What's up with all the EVH lovers here? To me he is just a glorified tap guitarist.

[jrockbridge]

Well played, sir. {censored} you very much!

 

Respectfully....

 

[shadesofcraig]

That was me. Interesting, difference in what we can hear for sure. I would say post-birds Beck is instantaneously recognizable, and I'll tell you what... Beck was confined by the scope of the Yardbirds music as much as Eddie was a hired hand for Michael Jackson. But put them in their own creative space and you know exactly who they are. And I'll assume that was a typo, but just to be safe Jimmy was in the Yardbirds, not Jimi

Oh yeah dam it was a typo... hahaha Thanks for pointing that out and not thinking I thought Hendrix was in the Yarbirds... hahaha

[jairic]

I think he had his moment as King of the Hill, and now he represents a generation that can't let go of him. By admitting that he's a relatively average guitar player, by today's standards, people who were influenced by him are admitting that his contribution and hence their 'hero' and subsequent contributions (of their own), are there again relatively average by today's standards. There are 17 year old kids doing things that EVH could never approach (and sadly, I can't either). I know that not everyone agrees; some people still think that Jerry West was the best basketball player ever... It's ok, because I respect and tolerate other people's opinions, even if I choose to respectfully disagree.

 

I enjoy some of the music he made.

[Cpt Albatross]

Are you old farts still pissing on each other in here?

[Doctor Morbius]

[Ferdinandstrat]

Holy {censored} since when did HCEG become HCAF?

[greatmutah]

If you listen to EVH and all you hear is tapping and not the {censored}ing awesome melodies and amazing phrasing the guy is capable of (Especially on Fair Warning) then you're doing it wrong.

[greatmutah]

And I'm not the biggest Van Halen guy, but seriously, the dude changed the way people played guitar.

[w00dsy]

if Eddie was {censored} we wouldn't be up to 7 pages within 24hrs. Just saying.

[greatmutah]

if Eddie was {censored} we wouldn't be up to 7 pages within 24hrs. Just saying.

 

This too

[mygolfcart123]

 

Look, I'm not saying in his prime he couldn't play but he seems really over-rated on this forum. He certainly has become a product of his addictions and with age, has got worse. In my opinion, there are many better guitar players out there, many.

 

 

That's OK, to me your just a GLORIFIED TROLL!

 

Yes he has had problems, now that he has gotten older. And he has made a lot of missteps. But I don't know of anyone that is perfect.

 

But lets also remember that it was HIM that introduced rock to tap guitar playing in the first place. Try to show a little respect for that if you even can.

[mosiddiqi]

Eddie Van Halen is one of the best rock electric guitar players ever. In fact, if you told me you thought he was the best, I wouldn't argue. People who talk about the tapping or the speed or whatever techniques he bought to the masses (people were tapping long before Ed, but they simply didn't have the same impact,) are really missing the point imo.

 

If you were a guitar player in 1978 (as I was) with an interest in rock music, Page, Blackmore etc..and you heard VH1...and your jaw didn't drop, then you're either a) lying or b) jealous or c) hearing his playing as "wheedley, wheedley" 'cos your ears can't keep up

 

Between VH1 and 1984, EVH did something on each album that made me (and countless others) say "WTF??!!" ..and all this in the context of 3 minute pop/metal songs!!..no long drawn out solo's as a general rule with Van Halen. Just killer riffs, cool singalong tunes that didn't take themselves too seriously, and an utterly fantastic guitar player that played with flair and passion...bad intentions in every note to butcher a Mike Tyson quote

 

Ed's sense of rhythm and groove is still unmatched for me in the rock/metal world. A while back I set about learning "Eruption"..playing the notes are easy, the speed isn't all that...the swing is very hard to do.

 

Whatever kind of music you like or don't like, as a guitar player, if you can't HEAR the musicality of the solo in, say, "Push Comes To Shove" for example..with it's superb twists and turns..almost like following an F1 car..then, I'd question your ears frankly. You can hate the song, or DLR's voice or whatever, but just listen to the solo, it's only a few seconds, follow it in your ear/brain and tell me that it isn't perfect.

[Meowy]

I think he had his moment as King of the Hill, and now he represents a generation that can't let go of him. By admitting that he's a relatively average guitar player, by today's standards, people who were influenced by him are admitting that his contribution and hence their 'hero' and subsequent contributions (of their own), are there again relatively average by today's standards. There are 17 year old kids doing things that EVH could never approach (and sadly, I can't either). I know that not everyone agrees; some people still think that Jerry West was the best basketball player ever... It's ok, because I respect and tolerate other people's opinions, even if I choose to respectfully disagree. I enjoy some of the music he made.

 

 

I respect what you're saying here, but I have to disagree with a few points.

 

Your sports analogy is a good one, but are you going to say that Jerry West was "average" by todays standards? It was a different era and the game was played differently. Im not a basketball fan by any means but I'm old enough to remember the era. There were not too many players in the 60s and 70s who could keep up with modern athletes (maybe Oscar, Reed, Bird, and if he lived Marovich and a handful of others).

 

It's like saying Eric Heiden

What are 17 year old kids doing that Ed could never approach? It was a different era and the game was played differently. If Eddie was 17 today, he'd still be on top of the world as a player

 

Saying Ed is "a relatively average guitar player, by today's standards" is like saying Chuck Berry is "a relatively average guitar player, by today's standards". They may not be your favorites or your gods, but they were not average. Don't look at them for what they didn't do, look at them for what they did. They were among the biggiest innovators and most distinctive players in the history of the music and the instrument. You can find hundreds of online lessons and real live guitar techers everywhere that talk about and teach "Chuck Berry riffs"

[foppy]

 

I respect what you're saying here, but I have to disagree with a few points. Your sports analogy is a good one, but are you going to say that Jerry West was "average" by todays standards? It was a different era and the game was played differently. Im not a basketball fan by any means but I'm old enough to remember the era. There were not too many players in the 60s and 70s who could keep up with modern athletes (maybe Oscar, Reed, Bird, and if he lived Marovich and a handful of others). It's like saying Eric Heiden What are 17 year old kids doing that Ed could never approach? It was a different era and the game was played differently. If Eddie was 17 today, he'd still be on top of the world as a player Saying Ed is "a relatively average guitar player, by today's standards" is like saying Chuck Berry is "a relatively average guitar player, by today's standards". They may not be your favorites or your gods, but they were not average. Don't look at them for what they didn't do, look at them for what they did. They were among the biggiest innovators and most distinctive players in the history of the music and the instrument. You can find hundreds of online lessons and real live guitar techers everywhere that talk about and teach "Chuck Berry riffs"

 

 

Entirely agree. It's crazy-- it's like saying "Wordsworth seemed good but then Keats came along and blew him away." No-- what an exciting new talent does is not negate past achievement but add to it. And it's more true in the arts than in sports.

[Scott Abene]

 

Saying Ed is "a relatively average guitar player, by today's standards" is like saying Chuck Berry is "a relatively average guitar player, by today's standards". They may not be your favorites or your gods, but they were not average. Don't look at them for what they didn't do, look at them for what they did. They were among the biggiest innovators and most distinctive players in the history of the music and the instrument. You can find hundreds of online lessons and real live guitar techers everywhere that talk about and teach "Chuck Berry riffs"

 

 

"Well all Chuck's children are out there playing his licks..."

[MuyLoCo444]

If I had to mention the one album which changed how I view guitar, it would VH I. I remember buying it on cassette in 1995(I was 15) and listening to those jawdropping solos, rhythm playing, and I'll never forget how I felt when I heard the intro to "Atomic Punk"(was that a guitar? lol). A lot of people give EVH credit, after Hendrix, for being the most innovative yet original guitarist. I don't hang in EG often, but I still think what he did was pretty mesmerizing even if he is washed up and not as proficient as he once was......hopefully he's just in a rut.

[blingdogg]

That's all good and honest. Let's just make sure we distinguish between subjective ranking (like Rolling Stone does, #1, #2, #37...) and subjective opinions. I have no problem with someone expressing and opinion that BillyBilly or Jimi is their favorite guitarist. i have no problem saying they like EVH better than Clapton or *they* think EVH is better than Page. it's when they try to ram that opinion down your thoat that I think the conversation and credibility goes south

Yeah I don't think it makes sense to judge guitarists based on skill and technique. I sometimes rank guitarists based on how much I like listening to them, but since you can't definitely prove who has more skill than someone else, I don't like people or magazines or websites making those kind of ranking lists. Music is all about opinion, since it's an art form.

[Scott Abene]

Dweezil sounds better...

 

 

 

[Hubert Stumblin]

Van Halen = cliched bollox. Just the kind of wank people would love on here.

Well, aren't you just so darned sophisticated!

Always good to have the "music-as-fashion" crowd chime in once in a while.

[ZeroCool7]

What pickup did EVH use on VH1?

1.PAF
2.Super Distortion Type

What album did EVH use the EVH Frankenstein pickup on?

Is the Custom Custom the same as the EVH Frankenstein?

What Kind of Pickups are in the Ernie Ball EVH?

[EricJohn]

Haven't had the chance to chime in yet so I will

Edward is one of those rare musicians who has influenced an entire generation or more. He's in the rare company of folks like Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix and - like it or not- Kurt Cobain. As a child who graduated in 1988, probably the whole reason I play guitar can be linked back to me listening to Edward Van Halen blowing my socks off.

[Scott Abene]

What pickup did EVH use on VH1?

 

1.PAF out of a 1971 ES335 in the Black and white original Frankie (which was later the Red, white and black Frankie) ...

 

You really got me was played on an Ibanez Destroyer which he later admittedly ruined with a saw. This guitar is on the cover of "Women and Children First"

 

 

What album did EVH use the EVH Frankenstein pickup on?

 

- At least most of the first 4 albums

 

Is the Custom Custom the same as the EVH Frankenstein?

 

Que?

What Kind of Pickups are in the Ernie Ball EVH?

 

- Really {censored}ty ones

[SnowViking]

Ok I'm trolled, there's too much BS on here:

 

Eddie VH = a king of tone, great rhythm, songwriting, innovation, originality, showman, plus the astonishing technique and chopped up stripey geetars. I too remember the 1st time I heard VH1, holy {censored}, and Fair Warning is great as well. So what if some of VH was cliched, and sounded like they had recorded an album in their living room, they did a mean cliche.

 

EVH is peerless.

[EricJohn]

What pickup did EVH use on VH1? 1.PAF 2.Super Distortion Type What album did EVH use the EVH Frankenstein pickup on? Is the Custom Custom the same as the EVH Frankenstein? What Kind of Pickups are in the Ernie Ball EVH?

 

 

As far as his first album, Edward took a PAF out of a Gibson ES 335 and rewound it.

[shadesofcraig]

Eddie Van Halen is one of the best rock electric guitar players ever. In fact, if you told me you thought he was the best, I wouldn't argue. People who talk about the tapping or the speed or whatever techniques he bought to the masses (people were tapping long before Ed, but they simply didn't have the same impact,) are really missing the point imo. If you were a guitar player in 1978 (as I was) with an interest in rock music, Page, Blackmore etc..and you heard VH1...and your jaw didn't drop, then you're either a) lying or b) jealous or c) hearing his playing as "wheedley, wheedley" 'cos your ears can't keep up Between VH1 and 1984, EVH did something on each album that made me (and countless others) say "WTF??!!" ..and all this in the context of 3 minute pop/metal songs!!..no long drawn out solo's as a general rule with Van Halen. Just killer riffs, cool singalong tunes that didn't take themselves too seriously, and an utterly fantastic guitar player that played with flair and passion...bad intentions in every note to butcher a Mike Tyson quote Ed's sense of rhythm and groove is still unmatched for me in the rock/metal world. A while back I set about learning "Eruption"..playing the notes are easy, the speed isn't all that...the swing is very hard to do. Whatever kind of music you like or don't like, as a guitar player, if you can't HEAR the musicality of the solo in, say, "Push Comes To Shove" for example..with it's superb twists and turns..almost like following an F1 car..then, I'd question your ears frankly. You can hate the song, or DLR's voice or whatever, but just listen to the solo, it's only a few seconds, follow it in your ear/brain and tell me that it isn't perfect .

I played guitar in 1978, I love rock n roll and I didn't care for VH when they came out. I wasn't jealous, I am not deaf nor am I lying. Just didn't do much for me. Was only after having heard them for years and years that it grew it on me and I realized he was an uber talented guitarist. I think maybe I was just turned off by everyone wanting to be him and doing tapping. I was so not into VH that I never even attempting any tapping until a few years ago. I can admit I do have the DLR CDs now, but if you told me in 78 - 88 I would like VH I would of said you were sniffing glue. Everyone is different. I have a hard believing there are guitar players who don't like Jeff Beck and find it amazing there are some that think he is terrible... Everyone is different, that is life man.