a good thing. And, I want myself and my family not to have to worry about money, if possible. Thank you for all the love, I send it right back to you.”

Three of Jason Becker's prized electric guitars are headed to the auction block.

Put up for sale by Live Auctioneers, the trio is comprised of Becker's prototype Peavey "Numbers" guitar, and two Moridira Hurricane models – seen on the covers of Becker's solo album, Perpetual Burn, and Cacophony's Speed Metal Symphony, respectively.

Featuring a bolt-on maple neck, 24-fret maple fretboard, HSH pickup set and Schaller double locking bridge system, the "Numbers" guitar on offer is the first prototype Peavey made for Becker, and was used to record the songs River of Longing and End of the Beginning.

The guitar was also played by the late Eddie Van Halen when Eddie visited Becker at home in 1996, and, more recently, by Polyphia's Tim Henson during a livestream fundraiser for Becker – who has suffered from ALS for over 30 years. The current bid for the guitar – which has an estimated value of $50,000-$100,000 – is $24,000.

Next on the docket is the white Moridira Hurricane model Becker held on the cover of Speed Metal Symphony, his first album with Cacophony, his duo with Marty Friedman.

Featuring a bolt-on maple neck, rosewood fretboard with 22 frets, HSH pickup set and Floyd Rose double locking bridge system, the guitar was used to record almost all of Becker's seminal debut solo album, Perpetual Burn. Also used extensively on his album The Blackberry Jams, the guitar is valued at $50,000-$100,000, and carries with it a minimum bid of $24,000.

Finally, there's the blue Moridira Hurricane that Becker is pictured holding on the cover of Perpetual Burn. 

Featuring a bolt-on maple neck, maple fretboard with 24 frets, HSH pickup set and Floyd Rose double locking bridge system, the guitar was used on the piece Betcha Can't Play This. Like its companions at the auction, the guitar is valued at $50,000-$100,000, and carries with it a minimum bid of $24,000.

All proceeds from the sale of the guitars – which can be bidded on through July 15 – will go to the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust, which helps Becker's family pay for the extensive costs of the guitarist's medical care.

In addition to his decades-long battle with ALS, Becker was hospitalized in April after experiencing "persistent shortness of breath and rapid heart rate" following a bacterial infection. He later fully recovered and was sent home.

The auction follows an all-star fundraiser Twitch stream and an official Reverb store that sold a series of signed six-strings to raise funds for Becker.

For more info on the auction, which also includes the red jacket Becker wore on the cover of Perpetual Burn, stop by Live Auctioneers.

Through his jaw-dropping work with Polyphia and social media excerpts of his blistering technical prowess, Tim Henson has cemented himself as one of the guitar world’s most refined fretboard navigators. Characterized by lightning-fast execution and exquisite melodicism, Henson’s fretboard acrobatics have all the finesse of a well-choreographed, intricately composed masterpiece.

What happens, then, when he tries to improvise? Well, that was the topic of conversation when the six-string sorcerer joined forces with Herman Li on the latest installment of the mammoth Jason Becker fundraiser livestream event.

In short? Well, much of the same, really. Using Jason Becker’s original Peavey prototype Numbers electric guitar, which has also been played by the late Eddie Van Halen, Henson traded licks with the DragonForce maestro in a rare display of his improvisational talents. 

“We’ll be jamming, but fans have never seen you do it, right? You don’t usually jam,” comments Li, to which Henson responds, “No, I don’t usually jam. Hopefully it’s not too bad... It's rare footage.” 

Henson’s improvised passages are dotted throughout the video below, with the first one starting at 6:30.

Testing the waters with a few synchronized low-string stabs, Henson begins commuting his way up the fingerboard through a series of tasty lead flourishes and melodic pentatonic constructions.

“It’s so crazy to hold this thing,” said Henson after taking it for a spin. “This is such a famous guitar.”

Upon being informed by Li that EVH had once wielded the famed six-string, Henson reacted in much the same way anyone would, saying, “Eddie Van Halen played this guitar? What?! That’s fucking crazy.”

“It’s crazy, this thing shreds. The action is super-low, so it definitely feels like you could do some wild arpeggios on it," continued Henson before, naturally, playing some wild arpeggios.

Later, Li said, “This campaign is not just about raising money. I finally see the press talking about Jason Becker a lot now. His condition, he went to hospital, he came home. [It’s] raising awareness for the disease, because it exists and can happen to any of us.”

The pair were performing as part of the Jason Becker fundraiser event, which aims to raise money for the guitar guru, who has been living with ALS for the past 30 years.

Through star-studded Twitch streams and an official Reverb store selling a series of signed six-strings, the initiative has currently raised $238,252 as of June 15.

Visit the Official Jason Becker Reverb Shop to see the guitars currently up for sale.

Jason Becker has revealed that he thought he was on his “way out” whilst suffering from a bacterial infection which left him hospitalized and suffering from “shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate”.

In a new statement to his fans posted on his social media, the guitarist – who has been living with ALS for over 30 years – writes: “Hey everyone, I'm finally starting to feel like myself again, after many months of scary health issues, and thinking I was on my way out.

“Once again, thank you for all your prayers and well-wishes; I honestly feel that energy and I'm very grateful. It feels so good to know you are out there and your kindness and support brings tears to my eyes.

He continues: “How can I possibly thank Herman Li, Nayla, Colleen, Stephen, Amy, and all the musicians who got together and donated their time and guitars and put their hearts into their music, all for my benefit? Your loving words and gestures are humbling and I am honored. Thank you all. I am blessed beyond belief for each and every one of you.

Concluding, he writes: “I am hoping to be able to check in on the computer and try to keep up with everything as much as my energy will allow me, and I hope to get back to music, in some form, as much as I can.

“I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. My family and I could not have gotten this far without you all.”

As mentioned in Becker's statement, a massive fundraising effort has been undertaken by the guitar community in recent months. 

Organized by DragonForce shredder Herman Li, the ongoing event has been raising money for Becker's medical costs, and has seen involvement from the likes of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Marty Friedman, Nita Strauss and many more.

Last week, guitars signed by Metallica, Mark Tremonti, Joe Satriani and Nili Brosh went up for sale on Reverb.com as part of the fund-raising effort.

In an effort to raise funds for The Jason Becker Special Needs Trust, it has been announced that a number of six- and seven-strings signed by members of the guitar elite have gone up for sale on Reverb.com.

Each axe will be sold via the Official Jason Becker Online Store, with eight signed electric guitars currently up for sale. 100% of the proceeds will go towards supporting Becker, who has been living with ALS for the past 30 years, with his high medical expenses.

Alongside a stage-played Nili Brosh-signed Ibanez seven-string and Satriani-signed and -stage played 2004 G3 ‘Flame’ guitar is a 'Triumphant Friends 2' Kiesel JB24, which sports the signatures of each Metallica member, as well as Sammy Hagar and Steve Vai.

The list doesn’t end there, with the JB24 also flashing the autographs of Steve Lukather, Tosin Abasi, Herman Li, Alex Lee, Albert Lee, Neal Schon, Elliot Easton, Stevie Salas, Warren DeMartini and Chris Broderick.

The other five offerings currently available include an Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro signed by the members of Trivium, a PRS SE signed by Mark Tremonti and a Jackson Pro signed by Jeff Loomis. A BC Rich adorned with the autograph of Zoltan Bathory is also up for sale.

Each guitar, bar the JB24, appeared on the recent Shred for Jason Becker Virtual Livestream fundraiser, which was hosted by Herman Li on his Twitch channel.

This is only the beginning of the comprehensive catalog of guitars, with Reverb revealing that even more models are set to be signed and donated by a handful of other guitar heroes in the future, including a Paul Stanley-signed Ibanez signature.

Judging by the pics provided by Reverb, it's also likely we will see a signed version of Jason Becker's own recently revealed Kiesel Yin Yang signature model some time in the near-future.

The new initiative comes after a health scare earlier this year, during which Jason Becker was admitted into hospital after experiencing a persistent shortness of breath.

He was later discharged after being treated for a bacterial infection and continued his recovery from home.

For more information, head over to The Official Jason Becker Reverb Shop.

Jason Becker has returned home from hospital after undergoing treatment for a bacterial infection, his family has confirmed.

On Sunday (April 11), Becker’s family wrote on social media, “Hi Everyone! Here’s an update from Gary Becker: Jason is at home, sitting on his back deck with his cats! Thanks to everyone for their continued love and support!“

The confirmation of Becker’s return home follows an update from his family on April 10, which revealed the electric guitar hero was beginning to recover from the infection, and that “he should be going home tomorrow“.

“Our family is so thankful for your thoughts and prayers,” the post continued. “Thank you to everyone who is ordering from our family eBay store. It’s a great way to support Jason.”

Becker, who has been living with ALS for the past 30 years, returns home after he received treatment for the infection over the weekend, with a separate post from April 9 reading, "Jason is still in hospital receiving IV fluids and antibiotics. 

"He really likes his doctor. The doctor is very optimistic that antibiotics will improve his bacterial infection. Jason is hoping to come home in a day or two."

The iconic guitarist and composer was admitted into medical on April 8 after experiencing a persistent "shortness of breath and rapid heart rate".

To support Becker the guitar world is currently in the midst of a two-month marathon fundraiser. Spearheaded by DragonForce wizard Herman Li, the event has assembled a mind-boggling collection of guitar heroes, including Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Marty Friedman, Nita Strauss and many more, to raise funds for Becker's medical costs.

Jason Becker has been taken to hospital after experiencing persistent shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate, it has been confirmed by his mother.

On Thursday (April 8), Pat Becker revealed on social media that the electric guitar icon, who has been living with ALS for the past 30 years, was taken into medical care after his doctor said it was “best to admit him to the hospital” following the persistence of his symptoms.

“Hey everyone, Jason is aware of, and overwhelmed by the outpouring of prayers and love coming his way,” Pat Becker wrote. “He was feeling better for a while, but the annoying shortness of breath and rapid heart rate kept coming and going. The doctor felt it was best to admit him into hospital, which is what we are doing.”

She continued, “Right now, Gary [Jason's father] and Serrana are on the way. I will spend the night with him tonight. On his way, he said, ‘gonna get this fixed. I love you.’ Eternal optimist and we are all taking his lead.

“We are all so grateful and will keep you posted when we can. Thank you with all our hearts.”

The update on Becker’s condition comes after his mother informed fans on Monday (April 5) that the legendary guitarist and composer was in “constant contact with doctors” after experiencing the onset of shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate.

Paul Stanley was one of many to send his wishes to Becker, tweeting, “This guitar prodigy has fought against all the odds for 30 years battling ALS and is now asking for our help. You are loved, admired and not alone Jason.” 

Becker, who recently teamed up with Kiesel to create the guitar of his dreams, is currently the focus of an ongoing mammoth fundraising effort undertaken by the guitar community.

Organized by DragonForce virtuoso Herman Li, the fundraiser has recruited a huge array of guitar heroes to raise funds for Becker's medical costs. Those involved include Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Marty Friedman, Nita Strauss and many more.

Jason Becker is “in constant contact with doctors” after suffering “shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate”, according to his mother.

In a tweet posted on Monday (April 5), Pat Becker wrote: “Jason has requested prayers from all you wonderful folks out there. He can feel your prayers, and is experiencing shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate which is pretty scary stuff.

"He has not been able to communicate his gratitude and love for all the recent donations and support, but he is so grateful to you all and hopes to get back to a level of energy that makes it possible to let you all know, personally, how much he appreciates you.”

Amongst the well-wishers who posted in response was Kiss frontman Paul Stanley, who tweeted: “Let's all send good thoughts and use the power of prayer to send along out positive energy to Jason Becker.

“This guitar prodigy has fought against all the odds for 30 years battling ALS and is now asking for our help. You are loved, admired and not alone Jason.”

The guitar community is currently in the midst of a two-month fundraising marathon for Jason Becker. Organized by DragonForce guitarist Herman Li, the fundraiser is recruiting some of the guitar world's most celebrated guitar players – including Marty Friedman, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai and more – to help raise money for Becker, and to celebrate his music.

Earlier this year, Becker teamed up with Kiesel to create his “dream guitar”, the humbucker and single coil-equipped Yin Yang signature model.

It has been announced that a collection of the world’s most prolific electric guitar players will join forces throughout March and April to raise money for – and celebrate the music of – iconic guitarist Jason Becker, who has been living with ALS for the past 30 years.

Hosted by DragonForce guitar wizard Herman Li, the fundraiser will be composed of three separate parts, including a live fundraiser on Li's Twitch channel, a special store on internet gear retailer Reverb.com and a one-off auction of Becker’s prized guitars.

Over $13,000 has been raised so far by the Twitch livestreams, which see special guest guitarists join Li to jam and take part in a range of challenges conceived by those tuning in.

Those who will be participating in the fundraiser – to name but a few – include Marty Friedman, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Kiko Loureiro, Nita Strauss, Orianthi, Guthrie Govan and Tosin Abasi.

Also making an appearance are Mark Tremonti, Nili Brosh, Matt Heafy, Lari Basilio, Jared Dines and Cole Rolland.

Details of the online store and auction are yet to be announced, though it has been revealed that the guitars Becker appeared with on the front of Perpetual Burn and Speed Metal Symphony will be making an appearance.

Becker’s original Numbers guitar, which was played by Eddie Van Halen, will also hit the block in the coming weeks.

Said Li, who co-organized the musical fund-raising marathon, “I’ve been a huge fan of Jason Becker since I was young, and it’s one of the biggest honors of my life to be able to help organize this tribute and raise money for him. It’s been very inspiring to see everyone coming together to celebrate Jason.”

Having never lost his passion for making music, Becker continues to compose music, using a system developed by his father to write musical notes and chords via a series of eye movements.

Of the event, Becker said, “I am so grateful for all the love and support everyone has given me and my family. As far as selling my guitars being sad, and that I shouldn’t have to do it, I just want you to know that isn’t how I feel.

“I feel good about passing on my guitars, thinking they mean something to others,” he continued. “I can’t play them now, but other folks can. That’s a good thing. And I want myself and my family not to have to worry about money, if possible. Thank you for all the love. I send it right back to you.”

Head over to Jason Becker’s website for a full schedule of livestream events.

Kiesel has joined forces with Jason Becker to release the latest addition to the guitarists' series of signature guitars – the Jason Becker Yin Yang.

The model, envisaged by Becker himself, seeks to encapsulate his "dream guitar", and boasts a number of exclusive options offered on no other Kiesel model.

Build-wise, the JBYY sports a slightly tweaked body shape composed of mahogany, which seeks to deliver a warm, resonating tone when paired with the bolt-on quarter-sawn maple neck and 14"-radius roasted maple fingerboard.

The body boasts a yin yang artwork, which pays homage to both the stylistic appointments of Claption's 'Blackie' and the Chinese philosophical concept of balance. The imagery is continued elsewhere, with yin yang inlays adorning the fingerboard.

Other functional appointments include a Becker-model-mainstay Floyd Rose tremolo, as well as a locking nut, Kiesel locking tuners, a 24.75" scale length and reversed angled headstock.

Under the hood, the guitar comes equipped with M12SD bridge humbucker and the Mark's single coil. While the former seeks to reproduce the tones of Becker's Bluey pickup, the latter offers up a more classic, traditional tone.

The electronics are controlled by way of a five-way pickup selector, master volume and master tone control.

On the choice of imagery, Becker said, "Although I love the meaning of unity/duality in the yin yang symbol, my desire was to design a guitar like this came from my love of Eric Claption's 'Blackie' guitar.

"This yin yang design of mine was meant to capture the look of Claption's 'Blackie'," he continues. "To me, every line and curve is beautiful. I worked really hard on getting the perfect balance of black and white and artistic movement.

"I am so grateful to Kiesel Guitars for bringing my design to life."

The JBYY lists for $1,999, and is available for Kiesel's 10-day try-at-home trial, allowing you to send the guitar back for a full refund if it doesn't quite take your fancy.

In addition, a portion of the proceeds from sales will go directly to Becker to help him finance his high medical costs.

For more info, head over to Kiesel.

Jason Becker has shared previously unseen footage of the day he spent with his friend – and fellow David Lee Roth collaborator – Eddie Van Halen back in 1996.

At the time, Becker had recently been diagnosed with ALS – or Lou Gehrig's disease – and Van Halen paid him a visit to offer his love and support – as well as a guitar – and film an ALS awareness promotional video.

During the visit, Van Halen told stories, talked about his creative process and played music, sounding exactly like EVH even when playing Becker's guitar through a small practice amp.

The footage illustrates how, aside from his uniquely dazzling guitar abilities and rock 'n' roll superstardom, Van Halen was a generous and caring human being.

It also shows the inspiring resilience of Becker, whose guitar career had been cut short by his debilitating disease, but still wielded the courage to fight it.

“Eddie was such a beautiful person,” Becker recalls. “He was incredibly kind to me and my family. Not only was he my biggest influence, he had such a huge heart. He honestly saved my life.”

Eddie Van Halen tragically passed away this year at the age of 65, prompting widespread mourning from the entire guitar community.

Kiesel’s JB24 “Numbers” Jason Becker signature model electric guitar, with its numbered frets, rainbow pickups and natural wood finish, is a unique-looking instrument by design.

Even so, you’ve never seen a JB24 like this one - and accordingly, it just sold for over $26,000 on Reverb.

In addition to being personally signed by Becker himself, the guitar, known as Triumphant Friends, is also emblazoned with signatures from 16 other ridiculously talented names, among them Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Joe Bonamassa.

Also putting marker to body wood?

John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert, Uli Jon Roth, Richie Kotzen, Greg Howe, John 5, Chris Broderick, Nita Strauss Ben Woods and Dave Amato.

Each player, as the listing states, “chose to sign this guitar out of love and respect” for Becker, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis almost 20 years ago.

Other features on this one-of-a-kind JB24, which comes from Becker’s personal collection, include a swamp ash body, hard rock maple neck with steel two-way truss rod and 14-inch radius maple fingerboard with 24 stainless steel frets and colored numbered fret markers.

There’s also an original Floyd Rose tremolo with locking nut, Carvin Guitars locking tuners and a multi-colored Kiesel Guitars headstock logo and special-engraved Jason Becker truss rod cover.

Pickups are a Seymour Duncan Jason Becker Signature Perpetual Burn humbucker at the bridge, an SH-2n at the neck and an STK-S7 center single-coil, with a single orange master volume control and five-way blue-capped selector switch.

Kiesel also provided a professional clear coat to the body to protect the signatures from wear – a wise move, given that, as stated, “there is literally no other guitar on planet earth like this one.”  

The guitar was offered with a host of goodies, including a certification of authenticity, a collection of picks from most of the signees, a high-quality framed photo collage documenting most of the artists signing the body and a custom case.

All proceeds from the $26,111 selling price will go directly to the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust.

To find out more, head over to Reverb.

Jason Becker’s story is one that cannot fail to move you. At age 20, he was on top of the world, playing on David Lee Roth’s 1991 album, A Little Ain’t Enough, as Steve Vai’s replacement. He’d already become one of the hottest names in shred, thanks to his work in Cacophony with Marty Friedman, releasing Speed Metal Symphony in 1987 and Go Off! in 1988.

But disaster was about to strike. Not long after he felt some pain in his leg, Becker’s health rapidly declined. He had to switch to super-light-gauge strings to complete the Roth album, and his condition deteriorated so quickly that he was soon confined to a wheelchair.

He was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Eventually, his condition degenerated to the point that he was only able to communicate via his eyes, using a system his father developed for him.

For the average guitarist reading this, it is unthinkable to miss even a few days of playing. Imagine the trauma of never being able to play again - and that being the very least of your worries.

Becker has battled numerous complications and crises; with a prognosis of maybe five years to live in 1989, 30 years later he is still fighting on. He has always been held in exceptionally high regard in the guitar community, and his new album, Triumphant Hearts, is testament to that, featuring a who’s who of some of the world's greatest guitarists, including the likes of Joe Satriani, Uli Jon Roth, Guthrie Govan and former Cacophony bandmate Marty Friedman.

In this candid conversation, Becker reveals how this enviable roster of guitar greats brought his vision to life and his six-string story from childhood to today.

Considering that you created the music for other musicians - and guitarists in particular - to play, do the fully realized finished recordings match up to your vision?

"Yes, and usually they surpass my vision. There are sort of two different ways things happen on this album. Some players played the melodies that I wrote pretty close to exact, but with their feel, like on Triumphant Heart, Hold on to Love and Magic Woman. But, with a couple of songs, like River of Longing and Valley of Fire, I didn’t tell anyone what to play, I just told them to play what they felt. It surpassed my hopes.

"With my melodies, it was awesome to hear their unique phrasing. Uli [Jon Roth] wanted to stick to what I wrote very closely, but with his beautiful phrasing, it totally sounds natural for him. It sounds like he wrote it.

"I asked Marty [Friedman] to try one take with more space between each phrase on Triumphant Heart. He sent two takes, and I wound up picking his favorite. On River of Longing, I asked one player to try one more time, because it didn’t sound enough like him. With Valley of Fire, it was really tough because most of them sent a few solos. I didn’t want to bum anyone out by picking the wrong one."

Who is doing the bulk of the non-celebrity playing?

"Hmm… I’m doing some of the playing on a few songs, and I sure don’t feel like a celebrity. Haha! Andrew Jay does the intro to Hold on to Love, and Daniele Gottardo does the rest of the guitar in that song.

"Funny, I was trying to get Jeff Beck or Eddie Van Halen for that song, but Daniele’s mom wrote to me asking if I could find a place for him on the new album. That melted me because that’s something my mom might do. Daniele had already recorded Glauco Bertagnin’s beautiful violin parts in Italy and I was already a fan of his and we are close friends, so it was the perfect choice.

"Dan Alvarez plays keyboards, Mike Bemesderfer does some flute, Javier Torres plays drums on We Are One, a 37-piece orchestra from Bulgaria plays on six of the pieces, Codany Holiday, Gary Rosenberg and Steve Knight, as well as the choir are the singers.

"They're all celebrities to me. Each one added their own magic that I couldn’t have done even if I could move - especially my co-producer, Dan Alvarez."

There’s a strong uplifting cinematic feel to many of the pieces. Is composing for film a direction you’d like to move into?

"Thank you! That is a nice compliment and, yes, I’d love to see my compositions in movies. That said, I don’t quite have the time or energy to get into doing a whole movie score, but I’d love it if a director used any of what I’ve already written. Maybe someone could use my themes.

"I love soundtracks to movies and am always touched by the music if it’s good. The music in some old Disney movies, like Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan really gets to me. As a kid, I loved Peter and the Wolf, and those Ennio Morricone themes are great.

"I love John Williams and my favorite movie is Jaws (along with Dumb and Dumber, Amadeus and Peter Jackson’s King Kong). The music is so powerful in those movies, as well as the Indiana Jones movies, Star Wars, etc.

"There is a movie called The Straight Story and the score blends so beautifully with the story. It always blows me away how much music adds to a movie and I have been inspired by the emotion and have tried to use that in my own music."

Hold on to Love has autobiographical lyrics. At times, they’re almost painful to listen to - although you seem to be in a great place. Where do you think that positivity comes from?

"I hear you, and that is really good to hear - that you felt the lyrics. When I first wrote them, it was way less hopeful; I was feeling pretty dark and down. I am mostly a positive person and I think I always have been.

"I had/have a good life, but I do get down sometimes. When that happens, my family and my friends always try to bring me back to the positive way of seeing things. It may take a while, depending on what kind of mood I’m in, or what kind of hell I might be going through health-wise, but I usually get back to a peaceful place.

"I understand the dark side of life, though. Life sure can be sad and scary, especially when you don’t feel the love."

Are you a spiritual person?

"I think I am. I want the world to be happy and at peace. It kills me that some people feel unloved and lonely. I can't stand it when people get bullied or feel ugly or worthless. I am such a sucker for love; to me, it feels like the reason we are here - to love and be happy. I want that for everyone on the planet.

"It sounds corny, but I guess that makes me a spiritual person. I try to be kind and make people feel good. I have plenty of ego, selfishness and anger, but I’m always trying to fix that in myself. It is constant work trying not to be a dick!"

What was the thinking behind the cover of Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind? Are you a Dylan fan - or was it that particular song?

"I am a huge Dylan fan. He is the reason I wanted to become a musician. My parents and my uncle had Bob Dylan music going constantly when I was growing up. I always thought it was so deep and melodic and I loved his singing. I think Blowin’ in the Wind is just as relevant today as it was when he wrote it in the '60s.

"It got on the album because my friend, Gary Rosenberg, worked with Dan and recorded himself singing it and brought it over for me to hear, and he asked me to write a guitar solo for it. I fell in love with his beautiful version and begged him to let me put it on my album.

"I wrote the solo, which was performed by Jude Gold, and I love the way it turned out. It sort of hurts that Dylan was so important and meaningful to so many people, but now he’s a little forgotten. These days, I don’t hear much music that has impact or magic or soul or thought or heart."

Valley of Fire has been highlighted as the showcase lead-off track. Of course, it features a cast of shred legends, a bit like a Shrapnel 'who’s who'. It must be flattering to have so many great guitarists keen to participate on the album.

"It is great, and I am very touched - not only because they do it, but that they put so much heart into it. They are all so happy to help me make my music come alive. I am so grateful.

"These are some of my guitar heroes. I think they understand how devastating it would feel to not be able to play their guitar anymore. These artists have a lot of compassion. It is almost too much for me to take; it’s kind of overwhelming how wonderful guitar players are."

Was Valley of Fire always conceived of as a long, nine-minute track, or did it expand as more guitarists were recruited?

"I never thought about how long it would be, but you are right, it kept getting longer and longer. I said, 'Oh shit, do I have room for everyone!?'

"Hey, it would have been way longer if everyone I had asked weren’t on tour or working on their own album, like Eric Gales, Yngwie Malmsteen, George Lynch, John 5, Slash, Brian May, Eric Johnson, Brian Setzer and Steve Lukather."

How were the tracks determined for who would be the ideal guest? Did they get a few tracks to choose from or did you fit them into what your vision was?

"Good question. I started by asking a bunch of my favorite players to play on River of Longing. I got a lot of great but long solos. Trevor Rabin and the great John Scofield played over the whole song. I thought 'D’oh! It will be a whole album of River of Longing!' I actually considered that.

"That is when I decided to write Valley of Fire; the verses were half as long, so I could fit more guitar players. Funny, I asked Uli to play on Valley of Fire, but he said he would never play on something like that. I then sent him Magic Woman and he said, 'now, that is what I’m talking about!' For Valley of Fire I asked any player who I liked. It was more specialized for other songs."

Where did your own guitar tracks come from - did you have a lot of old stuff that was unreleased? Did you fit the new track around the piece that you had, or was it a case of thinking afterwards, ‘Hey, that piece from xxx might fit?’

"Yes, I have tons of old unreleased guitar recordings; most of it is never-heard songs or riffs. Two days after Prince passed, Dan Alvarez came over and I asked him to put down a funky beat at a certain tempo. We then went through my old recordings and found two different ones that were close to the tempo and swing that we could mess with. I then arranged and wrote around that.

"The first solo in Once Upon a Melody was an old four-track thing I had written as a possible part for the intro to the Cacophony song, Black Cat. We didn’t use it, and when I recently found it, I got excited and put it in Logic Pro, then wrote different chords over each note.

"The second solo was from the Cacophony album/song Go Off! It is my favorite solo of mine. Sometimes when I am writing a song, I think of something I did that I think might fit and try it out, but for Once Upon a Melody, I intentionally built a different kind of song around those solos. It was why I wrote the song.

"It sort of evolved into a story-type thing, thinking of my childhood and hanging out with my friends, my teenage guitar years, and my years of composing/song writing/arranging."

Taking Me Back and Tell Me No Lies, the two David Lee Roth outtakes, are great reminders of what has been an overlooked album. Were there vocal tracks ever laid down for them - if so, was there a problem regarding rights, or was there ever any notion of asking DLR to put down some vocals?

"Dave just recorded a rough scratch track on Taking Me Back, back in the day, which I love, but it wasn’t something he would want out there. I thought about asking him to record something new, but we haven’t spoken in many years, and I had so many other things to get done."

There’s a clip on YouTube which purports to be your audition demo for DLR playing Yankee Rose. Is that you? Assuming it was, how much time did you take woodshedding to get it so spot-on?

"It is me, and I also did Hot for Teacher and Skyscraper. Those three four-tracks were done in one night. I was already a fan of those songs, so I sort of knew how I would play them. It isn’t like I had to learn them out of the blue, is what I mean. All I had to do was put my own spin and feel on them."

The overall feel of the album is quite some way from the days of Cacophony - what do you think when you listen to the old stuff?

"I don't listen to the old stuff much, but when I do, I am always pretty happy with it. You know, the first album, Speed Metal Symphony, was mostly Marty’s vision. He was so kind to make me a big part of it. It was all so much fun. We constantly cracked up making that album.

"Same with Go Off! - but with that one, I was more of an equal with Marty. I had more ideas and Marty dug them. We weren’t into many guitar players at the time. We were totally focused on our own music and doing what we wanted, not thinking about how the world would take it. Mike Varney made that possible, as he totally believed in what we were doing."

What’s your daily regime musically? Obviously as a teenager you would have been making playing guitar your focus; are you still as driven as you must have been back then?

"When I am working on an album or a song, yes, I am just as driven. But, due to my unfortunate fate (haha!), I don't have as many hours in a day as I used to before ALS.

"My working hours are just a few each day, but I do spend them working on music (if I have a project going on) or other things related to music. So yeah, a lot less hours, but just as much focus.

"Hmm… actually, when I am working on a song, I do spend a lot of sleepless hours thinking about where I might take the piece next, so, maybe just as many hours, but it is different. I also don’t work every day."

Do you have a lot of material written for a future release?

"I have a lot of material, and I am sure I have enough for a future release, but for now, I just can't think about that. I need to take some time and let my caregivers relax, too. I will always have more stuff, but for now I just want to relax.

"It has taken years to create this album and it was a tremendous amount of work, energy, time, blood, sweat and tears. I went through a couple of bouts of pneumonia during the process, long torturous waiting periods, and now that it is finally done, I am ready for a break.

"Right now, I am helping my longtime friend, Mike Bemesderfer, who is a fantastic singer, get his album out. He created it with Dave Shul, who also played guitar on my album. They are both awesome songwriters.

"My next album will probably be a jams album. I will put John Scofield’s River of Longing on that. For new music, I will just do one song at a time."

Who were you listening to when you started playing?

"At that time (around five to seven years old) I was listening to Dylan, The Band, Segovia, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Robbie Robertson, Roy Buchanan, Steve Morse and Yngwie came later. Van Halen, Steve Vai, Stevie Ray Vaughan, all the greats."

Did the guitar come easily for you? What amount of time would you have been playing on a daily basis?

"It didn't seem so at the time, but looking back, I think so. My dad gave me my first lesson when I was five. He said, 'come back for lesson number two when you get that down.' I didn’t come back until I was eight. Haha! I was bored with the names of notes. I wanted to play Dylan songs. That is when I really started playing a lot.

"My dad and my uncle played guitar and I sort of grew up with it being a normal thing. Watching them and learning things little by little, then getting to a place where I really wanted to learn everything I could because I knew I wanted to be a lead guitar player just felt like a natural evolution. It didn't seem so much like work; it was fun and worth everything I put into it.

"I don't know how much time I played on a daily basis, just every minute I could play, I did. Maybe I averaged two hours during school and then eight to 10 hours on weekends, give or take. It really got more often in high school though. I carried my Strat everywhere. I did play a lot of sports with my friends though, and just hung out with them."

What music are you listening to these days?

"While making this album, I didn’t listen to much. All of my concentration was on my stuff. I still love all of my old favorites, like Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Pink Floyd, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, AC/DC, The Beatles, Debussy, Mozart, Peter Gabriel, Hiromi, Kazuhito Yamashita, Philip Glass and The Band. Not much newer music I have heard does it for me. Maybe I haven’t heard the good stuff."

Who - if anyone - are the current guitarists that you feel most impressed by?

"There are so many. The first ones who come to mind are Aleks Sever, Guthrie Govan, Nili Brosh, Alexandra Zerner, Nita Strauss, and, of course, Andrew Jay and Daniele Gottardo."

Do you have anybody left on your wishlist of guitarists you’d like to hear performing your work?

"Jeff Beck is my top choice for that. Of course, Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Eric Johnson, Brian May, David Gilmour, Yngwie and Willie Nelson would be great, too."

What do you think is the most frustrating preconception people have about you?

"Hmm… maybe that I am always happy-go-lucky, but I talked about that earlier. You know, the end of the Monty Python movie, The Life of Brian, has a hilarious scene with people being crucified, singing 'always look on the bright side of life.' I think sometimes people think that is how I am. I can get negative, too."

What’s the prognosis for you, health-wise?

"That is something I don't think about. I don't know. I have health scares then heal. I have been told I should have been long gone for many years and I'm still here, so I just take things a day at a time."

What are your plans for the future?

"Right now, I can only think about the immediate future and that is to relax and try to stay 'not dead yet' as much as I can."

There are a lot of guitarists who make what they're doing look easy. Few of them though, made their craft look as effortless as Jason Becker did in his prime.

Becker first rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the technical guitar duo Cacophony with Marty Friedman. In 1989, at only 19 years old, he followed in the footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai, and became the guitarist for David Lee Roth. He wrote and recorded with Roth for the former Van Halen frontman’s third solo album, A Little Ain’t Enough and was poised for superstardom when a nagging pain in his leg was diagnosed as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal condition with a life expectancy of maybe five years. 

Becker though, defied the odds and continues to make music to this day, despite the loss of his ability to play guitar, walk, talk and breathe on his own.

This video—shot when he was a teenager—is but one reminder of his extraordinary talent. 

Below, check out an all-too-brief guitar shoot-out featuring Cacophony guitarists Jason Becker and Marty Friedman.

The clip, which is just over a minute long, was shot in 1989 in Japan during one of Cacophony's final tours. After '89, both shredders went their own way to forge solo careers or join successful bands.

So while we might not have quantity in this clip, we do have plenty of quality as both guitarists try to out-sick each other on the six-string. Of course, we don't want to opine on who "wins" the duel; feel free to come to your own conclusions!

A few years back, Friedman teamed up with Becker on a track called "Horrors." The song appears on Friedman's 2014 album, Inferno (Prosthetic Records).

As guitar fans know, Becker now suffers from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and can no longer play guitar. As a result, Friedman brought in guitarist Ewan Dobson to cover the parts Becker wrote.

"There’s a little acoustic interlude in the song, and it’s one of those Jason specialty-type things," says Friedman in the June 2014 issue of Guitar World. "And Jason wrote the part, because he writes with his eyes and with the computer. It was a really wonderful piece of music, and then I wrote a part to that.

"Then I had a guy named Ewan Dobson come in and actually play the parts on acoustic guitar. And he really nailed it. It’s just like Jason is there on the album. It sounds like his phrasing, it sounds like his playing. It fits in exactly as we would have done it in Cacophony.

"And actually, this is the first 'cacophonic' collaboration we’ve done since we were in the band together. So it’s definitely one of the most intense moments on the record. The song stinks of Jason and myself. Or maybe it just stinks. [laughs] But it was an absolute pleasure to work together again."

To keep up with Becker and Friedman today, visit jasonbeckerguitar.com and martyfriedman.com.

Jason Becker has shared the official video for the song “Hold On to Love.” The track comes off the guitarist's new album, Triumphant Hearts, due December 7 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group.

“Hold On to Love” features Bay Area singer Codany Holiday on lead vocals. The song, Becker explains, was originally “going to be an instrumental, but after I wrote the chorus with lyrics, I knew I had to tell my story, to explain how I can continue living without feeling hate. I hadn’t written many lyrics before.”

As previously reported, the 14 tracks on Triumphant Hearts showcase Jason’s gift for melody and his deep knowledge of classical composition and orchestral arrangement. Many of the guitar parts are performed by a who’s who of guitarists including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, and many others. Becker's own playing—recorded in the Eighties and Nineties—also features throughout.

Becker first rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the technical guitar duo Cacophony with Marty Friedman. In 1989, at only 19 years old and after wowing audiences all over the world, the young virtuoso became the guitarist for David Lee Roth, following in the huge footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. He wrote and recorded with Roth for the former Van Halen frontman’s third solo album, A Little Ain’t Enough and was poised for superstardom when a nagging pain in his leg was diagnosed as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal condition with a life expectancy of maybe five years. 

That was 29 years ago. Becker lost the ability to play guitar, walk, talk and breathe on his own. But never lost his will to live or his desire to create music. Communicating through a series of eye movements with a system developed by his father, Becker spells out words as well as musical notes and chords. He imparts his musical vision to his team who then can input the notes into a computer, edit the parts to his exacting standards, and then generate charts for session musicians. His inspiring music and life story have been the subject of countless news articles, magazine cover stories, and an award-winning documentary, Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet. 

“Some people feel sorry for me,” he concedes, “and I understand that. I really feel lucky though. I don’t miss playing guitar anymore. I’m sure that’s out of necessity, but I am grateful for so much more. I am surrounded by loving people, and I can still make music.”

Triumphant Hearts will be released on December 7 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. The album is available for pre-order here.

Jason Becker has unveiled a new song, “Valley of Fire,” from his upcoming album, Triumphant Hearts. The nine-minute track features Becker alongside “The Magnificent 13,” a guest list that includes Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Paul Gilbert, Neal Schon, Marty Friedman, Michael Lee Firkins, Mattias IA Eklundh, Greg Howe, Jeff Loomis, Richie Kotzen, Gus G, Steve Hunter and Ben Woods.

Becker first rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the technical guitar duo Cacophony with Marty Friedman. In 1989, at only 19 years old and after wowing audiences all over the world, the young virtuoso became the guitarist for David Lee Roth, following in the huge footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. He wrote and recorded with Roth for the former Van Halen frontman’s third solo album, A Little Ain’t Enough and was poised for superstardom when a nagging pain in his leg was diagnosed as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal condition with a life expectancy of maybe five years. 

That was 29 years ago. Becker lost the ability to play guitar, walk, talk and breathe on his own. But never lost his will to live or his desire to create music. Communicating through a series of eye movements with a system developed by his father, Jason spells out words as well as musical notes and chords. He imparts his musical vision to his team who then can input the notes into a computer, edit the parts to his exacting standards, and then generate charts for session musicians. His inspiring music and life story have been the subject of countless news articles, magazine cover stories, and an award-winning documentary, Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet. 

The 14 tracks on Triumphant Hearts showcase Jason’s gift for melody and his deep knowledge of classical composition and orchestral arrangement. Many of the guitar parts are performed by a who’s who of guitarists including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, and many others. Becker's own playing—recorded in the Eighties and Nineties—also features throughout.

The album opens with the title track, featuring Jason’s old bandmate Marty Friedman and an astounding violin performance. “I wrote ‘Triumphant Heart’ and it made me feel triumphant,” says Becker. “When Marty found out I was making this album, he told me he would play anything I needed. I sent him this, and his wife, Hiyori Okuda, who is a cellist, also offered to play on it. The great violinist, Glauco Bertagnin, recorded my violin parts in Italy. That fast solo section I wrote is way too hard; I don’t know how Glauco pulled it off. He put so much soul in the whole song.”

"Hold on to Love" is the first vocal song on the record, although it didn’t start out that way. “It was going to be an instrumental,” explains Jason, “but after I wrote the chorus with lyrics, I knew I had to tell my story, to explain how I can continue living without feeling hate. I hadn’t written many lyrics before.” In addition to its beautiful, gospel-tinged choir, the heartfelt song features Bay Area singer Codany Holiday on lead vocals. 

"Fantasy Weaver" features Jake Shimabukuro and harp arpeggios that were written back in his Cacophony days. ‘Once Upon a Melody’ not only features two Jason Becker guitar solos from his Cacophony era, but also audio of him as a three-year-old. "We Are One," meanwhile, features soulful Flipsyde vocalist Steve Knight, and more Jason Becker guitar delights.

Uli Jon Roth appears on "Magic Woman," along with ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick who counts both Uli and Jason as big influences. Fans of Jason’s work with David Lee Roth will be thrilled by the inclusion of two previously unreleased outtakes from the A Little Ain’t Enough sessions, the hard rocking "Taking Me Back" and the blues-infused ‘Tell Me No Lies.’ There are also performances by Joe Satriani, Guthrie Govan, Steve Morse, Trevor Rabin, and many others. 

“Some people feel sorry for me,” he concedes, “and I understand that. I really feel lucky though. I don’t miss playing guitar anymore. I’m sure that’s out of necessity, but I am grateful for so much more. I am surrounded by loving people, and I can still make music.”

Triumphant Hearts will be released on December 7 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. The album is available for pre-order here.

Triumphant Hearts track list:

Triumphant Heart (feat. Marty Friedman, Glauco Bertagnin, Hiyori Okuda)

Hold on to Love (feat. Codany Holiday)

Fantasy Weaver (feat. Jake Shimabukuro)

Once Upon A Melody

We Are One (feat. Steve Knight)

Magic Woman (feat. Uli Jon Roth & Chris Broderick)

Blowin' in the Wind

River of Longing (feat. Joe Satriani, Aleks Sever, Guthrie Govan, Steve Morse)

Valley of Fire (feat. The Magnificent 13)

River of Longing (feat. Trevor Rabin)

Taking Me Back

Tell Me No Lies

Hold on to Love (feat. Codany Holiday) [Chuck Zwicky Remix]

You Do It

The great thing about the whammy bar is that it’s not hard to use at all. Despite this, there are two very easy, yet effective things you can do with it that often get overlooked.

The first approach is to use the whammy bar for vibrato. Yep, that’s right. Not a dive bomb or some other outrageous display of string wrenching but plain old vibrato.

One player who’s notable for using the ‘bar in such a way is Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith, particularly from the band's Somewhere in Time album.

It’s so easy to implement, but it does require a floating tremolo. Just make sure that you’re applying pressure in both directions, instead of just pushing downwards or upwards. The idea is that you need to make the note both flat and sharp, so you can hear the original pitch in between oscillations.

The second easy yet brilliant trick is what I call the ‘wailing baby’ sound used by Jason Becker. Whilst Becker isn’t the only player to adopt this sound, he’s one of the most prolific in its use.

Keep your bar in its regular position, facing towards the headstock, and yank upwards slightly when you perform a pull-off to another note.

That’s it. There’s nothing else involved apart from the bar and your fretting hand.

You might think these techniques are obvious but you’d be surprised how many whammy bar users don’t use them.

They don’t require much skill, just a bit of time invested, and the result is some cool sounding tricks that you can add to your repertoire.

Ben Higgins started playing guitar at age 10. He’s released five solo albums and continues to teach guitarists from around the world. In 2012, he released the YouTube video “30 Shredders in One Solo,” in which he emulated the style of 30 of the world’s greatest guitarists. He topped this in 2017 with “101 Shredders in One Solo.” In 2016, Ben developed his “Badass…” online courses, which are aimed at improving people’s technique in picking, sweeping and hand synchronization.

To find out more about Ben and his courses, visit benhigginsofficial.com and keep up with him on Facebook

Hard Rock recently teamed up with former Marilyn Manson and current Rob Zombie axeman John 5 for a fascinating, deep dive into guitar history.

With the help of Hard Rock historian Jeff Nolan, John 5 got to play Jimi Hendrix’s SG Custom, Paul Stanley's Ibanez Iceman, Brian Jones’s iconic Vox Mk. III “Teardrop”, Paul Kossoff’s ’57 Les Paul Jr., the ’58 Les Paul from the cover of the Rolling Stones’ live classic Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!, Jason Becker's Peavey "Numbers" and Duane Allman’s Telecaster guitars.

Luckily for us, the Hard Rock crew was on hand to film the whole thing. You can watch the clearly awestruck John 5 play them all above.

For the record, John 5 is also using a Valvetrain 416 head and 1x12 cabinet, an Analogman Beano Boost and an Origin Effects Cali76 compressor in the video.

England's Bodleian Library—the main research library at the University of Oxford and one of the oldest libraries in Europe—is home to a rather unique guitar. The instrument, which is displayed alongside an eerie coffin-shaped guitar case, is linked to Frankenstein author Mary Shelley—not to mention a few centuries worth of speculation and controversy.

Mary's husband, English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who helped edit Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, Mary's popular gothic novel (published in 1818), drowned just a few weeks after presenting the guitar to his muse, Mary's good friend Jane Williams.

When Percy gave the guitar to Jane, it was accompanied by a lengthy poem in which he supposedly places his soul into the guitar, reserving its best tone for Jane and answering only to hands of perfect skill. Jane kept the guitar for her entire life and played it often.

But does the guitar really contain Percy’s soul? And is it just a coincidence that he died so soon after giving the guitar and poem to Jane?

To be honest, if I gave that guitar/poem combo to my wife’s best friend, I probably wouldn’t live too long either. Regardless, the guitar earned a reputation for being "cursed." Its creepy coffin-shaped case adds to the mystery, along with these lines from Percy’s poem to Jane: “And now, alas! the poor sprite is / Imprisoned for some fault of his / In a body like a grave."

You can hear Percy's complete poem below:

In 1816, Percy translated Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust into English (from German, of course). That's the 1808 play that's partially responsible for the tried-and-true “man sells his soul to the devil” cultural motif. Percy translated Faust while Mary was writing Frankenstein, a story that's almost identical to Faust, but from an atheist’s perspective.

This also was the age of Niccolo Paganini, the world’s greatest violin virtuoso, who—legend has it—made a pact with the devil (um, just like Robert Johnson). Mary Shelley saw Paganini perform July 18, 1831, as her diary records: "I heard Paganini today—he is divine—he had the effect of giving me hysterics—yet I could pass my life listening to him—nothing was ever so sublime."

Whether or not Paganini met with Mary or Percy isn't clear, but they all would've been aware of each other, and it's easy to let your imagination run wild. Was the "deal with the devil" story just a clever marketing ploy by Paganini and a great basis for Mary and Percy to create what is considered the birth of science fiction? Perhaps when Percy and Mary were researching Faust, they stumbled upon a way to make a pact with the devil and paid the price.

OK, so, how does Jason Becker fit into all this?

Wikipedia lists Becker in the top spot under "Notable works inspired by compositions of Paganini." Becker's career was cut short by ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) right at the point of his big break. Fans have speculated that Becker—who studied Paganini's works—also "sold his soul" to play the way he did.

I started this research because I played on Jason’s behalf for the launch of his Carvin/Kiesel JB24 Numbers guitar and Seymour Duncan Perpetual Burn humbucker.

When I shared this tale with Jason, a dear friend of mine, this was his reply:

“Wow, this is all really interesting. Yeah, I have seen that I am listed as one of Paganini's 'disciples.' I remember before meeting Marty Friedman, and still for a while in Cacophony, I learned a bunch of Paganini's 24 Caprices. I really liked how he had mastered his craft. There was something I admired about how his playing made people feel in awe, or you know, gasp. I also heard it turned women on. I wanted to do that too. Ha ha! Really, though, I wanted to learn techniques from instruments other than guitar. It was mostly just fun.

"I should start telling people that I did sell my soul to the devil. It would be a much more interesting story than just a practicing kid. Plus, that would have been a ripoff deal, huh? Only a couple years of good 'devil level' of playing.”

So there it is—Jason says he just wanted to turn on women—no soul-selling involved! Of course, if he, I or anyone else had made a deal with the devil, we wouldn’t tell a soul.

Does that old guitar contain Percy's soul? I don’t know. Does it answer sweetly and flatter hands of perfect skill? They won’t let me play it to find out!

Special thanks to Dr. Bruce Barker-Benfield and Stephen Hebron, the leading authorities on Mary and Percy Shelley at the Bodleian Library Oxford. For more information, visit bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

WatchMojo.com posts top-10 "list" videos about just about everything. They've done lists about spaceships, explosions, deaths you didn't see coming, theme parks, good robots, evil robots, robots that die and make you sad, skyscrapers, zombies, sexy aliens ... you get the idea. They do a lot of lists!

Sometimes, they even do lists about guitars and guitarists.

For instance, there's The Top 10 Guitar Models of All Time—and who can forget The Top 10 Heavy Metal Guitar Riffs of All Time? To be honest, I forgot it.

Anyway, the WatchMojo.com crew recently posted a very guitar-centric video, and we think you should check it out. It's called "The Top 10 Hardest Rock Songs to Play on the Guitar." It starts off with a Smiths song, followed by a classic Jimi Hendrix tune, followed by a Red Hot Chili Peppers song...

We'll let you take it from there.

Be sure to tell us what you think of their 10 choices, either in the comments below or on Facebook, where you most likely found this story. We expect the list will ruffle a feather or two! In fact, check out the "Thumbs Down" vs. "Thumbs Up" figures in the photo below. Yikes.

Riff Axelerator has unveiled a new Marty Friedman lesson pack, aiming to raise funds for Jason Becker—the enormously talented guitarist and composer who has been suffering from ALS for more than 25 years—and his family.

The pack features licks from "Angel," "Valley of Eternity," "Inferno," "11 Blue Egyptians," "Canon ala Koto," "Wicked Panecea" and the eastern sounding run from "Holy Wars," and features instruction from longtime Guitar World columnist Ben Higgins.

100 percent of the proceeds go to the Jason Becker Special Needs Trust. You can watch the video below for more information.

Purchase the Riff Axelerator Marty Friedman lesson pack here.

— Joe Satriani (@chickenfootjoe) July 22, 2017

In the video below, guitarist Danny Young lays down a challenge that's quite familiar to Guitar World readers: "Betcha Can't Play This"!

It's a tricky—and decidedly "pretty"—lick that's chock full of tapping and fluid, classical-style arpeggios.

But where's the tab, you ask? Well, that's where it gets interesting.

"You may have noticed that this video doesn't come with tab," Young says in the clip. "I'm only gonna release the tab if Jason Becker's fundraising goal for his new album is met."

As we reported earlier this month, Becker has announced plans to record an album featuring all new material. The album is being crowdfunded through an IndieGoGo campaign that offers supporters such perks as a liner-note credit and exclusive merchandise.

“I need help to pay for the production, studio time and session musicians,” Becker said at the time. “Plus the incredible assistants who work to make my life so beautiful and musically productive. By investing in my latest album, you can be my new label and be the first to get it.”

Of course, Becker won’t be playing guitar on the disc; he’s had ALS for the past 26 years. Despite doctors telling him he likely wouldn’t live past 30, Becker, 47, has continued to live a productive life as a composer. He communicates with his eyes via an alphabet system devised by his father and edits music scores using an interactive computer system.

This will be the first new music Becker has released in eight years. His 2008 album, Collection, included older recordings with three new songs featuring fretwork by Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, Greg Howe, Michael Lee Firkins and Steve Hunter. Becker's new album will feature contributions from Satriani, Aleks Sever, Guthrie Govan, Chris Broderick, Jeff Loomis, Gus G, Steve Morse and Trevor Rabin.

Becker’s campaign has a flexible goal of $75,000 and, as of this writing, has 18 days left. To learn more and contribute, visit his IndieGoGo page. He's almost there!

Jason Becker has announced plans to record an album featuring new original compositions and performances by many notable guest performers.

In a new video, the composer reveals that the record will include appearances by guitarists such as Joe Satriani, Guthrie Govan, Chris Broderick, Jeff Loomis, Gus G, Steve Morse and Trevor Rabin. The album will be crowdfunded through an IndieGoGo campaign that offers supporters such perks as an album credit and exclusive merchandise, including shirts and posters.

“I need help to pay for the production, studio time and session musicians,” Becker explains. “Plus, the incredible assistants who work to make my life so beautiful and musically productive.

“By investing in my latest album, you can be my new label and be the first to get it.”

Becker, of course, won’t be playing guitar on the album. As his fans know, he’s had ALS for the past 26 years and can move only his eyes and lips. Despite doctors telling him he likely wouldn’t live past the age of 30, the 47-year-old guitarist has continued to live a productive life as a composer. He communicates with his eyes via an alphabet system devised by his father and edits music scores using an interactive computer system.

This will be the first new music Becker has released in eight years. His 2008 release, Collection, served up older recordings along with three new songs featuring guitar contributions from Satriani, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman, Greg Howe, Michael Lee Firkins and Steve Hunter.

Becker’s campaign has a flexible goal of $75,000 and as of this writing has one month left. To learn more and get onboard, visit his IndieGoGo page.

Watch the video below and, as Jason requests, share it with others.

French guitarist Tina S.—who has become a favorite of GuitarWorld.com readers around the world—is back with a new video (her third of 2015), which she posted to YouTube this past Friday, September 4.

This time, Tina—who has covered everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Eddie Van Halen to DragonForce—tackles Jason Becker's "Altitudes." The song, which was written by Becker, is the opening track from Becker's iconic 1988 album, Perpetual Burn.

After seeing the clip, Becker replied: "Wonderful playing, Tina! Thank you so much! I am honored!"

As always, Tina, who turned 16 earlier this year, is playing her Vigier Excalibur Custom guitar. She was taught and filmed by her guitar instructor, Renaud Louis-Servais. Be sure to check out Tina's effortless covers of Van Halen's "Eruption," Vai's version of Paganini's 5th Caprice, Dream Theater's "The Best of Times" and her shred tribute to Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi.

You also might want to check out her take on Yngwie Malmsteen's "Arpeggios from Hell," which she performed and posted in 2014.

For more about Tina, check out the links above (and under RELATED CONTENT), and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Nita Strauss uploaded this video a few days ago, in which she’s tricked by her manager/boyfriend, Josh, into performing for her guitar hero, Jason Becker.

Strauss, who plays guitar the Iron Maidens, sets up the situation in the video description on her YouTube channel:

“A few months ago, my boyfriend and savvy business manager Josh told me that I had an audition to be the face of a new guitar app that was going to be the next big thing in the music world. Little did I know it was an elaborate trick that would end in me playing a composition by one of my biggest guitar influences—in front of him in his own living room.”

For the “audition,” Josh had Strauss learn “Perpetual Burn,” the title track from Becker’s 1988 album, and one of the finest displays of his virtuoso guitar work. The guitarist, who is one of Strauss’s influences, developed the muscle-degenerative disease ALS in 1989 and is today unable to move or speak. He lives at home in the care of his family.

The video opens with Strauss rehearsing “Perpetual Burn” at home, followed by shots of her being driven to an unknown destination. When they pull up to a house, Strauss suddenly comprehends that she’s going to “audition” for the guitar app, at which point she quite understandably exclaims, “I’m not ready.”

Strauss isn’t aware of what’s actually happening until she enters the home and sees Becker, at which point she realizes she’s been set up for a nice surprise.

Prior to playing, Strauss talks with Becker and his mother, Amy, who translates his eye movements into words. (Becker communicates using a coded system of eye movements devised by his father.)

“Can I talk you into playing?” Becker asks Strauss.

Amy offers Strauss the pick of Becker’s guitars, which are displayed on the walls, for her to play. “Loiter and play anything you want,” Becker says.

Strauss’s performance of “Perpetual Burn” begins at the 5:00 mark, if you want to skip right to the action.