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Thread: RIP Eddie Van Halen

  1. #1
    Forum Member vinyl's Avatar
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    RIP Eddie Van Halen

    Just saw on the news that Eddie Van Halen passed away this morning after a battle with cancer.

    My condolences to his friends and family.

    Tried to figure out if I could edit a thread title. Finally figured it out.
    Last edited by vinyl; 10-06-2020 at 01:12 PM. Reason: missing letter in thread title

  2. #2
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: RIP Eddie Van Halen

    I just saw/heard the news, too. While not a Fender player (that I am aware of), I thought his licks were tasty and their execution perfect. "Jump" was the first song I heard by him, and it came at a time when the music then was boring me to tears (1984). He also made Michael Jackson's "Beat It" the hit it became, in my opinion.

    R. I. P.
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  3. #3
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: RIP Eddie Van Halen

    Well, I was wrong. Sort of. It turns out that in 2006, Eddie collaborated with Fender Custom Shop's Chip Ellis to create replicas of his original "Frankenstein" which Van Halen had built himself in 1973. A few "Wolfgang" (named for his son) prototypes were also built for him by Fender.

    So there. I stand corrected.

    (Source:
    https://www.groundguitar.com/eddie-van-halen-guitars-and-gear/)
    Striving to be ordinary

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  4. #4
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: RIP Eddie Van Halen

    It was a dark and dismal time. Live music was all but dead. Music stores were closing. I got a phone call. "What are you doing? Come pick me up and go to X's house"

    I pick him up and ask what's up. "You'll see."

    We get to X's house. Do up some hash under glass. My buddy takes out a plain sleeve LP with the words "promotion only" stamped on it. Red vinyl no label. Woah, WTF is this?

    Cranked the stereo. Car horns blared out, then the bass followed by the hi hats and the stereo exploded and the dreaded reign of disco was finally overthrown.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  5. #5
    Forum Member vinyl's Avatar
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    Re: RIP Eddie Van Halen

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post
    Well, I was wrong. Sort of. It turns out that in 2006, Eddie collaborated with Fender Custom Shop's Chip Ellis to create replicas of his original "Frankenstein" which Van Halen had built himself in 1973. A few "Wolfgang" (named for his son) prototypes were also built for him by Fender.

    So there. I stand corrected.

    (Source:
    https://www.groundguitar.com/eddie-van-halen-guitars-and-gear/)
    I'm not sure you were wrong, OS.

    From what I have read so far, Eddie built Frankenstrat from a Charvel body and neck. When did Fender first introduce a humbucker in the bridge position? Did they do it before Eddie? Is that correct? Don't know, after all it's the internet.

    To say Eddie Van Halen didn't influence music would be totally wrong.

    Just curious how this will play out in terms of Fender's EVH line and Fender's Charvel line, and how Fender handles it.

    I have numerous .mp3s that I have recorded from vinyl albums that I recorded. I paid for those vinyl albums. Does that mean I'm a pirate? Actually none of them are Van Halen's recordings. But, also none of them are disco. But none of my .mp3s are the result of any songs that I didn't "purchase", either in the form of a vinyl album or a cd.

    Fender and Gibson have to sell guitars. Some of them have certain sounds. That doesn't really mean that I will sound like someone that plays those guitars, despite those companies marketing goobs.

    In conclusion, Eddie did contribute to American music during a time that the only thing we were faced with was disco. There were others.

    Do I fault Fender, Gibson, or anyone else for trying to capitalize on it?

    No. Doesn't mean that I will buy their product, regardless of it's a guitar, amp, or pedal.

    Cheers,

  6. #6
    Forum Member Keefoman1's Avatar
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    Re: RIP Eddie Van Halen

    Way too soon, but his legacy will live on. His "Frankenstrat" was not an official Fender product to begin with, but it certainly carved out the "Superstrat" route.

  7. #7
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: RIP Eddie Van Halen

    I remember when the first album came out. I was 14. The radio station said they were going to play a song from it later and my parents actually put the station on in the car so I could here it.

  8. #8
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: RIP Eddie Van Halen

    Quote Originally Posted by Keefoman1 View Post
    Way too soon, but his legacy will live on. His "Frankenstrat" was not an official Fender product to begin with, but it certainly carved out the "Superstrat" route.
    Interestingly enough, if you go to Fender's web site and search for "Van Halen," you are taken to evhgear.com. And if you search that site for "Fender," you'll find this
    He eventually reached a point where he decided to share his legacy of innovation with guitarists everywhere by offering a first-rate replica of that first incredible guitar, a faithful recreation of that monumental and absolutely unmistakable instrument. He had embarked before on various projects for various models with various makers, but for a never-before-produced truly faithful recreation of the instrument so dear to him personally and revered by fans worldwide as Frankenstein™, he knew there was only one company he could do it with. Fender.It makes sense. One innovator joining forces with another. An artist and a company with a history and a tradition of pioneering greatness.

    So in 2007, Eddie Van Halen and the master builders of the Fender Custom Shop in Corona, Calif., joined forces to bring you EVH® brand guitars, amps and musical products, beginning with a most eagerly awaited musical event: the unveiling of a very special 300-instrument limited edition run of the Eddie Van Halen Frankenstein™ replica guitar — an astoundingly and painstakingly accurate rendition of what is widely regarded as the world’s most recognizable electric guitar.

    This red, black and white striped ash-body guitar features a bolt-on maple neck, and was put through an astounding aging process to replicate the effects of the explosive years Eddie Van Halen spent on the road with the original. No effort was spared to mirror every last scratch, ding and cigarette burn; Fender designers even scoured the land for 1971 quarters (that’s the right year), just like the original he at one time stuck under the original tremolo bridge. While Eddie no longer uses the quarter for that purpose, it’s still one of the guitar’s most recognizable appointments, and still adorns Ed’s baby, as well as each and every Frankenstein replica guitar.

    The guitar also has a Seymour Duncan® Custom Shop EVH® humbucking pickup, with a single master volume knob (that says “Tone”) mounted on a single-ply partial black pickguard, identical to the original. Other features include Schaller® tuners, aged chrome hardware, and a limited edition, fully “relic-ed” EVH® road case. Leaving no stone unturned, the guitar is complete with a non-functional three-way switch and single-coil pickup that occupy two of the three pickup routs.
    Striving to be ordinary

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  9. #9
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: RIP Eddie Van Halen

    So sad to see him go.

  10. #10
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: RIP Eddie Van Halen

    R.I.P
    This was a surprise, though I’ve known he was fighting El Cancer for a while. Honestly I’m not really a fan of the band, or his style, but as a guitar player, I’m still amazed how he turned heavy rock guitar on its ear when they came out in the late 70s. His technique is so smooth and musical, especially for someone who admitted he knew nothing about scales and such, and couldn’t read music. There won’t be anyone with this kind of impact again. (or at least for a long time, judging by the state of music today.)
    ********************************
    "Do you call sleeping with a guitar in your hands practicing?"
    "It is if you don't drop it."
    - Trent Lane, Daria, Episode 1-2.

  11. #11
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: RIP Eddie Van Halen

    I went out tonight and I was sitting at the bar, thinking "What would be a good shot to celebrate EVH?"

    Unfortunately I could not get to Google (no WiFi) so I had to depend on my bartender.

    She disappeared for a while, came back and said "I found a recommendation for a B-52"

    As it happens, I love B-52s

    Still can't get a straight answer on Google now that I've been home but what the hell, it's a good shot
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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