Edward Van Halen was the guitarist and lead songwriter behind the band that bore his name: Van Halen. Eddie’s technical and melodic prowess – most famously his iconic use of the two-handed tapping technique – sparked an arms race in the 1980s rock scene, birthing the shred guitar movement.
Van Halen was also renowned for his tonal innovations and famed for relentlessly modding and, later, designing his guitars and amps – notably, the Frankenstein guitar, the Peavey 5150 amp, and the Peavey Wolfgang – before establishing the EVH brand. He passed away in 2020, but is widely regarded as the greatest electric guitar player of his generation – and, arguably, of all time.
Latest about Eddie Van Halen
When Michael Anthony met the self-proclaimed “greatest bass player in the world”, Jaco Pastorius
How the accidental meeting of two of the ’70s and ’80s greatest bass icons – neither recognised by the other – came about in a Tokyo hotel
EVH signals the start of a brave new era with its first digital combo – which promises authentic Eddie Van Halen tube amp tones
The three channel amp is a lightweight reinvention of Eddie Van Halen's iconic 5150III in a digital combo form
Steve Lukather was hanging out with Eddie Van Halen, when Jimmy Page paid him the highest compliment
Getting endorsed by the Led Zeppelin legend is something most guitarist could only dream of – but Lukather recalls the moment the icon gave him his flowers
Wolfgang Van Halen names the 2 classic rock tracks he plays to test any electric guitar
Forget the forbidden riffs and the flashy taps. Wolfgang finds it's better to keep things simple...
The Last Dinner Party’s Emily Roberts reveals how she took a page from Van Halen’s book to craft the band's most popular track
Queen, Brian May and the theatricality of ‘70s rock is writ large in Roberts’ style, but she says she takes inspiration from all corners of the guitar world in search of a sound that’s uniquely hers
Charlie Sheen reveals the real story behind Eddie Van Halen's legendary Two and a Half Men cameo
The long-running sitcom featured a rotating roster of A-list cameos, including Elvis Costello, Steven Tyler, ZZ Top, but EVH ...
From David Bowie going rogue to George Harrison x Paul Simon, EVH and SRV – the 50 greatest guitar moments in SNL history
Saturday Night Live has presented some of pop-culture's most iconic moments in musical history. We document its legacy in guitar
Anxiety, wildfires, slap guitar… How Wolfgang Van Halen made the monster guitar album of 2025
With his third album (and a bit of his dad’s Frankenstein), Wolfgang Van Halen and Mammoth are taking the world of rock guitar by storm once again
